Three officers have been shot dead inside a Police station at Unwana, Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
A source told Daily Trust that the deceased officers were a constable and two inspectors.
A resident of Uwana, who did not want to be named, said the gunmen were masked.
He said one of the attackers was killed during the attack, which occurred in the wee hours of Sunday.
He said: “They killed 3 policemen; one constable and two inspectors and the police killed one of the gunmen.
“Nobody knows the identity of the gunmen but the body of the slain officers have been taken to the mortuary.
“The incident happened around 2am; nobody can tell the route the hoodlums came from. All we heard were gunshots for about 10 minutes. At the moment, there is no information to know if they destroyed or stole anything from the police station.
“The men were masked, but the one killed had his face unveiled by the police to ascertain his identity. The deceased hoodlum had red clothes tied around his waist.”
When contacted the state commissioner of Police, Mr. Aliyu Garba, neither denied nor confirmed the report.
He referred our correspondent to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Loveth Odah, who did not respond to the inquiry.
Daily Trust gathered that some elected political officers holders like the council chairperson, Barr. Mrs. Obiageri Oke-Enyim, councilors and coordinators from the LGA visited the station before noon to assess the situation.
The attacks on police stations in Ebonyi is gradually becoming a weekly affair in the state.
Daily Trust reported that yet to be identified hoodlums had last week attacked Ohankwu Police station in Ohankwu local government area of the state and killed a police sergeant.
Suspected militants of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been blamed for the attacks but they have denied this.
Almost five hundred civilians were killed as a result of various attacks by armed groups across the country last month of September 2021, as insecurity in the country worsened.
A report by West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP) released on Friday indicated that 944 Nigerians lost their lives, 496 of which were civilians. The North West geopolitical zone recorded the highest number of casualty.
A breakdown of the loss of lives across the zones indicated that, in North West, one person was killed in Jigawa, 84 in Kaduna, 4 in Kano, 5 in Katsina, 5 in Kebbi, 70 in Sokoto and 25 in Zamfara state.
In the North East, 13 persons were killed in Yobe, 12 in Borno, 7 in Adamawa and 4 in Bauchi State.
In North Central, 114 people were killed in Niger State, 18 in Kogi, 16 in Benue, 11 in Plateau, 10 in Federal Capital Territory and 9 in Kwara.
In the South East, 30 people were killed in Anambra, 16 in Imo, 5 in Ebonyi while 3 we’re killed in Enugu state.
In the South South, 30 people were killed in Delta State, 4 in Bayelsa, 1 in Akwa Ibom, 2 in Rivers and 3 lost their lives in Edo state.
In the South West, 8 people were killed in Lagos, 3 in Ogun and Osun states while 2 were killed in Ondo and 1 person lost his life in Oyo state within the same period.
According to the report, out of the number of civilians killed during the period 20 were females, while 18 were children.
365 people including 39 females and 98 children were also kidnapped across 26 states within the period.
The report indicated that suspected armed bandits killed 339 people in Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna and Niger States.
Suspected terrorists from Boko Haram and ISWAP ranks also killed 85 persons in Borno state, according to the report. Other criminal groups caused the death of 24 people within the same period.
The report indicated how banditry is taking leap ahead of insurgency as bandits killed 275 persons, with Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks causing the deaths of 22 deaths. Communal clashes caused 7 death while uncategorised armed violence led to the deaths of 106 people across the country.
Violent clashes also caused 13 deaths, Cult clashes claimed 12 lives, while one person was lost to violent demonstrations. The report indicated that 23 people were killed in culpable homicide.
Eight people were said to have been killed through extrajudicial killings while farmer/herders clashes claimed 39 lives, mob attacks led to the death of 26 people within the same period.
The Economist magazine yesterday painted a gloomy picture of the Nigerian intractable security challenge, in a piece titled “Insurgency, secessionism and banditry threaten Nigeria”.
The London publication said Nigeria is facing “its biggest test since the civil war 50 years ago”.
