Headlines

Police arrest 84 notorious criminal suspects in special operations —-foil kidnap attempt on Catholic Bishop in Zaria

Owolola Adebola

Following the ongoing implementation of a robust security action plan to protect citizens and critical national infrastructure across the country, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, have arrested a total of eighty-four (84) notorious criminal suspects within the past month.

A total of forty-five (45) sophisticated firearms and ammunition including 1-GPMG, 1-LAR rifle, 17-AK47 rifles, 2-Pump Action rifles, 20- locally fabricated firearms, 3-single barrel guns, 9899- live ammunition of different calibres, 80-fake vehicle number plates, 1- Toyota Camry with Reg. No. AA 792 HJA and 1-Toyota Corolla LE with Reg. No. QAP 622 AA, were recovered from the suspects in the operations.

The suspects were arrested for their involvement in series of violent crimes including terrorism, banditry, kidnap for ransom, possession, and proliferation of illegal weapons, armed robbery, unlawful production of vehicle number plates, etc.

While many of the suspects were arrested in follow-up on cases of violent crimes under investigation, many others were arrested after being subdued following a gun duel with the police who took the battle to the doorsteps of the criminals.

Notably amongst the cases was the arrest of four (4) members of a notorious criminal gang responsible for carrying out some of the high-profile kidnaps for ransom operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Bauchi, and Plateau States.

The suspects are Umar Abdullahi ‘m’ 40yrs of kali Kura village, Giwa LGA, Kaduna State, Yusuf Tanimu ‘m’ 23yrs of Kurena, Zaria, Kaduna State, Mamuda Suleiman ‘m’ 40yrs of Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, and Abubakar Yaro ‘m’ 38yrs from Wase village, Plateau State.

Investigations revealed that the gang is linked to series of kidnap for ransom crimes including the kidnapping of some senior staff of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, family members of notable political appointees, and business entrepreneurs in Kaduna State and other contiguous State.

Investigations revealed that the suspects were at an advanced stage of operationalizing their plans to kidnap a Catholic Bishop in Zaria when they were apprehended.

Investigations further revealed that the gang, in addition to their kidnapping enterprise, also supplies arms and ammunition to Bandits at Birnin Gwarri, Kaduna State, Niger, Katsina, and Zamfara States.

One (1) General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two (2) AK47 rifles, six thousand, five hundred and nine (6,509) live ammunition were recovered from the syndicate during the operation.

Similarly, the police team arrested a seven-man criminal syndicate that specializes in the manufacturing and supplies of locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and ammunition to bandits in forests along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway and funtua – kankara expressway in Katisina State.

The suspects are; Dung Michael ‘m’ 26yrs, Dung James ‘m’ 29yrs, Bulus Iliya ‘m’ 25yrs, Markus Danladi ‘m’ 25yrs, Danjuma Dachu ‘m’ 25yrs all from Jos South and Samaila Abdullahi ‘m’ 45yrs from Toro in Bauchi State, Maek Danladi ‘m’ 30yrs from Chukum, Kaduna State.

In a similar vein, one Abubakar Mohammed a.k.a Mallam Buzu from Mali who is a transnational gun-runner was arrested by the Police team in Tsamiya, a border town between Benin Republic and Nigeria. He was arrested with a GPMG ammunition chain drive with a holding capacity of 1,600 rounds of ammunition.

In addition, three (3) suspects responsible for the production of fake vehicle number plates including a replica of number plates of government, diplomatic and security agencies were arrested.

Investigations revealed that the suspects supply the number plates to criminal elements who use the same to beat security checks during their operations. A total of eighty (80) fake number plates were recovered from the gang.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, while affirming that the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches targeted at re-ordering security in the country are already yielding positive results, reassured citizens of the renewed commitment of the Force to the fight against crimes and criminality.

He called for sustained support for the Police and the security community as efforts are being intensified to enhance public safety, peace and security.

