News

I smuggled drugs to raise N5m ransom for my mother’s abductors—detainee

By Muhammad Sabiu

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) detained a female traveller named Jatau Lami at the Lagos Airport for attempting to export 1,700 Tramadol 225mg tablets.

Her arrest was confirmed by the director of media and advocacy at the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a statement made public on Sunday.

Babafemi revealed that the package was carried undercover in her luggage on a Turkish Airlines journey to Istanbul, Turkey.

The suspect, a mother of three, is a native of Zango Kataf Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State, but she currently resides in Istanbul, Turkey, with her family, according to a preliminary inquiry.

She attributed her action to pressure to earn N5 million in ransom money to release her mother from the robbers’ custody.

Excitement as Yobe Govt distributes farm components to 500 farmers 

By Uzair Adam Imam 

No fewer than 500 farmers have benefited from the agricultural component distributed by the Yobe State Government Sunday in the Jarere Community of the state.

The state government had described the distribution as part of its early recovery response project in the state.

Flagging off the distribution Sunday, Dr Mohammed Goje, Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed that each of the beneficiaries would go home with a knapsack, sprayer, liquid fertiliser, herbicide, bean seeds, sorghum seeds, hand gloves and facemasks.

Reports disclosed that the 500 beneficiaries were identified by Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) through community-based selection.

It was gathered that the 500 beneficiaries included 400 men farmers and 100 female farmers of the community. 

However, the beneficiaries applauded the state government for identifying their community, Jajere, among the benefiting communities.

Kano loses pilgrim in Saudi Arabia 

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A Kano State pilgrim in Mecca has passed on in the holy city of Mecca. 

The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Muhammed Abba-Muhammad, disclosed this to the press on Saturday, August 6, 2022. 

The Executive Secretary said Idris Muhammad, who hailed from Madobi Local Government Area, passed on after a brief illness in a Hospital in Mecca. 

“The deceased has been buried according to Islamic rites at Grand mosque at Masjid Haram Shira yard in Mecca,” He said

He also prayed for the deceased and extended his condolence to his family.

ASUU’s demands are unrealistic – Festus Keyamo, SAN

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, said the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are unrealistic, and the Federal Government cannot be blackmailed into borrowing money to end the strike. 

Keyamo made the statement on Friday, August 5, 2022, while speaking on Channels Television Politics Today. 

“Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?

“You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion. And you have roads to build, health centres to build, other sectors to take care of.” He stated

The Minister then pleaded with parents to beg ASUU to return to the classroom.

“Like the President said the other time, those who know them appeal to their sense of patriotism,” Keyamo said.

“Let them go back to classes. They are not the only ones in Nigeria. They are not the only ones feeding from the federal purse. The nation cannot grind to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU.” He added

ASUU embarked on strike on February 14, 2022, and are seeking improved condition of service and revitalization of public universities amidst other demands. 

However, the Buhari-led Federal Government said it does not have the fund to attend to ASUU’s N1.1 trillion demand due to low oil prices. The impasse has shut down government-owned universities across the country.

KDDI rallies youth to shun drug abuse

By Mallam Musbahu Magayaki

On Monday, August 1, 2022, a community organisation known as Katagum Division Development Initiative (KDDI) launched one of its planned programs titled “Awareness on Drug Abuse” at Jama’are Local Government Area of Bauchi State. Several inhabitants of Jama’are communities joined the KDDI youths during the campaign rally.

Jama’are NDLEA officers, local government representatives, Nigerian Red Cross representatives, and social welfare representatives participated in the event. The program was observed at Wabi Academy, major streets, market places, and the Emirs’ Palace.

The Emir, Alhaji Nuhu Ahmed Wabi Mni, was highly impressed with the organisation’s effort. He urged the people of the Katagum community to support the fight against drug abuse.

The organisation calls on the general public to join them in achieving their goals.

Kidnappers cart away 3 kids in Kogi—police

By Muhammad Sabiu

The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the kidnapping of three kids in Kogi State.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday night by SP William Ovye Aya, the public relations officer for the Kogi State Police.

Early reports claimed that unknown gunmen attacked Kaduna Estate in the Ajaokuta Steel Township Complex, Kogi State’s Ajaokuta Local Government Area, on Wednesday night in order to kidnap their victims.

According to information from a family source, the kidnappers sought N100m in order to release their victims.

In the statement, Aya made a hint that Kogi State Commissioner of Police CP Edward Ogbuka had sent members of the Police Mobile Force, CTU, and Quick Response Unit on the hunt for the kidnappers with the goal of freeing the kids and putting the criminals to justice.

It may be remembered that lately, in Jida Bassa, Ajaokuta Local Government, gunmen ambushed three police officers and five vigilantes, killing them all.

Kogi in the North Central part of Nigeria has also been one of the states badly hit by the activities of gunmen.

