By Ramatu Garba

The Police Command in Kano State has confirmed the arrest of 12 illegal immigrants from Mali and Niger Republic.
It also confirmed the arrest of 33 other suspected criminals.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Usaini-Gumel, made this known while addressing newsmen in Kano on Wednesday.

The illegal immigrants consisted of seven Malians and five Nigerien nationals deportees from Saudi Arabia, he said.

According to him, they were discovered while being camped in a house located in Hotoro Yandodo Quarters, Kano.

“The immigrants have wounds after altering their finger prints with razor cuts to evade detection by Saudi Arabian authorities.

“The 33 other suspects were arrested for various offences which include armed robbery, theft, kidnapping and possession of illicit weapons among others,” the commissioner said.

The items recovered, he said, included 46 Mobile Phones, 21 Sim-Cards, knives, cutlass, one toy gun and a bunch of master keys.

Others included sachets of diazepam tablets, 79 pieces of exol tablets and 98 wraps of dry leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp, among others.

He said the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.

The CP commended the people of the state for their continued support, understanding and cooperation in the fight against crime and criminality in the state.

He urged all police officers to redouble their efforts, apply proficiency and remain steadfast in crime fighting.

In case of emergencies, he said, the Kano State Police Command can be contacted through the following phone numbers; 08032419754, 08123821575, 09029292926. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Maureen Ojinaka/Sadiya Hamza

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Navy is set to unveil seven additional navigational charts as part of activities to mark the 2023 World Hydrography Day.

The Chief of Policy and Plans (Navy), Rear Adm. Seidu Garba, made this known at a news conference on the occasion of the 2023 World Hydrography Day celebration on Wednesday in Abuja.

A navigational or hydrographic chart is a graphic representation of a sea region or water body and adjacent coasts or banks.

Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land, natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and human-made aids to navigation.

It may also show information on tides and currents, local details of the Earth’s magnetic field, and human-made structures such as harbours, buildings, and bridges.

Garba said the newly produced Navigational charts by the Nigerian Navy linking Ondo to Lagos State through River Alape, would be unveiled on June 21.

He said the new charts in addition to the earlier 20 produced for the lower-Niger River would bring the number to 27.

According to him, the Nigerian navy has the most sophisticated hydrographic survey vessel in the whole of Africa.

He said that the vessel, NNS LANA, which came into the country in 2021, is being used extensively to do chart the nation’s coastal areas and inland waterways.

Garba said the theme of the day which is “Hydrography – Underpinning the Digital Twin of the Ocean”, would  focus on the application of hydrographic datasets for sustainable management and use of the ocean.

According to him, digital twin of the ocean is a near real-time future digital representation of the physical, chemical, biological, and socio-economical dimensions of the ocean, to facilitate well-informed decisions for effective ocean governance.

He said the ocean was everything to man, adding that it sustains life, provides food, energy, recreation and jobs.

Garba however observed that marine litters, indiscriminate marine resource exploitation, and inadequate tools for ocean management were threatening sustainable use of the ocean in Nigeria.

“Therefore, developing the digital twin of Nigeria’s waters in particular, and the entire Gulf of Guinea in general will provide the needed interface between policy makers, coastal communities, maritime security agencies, researchers, marine exploration and exploitation companies, as well as other maritime users.

“This will foster the right action for sustainable ocean governance and uses in Nigeria.

“Development of digital twin of the ocean requires the integration of a wide range of real-time and historic data sources like ocean observatory data, static data from geology and human activities, as well as hydrographic datasets.

“Currently, there are several historic and real-time datasets domiciled in many Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Nigerian Governments, as well as private oil companies, that could be integrated into the digital twin of the ocean for Nigeria,” he said.

The naval chief said that conversations during the 2023 celebration in Nigeria would awaken collective consciousness towards pooling marine datasets together to develop an infrastructure that would serve the collective good of all stakeholders for sustainable ocean development.

Garba said the event would include awareness lectures aimed at arousing the interest of young minds to consider picking up career in hydrography.

This, according to him, is to raise enough human capacity to provide quality hydrographic services to Nigeria’s policy makers and mariners.

On his part, Hydrographer of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Adm. Chukwuemeka Okafor, said that the navy had done a lot in the area of hydrographic survey in Nigeria.

According to him, there are over 3000 creeks and coastal area of about 420 nautical miles already surveyed n the country.

Okafor said that survey was a continuous process, adding that the navy had not surveyed up to half of Nigeria’s waters because of its vastness.

He said that about 20 charts have been made covering River Niger from Lokoja to the Atlantic Ocean through River Ramos and Forcados River.

Okafor said that while additional seven charts would be unveiled in coming days, the surveying of Uguta Lake through Orassi River down to the Atlantic Ocean, up to Sombrero River and New Calaba River had reached 95 per cent.

According to him, the survey team will soon round that up and the charting team will commence the production of that chart.

“That axis will also be open and most states will be able to have access to the sea when that is completed, and navy will also be able to deploy its capital ships to provide maritime security along that axis,” he said.

Okafor said that the navy was expecting delivery of additional survey vessel that would be deployed to cover more grounds.

He said the World Hydrography Day was meant to sensitise more people of what hydrography is and the values it brings to every nation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) remains the only government-sanctioned body charged with the responsibility of checkmating the proliferation of illicit arms in Nigeria.

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) made this known in a statement by the Director, Strategic Communications and Information, NCCSALW, Group Capt. Pius Okwuego, on Friday in Abuja.

