Headline

Why Only 300 Of 50,000 Hardcore Terrorists Arrested By Military Were Prosecuted – DG, NARC

Published

5 days ago

June 23, 2024

Editor

Against the backdrop that statistics and records from intelligence agencies show that out of the over 50,000 hardened and hardcore Boko Haram terrorists arrested by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, only about a paltry 300 of them have been prosecuted, the Director General of the Nigeria Army Resource Centre, Major General Garba Wahab (rtd) has said that the judiciary arm of the government needs to do more if insecurity is to be eradicated in Nigeria.

Hundreds of thousands of innocent Nigerians have been killed, abducted, raped and forcefully enslaved while houses, properties and government facilities were destroyed by these terrorists leading to millions displaced and in IDP camps but when the terrorists are arrested, little or nothing happens to them.

But speaking during a two-day round table discussion in Abuja at the weekend with the theme “Asymmetrical National Security Challenges, the Army, and National Development”, Gen Wahab disclosed that the judiciary must up its ante and perform its sacred role of dishing out deserved purnishment to terrorists to deter impunity.

His words, “One of the ways to curb insecurity is that the judiciary must be alive to its responsibilities and the local government authorities should be allowed to function.

“It is regrettable that in a Nigerian court, it will take 20 years for a case to be adjudicated upon and persons who have commited clear and glaring offences to be get just purnishment. That’s what is happening. A former president mentioned it saying It takes 10 years for a simple case of stealing to be decided in Nigeria.”

Wahab insisted that the local governments administration should be allowed to function well in the country pointing out that the localization of security in the country would also help in curbing some crimes.

“What we are asking those in government to do is to find a way of ensuring that the judiciary and local government are allowed to function well. When you allow local government to function, then you can localize the security architecture.

“In so doing, insecurity issues will be addressed at the battalion level We should go to the battalion level because these battalions serve the state and so they relate with the state and local government. We shouldn’t wait till we get to divisional headquarters whenever there is a problem. Divisional headquarters in most cases are busy attending to five or six States.”

Gen Wahab also called on the political class to avoid a situation where security agencies will feel that criminal elements receive protection even in instances where personnel are killed or injured through ambushes and other attacks thereby demoralizing the commitments of personnel in operations.

In his remarks, the Executive Director, Defence Space Agency, Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, said the round table seeks to drive a new narrative by getting various segments of Nigeria’s public to see and understand their roles in the wider national ecosystem of synchronized security.

He said, “We will use the round table to re-emphasise the specific and general roles of the military, particularly the Nigerian army, in the cocktail of structures, activities, and processes that constitute the national security architecture”.

He recalled that in April 2024, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, directed field commanders and troops to be adaptive and embrace innovation to ensure adversaries of the country are brought to their knees.

Lagbaja had noted that that the nation was in a more volatile and complex period than before and tasked Commanders to be innovative.

He also charged them to restore peace and stability in areas experiencing security challenges across the nation

The round table brought together, senior serving and retired military personnel, the media, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations among other stakeholders in the country?
VANGUARD

Headline

Tinubu Orders Disbursement Of N155bn For Foodstuff Purchase Nationwide

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the purchase and sale of foodstuff worth N155 billion to be distributed across the nation.

The President gave the approval during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja where he urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens.

He said he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship, according to a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country,” the statement read.

“Other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuff to be distributed across the nation.”

Tinubu also approved the delivery of a N50,000 uplift grant each to 100,000 families per state for three months.

Food Production
Tinubu emphasized the urgency of boosting food production, noting that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

“Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanity’s most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

“We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.

“How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days,” President Tinubu said.

See the full statement below:

To boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country.

Under the programme, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, is prioritized.

Other road infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is underway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are also prioritized.

The President has also approved full counterpart financing for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway; to traverse Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno, as well as for the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway; which will traverse Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.

The Sokoto-Badagry road project is specially prioritized for its importance as some of the states it will traverse are strategic to the agricultural sustainability of the nation.

Within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams spread across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land.

In addition, other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include:

(1) One-off allocation to states and the Federal Capital Territory of N10 billion for the procurement of buses and CNG uplift programme.

(2) Delivery of N50,000 uplift grant each to 100,000 families per state for three (3) months.

(3) Provision for labour unions and civil society organizations.

(4) Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuff to be distributed across the nation.

Speaking during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens, stating that he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.

While emphasizing the urgency of boosting food production, the President noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, and with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

“We are prepared to provide solar powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days,” President Tinubu said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Headline

JUST IN: Tinubu Approves N50,000 Uplift Grant For 3.6m Nigerian Families

Published

3 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved an uplift grant under the National Construction and Household Support Programme for 3.6m Nigerian families.

This initiative will deliver N50,000 to 100,000 families in each state for three months.

The disbursement of the Tinubu uplift grant to families will occur over a three-month period, according to presidential spokesman Chief Ajuri Ngelale.

This initiative is part of the National Construction and Household Support Programme.

Full Statement on the National Construction and Household Support Programme

“To boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country.

“Under the programme, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, is prioritized.

“Other road infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is underway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are also prioritized.

“The President has also approved full counterpart financing for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway; to traverse Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno, as well as for the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway; which will traverse Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.

“The Sokoto-Badagry road project is specially prioritized for its importance as some of the states it will traverse are strategic to the agricultural sustainability of the nation.

“Within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams spread across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land.

“In addition, other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include:

(1) One-off allocation to states and the Federal Capital Territory of N10 billion for the procurement of buses and CNG uplift programme.

(2) Delivery of N50,000 uplift grant each to 100,000 families per state for three (3) months.

(3) Provision for labour unions and civil society organizations.

(4) Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuff to be distributed across the nation.

“Speaking during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens, stating that he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.

“While emphasizing the urgency of boosting food production, the President noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, and with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

Headline

EFCC Boss Orders Arrest Of Officers Over Nighttime Raid On Lagos Hotel Rooms

Published

4 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

photo: file copy

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has directed the arrest of two EFCC officers accused of reportedly manhandling a female staff member at Regional Hotel in Ojo, Lagos.

In a viral video online, EFCC officials dressed in plain clothes were observed forcefully entering one of the hotel rooms.

Regional Hotel Operation: Olukoyede Orders Arrest of Officers Involved in Unprofessional Conduct.

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has ordered the arrest of two officers of the Commission allegedly involved in the.

In his statement, Oyewale said the incident happened during an early morning sting operation.

He said the operation led to the arrest of a sizable number of suspects who were still being profiled.

It reads: “The EFCC’s boss has also ordered detailed investigations of the operation carried out at the hotel and assured that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any of the officers found to be culpable.

“Olukoyede assures the general public that the EFCC would continue to ply its job professionally and with profound respect for the rule of law.”