Headlines
FG Plans Withdrawal of Military from All Regions Except South East
Sequel to the Federal Government’s declaration of withdrawal of the military from volatile areas of the country, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has said the Nigerian Air Force and other arms of the military will be withdrawing troops from some internal security operations because relative peace had been restored in some states and the activities of criminals had been curtailed.
The air chief noted that the military was going to “scale down its involvements” in some of the six ongoing internal security operations around the country. However, the air force chief was silent on military operations in the South-East.
Abubakar in his New Year message on Wednesday identified the operations as; Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke in the North-Central geopolitical zone, Awatse in the South-West, Hadarin Daji in the North-West, Operation Delta Safe in the South-South and Lafiya Dole in the North-East.
The air chief added the military efforts, particularly in tackling the banditry in the North-West, had paved the way for state governors to be able to hold dialogue with the criminals.
Abubakar said, “Due to the various efforts by us and other security agencies, relative peace has been restored to most parts of the North-Central states. Similarly, the activities of pipeline vandals and other criminals in the South-South and South-West have been curtailed.
“Accordingly, the gains have given rise to the directives for NAF and sister services to gradually scale down involvement in some of these operations. The operations in the North-West zone are also yielding fruits with a gradual reduction in banditry due to effective kinetic operations in early 2019.
“These kinetic operations paved the way for governors in the zone to engage the bandits in dialogue with a view to sustainably achieving peaceful resolution of the security challenges.
“Over the past few years, NAF, along with sister services, had been involved in a number of internal security operations across the country.
“It is gratifying to note that due to your various efforts as well as those of your colleagues in other security agencies, relative peace has been restored to most parts of the North-Central states. Similarly, the activities of pipeline vandals and other criminals in the South-South and the South-West have been curtailed.”
Abubakar urged the troops to re-double their efforts while sustaining the pressure on criminal elements and the Boko Haram terrorists.
“You must nevertheless remain professional in the discharge of your duties and ensure that the rights of all law-abiding citizens are protected to enable them to go about their lawful activities without encumbrances,” the air chief added.
It would be recalled that Operation Python Dance (Egwu Eke) which was introduced in the South East in 2016 to curtail the activities of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) had gone through three phases until it was changed to Operation Dance of Peace (Atilogwu Udo) in October 2019.
The army had said at inception that it was designed to, if necessary, dovetail into real time activities such as anti-kidnapping drills, patrols, raids, cordon and search, check points, road blocks and show of force.
The exercise includes the police, Civil Defence Corps, State Security Service and Federal Road Safety Commission. It is aimed at checking anticipated rising wave of crimes usually prevalent during festive periods.
The Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola SAN, in the early hours of Monday, agreed to withdraw the cases instituted against activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
Following Babalola’s petition to the Police Commissioner in Ekiti State that Farotimi defamed him in a book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’, the Police arrested the activist lawyer and arraigned him before two courts in Ekiti.
Consequently, Farotimi stood trial for alleged criminal defamation before an Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District and as well for alleged cyber-bullying before the Ado Ekiti Division of Federal High Court.
But Babalola, who spoke at ABUAD after the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other top traditional rulers at the midnight meeting, said, he had agreed to withdraw the criminal case, saying, “I will tell my lawyers to withdraw the case.”
Also in attendance were the Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro; the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole: the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu; the Oloye of Oye Ekiti, Oba Michael Ademolaju; and the Alaaye of Efon Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare.
Babalola, who restated the importance of the Yoruba traditional institution and the influence it wielded, said, “The monarchs are here, they have appealed to me over a criminal charge involving somebody who said I was corrupt.”
The senior advocate said that he felt so bad that Farotimi accused him of winning all his cases through corruption; hence, he rejected all earlier appeals to him to take the cases out of court.
He listed those who had appealed to him to take the matter out of court including former President Olusegun Obasanjo; the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah; and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adejugbe.
He said, “If you go through the pamphlet (Farotimi’s book), you will find that he attacked many judges by names, he attacked Supreme Court judges, and none is bothered, but I am bothered. I am bothered because of where and how I started life, from the farm to where I am.
“There is nothing I am going to gain from his imprisonment. There is nothing I am going to gain from so-called damages. I am not in quest of more wealth, rather how to spend what I have for the benefit of others. The only time I am happy is when I give.
The request is simple, take away this criminal case in court. When Obasanjo wrote, he came here, I said no. when Kukah phoned and came, I said no, but on this occasion, I say yes. Thank you Kabiyesis. I will speak to my lawyers to withdraw it.”
The Ooni, who spoke on behalf of Yoruba monarchs, had requested Babalola to withdraw the case in court, assuring him that “nobody can tarnish your name. Your name is more than silver and gold and you have stood for your name with the message that nobody can joke with your name.”
