Security

Ebonyi: Group demands probe, end to political killings in Edda community

Published

6 years ago

May 9, 2020

A group, Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) has called on the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to intervene and quickly bring to an end cases of political violence and killings ongoing in Asaga Owutu Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi state.

The association also demanded that the state government should be made to “institute an independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry to probe the causes of the killings in Edda, if the government is sincere about finding a lasting solution to the problem.”

Recall that the Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed the arrest of the council chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area, Eni Uduma and the lawmaker representing Afikpo South East Constituency, Chidi Agemu, over alleged involvement in cult clashes recently.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday and signed by the Chairman of the Association and a political activist, Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, condemned what he described as “the acts of banditry, terrorism and killings which have been imposed on Edda clan since the current democratic/political dispensation in the state.”

Oluchukwu lamented that “the denigration of Edda politics to this level of outright and shameless political criminality dates back to sometime around the year 2007 when people of doubtful character entered into Edda/Ebonyi political horizon as political adventurers and merchants of death. Now, we can look back and note that their outing in the field of politics has destroyed Edda and relegated her into a state of mournful and regrettable degradation with their own political careers relapsing into shameful monumental tragedy.”

While giving background to what he called political terror in the Edda area, the association chairman said findings by his group revealed that there is a group in the area allegedly working with the current Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government “terrorising and specialising in torture of innocent citizens, beating of people with Koboko horse whips imported from foreign countries, among others.”

On the recent killings in the area, the association said: “On the 27th March, 2020, a 19- year old boy, Chidi Oji Arua was killed at Nguzu Edda. It was alleged that some officials of the Afikpo South Local Government COVID-19 Task Force went to Nguzu to enforce the Government policy banning burial of corpses as part of the COVID-19 lockdown. Some villagers resisted and the Personal Assistant to the Council Chairman, Keneth Agha Okoro (aka Mukoro) was rough-handled. He was said to have gone back to base to alert his group who went to Nguzu Edda to unleash mahem and Chidi was found lying dead after sporadic gunshots.

“From Sunday, 3rd May, 2020 to Wednesday, 6th May, 2020, three young men from Owutu Edda were murdered in cold blood. The first boy, Onu Chima Ukpai, was shot dead by an alleged member of a rival cult group. Then on Tuesday, 5th May, 2020, one of the boys, Chinedu Offor Ufere, who was wounded during the Sunday attack and was hospitalized, died. Then again, on Wednesday, 6th May, 2020, one Jarun, the elder brother of the boy who was killed on Sunday, went on a revenge mission and killed one Raphael Okereke.

“The recent killings in Edda reflect the brutal and crude political culture of violence and blood-bath which has been used as an instrument of political domination of the area. It is an extension of the regime of terror, thuggery, intimidation and gangsterism. It is aimed at conquering the people by instilling fear into them for political imposition and exclusion,” the association said.

The association noted that the immediate causes of the bloody confrontations can be traced to three recent events which heightened tension in the major flash-points of the LGA. The events are the sharing of political offices in the LGA in 2019, conduct of the 2020 Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries and the composition of the COVID-19 Implementation/Enforcement Task Force in the LGA.

The Ebonyi state indigenes, however said governor Dave Umahi’s statement recently blaming the Police and SSS for their inability to have predicted the killings and to have stopped it is neither here nor there.

“The Governor should immediately institute an independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry to probe the causes of the killings in Edda, if he is sincere about finding a lasting solution to the problem.

“We will also wish to call on the Federal Government and the Human Rights Organizations in Nigeria to wade into Ebonyi state and engage the government of Umahi to forestall further bloodshed in the area.”

Security

Avoid Disclosing Your NIN to Unauthorized Persons, Groups

Published

7 months ago

April 10, 2025

Sunrise

– NIMC Cautions Nigerians

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a strong warning to Nigerians against giving out their National Identification Numbers (NIN) to unauthorized individuals, groups, or platforms, especially in exchange for money.

This caution comes in the wake of arrests made by security operatives in multiple states, including Anambra, over illegal activities involving the solicitation of NINs for fraudulent purposes.

In a statement released by Dr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, the Commission expressed deep concern over reports that some individuals in Anambra State were collecting NINs from unsuspecting residents for monetary compensation—an act NIMC described as not only illegal but also a breach of national laws.

“This illegal activity violates the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, the Data Protection Act 2023, and the Cybercrime Act 2023,” Dr. Adegoke stated. He confirmed that in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), those responsible for the criminal scheme have been apprehended and are currently undergoing interrogation. They will be prosecuted accordingly.

Dr. Adegoke emphasized that the Federal Government has not authorized any group or individual to collect NINs from citizens in such a manner, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and to avoid disclosing their NINs to unauthorized persons.

