By Isaac Aregbesola

The ICPC has commenced investigation into bribery allegations against the House of Representatives Committee on job racketeering and gross mismanagement in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Azuka Ogugua, spokesperson for Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Ogugua said that the ICPC received petitions from an online medium, Premium Times Nigeria; and Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Chairman of the ad hoc committee, to investigate bribery allegations against the probe panel.

The online medium published a story alleging that some members of the committee requested vice chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions to pay certain amounts to an account as bribes.

The story also claimed that the account was dedicated for the purpose of giving a soft landing to any institutions’ that would pay the bribe money into it during the investigation.

Members of the committee were also said to have engaged in extortion from heads of MDAs, including those of academic institutions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gagdi had on Thursday said the committee wrote to ICPC to investigate the allegations of bribery and extortion against the members of the committee.

The chairman said that the committee had written to ICPC to investigate the account number allegedly released to heads of tertiary institutions for payment of the bribe.

“I have already written to the ICPC to investigate the account number that was published by an online medium the owner of that account, whether there is any transaction by vice chancellors and rectors of polytechnic in the country.”

Gagdi threatened that the committee would take legal action against the online medium over the publication, which aim, he said, was to “blackmail and discredit” the committee. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

By Stanley Nwanosike

The Controller-General (C-G), Nigeria Correctional Service, Mr Haliru Nababa, has said sporting and recreational activities are veritable tools of reformation among inmates nationwide.

Nababa, represented by the Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, Mr Nicholas Obiakor, said this at the finals of the 2023 Inmates Inter-Hostels Football Tournament of Enugu Custodial Centre within Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Enugu State Command.

In the final match, C-Ward Hostel Team defeated IDR Hostel Team by 2 – 0 after a 90-minute action of the two most enterprising teams of the tournament.

Earlier on Wednesday in the third place match, LKP Hostel Team defeated Convict Hostel Team 3 – 1 in a tension soaked match, which reawakened the liveliness of the custodial centre.

The controller-general said that under his watch, “the NCoS is poised to providing enabling environment for reformation and rehabilitation to thrive for every inmate.

“You will agree with me that reforming an individual is a complex process, which requires all necessary tools to achieve positive results.

“This sporting event is part of the complementary efforts of the in-charge of Enugu Custodial Centre to positively impact offenders’ mental wellness and physical fitness while in incarceration.

“I, therefore encourage the inmates of Enugu Custodial Centre to take reformation and rehabilitation progammes seriously and participate actively as it is for your own good and wellness,” he said.

Nababa also appreciated the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, service chiefs and their representatives and all invited guests for honouring the event.

Speaking, Mr Sunday Oyakhire, the Deputy Controller of Correction in-charge of Enugu Custodial Centre, said that sports also jettison negative thoughts and depression among inmates that might have adverse security implication on the centre.

Oyakhire said that sports are good non-kinetic means of controlling the inmates and providing means of gainful employment for them after serving their terms.

“We have good football, table and lawn tennis as well as snooker players here and we are looking for sponsors to make competitions in the centre. A frequent one to increase their competitive abilities and refine their skills and sportsmanship better.

“For the final match today, we invited coaches and managers of football clubs in the state and beyond to come and watch as well as pick our very skilled football players for their clubsides,” he said.

The event featured cash award, medals and trophies presentation to the winning teams, the runners up and the winner of the third place match among other side attractions. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

By Moses Omorogieva

The Nigerian Navy (NNS) Commander Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos, Commodore Kolawale Oguntuga, on Friday handed over five suspects allegedly arrested for oil theft to the Lagos State Police Command.

Oguntade said the suspects were arrested on the waterways in Itolu community, Lekki area of Lagos on Tuesday, by NNS operatives patrol team, stationed at Forward Operations Base (FOB) Lekki.

He said the operatives heard a gun shot and in a swift response to a distress call by some youths in the area, the suspects were arrested while other members of the gang, whom they also sighted in two other wooden boats escaped.

