The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bauchi

  • Police recovers arms, ammunitions in Bauchi

    Bauchi Police Command on Tuesday said it has recovered 83 assorted illegal and prohibitive fire arms and seven hundred and two live ammunition from suspected criminals and volunteers.

    The Command’s spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kamal Datti Abubakar, on behalf of the Command’s Commissioner Sanusi Lemu, said “the recovery of arms from volunteers followed the Inspector-Genetal of Police Mr. Ibrahim Idris’  directives”.

    According to Datti-Abubakar,”among arms recovered are 30 Sk47 and 1 AK49 rifles.20 fabricated Dane guns, 5 single barrel guns, 2 double barrel guns and 4 pump action guns”.

    “Others are 1 K2 rifle, 20 pistols,702 live ammunitions,and 70 cartridges”.

    He also announced that “a combined team of Inspector-General of Police Monitoring unit and Alhaji Ali Kwarra, a hunter’s, engaged  3 suspected armed robbers at MalaDumba Forest, Misau, Bauchi, in a fierce gun duel and killed them”.

    “Arms recovered from the suspected robbers were 3 AK47 riffles,1 locally fabricated double barrel gun,210 live ammunitions of 7.62 caliber 6 cartridges of double barrel gun, and 3 empty magazines of AK47”.

    Also recovered from the three suspects are 1 Golf 3 Car, suspected to be their operational vehicle, with registration NoAH 471 GWA,1 cutlass,2 pairs of Police camouflage uniforms, and N16,900:00.

    The Police spokesperson, however, did not make public the list of those that surrendered their firearms and details of the 3 suspected armed robbers killed in a gun duel with the combined team at MalaDumba Forest in Misau, Bauchi state.

    Meanwhile, the Bauchi Police Command has appealed to individuals and groups who are yet to surrender their prohibited illegal fire arms to the police.

    The appeal, it was learnt is coming on the heels of the success made and the extension of the arms surrender to April 30, 2018.

    The Command has further urged members of the public to assist the Police with useful information on persons in possession of fire arms or criminals, assuring that “such information will be treated with utmost confidence”.

    The recovered Golf 3 car, cross section of firearms and live ammunitions recovered by Police in Bauchi.

  • Bauchi indigenes get scholarship

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar has secured scholarship opportunities for indigenes at King Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir, Kingdom of Morocco

    It was one of the outcomes of his visit to the Kingdom of Morocco at the instance of Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) Africa.

    Abubakar and his entourage also visited King Mohammed VI Polytecnic University, Ben Guerir where he secured capacity building and scholarship opportunities for Bauchi State indigens.

    A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communications, Mr. Shamsuddeen Lukman Abubakar reads: “The Governor used the opportunity to solicit for admission and scholarship opportunities for indigenes of Bauchi State and capacity building courses for civil servants. The University graciously granted His Excellency’s solicitation.

    “The Bauchi State Government and the University management agreed on the following: Offer of full scholarship to indegenes of Bauchi State for undergraduate studies, full scholarship for staff of the State Ministry of Agriculture at Masters level, collaboration between the University and the Bauchi State College of Agriculture and also the Bauchi State University’s newly established faculty of Agriculture in areas of research, technology transfer and staff training.

    “The university is owned by the OCP-Group.”

    The governor also visited King Mohammed VI Polytecnic University, Ben Guerir where he sought and got consent for the building of a new Fertiliser plant in Bauchi State.

    The spokesman added:  “Governor Mohammed Abubakar and a team from the state Ministry of Agriculture are currently in the Kingdom of Morocco to attend the programme of Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP-Africa) in Casablanca in fulfillment of bilateral agreement between Bauchi State government and the Kingdom of Morocco.

    “The Moroccan company, Office Chérifien des Phosphates, OCP-Group are the largest exporters of Phosphate in all its forms worldwide and the world’s first exporters of Phosphate based products. Phosphate is used in making high quality fertilizer.The Governor, in company of  Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, Amb Abubakar Baba paid a visit to one of OCP’s Chemical Complexes, Jorf Lasfar Chemical Complex, which is the largest in the world.

    “The Executive Director, Industry Operations took the governor and his entourage round the 504.00 HA complex. The Jorf Lasfar Industrial Complex have the capacity to supply Phosphate to the whole world as they comfortably produce 13 million tonnes daily and 6 million kilo-tonnes per annum,” he said.

