Health and Safety
Tinubu: We Have Eliminated 300 Boko Haram, Other Banditry Groups’ Commanders
… Vows to reduce the cost of living, saying efforts will dovetail into greater farming and bumper agricultural harvests
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said that Nigerian security forces have eliminated more than 300 commanders of the Boko Haram terrorist group in the last year.
Also eliminated are many commanders of other banditry groups, especially in the North-West and North-East.
Tinubu gave the security update in his National Broadcast to mark the nation’s 64th Independence Anniversary.
“I am happy to announce to you, my compatriots, that our administration is winning the war on terror and banditry.
“Our target is to eliminate all the threats of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and the scourge of all forms of violent extremism.
“Within one year, our government has eliminated Boko Haram and bandit commanders faster than ever.
“As of the last count, over 300 Boko Haram and bandit commanders have been eliminated by our gallant troops in the Northeast, Northwest, and some other parts of the country.
“We have restored peace to hundreds of communities in the North, and thousands of our people have been able to return home.
“It is an unfinished business, and our security agencies are committed to ending it as quickly as possible.
“As soon as we can restore peace to many communities in the troubled parts of the North, our farmers can return to their farms.
“We expect to see a leap in food production and a downward spiral in food costs. I promise you, we shall not falter on this,” he said.
In the meantime, President Bola Tinubu has stressed that his administration is taking appropriate measures to reduce the cost of living.
The President said this in his Independence Day broadcast on Tuesday.
“The central concern of our people today is the high cost of living, especially food costs. This concern is shared by many around the globe as prices and the cost of living continue to rise worldwide.
“My fellow Nigerians, be assured that we are implementing many measures to reduce the cost of living here at home,” said the President.
He commended the governors of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, and the Southwest governors that had embraced the agricultural production programme of his administration.
“I urge other states to join the Federal Government in investing in mechanised farming. We are playing our part by supplying fertiliser and making available tractors and other farm equipment.
“Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved establishing a local assembly plant for 2,000 John Deere tractors, combine harvesters, disc riders, bottom ploughs and other farm equipment. The plant has a completion time of six months,” he said.
He added that the energy transition programme being implemented by his government was on course.
“We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players.
“The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
“Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion,” he said.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Adamawa Command, has strengthened synergy with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to fight the menace of drug trafficking and abuse in the state and the country at large.
Speaking during a visit to the NUJ on Wednesday in Yola, the NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, acknowledged the contributions of the media and solicited more collaboration.
While noting the vital role the media had been playing in the fight against drug abuse in the state, Aliyu urged media practitioners to expose traffickers to secure the future of youths.
According to him, NDLEA alone cannot do it, hence the need for collaboration with all stakeholders to end the menace.
He said that since his assumption of duty in the state on June 16, the agency had been trying to see that Adamawa was free from drug trafficking and abuse.
“We are not only after the traffickers; we are also after the future of the youth of Adamawa State.”
“The police cannot do it alone. No agency can do it alone. The only common platform that all of us can come and join to see to it that we have succeeded is the platform of the journalists.”
“You are the one that have given us that platform, and we are leveraging that platform to see to it that the message we have for the people of the state and our country at large is passed,” he said.
Aliyu stated that the agency was undergoing the Drug Integrity Test as part of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) activities to determine the degree of people’s involvement in substance abuse.
In his remarks, the NUJ Chairman in the state, Abdullahi Ibrahim, appreciated the NDLEA commander for the visit and assured him of the continued support of journalists.
According to him, journalists will work hard to create awareness for people to understand the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking in the society.
The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Codenamed Amotekun Corps, says it is after criminal godfathers as part of efforts at combating crime in the state.
Mr Adetunji Adeleye, State Commander of Amotekun Corps, who said this while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Akure, explained that the corps had gone beyond arresting criminals alone.
Adeleye, who disclosed that 28 suspects were arrested for different crimes in the state, said the criminal world was evolving, hence, Amotekun would also evolve.
“Amotekun always strives to be ahead of them. We are now after their godfathers and backbones, and the reason is simple.
“We don’t want to relent. Hence, our fight is not against the criminals alone, but against their sponsors.
“So, we are saying that until we uproot them, we won’t have total peace.
“The chain of criminality has to be broken and uprooted. We need the socio-economic growth of the state to continue to increase.
“By the intervention of Amotekun, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Ondo State increased by over 500 per cent in 2023.
“The directive of Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa is to create an enabling environment for investors to bombard the state.
“The security architecture of Ondo State is firm, and the best criminals can do is to run away from this state. The joint patrol team in some parts of the state is still ongoing,” he stated.
The commander also said Amotekun had dominated the forests, which was no longer a safe place for criminals, saying farmers can go back to their farms.
“What we are saying is that when you see something, quickly say something and let us intervene because if you delay, the delay might be dangerous,” he said.
The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) Search and Rescue team says another body from the Third Mainland Bridge accident of Aug. 23 has been recovered.
LASWA General Manager, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
Emmanuel confirmed that the recovered body had since been released to the victim’s family.
He said while early reports suggested only one victim, investigations later confirmed a second passenger, identified as 31-year-old Chado Daniel Danladi of Oremeta Street, Ikeja.
Danladi was identified as a colleague of the first victim.
Emmanuel said the incident occurred in the early hours of Aug. 23, when a Toyota Camry plunged into the Lagos Lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge.
He noted that LASWA’s rescue team responded immediately after receiving the distress call.
“The vehicle carried a female passenger, identified as Aisha, aged between 25 and 35. Her body was quickly recovered by divers and handed to her family,” he said.
He added that emergency units from LASWA, Marine Police, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) worked seamlessly with support from local fishermen.
“This incident demonstrates the efficiency of our coordinated emergency response and the strong community support that strengthens Lagos State’s capacity to manage waterway emergencies.
“We remain committed to ensuring safety and rapid response in all such cases,” Emmanuel said.
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