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BREAKING: Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, Senior Pastor of Fountain of Life Church, Is Dead

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The Senior Pastor of Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, is dead.

His demise was confirmed via the officially Facebook page of the church.

He was said to have died on Monday, August 7, in the United States of America (USA).

His first wife, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, was among the passengers who boarded the ill-fated Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 going to Port Harcourt from Abuja in 2005.

The plane was involved in a crash while landing at Port Harcourt International Airport on December 10th. Although the female cleric survived the initial impact, she died from injuries on December 11, 2005.

He later married another woman, who died in November 2021 after battling with cancer.

May his soul rest in peace.

BIG STORY

LAKURAWA: Nigeria, Chad, Niger Begin Offensive Against New Terror Group

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  • DHQ Vows To Block Security Gaps As Nigeria, Chad, Niger Hold Joint Military Operations

 

The Nigerian Army, along with their counterparts in Chad, Niger, and other neighbouring countries, has begun joint patrols to contain the cross-border threats posed by the Lakurawa terrorist group.

According to The Punch, this collaborative effort aims to restrict the movement of the group, which has been linked to severe criminal activities in northern Nigeria and its neighbouring countries.

At the same time, the Sokoto State Government has expressed frustration over the difficulty of containing the group due to weak borders.

The Lakurawa group, affiliated with terrorists in the Sahel, particularly from Mali and Niger, became a national security concern after launching its first significant attack on November 4.

Earlier reports indicated that the new terror group had set up camps in 10 Local Government Areas of Sokoto and Bauchi states before its operations became publicly known three weeks ago.

Sources say that members of the terror group initially established camps in villages along the Nigeria-Niger border, including Gwanaguano, Mulawa, Wassinya, and Turigaic communities. They later infiltrated Nigeria, setting up camps in various communities, especially in Gudu and Tangaza LGAs of Sokoto in 2018.

According to The Punch, they use Hausa, Fulfulde, and Arabic languages in their preaching and named their camp Dar-ul-Islam.

“Their ages are between 18 and 50 years. They have been attacking villages in Gudu, Tangaza, Illela, and other local governments to collect taxes, though they did not kill anyone until the recent Mera attack.

“They will count the number of cattle in their custody and calculate the tax based on the percentage which they will take from the cattle,” a community leader in Tangaza LG said.

Dr. Murtala Rufa’i, a researcher with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, stated that the group had been planning to establish its caliphate for over 25 years.

He revealed that the group had between 1,500 and 1,800 followers, including clerics and youths in the Tangaza and Gudu axis, the ancestral home of the Lakurawa leaders.

Rufa’i also mentioned that the group had been dislodged by combined security forces around 2020 but regrouped in December 2023.

Lakurawa, according to Rufa’i, is a Mali-based group known in the Sahel as Jama’atu Muslimina, with members from various tribes and sects.

He identified the leader of the group as Ahmadu Kofa, whose ancestors were originally from a community called Kofa in the old Kebbi Empire.

Rufa’i said, “He is from Kofa. He has siblings like Ibrahim Kofa, Umar Kofa. They are presently in Mali, but their ancestors were Nigerians, from the Kebbi Empire.

“Their parents and grandparents like Umar Kofa and Sa’idu Kofa had all acquired their religious knowledge in a place called Balle, the present headquarters of Gudu LGA of Sokoto.”

He noted that the group lured locals with money, farm inputs, and pumping machines, adding that some joined Lakurawa because of hunger.

In November, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters confirmed the emergence of the Lakurawa sect, operating primarily in Sokoto and Kebbi states. This came after the group reportedly infiltrated northern Nigeria from Niger and Mali, with their activities intensifying following the coup in Niger.

The group carried out its first major attack in Kebbi State, killing 17 residents and stealing dozens of cattle in the Mera community. Since then, they have continued to wreak havoc in the region.

On December 5, the Zamfara State Police Command Commissioner, Muhammed Dalijan, confirmed that members of the group were responsible for a recent explosion in the state.

Dalijan explained that the terrorists, while fleeing a military assault, planted a bomb under a bridge in the Birnin-Gwari forest. Tragically, the device detonated when a driver unknowingly drove over it.

“This Lakurawa, when they were dislodged by the Army in Sokoto and Kebbi, the rest of them who survived the military onslaught were trying to find new enclaves.

“As they were passing that village to Birnin-Gwari forest, they planted a bomb under a bridge. Then a motorist was passing and stepped on it. It exploded and killed the driver, and three other people were injured,” he said.

In response to the escalating threat, the Federal Government has planned to deploy additional military personnel to the affected areas. However, the terrorists have reportedly exploited Nigeria’s porous borders to evade capture.

Speaking in an interview with The Punch about the military’s measures to strengthen the nation’s borders, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, on Sunday, stated that the joint patrols would help close the loopholes that allowed the group’s penetration.

He said, “Yes, we have commenced joint patrols with neighbouring countries to block the gaps that enable their penetration.”

Meanwhile, a senior military officer from the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto confirmed the security strategy, stating that troops from the division had established a temporary camp in some of the areas affected by Lakurawa.

The officer told The Punch, “I am sure you know there is peace in those areas previously controlled by Lakurawa in the state, so that tells you that we are in control.”

He added that the Nigerian Army would ensure the state, particularly areas once controlled by Lakurawa, remains secure.

