By El-ameen Ibrahim
MAKURDI, Benue – Residents have fled their homes in Ogwumogbo, Ikpele, and Ejima villages of Agatu Local Government Area in Benue State after attacks by gunmen left at least eight people dead. The number took the death toll of atrocities by terrorists in the area over the past few weeks to 38. According to information obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the assailants stormed the villages Saturday evening and started shooting sporadically. Speaking with journalists in Makurdi, the state capital, on Sunday, Sunday Igbinowanhia, a Nigerian Army major-general who is the Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke in Benue, said troops dislodged the gunmen from the communities after a three-hour gunfight on Saturday. But two soldiers and a law enforcement agent died in the battle. The military commander said: “Three deceased, comprised of two soldiers and one Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel, were recorded, and two other soldiers were wounded and receiving treatment at the Nigerian Air Force hospital in Makurdi.” When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, said, she had not been briefed on the latest incident. However, an indigene of the area, Oche Hyacinth, told journalists in Makurdi on Sunday that residents had fled the villages into the bush. “Everyone has run into the bush. No one can say the number of the casualties now,” Mr Hyacinth said. “Women and children are currently moping in the bush in Ogwumogbo, Ikpele, Ejima, and Okpokpolo, where they have all abandoned their homes.” ………….. READ MORE
By CHINEDU ASADU
ABUJA, Nigeria – Gunmen killed at least 50 villagers over two days in Nigeria's north-central Plateau state, survivors said Thursday, prompting a 24-hour curfew and calls for authorities to end violence between nomadic cattle herders and farming communities. No group took responsibility for the killings that took place in remove villages over a two-day period, the second such attack in less than a month in the state where more than 1 40 people were killed in December. Gunmen stormed villages in Plateau’s Mangu district on Monday and Tuesday firing on residents and setting fire to houses, the Mwaghavul Development Association community association said. Reports of the attacks were delayed because of difficulty in accessing the area. More bodies were recovered Thursday and many were missing or seriously wounded, according to Mathias Sohotden, a community leader. Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said it estimated a death toll much higher than the 30 it has so far confirmed. The violence angered many in Nigeria and pressure mounted on the country’s leader, Bola Tinubu, who is in France on a private visit. Tinubu was elected president last year after promising to tackle Nigeria’s deadly security crisis but observers say the situation has not improved under his government. ………….. READ MORE
By EUROPOL
NETHERLANDS - Between 7 and 9 December 2023, Europol coordinated a massive international operation targeting Nigerian criminal networks active in the EU and abroad. 16 partners from four continents joined forces to fight poly-criminal Nigerian criminal networks responsible for a multitude of serious crimes. This unprecedented international operation, supported by EMPACT, was conducted by law enforcement from across Europe, Africa, South America and North America. 468 law enforcement officers took part in the action day. The crackdown targeted Nigerian criminals responsible for crimes such as the smuggling and distribution of drugs, trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation, fraud, illegal waste smuggling, and money laundering. Nigerian criminal networks have long been renowned for trafficking in human beings and a variety of fraud, but in recent years they have also gained a strong foothold in drug trafficking across several EU markets. In this crime area, Nigerian drug traffickers are particularly active in transporting and distributing both cocaine and heroin. One of the most commonly observed modus operandi for transporting drugs in and out of the EU is by air. Drug mules from both Nigeria and the EU take frequent trips and smuggle drugs on their person typically swallowed, concealed in body cavities or hidden in luggage. ………….. READ MORE
By Ibrahim Ramalan
LAGOS, Lagos – The Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch has eliminated no fewer than 30 terrorists and kidnappers in an air strike along Kwiga-Kampanin Doka axis in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, AVM Edward Gabkwet, on Monday in Abuja. Mr Gabkwet said that the strike followed intelligence received on the movement of the criminals along the axis. He added that the intel also revealed that the same syndicate was responsible for the ambush on troops at Kwanan Mutuwa on Jan. 27, as well as several attacks and abductions of innocent civilians in Birnin Gwari. According to him, a deliberate and detailed scan revealed a trail of terrorists moving in a convoy of about 15 motorcycles, each with at least two armed terrorists. “Accordingly, the terrorists were trailed to a location where they converged before they were engaged and neutralised in a precision strike. “The aftermath of the air strike revealed that several of the terrorists were eliminated as a result of the strike.” Mr Gabkwet said the success of the air strike had drawn the attention of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, who commended the commander and his troop for their precision. “While this does not call for celebration on our part, I must commend the professionalism of the crew for patiently trailing the criminals until an appropriate opportunity to strike presented itself. ………….. READ MORE
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