News

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmad

The former Senator of Kaduna State, representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has urged the federal government of Nigeria to declare bandits as federal civil servants on Twitter earlier today.

The former senator said this while lamenting on the incessant killings of Christian and Muslim worshippers in their religious houses by bandits. While the government failed to declare them as terrorists.

He tweeted, “They [bandits] killed Muslim worshipers in their mosques in Niger and Katsina State; they killed Christians in their Churches in Kaduna State; if the Government doesn’t want to declare them terrorists, it should declare them federal civil servants.”

By Muhammad Sabiu

By Muhammad Sabiu

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Registrar and the Chief Executive of the National Examination Council (NECO), Prof. Dantani Wushishi, has said that some northern states owe the council the sum of N2.8 billion from the unpaid examination fee.

Wushishi lamented that most of the states owing the council a lot of money were yet to remit it, even when the examination body had not withheld the results of the defaulting states in the spirit of mutual respect, togetherness and understanding.

He added that “State governments offer to pay examination fees for candidates from their states, but when it comes to the actual payment, they don’t do it, and that has strapped NECO.

“Zamfara, Adamawa, Kano, Gombe, Borno and Niger state governments are owing the examination body N1.8 billion debt for the students they registered in 2019”, Wushishi told journalists in Minna on Saturday.

Wushishi reminded the defaulting states that it was with this money that NECO paid her staff and also to buy the needed materials.

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmad

It has been reported that security forces have killed several bandits and destroyed their camps during clearance operations at Igabi and Chikun Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.

The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, on Friday, said the clearance operations were planned to conducted in Faka, Katuka, Barebari and Maguzawa general areas, spanning Chikun and Igabi LGAs.

According to him, an unconfirmed number of bandits were however later neutralised by a Nigerian Air Force attack helicopter after they were sighted on the high ground across the Maguzawa River.

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmad

The former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the creation of state police while delivering his speech at a lecture titled, ‘Social responsibility in nation building,’ to mark the 78th anniversary of Island Club in Lagos, on Friday.

Obasanjo said Nigeria needs state police to efficiently tackle the insecurity challenges of the country. He said only a safe environment can guarantee nation building.

According to Obasanjo:

“I have said it before and I will say it again. Nigeria should have state police all over the various states so that insecurity can be tackled efficiently. uaranteeing citizens a safe environment and round security is one thing a government must do.

No nation can be built where peace, security and stability are not guaranteed and with reasonable predictability of the President and the future not enthroned.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the so-called tenure extension, “Tazarce” as unconstitutional, swearing to leave office as his time due.

Buhari made the disclosure at Makkah when he met with some Nigerians living in Saudi Arabia.

While giving his words to Nigerians at the meeting, Buhari was quoted saying “in the balance of eighteen months or so of my time left, whatever I can do to improve the life of Nigerians, I will do it for the country.”

“I swore by the Holy Qur’an that I will serve in accordance with the constitution and leave when my time is up. No “Tazarce’’ (tenure extension). I don’t want anybody to start talking about and campaigning for unconstitutional extension. I will not accept that.”

Speaking, the President promised to support efforts to increase the role of technology in the Nigeria’s elections.

“After the third so-called defeat, I said, ‘God Dey’. My opponents laughed at me but God answered my prayers by bringing in technology. At that point, nobody can steal their votes or buy them,” the president added.

However, talking about the development of the present security in Nigeria, Buhari expressed his grievances.

“My problem is the North West where people are killing and stealing from one another. I had to be very hard on them and I will continue to be very hard until we put them in line and bring back order,” he said.

Muhammad Sabiu

By Muhammad Sabiu

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

Abba Sayyadi Ruma, a former minister of agriculture and rural development, is dead. Mr. Ruma served as minister during the late President Ummaru Musa Yar’adua’s administration.

Sources have confirmed that Ruma died in London after a brief illness. The deceased was believed to be among the most influential cabinet members during the Yar’adua era.