The Department of State Security – DSS has confirmed that it carried out a raid on the residence of the Yoruba Separatist Leader Sunday Adeyemo a. k. a. Sunday Igboho in the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State. The DSS said it carried out the predawn attack on Thursday following intelligence reports that Igboho had stockpiled arms in his house. The agency’s spokesman Peter Afunanya said 2 of Igboho’s guards were killed and a DSS operative wounded in the gun battle that ensued between the security men and the guards 13 other persons including a female were arrested during the raid. Arms and thousands of rounds of live ammunition,charms and other items were also recovered. The DSS said Sunday Adeyemo a. k. a. Sunday Igboho escaped during the gun duel and is now a wanted man. The agency urges him to turn himself in.

A middle-aged man, Sello Abram Mapunya, found guilty of raping different women at different times, has been sentenced to 1,088 years imprisonment. Mapunya was believed to have raped and robbed his victims in Pretoria, South Africa within a period of five years. He was sentenced on Thursday by Judge Papi Mosopa of the Pretoria High Court. The judge had earlier found the convict guilty of 41 rapes, 40 counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and 40 counts of housebreaking. Mapunya, who was initially charged with 101 different crimes, began his crime spree in 2014 by attacking his victims who included a 14-year-old girl, in Tshwane’s suburbs of Silverton, Nellmapius, Atteridgeville, Mamelodi and Olievenhoutbosch. The brutal crime spree ended with his arrest by detectives from the serial electronic crimes investigation unit in March 2019. Judge Mosopa sentenced Mapunya to life terms for raping his teenage victim and three other women whom he raped multiple times. Mosopa also sentenced Mapunya to 15 years each for the other 31 rapes he committed, 15 years’ imprisonment for every count of housebreaking with the intent to rob and robbery and 15 years for every count of housebreaking with the intent to steal.

Following the end of a two-year involvement in efforts to reduce the scourge of corruption at all levels in Nigeria, the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG) presented its report at a ceremony in Abuja attended by stakeholders in the anti-corruption community. Dr. Kole Shettima, Director, Africa Office of McArthur Foundation, in his keynote address said project dissemination is important to the Foundation. He said the Foundation had noted the impact of PRIMORG’s work in the lives of citizens. “They’ve been able to deliver, and we are excited about it,” he stated. The Foundation, he said, would continue to support government and civil society organisations in the belief that the two can work together for a better country. Dr. Shettima thanked the team at PRIMORG for the good work they are doing. He urged them to do more, adding that the Foundation is happy to be part of the journey because “media is very important as it enables people to raise their voices and ask questions.” On his part, Okhiria Augustine Agbonsuremi, Executive Director of PRIMORG, thanked guests for their presence at the event. He said the experience of the last two years had been most beneficial to him and the entire team at PRIMORG. He noted that the organisation’s numerous partners, among them African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) had made PRIMORG’s success possible. Speaking of partnership, Dr. Amina Salihu, also of MacArthur Foundation, said they were “very proud” of the work PRIMORG was doing, especially with fellow Foundation grantees. The report was unveiled by Abiodun Adeniyi, a professor and head of department of mass communication at Baze University, Abuja. He congratulated PRIMORG, saying the organization had been exemplary in the last two years of active mobilization and citizens’ engagement.

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru was buried on Saturday at the National Military Cemetery in the nation’s capital, Abuja.The Army Chief died alongside ten other military officers in a plane crash in Kaduna on Friday, 21 May 2021.They include:• Brig-Gen Abdulrahman Kuliya• Brig-Gen Mohammed Idris Abdulkadir• Brig-Gen Olatunji Lukman Olayinka• Maj Lawal Aliyu Hayat• Maj Nura Hamza• Sgt UmarLt.-Gen. Attahiru was appointed the COAS in January 2021.He started cadet training in January 1984 and was the General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Nigerian Army before his appointment as Chief of Army Staff four months ago.

Anti-Corruption crusaders backing investigative journalism based in Abuja with a field base in Minna, the Niger state capital, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), has condemned in strong terms an attack on an investigative reporter, Mr Odimayo Olatunde working with Grace Fm Radio, Lokoja, Kogi State by thugs of ‘Marijuana’hotspot cartel in Lokoja, after his undercover story of the illicit business on his weekly programme sponsored by WAMAC with the support of MacArthur Foundation. In statement issued yesterday and signed by the Programmes Officer, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), Zubair Abdulra’uf Idris expresses shock at the barbaric and cruel attack on Mr Odimayo by those illicit drugs cartel; the statement totally condemned the act and said that it’s totally unacceptable to the journalism profession, particularly investigative journalists amplifying the fight against corruption and demand for Good Governance and Accountability. The statement further urged the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ayuba Edeh Ekpeji, who earlier on Saturday visited the journalist at his hospital bed through the Command Police Public Relations Officer to speedily arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the attack to face justice. WAMAC equally urged the Police and other security agents to give maximum protection to journalists in their line of professional duties. “While we await swift action by the security personnel on the illicit substance cartel in Lokoja, we implore journalists, particularly investigative Journalists not to be deterred in their efforts to unravel monumental corruption, economic crimes and demand for good governance and accountability for the betterment of our society,” the statement added. The statement further called on all media professional organizations both national and international to join hands and condemn these attacks on Mr. Odimayo of Grace Fm Radio, Lokoja and device a means of protecting journalists in any part of the country from fallen Frey of further attacks, dehumanization and molestation.