It lampooned the political and security leadership for inability to take the myriad of security threats bedevilling the country.
The publication alleged that the Nigerian army is populated “with corrupt generals and unable to protect the country from the mutating violence”.
“But many of its soldiers are ‘ghosts’ who exist only on the payroll, and much of its equipment is stolen and sold to insurgents.”
“The police are understaffed, demoralised and poorly trained. Many supplement their low pay by robbing the public they have sworn to protect,” it said.
In a swift reaction to the publication, spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the report was crafted to denigrate, demonize and destabilize the Nigerian Government. He said the report contained some unimaginable slurs targeted at the Nigerian military and the Nigerian Army in particular.
According to him, “Even as the real intention of the otherwise respected Economist magazine in publishing such toxic concoctions weaved up as report on Nigerian Government’s response to the multi-faceted security challenges assailing the country is yet to be unraveled, the source of the article is very clear.
“It is one of those deliberate falsehood and noxious narratives orchestrated by a network of detractors and coven of dark forces working very hard to adorn the Nigerian Army in an unfitting garb of infamy.’’
The army spokesman added that, the vile report which the Economist chose to offer its platform for publication, spared no effort in trying to vilify and rubbish the image, character and reputational standing of the Nigerian Army, but failed woefully.
“As a professional, hard-fighting and globally respected institution that has continued to occupy deserved glorious position in the comity of global defence forces, the Nigerian Army is certainly not what the so-called report by the Economist tried to characterize it.
“Even more ludicrous was the embellishments of the said report by the notorious unprofessional media outlets that were quick to republish the obvious falsehood.
“How is it conceivable that an international magazine worth its name and professional reputation would agree to lend its medium for a hatchet job of an article without as much as committing little effort to finding out the real truth about the Nigerian Army?
“How is it imaginable that the Nigerian Army that has distinguished itself as a worthy contributor to global peace and security through regional, continental and international peace keeping and peace support operations would be characterized as “Mighty on paper”?
“How can the Nigerian Army that has restored democracies, brought peace to troubled lands and stabilized the sub-region through the dint of hard work, commitment to duty, discipline and professionalism be so denigrated?
“Is it the ‘ghost soldiers’ of the Nigerian Army that have weathered the storm of terrorism and insurgency of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province Terrorists (ISWAP) in the north eastern part of the country and parts of the Lake Chad region?
“In case the Economist magazine and those who fed it all the lies it published do not know, the Nigerian Army working in a joint environment, has been able to stop ISWAP, a very formidable international terrorist organization in its tracks, in spite of all the obstacles, including arm sale blackouts on its way.
“The Economist and its ilk ought to have known that the Nigerian Army has long distinguished itself as a professional force that does not toy with accountability nor shirk from its statutory responsibility of defending Nigeria from external aggression or internal insurrection.
“Is it not curious that an otherwise respected international magazine could so easily be sucked in by the antics of conflict merchants and agents provocateurs who are uncomfortable with the steadfastness, patriotism, unwavering commitment, sacrifice, ruggedness and resoluteness of the Nigerian Army in stamping out terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes assailing the country and the West African sub-region?”, he argued.
Hired Fulani mercenaries have been fingered as being responsible for Friday night’s attack on Abolongo correctional facility, Oyo town in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.
The gunmen arrived in their numbers around 11pm and started shooting sporadically. They then released inmates who fled to their various destinations.
It is understood that there was a bit of panic around the prison vicinity, as residents thought it was a robbery attempt.
The Nigeria Correctional Services (NCS), Oyo state Command, on Saturday morning confirmed the attack on the prison, stating that it is assessing the situation.
Now, fresh information coming in says the attack was planned and carried out by invading bandits.
According to Sahara Reporters, the gunmen carried out the attack specifically to free Iskilu Wakili, a prominent Fulani man accused of being among those behind most kidnappings and mindless killings in Ibarapa axis of Oyo State. Wakili, who has sight problem, was arrested by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in March. He was immediately handed over to the Police, and has since been in custody.
