News
FG to arraign arrested bomb manufacturers as US partners on IED Centre
The United States (US) is working closely with the Federal Government to establish a counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) centre in Nigeria.
The centre which will be similar to one set up by Britain in Maiduguri, Borno State, is to help Nigeria contain indiscriminate production of IEDs and boost anti-terrorism war in the country.
Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka made this known during a symposium on Countering Improvised IEDs in Abuja yesterday.
The symposium was organised by the centre, a unit in the Office of National Security Adviser(ONSA) in collaboration with the US and British governments.
Maj.-Gen. Laka stated the Federal Government’s collaboration with foreign partners was yielding positive results.
He said: ”What is the new thing that they(US) are going to do now?
‘’Like the British Government has established a counter IED centre in the Northeast, particularly in Maiduguri, we are working closely with the US Government on that also.
“They(Britain and U.S) have been training our troops for the past four years; and this has greatly impacted the proficiency of our troops in identifying IEDs, preventing such incidents and also reacting after such an incident.
‘’Samples are taken from the IED site to our laboratory at the centre to find out those materials that are used so that we will be able to know where our focus will be on restricting such materials getting into the wrong hands,” HE told reporters.
The NCTC boss revealed that some suspected manufacturers of IEDs were already being detained preparatory to their arraignment. He also said that ONSA has taken steps to regulate the use of materials like urea fertiliser in the Northeast, which terrorists use to manufacture explosives
Experts identify IEDs as a major threat to troops, civilians and infrastructure in the fight against terrorism in the country.
The NCTC Coordinator said: “ Insurgents can get things like urea fertiliser from the markets to manufacture IEDs and so on. But we won’t relent on our part. We will keep educating the populace.
“And on punishments for those who are manufacturing these IEDs, we have identified a few and they are presently awaiting to go through the judicial process.
‘’We won’t just punish them on our own. Nigeria is a signatory to international human rights laws and best practices, and so on. So we will follow the rule of law. They are innocent until proven guilty. So we have to go through the judicial process.”
Maj.-Gen. Laka assured Nigerians that the NCTC would remain proactive in its approach to tackling the menace of IEDs in the country.
“We are developing a biometric database at the Office of the National Security Adviser. We are working closely with all the security and intelligence agencies. This biometric database is going to be used to identify those who are experts in manufacturing IEDs.
‘’We are working closely with the US and British governments on that and other security and intelligence agencies,’’ he said.
The NCTC boss stated that the symposium was both timely and critical as it provided a platform for experts and stakeholders to deliberate on innovative strategies to counter-terrorism.
He said: “Our collective goal is to enhance national capabilities in preventing, detecting, and responding to Improvised Explosive Devices incidents.
“The provision of external expertise in this field would also complement Nigeria’s experience and proficiency in assessing whether a National Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Strategy would be beneficial for implementation in Nigeria. We must examine the existing gaps, address the vulnerabilities in our operational environments, and improve coordination among key agencies.”
US Ambassador to Nigeria Richard M. Mills, Jr. said Washington would continue to assist Nigeria to defeat the challenging threat of IEDs.
Mills was represented by the US Defence Attaché to Nigeria. Col. Thomas Brooks
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday halted the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II’s as the Emir of Kano.
A three-member panel of justices led by Justice Okon Abang unanimously halted the implementation of the January 10 judgement, which vacated the nullification of Sanusi II’s appointment by a Kano State High Court, which it held was done without jurisdiction.
The judgement, which was delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the nullification of Sanusi II’s appointment was done without the required jurisdiction and ordered the transfer of the suit to the Kano State High Court.
However, ruling on the fresh applications with numbers CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025, the appellate court agreed that the applications seeking to halt the enforcement of the earlier judgement pending the appeal before the Supreme Court were competent and meritorious.
“The law is settled. The court is enjoined to exercise its discretion judiciously and in the interest of justice,” he said.
Justice Abang also noted that the subject matter before the court needed to be preserved because the applicant had served as emir for five years before his removal, adding that he deserved the right to protection.
On January 10, Justice Kolawole, in vacating the order against Sanusi II’s appointment, held that the matter, being a chieftaincy dispute, ought to have been determined by the high court of Kano State rather than the Federal High Court, which he described as “a grave error”.
The Federal High Court in Kano, presided by Justice Abubakar Liman, had on June 20, 2024, nullified the Kano State Government’s Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024, which reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir.
In the fundamental rights enforcement suit by Aminu Baba-Dan’Agundi, the presiding judge further directed parties, including the Kano State House of Assembly, to maintain the status quo during the reign of Emir Ado Bayero.
However, the appellate court in its ruling, cited Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 22(2) of the Federal High Court Act to hold that the matter was a chieftaincy and state legislative dispute and not a fundamental rights matter, and such ought to have been taken before the Kano State High Court or the FCT High Court.
“The proper order to make is to order the 1st respondent (Baba-Dan’Agundi) to transfer the pending suit before the Federal High Court to the high court of Kano State where the chief judge shall assign it to a judge who has not been previously involved in the hearing of the suit,” he said.
The judge awarded the cost of N500,000 against Dan’Agundi and in favour of the Kano State House of Assembly.
However, following the opinions of the presiding justice, Justice Mohammed Mustapha and Justice Abdul Dogo that the right order was to strike out Dan’Agundi’s suit filed at the Federal High Court and not to transfer same, the matter was struck out.
The five appeals — CA/KN/126/2024 between the state assembly and Dan’Agundi; CA/ABJ/140/2023 state assembly and Dan’Agundi; CA/ABJ/142/2024 Kano State Government and Dan’Agundi; CA/KN/200/2024 Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and Attorney General of Kano State; and CA/KN/161/2020 Kano Government and Dan’Agundi emanated from the same issue before the Federal High Court
[Daily Trust]
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media, Mr. Daniel Bwala, has advised leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to renounce his agitation and be release from jail.
One Somto Okonkwo in a verified X handle, @General_Somto, quoted Mr. Bwala as saying, “Nigeria Government Through Its Presidential Special Adviser, Daniel Bwala Has Told The Leader Of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu To Renounce Biafra And Promise Not To Agitate For Biafra Again, Before Talks For His Release From DSS Custody Will Commence
…tells Nigerians
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Bashir El-Rufai, son of erstwhile governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has urged Nigerians to join the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to save the country from ‘area boys’. Bashir stated this in a cryptic post on X on Friday, seemingly referring to President Bola Tinubu’s appointees, particularly from Lagos State. He wrote: “Join in saving this country from area boys”.
DAILY POST recalls that Bashir’s father, El-Rufai, recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to the SDP.
The Kaduna ex-governor had before his resignation become increasingly critical of the APC-led government under Tinubu. He also cited a widening disconnect between his personal values and the party’s current direction as the reason for his defection. Before now, El-Rufai had criticized Tinubu for only appointing his “boys” from Lagos into political offices. “The president’s appointments are not being made because the appointees are Yoruba, but because they are his own boys, and most of the appointments do not even reasonably cover the South-West,” El-Rufai said.
Appeal Court halts Emir Sanusi’s reinstatement
FG advises Nnamdi Kanu to renounce IPOB for his release
El-Rufai’s son, Bashir campaigns for SDP, asks Nigerians to save country from ‘area boys’
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