“As I exit the leadership of the Force today, I believe that I am leaving it better than I met it.

“I believe that I have added value to policing in Nigeria,’’ he said on Wednesday in Abuja while handing over the rein of authority to the newly-appointed Acting I-G, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.

Baba said he had set out to positively change policing narratives in Nigeria by laying out well-articulated vision and mission objectives upon his appointment.

The former I-G said he had pledged to address the welfare concerns of serving and retired officers and enhance the operational capacity of the Force through the procurement of critical operational assets.

He said he also set out to reposition special detachments of the Force, particularly the Marine and Air wings, the Special Forces, Police Mobile Force, Counter-terrorism Unit and the Special Protection Unit.

He added that he also strove to enhance the intelligence capacity of the Force through the push for the Cam Scanner upgrade of the Technical Intelligence assets.

“I am convinced that steady progress has been made in all components of my promise to change policing narratives and restore the dwindling police primacy within the internal security architecture of the country.

“We might not be there yet, but certainly the pathways have been clearly defined; firm foundation built, and giant strides taken.

“These are for the new leadership to leverage on in the quest for a better Police Force,’’ he stressed.

Baba commended the Nigeria Police family for loyalty, sacrifice, and duty orientation, which, he said aided his administration to attain most of its set leadership visions and targets.

“I specially thank members of the Force Management Team for being strategic partners all through my leadership journey,’’ he said.

Responding, Acting I-G Egbetokun commended President Bola Tinubu for the confidence reposed in him.

He said his appointment was a call to commitment and a platform to make a difference in the shared mission of the president to safeguard the lives and well-being of Nigerians.

Egbetokun said the Nigeria Police Force, under his leadership, would strive for excellence, transparency, and accountability to rebuild public trust.

He said his administration would also strive to restore public confidence in law enforcement institutions and create a Nigeria where every citizen would feel safe, protected and respected.

Egbetokun pledged to unveil new tactics to release the great potential of the Nigeria Police to secure the country, build lasting peace and deliver on the vision of the president.

Source: NAN

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The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

He said Mba had been deployed to head the Department of Research and Planning while Ciroma was deployed to head the Department of Training and Development

Adejobi said Mr Hafiz Inuwa, a DIG had also been redeployed to head the Department of Logistics and Supply.

According to Adejobi, with the recent elevation, Ciroma had become the supervising DIG for the North-East and Mba, the supervisory DIG for the South-East geo-political zone.

The police spokesman said the I-G also approved the posting/redeployment of 17 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, AIGs, to various commands and formations.

He said the posting are Abubakar Lawal, AIG Zone 10 Sokoto; Abdul Umar, AIG Zone 15 Maiduguri; Williams Adebowale, AIG Zone 7 Abuja; Shettima Zanna, AIG Armament FHQ Abuja; Ebong Eyibio Ebong, AIG Zone 17 Akure and Adepoju Ilori, AIG Maritime Lagos.

Others are Okon Effiong, AIG FCID Annex Kaduna; Echeng Echeng, AIG Zone 9 Umuahia; Susan Horsefall, Commandant Staff College Jos;  Bankole Sikiru, AIG DFA FHQ Abuja; Oladimeji Olanrewaju, AIG Zone 11 Osogbo and Odama Ojeka, AIG FEDOPS FHQ, Abuja.

Adejobi said other AIGs deployed are Shehu Gwarzo, AIG Forensic; Yekini Ayoku, AIG R&P, FHQ Abuja; Yahaya Abubakar, AIG FCID Alagbon Lagos; Umar Sanda, AIG Zone 1 Kano and Ede Ayuba, AIG CTU FHQ Abuja.

Adejobi said the I-G urged the senior police officers to continue to entrench professionalism and respect for rights of citizens in their new places of assignment.

He said the I-G called on the officers to pursue the task of ensuring public safety and security in their areas of responsibilities with renewed vigour.

