By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Kano State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested a total of 82 suspects on suspicion of various crimes committed in the state between November 1 and 14 this year.

Crimes allegedly committed by the suspects include kidnappingarmed robberies, violence, telephone theft and drug trafficking.

Revealing details of the arrest during a press conference at the command headquarters, Bompai, Kano, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said the arrests were the result of a crime-fighting strategy adopted by the command.

“The implementation of these strategies has yielded positive results as they have led to the crackdown on criminal networks such as curtailing Remnants of Violent Activities (Daba) within Kano Metropolis.

Others include dismantling armed robbery syndicates along Jigawa-Kano and Bauchi-Kano borders and foiling kidnapping incidents along Kaduna-Kano and Katsina-Kano borders.

“These operations conducted resulted in the arrest of a total of 82 suspects and the recovery of firearms, dangerous weapons, illegal drugs and stolen property.

“Items recovered from the criminals included an AK-47 rifle and three locally made weapons, 13 machetes and 16 knives.

“Others include: three motorcycles, a tricycle, 50 bags of diazepam tablets, 42 bags of tramadol tablets, 24 packets, 175 wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be hemp and 10 mobile phones,” he said.

Kiyawa, representing the state Commissioner of Police, Salman Dogo, expressed that the achievements are a reflection of the command’s commitment to maintaining law and order.

He emphasized that the command would persevere in strengthening its various strategies, including community policing and strategic communications aimed at raising public awareness on security issues.

In addition, he emphasized the importance of intelligence-led policing and targeted clearance operations that have successfully disrupted criminal networks, especially in local government border areas.

He expressed gratitude to Governor Abba Yusuf for donating 78 patrol vehicles to the command, which will significantly strengthen its operational capabilities and response times, thereby improving service delivery to the citizens of the state.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

No fewer than 58 people rescued by the Nigerian security agencies in joint operations have been handed over to the Kaduna State government.

It was gathered that the victims comprised 35 males, 23 females, children and toodlers were kidnapped by suspected armed bandits under the command of a notorious bandit called Janbros.

The victims were said to have made to trek for hundreds of Kilometers through the thick forest of Birnin Gwari during the kidnap.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Saturday, handed over the victims to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, who would hand them over to the government.

Musa who affirmed that no money was paid for their rescue, presented the victims to the representative of the state government and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sani Kila.

He stated that all Nigerians must take ownership of the operation for the security agencies to succeed.

”The rescue is as a result of combined efforts of the military and other security services. The operation was both kinetic and non-kinetic which requires efforts by all and not just the military kinetic efforts.

“What we are seeing out of this, is the success of the collaboration right from the top. From the presidency, to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Ministry of Defence to all agencies working together, including the Kaduna State government.

“The governor has been very supportive and very helpful and it is this collaborative effort that has made it possible for us to be able to rescue these individuals.

“It is a joint effort and we were able to do that through non-kinetic means of getting across. No penny was paid for these individuals.”

“Now, I want Nigerians to understand that if we do not work together, it will be extremely difficult for us to succeed.

“The success depends on all of us working together because it is a whole-of-society approach,” he said.

Musa said that certain individuals had been trying to make it impossible for the government to succeed by sabotaging the efforts of the government.

He added that the security agencies were working round the lock tirelessly to make sure Nigerians feel safe and protected.

“Today is Saturday, many people would have wanted to be home, relaxing, but we are working. Saturday, Sunday, day and night and all Nigerians have keyed up, and everybody is contributing to the success we are seeing.

“I want to also inform Nigerians that we will continue to work hard together and will not leave any stone unturned until every Nigerian that is in captivity is freed and Nigerians are free to move about within the country, both day and night, as it used to be before.

“We assure Nigerians that we are getting all the support to ensure that we work, and we assure Mr. President that we will do everything possible, and including Nigerians, until we succeed, we’ll continue to push,” he added.

The defence chief clarified that contrary to the believes of many, not all persons involved in banditry were willing tools, adding that some were conscripted.

