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#EndSARS: LCC Takes Back Lekki Toll Gate

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The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for victims of police brutality and other related matters has returned control of the Lekki toll gate plaza to its owners, the Lekki Concession Company (LCC).

During the proceedings on Saturday, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, gave a ruling allowing the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) Ltd to repossess the toll gate.

Justice Okuwobi sitting with four other members of the panel listened to arguments for and against the application made by counsel to the LCC Ltd, Demola Seriki for the re-opening of the facility.

It’s the 4th time the LCC is making the application.

The other four members who sat with Justice Okuwobi are Segun Awosanya (popularly known as Segalink), Oluwatoyin Odusanya (Director, Citizen’s Right), DIG Taiwo Lakanu ( representing the police) and Lucas Koyejo (from the National Human Rights Commission).

In his arguments in support of the application, Mr Seriki asked the panel to allow the company take possession of the toll gate plaza for the purpose of evaluating the damage done so as to be able to make insurance claims needed to effect the necessary repairs which he says will last about 2 months.

Immediately after the panel ruling in his favour, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa walked in with the other three members of the panel, Patience Udoh (representing civil society), Rinuola Oduola and Temitope Majekodunmi (representing the youths).

They all proceeded to deliver dissenting decisions to the effect that they were not in support of the repossession and the reopening of the Lekki toll plaza.

Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji crush 52 bandits; recover 16 motorcycles, arms and ammunition in Zamfara State.

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2021 surely seems to be the year for the Armed Forces of Nigeria as troops continue to record major successes against criminals across the country.
In the North West, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji have recorded another feat in the fight against armed banditry, if reports filtering in from Zamfara state are anything to go by.

According to a source close to the ongoing operations in the state, troops of operation Hadarin Daji have again neutralized several armed bandits, this time nothing less than 20 in a well-staged ambush in Shinkafi area of Zamfara State. This is coming on the heels of an earlier encounter between troops of the operation and armed bandits on the 3rd of February this year where the troops neutralized 32 bandits.

According to local sources on the ground, the latest success occurred on Friday 5th February 2021 when the troops received credible intelligence on the purchase of arms by armed bandits in Shinkafi area of Zamfara State. The troops swiftly deployed to the area and staged an ambush on the bandits while making their way back to Sububu forest.

Troops encountered the bandits and overwhelmed them with superior and effective firepower, forcing them to flee in disarray. However, the gallant troops neutralized nothing less than 20 bandits while several others fled into the forest with fatal gunshot wounds. Troops also recovered 2 Pulemyot Kalashnikova Tankovyi (PKT) rifles and 1 AK 47 rifle.

This latest feat by the troops is coming on the heels of the neutralization of 32 armed bandits earlier on 3rd February 2021 during a massive clearance operation by operation Hadarin Daji. In that encounter, troops also recovered 16 motorcycles and 2 AK 47 magazines from the criminal elements.

INEC PLANS NEW 57,023 POLLING UNITS

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“When you see Boko Haram deal decisively with them” – Theatre Commander

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The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.- Gen Faruk Yahaya, has charged troops of Operation Lafiya Dole fighting Boko Haram in the Sambisa forest to “deal decisively with them, pursue them and don’t spare their lives”.

Yahaya gave the directive on Friday during his operational visit to the troops Operation Tura Takaibango, a subsidiary of Operation Lafiya Dole, fighting at Headquarters 7 Division/Sector 1 Operation Step-Up Headquarters in Bama.

He was received and briefed on the operational strategies, challenges and successes recorded by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Abdul Khalifa.

Addressing the troops, Yahaya said “You must imbibe the right attitude as professional soldiers, you must not give room for laxity and assumptions. When you see the terrorists, deal decisively with them, pursue them and don’t spare their lives.

He commended the troops for its success in dislodging Boko Haram insurgents in ten camps in Sambisa forest and expressed his satisfaction on the tactical approach adopted by the sector.

He charged them to ensure all the task and objectives which was to dominate and decimate all the insurgents is achieved.

He also directed that while the effort to clear other enclaves of the insurgents was ongoing, the momentum must be maintained.

The Theatre Commander also addressed troops at the Late Lt. Col. Abu Ali range, where the troops harboured in preparation for the next phase of its ongoing operation.

While commending the troops for their professionalism, competence and dedication to duty, he charged them to remain courageous, committed and more determined to clear the remnant terrorists in the general area of the Sambisa forest.

He assured the troops that all needed equipment has been made available and would be added to what is already on ground.

