Hoodlums
Jailbreaks: Nigerian Army to train NCoS armed squad
The Nigerian Army has accepted to assist the Nigerian Correctional Service in giving refresher training to its armed squad personnel. This is sequel to the increasing spate of invasion of custodial centres by armed hoodlums and the consequent jailbreaks. The acting Controller-General of Corrections, John Mrabure had, in a letter to the Chief of Army Staff, requested assistance in training the armed squad personnel in the low-intensity engagement of armed non-state actors who have made jail attack a regular feature. A statement on Wednesday by the NCoS spokesman, Francis Enobore, a controller of corrections, said the training, which was expected to commence soon, will cover relevant tactical components to strengthen the capacity of Correctional Service armed guards to engage invaders adequa...
One dead, others injured in Bayelsa cult clash
Tebogo Letsie/Associated Press The Bayelsa Police Command on Tuesday, confirmed the death of a suspected cultist during a clash by two rival cult groups in the state capital, Yenagoa. A spokesman for the Police in Bayelsa, Asinim Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, told newsmen that one person was killed during the clash which left many injured in the Obele area of the state capital. Narrating the incident, Butswat said, “The clash took place in Down Yenagoa. It was a rival cult clash that claimed the life of one person. “We cannot establish the cult groups that were involved until after arrests might have been made, as an investigation is ongoing,” he said. Butswat added that the corpse of the person had been recovered and deposited at a morgue. A resident of Obele, who preferred anonymi...
Lagos: Councillors suspend council chairman for ‘fraud’
The Chairman, Surulere Local Government, Lagos State, Tajudeen Ajide, has been suspended for alleged financial impropriety. This is according to a letter sent to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police by the nine councillors at the local government. The suspension, according to the councillors, is sequel to a resolution dated April 9, 2021 wherein a vote of no confidence was passed in Ajide. The names of the councillors include: Akande Barakat, Adebisi David, Fasasi Ajenifuja, Phillips Olubunmi, Otinwa Eric, Ijitola Oluwasegun, Ajala Ajibola, Kareem Abiodun and Kazeem Bello. They asked both the police commissioner and the area commander, Area C, to deploy policemen in the local government secretariat to prevent hoodlums from attacking them. The letter read in part, “We the undersigned by t...
Catholic priest shot dead in Benue
A Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Ferdinand Fanen Ngugban, has been shot dead in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State. Newsmen gathered that Fr. Ferdinand Ngugban of St. Augustine Aye Twar parish in Katsina Ala LGA was killed by bandits who raided the community and set many houses on fire. The Council Chairman of Kastina-Ala, Joseph Atera, told our correspondent by telephone that the bandits, who attacked the priest at the church premises, also killed three others. But Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Benue Command, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed only the killing of the priest. “Attack on St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Aye-Twar village, Agu centre in Kastina-Ala LGA by bandits is confirmed. Rev. Fr. Nguban Fanen lost his life during the attack. “The corpse has been depos...
Bandits kill nine in Kaduna communities
Bandits terrorising Kaduna State have killed nine people in communities in Birnin Gwari and Giwa Local Government Areas of the state. The killings were confirmed in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan. Aruwan said security agencies reported the killings to the state government. He said the security report indicated that the bandits barricaded the Dogon Dawa-Kuyello road, Birnin Gwari LGA and shot six people dead. The commissioner said in a similar attack on Ungwan Maje, also in Birnin Gwari LGA, the bandits killed two people. The statement added that the bandits further attacked Kwama village in Giwa LGA and killed one Nasiru Rufai, after he resisted attempts to kidnap him. According to the statement, “Security age...
#EndSARS: Lagos assembly committee commends council chairmen’s resilience
Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr AdbulSobur Olawale, has commended the Executive Chairman of Ajeromi Local Government, LG, Mr. Fatai Ayoola, management and staff members for the resilience to rebuild the Secretariat that was destroyed during the aftermath of the ENDSARS protest. Olawale, who is also the Chairman of, House Committee on Local Government and Community Relations, disclosed that the Secretariat was among those government facilities that were destroyed by hoodlums during the aftermath of the ENDSARS protest. In the same view, the lawmaker applauded Council Chairman of Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Mr Shaibu Ajidagba for building the legislative chamber during his tenure in office. Speaking with journalists, after the oversight function to both Aje...
