Nigeria Prisons, Fire Service To Employ 9,675 Candidates

The Nigeria Prisons Service and the nation’s Fire Service are to employ nearly 10,000 Nigerians.

While the Prisons will employ 7, 475, the Fire Service will recruit 2,200 new staff.

Both agencies received approval for the recruitments from the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board.


See instructions for Nigerian Prisons Service Recruitment  and Federal Fire Service Recruitment

The board is headed by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau.

The board has also approved the abolition of dichotomy between holders of Bachelor’s Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) in the services under the Ministry of Interior, the News Agency of Nigeria reported Tuesday.

A statement signed by the Secretary of the board, Al-Hassan Yakmut, said the chairman of CDFIPB gave the approval at the board’s meeting held between May 9 and May 10 in Abuja.

It was not immediately clear when the recruitment processes will start.

Mr Yakmut said after the board’s meeting, a technical committee was immediately set up to work out modalities for the implementation of the equating of degree and HND holders.

“The meeting also approved the recruitment of 2,200 candidates into the federal fire service, and 7,475 candidates into the Nigeria Prisons Service.

“Dambazau wishes the candidates a successful career in the services and pledges commitment of the board to ensuring adequate pre-deployment training,’’ he said. (NAN)

Falana Lambaste Navy For Denying Knowledge Of 15 Detainees’ Whereabouts

A human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has berated the Nigerian Navy for feigning ignorance as to the whereabouts of 15 persons that have been in detention for eight months.

The navy’s Director of Information, Commodore Suleman Dahun, had said on Monday that the detainees were not in navy’s custody. If you want to join the Navy, see instruction on Nigerian Navy Recruitment


But Falana, who supported his position with court processes, berated the Navy for denying knowing the whereabouts of the detainees who are in its custody.

“My attention has been drawn to the sadistic denial of the whereabouts of the 15 military and civilian personnel who have been held incommunicado by the Nigerian Navy since September 2018.

“As their whereabouts are unknown why did the navy apply to the Chief Magistrate Court in Apapa, Lagos, for an order to detain them? Why did the navy not deny the whereabouts of the detainees when the magistrate ordered their immediate and unconditional release from custody on January 7, 2019?

“Since the whereabouts of the detainees are not known, why did the Navy file counter-affidavits in opposition to the application for the release of Captain Dada Labinjo and Lt. Commander Bola Labinjo from further detention?

“Why has the Navy filed a motion for stay of execution of the order of the Federal High Court for the immediate release of Lt. Commander Bola Banjo? Why did the navy apply for an adjournment to react to the application for the enforcement of the fundamental right of Mr. Benjamin Gold? For goodness sake, at what stage did the detainees disappear from the custody of the Navy?”

The Navy had arrested 15 Nigerians, including Captain Dada Labinjo, Lt. Commander Sherifat Ibe Lambert (also known as Mrs. Bola Labinjo), and Benjamin Gold, for an undisclosed offence.

Others in custody include: Peter Pulle, Pius Paul, Onoja Reuben, Adeleke Adewale, Labinjo Kehinde, Ogunmoyero Oluwasehun, Emmanuel Oputa, Innocent Sunday, Iejoro Friday, Hamza Yakubu, and Segun Yusuf.

The detainees were held in a military detention facility at Apapa in Lagos.

But in order to legalise the arrest and detention of the detainees the naval authorities obtained a remand warrant from a Magistrate Court sitting at Apapa.

However, following the failure of the navy to charge them for any offence, the Magistrate Court reviewed their case on January 7, 2019, and ordered the naval authorities to release them from illegal custody.

But in contempt of the valid order of the court, the Navy transferred the detainees to another military detention facility in Abuja.

Following the application by Lt. Commander Labinjo filed for the enforcement of her fundamental right to personal liberty the Federal High Court directed the Navy to release her from illegal custody.

Falana alleged that the order of the Federal High Court has equally been ignored by the Navy.

Nigerian Police Frees 27 Hostages, Including Five Chinese

Nigerian police have freed 27 hostages kidnapped in recent weeks, police officials said Thursday, including five Chinese citizens.

Kidnapping for ransom is common in Nigeria. For many years, kidnappings were concentrated on workers in the oil-rich south, but attacks are now common across large parts of the country. People who want to join the NPF are encouraged to check out instructions on the latest Nigeria Police Recruitment

Many of those rescued were freed from northwestern Zamfara state, but also from other parts of the country, police said in a statement.


Police said the five Chinese citizens, kidnapped on April 15 in Bobi in central Niger state, were freed on May 5 in a forest in Birnin Gwari in neighbouring Kaduna state.

Their release came after “painstaking investigative efforts, including both air and ground surveillance.”

Two kidnappers were shot dead in the rescue mission, but the five hostages were unhurt. No other details were given.

The announcement of the release of the hostages came as Nigerian police chief Mohammed Abubakar Adamu launched the latest bid to stem the crime wave with “new counter-kidnapping operational strategies.”

