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Bandits attack AIG, kill Orderly, injure others

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Deadly bandits/terrorists on Tuesday night opened fire on the convoy of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 12 Bauchi, AIG Audu Adamu Madaki inflicting gunshot wound on his leg.

The bandits also killed the orderly of the AIG during the attack while several of the AIG’s convoy reportedly sustained gunshot wounds.

According to sources, AIG Madaki was on his way to Abuja to attend the security meeting of zonal AIGs and Command Commissioners of Police summoned by IGP Usman Alkali to deliberate on the current security challenges plaguing the nation.

The attack was said to have taken place at about 2.30pm at Barde Zangidi area, a forest stretch linking Bauchi and Plateau states.

Mmeanwhile, the IGP Alkali Baba has directed the immediate commencement of a special visibility policing operation across all Commands in the country as part of major operational initiative to stabilize the internal security.

Addressing Strategic Police Commanders at Force headquarters on Wednesday, he said, “This initiative will encompass the crime mapping of your Areas of Jurisdiction, identification of vulnerable points and massive deployment of personnel on motorized and foot patrols of the cities”.

“The initiative also involves the utilization of intelligence to undertake targeted raids on criminal cells.

The IGP said, “We welcome you all to this Conference which was convened to brainstorm on the state of security in the country. This is with a view to re-evaluate our strategies towards enhancing our operational response and stabilizing the security order.

“An evaluation of the security situation in the country in recent times shows a concerning trend of an increase in the threat posed to the nation by terror elements, bandits, kidnappers, and other highly organized, and violent criminal syndicates.

“The trend is being compounded by the increasing rate of arms trafficking and proliferation. This has of late occasioned an attack on the Correctional Facility in Kuje during which some high-profile criminals escaped.

“While the Police in conjunction with the other security agencies have succeeded in re-arresting some of the fleeing felons and have enhanced the security of the facility, this incident, and the increasing violent campaigns by armed groups in the country have led to general apprehension among the citizens and continue to present a major threat to our national security.

“Despite this reality within the internal security space, I wish to acknowledge your resilience, sacrifice, courage, initiative, sound operational capacity, and loyalty not only to the Force leadership, but to our dear country in the discharge of your duties.

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“This is the spirit that we set out to advance in the policing agenda which I laid out following my assumption of duty as Inspector General of Police and I am delighted that you have keyed into this our new policing Mission.

“However, I must note that in the face of the current security situation, the citizens of this country and Mr. President demands of us a higher level of commitment to duty towards addressing the prevailing fear of crime among the populace and mitigating the current security threats.

“This is our mandate, and we must commit to achieving it. The pathways for this will form the key object of our deliberation today.

“Also, to be reviewed during this Conference is the extent of compliance with my directives that you all liaise with the Nigerian Correctional Service Authorities in your Areas of Responsibility, jointly review the existing security architecture with a view to identifying vulnerabilities at the Custodial Facilities and complement the Service in upscaling security in and around such Facilities to prevent any further security breaches in line with the directives of Mr. President.

“In addition, the pathways to giving effect to the National Security Council’s resolution on the documentation and streamlining of the operations of commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders across the country as part of the national initiatives that are directed at addressing current and evolving national security threats will also be discussed.

“In this regard as part of major operational initiative to stabilize the internal security order, you are all directed to immediately commence a special visibility policing operation across your Commands.

“This initiative will encompass the crime mapping of your Areas of Jurisdiction, identification of vulnerable points and massive deployment of personnel on motorized and foot patrols of the cities.

“The initiative also involves the utilization of intelligence to undertake targeted raids on criminal cells.

“I wish to commend you all for the exceptional level of professionalism which was displayed during the recently concluded Ekiti State and Osun State gubernatorial elections and which engendered a largely peaceful electoral process and credible outcome of the elections.

“As we prepare for the 2023 General Elections, I charge you to draw on this success towards enhancing our election security management operations during the exercise.

“In aid of this process, I can confirm that arrangements have been perfected for the commencement of the Election Security Management Workshop which is being organized by the Nigeria Police in conjunction with Solar Security and Consult Company Ltd.

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“The Opening Ceremony and national flag-off of the programme will hold tomorrow Thursday, 4th August 2022 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

“The Workshop which will hold across the six geopolitical Zones, targets the training of about four hundred police officers with slots allocated to the Military, Department of State Services and all other sister security agencies that complement the Nigeria Police in the election security management framework.

