Officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday stormed the headquarters of Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Agency (KASUPDA) and whisked away the Director General, Malam Ismail Umaru Dikko.
KASUPDA has gained the reputation of Kaduna’s most feared agency due to its demolition of properties across the state.
Its boss, Dikko, was a Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, before he was elevated to head the agency in 2019.
Daily Trust gathered that the DG was in a meeting with his staff when officials of the EFCC took over the office premises a few minutes after 10am.
Eye witnesses said there was some commotion before the DG entered a black hilux Toyota vehicle of the EFCC.
Sources said two EFCC officials in suit, with two police officers with rifles had accompanied the KASUPDA boss into the vehicle.
The source said the staff at KASUPDA had earlier tried to stop the EFCC from leaving with the DG and security at the gate had prevented the car from exiting.
However, the DG had asked the security to open the gate.
Our correspondent gathered that the DG has been taken to the Kaduna zonal office of the EFCC with sources saying that he had earlier been served several invitations but failed to honour them.
The Spiritual Director, Adoration Ministry Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari that the fighter jets he is purchasing will be used to destroy the country.
The cleric stated this during a sermon at his church on Sunday.
According to Mbaka, Buhari should rather focus on building more industries
“The jets you are buying are going to be used to collapse Nigeria.
“Please, the first person to meet President Buhari after this message, should tell him that all these jets he is buying will be used to destroy Nigeria.
“God told me to tell him that,” he said.
“Let him stop buying more jets and begin to build more industries.”
Buhari, speaking last week, confirmed that “we have received new equipment in our fight against any form of insecurity from our friendly countries.”
“These assets will be deployed to accelerate the fight against insecurity in all parts of the country,” he added.
The paramount ruler of the Idoma nation, His Royal Highness, Agabaidu Elias Ikoyi Obekpa has gone on hunting expedition.
The monarch, a native of Ogbadibo and ascended the throne in 1996 following the exit of HRM Abraham Ajene Okpani.
Obekpa was born in December 21, 1944, in Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA.
Before becoming paramount ruler, Obekpa was a trained teacher, business administrator, public servant and traditionalist.
He got married in 1969 and is blessed with about nine children.
When DAILY POST visited the Och’Idoma Palace on Sunday, a man who simply identified himself as Oji, claimed the news of the death of the king is untrue.
Oji insisted the king is hale and hearty and currently attending to some issues in the palace.
When sought to speak with the king, he said, “I told you he’s in a meeting and you want to disrupt his meeting.”
Another man who refused to identify himself, admitted the king has truly gone on hunting expedition, but it won’t be announced as tradition demands.
“In Idoma land, kings don’t die, they go on hunting expedition. Agabaidu will be right back,” he said.
Adamawa State Police Command has confirmed attack on its operatives at Ngurore Police Station by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.
The Police Command said the gunmen also attacked a house in the area and abducted a woman identified as Hauwa Umaru and her daughter in the early hours of Sunday.
Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Sulaiman Ngurore said the attackers stormed the station at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, but no casualty was recorded.
“The criminals separated into two groups; one attacked the police station to divert the attention of security operatives, while the other group attacked Alhaji Umaru’s house and kidnapped his wife, Hauwa Umaru, and her daughter.
“The Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Mohammed Barde, has ordered the deployment of the operational assets including Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Crack Squad and Anti-Kidnapping units to Ngurore,” he said.
According to the police spokesman, the operational units were expected to carry out confidence-boosting patrols within the hotspots in coordinated operations to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the culprits.
The commissioner assured that the command was committed to working with other patriotic stakeholders towards restoring public order in Ngurore and other parts of the State.
The Aku-Uka of Wukari Kingdom in Taraba State, Dr Shekarau Agyo, is dead.
Daily Trust gathered that the Monarch, died on Saturday in his palace at Wukari after a protracted illness.
Late Aku-Uka, a first class chief was also the chairman, Taraba state council of Emirs and chiefs.
He was installed as the 27 Aku-Uka of Wukari in August, 1976 and was born in 1937.
Sources close to Taraba state government told Daily Trust that only the governor of the state will officially announce the death of the Aku_Uka after certain traditional rites is conducted as required by the Jukun tradition.
Heavily armed bandits on Sunday morning opened fire on a Divisional Police Station in Adamawa State.
The incident happened in Ngurore, a satellite town on the outskirts of Yola, the state capital, along Yola-Gombe Road.
