FCT Police Arrest Eight Kidnappers of UniAbuja Staff in Gwagwalada Forest – Newstrends
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FCT Police Arrest Eight Kidnappers of UniAbuja Staff in Gwagwalada Forest

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-Probe death of five persons in kerosene explosion
-Niger demolishes suspected kidnapper’s home

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command (FCT) yesterday announced the arrest of eight kidnappers involved in the abduction of six members of staff of the University of Abuja after a fire-fight with security forces at Shenegwu Forest in Gwagwalada Area Council.
The arrest is coming as the command launched an investigation into Friday night’s kerosene tank explosion at Kubwa Village Market that killed five people and injured 10 others.

The Niger State Government also on Friday night demolished the home of a suspected notorious kidnapper.
An update on the University of Abuja kidnap incident issued by the FCT Police Command stated that the police in a joint operation with the military and other security agencies rescued the six kidnap victims on Friday.

The daring Tuesday morning kidnap, which alarmed security agencies, had triggered a massive security cordon around the nation’s capital, leading to the deployment of troops and mounting of road blocks at the entry points to the territory by the Brigade of Guards.
The Brigade of Guards of the Nigerian Army is assigned to protect the President, his family and the nation’s capital.

The update signed by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Josephine Adeh, said a joint operation by security agencies arrested the culprits after a fierce gun duel.

“Following investigations and manhunt for the criminal elements involved in the abduction of staff of the University of Abuja at the University Staff Quarters, Giri, on November 2, 2021, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with the military, the DSS and other security agencies, in a joint operation, in the early hours of Friday, November 5, 2021, successfully identified the hideout of the criminals located at Shenegwu Forest in the Gwagwalada area of the FCT and rescued all the abducted victims unhurt,” it said.

The command said: “The criminal elements on sighting the security team, engaged them in a fierce gun duel. However, the superior firepower of the security operatives led to the arrest of eight members of the notorious gang while some other members of the gang fled into the forest and nearby communities.”

It said the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Babaji Sunday, enjoined residents particularly those around the Gwagwalada area of the FCT to be vigilant and provide the police with useful information that could assist in apprehending the gang members still at large while efforts were being intensified to arrest fleeing members of the gang.
It said all the suspects would be charged to court on conclusion of the investigations.

The CP disclosed that investigation was being accentuated while a dragnet was extended to arrest all the criminals.
He further implored residents to report all suspicious movements.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command said it had launched an investigation into the kerosene tank explosion that killed five persons in Kubwa Village Market.
The inferno triggered by the explosion burnt many shops in the area.

A statement by FCT Police Command said it had commenced investigations into the unfortunate fire incident.
“The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has commenced investigations into the unfortunate fire incident that occurred at the Kubwa Village Market of the FCT in the evening of November 5, 2021.

“Preliminary investigations, however, revealed that two shops in the market were affected in the fire incident following a kerosene surface tank explosion.
“Unfortunately, the remains of five persons already burnt beyond recognition were evacuated from the scene by the rescue team and taken to the hospital where they were confirmed dead while 10 others, who were seriously injured, were immediately taken to the hospital and presently receiving medical attention”, it said.

The FCT Police Commissioner, who described the incident as unfortunate, ordered a discrete investigation into the incident.
He noted that operatives from the forensic section of the command’s criminal investigations’ department, were deployed to the scene for forensic analysis to unravel the cause of the incident and more importantly, provide recommendations to prevent a reoccurrence of such incident.
Babaji commiserated with the families of the victims.
He affirmed that the inferno was under control and commended the people, who were at the scene at the time for supporting in the rescue operation and general control of the fire.

Niger Demolishes Suspected Kidnapper’s Home
In another development, the Niger State Government on Friday night demolished the home of a suspected notorious kidnapper.
The demolition exercise took place in the Nikangbe area of Bosso Local Government Area of the state.
The state government’s bulldozers carried out the exercise under the watchful eyes of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umar, in the presence of heavily armed security operatives.

The identity of the owner (suspected kidnapper) of the buildings was not disclosed.
The suspect was said to have started constructing the buildings about two months ago and completed one wing within one month.
“He does not live in the building,” one of the neighbours told THISDAY.
THISDAY gathered that the neighbours became suspicious of the source of money for the construction because of the speed of construction work, leading to the information being leaked to the authorities.

Discreet investigation was said to have been carried out by security agents, which confirmed that the houses were being constructed from proceeds (ransom) of crime.
It was learnt that the suspect was subsequently arrested and taken to Abuja for further investigation.
“This is a landmark achievement, I salute our law enforcement agencies for this great feat,” Umar said, during the demolition exercise pointing out that: “It is a realisation of the state government’s determination to go the extra mile to ensure restoration of peace in this state.”

“This is a building owned by a kidnapper that has been arrested. It is from a proceed of crime and it is in our policy not to allow any criminality to reign in this state. We can establish this and that henceforth, we will not allow any criminal to have a place in our land. It is part of the determination of the governor to ensure Niger State is safe for us all
“This action will serve as a deterrent and warning to other criminals that the state government would give no place to criminals to live in the state,” the commissioner explained.

The commissioner however refused to give details of how the suspect was apprehended but said it was established that he (suspect) used part of the proceeds of the crime to construct the building”.
Umar said: “It is part of the policy of government not to allow any criminal to have a place in the state,” adding that “if they did not leave peacefully, the law will catch up with them and they will leave by force”.

He disclosed that government has met with stakeholders in the state, including the landlord associations, estate owners, and hoteliers and has told them to report any suspicious movement or strangers moving into the society. “I hope we get more information to act on and make the state safe,” he added.
The Ward Head of Kpakungun who oversees Nkangbe, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim commended the action of the state government saying “if followed judiciously, it will help to keep the state safe.

In June this year, the State House of Assembly passed a bill imposing capital punishment on kidnappers, bandits, and their informants.
The bill also provides that anyone found guilty of kidnapping, banditry, and of being their informants will face a death sentence.

The bill assented to by Governor Abubakar Bello, which necessitated the demolition exercise, was designed to check the increasing wave of kidnapping and banditry in the state and strengthen the fight against criminalities by the state government.

The bill also states that anyone found guilty of the offence of banditry, kidnapping, or giving out information that results in kidnapping and banditry will be sentenced to death by hanging in public.

About seven local governments areas in Niger State have in the last one year been under the siege of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers leading to over 3,500 people being displaced and about 400 killed in the affected local government areas.
The LGAs under the siege of bandits are: Munya, Shiroro, Rafi, Wushishi, Mariga, Mashegu and Magama.

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

 

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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Dr. Samuel Ekerenam
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.
It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.
The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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