Source: NAN

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Tinubu went into a closed door meeting with the service chiefs and others when he arrived at about 10.53 in the morning.

At the meeting were the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.

Also present were the Director-General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Abubakar.

It is believed that the meeting would witness briefing of the president on the present state of security among other relevant things.

Recall that Tinubu has stressed that security will be one of his areas of priority.

He said during his inaugural speech: “Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.

To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security DOCTRINE and its ARCHITECTURE.

“We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide better training, equipment, pay and firepower.”

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RULAAC said it was curious that Ojokoh was paraded for a crime which was carried out when he was in the custody of the police following his arrest on April 15, 2023.

RULAAC said its petition to the IGP was to guarantee Ojokoh’s right to dignity and fair trial.

The petition signed by the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, reads in full:

May 8, 2023

The Inspector-General of Police

The Nigeria Police

Force Headquarters

Abuja

Dear Sir

RULAAC CALLS ON THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE TO ORDER A PROMPT AND IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE CURIOUS POLICE PARADING OF MR. THADDEUS IKECHUKWU OJOKOH BY THE IMO STATE POLICE COMMAND ALONG WITH OTHERS ACCUSED OF KILLING SOME POLICE OFFICERS IN IMO STATE, A CRIME THAT WAS COMMITTED WHILE MR. OJOKOH WAS STILL IN THE CUSTODY OF THE ANTI-KIDNAPPING UNIT, IMO STATE POLICE COMMAND FOLLOWING HIS ARREST ON APRIL 15, 2023; AND TO GUARANTEE HIS RIGHT TO LIFE, HUMAN DIGNITY AND FAIR TRIAL.

 RULAAC writes to bring to the attention of the Inspector-General of Police and to request you to order a prompt and impartial investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding the claim by the Imo State Police Command that a man who had been in police custody was among those who carried out the dastardly killing of police officers in Imo State on a date that the man was still in the custody of the police.

Mr. Thaddeus Ikechukwu Ojokoh, a 53-year-old professional tailor and father of five, was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Tiger Base, Owerri, Imo State on April 15, 2023 and has been detained incommunicado since that date.

On April 30, Imo State Police Command issued a statement that Ojokoh was among the men that murdered the policemen on national duty.

He was eventually paraded by the Imo State Police Command along with others who were later arrested following the killing of the police officers on April 21and said to be among  the assailants who attacked and killed the police officers in Ngor-Okpala, Imo State on April 21, 2023.

Members of Thaddeus Ojokoh’s family of Umugwa Umuokrika, Ahiazu Mbaise LGA Imo State informed us that Thaddeus was still in police custody  as at the date of the condemnable attack and killing of the police officers. How then could he have participated in the attack and killing while still in police custody?

Thaddeus Ikechukwu Ojokoh,  a well-known Professional Tailor at Afor Oru Market in Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State  was arrested on April 15 on the claim that he is a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).  The attack against police officers was launched on April 21. He was still in police custody as at that date.

His family members have not had access to him since the day he was arrested. They seriously fear about his life because most people arrested by the police in Imo State and labelled IPOB member have usually been executed extrajudicially or disappeared. There have been instances of people arrested on the claim that they were IPOB members and killed or disappeared and evidence later emerged to disprove the claim.

Thaddeus Ojokoh’s family members find it both curious and ironic that Ojokoh who was arrested on April 15 and still detained at the Tiger Base Owerri as at April 21 when the attack was carried out and has not been released up to date could be paraded alongside others alleged to have carried out that same attack.

Ojokoh’s family members were hoping that the police would have finished their investigation and cleared him of any links with IPOB or charged him to court. But on April 21, six days after his arrest, hoodlums attacked policemen on patrol at Ngor-Okpala and killed four of them.

Attacks on police installations or killing of police officers are totally condemnable serious and unjustifiable crimes.

