Category: Crime

In an affidavit in support of its ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1617/2022 and  filed before the court, the DSS also described  Mamu  as   a logistic supplier to both local and foreign terror groups.

The security agency added that Mamu,who had been leading  negotiations with the abductors of the  Kaduna-bound  train passengers  March 28,  was on his to a meeting with foreign terrorist leaders before his interception last week.

He was  arrested on September 6  in Cairo, Egypt, with  his two wives  and deported. They were picked up on arrival at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano by operatives of the DSS.

His wives were later released by the operatives, who after ransacking his home and office,  announced the  recovery of incriminating materials, including military accoutrements.

Presiding Justice Evelyn Maha yesterday granted the motion ex-parte  by counsel for the DSS, Ahmed Magaji. The motion   sought an order to detain Mamu, who is the publisher of Desert Herald,  for 60 days in the first instance, pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The motion,  dated September 12,  was filed  by U.N. Dauda, a lawyer with the security outfit.

The accompanying affidavit was deposed to by an official, Hamza Pandogari.

In  the affidavit, Pandogari said: “Mamu was intercepted by Nigerian foreign partners on his way to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with commanders and top leaders of terrorists organisations across the globe.”

He added: “Upon his interception, and subsequent repatriation back to Nigeria, a duly signed search warrant was executed in his residence and office and home in Sabon Kawo, GRA and   Anguwan Sarki, Kaduna State and various exhibits and items to establish his complicity with terrorists were recovered.

“The self-acclaimed Kaduna train negotiator (Mamu) exploited the opportunity to perpetrate, aid and abet  as well as render support to both local and international terrorist organisations.

“Preliminary investigation so far established, amongst others, the offences of logistic supplier, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism as well as terrorism financing against him.

“The defendant (Mamu) has used the cover of his profession as a journalist to aid both local and international terrorist groups.

“The action of the defendant has orchestrated the untimely death of several security personnel in Northcentral and Northeast parts of Nigeria.

“The defendant has discreetly given several information to bandits and terrorists that escalated various acts of terrorism in Nigeria.

“The investigation has assumed a wider dimension  and sophistication requiring time and advance expertise to conclude.

“Some of the suspects working with the defendant are at large and premature release of the defendant will jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

“The activities of the defendant and his associates at large constitute a potent threat to the unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria.”

The DSS listed some of the items it recovered from Manu’s residence and office to include $151, £20,  1, 530 Indian Rupees; one Saudi Riyald; 70 Dirham; N1,560,000 and 16 assorted foreign coins.

Others   are two packs of pump action cartridges; 16 ATM  cards of both local and foreign banks; seven cheque books of different banks; six laptops; four tablets; 24 handsets and three international passports belonging to Mamu; one firearm licence; eight pieces of Nigerian Army uniforms and 16 pieces of Nigerian Navy uniforms.

Nation

Four kidnappers who allegedly killed an operative of the  Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Segun Ayebulu last week, met their Waterloo on Tuesday.

They were apprehended by local hunters who were patrolling the border area between Ekiti and Kwara.

The abductors, who shot the operative along Oke-Ako/Irele road, also abducted three members of the deceased’s family and collected a sum of N5 million ransom before they were let off the hook.

The vehicle conveying the dead operative and his family was waylaid while travelling to his hometown at Ogbe, Yagba West Local Government area of Kogi State at about 6.30 pm on Saturday, September 3, 2022, and rained bullets on them.

The chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area of Ekiti State, Mr Micheal Ogungbemi, confirmed to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday that the suspects were arrested by Ajoni Local Security Network codenamed Operation Eradicating Bandits at the Borders of Rural Ajoni Communities(EBBORAC).

He said the local security operatives arrested the culprits while patrolling the border area between Ekiti and Kwara Tuesday evening.

He said: “They had confessed to having perpetrated the killing of the NSCDC operative and kidnapping of his family members.

“If not for the prompt action I took, they would have been mobbed by angry youth.

“Recovered from them were two AK47s. Immediately after the arrest, my office was contacted and I instantly informed the team from  Amotekun Corps, Ikole Command, Officers of the Divisional Police Officer, Ikole LGA for immediate detention, investigation and prosecution of the culprits.

“They are presently being detained at the police station in Ikole Ekiti”.

The Commander, Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, Brig Gen. Joe Komolafe confirmed the arrest of the four suspects.

Akomolafe said: “Yes, they are now with the police. The local security network worked with our operatives in arresting the suspected killers and kidnappers.

“Since the incident happened, our men have not rested. We have been combing the surrounding bushes at the border area. We are sounding a warning to criminals that Ekiti is not in any way safe for them”.

Vanguard

Troops of Operation Forest Sanity have killed many bandits and dislodged camps during clearance operations conducted across some hard-to-reach locations spanning Chikun and Igabi Local Government Areas in Kaduna State.

Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, said 10 hostages were rescued during the operation.

The commissioner said: “As disclosed in an operational feedback, the troops neutralised an unspecified number of bandits while clearing out insurgent and bandit camps at Apewohe in Chikun LGA.

“The operation extended to Dakwala and Kunai hills in the same LGA, where more hideouts were cleared, though no contact was made with bandits.

