Startech Safety And Security News Blog

  Sometime in August 2009, a detachment of Nigerian Police comprising officers from Niger State Command and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) raided a settlement occupied by an Islamist sect known as Darul Salam. The little known set was dislodged from an area in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, Northcentral Nigeria. Few weeks to the raid, Nigerian President at the time, late Umar Musa Yar’Adua had given a matching order to Nigerian troops to respond to an uprising in Maiduguri, Borno State, Northeast by another Islamist sect, Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah Wa’l-Jihād later known as Boko Haram. Members of Darul Salam, which means “city of Islam” had previously maintained they were a peaceful and pious community governed by Sharia law, isolating themselves from the rest of the sinful world. According to Bashir Abdullahi Sulaiman, the group’s erstwhile leader, in an interview with Weekly Trust, the State Security Service, Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency and poli...

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Northwest Nigeria, met with Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, September 2, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja over security issues in Kano State. Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Ganduje said he told the vice- president about the efforts being made to address the challenges of insecurity in the state. He said the military with support from other security agencies was doing its best to neutralise criminals who recently invaded the dreadful Falgore Forest. “Just to brief him about security issues in Kano State, especially pertaining to kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other criminal activities in the zone,” Ganduje said about his meeting with the vice-president. He said the state was facing problems in Falgore Forest area where the military was trying hard to stop criminals,especially terrorists, from occupying to carry out terror attacks. “We are working very hard on that,” the governor said. Kano State is one of few ...

  Boboski, the most wanted suspected kidnapper, armed robber and murderer, whose real name is Honest Diigbara, has died from bullet wounds few hours after he was arrested and paraded at the Rivers State Police Command  headquarters, Port Harcourt. Boboski and his second in Command who were obviously groaning in pains while they were being paraded were drenched in blood sustained from bullet wounds. The notorious gang Leader became lifeless in the presence of journalists and Police officers while they were being paraded. Boboski, who had been on the Police Watch list and declared wanted by the State Government with a Bounty of N30 million placed on him by Governor Nyesom Wike was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, September 12, 2020, in a sting operation of the Command with the assistance of a local security outfit in the area. According to the Police Commissioner CP Joseph Mukan, “he was arrested through credible information at Korokoro Community in Tai Local Government ...

  EFCC acting chairman Mohammed Umar  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission probably expected public applause for retrieving N250 million from a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC). But the commission has got public condemnation instead for concealing the identity of the rogue former NDDC boss The EFCC in a statement Friday announced the final forfeiture of the amount to the Federal Government. It said Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, recently granted the order, based on an application by the Lagos zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC). The EFCC had approached the court, seeking the forfeiture of the fund, arguing that it was traced, recovered and reasonably suspected to be part of proceeds of unlawful activities. Specifically, investigation by the Commission revealed that a contractor with the NDDC, received funds for a purported contract and transferred N250million, suspe...

  Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo in Addis Ababa Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented that Nigeria is gradually becoming a failed state and a basket case and poverty capital of the world due to the recent mismanagement of Nigeria’s diversity. He said this in Abuja on Thursday while delivering a speech titled, ‘Moving Nigeria Away from Tipping Over’ at a consultative dialogue attended by various socio-cultural groups including Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, and Pan Niger Delta Forum. The former President said he had never seen Nigeria so divided, adding that many of the problems confronting the country today which urgently needs to be pulled from the brink of collapse. “I do appreciate that you all feel sad and embarrassed as most of us feel as Nigerians with the situation we find ourselves in. Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state; economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of...

The suspect   Chris Ihebuzo, who claimed to have hacked Access Bank and extracted more than 2,000 customer’s data has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,(EFCC). The anti-graft agency announced the arrest of the self-acclaimed hacker in an Instagram post. He is being held for cyberstalking. According to the anti-graft agency, Chris was arrested in Benin City, Edo State after it received a petition from a new generation Bank. Allegations against Chris was that in an online video, he claimed to be in possession of some personal information and Biometric Verification Numbers of over 2000 customers of the bank, which he claimed to have obtained after hacking into its database from his personal laptop computer. Upon arrest, the laptop used to upload the viral video was recovered, and a printout of over 2000 bank details, including the BVN of customers of the bank. 12 blank ATM cards were also recovered from Chris. The ATM cards are suspected to be for the perpe...

