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The Israeli military has arrested 28 Palestinians in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian rights group. The overnight raids, part of Israel’s increasingly violent assault on the occupied territories, targeted the governorates of Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah and el-Bireh, Nablus and Jerusalem, said the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society on Thursday.

Israeli forces had doled out “severe beatings” and made threats against detainees’ families, said the group, which keeps a daily tally of arrests. Violence in the West Bank, already on the rise before Israel’s current war on Gaza erupted in October, has since escalated with frequent army raids on Palestinian groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and deadly Palestinian street attacks.

Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said the Israeli military had “dramatically” increased its operations, conducting about 38 raids a day, with an uptick in detentions. Home demolitions have gone up by 25 percent since last year, displacing more than 1,000 Palestinians.

In Jenin, where nine Palestinians were arrested, armed confrontations broke out in the city and its refugee camp in the early hours of Thursday. Palestinian media said Israeli forces had raided a pharmacy near Jenin Government Hospital, on the outskirts of Jenin refugee camp, transferring detainees to an unknown destination.

A resident said Israeli bulldozers destroyed infrastructure inside the camp and in the city of Jenin. During the raid, Palestinian fighters attacked Israeli armoured vehicles with explosive devices, killing one soldier and wounding 16. “There were two explosions. The first one caused injuries. The second, that’s where the death happened,” said Odeh.

“According to preliminary Israeli investigations, the devices were buried or located a metre and a half into the ground, so deeper than the Israeli military vehicles usually dig to be able to find those improvised devices,” she said.The Israeli military confirmed the death. The soldier “fell during operational activity in the area of Jenin”, it said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Wafa news agency reported that four Palestinians were arrested in an overnight swoop on Hebron.

Israeli forces had stormed the town of Yatta, south of the city of Hebron, arresting three people, including a female university student. Another man was arrested in the town of Dura, southwest of Hebron.

The Israeli military also arrested a man after shooting him in the foot in the Qalandiya refugee camp, while another man was taken into custody in Deir Ghassana village, northwest of Ramallah.

Since October 7, Israel has carried out a total of 9,430 arrests in the West Bank in near daily raids.

The United Nations’ human rights chief Volker Turk warned this month that the situation in the West Bank was “dramatically deteriorating”, saying earlier that people there were being “subjected to day after day of unprecedented bloodshed”.

Source: Aljazeera

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of ten fraudsters to various jail terms for internet fraud. Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, on Monday, convicted and sentenced five persons to various jail terms. The convicts are Sodiq Shehu, Ayinla Abdulwaheed Ayomide, Abdulkareem Omotosho, Ekundayo Stephen Samuel and Ayinla Sofiu Abayomi.

The charge against Ayomide read: “That you, Ayinla Abdulwaheed Ayomide whilst a PICKER between January 2022 and August 2023 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did take possession of the sum of N5,373,000.00, transferred into your Zenith Bank account number: 2400818519 and FCMB Bank Account No: 4883945011 and which sum you knew directly represented the proceeds of crime of some persons, vz; Oluwatobi Babajide John, Akeem Adedeji, Adeleke Adedeji, e.t.c and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) & (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them, following which prosecution counsel, Innocent Mbachie, prayed the court to convict and sentence them. Consequently, Justice Anyadike sentenced Shehu to four months imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000, on each count.

Similarly, Ayomide, Omotosho, Samuel and Abayomi were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment each with varying options of fine between N200,000 and N300,000. The court also ordered that all the phones and laptops that were used by the convicts to perpetrate the crimes and various sums of money brought by them as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.

In another development, Justices Adebayo Yusuf and Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, and Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, at separate sittings on Tuesday, convicted, and sentenced another set of five suspected internet fraudsters to various jail terms. The convicts are Evugbemu Emoefe Emmanuel, Osi Ayomide Shitu, Alade Abiodun, Adegoke Gbolahan and Shehu Abdugafar Bukola.

The charge against Evugbemu Emoefe Emmanuel reads: “That you, Evugbemu Emoefe Emmanuel (Alias: Lilian Trejo) sometime between November 2023 and April 2024 at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the High Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Lilian Trejo vide your Facebook messenger account and induced one Carl Perez to part with the sum of $1,300 US dollars through Cash App and Gift cards and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 324 of the same law.”

They pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them, following which EFCC lawyers, Innocent Mbachie, Andrew Akoja and Mustapha Kaigama, prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. The justices, in their separate judgments, convicted and sentenced them to various jail terms. Justice Yusuf sentenced Emmanuel to six months imprisonment without an option of fine and ordered that the sum of $1,3300 which was recovered from him as well as his phone and laptop be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge also sentenced Abiodun to six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine, while Shittu bagged two years imprisonment with an option of N300,000 fine. The court also ordered that the phones used as an instrument of the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Bukola to six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine and ordered the forfeiture of the sum of $150 and the phone used by the convict to perpetrate the crime. Justice Anyadike, in the same vein, sentenced Gbolahan to six months imprisonment each on the two counts brought against him with an option of N100,000, on each count.

The court also ordered that the convict’s iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy S8, and MacBook laptop be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Source: Daily Post

Five persons were confirmed to have been killed in attacks that occurred on Wednesday in two separate communities in Taraba State.

The attacks took place in Gashaka and Wukari local government councils. While that of Gashaka that led to the killing of three persons occurred in Mayo-Sabere in Mai-Idanu ward, the Wukari incident which claimed two farmers, took place in the Rafin-Kada community.

Those killed in Gashaka are Mallam Adamu Yahya, 70, Abdu Yahaya, 52 and Nuhu Yahya, 42. The identities of the two farmers could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report. Wukari council chairman, Ismaila Dauda, who made the confirmation, told DAILY POST that the attack on the farmers was carried out by Tiv militias. “It is true; two persons were killed while working in their farms by Tiv militias. I pray God Almighty will grant them eternal rest and comfort us all in Jesus’ name,” he stated.

While urging the people of the community to distance themselves from acts that would lead to reprisal attacks, the leadership of the council in collaboration with the security operatives, he said, were working round the clock to track down the militias. “May I seize this opportunity to appeal to all the good people of Wukari not to take laws into their hands and allow the security agencies to investigate this issue and come up with their findings,” he begged.

Sources from Gashaka council, who spoke with our reporter, said apart from the three persons killed, several people also sustained various degrees of injuries. They also blamed the rangers of the Gumti National Park for the attack in Gashaka. Acting Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo Kwache confirmed the incidents. “It was confirmed that two persons were killed in Wukari and three in Gashaka,” he disclosed. The cases, according to her, “are still under investigation and efforts are on top gear to apprehend the culprits.”

Source: Daily Post

Two people were confirmed dead, while 16 people reportedly survived the recent cholera outbreak in parts of Rivers State.

The State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, who disclosed this in a press statement she personally signed in Port Harcourt on Thursday, clarified that as of the time of the address, there were no cases of cholera in the state. Oreh explained that the incident in the state was recorded in three communities within Andoni Local Government Area, stating that the two people died with symptoms suspicious of cholera.

The health commissioner stated that all the cases were recorded within the past four weeks while the ailment was ravaging other states of the nation, adding that two people tested positive for the ravaging ailment. She said: “Cholera remains a major public health concern, particularly in sub–Saharan Africa. Nigeria, and indeed, Rivers State, have not been spared from sporadic cases of especially short-lived rural outbreaks.  “Regarding the past four weeks in the state, we have had about 16 suspected cases of acute watery diarrhoea across three communities in coastal areas of Andoni Local Government Area, with two associated deaths.  “The scenario was rapidly resolved, and two samples tested positive for cholera by screening tool with a rapid diagnostic test (not confirmed by culture).”

Oreh opined that currently there are no known active cases of cholera in the state, but urged residents of the state to maintain good hygiene. She said, “So far, there are currently no active cases or any outbreak of cholera or acute water diarrhoea in the state. Using seasonal outbreak modelling, we have pre-positioned commodities around historical hot spots, built capacity of health personnel, and commenced community health education for safe hygienic practices.  “State surveillance is at an all high for triggers and suspected cases. The infectious disease treatment centre at Rivers State University, which is marked for upgrade to an infectious disease institute, is ready and able to manage cases in the case of any eventuality. 

Source: Daily Post

Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command have arrested 143 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers in different parts of the state between May and June 2024. The State Commissioner of Police, Audu Dabigi stated this while addressing a press conference at the Police Headquarters in Kaduna on Thursday, where assorted weapons recovered by the operatives were displayed.

The arrested suspects, he said, comprised 73 armed robbers and 70 bandits including their “wanted” marabout identified as Bello who was nabbed while preparing charms for some bandits for onward operations. He added that no fewer than nine bandits were killed by operatives of the command in the past two months. Dabigi said weapons recovered from the suspects include five AK-47 Rifles, seven locally-made arms and 1,817 rounds of live ammunition. He added that 985 suspected phone snatchers, eight suspected car thieves and a suspected railway vandal, were also arrested in the state in the last two months.

