NEWS
Insecurity: Hours after AIG’s attack, IGP Summons Police Strategic Commanders
Marauding bandits/terrorists on Tuesday night opened fire at the convoy of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 12 Bauchi, AIG Audu Adamu Madaki inflicting gunshot wound on his leg.
The bandits also killed the orderly of the AIG during the attack while several of the AIG’s convoy reportedly sustained gunshot wounds.
Sources who confirmed the ambush attack told Vanguard that AIG Madaki was on his way to Abuja to attend the security meeting of zonal AIGs and Command Commissioners of Police summoned by IGP Usman Alkali to deliberate on the current security challenges plaguing the nation.
The ambush attack was said to have taken place at about 2.30pm at Barde Zangidi area which is a forest stretch linking Bauchi and Plateau States.
In the meantime, the IGP Alkali Baba has you are all directed the immediate commencement of a special visibility policing operation across all Commands in the country as part of major operational initiative to stabilize the internal security.
Addressing Strategic Police Commanders at Force headquarters on Wednesday, he said, “This initiative will encompass the crime mapping of your Areas of Jurisdiction, identification of vulnerable points and massive deployment of personnel on motorized and foot patrols of the cities”.
“The initiative also involves the utilization of intelligence to undertake targeted raids on criminal cells.
The IGP said, “We welcome you all to this Conference which was convened to brainstorm on the state of security in the country. This is with a view to re-evaluate our strategies towards enhancing our operational response and stabilizing the security order.
“An evaluation of the security situation in the country in recent times shows a concerning trend of an increase in the threat posed to the nation by terror elements, bandits, kidnappers, and other highly organized, and violent criminal syndicates.
“The trend is being compounded by the increasing rate of arms trafficking and proliferation. This has of late occasioned an attack on the Correctional Facility in Kuje during which some high-profile criminals escaped.
“While the Police in conjunction with the other security agencies have succeeded in re-arresting some of the fleeing felons and have enhanced the security of the facility, this incident, and the increasing violent campaigns by armed groups in the country have led to general apprehension among the citizens and continue to present a major threat to our national security.
“Despite this reality within the internal security space, I wish to acknowledge your resilience, sacrifice, courage, initiative, sound operational capacity, and loyalty not only to the Force leadership, but to our dear country in the discharge of your duties.
“This is the spirit that we set out to advance in the policing agenda which I laid out following my assumption of duty as Inspector General of Police and I am delighted that you have keyed into this our new policing Mission.
“However, I must note that in the face of the current security situation, the citizens of this country and Mr. President demands of us a higher level of commitment to duty towards addressing the prevailing fear of crime among the populace and mitigating the current security threats.
“This is our mandate, and we must commit to achieving it. The pathways for this will form the key object of our deliberation today.
“Also, to be reviewed during this Conference is the extent of compliance with my directives that you all liaise with the Nigerian Correctional Service Authorities in your Areas of Responsibility, jointly review the existing security architecture with a view to identifying vulnerabilities at the Custodial Facilities and complement the Service in upscaling security in and around such Facilities to prevent any further security breaches in line with the directives of Mr. President.
“In addition, the pathways to giving effect to the National Security Council’s resolution on the documentation and streamlining of the operations of commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders across the country as part of the national initiatives that are directed at addressing current and evolving national security threats will also be discussed.
“In this regard as part of major operational initiative to stabilize the internal security order, you are all directed to immediately commence a special visibility policing operation across your Commands.
“This initiative will encompass the crime mapping of your Areas of Jurisdiction, identification of vulnerable points and massive deployment of personnel on motorized and foot patrols of the cities.
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“The initiative also involves the utilization of intelligence to undertake targeted raids on criminal cells.
“I wish to commend you all for the exceptional level of professionalism which was displayed during the recently concluded Ekiti State and Osun State gubernatorial elections and which engendered a largely peaceful electoral process and credible outcome of the elections.
“As we prepare for the 2023 General Elections, I charge you to draw on this success towards enhancing our election security management operations during the exercise.
