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Tag: security

  • Badoo: No tight security, no vigil, says police CP

    Badoo: No tight security, no vigil, says police CP

    •’Most killings occur in churches’

    •Curfew imposed on Ikorodu

    To stem the Badoo menace, the police yesterday barred churches and mosques in Ikorodu and environs from holding vigil without tight security.

    Acting Lagos State Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal warned that he would arrest and charge with murder any pastor in whose church ritualists kill worshippers during vigil.

    He spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting on how to ensure peace in Ikorodu hours before Badoo struck, killing a pastor and wounding his family members.

    “Henceforth, no pastor should organise a vigil in Ikorodu without adequate security arrangement. Do not organise any vigil if you cannot protect the lives of the people who attend,” the police chief said.

    Majority of the ritual killings, he said, took place on the church premises, adding that in most cases, the pastors would have concluded their prayers and left before the murderers would attack vulnerable women and children.

    The meeting, which was held at the palace of the Ikorodu monarch, Oba Abdulrasheed Shotobi, started around 10:30pm on Saturday and ended around 1am yesterday. It followed resumed Badoo killings.

    According to Edgal, the police were soliciting for the collaboration of all interest groups in Ikorodu to bring the gang to book.

    He said: “All churches and mosques should not have vigil in isolated locations and pastors leave them to go home and they attack the women and children.

    “If you must have night vigils, you must put in place, structures to protect your worshippers. If I hear that anybody is murdered in any church or mosque, I will arrest the pastor or the Imam and charge them to court for murder

    “Three-quarter of the cases we have had in Ikorodu is related to relatives of a church member or pastor. They either occurred in the church premises or a building housing a church. We must protect the women and children.”

    Decrying the bail granted five out of seven suspected key members of the ritual gang by the court last week, Edgal expressed worries that the suspects could wreak havoc if checks were not put in place.

    To achieve that, Edgal announced curfew between 1am and 4am across the district, urging the traditional rulers to prevail on his chiefs and youth to commence patrols and ignite burn fires to ward off the killers.

    He said: “I thank you all because the town is peaceful today. We achieved that peace because you partnered with us. But I have come with good news and bad news. The good news is that crime rate in Ikorodu is very low and my officers here are happy with the corporation they have received.

    “The bad news is that out of the seven principal suspects charged to court in connection with the ritual killings, five of them have been granted bail by the court and they have gone underground.

    “Recently a case of murder at Agbowa that resembles their style of ritual murder was recorded. Investigation had gone to advance stage and details would be given.

    “We are tracking the five major suspects and I can assure you that we would get them soon.  With their release, there is need for vigilance. We must immediately restore all security measures put in place that chased all hoodlums and criminals away from Ikorodu.

    “This period of peace had made us relax and so, we have to wake up again because there is a possibility of those freed hoodlums to unite and trouble the peace in Ikorodu. We must not be taken for granted. It is time we began to enforce security strategies.

    “Communities should set a particular time for search. These crimes usually happen between 1am and 4am. Any person moving around between those times must have a good reason.

    “Vigilante groups should be strengthened and given mandate to question people moving around by that time. Anyone without a good reason should be arrested and handed over to security agents. I will not tolerate jungle justice.

    “We have reached towards the end of the year and at this time, there are people who haven’t worked throughout the year but want to enjoy Christmas and New Year.

    “They are the ones that take to crime. We must not allow them succeed in Ikorodu. You have my authority to come out and organise yourselves into street groups to patrol your neighbourhoods. I expect to see burn fires at inner neighbourhoods so that people know we are alert.”

    Edgal appealed to the monarch to direct his chiefs and Community Development Associations (CDAs) to reach out to families living in isolated buildings so that they could join the patrols.

    He said: “Ikorodu is fast developing area but there are still vast lands and you will see isolated buildings that are often uncompleted occupied by people.