    He said a strategy meeting was held between the Bauchi State Government delegation headed by  Governor Abubakar and the Management of the OCP Group headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the group, Mr. Karim Lotfi Senhadji.

    According to him, agreements were concluded whereby the OCP Group agreed to: “Collaborate with the Bauchi State Government in numerous areas of modern agricultural development.”

    “As result of the Governors ’s unwavering commitment to the development of Agriculture in the state and his outstanding achievements in the sector particularly the resuscitation of the Bauchi Fertilizer company

    “The OCP Group have resolved to complement the efforts of His Excellency the governor by building a brand new world-class standard fertilizer company in the state. The new company will be large enough to cater for the needs of the entire northern region.nThe group also promised to upgrade the existing Bauchi Fertilizer Company.

    “Similarly, to kick-start the collaboration, OCP have already approved the commencement of OCP school lab project in the state.

  • USAID partners Sokoto, Bauchi on primary health care

    The United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ) has signed two agreements with Bauchi, Sokoto States and other stakeholders to expand access to quality, affordable health care in the two states.

    A statement by the U.S. Embassy on Monday in Abuja explained that the agreements were aimed at boosting access to quality Primary Health Care services in the two states.

    “USAID Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, joined the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar, Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, philanthropists Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote, and governors of Bauchi and Sokoto states by video teleconference to sign the two agreements.

    “Under the four-year addenda to improve routine immunisation and expansion of funding for the Primary Health Care.

    “USAID will provide technical assistance to the Bauchi and Sokoto States Primary Health Care Development agencies to help expand access to routine immunisations and primary health care.

    “While UNICEF will partner with the Gates and Dangote foundations to match the states’ investments in the sectors,’’ the US embassy stated.

    The embassy explained that in return, the Bauchi and Sokoto Governments agreed to earmark 1.8 million dollars to invest in routine immunisation and primary health care in 2018.

    “Under the agreements, both states will incrementally raise their funding contributions in these sectors to become self-sufficient by 2022’’.

    Haykin described the agreements as “new stage” in USAID’s partnerships with Bauchi and Sokoto states, which would adapt its health programming to the needs of the states to help extend life-saving treatment to millions across Nigeria.

    “I applaud the governors’ efforts to improve public health care service delivery in their states, and strongly encourage them to continue working towards optimising their state’s capacity to deliver quality, affordable health services to their constituents,” Haykin said.

    After the ceremony, Gates said, “Vaccinations are phenomenal in their impact because a child that has not been vaccinated is twice likely to die. We can prevent millions of deaths through routine immunisation”.

    NAN

  • How robbers use women as front in Bauchi – NSCDC

    Bauchi State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said on Friday that motorcycle thieves in the state had resorted to using women to commit robbery.

    Commandant in charge of the state, Mr Ibrahim Raji stated this in Bauchi while parading before newsmen,some suspects, namely Hauwa Saleh, 40, Illiyasu Abubakar, 30, Adamu Ali, 29 and Abdullahi Ahmadu, 42

    The commandant alleged that on March 20, one Hauwa Saleh  of Turum ward in Bauchi, while pretending to be a passenger, had lured one Usman Sani, 30, to a bush, where he was robbed of his motorcycle.

    Raji explained that Hauwa had requested her victim to take her to a village but on their way, asked the motorcyclist to stop, from where Abubakar and Ali, 29, all emerged from hiding to disposes him of his motorcycle.

    The commandant said that the suspects, armed with sticks and cutlass, beat up their victim to the state of comma, inflicting injuries on his head.

    He said that the suspects took their victim’s motorcycle to one Nuhu (now at large) of Mararaba Liman Katagum who bought same at the rate of N70,000 and made part-payment of N20,000.

    According to him, officials of the NSCDC trailed the suspects to their hideouts and later arrested them, including one Abdullahi Ahmadu, 42, of Kandahar, alleged to be their leader.

    The commandant said that exhibits recovered from the suspects included one cutlass, one knife, one motorcycle and N1, 520 cash, adding that the suspects would be charged to court.

    He therefore warned commercial motorcyclists to be wary of the type of passengers they carried, especially women.

    Fielding questions from newsmen, the suspects confessed to committing the crime, saying they had committed similar crimes in the past, working as a syndicate under their leader, Abdullahi Ahmadu.

