From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

As part of sustained efforts to rid Enugu State of unrepentant violent criminals, operatives of the State Police Command, under the directive of Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, have successfully rescued twenty-eight kidnapped victims, arrested ten male suspects and recovered firearms, ammunition, cash, vehicles, motorcycles and other exhibits in multiple coordinated operations.

In a statement sent by the Police Public Relations Officer Enugu State Command it noted that on May 18, 2025, at about 6:30 p. m., operatives attached to Umumba Police Division, working with the Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, and community members, promptly rescued two male and two female victims kidnapped along Umumba-Ndiuno-Aguoba Road in Ezeagu Local Government Area, following a tactical bush-combing operation. Four male suspects linked to the crime were immediately arrested and are currently assisting with ongoing investigations.On the same day, at about 6:34PM, operatives from 9th Mile Division swiftly responded to a distress call and rescued and rearrested a yet-to-be identified male suspect from a violent mob. The suspect and three others had attempted to kidnap a woman, who raised an alarm and was abandoned by the suspects. The rearrested suspect, who was severely beaten by the mob, was taken to hospital for treatment and is being investigated further.Similarly, operatives from Okpuje Police Division of the Command, in collaboration with Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guards, on May 17, 2025, carried out a strategic bush-combing operation in a forest bordering Okpuje in Enugu State and Odolu in Kogi State. During the operation, they intercepted two men found with N150,000.00 and N70,000.00 respectively, intended for ransom payments, as well as loaves of bread and drinks menacingly requested by the kidnappers.Upon further incursion, the team encountered armed resistance from the kidnappers but responded with superior firepower, forcing them to flee with gunshot wounds and abandon the victims, a pump-action gun, and two live cartridges. The victims were rescued unhurt and the exhibits recovered. Efforts to track down the fleeing suspects are ongoing.Earlier, on May 14, 2025, at about 5:30AM, operatives from Igbo-Eze North Division, with the Military and Neighbourhood Watch, rescued 21 kidnapped victims in Amaka-Okpodu community in Kogi State. The victims, some of whom were returning from a traditional marriage ceremony, had been allegedly abducted on May 10, 2025, along Iyionu-Aguibeje Road in Igbo-Eze North LGA by hooded armed men. Five male suspects were subsequently arrested following credible intelligence, and three firearms were also recovered. Additionally, a minibus and four motorcycles used by the travelling victims were earlier recovered from the scene of the crime.In another operation, on May 13, 2025, at about 9:45 p.m., operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad, acting on credible information, rescued a kidnapped victim along the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and recovered his Toyota Camry. A white Toyota Corolla with registration number ENU 703 LP used by the suspects and a Lexus 330 Jeep abandoned at the kidnapping scene in Premier Layout, Independence Layout, Enugu, were also recovered. Operations to hunt down the fleeing suspects are ongoing.Giwa has commended the police operatives, the collaborating security agents and law-abiding community members for their efforts in making the operations successful. He reaffirms the command’s avowed commitment to make Enugu State safer and more secure by rooting out violent criminals and their activities, urging residents to remain law-abiding, vigilant, and cooperative with police and other law enforcement authorities.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday said Abuja residents should expect more land reforms.The Chief of Staff to FCT Minister, Chidi Amadi revealed this at the end of the Executive meeting that was presided over by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in Abuja.

He assured that the reforms are for the benefits and development of the capital city. He said the Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, would be in a better position to brief but he was out on official duties. He said, “Unfortunately the Director of Land is not here. The Director of Land will make a presentation on very critical policies surrounding the changes, the renovations, and the overview of the land procedure here in FCT. I am sure that there’s going to be a designated press interview for this because it’s very key”.He added that the policies relate to land acquisition, the processes, and all that it takes.”I won’t be competent enough to give you the breakdown of what is contained here. Once he’s out of a specific assignment, I will meet him hopefully on or before the end of this week. Definitely, he will have a press briefing on this matter”, he said.Speaking on other memos that were approved by the executives at the 14th meeting he said, 13 memos were presented. Out of the 19 memos, three were stepped down for some technical reasons, probably to be represented later, while 19 memos were critically examined, and approved.He said the 19 memos are memos intended to continue to deepen the infrastructural development and the upgrade Abuja.Felix Obuah, Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), while briefing journalists said his agency got approval for the ratification and award of contracts for the operation and maintenance of Apo steel Erector and extension of service contracts for the operation and maintenance of Wupa Basic Sewage Treatment Plant.And got approval for the extension of service contracts for the provision of solid waste collection and management services for 40 related derelated in FCT, for a period of two months.He said, “All these three approvals put together gave us almost a total of about N2.6 billion Naira”.Acting Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Dr. Ruqqaya Wamakko, said his agency presented about seven memoranda to the FCT EXCO, which practically all were approved.These include, “the upgrading and support of obsolete street lights on the Nnamdi-Azikwe Expressway, that is the Ring Road 1. It’s a 14-kilometer, 10-lane expressway starting from Maitama all through toGudu-Garki. If you pass there in the night, you will realize that most of it is in darkness. The street lights there have been there for close to 15 years now. The project was completed around 2005 or 2006 and the lights have become obsolete. They are no brighter and new technology has come for street lighting. So the hybrid system is going to be deployed there to brighten the place and make it more secure and more motorable in the night, and that memo was passed for implementation.”Another memo was for the construction of one block of magistrate courts at Maitama, which was replaced with Jabi.”The third one is the provision of pedestrian access control at interchanges. We already have about eight lots of such going on. It includes fencing out with mesh wire, the interchanges, the green areas in the interchanges and loops, and those as well as providing walkways at the interchanges.”Another memo presented was for the construction of access roads and drainages and culverts in Durumi district around the Apostolic Church and that was also approved. It involves construction of roads, several roads within part of the district of Durumi and total about 1.7 kilometers all of them. The project was approved for implementation.”Another memo was for provision of access roads and infrastructure to parts of Mabushi district, particularly the Kez Udezue Street, and other few roads around Mabushi district in that area.”Another memo presented was for complete renovation and furnishing as well as technical installations at the Department of State Security headquarters. That was also approved.”The last of the memo approved from FCDA was an emergency contraction for erosion menace of a major pipeline from Lower Usman Dam through Kubwa, through airport, and goes down to Gwagwalada. Erosion had taken place on the major pipeline feeding the various tanks up to Gwagwalada”.

By Tony Obiechina Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has refuted social media reports on the stability of deposit money banks.The apex bank in a statement by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, described the reports as false and misleading.

The statement further reads “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to certain publications and social media reports containing misleading information regarding the operations of a regulated financial institution. ”The CBN wishes to categorically reassure the public, depositors, and stakeholders that the Nigerian banking sector remains resilient, safe, and sound. Like all other regulated institutions, the institution referenced in these reports is held to stringent regulatory requirements, and there is no cause for concern regarding the safety of depositors’ funds.”The Bank affirms that it continues to monitor all financial institutions under its regulatory purview and maintains robust frameworks for early warning signals and risk-based supervision.”These mechanisms ensure that any emerging issues are promptly addressed to protect the integrity of the financial system.We urge the public to disregard sensational or unverified claims and rely solely on official channels for information about the financial system.”The CBN remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds. It will continue to monitor and adapt strategies to safeguard the financial interests of all Nigerians and stakeholders in our financial system.