Crime

Nigeria Claims that 70% of its Armed Forces are Engaged in Domestic Policing due to Insecurity

Published

3 years ago

March 2, 2022

By Derrick Bangura

According to the federal government of Nigeria, approximately 70% of officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces are currently engaged in domestic policing operations in the country.

This was revealed on Tuesday in Lagos by Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), during his keynote speech at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) 2022 Security Meet Business Dialogue Series.
Mustapha, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary for Political Economic Affairs, Office of the SGF, Mr. Andrew Adejoh, also stated that the federal government’s 2022 budget for all the security agencies, excluding its statutory contribution to the Police Trust Fund, was N2.41 trillion.

He said: “Close to 70 per cent of Nigerian armed forces personnel are engaged in policing duties across the 36 states of the federation. That is not what the army is supposed to do. But we have to do that to solve our security problems.

“The security vote for this year is actually N2.41 trillion. This does not include the statutory allocation to the Police Trust Fund.

“But money alone will not solve the problem. We need to look at the process and procedures to make sure that the money is put to useful purposes.”

He also said the federal government was highly disturbed by the escalating security challenges in the country, adding that, “it seemed a number of Nigerians have turned these security challenges into business. But the government is trying as much as it could not to let them have a breathing space.”

Also, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who was represented by Major General Adeyemi Yekini, said over 23,000 repentant Boko Haram combatants have so far surrendered their arms to the Nigerian military along with their families, and are now undergoing programme meant to reintegrate them to the society under the government’s Operation Safe Corridor.

Irabor said: “The popular one, which people do not want to hear about, is the rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram that have surrendered their weapons. And over 23,000 of them have surrendered to the Nigerian armed forces, thereby helping to mop up small arms in circulation.

“Operation Safe Corridor is about disarmament and reintegration. The aim is to give them (repentant Boko Haram members) skills so that they can go back to their local communities and engage themselves in useful purposes.”

He added that the military believed that some of the Boko Haram fighters were attracted to terrorism out of frustration caused by economic hardship.

He also maintained that the military was not interested in politics. “Let me tell you point blank: the military is not interested in politics. We are out to do our job as professional soldiers that defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and while remaining obedient to civil authorities.”

The President of the LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, said in his opening remarks that Nigeria was ranked 146 among 163 countries in the 2021 Global Peace Index (GPI) of the Institute of Economics and Peace, which stated that improvements in peace could lead to considerable economic improvement in GDP growth, inflation, and employment.

He said: “For the government to achieve better results in confronting insecurity, a key factor is to tackle the root causes and stem degeneration into social disorder and instability. The high level of unemployment and poverty among Nigerians, especially the youths, has consistently attracted them to crimes. Failure to address challenges of poverty, unemployment, and business failures is one of the major factors fueling insecurity in the country.

“As we approach an election year, we recommend that the government separate politics from security and that the security agencies stay off politics. And there is a need to step up enlightenment campaigns against political violence as this could lay an extra burden on our security agencies as they contend with bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers across the country.

“There have been calls for open and frank dialogue as a critical factor in addressing the security challenges of the nation, using the media and stakeholders’ forums as a catalyst for cooperation among citizens to end the crises.”

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Africa

Customs hands over illicit drugs worth N117.59m to NDLEA

Published

4 days ago

November 22, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

Customs hands over illicit drugs worth N117.59m to NDLEA

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area 1 Command, has handed over illicit drugs worth N117.59 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Comptroller of the command, Mr James Ojo, disclosed this during the handing over of the drugs to Mr Olusegun Adeyeye, the Commander of NDLEA, Idiroko Special Area Command, in Abeokuta, Ogun, on Friday.

Ojo said the customs handed over the seized cannabis and tramadol tablets to the Idiroko Special Command for further investigation in line with the standard operating procedures and inter-agency collaboration.

He said the illicit drugs were seized in various strategic locations between January and November 21, 2024, in Ogun State.

He added that the illicit drugs were abandoned at various locations, including the Abeokuta axis, the Agbawo/Igankoto area of Yewa North Local Government Area, and Imeko Afton axis.

Ojo said that the seizure of the cannabis sativa and tramaling tablets, another brand of tramadol, was made possible through credible intelligence and strategic operations of the customs personnel.

“The successful interception of these dangerous substances would not have been possible without the robust collaboration and support from our intelligence units, local informants and sister agencies.

