Investigation

Amnesty said the President Bola Tinubu administration must promptly set up an independent inquiry into Tudun Biri village air strike and, where these investigations indicate criminal responsibility, ensure that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice in fair trials. “Victims and their families must be provided with access to justice and effective remedies,” the group said.

Amnesty said air strikes with deadly consequences for civilians are becoming routine and the ugly trend must be stopped.

On 18 December 2022 an air strike by the Nigerian Air Force killed 64 people in Mutumji village in Zamfara state. On 24 January 2023 a military air strike killed more than 40 herders in Doma region of Nasarawa state. And, in January 2023, dozens of vigilantes were killed by a military air strike in Galadima Kogo in Niger state, central Nigeria. This is the deadliest air strike since the 2017 air strike on Rann village which killed 115 civilians

A man, Michael Adams, was on Wednesday arraigned at the Yaba Magistrate’s Court for allegedly ordering drinks worth N113.000 at a bar in the Shomolu area of Lagos State and refusing to pay the bartender.

Adams was arraigned by the police before Magistrate O.Y. Adefope on one count bordering on obtaining and drinking alcohol and others by the pretence that he would pay later.

According to the prosecutor, Haruna Magaji, Adams and his friends entered the VIP section of the bar and ordered drinks, and after drinking, they were given their bill but he refused to pay.

Adams, in his statement, said it was one of his friends, who asked him to order the drinks, who was supposed to pay and not him. However, the said friend fled the bar while Adams was arrested.

Magaji told the court that they committed the crime on December 2, 2023 adding that the offence is punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria.

The charge read, “That you, Michael Adams, on December 2, 2023, around 12.30 am at No 47, Oluwadare Street, Somolu, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did obtain two Martel drinks valued at N90,000;  Jameson valued at N10,000; five Powerhorse valued at N7,000; Hollandia yoghurt valued at N2,000; a bottled water valued at N2,600, and two Trophy Stout valued at N2,400, the total value of the drinks obtained from one Naomi, the bartender, is N113,000, only in pretence to pay him the money later and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Adefope, granted him bail in the sum of N500.000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the case till January 17, 2024 for mention.

The management of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi has shut down the school following students’ protest over the killing of a 500-level student by suspected armed robbers who robbed him of his mobile phone.

Leading Reporters learnt that the final year Geology student, Joseph Agabaidu, was stabbed by some assailants while trying to steal his mobile phone.

Agabaidu was said to be returning to his lodge situated around the Yelwan Tudu market in the Yelwa area, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis around 7pm on Saturday when he was attacked and was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment but could not survive the severe injuries from the knife.

The incident sparked a protest among students of the school who came out in their numbers at the Yelwa Campus. They came out to express their anger at the inadequate security in and around the campus and to call for the attention of the management and the government.

But following the protest, the management led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sani Kunya, and the state chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities tried to pacify the students who locked the two gates of the university for over four hours to open them, but they refused.

Following this “act of disrespect” by the students to the management, the school was shut down for the next one week in order to douse tension on the campus.

According to a statement  by the Deputy Registrar Academic, Fatima Abdullahi, titled: “Closure of university,” the Vice Chancellor approved the closure of the institution.

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According to her, the protest carried out by “miscreants” disrupted the peace being enjoyed on the campus.

She said that the management directed all students to immediately vacate the two campuses, adding that the school security guards have been directed to enforce strict compliance.

She said, “As you may recall, there was an alleged murder of Joseph Agabaidu, a 500-level student Applied Geology recently at Yelwa Kagadama which made some miscreants embark on protest around Yelwa Campus and consequently disrupting the peace.

“In view of the above, the Vice Chancellor, on behalf of the Senate, has approved the closure of the university for an initial period of one week with effect from Monday, December 4 to Sunday, December 10, 2023.

“Therefore, I am directed to request all undergraduate students on both campuses to vacate the university premises with immediate effect as failure to comply may lead to appropriate sanction by the constituted authority.

“By a copy of this notice, the Dean, Students Affairs Division and Chief Security Officer are requested to ensure strict compliance of the directive.”

