President Bola Tinubu has authorised the structure of Nigeria’s delegation to the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group, as a part of efforts to deepen collaboration in tackling safety challenges within the nation.
Nuhu Ribadu, Nationwide Safety Adviser, will lead the Nigerian aspect of the joint working group, supported by a multi-stakeholder group drawn from key safety and coverage establishments.
Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, introduced this in an announcement on Thursday in Abuja.
The event adopted the current high-level engagements in Washington, D.C., led by the NSA.
Members of the group embrace the Minister of International Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of Inside, and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Others are Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro, Chief of Defence Workers, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Director-Normal of the Nationwide Intelligence Company, Mohammed Mohammed, and Inspector-Normal of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Ms Idayat Hassan of the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Adviser and Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria within the U.S. will function the secretariat.
Tinubu urged the group to work intently with their U.S. counterparts to make sure the seamless implementation of all agreed areas of cooperation.
In the meantime, bandits and gunmen have intensified their assaults hours after President Tinubu declared emergency on safety.
A 16-year-old boy alongside six women have been kidnapped from Gidan -Bijimi in Kawu ward of Bwari Space Council of the Federal Capital Territory
Gidan -Bijimi group shares boundary with neighboring Marke village across the border of Kaduna state.
A resident of Kawu, Suleiman Shuaibu, confirmed the newest kidnap to our reporter via the phone on Thursday, morning.
He mentioned the bandits wielding AK -47 in raided two homes in group round 9:47 pm and whisked away six younger women together with a 16 yr previous boy amid sporadic taking pictures.
He mentioned residents of the group have been thrown into pandemonium.
In line with him, some vigilantes in the neighborhood tried to have interaction the bandits however have been pressured to run for canopy because of the superior fireplace energy.
Shuaibu mentioned the kidnapped women have been between the ages of 17 and 23 years.
“It was round 9:53 pm when a name got here from Gidan -Bijimi group that some bandits invaded the village and kidnapped six younger women, sadly my cousin sister occurred to be among the many victims,”he mentioned.
He mentioned some residents have been pressured to flee their houses after the incident, whilst he mentioned contact is but to be established with the abductors.
Josephine Adeh, spokeswoman of the FCT Police Command, was but to react.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had on Tuesday, directed that safety be beefed up round Abuja, with improved surveillance in any respect borders with neighboring states and entry factors.
Following the directive, the operation sweep of a joint army taskforce that comprised of police, Division of State Companies and different safety businesses was deployed to completely different components of the nations capital.
CP Miller G Dantawaye, the FCT police commissioner, who addressed the joints safety group had charged them to create the synergy required to remove crimes and criminalities throughout the FCT.
The CP had famous that the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike who directed the operation had additionally offered sufficient logistics to make sure its success and assure sufficient security and safety for the residents of the territory.
Bandits abduct 24 in contemporary assaults on Niger communities
Bandits have launched yet one more lethal assault on Niger State, abducting 24 folks — together with a pregnant girl — and mutilating a blind resident in separate assaults throughout the identical native authorities space.
The most recent incident occurred on Wednesday in Palaita group, Erena Native Authorities Space, the place armed males stormed a farmland whereas labourers have been harvesting crops.
Witnesses mentioned the attackers rounded up the employees and whisked them away into the bush. Amongst these taken was a closely pregnant girl.
In a separate invasion throughout the identical native authorities space, the criminals reportedly reduce off the arm of a blind man after he allegedly didn’t “cooperate” with their calls for.
Residents say the renewed assaults have heightened worry throughout surrounding communities, with calls mounting for pressing authorities intervention to halt the escalating insecurity within the state.
Gunmen assault Ngige’s convoy, shoot police officer
Some yet-to-be-identified assailants have attacked the convoy of a former Governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige, alongside the Nkpor–Nnobi Highway within the Idemili North Native Authorities Space of the state.
In line with Ngige’s former media aide, Sir Fred Chukwuelobe, the previous governor was not within the convoy on the time of the assault.
Nonetheless, a policeman within the pilot automobile was shot, and his gun and uniform have been taken by the suspected assailants, who have been reportedly wearing police and military uniforms.
Some eyewitnesses close to the scene mentioned the incident occurred on Thursday, and a woman who was recording the taking pictures was fatally shot by the gunmen.
