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How we ‘captured’ those behind Owo Catholic Church attack – CDS
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has explained how a joint security force “captured” the the masterminds of the June 5, 2022 massacre in Owo, Ondo State.
No fewer than 40 worshippers were massacred at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State by gunmen.
The incident jolted Nigeria and the global community.
Speaking at a parley with media executives at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Irabor said that the terrorists were captured at different locations across the country.
He said that the suspects, majority of whom were arrested in various communities in Kogi State, would be paraded before the public in due course.
He said: “We had wanted to present the suspects to the public immediately, but couldn’t because certain investigations are still being carried out.”
He gave his assurance that in due course, the suspects and others who had been involved in some daring attacks in the past few months would be presented to the public.
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Irabor explained how the joint security force “captured” the suspects: “Starting with the Owo church attack, it is my pleasure to let you know that we have arrested those behind that dastardly act.
“On August 7, one Idris Ojo (37) was apprehended at Aiyetorosi in Ondo State.
“He was one of the high-profile Islamic State in West Africa Province members that escaped from Kuje Prison.
“He was arrested along with one Jimoh Ibrahim, a 39-year-old criminal.
“Ojo was not done with all the criminal activities which he undertook in the past.
“He was also planning other deadly attacks and he was perfecting those plans along with his cronies before he was captured.
“Again, on August 4, the military in a combined operation with the Department of State Services arrested four terrorists at Eika in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
“They were Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, otherwise known as Ibn Malik, Momoh Abubakar, Aliyu Itopa and Auwal Onimisi.
“Now, Omeiza is one of the masterminds of the June 5 Catholic Church attack in Owo as well as the attack on the police station in Adavi also in Kogi State that led to the killing of a policeman as well as weapons being carried away.”
On the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, Irabor said that although some victims had been released, the military and other security agencies remained committed to ensuring safe rescue of the remaining victims in captivity.
He said the military had intensified both air and ground operations to deal with criminals in all parts of the country, adding that several successes had been recorded in recent times.
Irabo disclosed that based on military air operations, the military on August 6, 2022 killed one Alhaji Abdulkareen, a bandits leader along with his fighters in Nigeria’s North West.
“By the deeds of the surgical air operations that we have conducted, many of the bandits’ leaders have been killed,” he added.
The CDS said the essence of the parley was to solicit understanding and support from the media in the fight against the security challenges bedeviling the nation.
Irabor called for greater cooperation between the military and the media with a view to finding solution to the security challenges and disallow enemies from stoking fears in the minds of the public.
The Defence Chief also urged Nigerians and political leaders to understand the distinction between military operations and politics, adding that the military remained undaunted in ensuring a safe and secured nation.
Earlier, the Director, Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, said the essence of the parley was to build a sustainable trust between the media and members of the armed forces.
Akpor said the meeting was in line with the leadership focus of Irabor towards fostering professional armed forces capable of meeting constitutional imperatives.
The Chief Executive Officer of The Media Today, Charles Odenigbo, said the military and media must be frank and open to each other in ensuring peace and security in the country.
Odenigbo, the facilitator of the event, said although military operations could not be discussed in the open, there was need to see how the media could fit into the activities of the military.
metro
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
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
metro
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
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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