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ISWAP Intercepts Food Meant For IDPs In Borno, Loots 4 Trucks

Published

4 years ago

July 9, 2022

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor

Members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have attacked a convoy of 40 trucks of food meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and resettled communities in Borno and intercepted four of them, Daily Trust Saturday learnt exclusively.

The attack, which occurred Thursday night around Layi village in Mobbar Local Government Area of the state, came barely 48 hours after terrorists launched a heavy attack on Kuje Medium Security Prison in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) freeing at least 69 Boko Haram suspects and hundreds of others. The ISWAP on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack.

Top security sources who were briefed about the Borno attack told Daily Trust Saturday that the food and nutritional products consignment was on its way to Damasak.

It was part of the palliative by the World Food Program (WFP) for IDPs from Abadam and victims of the Boko Haram violence returning to their homes in Mobbar.

“The attackers were in four gun trucks. After heavy attacks on the convoy, they succeeded in intercepting four of the vehicles and emptied nearly everything from the vehicles,” the source said.

It was also gathered that the terrorists are now firming up their control of major roads and strategic areas in the southern and northern parts of Borno.

Intelligence sources in the area have reported that ISWAP members in four trucks have been deployed to Kareto village in Mobbar Local Government Area.

Terror group plans eid prayer in ‘captured’ communities, enclaves

As part of their expansionist activities, the terror groups are said to have concluded plans to conduct eid prayers in some of the areas under their control, today (Saturday).

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Credible sources said like what obtained in the past years, Boko Haram members loyal to late Abubakar Shekau, and those loyal to ISWAP led by late Abu Musab Albarnawi, the son of late Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, have, among others, cleared grounds around the shores of the Lake Chad and Sambisa forest and would observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayer there.

They, therefore, called on security agencies to checkmate the effrontery of the terrorists saying they use such festivities for massive recruitments of innocent people into their fold.

One of the sources said even though, Nigerian security forces have uprooted Boko Haram fighters from many villages and forested areas in Borno and neighbouring Yobe State, they are still lurking around in many communities.

“The terrorists are fully mobilised for celebrations at many Tunbus (islands) on the Lake Chad and their enclaves in Sambisa Forest,” he said.

Another source said the excesses of the terrorists cast Nigeria in bad light at the international level.

“It is unthinkable the way they release videos of their atrocities. Such videos show that once the terrorists go out for their operations, they would do it with ease because nobody can stop them.

“The videos they released recently after the attack on Kuje prison is one bad example that showed our weak links. And unless something is done, they would also release videos of their eid prayers.

“They would release their propaganda videos slaughtering their sacrificial animals to the chagrin of those in authority…I am calling on our security forces to act by decimating them,” he said.

Another source said with the commencement of the rainy season, Nigerian troops are constrained by environmental factors which is affecting their performance.

He said they cannot access many communities this time, paving way for the terrorists to replenish their supplies and logistics, as well as recruit vulnerable youths ahead of future fights.

He said the forces had missed a golden opportunity during the dry season when hundreds of terrorists came out of their enclaves and repented.

“Why didn’t we finish the terrorists’ campaign in the North East this year? We had thousands surrendering, weakening the fighting spirits of the terrorists, but we could not clear the Tunbus, surroundings of Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest.

“Now we are bound to wait until the end of the raining season to kick start another operation.

“Why haven’t we done enough to acquire all weather APC and AFV and constantly revert to seasonal warfare?

“Does this mean, knowing that our North East flanks or neighbours are our most vulnerable porous security concern, yet, no efforts towards acquisition of these all important weapons?

“Must we wait till tomorrow when the Chadian or Cameroonian forces enter Maiduguri before we rush to the markets?

“Is the military waiting for Buhari’s handing over before clearing the terrorists or to use it as an election campaign strategy?”, he asked.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Correctional Service has released the names and pictures of the inmates with terrorism-related cases that escaped from the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja.

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The inmates escaped from the correctional centre following an attack on the facility by members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Tuesday.

The ISWAP claimed the responsibility for the attacked in a 30-second video on Wednesday.

In a statement by the spokesperson of the Service, Umar Abubakar, it was revealed that 879 inmates fled but 443 of the escapees were recaptured, bringing the total number of inmates in the facility to 578.

Also, the Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Magashi, said all the Boko Haram terrorists in the facility escaped during the attack.

However, the Service released the names and images of 69 inmates being tried for terrorism, including Abdulkareem Musa, Abdulsalam Adamu, Bello Haruna , Ismail Abdullahi , Modu Aji, Yakubu Abdullahi, Abdulmannan Obadiki, Abubakar Umar.

Others are Bassey Kingsley, Diko Iko, Fannami Bukar, Ishaq Farouq, Mohammed Buba and Mohammed Kyari.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has received briefing from security chiefs on the latest development on Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre.

Confirming this to State House correspondents after the meeting of the National Security Council, presided over by the president yesterday, the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, said heads of security agencies briefed the president on what actually happened in Kuje and the way forward.