Bandits kill 13, injure 7 in Kaduna
Thirteen persons have been killed by bandits following multiple attacks on communities in Zangon Kataf, Kauru and Chikun Local Government Areas of Kaduna state. Seven people were also injured while 56 houses and 16 motorcycles were burnt by the hoodlums. The Kaduna state commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan confirmed the killings in a statement on Friday in Kaduna. According to him, the killings were reported to the Kaduna State Government by troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH). He said, in Gora Gan village, Zangon Kataf LGA, bandits killed one Irmiya Godwin who was returning from the farm while his brother escaped. The commissioner said, in another incident in Kizachi village, Kauru LGA, bandits killed 10 people, while four others were injured, adding t...
Anambra Assembly expresses worry over spike in criminal activities
The Anambra House of Assembly has expressed worry over the increasing rate of crimes in the state and called for urgent measures to address the menace. Mr Noble Igwe, representing Ogbaru 1 Constituency, while speaking on a matter of urgent public importance, on Tuesday, lamented that the rate of crime had triggered fear among the residents. Igwe said there were recent reports of residents who had been victims of a wide range of violent crimes, including armed robbery, assault, burglary, carjacking, kidnapping and extortion. “Aware that security of lives and property is the primary function of the state government as enshrined in the constitution, there is the need to intensify efforts at taming the resurgence of crimes in some parts of the state, especially on theOnitsha-Owerri Road where ...
Ondo governor suspends NURTW, RTEAN, orders unions to vacate motor parks
Ondo State Government has suspended both the National Union of Road transport workers, NURTW, and the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, RTEAN in the state. The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on special duties and strategy, Dr Doyin Odebowale, said that the suspension was with immediate effect. Odebowale attributed the suspension to recent leadership crisis within the two unions He directed the leadership of both unions to vacate motor parks across the eighteen local government areas of the state and to stop collecting dues from taxi drivers and other motorists across the state. Odebowale also directed taxi drivers to revert to the old price of N50 per drop across the state. He explained that new tickets would be purchased directly from the state government and no ...
Abia government reacts to attack on police station, places N1 million bounty on information leading to recovery of arms
Abia State Government has reacted to yesterday’s attack on Abayi police station in which two policemen were killed and arms carted away by gunmen. The state government is also placing a N1m bounty on anybody who will give infornation to the recovery of arms looted by the hoodlums. To further checkmate criminal activities in the state, Government imposes a ban on Keke/Okada operations between 7pm and 7am in all major cities of the state starting from yesterday. A statement by the commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu said her attention was “drawn to a mindless and cowardly attack on a police station in Aba by yet to be identified armed hoodlums in the early hours of today (Tuesday), leading to loss of precious lives and carting away of arms and ammunition. “We wish to assure m...
#ENDSARS: Group urges youths to end proposed protest in Lagos
The Committee of Youths on Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS) has urged Nigerian youths to boycott the proposed protest in the interest of peace and socioeconomic stability that were affected after the 2020 “ENDSARS PROTEST”. The Lagos State coordinator, CYMS, Leonard Obasi, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Abuja. To counter the proposed Feb. 13 protest #OccupyLekkiTollGate at the tollgate plaza, some youths had announced a #DefendLagos rally to hold at the same venue. The plan to #OccupyLekkiTollGate came barely a day after the controversial ruling of the Lagos Judicial panel of inquiry to reopen the Lekki Tollgate. Obasi said that this has become compelling owing to reports of a planned protest by what he described as some self-centered elements who were he...
Nigerian government berates Amnesty International over call for service chiefs’ prosecution
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has berated the Amnesty International (AI) over its call for the arrest and prosecution of former Service Chiefs AI had in its recent report, called for the arrest and prosecution of the service chiefs at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged human rights violation in the prosecution of war against terror in the North-East region. Speaking on “Politics Nationwide,” a Radio Nigeria programme monitored by newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, Mohammed said the global human rights protection organisation should “shut up because it had no proof of crimes committed by the Nigerian military’’. He said the country was fighting an unconventional war with insurgency that had no rule of engagement, adding that this was a double jeopard...
