Category: News

In a joint operation with Vigilante Groups, the Nigerian Army successfully destroyed camps belonging to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Anambra.

The operation, carried out by troops of the 302 Regiment under the 82 Division, targeted the communities of Oroma and Umuewelum Anam in Anambra West Local Government Area.

Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed the operation in a statement released in Abuja on Monday.

The raid aimed to curb the illicit activities of the fighters in the region and ensure peace and security in the South East of Nigeria.

During the operation, the troops seized significant items, including one AK-47 Rifle, one AKMS Rifle, three Lexus SUVs, and two Motorcycles. Additionally, eight suspects were arrested for their involvement in the unlawful activities.

In a separate operation, the troops also conducted a raid at an IPOB camp in Mmiata Anam, Anambra South.

During the encounter, one IPOB fighter was neutralized, while another was apprehended alive. The troops recovered one AK-47 Rifle, one dane gun, and police uniforms from the camp.

The successful raids represent the continued efforts of the Nigerian security forces to address the challenges posed by the proscribed groups in the region and maintain law and order.

 “The Nigerian Army wishes to enjoin all law-abiding citizens and particularly the good and enterprising people of the South East to continue to support and cooperate with the troops and other security agencies in their effort to end the menace bedeviling the region,” he said. 

The Enugu State Government on Monday sealed 106 shops and two banks for observing Monday’s sit-at-home order by a faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The exercise was carried out by officials of the State Government and the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA).

Governor Peter Mbah had last Monday threatened to sanction shop owners and banks that refused to open for business in compliance with the illegal sit-at-home order.

Mbah issued the threat while monitoring the situation in major markets in Enugu, the capital city.

According to him, traders who continued to obey the order up until July 24, stood to lose their shops to serious-minded businessmen.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, who led the exercise, said the action was in line with the governor’s warning.

Onyia said the governor’s intention was not to punish businesses but encourage and inculcate the spirit of ‘no sit-at-home in traders.

“It is not a punitive but ownership culture, where all of us come together to fight the menace of illegal sit-at-home in the state.

“We are taking it up, not because Mbah is in the business of stopping economic growth but to fight those that think they can intimidate us,” he said.

Onyia further said that the task force created by the State Government would be in the markets next Monday to continue to monitor the situation.

“We have been to ShopRite, Celebrity – a shopping mall – SPAR and others, we saw shops that were not opened and we sealed them.

“That is why ECTDA is here and the owners should go through a process to get them reopened,” he said.

He said that 85 per cent of traders showed up in the markets visited.

The SSG said that the governor had made a commitment by providing security and buses at specific places to convey workers to the state Secretariat.

He said the measure became necessary because the state was tired of losing significant revenue by working for only four days a week.

On why he unsealed Easter Shop earlier, Onyia said the management of the mall gave an assurance to open every Monday.

Speaking with newsmen at the end of the exercise, the Head of ECTDA, Mr Gideon Onyia, said that the affected shops were both corporate and privately owned.

He said that 78 shops were sealed at the Ogbete Market, plus two new generation banks, five shops at SPAR and 24 shops at the Old Artisan Market.

“So if you failed to obey our rules and directives, we can revoke them or withdraw your approvals and give them to people who are eager to do business in the state.

“Those whose shops are sealed, we will tell them the penalty but the governor was magnanimous for saying that the exercise was not punitive,” Onyia said.

In Sudan, about 435 children have been killed and 2,025 injured since violence broke out three months ago, according to a statement issued by the UN children’s Agency, UNICEF on Monday.

“The impact that this conflict has had on children in Sudan over the last 100 days is unfathomable,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF deputy executive director.

In total, the UN children’s agency has received reports of 2,500 child rights violations so far, but the number is actually likely to be much higher, the statement said.

“Every day, children are killed, injured, abducted and witness schools, hospitals and vital infrastructure being damaged, destroyed or looted,” said Chaiban, who is currently in Sudan.

In Sudan, former vice president Mohammed Hamdan Daglo’s RSF militia, a paramilitary made up of tens of thousands of fighters that emerged from Arab militias in Darfur is fighting the armed forces led by de-facto President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Meanwhile, series of truces, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, have largely failed to hold amid a growing humanitarian crisis.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully recruited 2,428 narcotic officers, and their training is scheduled to begin on July 27, according to a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in Abuja over the weekend.

