NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Sunday said the air components of Operations Hadin Kai and Whirl Punch in the North East and North Central killed many terrorists in airstrikes in Borno and Niger.

The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, disclosed this in a statement.

Gabkwet said the air components had continued to obliterate terrorists and destroy their structures, equipment and mobility, thereby limiting their ability to attack ground troops and innocent Nigerians at will.

He said that in the North East, the air interdiction was on May 3 authorized and conducted over Chinene, a location tucked inside the Mandara Mountain.

He said terrorists had been observed to be emanating from various locations and assembling ostensibly for a meeting.

According to him, seven gun trucks were also observed parked under trees within the same location.

Gabkwet said the aircraft bombarded the assembly area and tree coverings and destroyed their weapons and mobility.

He said that the Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the strikes were successful as several terrorists were neutralised and logistics destroyed.

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He said similar airstrikes were conducted same day by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch in a pre-emptive air strikes over terrorists hibernating at Allawa village, near Shiroro town in Niger.

The NAF spokesman said the mission was conducted following credible intelligence which revealed the migration of terrorists into the village after the mass exit of locals for fear of their safety.

He said the terrorists had, on May 1, stormed the deserted Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area and torched the Central Primary School.

“In the evening of the same day, another group of terrorists also arrived at the location, wielding AK-47/49 rifles after invading Galapai village in Galadima Kogo District of Shiroro.

“Accordingly, to prevent further occupation as well as pursue the terrorists from the location, the air component scrambled a formation of its platforms to attack the location.

“On arrival at the location, several terrorists were sighted and engaged effectively.

“Furthermore, following credible intelligence as well as detailed aerial observation, which confirmed the presence of their cache of arms hidden inside Allawa Forest, the air component further carried out air strikes at the location,” he said.

Gabkwet also said that the NAF carried out air strikes North of Arugbana and Temakiri in the Niger Delta, where illegal refining sites were observed and destroyed.

He said through this action, the capabilities of oil thieves to continually sabotage and destroy oil pipelines were minimised.

NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves

(NAN)

Why five Ondo kidnappers slept off after abducting pastor’s wife – Police

Akure —Police detectives have arrested five suspected kidnappers, who slept off after abducting a pastor’s wife and two other persons.

Man confesses killing cousin, friend, body parts sold to ritualists

Detectives from Ondo State Police Command have arrested a middle-aged man, Dolapo Babalola, who allegedly confessed to killing his childhood friend, Opeyemi Oyelakin, before stealing his motorcycle.

Babalola who said he sold the motorcycle in Ibadan, also confessed to selling Opeyemi’s body part to ritualists in Ibadan, Oyo state capital

The suspect also reportedly confessed to killing his cousin and three other people but said he could not confirm if all his victims died after hitting them with sticks or stones before stealing their motorcycles.

But Police investigations revealed that Babalola also operated in Kabba, Kogi where he killed an Okada rider and killed another victim in Ife along Ilesha road in Osun state in April 2023.

The police said: “In June 2023, he killed another motorcyclist at Ondo town and dumped the corpse at a farm at Oboto bush along Bolorunduro road, Ondo town while in October 2023 the suspect and one Sikiru Mutiu aka S.K killed his childhood friend, dismembered his body and handed them to herbalists identified as Mujeeb Lawal and Shina Ojo for rituals.

“The duo of Abiola Olatunji Toheeb and Ayegbajeje Micheal who are receivers of stolen items and one Oyediran Waheed Olaitan who helps in the production of fake documents to aid the selling of the stolen motorcycles have been arrested.

Babalola while speaking said, ” Seven motorcycles have been retrieved from the receivers while one suspect is still at large. I have killed five persons including my cousin and my friend, and snatched their motorcycles.

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“I killed Opeyemi who is my friend, and sold the motorcycle to one man at Ibadan called Toheed. I do not sell human parts but I took part of one of my victims’ bodies to an herbalist in Ondo who promised to give me an Ifa Oracle.

“At the point where we snatched motorcycles, anyone who struggled with me in the process got hit on the head with a fat stone and a stick. The herbalists said they used the body parts to prepare spiritual soap.

The police also arrested one Adetokunbo Adesina, who claimed to have been hired to kill over 500 persons, after collecting N110,000 from his victim.

According to police investigation, Adetokunbo claimed to have been assigned by the three members of staff of the victim who hired him to kill her.

“Out of fear, the victim sent the sum of ₦110,000 to the account forwarded to her. Through Technical assistance, he was arrested.

“But the suspect claimed he was sick and needed money to carry out a surgical operation and decided to use the threat as a means to extort the victim because she refused to employ him in her pure water factory.”

Similarly, the Ondo Police Commissioner, Peter Abayomi, said a 30-year-old man, Abdullahi Fatai, who was alleged to have killed his wife, was also arrested.

He said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect and his wife Olayode Morenike (late) had always quarreled over the issue of going to check on her child in her former marriage.

The suspects after allegedly killing the deceased took pictures of the body and locked the corpse in the house till late night before raising an alarm.”

Man confesses killing cousin, friend, body parts sold to ritualists

(TRIBUNE)