By Desmond Ejibas

The Commissioner of Police in Rivers, CP Friday Eboka on Friday dissolved a special police tactical unit code-named Eagle Crack Squad.

The team recently came under public scrutiny following allegations of extortion, intimidation and rights abuses made against its members.

The command’s Spokesman, SP Nnamdi Omoni in a statement in Port Harcourt stated that Eboka announced the disbandment shortly after a meeting with his management team.

“The dissolution is coming on the heels of complaints of unprofessional conduct exhibited by the personnel of the unit.

“Recall that the CP in his maiden briefing on Tuesday promised to address all cases of infractions by the police and increased supervision of the men.

“The CP had also warned to deal with erring officers and hold Divisional Police Officers and Head of Departments vicariously liable.

“To this end, the dissolution is with immediate effect while all personnel attached to the unit are to report to the headquarters for redeployment,”Omoni stated.

He appealed to members of the public to rekindle their trust in the police and assured them that the command was committed to improving policing in the state. (NAN)

By Abubakar Ahmed

The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Abutu Yaro, has confirmed the abduction of 317 female students of the Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe on Friday.

Yaro made this known on Friday while speaking with jjournalists on Friday in Jangebe, Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of the state.

He expressed dismay with members of the affected community who resorted to taking laws into their hands by attacking vehicles, including those on rescue mission and journalists and appealed for calm.

“People must understand that the government and security agents are on their side and against the bandits that is why it is very important for them to see the need to allow security agents do their work effectively and rescue the victims.

“We are doing our best along with all sister security agencies, members of the vigilantè group and the state government to get to the bottom of this matter.

“l can assure you that we will rescue all the students unhurt,” he said.

Some residents who spoke with journalists said that the bandits came in their hundreds riding on motorcycles and shooting in the air before entering the school around 2 a.m on Friday.

A staff of the school, who spoke with NAN on condition of anonymity, said that 60 of the girls were safe as some of them hid from the attackers during the invasion.(NAN)

By Emmanuel Afonne

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Sustainable Initiatives for Nurturing Growth (SING), has called for security vigilance in schools across the country following the rising cases of abduction of school children by bandits.

A statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Mr Victor Agi, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the organisation, stated that the abduction of school children had reached a point where more drastic action was needed to stop such acts.

Agi said that the abduction of students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara, in the early hours of Friday and others portend a serious danger to the future of Nigeria and the destiny of the younger generation.

“These targeted attacks at school students, is to say the least, highly condemnable, and should not be encouraged to continue.

“It is a traumatic experience that no Nigerian child should be subjected to, and it is high time the government and relevant stakeholders put a complete stop to these cowardly acts by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

“Schools are places for learning and education, and if the society agrees that we are as developed as we are educated, then, the security of our schools should be paramount,” Agi said in the statement.

The group, therefore, called for security to be tightened up around high risks communities to forestall reoccurrence, while also calling for measures to rid the Northern region of banditry.

“We must be wary of activities and moves that intend to make banditry and kidnapping lucrative to perpetrators.

“These are crimes which must be tackled with every sense of responsibility.

“Efforts at making crimes acceptable should be condemned and discouraged by the state in its entirety.

“When we also encourage politicisation of security through our statements and body languages, we end up emboldening criminals.”

SING urged government to swing into action for the immediate rescue of all victims of kidnapping and banditry.

It also called for the activation of relevant security operations that would reduce crimes to its barest minimum.

“We urge prompt action by both the Federal and government of Zamfara that will lead to the rescue of the innocent school students.

“Relevant security apparatus should be immediately deployed to ensure the safe release of the abducted students, while the criminals are properly apprehended and brought to book.

“It is equally advised that a state of emergency be declared on school security in the Northern region until government finds a lasting solution to the incessant kidnapping which has become a high paying business for criminals.

“The Kagara school abduction is still fresh in our minds; with no report of their release yet it is, therefore, highly unthinkable that another attack could be condoned,” the statement added.

