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Again, Niger Military Junta Insists France Backing Nigeria To Establish Terrorist Operational Base In Sokoto, Others
General Abdourahamane Tiani, Niger Republic Head of State, has accused France of planning to establish a terrorist operational center in Gaba, a forested area in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Tiani further alleged that the Nigerian government is aware of these intentions and has been complicit in France’s destabilization efforts in the region.
According to Tiani, France is also purportedly providing financial backing to Nigerian authorities to set up a military base in Borno State, under the guise of combating terrorism, with the ulterior motive of destabilizing Niger and its neighboring countries.
Tiani disclosed that Niger’s intelligence had gathered information from arrested terrorists who reportedly disclosed France’s plan to set up a terrorist base in Sokoto with terrorists known as ‘Lakurawa.’
This intelligence, according to Tiani, was passed on to Nigerian authorities for verification.
He revealed how Niger officials had contacted Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the former Director-General of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA), for confirmation.
He said, despite assurances from Abubakar that his team would investigate, Tiani claims that the intelligence was mishandled, and no further action was taken, as Abubakar is allegedly linked to the terrorist network.
He alleged that since the French government became involved, knowing that Chadian military had targeted terrorists with airstrikes, they provided the terrorists with sophisticated weapons capable of bringing down military jets.
“It is France that gave the weapons to Boko Haram terrorists, so that if a Chadian military jet came to strike them, the terrorists could use the weapons provided by the French government to bring it down.
“They struck on October 16, when France supplied them with the weapons. The information we gathered from the terrorists we arrested indicated that there is an ongoing discussion, and Nigerian leaders are aware of it,” Tiani stated.
He said, “There is a forest called ‘Gaba’ in Sokoto, where they are planning to establish an operational center for terrorists, named ‘Lakurawa’.
“We received intelligence on March 4 that France and ISWAP were planning to set up an operational center in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara to prepare positions for terrorist activities.”
Tiani further explained that one of the terrorists they arrested informed them that the Nigerian government is well aware of the operational centers for terrorists in Sokoto.
“However, we dismissed his claim as false because he was unwilling to allow us to share this information with the Nigerian government. As Niger and Nigeria are closely connected, we felt it was our responsibility to report any information that could be harmful.
“We reported what France was planning to do to the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, as we were unaware of these developments.
“He assured us that he would send personnel to gather more information. We took on their responsibilities, and there was no location we did not visit or have exclusive discussions with the arrested terrorists,” he said The terrorists disclosed everything about France’s plans to establish a terrorist base in Sokoto.
The intelligence was then returned to Nigeria. “We later discovered that the person we contacted, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, is one of the individuals used by the West as a negotiator.
He supervises the terrorists and is also sent to a country called the Central African Republic. If the terrorists are arrested, he is the one responsible for bailing them out, as well as handling their weapons and providing money for food. He oversees the entire process,” Tiani explained.
“After learning this, things began to fall apart. We had trusted the wrong people, and once we discovered the truth, we were left unsure of who to trust or confide in about the situation in Nigeria.
“Meanwhile, Nuhu Ribadu is aware of the entire issue, but everyone involved has kept silent about it. “Having seen how things played out, we decided to take matters into our own hands. If the Lakurawa terrorists are arrested, we are now considering what to do.” Tiani added that France has launched its base in Benin Republic to also monitor neighboring countries that oppose them.
The Police Service Commission has endorsed the appointment of six Deputy Inspectors General of Police and the promotion of the Commissioner of Police Enugu State Command, Uzuegbu Kanayo to the next rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.
The new Deputy Inspectors General of Police are Sadiq Idiris Abubakar, Commandant Police Academy , Wudil, Kano. He was former Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory; CP Peace keeping Operations and Coordinator, Police Special Forces; Benjamin Nebolisa Okolo, former AIG, Zone 16, Yenagoa and presently AIG Department of Information Communication Technology, Force Headquarters Abuja and Williams Adebowale, Commandant, Police Staff College Jos.
Others are Bzigu Yakubu Kwazi Bali, AIG FCID, Annex Enugu; Idegwu Basil Ukuoma, AIG Zone 14, Katsina and Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, AIG Zone 16 Yenagoa and former Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command. He was also a former CP Border Patrol, Force Headquarters, CP Crime Prevention and Community safety; Deputy Force Secretary and currently AIG in charge of NPF Counter Terrorism Unit, CTU, Force Headquarters Abuja.
