The Niger State Police Command has arrested seven suspects for various offences, including an informant in connection with the kidnapping of four victims and killing of two among the victims in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
It would be recalled that on 14/11/2021 at about 2000hrs, suspected armed bandits invaded Tegina town, Rafi Local Government Area, shooting sporadically and abducted four persons into Kagara forest which include one Aminu Garba and others.
The Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun said upon the receipt of this information, the Command mobilised and drafted a combined team of tactical squad comprised of anti-kidnapping unit, FIB tactical squad and vigilante members to the area.
He said as a result of the sustained operational pressure on the hoodlums, two victims later escaped from the abductors, while the remaining two others were still in captivity, including the said Aminu Garba.
Abiodun said the remaining two victims, t Aminu Garba and one other were killed by the kidnappers after collecting a ransom of N13m.
He said on 29/08/2022, based on technical intelligence, one Nasiru Musa aged 30yrs ‘m’ of Tegina was arrested within Tegina town in connection with the crime.
Abiodun said during interrogation, the suspect confessed to have conspired with one Lelwi presently at large who connected him with one Gwaskan-Daji also at large and several others to kidnap the victims and collected the ransom.
Abiodun said he claimed that he benefitted two hundred thousand naira only from the crime proceed and he was also planning to kidnap the Council Chairman of Rafi Local Government Area before his arrest, adding that the case is under investigation.
He said on 20/08/2022 at about 1700hrs, the Command tactical team based at Dikko junction in collaboration with FIB squad, during a sting operation at Dikko arrested one Umar Shehu aged 31yrs ‘m’ of Bakori, Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Abiodun said the suspect was arrested at Dikko Junction, Gurara Local Government Area based on a credible intelligence, having identified and suspected him as a notorious arms dealer who supplies arms/ammunition to different bandits’ camps in Katsina, Kaduna and Niger State.
He said during interrogation, he confessed to have supplied arms and ammunition to bandits in Madaki forest Katsina, Ganai camp in Maidaro forest Kaduna and a syndicate member terrorizing Kwamba/Maje area of Suleja.
Abiodun also said the suspect confessed further to have purchased arms from Abdulmani ‘m’ of Taraba State who was neutralised in Kaduna by FIB squad early this year.
He claimed that he got one hundred thousand naira from every 500 ammunition he delivered to any bandit’s camp and the case is also under investigation.
US Department of Labour announces availability of $4m funding to tackle child labour in W/African agriculture
The United State Department of Labour has announced the availability of up to $4 million in funding to support the Economic Community of West African states and the government of Nigeria in her efforts to address child labour in agricultural communities.
Administered by the Bureau of International Labour Affairs, this funding opportunity will finance a project to increase the capacity of ECOWAS to implement its regional action plan and mobilize ECOWAS member states to implement national action plans to eliminate child labour.
The project will support efforts to reduce child labour at the regional level in West Africa and at the country level within Nigeria. The project will also support community-level activities in Nigeria’s Ondo State through implementation of community action plans to reduce child labour.
The Department intends to scale up and replicate effective interventions from this project to additional ECOWAS member states in a subsequent funding cycle.
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