News
Stop Giving Motorcycles As Palliatives, Defence Minister Tells Governors
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), on Thursday said terrorists are using motorcycles given to Nigerians as palliatives to wreak havoc across the country.
He, however, advised the state governors and lawmakers to stop giving motorcycles as palliatives, arguing that some of the motorcycles eventually end up in the hands of terrorists to facilitate and enhance their nefarious activities.
Musa, who stated this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said efforts are being made to curb terrorism and the operational challenges confronting the country’s security forces.
“We try to appeal to even governors to stop giving motorcycles out as palliatives. Because these motorcycles are the same ones that still end up with these terrorist
“Even if you have to give, don’t give them the big capacity motorcycles; give them the small capacity ones that they won’t be able to use to run around, because that gives them leverage. They can easily enter and then disappear,” he said.
The minister also warned that motorcycles distributed through constituency projects and other palliative programmes by lawmakers could find their way back to bandits and terrorists.
“Those bikes… before you know it, they’re already back to the bandits, and that’s what they’re using. So we must stop that,” he said.
According to him, security agencies had identified illegal markets and motor parks as channels through which terrorists move arms and ammunition into areas where they operate.
“What we realise from experience is they establish illegal markets or illicit motor parks. They go to those motor parks; that’s where they move arms and ammunition into those areas,” he added.
The defence minister also called for greater involvement of local governments in tackling insecurity, saying their proximity to communities gives them an advantage in identifying criminals and preventing crime.
“We must allow our local governments to work. Failure of local government is what is aggravating what we’re dealing with, and if we want a better solution, a quick fix, our local governments must work.
“Crime and development are local. If every local government chairman is dealing with criminals within his locality, it’s easier to manage them than leaving it to the state or to the federal,” he said.
Musa said local government chairmen should hold regular security meetings and report developments in their areas.
He further urged state and local authorities to strengthen monitoring of markets, motor parks and other locations through which drugs, weapons and ammunition could be moved.
“If we’re able to make sure that we man all the markets, all the motor parks, all these areas where drugs, weapons, ammunition move, it will make it difficult for them,” he added.
The Ogun State Police Command has arraigned seven men before the Ilaro Magistrate Court over alleged unlawful possession of firearms, abduction of Amotekun operatives and stealing of a locally made single barrel gun valued at N150,000.
The defendants are Dosunmu Amos, 34, Abisekun Seun, 22, Ojo Olanrewaju, 32, Joseph Aremu, 33, Alao Ileyemi, 30, Akeem Ege, 45, and Elijah Eriwole, 32.
They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate I, Ilaro, presided over by Mrs F.A. Ojelade on Friday, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, abduction, stealing and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
According to the charge sheet with No M/27/2026 signed by ASP Adeboye Olayiwola, the defendants and others still at large, between October 14 and 15, 2026, at Alagbon area, Owode-Afon, in the Ilaro Magisterial District, allegedly conspired to commit felony to wit: unlawful possession of firearms.
Count two stated that on October 14, at about 4 pm, they unlawfully had in their possession one locally made single barrel gun without licence, contrary to the Firearms Act.
Counts three and four, respectively, border on conspiracy and abduction at the Ogun State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, Owode-Afon Outpost, on October 15, at about 5:30 pm.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendants abducted two Amotekun operatives, AMT Salami Yakubu, 31, and AMT Abelewa Soliudeen, 37, and prevented any person entitled to have access to them from discovering where they were imprisoned.
Count five alleged that they stole one locally made single barrel gun valued at one hundred and fifty thousand naira, property of the Amotekun Corps.
Count six stated that they conducted themselves in an unruly manner by invading the Amotekun outpost and shooting sporadically into the air, causing fear in the neighbourhood.
Prosecution counsel, ASP A.S. Abiodun moved a motion pursuant to Section 306 of ACJ Law of Ogun State 2017, praying the court to remand the defendants.
In her ruling, Ojelade held that even though offences in counts 1, 2, 5 and 6 are within its jurisdiction, it is not seized of the power to try offences in counts 3 and 4, and in the interest of justice, ordered that the defendants be remanded for a period of 60 days in the first instance.
The case was adjourned till January 15, 2027.
One person has been killed, and three others injured after gunmen allegedly attacked the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South Constituency, Ebonyi State.
The police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said the incident occurred at Amaezekwe community, Ezza South Local Government Area.
Ukandu said the command received a distress call reporting a disturbance in the community and immediately deployed operatives to the scene.
“Upon arrival, the operatives found four individuals with gunshot wounds and a burnt vehicle,” he said on Friday. “One of the victims was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the three others are receiving medical treatment.”
Meanwhile, the NDC candidate, Rollins Ovu-Unata Offia-Nwali, said suspected political thugs attacked his motorcade and set his Toyota Hilux vehicle ablaze.
In a statement, Offia-Nwali said he and members of his entourage escaped unhurt.
He expressed sympathy with those affected by the attack and urged youths across the state not to allow politicians to use them to pursue personal ambitions.
“No political ambition is worth the life of any young person,” he said.
A young man who identified himself as Emmanuel from Ebonyi State has confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend identified as Umuora Mmesoma from Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State after she ended their relationship.
According to report, Mmesoma was declared missing on Friday, October 16, 2026, before her body was later discovered inside a bag in Uga on Friday, October 23.
In a video making the rounds on social media, security operatives questioned the suspect following his arrest.
In the video, the suspect confessed to killing the young woman, saying he carried out the act because she broke up with him.
“I killed her because she broke up with me. I killed her in my house in Uga, put her inside a bag and dumped her somewhere,” he said.
The killing of the young woman has sparked outrage among residents of the community and social media users, with calls for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the suspect and demands for justice for the deceased.
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