An eyewitness told SaharaReporters that the bandits, who came in their number, arrived in the town around 5 am.
They subsequently opened fire on the police station and also kidnapped a woman with her daughter from a nearby house.
He said, “They came in large numbers, some in Hilux vans, others on motorcycles.
“They divided themselves into two groups, one group engaged the police station; the other group went to the residence of Alhaji Umaru.
“They have sadly succeeded in kidnapping his wife, Hauwa Umaru and her daughter.”
The police spokesperson in the state, DSP Suleiman Nguroje has confirmed the incident, saying no damage was done to the police station.
He said, “Yes, there was an attack on Ngurore police station this morning; but nothing was carted away and none of our gallant officers was injured.
“As we speak, there are also ongoing, coordinated efforts at restoring public order in the town and its environs.
“However, following the unfortunate attack on Ngurore police station and the house of Alhaji Umaru of Nasarawa B, one Hauwa Umaru and her daughter were kidnapped on Sunday, 10 October, 2021.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, has ordered the deployment of an additional operational asset including Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), crack squad and anti-kidnapping units to Ngurore.
“The operational units are expected to carry out confidence-boosting patrols within the hotspots in coordinated operations with the gallant men on the ground to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the culprits.
“The CP assured that the Command is committed to working with other patriotic stakeholders towards restoring public order in Ngurore and other parts of the state.
“Meanwhile, the Head of the Police Intervention Team, SP Babagana Abubakar is already on the ground to coordinate police investigative, operational and rescue response.
“The CP called on citizens to go about their businesses in the most peaceful and law-abiding manner and report any suspicious person(s) around their neighbourhoods to police,” he said.
Residents of communities in Kabba town and Lokoja, the Kogi State capital are now living in fear following renewed abductions of persons by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in their areas, PM News reports.
On Friday, multiple abductions were reported in Kabba, the headquarters of the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, and Lokoja, the state capital.
In the ancient town of Kabba where there have been series of kidnappings in the last month, the rampaging gunmen killed a man, and abducted four others including two chieftaincy title holders.
Some gunmen also abducted two persons along Zone 8 to Crusher Road of Lokoja, the state capital.
In Kabba, the kidnappers were said to have first attacked the Headmaster of Otu Egunbe primary school around Ayedun and whisked him away.
The headmaster was said to be on his way to Egbeda community for a programme before he was abducted.
The gunmen then proceeded to Kakun -Kabba where they killed one Chief Raphael Tolufashe Asa and abducted his daughter.
The gunmen who reportedly stormed the village around 8.30am also abducted one Chief Obamakun Maji, and a Fulani man whose name was yet to be ascertained.
The gunmen have made contact with families of the victims and demanded for N30million ransom as a collective fee to set the abductees free, it was learnt.
The Kogi Police Command Police Public Relation Officer, DSP William Aya who confirmed the incident, said security personnel had been mobilised to secure release of the victims.
The series of abduction is the fourth in Kogi West as the area witnessed breakdown of law and order in the past five weeks.
First, was the attack on Kabba Prison in which five people were killed and about 200 inmates were set free.
Not long after, three poultry farmers were abducted in some communities in Kabba.
Also, there was the attack on ECWA church during Sunday service in the area.
One member of the church was killed while three others were abducted during the attack.
Chief Julius Oshadumo, a retired civil servant who was one of the abductees later died in a gun battle between kidnappers and vigilante officials who were on a rescue mission.
The worsening insecurity has forced residents and travellers around to now live in fear.
At least 19 traders were killed by bandits who raided a weekly market at Unguwan Lalle in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday.
The attack also left several others injured, majority of whom are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Sabon Birni.
Daily Trust could not ascertain whether the attack was a reprisal as there have been tension since Yan Sakai, an outlawed vigilance group killed 11 men at Mamande’s weekly market on Thursday.
Unguwan Lalle, a community located along Goronyo-Sabon Birni road, has suffered a series of bandits attacks in recent months.
Five soldiers who were on a rescue mission in the area were ambushed and killed by bandits few months ago.
A resident told Daily Trust that, Friday’s attack happened during the market hours.
Daily Trust learnt that Unguwan Lalle market is among the popular markets in the eastern part of Sokoto state and is being patronised by traders from different parts of the state and from Zamfara, Kebbi and neighbouring Niger Republic.