SING commended President Muhhamadu Buhari for the untiring effort he had made to tackle terrorism but urged him to take more actions that could put an end to criminal activities in the country. (NAN)

By Yakubu Uba

The 195 Taskforce Battalion engaged in the fight against insurgents in Borno has constructed a mechanised borehole for residents of Zinnari-Madinatu community in Jere Local Government Area, to address the problem of water supply in the area.

Presenting the facility to the community on Friday, the Acting General Officer (GOC) 7 Division, Maiduguri, Maj. Gen. Abdul Khalifa, said the gesture, which is in line with enhancing military-civilian relation, would help in reducing the hardship the community was facing in accessing portable water.

Represented by Lt.-Col. Andrew Wuyep, Commander of the 195 Battalion, Khalifa said the gesture would be extended to other communities in need.

“The borehole will also help reduce health issues associated with drinking unclean water, and also save time and resources involved in searching for water in communities.

“At the same time, it will provide a favourable platform to sensitise the people on the need to be security conscious and responsive in reporting to the security agencies any suspected movement or strange activity that would breach peace,” Khalifa said.

The GOC encouraged the residents to utilise the facility for maximum benefit.

Speaking on behalf of the community, a resident, Malam Zannah Mustapha, commended the army for the gesture which be said would impact positively on the community.

Mustapha urged other organisations to emulate the military in transforming such neglected communities. (NAN)

By Ibironke Ariyo
The Journalist International Forum for Migration (JIFORM) and stakeholders have condemned the incessant attacks on African Migrants in the Middle East.

The President, JIFORM, Mr Ajibola Abayomi, said this at the African Migration Summit organised by JIFORM and Nekotech Centre of Excellence, on Thursday in Accra, Ghana.

Abayomi said that the agony of several African migrants in the Middle East being enslaved under the Kafala System was an open secret that manifested in Lebanon, Yemen, Omani, Saudi Arabia and others.

He said that undue hostilities among Africans and leaders must stop, saying that implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and policies needed to accelerate it must be put in place.

He recalled the xenophobia attack as witnessed in South Africa sometimes ago, saying that such should never rear its ugly head again.

“If fellow black brothers continue to attack themselves back at home, what moral justification do we have to protest racism in the other parts of the world?

“Time has come for various regional economies on this continent to evolve strategic policies to allow free access and trade for the purpose of growth,” he said.

Abayomi urged the media to hold the leaders accountable to the people, saying that fate has placed tools in hands of media practitioners to challenge institutions and authorities to serve the people better by writing objective and balanced stories.

“Above all, we must cover migration with a human face by encouraging the government to take re-integration of returnees more seriously by providing psychological, mental and social support to reunite them with their loved ones.

“They are not failures because they made an attempt to reject poverty.

“Journalists must provide the right information to encourage the people to embrace regular migration entirely as there is a lot to gain from it, ” he said.

By Ibironke Ariyo
The Journalists International Forum for Migration (JIFORM) and other stakeholders have urged Africa governments to reset the economy to revive and regenerate local potentials needed to attract investments to reap migration benefits.

The JIFORM President, Mr Ajibola Abayomi, said this at the African Migration Summit organised by JIFORM and Nekotech Centre of Excellence on Thursday in Accra, Ghana.

Abayomi said that the summit was put together to chart a new course for migration policies in Africa to champion the interest of African migrants abroad.

This, he said, was also to encourage leaders on the continent to evolve empowerment policies to check irregular migration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the summit is “Labour Migration: Shifting the Paradigm to benefit Africa”.

This is to ensure that Africa protects the economic interest of millions of Africans toiling night and day overseas and that there toil is not in vain.

Abayomi said that without a conscious attempt to develop more brains on the continent and the best hands were frustrated to migrate abroad, there may not be meaningful benefits derivable from the foreign investments.

According to him, we need people to retain the technical skills from the various foreign investments to create more opportunities in our economy.

