Weekly Security Report Weekly Report week 22 week 22
PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS
IGP Announces Arrest of Suspected Killers of Slain Kwara CP
Almost three months after the murder of the former Kwara State Police Commissioner Chinwike Asadu in Enugu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, Wednesday declared that seven persons suspected to have been involved in the murder have been arrested, while efforts were being made to track down others. Asadu was murdered on March 2, 2013 at his Amorji Nike residence, Enugu East LGA of Enugu State. The IGP spoke in Enugu when he received a total of 100 sedans and Hilux vans fully equipped with security and communication gadgets from the Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime.
Fresh Oil Spill Hit Bayelsa
Communities around the Taylor creek in in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa state have been hit by a fresh oil spill from a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) facility. The latest incident, it was learnt, occurred from a spill site three hours after it was clamped by SPDC personnel. It was gathered that the latest spill, which occurred at Shell site at Biseni has impacted the Taylor Creek which serves JK4, Betterland, Ikarama and Kalaba communities. Though the cause of the initial spills had been a subject of disagreement between the company and the community folks, while the locals were convinced that some of the spill points were traceable to equipment failure the company blamed sabotage for the spills.
Son Machetes Father to Death
A 65-year-old man, Mr. Felix Atta, a native of Umuonu Umuida community in Igboeze North LGA of Enugu State has allegedly been killed by his son. The alleged killer, Ejiofor Atta, according to the police, used a machete to slaughter his father for reasons yet to be known. He was said to have gone into immediately gone into hiding, and is being searched by the police and family members. According to report, Ejiofor, had, about six years ago murdered his mother. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident, saying the command had already commenced investigation. In another development, the police said a 56-year-old-man had allegedly hanged himself on a wall hanger in his room.
Chinua Achebe Buried in Anambra
Anambra State stood still as the body of the literary giant, Professor Chinua Achebe, arrived in the state for its final journey to Ogidi, his home town, in Idemili North LGA. The remains of the famous writer, who died in Boston, Massachusetts in the US was brought to Awka and was taken to Ekwueme Square, where it was laid in state for many to pay their last respects. Among the thousands who thronged the venue to witness the colourful ceremony included his kinsmen, friends, colleagues, businessmen and high profile delegates from various governments from across the world. Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi and the senator representing Anambra Central in the senate, Dr. Chris Ngige, received Achebe’s body at Amansea border between Enugu and Anambra States.
Woman Kidnapped in Port Harcourt
Gunmen have kidnapped Mrs. Grace Dickson, wife of the owner of Bougainvillea Hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The kidnap of the Briton’s wife took place last weekend as she drove into her residence. The hoodlums removed Mrs. Dickson’s eye glasses and moved her away in the car she drove to the gate, as the gateman was opening the gate for her to drive in. The shocked husband, according to sources, immediately contacted the police. The Rivers Police Anti-Kidnap Unit went on the trail of the kidnappers to rescue the victim. Rivers Police spokesperson, Angela Agabe, confirmed the kidnap, but said details were sketchy.
BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS
Police Arrest Fake Bishop, Prophet over Kidnap Attempt
Two men, suspected to be fake pastors, have been arrested by the police in Warri, Delta State over a foiled kidnap attempt on the proprietress of a school, Mrs. Onyi Ikemefuna and a pupil. One of the suspects, Anslem, claimed to be the “Bishop” of a Pentecostal church in Warri, while the other, Joseph, purported to be a prophet. Luck ran out of the duo when the proprietress, who initially reported the kidnap attempt on her, petitioned the Area Commander, Warri, alleging that the police at Enerhen Division collected money to pervert justice.” A police source who crave anonymity said, “Since the arrest of the “bishop” on Wednesday evening, some influential persons have been mounting pressure on the Area Commander, and our boss had to switch off his phones at a time.”
LAGOS AND ENVIRONS
Customs Impounds 227 Cartons of Ammunition
The Oyo-Osun Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Wednesday impounded 227 cartons of 56, 750 rounds of ammunition concealed in bags packed with dried cassava tubers. The Area Comptroller of the command, Richard Oteri, was, however, not happy that the suspects fled arrest. According to him, the vehicle conveying the ammunition was arrested along the Igboho road in Saki axis by the officers of the command. He appealed to royal fathers and community leaders to enlighten their subjects on the dangers of smuggling. He added that 28 fairly used assorted cars and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with a duty paid value of N21. 3million and 2, 500 cartons of frozen products with market value of N12. 5million were also seized.
