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How Soldiers beat up Abuja monarch, family members in the dark
He said the soldiers divided themselves into groups, adding that while some were maltreating him, others walked into three houses to beat up the occupants.
“Even before then, there was a lady who came along with a man in mufti and pointed hand at me telling the man, ‘that is the brother’,” he said.
He said while asking the lady what was the problem was and whom they were looking for, a hot argument ensued.
According to him, after those people left, the soldiers stormed the community.
He added that he had just finished observed Isha’i prayers when the military men stormed the area.
“After the beating, the soldiers dragged us, including my father, into their Hilux and drove us to their barrack,” he said.
The Galadima of Tungan-Maje, Salihu Aliyu, who also spoke with our reporter alleged that the soldiers held on to his shirt as he walked out of the mosque.
“I was coming out of the mosque when one of the soldiers grabbed my shirt and started hitting me with stick while some of them were shooting sporadically into the air,” he said.
He said the soldiers later dragged him on the floor into the Hilux van alongside seven others to the barracks in the area.
He said after they were released, he proceeded to a clinic in the community for treatment.
The chief of Tungan-Maje, Alhaji Salihu Isiaku Na’ Annabi, confirmed the incident, saying he was at his palace when some of his subjects came to him to say soldiers had beaten up Galadima and some others.
The monarch said though one of his sons later contacted the commander of the barracks at Tungan-Maje to report the incident.
He said the commander later appealed to him and promised that he would investigate the matter.
The vice chairman of Gwagwalada area council, Alhaji Mohammed Kasim Ikwa, confirmed the incident to our reporter, saying he visited the community immediately he received information about the incident.
“In fact I was in Tungan-Maje this morning when they called me that some soldiers invaded three houses and beat up some residents.”
The vice chairman, while condemning the incident, said he had placed a call to the FCT police commissioner, CP Sunday Babaji, to inform him about the incident.
“Even when I enquired, I learnt that when some people have disagreement with someone, the next thing such person will do is to go and invite soldiers to molest people,” he said.
Efforts to get reaction of the Army commander of Tungan-Maje base, were not successful.
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Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
Early Wednesday morning, gunmen attacked an army checkpoint in Ekenobizi, a border community between Abia and Imo states, located in Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government Area.
The assailants reportedly arrived around 6:18 a.m. in a white Lexus SUV (model 350/400) and launched an assault that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.
A military source, who wished to remain anonymous, provided details of the incident but could not confirm the exact number of attackers involved.
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Confirming the incident in a press release on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA said: “In the early hours of today, 13 November 2024, troops of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA, deployed at a checkpoint along the Umuahia – Owerri Road in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, came under attack by the irredentist group Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network.
“During the attack, the gallant troops were able to repel the assault, forcing the attackers to retreat in disarray with gunshot wounds, abandoning one Sienna and one Lexus Jeep used in the attack. However, in the ensuing firefight, two soldiers paid the supreme price.”
The Joint Task Force appealed to residents of the South East, particularly those in Abia State, for credible information to help track down the fleeing attackers and combat criminal elements in the region.
The force reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property in line with global best practices and the rules of engagement.
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
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94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
At least 94 illegal occupants and squatters along the railway corridor from Pen Cinema to Fagba were arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce in an early morning sting operation on Wednesday.
During the raid, substances suspected to be hard drugs—such as Indian hemp, colorado, and other harmful drugs—were seized, along with various weapons.
It was gathered that those arrested attempted to resist the task force’s actions.
In a statement, Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, confirmed that those arrested will face prosecution.
He added that the agency dismantled shanties and makeshift structures along the railway corridor, clearing a distance of some kilometers.
The Taskforce Chairman Adetayo Akerele explained that the eviction aimed to provide relief for residents around the Fagba, Agege, and Pen Cinema railway routes, following numerous complaints from the public about criminal activities in the area.
He noted that the squatting had violated environmental and sanitary regulations.
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Akerele also highlighted the health and safety risks posed by the presence of squatters along the rail corridor.
He warned the evicted individuals not to return and assured residents and train passengers that regular patrols and surveillance would be conducted to prevent the re-establishment of shanties in the area.
“The rail tracks are not meant for habitation or the sale of narcotics. Anyone caught converting this place into a den of criminals or an area of residence will face severe consequences according to the law,” Akerele was quoted as saying.
Speaking on the raid, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that a locally fabricated short gun was recovered.
“94 suspects were arrested during the midnight operation; a locally fabricated short gun and several wraps of illicit substance suspected to be indian hemp, charm and a jack knife were recovered.
“The suspects will be charged to court accordingly,” Wahab stated in a post on X.
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
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Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has swept out all Board, Parastatal, and Agency appointees from his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, in a decisive move to overhaul the state’s public service.
A statement released on Wednesday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, confirmed the immediate dismissal of all political appointees and Permanent Secretaries brought in from outside the state Civil Service.
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The statement reads:
“For the information of the general public, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, has approved the dissolution of Executives of all Boards, Agencies, and Parastatals in the Edo State Public Service with immediate effect.
“In addition, all Permanent Secretaries appointed from outside the State Public/Civil Service and all Political Appointees are hereby relieved of their appointments.”
Affected individuals have been directed to return all government property in their possession to the senior Public Officers in their respective Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
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