Police said that in the first four months of 2019, a total of 270 suspected kidnappers and 275 suspected armed robbers were arrested.

“The operation will involve the deployment of undercover operatives, decoy operations and high-level tactical missions,” Adamu said.

Soldiers kill 2 bandits, recover dangerous weapons in Kaduna

The Nigerian Army said troops deployed to fight bandits and other criminal activities in Kaduna State have killed two bandits in their hideout and recovered arms and ammunition in a raid.
A statement released on Thursday, by Army Acting Director Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, indicated that, the raid on the bandits’ den was conducted while acting on intelligence report in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State. If you want to join the army see instruction for Nigeria Army Recruitment for details

“Following credible intelligence from a Good Samaritan, a patrol team of 1 Division Nigerian Army (NA), at about 0430 hours (am) on Wednesday the 8th of May 2019, raided a bandits’ den at Gonan Bature East of Rijana and Kasarami farm house in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“The abandoned Kasarami farm house was reportedly forcefully occupied by criminals and had been used as a shelter and a place where victims of kidnapping were kept”, the statement noted.
According Colonel Musa, during the raid operation, contact was made with the hoodlums with fierce exchange of fire that led to the extermination of two bandits and made some recovery.

Items recovered, he added included: 2 AK 47 rifles, 2 AK 47 magazines, 51 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition as well as 2 techno cell phones.
“The Nigerian Army is committed and determined to protecting lives and property of all Nigerians, use this medium to thank the good Samaritan for providing the information that resulted in the successful raid operation”, the spokesman assured.

Colonel Musa also stressed that Nigerian Army will continue to sensitize and request members of the public to support it and other security agencies in their efforts to checkmate terrorism, banditry and other assorted crimes in Nigeria, by providing credible information about the hideouts and movements of suspicious persons in their respective communities.

NSCDC Boss Who Allegedly Defraud Job Seekers Of 2.7m Sent To Jail

An FCT High Court Kubwa on Monday ordered that Ngozi Oboh, a Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abuja be remanded in prison for allegedly defrauding scores of job seekers of N 2. 7 million. Many had thought the scam was perpetrated during the recently concluded Civil Defence Recruitment but the facts prove otherwise.


Delivering her ruling in denying bail, Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya, held that the defence counsel, Okere Chamberlain did not serve the court with the motion for bail to be looked into even though it was served on the prosecutor, Suleiman Abdulkareem.
She adjourned the matter until May 14 for hearing.


The Independent Corrupt Crimes Commission charged the defendant with fraud contrary to Section 1 (1) and punishable under Section (1) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act, 2010.

Abdulkareem had told the court that the defendant obtained N2. 7 million from job seekers in the guise to secure employment for them in Nigeria Prisons Service in January 2015.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.
Chamberlain applied for the bail of his client pursuant to Sections 162 and 158 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act urging the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms.

He further assured the court that the defendant would not jump bail adding that she would not jeopardize the smooth running of the case.
The prosecutor did not oppose the bail of the defendant but applied for the bail conditions to be made stringent in order for her not to evade trial.

(NAN)

Air Force Newly Assembled Agusta Helicopters Deployed In Zamfara, Katsina To Stop Killings

The Nigerian Air Force is set to deploy its newly assembled Agusta 109 helicopters, in the North-Western states currently ravaged by bandits, Saturday PUNCH reported

The helicopters are expected to complement existing efforts being made to combat the rising killings and kidnappings in the region, it was further learnt.


The power-attack helicopters were unveiled at the 55th anniversary of the Air Force on Monday.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH exclusively on Friday, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said more personnel would also be deployed in the region to combat the escalating violence and killings.

He noted that the Air Force would on Saturday open a helipad in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State to serve as an operational base for its fighter aircraft deployed in the region. If you want to join NAF see instruction about Nigeria AirForce Recruitment

The helipad, Daramola said, would be opened by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, and the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai.

There have been growing concerns over the spate of killings and kidnappings in the northern region, especially North-Western states like Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna.

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had while speaking at the quarterly Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council meeting in Kaduna said that owing to banditry and communal violence, 436 deaths were recorded in the North-West between January and April, 2019.

Adamu explained that Zamfara recorded 203 murder incidents while 104 of them were linked with banditry.

According to the police chief, Katsina had 21 murder cases while Sokoto had 19, adding that “it is pertinent to mention that Zamfara has the highest national kidnap rate of 281 victims in what has been directly linked to activities of armed bandits (sic) in the state.”


Daramola confirmed to one of our correspondents on Friday that the Agusta 109 helicopters would be inducted into the North-West theatre in addition to the eight aircraft already deployed in the region.

Daramola said, “The Chief of Air Staff has mentioned that the two Agusta 109 aircraft will be deployed to add value in the operations against bandits in the North-West. We have intensified operations in the general area.


“On April 8, we deployed additional assets in the North-West region, which made it a total of eight aircraft that were deployed there, and these are attack helicopters, Alpha Jets and ISR platforms.