    “This is dangerous because they become ready targets to criminals. Reach out to people like that so that they come out at night and with other neighbours to keep watch.

    “I recommend that everybody should be security conscious. Call an emergency meeting of your CDAs and charge them to take census of all those staying in your communities. Every life in Ikorodu is precious to me

    “I have told my policemen that they must have a strong partnership with local hunters, local vigilantes, area boys and others.”

  • Police tighten security for Yuletide

    Niger State Police Command has deployed its personnel across the state to ensure a hitch-free Yuletide, spokesperson Abigail Unaeze said in a statement in Minna.

    She said the command had positioned its conventional and special units for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    Unaeze said the police were deployed in markets, recreational and worship centres and flash points to secure life and property.

    She said the phone numbers provided for the public in case of emergency include 08054472907, 08081777498 and 07031964389.

    The spokesperson urged the public to be security conscious and report suspicious persons and objects to the nearest security agency.

  • Security guard jailed for burglary

    A 28-year-old man, Adamu Buga, is to spend the next six months at Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos for burglary.

    The Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos gave the judgment after Buga pleaded guilty.

    Chief Magistrate Mr. T. O. Shomade sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

    “This will act as a deterrent to others,” he said.

    The prosecutor, Raji Akeem, had told the court that the offence was committed in September at GAK Universal Allied Industries Ltd, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

    He said the accused, a security guard, whose address was not given, gained entrance to one of the offices by breaking the ceiling and door.

    The prosecutor said the broken ceiling and door were valued at N75, 000.

    “The accused stole N99, 250, 00 and a plasma television valued at N150, 000.

    “Efforts to locate him failed until he was seen by one of the workers, who shouted. A passerby helped in apprehending him,” he said.

    The offence contravenes sections 406, 287 and 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

  • Security selling arms to criminals!

    •Time to streamline hiring of security personnel and to monitor arms meant to secure the nation

    The culture of impunity that led to the change of government in 2015 seems to be very much in place in the country’s security sector. At a public hearing of the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Customs and Excise and National Intelligence on Influx of Small Arms into the country, the Director of Operations of Department of State Security (DSS), Godwin Etang, revealed that many individuals in the military and other security agencies are in the habit of selling arms to criminals.

    Such acts encourage various forms of criminality—armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, assassination, etc., and have the potential to destabilise the population that the arms were provided to protect. If not properly addressed, such criminality has the tendency to cause further erosion of trust between citizens and security agents.

    The DSS’ director of operations further revealed that the agency “conducted more than 27 operations and arrested more than 30 persons involved in the supply of arms and ammunition and some of them are serving security men.” He added that the reason for this is that “some agencies have over a period of time recruited people who were before cultists and armed robbers and are now wearing uniforms.”

    We view the news about this criminal habit of persons paid to secure the state and its citizens as alarming, to say the least. Indeed, it is shocking that citizens provided with arms to secure life and property in the country feel at ease to turn legal arms in their custody into illegal arms in the hands of criminal elements. If such revelation had come from other sources like the media, and not from the DSS, many partisan citizens could have taken it to be an attempt to smear the character of men in uniform.

    We call on the Federal Government, to which all security agencies are responsible, to do the needful immediately, given the danger inherent in such heinous acts.

    In the context of illegal transfer of arms and ammunition to people who should not have access to them, by persons who are paid to hold such arms in trust, any wonder that Boko Haram has existed for years, or that kidnapping has been on the rise? Any wonder that violent herdsmen from within and outside the country carry combat weapons such as AK-47 to kill or harass innocent farmers? And is the mushrooming of militancy in different parts of the country surprising, or that there is growing disaffection between citizens and security personnel?

    We consider it ironical that at a time that sanity should have returned to all arms of government, many citizens in sensitive agencies still find the environment conducive to impunity, two years into a regime of anti-corruption war. We ask the Federal Government to give the revelations by the DSS serious and immediate attention by ensuring, in the short-run, speedy trial of individuals that have been involved in the sale of arms to criminals. And in the long-run, there is a need for public inquiry into existing regulations and practices guiding hiring of security personnel; management of materials sensitive to national security; and post-severance access to official arms  and ammunition by  security personnel.