Suspected kidnap kingpin and armed robber, Honest Diigbara, alias Boboski, after his arrest on parade at Rivers Police Command headquarters. Residents of some parts of Ogoniland jubilated on Saturday morning as news filtered in that officers of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested Honest Diigbara, aka Boboski, a notorious leader of a kidnap and armed robbery gang. Boboski was alleged to be behind different atrocities in the areas for many years. The gang leader had been on the police watchlist for years and had bounty of N30 million placed on his head by Governor Nyesom Wike. He was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, in a sting by the police, with assistance of a local security outfit. He was arrested along with his second in Command. He also sustained injuries during a  gun duel with law enforcement officers. “He was arrested through credible information at  Korokoro Community in Tai  Local Government Area , where he was hibernating with his gang of killer...

  Atiku Tijjani Shuaibu Rabo Ringim Atiku Tijjani Shuaibu Rabo Ringim, a Physiotherapist who works with Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has been reportedly stabbed to death by a phone thief.    The deceased's aunt and Deutsche Welle reporter, Zainab Rabo Ringim confirmed the death of the physiotherapist via a Facebook post. She also told newsmen that the incident occurred at about 8:00pm on Thursday September 10.    Zainab wrote on Facebook;    My son, my nephew ,Atiku Tijjani Shuaibu Rabo Ringim was killed by unknown persons in kano yesterday night ,they killed him ,yes they killed him. Trying to snatch his smart phone by force Ya Allah. !ya Allah!!!!!ya hayyu ya kaiyum. .Allah kayi.masa rahama Rest in peace Yaya Atiku. My peace loving nephew is no more..  

Stevie Lee Richardson   Wrestling star and actor, Stevie Lee Richardson has sadly passed away at the age of 54.    The former TNA Wrestling star who was best known in the ring as Puppet The Psycho Dwarf   died ‘unexpectedly’ this week. The cause of his death wasn't revealed.    A statement on his GoFundMe reads:  ‘Steve “Puppet The Psycho Dwarf” Lee Richardson unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at his home in the morning. ‘He was beloved by many and has many friends that were family, fans that adored him, but only his brother Jim left to take care of final arrangements.'   Impact Wrestling, which was formerly known as TNA, also confirmed his death in a statement on Twitter:  "It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Stevie Lee, better known as 'Puppet The Psycho Dwarf' in the early days of TNA.   "We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family."   Along with his wrestling ca...

A 42-year-old Nigerian national was arrested for allegedly carrying 1.4 kilogram of amphetamine, a high-quality drug worth Rs 2 crore in Dwarka area of Delhi, India.   The accused who revealed his name as Daman was paraded at Mohan Garden Police Station on Thursday, September 10.   According to a police officer, on Wednesday September 9, a team from the station got a tip-off that an African national is likely to come at Poswal Chok, 55 Foota Road and can be apprehended with drug lot.   "During his search, in his black colour bag, one white colour polythene, containing some brown powder was recovered. The substance recovered appears to be narco and contains characteristic of Heroin. The drug on testing was found Amphetamine (High quality of refined Heroin used for ecstasy in parties) and weighing 1.4 kilograms, then the seizure was made," said the police officer.   During interrogation, Daman disclosed that due to immense poverty in his native country, he came to Indi...

  A grandma and dad have been arrested for allegedly burning a newborn baby boy alive.   The duo was arrested after locals found a half-burnt body of the baby in Tamil Nadu, India.   The body was found on the premises of a theatre on September 9, according to Times of India.   Local police took the body to a hospital for an autopsy and it was revealed the baby was alive when he was set on fire.   Sniffer dogs in the investigation led cops to the door of a 22-year-old woman named Sankaragomathi who had given birth to the boy.   Tenkasi district superintendent of police G Suguna Singh spoke to Times of India and said: "She became pregnant due to an affair with a man called Shankar of the locality and the two tried to abort the foetus twice by taking tablets, but in vain.   "She delivered the baby in the house around 2 am on Wednesday."   According to authorities the grandma, Indra had wrapped up the baby in cloth and set him ablaze.  ...

