The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOMBE

  • Man charged with raping 15-year-old daughter

    The police in Gombe on Tuesday charged 50-year-old Samaila Zakari at a magistrates’ court with raping and impregnating his 15-year-old daughter.

    In the First Information Report, the police said Zakari of Deba town in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, committed the acts on May 2 and May 8.

    The prosecution said that about 10p.m. on the mentioned dates, the accused took his biological daughter to his matrimonial room and had canal knowledge of her without her consent.

    The prosecution further stated that the girl was currently carrying a two months’ old pregnancy for her father.

    The prosecution said the accused committed incest and rape by his action contrary to section 390 and 282 of the Penal Code.

    However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges before the magistrate, Mr Dorabo Sikam.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Baba Shekari, asked for the adjournment of the case to enable the police to complete their investigation.

    The magistrate adjourned the case until May 21 and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

  • INEC swears in seven new RECs

    Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has sworn in seven new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) bringing the total number of serving RECs in the commission to 33.

    Performing the ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, expressed confidence that the new RECs would contribute to the commission’s determination to make 2019 general elections the best in the country.

    He said “with the track records of service in the academia, public service and private sector, it is gratifying to note that the new RECs made positive contributions to the society in various ways.

    “I am equally delighted to note that some of you have managed elections at national level as RECs.

    “I am confident that you will bring to bear on your new assignments, the experience of the recent past that will contribute to our determination to make the 2019 general elections our best elections in Nigeria.”

    Yakubu advised the new commissioners to maintain openness and consultations, as well as be firm and courageous in carrying out their new assignments.

    The chairman disclosed that in addition to the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, the commission would be conducting four bye-elections this year to fill vacancies.

    These, according to him, include Takum state constituency in Taraba, Lokoja/Koton-Karfe Federal Constituency in c, Bauchi South Senatorial District, and Kastina North Senatorial District in Kastina State.

    The INEC boss reassured newly registered voters in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ) of getting their Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs ) before the 2019 general elections.

    He added that “we have consistently reassured the public that for those who registered in 2017, their PVCs would be available for collection in the first week of May 2018.

    “Those who registered in the first quarter of this year, that is between January and March, as well as those who are registering right now in the second quarter of this year, would collect their cards thereafter.”

    Yakubu also reassured the public and those who applied for replacement of their PVCs that their cards would be available for collection before the 2019 general elections.

    Read Also: Wanted: An ‘independent’ INEC

    “For those who registered in Ekiti and Osun in 2017 and 2018, priority attention was given to the production of their PVCs, such that all the cards would be available ahead of the July 14 and Sept. 22 governorship elections,’’ he said.

    Responding on behalf of the new RECs, Mr Segun Agbaje, representing Ekiti State, pledged the new commissioner’s readiness to justify the confidence reposed in them.

    He said “by the grace of God, we shall finish well.”

    He expressed confidence in the leadership of Yakubu, saying “with your style of leadership, we would
    not be surprised if 2019 elections turned out to be the best elections in the country.”

    The new RECs are: Mr Baba Yusuf and Mr Segun Agbaje, representing Borno and Ekiti states for second term.

    Others are Dr Uthman Ajidagba, Kwara;  Yahaya Bello, Nasarawa State; Dr Emmanuel Hart, Rivers; Mohammed Ibrahim, Gombe and Dr Cyril Omorogbe, Edo.

    NAN

  • NDLEA arrests 25, seizes 122kg of banned drugs

    The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) has arrested 25 suspects and seized 122.78kg of banned drugs in Gombe since January.

    The state Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr Aliyu Adole, made the disclosure in an interview with the News men in Gombe on Monday.

    He said that the agency convicted 20 of the suspects and sentenced them to various prison terms, while five were still in custody.

    “Within this period, we removed 122.78kg drugs from circulation.

    “In March alone, we recovered 92.39kg compared with February when we had 543g,” he said.

    Read Also: NDLEA harps on the dangers of drug abuse

    Adole called on all stakeholders to join in the fight against drug abuse.

    He also called on parents and guardians to advise their children and wards to desist from forming gangs and joining thugs which, he said, encouraged drug abuse.

    “I am advising you to talk to your children. If you do not talk to them, somebody outside the family will talk to them and it will be dangerous.

    “Politicians have their children in high institutions of learning; if you allow your children to follow bad politicians, you will be the losers,” he said.

    NAN

  • 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

  • Gombe cultivate 10,000 hectares of cotton in 2018

    Gombe cultivate 10,000 hectares of cotton in 2018

    Gombe State Government says it is going to cultivate 10,000 hectares of cotton in 2018 farming season across the 11 Local Government Areas of the state.

