The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd)

  • Elections: FG warns against threat to internal security

    As Nigerians prepare for the Feb. 16, and March 2, general elections, the Federal Government on Monday, warned against any form of threat to internal security, before, during and after the polls.

    The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd) issued the warning in Abuja, in a statement signed by Mr Mohammed Manga, the ministry’s Director of Press & Public Relations.

    Dambazau said that President Muhammadu Buhari, was committed to ensuring free, fair and credible elections; and that “in order to achieve this commitment, elections must be peaceful.

    “Therefore, government will leave no stone un-turned in its efforts towards free, fair and credible elections.

    “The Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies have been directed to arrest and prosecute anyone threatening internal security either in form of possession of weapons of any type.

    “Interfering or causing election related disturbances, threats of violence and intimidation during the elections, disturbance of peace or involvement in political thuggery, will be decisively dealt with in accordance with the laws,” Dambazau said.

    He advised parents to ensure that their children were not used by desperate politicians to disrupt the electoral process, as security agencies had been mandated to guard against any form of internal security threats before, during and after the elections.

    The minister said similarly, “anyone found to be involved in sponsoring political thuggery, violence or threat to internal security will face the wrath of the law”.

    He said that Nigerians had the right to belong to any political party and vote candidates of their choice; adding that; “as such, politicians must give them the opportunity to do so”.

    According to Dambazau, government has put in place adequate security architecture to neutralise all forms of security threats that may occur before, during and after the elections.

    While praying for God’s guidance and protection during the polls, the minister wished all Nigerians peaceful elections. (NAN)

  • Fed Govt to recruit 6,000 officials

    The Federal Government will recruit 6,000 personnel for the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) to address manpower shortage, Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), said yesterday.

    Dambazau spoke when he assessed damages in Sunday’s jailbreak at the Medium Security Prison in Minna.

    He said: “We are aware of inadequate manpower, so the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to recruit 6,000 persons to beef up security in and around prison formations across the country.”

    The minister said of the 210 escaped inmates, 28 have been re-arrested while 182 were still at large.

    “We have identified some lapses and we will make some amendments, part of it is that the prison personnel on duty yesterday were inadequate,” Dambazau added.

    The minister noted that two inmates, whose execution was to be confirmed yesterday, were among the escapees. He said the inmates might have masterminded the jailbreak.

    Dambazau said investigations have begun and the outcome would help to know the next line of action.

    Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) Jafaru Ahmed also confirmed that investigations had started.

    He doused fears that that prison was attacked due to the presence of Boko Haram inmates, saying: “There is no Boko Haram suspect in Minna prison. We don’t know the attackers yet but investigations will reveal that.”

    Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello described the incident as unfortunate. He said the state would work with the Federal Government to prevent a recurrence.

  • Security chiefs debunk reports of 150 deaths in C/River communal clash

    Security chiefs debunk reports of 150 deaths in C/River communal clash

    The Cross River State Commissioner of Police Monday said reports that 150 persons were killed in the clash between Wanikade and Wanihem communities in Yala local government area recently, were untrue.

    Speaking when he received the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), who was on a fact finding visit following the reports, in the company of all the security commanders in the state, Inuwa said going by details of their findings in the aftermath of the communal clash, the alarming figure of 150 persons reported killed were false as nobody in both communities could give names of those killed nor show graves of those that were claimed to be killed and buried.

    “What they told us is that their cultural practice is to bury immediately anybody that is killed at battle fronts but when we insisted to see the graves of some, only one grave was shown to us. And as for the number of houses destroyed, the figure was also false because the totality of the houses in the communities can be sum up to only about five hundred and not all the houses were destroyed, so we wonder where they figure of over 1200 houses being destroyed were gotten,” he said.

    The Brigade Commander of the 13th Brigade Army in Calabar, Brigadier-General Ismaila Isa, corroborated the briefing by the Commissioner of Police saying that incidentally he was around the area when the news broke.

    State Director of the Department of State Security Services DSS, Mr. Fubara Duke, also speaking along the same lines said, “if the number of death is to be put going by the single grave shown us, then it’s only one. Though houses were destroyed but certainly not the figures given because the total number of houses in the two communities are far less than what is said to have been destroyed.”

    The Minister was also briefed by heads of Immigrations, Customs and Civil Defense in the state before he proceeded to pay a courtesy visit on the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade.

    At the governor’s office, Lt. Gen. Dambazau told Ayade that the Federal Government heard news of the communal clash and the alarming number of deaths which prompted his coming to the state.

    He said that though reports he had gotten showed that the figures were not true, every life was important, hence he will visit the communities himself to see how both short and long term measures would prevent a reoccurrence of such clash.

    Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade thanked the Federal Government for the prompt response.

    He said the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, have shown love and concern for Cross River State.

    He said the state was grateful and was praying that President Muhammadu Buhari will recover soon.

  • FG declares Tuesday, Wednesday public holiday

    FG declares Tuesday, Wednesday public holiday

    The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, 5th and Wednesday, 6th July, 2016 as Public Holiday to mark Eid-el Fitri Celebrations.

    Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), who made the declaration Thursday on behalf of the Federal Government, enjoined all Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to extend the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, which are love, peace and justice to their daily living and through this contribute to the development of the nation.

    According to a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of    Interior, Bassey Akpanyung, the minister also urged all Nigerians to use the opportunity of this spiritual rejuvenation to reflect on the imperative of unity and peaceful co-existence in strengthening the bond of togetherness for a strong, virile Nation.

    Dambazau while wishing Nigerians a peaceful celebration, urged total support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s vowed determination to bequeath to the nation an enduring political legacy.