The Nation Newspaper

Tag: factory

  • Army chief unveils tailoring factory

    Army chief unveils tailoring factory

    As part of efforts to stop impersonators and reposition the army, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah yesterday unveiled the Nigerian Army (NA) Ordinance tailoring factory, located in Yaba, Lagos.

    Minimah, who has been in Lagos for a week-long familiarisation tour of units and formations under the 81 Division, had earlier told army personnel of plans to change their uniforms and ensure uniformity before the end of the year.

    He charged the NA Ordnance Corps to optimally utilise provided materials and ensure quality production that can facilitate patronage from other military and security services as well as attract commercial interests.

    Unveiling the factory, Minimah said it was a product of continuity aimed at ensuring that troops are kitted with the same type, standard and quality of military wears that will be produced by the factory.

    He said efforts are being made towards self reliance by ensuring that local materials would be used in the production of army uniforms, which will in turn boost local contents and create employment.

    In his welcome address, the Corps Commander, Maj-Gen Adekunle Martins said the factory would operate at full capacity and would run three shifts of 200 tailors each per day.

    “By so doing, the army would be providing employment for over six hundred persons per day as part of its contribution to reducing unemployment.

    “The factory has a computerised cutting machine capable of cutting about two thousand pairs of uniforms in six hours, among other facilities,” he said.

  • War against Akwa Ibom ‘baby factory’ operators

    After winning the war against branding of children as witches and wizards,  Akwa Ibom State has turned the heat on “baby factory” operators, writes Kazeem Ibrahym

    The battle used to be against pastors, parents and others who branded children witches and wizards. That era, the state earned so much bad press, especially overseas. Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio had no choice but to pass the Child Rights Bill into law in 2008. The events leading to the passage of the law are still fresh in the memories of many. A report on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) detailed the inhuman  treatment meted to suspected child-witches by their parents and communities. In the report that went viral, a self-styled cleric, Bishop Sunday William, declared that 2.3 million witches and wizards existed in the state – most of them, according to him, were children.

    Williams also claimed that he helped parents kill about 110 “child-witches” for as much as N400,000 per ‘witch’. The BBC documentary on the activities of his church went viral. It angered Akpabio that a ‘Bishop’ would declare that 2.3 million of the 4 million people in the state are witches and wizards.

    As the problem of branding children “witches” and “wizards” is going down in the state, criminals have devised another means of making quick money. They abduct children either from school or church and sell them. Some of them also operate ‘’baby factory’’, using boys between 18 and 25 to impregnate young girls.

    In the last three months, the police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested many suspects allegedly involved in “baby factory” business.

    In May, a traditional doctor and four others were arrested by the police for the stealing of a three-year-old baby. Commissioner of Police Umar Gwadabe listed the names of the accused persons as Miss. Imaobong Udoh, mother of the baby, Mrs. Regina James, buyer and Mr. Mfon James, her husband.

    Others, according to the police boss, are: Mrs. Comfort Henry, the traditional birth attendant who delivered the baby and Mr. Emmanuel Okon, a homeopathic doctor. The police boss explained that Mrs. James paid N150, 000, to the mother of the baby and N110, 000 to the homeopathic doctor for his transaction.

    His words: “On March 3, 2014, a case of child stealing was reported by Mr. Eteobong James, of No. 33 to the police where a three day old baby girl was sold for N260, 000. Based on the report, the suspects were arrested. Mr. Emmanuel Etim Okon,is the one who arranged the infamous deal and personally conveyed the baby from point of delivery at Nna-Enin in Urhan Local Government Area to the buyers at No. 37 Church Road, Uyo.”

    Gwadabe, who warned criminals, especially those involved in stealing of children, to desist from it as the state would not be conducive for their illicit trade.

    To fight this, the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, has taken the violence against the children’s campaign to some churches in the rural areas of the state as a way of sensitising the parents on the dangers in giving their children out to either friends or relatives for training.

    Mrs. Akpabio, who is the Chairperson of the Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI), told the parents during her visit to worship at Christ Faith Church, Utu in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, that they should take advantage of the free and compulsory education policy and stop giving their children out for any pecuniary motives.