“The Workshop is designed to broaden the knowledge and sharpen the operational competence of strategic officers on election security management as well as build professional network that could be deployed to change the narratives on election security governance during the 2023 General Elections.

“This phase of the exercise will be delivered as a train-the-trainers initiative in which all participants will be expected and supported to return to their Commands and Formations and transfer the knowledge to be acquired to a wider group of officers.

“In view of the strategic importance of this Workshop, it is hereby directed that the AIG Federal Operations, AIG Police Mobile Force, AIG Counterterrorism Unit, AIG Border Patrol, AIG Airwing, CP Special Protection Unit, CP Force Intelligence Bureau, CP Special Tactical Squad, and DC Intelligence Response Team should, by virtue of their critical roles in election security planning and operation, remain behind after the opening ceremony of tomorrow (Thursday) and attend Workshop at the Abuja Training Centre.

“All the Commissioners of Police in the States that will be hosting the Workshops are also directed to physically attend the training, while all other AIGs and CPs are to ensure that they make adequate logistics arrangement to support the attendance of personnel nominated from their commands.

Reminding the Commanders of his policing vision which is built on the virtues of professionalism, and respect for rule of law and citizens’ rights, IGP Alkali said, “However, recent developments shows that some intransigent and incorrigible personnel under your commands are still involved in pervasive acts that compromise professional ethics and violate the fundamental rights of citizens.

“For the avoidance of doubts, much as the law has bestowed on us certain powers and authorities to aid in the attainment of our law enforcement mandate, the exercise of these powers and authority is not absolute and you shall at every point of the misuse of such, be held accountable.

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“My covenant with Nigerians and our service oath is to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is built on the projection and protection of the rights and well-being of all citizens.

“I must, therefore, sound out this warning loud and clear that under my watch, any police officer that betrays his or her Service oath and tramples on the rights of citizens he or she has sworn to serve and protect, will be identified, isolated and dealt with promptly, firmly, transparently, and in a manner that will leave neither the citizens nor the police personnel in doubt about my determination to separate the bad officers from the professional ones in the interest of the Force.

“It is in furtherance to this that approval was given some days ago for the dismissal and de-kitting of ex-Inspector Richard Gelle who was caught in a viral video dignifying and justifying extortion of members of the public.

“Some other of such viral videos including that of a police operative that was physically and violently assaulting a citizen with cutlass in Cross River State are being reviewed and I can assure that similar prompt disciplinary action will be initiated against the erring officers and the outcome made public in due course.

“Indeed, the review of these viral videos on abuse of police professional standards and the rights of citizens will be undertaken as part of this strategic meeting. This is with a view to holistically evaluating the root causes of such intolerable misconducts and evolve sets of actions that will prevent such occurrences in future.

“Once again, I charge you to continue to provide strategic leadership that will remain sensitive to issues of rights violations, and excessive and unjustifiable use of authority by police personnel in your Commands while being conscious of the fact that such, if unchecked, will deepen the trust gap between the citizens and the Police and make the attainment of our mandate difficult.

“To aid this process, I have directed that the recently enacted Nigeria Police Act, 2020 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which are key legal policing instruments be printed and widely circulated across all Commands and Formations.

“This is with the expectation that the initiative will broaden the professional knowledge of officers, particularly, in relation to their mandate, limits of their powers, and their obligations within the criminal justice administration system in Nigeria.

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NDLEA seizes N3.4bn Loud, Opium, arrests fake police officer, mechanic

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids as well as 6,000kg of cannabis worth over N3.4 billion in combined street value.

The successes were recorded in a series of operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday,  said the agency also arrested a suspected fake police officer, a mechanic allegedly using his workshop as a drug storage facility and three young suspects found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol and ammunition.

According to Babafemi, the operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.

The operation, he said also led to the arrest of 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe, who was allegedly transporting 292.48kg of skunk in a silver Toyota Sienna bus along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday, September 16.

According to the NDLEA, Ekpe had allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.

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The agency said, “Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments.”

A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested during the operation.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.

The agency said Ossai “used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs.”

Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152g of methamphetamine and a metal box used to store the illicit substances.

At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on September 12, was placed under intensive monitoring following intelligence received by NDLEA operatives.

The shipment was subjected to a joint physical examination with Customs and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16.