Kwara CP Promises Tough Time for Criminals
The new Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Mr. Agboola Oshodi-Glover, has said he would ensure that no criminal escapes the wrath of the law. Oshodi-Glover also said by the time he leaves the state, the police command would have succeeded in driving away criminals from the state. Oshodi-Glover, who said his agenda was to fight crime and criminal tendencies in the state in all its ramifications, added that he aimed to bring down the crime rate to its barest minimum. He also said the police command would collaborate with all other security agencies to transform the state, adding that he would mobilised his officers and men towards achieving the task ahead.
Police Arrest Couple for Child Trafficking
A man, Chibueze Mba, and his wife his 23-year-old wife, Adaeze, have been arrested for child trafficking. The couple, who had been fingered in about three high profile child trafficking cases, had also sold off their unborn baby who was due to be delivered in three months for N200,000. Mba confessed that selling his son two years ago was the beginning of his foray into child trafficking. The couple alongside two other suspects - Benedicta Ogbuonwu and Patricia Anibogu - were arrested by men of the Ilembe Police Division in Lagos State. The couple had abducted three children, two boys and a girl, whom they sold for N400,000 each and N300,000 respectively, before they were nabbed. Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the suspects were serial child traffickers who abduct children from their parents and sell to the highest bidder.
Ogun Workers Arrested over WAEC Fees’ Fraud
About 22 more Ogun State civil servants were Thursday arrested and interrogated by officials of the Criminal Investigations Department of the state Police Command in Abeokuta over their alleged involvement in the N200 million West African Examination Council (WAEC) fees’ fraud. The suspects are being interrogated for being members of a syndicate that had, in the past three years, swindled the state government of N200 million through the payment of WAEC fees for secondary school students. As part of its free education policy, the government pays the WAEC fees for all secondary school students in the state whose number is put at thousands. Police investigations have so far revealed that the fraud was perpetrated through inflation of list of WAEC candidates in public schools by adding the names of candidates in private schools or tutorial centres.
GENERAL
COAS Raises Alarm on Moles in the Army
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has revealed that some military officers are in the habit of sabotaging security operations by leaking information to Boko Haram insurgents, similar to the one that led to the attack on an army convoy carrying troops deployed to Mali in Okene, Kogi State last year. Ihejirika disclosed this on Wednesday at the Nigerian Army Transformation Seminar, at the Command Officers' Mess in Abuja, saying that the soldier who was responsible for leaking information on the Mali-bound troops would face court martial. He revealed that in the course of improved military intelligence and information gathering, some soldiers had been caught relating with the Boko Haram insurgents and giving them vital operational secrets of the army. The army chief said that though the challenges have been enormous and the army appeared to be overstretched, he assured Nigerians that they were equal to the task to face even more challenges.
Emergency Rule: Govs, LG Chairmen to Take Orders from Jonathan
The National Assembly has conferred more powers on President Goodluck Jonathan to administer the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, where he declared a state of emergency last week. Under the new dispensation, governors and local government chairmen in the three states of the North-east zone will henceforth take orders from the president. This was the resolve of the National Assembly as the two chambers of the legislature met to harmonise their positions on the request of the president, seeking approval for the declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, which they had earlier ratified. The two chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday had approved the presidential declaration but with some differences in terms of details of its implementation.
Jonathan Condemns Terror Attack in Britain
President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the terrorist attack and killing of a British soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby, in the Woolwich area of London. This is coming as the British Police announced the arrest of two more persons in connection with the incident. Those arrested are a 29-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, whose identities were not disclosed. A 28-year-old man, Michael Adebolajo, was linked with the murder. In his condolence letter to the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the British people, noted that a terrorist attack anywhere is an attack on the way of life of all free nations and must be collectively condemned by all persons irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion.
CAN Urges FG to Extend Military Operations to Middle Belt
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to extend the current military operations in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states to other states in the Middle Belt being destroyed by alleged Fulani mercenaries. Benue State Chairman of the association, Archbishop Yiman Orkwar, who made the call, noted that although belated, the declaration of state of emergency in the three states was a step in the right direction. Lamenting the level of killings and wanton destruction of property in the six local government areas of Benue State by the Fulani mercenaries, Orkwar urged the Benue State government to set up rehabilitation camps for displaced persons in the affected communities without further delay.
