Nelson Ugwuagbo

Four Police officers have been killed by gunmen in Imo State, South-east Nigeria.

Leading Reporters gathered that the incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on Monday along Owerri-Onitsha Road in Owerri, the state capital.

According to an eye witness, the hoodlums attacked the operatives at their checkpoint in the area.

“Yes. The gunmen attacked the policemen at their checkpoint close to Blossom Hotel and killed four of them,”

“They also shot at passers-by, but only one lady who used to do POS at the junction died at the spot. She was shot at close range,” he stated.

Another witness, said the attackers must have been enforcers of the illegal sit-at-home order, given their style of operation.

“Aside from the police people they killed, they were just shooting at people indiscriminately as if they wanted people to go home,” he said.

He lamented that the area had become a hotbed of gunmen attacks lately.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, has confirmed the killing. He said in a statement on Monday that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was behind the attack.

The operatives were ambushed while on a routine patrol at Irete, at the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, he said.

Mr Okoye said the Commissioner of Police in Imo, Aboki Danjuma, has condemned the killing of the operatives and the civilian, describing it as a “gruesome murder.”

The spokesperson said the police commissioner “has deployed the command’s Tactical Units with the available operational assets and intelligence to go all out in synergy with other security agencies and hunt down the hoodlums responsible for the attack”.

The Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Haliru Nababa, has designated all 256 prisons across the country as “red zones” in anticipation of the nationwide protests scheduled for August 1, tightening security measures to prevent potential breaches.

Nababa warned individuals or groups with no legitimate business to stay away from custodial centers, according to a statement by Abubakar Umar, the Service Public Relations Officer, in Abuja.

According to the statement, adequate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure that no correctional facility was “defiled”.

He added that the Ministry of Interior Joint Taskforce (MOIJTF) had been activated to provide extra security in and around custodial facilities nationwide.

The NCoS boss appreciated the continuous cooperation of members of the public in ensuring peace and tranquility in and around correctional centres nationwide.

The statement read:

“In view of the purported national protest scheduled to hold on Aug 1, the service wishes to inform the public that the Custodial Centres have been designated as red zones.

“Furthermore, the service wishes to enjoin the public that Custodial and Non-custodial Centres are critical national assets which are germane to public safety as well as national security.

“Tampering with or attacking them will lead to breakdown of law and order, and further exacerbate the security of the society in general”.

Nababa advised all members of the public to join hands with the Service to ensure the protection of correctional facilities.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arrested nine individuals suspected of been internet fraudsters.

They were arrested on Monday in the Wuye area of Abuja, following an intelligence-led operation by the Commission’s Abuja Zonal Directorate.

An EFCC statement posted on Tuesday via X said, “Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Directorate, have arrested nine suspected internet fraudsters.

“They were arrested on Monday, 29 July 2024, at Wuye axis of Abuja following credible intelligence on their suspected involvement in internet-related fraud.”

During the operation, several items were recovered from the suspects.

The statement added, “Items recovered from them include 19 phones, one car, four laptops and one iPad.”

The Commission further indicated its intention to pursue legal action against the suspects, stating, “The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The nation of Libya on Tuesday deported 369 irregular migrants to their home countries of Nigeria and Mali. They included more than one hundred women and children.

According to Mohammed Baredaa, who leads Libya’s interior ministry agency focused on combating irregular migration, a total of 369 migrants were repatriated on two flights, comprising 204 individuals from Nigeria and 165 from Mali, returning them safely to their homelands.

Nine babies, 18 minors, and 108 women were among the Nigerian irregular migrants, said Baredaa.

He said that the flights were carried out “in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM)”.

The UN agency provides free return flights to migrants and helps reintegrate them into their home countries with its “voluntary humanitarian return programme”.

But some migrants told reporters that they were being forcibly deported.

Libyan authorities “came at night and broke down the door”, said Hakim, 59, a Nigerian who has lived in Libya for 25 years who declined to give his surname.