Indications have also emerged that the ongoing security challenges facing Sokoto State are linked to several porous borders between the state and neighbouring Niger Republic.

A security expert in the state, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that many of the insecure communities in Sokoto share borders with either another state or country.

He stated that the porous border was one of the major reasons behind the rising insecurity affecting the state.

“You see, the issue of Lakurawa and other security issues in our state have worsened due to the borders that are not secured.

“If you go to places like Illela, Gudu, Tangaza, and Gada, among others, they share borders with either the Niger Republic or other states. The strength of security personnel in the state cannot secure these border communities, which is why the problem keeps increasing.

“Our appeal is not just to the Nigerian Army or police to secure the borders but also to the newly established Sokoto Community Guard Corps to ensure there’s adequate security in these border communities. The local security guards must rise to expectations and contribute their quota to the affected areas.”

When contacted, the Special Adviser on Security matters to the Sokoto State Governor, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), assured that the state was doing everything possible to restore peace to the troubled communities.

He said, “I can assure you that these Lakurawa guys have been dealt with; kudos to the troops of the Nigerian Army who have been doing a wonderful job.

“On the issue of fear, that is a constant thing, especially for those people in those affected communities, but with the report we are seeing now, we can see improvement.”

Addressing the issue of porous borders, the retired military personnel confirmed it was a contributing factor, but assured that security personnel were working to address it.

The district head of Gagi community, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabi, also acknowledged that the border had significantly contributed to insecurity for a long time.

He advised the government, particularly the Federal Government, to find ways to ensure the safety of all the land borders in the state.

He also commended security agents for their efforts in maintaining peace in the state.

 

Credit: The Punch

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BIG STORY

CRIME: India Arrests Three Nigerians For Cyber Fraud

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Three Nigerians have been arrested in Delhi and are facing a minimum of three years in prison for allegedly defrauding an Indian woman of over Rs 2.62 lakh.

A report by The Times of India on Saturday stated that the cybercrime police apprehended Lezhu John, Gibril Mohammed, and Egboola Ekena in connection with a case involving the alleged defrauding of an Indian woman.

Although the three suspects have not yet been formally charged in court, the report suggests that if convicted, each suspect could face a minimum of three years imprisonment under the Information Technology Act (IT Act, 2000) and the Indian Penal Code.

According to Section 66D of the Indian IT Act, as cited on the website of India-based law firm S.S. Rana & Co. on Sunday, “Punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resources; whoever, by means of any communication device or computer resource, cheats by personation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term, which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to a fine, which may extend to one lakh rupees.”

The suspects were allegedly running a cybercrime racket that led to numerous individuals across India falling victim.

According to the Indian cybercrime police, the most recent victim filed a complaint at the Cybercrime Police Station after realizing she had been defrauded by a suspect she had connected with on her Instagram account.

The suspects reportedly had numerous photographs of men and women stored on their mobile phones, which they allegedly used to create fake social media profiles and deceive people.

“Investigations revealed that the accused used over 500 bank accounts to commit the fraud. Over 900 complaints have been filed across the country in connection with these bank accounts,” said the ACP (Cybercrime), Vadodara, M.M. Rajput.

One of the accused had allegedly introduced himself as Sohn Yunmin, claiming to be a chemical engineer from the United States.

The suspect allegedly told the woman he would soon be working in Assam, and through their growing friendship, she eventually sent him a gift.

The report partly read, “In April this year, the accused told the woman that he needed to buy some machinery and his friend, who was supposed to pay for it, didn’t have money in his bank account. He asked her to transfer him Rs 50,000, and she obliged. After some days, the accused told her he was coming to Assam as he got a job offer there and his parcel would soon land in India.

“After some days, she got a call from a woman called Niharika who asked for Rs 35,500 for the parcel that had US dollars. She transferred the amount, but Niharika kept asking for more money by giving various reasons. The complainant ended up transferring Rs 1.69 lakh, but she soon realised that she was being duped.”

The police stated that the suspects were tracked down using the details of the bank transactions. It remains unclear when the three Nigerians will be charged in court.

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Ghanaian Actor John Dumelo Wins Parliamentary Election

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John Dumelo, the Ghanaian actor, has successfully secured the opportunity to represent the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency in the country’s parliament.

On Saturday, general elections were held in Ghana to elect both the president and members of parliament.

BBC reports that Dumelo, who ran on the platform of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), won his constituency by garnering 40,561 votes.

He defeated his opponent, Lydia Alhassan of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who received 27,377 votes.

In 2020, Dumelo contested for the same constituency seat but narrowly lost to Alhassan. However, this time, he emerged victorious.

The 40-year-old politician expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the voters and promised to work diligently to fulfill his campaign pledges.

“The people of Ghana have been calling for change, and they’ve shown that if you don’t perform well or if you’re arrogant, they will vote you out,” he was quoted as saying.

“Let this not get to our heads; this is a valuable lesson for everyone. It’s not about money; it’s about the development of the people and addressing their needs.

“We will do our best over the next four years to bring meaningful change to Ghana and steer it in the right direction.”

Dumelo began his acting career in 1991 with the movie ‘Baby Thief’ while still in school.

He has since starred in a variety of Gollywood and Nollywood films, including ‘Away Bus’, ‘The Game’, ‘Black Men Rock’, ‘One Night In Vegas’, ‘The King is Mine’, and ‘Four Play’, among others.

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