Mark Calls for Ban on Almajiri System
Senate President, David Mark, on Wednesday, accused northern governors and leaders from the zone of spearheading the growth of Almajiri and charged them to ban the system now. While describing the trend as un-Islamic, Mark said the federal government would henceforth move against untidy acts by any group of people under the guise of unemployment. Mark issued this threat during a debate on "A Bill for an Act to Repeal and Re-enact the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act 2003,” led by Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba. Mark's comment followed allegation of parental negligence raised by Senator Alkali Abdulkadir Jajere, during the debate. Jajere emphasised the need for stiff legislation that could compel parents to take adequate care of their children, adding that it was time that the almajiri system in the north was phased out.
Gunmen Kill 3 in Borno
Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect shot dead provision store dealer, Mr. Bitrus Kwaji and his son, while one child suspected to be “Almajiri” (destitute) was killed by a stray bullet in Chescon area of Federal low cost of the metropolis. It was gathered that the gunmen, who ambushed the dealer at his residence around 6:30pm, successfully executed their mission and fled without being arrested. A neighbour of the slain provision dealer disclosed that “the gunmen upon arriving at the residence of used one Almajiri boy to get Kwaji out of the house before shooting him.
Mother of Nine Commits Suicide
A 45-year-old house wife, Malama Hadiza Sani of Gada Village in Bungudu LGA of Zamfara has allegedly committed suicide. Hadiza was said to have killed herself with a sharp object in her husband’s compound. Her husband Sani, a meat seller, said that he left his wife alive for prayers in a nearby Mosque when the incident occurred. Sani said that his son rushed to the Mosque about 20 minutes later and informed him about the incident. He said that he rushed to the house and found Hadiza in a pool of her own blood, adding that a sharp knife was by her body. The traditional head of the village, Alhaji Umar Keku, who confirmed the incident, described it as unfortunate and said that the village had never witnessed such a tragedy. Malam Lawal Abdullah, Zamfara Police Command Spokesman, also confirmed the incident. Lawal said that the police were investigating the circumstances that led to the death of Hadiza.
Soldiers Arrested for Aiding Boko Haram
Nigeria's Army Chief, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said some Nigerian Army soldiers have been arrested for allegedly conspiring with the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram. Lt.-Gen. Ihejirika said the affected soldiers were caught while posting “negative” comments and conversing with terror suspects on the Internet, but he neither identified them by name nor give the number of those who were arrested. Lt.-Gen. Ihejirika disclosed that a soldier who gave out information on troops’ movement to the insurgents that attacked Mali-bound soldiers at Okene in central Kogi State had been arrested and would face a military court.
Doctors Without Borders Halts Work in North after Hijack of Vehicle
The international humanitarian group, Doctors Without Borders, has suspended its medical aid in northern Nigeria's Borno state, after gunmen there hijacked one of its vehicles. Doctors Without Borders had been providing health care in the town of Baga, where last month 200 people were killed and thousands of homes were burned. But the group says it is too dangerous to continue the work after five gunmen stole one of the group's vehicles on Saturday along with medical supplies and other equipment. The group's head in Nigeria, Vipul Chowdhary, said the group had hoped its medical teams would be safe because they were clearly identified as aid workers. He also said they probably would have offered even more services in the area in the future.
Military Arrests 120 Boko Haram Members
The Nigerian military arrested 120 suspected Boko Haram militants on Monday in Borno State, in a sweep to curb the insurgency in the country's north-east, the army said. The extremists were arrested during a funeral rite in the Borno capital, Maiduguri, for one of their commanders, who had "died in an encounter with special forces the previous day". The Nigerian military had launched an offensive against the extremists in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in those states on May 14. The Islamist sect has been waging an insurgency against the government and Western culture and lifestyle since 2009 in Africa's most populous country. The suspects were being interrogated by the military, which blocked insurgents from fleeing toward neighbouring Chad and Niger.
Nigerian Airline Crew Members Arrested in London for Drug Trafficking
Two crew members of Nigeria's Arik Air were arrested in London on Monday over alleged drug trafficking, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). NDLEA said that the crew members, Temitayo Daramola and Delita Abibimgbi, were arrested after their flight touched down at Heathrow Airport. The flight had left Lagos earlier in the day. Daramola was reportedly found in possession of six kilogrammes of cocaine, while Abibimgbi was found with 60 packets of cigarettes. NDLEA said its Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, has ordered a full scale investigation into the incident, adding: 'Anyone found wanting shall be brought to book as no effort shall be spared in protecting the image of our country.” In 2007, officials of the agency arrested a Virgin Atlantic crew member with drugs in a London-bound flight.