CP Kanayo Uzuegbu Commissioner of Police Enugu State Command promoted to the next rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police was a former Assistant Commissioner Operations Zone 9, Umuahia; Area Commander, Owerri; Area Commander Karu, Nasarawa state; Commander Switch Operation Switch, Portharcourt; Deputy Commissioner Finance and Admin Edo State Command, DCP, state CID, Osun State and Commissioner of Police Operations, Communication, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The Commission also approved the appointment of Commissioners of Police for Oyo and Enugu State Commands. CP Ademola Johnson, Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police was appointed CP Oyo State. He was also a former Deputy Commissioner of Police Delta State Command. CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa was appointed CP, Enugu State to take over from newly promoted AIG Kanayo Uzuegbu. CP Giwa was former DCP Operations Kaduna and Imo State Commands; ACP Police Mobile Force, Force Headquarters Abuja; and CSP A, Commissioner of Police Mobile Force, Force Headquarters among other postings in the Police Mobile Force.
The Commission also approved the promotion of eight Chief Superintendents of Police to the next rank of Assistant Commissioners of Police. They are Abdullahi Kamba Usman; Sani Abdu; Ifeanyi Owo; Vincent Orole; Elisha Atikinkpan and Margaret Okonkwo. Others are Alhasan Aliyu Guga and Imo Owinizi Ezekiel.
The newly promoted senior Police Officers were subjected to Written examinations and interactive oral interview.
The Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd mni, presided over the sessions with Justice Paul Adamu Galumje, Justice of the Supreme Court rtd and Honourable Commissioner representing the Judiciary in the Commission; DIG Taiwo Lakanu rtd fdc, Honourable Commissioner representing the Police and Chief Onyemuchi Nnamani, Secretary to the Commission in attendance.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) will on May 28, arraign Mr Karl Toriola, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.
Toriola, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and others will be arraigned over alleged failure to produce documents and information required by the commission in compliance with a lawful summons contrary to the FCCPC Act.
The company and its CEO will be arraigned alongside Tobechukwu Okigbo, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer and Ikenna Ikeme, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs of MTN, before Justice H.J. Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FCCPC had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/354/2024, named MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Toriola, Okigbo and Ikeme as 1st to 4th suspects respectively.
The suspects were preferred with two counts in the charge, dated July 19, 2024, and filed July 22, 2024 by a team of lawyers led by Akoji Achimugu.
When the matter was called, they were not in court.
Justice Yilwa asked the FCCP lawyer, Chizenum Nsitem, the whereabouts of the suspects.
Nsitem informed the court that though the matter was scheduled for the arraignment of the suspects, he was just briefed about the case and would need more time to study the case file.
The judge adjourned the matter until May 28 for arraignment.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) had earlier filed charge against MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd; its CEO, Toriola; MTN Senior Executive Officer, Nkeakam Abhulimen; Fun Mobile Ltd, a telecommunications service provider; and Yahaya Maibe, its CEO.
The NCC, in the three-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/111/2024 presently before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a sister court, filed it on March 20, 2024.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants, between 2010 and 2017, “offered for sale, sold and traded for business, infringed musical works of Maleke Moye, an artiste, without his consent and authorisation.”
The commission alleged that the defendants used Maleke’s musical works and sound recordings with subsisting copyright, known as “caller ring back tunes” without the authorisation of the artiste.
The musical works and sound recordings of the musician allegedly infringed upon include “911, Minimini-Wana Wana, Stop Racism, Ewole, 911 instrumental, Radio, Low Waist, and No Bother.”
They were also alleged to have illegally distributed the musical works to their subscribers, without authorisation, thereby infringing on the rights of the artiste.
In the third count, the suspects were alleged to have had in their possession, the musical works and sound recordings of the artiste, other than for their personal or domestic use.
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The copyright commission said the alleged offence is punishable under Section 20 (2) (a) (b) and (c) of the Copyright Act, Cap. C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Justice Ekwo had, on Feb. 25, adjourned the matter until May 15 for report, following the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)’s interest to take over the case.
…seek UK backing for constitutional reforms
By Gloria Ikibah
The Speaker House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has affirmed that the 10th Assembly will play a pivotal role in advancing gender inclusion and balance in Nigeria’s political and governance structures.
The Speaker who stated this on Monday in Abuja when he received a delegation of British parliamentarians eemphasised that the 10th House has prioritised gender parity and is actively working on constitutional amendments to entrench this goal.
Highlighting the House multiparty composition, he assured the visiting MPs that beyond political diversity, the 10th Assembly is strongly committed to promoting the rights and participation of women and youth in governance.
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