The Nigeria Army has reiterated its commitment to stamp out terrorists and terrorism act in the country.

This assurance was given by the Chief of Defense Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim, during an interactive session to foster civil/military relations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The parley had in attendance elders, youths, women, traditional and religious leaders and other stakeholders.

Addressing the gathering, the CDS who was represented by the Deputy Director Civil Military Relations, Air Commodore Onitiju, stressed that the military will repel any attempt by unscrupulous elements to turn the country into a war zone.

Onitiju said that his mission in Maiduguri was to consolidate on the peace achieved so far. He tasked the stakeholders to always cooperate with the military operatives in the course of their duties, as according to him, security forces alone cannot achieve success without vital information from the general public.

He admitted that the military might have caused some damages during operations, but that such was never intended.

He revealed that the Defense Headquarters will soon send a team of investigators to interrogate all those detained with a view to release the innocent, while those found wanting will face the full wrath of the law.

In his words: “Anybody working against the peace in the country will be forced to respect the law.”

“Terrorist are like cancer in the body and if not removed it would destroy the whole body, because any part of the country which is affected by any crisis affects the whole nation, as Nigerian one indivisible entity,” he said.

Air Commodore Onitiju said that the military repose great confidence in elders, adding that they should refrain from shielding their children involved in terrorism and other criminal activities.

At the public session held at the Ramat Square Maiduguri, parents and guardians particularly women urged the military to release their children, claiming they were innocent.

A traditional rulers who spoke at the meeting, Bulama Bashir Bukar of London Ciki appealed to the military to release those erroneously detained, even as he gave his word that the elders will work in conjunction with the military to ensure that permanent peace returns to the state.

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday dismissed four soldiers for alleged cases of rape, extortion and assault.

This follows the public outcry over an incident that occurred in the Wuse area of Abuja a forthnight ago. The soldiers had ‘arrested’ some ladies they claimed were prostitutes, drove them to a black spot where they were extorted, beaten and repeatedly raped.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, had condemned the incident and asked the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command to investigate the matter.

The sacked officers, Corporal Nsa Eyedep and Privates Emezien Uzoma, Ugwu Mathew and Efosa Ikhuomoregbe were all attached to the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army.

Commander Guards Brigade, Brig-Gen Emmanuel Atewe, said investigations showed that the soldiers abducted and raped some women at the Wuse Zone 2, Abuja in December 2012.

Atewe, represented by Major Peter Elayo said the claims were broadcast on January 14, 2013 after which the brigade convened a Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstance surrounding the allegation with a view to taking action and preventing a future re-occurrence.

“The board whose report has already been submitted was able to establish that the four soldiers during the period abandoned their duty post to an unauthorized destination.

“The Military Police Investigation led to their trial and they were found guilty of misdemeanor and abandoning their location where they were officially deployed thereby compromising security and the soldiers have subsequently been dismissed from service in line with service discipline,” he said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday, January 17, 2013 arraigned Eugene Okpala, a retired Colonel, before the Federal High Court, Enugu on a seven count charge of forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence.

Okpala and others who are currently at large had in August 2008 allegedly conspired and sold a plot of land at Independence Layout, Enugu. The plot of land which belonged to Chief Philip Asiodu was sold to Dominion City Church for N34million (thirty four million naira).

The Church which petitioned the Commission claimed it bought the land after inquiries at the Ministry of Lands which clearly showed that the proprietary rights to the land originally leased to Asiodu by the government in 1977 had been transferred to Col. Okpala (rtd) and that based on the information, the Church negotiated and bought the property from Col. Okpala for N34m plus a five percent agency fee. The transaction was allegedly funded on behalf of the church by Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Limited).

The money was to be paid in three instalments but Col. Okpala claimed he was owing a certain ‘Chief’ who had the original document to the land the sum of N14m and that the ‘chief’ will only release the document if he was paid the said amount. An agreement was reached to pay the money and Col. Okpala invited the “Chief” to Bank PHB where N14m was paid to him. Col. Okpala asked for an additional N1m which was given to him.

Thereafter, Col. Okpala disappeared.

In 2010 the church tried to develop the property but was stopped by Asiodu’s attorney who informed them that the property was never sold to anyone.

Investigations later revealed that the documents which Col. Okpala claimed were given to him by Chief Asiodu were forged.

One of the charges against the accused reads: “that you, Eugene Okpala and Christ Onu, Emeka, Dr Maduabuchi and others (all still at large), sometime in August 2008 at Enugu conspired to commit offence by obtaining money under false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act””.

Okpala pleaded not guilty to all seven count charge.

The prosecuting counsel, M. H. Ibekwute then asked the court to remand the accused in prison and fix a date for the commencement of trial. An oral bail application by the defense counsel, J. E. Orji was rejected by the trial judge, Justice M. Shuaibu ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned proceedings to January 22, 2013 for commencement of trial.

Reports say there was a heavy gun duel between the Nigerian Army officers and suspected armed robbers wearing military camouflage in Okene, Kogi State today.

An Eyewitness who sustained various degrees of injuries said the incident happened between 3am and 12pm.

As at the time of filing this report, a convoy of the Operation Rapid Response Squad and the NPF ambulance were seen conveying the corpses of the dead victims and those injured to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.

It was gathered the Nigerian Army and men of the JTF had since cordoned off the hospital.

The eyewitness, who wouldn’t want his name mentioned said the residents of Awoniyi in Osara, the area where one of the Nigerian Army officers was killed did not help the situation.

“Okene will be blood-red”, one of the security officers said, as the robbers are suspected to be natives of Okene.

Details later..