However, the identities of the victims were not ascertained yet, but another source told our reporter that two biological brothers who trade in hide and skin were among those killed.
“The two brothers came to the market from the city. We just buried them at Tudun Wada cemetery in Sokoto South local government area,” our source said.
Daily Trust learnt that the attackers stormed the market shortly after all the traders had returned from the Juma’at congregational prayers.
“They came around 3pm, surrounded the market and started shooting sporadically.”
“I counted about 19 bodies and many were still unaccounted for,” it said
Sabon Birni under siege- Lawmaker
Confirming the attack, member representing Sabon Birni North, Aminu Almustapha Gobir, said the whole Sabon Birni was in a mourning state over the attack.
“Sabon Birni is under siege, this is what I have been telling you people and the government is not happy about it,” he said
Gobir, who witnessed the burial of the two brothers, noted that traders from different places were killed by the attackers.
However, the state government has blamed the traders for the attack because all rural markets in the eastern part of the state were banned as part of measures to curtail banditry.
The Commissioner for Carriers and Security Matters, Colonel Garba Moyi (rtd), stated this in an interview with our reporter.
“The state government has suspended markets in some parts of the state experiencing Banditry because these are where bandits are getting their goods.
“But some communities are not complying with this temporary measure despite the fact that it was for their own good,” he said
He said there was a task force comprising security agents, local government chairmen and representatives of district heads in each of the affected local government area.
“We will find out why they are not enforcing this order in their respective areas,” he said
Reacting to the Commissioner’s assertion, Gobir noted that, the executive order by the state government would not make any impact unless there was a serious military operation in the area.
Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, who was arrested by the Nigerian Army over his support and canvassing for the Indigenous People of Biafra, has been picked up and quizzed by the Department of State Services, hours after he was released by the military.
A Nigerian writer, Chiagozie Fred Nwonwu, who writes under the pen name Mazi Nwonwu, confirmed that Agu was not yet a free man.
According to Nwonwu, Agu is presently in custody of the DSS.
“Chiwetalu Agu is still not free. He is with DSS now. Colleagues say they are looking for a top lawyer to bail him,” Nwonwu wrote on his known Facebook page on Friday.
Recall that there were widespread reports on Friday that Agu had been released by the Nigerian Army, following his arrest on Thursday, for wearing the Biafran regalia.
Agu was arrested in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday.
The army had come out to say it arrested Agu for soliciting support for the separatist group, IPOB.
“Dressed in a very well known attire of the proscribed group, Chiwetalu Agu was picked up for questioning while inciting members of the public to join the proscribed group. Though he attempted puting up some resistance when troops made effort to take him into custody, he was not assaulted or subjected to brutalisation.
“While the NA recognises the inalienable rights of the citizenry to freedom of movement and expression as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is apparently a violation for any individual or group to incite the public to cause mayhem or break down of law and order.
“It is therefore pertinent to state that while exercising such freedoms, it must be done within the confines of the law, bearing in mind the imperative for peace, and national security,” the army had said in a statement.
The military had on Friday released Agu before he was reportedly picked up by the DSS for questioning.
Buzu, second in command to the notorious banditry kingpin, Bello Turji, has reportedly refused to release 27 people he kidnapped in Gatawa area of Sokoto State, despite collecting ransoms for their release.
The gunmen had recently attacked Gatawa town in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area, where residents said over 20 persons were killed and 27 persons kidnapped.
The bandits also sent one of the victims with a handwritten letter to the district head of Burkusuuma, Sarkin Rafi, asking for N20 million for the release of the victims.
According to Premium Times, the relations of the victims revealed that the bandits asked families and friends to collate the money and pay through the village head of Katsallen Kade.
The source, whose sister is kidnapped, said, “Buzu, taking decisions on Turji’s behalf, said the money should be paid through the village head. But we pleaded and negotiated with the monarch, who is afraid of going against the bandits, from N20million to N2million.”
He said the bandits were eventually given N2.2million but Buzu had refused to release the victims.
Another source from Sabon Birni, who also asked not to be named due to safety concerns, confirmed that the money was taken to the bandits but none of the victims have been released.
“The victims are being held in Suruddubu, which is all under Buzu’s territory. What I heard is that when the N2.2million was given to Buzu, he insisted that the whole N20million must be paid, and in addition to jerry cans of fuel. It is becoming scary because the issue is just like a movie premiere,” the source said.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sanusi Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the issue.
