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17 SOLDIERS: CHILLING DISCOVERIES AT OKUAMA
17 SOLDIERS: CHILLING DISCOVERIES AT OKUAMA
By: Zagazola Makama
Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu vowed to ensure justice on the brutal killing of 17 soldiers at Okuama community, Ughelli Local Government Area, Delta State, and his consequent matching order to the Nigerian Army to thoroughly investigate and fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act, facts revealed by every passing day firmly point at the entire community as complicit, not just the group of militants who actually carried out the execution.
In response to the President’s directives, the military high command ordered the extension of the search for suspected killers of the 17 soldiers in the Okuama community. Before the Operation, leaders of the community alleged that soldiers had begun targeting innocent civilians in the community rather than going after the miscreants who committed the crime.
Further searches fan across the community and sink deeper into the affairs and proclivities of its residents have revealed, with firmer confirmation, that the entire Okuama, from its traditional and community leaders and other elites down to the lowest residents in socioeconomic and political status is a community of militants thriving on terror.
But even before the Operation to find the culprit began, leaders of the community had orchestrated an allegation in the media that soldiers were targeting innocent civilians in the community rather than going after the miscreants who committed the crime. This move which some observers saw as being contrived to cast the military in bad light and to demonize its operation, did not deter them from going after the killers of the soldiers and masterminds of the crime.
Military investigations, which have, all through, been conducted in the finest and most-careful fashion to guard against incriminating innocent citizens, according to the presidential directive, findings have been revealing the most-chilling set up of Okuama and its surrounding communities.
First, all expressions of sympathy and commiseration by the traditional rulers, tending to exonerate themselves from the act, as well as their commitment to aid the military in the search for the perpetrators, are all feigned. The wider the search, and the deeper the investigation, the more glaring the complicity of the community’s elites and traditional rulers.
Second, and most-chilling, the deeper the military’s search across the community to disarm the residents, in compliance with directives, the more it is discovered that the entire community is sitting on an expansive cache of arms, which the youthful militants deploy to unleash terror on the behest and command of their elders and elites.
On April 10, 2024, troops of 63 Brigade conducted a raid/ cordon and search operations at Olota Community of Ugheli South LGA of Delta State confirming all these facts about Okuama and its surrounding communities with regard to their stockpile of arms for terror activities.
During the Search of the residence of one Mr Kenneth, who escaped on sighting the troops, the team discovered one G3 rifle, 853 rounds of 7.62 MM Nato and 19 rounds of 7.62 Special MM.
A further search of other locations within the community led to the discovery of 4 G3 rifles and Magazines, one pump action gun and 3 Sub Machine Guns, Magazines and 476 carriages. Additionally, the troops recovered 5 dane guns and one big plastic containing substances suspected to be Carbis satin.
Armed with robust intelligence effort, the military were said to have stormed a number of hideouts and homes of individuals suspected to be complicit in the heinous crime. The operations, however, paid off with the arrest of three leaders of the Olota community in Ugheli South LGA of the state.
The arrest of the three identified individuals followed a painstaking effort of the military to track down the masterminds and killers of the soldiers. The manhunt of the perpetrators has compelled the military to look beyond Okuama community as they are said to have extended their dragnet to surrounding communities and across the creeks of the Niger Delta region where they suspect that the killers might be hiding.
The troops are also in search of weapons which they believe are stockpiled in many homes within the general area.
One Intelligence source who spoke to Zagazola Makama, said the communities where the troops have conducted searches were full of weapons and the directive handed over to the troops was to mop up the arms and ammunition and disarm the communities.
According to him, the troops will not relent until that particular order has been carried out to the letter. He said the domination of the general area is in progress while the search for weapons belonging to the slain military personnel and culprits in the dastardly act continues. “All these communities have what they call, ‘community weapons’ ‘ which they use to cause havoc here”, he said.
Recall that on the 14th day of March, Lt. Colonel A. H. Ali, the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, led three other officers and 13 soldiers to the Okuama Community to mediate in the lingering dispute with Okoloba Community, and were killed by members of the Okuama community.
They went as peacemakers and peacekeepers, respectfully seeking to bring an end to the hostilities between the two communities. They did not go with tanks, machine guns, and other weapons. They were on a mission for peace.
*Zagazola Makama, is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region
17 SOLDIERS: CHILLING DISCOVERIES AT OKUAMA
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Gombe
By: Zagazola Makama
The Gombe State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers following a tip-off from credible intelligence, sources said on Friday.
