Crime
Kuje terrorists attack: Lawan fingers insiders’ conspiracy
**Want relevant authorities to be sanctioned
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has indicated that attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, could only have been possible with the collaboration of insiders within the nation’s correctional system.
Lawan who stated this on Thursday when he led a delegation of the leadership of the Senate to assess the level of attack on the correctional facility by insurgents said attack speaks volumes about the failure of the country’s security architecture.
Lawmakers on the Senate delegation, which also had some members of the Committee on National Security and Intelligence, were conducted around the facility by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa.
He berated the Nigerian Correctional Service for not providing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at the Kuje correctional facility and others across the country.
The Senate President asked the Comptroller General of the NCS to include a request for the provision of CCTV across maximum and medium correctional centers across the country in its 2023 budget proposal to the National Assembly for approval.
Speaking after an assessment of the correctional facility, Lawan said, “the attack on this correctional facility is symptomatic of the failure of security failure. The attack is only a culmination of the failure.
“We were told that an estimated 300 terrorists attacked this facility. They came on foot, and I believe they should have been detected.
“In the first place, three hundred people will not come for an operation like this without planning. Planning must have taken a week, a month or a bit more.
“I believe that our security agencies should have picked this from their tracking systems in the FCT.
“Secondly, having gone round the facility itself, we are dissappointed that this facility does not have Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, something that would record and give you details of what is happening and sometimes record the events.
“This is a medium security custodial center, how on earth in the FCT facility of this magnitude we don’t have CCTV? It means we can say that all other medium security centers across the country do not have CCTV.
“We have asked the Comptroller General of Correctional Centre to ensure that the request for CCTV at the maximum and medium custodial centres of the country are included in their 2023 budget because this is essential and indispensable.
“Now, as this facility lacks a functional CCTV, there’s no record of what happened, except narration. But if we had CCTV, at least the records would have been there and analysis made, and arrest will be based on the information from the CCTV.
“Thirdly, going from one cell to another to release people, specifically, those that are known to be insurgents, tells a lot of story.
“It may not be far away from an insider job, someone who is either working in this place or must have worked here.
“I think we have to look deeper into what happened, so that we find the culprits, because when things like this happens, then there should be sanctions.
“Where people fail to do their job properly, and they have been given that responsibility, they should be asked to take responsibility.
“If people don’t take responsibility for their failure, then it means nobody would bother to do what is expected of their office or the job that the person has been given.
“Having this kind of situation today in the FCT, that we have criminals who are free now all over the city is very dangerous and you can never have peace of mind
“The FCT has the seat of government, and today that seat is not safe. So, we have to do whatever it takes to get everybody back.”
Lawan, therefore, tasked the security agencies to ensure that the insurgents who escaped from the Kuje medium security custodial center are found and brought back.
Briefing the lawmakers earlier, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army Battalion in Gwagwalada, Lieutenant Colonel Adisa, told the Senate Leadership that over three hundred insurgents were behind Tuesday’s attack on the Kuje medium security custodial facility.
According to him, only a total of fifty security personnel were on ground when the terrorists armed with IEDs stormed the facility to release the insurgents.
Troops of the Nigerian Army on Saturday clamped down and apprehended 9 adherents of the Yoruba Nation who invaded the Oyo state Secretariat
Kitted in foreign military camouflage with berets and armed with dangerous weapons the attackers arrived in a commado style in buses and motorbikes, and started shooting sporadically after sighting the troops
However, the troops with superior firepower subdued the attackers, who retreated but in disarray.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement indicated that 9 members of the irredentist group were apprehended, while one Semi Automatic Pump Action rifle and ammunition were recovered.
He said while the situation is under control, troops have gone out to track down the fleeing adherents.
“We assure members of the public that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and security of the general area.
“We urge the public to remain calm and vigilant, and to report any suspicious activity to the appropriate security agencies. The safety and security of the citizenry remain a priority, as we will continue to work tirelessly to maintain peace and order in the region,” Major General Nwachukwu assured
***Police confirms abduction of passengers
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Two buses fully loaded with Passengers travelling from the Eastern part of the country to Abuja have been highjacked and passengers abducted in Inele-Eteke Ogugu new road in Kogi east Senatorial district
The two buses belonging to God Is Good (GIG) transport and Logistics company and the ABC transport company were highjacked while heading to Abuja by Kidnappers in Kogi state.
The source further discosed that GIG bus left umuahia at 7:30 am on Saturday on its way to Abuja.
GIG motor
GIG company it was gathered has contacted security services and they are tracking them.
Meanwhile the Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the Saturday kidnap of passengers aboard two Abuja-bound buses from the Eastern part of the country on Inele-Eteke Ogugu new road in Kogi East Senatorial district of the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Williams Aya (SP) made the confirmation in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Lokoja.
Aya who could not give the number of passengers however, confirmed that two buses were involved,
The PPRO said that the state Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer, Local Vigilantes and Hunters to comb the bushes with a view to apprehending the hoodlums and rescuing the victims.
He disclosed that Onuoha further deployed the Tactical Squad consisting of Quick Response Unit, Police Mobile Force, Counter-Terrorism Unit, as well as conventional Police personnel to the area to continue with the bush combing to ensure all victims are rescued unhurt.
Our correspondent gathered on Monday that the buses, one from GIG Motors and the other from ABC Transport heading to Abuja were intercepted by the gun-wielding hoodlums on the lonely road in Kogi state.
The victims were said to have been marched into the bush by the hoodlums leaving no traces.
According to the source, the GIG bus left Umuahia at about 7:30am on Saturday enroute Abuja adding that the GIG company said they had contacted security agencies.
***Fish out killers, Oyebanji orders security agents
Tragedy has struck in Ekiti State where gunmen yet to be identified laid ambush for two first class traditional rulers and gunned them down in a gruesome manner on Monday
The unfortunate incident occured on IRELE -Oke Ako road in Ikole Local government area of Ekiti State .
The slain traditional rulers are Oba Olumojo of Imojo Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola.
Another traditional ruler, Oba Alara of Ara Ekiti,, Oba Adebayo Fatoba escaped being killed by the whiskers
They were said to be returning from a meeting when the gunmen opened fire on them, killing two of the traditional rulers on the spot.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji who confirmed the killing of the traditional rulers in a statement ordered security agencies to immediately fish out the killers of the two traditional rulers.
In the statement signed by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Yinka Oyebode, Oyebanji condemned the gruesome murder of the two traditional rulers.
The statement reads thus :
” Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has condemned Monday’s dastardly attack in Oke-Ako area in Ikole Local Government, which led to the gruesome killing of two traditional rulers; and ordered security agencies in the state to fish out the killers.
“The two traditional rulers- the Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola were killed in an ambush by armed men while returning from a meeting.
“The third traditional ruler, the Alara of Ara –Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba escaped the attack.”
Oyebanji, said security agents have been despatched to the area to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
The killings were carried out barely one hour Governor Oyebanji presided over the state security council meeting in Ado-Ekiti.
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