Security
Naval Chief tasks personnel on discipline, dedication
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has tasked the newly decorated Naval Warrant Officers (NWO), to maintain high level of discipline and dedication to the service of the Nigerian Navy and the nation at large.
Ogalla, represented by Navy’s Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Adm. Joseph Akpan, stated this while decorating 19 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers with their new ranks on Monday in Abuja.
He said the elevation of the officers to the NWO was in recognition of their discipline, commitment and dedication to duty.
“Promotion; first of all, they said, comes from God and so, you should see it as an act of God that He has counted you worthy amongst your colleagues whom you started with.
“You know that many of them might have fallen along the way, and even those who are still in service, not all of them were counted worthy to be elevated to this particular enviable rank.
“It is because of your hard work, commitment, dedication to duty, and more importantly, unblemished record.
“You have played key roles before, and now you have been called upon to play even more important roles, because when you are deployed, some of you will find yourself there at the Niger Delta,” he said.
The naval chief charged the promoted officers to justify the confidence reposed in them by ensuring high level of discipline, adding that more would be required from them going forward.
He said that their new ranks would task them with high leadership roles that they would be required to play.
“So, you need to lead by example, lead with courage and even more dedication.
“Now you will be wearing the white uniform and other naval accoutrement like white shoe.
“It is something that demands cleanness and discipline for you to be neat and to appear the way you should appear.
“It will be your responsibility to bring the men together, the ratings together, talk to them, speak the language which they understand and always make sure that you have your acts together.”
Ogalla congratulated the officers and commended their spouses for being their pillars of support at the home front that enabled them to discharge their duties effectively.
Speaking on behalf of the newly decorated NWO, Philip Shishi, commended the gesture, adding that the new ranks had bestowed on them the prestigious title of the ‘Admirals of the Lower Deck’.
He said they were aware that higher ranks come with higher responsibilities.
While assuring their readiness to uphold the sanctity of their new ranks, loyalty and dedication towards actualising the vision of the naval chief, Shishi thanked their families for their patience, understanding and encouragement. (NAN)
No fewer than 26 people lost their lives, with three others sustaining injuries, following an improvised explosive device (IED) detonation along the Rann–Kala Balge–Gamboru Ngala highway in Borno.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, several civilian vehicles travelling from Rann in Kala Balge LGA ran into a series of hidden explosives.
Makama said the incident occurred on Monday after the convoy veered into a zone where the IEDs had been strategically placed.
The publication said the IEDs were triggered by the movement of vehicles, adding that emergency personnel were swiftly deployed to evacuate victims and administer first aid.
“Security forces have since cordoned off the affected route and commenced clearance operations to ensure safety and prevent a repeat of the incident,” the report said.
“Those injured have been transferred to nearby hospitals where they are currently receiving medical attention.”
Last week, Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, said President Bola Tinubu is committed to addressing the growing security challenges in Borno state.
The minister spoke about the administration’s commitment to meeting all operational needs of the troops to enhance security in the region.
The Oodua Integrity Group, a Nigerian civil society organisation, has called on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to investigate and arrest an alleged gun runner, land grabber,popularly called then insert Lucky Blessings Abuah aka bullets of Achala Ibusa village operating in Asaba and Ibuzor, Delta State, accusing him of orchestrating criminal activities with the aid of rogue police officers.
Tosin Olaoluwa, the group’s South-South coordinator, made the appeal following intelligence gathered from concerned residents.
The suspect, identified as Achala Ibusa but popularly known as “Bullet,” is accused of running a network involving illegal arms trafficking, land grabbing, and cult-related activities.
Olaoluwa claimed Bullet operates with the protection of police officers from Rivers State, in violation of regulations prohibiting officers from working outside their command without approval.
According to the group, four AK-47 rifles were recently discovered hidden in a house in Ibuzor.
Two mobile police officers guarding the property reportedly distanced themselves from the find, raising suspicions of their involvement with Bullet, who is allegedly a leader of the Viking cult.
The Oodua Integrity Group further alleged that an assistant commissioner of police is complicit in Bullet’s activities.
The group highlighted that up to 10 mobile police officers are attached to Bullet, despite IGP Egbetokun’s recent directive to withdraw such personnel from individuals not legally entitled to their services.
“We urge the IGP to take immediate action to arrest the culprit in the interest of the general public,” Olaoluwa said, describing Bullet as a miscreant exploiting government security agents to perpetrate crimes.
In a separate incident, the group claimed that security agents from an agency in Abuja, acting on intelligence, were prevented from arresting Bullet by his police escorts.
The officers, reportedly from Rivers State, allegedly used tear gas and fired shots to obstruct the operation.
The Oodua Integrity Group warned that Bullet’s activities, including stockpiling AK-47s and other weapons in Asaba and Ibuzor, pose a significant threat to public safety.
They called for a thorough investigation into the allegations and the immediate apprehension of those involved.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to respond to the allegations. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The Kaduna state Police Command has debunked reports of a bomb explosion in the Abakpa area of the metropolis, which reportedly killed two children.
The spokesman of the Command, Mansir Hassan, said in a statement that preliminary investigations conducted by the Anti-Bomb Squad indicate that a locally made firearm (Dane gun) was discharged, resulting in the unfortunate loss of life of the young boy.
According to the police, the incident, which occurred at about 8:30 am on Tuesday at Josawa Road in the Abakpa area, claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy, identified as Abubakar Muhammed of Josawa Road, while seven other individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The statement stated that a combined team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer of Kawo Division and the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Chairman of Kaduna North Local Government, all visited the scene following a distress call, and a thorough on-site assessment was carried out.
Police disclosed that further investigations and assessments are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Command equally assured the public that further developments will be promptly and transparently communicated.