    We commend the DSS for not choosing to cover up such sabotage of the country’s security by bad eggs in the security service. We, however, call on the service to do more investigation on the abuse of trust on the part of serving personnel in the entire security sector. With this kind of news, the ministers of defence and internal affairs have a challenge requiring immediate action. Citizens have a right to believe that those paid to secure them are not criminals in uniform.

  • Anambra poll: Group rates security, INEC high

    Anambra poll: Group rates security, INEC high

    The Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG) has hailed the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election.

    The group said this while briefing reporters on its preliminary report released in Awka, the state capital. Its Executive Director, Dr Chima Amadi, said the group deployed 100 observers across the 21 local government areas to observe the election and the House of Assembly by-election in Idemili North.

    Amadi said personnel and materials were deployed early in most polling units, with the exception of few places. He said it is a sign that INEC prepared well for the contest and, as a result, voting started early in many polling units. He said Card Readers malfunctioned in a few areas, but were promptly rectified by INEC technical team.

    The Director said: “The practice of simultaneous accreditation and voting contributed immensely in activating voter participation and reduction of tension at voting points. There was improvement in the conduct of personnel — INEC and ad-hoc — which in our view can be attributed to the quality of training, ahead of the Election Day.’’

    He noted with dismay the incidence of “vote buying and selling” openly on election and concluded that such practice had cast a slur on the integrity of the votes. He, however, commended the Federal Government for improving on logistics and welfare of the policemen and other security agencies for the exercise.

    Amadi observed that most polling units in the cities close to Awka, the state capital, had at least four security officers, while in rural areas, they had one or two officers at polling units.

  • Security: South West Youths Laud Buhari, Army Achievements In 2017

    Youths From the South West region under the umbrella of the Progressive Yoruba Youth Congress have commended the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt gen. Tukur Buratai in tackling the various security threats the nation faced in the outgoing year.
    Recall that recently, the army said the country faced over 14 various security threats, ranging from terrorism, militancy, kidnapping, among others. But the youth group said the President and the Army have demonstrated capacity in handling the security situation in the country.
    Addressing journalists in Lagos,

    President of the Progressive Yoruba Youth Congress, Hon. Desmond Abiona said the choices of the President in appointing his security chiefs played critical role in the fight against terrorism and other security threats.
    He explained that the Youth Congress has taken stock of what has transpired in Nigeria in 2017, especially around the security circle because of its importance to economic development and concluded that the Buhari administration deserves to be commended.
    He said, “It is common knowledge that security was the biggest challenge for Nigeria before President Muhammadu Buhari came into office. The worst form of the insecurity that bedeviled the nation was the insurgency being waged by Boko Haram as a terrorist group. Its reign of terror was such that people had expected that the whole of Nigeria would have been under sustained attacks from the terrorists by now.
    “There were also militant groups and separatists that those wishing to destroy Nigeria have primed to replace Boko Haram. To the glory of God and to the credit of President Buhari, these threats have all been managed and Nigeria’s integrity maintained. It must be acknowledged that this remarkable feat was no accident even when it has God’s blessing written all over it. The military chiefs appointed by Mr President brought the needed experience, skills, dedication, and commitment to the job to ensure that the country returned to being secured.
    “We have seen results by way of a Boko Haram that is not able to spread its terror further than what it did before President Buhari came to power thanks to the Army that has denied its fighters breathing space. We have seen a Boko Haram that has been flushed out of areas once touted as its stronghold. We have also seen several other aspiring terror groups consigned into undertaking exercises in futility as they try to stake claims to being notorious terror groups.
    “We commend the President for restoring security to the land through the instrumentality of the Nigerian Army and other military and security services. It is a singular achievement for which we are grateful as Nigerians.”
    According to Abiona, the army under Buratai is one that has been rated as the best in recent times and it is something Nigerians are happy to identify with especially when it has done much to secure the country.
    He stated further, “We declare that Mr President has demonstrated capacity in handling the security situation in the country as we recognize the leadership he has provided as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This in our view was what trickled down to the Nigerian Army which has adjusted itself into the new role as Guardian of democracy.
    “We salute President Buhari for appointing Lt gen. Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who has proven that the administration must be thanked for the appointment and responsible leadership as he has demonstrated. The army under Buratai is one that has been rated as the best in recent times and it is something we are happy to identify with especially when it has done much to secure the country.”
    He noted that the Exercise Crocodile Smile organized by the Army that just ended in some parts of the south-west addressed the challenges that were threatening to destabilize the region.
    He said challenges like those of cultism and ritual killers were dealt with by the exercise.

