Category: News

The National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, on Thursday in Lagos, elected Mr. Oyewale Femi as its new President.

Femi, an experienced journalist who is the publisher–Editor-in-Chief of Sahara Weekly and Sahara TV, is to preside over the association’s affairs in the next two years.

In his acceptance speech, the new President thanked the electoral body, NAOSREC, for conducting a hitch free election. He also thanked the former executives led by Mrs Favour Benson, Board of Trustees and members for the unprecedented confidence reposed in him through their votes, promising “Not to disappoint.”

In reference to the poignant #EndSARS protests that upturned and unbalanced the country’s security bearings, Oyewale called for redoubled media efforts in the promotion of peace and harmony in Nigeria.

“Understandably, NAOSRE members must prepare to undertake the stressful yet inexorable push to enthrone balanced security reportage for a better and secured Nigeria.”

Continuing, he admonished members“ To always stand on the path of truth and avoid illogical assertions capable of twisting the wheels of secured nation.

“I, therefore, call on members for more dedication. Let us strive to make NAOSRE the association to beat as well as set the pace for security reportage in Nigeria,” he requested.

Earlier in her remarks, the association’s former President, Favour Benson, thanked members for their cooperation during her tenure. She however sued for unity and commitment to attain NAOSRE’s objectives.

Ugbechie Francis, an Information Technology expert who observed the election described it as free, fair and credible.

“From what I see today, NAOSRE’s credibility is not in doubt. Members are full of enthusiasm to take frontline roles in security reportage not only in Nigeria but across the Continent,” he stated.

Those who emerged as elected executive members are Mrs. Love Ikuku Oyedokun, Vice President, Dayo Bamgbala, Secretary, Mrs. Azuh Lilian, Financial Secretary, Gbenga Shaba, Registrar.
Others are Adetogun Olakunle, Treasurer, Edwin Usoboh, Provost and Abiona Adenike, Welfare.
The newly elected executives include Abayomi Obatinuadeyo, Online Director and Idumonza Isidahomhen, Public Relations Officer.

Contrary to claims by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on a popular programme on Channels TV that his state was not among those, whose warehouses were looted by indigenes to cart away the allocated CACOVID palliatives, a source within the government circle has revealed that this wasn’t the case.

The source insisted that the incident happened in the state and also that the CACOVID food palliatives were left unattended to in the warehouse.

Recall that the Kogi state governor said his administration did not hoard CACOVID relief packages, and that news reports claiming that the warehouse that stored the items was looted, were completely false.

He also stated that his administration had been distributing palliatives to cushion the effect of the infectious disease, even before CACOVID commenced help to other states.

However, contrary to what the governor said on the national TV, the source insisted that the state government took early delivery of the palliatives and refused to distribute to the people for reasons best known to them. A document, made available to our correspondent, showed that the food items were left unattended to when the looters vandalised the warehouse.

Each household is supposed to receive a bundle containing 10kg bag of rice, 5kg bag of garri/semolina, one carton of pasta, two cartons of noodles, 5kg of sugar and 1kg of salt.

Another document also showed that as at Tuesday, July 21, 2020 CACOVID had completed the delivery of noodles and some other items to the Kogi State government.

It was gathered that 90% of the expected food palliatives totalling 238,000 packages, which include – rice, pasta, noodles, semo/maize, salt, and sugar have all been delivered to the state government, according to the documents. The value of the food palliatives collected by the Kogi State government was put at N531 million.

Though the governor alleged, during the interview that COVID-19 is political, sources within the government however revealed that many isolation centres had been set up in the State as at Friday, May 22 with the full cooperation of the state government.

Commenting on the looted COVID-19 palliatives warehouse in Kogi State, Adeyinka Akagba, a civil servant said: “The Governor was just not fair to the people. He should have distributed the palliatives immediately it was delivered to him, rather than keep them in a very bad warehouse…The most painful part of it was the fact that the palliatives were fed to rodents instead of Kogi people, who were keen on getting the palliatives to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown”

Meanwhile, recent media reports also revealed that
CACOVID had commenced distribution of Palliatives to state Governments in June and that the Coalition has targeted 10 million poor families in 774 LGAs across the country to benefit from the relief support initiative.

The suspected leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Stanley Mgbere, who was declared wanted by the Rivers State Government for allegedly perpetrating violence in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area, has denied being a member of the proscribed group.

Governor Nyesom Wike had placed a N50m bounty on Mgbere’s head for anyone who could give any information that would lead to his arrest, saying he led IPOB members to cause violence in Onne.

But speaking from his hideout in a video posted on Facebook, Mgbere said the information given to the governor about him, which necessitated Wike’s action against him, was false.

He said though he was part of the #EndSARS protest in Onne, it was a peaceful one like what happened in other parts of the country, noting that he was a free-born from Onne.

He stated, “What happened in Onne was a peaceful protest and it was not done by only the community; it was done by Nigerians. But at the end, they said I am a member of IPOB. I am not a member of IPOB. I am a full indigene of Onne clan, which everybody knows.

“I am not aware of what they are saying and I am not aware of what they are telling the governor. Please, at this very moment, I am begging the governor not to listen to anything they are telling him because they are all lies.

“I beg on the masses and beg everybody to share this video because my hands are clean. I know what I am facing right now, but I will never give up. Thank you very much and God bless you all.”

Meanwhile, the police in Rivers State have said they arrested 21 suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra for allegedly attacking four police stations, during which three policemen were killed.

The Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt on Monday, said the police, in collaboration with sister security agencies, had restored order in the worst hit Oyigbo Local Government Area and other places.

Mukan said, “It is with a heavy heart that I address you this afternoon on the recent attacks in the state, leading to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.

