Crime

It was unthinkable to alleged Nigerian soldiers aborted 10,000 pregnancies- Former Theatre Commander

Published

1 year ago

March 24, 2023

Ochuwa Ibrahim

It was unthinkable to alleged Nigerian soldiers aborted 10,000 pregnancies- Former Theatre Commander

By: Michael Mike

The former theatre Commander of Operation Lafia Dole in the North East, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi has refuted Reuters’ reports of abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, infanticide and other forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) against the Nigeria military, saying that it is thoughtless as a bunch of lies.

The witness who stated this in his oral testimony before the 7-Member panel Chaired by Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd) wondered why it is only Reuters as a media organisation that was privy to the said grave human rights violations and atrocious crimes allegedly committed by the Nigeria Armed Forces in the counter insurgency operations in the North East.

Adeniyi, who is presently the Director Directorate of Counter Terrorism at the Army Research Centre, said how possible is it that of all the various News Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations, International Partners etc, it is only Reuters that publish this kind of report.

Responding to the first part of the three-tier report which focused on systematic, illegal and secret abortion programme in the North East by the military since 2013, the senior military officer said, “In Africa we don’t do such things, you will not say that because soldiers are keeping custody of these returning women you now give them injection so that the babies in their womb will be aborted.”

On the issue of Boko Haram children allegedly killing terminating pregnancies and “deleting children” believed to have been fathered by Boko Haram insurgents on the premise that they will grow into another generation of Boko Haram and carry arms against the State, Adeniyi rhetorically asked, “What is the meaning of Boko Haram babies?”

Testifying further, he disclosed that solders are not angry that they are fighting Boko Haram insurgency because they are doing their work otherwise let some of these girls whose pregnancies were reportedly terminated by soldiers come out clear and say so, that will help the panel and indeed everyone to know the truth.

According to the erstwhile Brigade Commander 37 artillery Brigade Maiduguri, Borno state it is sad that somebody clutching a cup of tea in his cozy and air-conditioned room will decide to write this kind of report that has no bearing with the situation on ground.

“The allegation that Nigerian military terminated women pregnancies is not true. Things don’t just happen in the Army. Before anything happens, resources are committed, directives are given and those asked to carry out some actions report back. Secondly if such things happen soldiers will talk among themselves or at least gossip about them. These women I hope they are alive let them come out and say this is what happened to me”, he stated..

He added that: “The military is open in what it does except in rare circumstances like operations and timing of operations, however, even the things that military is keeping open people will say it is secret. If the military buys ammunitions it is on the pages of newspapers even in the USA it is so. You will not coordinate any operation in the Army without the knowledge of the higher echelon. So the issue of troops acting outside the rules is not permitted in the Army otherwise they will be court martialled.”

Speaking further, he stated that such magnitude of infractions alleged against the military if they actually happened, they would have been in the government records and archives and people must know because there is nothing so secretive in the Nigerian Army.

“Since 1999 the military has been strictly subordinated by the democratic process therefore it will not be possible for anyone to do anything and nobody will know and administering 10,000 injections to this number of women to terminate pregnancies must be recorded somewhere.”

Besides, he recalled that even in the past most of the allegations against the Nigeria Armed Forces normally come up when the State is overpowering the insurgents, adding that it is treasonable for any soldier to commit such offences as claimed by Reuters.

He noted that: “An average Nigerian soldier is above 18 years and I did not see any Medical Officer risking his medical certificate by aborting pregnancies. These women are kidnapped after shooting and killing their family members by Boko Haram and thereafter keep them under forced protective custody even though it is wrong, so why will soldier now kill the children of such women or terminate their pregnancies.”

He said that the soldiers already know that marriage existing between the insurgents and the affected women is forced and illegal and as such would not want to subject them to further trauma by killing their children or terminating their pregnancies.

“Nobody is thinking that these women are in love with their so called Boko Haram husband and the soldiers know very well that this man is keeping these women with the use of gun thereby risking their lives because these women were not married legally”, he stated.

He, however, conceded that where there are a large number of people there will be bad eggs stressing there is no policy in the military that will permit killing of innocent civilians. “While I am not vouching for anyone there are processes that will make it impossible for you to commit such crimes”, he maintained.

