Troops Rescue Security Personnel, Recover Arms After Mob Attack in Oyo

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the 2 Division Garrison have intervened in a mob attack at Ojurin Mammy Market in Lagalu Local Government Area of Oyo State, rescuing three police personnel and a civilian driver who were assaulted by unknown individuals.

Military sources said the incident occurred at about 6:46 p.m. on June 18, when the victims were attacked by a mob who mistook them for armed robbers while they were dressed in plain clothes.

The victims were later identified as personnel attached to the Violent Crimes and Response Unit Annex, Iyana Church, Alakia, Ibadan.

Troops who responded swiftly to the distress situation succeeded in rescuing the victims from the mob and restoring order in the area.

The civilian driver involved in the incident reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury and was evacuated to the 2 Division Medical Services and Hospital for treatment.

During the operation, troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, one riot gun, and 25 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition from the scene.

Authorities said the situation had been brought under control, while efforts were ongoing to prevent further escalation and ensure public safety in the area.

Troops Rescue Security Personnel, Recover Arms After Mob Attack in Oyo

UN Envoy Blasts Nigeria’s Security Collapse, Warns Impunity Fuelling Cycle of Violence, Rights Breakdown

By: Michael Mike

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea, has delivered one of the starkest international assessments yet of Nigeria’s security situation, warning that entrenched impunity and collapsing accountability systems are fuelling a self-perpetuating cycle of violence across the country.

Speaking at the end of an 11-day official visit, Ghanea said Nigeria’s insecurity has moved beyond episodic attacks to a structural crisis characterised by mass killings, repeated displacement of communities, destruction of livelihoods and widespread erosion of public trust in state institutions.

She said what emerged consistently from her engagements with over 200 stakeholders — including government officials, security agencies, victims, civil society organisations and religious leaders — was a country struggling to contain overlapping threats of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflict and organised criminal networks.

According to her, the failure to ensure accountability for atrocities has created conditions in which violence is not only repeated but expands, leaving entire communities trapped in cycles of fear and survival.

“The absence of justice and accountability appears to be entrenching these cycles of violence and encouraging their spread,” she warned.

The UN envoy said victims across multiple regions described repeated attacks that destroyed entire villages, forced mass displacement and left survivors dependent on internally displaced persons’ camps with no clear path to return home.

She noted that many communities have suffered repeated assaults over the years, with some victims reporting displacement as many as six times, each time forced to rebuild their lives only to face renewed violence.

Ghanea also drew attention to disturbing accounts of armed groups allegedly imposing terms on rural communities, including arrangements in which residents surrender farmland and agricultural produce under coercion, deepening what she described as a breakdown of state protection in rural areas.

She warned that the scale and persistence of abductions — including kidnappings of children, clergy, traditional leaders, security personnel and political figures — has created a parallel economy of ransom and fear that further weakens state authority.

The Special Rapporteur said insecurity has also triggered the rise of vigilante groups, community defence networks and informal security structures, reflecting what she described as citizens’ growing loss of confidence in formal protection systems.

Ghanea further cautioned that the proliferation of arms and informal checkpoints risks blurring the line between community self-defence and criminal exploitation, warning that weak oversight could worsen insecurity.

Beyond violence, she raised concerns about structural issues affecting freedom of religion or belief, including the continued requirement in some administrative processes for citizens to declare their religion, saying such practices reinforce identity-based divisions and expose governance systems to political manipulation.

She also criticised the dominant framing of Nigeria as a rigid religious binary between a Muslim north and Christian south, describing it as an oversimplification that obscures the country’s internal diversity and fuels polarisation.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights, Ghanea pointed to tensions arising from parallel legal and administrative systems in parts of the country, particularly around issues such as blasphemy, personal status laws and freedom of expression.

Despite her concerns, the UN envoy commended the resilience of affected communities, the efforts of civil society organisations and the work of interfaith initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and coexistence.

She said Nigeria possesses the institutional capacity, human expertise and civic energy needed to reverse current trends, but stressed that urgent reforms are required to break what she described as the entrenched cycle of violence and impunity.

Ghanea confirmed that her full findings and recommendations will be submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2027.

UN Envoy Blasts Nigeria’s Security Collapse, Warns Impunity Fuelling Cycle of Violence, Rights Breakdown

Ekiti Poll: NSCDC Deploys 10,000 Personnel

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 10,000 personnel, including elite tactical squads and K9 units, to Ekiti State ahead of the forthcoming governorship election, in a major security operation aimed at ensuring a peaceful and credible poll.

The deployment, announced on Wednesday by the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja, is part of the Corps’ efforts to guarantee a violence-free atmosphere and protect the integrity of the electoral process.

According to the NSCDC, personnel have been mobilised from several neighbouring states, including Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Ogun and Kogi, alongside operational reinforcements from Zones 11 and 6.

The Corps said its specialised units, including the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (SIS), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, Specialized Female Squad, Mining Marshals, Special Force and Crack Squad, as well as the K9 Unit, have been placed on high alert to detect and neutralise any security threats before, during and after the election.

To coordinate the operation, the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi has designated the Deputy Commandant General in charge of Operations, Ayuba Phillips, to personally lead the security exercise on the ground in Ekiti State.

Reaffirming the Corps’ readiness, the Commandant General said the security operation was designed to protect voters, election officials and other stakeholders and to prevent any form of electoral violence.

“Our mission in Ekiti State is definitive: to protect the integrity of the democratic process and guarantee the safety of every voter, election official, and citizen. We will tolerate no form of electoral violence, thuggery, or disruption. Our specialized squads and tactical forces are fully briefed and strategically positioned to maintain absolute law and order,” he said.

The NSCDC also disclosed that it is working closely with other security agencies to provide comprehensive security coverage throughout the election period, stressing that all personnel have been directed to maintain professionalism, neutrality and civility in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The deployment comes amid heightened preparations for the governorship election, with security agencies under pressure to prevent voter intimidation, electoral violence and other disruptions that have occasionally marred elections in parts of the country.

The Corps urged residents of Ekiti State to conduct themselves peacefully, turn out to exercise their civic rights without fear and promptly report suspicious activities to security personnel.

Ekiti Poll: NSCDC Deploys 10,000 Personnel