The witness of the Department of State Service, DSS in the ongoing trial of five alleged Ansaru terror group members on Friday, September 18 told the Federal High Court in Abuja that their abductors fed them only when it was convenient for them.

The witness code named AAA who was one of the victims of Orire school abduction said they were seriously traumatised during and after their ordeal that lasted 56 days.

Under cross examination by the counsel to the five accused persons Mr Bala Dakum, the witness said they were offered food by the abductors at their own convenient time despite the presence of little children of 18 months among them.

She admitted that the alleged kidnappers used the mobile phone of the victims to contact government officials but said she did not know the phone number of the government officials that were called.

She further told the court that upon their rescue by security operatives, she was interrogated by DSS operatives in their office and also while in the hospital.

Answering a question, the witness admitted that the three out of the five defendants on trial were with them in the forest while she got to know the other two during interrogation at the DSS office.

She also told the court that Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye were killed at camp A and Camp B respectively but that she was not present at the scene where they were beheaded.

The witness further told the court that because she was not at the scene where the two teachers were beheaded, she did not know the specific kidnappers that carried out the killing.

Meanwhile justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim has fixed October 12 and 13 for continuation of trial of the five accused person.

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group of protesters on Friday took to the streets in Oyo State to demonstrate against the Iru Ekun Security Network, a private security outfit associated with Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.

The protesters, who carried placards, accused the security outfit of allegedly discriminating against people from some ethnic groups and called for equal treatment of all residents irrespective of their tribe or background.

Some of the placards displayed during the protest read: “Say No To Iru Ekun, Crime Knows No Tribe,” “A Criminal Is A Criminal. One Nation, One People, One Nigeria,” and “Our Diversity Is Our Strength.”

The demonstration comes amid growing public debate and criticism surrounding the activities and methods of the Iru Ekun Security Network, particularly concerns over the role of privately organised security groups and their relationship with formal law-enforcement agencies.

The latest controversy followed an incident in Oyo State in which Iru Ekun operatives were accused of obstructing police officers who were attempting to arrest a suspect in Ibadan.

A rights group, Vocalpoint Human Rights Initiative (VOHRI), on Wednesday warned against allowing Iru Ekun or any other private group to operate as a parallel law-enforcement institution.

The group said no individual or organisation should be allowed to determine who should be arrested or punished without lawful authority and due process.

The criticism also comes after reports of confrontations involving Iru Ekun operatives during security operations in Oyo State.

In June, members of the group reportedly came under attack during a surveillance operation in the Old Oyo National Park while searching for suspected kidnappers and armed criminals. Igboho subsequently vowed that the group would continue its anti-kidnapping operations in the South-West.

Iru Ekun was established by Igboho as a community security initiative aimed at tackling kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities across parts of the South-West.

At the launch of the Lagos chapter earlier this month, Igboho directed members of the network operating in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states to intensify efforts against criminality.

According to reports, Igboho said the group would confront anyone threatening peace and security regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation and urged its members to operate within the law.

However, critics have continued to question the structure, accountability and methods of the privately organised security network, particularly given the existence of established state security structures such as the police and Amotekun.

A recent commentary published by Nigerian Tribune also raised concerns about the regulation and oversight of Iru Ekun, while discussing Igboho’s growing involvement in regional security matters.

The protesters’ demonstration on Friday adds a new dimension to the debate, with the placards emphasising ethnic inclusiveness and warning against treating crime through a tribal lens.

The protesters called for security operations to be conducted without discrimination, insisting that criminality should be addressed based on individual conduct rather than ethnic identity.

Source: Saharareporters

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