Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued a kidnap victim in Kaduna State and foiled a terrorist attack in Sokoto State.

The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja.

According to Danja, troops of Sector 1 rescued a 43-year-old man abducted around Awon Community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday.

He said the troops responded to a distress call and immediately moved into the area, forcing the terrorists to abandon their victim and flee into the surrounding bushes.

“The troops swiftly moved into the area and pursued the terrorists into the surrounding bushes, compelling them to abandon their captive and flee,” Danja said.

He added that the rescued victim was subsequently reunited with his family.

In a separate operation on Friday, troops of Sector 2, working with local security personnel, foiled an attack on Kwaren Gamba Village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Danja said the troops engaged the terrorists and forced them to withdraw from the community in disarray.

He stated that troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, during which one terrorist was neutralised.

According to him, the troops also recovered two mobile phones, cash, an ATM card, recharge cards and other items from the scene.

Danja said the latest operations demonstrated the military’s continued efforts to deny terrorists freedom of action across the North-West.

“The Joint Task Force North-West Operation FANSAN YAMMA remains resolute in sustaining the tempo of ongoing operations to deny terrorists freedom of action and create a safer environment for communities across the Joint Operations Area,” he said.

He assured residents that troops would continue to respond decisively to emerging security threats.

“The Theatre Command reassures the public that troops will continue to respond decisively to emerging threats,” he added.

The military spokesman also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security forces to support ongoing operations.

He said such cooperation remained critical to efforts to restore lasting peace and security across the region.

Source: punchng.com

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President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of one George Buchi Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries over the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

They include M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN disclosed this to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the President for the second time in two days, following an earlier meeting on Thursday.

Aliyu said the newly uncovered fake office, operating under the name “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the OSGF, contrary to extant laws and without presidential authorisation.

He said, “Upon further briefing by ICPC to Mr President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which has been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Aliyu said.

He said the discovery emerged in the course of the commission’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by President Tinubu, and identified the promoter of the fake office as one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to be operating under multiple aliases.

“The fake agency office, National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, was promoted by one George Buchi Nwabueze, with active suspected collaborators in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, contrary to extant laws and without authorisation of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The promoter was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.

He revealed that the ICPC had engaged the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ascertain vital information relating to the fake office under investigation, and had comprehensively briefed the President on the new developments.

“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.

Aliyu said following the discovery, “Mr President has directed as follows: the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze; the immediate suspension of the following permanent secretaries; M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.

Friday’s development is the latest in a scandal that began with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution on charges of forgery and impersonation.

The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to the President on August 6 after a 30-day investigation, had earlier disclosed the existence of two other fictitious bodies, the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.

The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth fake agency uncovered after the PFIFC scandal since early April.

Source: punchng.com

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withdrawn the charges against a final-year student of Bayero University, Kano, Maryam Shehu, and another Nigerian, Abubakar Abdulhamad, who were arraigned for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the commission.

The two defendants were arraigned separately before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

The commission had accused Shehu of publishing a social media post on June 21 alleging that EFCC officials assaulted one Ahmed Uthman on the instruction of a zonal director who allegedly collected N20m from one Usman Abbas.

The EFCC said the publication was intended to tarnish its reputation and constituted an offence under Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.

Abdulhamad was also charged under the same provision over a separate allegation.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

However, the EFCC in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the Executive Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, directed the withdrawal of the charges following appeals for leniency and an apology from Shehu’s father, as well as pleas from well-meaning Nigerians

Oyewale said although the commission considered the alleged cyberstalking to be contrary to the Cybercrimes Act, the chairman was moved by the appeals and apologies presented on behalf of the defendants.

The statement read, “ The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede has compassionately ordered the withdrawal of charges preferred against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad, who were, on Thurday August 21, 2026 arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja , for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the Commission.

“While the Commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the Executive Chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency.

“To this end, he has directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform.

“The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation”.

Source: punchng.com

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