The attack and killing of 4 police officers at Ngor-Okpala junction on April 21, 2023 was unjustifiable and all those responsible should not be spared the maximum penalty permitted by law.

However, parading a man for a crime committed while in police custody raises serious concerns and questions, and calls for careful investigation to ensure that an innocent person is not accused wrongly or made to pay the price for a crime he did not commit.

We hereby humbly request the IGP to order a discrete investigation to unravel this mystery.

It has also become necessary to call the IGP’s attention to the attitude of many police officers in the Southeast presuming everyone accused of being an IPOB member of having automatically lost their Constitutionally guaranteed rights to due process, including the presumption of innocence until otherwise proven in a fair trial.

This is a very dangerous attitude that has led to the murder of many innocent citizens. The Constitution guarantees every person arrested for a recognizable offense the right to fair trial. Summary executions and extrajudicial killings amount to murder and can have ugly repercussions including creating a cycle of violence.

We request the IGP to order an investigation into the continued detention of Thaddeus Ikechukwu Ojokoh and the circumstances surrounding his being accused of being among those who carried out an attack on police officers on a date he was still in police custody.

He should be released or charged to court if he has any case to answer. His family and legal representatives should also be allowed access to him.

Yours sincerely,

Okechukwu Nwanguma

Executive Director.

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The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the deployed officers would deputise other senior ranking officers in the discharge of critical administrative, investigative and operational policing duties for an effective and citizen-led policing.

READ ALSO: IGP posts DIG Egbetokun to FCID, deploys 36 commissioners

Adejobi said the order was to strengthen and catalyse national security mechanisms to improve policing system across the country.

He pledged the commitment of the force leadership to continually embark on initiatives to improve internal security in the country.

Adejobi said the I-G had called on the newly posted officers to ensure a strategic display of experience, commitment to service, respect for fundamental rights and evolve effective strategies for crime control.

The I-G also urged the officers to put in their best towards the achievement of the force strategic policy objectives with utmost level of professionalism, community-oriented public service and compliance with the rule of law.

Source: NAN

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This is contained in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Saturday in Abuja.

Adejobi said the redeployment was in line with the I-GP’s mandate and strategies to strengthen the operational structures of commands, departments and formations.

The affected AIGs, according to him are the AIG Zone 14, Katsina, Ahmed Abdulrahman; AIG Police Mobile Force, Ibrahim Ka’oje; AIG Special Protection Unit, Matthew Akinyosola; and AIG Zone 12 Bauchi, Sylvester Alabi.

Others are AIG Maritime Lagos, Yekini Ayoku; AIG Zone 13 Ukpo Dunukofia, Olofu Adejoh; AIG Zone 7 Abuja, Aliyu Garba; AIG ICT FHQ Abuja, Idris Dauda; AIG Research and Development, Yusuf Usman and AIG Zone 4 Makurdi, Haladu Ros-Amson.

“They also include AIG Zone 8 Lokoja, Babatunde Ishola; AIG Counter Terrorism Unit  Alexander Wannang; AIG Zone 2 Lagos, Ari Ali; AIG Zone 9 Umuahia, Mamman Umar; Commandant Police Academy, Wudil, Sadiq Abubakar and AIG FCID Annex Lagos, Frank Mba.

“The IGP also approved appointment of Benjamin N. Okolo as AIG Zone 16 Yenagoa; Oyediran Oyeyemi, AIG DTD FHQ Abuja; Babaji Sunday, AIG FCID Annex Kaduna; Arungwa Udo, AIG Zone 5 Benin and Yusuf Usman, as AIG Force Transport Officer.

“The IGP has charged all newly posted and redeployed officers to put their best foot forward in ensuring that the activities of their new commands, formations, and departments align with the Police reform mandate.

“He also tasked them to ensure compliance with all standard operating procedures in the discharge of their responsibilities.

“The posting is with immediate effect,” he said.

Source: NAN

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Egbetokun gave the directive on Wednesday in Abuja during his familiarization visit to the command.

