The Federal Government has announced that it is willing to work with the United States and other countries to wipe out remnants of terrorists and criminal elements in Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris stated this during a world press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Idris asserted that the insecurity situation in Nigeria is not driven by religion.

He explained that in the last two years, President Bola Tinubu has deepened his commitment to dealing with insecurity, evident in the country’s improved standing on the Global Terrorism Index and recent change of security service chiefs.

He called on the United States and other nations to support President Tinubu in ridding the menace of criminals and terrorists making life unbearable for Nigerians.

“The Nigerian government is willing to work with other international bodies, including the United States, to ensure that criminals are permanently wiped out.

“We welcome support from international partners, including the US, to deal with its security challenges.

“President Tinubu is taking the lead to resolve all challenges with the US, including other countries.

“Nigeria is not running away from the fact that we have a big insecurity situation.

“The government and people of Nigeria have taken note of the US stance over the alleged violation of human rights.

“President Tinubu is determined to confront and end security challenges,” he said.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, has claimed that former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore does not have the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

He made the claim on Wednesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily’, a programme on Channels Television.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that Sowore doesn’t have a NYSC certificate because of punitive reasons. He was posted to Adamawa, and he was evasive. He never did his service.

“So such a person that is not even qualified to bear the NYSC certificate of our great country, Nigeria, will now be coming out to disturb the peace of Lagos? We will not allow it,” he said.

Speaking further, Jimoh, defended his decision to declare Sowore, wanted, insisting the move was lawful and necessary to avert a planned violent protest in the state.

He maintained that he acted within his constitutional powers to maintain public order and protect lives and property.

He said, “I have the right to declare him wanted. Any person who says I don’t have such a right should go to court.”

The police commissioner explained that his decision followed intelligence reports and social media posts allegedly made by Sowore, which he claimed indicated plans to mobilise protesters to block the Third Mainland Bridge.

“When he posted something on his ?? handle, and it’s there for people to verify, that he had just taken a bath in Abuja, and the next point is Lagos to block the Third Mainland Bridge, we were well prepared,” Jimoh said.

He added that the police cordoned off strategic areas in Lagos to prevent a breakdown of law and order and arrested 13 suspects linked to the planned protest.

According to him, a vehicle carrying loudspeakers and a generator intended for the demonstration was also confiscated by security operatives.

“We ensured that we made alternative arrangements for people to use. Our duty is to prevent crime before it occurs,” he said.

Jimoh stressed that his action was guided by constitutional responsibility to protect public safety and was not influenced by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, contrary to viral claims.

“The IGP, I say without any doubt, has not given such an order, not to me, not to any police institution across the country. The reports claiming otherwise are mischievous,” he clarified.

He further emphasised that the preventive operation was part of proactive policing strategies designed to forestall disruptions that could cripple economic and social activities in Lagos.

ABUJA—For the fourth time, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, failed to open his defence to the seven-count terrorism charge the Federal Government preferred against him.

At the resumed proceedings, Kanu, who is conducting his case by himself, after he disengaged his team of lawyers, insisted he has no case to answer.

He maintained that in the absence of a valid charge pending before the court, there was no legal basis for him to either open his defence or to file and exchange a final written address with FG.

Rather, he urged the judge to take judicial notice of the motion he filed along with a supporting affidavit, which challenged the jurisdiction of the court to continue to try him over an offence he said is unknown to any extant law.

Kanu asked the court to order his immediate release from the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, where he has been detained since 2021.

“You cannot ask me to begin my defence when you have not stated the law under which I am being charged. The records of this court show there is no law backing these charges. I request to be released. My Lord, please take judicial notice of all the records before this court,” he added.

Citing section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Kanu contended that there was no law to back the charge against him, even as he accused the court of violating a Supreme Court judgment he said condemned his extraordinary rendition from Kenya by the FG.

When he was reminded that the apex court remitted his case for a fresh trial, Kanu stood his ground that trying him over a non-existent crime amounted to a denial of his constititional rights.

“In Nigeria today, the Constitution is the Supreme law; there is no provision for terrorism offence in the Constitution. There is no valid charge against me. I will not go back to any detention today.

“Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act has been repealed. I cannot put in defense under a repealed law. I won’t do that,” Kanu fumed from the dock.

Continuing, he said, “Tell any lawyer to show me the valid charge. I appeal to you to please take judicial notice of the repeal of the terrorism charges. I am not ready to go back to detention today unless I am shown the valid charge against me.

“I cannot be tried under a law that has been repealed. A law that is not written in our Constitution. Prosecuting me under a repealed law is a violation of my fundamental right,” he added.

In his response, the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, queried the competence of the documents Kanu served on him, insisting they lacked probative value and should be discounted by the court.

FG’s lawyer prayed the court not to further indulge the defendant, who he said was merely wasting valuable judicial time.

He urged the court to deem the documents that Kanu recently filed as his final written address and to order parties to adopt the processes to enable judgment to be delivered in the matter.

In a short ruling, trial Justice James Omotosho dismissed FG’s contention that the processes Kanu filed were not competent.

Justice Omotosho said the court would take them into consideration in its judgment.

Besides, the court said it took notice of the fact that the defendant is not a lawyer and decided to give him a further opportunity to consult a legal practitioner for further guidance.

Justice Omotosho hinted that the court would foreclose Kanu’s right should he fail to defend the charge within the period allotted for him to do so.

He subsequently adjourned further proceeding till Wednesday for the defendant to either enter his defence or have his right to do so waived.

It will be recalled that the court had, on October 24, ordered the IPOB leader to open his defence to the charge against him.

However, Kanu, who earlier named several individuals that included serving Governors, Ministers, ex-Governors, and Security Chiefs, among the 23 persons he intended to produce as his witnesses, later made a volte face and shelved his plan to defend the charge.

Kanu had initially prayed that the court grant him a 90-day period for the witnesses he described as vital to testify in the matter.

Among his earlier proposed witnesses were the Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma; that of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike; the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; as well as a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd).

Others were the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; the immediate past Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); the immediate past Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; as well as the former Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Yusuf Bichi.

In the motion dated October 21 and marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, Kanu equally hinted that he would call other persons whose names were not on the list he submitted.

On the day he was to open his defence, though the court reserved seats for the “summoned witnesses,” Kanu backtracked.

The court had earlier rejected a no-case-submission he filed to be discharged and acquitted.

It dismissed the defendant’s position that the totality of evidence the prosecution tendered in the matter failed to establish a prima-facie case against him.

Kanu argued that the five witnesses FG brought to testify before the court failed to prove his culpability.

FG had, among other things, accused him of leading a separatist movement that called for the secession of the South-Eastern part of the country.

He was further accused of inciting violence and killings through broadcasts that were heard in various parts of the country.

Kanu had since pleaded his innocence to the charge.