  • Committee conducts surgery on 38 patients in Taraba

    The Presidential Committee on North-East Initiatives ( PCNI ) says it has so far conducted surgeries on 38 out of the 2,000 patients it treated in Taraba, under the one week free medical outreach scheme.

    Dr Gabriel Toma, Head of Surgeons, who disclosed this to journalists in Takum, said the surgeries include appendectomy, hernia, Myomectomy, caesarean section among others.

    He said the scheme, which began on Tuesday, might not reach the 170 target surgeries, given the limitation of personnel and the curfew imposed on the area.

    Toma, however, assured that the team would try its best to conduct qualitative surgeries within the time available.

    Also speaking, PCNI’s Head of Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Dr Sidi Mohammed, said the free medical outreach initiative was aimed at reaching out to the less privileged in the society.

    He said the scheme focused especially on those who fled insurgency in the North-East.

    “At the height of the insurgency, most people, including health workers were displaced and could not afford to pay medical bills.

    ‘’ So the programme is designed to reach out to such categories of people.

    “We have another medical programme specifically for those in Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) camps, but only 10 per cent of the displaced people are in the camps.

    Read Also: The President goes to Taraba

    ”So that is why we are here in General Hospital, Takum to reach out to as a many as possible.
    “During our one week outreach programme here, we will be treating people of various ailments and conducting minor and major surgeries and attending to other health needs of the people,” he said.

    The News men reports that the scheme is in collaboration with Pro-Health International and the West African Association of Surgeons.

    He said PCNI had conducted free medical outreach in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba under the first phase of the scheme.

    Mohammed also said the second phase of the programme would commence on April 8, to last for two weeks, adding that it meant to enhance people’s greater accessibility to health.

    Mrs Juliet Hananiya, Programme, Manager, Free Health Care, Pro-Health International, said the partnership which began in 2017 had helped a lot of patients suffering from hypertension, ulcer, diabetes, malaria, among others.

    One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Mr Richard Sak, who said he battled hernia for six years, commended the Federal Government and its partners for the assistance.

    NAN

  • ECWA pastor assassinated in Bauchi

    A Newly-ordained pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) of Toro District Church Council, Bauchi State, Rev. Isah Nanaf, has been assassinated.

    The late cleric was said to have been shot severally at close range.

    The gunman, whose name was yet to be disclosed, has been arrested.

    Spokesman of the ECWA headquarters in Jos, Rev. Romanus Ebenwokodi, who confirmed Rev. Nanaf’s death to reporters yesterday, said his remains have been deposited at the morgue of Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH)

    Rev Ebenwokodi said: “The entire ECWA community received with shock the assassination of one of our pastors in Toro, Bauchi State, last Sunday.

    “The deceased was shot in his neck, heart, stomach and at the pelvis. He stood by the road side near the ECWA DCC Toro to board a vehicle when the gunman moved closer and shot him.

    “Those who rushed to rescue Rev. Nanaf said he died on the way to the hospital due to excessive loss of blood. The hospital confirmed he suffered internal bleeding.

    “The policemen who arrested the suspected gunman are yet to tell the church what led to the attack. The police have been unnecessarily quiet since the incident, but we hope they will give us justice in this murder.

    “The deceased was 53 and his wife, Rafinda, is pregnant with their sixth child.

    “This kind of assassination has not happened to the church in recent time. The church is hereby demanding for justice.”

     

  • Troops kill four militia men in Bauchi

    •12 herdsmen arrested in Benue

    The Army yesterday said troops on Operation Lafiya Dole in the Northeast killed four members of a militia gang in Bauchi State.

    A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, said they were killed in Ningi Local Government Area.

    Nine members of the gang were arrested while a soldier was injured. He was taken to a military hospital.

    The statement reads: “Troops of 33 Artillery Brigade on Operation Lafiya Dole, about 12.30pm on March 17, encountered members of a militia group massing up at Burra Junction in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

    “The criminals, on sighting own troops, opened fire and a gun battle ensued. Four of them were killed.

    “Troops recovered five Dane guns, 38 motorcycles and nine bicycles. Nine members of the militia group were also arrested while a soldier, who sustained injuries, was taken to the hospital.

    “Troops are in pursuit of the fleeing militias to arrest others.”

