Category: Security and Crimes

 

By Biola Lawal
Abuja (Flowerbudnews): The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Rtd IG, Solomon Arase has reiterated his commitment to Nigeria, vowing to sustain the battle against Cultism and Banditry to make the country secure and peaceful.

Arase described as ”infantile,” and mere propaganda, insinuation running on an online news against the ongoing reorganisation approved by PSC in the police, involving transfer of certain categories of officers from some states, a PSC Statement by Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations disclosed.
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Flowerbudnews recall that the Police had clarified that transfer of officers from some states were effected to enhance efficiency and accountability and that the ”exercise is a tradition and sacrosanct “.

Dr. Arase however, insisted that he had no apology for his known tradition to stand for a Police Force that is committed to nation building through the protection of lives and properties, maintenance of the rule of law and freeing the nation of the menace of cultists, bandits and other marauding deviants across the country.

Dr. Arase said that he ”can not be diminished to operate as a provincial Nigerian who thinks first of himself or his kindred before national interest.’:’

The allegation that he was the only Police IGP who dismissed Policemen from his own village, he noted was ridiculous and infantile, insisting that he will always fight crime and criminality anywhere it raises it’s head whether it is in his village or somewherelse.

The PSC Chairman stated that he wrote the Governor of his state and copied the Inspector General of Police last December on the deteriorating state of affairs in Edo state particularly the recent surge in cult related violence and demanded urgent and decisive action.

He said in the letter that the situation was further worsened by the failure of the Judiciary to successfully prosecute these cases and which has allowed these criminals to roam freely, perpetuating violence and instilling fear among the people.

As the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Arase said that he amputated cult dons and charged them to court, although and unfortunately the powers that be released these outlaws upon his retirement. The records he noted are still with the Edo state Judiciary.

Since the gang war commenced in the state in November last year, he disclosed that close to 30 persons have been killed.

Dr. Arase declared that he had zero tolerance for violent crimes when he served the nation as the 18th Inspector General of Police and had successfully dominated the security space with intelligence policing. He pledged to continue to contribute to the restoration of peace and safety in Nigeria.

The statement read:

The attention of the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, CFR, retired Inspector General of Police has been drawn to reports in an online publication on the ongoing reorganisation in the Nigeria Police Force which involved transfer of certain categories of Officers from some states of the federation.

The publication gave the impression that the PSC Chairman was responsible for the transfers that affected Officers from his state of Edo. According to the report ” the Inspector General of Police and the PSC Chairman…collected money from Obaseki, the Edo state Governor to transfer us out of the Command” adding that ” the PSC Chairman did the same Transfer when he was the Inspector General of Police and it was stopped by the former PDP Chairman, late Chief Anthony Anenih of blessed memory”

The publication went as low as alleging that “Arase is the only Police IGP who dismissed Police Men from his own village and when the elders called him, he told them that it is a national issue and not community issue”

The Commission is however happy that the Police Management has sufficiently addressed the issues raised in the publication and that the transfers were routine reorganisation in the Force which involved the transfer of Officers who have served for a long period of time in a particular state which it also noted is “a crucial aspect of maintaining effectiveness and professionalism “.

The Police Management also mentioned the states currently undergoing the reorganisation and which included, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom.

According to the Police, these states and some others have been earmarked for this first phase of reorganisation to enhance efficiency and accountability and that this exercise is a tradition and sacrosanct “.

Dr. Arase however insists that he has no apology for his known tradition to stand for a Police Force that is committed to nation building through the protection of lives and properties, maintenance of the rule of law and freeing the nation of the menace of cultists, bandits and other marauding deviants across the country.

Dr. Arase says that he can not be diminished to operate as a provincial Nigerian who thinks first of himself or his kindred before national interest.

The allegation that he was the only Police IGP who dismissed Policemen from his own village, he noted was ridiculous and infantile, insisting that he will always fight crime and criminality anywhere it raises it’s head whether it is in his village or somewherelse.

