09102019 - 2020: Buhari presents N10.33trn job creation budget to NASS

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019
VISIT: Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Mr. Tunde Fowler (left) with
Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu (right), at Nigeria Police Headquarters, in
Abuja, yesterday
Taraba killing: Panel recommends disciplinary
actions against Army Capt, four others
•Says Capt ordered troops to open fire on bus
conveying IRT operatives
By Kingsley
Omonobi &
Joseph Erunke
ABUJA— THE panel of
inquiry set up by Chief
of Defence Staff, General
Abayomi Olonisakin, on the
directive of President
Muhammadu Buhari to
investigate the killing of
three police operatives in the
Inspector General of Police
Intelligence Response
Team, IRT, by soldiers in
Taraba State, which
culminated in the release of
kidnap kingpin, Hamisu
Wadume,
has
recommended disciplinary
action against Captain Tijani
Balarabe and four others.
It said the army captain
ordered the shooting of the
white Hummer bus
conveying the three
policemen and the kidnap
kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu
Wadume, from Ibbi to the
state capital, Jalingo.
The panel also said there
was need for the said Army
captain, some soldiers of 93
Battalion, Divisional Crime
Officer of Wukari Police
Station and some policemen
to be further investigated
over alleged complicity in the
unfortunate incident.
These were contained in a
statement issued yesterday
by Defence Headquarters,
entitled ‘’Report of Board of
Inquiry to investigate the
circumstances surrounding
the killing of three Nigeria
Police personnel and two
civilians by troops of
Nigerian Army in Taraba
State," by Acting Director,
Defence Information, Col
Onyema Nwachukwu,
The statement read: “After
a thorough and painstaking
investigation into the
incident, the BOI submitted
its report to the convening
authority, observing that
there were infractions and
poor communication
between personnel of the
NPF and troops of the NA.
“It was also observed that
there was non-adherence to
the Standard Operating
Procedure by both parties
involved in the incident. It
further made some
recommendations to the NA
and NPF to forestall future
recurrence and bring anyone
culpable to book in
accordance with extant laws.
“The BOI also
recommended that the NA
and NPF should further
investigate Captain Tijani
Balarabe, Sergeant Ibrahim
Mohammed, Corporal
Bartholomew Obanye,
DCO, Ibi Police Division,
Assistant Superintendent of
Police, Aondoona Iorbee,
and Inspector Aliyu Dadje
for complacency and
necessary disciplinary
measures.
“It was also recommended
that further investigation be
conducted on Hamisu Bala
for gunrunning and possibly
kidnapping, in order to
prosecute the suspect.
“Additionally, the BOI
recommended that the
services and other security
agencies establish an Interagency
Liaison Desk to
include senior officers for
timely resolution of future
misdemeanour.
“The Defence
Headquarters once again
assures the public that the
Armed Forces of Nigeria and
other security agencies are
working in synergy to tackle
contemporary security
challenges bedeviling the
nation.”
Army to begin Operations Python
Dance, Crocodile Smile, others Nov 1
By Kingsley
Omonobi & Joseph
Erunke
ABUJA—THE Nigerian
Army said, yesterday, it
would begin Operations
Python Dance and Crocodile
Smile in the southern region
and Ayem Akpatuma in
North Central parts of the
country, with effect from
November 1.
It said during the period,
its ongoing Operation
Positive Identification in the
North-East geo-political
zone would be extended to
the affected areas.
The Army said at a briefing
by Chief of Army Staff, Lt.
General Tukur Buratai, in
Abuja that the operations,
which would be carried out
concurrently across the
targeted areas, were to stem
the rising security threats in
the zones.
He said the operations
were also meant to retrain its
personnel as well as provide
some essential services to
residents of the areas
affected.
Buratai, who was
represented by the Chief of
Training and Operations,
Major Enebong Udoh,
particularly explained that
the conduct of series of
military exercises within
respective geo-political
zones were aimed at
checkmating the activities of
criminals and bandits.
He said: “The exercises to
be conducted are Ayem
Akpatuma II in the North
Central and parts of North
Western states of Benue,
Nasarawa, Kogi, Taraba,
Kaduna and Niger in 1 and
3 Divisions as well as in
Headquarters Command
Army Records, Guards
Brigade and 707 Special
Forces Brigade Area of
Responsibilities.
“Exercise Egwu Eke IV
will be carried out in the
South Eastern part of
Nigeria, comprising Abia,
Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu
and lmo states in 82 Division
areas of responsibility.
“Exercise Crocodile Smile
IV will be held across some
states in the South-South
and part of South Western
including Akwa Ibom,
Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta,
Edo, Lagos, Ogun and
Rivers State in 2, 6, 81 and
82 Divisions’ Areas of
Responsibility.
