The operatives of Zamfara State Hisbah Commission have clashed with Police officers in Gusau, for allegedly taking women to hotels.

Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the Executive Chairman of Zamfara State Hisbah Commission, Sheikh Umar Hassan Gusau who spoke through his Director Operations, Lawal Abubakar Maradun said the Police have severrally been advised to desist from such acts but they persist

According to him, the police men always claim that they are security officers that Hisbah operatives have no constitutional right to challenge them.

“Our men on Monday caught some of them and confronted them which resulted in the clash which took us to the State Police headquarters”, he said.

When we arrest police men with a women in hotels, the police men would identify themselves while the women would not be able to identify themselves.

“However, those women would be arrested for alleged prostitution, we would warn them to desist from such illegal acts and if they are arrested again, they would be prosecuted”

“These police officers are supposed to be enforcing the law, but they are law breakers. knowing fully well that Zamfara is a Sharia State”, he lamented.

He said the officers involved are junior security men and that no senior security operative has been arrested before.

“The matter took us to the State Police Command headquarters so the commissioner could have knowledge of what his men are involved in”

“The Police Commissioner, Muhammad Dalija blamed his men for such immoral acts and warned them to desist”

“There is no doubt that the State. Hisbah Commission has ma utual understanding with the senior security officers in the state”

He said that his operatives have recently arrested over 200 youth for drug abuse, pointing out that many of them have been prosecuted, after several warnings.

He noted that the commission has the power to arrest, detain and prosecute offenders of the Sharia laws, stressing that the offenders would be warned, but any offence after the warning, the person must be charged to court.

The Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, has detained a self-acclaimed licensed Bureau De Change, BDC, operator, Chinedu Ngwaka, over alleged fraud of N320 million.

The FCID’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Aminat Mayegun, confirmed the arrest and detention in a post on her X handle on Wednesday.

She said that the police received a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Mr Ayodeji Ogundele, FCID Annex, Lagos on September 9.

She explained the arrest followed a petition filed by one Chinedu Laz and Partners (Deo Gratia Chambers) on behalf of Mr Tochukwu Unachukwu, the Managing Director of Casco Electronics Company Limited, that Ngwaka and wife, Janet were involved in a fraudulent scheme amounting to N320 million.

According to her, upon receipt of the petition, detectives from the Special Investigations Team, SIT of the Anti-Fraud Section attached to FCID Annex in Lagos State swiftly swung into investigation, leading to the arrest of the suspect.

PPRO said that further investigation revealed that between March and May this year, Unachukwu made payments totaling N320 million to Ngwaka and Jane his wife.

“Unachukwu made payment of N320 million through an account belonging to Ngwaka’s company, Edunaco Multiple Resources Limited and Bright Janes World, for the procurement of $200,000 USD to facilitate the supply of goods from China.

“However, additional intelligence uncovered fraudulent document, including a telex confirmation from Zenith Bank, which purportedly shows the completion of the transactions in two $100,000 USD tranches.

“The Chinese suppliers confirmed that no such funds were received,” she said.

The Nigerian Army has announced that troops of the South-East Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Udoka, neutralised four suspected terrorists in Abia State during a clearance operation on Sunday.

The Task Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the operation occurred early this week.

According to him, the operation took place in a forest in Umuaku Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, following credible intelligence.

The statement added that in the early hours of Monday, troops also raided a camp allegedly belonging to the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Isiala Ngwa North LGA, along the Imo River axis, and destroyed the facility.

Unuakhalu revealed that arms, vehicles, and other items were recovered from the ESN camp and similar camps in Imo State, where additional raids were conducted.

In a related development, there was a fierce gun battle between soldiers and armed men at a border community between Abia and Imo states.

The confrontation, which reportedly occurred at Mbata, Umuchima village in Isiala Ngwa North LGA, caused panic as residents fled into the bush to avoid the conflict.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that over 15 Hilux vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) belonging to the Nigerian Army were seen in the Umuchima area as early as 6:00 am.

It was reported that soldiers stormed the area to attack and dislodge unidentified gunmen who were allegedly camping in the riverine village, which serves as a boundary between Abia State and the Mbaise axis of Imo State.

Witnesses stated that major roads leading to the village were cordoned off by soldiers, and heavy gunfire was heard in the area for several hours.