“The newly assembled Agusta 109 helicopter will also be inducted into the operations of the North-West. On Saturday, the Air Force will inaugurate the helipad that was established in the Birnin-Gwari area of Kaduna State near Zamfara to add impetus to the operations being conducted within that general area.

“The personnel have already been deployed. We have another helipad in Gusau and these are the air fields where operations are launched out against bandits in the North-West region.”

When asked if NAF would treat the bandits as terrorists, Daramola said the Air Force might not be able to attack the bandits like terrorists because some of the bandits live among civilians unlike the North-East where the Boko Haram terrorists had solitary hideouts.

He added, “There is a slight difference in the sense that in the North-West you have to avoid collateral damage, especially when these bandits are not in their camps; they stay in places where there are civilians and non-combatants. And that is why we are not using bombs which are what we use in the North-East.

“So the operational environment in the North-West is somewhat different from the North-East, but the criminals are all enemies of the state and they do not want the safety and security of Nigerians because of what they stand to gain, whether ideologically or socio-economically.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army in Abuja on Friday said its current threat assessments indicated the migration of bandits from Zamfara State to Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger states. It said it had expanded its operation, Harbin Kunama 3, to cover these other states.

The Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, who stated this at the Army Headquarters, called on residents of the affected states to persevere in the face of inconveniences due to restrictions that might be imposed in the areas.

He, however, stressed that the army would ensure the defeat of the fleeing bandits.

He said, “The Exercise Harbin Kunama 3 was launched on April 1, 2019, in Gusau, Zamfara State. Within the past one month, several bandits and criminal elements have been captured and killed while some camps, hideouts and equipment of the criminals have been destroyed.

“It has, however, been observed that there appears to be a resurgence of their activities in other contiguous states to Zamfara, like Kaduna, Kano and Niger states. It is against this backdrop that Exercise Harbin Kunama 3 is being reorganised and its mandate is to ensure the complete defeat of the fleeing bandits.

Opinion: Time To Restructure The Nigeria Police

The rising insecurity in the land has once again brought to the fore the arguments for State Police. Kidnapping and banditry are at an all time high. Like I said in my last piece, traveling by road from Abuja to any of the north-east or north-west states is suicide mission. 

People get practically kidnapped everyday along Kaduna-Abuja and Taraba roads. These days, the kidnappings are hardly reported because it has become the norm. In my last piece I also called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on kidnappings as it has become obvious that kidnappers and bandits have declared war on the Nigerian State.

The police had recently launched Operation Puff Adder to rid the highways of kidnappers and bandit. Few days after the launch of the operation, some kidnappers were arrested and when I read the reports I knew it was just a case of ‘initial gragra’. 

I was proved right as less than a week later kidnappers stormed the Abuja-Kaduna road and the chairman of UBEC and his daughter were kidnapped along with scores of others. Although the chairman and his daughter have been released, the fate of others is still unknown.The most frightening aspect of the kidnappings was that it happened around 3.30pm.

In previous kidnap cases they usually happened very early in the morning or late at night, but for the kidnappers to come out around 3.30pm in the afternoon means we are really heading to a state of anomie. My friend went to the Abuja rail station to catch a train to Kaduna and was shocked to see senior military officers boarding the train to Kaduna. See instruction about joining the Nigeria Police Recruitment Here

If senior military men are scared of plying the road to Kaduna because of kidnappers, what do you expect “bloody civilians” like us to do? I have a hunch security personel collude with these kidnappers to carry out their nefarious acts. How can one explain the rate of kidnapping on a road where after 15 to 30 kilometers you see police cars stationed on the road? is also obvious now that the police on their own cannot effectively tackle the menace. 

A combined special force of the police, military and DSS is needed to end this scourge. Only in Nigeria will N38 billion be budgeted for the Police Force of over 300 thousand officers while 150 billion would be budgeted for the National Assembly of less than 1,000 members. This goes to show our priority as a nation. 

There is no doubt that the Police Force is grossly underfunded but increasing their allocation may not necessarily solve the problem. The police need to be restructured completely starting with the recruitment process. A process where thugs,cultist and never- do- wells are enlisted to the police is a recipe for disaster. I also do not think it is necessary a leadership problem on the part of the police. 

Since 1999 we have had 10 Inspector Generals of Police and you can’t tell me they were all inefficient or lack the capacity to deliver on their mandate. The Nigerian police needs surgical operation right from the top. The way to go should be state police; afterall many state governments are already funding the police in their states by providing vehicles and logistics for the force. 

There are fears that governors will abuse state police,which is very possible, because if you want to be honest we are not yet politically mature for state police but like they say, desperate times call for desperate measures . Every instititution in Nigeria is abused by the executive, both at the federal and state levels. So the first goal or target is to build strong institutions that will not be at the whims and caprices of a state governor or President. 

Insanity, they say, is doing the same thing all the time and expecting a different results. We need to try a different approach to tackling the twin scourge of kidnapping and banditry. We are gradually losing the war against kidnappings and banditry and the time to act is now.