Crime
Former president of Burkina Faso, Compaore gets life imprisonment
Former president of Burkina Faso Compaore gets life imprisonment
A military tribunal on Wednesday ruled that Burkina Faso’s former president Blaise Compaore be sentenced to life imprisonment for complicity in the 1987 murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in a coup.
The charismatic Marxist revolutionary Sankara was gunned down in the West African nation’s capital Ouagadougou at the age of 37, four years after he took power in a previous putsch.
Compaore was charged in absentia along with his former Head of Security, Hyacinthe Kafando, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
Both have previously denied any involvement in Sankara’s death along with 12 other defendants accused of involvement in the plot, three of whom were declared innocent on Wednesday.
“The court finds Blaise Compaoré and Hyacinthe Kafando guilty of attack on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse,” the tribunal said in its ruling.
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Compaore went on to rule for 27 years before being ousted in another coup in 2014 and fleeing to Ivory Coast, where he is still believed to live.
Fondly known as Africa’s “Che Guevara”, Sankara took power on a promise to thwart corruption and post-colonial influences, denouncing foreign aid as a control mechanism.
He rolled out mass vaccination against polio, banned female circumcision and polygamy, and was one of the first African leaders to publicly recognise the growing AIDS epidemic as a threat for the continent.
A former fighter pilot, Sankara won public support in the impoverished nation by selling a government fleet of Mercedes, lowering the pay of well-off public servants and forbidding first class state travel.
He cut his own salary, refused to work with air conditioning and jogged through Ouagadougou unaccompanied.
Critics said his reforms curtailed freedoms and did little to enrich ordinary people. But admiration remains.
Over the weekend, students gathered around white flowers marking the spot where Sankara was shot.
(Reuters/NAN)
FCT police arrest suspected ammunition courier for zamfara bandits
By: Zagazola Makama
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested a 32-year-old man suspected of attempting to procure ammunition for bandits operating in Zamfara State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspect, identified as Ahmed Abubakar, of Gusau, Zamfara State, and currently residing at Anguwan Dodo, Gwagwalada, was arrested on Dec. 7 at about 3:30 p.m. by operatives of the Mabushi Division following credible intelligence.
Sources said that the suspect had allegedly contacted a Nigerian Army personnel, Cpl. Yusuf Mohammed, to help him procure 1,000 rounds of ammunition, which he claimed were meant for bandits in Zamfara for a monetary reward.
During preliminary investigation, Abubakar reportedly confessed that he was acting on instructions from his uncle, Ahmed Yakubu, of the same address, who is currently at large. The uncle allegedly sent him to purchase the ammunition and transport it back to Zamfara for use by bandit groups within their locality.
The police recovered ₦170,100 from the suspect, believed to be part of the funds for the illicit transaction.
The Command said the suspect is currently in custody undergoing further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to track down his fleeing accomplice
FCT police arrest suspected ammunition courier for zamfara bandits
Retired DCP killed in Ngor-Okpala attack as police intensify search for abducted victims
By: Zagazola Makama
The Imo State Police Command has confirmed that the victim of a gun attack along Portharcourt Road in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area has been identified as retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Kingsley Woke, aged 56.
Zagazola learnt that DCP Woke, who last served as DC Courses at the Police Staff College, Jos, was travelling from Portharcourt to Umuahia in Abia State when he was shot in the chest by armed hoodlums on Dec. 7 at about 11:00 p.m. near Amala Autonomous Community, after Zion Ministry Church.
The deceased, who hails from Omuowu, Ikwerre LGA, Rivers State, had his personal belongings secured at the police station and later released to his sister, Mrs. Hope, who confirmed his death.
Sources said tactical teams, in collaboration with other security agencies, local vigilantes, and hunters, have intensified operations to track down the perpetrators and locate other victims who were reportedly abducted during the same attack.
Authorities assured the public that every effort is being made to apprehend the attackers and ensure the safety of residents along the Ngor Okpala corridor.
Retired DCP killed in Ngor-Okpala attack as police intensify search for abducted victims
Army troops neutralise 11 terrorists, recover weapons in Sabon Birni ambush in Sokoto
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 8 Division Nigerian Army, conducting Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have neutralised 11 terrorists during a precision ambush in Kurawa Village, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Sources reliably informed Zagazola Makama that the operation was executed at about 0645 hours, on Sunday following credible human intelligence on the movement of a terrorist group attempting to cross towards Tara village in the same council area.
The coordinated strike was carried out by the 8 Division Garrison Strike Team leading to the successful interception of the terrorists along their crossing route.
According to the sources, the troops recovered eight AK-47 rifles after the encounter, while a follow-up exploitation operation to further clear the area is currently underway.
The ambush, described as “swift, surgical and professionally executed”, is one of the latest gains recorded under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the ongoing theatre-wide offensive aimed at dismantling terrorist and bandit networks across Sokoto, Zamfara and neighbouring corridors.
Military authorities said more details would be provided after the ongoing exploitation and assessment of the battlefield.
Zagazola reports that 8 Division has in recent months intensified both kinetic and intelligence-driven operations, leading to the degradation of several criminal enclaves and improved security across the region.
End
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