Yahaya also commended the Cameroonian Defence Force (CDF) of the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), involved in the operation and urge them to remain resilient and be professional at all times.

Yahaya further paid a courtesy visit to The Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Umar-Kyari Umar-El-Kanemi, to appreciate him for his tremendous support and cooperation to the troops.

He added that the visit was to enabled him express his profound gratitude to the Monarch having heard of all his efforts in building strong and mutual cooperation between his kingdom/emirate and troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.

CALSER exonerates Army, Buratai, says no record of execution of six Igbo soldiers

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The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has rubbished reports of extra-judicial killing of six Igbo personnel in the Nigerian Army levelled against immediate past Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd).

The centre said the allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Army was not only false but an agenda by the Eastern Nigeria’s Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition to cast aspersion on the personality of Buratai while sparking an ethnic and religious conflict in the country.

CALSER made this revelation in a detailed investigative report signed by its President, Princess Ajibola and released on Friday.

The centre noted that from its findings, there is no any record in the Nigerian Army that indicated such incident.

The report also established that the process of promotion and dismissal in the Army is not the prerogative of the Chief of Army Staff.

CALSER, however, urged the Nigerian Army to begin the gathering process towards identifying individuals and groups that are out to undermine its integrity as an institution.

It also recommended that the Army authorities seek legal redress against the Eastern Nigeria’s Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition to serve as a deterrent to other individuals and groups attempting such mission.

Read the full statement below:

Introduction:

The polity has been inundated with allegations of killings of Igbo personnel in the Nigerian Army in recent times. The news indeed was unpalatable. Consequently, the Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights commissioned an investigative report to ascertain the veracity of the claims that if not addressed is capable of sparking an ethnic and religious conflict in the country.

The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights as a critical stakeholder in the entrenchment of the rule of law and respect for human rights and democratic governance indeed examined all the issues at stake, interacted with a cross-section of Nigerians in the know of the issues at hand to have an objective assessment that would aid the investigative report.

It also relied on first-hand sources from competent and credible sources. After that, information gathered was subjected to scrutiny to present a report that is devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments, sympathy and mischief.

The Issues:

There were insinuations that the Nigerian Army was involved in the extra-judicial killing of six Nigerian Army soldiers based on their ethnicity and religion. It was also alleged that the Nigerian Army conducted a secret trial of the soldiers and hurriedly executed them and conducted secret burial for them in an undisclosed location in Abuja.

The allegation was made by a group named Eastern Nigeria’s Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition. It also stated that other senior serving military and police officers were privy to the atrocity, including Governors Willie Obiano and Okezie Ikpeazu of Anambra and Abia states respectively.

It alleged that the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai ordered for their execution a day before he retired from service.

The Findings:

The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights consequently launched an investigative report on the allegations which were indeed weighty and must not be wiped under the carpet as it borders on ethnic cleansing and religious discrimination.

The investigative report involved in-depth scrutiny of the allegations made against the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai by examining the Nigerian Army as an institution regarding the laws guiding its operational conduct.

Attention was also placed on the Nigerian Army structure to ascertain if there were any form of ethnic or religious discrimination in practice under the immediate past Chief of Army Staff.

Our findings revealed that the allegations of killing six Igbo soldiers were grossly inaccurate as there was no record in the Nigerian Army that indicated such incident. It was also observed that the emphasis on ethnicity and religion from our findings was orchestrated to cause disquiet in the polity.

It was also observed that Eastern Nigeria’s Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition does not have any known address in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. The group has not been involved in any activity that has come to the public regarding promoting human rights, whether on the Igbos of any other ethnicity in Nigeria.

From scrutiny, the only activity ascribed to the group is a press statement that was issued and was not reported by credible news mediums in Nigeria for lacking evidence to substantiate the allegations.

The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights was able to identify that the bulk of the news mediums that reported the press statement were blogs with no history of credibility and notorious for promoting unverified news items in the polity.

It was also discovered that there is no such ethnic or religious cleansing in the Nigerian Army as all those interviewed faulted the allegation that under the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Igbo soldiers and officers were targeted for persecution.

It was also established that the process of promotion and dismissal in the Nigerian Army is not the prerogative of the Chief of Army Staff, but rather that of the Nigerian Army Council consisting of the Minister of Defence as Chairman, the Chief of Defence Staff as Vice Chairman, the Chief of Army Staff and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence as Secretary.

From information gathered from the Defence Headquarters and the Nigerian Army Headquarters, there is no evidence indicating that the Nigerian Army Council instructed for the execution of 6 Igbo soldiers.

