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DHQ confirms terrorists attack on Kaduna military camp, expecting details

Published

3 years ago

April 6, 2022

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor

•Lawmakers meet service chiefs, IG, ministers behind closed doors

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the attack the fresh mindless attack on a military camp in Kaduna on Tuesday where they killed about 15 soldiers and three civilians at Poll Wire, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Meanwhile, the principal officers of the House of Representatives and Chairmen of Security Committees, yesterday, met behind closed doors with the service chiefs, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali Baba; and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, over the recent terrorists’ attack on Kaduna airport and train.

This is as the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has said Nigeria was currently at a critical crossroads and that the people must elect the right leaders in 2023 to take the country to the next level.

In the same breath, presidential hopeful and one of the national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said an attack on one Nigerian was an attack on all Nigerians.

However, yesterday’s attack came a week after a commercial train was bombed in Kaduna, killing eight passengers, injured 26 while scores other passengers remained unaccounted for.

The terrorists, who were said to be traveling from Niger State to Zamfara in large numbers via Birnin Gwari, reportedly launched a deadly attack on the military camp.

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Sources in Birnin Gwari, who confirmed the incident in a telephone chat, said the attack occurred at about 5pm on Monday, and that the terrorists, who were carrying sophisticated weapons, engaged the soldiers in a fierce gun battle at the camp.

The said the terrorists might have overpowered the soldiers due to their large numbers and went on to burn a military armoured tank at the camp.

“The attack took place at a military camp at Poll Wire at about 5pm on Monday. They were in large numbers. They took more than an hour passing through the Kaduna highway. They were on their way from Niger State to Zamfara state.

“They over powered the soldiers after a fierce gun battle probably because of their large numbers and the kind of weapons they carried.

One of the military armoured tanks was burnt.

“I am not in a position to confirm how many soldiers were killed, but information available to me said that 15 soldiers and three civilians were killed. Two of the civilians are members of a vigilante group while one was a traveller.

“You can contact the military authorities to confirm the figures. The attack lasted for hours. These people were many and they have very sophisticated weapons. How do you expect maybe about 40 or 60 or even less soldiers manning a camp to face terrorists numbering about 100 or 200 and carrying deadly weapons?”

Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammed Jalige, did not respond to calls when contacted.

However, the spokesman at Defence Headquarters, Maj Gen Jimmy Akpor, confirmed the attack but said he was still awaiting further details.

Also, the Director, Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj Gen Bernard Onyeuko, confirmed the development and spoke in the same vein.

Lawmakers Meet Service Chiefs, IG, Ministers Behind Closed Doors

However, at the resumed meeting of security stakeholders with the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided over the session, said the House was hoping to explore other options to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.

Some identified government officials had last week shunned the invitation of the House at its last hearing. Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, who presided at the session, refused to allow the representatives to speak on behalf of their principals and bemoaned their absence, which compelled an adjournment.

Speaking on behalf of the Service Chiefs, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, expressed readiness to answer questions from the lawmakers and said, “We are ready to answer the questions you have for us to proffer solutions to Defence and security issues across the country.”

Thereafter, Gbajabiamila moved that the meeting be held behind closed doors and journalists were asked to leave the room.

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Addressing journalists five hours later, Gbajabiamila said they made good headway in their discussion but couldn’t disclose what was discussed as security matters were not for public consumption.

“We had an extensive deliberation. A lot of the issues were discussed there. Unfortunately, as defence matters, they were not things for public consumption. But I can assure you that there was a lot of collaboration. All ideas came together in terms of how our security agencies can work together and speak together in one voice as opposed to different voices.

“Talking about the all-important issue of whether or not there are elements within the military itself that we need to deal with – issues of moles like some have stated. We talked about training and retraining, issues of capacity and allowances. We talked about several things, a lot of them like I said touched on security.

“I am not at liberty at this point, but for us to have been in there for 4 to 5 hours, you must know that we made some good head way and extensive decisions were made. I am not happy going into the meeting, but I am happy coming out,” the Speaker said.

El-Rufai: Nigeria at Crossroads, We Must Get Leadership Right in 2023

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, yesterday, concluded that Nigeria was at the moment at a critical crossroads, but that the people must elect the right leaders in 2023 to take the country to the next level.

The governor spoke, when one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, visited him in Kaduna to commiserate with him over the recent attack on a Kaduna-bound train.

He said the challenges presently bedeviling the country were human, and that they were not intractable, because they could be solved.

“We need a society that can be just and equitable, where no group of people will lord it over others,” the governor said.

