The Kaduna State Police Command says it has arrested a suspected notorious marabout who prepares charms for a deadly bandit kingpin, Boderi and other bandits operating within the North-West Zone. 

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Dabigi, who disclosed this while parading the 143 suspects arrested for various offences in the last two months, said the 47-year-old marabout, Mallam Ali Bello was arrested by a team of Operation Yaki police operatives while he was preparing a charm for a bandit, one Usman Ibrahim at his shrine located around Kidandan forest.

The police also arrested a 25-year-old woman, Aisha Abubakar, who was caught in possession of 550 rounds of AK-47 ammunition while she was in transit to deliver the ammunition to bandits from Nasarawa to Katsina State.

The Commissioner highlighted some of the major arrests and other achievements recorded in the last two months, including the killing of nine bandits and recovery of 1, 817 rounds of ammunition from criminals.

“Let us turn our attention to the achievements of the Kaduna State Police Command in the last two (2) months. 73 armed robbery suspects were arrested,” he said.

“70 kidnapping suspects were arrested. Nine bandits were neutralized, 985 suspected phone snatchers were arrested, five AK-47 rifles were recovered, seven locally made arms were recovered, 1,817 rounds of live ammunition were recovered.

“Eight motor vehicles of different brands were recovered. Eight suspects were arrested in connection with car theft. Seven motorcycles of different brands were recovered, one tricycle was recovered.”

The police commissioner explained that the achievements recorded so far by the Command are part of the testament to the hard work and dedication of his officers and men, stating that they remain committed to serving and protecting the people of Kaduna State with integrity and professionalism.

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, has ordered the promotion of Second Lieutenant Oluchukwu Owowoh to the substantive rank of Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.

The Nigerian Defence Academy disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Wednesday.

The statement by the NDA on Wednesday partly read, “Speaking during the decoration ceremony that took place today, June 26, 2024, at the Nigerian Defence Academy Officer’s Mess and Golf Club, the NDA Commandant, Major General JO Ochai, extolled the track record of excellence of Lt. Owowoh as a cadet, which accorded her the rare privilege of becoming the first female Nigerian to be trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as well as her promotion to the new rank.

“The event was attended by senior military officers, academic and non-academic staff, and family members, among others.”

In April, Owowoh, 24, made history when she became the first Nigerian female officer to graduate from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom.

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, met with governors of the 36 states of the federation and ministers over the new minimum wage demand by organised labour and other economic matters.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima chaired the meeting at the council chamber of the presidential villa before Tinubu arrived at the venue. 

The meeting comes about 48 hours after the federal executive council (FEC) stepped down the memo on the new minimum wage for the president to consult with the governors and the private sector.

The governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), met in Abuja on Wednesday to deliberate on the minimum wage for workers.

Over the past few months, the federal and state governments, organised labour, and the private sector have been negotiating a new minimum wage.

At the last meeting of the tripartite committee on minimum wage, organised labour rejected the N62,000 proposal by the government and insisted on N250,000.

The federal government had asked the labour unions to demand a more realistic and sustainable minimum wage.

On June 7, governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) said the N60,000 minimum wage for workers was unsustainable.