“At no time should NIN holders give out their NINs for monetary compensation. This is against the laws of the Federation. Anyone caught will be dealt with appropriately,” he warned.

He further clarified that the NIN is strictly for accessing verified government and private sector services and should only be used through authorized and secure channels.

To report suspicious NIN collection activities, members of the public are advised to contact the Commission via email at nimccustomercare@nimc.gov.ng or call 0700-2255-646 / 019-23000010.

NIMC reassured Nigerians that necessary steps are being taken to curb such fraudulent practices and protect the integrity of the national identity system.

Security

Tinubu Signs Bill Establishing National Centre for Arms Control

Published

1 year ago

September 18, 2024

Nats Odaudu

The development was made known at a workshop focused on gender mainstreaming in efforts to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The workshop was organized by the NCCSALW. Ribadu, represented by the Director of External Affairs from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Amb. Ibrahim Babani, described the president’s assent as a crucial step in the government’s fight against the illegal proliferation of arms.
He noted that this legislative backing would solidify the centre’s authority and facilitate more coordinated efforts to tackle the issue.

Ribadu also emphasized the importance of gender mainstreaming in addressing the arms control problem, citing key international frameworks such as the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
This resolution underscored the need to protect women from the impacts of conflict and ensure their active participation in peacebuilding and security initiatives.

AIG (rtd) Nuhu Ribadu
National Security Adviser

He also referenced the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which highlights regional cooperation in stopping the spread of weapons that disproportionately affect women and children in conflict zones.

“The importance of gender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons cannot be overstated,” Ribadu said. “It strengthens our strategies and ensures our approach to security is inclusive and sustainable.”

Speaking at the workshop, the National Coordinator of NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Johnson Kokumo, detailed the centre’s recent efforts in combating illegal arms proliferation.
Kokumo mentioned that the centre recently retrieved a substantial cache of illegal arms from the Nigeria Customs Service and arrested 10 suspects involved in illicit importation. These suspects are currently being prosecuted for offenses that include the illegal importation of 544 firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition, in violation of Nigerian law.

Kokumo further revealed that the centre has retrieved 3,383 decommissioned and illicit small arms, along with 26,749 rounds of ammunition, from various government agencies. He also announced plans for an Arms Destruction Exercise later this quarter to ensure that recovered arms are permanently removed from circulation.

Highlighting the global implications of small arms proliferation, Kokumo said, “The control of small arms and light weapons is not only a national concern but also a matter of international importance.” He added that addressing this issue through a gender-sensitive approach is both a moral imperative and a strategic move, considering the grave impact of armed conflict on women and children.

“This workshop is a significant step in ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into national and regional strategies for small arms and light weapons control,” he stated.

Security

IPPIS Database Safe and Secure – FG Assures Civil Servants

Published

1 year ago

September 17, 2024

Nats Odaudu

By Elizabeth Okwe

Contrary to apprehensions being expressed in certain quarters regarding the security of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the Federal Government has reassured civil servants that the System database remains secure and has not been compromised.

The assurance came via a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, on Monday in Abuja.

A news report (not SunriseNigeria) had claimed that the ‘IPPIS Payroll Validation section on the official website of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had been hijacked by an unknown hacker.

It also claimed that workers’ data stored on the official website of the IPPIS Secretariat, a department at the OAGF, was susceptible to attack because the secure site layer feature of the website had expired and remained unrenewed for over a year.

However, in the statement, the OAGF said the government is committed to maintaining and operating a safe and efficient personnel and payroll management system.

Checks by our correspondent showed that the IPPIS section of the website was still inaccessible when this report was filed.

Mokwa stated that “the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System database has not been compromised,” and reaffirmed that employees’ personnel data was secure.

The OAGF, which is responsible for overseeing the management of the IPPIS and other federal financial initiatives, revealed that it has implemented an ICT Security Policy aimed at safeguarding its digital assets.

According to the OAGF, this policy aligns with global best practices in cybersecurity, ensuring the continuous protection of sensitive data within government systems.

“No data is saved on the OAGF website,” the statement clarified, addressing rumours that sensitive information may have been stored or compromised through the website.

“The IPPIS uses the website only to share information, not for transactions. Neither payroll nor payments are made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website,” Mokwa stated.

The statement further clarified that the IPPIS Validation Portal, recently developed to update employee information, had been deployed for a specific period. Once the data validation exercise was completed, the portal was shut down permanently to prevent any further access.

“The IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform,” the statement read, adding that a secure database and application system were procured from HELIX-FONS, a reputable international software provider.

The office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees’ data in the IPPIS database.