News

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A Helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Police Force has crashed in Bauchi Airport. The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) made this known on Thursday, January 27.

According to AIB, no loss of life was recorded due to the crash, but there were injuries sustained.

Part of the statement reads, “On 26th January 2022, Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria was notified by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) about an accident involving a Bell 429 helicopter with Registration Marks 5N-MDA owned and operated by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF)”
The AIB further disclosed that the NPF helicopter departed Abuja at 16.54 UTC for Bauchi with six persons onboard maintaining 5,500ft.

AIB also urge individuals for assistance, “The Investigating agency, AIB-N needs and hereby solicits for your assistance. We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clips, evidence, or information any member of the public may have of the accident that can assist us with this investigation.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The cousin of the former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, was reported to have been abducted by unknown gunmen at his residence in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The cousin, identified as Jephthah Robert, was abducted on Monday, 24, January 2022.

The Daily Reality has learnt that the abductors have yet to contact the family long since his abduction

SP Asinim Butswat, the police spokesman in Bayelsa State, confirmed the development while addressing the journalist.

He added that this has resulted in intensifying efforts to save the victim and arrest the culprits.

Reports from the state have shown that the rate of kidnappings in Bayelsa State has increased recently.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Three hundred eighty-seven (387) people were murdered in the communal clashes in Kauru and Zangon Kataf, according to Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

On Wednesday, he stated this at Agwatyap’s palace in Atak Njei, Zangon Kataf.

The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, who represented El-Rufa’i at a meeting with traditional, religious and community leaders at the palace of Agwatyap, urged the communities in Kauru and Zangon Kataf to stick to the law and avoid generalizations that exacerbate the security situation in the areas.

He further called on the communities in Kauru and Zangon Kataf to keep recourse to the law.

During an emergency meeting with traditional rulers, Aruwan, who was escorted to the conference by security chiefs, also stated that the counter-killings were unacceptable.

The killings of two officers in Taura Local Government Area and the abduction of Haruna Maifata, the state’s contractor’s son-in-law, have been confirmed by Jigawa State police.

The incident happened at Kwalam, part of the Taura LGA, where the contractor lives.

Ma’aru Abubakar, the contractor’s son-in-law, was kidnapped.

While confirming the event to reporters, Lawan Adam, a police spokesperson in Jigawa, said the police were stepping up their efforts to apprehend the bandits. According to him, Anas Usaini, a superintendent of police, and Sunusi Alhassan, an inspector, were killed.

According to him, the cops were shot and killed beside an improvised patrol car set on fire by the attackers.

Residents stated that the gunmen broke inside their target’s home after striking a security formation and then proceeded unhindered into the town.

Residents said the latest incident happened less than three months after a businessman, Kabiru Taura, was kidnapped and released after allegedly paying a ransom of over N20 million.

Jigawa is a comparatively tranquil state in Nigeria’s troublesome northwestern area, but locals have urged for increased security to guarantee that the situation there does not worsen.

Compared to neighbouring Northwestern states like Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kebbi, where thousands of people were slain or kidnapped last year, the state has seen far fewer armed attacks.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kano State, has issued a press release applauding the security agencies for the quick and perfect response to the murder of a five-year-old Hanifa by her primary school teacher. In the statement, the opposition party also warned and cautioned the state government over what it alleged as “extorting” the private school owners over the sad incident. According to them, the good ones among the private school owners should not be punished or penalised based on the evil wrongdoings of others.

The full release:

“The Kano state chaper of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has applauded the efforts of security agencies for their swift response in investigating, arresting and arraigning the kidnapper and killer of Kano school girl Hanifa Abubakar.

The party wishes to acknowledge the successful operation that led to the arrest of the suspected culprit Abdulmalik Tanko and his cohorts through strategic intelligence gathering and tactical security operation.

As members of the opposition in Kano, we wish to join other well meaning Nigerians to also commend the prompt prosecution/ arraignment of the suspects before a senior magistrate court in the state to pursue justice on late Halifa without any delay.

On reforming the private education, the PDP therefore advised Kano State government under the leadership of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to follow the necessary due process in accordance with law establishing Kano state Private School Board which regulates the activities of all non public schools in the state.

