The flouting of the Department of State Security, DSS, security advisory on arms control and guidance in community policing by members of a vigilante group in Uromi, Edo State, may have contributed to the lynching of 16 hunters of northern extraction in the town last week, security sources have disclosed.
Kogi State government through its Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, has denied allegations that former governor; Yahaya Bello, Governor Usman Ododo and Senate President Godswill Akpabio are plotting to assassinate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Fanwo insisted that at any point in time, there was never any discussion suggesting neutralizing Natasha for whatever reason.
The Nigerian government has called on the international community for global team work and intelligence-sharing to tackle organized immigration crime, emphasizing that there is no country that can single-handedly overcome the threat.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has suspended the Commander of the Security Corps, Friday Ibadin, a retired Commissioner of Police. He also banned illegal vigilante groups following the killing of 16 hunters traveling through Uromi, Esan Northeast Local Government Area. The Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ikhilor, stated that lawlessness under the pretense of security would not be tolerated. The killings, which sparked outrage, were condemned by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi. Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, announced that a delegation from Kano would visit Edo to assess the situation. Ikhilor confirmed that the vigilante group responsible for the killings was operating illegally and had never been registered with the Edo State Security Corps. He assured that investigations were ongoing, with 14 suspects already arrested and a manhunt underway for others involved. He emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring justice and upholding citizens’ right to free movement and business activities.
The recent attack that claimed the lives of some northern hunters, mistaken to be criminals in Uromi, Edo State, is revolving into a disturbing situation, as an upsetting video has emerged on different social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and others by one Sheikh Sani Isa Kano calling for vengeance against Christians on April 7. The video, which has sparked concerns, contains the following transcribed messages:
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has blamed negligence by some officers of the Nigerian correctional service as responsible for the jail break that occurred at Koton Karfe, Kogi State correctional center. Recall Vigil360 reported an incident of jailbreak, which occurred in the early hours of Monday at Koton Karfe, Kogi state that saw about 12 inmates escape.
