News

ISWAP suffers major blow as troops capture informant, rescue 34 kidnap victims

Published

3 months ago

August 2, 2026

Troops of the Nigerian Army have in the last 24 hours, rescued 34 kidnap victims, apprehended suspected ISWAP informants and recovered arms, ammunition in coordinated operations nationwide.

This is contained in an operational report made available on Sunday.

The report said that troops of Operation HADIN KAI rescued 31 kidnap victims from terrorists along the Buratai-Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno.

It said the rescue followed a swift response after troops of 135 Special Forces Battalion detected ISWAP/JAS terrorists abducting civilians from four vehicles through CCTV surveillance.

According to the report, troops immediately deployed a quick reaction force, engaged the terrorists and forced them to abandon the victims and flee with one motorcycle left behind.

“In another operation, troops of 145 Battalion conducted a fighting patrol to the Turoh general area of Damasak in Mobbar Local Government Area.

“The terrorists reportedly fled on sighting the troops, leaving behind two motorcycles and illicit drugs recovered during exploitation of the area.

“Also, troops of 232 Battalion Tactical apprehended a suspected ISWAP informant at Garaha Market in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa,” it said.

In the North-West, the report revealed that troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA engaged terrorists moving with rustled cattle in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.

It added that the troops’ superior fire power forced the terrorists to withdraw in disarray during the encounter.

The report also revealed that troops of Operation MESA rescued a kidnapped woman and her two children along the old Obajana-Jakura-Tajimi road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi.

According to the report, preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were abducted on July 29 from a Ruga settlement in the Gada-Biyu area of the same local government.

“In Plateau State, troops of Operation Enduring Peace responded to reports of an attack on a herder in Bassa Local Government Area.

“The assailants had fled before the troops arrived, while the deceased and recovered cattle were handed over to the victim’s family,” it added.

In the South-East, the report said the troops of Operation UDO KA recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of three suspected terrorists linked to the ambush of troops in Imo on May 4.

It added that the operation, conducted in Delta and Imo States, followed intelligence obtained from earlier arrested suspects.

According to the report, troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, one FN rifle, a pistol, 11 AK-47 magazines, two FN magazines, 239 rounds of assorted ammunition, a fragmentation jacket and other military items from terrorist camps.

“The recovered weapons included rifles earlier carted away during the May ambush on troops, while further exploitation led to the discovery of another terrorist camp containing additional arms and ammunition,” it said.

Related Topics:blow capture informant ISWAP kidnap major Rescue suffers Troops victims

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Business

NIA Chairman Engages Technical Committee Leadership, Calls for Proactive Industry Advocacy

Published

3 minutes ago

October 30, 2026

PlateauReports

PRESS RELEASE—The Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mrs. Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, has charged the Association’s Technical Committees to strengthen their contributions to industry development through proactive engagement, strategic recommendations and effective collaboration in addressing emerging challenges in the insurance sector.

Mrs. Nwachukwu gave the charge during a breakfast meeting with Chairmen and Secretaries of the Association’s Technical Committees on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

The meeting provided an interactive platform for the NIA leadership and representatives of the Technical Committees to assess their activities, identify areas for improvement and explore strategies for enhancing their effectiveness and contributions to the growth of the Association and the Nigerian insurance industry.

Speaking at the engagement, Mrs. Nwachukwu commended the Technical Committees for their invaluable contributions to the Association’s activities and the development of the insurance industry over the years.

She, however, challenged them to demonstrate greater commitment, innovation and responsiveness in discharging their responsibilities, stressing that their expertise and recommendations remain critical to the Association’s strategic direction and industry advocacy initiatives.

According to her, the NIA Governing Council places significant expectations on the Technical Committees, particularly in providing informed recommendations that serve as the foundation for Council decisions on market conduct guidelines, regulatory policies and other critical industry matters.

