Category: Northern Reports

The Gombe State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Waziri Babagoni Goni, yesterday deployed 614 officers and men to provide adequate security and protection of critical national assets in the state during the sallah celebration.

A release issued by the corps’ Public Relations Officer, DSC Saad Buhari, said this is to checkmate the activities of bad elements that may want to take advantage of the festive season to perpetrate their nefarious acts.

The deployment, according to him, cuts across mosques, recreation centres, motor parks, markets, black spots, flash points among others.

Meanwhile Commandant Waziri Goni has congratulated all Muslim faithful in the state on Eid-el-fitri celebration.

He charged all officers deployed to be professional in discharging their duties and above all respect human rights.

Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Nasarawa West, Rev. Bulus Joshua, has called for increased vaccine production across the continent to fight Covid-19 and future pandemic.

Joshua said this in Abuja during the Vaccinate Our World (VOW) engagement with religious leaders to address Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and global vaccine inequity organised by AIDS Healthcare Foundation and NENERELA.

Joshua said with current vaccine production ramped up to maximum levels, vaccine manufacturers are still unable to meet the demand for life-saving Covid-19 doses.

He said: “If the world is to fight this and future pandemics, vaccine production must be increased across every continent.

“A handful of pharmaceutical companies simply cannot be relied upon for vaccinating the entire world.”

He called on leaders to waive or suspend all Covid-19 vaccine patents during the global public health emergency.

“Covid-19 vaccines are primarily funded by taxpayers – not pharmaceutical companies.

“We must call for all vaccine manufacturers to openly share their technology and intellectual property-and for governments to ensure Covid-19 vaccines are declared a public good.

“We can look at past examples, such as the AIDS epidemic and save the world the way we did with antiretroviral medicines for HIV.

Health Committee Member of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Habiba Umar, called for elimination of all restrictions on the sharing of information and data- epidemic and save the world.

She said 100 per cent transparency is needed to achieve the set goals.

The Benue State Chief Magistrate Court 1, presided over by His Worship, V.T Kor Esq, yesterday, remanded one Mr. Peter Ajonye, Commandant of the Benue State Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services in the Nigeria Correctional Facility, Makurdi.

Ajonye was said to have been arrested by Rtd DSP Don Korihom, principal staff officer to the Special Security Adviser of Governor Samuel Ortom on the 27th of April 2022, with one pump action gun model (AVAR with no 5761) loaded with six rounds of live cartridges, of which he admitted ownership, being the state commandant of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services.

The accused was arraigned in court for illegal possession of fire arms and joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons, contrary to section 3(1) of the Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11 LFN 2004 and Section 105, Penal Code Law of Benue State Cap 124 (2004). But a plea was not taken because the court does not have the jurisdiction to prosecute the case.

The prosecuting counsel, Barrister Jonah Iornongu, pleaded with the court to grant more time to the prosecution team to make their case as investigations were still ongoing on the matter.

Although the defence counsel protested, Chief Magistrate V.T Kor granted his plea and adjourned the next appearance in court to the 27th of May 2022.

Meanwhile, in a separate lawsuit, the court also admitted to bail with the sum of 300,000 Naira and a surety each in the like sum to the charges of criminal conspiracy, unlawfully assembly, conspiracy, inciting disturbance and assault and illegal possession of arms to Peter Ajonye, commandant; Leva Luther, deputy commandant; Jov Peters Charles, administrative officer; and Godwin Adinya, adviser, who were managing and organising the said illegal security outfit.

According to the first informant report, the suspects were arrested and charged to court as a result of a letter of complaint addressed to the Benue State Commissioner of Police, CP, Wale Abbas, written by the principal staff officer to the Special Security Adviser of Governor Samuel Ortom, stating that on the 26th of April 2022, “a video was seen on Social Media, where men of an illegal security outfit called “Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services, Benue State Command, unlawfully assembled and proceeded to Government House Makurdi.

“While moving in their large numbers, they were seen forcefully cutting hairs of unsuspecting members of the public, and act likely to cause the breakdown of law and order.”

By Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto and AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

In line with his annual gestures to the less-privileged during sallah festivities, Senator Aliyu Wamakko has distributed wrappers and cash to no fewer than 10,000 women as special package for sallah celebrations.

The gesture, which he extended to young girls, ladies and old women, was to cushion the effects of economic hardship on these categories of persons in the state and help them celebrate the festivity in joy and ease.

“Wamakko is one leading example that commits himself to such gestures on annual basis during the Ramadan period,” a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Bashar Abubakar.

The distribution exercise was performed personally by the former governor.

A cross section of the beneficiaries expressed their joy at the kind gesture, describing Wamakko as a pillar of hope for the needy in the society.

“We pray Allah rewards him abundantly, multiply his wealth and source as well give him the courage to continue serving humanity as always.”

