Bandits bomb Niger communities, kill scores – Newstrends
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Bandits bomb Niger communities, kill scores

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Barely one month after gunmen in their numbers invaded Galkogo community in Shiroro local government area of Niger state, killing 11 members of the Joint Security Task Force and unspecified numbers of villagers, they again launched another attack and burnt down the entire buildings in the community.

The gunmen who invaded the community in the early hours of Monday in about 50 motorcycles, according to the villagers, first of all burnt down the three buildings housing the Joint Security TaskForce under renovation after last month’s attack.

According to a source close to the community, after burning down the Joint Security Task Force camp, the gunmen moved from house to house and set ablaze all the buildings in the community.

The attack, which our source said started at about 1am, yesterday, lasted till 6am when the gunmen were seen moving out of the community with sacks loaded with food stuffs and other valuables on their motorcycles.

Chairman of the Council, Mallam Suleiman Chukuba, while confirming the latest attack to Daily Sun, said the gunmen are not bandits but Boko Haram, going by the sophistication of the weapons they were said to be carrying, including explosive devices.

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One of the explosive devices planted round the community by the gunmen, according to him, went off this morning, destroying a Hilux Van belonging to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) on their way to the community, to ascertain the level of destruction by the gunmen.

Only two out of the number of NSCDC operatives in the vehicle survived the explosion and are in critical condition, receiving treatment at a government facility in Minna, the state capital.

“As I speak to you, no single building is standing in the community, everything was set ablaze and the entire community is deserted. Right now we cannot ascertain the total number of people that have been killed, the situation is quite serious.

“These are Boko Haram insurgents, not bandits because they were heavily equipped with sophisticated weapons, including explosive devices. This morning, a Civil Defence vehicle ran into one of the explosive devices, their vehicle destroyed and many of them were killed,” he said.

Before the invasion, the gunmen had, on Saturday, attacked Pelelle, Galape and Gofan Keremi villages in Galkogo district, kidnapped 12 people and injured a number of the villagers.

The Galkogo community had remained without security since last month’s attack, which left many members of the Joint Security Task Force dead.

Galkogo community serves as a transit route through which the gunmen launch attacks on other communities in the area, but the presence of the joint security task force has been a stumbling block to them, hence, the need to dislodge the security agents through relentless attacks.

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Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

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Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the temporary freezing of 21 bank accounts domiciled in some commercial banks and directed the arrest of the account holders by the police.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after counsel for the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Ibrahim Mohammed, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.

Justice Nwite also granted the “order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATMs while allowing inflow into the said accounts” pending the conclusion of the investigation.

“I have listened to the submission of the learner counsel for the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence.

“I am of the view that the motion ex-parte is meritorious.

“The application is hereby granted except that the period of the investigation can only last for a period of 90 days,” Justice Nwite said.

The judge adjourned the matter until April 3 for mention.

The banks are Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Ltd, Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Ltd, United Bank of Africa Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, TAJ Bank Plc and Keystone Bank Plc.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the I-G is the applicant in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1965/V/2024, the 13 banks are sued as 1st to 13 defendants respectively.

The I-G, in the motion filed by Mohammed, sought an interim order directing the listed “banks to freeze the accounts mentioned in the schedule attached to this summon pending investigation and prosecution of this case.

“An order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATM while allowing inflow into the said account as from the date of this court order.

Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

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Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

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Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

The crisis erupted in the Hallelujah community in Egbedore local government area of Osun State on Friday, as enraged residents beat the newly installed Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Oba Jelili Olaiya while attempting to conduct jumat service in the area.

The Ajeniju, who was installed by the Timi of Ede a few months ago, against the will of the Ido-Osun community, was beaten to a pulp by angry youths, saying he had no right to install a chief Imam in the community.

It was gathered that the monarch had last week turbaned one Ahmad Tijjani as Chief Imam of the Hallelujah community, but while gathering some people at his palace to observe jumat prayer, some youth allegedly from Ido-Osun invaded the palace and disrupted the exercise.

Some of the aggrieved youths while shouting at the monarch queried his authority to install and conduct jumat prayer in a domain belonging to a separate monarch.

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The mob beat the monarch seriously and vandalised the palace before security operatives could intervene in the situation.

A security source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it took the intervention of security operatives to rescue the monarch from the scene.

“The situation escalated, resulting in the vandalization of the palace and a physical attack on Ajenifuja of Hallelujah, who sustained serious injuries. He has since been taken to the State CID for further investigation and safety”, said the source.

However, another source in the community disclosed that the monarch has been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Hon. Samuel Ojo said he will not comment on the incident pending the outcome of an investigation on the matter.

Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

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Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers

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Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued eight injured passengers involved in an accident at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba.

The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.

Bakare-Oki said the road traffic incident which involved a commercial long bus, popularly referred to as ‘Molue,’ at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba, caused severe injuries and significant disruption to traffic.

“The accident was triggered when the vehicle, registered as KTU 801 XM, lost control at excessive speed, reportedly due to driver impatience.

“In an attempt to avoid colliding with another LT commercial bus and pedestrians awaiting transport at the roadside, the driver veered sharply, resulting in the bus crashing into the expressway median and overturning.

“Several passengers sustained injuries, while others escaped through the bus’s windows,” he said.

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He said that officers from LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene, executed a well-coordinated and efficient rescue operation.

“Eight individuals, including five males and three females, suffered varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured was the bus driver, who sustained a fractured left arm.

“All victims were immediately handed over to LASAMBUS medical personnel and transported to the General Hospital at Ile-Epo for urgent medical attention,” he said.

Bakare-Oki said to ensure the free flow of traffic and public safety, LASTMA’s Response Unit was swiftly mobilised to oversee the removal of the overturned vehicle.

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