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DSS storms ECWA Church, takes out 21 Muslim boys allegedly being forcefully converted to Christianity

Published

3 years ago

June 27, 2022

JOS – The Department of State Security (DSS) has raided a house located at JMDB quarters, in the Tudun Wada community of Jos North LGA of Plateau State, North-central Nigeria where the operatives rescued 21 young people, including almajirai, Daily Trust has reported.

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), while confirming the incident, said the rescued victims told the group during interrogation that they were forcefully brought to the house and converted to Christianity.

The General Secretary of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, said the house which was raided by the DSS was under the custody of the church but denied that it was used to convert people to Christianity, adding the claim should be discarded.

Daily Trust reports that the DSS raided the house on June 14, and recovered the victims, who were said to have been brought to Jos from another state.

The raid of the house, according to the JNI’s Director Aid Group Plateau State chapter, and Chief Security Officer, Jos Central Mosque, Danjuma Khalid, came after one of the victims, Abdulrahman Usaini, who escaped from the house, reported that they had been camped in the house for eight months.

Khalid said the DSS operatives raided the house following JNI’s report.

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“On June 13, a group of people including Abdulrahman who ran away from the house met me here in the Central Mosque saying that they had come to report an issue regarding forceful adoption and conversion of their pupils to Christianity by ECWA Church in Jos.

“While narrating the incident, the escapee told me that he and one other, Nura Usama, were forcefully taken by some individuals in a Camry Toyota Car from Gombe, to ECWA headquarters, Jos, and after being documented, they were later taken to a house at Tudun Wada, where they were camped, and that he had ran away, leaving his brother, Nura at the house.

“On June 14, we reported the case to the DSS, Plateau State command, and the escapee narrated to the DSS how they were taken from Gombe to Jos and how he escaped from the house in Tudun Wada area. Immediately after we reported the matter, the DSS swung into action. The operatives of the command went to the house in Tudun Wada alongside the escapee, stormed the premises and rescued 21 children.”

He said when the victims were brought to the DSS State Command, two of the victims – Abdulrahman Usaini and Nura Usama – were handed over to JNI, the uncle to Abdulrahman, and their teacher, while the remaining victims were left under the custody of the DSS until their parents or relatives were found.

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NDLEA arrested some politicians in possession of illicit drugs

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Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

Published

11 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

Police Rescue 13 Kidnap Victims in Lagos and Kwara

In the past week, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) successfully rescued 13 individuals who had been abducted and held for ransom in Lagos and Kwara states.

The operation underscored the police’s commitment to combating kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities nationwide.

A statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relation Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said: “In a determined effort to sustain the fight against kidnapping, armed robbery, and other forms of criminality across the country, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have further intensified and reinvigorated their strategies, resulting in the successful rescue of numerous victims and the apprehension of several suspects.

“Over the past week, coordinated operations were conducted in various states, including Lagos and Kwara States, leading to the rescue of 13 individuals who had earlier been kidnapped and held for ransom, and the arrest of several armed robbery suspects.

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“On the 27th of December 2024, Police operatives attached to the Kwara State Command mobilized and stormed a den of kidnappers in the Idofin-Igbana area of the state, after receiving a distress call of the abduction of 13 persons. The operatives encountered resistance from the kidnappers but successfully overpowered the kidnappers, causing them to flee the scene with various degrees of injuries and leading to the successful rescue of the 13 kidnapped victims.

“Similarly, on the 28th of December 2024, following a report of a public disturbance at Pinnacle Depot, Lekki, Police operatives attached to the Lagos State Command visited the scene and accosted two individuals identified as Lawan Mustapha ‘m’ 38 years, and Aina Daniel ‘m’ 38 years. A thorough search was carried out, resulting in the recovery of one double-barrel rifle, 90 live cartridges, and five model rifles.

“The suspects are currently in custody for further investigation and possible prosecution. Furthermore, on the same day, at about 12:45 PM, Police operatives of the Lagos State Command arrested 3 suspected armed robbers at GRA Ikeja. A subsequent search led to the recovery of 1 locally made pistol, 4 live cartridges, and 2 cutlasses. These suspects are likewise in custody and will face prosecution upon the conclusion of the investigations”.

He said the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has reiterated the Force’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.

