The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Security forces

  • Security forces rescue abducted FMC Owo health worker

    Security forces rescue abducted FMC Owo health worker

    The abducted staff of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo in Ondo State, Pastor Ayodeji Akesinro, has regained freedom after a successful security operation. 

    Akesinro, who was seized by gunmen on Thursday night at his residence in Upenme, Owo Local Government Area, was rescued in the early hours of Saturday following a coordinated effort by the security operatives.

    A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Akesinro’s release was confirmed in a statement by Ondo police spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade. 

    According to Ayanlade, the Owo Area Command, working in synergy with the Upenme Vigilante Group, deployed credible intelligence and embarked on an aggressive “bush-combing” operation between Thursday and Friday night.

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    “Their sustained efforts paid off when the kidnappers, confronted in a gun duel, were forced to flee, abandoning the victim. He was rescued unhurt, without any ransom being paid. 

    “He was immediately rushed to FMC Owo for medical attention and has since been joyfully reunited with his family,” the statement reads.

    The command commended the “gallantry and resilience of both the police operatives and the vigilante group”, noting that their collaboration was instrumental in ensuring Akesinro’s safe rescue.

  • Britain pledges support for Afghan security forces

    Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson promised Britain’s continued support for Afghan security forces a statement from the National Security Adviser’s Office said on Friday.

    Williamson made the promise in a meeting with Afghanistan’s newly-appointed national security adviser,  Hamdullah Mohib in the capital Kabul, according to the statement.

    The British minister was quoted by the statement as saying that until his country can ensure security on the streets of Afghanistan, people won’t feel security back in Britain.

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    Mohib said Afghanistan would seize any opportunity to improve security in the country, so that future generations could be spared the current bloodshed, as the country battles a Taliban insurgency and the rising threat of Islamic State terrorism.

    Britain has agreed to send an additional 440 soldiers to Afghanistan to train security forces.

    Half are set to arrive in August and the remainder in February 2019, according to British media reports.

    With the additional troops, the overall number of Britain’s boots on the ground in Afghanistan will rise to around 1,100.

  • Boko Haram in gun battle with security forces

    •Army calls for calm

    Boko Haram terrorists have launched an attack on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, it was learnt last night.

    Residents said the insurgents are in a heavy exchange of fire from Molai village on the Damboa-Biu road.

    A worker with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Aliyu, said they were stranded in the office as all access roads were blocked.

    Another resident said they were locked down by traffic as many people are hurriedly going home.

    Details of the attack were still sketchy as at last night.

    The Army have however called on the residents to remain indoors and not panic.

    A statement by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Kingsley Samuel, said the situation was under control. It, however, urged the people to be vigilant.

    The statement reads: “The public is requested not to panic and discountenance rumours of Boko Haram presence.

    “You are further enjoined to please remain at home and be vigilant. The security situation in Maiduguri is under control.”

     

  • Security forces storm Ondo creeks for more arrests

    Aboto, a riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State is under siege by police operatives and those of the Department of State Security (DSS) and Navy following Friday’s release of the six abducted students of the Lagos State Model School, Igbonla, Epe.

    The students were found at Aboto before they were returned to Lagos for proper handing over to their parents.

    Aboto is bounded by Ajakpa and the two towns are notorious for kidnapping and militancy.

    No fewer than four cases of kidnap have been linked to them in the last three months.

    Security personnel from  Ondo, Lagos and Delta States are said to be combing the town  for more brains behind the abduction  of the six students.

    Scores of residents of the town are now fleeing for fear of being arrested.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph, confirmed the presence of policemen in the town for further investigation into the abduction of the students.

    He, however, declined to say if any arrest had been made.

    Joseph, who said the Lagos State Police command was handling the matter, hinted that security agencies were collaborating to arrest all those in connection with the abduction of the students.

    Joseph said the Police were on top of the situation, and any suspect would not go free.

    A leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Olumide Odumayo, who was kidnapped by some unknown gunmen was found dead in Aboto.

    It was learnt that residents of the town who saw the kidnapped students after they were released by their abductors alerted the Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, who is an indigene of the area.

    He subsequently sent a delegation comprising senior police officers and his personal aides to move them to Akure.

    A source in the town said: “we learnt that the students were seen by some of our people and they provided necessary assistance for them before they were handed over to the police who later took them to Lagos enroute Akure. The kidnappers are not from Aboto and the students were not held captive in Aboto.”

