News
Troops neutralise 5 terrorists, 44 surrender in Borno
The Nigerian Army said its troops have in a series of coordinated counter-insurgency operations neutralised five terrorists, while 44 others surrendered to the troops on Monday in Borno.
The Nigerian army made this known in a post on its official X Handle on Tuesday.
It said the troops also recovered bombs, arms, ammunition, and rustled cattle as well as apprehended some criminal suspects during the operations.
According to the post, troops had on Monday conducted a raid operation on an Islamic West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists’ enclave in the Bama Local Government Area(LGA) of Borno.
“In the operation, troops neutralised five terrorists and recovered two Rocket Propel Gun (RPG) bombs, two dane guns and one RPG bomb charger.
“Also recovered were: One AK-47 Rifle Magazine, 23 rounds of 7.62 x 54 mm ammunition, six motorcycles and assorted medications.
“Meanwhile, following sustained offensive operations against terrorist groups in the North-East Theatre, 44 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered to troops at Bama, Dikwa and Gwoza LGAs of the state,” it said.
The post also revealed that the troops apprehended a notorious cattle rustler, Malam Maawuya Shuaibu, at Mararaban Kantom in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau.
It said the suspect had been on the watch list of the security agencies in connection with criminal activities in the general area of Barikin Ladi, Riyom and Mangu LGA of the state.
Army said the suspect was nabbed when the vigilant troops responded to credible intelligence on the suspect’s illicit activities and recovered 32 rustled cows from him.
In Bayelsa, it said the troops conducted raid operations into suspected criminal hideouts in Korokorosie Community of Southern Ijaw LGA, and apprehended one Mr Donald Emason.
According to the post, troops recovered one revolver pistol, and two locally fabricated guns concealed by the suspect.
In Oyo State, the post revealed that troops deployed to Akinyele LGA apprehended a suspected gun runner, Mohammed Bello (33).
According to the post, the suspect, who was picked up from his hideout, confessed to be one of the couriers supplying arms and ammunition to Bello Chikidawoje’s kidnap syndicate operating in the general area.
“These successful operations demonstrate the Nigerian army’s commitment to combating terrorism, criminality and other security challenges across the country,” it added. (NAN
A coalition of youth organisations has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to reconsider its wanted tag on socialite, Dr Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, OFR.
The organisations, Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative said this in a joint press statement they issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to them, the declaration of Achimugu wanted by the anti-corruption agency came to them as a rude shock.
The joint statement was signed by Comrade Emma Niboro and Ali Ameh for Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative, respectively.
They described Achimugu as a dedicated friend of the youths, who had always shown commitment to the welfare and care of the downtrodden.
According to the youth coalition, “we know the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, as a man who came with utmost zeal to sanitize the agency. He has already demonstrated this and we are proud of his achievements so far.
“However, we urge him to resist pressure from politicians, which is a plague that has dwarfed EFCC for several years of its existence.
“The commission had hitherto remained a tool for politicians to undue their perceived political foes and this has always rubbed off on the credibility of the agency.
“The case of Achumugu doesn’t appear to be different in any way, as the haste with which she was declared wanted showed there is a hand of Esau and voice of Jacob.
“Our appeal is that the commission should withdraw the wanted tag on her and give her ample time to report to the commission, as she has never been indicted of any offence whether in Nigeria or outside the country.”
While noting that Achimugu is a global figure, they added that they can always vouch for her integrity.
“We know her, she has always been of immense help to the youths and other members of the society.
“Her closeness to certain politicians should not be used as a tool to persecute or harass her,” the youths further stated.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.