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DHQ Allays Fears of Impending Terror Attacks on Abuja

Published

2 years ago

July 17, 2022

Trends Admin

Nigerian army headquarter

*Guards Brigade sets up Board of Inquiry on Kuje incident

*Security agencies probe alleged presence of terrorists around Karishi Hills

Following the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday allayed fears of alleged impending attacks on Abuja.
This is coming as the Brigade of Guards has also set up a board of inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the Kuje incident and the involvement or otherwise of soldiers posted to the correctional facility on the day of the attack.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had issued a security alert on planned terror attacks on churches, schools and public infrastructure in Abuja.

Another anonymous alert, patterned after standard security alerts which had trended on social media indicated that there was an influx of unknown persons around Karshi Hills and Orozo, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

According to the alert, some persons were seen regularly and clandestinely going up the hills around Navy Town Estate thus raising high suspicion that the invaders were building camps within the hills which also connect to other adjoining forests within the FCT and Nasarawa State.

The alert said the terrorists planned to attack educational institutions located in the area.
But speaking in Abuja, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen. Jimmy Akpor said security agencies were on alert and determined to contain any security threats to the seat of power.

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He said: “Security agencies are not sleeping. They are doing what needs to be done to keep the place safe. A lot of things are being done. Measures have been put in place. Of all the security agencies, none is sleeping”.
On the intelligence alert of an impending attack making the rounds, he said expectations were that the citizenry would provide available information to security forces and not circulate such on social media.

Meanwhile, the Brigade of Guards, charged with the security of the president, his family and the seat of power, said it has set up a board of inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre by Boko Haram and the roles, if any, played by soldiers assigned to the facility.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations and Public Relations Officer of the Brigade of Guards, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, said: “The board of inquiry was set up to ascertain what happened that day to get to the root cause of the attack.
“A board of inquiry has been set up to ascertain what happened that day to get to the root cause of the attack.”

He said contrary to reports that many soldiers were detained in underground cells, no soldiers were in detention.
He, however, affirmed that soldiers deployed to that area were responding to the demands of the investigation.
“Nobody is being detained. The investigation is ongoing. Everybody is telling his side of the story. It is not our job to guard prisons but we respond in support of civil authority.

“The board was set up because it happened within our area of responsibility,” he said.
On the security cordon around the seat of power, he maintained that the measures were taken to ensure that the fleeing inmates, who escaped from Kuje and who may be lurking in the shadows were arrested.

“Checkpoints and patrols were ordered because some of the escapees are believed to be still around like the one arrested in the Area 1 Park,” he said.
He gave the assurance that with the measures in place presently, such an attack would be difficult to come by.

“There should be no panic. There is the tendency that no such further attack will be possible with the arrangements in place,” he explained.

THISDAY

Related Topics:abuja DHQ Featured Terror Attacks

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.