He said they confiscated his passport before detaining him and his wife prior to repatriation.

Libya has been criticised over the treatment of migrant and refugees, with accusations from rights groups ranging from extortion to slavery.

Situated about 300 kilometres (186 miles) from Italy, it is a key departure point for migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, risking perilous Mediterranean Sea journeys to seek better lives in Europe.

But with mounting efforts by Libya and the European Union to curb irregular migration, many have found themselves stranded in Libya.

It’s time to resolve this problem”, Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi had said at the time, adding that Libya has turned from a “transit country to a country of settlement” — something he deemed “unacceptable”.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has revealed that the Police have received intelligence suggesting that foreign mercenaries have been hired to infiltrate and disrupt the upcoming nationwide protest against economic hardship, with the intention of causing chaos and destruction in the country.

Speaking in Abuja, he urged Nigerians to be wise, exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest group at this point in time so as to prevent drawing the nation back.

“We have been monitoring developments surrounding protest threats. While some groups call for violent protests, emulating Kenya’s recent events, others advocate for peaceful demonstrators.

“However, some individuals are promoting peaceful protests with violent undertones, raising concerns about their sincerity.

“We have our history of violent protests in Nigeria, and I don’t believe we have to look to other countries to note the dangers of unchecked demonstrations.

“We commend patriots who have withdrawn from the protest due to the apparent sinister motives and ignorance of those calling for violence.

“We note those who have spoken out against any form of protest at this critical juncture, fearing enemies of our country may be manipulating the process.

“We confirm their fears are genuine, as we have credible intelligence on foreign mercenaries’ involvement in this planned protest. The Nigerian police urge all Nigerians to exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest group

The Federal Government announced on Friday that a total of 125 Boko Haram terrorists and their financiers were found guilty and convicted in a two-day mass trial held in Kainji, Niger State.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Communication & Publicity, Office of the AGF, Kamarudeen Ogundele, noted that the convicts were tried on charges bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, rendering material support, and cases relating to International Criminal Court criminality.

He said the trials were held under the Giwa Project Kainji Phase Five, between Tuesday and Wednesday, before five Federal High Court judges led by Justice Binta Nyako.

Others are Justices Joyce Abdulmalik, Emeka Nwite, Obiora Egwuatu, and Mobolaji Olajuwon.

He added that all 125 of them were found guilty on the charges brought against them.

The statement read in part: “The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is superintending over the trial in conjunction with the Office of the National Security Adviser.

President Bola Tinubu says the nation’s economy is on a gradual but steady path of recovery and assures citizens that his administration will do more to meet their needs.

In a meeting with traditional rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at the State House on Thursday, the president said the plight of citizens remains a deep concern, and will receive more attention.

“Yes, it is true that I asked for this job, and I approached some of you to support me. So, I have no excuse not to do the job with sincerity of purpose and honesty. I have committed myself to it diligently, and I will never look backwards.

“I have accepted the assets and the liabilities of my predecessor. How I will take Nigeria forward should be my concern, and that is my concern.

“I have been extremely busy. The only exercise I have had here is the walk from the residence to this place and then continue with the work.

“Nigeria is hilly, and it is the largest democracy in Africa. No other democracy comes close to us in terms of population on the continent. We cannot blame God for giving us these children, and we have to seek peace and better livelihoods,’’ the president said.

President Tinubu stated that the interventions to bring the government nearer to the people are already yielding results, with the activation of the student loan programme, the consumer credit scheme, and the affirmation of fiscal autonomy for local government councils.

He said the ministry of finance will continue to ensure that funds go to the grassroots for human and infrastructural development.

“Today, the Bank of Agriculture is empty. We have to reactivate it. If they are not talking about flooding, they are talking of banditry. We have to start all over again. Yes, infrastructural decay is there.

“The Lagos-Calabar coastal road is not being done without studies. It is an economic energiser. From it, we can create infrastructure along the route to develop wind energy and generate power, and we can expand our irrigation network.