An officer with the immigration services Ilorin simply identified as Mr. Bayo has been caught on camera extorting enrollees for the National Identity card. This much was confirmed according to a secret video recording by an undercover reporter. The said immigration officer simply identified as Mr. Bayo, who works at the Federal Secretariat office of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Ilorin, Kwara. Mr. Bayo who was in uniform was seen in the video collecting money from the undercover reporter in exchange for helping him jump the queue, took him to a corner of the registration point, helped him fill the NIN registration form. Meanwhile, the Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), an anti-corruption crusader based in Abuja has commended the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for the commencement of an investigation over alleged extortion of National Identity Card applicants in Ilorin. This much was contained in a press release made available to newsmen in Ilorin, stressing that the Immigration boss should conduct a similar exercise of purging the service of corrupt officers across the federation. “WAMAC commends the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller, Kwara State Command, Mr. Jerry Inalegwu for commencing a thorough investigation with a pledge that “any staff found involved will be dealt with appropriately“ The investigation of alleged extortion was as a result of a report by an undercover journalist of Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) posing to be enrolled into NIMC database.“Mr. Inalegwu stressed that the service through the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede has warned staff against involving in any corrupt practices” it reads

Secretary of Shiroro local government council in Niger State, Mr. Adams Kefas, has said that a sum of N14m was paid to spiritualists and vigilante groups to curtail the incessant insecurity bedeviling the area. Adams Kefas told the Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the suspended chairman of Shiroro local government council, Suleiman Dauda Chukuba over a petition alleging misappropriation of N50m tenement rate that belongs to the local government. He said the engagement of the spiritualists was as a result of an advice from some people within the area who told them that some communities who were also victims of the armed bandits attacks did engaged them and it worked for them “then we heeded to their advice that was the reason we resorted to engage the services of the spiritualists and vigilante groups to assist us in curtailing the security challenges we are facing in our communities.” According to the council secretary, some of the spiritualists were brought in from Akare in Wushishi Local government area and Chikun Local government area in Kaduna state while some of the vigilante groups were from the local government and were also brought from Chikun local government to join hands with our own vigilante groups in our local government. When asked by the chairman of the commission, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik on his faith as a Christian if he believes in engaging the services of spiritualists to curtail security challenges, the secretary told the commission that, he never knew that he was going to meet the spiritualists “not until I reached the place then I don’t have anything than to do what I did just to assist my area in curtailing the security challenges our people are facing on daily basis.” He further told the commission that the award of some contracts was the collective resolution of the council legislature at a meeting held with some stakeholders of Shiroro local government at Markson Farm, Mutum Daya, where we identified some of the projects to be sited in their respective wards which was agreed upon by the councilors. “There was a resolution of the legislature at a meeting that the issue of contract was discussed; the meeting collectively resolved that the councilors should identify their projects; of which they did identify projects of their interest and their location. That was what was resolved at the stakeholders meeting at Markson Farm, Mutum Daya held some times in May, 2020.” the Secretary told the commission.

An Investigating officer with Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Mr.Abah Abangbo has told the Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the suspended chairman of Shiroro local government council, Suleiman Dauda Chukuba that the commission is still investigating the petition against the suspended chairman. He told the commission that one Mohammed Awaisu Giwa had forwarded a petition against the suspended chairman of Shiroro local government, Suleiman Dauda Chukuba alleging the diversion of N50 Million received from Transmission Company Of Nigeria (TCN) as tenement rate belonging to the local government. He said the commission was still investigating the suspended chairman and he would not make any comment relating to the matter before the commission stating that any comment as regard the matter will jeopardize their investigation. “The matter is still under investigation as at now; and if I divulge anything, it will jeopardize the outcome of the ongoing investigation which will affect the commission,” he told the commission. He explained that he only honoured the invitation of the commission as a result of the letter forwarded to ICPC which necessitated his coming. “As earlier stated, the investigation is still ongoing there are certain things I cannot say here which will affect our own investigation,” he said.