Security
NSCDC Acquires Drones, Communication Gadgets To Enhance Security Surveillance
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has received the donation of three drones and 100 highly profiled self-configured walkie-talkies for better security surveillance.
A statement by the Corps’ Spokesperson, CSC Babawale Afolabi, on Monday in Abuja, said that the gadgets were donated by Equipping the Needy Initiative (ETNI), an international organisation.
NSCDC’s Commandant General, Ahmed Audi while receiving the devices, appreciated ETNI for its support.
Audi said that ETNI’s donation demonstrated that security was a collaborative responsibility, both locally and internationally.
“Our partners in their previous visit promised partnership and true to their words, they have come to fulfil that promise today; it shows that they just don’t do the talk but they work the talk,” Audi said.
He assured the team that the gadgets would be deployed to its communication centres for proper and timely information dissemination and surveillance.
“All that has been donated is in trust. So, we will make sure the communication centre, as promised, will serve as a command and control centre where we will harness our national operations.
“The Corps is also in charge of liberated areas and provides safety and security to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps,” he said.
ETNI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Benedict Aliku, who visited the Corps headquarters alongside some foreign security experts,said that the donation was a testament to their commitment to supporting the NSCDC.
Aliku reiterated that the organization would explore other areas for more collaboration in line with the NSCDC Act.
“One of such initiative is to leverage on the NSCDC Act 2003 as amended, to embark on IDP shelter projects for the needy in five states: Kaduna, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa.
“Also, there will be the construction of a communication Command Center that will be domiciled at the Corps HQ to coordinate surveillance across the nation,” he said.(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.