“The service chiefs have been given very clear directives to ensure that adequate measures are taken, not only to investigate what happened, but also to take steps to forestall a occurrence of such incident,” he said.

He said the security personnel deployed to man the custodial centre at Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) did their best to repel the attack but were subdued by the superior weaponry of the terrorists.

The minister, who said the terrorists succeeded because of their large number and superior firepower, stated that President Buhari had directed the service chiefs to not only ensure that adequate measures were taken after the ongoing probe into the cause of the incident, but also to take steps to forestall the reoccurrence of such incidents.

Dingyadi, who said the president expressed deep concern over the recent developments, stated that some of the assailants were killed.

He said, “Some of them were killed. But I can’t give you the number; and I don’t know the number because like they do, whenever one of them is killed, they take the corpse away, so you cannot know the number of people who have been killed. But definitely, quite a number of them were killed and many of them ran way with bullet wounds.”

He said the meeting convened by President Buhari reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly the Kuje jailbreak, banditry in Katsina, as well as the various attacks on Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

DAILY TRUST

Related Topics:Borno Featured IDPs ISWAP

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Kuje Prison attack: Boko Haram had superior weapons, number — FG

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Five Pastors docked for alleged kidnapping in Ondo

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Court Sentences POS Operator to Death for Role in Kidnap That Killed 83-Year-Old Man, Driver

Published

11 hours ago

October 25, 2026

Trends Admin

Justice Served: Two Men to Die by Hanging for Rape, Murder of Anambra Teenager

Court Sentences POS Operator to Death for Role in Kidnap That Killed 83-Year-Old Man, Driver

An Imo State High Court has sentenced a 28-year-old point-of-sale (POS) operator, Isaac Okorie, to death by hanging for his role in the kidnapping and murder of an 83-year-old man, Chief Alexander Chukwuma Okoli, and his driver, Daniel Sarki, despite the payment of ransom by the victims’ family.

Justice Matthew Ijezie, sitting at the High Court in Urualla, within the Orlu Judicial Division, delivered the judgment on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, after finding Okorie guilty on six counts bordering on armed robbery, hostage-taking and murder.

The court held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through the evidence presented during the trial.

According to the judgment, the incident occurred on October 14, 2023, at Isiekenesi in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, when Okoli and his driver were abducted by members of an armed criminal gang.

The court heard that Okorie conspired with other members of the gang, who were armed with guns, to seize the two men and take them into a bush.

The kidnappers also reportedly stole Okoli’s gold-coloured Toyota Corolla, with registration number AAH 989 RM.

The gang subsequently demanded a ransom of ₦100 million from the victims’ family in exchange for their release.

However, the family eventually paid ₦2.515 million, but the payment did not secure the safe return of the two men.

According to the court’s account, the gang killed both victims despite receiving the money and later sent photographs of their lifeless bodies to the family.

The remains of Okoli and his driver had yet to be recovered as of the time the judgment was reported, leaving their family members without the opportunity to give them a proper burial.

During the trial, the court heard that police investigations identified Okorie’s role in the criminal operation as receiving ransom payments from the families of kidnapping victims.

The evidence linking him to the operation formed part of the prosecution’s case, which the court found sufficient to establish his guilt on all six counts.

Following the conviction, the court gave Okorie an opportunity to plead for leniency before sentencing, a procedure known as allocutus.

Okorie reportedly appealed to the court for mercy, but Justice Ijezie proceeded to sentence him to death by hanging.

Reacting to the judgment, Ikenna Obi, a senior state counsel with the Imo State Ministry of Justice who prosecuted the case, described the ruling as significant.

Obi said the judgment would provide some measure of relief to the victims’ family, despite the continuing uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of their remains.

He expressed hope that the conviction would deter individuals involved in kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes, while discouraging others from joining criminal gangs.

The prosecutor also commended the judge for delivering what he described as a well-considered judgment in accordance with the law.

Amanda, the daughter of one of the victims, also reportedly expressed relief that the court had punished the convict.

She, however, said the family remained deeply distressed by the failure to recover the bodies of her father and his driver.

Although the judgment offered the family some comfort, she expressed hope that security agencies would intensify efforts to locate the remains and arrest other suspects who were still at large.

The conviction marks a significant development in the case, which began with the abduction of the elderly man and his driver nearly three years before the judgment.

However, the family’s search for closure remains incomplete, as the recovery of the victims’ remains and the prosecution of any outstanding suspects remain unresolved.

Court Sentences POS Operator to Death for Role in Kidnap That Killed 83-Year-Old Man, Driver

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MURIC Applauds Army as Mogadishu Cantonment Mosque Reopens After Week-Long Closure

Published

17 hours ago

October 25, 2026

Trends Admin

MURIC Applauds Army as Mogadishu Cantonment Mosque Reopens After Week-Long Closure

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has commended the Nigerian Army Headquarters and the commandant of Mogadishu Cantonment for reopening a mosque used by Muslim soldiers and their families in Abuja after a week-long closure.

