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FBI – We’re doing everything to find Kirk’s killer

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The gunman who shot dead US right-wing youth leader Charlie Kirk in a targeted killing remained at large Thursday, but authorities said they have video images of the suspect and have recovered a “high-powered” rifle.

Kirk, a 31-year-old superstar on the Republican right who was credited with helping Donald Trump return to the presidency last year, was shot while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The killing, described by the FBI as a “targeted event” — shocked a nation already reeling from political tensions half a year into Trump’s second term.

Authorities acknowledged the gunman remained at large after having escaped into the woodland.

“We’re doing everything we can to find him, and we’re not sure how far he has gone yet, but we will do our best,” FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls told a media briefing.

Authorities said they had secured quality images of the killer, who was of university age.

“We do have good video footage of this individual. We are not going to release that at this time,” said Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety.

Bohls said the presumed murder weapon had also been found.

“It is a high powered bolt action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled,” the FBI agent said.

Two people initially detained for questioning were released after officials determined they had no connection to the shooting.

– ‘Dark moment’ –

Reflecting the intensely political nature of the incident, it was Trump, rather than law enforcement authorities, who first announced to Americans that Kirk had died from his wound.

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Trump then addressed the nation in a video address on social media in which he cited a “dark moment for America.”

Despite no public information about the shooter’s identity or motive, the president went on to suggest that the left wing was responsible — and to pledge a wide-reaching response.

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing.”

“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity,” Trump said.

– Shot in neck –

Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to the crowd and collapsed in his chair.

Students at the university described the ensuing panic — and their broader fears as political divisions deepen across the country.

“It makes me feel like I should be very careful about expressing my political ideas,” said Samuel Kimball, a software engineering student, told AFP.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, called the killing a “political assassination.”

Kirk, who supporters have hailed as a “martyr” for conservative ideals, had an outsized influence in US politics.

He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, his natural showmanship making him a go-to spokesman on television networks.

Kirk used his enormous audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and gun ownership, and to spread carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.

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Three months ago, a Minnesota man shot dead a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in their home, and Trump survived an assassination attempt during his election campaign in July 2024.

Vice President JD Vance was due to travel to Utah to meet Kirk’s family on Thursday, a source familiar with the plans said, after he cancelled a trip to New York to mark the 9/11 attacks anniversary.

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PHOTOS & VIDEO: Mob sets BRT Bus ablaze after motorcyclist’s death in Lagos

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An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus ablaze after it reportedly crushed a motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.

The incident reportedly triggered an outburst of anger, with some members of the mob attacking the bus driver before police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) intervened and rescued him unharmed.

NewsClick Nigeria Media reported the incident on X, stating that the motorcyclist was riding alone at the time of the accident.

A video circulating on social media showed the BRT bus engulfed in flames as the fire consumed the vehicle.

The footage captured the intensity of the fire, which left the bus burning by the roadside. However, the circumstances surrounding the crash and the subsequent attack on the vehicle remain unclear.

The incident also raised concerns about the safety of public transport operators and the risk of violence following fatal road accidents, particularly when members of the public resort to taking the law into their own hands.

However, the identity of the deceased motorcyclist, the circumstances that led to the collision and the extent of the damage caused by the fire had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.

It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident.

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Troops rout Lakurawa fighters, destroy camps in Sokoto

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Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have neutralised several Lakurawa terrorists and destroyed their camps during a clearance operation in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, October 15, also led to the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles from the terrorists’ enclave.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

Danja said troops of Sector 2 advanced through identified terrorist hideouts around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages towards Waria Forest, where they made contact with the armed group.

According to him, the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight and overpowered them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deeper into the forest.

“Troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, neutralising some of them in the process,” he said.

Danja added that further exploitation of the area destroyed the terrorists’ camps and their life-support structures, alongside the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles.

He said troops had sustained their operational presence in the area through continued clearance and domination operations aimed at denying the terrorists freedom of movement and preventing them from using the forest as a haven.

“The latest success underscores the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to dismantling terrorist enclaves, denying terrorist elements safe havens and restoring lasting peace and security across the Joint Operations Area,” Danja said.

He commended the troops for their courage, resilience and sustained efforts, while urging residents to provide timely and credible information about suspicious movements and activities in their communities.

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The military did not disclose the exact number of terrorists killed or specify the types and quantities of weapons recovered during the operation.

Source: punchng.com

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Fintiri warns Boko Haram, ISWAP remain major threats

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Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has warned that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain major security threats in the sub-region, urging security chiefs to intensify efforts to combat insurgency.

Declaring open a two-day meeting of federal and state security administrators in Yola on Thursday, Fintiri said the threats posed by the groups remained persistent, dynamic and ideological.

“While our gallant armed forces have significantly degraded their conventional capabilities, these insurgents continue to exploit vast rural terrains, asymmetric tactics and cross-border vulnerabilities to strike at soft targets.

“However, let me speak with political candour: we cannot afford the luxury of premature victory speeches. Furthermore, we must confront emerging threats that endanger our socio-economic fabric,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said security was not merely about weapons but also grassroots presence, social justice and inclusive governance.

“It was this conviction that drove our historic decision to create seven new emirates and chiefdoms across Adamawa State,” he said.

Fintiri added that the battleground had shifted to digital spaces, where vulnerable youths were targeted for recruitment and misinformation.

He said the security of Adamawa State was inseparable from that of Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to urgently modernise the country’s international borders.

“We need the deployment of advanced surveillance technology, drone coverage, joint border patrols and the expedited establishment of one-stop border posts to control illegal cross-border migration, arms proliferation and smuggling,” he said.

The governor also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for security agencies to enable them to intensify the fight against insecurity.

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“Our frontline officers, the police, the military, the Civil Defence, the DSS and Customs, are doing heroic work under difficult conditions.

“However, their operational funding, tactical equipment and welfare packages must be significantly upgraded by the Federal Government,” he said.

To defeat the insurgency, Fintiri called for genuine inter-agency cooperation and an end to rivalry among security services.

He said the operational disconnect between intelligence-gathering units and field tactical teams must be addressed.

“Victory belongs to unity, not institutional ego,” he said.

Fintiri added that hosting the meeting of the nation’s top security policy strategists reflected Adamawa’s progress in restoring peace and stability.

“For us in Adamawa State, hosting this august gathering of the nation’s top security policy strategists is not just an administrative assignment; it is a testament to our transformation.

“A few years ago, convening a gathering of this magnitude in the North-East was met with hesitation. Today, through visionary leadership, community resilience and divine grace, Adamawa stands tall as a beacon of relative peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.

He challenged the security administrators to move beyond what he described as diagnostic speeches and develop an actionable, pragmatic roadmap to address security challenges in the sub-region.

He also advocated the adoption of unified digital freight and transit-tracking platforms across states and national transport corridors to eliminate illegal checkpoints, trace suspicious cargo and secure trade routes.

The governor donated 300 motorcycles and 16 security vehicles to support policing across the state’s 15 chiefdoms and 21 local government areas.

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The meeting was attended by security administrators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

However, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was absent from the meeting.

Source: punchng.com

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