“In aid of this process, I can confirm that arrangements have been perfected for the commencement of the Election Security Management Workshop which is being organized by the Nigeria Police in conjunction with Solar Security and Consult Company Ltd.
“The Opening Ceremony and national flag-off of the programme will hold tomorrow Thursday, 4th August 2022 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
“The Workshop which will hold across the six geopolitical Zones, targets the training of about four hundred police officers with slots allocated to the Military, Department of State Services and all other sister security agencies that complement the Nigeria Police in the election security management framework.
“The Workshop is designed to broaden the knowledge and sharpen the operational competence of strategic officers on election security management as well as build professional network that could be deployed to change the narratives on election security governance during the 2023 General Elections.
“This phase of the exercise will be delivered as a train-the-trainers initiative in which all participants will be expected and supported to return to their Commands and Formations and transfer the knowledge to be acquired to a wider group of officers.
“In view of the strategic importance of this Workshop, it is hereby directed that the AIG Federal Operations, AIG Police Mobile Force, AIG Counterterrorism Unit, AIG Border Patrol, AIG Airwing, CP Special Protection Unit, CP Force Intelligence Bureau, CP Special Tactical Squad, and DC Intelligence Response Team should, by virtue of their critical roles in election security planning and operation, remain behind after the opening ceremony of tomorrow (Thursday) and attend Workshop at the Abuja Training Centre.
“All the Commissioners of Police in the States that will be hosting the Workshops are also directed to physically attend the training, while all other AIGs and CPs are to ensure that they make adequate logistics arrangement to support the attendance of personnel nominated from their commands.
Reminding the Commanders of his policing vision which is built on the virtues of professionalism, and respect for rule of law and citizens’ rights, IGP Alkali said, “However, recent developments shows that some intransigent and incorrigible personnel under your commands are still involved in pervasive acts that compromise professional ethics and violate the fundamental rights of citizens.
“For the avoidance of doubts, much as the law has bestowed on us certain powers and authorities to aid in the attainment of our law enforcement mandate, the exercise of these powers and authority is not absolute and you shall at every point of the misuse of such, be held accountable.
“My covenant with Nigerians and our service oath is to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is built on the projection and protection of the rights and well-being of all citizens.
“I must, therefore, sound out this warning loud and clear that under my watch, any police officer that betrays his or her Service oath and tramples on the rights of citizens he or she has sworn to serve and protect, will be identified, isolated and dealt with promptly, firmly, transparently, and in a manner that will leave neither the citizens nor the police personnel in doubt about my determination to separate the bad officers from the professional ones in the interest of the Force.
“It is in furtherance to this that approval was given some days ago for the dismissal and de-kitting of ex-Inspector Richard Gelle who was caught in a viral video dignifying and justifying extortion of members of the public.
“Some other of such viral videos including that of a police operative that was physically and violently assaulting a citizen with cutlass in Cross River State are being reviewed and I can assure that similar prompt disciplinary action will be initiated against the erring officers and the outcome made public in due course.
“Indeed, the review of these viral videos on abuse of police professional standards and the rights of citizens will be undertaken as part of this strategic meeting. This is with a view to holistically evaluating the root causes of such intolerable misconducts and evolve sets of actions that will prevent such occurrences in future.
“Once again, I charge you to continue to provide strategic leadership that will remain sensitive to issues of rights violations, and excessive and unjustifiable use of authority by police personnel in your Commands while being conscious of the fact that such, if unchecked, will deepen the trust gap between the citizens and the Police and make the attainment of our mandate difficult.
“To aid this process, I have directed that the recently enacted Nigeria Police Act, 2020 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which are key legal policing instruments be printed and widely circulated across all Commands and Formations.
“This is with the expectation that the initiative will broaden the professional knowledge of officers, particularly, in relation to their mandate, limits of their powers, and their obligations within the criminal justice administration system in Nigeria.
NEWS
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
International News
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt Chairman By Police
The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
NEWS
Edo State Governor Sets Up Committee To Recover Missing Gov’t Vehicles
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.