Court Sentences Man to Death by Hanging for Armed Robbery
A High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State has sentenced a middle-aged man, one Tersoo Terna, to death by hanging for stealing a Toyota Hilux Jeep belonging to a clergyman. Justice Adam Onum, on Thursday, convicted the robber for criminal conspiracy and armed robbery. According to the state prosecuting counsel, Mrs Jean Abba Ewurum, the convict and three others now at large, conspired, attacked and robbed one Reverend Peter Azuana at Mkar in Gboko LGA of Benue State in May 2012. In his judgment, the trial judge, who highlighted all evidences before him, said that a case of criminal conspiracy was established against the offender and accordingly sentenced him to death by hanging.
Thailand Repatriates 4,000 Nigerian Prisoners
At least, 4,000 Nigerian prisoners in Thailand have been repatriated to Nigeria, to complete their jail terms at the Maximum Security Prison, Kirikiri, Lagos. Controller General of Prisons, Mr Zakari Ibrahim, who made this known on Thursday, said this was based on the working treaty the Federal Government had with Thailand on Prisoners’ Transfer Agreement. The prisons boss, however, lamented that the major challenge the service was faced with was the high number of awaiting trial inmates, adding that they accounted for about 70 per cent of total inmates’ population in Nigerian prisons. He also said the prisons were susceptible to attacks because of inadequate security weapons and gadgets required for operational uses. He disclosed that about 45 officers and men of the service were killed in various attacks by terrorists in the North.
Nigeria Endorsed for UN Security Council
Nigeria was unanimously endorsed Thursday by African Union members in the nation’s quest to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in October. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, who disclosed this said the major hurdle now is to convince other regional groupings like the European Union, Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Caribbean countries and similar bodies. However, he said Nigeria still has a lot of work to do outside Africa in terms of convincing similar regional groupings like the African Union. According to him, the strategy would be to let the other countries of the world know that Nigeria has been endorsed by the African Union and this would give the country a lot of mileage in getting their support.
FG Approves New National Aviation Policy
The federal government has approved the revision of the more than a decade old aviation policy, which has now been replaced by the new national aviation policy. This was one of the outcomes of the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan. The meeting, according to the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, also discussed key policy issues including the new civil aviation policy and the review of the performance of the ministry of transport.
INTERNATIONAL
France Beefs Up Africa, M'East Embassy Security
France will invest about 20 million euros to increase security for diplomats and embassies in the Middle East and Africa after its mission in Libya was targeted by a car bomb in April, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Spokesman Philippe Lalliot confirmed the measure had to be taken following the rising number of serious international crises and threats emanating from them, reports say. France sent troops into Mali in January after Bamako asked for help in driving back Islamist rebels who controlled parts of the north and were moving south. The military operation in the former French colony cranked up tensions in North Africa, with Islamist radicals threatening to strike back at French and Western interests. Although nobody claimed last month's bombing at France's embassy in Tripoli, it was the first attack to directly target France since the Mali intervention.
British Soldier Killed in Suspected Terror Attack
A British soldier was been killed in a machete attack and two suspects shot by police in Woolwich, south-east London. Prime Minister David Cameron said there were strong indications that it is a terrorist incident and the UK would never buckle in the face of such attacks. Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. Britain's government convenes Cobra meetings only to deal with incidents that have implications for national security. Security was tightened in the area immediately after the incident. Helicopters hovered above and nearby roads were sealed off by the police.
Islamists Kill 20 in Suicide Attacks in Niger
Islamist suicide bombers struck a barracks and a French-run uranium mine in Niger Republic on Thursday, killing 20 people and wounding dozens. At least 20 soldiers were killed and 16 injured when suicide bombers attacked a barracks in Agadez, the largest town in northern Niger, Defence Minister Mahamadou Karidjo, disclosed. Three Islamists were also killed. After a fierce gun battle, security forces returned the town to calm but one attacker was still holding soldiers hostage, military sources and local officials said. Further north in Arlit, at least 14 civilians were injured and two Islamists killed in a car bomb attack at the Somair uranium mine operated by run by French nuclear group Areva, the minister said. Niger officials said crushing and grinding units had been badly damaged at the Areva plant and uranium production had stopped.
