0:00
Harrison Guamnesu says he was never
0:02
arrested by the police or charged to
0:04
quarters speculated in the public spaces
0:06
over the 5.4 million naira he allegedly
0:09
removed out of the 20 million naira
0:11
ransom he was given to hand over to
0:13
kidnappers and as well apparently used
0:15
the money as a bait to stage spin
0:17
operation for the release and rescue of
0:20
the husband and wife simply identified
0:22
as Mr. and Mrs. Ibrahim kidnapped in
0:24
Aili community in the Etsico West local
0:27
government area of Edostate, which
0:29
generated public reactions after the
0:32
kidnappers set free the wife and kept
0:34
the husband in captivity on the ground
0:36
that the money given to them was not
0:38
complete. And some persons who have
0:40
access to the apparent sensitive
0:42
security information went public to
0:44
create an impression as if Harrison
0:46
Guamnau stole part of the ransom money.
0:49
Even when Harrison Guamnesu explained to
0:51
them that it is part of his operational
0:53
procedures to remove some cash from the
0:56
ransom money, his explanation apparently
0:58
went on deaf ears. And people who may be
1:01
best described as mischief makers took
1:03
advantage of the issue to call Harrison
1:05
Guamnishu names and reopen his alleged
1:08
past deeds in a prejudiced manner to
1:10
cast dispersions on him even when they
1:12
knew that Harrison Guamnesu has a long
1:15
history with video evidences of
1:17
assisting security operatives to rescue
1:19
kidnapped victims and in some cases the
1:22
total money paid as ransom are recovered
1:24
and returned to the victim's families
1:26
and the sting operation usually leads to
1:28
the killing and arrest of the suspected
1:30
kidnappers. This according to Harrison
1:33
Guanu in a statement he issued through
1:35
his verified Facebook account some hours
1:38
ago. He was the one who personally
1:40
submitted himself voluntarily to the
1:42
Edeto State Command of the Nigeria
1:44
Police Force to enable the police
1:46
investigate his action that he never had
1:48
the intention of stealing the money and
1:50
his action of removing some money from
1:52
the ransom was part of his usual
1:54
operational procedures. adding that the
1:57
police never charged him to court and
1:59
while in self-detention with the police.
2:01
He became the cell president and he
2:03
facilitated the release of four persons
2:05
who were probably arrested and detained
2:08
by the police unjustly for a crime the
2:10
beneficiaries may know nothing about.
2:12
And a video posted online by Harrison
2:14
Guamnau on Monday night showed he
2:17
arrived home to the waiting hands of his
2:19
elderly mother who was seen in the video
2:21
singing, dancing with other family
2:23
members, friends and well-wishes and
2:25
screaming loud with joy while using one
2:28
of her hands to caress the chest of her
2:30
son Harrison Guamu during which she said
2:33
a lot of prayers in her local dialect.
2:36
In his words, Harrison Guamnau said, "I
2:39
did not return alone." During my time in
2:43
custody, I became the cell priido obj
2:46
and later handed over that
2:48
responsibility to a young man honoraba
2:51
who had also been unjustly arrested and
2:53
detained. While there I quietly
2:56
supported the release of four
2:58
individuals who were being held without
3:00
cause and today honoraba from Benway
3:02
state has also regained his freedom. My
3:06
sincere appreciation goes to my Edo
3:08
human rights team led by John Odian
3:11
Kadiri for their invaluable support in
3:13
making this possible. Dear family, I am
3:16
pleased to inform you all that I have
3:18
been released from custody. Words cannot
3:21
express how grateful I am for your
3:23
support, especially considering that
3:25
many of you had not yet heard my own
3:27
side of what truly happened. for barely
3:30
one month after terrorists invaded the
3:32
Christian school on November 21st, 2025
3:36
and kidnapped over 230 school children
3:39
at the St. Mary Catholic Church School
3:41
in Papri Town in Niger state. The
3:44
Nigeria government under the leadership
3:46
of President Bola Ahmed Tonubu has
3:48
announced the complete release of all
3:50
the abducted church school children by
3:52
the terrorists. According to the
3:54
presidential spokesperson Beo Onuga, the
3:57
terrorists released the kids based on
3:59
intelligent-driven operations. But some
4:02
Nigerians who took to the comment
4:03
sections of the presidential
4:05
spokesperson on social media said the
4:08
government should come out clean and
4:10
tell the public the truth that it paid
4:12
money as ransom to the terrorists to
4:14
secure the freedom of the kids,
4:16
stressing that terrorists don't release
4:18
kidnapped victims for free. Beo Onuga.