“We learnt that Governor Ganduje has withdrawn the operating licence of all private schools in the state, with all sense of humility and patriotism, we will like to caution the state government not to use this opportunity to extort money from the proprietors of private schools in the state”

The party noted that there have been a standard operating procedure provided by the law establishing the private school board developed by the previous administration of Sen. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

Despite the importance of reforming the private education sub-sector which has been long overdue, the Kano state government should not see it as a window of opportunity for extortion of money from the hands of the schools proprietors.

The party is hereby extending its heartfelt condolence to the family of late Hanifa and the good people of Kano on the unfortunate incidence that have put people in deep sorrow and sympathy.

Signed

Shehu Wada Sagagi
PDP Chairman
Kano State Chapter

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Kano State Deputy Governor, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, has revealed that the State Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) in the year 2021 achieved 123.43% of its disbursement projection.

A release signed Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Hassan Musa Fagge, disclosed.

The release added that the Deputy Governor who is also the Commissioner of Agriculture stated this on  Monday while chairing the State Steering Committee of the project meeting at the Government House, Kano.

He said: “There is no any agricultural project in the state that has attained this level. This feat of progress is the highest achieved by any Live and Livelihood Fund Project (LLF) funded by the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) in Africa.

“In my recent discussion with the ISDB Vice President and report reaching me from LLF, KSADP is the fastest project in fact the progress made by it has gingered the Bank to support Kano State with various interventions such as Structure Agro Processing Zones, National Program for Food Security and Bilingual Project.

He further said:  “The project will be tasked in the year 2022 with the delivery of project outputs to the intended beneficiaries,” adding that 2021 did not call for many oversights supervisory visits by the steering committee being a year for planning, designs, capacity building and strengthening of stock route committee members.

“2022 is going to add value to what the project has started and will be full of physical activities as the previous year has been for planning and consultancies,” he said.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed the date for registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

According to Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s spokesperson, the registration starts on February 12 and lasts until March 19, 2022.

The examination board made this known through its weekly bulletin, released on Monday, January 24.

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmed

The Kano State Government has revoked the license of all private schools in the state.

Kano state’s Commissioner for Education, Honorable Sanusi Kiru Sa’id, stated this at a press conference held on Monday, January 24, 2022.

This news came up as a follow-up after the brutal murder of a five-year-old school pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, by her teacher and school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko.

The state government also announced the arraignment of Mr Tanko before a magistrate court in the state. The accused and two others are remanded in the correctional facility pending the next hearing.

On the suspension of the operational permits for private schools, Hon. Kiru said the government would set up a designated team for guidance on the next line of action.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Police in Imo State have arrested a 35-year-old man identified as Onyekachi and his wife, Oluchi, for allegedly kidnapping, murdering and burning the corpse of a 71-year-old man, Chief Precious Okorie.

Onyekachi was reported to have killed the man for allegedly sleeping with his wife, Oluchi.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hussain Rabiu, made the disclosure while parading the suspect, adding that the deceased was kidnapped on November 12, 2021.

According to the police commissioner, he ordered the commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Oladimeji Oyeyiyewa, and his operatives to swing into action after a report from the family about the case.

However, he added that this has led to the gang leader’s arrest, Agubata Maxwell Chimezie, known as “The Boss”, on December 10th, 2021, while Oluchi was arrested on December 20, and her husband was picked up on January 10th, 2022 in Owerri.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Akin Abayomi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, claims that a steady decline in COVID-19 case positive has signalled the end of the state’s fourth wave.

On Saturday, Mr Abayomi made the announcement via his verified Twitter account @ProfAkinolaAbayomi, while presenting the state’s COVID-19 report for January 20.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the state notified the start of the fourth wave on December 7 as the virus’s daily infection rate increased.

According to Mr Abayomi, COVID-19 infection positivity rates have decreased from 29.3 percent on December 21 to 1.9 percent on January 20.

According to him, bed capacity utilization is currently at 2%, with a death rate of 0.71 percent.

On the reporting date, 46 additional infections were confirmed, bringing the total number of COVID-19 illnesses in the state to 98,284.

Since the start of the epidemic in the state, 1,023, 203 sample tests have been performed, he said.

To further minimize the transmission of the virus, Mr Abayomi recommended residents be vaccinated and continue to follow non-pharmaceutical approaches.