The Islamic human rights organisation said the mosque, which serves Muslim personnel and their families residing in military accommodation within the cantonment, was reopened on Tuesday, October 20, following an appeal by the group.

MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, disclosed this in a press statement issued on Sunday, October 25, 2026, describing the reopening as a welcome development that demonstrated the importance of dialogue and cooperation in resolving religious concerns.

According to Akintola, the mosque had been closed since October 12, preventing Muslim soldiers and their families living within the military facility from using it for their daily prayers.

He said MURIC had earlier appealed to the Army Headquarters and the cantonment authorities to explain the reason for the closure and restore access to the mosque for worshippers.

The organisation expressed concern over the disruption of daily prayers and urged the military authorities to address the matter.

Akintola said the mosque’s reopening on October 20, the same day MURIC publicly raised the issue, brought relief to the organisation and affected worshippers.

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He described the development as an indication that concerns raised through dialogue and peaceful engagement could receive prompt attention from relevant authorities.

MURIC said it appreciated the response of the Army Headquarters and the cantonment commandant, praising what it described as the professionalism of the military leadership and its respect for the rule of law.

The organisation also expressed optimism that the resolution of the matter would strengthen public confidence in the military and encourage constructive engagement between religious communities and security institutions.

According to Akintola, cooperation between the military and Muslim communities is particularly important in addressing terrorism, insurgency and other security challenges facing the country.

He argued that mutual understanding and goodwill between the armed forces and civilians would help strengthen collective efforts to combat insecurity.

MURIC therefore urged Muslims across Nigeria to cooperate fully with military personnel and other security agencies, stressing the importance of public support in the fight against crime and insurgency.

The organisation maintained that peaceful engagement remained essential to resolving disagreements and preventing issues involving religious practice from escalating into wider disputes.

Although MURIC welcomed the reopening of the mosque, its statement did not disclose the reason for the initial closure or whether the Army Headquarters had issued a separate explanation.

The development followed MURIC’s earlier public appeal to the military authorities to explain the closure and reopen the facility.

The organisation’s latest statement focused on appreciating the authorities for restoring access to the mosque and encouraging continued cooperation between Muslims and the military.

MURIC, which advocates the protection of Muslim rights and promotes dialogue as an alternative to violence, said the outcome offered encouragement that concerns could be addressed through peaceful and constructive engagement.

The organisation concluded by urging Nigerians to support security agencies in their efforts to maintain peace and reduce crime across the country.

MURIC Applauds Army as Mogadishu Cantonment Mosque Reopens After Week-Long Closure

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US Declares Two Nigerians Wanted Over $3.1m Medicare Fraud, Drug Offences

Published

18 hours ago

October 25, 2026

Trends Admin

Ezechukwu Joshua Ohaka and Tayo Muyiwa Olukoya

US Declares Two Nigerians Wanted Over $3.1m Medicare Fraud, Drug Offences

The United States government has listed two Nigerian men, Ezechukwu Joshua Ohaka and Tayo Muyiwa Olukoya, as wanted over separate allegations involving healthcare fraud and drug-related offences.

The two men were listed by different US federal law enforcement agencies, with Ohaka accused of participating in a scheme involving more than $3.1 million in fraudulent Medicare claims, while Olukoya is wanted over an alleged conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

According to information released by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Ohaka, 57, allegedly worked with co-conspirators through his Houston-based company, Luant & Odera, Inc., to submit fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment.

The equipment included power wheelchairs, motorised scooters and wheelchair accessories that investigators alleged were medically unnecessary or were not supplied to beneficiaries.

The agency said the alleged scheme involved more than $3.1 million in claims, with approximately $1.08 million in proceeds reportedly obtained.

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Investigators also alleged that Ohaka presented himself as a medical doctor under the name “Dr Joshua Ohaka” and targeted Medicare beneficiaries who had lived in areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The authorities further alleged that kickbacks were paid to recruit beneficiaries into the scheme.

The allegations concern possible fraud against Medicare, the US government-funded health insurance programme that primarily serves people aged 65 and older and certain younger people with qualifying disabilities or medical conditions.

In a separate case, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) listed Olukoya, 57, also known as “Uncle”, as wanted over an alleged conspiracy to possess controlled substances with the intention of distributing them and to distribute the substances.

The DEA’s Chicago Division announced that it was seeking information about Olukoya, whose case is associated with the Southern District of Indiana.

Olukoya had previously been named among defendants in a marijuana trafficking case announced by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana in May 2022. Prosecutors at the time alleged that the wider operation involved the distribution of large quantities of marijuana across several US states between 2016 and 2022.

However, the latest DEA wanted notice does not, by itself, establish that the allegations have been proven in court.

The two cases involve separate investigations, and there is no indication in the available reports that Ohaka and Olukoya were connected.

US authorities have called for information that could help locate the wanted men. The agencies have not established in the cited announcements that either man is currently in Nigeria.

The development comes amid continued efforts by US law enforcement agencies to pursue people accused of healthcare fraud, drug trafficking and other federal offences.

Both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.