Okwuego warned that any infringement on the duties of the centre by any persons, group or organisation would attract legal sanctions.

He said the NCCSALW had continued to work diligently with all arms-bearing security agencies, relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies, international partners and credible Civil Society Organisations to stem the tide of illegal arms proliferation.

According to him, there is a steadfast commitment to the mandate and mission of promoting peace and security in the nation.

He called for support of all Nigerians, the media and other stakeholders in furthering the mission of the centre to build a safer Nigeria.

NCCSALW acknowledges the overwhelming challenges posed by the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria.

“As the legally recognised government institution charged with the responsibility to stem the proliferation of illicit SALW, it remains committed to promoting an illicit arms-free society.

“Regrettably, it has been observed that unauthorised outfits have sprung-up; deceitfully presenting themselves as the focal organisations for the control of illicit small arms and light weapons, creating false impressions of legitimacy and authority.

“These unauthorised bodies risk exacerbating the security issues they purport to address, adding unnecessarily, to the complex task of SALW control.

“Their activities potentially result in confusion and lack of credibility leading to administrative and legal disputes which may hinder the NCCSALW to effectively carry-out its mandate.

“This would further complicate the efforts to control the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, potentially leading to ineffective implementation of policies and strategies,” he said.

Okwuego added that the potential for reputational harm to the NCCSALW was further heightened, given the controversy and public disagreement surrounding the unauthorised outfits.

He said that even though NCCSALW operates legally, the confusion might cast a shadow over its work and thus entrenching trust deficit with stakeholders.

According to him, it is pertinent to remind all stakeholders of the enormity of this mandate and the necessity of operating within legal boundaries.

He urged the media to exercise due diligence and uphold the highest standards of journalistic ethics to prevent the projection of unlawful organisations. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Saidu Adamu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, says the Nigerian Army must continue to draw lessons from the Nigerian Civil War in tackling contemporary security challenges bedeviling the nation.

Yahaya said this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) Annual Symposium on the Nigerian Civil War for participants of AWCN COURSE 7/2023.

The theme of the symposium is “Imperatives of Critical National Infrastructure in the Nigerian Civil War: Lessons for Operational Level Commanders”.

”It is said that nationhood can either be forged in the furnace of war or by peaceful means.

He noted that Nigeria, as a “very young nation” barely seven years after independence, had the sad experience of a violent civil war which lasted from July 1967 to January 1970.

The COAS said that the study of the Nigerian civil war had huge potentials to bring out valuable lessons that could contribute in addressing the current security challenges confronting the nation.

This, he said, informed the inclusion of the study of the Nigerian civil war in the AWCN curriculum, which was aimed at grooming the capacities of operational level leaders in basic military strategic thinking as well as operational planning.

According to him, thoughts, ideas and lessons from the past, gleaned from this symposium, can form a rhythm which will prove invaluable in solving the complex adaptive problems in the current security environment.

He said that the AWCN had done much by evolving robust training objectives that address the contemporary security challenges both in the areas of research and knowledge acquisition as well as in fighting.

Yahaya said the theme of the symposium was one of the key drivers of his vision to have “a Professional Nigerian Army ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria”.

“It is in line with this vision that the College invited erudite scholars, very senior officers and technocrats as well as captains of industries to be part of this symposium.

“This is to enable the participants and indeed the Nigerian army as a whole gain from their wealth of experience.

“The contemporary security environment is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

“Lessons from the history of the nation show how quickly critical infrastructure that took years to build and are vital for national development can be destroyed in very little time.

“The loss of essential services in the North East due to the activities of violent extremist organisations and its impact on national security and development is proof-positive of the need for the protection of critical national infrastructure.

“The sudden rampage of hoodlums during the ENDSARS riots of 2020 which led to the destruction of critical national infrastructure to the tune of billions of Naira is another example of how quickly critical national infrastructure can be reduced to smolders,” he said.

He therefore said that the need to protect these infrastructures was thus crucial particularly as the nation bestirs itself within limited resources to ensure that it keeps up with global advancements in technology for the wellbeing of the citizens.

Yahaya commended the college for sustaining the conduct of the symposium and its drive to using the tool as a means of academic excellence, finding solutions to nagging contemporary security challenges and means of attaining and sustaining his vision.

He urged the course participants to use the opportunity to learn as much as they could, open up new vistas and perspectives in their minds and find veritable ways of applying the lessons learnt for the good of the army and the nation at large.

The COAS pledged absolute loyalty of the Nigerian army to President Bola Tinubu and their ardent commitment to the defence of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We shall continue to remain apolitical, professional and ever ready to accomplish assigned missions by operating within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria,” he said.

Commandant, AWCN, Maj. Bamidele Alabi, said the objective of the symposium was to study and teach both operational and strategic level activities of the Nigerian civil war.

Alabi said it was for better understanding of the battlefield events and operational outcomes as well as all activities that characterised the war.

He added that it was in the spirit of the mandate that the college organises an annual symposium on the civil war to create a forum to bring together scholars and experts to share their thoughts and personal experiences.

He further said that the choice of the theme was intentional, considering the giant strides made by the country so far in building relevant infrastructure for socio-economic growth and the need to protect those critical infrastructures from threats.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the symposium had paper presentations and discussions by scholars and experts in military history as well as retired senior military officers. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deborah Coker/Sadiya Hamza