    Mrs. Akpabio described children as the greatest assets of any nation, saying when a child is protected; the future of a nation is also protected.

    She said: “On my way to Ukanafun, I noticed that some small children were walking on the streets and that is not good enough. I want to tell you that they have started kidnapping our young children. I don’t want you to take your children to church and leave them outside while you are inside the church. Sometimes they come into the church to kidnap our children. After the kidnap they sell the children. Don’t give your children out to anybody for training. Take advantage of the state’s government free and compulsory education policy and send your children to school.

    “When they kidnap your male child, they sell him between N400, 000 and N450, 000 while the female child goes for N250, 000. Know that our children are worth more that many tubers of yam they will promise you. If you are suffering, let your children suffer with you. Be careful where you send your child to. Tell the people that your child is not for sale.”

    Mrs. Akpabio, who also frowned at the issue of “baby factory business”, said the government would eradicate it.

    She said: “They are using the female children for prostitution business. They get them pregnant and sell the babies. Let any child that is not up to 18 years stay with you. Don’t allow anybody to useless your child. Don’t truncate your child’s education. It is only education that will make your child great.”

    The governor’s wife, who later gave out some gift items and cash to widows in the church, also donated N2million for the completion of the church project.

    In the entourage of the governor’s wife were Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Glory Edet; Information and Communications Commissioner Mr. Aniekan Umanah; wife of the State Secretary to Government, Martha Emmanuel; and wives of other commissioners.

    From Christ Faith Church, she took her campaign to two other churches, Qua Iboe Church of Nigeria in Ikpe Atai, Etim Ekpo Local Government Area and The Apostolic Church, Nigeria, Ikot Akpa Nkuk Area Headquarters, in Ukanafun Local Government Area.

    At both churches, Mrs. Akpabio’s messages to the parents were not different. She warned them to resist any attempt by anybody to truncate the future of their children as a result of an instant gratification. She gave a cash donation of N500, 000 and N1million to the two churches.

    Mrs Emmanuel commended Akpabio for his holistic approach to the protection of children in Akwa Ibom State, by signing the Child Rights bill into Law.

     

  • Kaduna revives food processing factory

    Kaduna revives food processing factory

    What does Kaduna State get from its abundant tomatoes? Pretty little indeed. Its farmers are among the largest producers of the crop in the country, yet neither the growers nor the state have reaped bountifully from it. Every year, most of the farmers’ harvest is wasted. Why?  Only a fraction of what is produced is sold or consumed, and there are no storage facilities. In season, a basket of tomatoes is sold for as little as N2,500.

    Has the state always ignored this challenge? No. The establishment of the Ikara Food Company by the state government was meant to put to use the tomato produced in commercial quantity in the area. But like many other state-owned firms across the country, the food company whose idea was mooted by the government of Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa in the Second Republic remained dormant since its inauguration by former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida during the Tanko Ayuba regime.

    It was Balarabe Musa who saw the need to tap into the vast potentials available in the state to create jobs for the teeming youths. But the company never took off before he was impeached and it remained a dream until the Tanko Ayuba military government revived and completed the project. It was commissioned by General Ibrahim Babangida at an elaborate ceremony where the civilian government of the late Alhaji Mohammed Dabo Lere was introduced to the people of the state. The commissioning of the plant was among the last activities of the Tanko Ayuba government in the state before handing over the reign of government to Alhaji Dabo Mohammed Lere.

    The Ikara Food Processing Company is back, under a Public Private Partnership, which some reckon will ensure that the tomatoes produced in the state are no longer wasted.

    The state deputy governor hinted earlier on the reopening of the factory when he told reporters that the government had concluded negotiations with a foreign firm to take over the company on a PPP arrangement as part of government’s effort to generate employment and improve the revenue base of the government.

