*Police Foil Attempt to 💣Bomb Edo Prison*

Men of Edo State Police command have foiled an attempt by some suspects to bomb Oko Prison in Benin with Improvised Explosive Device, IED, in their bid to set free some kidnappers held in the prison.

The State Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said some of the suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident, adding that security has been beefed up around prison formations in the State.

It was gathered that special police detective squad acted on intelligence report to foil the attack on the prison, leading to the arrest of some suspects.

Police sources said the arrested suspects were planning to bomb the prison to free some kidnappers remanded in the prison facility.

It was learnt that the suspects were armed with sophisticated weapons to kill the security operatives on duty and free their colleagues remanded in the prison.

“The suspects came to free the kidnapers of the managing director of Ogba Zoological garden, Mr Andy Ehanire, which four police were killed during the operation in 2017.

“They have made confessional statement about their mission.”

*Boko Haram: What Review🚗 of Auno Gate Closing Time⏱ Has Done – Drivers*

Long distance drivers on Yola, Maiduguri and Abuja, Maiduguri route Sunday commended the Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum and the GOC 7 division Nigeria Army, Major General Abdulmalik Biu, for their prompt response to the plight of travellers as well as drivers plying the Maiduguri, Damaturu road by reviewing the closing time of the Auno gate from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.

A driver with the Adamawa Sunshine, who identify himself as Modibo Umar, told DAILY POST that rate of accident due to speed to meet up with time of closure has drastically reduced following the review of the time.

“We usually leave Adamawa at 6:00 am, but because of the distance and checkpoints, driver always move on top speed in order to meet up. This has cause a lot of accidents and so many lives have been lost. But with the review of time now following the visit of the Borno state governor, drivers are moving within speed limit and there has not been cases of accident as before,” he said.

Another driver with the Borno Express, Malam Abubakar said checkpoints along the road where drivers have to wait in queue for ten and sometimes twenty minutes have been an issue for them meeting with the time of closure at Auno gate prior to the review of time.

“We thank all who speak out to move the governor to action and we thank the GOC also for given the order to review the time. We lost some of our drivers and passengers because of speed so that the gate is not closed before they arrive. Today, we are very happy with the new development. I just arrive with my passengers about 5:30pm when I check my time and the gate is wide open. The passengers too were very happy.” Abubakar said.

*Boko Haram👀 Gets Fresh Warning as 💥Insurgency in Nigeria Hits 🔟 Years*

Major General Bulama Biu, the General Officer Commanding 7 Div, Nigerian Army, has renewed call to Boko Haram to surrender their arms.

The 10-year long insurgency has caused displacement of over two million people, leaving thousands dead.

Biu made the call at an event organized in his honour on Saturday at the Command Guest House Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, the Borno capital.

President Muhammad Buhari recently approved accelerated promotion of Biu and other officers in view of their contributions in the counter-insurgency campaign.

Biu lamented that the insurgency had inflicted colossal damage on lives and property, and urged the insurgents to avail themselves the opportunities of the amnesty programme initiated by the Federal Government under the “Operation Safe Corridor”.

“You still have the opportunity to lay down your arms; the time to surrender is now, to enable you rejoin the society,” he said.

Biu warned that if the insurgents continued with their offensive, the military was ready to crush them.

*El-Zakzaky: Nigerian Shiites Issue🔊 Warning to Buhari*

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shiites) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to stop claiming that the fate of its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, lies with the courts not the federal government.

A statement on Sunday signed by the President Media Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim Musa wondered how the presidency would make such a claim, when since December 2016, a federal high court in Abuja, presided by Justice Kolawole freed Sheikh El-Zakzaky.

He said: “In December 2016 the Federal High Court in Abuja freed Sheikh Zakzaky from the illegal detention, ordered that he, along with his wife, be compensated to the tune of N50m, a house be provided for him in any part of the country he desires and security be provided for his protection.

“The Buhari government deliberately acted in contempt of court and refused to respect the judiciary. So which court is the presidency talking about that will decide the fate of our leader?”

The IMN further declared that the fresh court case instituted by the Kaduna state government was a mischievous plot to keep its leader in perpetual detention.

“That the government mischievously concocted a new case in Kaduna, three years after the Zaria massacre, accusing the leader of the movement whose wife was shot, three children were killed, elder sister and nephew were burned alive and he was also shot severally, of abetting homicide.

“This was followed by a case in which over 100 members of the movement were freed by the High Court in Kaduna with a ‘No Case Submission’ implying that the case was only a mischief of keeping the revered leader in illegal detention,” the statement added.

*Buhari, Ex-Presidents, Others ⚖Dragged to ICC*

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a petition to Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), urging her to investigate the problem of out-of-school children in Nigeria, and the failure of the Nigerian authorities over the years to address it.

The organization urged Mrs Bensouda to push for those suspected to be responsible, “including current president (Muhammadu Buhari) and former presidents and state governors since 1999, who directly or indirectly have individually and/or collectively breached their special duty toward children, and are therefore complicit in the crime, to be tried by the ICC.”

In the petition signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said investigating and prosecuting high-ranking Nigerian officials and providing reparations to victims will contribute to serving the best interests of Nigerian children, the most vulnerable citizens in our country, and ending the impunity that is denying them their right to education and a life free of violence and fear.

*Nigerians Emerge💫 Chairperson, 👔Secretary of Africa’s Security Services*

Two Nigerians have been appointed Chairperson of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) and Executive Secretary.

The unprecedented and historic appointments put the country at a great position to effectively use continental Intelligence Services to deal with security threats across Africa.

In his reaction, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, promised government’s maximum commitment to ensure that CISSA’s aims and objectives are achieved.

Mustapha spoke on Saturday at the end of the 16th Ordinary CISSA Conference at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Abuja.

He commended the Director-Generals and Heads of Africa’s Intelligence Agencies for electing the NIA Director-General, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar and Hajia Zainab Ali-Kotoko as its Chairperson and Secretary-General respectively.

While Abubakar took over as Chairperson from Amb. B.K. Likando of the Namibian Intelligence Service for a period of one year until the next conference in Cairo, Egypt, Ali-Kotoko replaced Mr. Shimeles W. Semayat, and will run the Ethiopian-based CISSA Secretariat for five years.

Mustapha said: “By your decision, Nigeria has ascended the position of Chairmanship for the next one year and you have also appointed Zainab Ali-Kotoko as the Executive Secretary of CISSA for the next five years.

“As Nigeria assumes the mantle of CISSA’s leadership for the 2019/2020 session, your collective focus should be on promoting shared goals and objectives and maximizing the impact of this organization across Africa.”