    Special Forces Brigade of Exercise Cat Race in Benue State also arrested 12 herdsmen destroying farmland.

    Chukwu, in a statement in Abuja, said the culprits were arrested when the Presidential Assessment team visited Mbayer/Yandev and Kaabee wards.

    The statement reads: “Troops of 707 Special Forces Brigade taking part in the Ex Ayem Akpatuma arrested 12 herdsmen on March 17 for destroying farmlands.

    “The suspects were arrested when the Presidential Assessment Team to Mbayer/Yandev and Kaambee wards visited Benue State.

    “Two motorcycles were recovered from the suspects when their hideout was searched. The herdsmen were handed over to the police for further action.

    “Similarly, troops on patrol in the general area of Chembe, Tse-Gundu, Tse-Iordye and Sbaor settlements sighted two herdsmen on motorcycle on the Kwata Shaor river bank. The herdsmen however abandoned their motorcycle and fled.

    “On searching the general area, one round of 7.62mm special was discovered. Troops continue to dominate the general area with patrols.

    “Troops continue to maintain vigilance and dominate the general area with patrols.”

     

  • I lost a brother, confidant, Dogara mourns Sen. Wakili

     

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has described the death of Senator Malam Ali Wakili as devastating and heart breaking.

    The Speaker said Wakili was a personal friend, true brother and a dependable ally.

    Wakili who, until his death represented Bauchi South Senatorial District was reported to have slumped and died in his Gwarinpa, Abuja residence on Saturday morning.

    Dogara in a statement said, “The death of Sen. Ali Wakili is a personal loss to me. I’m short of words to describe how devastated and heartbroken I am over the passing away of this true friend, brother and confidant, with whom I had excellent brotherly relationship and association.

    “We have indeed lost a distinguished parliamentarian, easy going and courageous person who had worked tirelessly both in the Senate chamber and outside to defend the interest of his constituents, Bauchi State and the downtrodden members of the society in the country at large.

    “Within his short but eventful sojourn in the National Assembly, Sen. Wakili had distinguished himself with his characteristic display of patriotism, forthrightness and logical skills during debates and other legislative duties”.

    “We in Bauchi State and in particular, Bauchi South Senatorial District, have lost a  worthy ambassador and a distinguished gentleman. But we’ll take solace in the fact that his humanitarian services and other accomplishments will continue to be a source of inspiration to us all.

    “Our deep condolences go to his immediate family, constituents, the people of Bauchi State and the nation at large over this irreparable loss.”

  • NULGE decries slow action on Autonomy Bill

    …knocks Imo Assembly for voting against Bill

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has lampooned House of Assemblies in the Southeast zone over their indifference in handling the Local Government Autonomy Bill.

    He noted that while other states like Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Cross River, Bayelsa and Ogun states have voted for Local Government autonomy, the states in the Southeast are yet to conduct public hearing.

    The Union also knocked the Imo State Assembly for voting against the Bill, describing the decision by the lawmakers as unfortunate.

    NULGE also lampooned the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha for not “equally putting his best to ensure the passage of the Bill”.

    Addressing newsmen at the NULGE Secretariat in Owerri, the Imo State capital, the National Auditor of the Union, Comrade Ayuba Shamdung Jepla, said that four states in the Southeast zone were just preparing to conduct public hearing on the bill.

    He accused the lawmakers of being insensitive to the plight of the people at the grassroots, who he said are the direct beneficiaries of the Local Government Autonomous Bill.

    Jepla also dismissed the earlier reason given by the Imo State House of Assembly for none passage of the bill, stating that “the defense was a mockery of the well-intended aim and objectives of the National Assembly with regards to Local Government Autonomous Bill”.

    According to him, “the Union unequivocally condemns the none passage of the Local Government Autonomous Bill by the Imo State House of Assembly as it is not only retrogressive, undemocratic but a calculated plan to enthrone abject poverty and misery in the third tier of government”.

    The Union however appreciated the State House of Assemblies that voted in favour of the bill, describing them as “partners in progress”.

  • Bauchi signs pact with Morocco

    Bauchi State  government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with  the King Mohammed VI University Teaching Hospital Morocco on health issues.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Mohammed Abubakar on Communications, Mr. Shamsuddeen Abubakar, said the governor and a team from the state Ministry of Agriculture were in the Kingdom of Morocco to attend the programme of Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP-Africa)  in Casablanca in fulfillment of the bilateral agreement between Bauchi and the Kingdom of Morocco.

