Nigerian soldiers, operating under an acronym Crocodile Smile II have cleansed the Niger Delta of cultists, pirates, drug addicts and other criminals.

A statement today, Friday, by the Deputy Director Army Public Relations 6 Division Nigerian Army, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu said that the cleansing was done in the 6 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR).

“Specifically, on 13th October 2017, troops of 343 Artillery Regiment carried out a robust patrol within Brass which led to the arrest of nine suspects who were found to be in possession of substances suspected to be cannabis and 33 wraps of substances suspected to be heroine.

“Also, troops of 16 Brigade Garrison on routine patrol intercepted a notorious armed robber who was alleged to have fled from the police at Okaka Estate Junction in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.”

The statement said that on 16th October, troops of 16 Brigade Garrison in conjunction with elements of 130 Battalion, conducted special operations that led to the arrest of one Mr. Dada at Tombia round about. The suspect is known to be a notorious criminal terrorizing the peace loving people of Tombia and adjoining communities.

It recalled also that troops in conjunction with personnel of the DSS raided a criminal hide-out where a notorious cultistist by name, Exodus Kismet aka “Hot Bottle” was arrested at Sand road by Aritalane, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, adding that he has been on the Police wanted list owing to an allegation that he killed some people at Omoku local government of Rivers State and thereafter relocated to Bayelsa to evade arrest.

“On 20th October, troops acting on a tip-off from some patriotic citizens,  arrested another suspected criminal, one Mr Aibonuwa Thompson aka Bassambri at Etiema community who was alleged to have participated in several kidnappings and sea piracy around Nembe.

“On 24th October 2017, troops arrested a total of 30 suspected cultists between Ogbolomabiri and Nembe after a shoot-out between rival cult groups in a battle of supremacy.

“Destruction of identified militants/sea pirates camps and shrines continued along Okparatobo creek in Southern Ijaw LGA where, in one of the camps, one AK-47 Magazine, 8 live rounds of 7.62mm special and one fibre speed boat mounted with a 115 HP engine were recovered while suspects fled on sighting troops approach.”

The statement said that all suspects and items recovered have been handed over to relevant security agencies for possible prosecution while the operation continues. [myad]

A man, said to be a deacon of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), identified as Cyril Idakwoji, is alleged to have forged the letterhead paper of the church and signature of the pastor with which he defrauded the church of about N37 Million, landing him in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The suspect was said to have handed over two cheques covering N11.9 million to the church, even as the anti-graft agency also recovered N36 million that was said to belong to one Jephthah International School. The amount was said to have been stolen by Idakwoji, who is a former Port Harcourt-based employee of Access Bank.

Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wednesday, the South-South Zonal Head of the EFCC, Ishaq Salihu, said that Idakwoji, a former account officer of the church for the bank, was diverting the funds handed to him by the church for his private use instead of transferring them to the church’s bank account.

Ishaq Salihu said that the suspect had forged letterheads of the church and the signature of the pastor in charge of the region to carry out his criminal activities.

Handing over the cheques to the Pastor of Province 4 of the church, the EFCC chief said that the suspect had forged the letterhead of the church’s Region 5 and the signatures of the pastor in charge of the region, adding that he also forged the signature of the church’s accountant to execute his criminal schemes in RCCG.

The stolen funds were paid back by the bank, which had since sacked the fraudulent employee.

Speaking after receiving the cheques from the anti-graft agency, the Pastor of Province 4 of RCCG, Port Harcourt, Mark Barango, expressed gratitude to the EFCC for ensuring that the money was recovered.

He expressed surprise that Idakwoji, who was a deacon in the church, could involve himself in such a criminal act.

“He (the suspect) was the account officer assigned by the bank to us. He was also a member of the church. EFCC is an agent of transformation. I thank the EFCC for helping us recover the money. What they have done is perfect.”

