News

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmad

There have been reports of attack by ISWAP fighters on a com­munity hospital and telecommunication mast in the town of Mugumeri Local Government Area of Borno State on November 3, 2021.

It was gathered that the at­tackers stole some drugs and other medical consumables from the facility.

While the military ex­changed gunfire with a group of the ISWAP fighters, the other group sneaked into the hospital to steal drugs, a refrigerator and some bedsheets, according to a source.

“They attacked the town from behind, burnt down Airtel mast and ransacked the hospital.

“They went away with drugs, a refrigerator and some bedsheets.”

Magumeri is about 40 kilo­meters away from Maidugu­ri, the state capital.

By Adamu Ibrahim Jimeta

Adamawa State Police Command has announced the arrest of kidnapping syndicate that have been terrorizing Malabu/Belel axis in Adamawa State.

The statement signed Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sulieman Yahya Nguroje, disclosed.

The operatives of the command attached to State Intelligent Bureau (SIB) in colaboration with the Police in the state accomplished the mission successfully.

The arrest of the suspects was said to have followed the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Barde.

Reports disclosed that Malabu had complained after been kidnapped twice by the criminal gang in the state, where they collected one million naira cash as a ransom.

The statement reads in part: “The confession of the suspects revealed they abducted the complainant sometimes, January, 2019, and received one million Cash as ransom and subsequently re- kidnapped him on the 11th February, 2021. by the same syndicate, but he luckily escaped from the captivity when negotiation for ransom was ongoing.

“Assisted by members of Miyetti Allah cattle breeders Association of Nigeria, apprehended 3 out of 5 members of the gang were arrested.

“They are Ahmadu Abdu, 24 years, a resident of Mbilla Malabu village, Fufore LGA; Buba Yusufa, 28years, a resident of Mbilla Malabu village, Fufore LGA; Usman Idi, 18 years, a resident of Bamanga village, Fufore LGA,” the statement added.

However, the CP while commending the police officers and Chairman Miyetti Allah, Alh. Jaoji, also assured the members of the public that they are committed to working with law abiding citizens to secure the state and reduce crimes to the bearest minimum .

By Uzair Adam Imam

Zamfara State Government has on Wednesday prosecuted more than 1,000 suspects for the violation of the executive order that aimed at putting bandits and banditry to an end in the state.

The disclosure was made on Wednesday by the Chairman of the Task Force Committee on lnsecurity, Abubakar Daura, in Gusau.

The chairman spoke while parading one Zayyanu Bingi and 42 other suspects arrested for alledgely buying fuel from different filling stations in the past few days.

Zayyanu was arrested while making attempts to make his seventh trip to convey gallons of the product concealed in sacks and ready to deliver to the bandits camps.

Daura said that “The committee through collaboration with security forces also arrested 100 other suspects including those involved in kidnapping and banditry as well as those who specialised in providing information to the bandits.

He also added that the security forces were investigating the suspects to ascertain their involvement in the allegations.

“The state government had banned the purchase of fuel and similar products in containers.”

“Many people were found to be using that to supply bandits with fuel in the various camps across the state,” he said.

He finally urged members of the public to continue exposing the bad eggs among residents as a way to restore peace to the state.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State has approved the relief of 25 out of the 27 Local Government Council Secretaries.

The Public Relation Officer, Ministry of Local Government, Alhaji Najib Umar, made this known in a statement signed Wednesday in Dutse.

The statement reads in part: “Jigawa State Government is hereby announcing the relieve of the appointments of all the 27 Local Governments Secretaries, except those of Sule Tankarkar and Buji Local Government Areas (LGAs).

“The affected officers are directed to hand over all official documents and other materials and items to their respective Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS) with immediate effect,” the statement said.

The statement added that the Governor thanked the sacked appointees for their tremendous contributions towards the development of the local government areas they served.

However, Badaru also wished them success in their future endeavours. Nonetheless, the reason behind their sack is yet to be disclosed.

By Muhammad Sabiu

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano has called for the establishment of small, medium and large scale processing plants in order to boost the production of the vegetable crop in the state.

Ganduje made the call on Wednesday,  3rd November, 2021 while addressing participants of the 4th regional onion conference at Kano Government House.

The Governor represented by his Deputy Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna stated that Kano being the 3rd largest onion producing state in the country and having one of its biggest market in the continent, his administration is working alongside the farmers in the state towards enhancing their production due to the importance of onion as a vegetable crop whose distinctive flavour and health benefits is appreciated by people around the globe.

“Because of our commitment towards promoting the value chain of onion, we are facilitating ways for the farmers to source for funds that will launch them into big processors and exporters,” he said.

Ganduje went on to describe the event as milestone and expressed appreciation to the organisers for the honour done to Kano to host the conference.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar represented by Alh. Abba Gana Yamani said the importance onions in the Nigerian diet can never be under estimated, adding that the ease of cultivating the crop makes it a lucrative venture for farmers.

