₦airaland Forum

Ofemannnu:
Just like a criminal will jump over the fence.
Betta Edu did not do up to Obi the corrupt Igbo Messiah but you all castigated her.
igbos LOVE criminals like Obi who stole Anambra money and invested it in Fidelity where he is a beneficiary but he is the most sainted saint in the criminal world.


Obi also embezzled Anambra money and transfered it into Pandora bank with his family,according to him.
These are proven criminalities and attested to by Obi himself.
Have you proven any alleged criminality against the SWesterners you accused?
Corruption is not stealing,abi?

BigBlackPreek:
Sentiments aparts, I believe with Tinubu at the helm of the nations affairs and Wike as the FCT minister, the issue of banditry and kidnapping will be flushed away in due time, trust the process.

Over 200 violent attacks have been recorded across all six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

The incidents led to the death of no fewer than 87 residents of the FCT, while 176 were kidnapped within the period.

The figures were sourced from Beacon Consulting, a local firm monitoring security issues in the country, and several media reports on violent attacks, including kidnapping and killings in the FCT.

Since the assumption of office of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, on August 16, 2023, there’s been a rise in violent attacks in the nation’s capital.

The FCT is facing alarming surge in insecurity, prompting concerns among residents and the authorities. The capital city, once considered relatively immune to the prevalent security challenges in other parts of the country, is now grappling with an escalating wave of criminal activities, particularly kidnapping.

According to a 2020 report by SB Morgen, Abuja was ranked 11th among locations with frequent abductions, a stark revelation of the evolving security landscape in the region.

Over the last three years, close to 50 kidnap cases have been recorded in Abuja, involving over 200 persons. The severity of the issue becomes more apparent when examining the data from January 2021 to June 2023, revealing approximately 40 recorded cases with 236 victims. Between October and December 2023 alone, there were 13 recorded kidnap incidents, impacting 80 victims.

These incidents are not isolated to specific areas but have occurred in various locations within Abuja, including Gwagwalada Kuje, Lugbe, Pegi, Abaji, Keti, and Kwali. What is particularly concerning is that these incidents seem to occur unchallenged by security agencies, allowing criminal elements to operate with impunity.

The economic toll of the rising insecurity is substantial, with confirmed ransom payments totalling N653.7m between 2021 and 2022. Residents and businesses in the affected areas are bearing the brunt of the security challenges, and the impact on daily life and economic activities is becoming increasingly pronounced.

The most notorious among the incidents over the past seven months includes the abduction of seven persons, including six girls kidnapped on January 5, 2024, in the Bwari Area Council.

Latest amongst the incidents was the abduction of the wife and one of the in-laws of a lawyer, Cyril Adikwu, on Thursday, January 18, at the Nigerian Army Post Housing Scheme in the Kurudu area of Abuja.

The incident, according to a neighbour of the victims, occurred around 10pm in the Phase 2 area of the estate.

Also, on January 7, 2024, armed men abducted 12 from an estate in the Bwari area of Abuja.

On December 12, 2023, a total of 23 residents of the Dei-Dei community in the Bwari area of the FCT were also abducted.

A nursing mother and three children were kidnapped in Abuja on December 12, 2023. An Abuja-based musician and his band members were kidnapped on December 18, 2023, while two persons were kidnapped in the Mpape area of the FCT on July 16, 2023.

Following a rise in the incidents, Nigerians have called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to find a lasting solution to the problem.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday launched the Special Intervention Squad in the FCT to curb the activities of kidnappers and bandits wreaking havoc, especially in border towns within the territory.

The squad is charged with patrolling and securing the communities in the border areas of the FCT, and intervening to curb and mitigate violent attacks in the nation’s capital.

Following the inauguration of the SIS, its operatives commenced patrol across the FCT and border towns, villages and hamlets.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who spoke with one of our correspondents in an exclusive interview, revealed that the deployment of the officers would be all over the FCT, with more attention to crisis-prone areas and exits out of the city.

