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Boko Haram building camps in Niger State – Official

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Members of a faction of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram terrorists are establishing camps in Niger State, the state government has said.

The Secretary to the state government, Ahmed Matane, raised the alarn at a press conference in Minna on Tuesday.

Matane said armed bandits were aligning with insurgents to indoctrinate residents in some communities in Shiroro Local Government Area.

The group has been preaching a strict Islamic ideology and banning women from going to conventional schools.

He identified some of the communities visited by the armed groups as Shukuba, Koki, Kusare, and Madaka.

Mr Matane said the group was assuring residents of protection but asked them to reject western education as well as government directives.

“These people often go to communities to communicate with them and assure them that they will not harm them, and join them during Friday congregational prayer to preach to them on the need to forsake western education and embark on civil disobedience,”

READ  Troops kill 8 Boko Haram terrorists, capture one, recover four motorcycles in Borno

“They also made a video claiming that they are not kidnappers, but engaging in religious activities. They have assured us (Government) that they are ‘God sent’ to establish an Islamic caliphate. Despite their rapprochement, we are not negotiating with them,” Mr Matane said.

Specifically, Mr Matane said “ISWAP is trying to establish a camp at National Park at Babana in Borgu Local government Area of the State.”

The official said the collaboration between the armed bandits and Boko Haram has escalated attacks on innocent residents in recent times.

Matane, who said the state had spent over N5 billion in tackling security challenges, added that the government was worried the situation has continued to escalate.

 

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NCos moves Bobrisky from Ikoyi to Kirkiri prison

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Embattled cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky, who was sentenced to a six-month jail term for abusing the Naira, has been transferred from the Ikoyi Correctional Center to the Kirikiri Prison by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).

 

This is contrary to reports that Bobrisky is still being held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

 

According to reports, the popular cross-dresser is presently held at the Kirikiri Prison and was discreetly transferred since last weekend to Kirikiri.

 

, “It is procedural that he is moved to Kirikiri since it is an expansive prison compared to what we have here,” s dourve said.

The added that due to security reasons, Okuneye was quietly moved to the facility where he will serve his term.

 

It would be recalled that Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced the cross-dresser to six months imprisonment.

While sentencing the convict on Friday, April 12, 2024, the judge said the verdict would serve as deterrent to others who are fond of abusing and mutilating the naira.

READ  Boko Haram entices new recruits with N5,000, says Gov Zulum

 

Bobrisky is being identified as a male based on his admission at the court last week and according to reports that there is no realignment of gender or genital organs.

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Cubana chief priest pleads not guilty, granted ₦10m bail

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Popular Instagram celebrity Pascal Okechukwu also known as Cubana Chief Priest has pleaded not guilty for alleged naira abuse.

 

He pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

The socialite was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on Wednesday.

 

The anti-graft commission filed a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest accused of abusing the naira at a social event, an act said to be contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

 

After he pleaded not guilty, the court granted him bail in the sum of ₦10m with two responsible sureties in like sum who must be gainfully employed with the federal or state government and not less than grade level 16.

 

The sureties are to have landed property and the document must be verified by the court.

READ  Army arrests wanted Boko Haram top commander in Borno

 

Cubana Chief Priest is also to submit his travel passport to the custody of the court.

 

The bail conditions must be perfected within seven days but in the meantime he was released to his lawyer who must give an undertaken to produce him later. Failure to do so, he will be remanded in correctional facility.

 

A copy of the charge showed it was filed on April 4th by EFFC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside seven other lawyers representing the chairman of the Commission.

 

In Count 1, it was alleged, “that you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th Feb. 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

READ  Niger coup: Soldiers warn against foreign intervention, say President Bazoum is fine

 

In count 2, it was alleged, “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

 

In Count 3, it was alleged, “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

 

Meanwhile, the defendant also informed the court of his pending application to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to hear the charge.

 

Justice Ogundare has adjourned till May 2nd to hear the application.

READ  Troops condemn 21 Boko Haram terrorists to hell in battle of Geidam

 

This is coming days after the EFCC arraigned controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye better known as Bobrisky on similar charges for which he was sentenced to a six-month jail term.

 

 

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Police parade 21 ‘Oodua nation agitators’ arrested over invasion of Oyo secretariat

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The Oyo state police command on Monday paraded 21 suspects arrested over the invasion of the state secretariat in Ibadan, the s capital.

 

On Saturday, security operatives arrested 16 “gunmen” suspected to be members of a group identified as Oodua nation agitators for invading the state secretariat.

 

The gunmen, who were said to be dressed in military camouflage, were subdued by security personnel.

 

The security personnel were able to arrest some of the gunmen while others took to their heels and were pursued into the nearby bushes.

 

Sources said the gunmen were heading to the Oyo state house of assembly premises located within the secretariat when they were repelled.

They were also said to have removed the Nigerian national flag in the secretariat and replaced it with the “Oodua nation flag”, before the intervention of the security personnel.

 

In a statement on Monday, the Oyo state police command said 21 “Yoruba Nation Agitators“ have been paraded in Ibadan.

READ  17 Boko Haram terrorists surrender to Nigerian Army

 

They were paraded alongside seized exhibits such as guns, ammunition, cutlasses, walkie-talkies, and other communication gadgets.

 

Adebola Hamzat, Oyo state commissioner of police, told journalists that the suspects would be charged with treasonable felony and terrorism.

 

He added that investigations are ongoing to unmask their sponsors, and other suspects still at large.

 

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