The PSC Chairman confirmed that he wrote the Governor of his state and copied the Inspector General of Police last December on the deteriorating state of affairs in Edo state particularly the recent surge in cult related violence and demanded urgent and decisive action.

He said in the letter that the situation was further worsened by the failure of the Judiciary to successfully prosecute these cases and which has allowed these criminals to roam freely, perpetuating violence and instilling fear among the people.

As the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Arase said that he amputated cult dons and charged them to court, although and unfortunately the powers that be released these outlaws upon his retirement. The records he noted are still with the Edo state Judiciary.

Since the gang war commenced in the state in November last year, he disclosed that close to 30 persons have been killed.

Dr. Arase declared that he had zero tolerance for violent crimes when he served the nation as the 18th Inspector General of Police and had successfully dominated the security space with intelligence policing. He pledged to continue to contribute to the restoration of peace and safety in Nigeria.(Flowerbudnews)

 

 

 

By Biola Lawal
Abuja (Flowerbudnews): The Police Service Commission has approved the appointment and posting of Commissioners of Police for 10 State Commands of the federation.

This is coming on the heels of the promotion of 14 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the Substantive rank of Commissioners, a statement by Ikechukwu Ani Head, Press and Public Relations has disclosed.

The newly appointed State Commissioners of Police are; Peter Ukachi Opara former Deputy Commissioner, Administration in Imo State who has been posted to Osun State; Olugbemiga Emmanuel Adesina posted to Benue State; Akinwale Kunle Adeniran to Ekiti and Mohammed Umar Abba to Adamawa.

CP Beneth Igwe for Federal Capital Territory Command, . he was once DCP, OPs in the FCT Command; Abaniwonda Surajudeen Olufemi, CP Force Secretary’s office has been posted to Delta State Command; Ademola Waheed Ayilara, former DCP State CID Lagos Command heads the Akwa Ibom State Command;

David Iloyanomon, former DCP Administration Anambra State Command has been posted to head Taraba State Command; Abayomi Oladipo Peter takes over Ondo State Command and Hassan Abdu Yabnet is now CP. Plateau State Command.

PSC Chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase, CFR, retired Inspector General of Police told the new Command CPs that they should rebuild public trust through robust partnership with the public.

Arase warned that the Commission would not accept any excuse for failure to give effective and efficient leadership.

He assured that the Commission will continue to encourage them but warned that the security of lives and properties in their areas of jurisdiction should not be taken for granted. (Flowerbudnews)

 

A don, Prof. Christian Madu, has advocated strict chemical security and management in Nigeria and Africa to check the rising incidents of insurgency in the continent.

Madu, a former Director of the Center for Environmental Management and Green Energy at the University of Nigeria (UNN), told newsmen in Enugu on Monday that there was a need to ensure that unauthorized non-state actors do not have access to chemicals.

 

According to him, unauthorized non-state actors should never have access to chemicals to avoid large-scale destruction that will kill innocent people and destroy critical infrastructure.

He noted that the protection of chemicals involves streamlining the supply chain from procurement through to disposal and/or recycling of chemicals to ensure security and that the chemicals are not intercepted by unauthorized users.

 

Madu, who was recently invited to train faculty from Ukraine on developing a curriculum in chemical safety and security management to protect Ukraine’s chemical-related critical infrastructure, said: “Chemical safety deals with safe handling of hazardous chemicals to avoid chemical accidents and reduce health risks, and damage to the environment.”

 

“The aim in both chemical safety and security is to prevent, detect, and properly respond to chemical accidents and/or chemical security threats. Chemical safety investigates issues on how to store chemicals, expiration issues, inventory, and disposal of unused chemicals.

 

“Attention is paid to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety data sheets (SDS). The primary goal is the safety of chemical users or handlers, and also the environment.

“Conversely, security of chemicals involves tracking the procurement process and the usage to make sure that the chemicals are not diverted to other purposes that may pose dangers to all.”