In the early hours of today, Friday 1st December 2023, around 3.30am, gunmen attacked the residence of our Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The armed men engaged the security personnel in a gun battle for over 30 minutes until reinforcement arrived.

While no lives were lost, property was destroyed in the ensuing gun battle. A team of combined security personnel have been deployed to protect the residence.This incident occurred a day after a mob besieged our state office.

We call for a thorough investigation and enhanced security protection for our personnel and assets in Kogi State.

The House of Representatives has threatened to hand over the management of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged missing N43 billion revenue generated in 2022.

Rep. James Faleke, Chairman, House Committee on Finance, issued the notice in Abuja on Monday, during the ongoing interactive session with revenue generating agencies.

The records provided by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) revealed that 16 million passengers were transported by local airlines in 2022.

It revealed that three million passengers were transported by international airlines.

Leading Reporters gathered that N1.28 trillion was realised from tickets sold to international passengers, out of which N64 billion represented five per cent shared by the five regulatory agencies in 2022.

It was also confirmed that the ADR16 documents, managed by Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), showed that total of 14,572,614 passengers were airlifted by local airlines in 2021.

From the documents submitted to the Committee, NCAA declared N12.7 billion revenue from the share of the gross revenue allotted to regulatory agencies in the industry.

The lawmaker, however, said the amount was below the computed gross revenue share received by NCAA worth N66 billion realised from both revenues accrued from local and international travels for 2022.

The breakdown of NCAA’s revenue share showed that N31 billion was realised from local passengers.

Also, N35.85 billion was realised from international flights for the period under review.
According to the records provided to the Committee, 5 per cent of all tickets sold to local and international airlines were distributed among five regulatory agencies.

Breakdown of the sharing formular showed that 56 per cent of the amount is for NCAA, 22 per cent is for Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Nine per cent is for Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), seven per cent is for Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).

Meanwhile, six per cent is for Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).

Faleke also alleged that the agency was having outstanding of N8 billion revenue undeclared from revenue accrued from international passengers for 2022.

In his response to various allegations, the NCAA representatives, Captain Ibrahim Dambazau and Abubakar Gachi explained that some local airlines were working for the agency.

They added that the affected airline operators were indebted to NCAA.

Piqued by the undue controversies trailing the amount realised and under-remittance, Faleke requested for NCAA’s audited reports.

He also demanded for comprehensive reports of the NCAA banks operated before transition to Treasury Single Account (TSA) since 2015 to Q1 of 2023.

The committee also requested for the list of all local airlines that were indebted to NCAA.

The Anambra State Police Command said it has arrested one Ozo Nweke, who allegedly sponsored a nude women protest in Awka.

The protesters, including men and women from Enugwu-Agidi in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, had last Tuesday protested in Awka against incessant cult-related killings in their community where they also accused two police officers of aiding and abetting criminals in the area.

But three days after, another group from the community, in a counter-protest round the police headquarters in Awka, accused Nweke, of land grabbing, intimidation, harassment, and rape.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, told journalists on Monday,  that Nweke was arrested in Abuja.

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He said, “We arrested him to face prosecution.  Nweke and operatives of his company have been charged to court in three different cases, one at the Federal High Court and two at the State High Court.

“He has two cases at the Federal High Court and one at the Magistrates’ Court. So, we arrested him to answer his charges.

“These are the background details to his current media campaign of blackmail against DCP Akin Fakorede and the State CID, Awka whom he is accusing of corruption ostensibly for not siding with his criminal escapades.”

Police in Jigawa State have arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly manufacturing firearms in Ringim Local Government Area of the state.

DSP Lawan Shiisu, the state police spokesman, confirmed this in Dutse on Thursday, saying that the suspect was arrested on Nov. 16.

“Policemen in Ringim in collaboration with a local vigilance group arrested the 50-year-old resident of Yandutsen Kawari village who specialised in fabricating firearms for miscreants,’’ Shiisu stated.

He added that a search of the suspect’s home yielded the discovery of a locally-made pistol and two rifles.

Shiisu also revealed that the suspect admitted to manufacturing a large number of firearms and selling them to people he could not identify.