Governor el-Rufai, who also harped on the presidential aspiration of Asíwájú Tinubu, said, “We are aware of your aspiration to lead this country. We look forward to further engagements on this.”

He thanked Asíwájú Tinubu for the visit and for coming to commiserate with the state, saying, “We appreciate you. Thank you.”

Attack on One Nigerian is Attack on All, Says Tinubu

A Presidential hopeful, Bola Tinubu, yesterday, said in Kaduna, Kaduna that an attack on one Nigerian was an attack on all in the country.

Speaking when he visited the state to commiserate with the government and people over last week’s attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train, Tinubu urged all Nigerians to contribute their quota to efforts to rehabilitate the victims and prayed for a repose of the soul of those, who died in the incident.

“I’m here to sympathise with Governor Nasir el-Rufai and the people of the state over the train attack. It is a national disaster. It’s a blow to all of us. Nigeria bleeds. We need to fight terrorism with all we have. I understand some people were killed while some others are missing. It is frustrating.

“The governor is a symbol of our unity. Once in a while, we still remember the first stanza of our old national anthem – although tongues and tribes may differ, in brotherhood we stand. If enemies of peace and progress think they can deter us as a nation, we must together stand against them and say no,” he stated.

He, however, donated the sum of N50million to cushion efforts to rehabilitate the victims of the attack and later visited the St Gerald’s Hospital to see some of the victims.

In his responce, el-Rufai expressed gratitude to Asíwájú Tinubu for taking time to come and commiserate with the state and said the visit preempted his plan to come to Lagos to thank Asíwájú for honoring the people of Kaduna State by canceling his 70th birthday on the day of the event because of the train disaster.

“This gesture is a powerful show of leadership and empathy unprecedented in our national history. The government and people of Kaduna State will not forget this. We are grateful to you for your sacrifice and commitment to the greatness of our country,” he said.

THISDAY

Related Topics:Civilians Featured Kaduna kill Military Camp soldiers Terrorists

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Yuletide: Travellers want fare discount for road trips

Published

10 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Yuletide: Travellers want fare discount for road trips

Bemoan high fares

Passengers travelling to their country homes for the Christmas and new year day celebrations have urged the Federal Government to extend the free rail services announced early in the week to road transport routes across the country.

Some of the travellers who complained about the high fares called on the Federal Government to restore the 50 percent fare reduction on inter-state luxury bus routes granted to road passengers at this time last year.

The passengers who spoke at various terminals and loading stations of long distance road transport companies in Lagos, were reacting to the upsurge in fares to about N40,000 on luxury buses and N65,000 on mini buses going to the South-East.

Reports from some of the boarding stations revealed that upon hearing the announcement of free train ride, some passengers thronged the loading stations at various points in Lagos to benefit from the gesture, but were disappointed when they were informed that the offer did not cover road transport.

At Terminal 1 in Oshodi, Alafia, Jibowu, Mazamaza, and private stations in the Cele/Ejigbo axis, on Saturday, passengers bemoaned the high cost of travelling on both the big and small buses, disclosing that many people were not travelling because they couldn’t afford “the exorbitant fares the transport firms are collecting.”

Interestingly, a trip on board Toyota Sienna which used to attract slightly higher fare than on a typical mini bus, is the same at N40,500.

One of the passengers told our reporter one if the stations in Cele, “You press people should please tell (President Bola) Tinubu that poor masses cannot afford to go home this Christmas because there is no money in the country.

“(President) Tinubu should please repeat the 50 percent discount on long distance fares which some of us enjoyed last year to travel home.”

At the nearby Young Young Shall Grow station, a passenger who planned to travel to the east recalled how he took advantage of the 50 percent fare discount to travel from Abuja to Onitsha and back in 2023, and wondered why the Federal Government has not considered the re-introduction of the palliative this festive season.

According to the man who gave his name as Chinedu Uzoechina, his intention to travel to Anambra state and back with his wife and five children, has been stalled by the high transport fares being charged at the various terminals.

Uzoechina, who came to book for seats in advance, lamented, “I was hoping that the 50 percent fare discount that followed the increase in fuel pump price would be available this year, but that has not been the case this year. Forty thousand into seven is N280,000 for one-way luxury tickets.

“If you add the cost of coming back, it means I will spend nothing less than N560,000 on transportation alone for seven of us. Where will I get that kind of money? I have called my wife to inform her of the situation here (at the terminals in Cele).

“She is not happy that we are not travelling anymore, but what can I do?”

