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Alleged Age Falsification: Again, arraignment of Ex-AIG, 2 former CPs, others stalled

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IGP Kayode Egbetokun
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Five former senior police officers charged with alleged age falsification, on Thursday, failed to appear for the third time for their arraignment before Justice Halilu Yusuf of an Abuja high court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the five former senior police officers are: AIG Idowu Owohunwa, CP Benneth Igweh, CP Ukachi Opara ), DCP Obo Ukam Obo ), and ACP Simon Lough.

They are listed as defendants in a 14-count charge brought against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

At the last sitting of the court, Justice Halilu had ordered the IGP to do everything within his power to produce them for prosecution on charges against them.

This followed submission by the prosecution counsel Rimamsomte Ezekiel, who expressed disappointment over the non-appearance of the officers, in spite of being served with the charge.

When the case was called, the officers were not in court.

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Ezekiel told the court that the five officers had been served with the charge as required by law and that they were expected to be in court for their arraignment.

“My Lord, this is the third time they are going to be absent. Their counsel, Goddy Uche, SAN, should produce them at the next adjourned date,” he prayed the court.

Responding, Counsel for the defendants, J. T Aondo, SAN, told the court that his clients had not been served with the charge.

“This matter rests on esprit de Corps principles and the former IG, Mike Okiro, is looking into the matter to see if it could be internally settled,” he said.

He told the court that he has a preliminary objection.

Responding, Ezekiel told the court that if the defendants were not served how then did they brief the counsel?

After listening to both parties, the judge told the defendants’ counsel to produce his clients in court for them to take their plea.

Halilu added that after taking their plea, the court will take it up from there.

He subsequently adjourned until the matter Nov. 17 for arraignment.(NAN)

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BREAKING: Coup Plot against Tinubu: 16 Military Officers arrested, detained by Defence Intelligence

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October 18, 2025

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BREAKING: Coup Plot against Tinubu: 16 Military Officers arrested, detained by Defence Intelligence
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At least sixteen senior military officers are currently in custody following allegations of a coup plot to topple President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, SaharaReporters has revealed.

According to the online publication, the officers, ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier General were picked up from various locations across the country in a coordinated operation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and other security bodies.

While the Defence Headquarters initially described the arrests as part of a “routine military exercise” involving “issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” sources within the military said the official explanation was a smokescreen to avoid panic.

“The 16 officers were planning a coup. The military authorities were just being diplomatic in the statement released by the spokesperson,” a senior DIA official was quoted as saying. “They had begun holding secret meetings to overthrow the President and announce a military government.”

In its earlier release, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said the officers’ detention followed internal investigations into misconduct and disobedience.

“Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations, among other issues,” Gusau stated. “Some of the apprehended officers had been under jurisdiction for various offences, either awaiting or undergoing trial. Their conduct was deemed incompatible with the standards of military service.”

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However, insiders insisted that the arrests were linked to an attempted coup that was foiled after intelligence agencies intercepted communications and meeting plans.

A top source disclosed that the conspirators planned to execute the coup during the October 1 Independence Day parade, targeting President Tinubu and other senior officials in attendance.

“Yes, they were arrested for planning to stage a coup and take over government,” the source confirmed. “That was why the Independence Day parade marking the country’s 65th anniversary was abruptly cancelled. Intelligence indicated they intended to strike during the event.”

The source further revealed that the National Security Adviser and service chiefs advised the presidency to suspend the parade after credible intelligence showed that the conspirators had positioned armed men for the assault.

Nigeria has a long and turbulent history with military coups. Since independence in 1960, the country has witnessed five successful coups and several abortive ones, each leaving deep scars on its democratic evolution.

The recent development has reignited public anxiety over growing discontent within the military ranks amid worsening economic hardship and security challenges across the country.

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Bandits, illegal miners clash over gold claim 17 lives in Kaduna

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October 18, 2025

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Over 100 peasants abducted as gunmen invade Zamfara communities
Bandits
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Clashes between criminal gangs and illegal miners in northwestern Nigeria over gold have killed at least 17 people, according to a security report prepared for the UN and seen by AFP on Friday.

The clashes took place on Thursday in Kaduna state, one of several in northwestern and central Nigeria that for years have been terrorised by criminal gangs of cattle thieves and kidnapping for ransom by bandits.

The gangs maintain camps in a vast forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states from where they launch attacks on communities.

Violence erupted at an illegal mining site in Birnin Gwari district when a bandit kingpin “extorted gold from miners at gunpoint”, the report said.

Miners mobilised and killed the bandit leader, prompting reprisals from his comrades who raided the mining site, “shooting and killing seven miners”, according to the report.

Later the same day, bandits raided nearby Layin Danauta village where they killed nine people, wounded 13 others, kidnapped several residents and destroyed property, the report said.

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Birnin Gwari, a mineral-rich agricultural hub, had seen a sharp drop in bandit violence since Kaduna state government brokered a peace agreement between bandits and residents in November last year.

The district has seen an influx since 2021 of bandits and Al-Qaeda-aligned Ansaru jihadists, who forged a close alliance with the bandits and took control of most of the district, enforcing a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Resident Muhammad Kabir told AFP the latest clashes had caused panic in the community over a potential resumption of violence in the area after a lull.

“We have been enjoying relative peace since the peace deal was signed but this latest violence risks jeopardising it,” Kabir said.

He confirmed the killing of the bandit leader and the deadly raid in nearby Layin Danauta village.

Although bandits have no ideological leaning and are motivated by financial gain, their close alliance with jihadists waging an armed rebellion in the northeast has alarmed officials and security experts.

Since the peace agreement was signed, bandits’ sources of revenue from kidnapping and levies on farming communities dropped sharply, leaving them with taxing illegal mining sites which have mushroomed following the peace deal, according to the security report for the United Nations.

The report warned that the latest clashes may lead to a “degeneration” of the peace while further clashes remain likely.

AFP

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Five Police officers, three vigilantes killed in Zamfara bandit ambush, Gov Lawal mourns

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1 day ago

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October 17, 2025

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Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal
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Armed bandits reportedly killed five policemen and three Community Protection Guards during a patrol along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, residents and officials said on Friday.

The attack occurred on Thursday evening near Gidan-Giye village, few kilometres from Tsafe town, when gunmen hiding in nearby bushes opened fire on a police patrol vehicle, killing all eight occupants on the spot, a resident, Ya’u Musa, told newsmen.

“The bandits suddenly opened fire on the patrol team. All the policemen and guards died instantly before the attackers fled on motorcycles into the forest,” Musa said.

He added that the bodies of the victims were later taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, the state capital.

Local officials said the slain officers were attached to the Zamfara State Government House and had been deployed to the Gusau–Funtua Road to provide protection for travellers following repeated bandit attacks in the area.

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal confirmed the incident in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, describing the attack as “a great loss to the state.”

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“I just received the sad news of the death of eight security personnel, comprising policemen and Community Protection Guards, who were ambushed and killed by bandits along the Gusau–Funtua Road,” Lawal wrote. “May Allah forgive them and grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss.”

Northwest Nigeria has faced escalating violence from armed gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom, and target security forces in the region’s ongoing security crisis.

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