The Commissioner was flanked by the state Commissioner Overseeing the internal Security and Home Affairs Ministry, Samuel Aruwan and other top officials of the command during the media briefings. The CP said, “On 20th June 2024 at about 1400hrs, the Operation Yaki Tracking and Response Team acted promptly on intelligence. The team tracked and arresteda the most wanted spiritual leader identified as one Mallam Ali Bello ‘m’ 47 years old in his shrine located around the Kidandan Forest. The team also arrested a confessed kidnapper, one Usman Ibrahim, 35 years old, who was seeking spiritual assistance.”

The police boss noted that the modest achievements were a result of the hard work and dedication of operatives of the command towards ensuring a crime-free state. This was as he thanked the state governor, Uba Sani, for his continuous support and commitment to enhancing the security of the state, noting that his collaboration with the police had been key to the command’s efforts to maintain peace and order across the state. “These achievements are part of the testament to the hard work and dedication of the officers and men of the Kaduna State Police Command. We remain committed to serving and protecting the people of Kaduna State with integrity and professionalism.

“Our achievements would not have been possible without the cooperation of our sister security agencies. Their dedication and teamwork have been crucial in our joint operations and successes. “I express my appreciation to the traditional institutions and stakeholders of Kaduna State. Your wisdom, guidance, and community engagement have played a significant role in our efforts to ensure security and stability,” the Commissioner stated.

Source: Punch

Police in Ekiti State have arrested about twenty persons for their alleged involvement in last week’s killings and other crimes in the state.

The trio were said to be responsible for the killing of the Okada Riders Association ticketing officer, a petty trader and two other persons killed in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) returnee and jail-break escapee named Omotuyi Temitope was also arrested for armed robbery.

Parading the suspects alongside seventeen other suspects arrested for various offences to newsmen yesterday at the command headquarters,  the police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the recent fracas among rival secret cult group members, especially the Supreme “Eiye” Confraternity and the Black Axe “Aiye” Confraternity in Ado-Ekiti led  to serious unrest as well as killing and robbing of innocent citizens.

He said, “The command activated a full-scale manhunt to arrest the perpetrators, bring them to justice and restore a peaceful atmosphere.

“Through this, the Command RRS Operatives, acting on a credible tip-off, arrested one Aluko Olamide in Ado-Ekiti on 23/06/2024. A search was conducted in his house, and three mobile phones, six ATM cards and thirty-two different SIM cards belonging to victims were recovered”.

Source: Leadership

The Anambra State Government, through the task force team of Operation Clean And Healthy Anambra, has raided a suspected fake drug production factory and also arrested six persons operating at the facility.

The factory, located in Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, was sealed during the raid and the arrest of the owner of the factory, one Chinwe Chukwurah. Chukwurah was apprehended for manufacturing, packaging, distributing, and selling a range of substandard and counterfeit paracetamol and Flagyl products.

The Managing Director of OCHA Brigade, Celestine Anere, who briefed journalists on Thursday, said that the agency while carrying out its daily routine activities, stumbled on the fake drug factory and, upon investigation, found out that the company has existed for years and has been selling the fake drugs across the state. Anere said, “The facility has been sealed off until further notice as investigations continue by the state Ministry of Health and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control on the drugs and licence of the factory.

“The unhygienic environment of the facility is condemnable for production of drugs. During the raid, six persons were arrested and they have been handed over to the police for further interrogation and prosecution.”

He also disclosed that the police have arrested some persons who are bent on destroying the newly constructed roads and drainages by constructing culverts without approval and supervision by the state Ministry of Works. “Such attitudes endanger the lifespan of the roads, it creates room for destruction by flood which currently has reduced. Anyone caught trespassing into any sealed-off area or facility will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” he added.

Source: Punch

The Kenyan High Court has approved the use of military force to restore order, following days of anti-tax protests that at some point overwhelmed police.

More than 20 people have reportedly been killed in the nationwide protests that are largely led by young people opposed to government plans to increase taxes. Armoured military vehicles patrolled streets in the capital, Nairobi, on Thursday as police fired tear gas to disperse protesters, who had threatened to storm the presidential palace.

A judge said that the military deployment was critical to protect government installations but gave the authorities two days to clarify how long the deployment would last, along with its rules of engagement. “To deploy the military in a blanket manner without defining their scope of operation and the duration of their operation is a dangerous trend that can bring about militarisation of the country,” ruled Justice Lawrence Mugambi.

