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How Nigerian Military caused the Kidnap of 110 students in Dapchi

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The Federal Government has confirmed that 110 students of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, were still missing.

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Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed who is currently in Yobe with the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, as part of efforts to review the situation, announced the figure after a meeting between a Federal Government delegation and representatives of key stakeholders, including the state government, the college, the parents, security agencies and Bursari Local Government, where Dapchi is situated, in Damaturu yesterday.

He said based on the briefings from the Principal of the College, Hajia Adama Abdulkarim and the Commissioner for Education, Mohammed Lami, 906 students – out of whom 110 have not been accounted for – were in the school on the day of the attack.

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However, parents of the schoolgirls yesterday released a list of 105 with the name of one of them missing.

The schoolgirls were kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram insurgents who attacked the school last Monday.

Mohammed announced that the Federal Government has directed the police and civil defence authorities in the state to immediately deploy their personnel to all the schools in order to ensure the security and safety of the students and their staff members.

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He disclosed that the Federal Government has stepped up efforts to rescue the girls and return them safely to their parents, saying the security agencies were working on many leads to unravel the whereabouts of the girls.

‘’This is the second time in four days that a Federal Government’s delegation would visit Yobe State since the unfortunate incident. This is a measure of the seriousness with which we are addressing the issue. The security forces are leaving no stone unturned in their search for the girls.

‘’We are back here in Yobe as part of efforts to provide some succour to the parents of the girls, to let them know that they are not alone and also to reassure them that we will not rest until we have found the girls. We will carry the parents along on the efforts we are making,’’ he said.

Minister of Interior, Dambazau, said the delegation embarked on the trip in order to get the facts right “so that the approach to the solution can be correct. We must get back the girls and also ensure that this does not happen again.’’

NAF launches 24-hr search

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it has embarked on a 24-hour search for the missing schoolgirls.

NAF said it has deployed more air assets, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms in its renewed effort at locating and rescuing the kidnapped schoolgirls alive.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, who made this known said following confirmation of reports that some of the girls were yet to be accounted for, the NAF deployed some ISR platforms and helicopters to search for and possibly locate the missing girls as well as the rogue Boko Haram terrorists.

Adesanya, in the statement said: “Although these search operations were conducted in a covert manner, for obvious reasons, the efforts did not yield the desired results. Accordingly, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed the immediate deployment of additional air assets and NAF personnel to the North-East with the sole mission of conducting day and night searches for the missing girls.

“It is noteworthy that the renewed efforts at locating the girls are being conducted in close liaison with other surface security forces.

“While the NAF will spare no efforts at possibly locating the girls via its air operations, it also seizes this opportunity to call on anyone, especially the locals, who might have any information that could lead to the location of the girls to bring such information forward to NAF authorities or other relevant security agencies,” NAF said.

Gov: How Nigerian military caused Dapchi attack, kidnap of schoolgirls

The Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam, has again indicted the Nigeria military for the attack on Dapchi town and the abduction of the schoolgirls.

He said the attack came barely a week after the military withdrew troops from the town.

He said if the soldiers had been on ground, the attack and subsequent abduction would have been averted.

Gov. Gaidam said this when he hosted the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, who was in Damaturu on a sympathy visit.

“I blame the whole attack on Dapchi on the military and the defence headquarters who withdrew troops from Dapchi….”

Governor Gaidam said the excuses given to him by the Theatre Commander that the withdrawal was due to shortage of personnel was unacceptable.

“When I met the Theatre commander on why the military where withdrawn, he said they have shortage of manpower. To me, it is not an excuse because it’s duty bound for the FG to recruit and bridge the gap,” he added.

The attack occurred barely a week after the military withdrew soldiers from there, the Yobe governor claimed.

“Before then, Dapchi has been peaceful, there was never such incident. But just a week after they withdrew the troops, Boko Haram came to attack the town.”

The governor said the Dapchi incident was not the first time the absence of soldiers in the Boko Haram troubled state would expose residents to such kind of attacks.