He said the military would continue to go after the perpetrators, adding that “they will not be let free for the innocent blood they have shed.”

Meanwhile, the National Coordinator National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj Gen Adamu Laka, said the victims were kidnapped from their homes and farmlands in Gayam, Sabon layi and Kwaga villages of Dan Musa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Laka said that troops of 1 Division, on November 14, at about 1500hrs successfully led a joint operations leading to their rescue.

He noted that the victims comprised 35 males and 23 females.

According to the him, preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were kidnapped by suspected armed bandits under the command of a notorious bandit called Janbros.

“During the kidnap, the victims were made to trek for hundreds of Kilometers through the thick forest of Birnin Gwari.

“Upon their rescue, the government provided them with all the necessary assistance required to stabilise them for subsequent handing over to ONSA for rehabilitation and immediate medical checkups, where they have been examined and six were admitted.

“The six admitted victims have recovered and joined us for subsequent handing over to their respective families,” he said.

The Chief of Staff to Kaduna Governor, Sani Limankila thanked the security agencies and called on all Nigerians to team up with security agencies to end kidnapping.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Ex- President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented that Nigeria’s current economic situation is very bad and that the situation is made worse by the unwillingness of the leaders to take responsibility.

Obasanjo made this declaration in his keynote address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum, held on Saturday at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

In his speech, titled: “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” he expressed concern over the country’s dire situation, noting, “as the world can see and understand, Nigeria’s situation is bad.”

Using Singapore as an example of a country with effective leadership, Obasanjo highlighted how the government there has remained responsive to the evolving needs of its citizens, making significant investments in sectors like healthcare, education, and social welfare.

He said, “Nigeria’s situation, as we can see and understand, is bad. The more the immorality and corruption of a nation, the more the nation sinks into chaos, insecurity, conflict, discord, division, disunity, depression, youth restiveness, confusion, violence, and underdevelopment.

“That’s the situation mostly in Nigeria in the reign of Baba-go-slow and Emilokan. The failing state status of Nigeria is confirmed and glaringly indicated and manifested for every honest person to see through the consequences of the level of our pervasive corruption, mediocrity, immorality, misconduct, mismanagement, perversion, injustice, incompetence and all other forms of iniquity. But yes, there is hope.”

The former President, while quoting from a short, classic treatise published in 1983 called, “The Trouble with Nigeria” by Chinua Achebe, said, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.

The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership.”

According to him, two prominent US intellectuals, Robert Rotberg and John Campbell, had once raised the alarm about the failing status of Nigeria and its inevitable effects on the African continent given the country’s size, economic viability, and population, among others.

He described state capture “as one of the most pervasive forms of corruption, a situation where powerful individuals, institutions, companies, or groups within or outside a country use corruption to shape a nation’s policies, legal environment, and economy, to benefit their own private interests.

“State capture is not always overt and obvious. It can also arise from the more subtle close alignment of interests between specific business and political elites through family ties, friendships, and the intertwined ownership of economic assets.

“What is happening in Nigeria – right before our eyes – is state capture: The purchase of National assets by political elites – and their family members – at bargain prices, the allocation of national resources – minerals, land, and even human resources – to local, regional, and international actors. It must be prohibited and prevented through local and international laws.

“Public institutions such as the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and regulatory agencies both at the federal and local levels are subject to capture.

“As such, state capture can broadly be understood as the disproportionate and unregulated influence of interest groups or decision-making processes where special interest groups manage to bend state laws, policies, and regulations.

“They do so through practices such as illicit contributions paid by private interests to political parties, and for election campaigns, vote-buying, buying of presidential decrees or court decisions, as well as through illegitimate lobbying and revolving door appointments.

“The main risk of state capture is that decisions no longer take into consideration the public interest but instead favour a specific special interest group or individual.

“Laws, policies, and regulations are designed to benefit a specific interest group, oftentimes to the detriment of smaller firms and groups and society in general.

“State capture can seriously affect economic development, regulatory quality, the provision of public services, quality of education and health services, infrastructure decisions, and even the environment and public health.”