Israel’s domestic intelligence service Shin Bet claimed it had foiled a bomb attack by the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah targeting a former senior Israeli security official.

The attack had been planned for the coming days, according to Shin Bet.

An explosive device had been equipped with a remote detonator and connected to a camera and a mobile phone, which would have allowed the bomb to be detonated from Lebanon by Hezbollah.

This is according to the statement released.

The intelligence service also accused Hezbollah of being responsible for an attempted attack in a park in Tel Aviv in September last year.

At the end of July, an Israeli attack on a house in a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut killed a high-ranking commander of the Shiite militia, Fuad Shukr. Hezbollah responded by threatening retaliation. 

In the meantime, Xinhua reported on Tuesday that Israel has expanded its goals of the military operation in Gaza to include the safe return of northern Israel residents who were evacuated.

The evacuation was due to the conflict ongoing with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border.

A statement from his office said the decision was approved during an overnight meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet.

The ministers updated the goals “to include the following clause: the safe return of northern residents to their homes,’’ the statement said.

On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, told White House special envoy Amos Hochstein, who arrived in Tel Aviv to discuss efforts toward de-escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.

Gallant said that the window for a diplomatic resolution was closing.

Military action is the only way to achieve calm on the northern border, said Gallant.

Tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border have been displaced due to the fighting.

Hezbollah has said it would cease fire if Israel and Hamas agree to end the fighting. 

– dpa

The change of name from Nigeria Prison Service to the Nigeria Correctional Service may have engendered far more transformational and reformative results in the custodial facilities, to a new dimension where inmates go beyond the realm of religions or writing WAEC and NECO exams, to the realms of self-actualization.

The Maritime First was told that inmates in Nigeria Correctional Service NCS are now publishing books, even as over a thousand are running their Bachelor of Science degrees when not fewer than six are running their PhD programme.

The Nigerian Correctional Service NCS image maker and Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview in Abuja, also noted that the current management is also deliberately pursuing the noteworthy agenda of encouraging inmates’ self-realization and actualization.

“The change in name from the Nigerian Prison Service to the Nigerian Correctional Service under the Nigerian Correctional Act, which was signed into law by the Immediate past administration, has brought significant transformation and reformation to the penal system” the Image maker Mr Umar Abubakar,  stated, noting that the name -change first remove the stigmatising effect, which the term ‘prison’ connoted.

He highlighted that though the nomenclature modification was a global phenomenon, the management has gone beyond the issue of name, 

“The term prison had a stigmatizing effect. But the term ‘correctional’ connotes true reformation and rehabilitation of those who are legally in terms with us. 

“A lot of things have happened since the name change. Let’s start with the management structure of the Nigeria Correctional Service. 

“In the past, we used to have six directorates. But as I speak with you now, we have eight directorates, with two additions, to the other six which we had; and that is Training and the Directorate of Non-custodial Measures.

“The realm of non-custodial measures has helped, with the conundrum of congestion of our facilities; because it is not all petty thefts that are confined to custodial sentencing. 

“There are some thefts where the suspects or the convicts are sometimes committed to community service sentences, while some are given parole.

“Then also, we have expanded our reformation activities of inmates, while we have an avalanche of education scheme of skills acquisition programs. We also have our education scheme of skills acquisition programs. 

“This is an inmate who came into our custodial centre without any formal education”

“We also have our education models which are to encourage them to embrace self-actualization.. For example, we have a guy who has published four books”, the image maker said, identifying the books as Crime Scenes: An Interview with Crime Suspects; the Eagle and the Thorns; the Catalyst of Self Development; and another one yet to be launched: The Moon Was Out Of Sight For A decade.

Umar Abubakar said it was noteworthy that the books were written by an inmate who came into the facility without any formal education. 

“This is an inmate who came into our custodial centre without any formal education. 

“He came to our custodial centre, sat for his WAEC, passed it with a very good grade; got enrolled into our university system, and passed with flying colour. 

“He went for his Master’s Degree and as I am speaking with you, he’s done with his Master’s Degree; and his next line of action is that he was to go for his PhD.”, the Public Relations Officer stated further, stressing that “all these things are geared towards reformation and rehabilitation of inmates”.

The image maker proudly noted that their inmates were currently at various levels of obtaining their degree and master programmes; adding that not fewer than 1,282 inmates reading for their Diplomas degree programmes; and 1,215 inmates pursuing another line of degree programmes, as of August 2024.

 He noted that some were equally running their Diplomas, postgraduate diplomas and Masters; pointing out that the decision had genuinely been taken to ensure that those who seek self-actualization are not denied the opportunity, by the fact of not being in their respective homes.

 He declared that six were already running their P.hD programmes, with not fewer than three presently doing their thesis.

“What I am trying to say is that we presently have an avalanche of opportunities available to those in our custodial centres, and this is due to the current administration’s determination to give maximum support to the people under our custody to seek and realize their dreams” he said.

 He commended the management for not neglecting the NCS personnel, highlighting that staff emoluments have now significantly improved, in addition to other motivational packages, because management understands the fact that motivation is an indubitable catalyst for greater productivity and efficiency.

“The Honourable Minister of Interior has done so much in this regard. We have never had it so good!”, the image maker further observed. 

Zamfara Government announced on Tuesday that it would donate N20 million to families of victims of the recent boat accident in the Uban Dawaki community in the Gummi Local Government Area.

The Deputy Governor, Malam Mani Mummuni, announced the donation during a sympathy visit to the Emir of Gummi, retired Justice Lawal Hassan, and families of the victims in Gumi.

Mummuni said the gesture was to cushion the hardship encountered by the victims’ families.

He said Gov.Dauda  Lawal directed that the amount be disbursed to the affected families.

The deputy governor assured of the state government’s commitment to preventing the mishap from reoccurring.

He said the state government would collaborate with the  Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA)to provide lifejackets in all the water transport stations in the state.

“Experts will also be deployed to sensitize operators and users on prevention and safety measures.

“The use of lifejackets would be made compulsory for every passenger and operator.

“Violators of these measures would be sanctioned accordingly”, Mummun said.

In his remarks,  the emir appreciated the state government’s gesture, saying it was timely.

He said the idea of enforcing the use of lifejackets was  very critical and advised the  government not to spare anyone who failed to comply with the directive

The emir said that 13 bodies had been recovered while seven people involved in the accident were rescued.

 The Emir said 20 persons, not 40, were involved in the accident.