He added that the creation of the SIS was aimed at addressing the security concerns in the FCT.

“The deployment will be all over, with more attention to crisis-affected areas and exits out of the city. It is a general operation aimed at addressing the security concerns in the FCT,” Adejobi said.

The Commander of the FCT SIS, Bennett Igwe, who led the operatives on Tuesday in Bwari, Kawu, Kubwa and Gwagwalada, among others, and into Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Kogi states, told our correspondent that the SIS operatives would be stationed in the borders and would be moving in and out of the FCT to apprehend bandits and other insurgents disturbing the peace of the capital city.

He added that the SIS was under the command of the Inspector-General of Police at the Force Headquarters hence its operatives were not limited by borders.

Igwe said, “We are here tonight in Kawu, where about 23 persons were kidnapped. As you’ve seen, we’ve toured the whole of Bwari, and we have shown the criminals that we are ready and we want our people to be at peace.

“As we’re stationed here and patrolling Bwari, our other officers are also currently patrolling other border towns in the FCT; our operatives are patrolling Gwagwalada, Kubwa, Maraba, and other border towns, villages and hamlets. And we’re moving in and out of the border states of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi. We will flush the bandits out and return peace and harmony to the FCT.”

The scourge of abduction, which has strangulated social and economic activities in the North-East and the North-West, has spread nationwide as bandits and other criminal elements have moved their operations into major cities across the country, especially the FCT in recent times.

The hoodlums, who hitherto operated on highways and in rural communities, have in recent times escalated their attacks on residents of Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna and other urban centres.

Unveiling the SIS at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Egbetokun said the alarming rise in criminal activities without equivocation demanded immediate and resolute action.

He noted that the approach of the police was comprehensive, adding that beyond immediate intervention, the SIS would also engage in community-oriented policing.

Egbetokun said, “As I stand before you today, I am imbued with a profound sense of duty as we confront the crisis of kidnapping and violent crimes presently afflicting our esteemed nation, particularly in and around the Federal Capital Territory.

“The alarming rise in these criminal activities without equivocation, demands immediate and resolute action from us all. It is thus with a determined spirit that I proudly announce the inauguration of the Special Intervention Squad.

“Conceived as an elite unit of the Nigeria Police Force, the SIS composed of specially trained, well equipped and highly mobile police officers, and possesses the capacity for rapid intervention and effective containment of significant security breaches, such as those currently threatening the suburb of the FCT and creating panic generally.

“This initiative is not just born out of necessity, but out of foresight, diligent planning and commitment to enhancing the already robust security architecture of our nation’s capital.”

Operatives of the SIS visited several villages and hamlets in the Bwari area of Abuja where there had been several attacks by insurgents over the past weeks.


One of our correspondents, who followed the operatives during the show of force, observed that the officers stormed Bwari with several Armoured Personnel Carriers, patrol vehicles and buses, and a helicopter.

The NPF had in late 2023 announced that the deployment of 40,000 operatives of the Special Intervention Squad who were undergoing training, would begin with Katsina and nine other states including the FCT.

The Force Headquarters also revealed that the proposed commanders, who would be in charge of the squad, would be trained in Mexico while noting that the deployment to the 10 carefully selected states was to pilot the activities of the SIS.

Following his assumption of office in June, Egbetokun announced the establishment of the SIS.

He noted that the SIS would be a standby team of specially trained officers to quickly intervene in large insecurity occurrences, adding that it was part of the a priority in his administration’s endeavour to combat the threat of violent crime.

During a recent visit to Owerri, the Imo State capital, the IG stated that the other 27 states would immediately follow the 10 pilot states that were selected based on the recent violent crime assessment conducted in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Adejobi noted that the SIS would not operate like the defunct Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad which was notorious for human rights abuses.

The Force spokesperson also revealed that operatives of the SIS which were drawn from the Police Mobile Force would not be involved in escort duties, while noting that the squad’s commanders would operate under the command of commissioners of police in their respective states.

