How Bandit Leader Turji Escaped NAF Bombings – Newstrends
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How Bandit Leader Turji Escaped NAF Bombings

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Zamfara bandit leader, Bello Turji

Details have emerged as to how notorious Zamfara bandit leader, Bello Turji, narrowly escaped being trapped in aerial bombings by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets on his enclave located at Fakai in Shinkafi LGA, Zamfara State.

Reports from the area said there was heightened tension over the weekend among Turji’s men and residents, who feared possible attack in response to the military operation.

Daily Trust reports that NAF troops, acting on intelligence on the convergence of bandits at Turji’s home, bombed the locations using two fighter jets on Saturday afternoon.

The crowd was said to have gathered for the naming ceremony of a baby born to Turji’s family.

While details of the extent of the damage inflicted on the camp remain sketchy, Daily Trust gathered that Turji and most of his close associates escaped the attack, having left the spot to observe the afternoon prayer (zuhr) just before the strikes.

“He (Turji) directed that they should observe the prayers. Those who didn’t leave for the prayers were hit by the bombs,” a source in Shinkafi told our reporter.

The escape on Saturday was the second time the bandit leader had escaped such an assault. In December 2021, a NAF bomb targeted at his camp hit some of his fighters, wounding many and killing at least one person. 

The bomb was said to have been dropped moments after Turji had left his house.

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A source from the nearby village of Dangondi, who was among those who escaped the Saturday airstrike, told Daily Trust that many people were killed but did not give figures. He said those killed were buried after the commotion from the attack died down. 

“Some young men were killed. There were also women and children who had gathered for the ceremony,” he said. 

Turji is notorious for his role in the banditry challenge in Zamfara and beyond.

He maintains a large gang of gunmen who for years have terrorised residents in Shinkafi and Zurmi local governments of Zamfara, and Isa and Sabon Birni local governments of Sokoto State.

Late last year, the bandit leader told Daily Trust on Sunday in an exclusive interview that he was laying down his arms. The ceasefire deal between him and the local communities led to renewed peace in the area, with many hitherto sacked farming communities returning to their farms this farming season.

But a security source said Turji’s repentance was doubted by security agencies as he allegedly continues to acquire more weapons.

 Another source said the attack could be because Turji’s name kept cropping up in security reports for engaging in gunrunning.

How rival gang ‘snitched’ on Turji

Daily Trust gathered that the attack on Turji is suspected to have been made possible through information provided by his arch-rivals from nearby Maniya community.

Turji has for long being in a fierce rivalry with the Maniya gang, with the two sides clashing on some occasions.

Daily Trust recalled that in June, this year, Turji led his men to attack the enclave of the bandits in Maniya, killing one of the leaders in the area known as Dullu.

The attack by Turji followed a series of warnings to the gang in Maniya to desist from waylaying travellers and attacking villagers, after he had struck a ceasefire deal with the locals.

“The strong suspicion is that the Maniya boys snitched on him when they heard of the gathering. You know, the two sides have been at each other’s throats. 

“Even about three weeks ago, he sent them a warning about some things happening around the area,” a source in Shinkafi who declined to be named said.

 Residents panic over possible reprisal

“People are in a panic,” a resident of Shinkafi, Alhaji Murtala Wadatau, told Daily Trust by phone on Sunday afternoon.   He said there was an uneasy calm in Shinkafi and surrounding villages as residents were worried over what could follow the airstrikes.

Bandits are known to have retaliated against attacks by security agents on local communities.

 He said the relative peace enjoyed in the area, since Turji announced a ceasefire last year, has accorded people the opportunity to farm and also travel on the hitherto dangerous roads at any time.

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“We are looking for a permanent solution to this problem. Everyone in this town now has his heart in his mouth, including women at home, because we know any attack could be a provocation that could thwart the peace we currently enjoy.

“We don’t have sufficient security at the moment here, and residents have been disarmed after the last ceasefire deal. Now that people are disarmed who can defend us from these people?” he said. 

Wadatau said though Turji has not surrendered his arms, which could make his repentance insincere, he has thus far allowed residents to live peacefully and even provided some protection to locals.

“A few weeks ago, he went to dislodge a market around Bafarawa where they sold stolen cattle and ordered that the market be returned to its schedule as a weekly market. He seized the money with which the cattle rustlers transacted.”

Wadatau called on the government to implement a more sustainable campaign that would bring a permanent end to the banditry problem, rather than a one-off operation.

 We’ll sustain the tempo – DHQ

Responding to the people’s fears and plea for sustained operation, Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, said the military “will continue to maintain the heat” on the bandit groups.

“Operations are going to be sustained both by air and ground troops,” he told Daily Trust Sunday night.

“”Government institutions have a constitutional responsibility to keep the environment safe and that we must do,” he said.

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Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

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November 27, 2024

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Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

One Onyeka Ubaka has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for sexual assault and maltreatment of a 16-year-old girl in Lagos State.

He was convicted and sentenced by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday.

Justice Rahmon Oshodi convicted him after he pleaded guilty to the two amended charges brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

Ubaka was initially arraigned on January 12, 2024, and was initially charged with defilement through one-count information filed on October 26, 2023, to which he pleaded not guilty.

In the court proceedings, the prosecution counsel, B. E. Okeowo, presented a single witness, the prosecutrix, whose testimony proved particularly significant in establishing the case against the defendant. The prosecutrix who provided a testimony, identified the defendant as her boyfriend and disclosed that she was 16 years old in 2023 and that her relationship with the defendant began in her mother’s shop.