    Governor Mukthar Ramalan Yero said while handing over the company to the new owners, Springfield Agro Limited that the move was part of his administration’s commitment to continuity and actualization of all projects initiated by past administrations in the State. Governor Yero said “our administration remains focused in achieving the objective of boosting investment by encouraging private sector participation, in the economic growth and development of the State. As you may be aware the State Government is fashioning out its Policy Framework on Investment, Commerce & Industry (PFI&CI), tailored towards providing the much needed enabling environment for private investors to do business with ease in Kaduna State. Apart from tomato, Kaduna State is blessed with other important crops, such as maize, cassava, ginger, groundnut, and mineral resources, whose value-chain development could be a source of employment for our teeming unemployed youths, create wealth and reduce poverty. We are committed to supporting MSMEs, who would venture into agro processing, so as to take full advantage of this.”

    An elated Yero said that the state government was negotiating with other foreign investors with a view to ensuring that other state owned companies are put into productive use. He stressed that as a way of explore the value chain advantage of the crops available in the state, negotiations have reached advance stage with potential partners towards reopening the Makarfi Sugar Company, the Kachia Ginger Processing Company, the Zaria Pharmaceutical Company and Kafanchan Flour Mills. He said “apart from tomato, Kaduna State is blessed with other important crops such as maize, cassava, ginger, groundnut, and mineral resources, whose value-chain development could be a source of employment for our teeming unemployed youths, create wealth and reduce poverty. We are committed to supporting MSMEs, who would venture into agro processing, so as to take full advantage of this”.

    The governor asked the operators of the Ikara Tomato Company; Messrs Springfield Agro Limited to revamp the company as contained in the agreement entered with the State Government saying “I must congratulate Springfield Agro Ltd for emerging successful out of many Companies that bid for Ikara Food Processing Company Limited. Your selection was purely based on merit, and we hope you will not let the State Government and the people down. It is also pertinent to inform Springfield Agro Ltd that, though Ikara Food Processing Company Limited was established 33 years ago, it is still in good condition and operational. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure proper maintenance culture of the factory, machinery and equipment. It is now your responsibility to properly secure facilities at this factory against theft and vandalism. Above all, the Lease Agreement that was signed today should be strictly adhered to for the benefit of both parties in the agreement.”

    The Nation gathered that the company has an installed capacity for processing of 16,950 tons of tomato, 5,760 tons of mangos, 5,120 tons of oranges and 780 tons of pineapple per annum which are to be sourced locally. The factory also has 700 hectares of land purposely for tomato farming.

    The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Joshua Shekarau Uchissa said the leasing of the company was a step in the right direction, adding it is expected to generate employment, create business activities and boost farming. Managing Director of Kewalram Group, owners of Springfield Agro Limited, Mr. Tarun K. Das expressed the commitment of his company to ensuring the viability of the company. He said that the management were committed to reviving the company and will immediately move into action.

    An agricultural expert and environmentalist, Shedrack Madlion told The Nation that the leasing of the company was a step in the right direction. He wondered why it has taken the state government such a long time to realise the potentials available in the area and the need to reopen the factory. He noted that although government has no business running companies, the decision to give the company to private investors was commendable and implores them to hasten negotiation with investors so that the other companies can be reopened. He said “as you know, Kaduna has one of the best gingers in the world and the ginger factor has established by the state government had never been put to productive use. If you go to the southern part of the state, you will see large quantity of ginger wasting and the farmers keep cultivating without benefiting adequately from what they cultivate. The same thing applies to the people of Ikara and environs who farm tomato. Before now, you will see a lot of tomato wasting, but with the reopening of the factory, the farmers will have a ready market for their tomato”.

    Some of the farmers in the area spoken to expressed happiness about the reopening of the factory. One of them, Mohammed Ikara said “I am happy that this factory will soon begin to work. I will have a good market for my tomato now. Before now, we use to sell at a very cheap rate so that they will not waste. But now, I am sure that we will make some good money from our sweat. Our boys too will have jobs to do and our area will be opened as many people will be coming here to do business.”

  • A trip to Ogun baby factories

    A trip to Ogun baby factories

    The imposing one-storey building within what appeared to be an emerging elite setting of Akinremi Estate in  Adigbe, Abeokuta area of Ogun State, may pass for residential apartment in the estimation of not a few residents around that serene neighbourhood.

    Residents who spoke amid fear of being witch-hunted, said until now, they knew nothing about the existence of a ‘baby factory’ in their midst and how long it has been in operation.

