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Senate knocks police over 3,907 missing assault rifles

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The Senate came down heavily on the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, at the National Assembly complex over 3,907 missing assault rifles, as revealed in the 2020 report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AuGF.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, apologised to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts for failing to honour previous invitations to explain queries raised against the police regarding alleged financial infractions in the 2019 audit report.

After his apology and oath-taking, Egbetokun nominated Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, in charge of Public Accounts and Budget, Suleiman Abdul, to respond to the eight queries issued against the police by the Auditor-General’s office.

The committee, chaired by its Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), vacated the first query, which concerned N1.136 billion in contract splitting, and stood down the second, which related to the alleged non-execution of a N925 million contract. However, it sustained the third query regarding the alleged disappearance of 3,907 assault rifles, many of which were AK-47s.

Trouble arose for the police when a representative of the Auditor-General read the query aloud to committee members and AIG Suleiman Abdul. According to the 2019 audit report, as of January 2020, a total of 3,907 assault rifles were unaccounted for.

According to the Auditor-General’s representative, “The total number of lost firearms as of December 2018 stood at 178,459, out of which 88,078 were AK-47 rifles.

“However, as of January 2020, based on a thorough audit, 3,907 assault rifles and pistols across different police formations could not be accounted for.”

He further broke down the missing firearms as follows: 601 from 15 training institutions, 42 from 23 police formations, 1,514 from 37 police commands, 29 from Zones 1 to 12, and 1,721 from the Police Mobile Force, PMF, units 1 to 68.

Irked by the report, committee members bombarded the police team with questions about why the queries had remained unanswered for so long.

In response, neither AIG Suleiman Abdul nor any of his lieutenants could provide the committee with a convincing explanation for the missing 3,907 assault rifles.

Apparently overwhelmed by the barrage of questions, AIG Abdul requested a closed-door session, but the majority of the committee members—including Deputy Chairman Nwaebonyi, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Senator Joel Onawakpo-Thomas—rejected the request.

Rejecting the request outright, Senator Nwaebonyi stated: “This is a public accounts committee that has no room for closed-door sessions. In the United States of America, proceedings of Public Accounts Committees are televised live. So, whatever response the AIG wants to give on the missing assault rifles should be made in full view of everyone, particularly journalists.”

Senator Oshiomhole also rejected the request, saying: “The police are known for arresting and parading thieves of rats and rabbits, so we expect the same level of diligence regarding the missing assault rifles.

“The AIG should let Nigerians know what steps the police have taken over the years concerning the missing rifles, who was involved, and the extent of any recoveries made.”

In his feeble response, AIG Abdul could only account for 15 out of the 3,907 missing rifles—14 of which, he claimed, were lost when personnel were killed in active service, while one went missing in 1998. This response further infuriated the committee members.

For a soft landing, the committee resolved that the AIG and his team should return with a more thorough response to the query, stating that the matter would not be swept under the carpet.

The committee consequently directed them to reappear on Monday next week at 12 noon and suspended consideration of the remaining five queries.

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EFCC Arrests Kano TikTok Influencer, Murja Kunya for Alleged Naira Mutilation

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Operatives of the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC, have arrested popular TikTok influencer, Murja Ibrahim Kunya, for allegedly abusing and mutilating the Naira.

Specifically, Kunya was arrested for allegedly spraying Naira notes for fun during her stay in a hotel room at Tahir Guest Palace in Kano. The arrest followed her diligent pursuit by EFCC operatives after she jumped an administrative bail granted her by the Commission over one month ago.

She was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Act which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the Naira. She was granted an administrative bail by the Commission pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano. However, when it was time for her court appearance, Kunya absconded, evading the legal processes.

However, after weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday March 16, 2025. She was subsequently conveyed to the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Commission, where she is currently in custody awaiting her arraignment.

The EFCC reiterates its commitment to enforcing laws protecting the integrity of the Nigerian currency and warned against acts of abuse including spraying, stamping, or mutilating the currency during social events.

Visit efcc.gov.ng for more stories.

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Peruvian farmer takes German energy giant RWE to court over melting glaciers

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ourists walk in front of the Tuco glacier in Huascaran National Park. AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File
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Alandmark climate case brought by a Peruvian farmer against energy giant RWE resumes today (17 March) at the Higher Regional Court in Hamm, Germany.

Saul Luciano Lliuya is a Quechua-speaking farmer and mountain guide from Peru’s Ancash region. The 44-year-old believes that RWE, as one of the world’s top historic greenhouse gas emitters, should share in the cost of protecting his hometown, Huaraz, from a swollen glacial lake at risk of overflowing due to melting snow and ice.

The hearings will determine what evidence will be permissible in the final trial, which will rule on whether RWE – which has never operated in Peru – can be held liable for damages.

RWE denies legal responsibility, arguing that climate change is a global issue caused by many contributors.

What is the case about?

Lliuya first challenged RWE after a 2013 Carbon Majors Study found the company responsible for 0.5 per cent of climate change since industrialisation began in the 1850s.

He is asking for the company to pay for about 0.5 per cent of the cost of protecting Huaraz from the imminent risk of flooding and overflow from Lake Palcacocha. That amount has been tallied at around €17,000.

“What I am asking is for the company to take responsibility for part of the construction costs, such as a dike in this case,” he told reporters in Lima in early March before departing for Germany.

In 2015, Lliuya filed a suit against the company that was later dismissed by a court in Essen. In 2017, a higher court in Hamm admitted an appeal.

Following pandemic-induced delays, the initial hearings are now taking place.

What does it mean for global corporations?

The case is ground-breaking in every way.

RWE insists it has always complied with government guidelines on greenhouse gasemissions and aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040. Yet its historical contribution to a warming planethas put it in the crosshairs, raising questions about corporate accountability for climate change and cross-border legal responsibilities.

“Never before has a case of climate justice reached an evidentiary stage,” Andrea Tang, a lawyer for Germanwatch, the environmental NGO supporting Lliuya, said in Lima.

She added that the case “would set a huge precedent for the future of climate justice.”

With more than 40 climate damages cases ongoing worldwide, according to not-for-profit research group Zero Carbon Analytics, Lliuya’s case has major precedent setting potential.

How a Peruvian farmer captured global headlines

Before the case even reached this stage, it had already commanded global attention.

For one, Lliuya had never left Peru before he decided to take RWE to court. His efforts also brought European experts to Peru.

Following diplomatic talks, judges from Germany visited Huaraz and Lake Palcacocha – about 4,500 metres above sea level in the Andes – in 2022. Surrounded by dozens of journalists and documentary film teams, they assessed the potential risk to the village.

While Lliuya has won the legal battle to have his case tried, it is yet to be seen if that visit also won the judges over to his side of the scientific argument.

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Newly married couple d!es in Otedola Bridge gas tanker explosion

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A newlywed couple, Dozie and Joan Okoye, d!ed in the gas explosion on the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

It was gathered that the couple got married on February 22, 2025.

According to reports, Dozie and Joan were on the way home when their phone lines suddenly became reachable.

After searching for them at the Burns Center in Gbagada and Yaba Mortuary, their charred remains were finally found on Wednesday evening.

The only identification was their car’s registration number, which was found among the burnt vehicles.

The explosion, which occurred at 8:08 pm on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, was caused by a 30-tonne tanker carrying gas products, said to be owned by a nearby gas station.

The blast severely affected a Dental Clinic, while the generator house and security post of a nearby church building also sustained significant damage.

Responders recovered four charred bodies, including that of an auto mechanic identified as Rotimi Adeleye.

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