4:21
The presidential spokesperson had said
4:24
in a statement he issued and made
4:25
available yesterday that the remaining
4:28
130 school children abducted by
4:31
terrorists at St. Mary's Catholic School
4:33
in Capri, Nigerate on November 21st have
4:37
now been released. They expected to
4:40
arrive in Mina on Monday and rejoin
4:42
their parents for the Christmas
4:45
100 were released earlier by the
4:47
terrorists, taking the total of freed
4:52
The freedom of the school children
4:54
followed a military intelligence-driven
4:56
operation. Some social media users who
4:59
are apparently Nigerians took to the
5:01
comment sections of the presidential
5:03
spokesperson post both on Facebook and
5:05
ex-social media platforms and expressed
5:08
themselves over the new developments,
5:10
some of which are presented verbatim
5:12
below. Realwan Ibrahim said released not
5:16
rescued kidnappers don't release
5:18
captives for free in all thank God for
5:21
their lives. Femiad boy said so what
5:24
happened to their abductors were they
5:26
engaged in the way they understand or
5:29
they were released after monetary
5:32
We thank God for dot the release of
5:34
these children at the same time what
5:37
happened to the abductors. Aking bad
5:42
intelligence-destriven operation as how
5:44
na how many bandits did their arrest.
5:47
Banky ales said a wheeler dealer
5:50
government of no direction will never
5:52
say the truth. Only God knows how much
5:54
ransom was paid from the hard-earned
5:56
resources or borrowed funds of this
5:58
country. No amount of propaganda or
6:01
damage control. Nigerians becomes wiser
6:04
every day with all your antics and they
6:06
are ready for you come 2027.
6:09
Rusco said, "Sir, with all due respect,
6:13
do the terrorists release them
6:14
unconditionally or your government paid
6:16
ransom." Joke Megaixer stated, "The
6:19
presidency celebrates a military
6:22
intelligence-driven operation for the
6:24
papri release yet says nothing about the
6:27
fate of the abductors. In a functioning
6:29
security system, the return of victims
6:32
is only half the job. Without arrests or
6:35
neutralized threats, this is not a
6:37
rescue. It is a handover that comes at a
6:40
cost that wasn't mentioned. The official
6:42
account of the Papri release reads like
6:44
a travel itinerary, not a security
6:47
report. If this was indeed an
6:49
intelligence-led operation, where are
6:52
the suspects? Silence on the abductors
6:54
fade suggests a non-combative
6:56
arrangement that leaves the kidnap
6:58
industry intact. Increasing rates of
7:01
mass shooting leading to mass murder in
7:03
South Africa recorded another new figure
7:05
on Sunday early morning in the Beckistl
7:08
town near the southwestern part of
7:09
Johannesburg in the Gaoeng province when
7:12
about 12 masked unknown gunmen invaded a
7:14
public drinking accommodation and
7:16
relaxation spot known as Tavern shooting
7:19
into the pub and shot people as they
7:21
sight them on the street while fleeing
7:23
leading to the killing of nine persons
7:25
as confirmed by the local authority with
7:28
additional 10 persons sustaining
7:30
injuries. This occurred less than 3
7:32
weeks when gunman stormed an illegal
7:34
drinking establishment, also known as
7:36
Shabine, at a hostel in Ssville, west of
7:39
Ptoria, wherein 12 people were killed,
7:42
including a 3-year-old child, a
7:45
12year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl.
7:48
And in 2024 alone, 26,232
7:53
murder cases representing more than 70
7:55
people killed per day in South Africa
7:58
was reported by the South African Police
8:00
Service, SAPS, and a non-governmental
8:03
organization, the Democratic Alliance,
8:06
BC, had stated in its report earlier in
8:08
the year that between January and March
8:14
people were murdered, representing an
8:16
average of 62 Two people killed per day
8:19
in 2025 first quarter and 6,985
8:24
attempted murders were recorded. 75 per
8:31
assaults with intent to cause grievous
8:34
bodily harm were reported representing
8:42
people were raped. 116 per day, 4,571
8:48
kidnappings occurred, 49 per day, 11,11
8:53
common robberies and 35,374
8:58
commercial crimes were reported
9:00
representing 504 per day and as at the
9:03
time of filing in this report on Monday
9:06
morning, the South Africa president
9:08
Siril Ramathosa is yet to issue
9:10
statement or announce policy action over
9:12
the Sunday recent mass murder in the
9:14
country just as residents who spoke with
9:17
local media blamed the attack on illegal
9:19
miners known by the group name Zama
9:22
Zamas and the residents believed the
9:23
police are in cahoots with the different
9:25
gangsters terrorizing communities in
9:28
South Africa. Local residents who spoke
9:30
with local news media said that the mass
9:33
murder in Beckistl occurred around 1:00
9:35
a.m. early morning night on Sunday,
9:37
December 21st with about 12 gunmen in a
9:40
white van and silver sedan opened fire
9:43
at the Quinoxo Tavern in Beckist
9:45
southwest of Johannesburg.
9:48
A resident who spoke with newsroom
9:50
Africa television said, "It is bad, my
9:53
sister. The thing is this has become a
9:56
norm in this township. Young kids,
9:59
tender kids as young as two, three years
10:02
old, when a gunshot sounds, they don't
10:04
flinch. They would ask you, "Which
10:07
direction does it come from?" They're
10:10
used to gunshots. Little kids, now you
10:13
can imagine how much about old people.
10:15
What happened yesterday is a reflection
10:17
of, I don't know how to put it, maybe,
10:21
let me put it straight, a reflection of
10:23
neglect by the police. Criminals, they
10:26
do as they please here. These guns they
10:31
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