  • Bad eggs in security services selling arms, says DSS

    Bad eggs in security services selling arms, says DSS

    •’Only 97 borders manned out of 1,100’

    Some bad eggs in the armed forces and security agencies are selling arms and worsening the country’s security challenges, Department of State Services (DSS) Director of Operations Godwin  Eteng has said.

    Eteng told the House of Representatives joint Committee on Customs and Excise and National Intelligence investigating the “frightening influx of small arms and light weapons into the country”.

    “Some agencies have over a period of time recruited people who were before cultists and armed robbers and are now wearing uniforms.

    “And the question is: are we doing enough checks on our people who were recruited into security services?

    “Like we had a situation where in one of the armories belonging to one of the armed forces, how many pistols just got missing with quantities of ammunition and all the pistols were new.

    “In the armoury, no place was broken into, but the weapons were missing. And we’re interested in knowing what happened.”

    Eteng said some states were not helping matters on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

    He named Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba and Plateau as states acting as conduits for small arms and light weapons, which were being used to fuel ethnic crises in some regions.

    His said: “When we did our studies, we discovered that three-quarter of the arms used to cause the crisis in Southern Kaduna, Zamfara and Plateau states are coming from the following states: Nassarawa, Benue, Taraba and Plateau states.

    “We found out that if you can carry out serious operations to affect the supplies, which are coming from these areas, it will seriously limit part of what is happening there.”

    Eteng said in the last one and a half months, the DSS “conducted more than 27 operations and arrested more than 30 persons involved in the supply of arms and ammunition and some of them are serving security men”.

    He revealed that seven tactical teams were conducting the operation to apprehend culprits associated with the nefarious act. The operation, Eteng said, is ongoing.

    The DSS director said communal clashes, terrorism, kidnapping, herdsmen/ farmers clashes, political thuggery, militancy, cultism and criminal gangs combine to create a constant demand for arms in the country.

    Herdsmen from Senegal, Gambia and especially Central Africa come into the country through illegal borders carrying AK 47 rifles, Eteng said.

    According to him, targeted legislations on prohibited firearms, more extensive vetting of those recruited into the security agencies, release of funds for logistics for border patrol personnel, electronic manning and deployment of cameras at borders, review of crisis management at local government levels will reduce the trend.

    A Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Damgaiadinga Aminu Abubakar, who represented the Comptroller- General of Customs, Hameed Ali, said there were 1,100 illegal border areas. Only 97 are approved border posts.  Abubakar lamented the dearth of equipment to curtail the flow of weapons into the country.

    He said 2,671 pump action rifles had been seized from January 2017 to date. Abubakar said the Customs personnel found culpable in the import of 661 pump action rifles had been dismissed from service and handed over to the DSS for prosecution.

    According to him, lack of operational vehicles, fast moving boats, cutting-edge technology and advanced scanning machines at airports, seaports and border points are limiting the effectiveness of the service.