He, however, warned the personnel against any form of extortion in the course of the operation.

The AIG said they should engage local communities to ensure proper security in the FCT.

Egbetokun called on the personnel to work together to restore professionalism in policing and ensure efficient utilization of resources.

The AIG said the essence of police duties was the protection and promotion of human rights, adding that, every offence was a violation of somebody’s right.

He said modern policing was intelligence led, community based and technology driven, as such officers and men should work harder to enhance their intelligence capacity and improve on visibility policing.

The AIG said the recent deployment of newly passed out recruit constables would be a big boost to policing in the country.

He called on the command to sustain its strategic partnership with other security agencies and stakeholders.

“We must improve traffic control within the FCT. Traffic officers must be on their toes to ensure traffic flows within the FCT.

“We must reinvigorate stop and search, effectively man black spots and sustain the present tempo in raid of criminal hideouts.

“Scavenging has been banned within the FCT and we must not allow them to continue to operate,” he added.

In his remark, the Commissioner of Police, CP, in charge of the FCT, Mr Sadiq Abubakar, said the command had developed and implemented operational strategies targeted at combating crime.

He said the development was in compliance with the vision and mission of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba.

The CP said the operational policies and strategies had led to the arrest of 18 armed robbery suspects and recovery of 1,159 exhibits, including arms and ammunition of various calibre.

He said motor vehicles and motorcycles, illicit drugs and other harmful weapons were among the exhibits recovered.

He said 24 kidnapped victims were rescued by the command and reunited with their families.

“The FCT command under my leadership is committed to ensuring that the policing ideals of the I-G, which have been effectively canvassed by the AIG, are clearly and without doubt exemplified in the command.

“Similarly, one of the foremost mandates of the command is to deliberately entrench modern policing standards, particularly respect for the Rule of Law and the Fundamental Rights of all citizens.

“I hereby restate the unalloyed dedication of myself and my team to ensuring that the impact of the policies and operational directives of the AIG, and by extension the IGP, is vigorously pursued,” he said.

Source: NAN

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Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, in a ruling on the contempt proceedings filed by Okoli’s lawyer, Arinze Egbo, also warned Baba against non-compliance with the earlier court judgment.

Justice Olajuwon warned that if the I-G failed to purge himself of the contempt, he shall be liable to another three months jail-term.

Okoli, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/637/2009, had sued the I-G as a sole respondent in the matter.

The plaintiff, who prayed the court to order for his reinstatement, said he was unlawfully retired in 1992 by the Police Council, presently known as Police Service Commission, PSC, while serving in Bauchi State Command as a Chief Superintendent of Police, among others.

He said his compulsory retirement, under Decree 17 of 1984, was illegal.

Justice Okorowo, in a judgment delivered on October 21, 2011, gave an order of mandamus compelling the respondent (I-G) to do his duty according to law.

He directed the I-G to comply with the orders of the PSC, as contained in their letter of 5th May, 2009 (with Ref. No. PSC/CSP/01/11/295A), directing him to reinstate Okoli into the Nigeria Police Force and to present for the recommendation of the commission, the I-G’s recommendation for the promotion of the applicant from 2013 to date, among others.

However, following non-compliance with the judgment, Okoli’s counsel, Mr Egbo, filed Forms 48 and 49 supported by affidavit before Justice Olajuwon, praying the court to convict and sentence the I-G for failure to obey court judgment delivered by Justice Okorowo on October 21, 2011.

The lawyer urged the court to grant their application on the grounds that the I-G disregarded a memo of legal advice by the PSC advising him to take cognisance and obey the court judgment.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Olajuwon held that Baba, whose attention severally and through different quarters had been brought to the orders of the court, mandating him to give effect to the directives of the PSC had not denied having the knowledge of the orders.

The judge said he had blatantly refused to carry out the order of the court.

“This court has bent backwards over and over again for the respondent.

