A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on three of the seven terrorism charges filed against him by the Federal Government. Delivering judgment on Thursday, the Presiding Judge, James Omotosho, cited prosecution evidence, including video interviews in which Kanu made violent threats against Nigeria and its citizens, as the basis for the conviction. More to come…
The Senate on Tuesday, called on Nigerians to rally behind the Army in its fight against terrorism in the country. The red chamber made the plea in a statement issued by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Yar’ Adua (APC, Katsina Central). While commending the Army for its bravery in the campaign against terrorism, the Committee noted that collective support for the troops will go a long way in making the country safer for habitation for Nigerians and citizens of other nations of the world. The statement read, “The Senate Committee on Army commends the Nigerian Army for their exceptional bravery and resilience in combating terrorism. The recent operation on Saturday, January 25, 2025, showcased the Army’s professionalism and dedication as they reclaimed a major insurgent camp in the Mai-Saleh area, bordering Borno and Yobe States. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during this operation. The nation is forever grateful for their bravery and selflessness. The Nigerian Army’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in the North East and other parts of the country is truly commendable.” The Senate urged the President Bola Tinubu-led government to prioritize the needs of the Army, adding that the recent successes recorded against insurgents must be sustained. “The achievement marks a significant milestone in the war against terrorism, and we must continue to encourage our military to persevere in their efforts. The progress made so far indicates that we are gaining ground, and the Army is giving its best efforts,” Yar’ Adua further said. The Senate further called on all Nigerians to rally behind the Army and support their endeavours to eradicate terrorism. “Together, we can achieve this goal,” the statement concluded.
About five out of the no fewer than 125 defendants brought before a Federal High Court in Abuja for arraignment collapsed on Friday few minutes after the commencement of proceedings. The defendants, who are mostly teens, were brought before Justice Obiora Egwuatu for arraignment on terrorism charge filed against them by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). They were alleged to have participated in the last #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano State, during which they allegedly chanted anti-government slogans and carried foreign flags. According to one of the defence lawyers, Marshall Abubakar, the defendants were charged in two batches of 76 and 49. Shortly after the first batch was called, the defendants were mounting the dock when some of them suddenly fell down, causing confusion in court, a development that prompted the judge to suspend proceedings. Health officials from the court’s clinic have been invited to attended to those who collapsed. Abubakar blamed the development on hunger and ill-health on the part of the defendants. He said most of the defendants were mostly teens of about 12 years old. He said: “All these young children are sick and hungry. They have been kept in police custody for weeks without food and proper medical care. They are sick and need proper attention. That is the cause of these unfortunate developments.” Details shortly.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has declared that attacks on power transmission towers especially in the northern parts of the country are acts of terrorism that would be dealt with by security forces. The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has declared that attacks on power transmission towers especially in the northern parts of the country are acts of terrorism that would be dealt with by security forces. Chief Adebayo who spoke at a briefing organized by the Transmission Company of Nigeria in Abuja explained while attacks on the transmission lines were not new, the current spate that has left 15 states in the north without grid power supply was done by terrorists. He however assured consumers in the Northern parts of the country that limited supply would be restored by this weekend with repair works on the vandalized Shiroro-Mando line expected to be completed in about six weeks. Chief Adebayo who spoke at a briefing organized by the Transmission Company of Nigeria in Abuja explained that the government was working hard to restore power supply to the north through the eastern corridor. According to him, this effort would make at least 400 megawatts of power available by the weekend. “So, I can assure you that before the end of this week, light will be restored to the north. We are exploring alternative routes, we are hoping that in a matter of days, light will be restored to the north,” he stated. He assured that “We (will) still continue to work on the vandalised lines. This must have affected several parts, not just lines. Amongst the first parts, we know that a lot of single work needs to be carried out before the direct power can show that they are standing properly before the streaming of the light to the south. So, in a matter of two or three days, more than 70 to 80 per cent of the northern part, which is affected, will have light. That is the assurance that we give you. “This is not the first time we will be having issues in that line. We’ve had vandalism there before but nobody noticed it because we fixed it within days. But this time it was more severe and the