    Besides, there is inadequate welfare for personnel, with some living in deplorable conditions. According to him, hostilities by the border communities form part of the service’s problem.

    Abubakar spoke of the need for more funds to be voted for security agencies in a timely manner to allow for operational activities.

    To chairman of the committee Biodun Faleke (APC Lagos), however, took the DSS to task over vigilance groups armed by state governments with pump action rifles.

    According to him, the DSS should be more proactive on saving citizens from the abuse of arms by governors and ensure that whatever arms procured are properly acquired to avoid abuse.

    The House had on Wednesday, September 27 mandated its committees on Customs and Excise to invite the Nigeria Customs Service and DSS to brief the House on comprehensive plans to rid the country of the menace of small arms and light weapons.

  • EU allocates €430m for peace, security in Africa, says envoy

    EU allocates €430m for peace, security in Africa, says envoy

    The European Union (EU) has said it has allocated 430 million euros to security and peace building in Africa from 2014 to 2020.

    EU Deputy Head of Delegation in Nigeria and ECOWAS Richard Young said the continent was plagued by a number of complex security challenges, which were intertwined with the EU-owned security.

    He spoke yesterday in Abuja at a peace and security conference organised by EU and Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).

    It is to address issues at the EU-African Union Summit to be held between November 29 and 30 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire

    Young said: “The cost of conflicts around the world is put at approximately 14.3 billion dollars, which is about 50 per cent of the world GDP. This is enormous.

    “If you look at Africa, which contributes about 60 per cent to the world population, it has more than one third of the global conflict.

    “We contested with peace and security challenges in Africa. Of course, the EU has been responding to this. A lot has been committed to the issue of security and defence by the EU.”

    The envoy said the EU had since 2003 given 2.6 billion euro to support peace and security operations in Africa.

    “We have earmarked 430 million euros to peace and security in Africa from 2014 to 2020.

    “The EU is an all-weather friend in Africa and we are ready to work closely and support Africa in dealing with the issue of peace and security issue.”

     

     

  • Security breach: NCC summons telecom chief executives to Abuja

    Security breach: NCC summons telecom chief executives to Abuja

    The Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC ) has invited chief executive officers of major telecommunications companies to an emergency meeting in Abuja over persistent breach of national security with pre-registered SIM cards.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is calling the meeting, following incidents of the sale of pre-registered SIM cards by mobile network operators.

    The NCC has been under pressure to help stop  crimes committed with such SIM cards,  a source told The Nation last night.

    “As a first step under the stricter regime, NCC has summoned an emergency meeting of operators, on Monday, October 30th, when the executives of the big mobile network operators gather at the NCC headquarters in Abuja,”  the source added.

    “It is expected that they will be issued a riot act by NCC Executive Vice Chairman Prof.  Umar Garba Danbatta to rein in pre-registered SIM card sale across the country,”  the source, who spoke in confidence, noted.

    Invitations sent to the chief executive officers of the operators noted that the NCC “has continued to receive complaints of pre-registered and fraudulently registered SIMs being used for acts amounting to serious breach of national security, criminality and fraud”.

    The commission is believed to be bothered by  the grave security implications and the distortions that may occur in the 149 million SIM data base.  It is set to impose not only the MTN type sanctions but will now go after the executives of culprit operators, who might face prosecution.

    It was gathered that since the beginning of this year the NCC through its Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement has vigorously pursued agents selling pre-registered SIM cards and imposed sanctions and fines on operators.

    Several joint raids with the security agents were carried out on pre-registered SIM cards selling points in Kano, Jigawa, Abuja, Lagos and others.

    Apart from the huge fine slammed on MTN in October 2015, NCC has continued to sanction the MNOs for poor compliance with SIM cards registration requirement.

    Documents sighted by The Nation showed that the commission last week slammed N11 million fine on Airtel, N10 million on 9Mobile, N10 million on MTN and N5.8 million on Glo for “improperly registered and fully activated Subscription Media (SIM cards)”.