The Chairman emphasised the need for the insurance industry to move beyond reactive responses to emerging issues and assume a more proactive role in shaping national economic conversations and policies.

“As insurers, we must not be reactive but proactive in driving conversations around policies and developments affecting the economy and its various sectors. As risk bearers, we have a critical role to play in providing insights and solutions that promote economic stability and resilience.

“The NIA must become stronger and more influential in advancing the collective interests of the insurance industry. To achieve this, our Technical Committees must be at the forefront of driving meaningful engagements, developing practical solutions and providing strategic recommendations that will strengthen the industry,” she stated.

Mrs. Nwachukwu further underscored the importance of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and timely responses to industry developments, urging the Committees to leverage their collective expertise to address emerging risks, regulatory challenges and opportunities for sustainable growth.

She noted that the effectiveness of the Technical Committees would significantly influence the Association’s ability to champion industry reforms, strengthen stakeholder confidence and contribute meaningfully to national economic development.

In her welcome address, the Director-General of NIA, Mrs. Bola Odukale, expressed appreciation to the leadership and members of the Technical Committees for their unwavering commitment, professional contributions and continued support to the NIA Secretariat and the insurance industry.
Mrs. Odukale reiterated the Secretariat’s commitment to strengthening its working relationship with the Committees and providing the necessary institutional support to enhance their operational effectiveness and delivery of their mandates.

The Director-General assured the Committee leadership of the Association’s readiness to facilitate greater coordination, improve communication channels and promote timely consideration of technical recommendations to ensure that their contributions translate into measurable outcomes for the industry.

The NIA Technical Committees represented at the engagement cut across major areas of insurance operations and industry administration. They include the Accident Offices Committee; Accounting Technical Committee; Claims Management Committee; Corporate Affairs Committee; Energy and Special Risks Technical Committee; Fire Offices Committee; Human Capital Management Committee; Information Technology Committee; Legal Committee; Life Offices Committee; Marine Offices Committee; Microinsurance Committee; Motor Technical Committee; Risks, Audit and Compliance Committee; Agricultural Insurance Committee; and Reinsurance Committee.

The breakfast meeting underscored the NIA leadership’s commitment to fostering stronger institutional collaboration, promoting proactive industry advocacy and repositioning the Technical Committees as strategic drivers of innovation, regulatory engagement and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s insurance industry.

The post NIA Chairman Engages Technical Committee Leadership, Calls for Proactive Industry Advocacy appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the U.K.

Published

7 minutes ago

October 30, 2026

PlateauReports

Waymo will begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year as part of a broader partnership with the automaker to provide electric vehicles for robotaxi operations in international markets, including the U.K.

Under the partnership announced Friday, Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. (The electric vehicle is now known as the BZ in the North American market)

The autonomous bZ4X vehicles will initially be tested in Japan, where Waymo intends to eventually operate a robotaxi service. But the intent is to deploy these vehicles in other right-hand driving countries such as the U.K. Waymo has been testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it receives the necessary permits.

The announcement comes 18 months after Toyota and Waymo signed a preliminary agreement to explore the development and deployment of an autonomous vehicle platform. At the time, the agreement fell into the “let’s see what happens” category, with language vague enough to leave plenty of room for interpretation.

For now, the partnership looks more like a conventional vehicle supplier deal that helps Waymo fill specific regional needs while adding a new model to its robotaxi portfolio.

But the partnership could go beyond robotaxis. The companies said they will continue to look at bringing Waymo’s autonomous technology to personally owned Toyota vehicles.

Toyota and Waymo also announced plans to look at other future “initiatives” that would use “insights from Waymo’s real-world operations” to improve safety for other road users. What that might mean is unclear, although Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice president of Toyota and a board member, provided some clues.

“This collaboration will help scale that technology and bring it to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo’s ride-hailing service, and in parallel, Toyota will continue to explore how integrating vehicles with traffic infrastructure can make those roads safer still,” he said in a statement.

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