    For years, they have lived with the notion that probably the landlord and tenants occupied it, solely as home and nothing gave them an inkling that something much more goes on there.

    The ignorance of neighbours and others around the vicinity was not helped by its seemingly elite look, the non-descript or open access way to the estate – a shallow stream separated the estate from others making it to have a blind alley or close, coupled with the high rise perimeter fence and gate which ensured that outsiders or unwanted visitors rarely know what happens there.

    When The Nation visited the place, the area look forlorn and deserted while the building is a shadow of its former beauty. Wreckages of burnt vehicles and other household items gave an impression of a home devastated as in war situation but bricklayers had since began re-erecting the perimeter fence brought down by surging irate youths, who stormed the building.

    One of the bricklayers, who declined to disclose his name said, the landlord lives in London and that he was contacted to carry out the repair work on the fence by someone who has link with the landlord.

    The veil of secrecy over the home broke on April 3, as a  detachment of policemen from Adigbe Divisional Police Headquarters, burst it and rescued five children and three pregnant women holed up there as it, allegedly, served as baby factory to the operator.

    The Police also arrested the wife of the suspected operator.

    Curious residents who were scandalised by the discovery torched the building. Also torched were two vehicles; a Toyota Camry salon car marked (Lagos) EKY 942 AJ, and a Mitsubushi salon car marked (Lagos) AGL 971 BH, parked within the premise.

    It was the intervention of officials of the Ogun State Fire Service, who arrived the scene in two vehicles marked OG 124 A 09 and OG 122 A 09 to put out the fire that prevented the building from being razed.

    Same ignorance of residents was observed about a baby factory in Akute area of the state, where a detachment of the anti-crime team attached to the Ajuwon Division of Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force had following intelligence gathering, stormed a baby making factory there and found pregnant women being kept and nurtured to produce babies for sale.

    The Police during the raid, arrested the owner, Mrs Chigozie Angela, 39, and also rescued one Blessing and eight other pregnant girls aged between 16 and 22 years within the facility.

    As was the case at Adigbe, The Nation gathered the building is owned by someone residing abroad and that it is also the subject of litigation in court between the man and his wife.

    For Adigbe baby factory, the lid was blown open when one of the victims escaped from the facility and took refuge in a building located around the estate and pleaded with the occupants to save her from her captors.

    The pregnant girl, it was gathered, confided in those shielding her from further abuse, telling them that her elder sister sold her and her unborn baby to the operator of the facility for N100,000.

    Upon hearing the reprehensible occurrence, the people were said to have informed the police, who eventually carried out a raid on the home.

    But a twist also crept in and soon a ritual dimension was added as the irate youths who set the building ablaze were said to be looking  for a cooler and a can believed to contain fresh human blood suspected to be in use for ritual purposes.

    The youths, who were believed to be students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, after a thorough search of the building were said to have found ritual items such as ivory plate containing fresh blood, coffin, effigy, dried scorpions and assorted charms.

    Also said to have been discovered are international e-passport, identity cards of Junior and Senior Secondary School students of Sacred Heart Catholic College, Oke-Ilewo.

    Many are wondering why people are into making baby for commercial purpose, with some also saying if there are no end users for what comes out of the ‘baby factories’, the business would not be booming, albeit underground as it takes two tango.

    Dr. Adewunmi Alayaki said, the phenomenon is a response to infertility challenges by women who have tried many times to conceive without success, such women he added, elected to follow shortcuts to have children that are not really theirs.

    Alayaki, who is with the State General Hospital, Ilaro, said such women either do not explore fully the medical solutions to infertility such as InVitro Fertilisation (IVF) or were put off by the high cost of obtaining IVF and also the low success rate, hence the recourse to buying children they can see and can afford.

    According to the family physician, it cost between N850,000 and N2.5m to have IVF whether in Nigeria or abroad which some couples looking for children can’t afford.

    Alayaki, however, doubted whether the booming business was all about women looking for children to purchase, saying it is not common for people who were not seen to be pregnant to suddenly emerge with new born babies as theirs.