The names of the selected candidates have been published on the NDLEA’s official website.

Those chosen for Narcotic Officers Basic Cadet training are required to proceed to the NDLEA Academy located in Jos, while Narcotic Agents and Assistants will undergo their training at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) College of Peace and Disaster Management in Katsina.

The selected candidates are advised to report to their respective designated training centers on the specified dates assigned to their groups. For Basic Cadet training, reporting is expected to commence on July 27, while Narcotic Assistants will begin their training in Katsina starting on August 12, 2023.

To ensure a smooth process, successful candidates must bring original and photocopies of their credentials, including the National Identification Number (NIN) and the printout of their NDLEA online application reference slip, among other necessary documents.

“It is crucial for candidates to adhere to the assigned reporting time as anyone who fails to report by 6 pm on the designated date will be disqualified from the training.

“Additionally, female candidates who are pregnant will not be eligible to join the training. Throughout the training period, Drug Integrity Tests and pregnancy tests will be conducted at various intervals.

“For more information and to verify their selection status, applicants are encouraged to check the Agency’s website at www.ndlea.gov.ng.

“The NDLEA remains committed to maintaining a highly skilled and dedicated workforce to combat drug trafficking and ensure the safety and well-being of the nation,” the statement said.

 “Consequently, candidates who test positive would be immediately withdrawn from training,” it added.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has dismissed a NAF recruitment advert being circulated on social media platforms as fake and an attempt to defraud applicants.

A statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, on Monday in Abuja, said “NAF is not recruiting”, and warned applicants not to fall prey to fraudsters.

Gabkwet said the advertisement did not emanate from the NAF, and reminded Nigerians that the service recently graduated recruits of Basic Military Training Course 43/2022, on July 8.

According to him, members of the public would be adequately informed whenever NAF is recruiting.

“The public is please once again reminded that recruitment and selection process into the NAF is free and without any form of gratification. Anyone who pays money under any guise does so at his or her own risk.

“Furthermore, NAF recruitment process is devoid of recruitment agents, hence anyone who claims to be operating in such capacity on behalf of the NAF is a fraudster.

“The NAF wishes to advise prospective applicants to promptly report anyone who solicit for payments to the nearest NAF Unit or the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 12 suspected vandals and impounded two trucks conveying stolen railway sleepers.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by NSCDC Director, Public Relations Commandant, Olusola Odumosu.

Odumosu said that the Corps had also clamped down on two illegal warehouses with large quantity of vandalised railway sleepers.

He said that the arrests were made within two weeks during three separate operations by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS).

“The arrests were made at Kafanchan- Kwoi Road, Kaduna State and Agwan-Kuje village, Nasarawa and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, Keffi- Abuja express way,” Odumosu said.

According to him, following its intelligence report, the squad arrested the vandals when they were loading vandalised and stolen railway sleepers at a bush in Nasarawa.

“A long open trailer already loaded with over 500 pieces of vandalised railway sleepers alleged to be owned by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) was also concealed under sacks of groundnut dust.

“Retrieved from the suspects was a forged copy of the NRC scrap delivering paper,” he said.

The corps spokesman further stated that three suspected vandals were arrested while conveying large quantity of vandalised railway sleepers concealed with rice chaff inside a bus along Keffi-Abuja Expressway.

Odumosu said that four suspected vandals were also arrested by the squad while loading railway sleepers into an already filled illegal warehouse in Kaduna.

“Acting on intelligence tip-off, the squad succeeded in intercepting another long open body truck fully loaded with large quantity of vandalised rail track irons, covered with a blue trampoline,” he said.

He said that all the arrested suspects and exhibits were subject to preliminary investigation which would aid in further arrest.

He urged citizens to continually provide useful information that would help in the arrest of vandals across the country.

According to him, this will reduce the rate of critical infrastructural vandalism in the country.

Odumosu warned persons with criminal intent of robbing the nation of its asset to desist as the corps would not spare anyone found guilty of such criminality.

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shifted the date to effect new tariff toll fare at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) from July 17 to August 1, 2023.

In a statement signed by the FAAN Management on Sunday in Abuja, the postponement was to make the airport users to enjoy more of the current charges.