“These landmark operations are testament to the unwavering dedication of the NCS to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens and uphold the rule of law,” he said.

He said the seizures comprised 403 sacks and 6,504 parcels, weighing 7,217.7 kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each, with a total Duty Paid Value of N117,587,405,00.

He described the height of illicit drugs smuggling in the recent time as worrisome.

This, he said, underscores the severity of drug trafficking within the borders.

“Between Oct. 13 and Nov. 12 alone, operatives intercepted a total of 1,373 parcels of cannabis sativa, weighing 1,337kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each,” he said.

Ojo said the seizures had disrupted the supply chain of illicit drugs, thereby mitigating the risks those substances posed to the youth, families and communities.

He lauded the synergy between its command, security agencies and other stakeholders that led to the remarkable achievements.

Ojo also commended the Comptroller General of NCS for creating an enabling environment for the command to achieve the success.

Responding, Adeyeye, applauded the customs for achieving the feat.

Adeyeye pledged to continue to collaborate with the customs to fight against illicit trade and drug trafficking in the state.

Africa

Ann-Kio Briggs Faults Tinubu for Scrapping Niger Delta Ministry

Published

4 days ago

November 22, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

Prominent Niger Delta human rights activist and environmentalist, Ann-Kio Briggs, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta, describing it as ill-advised and detrimental to the oil-rich region.

Briggs expressed her concerns during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

“The Ministry of Niger Delta was created by the late (President Umaru) Yar’Adua. There was a reason for the creation. So, just removing it because the president was advised. I want to believe that he was advised because if he did it by himself, that would be terribly wrong,” she stated.

President Tinubu, in October, dissolved the Ministry of Niger Delta and replaced it with the Ministry of Regional Development, which is tasked with overseeing all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North-West Development Commission, and North-East Development Commission.

Briggs questioned the rationale behind the restructuring, expressing concerns about its feasibility and implications. “But that’s not going to be the solution because who is going to fund the commissions? Is it the regions because it is called the Regional Development Ministry? Is it the states in the regions? What are the regions because we don’t work with regions right now; we are working with geopolitical zones,” she remarked.

She added, “Are we going back to regionalism? If we are, we have to discuss it. The president can’t decide on his own to restructure Nigeria. If we are restructuring Nigeria, the president alone can’t restructure Nigeria, he has to take my opinion and your opinion into consideration.”

Briggs also decried the longstanding neglect of the Niger Delta despite its significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy since 1958. “The Niger Delta has been developing Nigeria since 1958. We want to use our resources to develop our region; let regions use their resources to develop themselves,” she asserted.

Reflecting on the various bodies established to address the region’s development, Briggs lamented their failure to deliver meaningful progress. She highlighted the Niger Delta Basin Authority, the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), and the NDDC as examples of ineffective interventions.

“NDDC was created by Olusegun Obasanjo…There was OMPADEC before NDDC. OMPADEC was an agency. Before OMPADEC, there was the Basin Authority…These authorities were created to help us. Were we helped by those authorities? No, we were not,” she said.

Briggs further described the NDDC as an “ATM for failed politicians, disgruntled politicians, and politicians that have had their electoral wins taken away from them and given to somebody else.”

Her remarks underscore the deep-seated frustrations in the Niger Delta, where residents continue to advocate for greater control over their resources and improved governance.

Crime

Court remands 2 brothers for alleged culpable homicide, armed robbery

Published

2 weeks ago

November 12, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

A Kaduna High Court on Tuesday ordered that two brothers be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged culpable homicide and armed robbery.

The police charged Hamza Jibrin, 27 and Yusuf Jibrin 24, with conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.

Justice Aisha Shagari ordered the remand of the defendants, after they pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Shagari adjourned the matter until Dec. 12 for hearing.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, James Edward, said that the defendants and two others at large, while armed with matchete and other dangerous weapons along Airport Road, Kaduna, on Nov. 7, robbed and caused the death of a 26-year-old man, Rabiu Sani.

He said the defendants stole the deceased’s HP laptop, two cell phones, his wallet which contained two ATM cards and cash sum of N30,000.

Edward said that the offence is punishable under the Robbery and Firearms ( Special Provision) Act LFN, 2004.

The Defence counsel, Habiba Usman, had pleaded with the court to grant her clients bail.

Usman while moving her bail application, urged the court to gtant her client bail on literal terms, adding , that the defendants would be of good behaviour and would not jump bail.