Crime
Okechukwu lauds FG for acknowledging military operations alone cannot end banditry
A Foundation Member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has lauded the Federal Government through the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for acknowledging that military operations alone cannot end banditry.
Okechukwu said that the recent acknowledgement of the NSA reflected the reality on ground on the protracted activities of banditry in the country.
The APC chieftain said this in a statement he signed and issued to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday.
Okechukwu reacted directly to Ribadu’s remarks at a brainstorming session on coping with banditry, organised by the Sokoto Advancement Forum in collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
Aligning himself with the NSA’s position, he stressed that building community trust, protecting agriculture and rural livelihoods, and preventing youth recruitment into criminal networks are indispensable complements to military operations.
He said, “We must measure progress by more than arrests, weapons recovered or territory cleared.
“Success must also mean safer communities, returning families, productive farms, reopened schools, functioning markets and the restoration of public confidence.”
Okechukwu argued that this broader understanding of national security must inform the Federal Government’s economic and political policies if Nigeria is to achieve sustainable peace.
He urged Ribadu, as one of the closest presidential advisers, to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to rejig his economic programme to improve living standards, stimulate production, expand employment opportunities and alleviate the hardship confronting ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, economic insecurity, widespread hardship and unemployment can undermine community trust and create conditions that criminal networks exploit to recruit vulnerable youths.
He maintained that restoring livelihoods, strengthening rural economies and creating productive opportunities for young people must go hand-in-hand with security operations if the country is to achieve lasting peace.
Okechukwu also advised the NSA to recognise that the conduct of free, fair and credible 2027 General Elections as a foremost instrument for rebuilding public confidence nationwide.
The APC chieftain stressed that democratic legitimacy, public trust in institutions and confidence in the electoral process are essential to national cohesion and security.
Okechukwu further advised Ribadu that politicians, whether from APC or opposition parties, who incite violence, promote political intolerance or embrace a do-or-die approach to elections should be treated as threats to democratic stability.
He urged the appropriate authorities to investigate and prosecute those who engage in criminal conduct, irrespective of their political affiliations, in accordance with the law.
“Those who beat the drums of political violence and turn elections into a do-or-die affair are, in effect, political bandits.
“They threaten our democracy from within and must be held accountable before they pull down the roof of our democratic house,” Okechukwu warned.
He concluded that Nigeria could no longer afford to ignore the connection between economic hardship, political alienation and insecurity.
He said, “Hunger has awakened Nigerians who had hitherto resigned themselves to fate.
“The answer is not to dismiss their grievances, but to restore hope through economic opportunity, accountable governance, credible elections and a security strategy that protects both lives and livelihoods.”
Two police officers have reportedly been killed and three others injured following an early morning attack on Uratta Eziukwu Police Station in Aba, Abia State, on Saturday.
The assailants, suspected to be armed hoodlums, reportedly stormed the station with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), causing extensive damage to police facilities and other property.
During the attack, the gunmen set a police patrol van ablaze and destroyed a Toyota car, a power generator and other valuables within the station premises.
Confirming the incident, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, condemned the attack and vowed that the perpetrators would be tracked down and brought to justice.
“The most important thing is to get the culprits, and that is what we are doing. Wherever they are, we are going to get them. Whether they enter the bush, we are going to get them,” he declared.
Afolabi also commended Governor Alex Otti for his prompt visit to the affected police station, describing the governor’s assurance of support as a morale booster for officers of the command.
Meanwhile, the three injured officers, who sustained gunshot and machete wounds, were rushed to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, for treatment.
Governor Otti also visited the hospital to sympathise with the injured personnel.
The police command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing attackers.
Newswatch will publish a collection of writings by its founding editor, Dele Giwa, on October 19, to mark the 40th anniversary of his assassination.
Titled Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, the book will feature his works from the Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine, alongside tributes from prominent journalists who knew and worked with him.
The publication was announced by Newswatch Plus Limited and the wider Newswatch family in a statement signed by the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Soji Akinrinade.
The book presentation is scheduled for noon at the Kessington Adebutu Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.
The founder and publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Sam Amuka, will chair the event, while veteran journalist Ray Ekpu edited the book.
The proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria has suffered a setback, with only five of the 36 State Houses of Assembly approving the bill ahead of the October 16 deadline set by the National Assembly.