The EFCC chief recalled that the anti graft agency had earlier recovered the sum of N36 million, which belonged to Jephthah International School stolen by Idakwoji with his position as a marketer in Access Bank, Port Harcourt.

Idakwoji, according to the EFCC zonal head, had also served as an account officer to the private school.

Ishaq Salihu said that the stolen fund was recently paid back in bonds by the bank to the affected private school through the EFCC, adding that the management of the bank had reported to the commission immediately it found out that the suspect was fraudulent. [myad]

Aisha, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has put to lie, allegation by a senator in the National Assembly, that the Inspector General of Police gave her two SUV cars.
Aisha, in a statement by her media aide, suleiman Haruna, made it clear that since the assumption of office of her husband as President of Nigeria, she had never received such vehicles.
“Furthermore, the vehicles I am still using belong to the family and were the ones used during the campaign for 2015 elections, including the one for my entourage.”
She dismissed such allegation, which she regretted, was widely circulated and attributed to a member of the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Police Force had declared that at no time did the Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari directly or indirectly request for vehicles for her use from its Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
It said that there was no vehicle whether Jeep or SUV that was ever given to Mrs Buhari for her personal use and therefore described the allegations by Senator Hamma Misau as outright falsehood, misleading, unfounded and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public as well as drag the name of the Wife of the President, Mrs Buhari and that of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim K. Idris into controversy and disrepute.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, the Police high command however explained that the IGP is empowered by the 1999 Constitution as amended and the Police Act and Regulations, precisely Section 215 (1)(a&b) and (2) to allocate vehicles for operational use throughout the country.
Moshood said: “the Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General Police” and the Deployment and Control of the entire Operations of the Force, including allocation of Police vehicles for operational use throughout the country shall be under the purview of the IGP.
“It is within the powers of the Inspector General of Police as stated above that when on the 17 January, 2017, SP Sani M Baba–Inna, the ADC to the Wife of the President requested for two vehicles for Police Personnel in the convoy of the Wife of the President for convoy movement and security purposes.
“Two Police Vehicles (i) A Toyota Sienna Bus with Reg. No. NPF 2406D (ii) A Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. NPF 3363D were approved by the Inspector General of Police to the ADC to the Wife of the President, SP Sani M Baba–Inna for the purposes requested and not to the person of the Wife of the President or for her personal use as alleged by Misau.”
The Police spokesman said that all the allegations by Senator Misau against the IGP and Wife of the President, as to the purchase of two Jeeps were done in bad faith to misinform and mislead the public, and called on Nigerians to disregard the claims.
On IGP’s retirement age, the Police spokesman described Misau’s allegations as ill-motivated, adding that for the avoidance of doubt, the Police Force Secretary Office wrote the Chairman of the Police Service Commission on January 18, 2017 drawing his attention to the observation on the current Staff list of Senior Police Officers whereby the date of birth of IGP Idris, was incorrectly stated as 3/01/1959 instead of the actual date of 15/01/1959.
According to Moshood; “All documents and records of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, has 15/01/1959 as his date of birth, except the staff list of Senior Police Officers and this is the reason why the approval of the Honourable Chairman, Police Service Commission for correction of the error was sought in this regard.
“The difference of dates between 3/01/1959 and 15/01/1959 is just 12 days which is very insignificant in 35 years that a public servant can be in service. Attached is letter Ref No. CH.7080/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.3/30 dated 18 January, 2017 written by the Force Secretary to the Honourable Chairman Police Service Commission on the subject matter for media ease of reference.
“Furthermore, the Public will note that Issa Hamma Misau deliberately refused to prove the allegations he previously levelled against the Inspector General of Police on the floor of the Senate for which he was invited by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee but instead brought up other falsehoods to distract the Committee and the members of the public.”
The Police spokesman assured that IGP Idris, will not be distracted or deterred by mischievous and misguided individual(s) from carrying out his statutory responsibilities for the benefit of the entire Police personnel and all Nigerians. [myad]