News

By Muhammad Sabiu

A car crash along the Kafin Madaki-Ningi route in the Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State claimed the lives of six persons on Christmas Day.

The accident, which occurred at 11.50 a.m., also injured sixteen other people to varying degrees.

Yusuf Abdullahi, the state’s FRSC Sector Commander, stated that a white Toyota Hiace bus owned by the Bauchi State Government was involved in the fatal collision.

He said, “Immediately we got the call, our men rushed to the scene within 20 minutes for a rescue operation. They evacuated the victims and rushed them to the Kafin Madaki General Hospital.

“It was when they got there that a medical doctor confirmed six people dead. Sixteen others sustained various degrees of injuries.

“There were a total of 22 people consisting two male adults, four male children, 10 female adults and six female children in the bus when it crashed.

“The lone fatal crash involved a Bauchi State Government vehicle, a Toyota Hiace Bus, white in colour.

“Those killed included two female adults, two male children and two female children.

“Those who sustained bruises and fractures are two male adults, two male children, eight female adults and four female children.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has issued a warning to the general public, particularly those looking to apply for passports, to be aware of the actions of touts posing as immigration officers.

This was stated at the Command’s End-of-Year celebration and award ceremony on Saturday in Owerri by Mr. Cyril Alaje, the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration and Passport Control Officer for the command.

He gave the people of Imo his words that the Command will keep up its commitment to provide top-notch customer service while meeting all of its primary objectives.

Also, NIS Comptroller in Imo, Mrs. Nkechi Ezugwu, said that the recognition was a call to better service while recognizing outstanding officers in the state. She added that they were deemed deserving of the awards after a “rigorous selection process.”

She conveyed her sincere gratitude to the state’s governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, for approving the Command’s Headquarters’ move to a new location and her certainty that the required legal paperwork to support the move will be processed quickly.

By Muhammad Auwal

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved, with immediate effect, the appointment of Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, as the new Managing Director of Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), following the retirement of the erstwhile Managing Director, Dr Abimbola Alale, after two terms of 10 years in office.

Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, an indigene of Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria, was born on 24th November 1966.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, PGDM, MBA, a Professional Diploma in Education and a PhD in Environmental and Sustainable Development Management in view, at the University of Port Harcourt.

He was, before his appointment, Director, health community affairs, safety and environment with BUA Cement Plc, and served in various capacities, including Health and Safety Manager, Country HSE Manager and Regional Manager for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Africa Plc and Group Head, Environment and Community Affairs at  Dangote Cement Plc among others.

Engineer Tukur, who has thirty years of professional experience in manufacturing, process engineering, health, production, safety and environmental management, communications and various other fields, is a Chartered Environmentalist at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, and the Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute.

He is a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), a member of numerous professional bodies and institutes.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Two new commissioners, caretaker chairmen and special advisers have been appointed and sworn in by Bauchi State Governor Alhaji Bala Muhammad. 

Media Aide to Bauchi State Governor Lawal Muazu Bauchi disclosed this in a statement on Friday. 

Jamila Mohammed Dahiru and Amina Muhammad Katagum were appointed to head the state education and rural development ministries, while Yusuf Garba and Abdullahi T. Musa were sworn-in as special advisers. 

The Governor also appointed Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the twenty Local Government Areas of the state and their deputies.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at Multipurpose Indoor Sports Hall Bauchi, the Governor advised the new commissioners to work hand in hand with permanent secretaries and staff of their ministries for the effective implementation of policies and programmes of government. 

He further admonished all the new appointees that his administration had no tolerance for corruption or sabotage. He said they are expected to participate actively in the actualization of the Bauchi renewal project. 

Speaking on behalf of the sworn-in Caretaker Chairman, the Caretaker Chairman of Katagum Local Government, Umar Hassan, thanked the Governor for the honour and promised to justify the confidence reposed in them.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Unknown gunmen Friday launched a fresh attack on Kagoro, a community in Kaduna state, amidst mourning of mass killing in Mallagum-Kagoro, Kaura Local Government Area of the state.

The Daily Reality learned that the incident occurred at night when most people were sleeping.