“This Court even ordered that the Assistant Chief Registrar (Litigation) write to the respondent to inform him of the pendency of this matter, which he did and the proof of receipt of same in the office of the respondent is before this court.

“It is unfortunate that the chief enforcer of the law is one who has deliberately refused to comply with the same law.

“It is important to state that obedience to orders of court is fundamental to the good order, peace and stability of a nation.

“It is a duty which every citizen, who believes in peace and stability of the Nigerian state, owes the nation and the court has a duty to commit the individual who has failed to carry out the order of the court for contempt, so as to prevent the authority and administration of law from being brought to disrespect and to protect the dignity of the court,” she said.

According to her, court orders are not to be obeyed at the whims and caprices of the respondent and the rule of law is only supreme when parties, no matter the status, obey the court order.

“The terms of the Orders of this Court are clear and unambiguous.

“This court is satisfied that the respondent (presently and those before him) has had proper knowledge of the Orders of this Court, there is no denial of such knowledge and the receipt of Forms 48 and 49.

“The respondent filed a counter affidavit, was duly represented in court by different counsel, who stated how they had written several legal opinions which were not attended to.

“The refusal and failure of the respondent to comply with the orders of this court has been proved in this case.

“The respondent in this case, the Inspector General of Police, in the person of Usman Alkali Baba, is to be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three month or until he has obeyed the order of this court, made on the 21st October, 2011, in all things that are to be performed, whichever period is shorter.

“If at the end of the three months, the contemnor remains recalcitrant and still refuses to purge his contempt, he shall be committed for another period and until he purges his contempt,” Justice Olajuwon ruled.

Source: NAN

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Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mr Faleye Olaleye, said the police was aware of a trending video in which the assaulted officer, an Inspector, narrated how she was brutalised by an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

Police spokesperson in the state, SP Yemisi Opalola, stated in Osogbo on Wednesday, that Mr Olaleye had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Faleye Olaleye, is aware of the video of a woman Inspector, Olorunsogo Bamidele, allegedly assaulted by her Divisional Crime Officer, ASP Ajayi Mathew, in Ode-Omu division trending on social media.

“The commissioner has interviewed the police officers involved in this unprofessional act and consequently ordered thorough investigation of the incident to unravel circumstances that led to these unethical behaviours.

“The commissioner of police is assuring the general public that justice will prevail on the matter,’’ she stated.

Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba, has directed Mr Olaleye to investigate the alleged assault on Bamidele.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa, Adejobi, said the IGP would await the report of the investigation before taking necessary action.opalo

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Baba, has directed the Commissioner of Police, Osun, Mr Olaleye, to investigate the alleged assault on woman Insp Olorunsogo Bamidele by her Divisional Crime Officer in Ode-Omu.

“We assure the general public that justice will be done in the case to protect the core values and ethics of the Nigeria Police Force,’’ Adejobi stated.

READ ALSO: Fake police officer nabbed along Lagos Ibadan Expressway

In the viral video, Insp Bamidele showed injuries and blood stains all over her body.

She explained in the video that ASP Matthew assaulted her and threatened to kill her with a dane gun because she refused his love advances towards her.

Insp Bamidele also claimed that two police constables and 10 civilians were among those present when she was assaulted by the ASP Mathew on Tuesday.

“What is my offence?’’ she queried in the video.

She claimed that ASP Mathew stripped her naked in the process “because he asked me out that I should befriend him, but I said `no’, that I am a married woman and he started beating me,” she said in the video.

Source: NAN

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Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, is gradually becoming a ghost town for diplomats and foreign missions in the country. It is now a place to be avoided after the U.S Embassy issued a terror alert last week.

The U.S Embassy, in an advisory, warned its citizens in Nigeria to avoid such places as government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, athletic gatherings, transport terminals, law enforcement facilities, and international organisation offices, and was specific that Abuja will be the prime target of terrorists.

