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Owo Church Attack Suspect Claims Torture By DSS During Court Appearance.
One of the suspects on trial for the 2022 Owo church attack, Jamiu Abdulmalik, has alleged that he was tortured by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to coerce a confession for a crime he insists he did not commit.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Abdulmalik made the claims on Thursday while testifying before the Federal High Court in Abuja during the trial of five individuals charged over the attack. The other defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The suspects were arrested in connection with the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left 41 worshippers dead and over 140 injured.
Abdulmalik, who described himself as a plumber and farmer, told the court he was arrested in August 2022 while traveling from Ondo to Kogi State. He alleged that masked DSS operatives in black uniforms stopped the vehicle he was in, verified his identity using his NIN, handcuffed him, and blindfolded him.
He claimed he was taken to the DSS command in Lokoja, Kogi State, where he was hung and left tied up until he urinated on himself. He also alleged that he was assaulted and subjected to water dousing during interrogations.
“They kept punching me and pouring water on my face, pressuring me to admit involvement in the attack,” Abdulmalik testified. He added that operatives tried to link him to terrorist activities in his community, showing him a photo of a school building they claimed was used for training. He denied any connection, stating, “I told them I am not a student there but a plumber who farms in Ondo.”
Abdulmalik said he consistently refused to confess, telling the operatives, “I cannot say what I do not know.”
Following his testimony, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, adjourned the case to April 1 and 2 for continuation.
The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) began nationwide on Thursday, with over 2.2 million candidates expected to participate across accredited centres.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The exam, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), will run from April 16 to April 22 in multiple daily sessions.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged examination officials to remain highly committed and professional, noting that the success of the exercise depends largely on their dedication.
He gave the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination, where he also praised staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers, and technical advisers for their roles in the successful conduct of the mock exam.
Oloyede said many of the issues recorded during the mock exercise were due to poor assessment of centres by some technical officials.
He further stated that incentive packages would be awarded to teams that perform exceptionally, particularly in handling exam materials and submitting timely reports.
Reiterating JAMB’s zero-tolerance stance on malpractice, he warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.
He also disclosed that biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems have been deployed to protect the integrity of the exercise.
Candidates whose biometrics cannot be verified, he added, will be rescheduled to write the exam at approved centres.
Meanwhile, a NAN correspondent monitoring proceedings at Aduvie International School, Jahi, reported that the first session scheduled for 8:30 a.m. began slightly behind schedule at about 8:40 a.m.
The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, on Thursday inspected security deployments at Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to the FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the inspection is part of proactive measures to ensure a smooth, peaceful, and hitch-free conduct of the ongoing examinations.
The UTME is scheduled to run nationwide from April 16 to 18, 2026.
During the exercise, CP Sanusi assessed security arrangements put in place to safeguard candidates, examination officials, and CBT facilities.
He also engaged with centre supervisors, assuring them of adequate security presence throughout the examination period.
Adeh added that the CP reaffirmed the command’s commitment to maintaining law and order, warning that any attempt to disrupt the examinations would be met with decisive action in line with the law.
Over 700 former terrorists who have undergone deradicalisation and rehabilitation are set to be reintegrated into their communities.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The Nigerian military has also dismissed reports alleging that beneficiaries of Operation Safe Corridor are being recruited into military institutions.
According to African Independent Television, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier-General Yusuf Ali, made this known during a media tour of the Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre in Gombe, North-East Nigeria.
He said many Nigerians still misunderstand the Federal Government’s structured counter-terrorism initiative, which is designed to restore peace in communities affected by insurgency.
Brigadier-General Ali explained that the programme focuses on rehabilitation and peaceful reintegration of repentant individuals into society.
During the tour, some of the participants also shared accounts of their involvement in offences that led to their admission into the programme.
The facility inspection was part of preparations for the graduation of over 700 clients who have completed the deradicalisation and rehabilitation process and are set for reintegration.
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