Metro

Troops Arrest Several Terrorists, Kill Scores, Rescue Civilians

Published

2 years ago

September 22, 2022

Editor

The Defence Headquaters has revealed that the combined forces of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, in the past two weeks, have sustained aggressive operations to deny terrorists further freedom of action.

Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Musa Danmadami, revealed this in a statement on Thursday.

He noted that in the North-Eastern region, troops of Operation Hadin Kai theatre, have sustained aggressive operations to deny terrorists further freedom of action.

He adding that the force conducted fighting patrols, ambushes and clearance operations at communities, villages and towns in Kukawa, Monguno, Kaga, Dikwa, Biu, Damboa, Gwoza, Mafa, Konguda, Bama and Guzamala Local Government Areas in Borno State.

Danmadami added that two key Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province commanders, Abu Asiya and Abu Ubaida also known as, A Qaid, were neutralized on September 12 and 15, 2022, at Parisu and Sheruri general area in

“Sambisa forest respectively.
Within the period in review, Danmadami added that troops neutralized 36 terrorists, rescued 130 civilians, and arrested 46 suspected Boko Haram terrorists as well as 12 suspected logistic suppliers to the terrorists.”

The Defense Headquarters noted that exactly 21 AK47 rifles, 163 rounds of 7.62mm special, two RPG bombs, 25 dane guns, four unexplosive ordinance store, two bandoliers, 10 solar panels, 23 bicycles, 10 motorcycles, one tricycle, 19 cell phones, 28 torch lights, bags of assorted grains, 122 rustled sheep, and the sum of N203,125, were recovered from the operation.

Also, a total of 368 suspected Boko Haram Terrorists and ISWAP criminals and their families; comprising 53 adult males, 116 adult females, and 214 children, surrendered to troops at different locations.

All recovered items, rescued civilians and apprehended suspected terrorists were handed over to the relevant authorities for further action while surrendered Boko Haram Terrorists and their families were being profiled for further action.

He added that in a related development, the air component of Operation Hadin Kai, on September 9, 2022, while acting on credible intelligence, conducted air interdiction operation at Somalia, in Sambisa Forest, and bombarded a terrorist critical facility.

“The air strike inflicted deadly casualty on the terrorists as feedback revealed that several of the terrorists were neutralized while several structures were destroyed after the strike.

“Similar operation was carried out on terrorist enclaves at Abdallari, Mafa, Zanari and Tumbun Baba, between September 10th and 14th. The airstrikes led to the neutralization of several terrorists with many of their structures destroyed in the strikes,” Danmadami said.

He noted that on September 16, 2022, following reports on activities of an outlawed cultist group known as Sara Suka boys, troops in conjunction with vigilantes carried out raid operation on their hideout at Rikkos and Nassarawa in Jos Local Government Area of Plateau State, and arrested six suspects.

He added that three locally fabricated rifles, five mobile phones, four hammers, five cutlasses, six knives, and one fragmental jacket, among others, were recovered, as arrested suspects and recovered items were handed over to the relevant authorities for further action.

He further stated that air components of Operation Whirl Punch, carried out onslaught against terrorists on September 8, during an air interdiction operation at an identified terrorists hideout at Gaude in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

On September 15, 2022, troops also arrested two suspected terrorists collaborators at Access Bank, PZ Branch, in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State ,while trying to withdraw the sum of N14 million deposited into the account of a suspected terrorist financier, Alhaji Abubakar.

16 suspected terrorists were also neutralized, while 10 notorious terrorists were arrested at different locations in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Subsequently, five AK47 rifles, 10 rounds of 7.62mm special, 17 mobile phones, two motorcycles, three locally made rifles, three pairs of woodland camouflage, 118 rustled sheep, four boafeng radio and N29,250.00 cash among other items were recovered, while 21 civilians were rescued. All recovered items, arrested terrorists and rescued civilians were handed over to relevant authorities for further action.

Lastly, the director noted that air components of Operation Hadarin Daji, on September 13, conducted air interdiction operation at an identified terrorist hideout in Dutse Babare, in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Stating that the air strike led to the neutralization of a terrorist leader, identified as Ibrahim Dangawo, and other members of his gang. Similar, operation was carried out at Gidan Guga in Faskari Local Government Area also in Katsina State, at an identified terrorist enclave, which led to the neutralization of a terrorist kingpin, known as Babaru who has been on the wanted list of security agents.

He added that a large number of terrorists were also neutralized at Kawari in Dan Musa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Metro

Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The protesting women of Okoloba community

Protesters who are majorly women from Okoloba community, Delta State, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, took to the street to protest what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

INFO DAILY reports that Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area and Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, all in Delta State have been at loggerhead over land dispute and others.

The protesting Okoloba women in black attire staged the peaceful protest along the coastal fringe of Koloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba Community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, alleged that the armed youths of Okuama were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

Some of the protesting Women

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say no to violence’; ‘enough of the killings on our land;’ ‘armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style;’ ‘we say no to the return of armed youths of Okuama;’ ‘resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA;’ ‘we mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers,’ among others.’

Reading a letter to newsmen, a copy of each she said was submitted to the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi Local local Government Council, Mrs Goodwin noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

The letter which contained an S.O.S. to the Federal Government, further reads: “First, we the women of Okoloba Community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

The protesting women

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbaths.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama Community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.

“Resettling them among their own people in Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect”.

Metro

JUST IN: Truck Rams Into BRT On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

9 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A truck has rammed into a Lagos State BRT bus at Ibafo bus-stop along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

The PUNCH correspondent who went to the scene gathered that the accident occurred around some minutes to 6am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Police on response call at the accident scene insisted that only their Public Relations Officers were authorised to speak.

However, unconfirmed reports from onlookers noted that several people on the BRT bus were injured.

Onlookers accounts noted that the BRT was parked loading its passengers at the bus stop before the truck loaded with cows heading to Lagos rammed into it, taking it off the road to destroy shops and kiosks by the roadside.

The cow truck had been towed a little away from the scene so as not to hinder traffic.

Details later

Metro

Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

Published

19 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”