Information has it that gunmen struck on Wednesday on Oyo-Ogbomosho Road. And these invaders who attacked Abolongo prison are believed to be same terrorists who struck three days ago on Oyo-Ogbomosho road.
The United States has said the Nigerian government is expected to deploy the Super Tucano aircraft only in the northern part of the country where Boko Haram terrorists have engaged in a decade-long insurgency, killing thousands and displacing millions.
According to Punch, the US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, Jonathan Finer, at an event attended by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said the terms of the agreement during the sale of the 12 Tucano aircraft were explicit.
Reacting to a question on whether the Tucano fighter planes might be deployed against secessionists in the South-East, Finer said the planes were an important platform for security, particularly in the North, expressing pleasure over the conclusion of the deal.
Finer said, “We are pleased to deepen our security cooperation with the Nigerian government. I think we made it very clear our expectations about this platform where it would be used and in the right way and we are always raising concerns when we have them and that it’s true with all our security partners around the world.
“This is an important platform for security, particularly in the North and we are pleased the transaction is finally concluded.”
The Federal Government had proscribed the Indigenous People of Biafra in the South-East and despite public outcry, designated the agitation group as terrorists, fuelling fears that the Super Tucano might be deployed to harass the residents.
On Wednesday, it had also been reported that the military had not been able to deploy the Tucano planes to crush the bandits in the North-West because the agreement signed with the United States was that the aircraft, bought from the US, would be deployed against terrorists and not bandits.
This implies that the fighter planes have only been deployed to fight Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.
It was gathered that the complaints by the service chiefs led to the recent recommendation to by the Senate and the House of Representatives that bandits should be designated as terrorists, so the planes could be deployed against the bandits.
The Federal Government had ordered 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to aid its war against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East. The aircraft were said to have cost $423million.
On July 22, 2021, the Nigerian Air Force said in a statement by its spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, that the first batch of six of the Tucano aircraft arrived at Kano at about 12:34pm.
Also, on October 18, 2021, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the remaining six had been received and had been deployed to the North-East.
Aliyu Na Idris, a 26-year-old man from Kaduna State, has become a social media sensation for putting himself up for sale in Kano.
Idris, who claimed to be a tailor, has been roaming the streets of Kano State carrying a placard that reads “This man is for sale for N20 million.”
It was gathered that the young man has been on the streets for five days looking for who will buy him.
In an encounter with Daily Trust, he said he had decided to sell himself due to hardship.
He said his family was aware that he had offered himself for sale, adding that he had initially presented himself for sale in Kaduna but when he could not get a serious buyer, he decided to try Kano State with the hope that someone will pay the required price.
“Even though many people have offered me various prices of N10m, N5m and N300,000 in Kano, I refused because the amount is less than what I expected,” he said.
The young man said he was operating a tailoring business which failed due to the financial crisis and as such, he lost his customers and became financially handicapped.
He explained that he had no money to survive, not to talk of investing in another business, hence, he decided to present himself for sale at N20m only.
When asked what he intends to do with the money, he said, “I will give my parents N10m; I will give N5m as tax to the state where I was bought, the person who helped in advertising me will be rewarded with N2m while the remaining N3m will be kept for me under the care of the person who buys me for my daily upkeep.”
He further stated that he knows that he would lose his freedom after being purchased but he’s not worried as he has made up his mind to do the bidding of his master.
He said if nobody buys him in Kano, he would move to another state to sell himself.
Not less than a thousand prisoners have reportedly escaped from the Abolongo prison in Oyo town after some gunmen attacked the correctional centre and freed all inmates.
A TVC News report said that the gunmen arrived in their numbers around 11:00 O’clock last night (Saturday, October 22, 2021) and started shooting sporadically, and released the inmates who fled to their various destinations.