“A store proprietor who raced to seek out out what was taking place was additionally shot, however he solely misplaced quite a lot of blood and will probably be operated upon quickly to take away the bullets. He’s anticipated to make a full restoration. The pilot automobile was riddled with bullets.
“No policeman was killed, and the escort chief who was shot has been operated upon and is anticipated to make a full restoration. The store proprietor was fortunate because the bullets didn’t lodge in his backbone,” one of many eyewitnesses mentioned.
The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, saying the police have launched a coordinated state-wide manhunt for the fleeing armed hoodlums.
Ikenga mentioned the Mercedes-Benz SUV earlier snatched by the criminals had been efficiently recovered following a coordinated police pursuit.
He mentioned, “The Anambra State Police Command needs to tell most of the people {that a} white Mercedes-Benz SUV, earlier snatched by armed criminals, has been efficiently recovered following a coordinated police response throughout a pursuit operation.
“A mixed group of Police Tactical Operatives from the Operations Division Awka, the Speedy Response Squad (RRS) Akwuzu, and the Particular Anti-Cultism Unit (SPACS) Enugu-Ukwu, whereas in sizzling pursuit of armed criminals who attacked a police patrol group at Eziowelle alongside Umuoji Highway, encountered a police convoy that promptly joined within the engagement.
“The convoy swiftly aligned with the pursuing operatives and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, forcing the criminals to desert the snatched white Mercedes-Benz SUV and flee the scene underneath intense strain. In the meantime, one police operative who sustained a minor gunshot harm is steady and at the moment receiving remedy at a medical facility.
“Preliminary data signifies that the officers within the convoy are hooked up to Senator Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and former Minister of Labour and Employment.
“The recovered automobile has been secured and brought into police custody for additional investigation, as operatives intensify a coordinated state-wide manhunt for the fleeing armed hoodlums.
“Additional developments shall be communicated, please.”
Bandits assault 18-seater bus on Osokoko–Obajana street In Kogi, abduct passengers
Bandits have launched an assault alongside the Osokoko–Obajana axis in Kogi State.
In line with sources, two business 18-seater buses have been focused in the course of the incident.
One of many buses was efficiently attacked, whereas the second managed to flee.
The precise variety of kidnapped passengers stays unknown right now, although eyewitness confirmed that every one these on board the intercepted bus have been taken by the attackers, an area medium, Egbe Mekun Parrot reviews.
A supply revealed that Nigerian Military personnel arrived shortly after the incident and engaged the band!ts in an try to repel the assault.
The army response led to the video earlier circulated on-line, exhibiting travellers ready on the freeway till troopers absolutely cleared the street.
It was earlier reported that bandits launched an assault alongside the Osokoko–Obajana street on Thursday afternoon, sparking panic amongst residents and travellers within the space.
In line with eyewitnesses, the state of affairs unfolded immediately, with assailants trying to dam and raid autos alongside the route.
Residents have since warned motorists to keep away from the street till safety forces safe the realm.
In a video circulating on-line, a lady confirmed that the threat had been neutralised, saying, “Highway don clear, all because of the Nigerian Military, everyone don dey return.”
Authorities have but to launch an official assertion on the incident, however eyewitnesses confirmed that troopers deployed to the realm efficiently repelled the bandits, stopping any reported casualties or lack of property.
The assault highlights the persevering with safety challenges alongside key routes in Kogi State, the place travellers continuously face threats from armed gangs.
420 Plateau communities attacked, 12,000 lives misplaced since 2001 — Mutfwang
Governor Caleb Mutfwang who has been endorsed for second time period, broadcasts Plateau Peace Backyard challenge at Authorities Home
The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, acknowledged that the dimensions and complexity of insecurity in Plateau State have been evident, with roughly 420 communities attacked, practically 12,000 lives misplaced, and numerous livelihoods destroyed between 2001 and Might 2025.
Governor Mutfwang, who disclosed this whereas declaring open the North-Central Zonal Public Listening to of the Senate Advert-hoc Committee, on Nationwide Safety Summit in Jos, Plateau State, on Thursday, identified that the assaults have been neither random nor remoted, however appeared deliberate, coordinated, and sustained by a number of actors pursuing {economic}, territorial, non secular, and political pursuits.
