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Aregbesola Pays Surprise Visit To Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre … says 61,000 Boko Haram Suspects Held in the North East

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Officers and men of the Nigeria security forces and paramilitary agencies in the country have been advised to remain vigilant and continually remain on the watch to be able to defeat criminal elements terrorising the country.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, stated this on Tuesday when he paid a surprise visit to the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium Security Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos state.

“We must acknowledge our servicemen and security agencies, who have sacrificed a lot to make this possible. We must equally charge them to remain eternally vigilant and continuously evolve strategies. And to define these strategies, we have to make decisions based not on fear, but on hard-earned wisdom.

“I have also informed our officers and men here that they must fight to defend our institutions, territory and constitution. It also applies to all others wherever they are posted in Nigeria. The ragtag groups of opportunist must not be allowed to attack our institutions and get away. They must not live to tell the story,” Ogbeni Aregbesola stated.

On the part of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Minister directed that the management of the Service should improve its efforts on intelligence gathering and acting on such information garnered, saying it is the panacea to solving the problem of incessant Custodial Centres attacks.

“So far, no jail break by inmates has been successful, we have successfully quelled all of them. What we have reoccurring since the #EndSars protests of October 2020, has been a mass of people attacking our facilities from outside and setting the inmates free.

“However, I have now directed the Controller General of the NCoS to double his efforts on intelligence gathering to fortify and prevent breaches to the Custodial Centres beyond the use of arms and force,” Ogbeni Aregbesola informed the press.

The minister further stated that the country is on the path to totally defeating Boko Haram terrorists and other criminals ravaging the country, stating that many of them have been arrested, especially in the north east.

“Today, a core of the criminal elements and insurgents across the country are on a path to defeat, they have been heavily degraded. Over 61,000 of them are in our custody in the North-East.

“Our assurance to Nigerians is that we shall rise above these challenges and emerge stronger and more resilient,” the Minister assured.

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PTD, NUPENG, deny purported strike action

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The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has denied the news making the rounds that it will exit the umbrella body and embark on a nationwide protest to enforce the resignation of the NUPENG’s President, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale. 

The statement which was credited to one Gbenga Olawale who was said to be a PTD Ibadan depot ex-officio. He directed in the statement that PTD members across the country should move with leaves in front of their trucks to warn NUPENG and police against interference and incessant harassment of their leaders.

However in a swift response to the statement of the purported unrest, the National Chairman of the PTD Comrade Augustine Egbon dismissed any form of planned protest. 
According to the statement by Egbon he urge the public to disregard any protest statement, in his words “I wish to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals to cause unfounded and dangerous panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the Country through spreading of fake and false news items. 

‘The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us” He said.
He declared further that there is no division in their Union and the Branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers. As all members are fully committed and united in their collective struggles as believe that workers united, can never be defeated. 

”The general public are implored to ignore these mischief makers and Security Agencies are hereby called upon to fully investigate this panic creating news items as the citizens are already going through enough tough times and situations.’ He added.

Sources within the Ibadan Branch of the PTD have also revealed those behind the news of the protest are not original members of the Union, a member who would not like to be mentioned explained that Gbenga Olawale and Adekunle Rufai are not bonafide members of the PTD and that their names are not on the list of the Ibadan depot executives of the PTD and also not on the list of ex-officio of the PTD as they claimed.

The crisis was due to the issues emanating from the outcome of the leadership election into the umbrella union the NUPENG, where Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, emerged as President and General Secretary as Against Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga being supported by another group. The crisis is to solicit legitimacy for their various faction even amongst the PTD branch

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Nation

PTD, NUPENG, deny purported strike action

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The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has denied the news making the rounds that it will exit the umbrella body and embark on a nationwide protest to enforce the resignation of the NUPENG’s President, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale. 

The statement which was credited to one Gbenga Olawale who was said to be a PTD Ibadan depot ex-officio. He directed in the statement that PTD members across the country should move with leaves in front of their trucks to warn NUPENG and police against interference and incessant harassment of their leaders.

However in a swift response to the statement of the purported unrest, the National Chairman of the PTD Comrade Augustine Egbon dismissed any form of planned protest. 
According to the statement by Egbon he urge the public to disregard any protest statement, in his words “I wish to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals to cause unfounded and dangerous panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the Country through spreading of fake and false news items. 

‘The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us” He said.
He declared further that there is no division in their Union and the Branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers. As all members are fully committed and united in their collective struggles as believe that workers united, can never be defeated. 

”The general public are implored to ignore these mischief makers and Security Agencies are hereby called upon to fully investigate this panic creating news items as the citizens are already going through enough tough times and situations.’ He added.

Sources within the Ibadan Branch of the PTD have also revealed those behind the news of the protest are not original members of the Union, a member who would not like to be mentioned explained that Gbenga Olawale and Adekunle Rufai are not bonafide members of the PTD and that their names are not on the list of the Ibadan depot executives of the PTD and also not on the list of ex-officio of the PTD as they claimed.

The crisis was due to the issues emanating from the outcome of the leadership election into the umbrella union the NUPENG, where Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, emerged as President and General Secretary as Against Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga being supported by another group. The crisis is to solicit legitimacy for their various faction even amongst the PTD branch.

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Presidential Yacht: Senate Halts Procurement as OGD Intervene

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The Nigerian Navy has halted the plan to procure a multi-billion Naira presidential yacht which has sparked widespread controversy. 
The suspension of the presidential yacht, it was reliably gathered, followed the intervention by the Senate Committee Chairman on Navy, Senator Olugbenga Daniel. 
Although President Bola Tinubu was not privy to the decision to buy the yacht which was listed under the Nigerian Navy’s proposed capital expenditure in the N2.1 trillion supplementary budget submitted to the National Assembly, authoritative sources revealed yesterday that the procurement plan has been shelved.
According to media reports, a sum of N5.09 billion was allocated for the yacht while N2.9 billion was earmarked for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the Presidential Villa.
The reports added that a sum of N2.9 billion was proposed for the replacement of operational vehicles for the Presidency.
As the reports continued to generate angry reactions among Nigerians, this newspaper gathered on Thursday that the Senate promptly waded in to douse growing tension. 
An impeccable source, who is familiar with the development but not authorised to speak to the media on the matter, confirmed that Senator Daniel actually met with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to discuss the burning issue. 
The source stated that it was regrettable that the yacht, which is an operational boat with specialised security gadgets, was mired in controversy. 
According to him, the equipment was ordered by the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. 
The source, however, revealed that the yacht had been replaced with more critical equipment required to support operational efforts against oil theft, oil bunkering, and pipeline vandalism. 
He said, “The yacht is an operational boat but with specialised security gadgets suitable for high profile operational inspection, not necessarily for Mr President. 
“It was ordered by the previous administration and the equipment delivered though not yet paid for.
“It was part of the committed obligation submitted by the office of the Chief of Naval Staff to the Ministry of Defence, the total of the submitted requests was in excess of N200billion out which no more than N62billion was graciously approved by the President. 
“At a meeting between Senator Gbenga Daniel, as the Chairman Senate Committee on Navy and the Chief of Naval Staff this morning, the priority list was reevaluated and the yacht has been replaced with more critical equipment required to further support operational efforts against oil theft, oil bunkering, and pipeline vandalism etc.”

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