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Bandits got weapons from corrupt security agents, says NSA

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Bandits and terrorists got a sizeable number of their arms and ammunition from securitymen, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has said.

Ribadu, at the destruction of seized/recovered 2,400 illicit small arms and light weapons in Abuja yesterday, expressed worry that most of such arms were sold to criminals by security personnel.

Also in Abuja, the Defence Ministry announced that the ongoing anti-terror war had moved from normal military operations to the use of drones, and advanced war technique.

Fifty new fighter jets are to be added to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fleet between December this year and 2026 to rev up the war against insurgents and other criminal elements in the country, Ribadu reaffirmed.

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At the arms destruction by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons (NCCSALW), a unit in the Office of the NSA,  Ribadu, assured that the government would do everything possible to keep the country safe and secure.

He said: “We have to find a way of putting a stop to this. We must if we want to recover our country and live in peace and stability.

“The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who will take arms from his own formation and sell it or hire it out for the bad people to come and kill his own colleagues.

“We must fight these people but also there are merchants of death and evil from outside the world.

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“The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons remains a major threat to our national security, exacerbating issues such as insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes.

“We have laws that govern ownership of small arms. If you do not follow it, it is an illegal arm and it is supposed to be destroyed completely.”

The  NSA said the military and other security agencies would secure the country against the merchants of death by all means possible.

He said with the present leadership,  the country would overcome all the country’s security challenges within the shortest possible time.

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“We are not going to relent. They think we are jokers. We are not, we know what we are doing. And I can assure you with the leadership we have today in our country, with the set of people in charge, we have hope.

“Just give us time. It will change. The proliferation of small arms and light weapons remains a major threat to our national security.  We will fight it. We will secure this country,” Ribadu added.

NCCSALW Director-General Johnson Kokumo said the challenge posed by the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) was one of the major threats to peace and security not only in the country but in  West Africa.

He said the 2,400 destroyed weapons, comprised unserviceable, decommissioned, and recovered arms.

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Kokumo added: “These weapons were mopped up by the military, police and other security agencies across the country.

“By permanently removing these arms from circulation, we reduce the risk they pose to our communities and send a clear message that Nigeria will not tolerate the illegal trafficking and possession of small arms and light weapons.’’

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Breaking: Wife of former DSP, Ekweremadu, released from UK prison, returns home

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Mrs. Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of ex-Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria.

A reliable source on Wednesday confirmed her return to VANGUARD.

It will be recalled that Senator Ekweremadu, his wife, and Dr. Obinna Obeta were sentenced by a UK court over charges related to organ harvesting.

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The former Deputy Senate President received a 10-year prison sentence, while Mrs. Ekweremadu was sentenced to six years.

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18 States Move To Block Trump’s Order Ending Birthright Citizenship For Immigrant Children In US

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A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday to block President Trump’s executive order aimed at eliminating birthright citizenship.

Shortly after taking office on Monday, Trump used presidential powers to initiate his long-promised immigration crackdown. His executive actions included an order directing the federal government to stop issuing passports, citizenship certificates, and other documents to many children born in the U.S. whose mothers are in the country illegally or whose parents are not legal permanent residents.

According to CBS News, the lawsuit, filed by 18 states in federal court in Massachusetts, argues that Mr. Trump’s initiative violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which has long been interpreted by the federal government to grant citizenship to those born on American soil.

The cities of San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have also joined the suit.

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The 14th Amendment says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

“The great promise of our nation is that everyone born here is a citizen of the United States, able to achieve the American dream,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement to CBS News.

“This fundamental right to birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment and born from the ashes of slavery, is a cornerstone of our nation’s commitment to justice.”

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to stop the enforcement of the executive order and ultimately aims to have it invalidated.

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The states participating in the suit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

“The President’s executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

The states are asking the court to immediately block the order from taking effect.

Mr. Trump directed that his order should be enforced in 30 days.

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Burkina Faso outlaws colonial-era judicial wigs to embrace cultural identity

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In a historic attempt to decolonise the country’s judiciary, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso has formally banned judges from wearing wigs from the British and French colonial eras.

President Traoré emphasised in his announcement the importance of eschewing colonial-era traditions and implementing customs that respect Burkina Faso’s cultural identity.

The action is in line with his larger plan to fortify national identity and declare the nation’s autonomy from outside influences. The colonial wigs, which have traditionally stood for outside authority in African legal systems, are gradually being abandoned.

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