    According to him, the baby factory could be the work of ritual syndicates who operate such underground facility for purpose of getting steady and reliably supplies when they have needs to make sacrifices or renew devilish oaths with blood of innocent babies.

    Also, Rev. Olusola Ladega of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) gave a religious dimension to the nefarious and illicit business.

    Ladega, who is in charge of St. James Anglican Church, Federal Housing Estate, Elega, Abeokuta, said those making babies for commercial purposes are ungodly. They lack the fear of God and have concluded within themselves that there is no more hope of making it in life by legitimate means hence their recourse to the sinful practice.

    He also said those who buy babies from ‘baby factory,’ are as “guilty” as the operator and the girls that procreate for sale, noting that it is their destiny they are hurting.

    According to him, the driving force is man’s lack of faith in God to fulfill His promise regarding blessings of wealth and children, hence the recourse to self-help and unethical practices.

    He recalled an experience of someone close to him, who was desperate to have a child saying when it delayed in coming, the woman began to consider the sinful option of going to buy a baby but was counseled against such action and with prayer she was also encouraged to keep waiting for God’s time.

    The clergy explained further that few years later, the woman became pregnant and  delivered twins after nine months, and wondered what would have been the fate of the woman today coupled with  the likely burden of inner guilt and insecurity that could be haunting her, if she had yielded to the craving to patronise baby selling syndicate.

    A Sociologist, Dr Sola Arowolo, sees the prevalence of baby factories as a multi-faceted issue and ascribed it to the nation’s cultural practice which sees women or a couple without children as failure and accursed ones.

    Arowolo, who is the Department of Sociology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, said because of celebration of wrong values, the society does accord anything to a childless woman, if she is married and the husband passes on, she gets nothing out of the marriage, in some cases, she is driven away from her matrimonial home.

    According to the don, women who face infertility problem could out of desperation resort to getting babies through surrogate mothers who are being paid for that purpose.

    He also identified the general economic malaise, the get rich quick syndrome, the political environment where some of the players in a bid to acquire power and office at all cost, engage in human sacrifices, as factors fuelling baby factory phenomenon.

    Meanwhile, the Ogun State government has said that the affected building, if it was proven that suspects are also the owners, would be “sealed up”, though the position of the court would be awaited because of the criminal nature of the matter.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Elizabeth Sonubi, said: “unfortunately, I understand that the owner of the building is not even in Nigeria. So, I’m not sure the landlord or landlady, is aware because the suspected operators of the building are not the owner of the house. If they are the owner, definitely the government will seal it.

    “The owner of the house, I’m sure he is not aware of the kind of business the tenants were doing and anyway, the government can’t just take over the building, the criminal is in the police net, they (Police) are going to charge her and of course, they have been looking for the husband and if charged to Court, we will definitely wait for the court judgment. I pray that the judiciary will do its best. And now that it is in public domain, the judiciary will do justice to the case.”

    On the rescued the victims, two of which have delivered a boy and girl, respectively, she said: “the child development department actually is saddled with the responsibility of seeing to the protection, survival and development of children in general, we have the capacity and the facilities to take care of them and the political will is there, we have the support of our Governor.

    “So, immediately when we got to the police station, we requested that we are ready to take care of this children and so we brought them into this home, because we believe that they are pregnant and they are already victims and where they are coming from, from the story they told us, is like they are in darkness because they were locked up, they don’t even see sunlight.

    “The first thing we did was to see to their welfare, to ensure that medically and physically they are okay, including the fruit in their wombs and they can attest to that and that is why they are not even ready to go back to their state.”

    “We thank God that we have the political will, the support of our Governor and we have capable hands here in the home as mothers and they have been taking good care of them. We had to change their wears, so that they will be physically okay. Psychologically we have been counseling them to know that though they are victims, they can still live a better life.

    “Many of them are ready to go back to school to continue with their education and we have taken them to the hospital, you can hear them say that this is the first time  they will know that pregnant woman needs to go to the hospital and they have done a lot of tests, did scan.

