Over the Owo church incident, five suspects and one accomplice are being held.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

Security services have detained five suspected terrorists and one accomplice, two months and five days after the attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff, who confirmed the arrest of the conspirators in Abuja, ruled out Tuesday the notion of using mercenaries to help the Armed Forces combat terrorism and banditry in the nation.

The governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, expressed his happiness at the capture of the suspects and informed reporters in Akure, the state’s capital, that security forces had been looking for them ever since the incident.

On June 5, the historic village of Owo was plunged into sadness as a result of the church bombing and mass shooting that left over 40 worshipers dead.

The Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP), according to the Federal Government, was responsible for the assault.

Security personnel have identified the suspects as Idris Ojo, Jimoh Ibrahim, Momoh Abubakar, Aliyu Itopa, and Awwal Onimisi. Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, also known as Ibn Malik, is also a suspect.

Irabor promised that security services will provide security for the 2023 elections and stated that efforts to free hostages held by bandits on the Abuja-Kaduna railway will be stepped up.

But he ruled out the prospect of using mercenaries in the battle against terrorism, saying that the money intended for hiring them should instead be utilized to strengthen the military, which is in charge of keeping the nation safe.

Irabor added that Abuja is completely safe and unaffected by any threats.

Irabor clarified things during a discussion with media representatives at the Abuja Defense Headquarters.

Hiring mercenaries is not an option; it is only a partial solution, he continued. Mercenaries are businesses that travel from one location to another.

“Instead, we ought to invest in enhancing the abilities of those charged with defending the nation.

“Protecting the nation’s territorial integrity is the military’s primary duty.

There are many ways to weaken your military, and a nation is only as strong as its military. Even if some people are physically strong, their strength is useless if you assault them emotionally.

We will all suffer if you incite individuals to undermine the emotional fortitude of the Armed Forces.

God designed this area for us to rule. It is our joint duty to control and plunder the state’s riches.

It’s for our enjoyment, that of our families, and that of our kids. We should defend it and take pleasure in it, not hand it over to some other idiots. We will therefore do whatever it takes to safeguard the country.

The detention of some terrorists in Okene, Kogi State, was also confirmed by Irabor.

According to him, the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, and intelligence services worked together to apprehend the perpetrators.

“Since our previous meeting, we have accomplished tremendous things,” he continued.

The terrible train incident, the attack on the Kuje detention facility, and the attack on the presidential convoy all occurred within the same time frame and had an adverse effect on our collective well-being.

“We have detained individuals responsible for the heinous act in Owo.

“I had planned to show them (the suspects) to the public, but I had to reconsider because the investigation was still ongoing.

“I will like to say that in due course, the world will see them and others who are behind other daring attacks in the country.

“It is not just the Armed Forces, but the DSS, the Police and other intelligence agencies were part and parcel of the efforts to apprehend these criminals who that have put us and indeed the nation on the toes.

“On August 7, Idris Ojo (37) was apprehended at Aiyetoro Osi in Ondo State. He is one of the high-profile Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) that escaped from Kuje Prison.

“Alongside with him is one Jimoh Ibrahim who is a 39-year-old criminal who was also arrested.

“Idris Ojo was not done with all the criminal activities which he undertook in the past.

“He was also planning other deadly attacks and he was perfecting those plans along with his cronies before he was apprehended.

“On August 4, again, the military in a combined operation with the DSS arrested four terrorists at Eika in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Now, Omeiza is one of the perpetrators of the attacks on the Catholic Church in Owo on June 5 and the police station in Adavi, also in Kogi State, which resulted in the death of a police officer and the theft of weapons.

Confirmed killing of the bandits’ leader

Alh. Abdulkareem, a notorious bandit kingpin who terrorized the North-West, was killed, according to the CDS.

During airstrikes on their hideout in the Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, he and 29 other fighters were neutralized.

Irabor commented on the airstrikes by saying: “Many of the bandits’ leaders have been slain by the acts of the surgical air operations that we have carried out. Nigerians should be aware that it was surgical.

“Many of the terrorizing bandits were put to death. Our operations have been intensified, especially in the North-West and Northcentral.

The CDS stated of the captive victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack: “Many of the victims have been liberated.

“The President has directed us to use all legal means to free everyone who is still being detained. We’ll come to their aid.

“We will defeat those forces working against world peace together.”

“By God’s grace, you’ll learn the news. I want to inform all well-meaning Nigerians who have helped us in whatever way that we are working to make sure that everyone lives in peace and harmony.

The President has ordered me and, of course, the military personnel to rescue the victims in good health.

Election day will go without a hitch.