In June, Egbetokun announced plans to withdraw PMF personnel from VIP escort/guard duties.

The IG, who spoke during a meeting with squadron leaders and tactical commanders at the Force Headquarters, said the development was to allow the force to take back its place in the internal security architecture of the country.

Meanwhile, while clarifying the misunderstanding in regards to the IG’s directive concerning the proposed withdrawal of the PMF from specialised escort and services for VIPs, Adejobi noted that the NPF did not intend to strip VIPs (who are legally and statutorily entitled to police escorts) of their security details, noting that doing so would be unsafe and counterproductive.

He said, “Get the message right: We understand that there has been some misunderstanding regarding the directive of IGP Olukayode Egbetokun about withdrawing members of the Police Mobile Force unit from specialised escort and services for VIPs. It’s crucial to provide clarifications to address this.

“First and foremost, let us be clear: at no point did the Force intend to strip VIPs (who are legally and statutorily entitled to Police escorts) of their security details. Doing so would be unsafe and counterproductive. Instead, the objective is to reassign the withdrawn PMF personnel to the recently established Special Intervention Squad.”

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, on Friday, told the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, to prepare for a ‘rerun in 2027’ in order to achieve his ambition.

Nigerian Tribune recalled that the Supreme Court upheld the election of Abiodun following an appeal filed by Adebutu and his party.
The apex court, had in the judgement said that the applicant (Adebutu) and his party failed to prove their case.

Abiodun who addressed journalists at the Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport, in Iperu described the legal battle as an “emotional seesaw, psychological seesaw and emotional distraction”.

He said that the judgement marked an end to “court shopping” for his opponent.

“Today, the Supreme Court has affirmed our victory which was earlier affirmed by the Tribunal and then the Appeal court, but our adversaries were not satisfied, they proceeded to the Supreme Court and yet again the five-man panel, led by the noble honourable justice Okoro affirmed the wish of the generality of the Ogun State people today. We thanked them because once again they have demonstrated that they are the last hope of the common man.

“We want to appreciate the Tribunal, who laid the foundation for today’s victory, the Appeal that further built on the foundation at the Appeal court and all the judges of both courts and of course the Supreme Court led by Honourable justice Okoro.

“I want to thank His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because for his support for me in my political journey I will not be standing here today.

“Now this victory has marked the end of this court-shopping for adversaries and for us it is the final victory in this journey that started in 2018, we will now keep our eyes further focused on the ball.

“All attempts to distract us have failed, it is been an emotional seesaw, psychological seesaw, emotional distraction, of course physical distraction as well. We hope our opponent who have been making a lot of noise about a rerun can prepare for a rerun in 2027.

“We will now focus on our sustaining our legacies, the foundation of which we laid since we assumed office in 2019 and in the coming weeks you will see some of the goodies that we will be unveiling for the good people of Ogun State, we remain the fastest growing economy in Nigeria, the most improved economy in Nigeria, we will continue to build on these victories”, Abiodun said.

osothermal:
Useless Onana ,Let Cameroon suffer what we're suffering in man u

Throwback:
No longer INEC under Buhari?

What about those losers that called for interim government? Those ones are not a threat to our democracy?

Gbajue!

garfield1:
Pdp is supposed to be excluded

suleimanshehu:
Really? Is Kwankwaso the governor of Kano state, Abba Kabir Yusuf? I hope they will not start clashing if the governor refused, which I strongly believes. The Governor by now must have his own followers, and their fighting when it starts, it will be a plus to Ganduje, who knows Abba Kabir Yusuf might decamp to APC, because his victory at the supreme court was political. Where was Kwankwaso when Gov Abba Kabir Yusuf was fighting to save his seat, Kwankwaso was silent for almost 3months, where was Kwankwaso when Abba Kabir Yusuf led the Vice president and other APC entourage by giving them a tour of the new Kano state government lodge, where was Kwankwaso when Abba Kabir Yusuf an opposition NNPP governor paid a visit President Bola Tinubu, the Jagaban Borgu, the Eze 1 of Igbo land, paid him a visit in his famous Ikoyi Boudilon residence?

gasparpisciotta:
Humanitarian ministry should be coming to her rescue but they will not.