The former Theatre Commander said that if the soldiers are interested in killing anyone from the camp of insurgents who are now in custody they would have started with the Boko Haram members in Army custody instead of women and children who were not bearing arms.

He said that many of the Boko Haram members who sustained injuries before they were captured are still receiving medical treatment from military hospitals and no soldier has harmed them because it is against the law to kill any combatant upon capture since he did not die in the frontline.

In furtherance of his oral evidence, he told the panel that Nigerian soldiers are not revengeful and are not wild or wired with wrong ideologies to act in such a manner that will undermine the rights of women and children in the course of military operations.

It was unthinkable to alleged Nigerian soldiers aborted 10,000 pregnancies- Former Theatre Commander

Crime

Cocaine, Loud consignments hidden in incense candles, ladies’ wears seized in Lagos

Published

6 days ago

July 21, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Cocaine, Loud consignments hidden in incense candles, ladies’ wears seized in Lagos

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted frantic bids by drug syndicates to smuggle in and out of Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and some courier firms in Lagos, consignments of Cocaine and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis concealed in incense candles, game packs, dry hibiscus leaves and ladies’ native wears.

According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, a businessman, Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu was last Thursday arrested at his Horizon Court, Lekki, Lagos residence after a consignment of 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.3 kilogrammes hidden in packs of chessboards, scrabbles, checkers, and poker set, brought in from Canada on a British Airways flight was intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport during a joint examination of the cargo with men of Customs Service.

He said a search of his home also led to the recovery of more exhibits including some drug paraphernalia, such as, weighing scale, and cannabis potency test kit, while four vaping machines were recovered from his business premises on Admiralty Way, Lekki. A Mikano black truck with registration number FST 657 HP was also recovered from his house.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA last Friday intercepted two jumbo bags going to Pakistan. The bags contained dried hibiscus leaves, dried bitter leaves and other food items, which were used to conceal four parcels of cocaine and 14 parcels of Loud, both weighing 1.36 kilogrammes, and further investigations leading to the arrest of a businesswoman, Eze Ogechi who claimed she was sending the illicit consignment to Pakistan on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi based in the South Asia country.

Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II, Departure Gate of the MMIA, last Thursday intercepted a male Beninese passenger, Orobi Adoubi travelling with a bag containing some female native dresses. The suspect was going to Dubai via Accra, Ghana on an Air Peace Airline flight and a connecting flight to Dubai, UAE on Emirates Airline.

He said a thorough search of the bag revealed eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.1 kilogrammes were concealed in the ladies’ native wears. The suspect claimed he was given the consignment for a fee of N600,000 on successful delivery in Dubai.

Babafemi said not less than 4.5 kilogrammes of the same substance concealed inside the door panels and boot of an imported Toyota RAV 4 vehicle was on Sunday 14th July recovered from a container marked MSDU 5656394 from Canada during a 100% search of the container at Tincan port in Lagos.

He revealed that two suspects: Dada Kole and Alaba Oladewusi have been arrested in connection with the seizure. Meanwhile, a 48-year-old one legged man, Amadu Garba was arrested by NDLEA operatives in his house at Yawuri town, Kebbi State with six bags of cannabis weighing 67 kilogrammes Tuesday 16th July.

In Abuja, two suspects: 60-year-old Ademola Elusakin and 34-year-old Nuhu Friday Adamu were arrested by NDLEA operatives last Monday with 30 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance along Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja expressway on their way from Lagos to Nasarawa state.

He said Elusakin claimed he procured the consignment from Ghana via Lagos with Keffi, Nasarawa state as his final destination, where they were to supply illegal miners operating in the area.

Babafemi said at least 305 blocks of cannabis weighing 152.5 kilogrammes were recovered from a suspect, Sale Bukar, 39, who was arrested at Geidam in Yobe state on Sunday 14th July while taking the illicit consignment to Diffa, in Niger Republic. While a suspect: Aham Regal Chinemeze, 43, was nabbed last Thursday with 60 kilogrammes of same substance along Owerri – Onitsha expressway, Imo state, Adamu Abdullahi, 24, was arrested with 40.5 kilogrammes last Wednesday along Obajana -Kabba expressway, Kogi state. The consignment was recovered from him in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Kano.