“To reap migration benefits, therefore leaders in Africa must reset the economy to resuscitate local potentials needed to attract investments.

“Africa must embrace regulated migration to redirect the energies of her youths being misled into human trafficking, child labour and other deadly works.

“As population of migrants increase globally, Africa must re-organise its principles to reap from benefits associated with regular migration,” he said.

Abayomi noted that although Africa was not the continent with the highest irregular migrants, time has come for leaders to take more responsibilities to address the push factors forcing Africans to seek better life elsewhere.

Also speaking, African Union Migration Advisory Committee Member, Ghana, Dr Princess Ocansey, said that African Governments should greatly increase the level of developmental initiative.

Ocansey, who doubled as the Executive Director, Nekotech Centre of Excellence, added that this would keep the young people from venturing in such difficult journeys.

She urged the African government to also look carefully into the policies signed with Middle East countries especially where the KAFALA system was practice.

KAFALA system is used to monitor migrant labourers, working primarily in the construction and domestic sectors in Gulf Cooperation Council member states and a few neighbouring countries.

The countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Prof. Patrick Lumumba, a foremost African activist from Kenya, said that the level of corruption in Africa drove young people into leaving their counties to seek greener pastures thereby driving them into taking drastic decisions.

Lumumba said that time had come for Africans to come together and fight this menace eating deeply into the veins of the young ones.

“I urge you all therefore, today, Africa must change, let the African governments create an enabling environment where young men, women, girls can live to become better citizens.

“We should also prepare our citizens in training them so that we would have them remain here and not think of going out,” he said.

By Hussaina Yakubu

Governors of the 19 Nothern States and traditional rulers of the region are meeting in Kaduna over security challenges bedeviling the region.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day meeting, which opened on Thursday is also being attended by Senate President, Ahmad Lawal, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Information Minister, Lai Mohammed.

Others are National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Monguno,  Inspector General of Police,  Mohammed Ibrahim and Director General, State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi.

The participants are expected to discuss current security challenges bedevilling the Northern region and youth unemployment.

Governors at the meeting, holding at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, include those of Plateau, Adamawa, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Jigawa and Katsina.

Niger, Zamfara, Yobe, Benue, Kogi, Kabbi were represented by Deputy Governors of the states, among others.

At their last meeting on Nov. 2, 2020, the Northern Governors had set up two committees to push for statutory roles for traditional rulers and another on youth and civil societies.

The committee on roles of traditional rulers is chaired by the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage, with two representative from the National Assembly, one from each of the three zones, and a minister as members.

The Committee on Youth and Civil Societies has the
Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmad Bamalli as Chairman, with one representative of elders, youth, women, persons with disability as members from each of the three zones.

The November meeting had also backed efforts to regulate the spread of fake news through the social media. (NAN)

By Muhammad Nur Tijani

The newly appointed Commissioner of Police for Kano State, Mr Samaila Dikko, has promised adequate security aimed at tackling crime in the State.

Dikko made the pledge on Wednesday in Kano when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje at the Government House.

The CP solicited the support of all residents to enable him succeed in his new assignment.

He pledged to ensure the protection of lives and property in line with the mandate of the Police.

Dikko said the command under his leadership would liaise with sister agencies to ensure a crime-free state for everyone to engage in their lawful businesses.

The police chief also promised to fight crime and criminality in the state through community policing.

“I want to assure the good people of the state that visibility and community policing will also be prioritised”, he said.

The CP commended the governor for supporting the police command in the state and also for building an ultra modern communication centre.

Dikko appealed to the governor to provide additional patrol vehicles for the command, considering the population of the state.

Responding, the governor called for synergy between sister agencies to fight crime in the state.

He said that the state government had converted parts of Dansoshia forest to grazing reserve and established a military training centre at Falgore forest.

These, he said, are in an effort to improve security and reduce crime in the state.

Ganduje reiterated his administration’s commitment to community policing in the state.

The governor assured the commissioner of support in protecting the lives and property of the citizens. (NAN)