Aside from that, the Embassy also stated that it will reduce its services in Nigeria until further notice in response to the threat, warning U.S. citizens in Nigeria to avoid “all non-essential travel or movement, stay alert and avoid crowded areas”. They were also urged to review their personal security plans and keep their cell phones charged in case of emergency, and to also carry proper identification.

We pray that Abuja won’t fall into the hands of these invaders. Remember that those who carried out the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train actually threatened to capture Buhari.

No sooner has the advisory become public than other foreign embassies such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Bulgaria, Denmark and Germany also followed suit. Twenty-four hours later, most non-essential citizens of U.S. were ferried out of the country. As if that was not enough, one of the biggest malls in the FCT, Jabi Mall, also announced a temporary closure of its doors to customers, hinging its action on the security advice from the U.S.

Although the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that there was no cause for alarm and urged Abuja residents to go about their normal activities, many are not convinced that security agents are up to the task of offering any protection when or if the alleged terrorists strike. However, security agencies appear to have stepped up their game.

In what looks like a coordinated approach between the federal government and U.S security agents in Nigeria, a popular estate, Trademore, in Lugbe, was raided and two suspects said to be siblings were arrested. Josephine Adeh, Abuja FCT police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the raid said those arrested were believed to be part of a cell planning to carry out a terror attack in the city. “It is no longer news that there was a High Powered Sting Operation in Phase 3 at Trademore Estate, culminating in a complete shutdown of the estate. A combination of American Army and our DSS team were responsible. We are unable to give full details of the reason(s) behind the operation, however, we can confirm that there was an allegation of terrorist activities”.

The scale may gradually be falling from our eyes as to the real intention of the terrorist group that has held the nation by the jugular. When a well-known terror group started its activities over 10 years ago in Borno State under the leadership of Yusuf Mohammed, its sole aim was to carve out a place for itself where it could preach and live away from civilization, according to the dictates of its brand of Islam. Expectedly, Yusuf’s messages resonated well with many in the society to the extent that a Commissioner in the state resigned to be with the group.

It was not too surprising that Yusuf soon ran into trouble with law enforcement agents and was arrested by the military. Yusuf, upon his arrest, was handed over to the police, who, without recourse to the rule of law, extra-judicially killed Yusuf. The Boko Haram sect, whose ideology is that western education is forbidden for the people soon dropped its non-violent posture and with the arrival of other fighters across the Sahel, a dangerous sect was born.

Those who took over from Yusuf pledged allegiance to other terror groups across the world and soon enough, the much-needed arms and men birthed in Nigeria. It was at this stage that the agenda of the group to create an enclave for themselves in Nigeria received attention and support from foreign terrorist organisations.

While the Boko Haram crisis was brewing in the Northeast region of the country, the effect of climate change in the horns of Africa, which drove many pastoralists out of their comfort zones in search of fertile soil for food and water for their cattle, created another problem for the country from the Northwest flank.

The election of Muhammadu Buhari at the helm of affairs in Nigeria, gave the much-needed impetus for his brothers and their cattle to come in large numbers into a borderless Nigeria. Again, the body language of the President gave the impression of a man willing to tolerate the excesses of his kinsmen as the battle between farmers and herders became a daily occurrence in Nigeria with several lives lost and farm produce worth millions of naira destroyed. Of course, Buhari, a cattle farmer himself, inadvertently took sides with his kinsmen, resulting in many farmers having to abandon their farmlands.

Rather than seeing through the antic of the marauding group, that the real agenda of the foreign cattle-rearers was to take over the land of the natives for their business, Buhari and his government formally opened up Nigeria to the invaders. The government saw nothing wrong in normal human beings living in forests heralding cattle in the 21st century. In actual fact, we took a loan from the Chinese government to construct a railway line that will link Nigeria to Maradi in Niger Republic. Yet, we could not link most cities across the country with rail network. Several financial and bilateral assistance were rendered to the government of Niger Republic when many Nigerians at home are also in need of help from their government but none was forthcoming. We became Father Christmas, buying utility vehicles for  neighboring states. There were several attempts made by Buhari and those in his government to once again establish a grazing route for cattle so that herdsmen could move across the country unhindered and with little or no regard to host communities along the route who are farmers. The practice of modern-day ranching for cattle farmers was alien to our leaders.