Egbetokun said the Force will continue its operations, leveraging all available resources to eradicate these heinous crimes from our society.

He said the Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its mission to create a safer environment for all Nigerians.

Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

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El-Rufai accuses Tinubu govt of Yoruba agenda, Reno Omokri reacts

Published

42 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and Reno Omokri, former presidential aide

El-Rufai accuses Tinubu govt of Yoruba agenda, Reno Omokri reacts

Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, has refuted allegations by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu is advancing a “Yorubacentric” agenda in his appointments within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the financial sector.

In a detailed analysis shared on social media, Omokri dissected the composition of key federal appointments, particularly within the NNPCL, to debunk claims of ethnic favouritism.

Omokri shared the current structure of the NNPCL Board:

Chief Pius Akinyelure (Non-Executive Board Chairman): Southwest
Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari (Group CEO): Northeast
Adedapo Segun (Chief Financial Officer): Southwest
Mr. Ledum Mitee (Non-Executive Director): South-South
Mr. Musa Tumsa (Non-Executive Director): Northeast
Mr. Ghali Muhammad (Non-Executive Director): North-Central
Prof. Mustapha Aliyu (Non-Executive Director): Northwest
Mr. David Ogbodo (Non-Executive Director): Southeast
Ms. Eunice Thomas (Non-Executive Director): South-South
Omokri emphasized that only two board members hail from the Southwest, contrary to claims of ethnic dominance.

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He also reviewed executive oversight at the cabinet level:

Heineken Lokpobiri (Minister of State for Petroleum Resources – Oil): South-South
Ekperikpe Ekpo (Minister of State for Petroleum Resources – Gas): South-South
Ambassador Nicholas Agbo Ella (Permanent Secretary, Petroleum Resources): North-Central

According to Omokri, the South-South enjoys the most significant representation, both at the board and executive levels.

Omokri also addressed leadership within the top revenue-generating agencies in Nigeria:

NNPCL: Mele Kyari (Northeast)
Nigerian Ports Authority: Abubakar Dantsoho (Northeast)
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria: Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku (Southwest)
Nigerian Communications Commission: Aminu Maida (Northwest)
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency: Dayo Mobereola (Southwest)
Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation: Bello Hassan (Northwest)

He noted that out of these six agencies, only two are led by individuals from the Southwest.

Omokri accused El-Rufai of engaging in “ethnic baiting” and spreading misinformation. He warned that such claims if left unchallenged, could create unnecessary tensions and destabilize market confidence.

“Flowing from the above, where is the Yorubanisation or Yorubacentricity?” Omokri queried.

El-Rufai accuses Tinubu govt of Yoruba agenda, Reno Omokri reacts

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Farotimi appreciates Nigerians, says his release was due to public outcry

Published

54 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Dele Farotimi

Farotimi appreciates Nigerians, says his release was due to public outcry

Human rights advocate Dele Farotimi was overcome with emotion as he reflected on the collective voice of Nigerians that he said saved his life from detention.

Speaking on Sunday via YouTube and spreading on X, Farotimi attributed his freedom to the unflinching support of Nigerians who stood by him during his experience.

“We stopped being human because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it.

“Because you wouldn’t see me as a Yoruba man, you spoke for me. Because you wouldn’t see me as a Christian, you spoke for me. Nigeria couldn’t happen to me because you spoke,” Farotimi said.

He emphasised the power of unity in the face of oppression, saying, “You found your voices. I became you. And in our collective, you couldn’t be silenced.”

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Farotimi was released after being arrested on December 3 by police from the Ekiti State Police Command on accusations of defamation and cyberbullying.

The arrest followed claims made by noted legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, who accused Farotimi of defaming him in a 116-page book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

According to the police, the book claimed that Babalola and other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had corrupted Supreme Court Justices.

These allegations led to Farotimi’s arraignment in an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, followed by 12 further charges filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.

On December 21, the magistrate court granted Farotimi bail with strict restrictions, including a N30 million bond, two sureties (one of whom must possess property), forfeiture of his passport, and a prohibition on media interviews following his release.

Farotimi maintained his innocence, telling journalists that he had never lied against anyone.

“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil. Some years back, before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria,” he stated.

He added, “In my war against the evil empire that we all live in, I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know.”