Police sources said the suspects were apprehended on March 10 at about 10:00 p.m. by operatives working in conjunction with local hunters.
The arrested suspects were identified as Mohammed Abubakar, 29; Mohammed Bello, 23; and Mohammadu Ali, 25, all residents of Galda Village, Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.
According to the report, the suspects were planning to carry out a kidnapping in an unspecified location in Bauchi State. Upon interrogation, they allegedly confessed to the planned crime.
Police said investigations were ongoing to uncover further details and apprehend any other accomplices involved in the plot.
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Gombe
Youths attack and kill two army officers while responding to dispute in Cross River
By: Zagazola Makama
Two army officers, including an intelligence officer, were reportedly killed during a violent clash between youths in a disputed crisis zone between Isabang and Alesi communities in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident followed a conflict on March 11 when Ibrahim Musa, a 25-year-old miner from Kusa, who deals in tin ore at Ekuri village, was allegedly beaten by youths at a village checkpoint and had his mined minerals seized.
The miner reportedly reported the attack to soldiers stationed at 245 Battalion, Edor Barracks, near Jenifer Etuh’s Hospital in Ochon. Troops responded by moving into the forest to arrest four youths allegedly involved in the attack.
Residents said other youths blocked the access road to prevent the arrest and attacked the soldiers. In response, they fired which resulted to the injuries of four persons, including Christopher Agara, 27, and Ogobi Egbe, 30, while two others were evacuated for native treatment.
The attack resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.
Additional troops have since deployed additional personnel to restore order in the area, and normalcy has reportedly returned.
Youths attack and kill two army officers while responding to dispute in Cross River
New Tax Regime to Ease Burden on Workers, Small Businesses — Tegbe
By: Michael Mike
Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC), Joseph Tegbe, has said Nigeria’s new tax regime is structured to reduce the financial burden on workers and small businesses while strengthening the country’s fiscal stability and economic competitiveness.
Speaking at the BusinessDay Tax Reform Conference 2026 themed “Navigating the New Tax Regime: What It Means for Your Wallet,” Tegbe described the reforms as the most far-reaching restructuring of Nigeria’s tax system in decades. He noted that the initiative is aimed at simplifying tax processes, promoting fairness, and creating an environment that supports economic expansion.
According to him, the reforms are anchored on four major legislations — the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025 — which collectively introduce a more coordinated and transparent tax administration framework.
Tegbe explained that the new structure provides targeted reliefs for individuals and small enterprises, ensuring that low-income earners and emerging businesses are not overburdened by taxation.
Under the new regime, individuals earning below ₦800,000 annually will be exempted from personal income tax. Workers will also benefit from a rent relief allowance of up to 20 per cent, capped at ₦500,000, among other incentives designed to ease financial pressure on households.
Small businesses are equally positioned to gain from the reforms. Companies with annual revenues below ₦100 million and assets not exceeding ₦250 million will be exempted from Company Income Tax, while nano-enterprises with annual earnings below ₦12 million will not be required to pay income tax.
Despite these relief measures, Tegbe stressed that individuals and businesses within the exempted thresholds must still maintain proper documentation of their earnings and comply with the requirement to file tax returns.
He noted that beyond the tax reliefs, the reforms will also strengthen institutional coordination among key agencies including the Nigeria Revenue Service, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria, the Tax Appeal Tribunal and the Office of the Tax Ombud. He added that increased digitalisation of tax processes will improve transparency, efficiency and compliance across the system.
According to Tegbe, the broader objective of the reforms is to create a tax structure that supports enterprise development, encourages investment and enhances Nigeria’s ability to mobilise revenue for national development without placing excessive strain on citizens.
“The goal is to build a tax system that works for everyone — one that supports government in delivering development while also protecting the financial wellbeing of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the conference included Executive Secretary of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria, Olusegun Adesokan; Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT Internal Revenue Service, Michael Ango; renowned economist Uche Uwaleke; and policy expert Sam Amadi, among others, who also contributed to discussions on the implications of the new tax framework for businesses and households.
New Tax Regime to Ease Burden on Workers, Small Businesses — Tegbe
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Gombe
Youths attack and kill two army officers while responding to dispute in Cross River
New Tax Regime to Ease Burden on Workers, Small Businesses — Tegbe
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