 

The don regretted that many non-state actors in the country especially in the North-East, North-West, and other parts of the country, who are changing their tactics and are increasingly becoming more violent, are using chemical-induced Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to advance their extremists agenda.

 

He called for concerted efforts to prohibit access of chemicals from such non-state actors to avoid the potential of misusing such chemicals to kill and harm several people at the same time.

 

Madu, who will be joining other world experts in chemical safety and security management in a workshop in Italy on this critical subject for the Ukraine people, commended NAFDAC and Office of the National Security Adviser for ensuring that such chemicals are controlled and accounted for.

 

“Unfortunately, we have to do more since we have too many chemical merchants who have not fully understood that the chemicals; they market for beneficial usage may have the other not-so-good side.

 

“Most chemicals are dual-use chemicals. It is therefore important not only to monitor the chemicals but also to know the mental and financial stability of those that have access to chemicals.

 

“People that have access to chemicals may be easily compromised and that will pose a threat to everyone,” he said.

 

The don said that he had helped develop a Chemical Security and Management curriculum in his Centre in UNN, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa as well as assisted in developing a national curriculum for the course.

“I have gone to IUPAC conference in Cape Town, South Africa to share it with other academics from other countries but especially African countries.

 

“I am hopeful that my colleagues in Nigeria who recently participated in the webinar sessions I ran on the curriculum will develop the programme in their respective institutions and I am always ready to assist.

 

“I have also trained critical mass at UNN on chemical security management, and I hope they are put to use to strengthen the programme,” he said.

It would be recalled that Prof. Madu is a leader in the subject matter and an expert on Chemical Security Management in Nigeria and was instrumental in developing the first graduate programme on Chemical Security Management at UNN.

 

Working on several grants from the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), Madu trained members of the Chemical Society of Nigeria in the six geopolitical zones of the country. He was honored with the Fellow of Chemical Society of Nigeria.

In 2023, he worked on a grant to improve on and extend the curriculum for chemical security management in Nigeria; through this, a workshop was organised involving tertiary institutions from six geopolitical zones of the country, and the National University Commission (NUC). (Flowerbudnews)

 

By Biola Lawal
Abuja (Flowerbudnews) The Nigerian Navy has reacted to allegations of corrupt practices Against the Chief of Naval Staff, describing it as unfounded, malicious and baseless.

Naval Director of Information, Rear Admiral AO AYO-VAUGHAN gave the clarification in a statement entitled ‘:SPONSORED MALICIOUS PUBLICATION AGAINST THE OFFICE AND
PERSON OF THE CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF,”
a copy of which was made to Flowerbudnews.

Rear Admiral Vaughan stressed that the publication and allegations were part of a ”coordinated frantic efforts to blackmail the office and person of the CNS by some disgruntled elements who are feeling the heat of the Nigerian Navy’s renewed vigour to fight crude oil theft and illegalities in the
maritime domain as well as those who have, in one way of the other, shortchanged
the Navy before now.”

He said that a cartel perpetrating atrocities in the maritime sector, including the oil theft, were feeling the heat of Navy’s OPERATION DELTA SANITY, and therefore, decided to ”resort to cheap blackmail through immoral and compromised online media publishers.”

Rear Admiral Vaughan urged Nigerians to ‘:discountenance completely the malicious publication that emanated from Peoples Gazette because it is totally untrue and completely baseless”.

He stressed that accusations were ‘:a figment of the shallow imagination of the writer, his publishers, and their unpatriotic sponsors’:

The Full Statement Read:
The attention of the Naval Headquarters has again been drawn to the unfounded,
baseless and malicious publication by Peoples Gazette, an online publisher reputed
for blackmail, character assassination and libel, and with the Nigerian Navy as one
of its recurring targets as it was in June 2023 in a similar malicious article alleging the immediate past Navy Chief did not want to hand over.

The People Gazette has again originated a false report saying, “Naval Chief Emmanuel Ogalla lands in trouble over multibillion naira oil bunkering, contract-splitting fraud.

