A midnight bomb explosion occurred in Umuneke community, Mbieri in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the explosion, which occurred at a newly completed family house on Saturday night, reduced the house to rubble though no casualty was recorded.

A source, Iyke Njoku, said, “The sound was massive as well as the bang. We waited a while and when we didn’t see any movement or hear screams, we decided to check, only to see the house in rubble.

“When our neighbours from neighbouring villages called to ask us the cause of the sound, that was when we went to check how safe we were.

“The house was a bungalow and the couple just completed it even as they were planning to move in by February.

“It is so painful that all their efforts have become a waste because they can’t move in as planned again.”

A resident, Mr. Emma Emeka, told our correspondent on Sunday that they were jolted in the night by an enormous sound.

Emeka said, “We were in our house when we heard a massive sound, just like an explosion. When we rushed out, a newly constructed bungalow was destroyed. It happened so quickly, as nobody saw what triggered it or who was behind it.

“All we heard was the loud explosion; now, we are gazing at the new building of our kinsman reduced to rubble.

“The couple had worked hard to complete the building and were planning to move in this year but they cannot do so again.

“The funny part is people in neighbouring villages heard the sound and wondered where the blast came from. We all slept with one eye open for fear of attack.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the state police spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, proved abortive as his number did not connect.

Credit: PUNCH

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a bricklayer, Elela Monday, for allegedly k!lling his 14-year-old son over alleged involvement in criminal activities.

The incident occurred at Ajowa Akoko, Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state.

The 34-year-old father of seven confessed that he killed his son and buried him in a shallow grave for ‘’embarrassing the family by engaging in housebreaking, stealing and other criminal activities.”

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Afolabi, paraded the accused father alongside 24 other suspects arrested for various crimes at the command headquarters in Akure on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

“On the 30th of December, the police received an anonymous call that one Elela Monday living in Ajowa Akoko k!lled his 14-year-old son named Tope Elela and buried him in a shallow grave under a banana tree behind his house,” the CP stated.

“The suspect was arrested, and during interrogation, he said the boy was always involved in criminal activities and was embarrassing him, so in order to put a stop to the disgrace, he and his wife decided to k!ll the boy.”

Speaking with journalists, Elela said he only beat his son and didn’t intend to k!ll him.

“I did not know that the boy would die when I beat him in the night after he escaped from the custody of the State Security Network codename Amotekun,” Elela said.

He added that he usually handed over the late son to Amotekun or vigilante groups whenever he was arrested for stealing or other criminal activities for punishment.

Elela, however, noted that his wife took to her heels alongside other children when she got to know about his arrest.

“The deceased had escaped from Amotekun’s detention and was embarrassing the family as a result of criminal activities he engaged in. When he came back, we beat him and went to sleep. The following morning, his siblings discovered that he was d3ad and I decided to bury him under a banana tree,” he narrated.

Retired General Ishola Williams, a former Commandant of the Army Signals, has spoken out against Nigeria’s security architecture, citing its ineffectiveness in addressing the growing issues of banditry and terror attacks.

He specifically criticised both military and political leaders for their lack of efficiency and willpower in tackling these challenges.

Williams emphasised that the situation has spiralled out of control, with bandits now operating freely and controlling large areas in the North. He argued that this is no longer just a matter of terrorism, but a more complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach.

Notably, Williams suggested that the military’s role should be focused on protecting the territorial integrity of the country, rather than pursuing bandits, which is the responsibility of the Mobile Police. He also advocated for the separation of National Paramilitary Force from the police service, recommending that it should be an independent entity.

Williams in an interview with Sunday PUNCH pointed out the claims of collusion between security agencies and bandits, as alleged by figures such as Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and some northern governors.

“Do they have the will to face the bandits and defeat them? For me, if they don’t have the will, it simply means they are useless,” he remarked.

He emphasised that the military’s primary role is to protect the country’s territorial integrity, not to engage in internal counterterrorism operations. He proposed strengthening paramilitary police forces, such as the mobile police, to combat insurgency effectively.

The retired general criticised the reliance on the military to perform roles meant for specialised agencies and called for the restructuring of the Nigeria Police Force.

He said, “What is very important is that the military is doing the job of the mobile police. The mobile police was created separately from the regular police, with a different uniform and training, to carry guns like soldiers and fight bandits, kidnappers, and insurgents. That was why the mobile police was created.

“When the mobile police cannot do the job, the military is expected to support them, not to take over. But what we have seen is that the Nigerian police are confusing the job of policing with that of paramilitary policing, and that is a very big problem for the country.

“Therefore, you must separate paramilitary policing from ordinary policing. Policing should be at the state and local levels, not at the national level. This means you need to divide the Nigeria Police Force into a crime intelligence and criminal investigation agency.

“Also, there should be the National Paramilitary Force, which will now be the mobile police. They will be a separate agency and have a commander-general like the Customs and Immigration. Once they become a separate agency, they will have a clear focus. That means that the Inspector General of Police will be in charge of maintaining standards, training, monitoring, evaluation, and feedback on state policing. So, the existing Nigeria Police Force that you have now will disappear.”

Addressing the political dimensions of insecurity, Williams advocated for political solutions alongside military efforts. He made reference to the South-East crisis involving the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), suggesting that releasing IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu and engaging regional leaders could quell unrest.

“The killings and attacks will stop if a political solution is found,” he asserted, criticising the lack of proactive measures by both state and federal governments.

On the northern security crisis, Williams blamed governors for their inaction, particularly regarding the Almajiri system and the influence of traditional rulers. He cited instances of collaboration between traditional leaders and bandits, such as the turbaning of notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, as evidence of deeper systemic issues.

He said, “They (Governors) are not serious. If they cannot take care of Almajiri, can they take care of the terrorists? If you go to most parts of the North, you will see those children loitering about the whole place.

“The governors couldn’t take care of that. Don’t forget that there was a case of a governor who negotiated with a terrorist leader. Apart from that, Bello Turji was turbaned. Or didn’t you see the picture of him being turbaned with an emir?

“But how many emirs have been caught in the North by the governors for colluding with the terrorists? And how many of them have been taken to court? Yet people are being killed daily across the states. The governors are simply not serious.”

He recalled that Bello Turji (the notorious bandit kingpin) said “one important thing”.

Williams said, “He (Bello Turji) said, ‘The military knows where I am. Come and attack me.’ After that, he said, ‘Okay, since you don’t want to come, I am coming.’ So, where in the world can you see that? All the military could say is, ‘Oh, we will deal with him.’ But nothing has happened up until now. And the man is confident.

“In fact, let us go back to what Sheikh Gumi told everybody. He said the military intelligence and the security agencies know where the bandits are. Even the northern governors have said the security agencies are in collusion with the bandits. So, is anybody serious about bringing the security situation to an end? Are they serious?”

Williams dismissed claims that Boko Haram’s sophistication is too advanced for local forces to handle, arguing that the group’s operations are not insurmountable if intelligence agencies are properly equipped and functional.

He questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s intelligence services, calling for accountability regarding the sources of Boko Haram’s funding and supplies.

Reflecting on the broader implications, he called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture and urged the government to adopt a pragmatic, problem-solving approach to ensure the safety of its citizens.