News
Katampe Residents Call on Wike to Intervene in Illegal Extortion
Katampe Residents Call on Wike to Intervene in Illegal Extortion
By: Michael Mike
Residents of Katampe Extension in Abuja have been sent into panic as a group of thugs, in the company of some gun-toting policemen, raided the district.
Residents alleged that the thugs and armed men went on a rampage, indiscriminately catching and bundling gatekeepers manning residential gates into their truck and driving off, for no offence, leaving the residences unsecured with some gates left wide open.
The residents sounded the alarm over what they described as the unlawful and dangerous campaign by the Bwari Area Council to extort money from them under the guise of enforcing payment for radio and television licenses, calling for the immediate intervention of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, the Inspector General of Police and the Judicial Service Commission to avert a total break down of law and order in the district.
A statement signed by the Katampe Extension Residents Association President, Mohammed Gimba, described the situation as “bizarre”, noting that supposed agents and officials of the Bwari Area Council are resorting to self-help and taking the law into their own hands.
He described a situation where law-abiding citizens performing their legitimate duties in a private residential building are summarily rounded up like common criminals and imprisoned by officials of the council, as a breach of their fundamental human rights and a flagrant disregard of law and order.
The chairman said: “What we have currently is a situation whereby bystanders, private security men and house helps are being randomly arrested and detained by council officials with the aid of the police, instead of the homeowners. This is impunity and an illegality taken too far.”
He noted that, under Nigerian law, specifically the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, a person can only be arrested or detained if there’s reasonable suspicion of their involvement in a crime (Section 35 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999, and Section 7 of ACJA). The police don’t have the authority to detain someone just because they’re related to or are the employee of a suspect.
He said: “The law doesn’t allow for ‘substitutional’ detention. More worrisome is the fact that the contentious issue of radio and TV license fees being demanded by the Bwari area council is purely a civil matter for which the district is collectively seeking legal interpretation against the background that the Abuja Municipal Area Council recently suspended the imposition of the said levy. In any case, Katampe extension falls within the Abuja Municipal Area Council and not Bwari Area Council. The escalating harassment, which has led to arrests and illegal detentions, is an attack on residents’ rights.”
The chairman said Katampe Extension has no visible project by the Bwari area council, wondering why the council is on a desperate mission to extort money from residents of the district under the guise of radio and television license, which he described as “disturbing”, particularly because the levies are to be paid into the accounts of a private company not that of the Bwari area council.
He contended that, “In a community where people are simply trying to live peacefully, these actions create fear, disrupt lives, and smack of extortion rather than lawful revenue collection.”
“In view of the above, we urge the Bwari Area Council to immediately halt these aggressive actions and engage in constructive dialogue with Katampe Extension residents. Clear explanations of the legal basis for these demands, coupled with a more consultative approach, would foster trust rather than fear. Residents are willing to engage, but they will not silently endure harassment,” the statement said.
The statement also called on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to call the chairman of Bwari Area Council to order, to forestall a situation that can lead to total breakdown of law and order in Katampe Extension district, as a result of the misguided and illegal activities of Bwari council officials.
Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops under Operation WUTAN DAJI have cleared several bandits’ camps, rescued kidnapped victims and recovered arms during clearance operations in Bauchi State.
Security sources said troops of 33 Artillery Brigade Garrison, in conjunction with elements of the Brigade Headquarters and a team from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), carried out the operation in Kumbodoro forest and Kumbodoro village.
According to the sources, the operation was led by the Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade, Brig.-Gen. S.S. Shehu, as part of ongoing efforts to rid the area of criminal elements.
They added that several bandits’ camps, including Azuge camps, were cleared during the operation, while a number of the criminals were neutralised.
Items recovered include four skeletal rifles, four dane guns, two pairs of boots, three helmets, a power bank, a Startimes decoder, one FN rifle magazine, one AK-47 magazine, communication links, a jackknife, six mobile phones, arrows, radio chargers, ATM cards, photographs, identity cards, as well as several pairs of security agency uniforms and leg chains.
The sources further disclosed that eight kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation.
They said troops are currently holding position within the Kumbodoro forest to consolidate gains from the clearance mission.
In a related development, the sources said troops deployed at Duguri, in collaboration with local vigilantes, recovered 36 cows at Mushen Kura village following information that the animals were roaming the area.
“The cows are suspected to have fled from bandits’ camps due to the ongoing operations and are currently in custody for further action,” the sources said.
They noted that troops’ morale and combat efficiency remain high, while operations continue to deny bandits freedom of action in the region.
Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi
Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition
By: Zagazola Makama
Joint security operatives under the Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe, have raided a suspected herders’ camp in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering arms and ammunition.
Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 1:30 p.m. on April 12 along the IPO community axis by troops of 6 Division Garrison in collaboration with personnel of the Air Force, Navy, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Civil Defence Corps.
According to the sources, the raid targeted identified herders’ and cattle rearers’ camps in the area.
They added that items recovered during the operation include one AK-47 rifle, one pump-action gun, 274 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and four mobile phones.
The sources noted that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal possession of firearms and enhance security across the Niger Delta region.
Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition
Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has announced the establishment of a quarry centre in Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, to accelerate infrastructure development in the state.
Zulum made this announcement on Monday while flagging off the distribution of 70 brand-new Howo pickup trucks to the Ministry of Works and the State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA) at the Government House.
The 70 Howo trucks are designed to boost the operational capacity of the Ministry of Works and its supervising agencies. The trucks will enable the swift delivery of materials to sites and faster intervention on distressed roads.
According to the governor, the quarry centre will provide locally sourced materials including granite, gravel and sharp sand to support ongoing and future road projects, reducing dependence on external suppliers and cutting costs.
“We have achieved a lot in health, education, agriculture, security, and road construction among others. However, we still have challenges of constructing roads within the state, especially in rural communities,” Zulum said.
“My administration has established a quarry plant in Pulka with a processing capacity of 120 tons per hour. The State Government spent at least 3 billion to establish the quarry plant”, he added.
According to the governor, due to the prevailing insecurity, most contractors are not willing to work in Borno.
“You know, no serious contractor will take the risk of deploying his equipment to most of the implementing areas, so this is the reason we are here”, the governor reinstated.
“So, we have no option but to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Works, the capacity of Borno State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA), the capacity of special projects, monitoring departments and other MDAs that are responsible for road construction.”
The brief ceremony was attended by the Secretary to Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani, Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works, Engr Baware, BORMA Chairman, Engr Sadu Auno, the Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Engr Bukar Gujubawu and other senior officials.
Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development
Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi
Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition
Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development
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