In the same vein, the former governor has facilitated the release of 50 inmates from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

Wamakko, who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence and Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, said the move was a step in his annual gesture to the people during the last ten days of every Ramadan.

A statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, said the inmates were released after the settlement of their judgment debts, fines and compensations by the Senator.

Of the 50 freed inmates, six are women, while 35 were from the Custodial Centre, Sokoto, and others were from different satellite Custodial Centres across the State.

Speaking while releasing the inmates, the Welfare Officer of the Sokoto Custodial Centre, ASP Ayyuba Alhassan, commended Senator Wamakko for sustaining the invaluable perennial gesture.

As authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) intensifies attacks on suspected criminal hideouts, the Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello, has said there is no going back on the planned removal of Apo-Dutse Pantaker, famed to be one of the biggest scrap markets in the country.

Insisting that the place harbours suspected criminals, the Minister said the ultimatum given to them can only be extended by one week from Friday (yesterday).

Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister,  Ikharo Attah, who had an interactive meeting with stakeholders of the Pantaker market  on Friday, noted that the Minister has given a marching order that the market be removed.

He noted that Operators of the Pantaker market had admitted that the place was riddled with several challenges, but pleaded for enough time to enable them to remove all their property.

Attah noted that the decision to extend the ultimatum by one week was due to the Ramadan fasting.  He explained that the Minister demonstrated magnanimity, but insisted that the location of the market was illegal and contravenes urban and regional planning rules.

“FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello, has given a marching order to clear the place because criminals are largely hibernating there. Even the people have admitted that the criminals have stolen some electrical installations there.

“We have warned them and given them an ultimatum before, but they pleaded that their pantaker is not like the other ones, but the biggest in the country. They said that parking their things will take almost one month.  We reviewed it because of Ramadan and agreed one week after the Sallah to vacate the place,” Attah added.

The suspended Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Muhyi Magaji-Rimingado, on Friday appeared before a Kano Senior Magistrates’ Court, charged with giving false information.

The defendant, who is charged with giving false information to the Kano State House of Assembly, contrary to section 140(a) of the Penal Code, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Senior Magistrate Aminu Gabari admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two reliable sureties in like sum.

He said one of the sureties should be the biological father or paternal/maternal uncle of the defendant and should provide evidence of payment of the previous three years’ tax to government.

Gabari further directed that the second surety should be the Chief Imam of Sharada Kano Friday Mosque or the Village Head of Sharada.

He also ordered the defendant to desist from making any comments concerning the matter in print media or radio and to also submit his international passport to the court registrar.

The Magistrate subsequently adjourned the case to May 4 for hearing. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Wada A. Wada, had informed the court that the defendant committed the offence on July 5, 2021, when he presented fake medical certificates from the National Hospital Abuja.

“On June 30, 2021, Kano State House of Assembly (KSHA) received a petition from the Accountant General of the state against the defendant.

“Upon the petition, the KSHA set up ad-hoc committee to investigate the petition.”

Wada said that on July 12, 2021, the ad-hoc committee invited the defendant to appear before it on July 14, 2021 to answer the allegations.

He alleged that the defendant failed to appear before the KSHA, but sent his lawyer to tell the committee he was sick and submitted five false medical laboratory certificates from National Hospital Abuja to the committee.

Wada objected to the bail application made by the defence counsel, adding that the defendant may likely jump bail if granted.

The Defence Counsel, Mr Muhammad Dan’azumi, prayed the court to exercise its discretion and admit his client to bail pursuant to section 35(6) 36 (5) of constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and section 168 of ACJL 2019.

“The defendant is a legal practitioner, a family man and a resident of Kano. He cannot jump bail if granted and urged the court to grant him bail”.

The Plateau State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned in strong terms the attack on 14 of its members who were in the entourage of Senator Ladi Nora Daduut (representing Plateau South Senatorial District in the National Assembly) to Namu, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday by suspected hoodlums.

Addressing a press conference at the NUJ Press Centre Jos on Friday, the Chairman of NUJ Plateau State, Cmr Paul Jatau observed with total disgust that the said journalists became object of attack for carrying out their constitutional duties.

“The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council condemns the unwarranted and unprovoked attack on its members who were there to serve the society. We wonder why journalists are being targeted while carrying out their legitimate duties”.

He said that though no life was lost, the Union’s Hummer Bus donated by the Plateau State Government in 2008 was burnt alongside the Senator’s pilot Hilux van.

The NUJ Chairman also called on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act and punish them accordingly to serve as deterrent to others contemplating such action.

“We indeed call on government to come down hard on the perpetrators, as Namu has become a hotbed of violence and criminality and the state cannot afford to continue on that path”, Jatau said.

Narrating how the incident occurred, the Chairman stated that no sooner had Senator Dadu’ut made to leave after commissioning an ICT Hub/E-Library when the road was blocked and they were immediately surrounded by the hoodlums.