    A community leader in the town who spoke on behalf of the Alaboto of Aboto, Oba Beniah Idiogbe, denied that his people were behind the abduction of the students.

    He urged the police and other security agencies to do proper investigation of the matter to ensure that innocent people do not suffer unjustly.

     

  • Security forces to demolish illegal structures at Arepo, Ikorodu creeks

    Security forces to demolish illegal structures at Arepo, Ikorodu creeks

    • As military moves to establish permanent base at Maiduguri

    Security forces Thursday identified uncompleted structures and houses built on the right of way, isolated bushes at Lagos and Ogun riverine communities as threats that must be dismantled.

    This is just as the acting Inspector General of Police  (IGP) Ibrahim Idris told the ground forces to demolish houses belonging to militants or their conspirators as was exhibited in the northeast during the fight against terrorist sect Boko Haram.

    The ground forces have been mopping up the creeks since Tuesday afternoon after the Nigerian Air Force concluded its aerial bombardment of the identified places.

    The Nation reports that over 40 camps have been destroyed at Ishawo creek alone, while the operatives have recovered items such as two locally made guns, two generators, eight dane guns, 32 live cartridges, two laptops, one magazine, AK47, a magazine of GPMG.

    Also recovered were handcuffs, 18 cutlasses, two Mobile Police badges, two Ecobank withdrawal booklets, INEC voter’s cards and FCMB deposit slips, among others.

    Idris who was at Ishawo to observe the situation of things for himself, commended the military for the successes recorded under Operation AWATSE.

    He urged fleeing residents to return and cooperate with security forces by providing information, just as he assured them of their safety and peace.

    “We are here to see the theatre of war, as well as support our officers. To boost their morale so that they can do more than what they have done. I have been in Lagos and I have heard so much and it is our responsibility to assist the men on the operation they are doing.

    “Especially in the area of deploying most of our marine police here, which we are going to do and to also encourage the residents of the local community.

    “We are here together; you can see police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as the military. So, it is an indication that the police is everywhere.

    “As I discussed without officers on the ground, anybody having connection with enemies of the society, we will demolish their housed.  That was the practice we adopted in fighting Boko Haram elements.”

    Similarly, the Operation’s chairman, Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai who took a tour of Ishawo, Elepete, Arepo and Ibafo creeks hinted of plans by the military to establish permanent base at Majidun, Ikorodu, while outposts will be mounted in other troubled communities to deter the gunmen from returning.

    He stated that the inaccessibility of the affected areas as well as the absence of security agencies emboldened the militants to carry out their criminal activities with impunity.

    Bobai also noted the need for the government to approve the demolition of structures built on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s (NNPC) right of way, insisting that they posed hindrances to security operations.

    Confirming that the militants have been completely chased from the areas visited, Bobai that the military was working towards running them out of Fatola, their supposed headquarters.

    “We are looking forward to the government building permanent structures for us at Majidun as the headquarters for Operation AWATSE and then we will have our outposts where men are deployed.

    “We have started ground operations after the NAF has finished its air bombardment. However, the Air Force is still providing support to the ground forces. We have essentially identified four targets and have finished mopping up one of them. I came here to see how far they have gone. They will move into other places and do the mop up with the forces on ground.

    “We came here because it is one of the in routes from where militants ply their trade. We could not come by water from Majidun where we disembarked from our boats because our boats could not enter here. Ishawo is where we have access to launch our smaller boats for our men to penetrate the creeks.

    “Pipeline vandals and militants have been engaging in illegal economic activities here and also disturbing the residents and so, we needed to flush them out following directives from the Chief of Defence Staff. They are Nigerians but engaged in illegal activities.

    “We have made a lot of success since last Thursday. We still can’t say the number of persons killed because we are yet to get into the areas that were properly bombarded.

    At Elepete, Bobai said there was a lot of bombardment at the creek there because from air surveillance, the security forces observed that the place was a safe haven for militants’ operations.
    The Nation observed that scores of 50 litres jerry cans littered the water which has been polluted with petro.

    Also, hosts, pumping machines and wooden boats stocked with kegs were also sighted.
    The commanding officer of the military tactical base, Colonel Julius Ogbobe who gave statistics of the recoveries said investigations were being carried out to ascertain certain things.

    He said: “We want to find out the depositor and the owners of the phone numbers. The swamps are not easily accessible. The government has to assist by building roads as well as bringing cutting machines to clear the creeks.”