“Nigeria is among the largest producers of onions in the world, in 2012 alone, an estimated 240,000 tonnes of green onions and 1,350,000 tonnes of dry onions were produced in Nigeria the Minister revealed”.

Speaking earlier, the President Of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association Of Nigeria, Aliyu Maitasamu Isa explained only 1,400,000 million tonnes of onions instead 2,500,000 million tonnes therefore calls for increase in the production of the vegetable crop.

He said the conference with the theme: “The Onion sector in the era of the African continental free trade area and the COVID-19 pandemic” is aimed at developing a business plan for onion trade within the West and Central African Economic Community and also to harmonize and fashion ways of continued business despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was attended by onion producers, processors and other stakeholders across the African region.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has explained the reasons behind the removal of his Chief of Staff, Muhammed Sani Abdullahi, and also denied Sunusi Lamido Sunusi’s involvement in his administration.

Recalled that the Kaduna State Chief of Staff had been removed from his position month ago and transferred to the Ministry of Budget and Planning Commission as a commissioner.

El-Rufa’i said that the ministry had been having challenges in preparing budgets two years since Abdullahi left the ministry.

He made the disclosure in a radio program in the state where he was quoted saying: “The removal of the chief of staff had nothing to do with addressing Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi (II) as former Emir of Kano at an event in the state, recently.

“The transpired between the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Sanusi) and Abdullahi is a historical joke between Zaria and Kano people in which Zaria considered Kano people as their slaves,” he said

The governor further stated that the he mainly received advice from Sanusi, bu he has nothing to do with how he runs his government.

“He is the vice-chancellor of our state university because he is a professional in that aspect. Secondly, he is the deputy chairman of KADIPA.

“These are the two areas he is assisting us with advice and again everybody knows Muhammadu Sanusi is a qualified economist and so I only seek his advice on this aspect.

“But not on how I run my government or who will work with me. I don’t seek advice from anybody outside my colleagues in the government and we usually sit together to discuss,” El-Rufa’i concluded.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Nigerian Hunters Council (NHC), under the leadership of its Commander-General, Joshua Osatimehin, has sought government’s recognition as official security agency to enable them fighting bandits and banditry in the country.

Osatimehin disclosed this yesterday, Monday, at Abuja, at the end of a five-day capacity training for over 7000 personnel of the NHC on corporate safety and conservation.

He also added that they their personnel are now very committed towards fighting bandits, kidnappers and other forms of criminality in the society.

Meanwhile, Osatimehin also appealed to the National Assembly to ensure that the Nigerian Hunters Council bill 2020 becomes a law with immediately.

“We have our headquarters and offices in the 36 states of the federation. What we want the government to do is to recognise hunters as a security agency in Nigeria. If this can be recognised by an enabling law, crimes and criminality will be drastically reduced in Nigeria.”

“The bill has passed first and second reading and the public hearing at the senate, any moment from now we expect it to be passed into law and we will not relax until government gives us the enabling law.

“When you aspire to acquire what you desire you don’t need to retire but you `refire’,’’ he added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that 1.5 trillion dollars is the cumulative estimated amount needed by the country over a ten-year period, to achieve an appreciable level of the National Infrastructure Stock.

President Buhari gave the figure on Tuesday, 2nd November 2021, in Glasgow at a COP 26 high-level side event on improving global infrastructure hosted by President Joe Biden of the United States, EU Commission President, Von Der Leyen and the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

The statement signed Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, malam Garba Shehu disclosed this, adding that: ‘‘Nigeria is ready for your investments in infrastructural development in the country.

‘‘My administration has established a clear legal and regulatory framework for private financing of infrastructure to establish a standard process, especially on the monitoring and evaluation process. We look forward to working with you in this regard.”

President Buhari also declared that his administration had taken infrastructure expansion in Nigeria seriously, conscious of the fact that new investments in critical sectors of the economy would aid lifting 100 million Nigerians from poverty by 2030.

‘‘There is a nexus between infrastructural development and the overall economic development of a nation.

‘‘On my assumption of office in 2015, Nigeria faced a huge infrastructure deficit and the total National Infrastructure Stock was estimated at 35% of our Gross Domestic Product.

‘‘In solving these problems, we embarked on a massive infrastructure expansion programme in the areas of Health care, Education, Transportation, Manufacturing, Energy, Housing, Agriculture, and Water Resources.

The President welcomed the G7 countries for its ground-breaking plan to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure investment for low – and middle-income countries.

He noted that the: “Build Back Better World” plan, an initiative of the G7 countries, is expected to be a values-driven, high-standard, and transparent infrastructure partnership.

‘‘It is our fervent hope and expectations that this plan will be pursued to its logical conclusion in order to bridge the infrastructural gap between the North and South,’’ he said.

The President also used the occasion to outline the principles, values and standards Nigeria would like to see from infrastructure initiatives and the challenges the country has faced in partnering with donors on infrastructure development.

By Muhammad Sabiu