“These exercises, which
include Exercise Crocodile
Smile IV, Exercise Egwu Eke
IV and Exercise Ayem
Akpatuma II, are to be
conducted concurrently in
the South South and South
West, South East as well as
North Central zones
respectively from November
1 to December 23, 2019.
“This has become
necessary owing to the
myriad of emergent threats
that are burgeoning in the
aforementioned zones.
“As part of its constitutional
roles, the Nigerian Army,
acting in aid of civil authority,
is poised to combating these
threats.
“Essentially, these
exercises will be conducted
to consolidate on the gains
of Exercises Ayem
Akpatuma,Egwu Eke II and
Crocodile Smile II that were
conducted last year at this
same period.
“In addition to Exercises
Ayem Akpatuma ll, Egwu
Eke IV and Crocodile Smile
lV, Operation Positive
Identification which is
ongoing in the North East
theatre of operation will be
extended to cover the entire
nation.”
Boko Haram crisis returning to
pre-2015 levels with new
strategy —Report
A
REPORT by SB
Morgen has said the
Boko Haram crisis in the
country was worsening and
returning to pre-2015 levels
when the insurgents held
territories in the North-East.
The insurgency was at its
peak in 2014 with the
capture of a strip of territories
and the harvest of mass
casualties in the region.
About 21 local government
areas out of 27 in Borno state
were under the occupation
of the insurgents in 2014.
SB Morgen, a geopolitical
intelligence platform, said in
the report that the insurgents
were retaking territories and
deploying new tactics in
governing the largely
ungoverned spaces in the
North-East, despite claims by
President Muhammadu
Buhari and Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. General Tukur
Buratai, that Boko Haram
had been technically
defeated.
It said the insurgents,
ISWAP faction of Boko
Haram, have reduced
attacks on civilian population
in an attempt to win support
and recruits, but have
ratcheted up the same on the
security forces.
The report said current
civilian casualties seemed to
come from attacks by the
Shekau faction of Boko
Haram, which is still active
in southern Borno.
It said: “A member of the
House of Representatives
from Borno State claims that
Boko Haram controls as
many as eight local
government areas in the
state.
“While this is probably an
exaggeration, there have
been reports by
humanitarian organisations
and residents, of Boko
Haram moving
unchallenged in the rural
areas and setting up
checkpoints.
‘’This is evident in recent
attacks on two local
government headquarters
where the terrorists
ransacked shops and
torched government
buildings.
“In addition, the gradual
regaining of territory by the
terrorists punctures the claim
by the Nigerian government
that Boko Haram has been
‘technically defeated’ based
on territorial gains and
losses.
‘’The Lake Chad region
may gradually be moving
from a contested and
stateless territory to one that
is firmly Boko Haram-
ISWAP controlled territory, a
scenario which will end up
taking us back to pre-2015
conflict levels as the Nigerian
state will have no choice but
to flood the region with
troops to take back the
territory."
$2.1bn arms deal: Court
slates Dec 11 to resume
Dasuki, others' trial
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
ABUJA—A High Court
of the Federal Capital
Territory sitting at Maitama,
yesterday, fixed December
11 to resume the trial of
detained former National
Security Adviser, NSA, Col.
Sambo Dasuki (retd), who is
facing two separate criminal
charges the Economic and
Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC,
preferred against him.
Dasuki, who has been in
detention since 2015, is
answering to a 22-count
charge involving his alleged
complicity in the illegal
diversion of N19.4 billion and
another 32-count charge
bordering on alleged
diversion of N32 billion from
an account the Office of the
NSA, operated with the
Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN.
EFCC had maintained that
the alleged stolen funds were
part of about $2.1billion that
was meant for the purchase
of arms to combat terrorism in
the North-East.
Others that were equally
charged before the court over
the alleged fraud were former
General Manager, Nigerian
National Petroleum
Corporation Aminu Baba-
Kusa, former governor of
Sokoto State, Attahiru
Bafarawa, his son, Sagir,
Director of Finance and
Administration in the Office of
the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and
the former Minister of State
for Finance, Bashir Yuguda.
Two firms – Acacia Holdings
Limited and Reliance Referral
Hospital Limited – were also
charged as defendants in the
matter.
However, before hearing
could commence on the case,
EFCC, amended the charge
and delisted the ex-NNPC
Director, Salisu, as a
defendant in the trial.
Meanwhile, the ex-NSA
who is equally facing another
money laundering charge
before the Federal High Court
in Abuja, had since refused to
personally appear in court,
saying he would only do so
when he is released from
detention.
At the resumed proceeding,
yesterday, EFCC’s lawyer,
Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe,
drew attention of the court to
Dasuki’s absence.
EFCC told the court that the
matter could not proceed in
the absence of the 2nd
defendant, even though its
witnesses were present.
Atologbe, therefore, sought
for time to file further and better
affidavit, as well as reply on
points of law, in response to
averments in Dasuki’s
counter-affidavit to the motion.