News
Terrorists Threaten To Bomb National Assembly
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security, Hon. Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, has disclosed that terrorists have issued threats to bomb the National Assembly Complex.
Naija News reports that Garba made the revelation on Tuesday during a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish a Legislative Security Directorate, designed to enhance security management and safeguard lawmakers, staff, and visitors within the National Assembly.
“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly Complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly,” Garba stated.
The lawmaker said the legislature, Nigeria’s seat of democracy, has been increasingly exposed to security threats including car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, infiltration by unregistered visitors, and use of fake identity cards.
He warned that failure to address the lapses could disrupt legislative activities with grave implications for governance and democracy.
He cautioned, “It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate legislative activities in the National Assembly. If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary at all, and that will destabilize legislative procedure, democracy, and the nation at large.”
According to Garba, effective security management requires a coordinated approach, integrating multiple elements to ensure a safe environment for legislative business.
“That is why this Bill is very important. It seeks to address all these challenges and adopt world best practices in parliamentary security procedures and architecture,” he explained.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment and Functions of the Legislative Security Directorate in the National Assembly (HB 1632)”, was considered at the House of Representatives Conference Hall 028 in Abuja.
While acknowledging the need for the National Assembly to remain open to the public as a democratic institution, Garba stressed that access must not come at the expense of security.
“The need for effective security measures in the National Assembly cannot be overemphasized because Parliament has to remain accessible to the public. However, this Bill is committed to ensuring the best security architecture in the National Assembly, to protect legislators, staff, visitors, and property,” he said.
Garba further urged state Houses of Assembly across the federation to emulate the initiative by adopting similar frameworks to enhance legislative security nationwide.
“With these few points of mine, I wish us a peaceful and fruitful hearing that will ultimately bring a turnaround in the National Assembly’s security architecture,” he concluded.
Many people are feared to have lost their lives as a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route Lagos from Benin, crashed in the Igbokoda axis of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday.
The Ondo State Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Akure, noted that details surrounding the incident are still emerging, as efforts to establish the full circumstances continue.
Jimoh said: “The Command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.”
He stated further that the public will be duly informed as soon as further credible information is available.
Also, a statement by the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, said that all efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive.
According to him, the wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board.
“Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing”, Keyamo added.
The identity of the helicopter and the persons on board are yet to be ascertained as of the time of this report.
The Olubosin of Ifetedo in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Akinola Oyetade Akinrera (Latiiri I), has reportedly joined his ancestors.
Oba Akinrera, the fourth Olubosin of Ifetedo Kingdom, reportedly died on Friday, although the palace has yet to issue an official statement confirming his death.
The monarch ascended the throne in 2018 and was widely regarded by indigenes as a highly respected traditional ruler.
Before his emergence as monarch, Oba Akinrera, a lawyer and public servant, had worked in different capacities, including as a teacher, police officer and staff member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1988 and served until 1992, when he joined the NNPC in Lagos.
Born into the Ifetedo community, the late monarch attended CAC Primary School, Ipetumodu, before proceeding to Ifetedo Grammar School for his secondary education.
He later attended the Oyo State College of Education, which subsequently became the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, and is now the University of Ilesa.
In 1993, he proceeded to Lagos State University, Ojo, where he obtained a Diploma in Law. He subsequently gained admission to the University of Lagos in 1997 to study Law and graduated in 2004.
Following his reported death, tributes have continued to pour in from indigenes and residents of Ifetedo, with social media platforms awash with condolence messages mourning the monarch.
Many of the messages described Oba Akinrera as a respected traditional ruler whose reign contributed to the development and unity of Ifetedo Kingdom.
As of the time of filing this report, the palace had not officially announced the monarch’s death or released details regarding his burial arrangements.
The Imo State Police Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, has revealed that security operatives have identified the location where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in the state are being held.
This comes two days after gunmen abducted prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were travelling in two buses when the attackers struck along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.
Naija News reports that Bosso, while giving an update on the search-and-rescue operation in a media interview on Saturday, said security operatives have delayed moving into the camp over fears that it is planted with improvised explosive devices.
Bosso said the police used drones on Friday to locate the suspected camp after security operatives trailed the abductors into the bush, but the security agencies were being cautious because intelligence indicated that the camp had been mined with IEDs.
According to him, the security agencies were preparing to move into the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, in an effort to rescue the victims safely.
He said, “Any moment, we’ll still move into the bush. Yesterday, we were in the bush, we trailed them up to a particular location.
“But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinate showed us where they are because we ran drones yesterday. And the drone actually showed us exactly their location.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the IED is the camp is mined with IEDs.
“We are moving in there with high, you know, high-velocity vehicles, that is, bulldozers, we’re moving in with bulldozers and APCs to see how we’re going to rescue these victims unhurt.”
BLACK MONDAY: Top Nigerian Military Officers, Others Feared Die in Plane Crashes
Nigerian Gov Gives 8 Top Appointment, Others
Tragedy as Prominent Nigerian Pastor Collapses, Dies During Sermon at Funeral
FULL LIST: Top 10 “Tokunbo” Cars You Can Get For ₦3m–₦5m
Former Super Eagles Star Loses Life Savings, Duped By A Pastor of ₦1.2 Billion