Former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia has been invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) for the third time over his claim of one of the Northern Governors being a Boko Haram commander.    Mailafia who confirmed the invitation on Thursday September 10, insisted that he spoke on behalf of the “martyrs” killed in the country over the years.   He also raised an alarm of his life being in danger, while also alleging that he has been subjected to criminal investigation and extreme political persecution.   The economist turned politician said;    “I spent over 20 years of my working life abroad as a university teacher, banker and international civil servant with unblemished record.  “I have no criminal record — not even a parking ticket. Sadly, it is in my own fatherland that I’m being subjected to criminal investigation and such extreme political persecution. “Please, pray for me. I have re...

 Lizette and  Hettie   The owner of the Ocean Basket restaurant in the Mall of the North, Limpopo, South Africa and her mother were found tied up and stabbed to death in their car on Thursday, September 10.   The bodies of 55-year-old Lizette Deacon and her 70-year-old mother Hettie were found in an abandoned vehicle, said police spokesman, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo.   “The bodies of the deceased were found with several stab wounds. They were tied inside their motor vehicle, which was found abandoned on the R37 next to the Kushcke off-ramp,” said Mojapelo.   Police had started searching for the two women, who lived together in Welgelegen near Cycad, after a neighbour went to visit them but instead found traces of blood inside their home. A search operation was immediately activated. “The motive for the killings is unknown at this stage, but robbery cannot be ruled out. Cases of two counts of murder and house robbery have been opened. Anyone with information i...

John Daly Two-time golf major winner, John Daly has revealed that he has been diagnosed with bladder cancer.   The veteran American PGA and Champions Tour golfer, 54, told Golf Channel that he received the diagnosis during a doctor visit after battling kidney stones.   “He did a CT with iodine,” Daly said. “They could see everything, said the kidneys are OK, looks like you passed a bunch, doesn't look like any stones are in there. But unfortunately, you have bladder cancer.   “After I did the CT, I was fixing to sip on a Diet Coke and he said, ‘Don’t drink anything. You need to get back in here and get this cancer out of you.’”   Daly said that doctors were able to remove the cancer, but they revealed to him that it would return back.   “He got it, but he said there’s an 85 percent chance it comes back,” Daly continued. “So I’ve got to go back and see him in three months. They will probably have to cut it out again.   “It’s probably going to come back, and ...

Denis Mukwege The United Nations has redeployed military troops to guard Nobel Peace Prize winner, Denis Mukwege, after he received death threats for demanding justice for serious crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).   Mukwege, a joint winner of the Nobel peace prize in 2018 alongside Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict - is a gynecologist whose career has spanned more than 20 years.   During his career, he has spoken against several crimes going on in his homeland of Congo.   Denis, who is also a pentecostal pastor, founded and works in Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, where he specializes in the treatment of women who have been raped by armed rebels.   Mukwege survived a major assassination attempt in October 2012 when armed men entered his home, fired shots and killed his bodyguard.   The assassination attempt came several weeks after a speech at the United Nations where he deno...

Gerard Bryceland A Scottish man has finally been cleared of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at his flat after he claimed he was sleepwalking when he climbed into her bed.    Gerard Bryceland, 53, was accused of touching the complainant inappropriately at his home in Glasgow's West End in August 2019. The woman said she 'froze' as she and her partner woke to find the man in bed beside them with his hand over her body.   But the defendant has now been acquitted of the sex assault charge after telling a court that he was sleepwalking at the time. A sheriff at Glasgow Sheriff Court accepted a psychiatrist's view that Bryceland's sleepwalking was a 'mental disorder'.  The special defence states: 'A person is not criminally responsible for conduct constituting an offence, and is to be acquitted of the offence, if the person was at the time of the conduct unable by reason of mental disorder to appreciate the nature or wrongfulness of the conduct'. G...