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Military Eliminates 6,260 Terrorists in Two Years, Says DHQ
By David Torough, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said 6,260 terrorists have been killed while 14,138 terrorists and other criminals were apprehended in joint military operations across the country in the past two years.The Deputy Director Defence Media Operations, Brig.
-Gen. Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, revealed this while giving an overview of military operations in two years, at the Expanded Parley with Media Executives yesterday in Abuja. The parley was being held to mark the two years in office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa and other service chiefs.Abu-Mawashi said the troops of the armed forces also rescued 5,365 kidnapped victims and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in different operations within the period.Giving details of military successes in each of the region, he said the troops of Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta region recovered N83 billion worth of stolen crude oil.Abu-Mawashi said the troops also killed 103 criminals, apprehended 2,760 others and rescued 266 civilians from the kidnappers’ den.In the North East, he said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai intensified operations resulting in the killing of 1,246 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, while 2,467 of them were arrested within the period.According to him, the troops rescued 1,920 civilians, recovered 982 arms and 2,153 ammunition in the Northeast.In the North West, Abu-Mawashi said the troops of Operation Fasan Yamma killed 1,374 bandits, including their top commanders in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto State.“They also arrested 2,160 bandits and rescued 3,288 hostages from bandits enclaves.“The arms and ammunition recovered are 947 weapons and 25,802 rounds, respectively,” he added.The defence spokesman said troops on operations in the North-Central, killed 730 terrorists, bandits and violent extremists, and arrested 7,153 violent extremists.He said that a total of 1,510 civilians were rescued, while 1,065 weapons and 19,709 rounds were recovered.In the South East, Abu-Mawashi said the troops of operation UDO KA had in the past two years eliminated 440 terrorists while 1,677 criminals were arrested.According to him, the troops also rescued 294 civilians and recovered 683 weapons and 21,300 rounds of ammunition.“Finally, Joint Task Force South West killed 80 criminals and arrested 1,763 others, while they rescued 89 kidnap victims.“Troops recovered 143 weapons, and 177,904 rounds of ammunition,” he added.In his remarks, the Director Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, said the event marked a significant milestone in their collective efforts to address and mitigate the complex security challenges confronting the nation.Gusau said the programme was conceived in alignment with one of the leadership philosophies of the CDS, which is “leading a people-centric armed forces”.He pledged the commitment of the military to ensuring that the Nigerian public remains accurately and adequately informed about the activities, achievements and sacrifices of the armed forces.COAS Hails 542 New Military Retirees over Selfless ServiceThe Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, on Thursday hailed the sacrifices and efforts of 542 military personnel who retired from active service.Oluyede made the commendation at the passing out event of Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Course 1/2025 in Lagos.Oluyede was represented by the Commander, Training and Doctrine Command, Maj.-Gen. Kevin Aligbe.The COAS said that the occasion was a tribute to the courage, sacrifice, discipline, resilience, selflessness and unwavering commitment of the retirees to the service of the country.“As you transit from the battlefield to civil life, I pray you will enjoy your post-service life and apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired.“You will from now on take full charge of your time as planners and executors of your personal daily activities.“This may sound exciting and promising but be aware that you need to properly manage your new vocations in order to be successful,” he said.Oluyede further urged them to maintain their honour before the civil populace, adding that the society would expect a high ethical standard and discipline from them.“You will also have to prove in your social and business interactions that you passed through a highly disciplined system.“I believe you are all capable of excelling in your future endeavours and will positively influence your environment by contributing to the security and development of your various communities,” he said.According to him, communities will look up to them to support safety and security initiatives as well as agencies to tackle community-based crimes and security challenges.“Please, be an advocate of peace and make yourselves available in providing such assistance within the ambit of the law,” Oluyede said.He, however, reminded them that post-service life has its peculiar pitfalls and challenges at individual level as such there was the need for extra care.“Some of these challenges you might encounter include; inadequate resources, misuse of retirement benefits, negative influences and deceit from fraudulent persons.“Others are poor management of physical and mental health as well as life devoid of regimentation and uniform-induced immunity to mention but a few.“It is therefore unwise to embark on an extravagant lifestyle that is above your means or engage in non-familiar business ventures,” he said.The COAS also said the essence of the training was to expose them to several vocational opportunities and management skills to have a meaningful life in retirement.“On this wise, I enjoin you to employ the experience and skills you have acquired for a productive economic life as you reintegrate into the society.“Continue to inspire, continue to lead and never forget that you are, and will always remain, heroes of our land,” he said.He thanked NAFRC and urged them to sustain the high quality human resource development training for retiring personnel and the society at large.“On our part, the Armed Forces leadership will continue to ensure that personnel welfare at all levels are given prime attention in line with our various command philosophies.“We will also sustain support for the advancement of this centre with a view to transforming it into an international centre of excellence for vocational training,” he said.The COAS commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa for his exceptional leadership and guidance.“I want to thank President Bola Tinubu for his support towards capacity development of the Armed Forces and the welfare for serving and retired personnel,’’ he said.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils. The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.
The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
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