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UK Government Hosts Stakeholder Meeting on Serious and Organised Crime
UK Government Hosts Stakeholder Meeting on Serious and Organised Crime
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom Government has hosted a multi-stakeholder meeting in Abuja to discuss how its Serious & Organised Crime (SOC) Prevent Programme is making significant strides in deterring vulnerable young people from joining Organised Crime Groups in Nigeria.
Launched as a three-year pilot in December 2021, the programme is designed to disrupt Nigerian Organised Crime Groups by redirecting at-risk youth towards positive alternatives in Bayelsa, Edo, Zamfara and Lagos states.
In select local governments of these states, the SOC Prevent Programme has established robust structures and delivered various interventions, including Back-to-School Initiatives, Digital Skills Acquisition, Dance and Drama Workshops and Sports Interventions.
Collaborating closely with the Nigeria Police Force, the programme has trained 83 officers in the Prevent methodology, reinforcing the commitment to institutionalise this approach in tackling SOC, and to date, approximately 1,500 beneficiaries across the four states have been diverted from potential involvement in organised crime.
Speaking at the meeting, the Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever said: “Serious & Organised Crime is a priority for both Nigeria and the UK, and can take many forms. Ranging from online focussed activities like cybercrime to the physical movement of illicit commodities and people in the form of trafficking.
“Our results in Nigeria have proven that the Prevent methodology works, and it has been successful in diverting young people from choosing a life of crime. I believe that the valuable discussions that took place today will smoothen the way for Prevent to be fully institutionalised in Nigeria.”
The meeting included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Police Affairs, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), INTERPOL, Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), Ministry of Police Affairs, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and others.
The Prevent programme is an approach to tackling SOC. Others are Pursue, Protect and Prepare. Prevent methodology looks to prevent or deter people from engaging in SOC by raising awareness of the consequences of SOC and developing techniques to deter people from continuing in criminality.
UK Government Hosts Stakeholder Meeting on Serious and Organised Crime
Police arrest two suspected informants to bandits in Kwara
By: Zagazola Makama
Two suspected informants to bandits have been arrested by the police in Kwara State.
According to a police sources, the suspects, Abdullah Yakubu, 27, and Jamilu Hamidu, 25, both from Kaima, were arrested on April 26, 2025, in Chikanda via Yashikira.
They were brought to the station by a retired DSP and vigilante members.The suspects, who had escaped from Kainji National Park, confessed to providing information to bandits operating within the park. They reportedly received ₦20,000 for each tip-off given to the criminals.
Police arrest two suspected informants to bandits in Kwara
Army troops rescue Deputy Commander of NDLEA officer, five others from kidnappers in Taraba
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with other security agencies rescued six persons, including a senior officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), from suspected kidnappers in Taraba State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the rescue followed a distress call received at about 11:40 p.m. on April 27 from a youth leader, Abe Samuel, who reported that a Toyota Hilux vehicle had come under attack along the Wukari–Kente Road.
Responding swiftly, the troops deployed to the area and found the abandoned vehicle with registration number FG 117-B03 and a punctured tire, but the occupants were missing.
A joint search and rescue operation was immediately launched, and by 6:00 a.m. on April 28, troops successfully rescued the Deputy Commander of NDLEA Zone 1, Ibadan, Musa Hudu, and five other victims from a nearby bush.
The victims were unharmed, and preliminary investigation revealed that they had fled into the bush after three armed men attacked their vehicle and shot at them with a dane gun.
The victims were safely escorted out of the area and allowed to proceed with their journey after their vehicle was repaired.
Rival gangs clash at wedding, one dead in Kontagora, Niger State
By Zagazola Makama
A deadly clash between rival gangs erupted at a wedding ceremony in Bayan-Waya area of Kontagora, Niger State, on April 27, 2025, resulting in the death of one man.
According the a police source, the fight involved members of rival groups known locally as “Sarasuka.” During the altercation, Aliyu Abubakar, 25, from Gangare Sagi Area, was seriously injured.
A team of police officers quickly responded to the scene and rushed the victim to Kontagora General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead on arrival.
The sources said efforts are ongoing to arrest the culprits involved in the fatal incident.
Rival gangs clash at wedding, one dead in Kontagora, Niger State
Police arrest two suspected informants to bandits in Kwara
Army troops rescue Deputy Commander of NDLEA officer, five others from kidnappers in Taraba
Rival gangs clash at wedding, one dead in Kontagora, Niger State
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