The allegations that the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) accepted over $170 million
in bribes as well as alleged involvement in multi-billion naira contract splitting fraud
in the last 6 months are untenable, baseless and untrue.

Firstly, there are clear procedural requirements in the arrest, detention and release of any vessel or persons found culpable in the maritime environment.

It is until these processes are duly concluded that such vessels are released to appropriate prosecuting agencies for further actions.

Indeed, all arrested vessels mentioned in the publication that were involved in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering are being investigated and none of such vessels has been released as alleged.

Secondly, the CNS does not award or oversee oil bunkering contracts; the award of
such is the sole prerogative of NNPCL.

Thirdly, all contracts awarded by the Navy follow due process in line with the laws
of the Federation.

The Nigerian Navy (NN) and her roles is an offshoot of the constitutional provisions and duly guided by extant lawsp and regulations of the land.

The policing roles of the Navy empowered her to monitor the maritime domain of the Nation. These among others include arrest of vessels that contravene any of the maritime laws and SPOMO Act 2019.

The Service is aware of the coordinated frantic efforts to blackmail the office and person of the CNS by some disgruntled elements who are feeling the heat of the Nigerian Navy’s renewed vigour to fight crude oil theft and illegalities in the
maritime domain as well as those who have in one way of the order shortchanged the Navy before now.

Specifically, the continuous rejuvenated operations towards curbing oil theft has
given the oil thieves sleepless nights hence the decision to engage in the malicious
publications.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Navy recently launched OPERATION DELTA SANITY which provided for a holistic, more robust
roadmap towards the reinvigorated stance of the NN towards the fight against crude
oil theft and other forms of illegalities in the Nation’s maritime environment.

Indeed, the NN is aware of these antics as it is expected considering the current resolve of the NN to engage oil thieves head on.

The cartel hitherto believed no individual could confront its ranks. Fortunately, the recent achievements of the NN in this regard have put them on their heels hence the resort to cheap blackmail through immoral and compromised online media publishers.

Pertinently, the NN will continue to ensure legitimate businesses in the maritime
domain thrive seamlessly. Also, these distractions will in no way retract the NN’s
resolve to confront these criminals who must be brought to justice for Nigeria’s
economy to rebound.

The security and economy of the Nation is greater than any group of persons that think they must continue to drain the country.

Accordingly, members of the public are therefore enjoined to discountenance
completely the malicious publication that emanated from Peoples Gazette because
it is totally untrue and completely baseless being a figment of the shallow imagination of the writer, his publishers, and their unpatriotic sponsors.(Flowerbudnews)

 

 

By Flowerbudnews

Abuja: (Flowerbudnews): The federal government has ordered  investigation into allegations of corruption against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

Ogalla is accused of providing security for oil thieves and receiving huge sums in return against the federal government’s touted war against oil thieves.

A statement by the director of press in the ministry of information, Mr Henshaw Ogubike, the minister of state for defence, Muhammed Bello Matawalle, called for  a thorough and impartial investigation to ascertain the truth of the claims.

He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has zero tolerance for corruption in the public service.

“Though these allegations might be mischievous, the Ministry of Defence is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the Nigerian Armed Forces. The allegations leveled against Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla are serious,” he said.

Speaking on the source of information, he said: “We respect the role of the media in fostering transparency and holding public figures accountable. At the same time, we urge responsible journalism that adheres to the principles of fairness, objectivity and accuracy.

Accusations of this nature can have far-reaching consequences on the reputation of individuals and institutions, and thus, it is crucial to avoid premature judgments.”

The minister assured that the Ministry of Defence would collaborate fully with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

“We remain committed to the principles of due process and fairness, ensuring that findings will be based on concrete evidence and legal standards.

“It is our collective responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people in the institutions that safeguard our nation’s security.  We call for patience as the investigative process unfolds and trust that justice will be served in accordance with the rule of law,” he said. (Flowerbudnews)