However, a resident who spoke to the journalists disclosed that the gunmen stormed the community around 9:00 pm.

He added that the gunmen started shooting sporadically immediately as they roamed the community.

A resident who pleaded anonymity said the attackers arrived fully armed and started shooting, forcing people to run for their lives.

He stated, “but thank God there was no loss of life because the military repelled the attackers,” he said.

But no official statement from security agencies or the government has been made when filling this report. 

By Uzair Adam Imam

No fewer than eight bandits have been neutralised during patrols by the Troops of Operation Forest Sanity in the Chikun and Birnin Gwari areas of Kaduna State.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement issued Friday.

Aruwan added that the troops then engaged the gunmen in a second mission and recovered two motorcycles.

He said, “The troops made contact with bandits and neutralised eight, while recovering four motorcycles and three mobile phones in the first successful mission.”

He stated that the troops, in a similar operation, neutralised two bandits in the Sabon Birni-Maidaro-Dogon Dawa-Galadimawa-Kidandan-Fatika axes.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that improving the well-being of police and military personnel is a priority of his administration.

Buhari spoke at the Police Service Commission’s 2023 budget proposal on Thursday in Abuja.

The Nigerian president noted that reforms were a sacred obligation and that his administration gave top importance to the well-being of police officers.

The morale of the operators will be good, according to Buhari, if they are posted on duty or missions and they are aware that their families are well-cared for.

He was quoted as saying, “I am pretty aware of the problems and challenges confronting the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces.

“The problem is relative to time and resources and this administration has done a lot with the limitations.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it does not know the quantities of the new naira notes it printed and released for circulation in the country.

The CBN Deputy Governor, Aisha Ahmad, made this disclosure when she appeared before the House of Representative on Thursday.

Ahmad, who represented the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was before the lawmakers to brief them on the apex bank’s cashless policy and cash withdrawal limits.

The Daily Reality gathered that the lawmakers had on Wednesday requested that Ahmad should appear before the House since Emefiele was outside the country for health issues.

Ahmad was asked by a lawmaker, Sada Soli, about the quantities of the new notes printed due reason to non-availability of the notes days after they were released to the public.

But Ahmad, while responding to his question, said she does not know the quantities of notes printed by the apex bank.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Veteran comedian and rapper, Bright Okpocha, better known with his stage name, Basketmouth, has announced the end of his marriage to wife, Elsie Okpocha.

Basketmouth announced the end of his 12-year-old marriage on his verified social media handles on Thursday.

He said: “As much as it pains me to bring my personal life to the public space, this is an unavoidable situation.

“After much deliberations, my wife and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage.

“As we move forward separately, we will continue to work together to give our beautiful children all the care, love, guidance and support they need.

We humbly ask that you respect our privacy as we navigate through these times. Thank you.”

Rumours of upheavals in Basketmouth marriage had spread rapidly in November when he failed to publicly celebrate the marriage anniversary, which usually comes up every November.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Professor Kingsley Moghalu, a politician and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said that withdrawing from partisan politics has given him happiness and peace of mind.

Moghalu disclosed this in a tweet on his verified Twitter handle on Wednesday.

According to him, partisanship is divisive and it is time he contributed to nation-building from a nonpartisan perspective.

“I am happy and have found peace in withdrawing from partisan politics. No apologies. As a citizen I will always have my preferences and will vote for specific candidates, but there are times and circumstances when one can better contribute to nationbuilding from a nonpartisan perspective” He said.

Moghalu also disclosed that he would not publicly endorse any candidate despite calls from different people that he should do so. He noted that he could not publicly support such candidates because they were not in anyway like him.

“I understand the passions and goodwill of those who argue on this street that I should formally “declare/campaign for this candidate or the other. They argue so because they believe my views are listened to and may be “influential”. But I urge such people to also understand, and respect my own personal decisions. They have not, like I have been, presidential candidates (without having a war chest of stolen public funds) or stood in the arena. bloodied but unbowed. No regrets, but only I know what I have sacrificed, the personal price I have paid.” He stated

In June 2022, Kingsley Moghalu lost the presidential primary election of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and resigned his membership of the party after the defeat.