Commanders
Rivals say Boko Haram chief dead as jihadists battle for control
When Nigeria’s military claimed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had been badly wounded in an air strike 2016, the jihadist chief soon appeared in a video to deny another of the many reports of his impending death. Over the weekend, it was an audio from a rival jihadist group finally claiming Shekau had died, detonating explosives to kill himself rather than surrender after a raid on his forest stronghold by his Islamic State-allied enemies. The Boko Haram warlord’s death marks a major shift in Nigeria’s conflict, potentially allowing ISIS jihadists to consolidate and further challenge an already stretched army in their long war. In the audio obtained by AFP, a voice apparently of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander Abu Musab Al-Barnawi confirmed Shekau killed himself whi...
ISWAP confirms Boko Haram leader’s death
TIME The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) militant group said in an audio recording heard by Reuters on Sunday that Abubakar Shekau, leader of rival Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram, was dead. Shekau died around May 18 after detonating an explosive device when he was pursued by ISWAP fighters following a battle, a person purporting to be ISWAP leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi said on the audio recording. “Abubakar Shekau, God has judged him by sending him to heaven,” he can be heard saying. Two people familiar with al-Barnawi told Reuters the voice on the recording was that of the ISWAP leader. A Nigerian intelligence report shared by a government official and Boko Haram researchers have also said Shekau is dead. Last month, Nigeria’s military said it was investigating She...
Amotekun operatives to patrol South-west borders
Chairman of Council of Amotekun Commanders in the South-west region, Chief Adetunji Adeyeye, has said operatives of the Amotekun corps will engage in inter-state border patrol in the South-west to ensure synergy in crime fighting. Adeyeye, who is the Corps Commander of Ondo Amotekun, said the synergy expected among the South-west states would be enhanced so that a criminal that escaped from Ondo to Ekiti State could be easily apprehended Adeyeye, who spoke in Akure, said the destruction of farmlands by herders in Ondo State has greatly reduced owing to enforcement of the ban on open grazing. He said herders now offer money to farmers whose crops were destroyed unlike previously when they would walk away. His words: “Being Chairman of the Council of Amotekun Commanders is a greater call to ...
Hamas official predicts ceasefire soon in Israel-Gaza conflict
A senior Hamas official predicted a ceasefire within days in the Israel-Gaza conflict, after U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a “de-escalation” in the fighting. Rocket fire into Israel died down overnight, a lull that stretched into Thursday morning. Israel was launching new air strikes in Gaza after daybreak, but, Israeli media said, at a slower pace than in past days. An Egyptian security source said the sides had agreed in principle to a ceasefire after help from mediators but details were still being negotiated in secret. “I think that the ongoing efforts regarding the ceasefire will succeed,” the Hamas political official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen TV. “I expect a ceasefire to be reached within a day or two, and the c...
ASP killed, three policemen injured in Adamawa mob attack
A mob has killed an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and injured three other policemen during an attack in Adamawa State. The ASP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and his three other colleagues were said to be on duty when they were attacked. Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, said in a statement the incident took place around 1 am on Saturday in Lafiya, Lamurde Local Government Area. He stated: “On 24/4/2021 between the hours of 12 to 1 am the command’s operatives attached to Numan Division, while in Lafiya to effect an arrest in a case of criminal conspiracy and theft that is under investigation, were attacked by hoodlums numbering about 60 and armed with dangerous weapons. ”Following the attack, one officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ibrahim Abdullahi...
NDLEA intercepts container containing two million capsules of Tramadol in Apapa port
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the interception of a container load of Tramadol at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, just as 90 persons including an Indian were caught in its dragnet during raids of some drug cartels in parts of Lagos where a total of 614.396 kilograms of various hard drugs were reportedly seized. A breakdown showed that at the Apapa seaport, about two million capsules of Tramadol (precisely 1,994,400 capsules) tucked in 554 cartons were intercepted in the container, which was falsely declared to contain ceramic tiles. NDLEA Apapa Seaport Area Commander Samuel Gadzama said one of the containers bearing the illicit drug had been intercepted and seized in Kenya, according to a statement by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi on Wedn...
PDP: Ex-service chiefs’ ambassadorial portfolio insufficient to stop ICC investigation
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a swipe at the All Progressives Congress, APC, leadership in the Senate for “betraying Nigerians” by clearing former services chiefs for ambassadorial portfolios despite allegation of crime against humanity committed under their command. The party however insisted that the clearance will not stop the investigation and possible prosecution of the accused commanders by the International Criminal Court, ICC, for crime against humanity, with preliminary steps to have been initiated. In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, national public secretary of the party, the PDP described as horrendous the fact that the APC leadership in the Senate “could choose to betray Nigerians by rushing to clear the accused ex-service chiefs in a desperate attempt t...
Sheikh Gumi: GSC Kagara victims to be released in days
Staff and students kidnapped from GSC Kagara early Wednesday are expected to be released in days, according to a source on the delegation of Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmed Gumi. Gumi has been on a tour to visit bandit leader Dogo Gide and other top commanders at Dutsen Magaji forest for talks. The source said Niger government, which initially ruled out payment of any ransom to secure freedom of the kidnappees, would enter a dialogue and had sent a strong delegation. Passengers abducted earlier and the students are in good state, the source said. During the visit, Gumi was shown an entire community said to have been razed in a military bombardment and corpses dumped in wells. Gumi and his entourage are back in Minna, after travelling more than seven hours from Dutsen Magaji. Earlier, anot...
Sheikh Gumi: GSC Kagara victims to be released in days
Staff and students kidnapped from GSC Kagara early Wednesday are expected to be released in days, according to a source on the delegation of Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmed Gumi. Gumi has been on a tour to visit bandit leader Dogo Gide and other top commanders at Dutsen Magaji forest for talks. The source said Niger government, which initially ruled out payment of any ransom to secure freedom of the kidnappees, would enter a dialogue and had sent a strong delegation. Passengers abducted earlier and the students are in good state, the source said. During the visit, Gumi was shown an entire community said to have been razed in a military bombardment and corpses dumped in wells. Gumi and his entourage are back in Minna, after travelling more than seven hours from Dutsen Magaji. Earlier, anot...
Presidency: Boko Haram weaker now than in 2015
As the country marks the 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Friday, the Presidency has declared that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents have been weakened compared to what obtained in 2015. This is even as it said that more than 2,403 criminals, including terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and criminals of other sorts, were reportedly eliminated by the Nigerian Armed Forces, in coordinated operations across the country between March 18 and December 30, 2020. The event is billed to hold in the early hours of the day at the National Arcade, opposite Eagles Square, Three Arms Zone, Abuja. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement titled “Security checklist, as Nigeria marks Armed Forces Remembrance Day, by Presidency” flaunted the Buhari admin...
Police commence arms mop-up in Rivers
The Rivers State Police Command has directed Commanders of all Tactical Units to commence arms mop-up exercise across the state. Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Joseph Mukan in a statement, said the decision to carry out the arms mop-up was in line with the directive by the Inspector General of Police rid the country of illegal possession of firearms. Mukan also directed the Commanders and Divisional Police Officers, DPOs to enlighten local security outfits in their areas of operations. The Rivers Police boss added that, “Area Commanders are to coordinate, Supervise and report the outcome of such Meetings to the CP with immediate effect and informed all persons and/or groups unlawfully bearing prohibited firearms to with immediate effect, submit same to the nearest Police Station, ...
