Metro

DSS Raids Terrorists’ Negotiator’s Kaduna Residence, Office

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2022

Editor

A team of the Department of State Service raided the residence of Malam Tukur Mamu, the Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald and Media Consultant to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who withdrew as one of the negotiators between the terrorists that attacked the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna bound AK-9 train passengers.

A source familiar with the matter told one of our correspondents that the heavily armed DSS personnel stormed Mamu’s residence and the office of the Desert Herald Newspaper at about 12:30 am on Thursday.

It was gathered that the officers ransacked every nook and cranny of the house and carted away laptops, phones and documents.

The sources, however, said nothing incriminating was found in both the residence as well as the office.

According to him, no fewer than 50 heavily armed operatives in Toyota Hilux, Toyota Highlander as well as military vehicles raided both the residence and office.

He added that the two wives of the ex-negotiator that were with him when he was arrested, were brought back to the house, but his two sons “are still with him in detention.”

He said, “The heavily armed operatives came and they searched everywhere both at the residence and his office but nothing suspicious was found during the operation that started at about 12.30am

“Over 50 of them came in, fully armed with sophisticated weapons in Army vehicles, Toyota Hilux, and Toyota Highlander.

“Two wives that were with him (Mamu) were returned but his two sons, Faisal and Ibrahim are still with him in detention.

“They seized our phones and laptops computers.”

Recall that Mamu was arrested in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, on Tuesday.

The terrorists’ negotiator was said to have been arrested in Egypt alongside his family members.

Mamu was said to be on his way to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj when he was detained at the Cairo International Airport.

Confirming the arrest, the Management of the Desert Herald Newspaper, said the arrest was an attempt to intimidate its publisher.

In a statement on Wednesday by its Head, Special Projects, Ibrahim Mada, the management accused the Federal government of contriving the arrest, deportation of Mamu from Egypt to Nigeria.

The statement read, “His patriotic mission to ensure the safety of the hapless passengers made him a target of blackmail by unscrupulous elements in the government who are hell bent in punishing him for this noble but dangerous sacrifice for the fatherland. Such threats and intimidations have forced him to reveal on a number of times that his life was under serious threat.

“Due to numerous threats to his life and conspiracy from the side of security agents to frame him, he withdrew from the said negotiations but from his latest sojourn, it appears that those who are desperately praying for his head are still hell-bent in carrying out their odious dastardly plans.

“But it is our fervent hope that the evil machination of these desperate elements will be nixed by the fact that Allah is always by the side of the oppressed. This evil machination like the ones before it, shall also come to pass,” the statement read in part

The PUNCH reports that some blood-thirsty terrorists attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound AK9 train on March 28, and abducted some passengers.

The terrorists planted explosive devices along the rail track and when the train approached the point, the device exploded, causing the train to derail, leading to the death of eight passengers.

A day after the attack, another passenger who suffered from a gunshot wound died, making it nine, the total number of those killed in the attack.

From the manifest received by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 398 passengers bought tickets but 362 were validated as having bought tickets. Over 60 passengers are still in the kidnappers’ den and have spent over 50 days in captivity.

After the abduction, the bandits threatened to commence the killing of abducted passengers in their custody if the Federal Government failed to meet their demands within seven days.

Parts of the demands were the unconditional release of their detained children held in an orphanage home in Adamawa State under the strict supervision of the Nigerian Army as well as the release of their detained comrades at arm.

The terrorists also disclosed that the suspended train service by the Nigerian Railway Corporation slated for May 23 on the Abuja-Kaduna route was a result of their threat to the government.

According to the bandits, the government is not sincere with the negotiation, warning that unless their detained children, forcefully taken away by security operatives from their wives in Nasarawa State and detained in Adamawa State, are released, none of the kidnapped passengers will come out alive.

Metro

Man Dies On Top Of Married Woman In Akure

Published

10 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

A married man has reportedly died after sleeping with a married woman in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

X user, Bolanle Cole, who shared the story online, said the man left his wife at home to go to a hotel to meet with a married woman and sadly, passed away there.

“A man died of “Magun” Thunderbolt here in Akure. He left his wife at home to meet another man’s wife in a hotel and later pass on. I wish him well.”

Metro

Soldier Dismissed For Sleeping With Colleague’s Wife

Published

10 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

A soldier named Abdullahi Ismail has been dismissed from the Nigerian Army after he was found guilty of having sex with his colleague’s wife.

The Lance Corporal was dismissed during the week at 231 Battalion in Biu, Borno State.

His dismissal is expected to serve as a deterrent to other soldiers involved in the act said to be common in the barracks.

The dismissed soldier had a notorious history of sexual indiscipline before he was reported to the army authorities, a source told SaharaReporters.

His offence – indecent professional misconduct and having sex with a fellow soldier’s wife – contravenes Sections 79 and 93 of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The law prescribes jail term and dismissal from service with dishonour.

Metro

Edo: Suspected Killers Of 200-level Student Of Delta Varsity Arrested

Published

12 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

Two suspects have been reportedly arrested by operatives of Edo State Police Command in connection with the disappearance of one Miss Faith Omodon, a 200-level undergraduate of University of Delta, Agbor.

On March 30, inhabitants of Iru Egbede community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo, reported the sudden disappearance of their daughter, Faith Omodon, who is studying Business Administration in the above mentioned university.

According to the father of the missing girl, Mr. Edward Omodon, was last seen on March 30, after leaving home for farm and never returned.

According to him, the incident occurred when the community was holding their national conference.

“We usually have Iru national conference at this time of the year. We were seated inside the community hall when we heard loud wailing outside that my daughter was missing.

“She had left for the farm earlier that morning with a motorbike taking her breakfast flask with her,” he said.

Corroborating Mr Omodon’s story, Mr Ikpoba Johnbull, Head of the village vigilance group said “soon after the news of her disappearance broke that evening, we followed the girl’s mother to the farm.

“We immediately mobilised and combed the area up to Izighiri and Uwumuwe, two neighbouring villages, but could not find any trace of her.

“We only found the leftover of her lunch flask. We informed our neighbouring vigilance groups as we spent that night inside the bushes but there was no result.”

Then, the matter was reported at the Abudu Police Division which was confirmed by Divisional Police Officer, Mr Iyayi Kenneth, who said “We have transferred the case to the state police command for further investigation.”

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, also confirmed the story, saying investigation was on to unravel the circumstances surrounding Miss Omodon’s disappearance.

However, barely a month, the vigilante group in the community said two suspects have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Omodon and are now in Police custody.

Speaking, the National Youth Chairman of Iru- Egbede, Mr. Donald Isioma, disclosed that the suspects were arrested Saturday afternoon.

He said the two were arrested when they tracked the phone of the missing girl that was in possession of the suspects.

According to Isioma, so far, the police have recovered the phone from the suspects and the motorbike Miss Omodon rode to the farm on the day she got missing.

Unfortunately, he disclosed that one of the suspects who is a member of the community has confessed that they have killed the girl while being interrogated at Okpaihe Police State before their onward transfered to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Benin City.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said information concerning the arrest was yet to reach him but promised to get back as soon as he contact men of the SCID.