Ogunwusi, who acknowledged Babalola’s contributions to the development of Yoruba, Nigeria and the world, said, “We (monarchs) came here to discuss the matter with him and he gave full respect to the obas and agreed.
“We, the obas, can attest to the hard work of Aare Afe Babalola and how he has invested so hard to build his name. The name cannot be tarnished or rubbished by anyone. Aare Afe Babalola has proven to the world that he cherishes his name and the world has heard him clearly.
“Baba, we want to appeal and also use our race to instruct you. Dele Farotimi is your son, you may not know him, we give birth to different children in this world, some are tough, some are soft, some are hard. Why we are here is our ethos as a race.”
The Ooni added, “We are using our race because some of our elders in Yorubaland and even beyond Yorubaland have spoken, but combining forces with the traditional institution, we have heard you, enough, enough and enough. Your name is intact. We have resolved the matter in our own way, we have done the needful.”
In a petition dated November 19, 2024, addressed to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Afe Babalola alleged that defamatory content in Dele Farotimi’s book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, tarnished his reputation.
Farotimi was arrested in Lagos by officers of the Ekiti State Police Command and transported to Ado-Ekiti, where he faced a 16-count charge of criminal defamation and cyberbullying. Following his arraignment in a magistrate court, he was remanded in custody.
The allegations stem from claims in the book accusing Babalola and other Senior Advocates of Nigeria of influencing Supreme Court justices through corruption.
The Punch
The Federal Government, through the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has released N860.252 billion to State governments for January, with the local governments expected to get N361.754 billion of the allocated sum
The councils will not receive their allocations directly due to their inability to meet the deadline for submitting account details.
According to a FAAC official, the councils’ January funds will be disbursed through the states, while the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) will receive direct funding from the Federation Account.
The FAAC official explained that the commission transferred the January allocations to state governments because the councils failed to meet the administrative requirements for funds disbursement.
He said: “The January allocation did not go to the local governments but to their state accounts.
“If they have started submitting their accounts, their February allocations will go to them.
“The January allocation has been paid to the state accounts already. That means they didn’t submit their details on time.
“If the councils can move fast and tidy up the loose ends early, they will get their funds directly from next month.
“That will signal the commencement of their autonomy as desired by the Bola Tinubu administration.’’
“I learnt the process of creating accounts is what is holding the process, but the Federal Government is determined to make sure that local government autonomy becomes a reality. I can assure you that things are moving in the right direction,’’ another FAAC official said.
The development comes after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local government councils in July 2024, ruling that their funds from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them rather than through state governments.
To implement the judgment, the Federal government directed all local governments to open dedicated bank accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the direct transfer of their monthly allocations.
However, it is understood that the process has been slowed down by the ongoing budget defence and other pressing engagements involving key government officials.
Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has commended the Nigeria Police for the timely rescue of Mrs. Folasade Odumosu, the wife of retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hakeem Odumosu, who was recently kidnapped.
Spokesman for the Police Force, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed on Thursday that Mrs. Odumusu had been rescued and reunited with her family.
Adejobi said the operation, conducted within a week, resulted in the safe rescue of the victim, unharmed, alongside the neutralisation of some kidnappers and the recovery of weapons and ransom.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Friday via X, Obi praised the professionalism demonstrated by the Ogun State Police Command, noting that the rescue mission showcased the police’s capability to act effectively when properly motivated.
He wrote, “I commend the Nigeria Police for their swift and effective response in rescuing Mrs Folashade Odumusu, the wife of retired AIG Hakeem Odumusu, who was kidnapped just a few days ago.
“The operation, conducted within a week, highlights their capacity to act decisively when motivated.
“What stands out is the precision with which the rescue mission was executed.
“It not only led to the safe release of the victim, unharmed, but also resulted in the neutralisation of some kidnappers, the recovery of weapons, and the retrieval of the ransom. Such a professional outcome deserves high praise.”
Also, the Ogun State Police Command expressed gratitude for the technical support received from the Force Headquarters and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who showed exceptional interest in the case.
The IGP commended the Ogun Command for dismantling the criminal network behind the abduction.
This success, according to Obi, underscores the impact of proper leadership and motivation in tackling crime.
“This incident offers hope. It proves that these issues can be tackled effectively if security personnel are well-resourced, supported, and committed to their responsibilities,” Obi wrote.
However, the former Governor of Anambra State urged the police to extend similar urgency and professionalism to cases involving ordinary Nigerians, whose plights often go unnoticed.
“Many innocent citizens remain victims of abduction, languishing in captivity without rescue efforts reaching them,” he said.
Obi further described the successful operation as a testament to the potential of Nigeria’s security architecture when managed and prioritised effectively