Mugabe Signs Zimbabwe’s New Constitution
President Robert Mugabe has signed Zimbabwe’s new constitution into law, clearing the path to crucial elections later this year. The 89-year-old, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, signed the document two months after Zimbabweans overwhelmingly approved it at a referendum. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai also welcomed the constitution’s passage into law. The supreme law replaces the one written in 1979 at Britain’s Lancaster House. After Mugabe signed the text, he shook hands with Tsvangirai, to loud applause from assembled ministers, lawmakers and the chief justice. Despite the show of solidarity, the handshake effectively signals the start of an election campaign that will once again see the rivals pitted against each other. Tsvangirai has challenged Mugabe for the presidency twice before, with often bloody results. International observers described Mugabe’s victory in 2002 as deeply flawed, and in 2008, the vote was plagued by violence and irregularities.
Egypt Sends Troops to Sinai after Attack on Police Camp
Police authorities in Egypt sent reinforcements to the Sinai on Monday after an attack on a police camp in the wake of the kidnapping of security personnel. The new development came as the presidency said in Cairo that all options were on the table to secure the release of the three policemen and four soldiers held last week in the lawless peninsula. The attacks further heightened tensions in the peninsula after last week’s kidnapping. On Sunday, President Mohamed Morsi ruled out negotiating with the kidnappers of three policemen and four soldiers who appeared to plead for their release in an online video, although the security official said no order had been received to launch a rescue operation. The abductions last Thursday in the Sinai prompted angry police to shut down border crossings with Gaza and Israel. The policemen and soldiers, who worked at border crossings, were kidnapped at gunpoint while travelling to their homes on leave.
Kenyan Police Kill Two Suspected Terrorists
Police in Kenya have reportedly shot dead two suspected “terrorists” – a man and woman – who used a baby as a shield during a raid in which several police sustained grenade injuries. An officer said that police staged the raid penultimate Saturday night on a house where the two were holed up on the outskirts of Nairobi. Augustine Nthumbi, police chief for Nairobi’s Kasarani suburb and the leader of the operation, said “It took quite some time before they were killed because they refused to open and kept hurling grenades at our officers,” he said, adding that several policemen were wounded by the grenades. “Luckily the baby was not hurt,” he said. Police did not immediately release details on the group the couple allegedly belonged to or the attack they were believed to be planning.
South Africa: 29 Die in Circumcision Rituals
Death toll at South African initiation schools has risen to 29, as investigation into the tragedy deepens. The toll hit headlines in the past two weeks, with the highest number ever recorded in the country in such a short period. The victims were youths ages 13 to 21. The ruing ANC said it viewed the deaths “as a tragic result of a process whose tragic end could be avoided. President Jacob Zuma called for swift legal action in tackling the issue. The causes of death have not yet been revealed. But authorities said their preliminary investigations indicated that some initiation school owners could have been negligent. Although all the schools are legal, the problem is that some owners hired young and inexperienced people, according to investigators. Police have opened up murder cases, but no arrests have been made.
France to Help Niger Tackle Militants after Deadly Attacks
French President, Francois Hollande, has vowed to help Niger “destroy” the militants who launched deadly attacks against a military base and a French-run uranium mine in the West African country. Hollande said France would support “all the efforts of Niger to stop the hostage situation” in the town of Agadez, where the military base is located. He said that France would not tolerate such aggression. Meanwhile, Islamic militant group, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, claimed the bombings, calling them punishment for Niger’s participation in a French-led military offensive against Islamist extremists in northern Mali. Eighteen soldiers and a civilian were killed in a car bomb attack on the military base in Niger, the interior minister said, adding that one of the assailants had taken several trainee officers hostage. Also, French nuclear group, Areva, said that one person was killed and 14 wounded in a car bomb attack at its uranium mine in northern Niger.
Ban Ki-Moon Visits Goma after Fierce Fighting
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, arrived in the DR Congo flashpoint city of Goma on Thursday after three days of fighting between rebels and government forces that ended months of calm in the volatile east of the country. Ban’s visit to the mineral-rich trouble spot came a day after he and the World Bank chief made a fresh push for peace and development in the region. He pledged that UN troops would be in place within “one or two months” to battle armed rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s volatile east. The latest bout of fighting near Goma, which was briefly seized by the M23 rebel group in an armed uprising last year despite the presence of a large UN peacekeeping force, has sent thousands of people fleeing. Both Kinshasa and the M23 have accused each other of launching hostilities and trying to scupper peace efforts in the restive east. The rebels said Wednesday they were ready for “an immediate cessation of hostilities” to enable Ban’s visit to go ahead.