The Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 5, comprising Delta and Edo Police Commands, Arungwa Nwazue, has constituted a new vigilante group in Edo.This is contained in a statement, by SP Tijani Momoh, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPPRO), and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

Nwazue said the vigilante group, known as Edo State Police Vigilante Group (ESPVG), inaugurated on Monday was constituted to help the police in its information gathering process. He also said it would collaborate with the Police to ensure a watertight security.According to him, their operational modalities will be released in due course.The AIG therefore advised residents of the state to cooperate with the Police, and the new vigilante group for utmost policing.The The former vigilante group in the state was disbanded by the Inspector General (I-G) of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in the twilight of the September 21 governorship election. (NAN)

The Police have arrested one Mubarak Haladu for allegedly kidnapping and killing his seven-year-old nephew in Dadin Kowa community, Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area, Gombe State.ASP Buhari Abdullahi, the state Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed this in a statement on Friday.Abdullahi said that the case of kidnap was reported to the Dadin Kowa Police station on Oct.

10 by one Bello Haladu of Garin Sarki village in Dadin Kowa, who alleged that his younger brother had abducted his son. Abdullahi said that the suspect had, on Oct. 9, called his elder brother and told him that he had abducted his son and that he should pay a ransom of N1.5 million to secure his release.“The case was forwarded to the anti-kidnapping section of SCID for discrete investigation,” he said.The command’s spokesperson said that on Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. the suspect was arrested, and upon interrogation, he admitted to having committed the offence.Abdullahi said the suspect also confessed to breaking into three shops in different areas and stealing about 30 mobile phones of different brands.He said that the suspect then used a SIM card of one of the stolen phones to call his brother, the victim’s father, and demanded for ransom.Abdullahi said that on Oct. 18, the victim was found dead and decaying in an uncompleted building in Dadin Kowa village.He said that the suspect would soon be charged to court for prosecution.Also, Abdullahi said another suspect was in police custody for stabbing his 65-year-old aunt to death in Bagadaza Quarters of Gombe State.“We received a report that one Jonathan James fatally stabbed his aunty, one Ramatu Musa, of the same address with a sharp knife.“On receiving the information, a patrol team from Pantami division rushed to the scene and evacuated the victim to specialist hospital Gombe for medical attention.“There, she was examined and certified dead on arrival by a medical doctor.“The scene of the crime was visited and the suspect was arrested.“ A knife was recovered as an exhibit, while the suspect will soon be charged to court for prosecution,” he said. (NAN)

By David Torough, Abuja

The Nigerian military said it has intensified its operations in the Niger Delta Region of the country to curtail crude oil theft and other criminality through a comprehensive approach.Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba disclosed this on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, troops have been engaged in dismantling the capabilities of the economic saboteurs for some years now without it abating. “Operations would therefore be conducted through a unified command structure for all security agencies operating in the Niger Delta.”“Additionally, operations would target specific areas that have significant capability to boost crude oil production. The targeted areas include, but are not limited to enforcing and ensuring transparency by International Oil Companies operating in the region.“Others are; ensuring the integrity of the metering systems deployed at flow stations. Operations will also embark on the tracking of the point of loading to the destination point of the crude oil.“Furthermore, operations will also concentrate on surveillance of the pipelines, jackets and well head to forestall breaches,” Buba said.He also said that overall, operations will galvanize the support of the people of the Niger Delta as well as the stakeholders in the oil sector to support the drive to boost the nations oil production.“Importantly, operations will ensure prosecution of culprits engaged in crude oil theft,” he said .Buba added that in its determination to raid the country of terrorists, troops have neutralised 125 terrorists and arrested 200 persons in the last one week.Troops also arrested 20 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 140 kidnapped hostages.According to Buba, in the South-South Region troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of N744,153,900.00 only.Furthermore, troops recovered 120 assorted weapons and 1,793 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: 56 AK47 rifles, 26 locally fabricated gun, 22 dane guns, one SMG rifle, 7 pump action guns, one fabricated barretta pistol, 7 locally made guns, 5 x 60mm mortar bomb Unexploded Ordinances and 2 small rubber gun powder.Others include: 1,244 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 383 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 88 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 78 live cartridges, 24 empty case of 7.62mm ammo, 21 AK47 magazines, one baofeng radio, 6 vehicles, 11 motorcycles, 5 bicycles, 38 mobile phones and the sum of N2,737,145.00 only amongst other items.Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 11 dugout pits, 5 boats and 20 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 31 cooking ovens, 5 vehicles, 3 mobile phones and 31 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 715,325 litres of stolen crude oil and 148,415 litres of illegally refined AGO.”On the whole, the military is in a good and strong position in the war against terrorists with many terrorist leaders killed. Our operation continues to focus on providing security and stability for the nation and citizens,” he added.