Crime

Nigeria Links Kaduna Train Attack to Synergy Between Boko Haram and Bandits

Published

3 years ago

April 14, 2022

By Derrick Bangura

As Nigerians continue to lament the insecurity ravaging the country, the federal government on Wednesday blamed the recent attack on a Kaduna-bound train on an unholy alliance between Boko Haram insurgents and rampaging bandits. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this at the State House, Abuja, while briefing newsmen, along with Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

That was as members of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday at plenary, reiterated their call on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on security in Nigeria. Reacting to the recent escalations in insecurity, particularly the killings in Plateau State, the lawmakers demanded the sack of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Magashi (rtd)
Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, stated the recent killing of over 100 people in Plateau State and over 20 persons in Benue State was horrific and unacceptable.

But the presidency on Wednesday reacted formally to Tuesday’s call by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Buhari to resign as a result of the worsening security situation in the country. The presidency dubbed the call a ploy by desperate politicians to get power.

The federal government said, though the security agencies are still working hard to unravel the group behind the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train, preliminary report showed that some criminal groups had collaborated to perpetrate the act. It urged Nigerians to also cooperate with government to smoke out the criminals.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja, at the end of the weekly FEC meeting, Magashi and Mohammed assured that the government was on top of the matter.

Responding to a question on whether the government had identified those behind the attack, Magashi said, “Honestly, I think the security chiefs are working hard to unveil those that are involved, and we will tell you very soon those that are carrying out these attacks.

“Both attacks in Jos and Kaduna, we will come and explain to the public what is really going on and our efforts to ensure that all these activities are stopped once and for all. We are really on top of the situation, we are planning hard and we will get it out as soon as possible.”

Speaking also, Mohammed said, “What is happening now is that there is a kind of an unholy handshake between bandits and Boko Haram insurgents.

“Preliminary reports of what transpired at the Kaduna train attacks show that there is a kind of collaboration between the bandits and the dislodged Boko Haram terrorists from the North-east. I can tell you very confidently that the federal government is on the top of this matter.”

The information minister said the federal government was doing all within its powers to achieve the rescue of the train passengers kidnapped by the terrorists. He said this in response to the 72-hour ultimatum given government by families of victims of the train attack to secure the release of their loved ones or they would take their fate in their hands.

He submitted that security operatives were working behind the scenes to get the captives released before long, adding that such moves would not be made known to members of the public in order not to jeopardise the steps being taken.

Mohammed stated, “What the federal government is doing won’t be subject matter of a press conference, because we have lives at stake. The various arms of security are working night and day to unravel the mystery surrounding the attack as a whole.

“On the kidnapped people, what I can assure you is that the respective arms of government actually engaged, as we speak, are working to get those victims released.

“It’s natural for anybody who is a father or a mother of a kidnapped person to be worried and to be concerned. But at the level of government, we appreciate that and we are leaving no stone unturned, but that we’ll give you specific steps we’re taking, I think it will be counterproductive and not going to aid or help those who are kidnapped or help the security forces who are tracing and ensuring that there’ll be no repeat of such attacks.”

In his own reaction to the killings in Plateau and Benue states, Obi said, “Such violence questions government’s responsibility to protect lives and property. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of these wicked acts.

“As a nation, we cannot be insensitive to the on-going bloodletting and targeting of the most vulnerable and helpless in our society. Security measures must be proactive and holistic; more so, in areas close to ungoverned rural and urban communities. Nigeria must cease being a killing field. These numbers are human beings and loved ones of many families.”

Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.

Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.

He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.

He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.

Crime

Mechanic jailed 15 months for pickpocketing passengers

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 26-year-old Mechanic, Sadiq Umar to 15 months imprisonment for pickpocketing from passengers.

The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N100, 000 fine or spend one year in prison.

He also asked him to pay a compensation of N15, 000 or an additional three months in prison in default.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ijuptil Thiawur, told the court that the case was reported on Nov.16, at the “A” Division Police station by Moses Pam, Alexander Bakshak and Simon Justice the complaints.

Thiawur said that the convict attempted to steal from them before he was caught in the act and when the driver stopped the vehicle to search him he fled but was caught.

The Police said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.

Crime

Police detain 2 suspected fraudsters, reject N66m bribe in Lagos

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

Police rescue 14 passengers from bandits in Jibia

The Zone-2 Police Command in Lagos says it has detained two suspected international fraudsters that allegedly specialised in forging foreign certificates in Lagos and Ghana.

The AIG in charge of the zone, Adegoke Fayaode, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Fayoade said that the suspects allegedly offered N66m to the operatives with a view to free them but the offer was turned down.

NAN reports that the same zone operatives rejected a N174m bribe offered by a suspect in November to set him free.

Fayoade said that the suspects simply identified as Elvis, 23 and Kelly, 24, allegedly specialised in forging certificates of different nations and African Universities and defrauding their unsuspecting victims on the internet.

He said that the suspects have succeeded in acquiring exotic cars and erecting mansions in different parts of the country with the proceeds of their loot.

The AIG pointed out that luck ran out of the suspects after detectives at the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Zone received credible information from Nigerians in diaspora concerning some group of boys that specialised in forging foreign certificates.

According to him, on getting the information, he detailed the anti-corruption unit to investigate it and arrest the suspects without delay.

Fayoade said that based on his directives, the detectives stormed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos waiting for the arrival of the suspects, whom they trailed to a five star hotel at Osapa-London in Lekki Area.

He said that the operatives arrested the suspects at a bus stop while they were about to escape secretly from the hotel, after monitoring their activities.

“Searching their luggage, one certificate of Blue Crest College, Ghana, belonging to Elvis and a student identity card of Academic City College belonging to Kelly were recovered.

“Further search revealed a transcript of an academic record from Blue Crest University belonging to Elvis.

“A letter of English proficiency from the said college and a letter of recommendation from the same Blue Crest College were recovered,” he said.

The AIG said that the suspects made useful statements to the police and confessed that they never got any admission into the school, stressing that they only procured the degree certificates through the help of a female Nigerian resident in Ghana.

“The suspects further confessed that the major aim of doing that is to enable them to get Ghana resident permit, which they got.

“The resident permit is showing them also as a student of Academic City University and that none of them has ever been admitted in the school.

“They claimed they paid a total of 26,000 Ghana Cedis for all the documents procured.

“They confessed that they procured all the documents to evade arrest in Ghana since they don’t have any means of livelihood.

Whenever police intercepted them, they showed their passports that they were students in Ghana.”

Fayoade said that the suspects were also allegedly involved in online romance scam, provision of foreign bank accounts for fraudulent transactions on the internet through what they call ‘Facebook bombing’.

He said the suspects presented themselves as an American soldier by name Captain Donald Rowe, serving in Syria, whom they impersonated on Instagram, using his name to defraud innocent persons.

The AIG said that while detectives were making frantic efforts to get more credible information from the suspects, they started negotiating to bribe the operatives for them to be set free.

“I directed my men to play along and recover the money as an exhibit. Subsequently, the detectives played along and the suspects paid them a sum of N66m, which they collected and kept as an exhibit.

“The Nigeria Police authorities have written to the Ghana embassy to get more information about the result and their suspected partners in Ghana said to be spearheading the fraud.

Fayoade said that they had also spread their dragnets through the International Police, Interpol, to round up their foreign accomplices.