But who do we hold responsible?

Husband
Government
Hospital
Health insurance

For this country hold your side or be safe

ddippset:
Fubara has one week to implement the 8 commandments.

lilytender:
8 years of crying and weeping. You go tire

SmartPolician:
You people are not being sincere. Any of the three major candidates would have removed the subsidy. They all said so. Keeping that subsidy means incurring a lot of debt. Admittedly, Tinubu has his flaws, but removing the subsidy is certainly not one of them.

With respect to the exchange rate, floating the naira was just the right thing. Atiku openly said he would do the same. However, I think Tinubu removed it too fast. I have written extensively on what Tinubu should have done first before floating the naira.

Danzakidakura:
politics aside Tinubu is better than 100 Buhari.

Glimpsetv:
Has anyone else heard anything about the Senate President? I don't want to say anything, but I heard something, and I want to know if anyone else has heard anything about the Senate President too.

Ulogwe1:
Results that they will announce by 2:00am and everybody go dey alright.

Ulogwe1:
Which people votes, does our votes count?
Very soon INEC chairman will be replaced.
And nothing will happen.

Former Governor of Kano State and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said that the issue of Kano emirates will definitely be revisited.

Former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had split the Kano emirate into five and dethroned the then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi.

Following the victory of the New Nigerian Peoples Party in last year’s election, Kwankwaso had said the government of Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf would review the dethronement and balkanisation of the emirate.

Speaking in an interview granted to select radio stations in Kano, the NNPP leader reinstated that the issue of Kano emirates will definitely be revisited.

“Honestly it is one of the things that nobody has sat with me to discuss so far but I am sure we are going to sit and see how to go about it. Is it going to be allowed, demolished, corrected or whatever? It will be revisited, what’s supposed to be done will be done.

“There were a lot of things and this was a trap. All these things were not done in good faith or intention. It was brought with some bad intentions which everyone of you here and our listeners are aware of.

“Sometimes you come with things that are good and they turn out to be bad while sometimes you bring things that are bad and they turn out to be good. So, all I know is that I was not consulted as of now but definitely we will come to discuss and see what should be done.”

Daily Trust reports that after the Supreme Court validated the victory of Governor Yusuf, there were intensified calls for the reinstatement of Sanusi.

On his part, Sanusi, who has not directly commented on the issue of his reinstatement, had accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano of attempting to seize power through a court process not knowing God was waiting.

He said this while responding to an interview Nasir Gawuna, gubernatorial candidate of the APC, granted the BBC Hausa, saying he had said he accepted the apex court’s judgment on the governorship dispute in the state as God’s decision.

But responding to Gawuna’s assertion, the former Central Bank governor said, “We thank Allah, the Almighty and congratulate the people of Kano State. During our last session, we prayed and admonished the judges to do what is right. At last God has given the people of Kano State what they voted for.

“When people vote, any attempt to stifle their choice is a shared injustice. The robbery is not on the winner, but the electorate. God would never allow this.

“People participated in an election and lost. Now they tried to force their way in through corrupt judges. This book we are reading is about accepting destiny whether good or bad, to accept God’s decision.

“One laughable thing is that after some people were defeated in an election, they went to court to hijack power. At last in the court they met Allah in wait. After stopping them from gaining power by force, now they said that they have accepted His decision.

“The best time to accept destiny is after the polls. You know people did not vote for you. You know you lost but made moves to hijack power. It’s too late.

“God is always on the side of the truth. He may give a tyrant a chance or two, but surely that would be short-lived.”

Workch:
delete your response to him. Learn not to feed a troll.
He wants you to respond to him and then you did

yarimo:
After defrauding diamond bank as MD, Alex otti is out to defraud ABIA STATE.