    ”As part of his working visit to the Kingdom, Governor Abubakar  paid a visit to the prestigious King Mohammed VI University Teaching Hospital  where a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at achieving the set goal was signed.

    “The successful signing of the MoU will immensely help the state Ministry of Health cope with modern trends and challenges for the benefit of the good people of the state.

    “The hospital has the medical, financial and technical expertise to assist the Bauchi State government in organising and setting up the required infrastructure towards actualising its desires in the health sector.

    “Part of the objectives of the MoU is to facilitate a situation where the Bauchi State government and the King Mohammed VI University Teaching Hospital would work to establish an efficient and credible healthcare delivery system in line with modern trends in the healthcare sector and to sustain the same through effective training of the required medical personnel of the state.”

    Based on the MoU, a cardiac centre would be established in Bauchi, while the hospital would assist in the establishment of a centre for Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Medical Training in the state.

    The hospital would also establish an Ear, Nose and Throat Centre (ENT), assist in the development and organisation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU), establish a Neuro-Surgical Unit,  a Cancer Management Centre, train and re-train personnel, among others.

    The Memorandum of Understanding shall be governed by the laws of Nigeria, the statement said.

    As part of his official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco at the instance of Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) Africa, Governor Abubakar and his entourage also visited King Mohammed VI Polytecnic University, Ben Guerir where he sought and got consent for the building of a new fertiliser plant in Bauchi State.

    The statement said Governor Abubakar and a team from the state Ministry of Agriculture were in the Kingdom of Morocco to attend the programme of Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP-Africa)  in Casablanca in fulfillment the bilateral agreement.

    “ The Moroccan Company, Office Chérifien des Phosphates, OCP-Group are the largest exporters of Phosphate in all its forms worldwide and the world’s first exporters of Phosphate based products. Phosphate is used in making high quality fertilizer.The governor, in company of  Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, Amb Abubakar Baba, paid a visit to one of OCP’s Chemical Complexes, Jorf Lasfar Chemical Complex, which is the largest in the world.

    “The Executive Director, Industry Operations took the governor and his entourage round the 504.00 HA complex. The Jorf Lasfar Industrial Complex have the capacity to supply Phosphate to the whole world as they comfortably produce 13 million tonnes daily and 6 million kilo-tonnes per annum.

    A strategy meeting was held between the Bauchi State Government delegation headed by  Governor Abubakar and the Management of the OCP Group headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the group, Mr. Karim Lotfi Senhadji.

    Agreements were concluded whereby the OCP Group agreed to: “Collaborate with the Bauchi State Government in numerous areas of modern agricultural development. As  a result of  the governors ’s  commitment to the development of agriculture in the state and his outstanding achievements in the sector particularly the resuscitation of the Bauchi Fertiliser company

    “The OCP Group has resolved to complement the efforts of  the governor by building a brand new world-class standard fertiliser company in the state. The new company will be large enough to cater for the needs of the entire northern region.The group also promised to upgrade the existing Bauchi Fertiliser Company.”

    The governor also visited the Khouribga mining site in Khouribga Province of the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region of Morocco.

    Khouribga owes its growth to its large deposits of phosphate. It is the largest phosphate mining deposit in the world. The phosphate is being transferred to the chemical complex for making fertilizers.

    Meanwhile, Governor Abubakar has secured   Scholarship opportunities for Bauchiindigenes at King Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir, Kingdom of Morocco

    As part of his official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, Governor Abubakar and his entourage also visited King Mohammed VI Polytecnic University, Ben Guerir, where he secured capacity building and scholarship opportunities for Bauchi indigenes.

    A statement the spokesman said: “The governor used the opportunity to solicit for admission and scholarship opportunities for indigenes of Bauchi State and capacity building courses for civil servants. The university graciously granted his request

    “The Bauchi State Government and the university management agreed on the following: Offer of full scholarship to indegenes of Bauchi State for undergraduate studies, full scholarship for staff of the State Ministry of Agriculture at Masters level, collaboration between the university and the Bauchi State College of Agriculture and also the Bauchi State University’s newly established Faculty of Agriculture in areas of research,  technology transfer and staff training. The university is owned by the OCP-Group.”