Fears and concerns have heightened over the disappearance of about 19 pump action guns reportedly donated to the local vigilante security team in the Awada community in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The PUNCH gathered that the whereabouts of the guns became unknown during the handing over of the community’s security equipment to a newly engaged security outfit.

The development caused a mild drama at the community town hall on Sunday, when the community leaders, led by its newly-elected President-General, Patrick Oyeduba, and the executive members, discovered that out of the 27 pump action guns donated to the outgoing local vigilante, only eight were handed over, while the remaining 19 could not be accounted for.

The handing over of the security items, including the pump action guns, vehicles, motorcycles and other security gadgets was supervised by the police team from the Area Commander in Ogidi led by the leader of the patrol team, Inspector Hyginus Giwonke.

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Members of the community had in April, elected new executive members of the landlord association of the area, where Oyeduba emerged as the new President-General of the Awada Landlord Association.

Oyeduba, who spoke to journalists at the end of the handover, said the change of community leadership necessitated a total overhaul in the security architecture in the area to fortify security in the area.

He said, “Today, our community is changing its security architecture and personnel. A new security outfit under the Nigeria Police Community Policing led by Commander Jude Akachukwu has taken over today.

“This development became necessary because we want to fortify the security in the area by bringing in new personnel who will be loyal to the new leadership of the community.

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“In the past, we had lots of security concerns even though we had the local vigilante security team in place. In the last dispensation, the community witnessed many reported cases of stealing, kidnapping, burglary, armed robberies and attacks carried out by hoodlums around the community. This shows that the security on the ground then was not active and it became necessary for us as the new leadership to make the required change.

“The former security team did not live up to expectations and there are fears they might not be loyal to the new leadership, hence the need to change and overhaul the security apparatus of the community. With this development, there is a new dawn for the Awada community in terms of security as the people can now sleep with their two eyes closed.”

Oyeduba, while lamenting over the missing guns, said an official report would be made about the worrisome development.

Earlier, while advising the new security team, the Inspector from the Ogidi Area Command, Giwonke, who supervised the handover, told the personnel to ensure they were security conscious at all times.

The commander of the new security team, Jude Ukachukwu, assured the community of adequate security of lives and property.

“We will ensure that the people of Awada are well protected. We are also using this opportunity to fire a warning to the hoodlums disturbing the community’s peace because there would not be a hiding place for any criminal elements and criminalities in Awada anymore,” he added.

The Lagos State Police Command has rescued two infants who were locked up in an apartment on Adelakun Street, in the Iju Ishaga area of Lagos State.

The toddlers, The PUNCH gathered, were found in a state of neglect when the rescue operation took place.

A rights group, Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, alleged that the mother of the infants had been grappling with substance abuse.

The Chief Operating Officer of the group, Ebenezer Omejalile, who disclosed this to our correspondent on Sunday, said the residents in the area alerted the group to the development.

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He said, “According to the informants, the mother, purportedly struggling with substance abuse issues, would lock her children inside their apartment and remain absent for the entirety of the day.

“These two minors were left to fend for themselves. They eat, defecate, sleep and wake up locked up in the room yet nothing was being done. The DPO of the Red House Police Station was duly informed about it and the infants were rescued.”

In a video watched by our correspondent, one of the infants could be seen crying in the locked-up apartment. In a separate video, the children were seen eating after the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, Omejalile said it was the second time the police would rescue the toddlers in such a situation.

According to him, the rescue operation was carried out by the former Divisional Police Officer but the children were returned to their mother after being placed under the care of government authorities.

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He said, “The incident was initially reported at the same police station several months ago. The then DPO promptly responded to the distress call and rescued the babies from their mother’s custody.

“Shockingly, despite the initial intervention by law enforcement, it has come to light that the children were subsequently returned to their mother’s care. This decision has left many baffled, including the former DPO who ensured the babies were placed under the care of government agencies.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development.

He said, “The children were rescued. They are now in safe hands.”

ollowing intensive operations, the Nigeria Army has announced that troops of ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ North-East have rescued 387 hostages held in Sambisa Forest.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 OPHK, Brigadier General Abubakar Haruna, addressed the troops after receiving the hostages at Awulari River side of Konduga local government area of Borno state near Sambisa Forest at the week end.

According to General Haruna, “the rescue operation was conducted based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence.”

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He explained that the 387 rescued persons were civilians, including women and children, who were forced to stay in the forest by Boko Haram insurgents for over a decade ago, adding that the rescued ones were not members of the insurgents.

The military, he added, has also recovered weapons, emeralds, and other equipment from the insurgents, who initially seized them from soldiers and other security operatives.

He pointed out that during the operation, many Boko Haram fighters surrendered to the Army, while others are still surrendering.

“The clearance operation, named Operation Desert Sanity III, involved troops from the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, 26 Task Force Brigade (114 Battalion), and 199 Special Forces Battalion. They Conducted over 10 days Operation, it resulted in the recapture of major Boko Haram enclaves, including Uqba, Sabilul Huda, Lawanti, Njimia, and Iraqi, all in Sambisa Forest,” Haruna stated.

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The GOC further stressed that the operation will continue to ensure that all parts of the Sambisa Forest are safe, allowing farmers to access their farmlands and reducing criminality in the North-East region.

He commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, and the Theatre Commander Joint Task Force ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, Major General Waidi Shuaibu, for providing an enabling environment for the operation’s success.

he then urged the troops not to relent until all parts of Sambisa Forest are safe for Nigerians.

Most of the rescued victims who spoke to our Correspondent commend military for their sacrifices, which led to their rescue after many years in captivity.