    “Like the 17year-old that gave birth to the baby we have christened, the baby initially was in breach, the doctors rallied round, initially they wanted to do operation for her but to the glory of God she was able to deliver by herself so that means it is not only the Ministry of Women Affairs that are taking care of this children, the ministry of health too are also involved, it is a team work and we thank God they have delivered safely.

    “We have interfaced with their state, I spoke with the Commissioner of Women Affairs in Abia, we send them correspondence to let them know that their indigenes are here and they need to come and take them, so they are making preparation to come for their repatriation.”

  • Baby factory: Two arrested in Ebonyi

    The police in Ebonyi State have arrested two suspects who were allegedly involved in the operation of a baby factory in Imo State.

    Police spokesman Sylvester Igbo said one of the suspects, Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, allegedly specialises in bringing expectant girls to Amaraku, Amaigbo in Nwangele Local Government Area, where the factory is located.

    Agwu was said to have taken a teenager, Uchechi Sunday, from Amasiri in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State to the “baby factory”, telling her he was taking her to a provision store to be employed as a sales girl.

    At the factory, Uchechi was shocked to discover that expectant girls were in the building.

    She remained there till June when she was delivered of her baby.

    Uchechi was taken to Okigwe, separated from her baby, and given N10,000 to go back to Amasiri.

    Angered by the development, her parents reported the incident to the police.

    Igbo said police investigation led to the arrest of the suspect and a nurse, Gloria Ezenwa, in Feziechi Hospital at Orlu, which served as a referral centre to the “baby factory”.

    The police spokesman said they would intensify efforts to ensure the arrest of the proprietor of the “baby factory”, Madam Favour, now at large.

    But Agwu said he was contacted by the proprietor to recruit three sales girls for her.

    He denied receiving money from the proprietor, whom he claimed ran a chemist’s shop in Orlu.

  • A factory is a factory

    Late last week, the State director of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) in one of the Southeast States made yet another discovery of a baby factory. He arrested a medical doctor who was running a foundation that keeps girls and even women who apparently make babies for a living. The doctor was of course arrested and according to the DSS, he will face prosecution.

    Hardball, using his special device, listened in to the proceedings of the interrogation of the doctor: Why have you, a trained medical doctor, decided to delve into this heinous and immoral act? The doctor delved into a long, winding explanation to the effect that: See officer, this is between us and I am talking to you as a friend and brother. I will give you the low down because I have not committed any offence against the law. I am only helping these people and helping myself too.

    He continues, I have left medical school for nearly two decades now and I could not make any head way. Even when I set up my own hospital, nothing tangible was coming in because of our crushing operating environment, even the little you make goes to overhead like diesel and generator repairs. Then the local herbs vendors took over as more people patronize them and fewer still came to the hospital. You remember we used to make up with what is popularly called D&C or abortion, but that one too was not forthcoming. We later found out that some smart people now warehouse pregnant young girls, nurse them to delivery and buy the baby off them. They found that babies are in high demand all over the world. In fact new born babies are the hottest merchandise you can ever have today.

    Between us, this business is far bigger than you know and new methods are devised daily. It is like drug peddling, the money in it is too tempting so it is not going to stop soon. But one point you must realise is that some of these pregnancies could have been flushed out with the attendant complications and even deaths because young girls who get mistakenly pregnant in our society are treated like taboo, nobody cares for them; not even the government that is shouting about baby factory.

    But the reality today my brother is that a factory is a factory o. Things are so difficult in Nigeria today, especially in the hinterland that any factory at all will help. You must have noticed that there were even women, 35 to 39 years old women in my foundation (please don’t call it factory again) when your men came. Some of them are widows. Do you think I forced them to come; they need the money. Some of them have not touched N50,000 in their entire lifes. In fact some of them will not be able to count N100,000 if you hand it to them, they can even go crazy if they see such money.

    So when you people shout baby factory, baby factory, we just laugh at you because you do not know the good we are doing the society. We are saving new born babies, we are giving succor to traumatised young girls, we are providing ‘employment’ for virile young men who could have turned to kidnapping or robbery. By the way, when was the last time any government opened a factory in the Southeast? All these teeming youths how are you going to engage them? When was the last time you saw any economic activity in any local government around here?