The victim testified to the court that the defendant had multiple instances of sexual intercourse with her, which resulted in pregnancy and childbirth.

“The defendant is the father of my child. He impregnated me, and the child is five months old.”

According to PUNCH, the victim, during cross-examination, gave testimony evidence that incriminate the defendant.

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In one instance, she disclosed that the defendant took her to a bar, gave her yogurt to drink, and after she drank it, she lost consciousness. She further disclosed that she woke up in a hotel room and realised that the defendant had non-consensual sex with her and told her to keep the incident a secret.

At the court proceeding on Tuesday, Justice Oshodi disclosed to the court that the prosecution counsel, B. E. Okeowo, had informed the court that the parties had entered a plea and sentence agreement dated and filed on November 25, 2024. The court then charged and convicted the defendant on the amended charge of indecent acts and sexual assault to which the defendant pleaded guilty.

Justice Ramon, in his judgment, stated that the prosecution had established beyond a reasonable doubt the charges brought against the defendant, and found the defendant guilty of indecent act and sexual assault.

“From the evidence presented by the prosecution, I am satisfied that the essential elements of indecent acts and sexual assault have been established. There is an abundance of evidence to support this conclusion. The defendant’s guilty plea further justifies his conviction for the offences contained in the amended information.

“Therefore, I find the defendant guilty and convict him under Sections 134 and 263 of the Criminal Law Supra”, he ruled.

When asked what he had to say, the defendant begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

“Temper justice with mercy so that I will take care of my responsibility,” he appealed.

It is gathered that the defendant’s father had paid the sum of N300,000 and had undertaken to sponsor the prosecutrix first degree and take full responsibility for the child until the child is eight years old.

The prosecution counsel in her final statement asked the court to convict the defendant according to the plea bargain.

“We ask that the convict be sentenced according to the plea bargain agreement starting from the day of remand, March 23, 2023, and this will pass a message to society that sexual offenders are not tolerated in our society.

“We also ask that the name of the convict be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register”, Okeowo said.

Justice Oshodi then found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.

 

Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

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Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

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November 27, 2024

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Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

CSP Adetayo Akerele, Chairman of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, announced the arrest of 53 suspected criminals in Gowon Estate.

Akerele said this operation aimed to boost safety, security, and environmental decorum in the area.

“The agency apprehended drug peddlers, addicts; miscreants; street urchins; illegal street traders and people of shady business dealings.

“We found various illicit drugs and narcotics, including Indian hemp, codeine syrup, and colorado,” Akerele said.

The operation brings relief to residents of Gowon Estate, Ipaja, Egbeda, Idimu, and surrounding areas affected by these criminals.

“Residents have endured trauma and safety risks due to these unauthorized squatters.

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The taskforce is committed to safeguarding residents and ridding the metropolis of individuals preying on law-abiding citizens,” Akerele said.

The agency will monitor other criminal hideouts, blackspots, and abandoned properties.

“This vigilance aims to deter individuals with sinister motives.

“These arrests demonstrate our determination to maintain a safe environment.

“We will hold every individual involved in these illegal practices accountable,” Akerele said.

The 53 suspects will face charges for narcotics-related offenses.

Residents are urged to report suspicious activities through the “See Something, Say Something” initiative.

 

Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

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Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

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November 27, 2024

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Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has returned 21 luxury vehicles worth over N1.8 billion to Canada.

The cars were stolen and smuggled into Nigeria by some criminals.

Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this at a press briefing on Tuesday in Lagos.

He expressed worry at the rise in stolen vehicles and its impact on Nigeria’s economy and security.

According to Adeniyi, Nigeria has become a significant hub for stolen vehicles in West Africa, with syndicates exploiting the country’s ports and borders to bring in stolen vehicles from regions such as Europe, North America, and South America.

He highlighted data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicating that only 54% of stolen vehicles were recovered between 2013 and 2015, illustrating the scale of the problem.

“This trend undermines our legitimate automotive market, strains our security infrastructure, and damages Nigeria’s international reputation,” Adeniyi said.

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He noted that the illegal trade was affecting President Tinubu’s economic reforms, aimed to position Nigeria as a trusted hub for international commerce.

To combat this challenge, Adeniyi disclosed that the NCS had launched Operation Hot Wheels, a collaborative initiative involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Canadian authorities, and international law enforcement agencies.

The operation focused on intelligence sharing, surveillance, and interdiction to disrupt vehicle trafficking networks.

Adeniyi disclosed that the operation uncovered sophisticated smuggling techniques, including false cargo declarations and containerized shipments used to conceal stolen vehicles.

During one operation, officers intercepted a container at Onne Port in Rivers State declared to contain used vehicles and spare parts.

A physical examination revealed three undeclared 2021 Toyota Highlanders, two of which were confirmed stolen from Canada.

Other high-value recoveries include a Lamborghini Huracan and a Mercedes-AMG GT, valued at N630.8 million, intercepted in Lagos, a Rolls-Royce valued at N231.8 million and a 2019 Lamborghini valued at N239.1 million, both recovered in Victoria Island.

Two Range Rovers (2023 and 2018 models), worth  267.1 million, were intercepted in Lekki; a Mercedes-Benz G550 and a Range Rover Sport, worth N506.8 million, were seized along the Trinity Axis in Lagos.

Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

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