The five states are Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, leaving 31 others yet to communicate their positions on the proposed legislation.
The bill, transmitted to state legislatures on September 16, requires the approval of at least 24 State Houses of Assembly, representing two-thirds of the federation, before it can proceed for presidential assent.
Investigations revealed that several state legislatures, including Ogun, Delta, Abia, Anambra, Imo and Kaduna, are still reviewing the proposal, consulting stakeholders or planning public hearings before taking a final position.
The proposed amendment seeks to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system by establishing a Federal Police Service alongside state police services, empowering individual states to create and manage their own police formations.
The initiative has gained prominence amid worsening security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence. While proponents believe state police would strengthen local security responses, critics have expressed concerns over possible political abuse by state governors.
Despite the slow pace of approvals, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, expressed confidence that the amendment would be concluded before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly in 2027.
Adaramodu maintained that the Senate was not under pressure, stressing that the process would advance once the required 24 state legislatures endorsed the proposal.
Meanwhile, the Presidency disclosed on Thursday that the National Policing Bill, designed to provide the operational framework for state police, is 90 per cent ready.
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, made the disclosure after a steering committee meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the bill could be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks, following final consultations with governors and other stakeholders.
Gbajabiamila described the proposed legislation as one of the most consequential bills of the Tinubu administration, expressing optimism that the states would eventually support the constitutional amendment.
The legislation is expected to address policing standards, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and financial requirements for establishing state police services.
Police officers attached to the Ekiti State Police Command who were caught in a viral video allegedly extorting and intimidating a motorcyclist have been summoned to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary proceedings.
The Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) confirmed the development in an update posted on X, stating that the officers were undergoing disciplinary action on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
The case, registered under complaint tracking number CRU100953, followed a petition submitted on October 6 by representatives of the Biker Association, Federal University Oye-Ekiti chapter.
The association accused the officers of extorting and intimidating one of its members who was travelling alone from Itapa to Ikole-Ekiti when he was intercepted by a police patrol team.
A video of the encounter, which subsequently circulated on social media, showed a heated exchange between the motorcyclist and an officer during a purported roadworthiness check.
The rider was allegedly asked to pay ₦20,000, while accompanying claims suggested that he was also threatened during the confrontation.
Reacting to the incident in an earlier statement, the Ekiti State Police Command disclosed that the officers involved had been identified and taken into custody for questioning.
The command said the allegations, which included extortion, intimidation, disobedience to lawful orders and other acts of professional misconduct, had been referred to the State Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti for a comprehensive investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Falade Micheal, subsequently directed that the personnel be subjected to appropriate disciplinary procedures in accordance with police regulations.
He condemned extortion, intimidation and abuse of authority by police personnel, warning that such conduct undermines public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
The command further reiterated that officers have no authority to demand or collect money from members of the public while performing their legitimate duties.
With the officers now undergoing disciplinary proceedings at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the police have yet to announce the final outcome of the investigation or disclose the specific sanctions they may face.
Troops of the Nigerian Army have launched a major offensive against Lakurawa terrorists in Sokoto State, destroying several camps, killing an unspecified number of insurgents and recovering weapons and five motorcycles.
The operation, carried out on Thursday, October 15, 2026, by troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, targeted terrorist hideouts within Waria Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state.
According to a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the troops advanced through identified terrorist enclaves around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages before engaging the insurgents in Waria Forest.
Danja disclosed that the soldiers overpowered the terrorists during a fierce gun battle, forcing them to abandon their positions and retreat deeper into the forest.
The troops subsequently pursued the fleeing insurgents, killing several of them before conducting further clearance operations that resulted in the destruction of their camps and supporting structures.
Weapons and five motorcycles believed to have been used by the terrorists were also recovered during the operation.
The Theatre Command said troops had maintained a strong military presence in the affected communities, with further operations underway to prevent the insurgents from regrouping or establishing new hideouts.
It reaffirmed the military’s determination to dismantle terrorist networks, eliminate their operational bases and restore lasting peace across the North-West geopolitical zone.
Commending the soldiers for their bravery and resilience, the command urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely intelligence on suspicious movements and activities within their communities.
It maintained that sustained military offensives, supported by public cooperation, remained crucial to denying terrorist groups freedom of movement and restoring security in affected areas.
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