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Police rescue 5 abducted female students of Zamfara community school

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Police arrest 42 Shiite protesters in Abuja

… As NAPTIP reunites 22 Human Traffick survivors with families in Sokoto***

The Zamfara Police command, on Thursday said that it had rescued five of the 73 abducted students of the Government Day Secondary School, Kaya, in Maradun Local Government Area.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, SP Muhammed Shehu, announced the development in a statement in Gusau on Thursday.

“The Police Command wishes to announce the unconditional and safe rescue of five out of the 73 abducted students of Government Day Secondary School, Kaya.

“It could be recalled that, upon the abduction of 73 Male and Female students, the state police command, in collaboration with other security agencies with the support of the state government, swung into action by deploying a joint search and rescue team to Kaya and its environs to effectively rescue the abducted students and reunite them with their families.

Also read: Police confirm Gunmen abduct 73 students in Zamfara community school

“The ongoing search and rescue mission is yielding positive result as five abducted female students were today rescued.

“The victims were medically checked at the hospital, debriefed by the police and reunited with their families,” Shehu said.

Shehu said that CP Ayuba Elkana has assured parents of sustained effort to rescue the remaining students hale and hearty.

In the meantime,  the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) has reunited no fewer than 22 survivors of Human Trafficking with their families in Sokoto State.

Mr Abubakar Bashiru, NAPTIP’s Zonal Commander, Sokoto Command, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the reunion in Sokoto on Thursday.

He said the survivours were intercepted at Niger Republic and handed over to NAPTIP by the Nigerian Immigration Service on Aug. 30.

“We have concluded investigation and counseling on the survivors and today they are to be reunited with their families through their various community leaders resident in Sokoto.

“All the survivors families were contacted and agreed to be reunited as follows; Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti- to Yoruba Community leaders, Imo to Igbo community leaders, and Delta and Edo to Edo Community leaders.

“However, from our investigation we found out that some of the survivors were encouraged by their family members to embark on such a dangerous journey,” he said.

Basharu therefore urged parents and guardiants to ensure proper monitoring and counselling of their children in order not to be easily lured into embarking on such dangerous journey.

He assured that the agency would continue to track activities of the perpetrators with the support of the survivors and ensure they were prosecuted for the act.

Responding, Mr James Olurunfemi, the President General of Yoruba Community, Sokoto, described the situation as disheartening.

“We are not really happy that our children are involved in human trafficking.

“Yorubas are not known for such illegal activities, because we instill good values in our children which encourage other tribes in the country to want to emulate us.

“So, basically as Yoruba leaders, we feel very bad about the current development and I want to assure you that proper measures will be taken to address the situation,” he said.

 

Health and Safety

FRSC: 5,421 People Killed, 21,580 Arrested As Nigeria Records 9,570 Road Crashes In 2024

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FRSC: 5,421 People Killed, 21,580 Arrested As Nigeria Records 9,570 Road Crashes In 2024

…A frightening death average, of more than 14 persons per day!

 The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it had arrested no fewer than 21,580 traffic offenders between January and December 2024 across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed disclosed this while addressing the reporters on the 2024 special patrol operations on Monday in Abuja.

Mohammed said that the Corps recorded a reduction in the number of offenders recorded in 2024 as against 29,220 within the same period in 2023.

“This signifies a 26 per cent increase in compliance with traffic rules and regulations.

“The total number of offences committed stood at 25,942 representing a 23.5 per cent reduction in traffic law violation compared to the data of the same period in 2023,” he said.

Mohammed said that the analysis of the Corps’ annual performance indicated a drastic reduction in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs).

This, he said, was as well as in the number of people injured compared to the annual record of 2023.

“From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, a total of 9,570 RTCs were recorded nationwide. This figure is against 10,617 RTCs recorded in 2023 which signify a tremendous reduction of 10 per cent.

“Furthermore, 31,154 people were injured in 2024 while 31,874 were injured in 2023 representing a two percent decrease.

“However, the Corps recorded a seven per cent increase in fatalities as 5,421 people were killed in 2024 while 5,081 people were killed in 2023.

“Meanwhile, a total of 70,530 people got involved in RTCs in 2024 compared to 70,092 in 2023 signifying an increase of one per cent, ” he said.

