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Insecurity: Ortom launches Community Volunteer Guards

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Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom
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To Get License for AK-47 and other Sophisticated Weapons

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has  the state’s security outfit known as Community Volunteer Guards on Thursday in Makurdi, the State Capital.

As he pledged that his administration would legally procure AK-47, AK-49 and other sophisticated weapons for the outfit to tackle uprising security challenges in the State.

The Governor disclosed that 500 personnel drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state were recruited in the first batch.

The new recruits were unveiled during the passing out parade held at IBB Square, Makurdi.

The governor said that his administration decided to constitute the security outfit due to the failure of federal government to disarm the fulani terrorists.

Ortom said, “Benue State has been especially targeted because of the historic episode of 1804, but also because my administration’s insistence on the Rule of Law rather than rule of terror and for always standing with my people in their refusal to surrender their land, identity and Judeo-Christian faith and values to the Islamization agenda.

“Given the fact that the Federal Government has consistently failed to disarm the Fulani terrorists who have continued to maim and kill our people at will, the State Government is going to apply for a License to legally procure AK47, AK49 and other sophisticated weapons for the Benue State Volunteers Guards to enable them tackle these murderous terrorists effectively.

“To do this effectively, the Benue State Government had approved a two-week capacity building programme for Five Hundred (500) personnel of the Community Volunteer Guards to learn some basic paramilitary aspects.

The training which began on 29th June, 2022 with five hundred (500) participants drawn from the 23 Local Government Areas and the three Senatorial Districts ended on 12th July, 2022.

Thirty operational vehicles and 200 Communication gadgets were procured to enable the Volunteer Guards function maximally.

“A date for the Batch 2 would also be announced as soon as possible.”

The governor expressed optimism that the unveiling of security outfit will improve the state, stressing, “The issue of banditry, kidnapping, robbery, and most of all, the issue of terrorists Fulani herdsmen attack would be reduced to the barest minimum.”

He assured that operations of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards would be strictly guided by the law and warned that any personnel found operating outside the said Law would be shown the way out forthwith.

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Defence and Security

Defence Minister Orders Operational Recalibration After Emergency Security Meeting

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Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa in meeting with Service Chiefs
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Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has directed an immediate recalibration of military operations across multiple theatres following an emergency combat audit with the country’s Service Chiefs.

The high-level meeting, held at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, reviewed the recent wave of brazen terrorist attacks and assessed the current military strategy against insurgents, bandits and other armed groups.

Speaking after the meeting, the defence minister said the Service Chiefs had been mandated to intensify and reorganise operations nationwide to dismantle the networks of terrorists and criminal gangs threatening national security.

He disclosed that commanders have been instructed to exercise direct, on-site leadership in various operational theatres to improve coordination and maintain sustained pressure on armed groups.

According to him, the meeting also carried out a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s national military strategy aimed at strengthening operational effectiveness and ensuring that ongoing missions deliver measurable results.

While noting that details of troop movements and tactical adjustments would remain classified for security reasons, Musa assured Nigerians that the armed forces are taking decisive steps to confront emerging threats.

He said the military has already recorded progress in recent operations, including the neutralisation of key terrorist commanders and the disruption of several insurgent networks.

The defence minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing military operations until terrorist and bandit groups are completely dismantled.

Musa assured citizens that the armed forces would maintain relentless pressure on criminal elements to restore stability and protect lives and property across the country.

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Defence and Security

Tinubu Swears in Tunji Disu as 23rd Inspector-General of Police

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Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday swore in Tunji Disu as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police (IGP), formalising his appointment as head of the Nigeria Police Force.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, ahead of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on March 4, 2026.

Disu’s inauguration followed his confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council on Monday, March 2. He succeeds Kayode Egbetokun, who recently resigned from office.

At the ceremony, President Tinubu also administered the oath of office to six commissioners of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and two commissioners of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

Dignitaries in attendance included Vice President Kashim Shettima; Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume; Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila; National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Esther Walson-Jack, among other senior government officials.

Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos State, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992, as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police. Over the course of his career, he has served in several operational, investigative, and strategic command roles across the country.

Prior to his appointment as IGP, Disu served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Special Protection Unit and the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Annex, Lagos.

He holds multiple qualifications in public administration, forensic investigation, criminology, security studies, legal psychology, and entrepreneurship, reflecting a career anchored on professional development and modern policing strategies.

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Defence and Security

Police Arrest Two Suspected Cultists, Recover Firearm at Ibadan Polytechnic

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Nigeria Police Force
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The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected cultists and recovered a firearm on the campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan following a tip-off from a concerned citizen.

The suspects, identified as 31-year-old Lawal Opeyemi, popularly known as “Aiki,” and 29-year-old Olaniyan Opeyemi, alias “Bojan,” both residents of the Apete area of Ibadan, were apprehended while allegedly planning an attack on a rival cult group within the institution.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alayande Olayinka, said a Good Samaritan alerted authorities to the presence of some young men reportedly moving around the campus with violent intentions. Operatives from the Sango Division responded swiftly, leading to the arrest of the two suspects.

Items recovered from them include a locally made double-barrelled pistol, two live cartridges, and a black bag containing charms.

During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to involvement in cult activities and identified themselves as members of the Eiye Confraternity. Preliminary investigations suggest they may have been linked to previous cult-related clashes within the institution.

The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Femi Haruna, has directed that the suspects be transferred to the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit for further investigation and possible prosecution.

He commended members of the public and officers involved for their prompt action and urged parents and guardians to discourage their wards from joining secret cult groups.

The Command reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on cultism and violent crimes, stressing that continued collaboration between the police and the community remains vital in maintaining security.

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