All the suspects will be charged to court on completion of investigations

Headlines

IGP grieves over assault on policewoman

Prof. Zainab Duke Abiola

— orders prosecution of culprits

Owolola Adebola

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has strongly condemned the grievous assault of a female Police Officer, Inspector Teju Moses, by her principal who is a Legal practitioner and human rights activist, Prof. Zainab Duke Abiola and her domestic staff comprising the housemaid, one Rebecca Enechido and a male suspect currently at large.

Zainab Duke, a Mbaise-born activist, grievously assaulted her orderly in the company of some accomplices on Tuesday 20th September 2022 at her residence in Garki, Abuja, due to the refusal of the orderly to breach professional ethics by carrying out menial and domestic chores at her house.

The IGP also directed the express prosecution of the arrested suspects who are currently in Police custody, as the preliminary investigation shows overwhelming evidence of culpability on the part of the Professor and her domestic staff.

The IGP has equally tasked the investigative team to ensure that the fleeing suspect is arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.

It is pertinent to clarify that the suspect, Prof. Zainab, who name-drops the IGP, his family members, and other officers in the top hierarchy of the Force has no acquaintance with the Police in any form as erroneously peddled on social media.

The Inspector-General of Police who similarly ordered the withdrawal of all Police personnel attached to the Professor expressed consternation at the fact that an individual who claims to be an advocate for Human Rights could stoop so low as to violate the rights of another individual, a police officer tasked with ensuring her protection.

Customs

Customs collects N1.7trn revenue in 8 months

CGC, Ali

–embarks on aggressive revenue hunts to meet target

The Eyewitness reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service has collected a whooping sum of N1,755,386,486,390.02 as revenue in the first eight months of the year spanning January and August.

The service made the highest monthly earnings of N241,903,781,854.46 in August as the service intensifies its aggressive revenue drive to meet the expectations of the Federal Government which has come to rely on the revenue from the service to fund its critical project.

This follows the diversification of government to non-oil sectors and expands its tax base due to the dwindling revenue from the oil sector.

The revenue in the first eight months of 2022 is N363,436,321,614.95 higher than N1,391,950,164,775.97 the customs collected in the corresponding period of 2021.

Abuja has increased its focus on non-oil revenue sources, prompting higher expectations from revenue collection agencies such as the NCS, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), among others.

Headlines

Jamoh wears OFR diadem as Buhari confers national honour on NIMASA DG

The Eyewitness reporter

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, has expressed deep appreciation to President Mohammed Buhari for being conferred with one of the highest national honours in Nigeria, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

The Office of the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, has conveyed this good news to Dr Jamoh in a letter of Award which has slated the investiture ceremony for the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja on Monday, 10th October 2022.

Recall that Dr. Jamoh had served the Nigerian maritime sector as an administrator for over 30 years when he was appointed by President Buhari as the NIMASA DG in March 2020.

Since that time, he has overseen the successful deployment of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project which has played a major role in achieving a reduction of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea to its barest minimum since 1994 and culminating in Nigeria being removed from the infamous piracy red list by the International Maritime Bureau, IMB.

A hallmark of his tenure at the helm of NIMASA has been his institutionalization of collaboration among stakeholders, within and outside the country, to achieve significant milestones in the sector.

One notable example of this is his initiation of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum/ Shared Awareness and De-confliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE), which has demonstrated the positive outcomes of information sharing among regional and non-regional military forces in achieving a secure maritime space.

Reacting to the news on his social media handle, Dr Jamoh expressed gratitude for being considered for the honour stating:

“Words cannot express how humbled I feel to be so considered for the National Honour as an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).

“When I began my maritime journey 30 years ago, little did I know that Almighty Allah would so favour me to rise to the position of NIMASA DG, let alone to be considered for one of the highest honours in the land”.

Dr Jamoh especially thanked His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Standing Committee on National Honours Award for deeming him worthy of the honour while also appreciating everyone who had supported him throughout his tenure as NIMASA Director General, especially the maritime stakeholders.