The commander said that the team recovered a boat engine and arrested four suspects wearing Tantitan Security Pipeline Surveillance employees and one boat operator.

“Upon arrival at the scene, the naval team met four individuals dressed in black polo shirts with TANTITAN inscribed on the back, trying to recover a dismantled outboard engine from a local.

“It was after their arrest that the patrol team realised that the four individuals were part of a movement of a large wooden boat with two fibre boats.

“The four individuals beckoned on the two fibre boats to approach them, but when they noticed NN patrol teams, the boats altered courses, fled and abandoned the large wooden boat laden with 11 x 1000L Geepee tanks with product suspected to be stolen crude oil,” he said.

Oguntade said the suspects were handed over to the police as part of the synergies in crime fighting by NNS, for further investigation and prosecution.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, who received the suspects and the exhibits at the command’s headquarters Ikeja, commended the NNS for the synergy in crime fighting in Lagos State.

Owohunwa said that the handing over of the suspects to the police, is a sign that security agencies operating in Lagos are united in crime fighting.

“We are taking the suspects for further investigation. We will track down those at large. This synergy is a continuous operation,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that five suspects and one boat engine were paraded before newsmen at Ikeja while the 11 x 1000L Geepee tanks with products suspected to be stolen crude oil were left in the custody of the NNS in Lekki. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says airstrikes by on Friday knocked out known terrorists’ camps in Borno and active illegal oil refining sites in Rivers.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Gabkwet said that various air interaction missions against terrorists, militants and oil thieves had continued to deny them freedom to cause mayhem and havoc against innocent civilians, the environment and economy.

He said the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), executed airstrikes near Arina Woje on Friday, following confirmation that terrorists and their injured cohorts had continued to use the location situated in the Southern Tumbuns near Lake Tchad, as a hideout.

According to him, credible intelligence had further revealed that the location remained active with some other terrorists using the area to store their weapons and other logistics.

“Consequently, approval was given for the air strikes with resounding success recorded based on the huge cloud of smoke and fire observed as well as feedback from locals at the fringes of the location.

“It is important to note that the area was last attacked on June 13, with resounding success but it was discovered that some terrorists, feeling the heat from other areas, were returning to the location to hide,” he said.

The NAF spokesman said that several air strikes were also carried out in in Bille, a rural community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers, which he said had become well-known for numerous illegal oil refining activities.

One of such strikes, according to him was carried out on Thursday, became necessary after an active illegal refining site with reservoirs and storage tanks suspected to be containing illegally refined products was observed.

He said the strikes aimed at denying, discouraging and destroying the activities of oil thieves, which he said had continued to damage the environment as well as the economy of the nation.

“Air strikes will continue in all troubled spots and areas where illegal criminal activities are known to occur.

“These operations will also be in liaison with other security and government agencies until the activities of these criminals are reduced to the barest minimum,” he said. (NAN)

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has hailed  troops of Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai in the North East Theatre of Operations, for the operational successes so far achieved.

Lagbaja gave the commendation on his arrival in Maiduguri, on Friday on an operational tour to assess the security situation and reinvigorate ongoing Counter terrorism counter insurgency operations being conducted by the troops.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Friday.

Nwachukwu said the COAS was briefed by the Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Golden Chibuisi on the current security situation of the North East,  ongoing operational  activities to clear terrorists from their enclaves in the Lake Chad region and the Mandara mountains as well as the challenges of the outfit.

The COAS observed that new trends had been noticed in the activities of the terrorists, adding that they were now reverting to abduction for ransom, pillaging for logistics and attacking civilians with Improvised Explosive Devices ( IED).

He assured that combat enablers would be provided to support ongoing operations to further ensure more pronounced stability in the region.

“We will continue to bring you updates as the COAS continues his operational tour of the North East Theatre of Operations,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Benson Iziama/Chioma Ugboma

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has called on Defence Attachés of allied countries in Nigeria to close ranks with the Nigerian Army in identifying and tackling issues of mutual interest.

