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78 Terrorists Killed, 112 Arrested In One — Defence Headquarters

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of the armed forces killed 78 terrorists and arrested 112 in different operations across the country in one week.

In a statement on Friday, Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, said the ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations across the country were yielding encouraging results.

He said the military has continued to target the leadership and chains of command of the terrorists, insurgents and extremist groups undermining the security of the country.

He said the troops also arrested 49 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 182 kidnap victims.

He added that the troops recovered 66 assorted weapons and 11,474 assorted ammunition, comprising one conqueror APC, one GPMG, one NSVT gun, one GT3 rifle, 25 AK-47 rifles, four pump action gun and two locally made AK-47 rifles.

“Items recovered also include three locally made gun, one locally made revolver gun, four locally fabricated pistols and four long dane gun, two locally made hand grenades, one bandolier,” he added.

“Others are 574 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 640 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 150 rounds of 12.7mm ammo, five rounds of 9mm ammo, 10,520 live cartridges and five vehicles, 27 mobile phones.

“Others are 12 motorcycle, three boafeng radios, one Motorolla HHR, three bicycles, one solar panel, one solar charger controller, one radio receiver and the sum of N75.9 million amongst other items.”

Buba said in the north-east, troops of operation Hadin Kai neutralised 33 terrorists, apprehended 13, rescued 132 kidnap hostages, and recovered cache of arms.

He said in the north central, troops of operation Safe Haven neutralised 20 terrorists, apprehended 34 and rescued 10 kidnap hostages.

He added that troops of operation Whirl Stroke neutralised a terrorists, arrested nine and rescued 8 kidnap hostages during the week.

In the north west, the troops of operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 20 terrorists, arrested 48, rescued 56 kidnap hostages, and recovered several weapons.

Buba said on November 11, the air component acquired and subsequently conducted air interdiction on an enclave of a terrorist leader identified as ‘Damina’ in Maru LGA of Zamfara.

“Also, troops of operation Whirl Punch neutralised four terrorists, arrested eight suspected terrorists and rescued nine kidnapped hostages as well as recovered arms and the sum of N75 million,” he said.

In the Niger Delta region, Buba said the troops of operation Delta Safe destroyed 242 dugout pits, 49 boats, 78 storage tanks, one tricycle, 21 vehicles, 104 cooking ovens, three pumping machine, seven outboard engine and 49 illegal refining sites.

He added that the troops recovered 151,850 litres of stolen crude oil, 48,630 litres of illegally refined AGO and 10,125 litres of DPK.

“The armed forces will continue to apply strong military pressure such as has been witnessed in the week,” Buba said.

“The terrorist and their cohorts would continue to suffer heavy casualities and it is in their interest to surrender as being done in the North East of the country to avoid eventual destruction.”

BIG STORY

Amaechi Is Unpatriotic, He’s Among Those Who Devastated Nigeria — APC

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state, as “unpatriotic.”

This statement from the ruling party followed remarks made by Amaechi, a former minister of transportation.

Amaechi had expressed disappointment in Nigerians, criticizing their passive reaction to the ongoing economic hardships across the country. He said, “There should be protests. Not even protests against anybody but against the politicians that ‘we won’t vote.'”

In response, Felix Morka, APC national spokesperson, issued a statement on Friday accusing Amaechi of being “a leading participant in the generational devastation of our country’s economy.”

Morka further stated, “Attempting to hoodwink Nigerians into his web of false empathy and incitement to violence is hypocritical, provocative and dangerous.”

He added that, “The only real anger that Amaechi and his fellow tribesmen of naysayers of the likes of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, must feel is that they are not in the saddle of government today.

“But that was a decision made by Nigeria’s ultimate political authority – the electorate.”

Morka also highlighted that “Nigerians are highly perceptive, discerning, demure, and mindful that economic discomforts associated with the administration’s inevitable reforms are transient and will pale into insignificance in comparison to the enduring transformative dividends which are already beginning to manifest.”

He emphasized, “Nigerians will not be cajoled into taking back through street violence what they handed to the administration through the ballot, as Amaechi and his partisan tribesmen would wish.”

Morka concluded by advising Amaechi to focus on “trying to solve the crippling crisis in Rivers state that he once governed.”

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Federal Government Seeks Arrest Of Dana Air MD Hathiramani Ranesh Over ‘N1.3bn Fraud’

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The federal government has asked a high court sitting in Abuja to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Hathiramani Ranesh, managing director of Dana Air.

