The Nation Newspaper

Tag: raid

  • N2.5bn Everton raid for Moses

    N2.5bn Everton raid for Moses

    New Everton manager Roberto Martinez is considering a £10million (about N2.53 billion) move for Chelsea forward Victor Moses, following a reported snub of the Nigerian winger by Jose Mourinho.

    Moses, 22, faces an uncertain future at Chelsea as Mourinho is planning a rash of new signings to mount a fresh championship challenge at Stamford Bridge.

    Martinez was a key influence in developing Moses’ career at Wigan and likes his ability to play anywhere along the front line.

    Martinez would also like to return to Wigan to sign midfielder James McCarthy, as he hopes to continue the good work David Moyes did at Everton.

  • Hoodlums raid churches in Oshodi

    Three churches were raided by robbers on New Year’s Day in Oshodi, Lagos. The robbers accosted worshippers, who were returning home after the service to usher the New Year.

    They were said to have disposed people of their valuables and molested teenage girls. The invaded churches were Temple Rebuilders Ministry; Renewed Christian World Mission and Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) among others.

    Head pastor, Temple Rebuilders, Barnabas Otoibui, told The Nation that his office was broken into and ransacked.

    He said: “I think they were looking for money. Maybe they thought they would see money inside my office. See how they scattered my documents. The incident happened in my absence, we had finished service and I had left the church only for my members to call me much later to tell me about the incident.

    “After calming them on phone, I quickly ran back to the church premises because they said they were stranded as the hoodlums had carted away their money and other valuables. So, I had to ensure that they all went home safely.

    “Since this church was built in 2006, this is the first time robbers would attack us. I used to hear from my members how they robbed other churches, but they have never come here.

    “We went to report at the Makinde Police Station that night and I just thank God that the children were not hurt.”

    The church’s music director, Cyril Akhabue, said the robbers came in shortly after the cross-over service.

    He said: “They came at 3am on New Year’s Day when most of our members had gone home after the service. Those that were around were about 15 waiting for the day to break.

    “I was inside the music room when I heard children screaming ‘thief!’ I thought it was just one person so I came out and started fighting him not knowing there were seven others.

    “As I was struggling with that one, two of his friends brought out their guns while others were carrying machetes and other tools. They all started beating me and eventually, they tied me alongside two other men that were in the church.

  • Boko Haram: 20 arrested as soldiers raid hideouts in Abuja

    Boko Haram: 20 arrested as soldiers raid hideouts in Abuja

    Barely four days after a deadly attack on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS) office in Abuja, soldiers yesterday stormed suspected “cells” and hideouts of suspected members of Boko Haram in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Some of the suspected cells and shanties were burnt in Apo and Guzape districts.

    Also, security agencies have arrested more than 20 suspected members of Boko Haram members in the last five days in and around Abuja, following intelligence alert.

    Yesterday’s raid took about five hours with more than 100 cells and shanties buried in hills and valleys in the city destroyed by gun-wielding soldiers.

    It was gathered that the combing of the cells is part of a new pre-emptive strategy adopted by the government.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed had on Tuesday and Thursday held “crucial” meetings with security chiefs in the area.

    Soldiers were drafted to the marked cells in the hills and valleys following intelligence report.

    Our correspondent was trapped in the heavy traffic snarl generated by the “emergency” combing of the cells.

    Soldiers and some security officials in mufti declined to speak with our correspondent.

    A soldier shouted at this reporter: “Leave this area now. This is a special operation.”

    A source said: “We got intelligence report that some Boko Haram members and armed robbers have cells around this area and we decided to take pre-emptive steps. This particular area is notorious because of its hilly terrain but we will not relent until we clean the hills and valleys of criminal cells.

    “We have burnt more than 100 cells, make-shift camps and shanties locked in the hills and valleys. Some of these cells were not faraway from SARS office.

    “The armed raid will continue. If they could attack SARS, they can also storm any of the military and intelligence agencies in this area.

    “You can see that armed soldiers were involved in the combing to underscore the importance attached to this action.”

    It was gathered that security agencies have arrested more than 20 terror suspects in the last six days.

    Those arrested are undergoing interrogation in some detention facilities.

    Another source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have made some useful arrests. At least more than 20 suspected members of Boko Haram are undergoing interrogation. So, we have foiled plans by some terror groups, including Boko Haram, to strike.

    “As a matter of fact, we received report of plans to disrupt the just-concluded Abuja Carnival. We were able to do some surveillance and ensure that the carnival was hitch-free.

    “What we have adopted now is to be proactive. If we know that they want to carry out an operation, we burst it. This method has been helpful.”

  • Burglars raid Kwara Finance Ministry

    Suspected burglars have reportedly broken into the Kwara State Ministry of Finance.

    They were said to have carted away undisclosed amounts of money and documents, including their electronic backups, which detail government transactions from 2003 till date.

    It was learnt the suspected burglars first attempted to break into the Accountant-General’s Office in the ministry on September 21, but the security guards and the burglary-proof doors reportedly made it impossible.

    The attackers were said to have returned on Saturday night with assorted tools and grenades.

    They broke into the offices where the documents and money were kept, sources said.

    The story first surfaced on twitter, a social network, when a whistleblower mentioned it on Tuesday.

    It was said to have prompted a terse response from Dr Muideen Akorede, Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed’s spokesman, who called the incident a robbery.

    The governor’s spokesman added that the matter was being investigated.

    Akorede also made tacit confirmation of the foiled first attempt when he wrote on twitter: “Why would someone break into a place and return two days later?”

    He called the incident an attempt to blackmail the government and its officials.

    The governor’s spokesman refused to answer questions the whistleblower and others asked him on the incident.

    For instance, he was quiet on why the government treated the matter like an official secret and why there was no tighter security after the foiled attack on Friday night.

    More than a week after, neither the state government nor the police have spoken officially on the matter.

    It was not clear yesterday whether or not an arrest has been made.

    A source said: “Having failed in their first attempt, the burglars returned to the same place in the early hours of September 22. This time, they were armed with sophisticated weapons and equipment, including a power generating machine and grenades with which they blew up the door and other encumbrances.

    “While forcing their way into the place, they injured and disarmed the two security guards, one of who I understand jumped the fence and ran to the police for help. But rather than follow the security guard to the place, the police reportedly directed him to report at Division ‘C’ at Oja Oba in Ilorin, the state capital, then to Area ‘A’, which is in charge of the place. Later, he was asked to return to the state police command.”