FG Seeks Citizens’ Support to Continue to Deradicalise, Rehabilitate Contrite Insurgents
•Lagos police vow to dismantle criminal networks, parades 98 suspects
•Anambra command arrests supplier of food to gunmen, recovers pistol, live ammunition
Segun James in Lagos, David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Federal Government has appealed to citizens to support the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of repentant terrorists, notwithstanding the stiff opposition in certain quarters to such counterterrorism measures.
This was as the newly-appointed Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Ishola Olanrewaju, has vowed to smoke out criminals and their networks, adding that his team was battle-ready to rid the state of all criminals.
At the same time, the police in Anambra State have arrested a man, who was supplying food to gunmen in their camps in various bushes in the state.
The Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, addressing a press conference to unveil the activities lined up to mark the 2025 armed forces remembrance day celebration, pledged to continue with its soft approach to counterterrorism and insurgency in the country.
He said through the defence headquarters, ministry of defence and relevant agencies, the federal government would continue to deradicalise and rehabilitate repentant insurgents to live peaceful and productive lives.
He explained that this strategy was aimed at employing the carrot and stick or kinetic and non-kinetic approach to the warfare.
“It is gladdening to note that scores of insurgents have been surrendering and renouncing terrorism. We will therefore continue to call for cooperation from our citizens who are rightly aggrieved by the past deeds of these repentant insurgents.
“We all have to realise and appreciate the need to quickly end this war to usher in an era of peace and mutual coexistence for the development of our beloved fatherland, “he said.
Abubakar averred that the losses occasioned by this war on insurgency in terms of human, infrastructure and material resources incurred were huge, hence the need for an end to the ugly scenario.
He said the armed forces of Nigeria had risen up to these challenges irrespective of the costs paid by the troops. “When bandits and criminals formulate new techniques and establish new bases when dislodged, the armed forces have continued to adopt new strategies and switch up their tactics to take the battle to their doorsteps.
“Rest assured, we will continue to prioritise the welfare, training, and equipment needs of our troops to maintain their operational readiness and efficiency even as we look forward to adopting a proactive approach to combating our security challenges by harnessing our intelligence resources and having stronger partnerships with our West African neighbours,” the minister said.
Noting that the war on insurgency has led to lots of security challenges threatening the corporate existence of the nation, Abubakar assured the people that the government would continue to equip the armed forces with combat capabilities, training and equipment with a view to reducing to the barest minimum, causalities due to operations.
Lagos Police Command Dismantles Criminal Networks, Parades 98 Suspects
The newly-appointed Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Ishola Olanrewaju, has vowed to smoke out criminals and their networks, even as he said that his team is battle-ready to rid the state of all criminals.
This was as operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps conducted a raid at Oshodi, arresting 30 miscreants, including a female, while ridding the state of miscreants.
Olanrewaju assumed duty as the 40th Commissioner of Police at the state command on September 18th made this declaration during his inaugural media briefing at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja, where he paraded 98 suspected criminals.
He emphasised a proactive approach to crime-fighting, detailing his team’s readiness to dismantle criminal networks across Lagos.
He also announced a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other transport unions to tackle “one-chance” robberies operating in commercial buses across the state.
“Whoever enters a bus must know the bus they are boarding,” he said, highlighting the importance of this initiative in ensuring public safety.
These operations, he noted, resulted in the arrest of suspects involved in various crimes, including armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.
Significant seizures were made, including weapons, narcotics, stolen goods, firearms, ammunition, $402 in cash, and 39 bags of stolen rice—highlighting the extensive reach of organized crime into everyday life.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Water and Environmental Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a Twitter post said the suspects were arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, with 12 of the miscreants receiving a 3-week imprisonment sentence, while the remaining 18 were ordered to perform community service.
“30 miscreants including a female were arrested at Oshodi during an early morning raid by the operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps #LAGESCOfficial,”he wrote.