According to the management, the fare for cars will change from N200 to N300, while that of buses and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) will change from N300 to N500 only.

It said the truck (six tyres) tariff would change from N500 to N1,000 while the trailer and container tariff would be N2,000.

The management urged the public to take notice of the changes in the effective date and tariff.

It also appealed to all airport users that owned vehicles to use the dedicated “park and pay” for car parks that had been provided for the comfort of airport users.

According to it, drop-off zones rules and regulations guiding movement should be respected to create free traffic flow to enhance a calm and serene environment around the airport.

“Commercial drivers are to use the drop-off zone to drop their passengers but not to engage in pick-up of passengers as the airport already has registered car hire services (FAAN TAXI, BOLT, UBER) situated along the airport exit way.

“There is an exclusive parking lot for heads of MDAs, MDs of private companies, and highly recognised individuals for their comfort as frequent fliers and their status in society.

“VIP parking stickers are also available for those who want to enjoy VIP parking privileges,” it said.

The management commended the conduct of the airport users, urging them to always verify their “parking status and pay” where necessary before attempting to leave the airport.

According to the management, verifying parking status by airport users will help to avoid any embarrassment by allow free flow of traffic in and out of the airport.

It reassured the passengers, concessioners and stakeholders of the airport’s commitment to their safety, security and comfort while using or passing through the airport.

According to it, FAAN is committed to her core values of safety, security and comfort. 

Some unidentified gunmen on Saturday night invaded the residence of former Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, at Akpata community in Akun, Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Area in Nasarawa State.

The invaders injured four security personnel.

One of the injured security personnel said on Sunday that the criminals invaded the residence at about 7:50 p.m.

“The criminals forced their way into the residence and started shooting sporadically, injuring four of us in the process.

“They were many and kept communicating in Hausa while banging the main gate to the house.

“When I refused to open the gate for them because I did not know who they were, they started shooting and jumped the fence into the compound,” he said.

Commenting on the incident, Maku decried the spate of kidnapping, banditry, and other forms of insecurity in all parts of the state.

The former minister particularly said the state was under siege, adding that it was the third time his residence and relatives were attacked by criminals.

“You will remember that about a month ago, these criminal elements invaded my father’s compound in the village and kidnapped three of my family members.

“About two years ago, they killed two of my elder brother’s children at his residence in Gudi community of Akwanga Local Government Area.

“What happened today shows clearly that our state is under siege,” Maku said.

Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule condemned the attack and directed the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators.

The governor’s directive was contained in a statement by Mr. Peter Ahemba, his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Affairs.

The statement quoted the governor as saying that the government had adopted modalities toward tackling all forms of insecurity in the state.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 33 hectares of cannabis farms in Ondo and Edo in the past week.

The NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said 29 hectares of cannabis farm was destroyed on July 20 at the Ofosu forest in Ondo state by the NDLEA operatives.

He said that the quartet of Osamezu George Chukwuemeka, 51, who owned the farm; his wife Kate Osamezu, 43; Agboola Wasiu, 37, and Mustapha Sanni, were arrested during the operation.

“118.5kg processed cannabis was recovered from the farm.

“In another raid of the warehouse of a suspect at Elegbeka, Ose Local Government Area, not less than 107 jumbo bags of the same illicit substance weighing 1,132.5kg were recovered on Monday, July 17,” he said.

Similarly, operatives in Sokoto state arrested a suspect, Charles Nwankwo, 50, with 610kg of cannabis in the Tamaje area of Sokoto on July 21.

Babafemi said that operatives in Yobe on the same day nabbed a fleeing suspect, Shaibu Musa, 29, in Dawasa while offering them an N500,000 bribe following the seizure of a 36kg skunk in his house on July 19.

He said operatives on July 17 raided the Utese forest in Ovia North East Local Government Area in Edo and arrested Victor Asukwo with 59 bags of processed cannabis sativa weighing 640kg.

“His two cannabis farms measuring 1.489895 hectares and 2.445295 hectares were destroyed.

“Also, Endurance Chukwuma, 50, was arrested with seven bags of processed cannabis sativa weighing 68kg, while his cannabis farm measuring 0.254324 hectares was destroyed, ” Babafemi said.