News - Borno residents allege sighting abducted French nationals

[TGD]

 Police arrest kidnap suspects

Navy, maritime sector meet over insecurity

THERE were speculations that the seven French nationals kidnapped at the Cameroun boarder were in the early hours of Thursday sighted at  Dikwa town in  Borno State.

In a related development, the Ebonyi State Police Command Thursday, said it has arrested three suspects in connection with the alleged kidnapping of a three-year old boy, Emmanuel Ejike from Iyioji community in Akaeze council of the state.

Also, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba has met with major stakeholders in the maritime sector on how to surmount the numerous security challenges currently confronting the country.

Meanwhile, worried by  the security challenges in the country, the Federal Government has unveiled plans to further exploit electronic security system to ensure safety.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, made this commitment  during the presentation of 3000 police stands and patrol vehicles by Mikano International Limited in Lagos.

A Dikwa community resident, who spoke under anonymity, said that the French nationals were seen being transferred into an unmarked vehicle on the Dikwa-Gambouru road when the one they were being transported broke down.

Dikwa is a border town with Cameroon and about 85 kilometres East of Maiduguri.

The source added: "I cannot tell which direction the vehicle zoomed off to on the Dikwa-Gambouru road, but seven white people were among those seen coming down from the broken vehicle and entering another."

Also speaking with The Guardian on the issue yesterday, the Borno State Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Babayo Alkali said: "I am just hearing it from you that some Dikwa residents sighted the abducted French nationals this morning. Well, security agencies, including our officers and men at the border posts with Cameroon are already at alert."

Unidentified persons had on February 4, 2013 kidnapped Emmanuel in front of his parent's house at Obulo-Iyioji village, Akaeze community, while disguised as customers to a shopkeeper there.

Briefing reporters on the development in his office, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Sylvester Igbo, stated that one Chioma Obi and Chinonso Chukwu ,both from Enugu State and another person (name withheld) had been arrested in connection with Ejike's abduction.

He added that the command had intensified efforts aimed at smashing the syndicate responsible for the serial abduction of children in Ivo council.

Igbo further noted that their Imo State counterpart had also arrested some suspects in connection with the kidnap of nine children in Ishiagu.

The meeting held at Naval headquarters Abuja provided a platform for the formulation of functional and effective strategies for improved security of the oil and gas resources and installations in the country.

Admiral Ezeoba, at the meeting, decried "the growing spate of illegalities" in Nigeria's maritime environment especially the cases of crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, piracy and militancy.

These, Ezeoba noted, "have constituted a threat to our national security and economic survival. These vices have further given the country image among the comity of nations. It is instructive to note that whereas illegalities in the offshore areas appear to be on the increase despite the presences of multiple security agencies within the environment."

Abubakar said all efforts were in place to introduce many more safety gadgets that would aid policing the society.

According to him, the Police was presently facing challenges such as insufficient sophisticated equipment, training and manpower.

He said: "We are in the world of modernisation, so the police needs to catch up with modern equipment, to meet global standards. We cannot meet the standards now, in fact no country of the world has achieved that standard, but we are on the track."



The Guardian