“Let me be quoted anywhere, the military must take blame for the attack on Dapchi. The same thing happened in 2013 when the military suddenly removed troops guarding the town and a week later Boko Haram went there to attack the town and the secondary school there killing 29 students.”

Gov. Shettima who expressed his sympathy to the government and people of Yobe State over the “unfortunate incident” said the abduction reminded him of conspiracy theories regarding the Chibok case.

“Your Excellency, I have been in your shoes since 2014 when schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok. I know exactly how you feel. When our daughters were abducted in Chibok, only God understood how I felt and I can imagine how you also feel, and the trauma you are going through. The parents of these girls would always look up to you with hope in the midst of agony. I know you are pained but I also believe that Insha Allah, these girls will be rescued very soon. It is unfortunate that we have faced yet another abduction but that only reminds us about the difficulties of fighting insurgency,” Shettima said.

The Borno governor said he was in Yobe not just as governor but also to represent the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), noting that the forum shared in the grief of the people of Yobe State.

“We stand by you at this difficult time. We share the grief of parents whose daughters are affected by this unfortunate incident. They are not their daughters alone, they are our daughters as well,” Shettima said.

FG, APC shedding crocodile tears -PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of shedding Crocodile tears.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, urged the government and the APC to stop the tears and provide answers to urgent questions surrounding the abduction of the schoolgirls by insurgents.

The opposition party said the Presidency has a lot of questions to answer regarding the alleged compromise of security personnel around the area as well as “the misleading reports that frustrated immediate rescue of the abducted girls.” The party said Nigerians were shocked by revelations by Governor Gaidam that the abduction was preceded by withdrawal of troops around Dapchi thereby rendering the area defenceless and paving the way for insurgents to attack and abduct the girls.

“We challenge the Presidency to come out clean on issues surrounding this abduction. Who authorized the said withdrawal of troops from the area and for what purpose?  What alternative security measures were put in place to protect the people after the troops were withdrawn?” the party queried.

Besides, it challenged the Federal Government to speak up  “on who scripted and released the false rescue report which frustrated prompt action that would have led to the recovery of our innocent girls? Why was that misleading report issued and whose interest did it serve?”

Similarly, the 19 Northern states chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in a statement by its spokesman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab in Kaduna said it was deeply concerned about the “return of kidnappings of large girls again in Nigeria.”

It said government and the security agencies must sit-up. “The girls must not stay long like the previous before they are release. The girls must be brought back alive. The young girls are Nigerians; they need the protection of the Nigerian government. These girls can be anybody’s daughters. CAN is saying the Nigeria security agencies must not play the propaganda game any more. They should go after the criminals that have abducted these girls.  The security should take serious action and stop making noise and confusing people.”

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Blame Judiciary for crime increase in Lagos – CP Idowu Owohunwa

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Blame Judiciary for crime increase in Lagos - CP Idowu Owohunwa

Blame Judiciary for crime increase in Lagos – CP Idowu Owohunwa

 