The agency said, “The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.”

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area, arrested Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18, on Tuesday, September 15.

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The suspects were allegedly found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

Also in Niger State, NDLEA officers on Friday, September 18, arrested Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja highway.

More than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from the suspects.

 
The agency said the drugs were “concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mararaba, Nasarawa state.”

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.

Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were also intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody.

In another operation in Lagos, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apogbon on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

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In Gombe State, 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested separately at the Barunde area and Gombe main market on Friday, September 18.

In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday.

Meanwhile, four suspects identified as Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State.

The operation also led to the destruction of 5,000kg of skunk, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects.

While commending the officers and personnel of the affected commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the operations.

Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the agency’s approach to drug control.

He said they should “continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

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56-year-old Nigerian woman arrested over unlawful voting in US

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A Nigerian woman residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has reportedly been arrested and charged for voting illegally in the 2022 midterm elections.

56-year-old Okafor was also accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election despite not being a United States citizen.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to the statement, “BOSTON – A Nigerian national residing in Lynn, Mass. has been arrested and charged with illegally voting in the 2022 midterm elections. Defendant also allegedly voted in the 2024 Presidential primary election.”

The statement identified the defendant as Okafor and said she was charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. It added that she was arrested on Wednesday morning and was expected to appear in federal court in Boston later that day.

The statement stated further: “Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, is charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. The defendant was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.”

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According to the charging documents, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen who was born in Aba, Nigeria. The documents stated that she obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for US citizenship.

The US Attorney’s Office said the alleged voting offences began before Okafor obtained her permanent resident status.

It said, “In July 2022, Okafor allegedly submitted a voter registration card, signing her name under a certification which provided ‘I am a citizen of the United States … Signed under penalty of perjury.’ The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and Okafor allegedly voted in the midterm elections that fall.”

The authorities further alleged that Okafor registered to vote again in 2023 and declared herself a US citizen on the registration form.

The statement said, “It is further alleged that Okafor submitted a second voter registration form in October of 2023, checking the ‘U.S. Citizen’ box and signing under the US citizen certification. Okafor allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential primary election.”

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The charge of unlawful voting as an alien carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000.

The statement said, “The charge of unlawful voting as an alien provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. The defendant may be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.”

It added that any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge based on the US Sentencing Guidelines and the statutes governing sentencing in federal criminal cases.

The case was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The statement also linked the case to the district’s recently established Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, which was announced by Foley in March 2026.

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It said, “On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts.”

The US Department of Justice subsequently announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division in April 2026 to investigate and prosecute fraud against Americans.

The statement said, “On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.”

The office, however, stressed that the allegations contained in the charging document had not been established in court.

It stated, “The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.”

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Ondo poisonous herbal drink: Death toll rises to 49

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The death toll from the suspected poisonous herbal drink in Ondo State has risen to 49, while almost 200 people are reportedly affected by the health crisis.

According to latest reports, the incident, which started in Araromi-Obu and Odigbo communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area, has now spread to the Irele Local Government Area, where eight deaths have reportedly been reported.

It would be recalled that no fewer than 29 residents of Araromi-Obu and Odigbo were said to have died after consuming the substance.

However, the death toll has reportedly risen to 49 as of Wednesday.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, who confirmed the latest number of affected persons, said the health crisis had extended to the Irele Local Government Area.

Ajaka said eight people had been reported dead in Irele as of Tuesday night.

He said, “As we are now, Irele is where we have a serious issue. Our people were there and many people have died. About eight people have been recorded to have died as of last night.

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“So, all the people that have been affected altogether now are about 170, those that have been admitted and those that have died.”

The commissioner attributed the health crisis to the consumption of ethanol by the victims, adding that the state government had intensified its response to prevent the situation from spreading to other local government areas.

He said medical and health officials, alongside other stakeholders, had been deployed to affected communities as soon as reports emerged.

“We are always fast about it. Wherever and whenever we hear reports of the issue, our teams are already in Irele as I’m talking to you now,” Ajaka added.

The Ondo State Police Command had earlier arrested a man, Oloruntoba Babatunde, popularly known as “Meko,” over the production of a herbal liquid substance suspected to be linked to the health crisis.

The command also said 14 other persons were arrested for allegedly violating a ban on the sale of herbal products imposed by the local government.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement, adding that the command had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

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