The Law Society of Kenya, which had petitioned the court to order the army back to the barracks, said it “respects but disagrees” with the ruling. President William Ruto on Wednesday bowed to pressure and said he would withdraw the finance bill containing the unpopular tax proposals, a day after parliament was briefly stormed and set ablaze by angry protesters.

Isaac Mwaura, the government spokesman, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the withdrawal of the bill was a “huge blow to the government as it left a “big hole” in the budget. “It is really a big setback,” Mr Mwaura said, blaming “misinformed” Kenyans for opposing it.

“There was a very well choreographed campaign, both locally and internationally, to misinform and disinform people so that they can create a revolt,” he added. The finance bill was aimed at raising taxes to help relieve the country’s debt burdens, as demanded by lenders including the International Monetary Fund. Many protesters doubt if the president will implement the austerity measures he announced on Wednesday.

They have also been angered by reports of arbitrary abductions of protesters and the killing of at least 23 people. Some are now calling on the president to step down. State agents have been accused of abducting hundreds of people linked to the protests. The state-funded Kenya National Human Rights Commission said it had helped secure the release of more than 300 people who had been “illegally detained”. But Mr Mwaura denied this, saying “criminal elements who wanted a coup d’etat” had tried to take advantage of the peaceful protests.

Source: BBC

Gaza’s civil defence agency says three of its medics were killed by Israeli aircraft and 12 others wounded while they carried out rescue efforts in central Bureij refugee camp. Residents in Gaza City are “running through the streets in terror” with dead and wounded left lying on the ground after Israel’s army attacked the eastern Shujayea neighbourhood.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran is “fighting us from seven fronts” using regional armed groups, warning “whoever does such a thing to us simply won’t be here“. UNICEF says Israel agreed to restore power at a key desalination plant in southern Khan Younis, which could meet minimum needs of nearly one million people desperate for potable water. At least 37,765 people have been killed and 86,429 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139 with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.

Source: Aljazeera

Residents of Torough community in Ukum Local Goverment Area of Benue State are now selling their farm produce to raise the N20 million tax slammed on them by bandits or face serious attack. Sources in the community told journalists that the local militias have threatened to unleash an attack on the community if the money is not paid in the next few days.

As a result of the threat, our correspondent learnt that residents of the community had shared the amount with each house to contribute N50,000. One of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being killed said, “Already, the money has been shared according to household, but the least amount is N50,000.

So This Happened (252) review organised labour request for new minimum wage, others “Some have started disposing of their farm produce and livestock to raise the levy, while others have contacted their relatives outside to raise the levy so as to avert the attack of the bandits.”

The source added that nobody in the village, including the village head, would dare report the matter to the security so as not to anger the local militias. Another source hinted that the authority of the local government is aware of the development. Ukum LGA is the flashpoint of criminality in the state where killings and kidnapping reign supreme.

Recall that prominent people, including the state Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Matthew Abo, as well as past local government chairmen, have at one time been kidnapped in the local government. When contacted, chairman of the local government, Victor Iorzaa, confirmed the development and said that he had reported the situation to the police and state security council. The chairman identified a notorious militia leader, Full Fire, as the person behind the development

Iorzaa said, “The report is true, and the person behind it is Full Fire. He was the person that connived with Fulani recently to attack our people; he has been working with Fulani people and terrorising the area for the past five years. “He is a bandit. If you remember, two weeks ago, the military launched an attack on his house. “The people of the area are living in fear that the community is the most troubled place in the LG. If one is going to the village, don’t be surprised that before you get there, the person will be attacked.

“I have reported the matter to the police and also the state security council. Full Fire lives at the border community with Taraba State. ” While  commending the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, for his efforts at combating crime in the state, the local government chairman also applauded security operatives for curtailing the excesses of the militias. He added, “But security operatives are doing their best to curtail them.”

Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, said if such a thing happened, it would not have been reported to the command. Also, the Security Adviser to the Governor, Joseph Har, said bandits were on the run in the state and could not have the luxury of collecting tax from the villagers. Har said Alia’s administration was doing everything possible to mitigate activities of bandits, kidnappers, and militias, amongst others, in the State. Har said, “The issue of this illegal levy has become a common practice with bandits everywhere worldwide because they use it to survive. However, only an irresponsible government will fold its hands to allow that callous thing to happen.

Source: Punch