    You see officer, this so-called baby factory is just the symptom of a dying society. Even if you manage to close down all the baby factories around here (which is impossible) other kinds of factories will spring up. As they say, nature abhors vacuum. When a few people cart away funds meant for the generality, the generality will have to make a way for themselves…He went on and on.

    Officer was short for words just as Hardball, the eavesdropper, was dumbfounded.

     

  • Two killed in Boko Haram ‘factory’ battle

    Two killed in Boko Haram ‘factory’ battle

    ALL was tense yesterday in Zaria, Kaduna State as security operatives stormed a suspected Boko Haram hideout.

    Residents of the university town woke up to sounds of gunshots as security men and members of the sect slugged it out in Gaskiya. Two members of the sect were killed.

    But in Minna, the Niger State capital, two policemen were shot dead by people believed to be members of the Boko Haram (western education is a sin).

    It was learnt that a combined team of the military, the police and the State Security Service (SSS) raided the house in the Gaskiya new layout, following intelligence reports that it was being used to manufacture bombs.

    Sources in Zaria said residents of the area were restricted by soldiers while the gun battle lasted.

    Two sect members and others were injured. Some arrests were also made by the security operatives.

    The source said the leader of the group, identified as Hussaini Mohammed, escaped before the operation, leaving his wife and other members behind.

    The raid followed report that the sect was planning to attack some churches in Zaria yesterday.

    Another source said on arrival at the area at about 2.00am for the joint operation, the security operatives evacuated residents of the neigbouring households to safer places before engaging the suspected sect members in the gun battle.

    About seven houses were said to have been affected by the exchange of fire.

    Traffic to Gaskiya, which houses a campus of the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, were diverted to other routes.

    At about 9.00am, there was an explosion, which caused panic among residents, a source said. Another said the bomb was detonated by men of the anti-bomb squad at the Magume Junction, linking Gaskiya layout to the major road.

    Kaduna State Police Commissioner Mr. Adefemi Adenaike said the situation had been brought under control, adding: “It is a joint military, police and SSS operation that we started on Thursday. Some suspected members were traced to that area and we discovered that they were manufacturing this Improvised Explosive Device (IED) there.

    “We eventually stormed the place this morning (Sunday) at about 2am and that was the cause of the explosion. Some guns, vehicles and IED making materials were recovered. I can’t give you any number now because I want them to be brought to Kaduna. But there is no cause for alarm. They died; we are ok. The uniform services are ok, but they died.”

    Army spokesman Captain Ibrahim Abdullahi said the security agents acted on a tip-off that the sect was planning a major suicide operation in Zaria, Kaduna and Suleja to coincide with the independence anniversary. The joint operation, he said, was to stop them.

    He said they discovered heavily loaded explosives in a warehouse for the production of Improvised Explosive Devices, adding that controlled detonation had to be carried out by Army Engineers so as to save the residents of the area.

    Besides, said Captain Abdullahi, it was to stop the planning and execution of destructive, criminal and deadly activities of the sect.

    In Minna, two policemen – a Sergeant and a Constable – were shot dead by hoodlums suspected to be members of Boko Haram at the weekend.

    Six months ago, five policemen were killed in a similar situation at Maje Police Post in Minna.

    According to an eye witness, gunmen attacked the policemen at Kpakungun Roundabout, a few metres from the Kpakungun Divisional Police Headquarter at about 8:25 pm.

    It was gathered that the gunmen, who came in a black Golf car, shot two of the three policemen who were on surveillance and went away with their guns.

    It was gathered that the gunmen dropped two of their members a few metres to the surveillance point while others in the car drove towards the policemen, who stopped the vehicle for checking.

    The constable, who stopped the car for checking, was shot by one of the gunmen in the car. The sergeant, who was with him was shot by one of the gunmen on foot, who had earlier been dropped by his colleagues.

    The gunmen carted away the guns of the slain policemen and started shooting in the air to scare people away as the third Police officer beat a retreat.

    The attack on the police led to the restriction of motorcycle movement in Minna from 7pm till 7am.

    Police spokesman Pius Edobor said they were on the trail of the hoodlums.