A Water Resource Bill that would cede several kilometers of land to herdsmen and their cattle surfaced at the National Assembly, but many of our lawmakers saw through the bill and rejected it outright. However, a new version of the same Bill soon resurfaced, but clothed in a different garb.

READ ALSO: Floods: A nation submerged in water, By Kazeem Akintunde

Now, a combination of Yusuf’s group, terrorists looking for a safe haven in West Africa,  who are alleged affiliates of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and mercenaries who fight for a living, have turned Nigeria into one of the most insecure and unsafe countries in the world. They kidnap locals and collect huge sums of money which they channel toward the acquisition of more firearms. The same Buhari government with its posturing, that gave life to the activities of his brothers, has now become the target of the terror group. His seat of government, Abuja, is now the target and they are determined to succeed.

When former President Goodluck Jonathan was in power, several soft targets in the city were bombed. With Buhari, the elite Brigade of Guards guarding Mr. President has been attacked. Two senior army officers and one soldier lost their lives during the attack in Bwari. Kuje Prison, which housed many of the arrested terrorists, was invaded and the terrorists succeeded in freeing many of their comrades. This was done despite many security alerts that an attack was imminent on the facility. Till now, nobody has been questioned or punished for the attack, during which several lives were lost.

Early this year, the Federal Capital Territory Command of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) issued a similar terror alert. Subsequently, the Ministry of Education ordered the immediate closure of the Federal Government College, Kwali, in the FCT, over security threats. Similarly, the FCT authority issued a directive for all private schools in Abuja to be closed indefinitely. Now that schools have resumed, we are back in the same scenario and the whole of Abuja is now enveloped in tension.

Funnily, many Nigerians are not surprised at the turn of events in the country in recent times. As far back as 2017, a former Minister of Defence, General T. Y. Danjuma, warned Nigerians to defend themselves before they all die from what he termed ‘ethnic cleansing’ by the foreign invaders. Again, while speaking at the official presentation of Staff of Office to the new Aku Uka of Wukari a few days ago, Danjuma called on Nigerians to defend their land against terrorists who are bent on taking over. “My appeal to you, the new Aku Uka, is for you to unite us to be able to effectively defend ourselves against the enemies of the country. In 2017 when I called on the people to defend themselves, a kangaroo commission of inquiry was set up to investigate and they said I was lying because there was no evidence. Today in the country, there is evidence everywhere; that foreign bandits are killing and taking over lands in all places. I will not give you arms, you have to find out how the bandits got theirs and find yours too,” Mr Danjuma said.

Now, more than ever, is the time for Mr. President to deploy all at his disposal to go after these criminals.

Mr Danjuma’s instruction to his people in Taraba State also received support from the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to get sophisticated weapons for a regional security outfit – Amotekun – created by Southern state governors to defend their forests against bandits and kidnappers who strike at will and run to take cover in the bushes.

Sadly, the Federal Government does not appear willing to cooperate. Rather, it feels at home with the murdering and kidnapping of Nigerians by bandits and terrorists, majority of whom are foreigners in Nigeria.

With the seat of government now the target of the terrorists going by the recent terror alerts from foreign countries, it is hoped that our security agents would live up to the task of protecting the territorial sovereignty of the country. This government has been too complacent on so many issues. We pray that Abuja won’t fall into the hands of these invaders. Remember that those who carried out the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train actually threatened to capture Buhari. Now, more than ever, is the time for Mr. President to deploy all at his disposal to go after these criminals. That is why he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and also a retired General to boot.

See you next week.

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