The FRSC boss emphasised that out of the total fatalities that occurred in 2024, 411 deaths, representing 7.6 per cent of the total deaths, were not primarily caused by the crashes.

Mohammed said that the crashes were caused by a secondary factor which he described as the very monster the Corps was fighting; scooping of fuel from fallen tankers.

“This, therefore implies that without the casualties recorded from scooping fuel from crashed tankers, the Corps would have recorded 5,010 deaths in 2024.

“This will be as against 5,081 in 2023 signifying a 1.4 per cent reduction in the total number of people killed,” he said.

The FRSC Corps Marshal reiterated that the alarming rate of crashes and fatalities occurred as a result of the loading of trailers with goods and persons.

This, he said in addition to fatigue, speed violations, overloading, dangerous driving as well as poor vehicle maintenance within the period under review. 

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Health and Safety

AREPO: Police Deploy Team To Rescue Kidnapped Wife Of Ex-AIG Odumosu

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AREPO: Police Deploy Team To Rescue Kidnapped Wife Of Ex-AIG Odumosu

The Police Command in Ogun says it has deployed a team of officers to the scene of Thursday’s kidnap of Mrs Odumosu, wife of retired AIG Hakeem Odumosu.

The Command’s spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement in Abeokuta on Friday.

Odutola said the victim, a resident of Aminu Street, Orange Estate, Arepo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, was kidnapped at about 9.55 p.m. on Thursday while entering her home.

She explained that four masked men attacked and dragged her out of her Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle, taking her through a swampy area to an unknown location.

“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Warewa Division, has led policemen to the scene where they are currently searching the swampy bush area,” she said.

According to the spokesperson, the DPO had also contacted the Warewa and Maaba community heads to deploy local security forces to the riverine area.

“Further updates will be provided,” she said.

Odutola said the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, had been briefed and that all operations had been deployed to assist with digital intelligence to ensure the victim’s rescue. 

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Health and Safety

NSCDC Nabs 36 Scavengers With Weapons, Illicit Drugs, In FCT

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NSCDC Nabs 36 Scavengers With Weapons, Illicit Drugs, In FCT

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended 36 scavengers over alleged possession of weapons and illicit drugs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Commandant, NSCDC FCT Command, Dr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this, on Friday in Abuja, saying the suspects were caught in various areas of the FCT.

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had prohibited activities of scavengers in the FCT and suspended two weeks of operations of pan-takers across the city.

Odumosu said that items allegedly recovered from the suspects included four daggers, three Jack knives, two chisels and, three knives.

Others are narcotic drugs, ten bottles of codeine syrup, 45 wraps of cannabis sativa, thrash bags and pieces of iron rods.

“The suspects are currently being investigated and profiled and I will ensure that due diligence is followed in their prosecution,” Odumosu assured.

The corps commandant advised FCT residents to dispose of refuse through the appropriate waste management companies and stop patronising scavengers, popularly called “Baba Nbola” for the sake of safety.

He said that their detention was necessitated to nip vandalism and theft of public infrastructure such as manhole covers, streetlights, solar panels, armoured cables and other assets in the bud.

Odumosu said that the suspects roam the streets of the FCT, perpetrating all forms of criminal activities under the guise of scavenging.

“Most of these scavengers are dangerous elements that must be flushed out of the FCT if we want crime to abate.

“The public should note that, although they appear innocent, harmless and vulnerable, most of them are extremely dangerous, their activities are criminal and they constitute threats to the nation.

“They go about the nooks and crannies of the city scavenging for plastics, scrap metals and irons, but from previous arrests, interrogations and investigations we realised that their real business is to vandalise infrastructure.

“This has resulted in the untimely death and maiming of many innocent Nigerians,” he said.

The commandant further said that investigations also revealed that these scavengers serve as informants to criminals.

“They also assess and profile you through the kind of household waste products you dispose of, which in most cases reveals your status and lifestyles,” he said.

Odumosu urged residents to join hands with the corps and other security agencies to flush out these dangerous elements in the FCT.

“Chase scavengers away whenever you see them in front of your houses, streets, neighbourhoods or estates.

“Give us relevant information about any suspicious movements or activities of these criminal scavengers who have been restricted to operate at dump sites only,” the commandant said. 

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