According to him, the only thing that can make his family travel again is if the Federal Government extends the free train ride offer to long distance road transport routes, like Lagos-east, or reduces the fares in collaboration with the operators.

Like Uzoechina, many other intending travellers were still hopeful that the government wiuld still intervene with a fare discount, even as they disclosed that they would either cancel the trips outrightly or reduce the number of tickets to be bought, if their hopes are dashed.It was learnt that the fares were slightly lower by about N2,000 at Terminal 1 where both big and mini buses have been loading for day and night trips at Oshodi.

Reacting to the passengers’ complaints about high fares at the terminal owned by the Lagos State Government, Damian Ezuma, the manager of Izu Chukwu Transport, blamed the situation on the rising cost of maintaining the buses as well as on the pump price of diesel, which he said, is as high as N2,000 a litre in some parts of the country.

“It is not our fault. The cost of maintenance is so high that it is only by the grace of God that some of transport companies still manage to keep their buses on the road these days. Do you know that one big bus tyre costs between N250,000 and N500,000, depending on the quality and brand?” Ezuma argued.

He confirmed that many intending travellers who heard about the free train services offer by the Federal Government have been coming to the terminal make enquiries on whether long distance-plying buses are part of the gesture and whether last season’s fare discount applies this year.

Many of them leave the terminal disappointed and deciding not to travel anymore, but opting instead to wait for a possible fare palliative from the government.

Also commenting on the reason for the high fares, a manager at Chisco Transport’s head office in Lagos explained that the unfavourable naira-dollar exchange rate has impacted on the prices of replacement parts and maintenance costs generally.

But a major factor is the fact that during the peak festive season, buses are usually full when leaving major cities like Lagos and Abuja, but are almost empty in their return journeys.

So some operators slightly adjust their fares upward to cover the losses incurred during return trips.

In 2023, the special fare discount by government through the luxury bus owners took effect on December 21, and lasted till the second week of January, 2024.

metro

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

Published

12 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has successfully apprehended 19 individuals attempting to stow away on Europe-bound vessels.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos, the ship’s Information Officer, Lt. Hussaini Ibrahim, disclosed that 15 stowaways were intercepted on Dec. 19 aboard the European-bound Moto Tanker (MT) KRITI RUBY. Another four were caught on Dec. 21 aboard MT MCC YANBU.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the stowaways boarded the vessels at night and concealed themselves in the rudder compartment while attempting to illegally migrate to Europe,” Ibrahim stated.

The Navy’s Quick Response Team (QRT), operating from ATLAS COVE and using the Falcon Eye Alignment under the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, facilitated the interception of the 15 individuals near the Lagos fairway buoy.

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Ibrahim further explained that credible intelligence led to the interception of the additional four stowaways by Navy personnel deployed on escort duties aboard the vessel.

“The prompt response of the QRT saved the stowaways from exposure to life-threatening situations during the long voyage,” he added.

The first group of 15 individuals has been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Port/Marine Command, Apapa, for further investigation and necessary action. The remaining four suspects will also be transferred in due course.

“The presence of stowaways poses serious security threats to maritime operations, including risks of smuggling, piracy, drug and human trafficking, among other maritime crimes,” Ibrahim noted.

He emphasized that under the leadership of Chief of Naval Staff Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, NNS BEECROFT will continue maintaining security along Lagos waterways and surrounding creeks to support safe maritime activities and economic growth.

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

metro

Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

Published

12 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Nigerian military troops

Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

Troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have arrested four suspected members of Ambazonian rebels in Taraba.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ambazonia is a rebel group operating in neighbouring Cameroon Republic.

A statement on Saturday in Jalingo by Capt. Olubodunde Oni, Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, said the suspects were arrested at a hotel in Takum town.

The statement said that acting on credible intelligence, the suspects were tracked and apprehended.

According to the statement, during initial interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of the rebel group involved in arms proliferation in exchange for cocoa with their Nigerian collaborators.

It said that four mobile handsets were recovered from the suspects now in detention undergoing further investigation.

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The statement also said that in another operation following actionable intelligence, troops deployed at Natilde community in Bantaji District of Wukari Local Government Area intercepted a truck with registration number WKR 66 BB, transporting 19 pieces of stolen pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

It said that further collaborative efforts with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Wukari Division led to the recovery of an additional 11 pipes, bringing the total to 30.

“The recovered items have been handed over to the NSCDC Wukari Division for further investigation and necessary action.

“The 6 Brigade Nigerian Army will remain resolute in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property while ensuring the security of critical national infrastructure.

“We urge members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance our collective efforts in maintaining peace and security,” the statement added.