In Plateau state, a raid on the storehouse of a notorious drug dealer, Choji Gyang (aka Pararam) who is currently at large, at Rukuba road, Jos led to the recovery of 34 bags of cannabis weighing 312 kilogrammes while his manager, Kelvin Onwutalu, 43, was arrested. Two suspects: Ifabiyi Johnson, 27, and Adeleke Musiliu, 54, were last Friday arrested with different strains of cannabis sativa weighing 30.4 kilogrammes during a raid in Osogbo, Osun state.

In Jigawa state, the trio of Tukur Yahaya, 55; Idris Haruna, 28; and Tanimu Umar, 29, were nabbed with 90 blocks of cannabis weighing 116.8 kilogrammes at Roni junction, Kazaure local government area last Friday while on their way to supply the illicit drugs to their customers in Kazaure, Yankwashi and Katsina state.

Similarly, the duo of Ibrahim Abdulkadir, 29, and Suleman Mohammed, 22, were arrested with 336 bottles of codeine syrup at Amingo, Kaduna, while Auwalu Hashimu, 35, was nabbed with 45 kilogrammes of cannabis along Zaria- Kano highway.

Acting on credible intelligence, a team of NDLEA operatives backed by soldiers raided a mechanic workshop opposite Benin garage, Akure, Ondo state where they recovered a white Toyota Hilux Van with registration number EE 328 EKY loaded with 652 parcels of cannabis weighing 685 kilogrammes.

In Nasarawa state, 38 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance and a locally made AK-47 rifle were recovered from the home of a suspect, Christopher Ombugadu, 32, in Akwanga during a raid on Sunday 14th July.

With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Jigawa, Osun, Yobe, Plateau, Kogi, Imo and FCT commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated.

He urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Cocaine, Loud consignments hidden in incense candles, ladies’ wears seized in Lagos

Crime

MNJTF Troops Neutralize Four Terrorists in Borno

Published

1 week ago

July 19, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

MNJTF Troops Neutralize Four Terrorists in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

The Troops of the Multi Mational Joint Task Force(MNJTF) have neutralized four terrorists in Yashinti Village, Nganzai Local Government Area, Borno State, in a swift and decisive operation.

It was gathered that the operation was conducted on July 18, 2024 at about 181100A hours, following intelligence received on terrorist activities in the area.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the troops swiftly mobilized to the general area and engaged the terrorists in a firefight, resulting in the neutralization of four terrorists.

The sources said that items recovered from the scene include one AK47 rifle, three AK47 rifle magazines, and seven rounds of 7.62mm x 39mm special ammunition.

This operation is part of the ongoing “Operation Desert Sanity III/Lake Sanity II” aimed at decimating terrorist activities in the region.

MNJTF Troops Neutralize Four Terrorists in Borno

Crime

NSCDC Arrests Three Oil Thieves in Rivers

Published

2 weeks ago

July 15, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NSCDC Arrests Three Oil Thieves in Rivers

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has arrested three suspects for vandalism of oil pipeline, oil theft and illegal dealings in petroleum products at Umuodo, Umuajuloke Community in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The CG’s SIS Commander, DC Apollo Dandaura during a briefing on Monday, said the the arrest was made possible through sustained Intelligence that an illegal oil refinery was cited at the crime scene, which made his command to sweep the area, leading to discovery of a large quantity of illegally refined petroleum products suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

He said: “Based on credible Intelligence we swung into action and arrested three suspects at the crime scene with large quantities of illegally refined AGO already stored inside metallic drums while others were inside cellophane bags.”

He disclosed that the names of the arrested suspects are Happiness Nwankwo (F) 45years who claimed to be an indigene of Omuma in Rivers State, Nnoma Nwankwo (F) 30years also from Rivers State and Favour Amadi (F) from Omuma in the same Rivers State.

The commander said: “Some exhibits recovered at the point of arrest are numerous drum ovens containing stolen and syphoned crude oil undergoing processing, Industrial hoses used to tap into well-heads to syphon crude oil, large quantities of stolen crude oil stored inside cellophane bags and kegs, Many metal and plastic buckets, Wheelbarrows, Shovels and Galvanized metal pipes”.