Police, army lose three personnel in Borno

• NCC empowers start-ups to combat banditry
• NAWOJ offers to help Buhari end insecurity

Two mobile policemen and a soldier have lost their lives during joint counter-terrorism operations by the military and police in Abadam Local Council of Borno State.

The operations came three days after Governor Babagana Zulum’s visit to Abadam and Malam Fatori was cut short by suspected Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.

Zulum was preparing to return over 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking refuge at Bosso, Niger Republic, next month. Lamenting the loss of security personnel, yesterday, in Maiduguri, the Commander of the Borno police crack team, CSP Mohammed Ibrahim, disclosed that the joint clearance operation team came under fierce fire in the early hours of Wednesday.

He added that the operations were on the order of the governor to mobilise 500 security personnel to facilitate return of IDPs to Abadam and Malam Fatori communities on the shores of Lake Chad.

“The gallant role played by our crack team helped in pushing back the terrorists. But we lost two of our MOPOL and a soldier during the gun battle with the terrorists which lasted for about one hour.”

HOWEVER, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given N20 million grant to four indigenous start-ups to develop Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to combat banditry and for effective e-waste management.

Speaking at the presentation of the grants to the winners of the 2021 NCC IoT Code Camp and Hackathon, yesterday, in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the nation was going through a phase in its quest for growth, amid social, environmental and security challenges such as banditry and militancy.

Two of the four companies, which received N5 million each, are expected to develop digital solutions to help in addressing insecurity, while the remaining two have been mandated to develop digital solutions for managing the growing e-waste in the country.

THE President of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ladi Bala, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and security operatives to end insecurity in the country.

Bala made the appeal at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and National Security Summit of NAWOJ in Lafia, Nasarawa State, with the theme ‘National Interest Amidst Insecurity – Role of the Media’.

She said the high level of criminal activities orchestrated by bandits and agitators of different shades is quite worrisome and unacceptable.

“Our schools and other institutions have suddenly turned into industries where unknown criminals go to kidnap innocent students and demand millions of naira as ransom, while others are murdered after collecting huge amount.

“The economy of our nation is shrinking, peace and harmony are being eroded, while government programmes and policies are becoming suspicious, creating lack of confidence,” she said.

Noting that in addressing the insecurity in the country, the summit would support with strategies. In a welcome remark, Governor Abdullahi Sule commended NAWOJ for choosing Nasarawa as venue of the security discourse.