The Governor, who was represented on the event by his deputy, Ngo Josephine Piyo, added that the routes of infiltration, patterns of destruction, and techniques of occupation all counsel a broader agenda of destabilisation, one which requires decisive and multidimensional responses.
“Moreover, a standard function of the plight of rural communities is displacement and land grabbing, resulting in the lack of livelihoods, land, and cultural heritage,” Mutfwang mentioned.
In line with him, the prison {groups} have continued to take advantage of mining websites, utilizing proceeds to finance their operations with arms and medicines, including that whereas the Plateau State Authorities has tried to curb this via mining bans and regulatory enforcement, challenges persevered on account of deep-rooted hyperlinks between unlawful mining and organised prison networks.
Governor Mutfwang, due to this fact, expressed delight that the initiative of the Senate to organise the general public listening to on safety was a welcome growth, and expressed confidence that the initiative, amongst others, will contribute immensely to discovering lasting options to what he described as a nationwide calamity.
In his opening remarks, the Senate Minority Chief, Senator Abba Moro who mentioned the proof of insecurity is pervasive and deeply troubling added that nationwide information headlines at the moment are dominated by tales of persistent insurgency within the Northeast, militancy within the Niger Delta, banditry, farmer–herder clashes, communal conflicts, kidnapping, terrorism, and destruction of farmlands throughout the Northwest, North Central, and different areas.
Senator Moro additional talked about that the summit was an affirmation of the seriousness with which the Nationwide Meeting approaches its constitutional mandate to safeguard lives, property, peace, and prosperity via lawmaking and different legislative interventions.
In line with him, the Senate recognised that no safety structure can succeed with out understanding native dynamics and distinctive community-based realities.
He added that the safety challenges confronting Nigeria are rooted in components comparable to {economic} deprivation, porous borders, proliferation of arms, environmental degradation, youth unemployment, weak governance constructions, and, in some instances, unresolved historic grievances.
Permit Nigerians bear arms, Senator tells N’Meeting
A lawmaker representing Osun East within the Senate, Francis Fadahunsi, has urged the Nationwide Meeting to enact a regulation that might allow accountable Nigerians to bear arms, particularly now that the nation is grappling with worsening safety challenges.
In a brief video of the lawmaker’s admonition at plenary on Thursday, Fadahunsi, a lawmaker belonging to the All Progressives Congress, whereas advancing arguments on the necessity to permit accountable Nigerians to bear arms, mentioned about 120 nations throughout the globe have legalised arm bearing by the folks.
“We’re nearly on the army rule, and we’re at warfare. He (Tinubu) is the Commander in Chief as a result of they take heed to him and he’s spending on them. That’s what can clear up the issue.
“Right this moment, about 120 nations have legalised carrying arms. I feel it’s time for Nigeria to permit us to hold arms.
“If the elite and some of us who’re okay are carrying weapons, it will likely be warfare towards these criminals, and they’ll run away as a result of they don’t seem to be many,” Fadahunsi mentioned.
On the a part of the Nationwide Meeting, the Senator mentioned, “It’s time for us to make a regulation that the abductors, together with the negotiators, are criminals and will face the dying penalty.”
Demanding a reorganisation of the nation’s army structure, the lawmaker queried the command construction of the Ministry of Defence.
He mentioned, “The Minister of Defence just isn’t a soldier or a retired common. The Minister of State, all of them are businessmen. The NSA is a retired policeman.
“Have you learnt that these troopers known as us, even these carrying superior weapons than theirs, ‘bloody civilians’, and that’s what is affecting us.
“The Commander in Chief wants to have a look at the army structure round him and do the needful. If not, we’ll proceed to waste cash as a result of they won’t take orders from some other particular person apart from their very own common.”
The lawmaker’s intervention was coming at a time President Bola Tinubu known as on herders to finish open grazing, give up all unlawful weapons, and transition to ranching as a part of a brand new nationwide technique to resolve the long-standing farmer–herder battle.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the President mentioned the Federal Authorities is prioritising sustainable options to the violent confrontations between herders and farming communities—clashes which have fuelled instability throughout a number of northern and central states.
The admonition comes amid a surge at school kidnappings in Niger, Kebbi, and different components of the nation prior to now week, in addition to ongoing farmer–herder violence within the North Central area that has left scores lifeless in current months.
“Ranching is now the trail ahead for sustainable livestock farming and nationwide concord,” Tinubu mentioned.