It was also discovered that promotion and dismissal issues in the Nigerian Army have been consistent with the provisions of the Armed Forces Act. There hasn’t been any recorded instance where the immediate past Chief of Army Staff arrogated the Nigerian Army Council’s powers to himself in the issues of promotion and dismissal.

Conclusion:

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights as a result of the investigative report and the consequent information gathered and analyzed, we conclude that the allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Nigerian Army is false and a ploy by some groups and individuals to discredit the Nigerian Army as an institution, as well as cast aspersion on the personality of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff.

There is no record anywhere of the summary execution of six Igbo soldiers on the immediate past Chief of Army Staff’s instruction. All the interested parties have dismissed this allegation within the Armed Forces and outside the Armed Forces.

Recommendation:

The Center for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights as a result of the above findings herby make the following recommendations:

That the incident of fake news has reached an alarming stage due to the activities of non-state actors who have come under the scrutiny of the Nigerian Army in its various operations across the country and therefore the Nigerian Army must step up its information gathering process towards identifying individuals and groups that are out to undermine the integrity of the Nigerian Army as an institution.

That the Nigerian Army authorities should begin the process of seeking legal redress against the Eastern Nigeria’s Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition to serve as a deterrent to other individuals and groups attempting to undermine the integrity of the Nigerian Army.

Troops repel Boko Harams attempt on Gamboru Ngala killing scores

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Nigerian troops on Thursday evening thwarted an attempt by elements of Boko Haram terrorists to attack Gamboru Ngala, Borno State by overwhelming them with firepower.

Military sources revealed that the terrorists advanced towards the town from various locations but were effectively repelled and overwhelmed by troops who fought their way out, killing a number of them and recovering a gun truck, motorcycles among other weapons.

In a sustained onslaught against the Boko Haram insurgents, the Nigerian troops operating under the auspices of Operation Tura Ta Kai Bango have of late been combing different axis in the state in search of remnants of the insurgents. It is believed in many quarters that the new initiative and vigour of taking the war to the terrorist elements in their hideouts will be the clincher that will finally seal the fate of the terrorists.

 

Yahoo Boy’ jumps from 7th floor, dies during EFCC raid in Lagos

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A man has died after jumping from the seventh floor of a housing estate during a raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Victoria Island, Lagos State.

A combined team of EFCC officials and policemen had stormed an apartment in 1004 Estate in search of suspects alleged to be ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’.

Police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, revealed that the deceased, who was believed to be a short-term resident, was not even a suspect.

According to him, the EFCC officials immediately left following the incident, and informed policemen attached to the Bar Beach Police Division.

Mr Adejobi said the unidentified man was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

He said: “It was true. He was not even the target of the EFCC when he jumped from the seventh floor. We were told that he was not a resident but a guest. It is quite unfortunate.

“He was taken to the hospital after he had sustained fractures and he was placed on oxygen but gave up the ghost. We are trying to ascertain his identity. Once that is done, we will contact his family.”

Buhari Appoints Ex-Service Chiefs As Non-Career Ambassadors

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President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.

In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: “In accordance with section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.”

The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd).

The President urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominations, a statement by Presidential Media Adviser, Femi Adesina said.

Buhari Extends IGP Adamu’s Tenure as Police Boss

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President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu for another three months.

The Minister of Police Affairs Maigari Dingyadi made this known on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the extension wouldl give the government ample time to select a competent successor.

Group warns against smear campaigns targeted at Buratai, other patriots that served Nigeria

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Some shadowy international groups plan to launch a smear campaign to assassinate the character of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd).

This revelation was made by the civil society group, Nigeria First, at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja wherein it dismissed the alleged killing of Igbos by the Nigerian Army under Buratai’s watch.

According to its Secretary-General,
Richard Augustine Adie, these groups have been mobilized to cast aspersion on the character of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff by calling his stewardship into question.

Augustine Adie noted that the despicable elements would go any length to destroy the Nigerian Army by publishing baseless, fictitious and unsubstantiated reports using ethnicity and religion to break its ranks.

He added that the overarching objective is to discredit all the notable achievements of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai while in office in the puerile attempt at instigating the general public against the Nigerian Army as an institution of repute.

According to Adie, those behind these claims are doing everything possible to discourage the new service chiefs from delivering on the mandate that Mr President.

The Nigeria First, therefore, condemned this act of sabotage in the strongest terms, warning those fanning the drums of religious and ethnic war in the country to desist from such for peace and tranquillity.