“A source told TVC News that there was a little bit of panic around the prison vicinity during the time of the escape, as residents around thought it was a robbery attempt,” the report said.
As at the time of this report, the Oyo state police command was yet to release an official statement to ascertain the actual number of the escapees.
The Police Command in Zamfara on Friday confirmed that bandits had abducted two prospective corps members deployed from Benue to Kebbi and Sokoto states.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mohammed Shehu, disclosed this in a statement in Gusau, Zamfara.
Shehu said the Zamfara Police Command had received report of their abduction from the State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Zamfara State, Namalam Taura, in Gusau.
According to the PPRO, the report indicated that two prospective corps members deployed from Benue to Kebbi and Sokoto states were among the victims abducted along Tsafe – Gusau road on Tuesday Oct. 19, 2021 at about 22.30 hours.
Shehu said the command received the report on Friday, October 22, 2021 when the Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkanah, visited the Orientation Camp at Tsafe, Tsafe Local Government Area.
He said that Elkanah had visited the NYSC orientation camp to assess the existing security emplacement to ensure safety and security of the prospective corps members arriving at the camp for the two weeks orientation exercise.
“It could be recalled that on Oct. 19, 2021, at about 2230 hours, a vehicle with registration number GBK 339 ZY was blocked by armed bandits along Tsafe-Gusau road while travelling from Benue to Sokoto State.
“The vehicle was attacked while passing through Wanzamai Village in Tsafe LGA.
“And that resulted to the abduction of some passengers whose identities and number remained unknown,” Shehu said.
He said that the Command had commenced investigation into the incident with a view to establishing the actual number of persons abducted.
He said the command had deployed a team of security forces on search and rescue operation to rescue the victims.
Shehu said that CP Elkanah assured the NYSC coordinator and the corps members of police commitment to safeguard their lives.
The commissioner, however, enjoined them to be security conscious and restrict their movement while in the camp.
Meanwhile, effort to get details from the NYSC was not successful due to suspension of mobile network in Tsafe local government area.
The Federal Government has exposed the “link between Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, and convicted terror sponsors.
At a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), spoke on the financial transaction involving Igboho and suspects in the Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation.
Malami said the findings were made by a committee set up by the Federal Government.
“Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons.
“It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to SURAJO ABUBAKAR MUHAMMAD (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram]).
“This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna Train Services (AKTS).
This is coming 24 hours after an attack on a section of the 186-kilometer railway track led the corporation to suspend its services.
In a statement on Friday night, NRC announced the resumption of operations.
Daily Trust learnt that this was sequel to the fixing of the damaged portions of the railways.
“The Board and Management of the Nigerian railway corporation (NRC) hereby inform the general public, particularly our valued passengers that Abuja – Kaduna Train Services (AKTS) resume tomorrow, Saturday, 23rd October, 2021 as follows,” the statement read.
“From, IDU, Abuja (AK3) at 0950am. From RIGASA, Kaduna (KA4) at 1035am. Subsequent trains services continue. NRC, once again sincerely apologises for the inconvenience.”
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a teenager over his alleged involvement in banditry.
The boy aged 14 was paraded at the command headquarters.
According to Isah Gambo, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, the minor confessed to killing two persons during one of his operations.
Gambo said the boy confessed taking part in the operation at Mallamawa in Jibia Local Government Area of the state where the persons were killed.
“The boy has confessed to us that he has participated in several attacks on villages within and outside the state where he said he could remember killing two people in Mallamawa.”
“The boy has confessed to us that he has participated in several attacks on villages within and outside the state where he said he could remember killing two people in Mallamawa.”
“He also participated in attacks on Dankulumbo and Kukar Babangida, all in Jibia local government area. He has also rustled an unspecified number of animals during several attacks,” Gambo said.
He added that the boy said he was trained as a bandit, kidnapper and cattle rustler.
The boy reportedly said he regretted his actions and wanted to be reformed.
Katsina is one of the North West States where there is a high level of insecurity.