“The economic viability of infrastructure has to be studied before we embark on projects. How many dams are there on the corridors of Sokoto- Badagry? From there, we can energise electricity. We can do irrigation and additional farms.

“Even if it is two million hectares of arable land, you can create opportunities for farmers on a small scale. Then you have to find capital for them.

“Nigeria is on the path of recovery. You have heard it from the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun. We are not afraid of protests. Our concern is the ordinary people, and the damages that will be done. Till today, I cannot forget the brand new 60 and 100 seater buses, down there in Lagos that were burnt down, and we are now complaining of transportation. That is the problem. That is why I must say thank you for talking to the citizens,’’ the president told the traditional rulers.

The president also said security was getting more attention and will be enhanced.

“Security is getting better, but we cannot take our eyes off the camera because it takes one accident for things to flare up. We are managing it.

“We have created instruments to support the students so that they get education, consumer credit to expand the economy, to improve the purchasing power of the people in order to rejuvenate the economy within a short period of time. We are still recalibrating our oil usage,’’ the president stated.

Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

On Friday, a suspected Boko Haram bomb exploded at the Buni Yadi Cattle Market in Yobe, injuring a 12-year-old female hawker who sustained a fracture in her leg.

Confirming the incident, Capt. Mohammed Shehu, Spokesperson of Sector II Joint Task Force in the North-East Operation “Hadin Kai” said the IED was planted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

Shehu who spoke in Damaturu said the IED was targeted at vigilante members.

He said the IED planted at the market, sadly, exploded injuring a minor who was hawking sachet water.

However, he said troops defused another IED planted at the market.

Also confirming the incident, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, Spokesman of the Police Command in the state, said the 12-year-old victim sustained a fracture in her leg as a result of the explosion.

According to him, the victim is receiving treatment for the injury at a hospital.

He called on the citizenry to always report suspicious persons or objects to security agents for action.

Buni Yadi, is about 54km from Damaturu, the state capital.

President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for a 20% increase in pension benefits for Armed Forces personnel, as announced by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, on Thursday.

This statement was made at the 2024 Accounts and Budget Seminar themed “Optimising Nigerian Navy Non-Public Fund Opportunities In A Dynamic Economic Environment: The Nigerian Navy Personnel In Focus.”

Represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters, Rear Adm. Joseph Akpan, Ogalla addressed the two-day event, held from July 25 to July 26 at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to improving the welfare of serving and retired Armed Forces personnel, citing the recent 20% pension increase, which took effect in January, as a key initiative to enhance morale and productivity.

“This seminar is timely as we explore strategies to generate funds independently from budgetary allocations to address welfare needs and enhance living standards for personnel,” Ogalla stated.

“Such initiatives are crucial for operational efficiency, as the human factor is key to the success of any organization, including the Nigerian Navy.”

He emphasized the importance of optimizing non-public funds to improve personnel welfare, which in turn helps retain skilled personnel and enhance operational effectiveness.

Ogalla highlighted several schemes the Nigerian Navy operates to support its personnel, including navy insurance, car refurbishing loans, and welfare loan schemes, managed by the Directorate of Non-Public Funds.

“These schemes are vital for protecting our maritime environment, essential for the nation’s economic prosperity, a responsibility entrusted to the Nigerian Navy,” Ogalla said. He stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and continuous evaluation in managing these schemes to meet personnel needs.

“I am pleased that this seminar includes lectures designed to elucidate these factors and develop innovations to utilize non-public funds for personnel welfare. Discussions on packages like mortgages could contribute to a more resilient and capable naval force,” he added.

Ogalla urged attendees to use the seminar to brainstorm on critical policy issues related to non-public fund opportunities to improve operational efficiency and personnel welfare.

He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his guidance and unwavering support to the service, particularly for enhancing welfare packages for the Armed Forces. “We remain committed to carrying out our statutory mandate for economic prosperity and poverty eradication in line with your renewed hope for Nigeria,” Ogalla concluded.