Bauchi plans security outfit to tackle insecurity

By Muhammad Aminu

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, disclosed that the state had finished preparation that would enable it to establish state-owned security outfit to tackle banditry and other crimes.

Mohammed said this when he paid a condolence visit to the family of a 75-year-old Jauro Katu Mai Dakkuna who was killed by bandits while kidnapped in Shafa community of Alkaleri Local Government Area.

According to him, the State is making arrangement to recruit over 2000 youths that will man the security outfit across the 20 LGAs of the state to safeguard lives and properties.

The Governor alleged that the bandits that operated in the area have local collaborators.

“There was no how somebody from somewhere in Zamfara would visit that secluded place of Shafa hamlet to kill somebody unless he has an informer and collaborator. As the security agencies have always said, such thing could not happen without collaboration with some obnoxious elements within us.

“We have to fear God in all our dealings, we have already requested the two district heads to make sure they become circumspect, to look inward because we too were looking so that they can arrest all these issues of compromise, information being given to the bandits.

“Reports reaching me the day before was some locals were supplying foodstuff to the bandits in the forests, so we are aware of such retrogressive tendencies, there are some few dissident security operatives that are compromising with the bandits.

“So, we are requesting the commissioner of police and the brigade commandant to effect a change or redeployment of the guards here who have over stayed in their duty posts to have been conniving with the bandits,” he said.

He assured residents that a feedback mechanism will be put in place to improve the security situation.

“We are establishing a system of feedback, and I had some people within us are even feeding the bandits in their secluded places by giving them grains and flour to feed, that is the report I got, and we are going to take measures against such people wherever they are and no matter how close they are to us,” he stressed.

The Governor advised the people to give the government information through their local authorities such as the LG chairman, councilors, district, village and ward heads for prompt action to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

KAROTA arrests impersonator

By Muhammad Aminu

The Kano state Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) has arrested an impersonator defrauding drivers at night.

The 27-year-old young man impersonated the agency staff on duty around 12 midnight on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Lukman Abdullahi, appeared on night duty on Monday when he was apprehended.

According to the Agency Public Relations Officer, Nabulusi Kofar Na’isa, the suspect was apprehended wearing KAROTA uniform, disguising as their Staff.

Kofar Na’isa added that the agency got the report of the suspect using its name, manhandling commuters but did not get to meet him until now.

The Managing Director of the agency, Baffa Babba Danagundi, called on the general public to report officials who engage in misconduct, bribery and corruption as they will be charged accordingly to court.

He added that once investigation is completed, the suspect will be handed over to the police for onward investigation before the law.

Gunmen storm Zaria, abduct woman on sickbed

By Uzair Adam Imam

Unknown shooters abducted a woman patient on her sickbed in Zaria Local government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday.

The shooters were said to have arrived at Anguwar Malamai village in Kakeyi, Zaria, where they abducted the woman to an unknown destination.

The Daily Reality learned that the incident reportedly occurred around midnight on Thursday.

It was gathered that no sooner had the bandits arrived than they proceeded to the residence of Alhaji Shu’aibu Dallatu and abducted his wife.

Speaking, one of the residents disclosed, “The bandits arrived at the residence purposely to kidnap the household, Alhaji Shuaibu Dallatu, because on arrival they asked some young men who sleep in the shop outside the house of his whereabouts.

“Meanwhile, Alhaji Dallatu, who was fully awake attending to his sick wife, overheard the conversation and quickly sneaked out.

“They bundled her into a waiting car and started shooting into the air as they made their exit,” he stated.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, Mohammed Jalinge, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

KASU promotes 13 academics to professors, associate profs

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

The Governing Council of the Kaduna State University, led by Mallam Hussaini Dikko, has approved the appointment of 6 senior academics to the rank of Professors and seven others to Associate Professors, respectively.

According to a statement by the university’s public relations officer, Mr Adamu Nuhu Bargo, those promoted are; Dr Matoh D. Dogara (Professor of Geophysics), Dr Gaius Jatau (Professor of Economic and Social History), Dr Peter Ayuba (Professor of Applied & Computational Mathematics), Dr Fu’ad Sirate Sheriff (Professor Arabic Language), Dr Tukur Abdulkadir (Professor of International Relations & Strategic Studies), and Dr Nasir Murtala Ibrahim (Professor of Arabic Literature)

Those promoted to the rank of Associate Professors are Dr Binta Kasim (Associate Professor in the Department of Mass Communication), Dr Bashir Kayode Sodipo (Associate Professor in the Department of Physics), Dr Ahmed Buba (Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science), Dr Aliyu Isa Suleiman (Associate Professor in the Department of Nigerian Languages and Linguistics), Dr Patrick Noah Okolo (Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences), Dr Ahmed Bello (Associate Professor in the Department of Education) and Dr Ahmed Shehu( Associate Professor in the Department of Nigerian Languages and Linguistics).