The police spokesman assured that the suspect would be arraigned once an investigation was completed.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, tasked the Nigerian Correctional Service to give an account of inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodian Centre in 2022.

On Wednesday at a plenary session, the House mandated its Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Interior, and Police Affairs to liaise with the heads of the relevant security agencies to produce a comprehensive report on the status of the escaped inmates.

The Committees are to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.

The resolutions of the House followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Emmanuel Ukpong–Udo, a member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State

It would be recalled that the Islamic State in West African Province claimed responsibility for the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Custodian Centre, which led to the escape of dozens of Boko Haram suspects.

Leading the debate, Ukpong-Udo noted that “On July 5, 2022, a jailbreak in Abuja’s Kuje Medium Custodial Facility resulted in 879 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram terrorists, fleeing, with 422 remaining unrecovered or recaptured by security agencies.”

The House also noted, “That the Nigeria Correctional Service requires a comprehensive report on inmate incidents and methods to trace inmates and perpetrators, utilising its database.”

This is as the  House said it was concerned that the presence of law-abiding citizens among 350 escapees with diverse offences “Poses a security risk as daily crimes are recorded without any trace of perpetrators.

“This is disturbing that after a year, the escapees are thriving in different communities, blending in and 

potentially continuing their criminal activities unnoticed, necessitating the urgent need to have reasonable measures in place to track and apprehend these individuals.”

Some people suspected to be hoodlums have invaded the premises of the Ondo State Oil Development Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and disrupted the bursary and scholarship award ceremony of the intervention agency.

The hoodlums disrupted the event for several hours as both staff and students scampered for safety as a result of gunshots from the suspected hoodlums.

The security officers attached to the OSOPADEC office had hectic time curtailing the activities of the suspected hoodlums and had to close the gate leading to the office

A commissioner at OSOPADEC, Kehinde Akinrotoye, popularly known as ‘BonsueAketi’, was beaten to a pulp by suspected hoodlums .

They claimed that he is not supposed to be in the commission because he is from Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.

The vehicle that brought him into the venue was destroyed and vandalized by the hoodlums, who also destroyed another vehicle in the premises of the intervention agency.

It took the intervention of men of the Ondo State Police Command to bring the situations calm and under the control.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 17, Akure, Ondo state, Williams Adebowale, has sought the support and cooperation of the traditional institution in the state in joining hands with the police in crime prevention and control.

Adebowale made this appeal on Wednesday in Akure during a courtesy visit to the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aládétoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, in his palace.

The police boss said the visit became necessary in recognition of the position and contributions of traditional rulers towards maintaining peace in their immediate environment as fathers in their domains.

Adebowale disclosed that the purpose of the visit is to seek the collaboration of the traditional institution in achieving the goals of community policing and securing his area of jurisdiction.

Adebowale said, “In our efforts towards optimizing the community policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, there is no other place to commence this collaboration than with the traditional council of Ondo state.

“We recognize the traditional council’s invaluable role in fostering a secure and harmonious environment for our people.

“As law enforcement officers, we recognize the need to work hand in hand with the traditional institutions and local communities to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.”

Responding, the Deji of Akure kingdom, Oba Aladelusi, urged the Federal Government to provide security agents with modern equipment to combat crime in all the nooks and crannies of the country.

He also urged Nigerians to live in peace, respect religious beliefs of one another, and continue to pray to God to grant the nation peace and stability.

The first-class monarch assured the new AIG of maximum support from the people of the state, most especially Akure community, to curb crimes and criminal activities.

He expressed optimism that the new AIG will help to reduce crime to the barest minimum, following his track record of diligence and hard work, and assured the AIG of his support, the traditional Council, and the good people of Akure.

The AIG’s entourage includes the Deputy Commissioner of Police Finance and Administration, Zone 17 command, DCP Ajo Geoffrey, Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Zone 17 command, DCP Edwin Ogbeghagha, Assistant Commissioner of Police Criminal Investigation Department, Zone 17 command, ACP Samuel Waare.

Others include Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, Zone 17 command, ACP Akinsanya Ebenezer, and Superintendent of Police, SP Ayegun Sola, OC Zonal Intelligence Bereau, Zone 17 command.