Mojisola Okeya, counsel to the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), made the oral application on Thursday before Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge. The application followed Ranesh’s absence in court for his arraignment.

The federal government alleged that the managing director has refused to appear for his arraignment in the alleged N1.3 billion fraud.

The AGF had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two others. In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021 and filed by Moshood Adeyemi, deputy director of public prosecutions in the office of the AGF and minister of justice, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd were joined as second and third defendants respectively.

In the first count, Ranesh, the two businesses, and unidentified individuals were accused of committing a crime on the property of the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina between September and December of 2018. They were alleged to have conspired to remove, convert, and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times”.

In count three, the defendants and others at large were accused of conspiring to fraudulently divert N864 million from House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos, between April 7 and 8, 2014. The funds were said to be part of Ecobank bond proceeds intended for the resuscitation of production at the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina and other unapproved purposes.

Count five alleged that the defendants and others conspired to “fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).” The money was also said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at the aforementioned factory and other unapproved uses.

The cumulative amount involved in the charge stands at N1,374,300,000.

When the matter was called on Thursday, Okeya told the court that though the case was scheduled for the arraignment of the defendants, Ranesh was not in court. She then urged the court to issue a bench warrant for Ranesh’s arrest.

However, Bidemi Ademola-Bello, defence lawyer, disagreed with Okeya. Ademola-Bello said they had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the prosecution had already been served. Okeya, on her part, objected to taking the preliminary objection on the ground that the defendants ought to be arraigned first before the court could entertain any other application.

In his ruling, Egwuatu asked Ademola-Bello to refer the court to any section of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, that makes provision for his request. The judge also ordered the parties to address the court in the next adjourned date on whether the preliminary objection ought to be taken before arraignment.

He subsequently adjourned the matter until November 4.

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I’ve Never Sponsored Thugs, I Don’t Want To Miss Heaven — Rotimi Amaechi

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Former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that he has never sponsored thugs during his political career.

Amaechi, who served as the governor of Rivers state from 2007 to 2015 and later as the minister of transportation under President Muhammadu Buhari, explained in an interview with ABN TV that his priest had warned him against promoting political violence, as it could jeopardize his chances of getting into heaven.

He said, “Let me quote former President Jonathan, he said, no life worth my ambition. You will not see me in any political meeting planning for thugs, you will not see me say this money is for thugs; I will not.”

He further explained, “My Priest tells me that anybody who dies in the course of that money, you will be held accountable. The society may not hold you accountable or send you to prison because you are a big man — but God will not allow you into heaven because he will hold you accountable. I don’t want to miss heaven.”

Amaechi emphasized that he teaches his family to live by these principles, adding, “That’s why I teach my children, my wife can testify, I teach it at home, we would like to go to heaven.”

He addressed public misconceptions, saying, “When they say I am stubborn it’s not correct; I’m only disciplined. Let one person, including my former boss, say that I betrayed him before, and you will see if it is true or not when I say my own story.”

His remarks come amid rising tensions between the current Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over control of the state’s political structure.

The political crisis escalated after local government elections were marked by violence at secretariats in Emohua, Eleme, and Ikwerre.

In the interview, Amaechi described Rivers state as the “capital of betrayal,” claiming that many politicians in the state owe their careers to him.

He said his key principles in mentoring young politicians were honesty and public service, adding, “Name one politician in Port Harcourt that is in the space that didn’t pass through me.”

Referring to Fubara, he said, “Sim (Fubara) was an accountant under me, he was an accountant under Wike. When I became governor, Wike became Chief of Staff but, I don’t like calling his name; unfortunately, I don’t know why I’m calling his name.”

Amaechi continued, “Just name any Rivers politician that didn’t pass through me — only people you can mention are the likes of Prince Uche Secondus; we were contemporaries, maybe Senator Lee.”

He attributed the current political climate to a lack of character among today’s politicians, stating, “It’s not about mentorship; it’s about hunger. A lot of them are hungry and could not manage the situation.”

Reflecting on his own political journey, Amaechi said, “I joined politics at the age of 22 and there were two camps: Rufus George camp, very poor and broke; we hardly had food to eat and Abule’s camp which was very rich and everybody was rushing to him, he had a bank.”

He added, “But those of us who bothered about character, because my father taught me character, stood with Rufus without knowing if we would win or not. And at the end of the day, God delivered us and we became government. He became governor and I became Special Assistant.”

Finally, Amaechi contrasted today’s politicians with those of his time, saying, “The crop of politicians then are different from what we have now, I am not interested in politics…I will discuss politics at the right time.”

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