The Late 5: “Operation Python Dance 2.0”; Catholic priest shot in Lagos; and other top stories

Three Boko Haram terrorists, two allegedly computer specialists and the third a herbalist, have been remanded in prison custody by a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court.

The computer specialists were identified as Abdullahi Habib Audu, Bashiru Yahaya, and their medicine man, Ahmed Momoh.

“Notwithstanding that bail is a constitutional right guaranteed the accused persons, the presumption of innocence is not absolute,” Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku, said issuing the remand order in his ruling. “Bail is not granted as a matter of course in this kind of offence. So, bail is refused. The accused persons shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe, Kogi State.”

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Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has said it would commence its second phase of Exercise Python Dance, tagged Python Dance II, in the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

In a statement the army said the exercise was necessary due to the “mindless assassinations (even in religious places), attack on security personnel, theft of weapons, armed banditry, kidnapping, cultism and violent agitations, as well as other security challenges that have recently become prevalent in the South Eastern part of the country.”

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On gunmen attacking religious places, the parish priest of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lagos, Daniel Nwankwo, was shot in the church on Friday.

A parishioner, Valentine, said the unknown gunmen attacked the church at around 9am.

“When they arrived here, Father was taking confession.  As he was walking away after rounding off, they approached him and told him they need N5,000 to use in paying the hospital bill of someone,” he said. “Before you knew what was happening, they had shot him on the stomach.”

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A lot of attention has been on South Africa this week since a Nigerian businessman, Clement Kalu, was tortured to death by policemen in the country.

In the most recent development, the South African police has reportedly released five Nigerians detained for protesting the killing of the businessman.

Nigerians protested in front of the police station in the town on Wednesday, prompting the police to shoot rubber bullets to disperse them.

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Hurricane Irma which struck the French territory of “St Martin” in the Caribbean Islands has left the area it in a devastating state.

The category 5 storm dropped more than 100inches rain and has been adjudged as the strongest Atlantic Hurricane. It made landfall on the Caribbean Islands on Wednesday and has since left great disaster across the territories on its wake with St Martin not an exception.

According to France’s Interior Minister Gerrard Collomb, the Hurricane has left nine dead, rendered 112 injured, 60 percent home badly damaged, while seven are still missing.

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