“Another camp was similarly dislodged at a location known as ‘Daban Lawal Kwalba’ in Igabi LGA, after the troops overpowered heavily armed bandits guarding hostages.

“The troops after clearing out the bandits stormed the hideouts and rescued 10 kidnapped persons who were chained and bound with ropes. The images attached depict the dire situation in which the hostages were found.

“The troops untied the hostages, who were identified as Surajo Aliyu, Ayuba Yakubu, Ibrahim Abdulrasheed, Aliyu Mohammed, Magaji Tasiu, Nasiru Ahmed, Mohammadu lbrahim, Ayuba Abdulsalam, Kelvin Musa and Paul Patrick.

“The troops who came under further attack in the thick forest, successfully evacuated the hostages to a military facility where they are receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families.

“Furthermore, a camp was cleared at Rafin Gwaska, Igabi LGA, where the following items were recovered, among other effects: Three locally made rifles, one AK-47 magazine, one AK-47 top cover, four Bafoeng radio chargers, 11 mobile phones, three music boxes, two sets of military uniforms, one frag jacket, Spanners, knives and chains.

Vanguard

Suspected armed robbers, Monday night, invaded priest house of Saint Barnabas Cathedral, Anglican Communion at Sabo Oke in Ilorin, Kwara State and carted away items worth millions of naira.

The robbery incident, which occurred about 2:30 a.m., was carried out by a two-man gang on motorcycle, who were said to have pulled the main gate of the two-storey house down, moved up and forcefully broke the two doors.

The victim of the attack, Reverend Isaiah Afolayan, who spoke with journalists said the hoodlums, armed with sharp objects, broke into his apartment, located on the top floor of the two-storey building, threatening to kill his family members if they refused to cooperate with them.

He also said his laptop, fairly used MacBook Pro, worth N1.3 million, a TV set and his phone were stolen.

“We were sleeping when we suddenly saw him (one of the armed robbers) standing in our room with a sharp object. He was threatening to kill us if we made any noise and asking us to face down. I refused, asking him: ‘Who are you? What are you doing here?’ He then picked up my system and ran away,” the cleric said.

A disturbed Afolayan, added  “With what we have seen so far, it was not just one person but only one came in to our bedroom with a sharp object threatening to kill us.

“He sighted the MacBook laptop and was able to grab it and ran out and I followed but hit me back with the door gate to escape. As he ran out of the apartment, he fell along the way. This morning we are able to get a necklace where he fell and the case has been reported to the police officials”.

Also speaking, one of the Sabo Oke community leaders, Pastor Taiwo Ajibola, said the robbers, who came on motorcycle were sighted by local security men in the community who, he said, flashed torch light at them.

He said that the robbery case had been reported at the ‘A’ Division police station, Ilorin.

Vanguard

Seven persons abducted at Nrobo, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State on Wednesday evening regained their freedom on Friday after the suspected kidnappers collected N500,000 from the affected families.

The suspected kidnappers who are still at large initially demanded N30,000,000 ransom but later settled for N500,000.

The taxi conveying the abductees was coming from Nsukka to Abbi through Nrobo community when the occupants were waylaid at a bushy bypass by gunmen, forcing them down from the vehicle before they were taken away.

A member of the affected family who pleaded for anonymity said that a woman who was a victim is currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Enugu.

While reacting to the incident, a traditional ruler from Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area who also pleaded anonymity suspected that some locals are collaborating with criminal elements from outside to abduct the people for ransom.

Although he said that the local government chairman, Chukwudi Nnadozie, is doing his best to secure the council area, he called for more collaborative efforts between the Neighbourhood Watch groups and other security agents to nip criminal activities in the council area in the bud.

It was gathered that the road where this incident happened has become the flashpoint for robbery, kidnapping, and other criminal activities in recent times.

 A few months ago, three persons were also allegedly abducted along the same road. They were said to have been released after an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom.

A source also revealed that in May 2022, a couple coming back from the farm were also allegedly abducted by gunmen. Though the husband escaped, a huge sum of money was paid before the wife could be released.

This was coming two weeks after a teenage girl coming back from Nrobo to Nsukka was equally allegedly raped to death at the same axis.

Vanguard

Traditional ruler of Umuneke-Nna, Ugiri, in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Jude Onyenagbaru, has dragged one Nwachukwu Wisdom from Obollo in Isiala Mbano council area in Imo, to a Magistrate court in Owerri over alleged threat to life and malicious damage at the monarch’s construction site.

This was confirmed to newsmen in Owerri, yesterday, from an arraignment notice served to Wisdom by the Imo State Police Command to appear in court to answer the allegations.

However, Wisdom who could not appear in court last Friday has again been invited by the Police, to make sure that he would be present at the next sitting of the Owerri magistrate court, on 13 September 2022.

It should be recalled, that trouble started in November last year when gunmen allegedly attacked the construction site of the Monarch at Umuanu, Amaukwu in Obollo, Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, looted the area and one of his labourers was kidnapped to an unknown destination. Later he was freed  following the alleged threats by the suspect that he (monarch) should stop the construction of a filling station around the area.

Since then, the monarch has been on the run over an alleged threat to his life should he continue construction at the site.