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By Ifeoma Ikem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sahara Weekly Reports That The Lagos state Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa says the judiciary should be blamed for the increase of crime in the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blame Judiciary for crime increase in Lagos - CP Idowu Owohunwa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The police boss made the disclosure at the State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja while parading the three suspects arrested in connection with the killing of Adeniyi Sanni, an aide to the Senator representing Ogun West; Solomon Adeola (a.k.a. Yayi).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While briefing journalists on the painstaking efforts made by officers and men of the Lagos Command in tracking down the three men, Owohunwa bemoaned the emerging trend of giving light sentences or freeing such suspects arrested and prosecuted in the past by the judiciary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Through painstaking intelligence and investigative activities, we have succeeded in arresting the syndicate of the robbery and murder. The three suspects directly involved in the robbery and murder were arrested with three firearms including the killer’s weapon were recovered.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The suspects Fred Azeez Okuno, 43-year-old Lagosian; Lucky Idudu Michael, 33-year-old from Delta State, and Adedigba Segun, 26-year-old from Oyo State.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owohunwa said investigation so far revealed that the three suspects were directly involved in the robbery and murder of Sanni.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He said that on multiple occasions the security agencies have tried their possible best to reduce crime and the activity of criminals across the state metropolis but that after they had been processed through the judicial system and they always found a way to remain a menace to the society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“As much as we are interested in advancing the process of justice, it is expedient that we also appeal for the process to strike a balance between Justice administration, criminal Justice delivery and overriding internet security situations across the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It will lessen the load in terms of dealing with recycled criminals which is the major problem we’re facing in Lagos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He noted that there have been instances where the judiciary neglected the gravity of the crime committed and chose to give soft landing to such criminal elements who in turn come back to perpetrate more vicious crimes like in the case of the three paraded suspects whom he described as “jail birds.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Investigations revealed that the three suspects had at one time or the other been arrested, tried and jailed over criminal offences and their years in correctional centres had only helped to harden them”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In their confessions to journalists, the suspects who were masked by police to avoid being accused of human rights violation during the parade said they did not intend to kill Sanni whose identity they did not initially know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They had stopped him presenting themselves as security agents wearing army uniforms with intention to rob him of his vehicle which had no plate number yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It was a tokunbo Camry car, black in colour. We only rob tokunbo cars which we normally take to Alhaji in Republic Benin to sale,” said one of the suspects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to their confession, Sanni was shot when he raised alarm seeking help from people when he noticed that they might not be genuine military men after they had checked his vehicle documents and yet refused to free him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After shooting him repeatedly with pistol, they dumped his body at the booth of the vehicle but when they noticed he was still alive, they stabbed him to death and subsequently dumped his corpse on the way. When they drove near Nigeria’s border with Republic of Benin, they called Alhaji to come and take delivery of the vehicle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The police commissioner also bemoaned the lapses going on in Nigeria Correctional Service facilities as confessions made by the paraded suspects revealed that their gang was formed while they were serving jail sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the suspects, Lucky Idubu told journalists that it was in the correctional centre (prison) that someone gave him the phone number of one Alhaji he could work with on completion of his earlier sentence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The three of them meet in prison and built their network, they were connected to the Alhaji and up till now still have some elements in custody operating from the center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He that the Alhaji was incidentally the one behind activities of the gang soon after they were released from their earlier sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Alhaji (name with-held) currently at large is said to be a Nigerian but resident in Republic of Benin from where he coordinated the car robbery and murder gang.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The suspects confessed that they negotiated with Alhaji to pay them N3million which he promised to remit soon after he must have sold the vehicle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to them, Alhaji had requested them to come with another vehicle when coming for their N3million, but they became unfortunate as police arrested them before they could embark on the second mission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During their arrest, police recovered one brand new pistol with three live ammunition, one Baretta pistol with three live ammunition, one locally made pistol with six live cartridges, six expended cartridges, military gear comprising a military camouflage vest, jungle hat, pistol hose and a red Honda CRV from the suspects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the police commissioner, investigation has revealed that the gang members were on narcotics as at the time they carried the act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He has raised alarm on the growing trend of criminals impersonating military personnel wondering where they procure the uniforms and other accoutrements. “This portends great danger as members of the public might not easily know who is a genuine military personnel or not.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the parade were representatives of the Nigerian Army from 9th Brigade who were there to observe and listen to the confessions of the suspects and possibly fashion out how best to form synergy with the police in curbing crimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The CP said that the parade event has also established that the security agencies have in their hands a high notorious criminal international network and unfortunately most of their transporting equipment are transported from Nigeria to Cotonou.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“This is a very high possibility that they will be recycled back into the Nigerian market and buyer who fall victim of such purchase stand the risk of being brought to Justice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We have activated our unique Interpol’s and network to break the trans border components of these crimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I can assure you that in due course success will be achieved and the so called alhaji will be brought to Justice”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The CP said that the component problems is the inpersonation of the military in order to perfect these crimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“when it first occurred there was a wild concern that military men are now involved but today through the painstaking intelligence activities of the police we’ve been able to prove that the brain behind these crimes only took advantage by acquiring the military kit in order to deceive members of the public and perfect their crimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Senator’s aide Adeniyi Sanni was killed on August 5, 2023 when he was stopped by ‘fake security’ agents wearing Nigerian Army uniform at a checkpoint in Ojodu Berger area on his way to his home in Isheri, Lagos.