    NCC late last year turned its SIM registration data base to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) towards building a national data base of biometrics that can serve security operations.

    The commission said it recognises the importance of having a complete data base of registered SIM cards to aid the work of the security outfits, hence the renewed effort to ensure they are properly registered.

  • UK partners Nigeria on aviation security

    UK partners Nigeria on aviation security

    … As NSCDC boss hails FG over release of 90% budget allocation

     

    The Department of Transport, United Kingdom, has resolved to partner with the Federal Government through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Aviation Security in Nigeria, especially the Lagos and Abuja International Airports.

    Commandant General (CG), NSCDC, Gana Muhammadu disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Department of Transport, United Kingdom.

    A statement issued in Abuja by the NSCDC spokesman, Emmanuel Okeh said: “Andrew Jones the leader of delegation, Department of Transport United Kingdom, highlighted that the essence of their visit is to partner the NSCDC on Aviation Security in Nigeria, especially the Lagos and the Abuja International Airports. He disclosed that they are responsible to counter terrorist attack in the UK, and they work with host governments in the area of Aviation Security.

    “Andrew explained that in carrying out their work, they will do regular department by department thorough security assessment of the Lagos and Abuja Airports.

    “He maintained that in working together with the NSCDC, they will like both them and the NSCDC to learn from each other on how best to make the Airports very safe for travelling Nigerians and foreigners alike.

    “Andrew affirmed that they will prepare a manual on Aviation Security specifically for the NSCDC, that their approach to protecting the Nigerian Aviation Sector will be holistic.

    “The Commandant General thanked the Minister of Interior, Associate Professor Bello Dambazzau and the Team for the visit. The Commandant General also appreciated the Federal Government to have released about 90% of the Civil Defence budget allocation for the first time.

    “Gana noted that the mandate of the NSCDC is to protect Critical Infrastructure and National Assets in Nigeria, the Aviation Sector inclusive. He revealed that as at today, the Corps has successfully Prosecuted 150 vandals and destroyed over 500 illegal refineries nationwide.

    “The Corps helmsman pointed out, that the Agency is very open to work with the UK Transport Department on Aviation Security for the Airports in Nigeria, as the hallmark of the discussion is to provide adequate security for the travelling Nigerians and foreigners on the Nigeria soil.

    “Gana maintained that the visit is timely, and requested that the UK Transport Department should assist in ameliorating the challenges faced by the Corps by providing capacity building for Officers and Men of the Corps, equipment devices to work with by the officers and Men of the Corps at the Airports.

    “The Leader of the Civil Defence postulated that the concerted efforts being made by the present administration of the NSCDC and the insertion of the NSCDC into the Nigerian constitution are all for laying very solid foundational structure for the future of the Corps.

    The CG reiterated that working at the Airports, the NSCDC will work at the outside perimeter of the Airports in order to forestall any eventuality.

    Read: NSCDC moves to address personnel’s housing needs

    “Director Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Alhaji Bala Salihu, informed that the Minister of Interior directed that he accompany the Team to the NSCDC, in his capacity as the Secretary to the Presidential Committee on Security of the Nigerian Ports.

    “Salihu revealed that the then Acting President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, set up the Presidential Committee on the Improvement of Security at the Ports. The focus is to facilitate the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria by providing adequate security at the Airports, Seaports and at the Strategic Boarders in the Country.

    “He also disclosed that the Committee was split into other 3 Sub-committees, which are Committee for Sensitization of the General Public on security at the Ports. Committee on Streamlining the Presence of the Security Agencies to work at the Ports in Nigeria, and the Committee to Advice the Federal Government on how to fast track the ease of doing business in the areas of security in Nigeria.

    “Speaking also, the Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Interior, Honourable Aliyu Gebi, advised the Corps that in the discharge of their duties at the Airports, they should monitor strictly the fuel dump sites, farm areas and the human habitation around the Airports.”