The group said that the years of the Tukur Buratai leadership as COAS of the Nigerian Army would go down in history as one of the most challenging chapters in Nigeria’s book.

Nigeria First, however, urged all well-meaning Nigerians must rise to the occasion by speaking in one voice in this critical point of our existence.

Read the full statement below:

I welcome you all to this press conference by Nigeria First, an organization devoted to the entrenchment and preservation of governance in Nigeria is calling this press conference in light of the plot by some shadowy groups hiding under the nomenclature of civil society groups to ferment trouble in Nigeria.

We have credible information on how these groups have been mobilized to cast aspersion on the character of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff by calling to question his stewardship of the Nigerian Army.

We wish to inform the generality of Nigerians that indeed the plot is real and enormous resources have been earmarked to discredit the personality of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff and call to question his stewardship of the Nigerian Army while he held sway.

Consequently, we may wish to recall that the public space has been inundated with outright falsehood in recent times through press statements, press conferences opinion articles, and news stories discrediting the immediate past Chief of Army Staff.

The overarching objective is to discredit all the notable achievements of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai while in office in the puerile attempt at instigating the general public against the Nigerian Army as an institution of repute.

Nigeria First as an organization is indeed aware that these despicable elements would go any length to destroy the Nigerian Army by publishing baseless, fictitious and unsubstantiated reports using ethnicity and religion to break the ranks of the Nigerian Army in an attempt to destroy the Nigerian Army as an institution.

One of such instances is the recent diatribe alleging the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, indeed ordered for the killing of Igbos by troops of the Nigerian Army. This outright falsehood indeed must not be allowed to stand because of the consequences it might have on the overall psyche of the Nigerian populace.

The assumption that some Igbos were executed on the instructions of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff remains a figment of the imagination as the institutional frameworks introduced by Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in the Nigerian Army does not give room for religious or ethnic sentiments.

This is indeed the culmination of attempts by some enemies of Nigeria hiding under the auspices of an international coalition who would go to any length to destroy the Nigerian Army as an institution of repute.

It is instructive to state that the people behind these claims are doing everything possible to discourage the new service chiefs from delivering on the mandate that Mr President and the Constitution has empowered them to fight the various security challenges facing the country.

Nigeria First condemns this act of sabotage in the strongest terms and wishes to sound a note of warning to those fanning the drums of religious and ethnic war in the country to desist from such ignoble endeavours in the interest of peace and tranquillity and the continued existence of Nigeria as a country.

The attempt to denigrate those who have devoted their energy and time to the service of this nation is therefore viewed as very unacceptable and will not be tolerated by well-meaning Nigerians.

This is on the heels that the records of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff are indeed replete with acts of devotion, dedication and patriotism to the Nigerian cause. Therefore it should be on record that this is an attempt at character assassination aimed at rubbishing the years of sacrifices by Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in leading the Nigerian Army towards preserving the sovereignty of Nigeria.

Nigeria First as an organization indeed bears witness to the noble and outstanding efforts of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in addressing the security challenges in the country and all through the years, Nigeria First indeed scrutinized the operations of the Nigerian Army with regards to human rights compliance, respect for the rule of law and conformity to the rules of engagement in warfare.

If this is the case, we consequently wonder why the smear campaign against Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, if not for mischief purposes, remains despicable and condemnable.  Nigerians and the rest of the world are as a result of this urged to resist any attempt to infiltrate the Nigerian Army through the deployment of smear campaigns.

We unequivocally ask that those trying to drag the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai in the mud should have a rethink. It would be tantamount to lack of appreciation for his efforts that saw to Nigeria recording tangible gains in the war against Boko Haram insurgency and other militancy acts across the country.

We are also using this medium to state that the years of the Tukur Buratai leadership of the Nigerian Army would go down in history as one of the most challenging chapters in Nigeria’s book.

Nigeria First frowns at such anomaly hence the convocation of this press conference to put the records straight in fairness to the immediate past Chief of Army Staff.

Nigerians must see this campaign as an affront to our sensibilities as a people and as a country and must do all to resist the harbingers of violence and apostles of disintegration who are bent on inciting violence in the country.

The peculiarity of the time requires that well-meaning Nigerians must rise to the occasion by speaking in one voice in this critical point of our existence. We must say no to promoting ethnic and religious sentiments in the country, for neither North, East, South nor West, but one Nigeria.

We thank you all for your time and belief in the unity of strength and purpose of Nigeria.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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