repairs were delayed because of security threats.” Chief Adebayo added: “We’re only appealing to our brothers to help us protect this equipment because the resources that could have been used for other projects are being channelled into repairing the vandalised infrastructure. We’re working and hopefully, the light will be restored before the end of the week. We’re exploring alternative solutions while we continue to work to fix the vandalised towers,” he added. The minister noted that there is a bill before the National Assembly for capital punishment for perpetrators of vandalism. “We want stiffer punishment for these criminals. Also, we need to look at stopping the sale of scrap metals in the country. They are those who encourage vandalism because they buy these things from criminals cheaply.” Speaking earlier, the Managing Director/CEO, TCN, Engr. Abdulaziz Sule noted that TCN engineers were working hard to get supply back to the north. While lamenting the tough environment in which the TCN workers had to operate, he stated that the areas where the towers were felled were very dangerous. “Shiroro – Mando 330kv line 1 tripped on 9th September 2024, a patrol of the safe area was done, but the faulty section could not be reached due to insecurity. Efforts were made by using local vigilantes who confirmed snap conductors on a tower but they could not identify the tower number. Arrangements were made to use the local group to escort our engineers in the night to effect repairs to evade the bandits in the location. Unfortunately, we did not succeed because the bandits got wind of our intentions and laid siege to the area. “Minimum supply was maintained to the North-West corridor through the second circuit until 13th October 2024 when the second line tripped and failed to stay on trial reclosure. Local vigilantes were again engaged to comb the area but could only access part of the safe area. Hence, TCN solicited the support of the Nigeria Air Force, Kaduna for unmanned aerial surveillance on 17th October 2024 and the impacted towers were identified. They were four (4) in number with 3 collapsed and 1 number twisted. “In another related development, vandalism of Ugwuaji – Apir 330kV lines was reported on 21st October 2024 causing tripping of the lines. Trial reclosure failed and patrol revealed damaged conductors due to vandalism. This compounded the transmission of bulk power to the Northern corridor as these lines serve as a link between the Northern and Southern areas. This outage severely affected the wheeling capacity of TCN. “The area affected has been secured with help of the Nigerian Army and concerted effort is ongoing on one of the lines for restoration. Restoration of one of these lines will allow TCN to wheel about 400MW of power in that corridor. Also, TCN is intensifying efforts to repair and restore the second line on Ugwuaji–Apir on or by Sunday 3rd November 2024. This will allow TCN to wheel a substantial quantum of power through Apir to Jos to Kaduna to Kano. “Conclusively, TCN is working with ONSA for the security of personnel and site on Shiroro – Mando 330kV SC lines for commencement of rehabilitation of impacted towers in this axis”, he explained.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, faces mounting pressure to resign after being linked to terrorism and banditry in Zamfara State. The allegations surfaced after Dauda Lawal, the current Zamfara State Governor, claimed Matawalle procured vehicles for bandit leaders, including the notorious kingpin Bello Turji, during his tenure as state governor. Speaking on TVC, Lawal urged Matawalle to resign and face the accusations, stating, “From all the information we are getting, my predecessor was fully involved in some of this banditry.” He further alleged that terrorists were housed in the government building, and ransom payments were funneled through the state’s administration. These claims add to a series of allegations against Matawalle, including a lingering investigation into the misappropriation of N70 billion. Despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) handling the case for over a year, no resolution has been reached. Lawal expressed surprise that Matawalle was cleared to serve in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet despite these allegations. Matawalle has also faced accusations from Islamic cleric Bello Asada, who claimed in a video that the minister procured over 30 vehicles for bandits, including a 2019 Hilux for Turji. Asada questioned why the notorious bandit had yet to be captured despite his visibility on social media. Matawalle’s camp dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. Dr. Suleiman Shuaib, an aide to the minister, refuted the claims, stating that Matawalle only engaged in dialogue with bandits as a peace effort during his early days as governor. Shuaib emphasized that the accusations were part of a smear campaign led by Governor Lawal. Analysts, however, view the situation as part of a broader trend of insecurity being weaponized for political gain. Kabir Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited, criticized the contrasting approaches between the federal and state governments, noting the federal government’s alleged negotiations with bandits. Calls for Matawalle to resign are growing, with the New Nigeria Peoples Party spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, questioning President Tinubu’s decision to appoint Matawalle to the Ministry of Defence. Johnson expressed concern over the government’s silence on these allegations, arguing that Matawalle should address the accusations and clarify his position.
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