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102-year-old WWII veteran Breaks Records at Great North Run

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102-year-old WWII veteran Breaks Records at Great North Run

 

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A 102-year-old veteran of World War II has become the oldest man to complete a half marathon after finishing the Great North Run.

 

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102-year-old WWII veteran Breaks Records at Great North Run

 

Bill Cooksey, who served in the RAF between 1941 and 1951, covered the 13.1-mile course from Newcastle to South Shields with the aid of walking companion Gavin Iceton in five hours and 41 minutes.

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The centenarian had previously completed 10 miles a day for 10 days for his 100th birthday and cycled 1,000 miles for his 101st birthday, and took on the challenge to support the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust.

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” MR Cooksey told ITV ahead of the event. “I’ve been up here 30 years and always walked, and when I heard about the Great North Run I thought ‘I’ll be able to do that surely,’ because there’s the additional impetus of the NHS.

“Actually I don’t think I would have done it if it wasn’t of benefit to the NHS.”

 

 

The Great North run was hit by torrential downpours after a week of heat in the United Kingdom.

Some runners were forced to walk home after flash flooding hit roads and the Tyne and Wear Metro system.

Mr Cooksey, though, managed to survive the conditions to complete his challenge and raise more money for the NHS. “I am glad I have done it,” he said to the Daily Mail. “I wish we didn’t have to go through all that rain – but we did it.”

Pat Chambers, charity development manager at the trust, added: “What a hero Bill Cooksey is.

“He continued walking through a thunderstorm to become a record breaker completing it in just over five hours 40 minutes. We are so proud of him.”

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Favour Oladele: Prophet, Owolabi Sentenced To Death Over Murder Of LASU Student

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Favour Oladele: Prophet, Owolabi Sentenced To Death Over Murder Of LASU Student

Mother jailed for eating human flesh

 

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An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire, headquarters of Irewole Local Government, on Monday, sentenced 42-year-old Prophet Philip Segun and Adeeko Owolabi (23) to death over the murder of a 400-level Sociology department student of Lagos State University (LASU), Favour Oladele.

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The mother of Owolabi, Adeeko Bola (46), was also sentenced to two years imprisonment for eating human flesh cooked for her.

 

 

Prophet Segun was the owner of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Solution Chapel, Ikoyi-Ile, where Owolabi and his mother went to seek wealth on 8th December 2019.

 

 

 

The convicts were arraigned on 15th November 2021 on two counts charge of conspiracy and murder contrary to sections 324 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Laws of Osun, 2002.

Led by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Adekemi Bello, the prosecution team from the state Ministry of Justice told the court that Owolabi lured the victim, killed her, while her heart was cooked and other parts of the victim were used to make ‘victory soap’ for Bola.

The prosecution called nine witnesses and tendered exhibits, while the convicts, who had no witnesses, testified before the court and Owolabi confessed that he used his girlfriend to prepare a ritual meal for money ritual.

The presiding Judge, Justice Christiana Obadina, agreed that prosecuting counsel has proven her case beyond a reasonable doubt and found the convicts guilty as charged.

Counsel to the convicts, Adeshina Olaniyan, urged the court to temper justice with mercy in passing her judgment.

The court, thereby, sentenced prophet Segun and Owolabi to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.

Justice Obadina also sentenced Bola to two years imprisonment for eating human flesh.

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