“They equally extended their attack to the Afam Police Station and burnt it down. In all, they burned down three police stations and vandalised one. Several vehicles were burnt and three policemen were hacked to death.

“On Saturday, October 24, I led other service commanders of sister security agencies for an on-the-spot assessment to the Oyigbo LGA and the adjoining area; consequently, deployments were made to forestall further breakdown of law and order, and as we speak, there is relative peace in the Oyigbo LGA.

“We will continue to closely monitor the area, because that axis has been discovered to be a stronghold of IPOB. Necessary measures have already been taken and by the grace of God, the IPOB stronghold will be finally dislodged.”

Mukan gave the names of the slain officers as Inspector Sunday Dubon, Sergeant Swawale Ornan and Sergeant Umunna Uchechukwu.

However, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, denied the group’s alleged involvement in the attack.

REJECT SUSPECTED LOOTED ITEMS, IT IS CRIMINAL, Lagos CP warns

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has warned parents, community leaders and market women to reject all suspected looted or stolen items from the looters who wrecked havocs during the recent Endsars protest in Lagos State.

The loots from these hoodlums are hard-earned property of innocent Nigerians and such must not be found in anyone’s possession as it is highly criminal.

The Commissioner of Police gave the warning today in his Ikeja office while getting updates and compiling reports on the recent crises orchestrated by some armed and criminally-minded hoodlums within the state.

In as much as the command keeps on receiving complaints against such criminal acts, the police will go after anyone culpable and his or her accomplices, either for conspiracy or receiving stolen items or accessory after the fact accordingly.

He therefore urged the general public, particularly market women and traders, to disown the hoodlums who had looted people’s items by not patronising them or receiving such items from them for sales or keep. The police boss reiterated and reminded them that criminal cases have no statute of limitation and such cases could still be brought up against anyone involved years after the offense has been committed.

While he assured Lagosians that the policemen in the state have braced up to continue discharging their duties undistrated and professionally, despite the recent challenges we experienced. Furthermore, Commissioner of Police seized the Opportunity to appreciate community leaders and various groups for their support to surmount the crises and encouraged them to continue in the same spirit to promote community policing which remains the major pillar for public safety and security.

SP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI(mnipr)
PPRO LAGOS STATE COMMAND
26TH OCTOBER, 2020.

ABDUCTION OF DISTRICT HEAD OF LINGYADO AND FOUR (4) OTHERS IN MARU LGA.

On 25th October 2020 at about 0800 hours suspected bandits attacked Lingyado village of Maru Local government and abducted the district head and 4 others.

Joint Police and Military units stationed at Bindin to avert and respond to any invasion in those areas were informed of the incident. They quickly respond to the distress call and arrived the village to counter the threat. Their arrival averted the ill – intention of the bandits to kidnap as many as possible.

It will be recalled that the Zamfara State government has stationed 80 combined Police Mobile, Soldiers and Civil Defence like many vulnerable areas in the state to counter threat posed by recalcitrant bandits.

Currently, the Police search and rescue team in collaboration with the Military are in the nearby forest of the sarrounding area to rescue the district head and the 4 other kidnapped victims along with him.

It is on this premise, that the command is calling on the good people of the state to report any threat of any kind to the security agencies in any part of the state for early response to any attack by these recalcitrant bandits.

SP Mohammed Shehu
PPRO,
For:- Commissioner of Police,
Zamfara State Command
Gusau.

RE: DISSOLUTION OF SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (SARS

In line with the directives of the Inspector – General of Police, IGP Mohammed A. Adamu, NPM, mni, concerning the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, CP Undie J. Adie psc (+), wishes to inform the good people of Osun State that, the IGP’s directives has been complied with and the redeployment of SARS personnel is underway.

It should be noted that, the dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the people. He assures that a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS would have caused has been developed and shall be announced in due course.

The Commissioner of Police appeal to the members of the public in the spirit of community policing to collaborate with the police by giving prompt and useful information that will promote security of lives and property in the state.

He appreciates and commends all citizens, particularly those who genuinely express their concerns for a better policing orientation in an organized, patriotic and civil manner.

The CP assures good people of the state to go about their lawful business without fear of molestations from any person(s) as adequate security measures have been emplaced for maximum security of lives and property of the citizens.

Signed
SP OPALOLA YEMISI OLAWOYIN
Police Public Relations Officer
For: Commissioner of Police
Osun State Command, Osogbo

APAPA PRESIDENTIAL TASKFORCE: ALLEGATION OF SHOOTING ACP BASELESS, UNFOUNDED.

The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to the news making waves on the social media and some Nigerian dailies that one ASP Kayode Falade shot at the Area Commnader, Area B, Apapa, Lagos State, ACP Soji Akinbayo, while on routine patrol and traffic control in the area on Friday.

The Command was taken aback by the trending news which is false, unfounded and malicious, as the Area Commmader was never shot or attacked by any police officer.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos state, CP Hakeem Odumosu, personally investigated the matter and discovered that the ASP, who was challenged and cautioned by the ACP for improper dressing, while on duty, was unruly and made some complimentary statements on the superior police officer. The ASP did not fire any shot or attack the Area Commander as wrongly reported in the fake news.

The Commissioner of Police has promised to handle the unruly behaviour of the ASP departmentally, while the Police boss assured the general public that the command, under his watch, will maintain discipline, uphold and respect rule of law, ethics and core values of modern policing according to the international standards.

The Commissioner of Police then appealed to the general public to regard the news as false, malicious and mischievous to heat up the state more so that the #endsars# protests are ongoing.

SIGNED

SP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI(mnipr)
POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
LAGOS STATE COMMAND
IKEJA.