Nigeria Police arrest 2,740 suspected murderers, kidnappers

The Nigeria Police Force says its operatives have arrested no fewer than 2,740 suspects for various crimes across the country in the past one month.

Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi said in a statement on Tuesday night that the arrests followed the commitment by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, who vowed to ensure that the perpetrators of heinous crimes in Nigeria were brought to book.

According to the statement, between August and September, operatives of the NPF arrested 295-armed robbery suspects, 186 kidnappers, 271 Murder/Homicide suspects, and 71 suspects for the unlawful possession of firearms.

Olumuyiwa also stated that 199 suspects were nabbed for sexual-related offences, 143 suspects for cultism, and 1575 suspects arrested for other crimes.

He said the Force also recovered 185 firearms, 4087 ammunition of various calibres and 111 vehicles, stating that about 129 kidnapped victims were also rescued.

The statement added that in more recent events, the operatives also dismantled and arrested a gunrunning syndicate operating in the Bauchi-Plateau region.

“The suspects, identified as Taimako Mato, John Danladi, Mohammed Munkail, Manasseh William, and Muhammadu Haddi were arrested with 1 PKT Machine Gun, 40 rounds of 37.2mm and 95rounds of 62mm cartridge ammunition.

“The Leader of the syndicate, Taimako Mato, was a weapon handling instructor at a Boko Haram Camp, who procures these prohibited weapons and passes them on to the other members of the syndicate to sell to various buyers”, Olumuyiwa said. 

By Ochogwu Sunday, Daily Post

Related story: Government of Nigeria secures release of over 1,000 kidnapped people

UN agencies assist families affected by floods

Heavy rains have ravaged 30 of the country’s 36 states, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday.

The Government has reported 269 deaths so far, while over a million people have been affected and more than 640,000 are now displaced.
 

Major dam breach

Nigeria is among a handful of West African countries that have been hit by torrential rains that have triggered devastating flooding, impacting millions across the region.

The northeastern town of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state and a major humanitarian hub, is at the epicentre of the crisis there.

Rains caused a breach in nearby Alau Dam, causing severe flooding that has uprooted more than 400,000 people in recent days.

Half of Maiduguri has been submerged and most residents have lost everything. Many had already been displaced by conflict or the effects of climate change.
 

Displaced once again

The UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Arjun Jain, said the floods have compounded years of prior displacement, food insecurity and economic hardship, with disastrous consequences.

“Communities which, after years of conflict and violence, had started rebuilding their lives were struck by the floods and once again displaced,” he told journalists attending the regular UN humanitarian briefing in Geneva.
 

Assistance to families

In response to the crisis, UNHCR and partners have been working tirelessly to support those affected.

Staff are providing tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and other essential items. Emergency cash assistance is also being given to single-parent families, people with disabilities and families with young children to help them purchase food and other necessities.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has set up food kitchens in four camps in Maiduguri, where families can get nutritious meals of rice and beans.

WFP is ramping up support across West Africa, where torrential rains have unleashed catastrophic floods impacting over four million people in 14 countries.

The agency is providing people in hard-hit areas in Chad, Liberia, Mali and Niger with emergency cash and food assistance.

At the same time, WFP is calling for investments in early warning systems, disaster risk financing and other measures to help mitigate flood and climate risks.
 

Urgent action required

Back in Nigeria, UNHCR warned, however, that supplies there are quickly depleting meaning the agency can only meet less than 10 per cent of the urgent needs.

“When the floodwaters finally recede, thousands of families will face the daunting task of returning to homes that have been destroyed. They will need significant support to rebuild homes, livelihoods, and a sense of normalcy,” said Mr. Jain.

In the meantime, the UN and partners are collecting more data to help assess and address the overall needs.

“But we cannot afford to wait,” he warned. “The urgency of this crisis requires immediate action and increased support for flood-affected families, in Maiduguri and elsewhere in Nigeria.”

Mr. Jain said there are currently 3.6 million internally displaced people in Nigeria, mostly in the northeast, and the country hosts almost 100,000 asylum-seekers and refugees.

UNHCR is seeking $107.1 million for operations there this year, but he said the appeal was just 28 per cent funded by the end of August.

UN News 

Related story: UN diverts $8 million in humanitarian funding to Nigeria flood response

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Environmental regulators linked the issues to a hydrogen chloride leak at a refinery in Kaduna State. They added it could take between 5 to 10 years to reverse the effects of the acid released into the soil.

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UN diverts $8 million in humanitarian funding to Nigeria flood response

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has approved the immediate release of $8 million dollars to support victims in flood ravaged Maiduguri, in Nigeria's Borno state. Severe flooding there last week killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of thousands of others.

Mohammed Malick Fall, the U.N. resident coordinator, announced the new funding to journalists in Maiduguri while visiting flood victims over the weekend.

The visit was to assess the extent of damage caused by the flooding and to ramp up lifesaving assistance.

Fall announced the allocation of $8 million from the humanitarian fund to support disaster response and management.

"We're all behind you not only in sympathy but in solidarity. We will not spare any of our resources in this response,” Fall said. “Probably we might not be where we want it to be in terms of resources, but as we speak, we'll try to refocus resources that have been designed for some other intervention to see how we can bring them toward scaling up and speeding up this response. We'll prioritize our response around the immediate need."

The U.N. has provided hot meals and facilitated food air drops in hard-to-reach areas cut off by flood waters.

Last Thursday, a dam burst caused millions of liters of water to pour into communities in Maiduguri. State authorities say the flood killed dozens of people and affected more than 1 million others.

Many are taking shelter in camps. The disaster follows an alarming malnutrition crisis caused by conflict, climate change and inflation in the region.

Local residents say food prices have skyrocketed as a result of flood waters washing out access roads and markets and farms.

Borno state Governor Babagana Umara Zulum told journalists the full extent of damage remains unknown.

"The unfortunate flood incident is perhaps the most devastating acute disaster that our state has suffered as far as we can remember,” Zulum said. “Many bridges are damaged and we're yet to assess the integrity of the bridges that form the main link between the two major parts of the city.”

Zulum added that the flood hit the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, which has the most up-to-date medical diagnostic and therapeutic equipment in West Africa. The status and function of the equipment has yet to be ascertained.

Borno state is the heartland region of the Boko Haram terror group. The group's 15-year insurgency has sparked one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

But the U.N. said Nigeria's Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria, seeking $927 million dollars, is only about 46% funded.

In 2022, Nigeria's worst flooding in a decade killed more than 600 people and displaced 1.4 million.

On Monday, the Nigerian Correctional Services announced a manhunt for more than 280 escapees from a prison destroyed by the flooding.

By Timothy Obiezu, VOA