The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Ahmed Ammani, has inaugurated the newly built permanent office complex for the Command’s Octopus Tactical Team, Enugu to enhance security in the state.

During the inauguration on Monday in Enugu, Ammani appreciated the Officer-in-charge of the team, SP Chidiebere Ijiomah, for the vision to start and complete the Office structures with the support of members of the public.

The commissioner charged him and other officers to redouble their dedication to fighting crime and criminality in the state.

He also tasked them to ensure that the office “is put to proper use and to render assigned policing services to the public in excellent ways”.

The office complex included: well-equipped office accommodations for the officer-in-charge, his second-in-command, administration section, interrogation room and cells among others.

Salisu Usman recalled his childhood memories playing with other kids of his age at his neighborhood on the streets of Maradi. He had his primary and secondary education in Niger Republic. The story of his birth and socialization hangs somewhere in the recesses of Niger ecosystem.

Usman, whose grandparents migrated to the West African country almost a century ago, has an extended family consisting of siblings, cousins, grandparents in the country he now calls his own.

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It was much later in life, after he graduated from secondary school, Usman learnt that his family origins were in Nigeria. Now 32-year-old Salisu has taken a wife from his home state in Jigawa and moved to Niger Republic where he ventures into tailoring and makes a fortune.

“We have been paralyzed by the news of the planned war. If it happens, God forbid, it will split our family ties. We see Niger and Nigeria as an entity. The authorities have a wrong perspective of our sensibility and world view,” Salisu Usman said.

Salisu Usman is not alone in this traumatic journey since a military junta detained Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday, July 26 and toppled the democratically elected government in the country.

Thousands of Nigeriens troop into Nigeria yearly in search of greener pastures. Also many Nigerians have found a haven in Niger.

26-year-old Abdulkadir Umar is a Nigerien born in Nigeria. He said his father migrated to Nigeria some 57 years ago, and had since formed a large family in Kano State.

“There is a terrifying uneasiness in the family following the news of the impending war ECOWAS led by President (Bola) Tinubu is planning to wage against Niger. My father is right now in Niger where he does his business and all the family is in Nigeria. If the war occurs, it may affect our family members, especially those in Niger,” he said.

There has been a growing tension in the country since General Abdourahmane Tchiani declared himself the head of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, prompting the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to order the chief of the defense staff committee to immediately activate its standby force after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum for the restoration of democratic rule.

The 15-member ECOWAS had imposed sanctions on Niger republic including the closure of land and air borders, anda seven-day ultimatum for the coup leaders to reinstate Bazoum or face the potential use of force.

A viral video on social media has shown the moment three Nigerian military personnel brutalised an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in Lagos.

The trending video on Monday morning shows the soldiers descending on the LASTMA official.

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As their colleague was being beaten by the army personnel, other LASTMA operatives took to their heels.

However, the appeals of the LASTMA official being assaulted fell on deaf ears.

While the reason for the attack on the Lagos state government traffic officer was unknown, an account claimed it was a reprisal for an attack by LASTMA officials on a soldier the previous week in the same area.

The soldiers reportedly launched a retaliatory attack on the LASTMA officer, which commuters and bystanders couldn’t help but record.

Before fleeing, the soldiers beat the officer to a pulp with punches and wood.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, through the Director of Operations, Mr. A. Peter, confirmed the incident to Vanguard.

He was quoted saying: “We have reported the incident to the higher authorities of the army. They are already intervening in the matter.

“We will update you in due course. The act is totally condemnable.”

A Nigerian Air Force aircraft en route to Niger State crashed on Monday.

Sources told The PUNCH that the aircraft took off from Kaduna en route to Minna, the Niger state capital when the incident occurred.

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However, it is still uncertain whether there were casualties from the incident as other details about the incident still remain sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

Also, the Nigerian Air Force has not made an official statement on the incident nor did the Air Force spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, answer calls made to his phone number.

On Tuesday, August 1, a South African-made propeller aircraft crashed in Lagos.

The incident occurred opposite AP fuel station, close to a branch of the United Bank for Africa in the Oba Akran area of the state capital.

According to the NEMA, the aircraft belongs to Airfirst Hospitality and Tour Ltd with Registration number – 5NCCQ.

However, no life was lost in the incident.

The Enugu state police command has finally released to the family, the corpse of Bonaventure Odoh, one of the Ogbete Main Market traders killed by security operatives during a protest.

A family source told Journalists that the corpse was released on Monday afternoon.

Recall that the family of the trader had lamented the refusal of the state government to release his corpse.

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The family said his burial had been delayed by the refusal of the government to release his corpse to them.

Two traders of the market including Odoh were shot dead on July 27, 2023, by security operatives deployed to the market by Governor Peter Mbah to stop aggrieved traders from protesting against the sealing of their shops and businesses by the government for not coming to market on Mondays on allegation of observing ‘illegal sit-at-home’ order.

The traders had taken to the street to march against the sealing of shops in the market by the authorities of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), as part of the enforcement of an order by the government for workers and traders to resist the regime of sit-at-home.

Since the incident, neither the state government nor the police has sent a team to visit the families of the traders killed during the protest. Also, there is no report that the police officers who killed the protesters have been arrested or held accountable.

Late Odoh had recently returned from Dubai and decided to establish his business at the Ogbete Main Market. His corpse was deposited at a mortuary in Enugu on the orders of the state government.

Speaking to journalists on Monday afternoon, the family said:
“Thank you, SaharaReporters, shortly after you published the report, the police started calling our family to come and carry the corpse. We came and they handed over the corpse to us without further trouble. We are grateful.”

The Defence Headquarters has described as false and disturbing report that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) received request to effect change of leadership in the country.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, on Sunday in Abuja.

Gusau said that the armed forces never received nor made such declaration at any time to anyone or any group.

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“We believe this statement came from those who do not wish the nation well.” (NAN)