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Marwa Commends British Govt Over Marine Headquarters Project for NDLEA

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Marwa Commends British Govt Over Marine Headquarters Project for NDLEA

By: Michael Mike

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the British Government for offering to undertake the provision of headquarters house and personnel accommodation for the Marine Unit of the anti-narcotics body at the Eko Atlantic city beach.

Marwa, who gave the commendation while performing the groundbreaking ceremony to signify the commencement of the project facilitated by the UK Home Office International Operations (HOIO), assured that the agency will continue to live up to the expectations of Nigerians and its international partners.

He said the confidence reposed in the agency by President Bola Tinubu and the UK government as well as their all-round support will always be a morale booster for the officers and men who daily take huge risks to dismantle drug cartels with the sole aim of curbing the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria, while significantly contributing to the global effort to address the drug problem.

He noted that the office and accommodation facilities being provided by the UK government for personnel of the marine unit of the agency will in no small measure enhance their safety, efficiency and confidence. “You have provided us a place here, you’ve given us the trainings, you’ve supported with the boats and the repairs and now the accommodation. We can only say thank you. We wish to give the assurances on what you already know that the NDLEA is a serious Agency, we do what we have to do without fear or favour, we will get the job done, that I can give you the assurance as we continue to partner. Thank you very much”, the NDLEA boss said while addressing the British government officials and their contractors at the site of the project.

He also commended personnel of the Navy, Customs, Immigration and other services in the area for their collaboration with NDLEA. “We all must stand up together, though the NDLEA is the lead agency in this enterprise, the work is collaborative. We must partner to get the job done. I’ve been briefed that there’s lot of collaboration going on the same way I was at MMIA this morning and spoke to your senior colleagues there and they are all working together as you are here. I urge you to keep it up in this spirit and I wish you more success.”

Addressing officers of the Unit, Marwa said the leadership of the agency is restructuring the Marine Unit so that it “can become a lean and mean force under an able commander”, adding “you should brace up, stand up on your two feet and work very hard to make sure that drugs do not pass by water.”

In his brief remarks at the ceremony, Kris Hawksfield of the UK Home Office International Operations assured that the project will be completed latest by July 2024.

Speaking earlier at a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy meeting with the leadership of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Marwa said there is need for the organization to partner with the Agency in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking. He urged the PMAN President, Prettywise Okafor and other executives to mobilise their members to use their God-given talents for the good of the society rather than using their music to promote drug abuse especially among the youths.

Okafor in his response expressed the preparedness of PMAN to partner with the Agency. He also gave details of their effort to organise advocacy campaign against drug abuse across the country and their plan to build rehabilitation centres as part of their ongoing projects in Abuja and Lagos.

Marwa Commends British Govt Over Marine Headquarters Project for NDLEA

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Troops kill scores of terrorists, destroy enclaves in Borno operations

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Troops kill scores of terrorists, destroy enclaves in Borno operations

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have sustained offensive operations against terrorist groups in Borno State, neutralising several insurgents and destroying key enclaves in coordinated ground and air assaults.

Security sources said the operations, conducted under Operation Desert Sanity V, targeted terrorist hideouts across the Bulabulin Forest and Timbuktu axes, with strong support from the Air Component Command.

According to the sources, troops of Sector 2, in conjunction with a stabilisation force brigade and elements of the Civilian Joint Task Force, cleared multiple enclaves in Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti and Yaro Shuwari areas, which are contiguous to the Bulabulin Forest and the Kamadogu Yobe stretch.

The sources disclosed that troops made contact with terrorists around Malam Shiri Village, where they executed a coordinated flanking manoeuvre and engaged the insurgents in a fierce battle.

“A total of 11 terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, while others fled with injuries. Troops destroyed life-support structures within the enclaves and recovered significant quantities of arms and logistics,” the sources said.

Recovered items include nine AK-47 rifles, three PKT machine guns, five motorcycles, assorted ammunition, and materials used for the fabrication of improvised explosive devices.

In a related engagement along the Timbuktu axis on the Wajiroko–Sabon Gari corridor, troops, supported by air strikes, engaged another group of terrorists and maintained tactical superiority throughout the encounter.

Items recovered from the scene include AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade tubes, bandoliers, communication equipment, and a large cache of ammunition.

Further operational reports indicated that troops advancing through the Bulabulin axis also engaged terrorists around Bultuwa in Yunusari Local Government Area, where six insurgents were killed and additional weapons, including AK-47 rifles, a PKT machine gun, motorcycles, ammunition, and IED-making materials, were recovered. No casualties were recorded among troops, although some vehicles sustained tyre damage during the operation.

Meanwhile, troops deployed around the Azir Bridge area came under attack late at night by terrorists using armed drones. Reinforcements moving to the location encountered an improvised explosive device, which struck a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle without causing further losses.

Air assets were subsequently deployed, with multiple precision strikes conducted on terrorist positions, forcing the attackers to retreat.

The sources confirmed that two terrorist bodies and a rifle were recovered after the engagement, while one soldier was killed in action.They added that the Air Component Command played a decisive role in the operations by providing continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as precision strikes on identified targets, which significantly degraded the terrorists’ capabilities.

Troops are currently conducting follow-up exploitation operations along the Forfor, Multe and Wajiroko axes to track fleeing insurgents and prevent regrouping.

The sources said the sustained operations demonstrate increasing operational effectiveness and continued dominance by security forces across the theatre.

Troops kill scores of terrorists, destroy enclaves in Borno operations

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Troops raid IPOB enclave in Enugu, destroy camp, recover explosives

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Troops raid IPOB enclave in Enugu, destroy camp, recover explosives

By: Zagazola Makama

Joint troops under Operation UDO KA have conducted an offensive operation on a suspected IPOB enclave in Ajali Forest, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 4:30 a.m. on April 27 by troops of 82 Division Garrison in conjunction with 103 Battalion (Reinforced) and 197 Special Forces Battalion, acting on credible intelligence.

The sources disclosed that the troops made contact with the armed elements during the operation and engaged them in a firefight, forcing the suspects to flee into the forest.

According to the sources, troops subsequently exploited the area and destroyed all active structures within the camp, including a shrine.

Items recovered from the location include three rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, three cartridges, seven victim-operated improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and one locally made hand grenade.

The sources added that no further contact was made during the exploitation phase, while troops have maintained presence in the area to prevent reoccupation by the fleeing suspects.

Troops raid IPOB enclave in Enugu, destroy camp, recover explosives

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Troops foil kidnap attempt, rescue victim in Kaduna

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Troops foil kidnap attempt, rescue victim in Kaduna

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have foiled a kidnap attempt and rescued a civilian in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Security sources told Zagazola that the incident occurred in the early hours of April 26 at about 3:00 a.m., when troops on night patrol at Sanga responded to reports of sporadic gunshots along Ungwan Mohammadu village road.

The sources said the troops swiftly moved to the scene and made contact with suspected kidnappers, engaging them in a firefight that forced the criminals to flee.

According to the sources, one civilian who sustained gunshot wounds during the incident was rescued by the troops.

The victim was immediately evacuated to Confidence Hospital in Fadan Karshi for medical attention and is currently receiving treatment.

The sources added that troops have intensified patrols and are conducting follow-up operations to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further attacks in the area.

Troops foil kidnap attempt, rescue victim in Kaduna

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