Irabor said the following about the general election in 2023: “I stated that we, as members of the Armed Forces, have a covenant with the electoral process during a forum the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) held for personnel from the police, the military, and other security agencies that will be involved in the election.

“That statement is predicated on the premise that we will take all necessary steps to ensure that the general elections in 2023 are conducted in an open, safe, and fair manner. We will make every effort not to have anything get in the way of that.

We have taken an oath to protect democracy.

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Mustapha Isah, the Director, Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, and the Chief Executive Officer of The Media Today, Mr. Charles Odenigbo, all argued for improved communication between the military and the media.

Isah asked the media to take part in the endeavor to solve the nation’s security concerns.

The debate, according to Akpor, was intended to provide the groundwork for enduring trust between the media and service members.

Akpor claimed that the meeting was in line with Irabor’s leadership philosophy of creating professional armed forces capable of upholding constitutional standards.

According to Odenigbo, maintaining national security and peace requires open communication between the military and the media.

Though open discussion of military operations was prohibited, he claimed that it was nevertheless important to consider how the media may complement military operations.

Akeredolu warns the population of Ebira

Speaking about the arrest of alleged terrorists, Akeredolu urged the state’s Ebira leaders to warn their youths against engaging in kidnappings.

According to recent allegations from abduction victims in the state, certain Ebira natives are currently engaged in kidnappings.

When the Ondo Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, led by its Chairman, Prince Leke Adegbite, visited, the governor addressed the group.

Akeredolu claimed that victims of the Ikare kidnapping were taken to Ebira farmsteads as kidnappers’ dens. He urged the Ebira community to focus on their farming business.

If the Ebiras in the state were suddenly involved in kidnapping, he remarked, that would be awful.

We are pleading with them not to imitate bad behavior, Akeredolu remarked. It is not advisable for the street vendors to act as informants. We are not at war with them.

For this to occur, we have lived together for too long. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that the good times we’ve had last.

But we are pleading with their leaders to warn them against imitating bad behavior. They are all around us; they are in our midst. Security is a crucial and dynamic topic.

The governor said that the Amotekun corps would educate 20 hunters and neighborhood watchmen in each of the 18 local government regions to improve the efficiency of the security organization.

He also said that the owner of the residence where the assailants resided before to the attack on June 5 in Owo had also been detained.

The governor said that after the attack on innocent worshipers at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa, his administration wasted no time in tracking down the terrorists.

Akeredolu added: “Now that the military has announced it, I can tell you that five of them have been arrested now. They are still on the trail of the rest.

“The home where they lodged in Owo and the person that accommodated them before the attack, has also been arrested.

“We did not spare a moment. I am happy that the Chief of Defence Staff has announced it. We have known for a while but we needed not to come out with it because more works are still ongoing.

“I can confirm that this arrest has been made. And they are still on the trail of some of them.”

HURIWA: Suspects need to face justice

The Federal Government is being encouraged by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) to bring charges against the alleged terrorists who were apprehended by security forces.

The group claimed that suspects were not being prosecuted by the government.

The group asserted that there is no assurance that the Owo event would be different because no significant terrorists or mass murders have been successfully convicted and imprisoned over the past seven years.

The statement continued, “The government of President Muhammadu Buhari is notorious for using empty media rhetoric to deceive undiscerning members of the public into believing that actions are being taken to deal with terrorists, despite having a poor track record of successfully prosecuting terrorists.”

praise for arrests

Speaking yesterday on Channels’ Politics Today, former Lagos State police commissioner Fatai Owoseni and member of the House of Representatives Dr. Abubakar Yunusa praised the arrest and emphasized the need for all stakeholders to step up their efforts to secure the country.

Both speakers advocated for neighborhood policing.

Additionally, they urged the state government to include local governments in maintaining order in their communities.

Security organizations ought to improve their intelligence gathering, says Owoseni.

He believed that although the nation was not underpoliced, there was a lack of appropriate coordination between various organizations.

“The Chief of Defence Staff’s information was a positive development. When a security breach occurred, the first step was to actively pursue the offenders, and after they were detained, they should be treated fairly in court.

“In the future, we should use more technical advancements and the community since no criminal can be bigger than the community, according to this statement.

Since non-state actors will provide local intelligence that will benefit the community, we must create a security architecture that can include them.

All of our security services need to cooperate more, he argued, rather than trying to outwit one another.

Security organizations should collaborate, according to the former police chief, for better outcomes.

In the Lower House, Yunusa, who represents Gombe, argued that security ought to be a shared duty.

Security should concern everyone, not just the federal government, he said.