Lagbaja made the call when the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye led defence attachés from 27 countries for interaction with the COAS on Thursday in Abuja.

He commended the attachés for their observations on issues of concern, and pledged to take necessary measures to address some of the issues raised during the discussion.

Lagbaja assured neighbouring countries of the commitment of the Nigerian army to continue to work on mechanisms that would curtail movement of cross-border criminals.

“We look forward to fruitful engagement with all other countries to deny criminal elements and dissident groups from incubating their nefarious activities abroad and bringing them home to perpetrate.

“I look forward to more avenues of engagement with all the DAs; we will try as much as possible to establish other social avenues, sporting avenues through which we can engage and interact.

“So that we can share ideas and experiences towards moving forward the relationship that exists between the Nigerian Army and the various countries that you represent.

“I want to promise you that the Nigerian army is disposed to continue engaging with your various countries. Lines of communications are open,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief of Defence Intelligence said the engagement was the first of its kind, to enable the attachés discuss and interact in commonality, and present their concerns and challenges.

Undiandeye said the DIA was the convent and the interchange point of exchange and interaction with all defence attachés in the country.

He said that the meeting would afford them the opportunity to discuss issues that affect them individually and collectively.

The Defence Attaché of India, Col. Legha Romi, who spoke on behalf of the DAs, thanked the COAS for the combined interaction, which he said, had never been done before.

He therefore called for frank and constructive contributions during the meeting.

Romi said the attachés had been interacting with the DIA,  Army and the other service headquarters over the years, but said the combined engagement was different.

He said it was an opportunity to learn from each other for the mutual benefit of their countries. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army has pledged to strengthen ties with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in the country.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja made the commitment when the UN Under-Secretary for UNOCT, Mr Vladimir Voronkov, visited Army Headquarters call on Thursday in Abuja.

Lagbaja said the Nigerian army had been combatting terrorism using both offensive and constructive approaches.

He added that the troops in the field have experience in all facets in the fight against terrorism and banditry.

“We are poised and ready to cooperate with critical partners especially the UN office for counter terrorism.

“The Nigerian Army is not only focusing on the offensive approach.

“We know that no matter how long we carry out kinetic operations, we need to bring in the non-kinetic approach to bear in order to have a stable environment.

“The Nigerian Army through our efforts over the years has brought repentant terrorists to our holding facilities.

“We are looking forward to the support of the UN and even other organs of the UN on the Demobilisation, Deradicalisation and Resettlement (DDR) programme,” he said.

Earlier, the UN Under-Secretary, Voronkov, said the visit was to strengthen partnership for a more robust response in combating terrorism in the country.

He said the UNOCT was looking forward to further partnership with Nigerian army and increased multilateral collaboration in addressing the evolving terrorism threat in Africa.

Voronkov added that the visit was also to formalise the existing cooperation in preventing and countering terrorism, and build Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute terrorism offences. (NAN) (www.nannewsng.ng)

Edited by Benson Iziama/Maharazu Ahmed

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The National Defence College Officers Wives Association (NDCOWA) on Thursday gave palliatives to 200 women and some less privileged persons in Piwoyi community in Abuja.

The donation is part of the association’s outreach programme to commemorate the graduation of participants of National Defence College (NDC) Course 31.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Piwoyi community hosts the permanent site of the NDC.

The Coordinator of NDCOWA and Wife of the Commandant of NDC, Mrs Rhoda Olotu, said the intervention was to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal and hike in prices of food and other essentials on the citizens.

Olotu said Piwoyi and NDC communities have been living peacefully, with no incident of violence or hostility since the relocation of the college to the area.

“Usually, when military personnel are in a civil environment, they see them as threats to them.

“So, this outreach is just to make the people of Piwoyi community know what NDC is let them know that we can actually coexist in peace,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Martha Lucas, thanked the officers’ wives for the gesture, saying that the palliatives came when it was needed most.

Lucas said the food items would alleviate their sufferings, and prayed God to guide and protect the Nigerian armed forces. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chidi Opara/Maharazu Ahmed