    Malam Musa Umar, Chairman Gombe State Commodity Depot and Exchange Centre, disclosed this in an interview with our reporters,   in Gombe on Wednesday.

    He said that the Nigeria Incentive–Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending ( NIRSAL ) would finance the project.

    “NIRSAL has agreed to finance the project, we have even registered the farmers and the state government will be the off takers of the produce.

    `We want to source market for our farmers, give them good price of international standard.” he said.

    Umar said they were going to use 5,000 farmers and each farmer would cultivate two hectares of land.

    Read Also: Gombe: Tal community seek intervention on abandoned school project

    According to him, previously Gombe has the best quality cotton in the world, but the story has completely changed.

    “We already know Gombe used to be a cotton belt and in those days we were producing 119,000 metric tonnes of cotton.

    “The Gombe State commodity Depot and Exchange Centre will bring back the lost glory of the state.

    “The centre will also reposition and transform the economic sector of the state’’, he said.

    Our reporters, reports that the Commodity Depot Exchange Centre concept emanated from a paper presented by the 11 sector committee inaugurated by Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo during his first tenure in 2011.

    NAN

  • State governments, agencies urged to tackle flooding

    State governments, agencies urged to tackle flooding

    Nigerians and government have been urged to prepare for the next rainy season to mitigate the impact of flooding.

    The YMonitor, an affiliate platform under the umbrella of The Future Project interested in active citizenship and responsible government – is championing the campaign to call both citizens and government to action on this issue.

    The firm believes that flood is devastating, and it could get worse if nothing is done before the rains come.

    Recall that over 110,000 people in 24 communities were displaced by flood in Benue last year, with 10,000 Nigerians affected in Kogi State, while there were also loss of lives and properties in Borno, Niger, Oyo, Gombe, and Kaduna states. Almost every part of the country was affected.

    In Lagos, highbrow locations such as Lekki, Victoria Island and more were most affected, as residents were seen paddling through the streets, cars completely submerged, and houses overrun by water.

    Flood-prone states have a lot to do, but many of the states have abandoned their master plans, with citizens erecting structures illegally. Before the rains come, it is important that states rise up to their responsibility.

    This remains a global experience, not peculiar to Nigeria, but it cannot be disputed that enough has not been done to check flooding in Nigeria.

    The seasons are changing and becoming unpredictable, and when the rains come, they pour like a sea of water while the sun burns deep into the skin. Climate change is constantly treated with levity, yet it is not too late to be addressed.

    State governments have therefore been urged to re-visit their master plans and make amends where necessary. They should also partner with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency to disseminate information on weather situations and flash points. There is also a need for more enlightenment programs on the cause and effect of flooding with data to aid understanding.

    Citizens are also encouraged to quit blaming the government and take responsibility for their environment. It is our collective duty to create and maintain a sustainable environment.

    Obviously, the rains we cannot prevent, but we can manage the flood. We must take action before the rains come.

  • Police apprehend suspect with fake N1m currency notes in Gombe

    Police apprehend suspect with fake N1m currency notes in Gombe

    The Police Command in Gombe have arrested one, Abbas Abdullahi, 32, in possession of fake N1,000 currency notes totaling N1 million.

    The Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Shina Olukolu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Gombe on Thursday.

    “The man was arrested with about N1 million fake currency notes and I advise members of the public, market men and women to be careful in the way they deal with customers.

    “Before you embark on any transaction, you should cross check the currency and ensure it is genuine,” Olukolu said.

    He also called on residents of the state to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure protection of  lives and property.

    The suspect, Abbas Abdullahi, said he was a spiritualist and that he hailed from Taraba.

    Abdullahi said he obtained the fake currency notes from a friend in Abuja with the intention of using his spiritual powers to change them to genuine ones, but that he could not succeed as luck ran out on him.

    He said that he was arrested while trying to buy a cell phone in Gombe.

    NAN

  • Gombe APC aspirant urges support for Buhari’s re-election

    Gombe APC aspirant urges support for Buhari’s re-election

    A GOVERNORSHIP aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, Alhaji Habu Muazu, has urged Nigerians to re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s poll.

    He donated N11m and campaign materials to 114 wards and 11 local governmens in the state to boost the re-election bid.

    The money was presented to party leaders at a colourful ceremony at Emerald Hotel, Gombe.

    While presenting the funds and campaign posters to the representative of the state chairman, Muazu said they will assist the Buhari Campaign Organisation to secure offices in the 114 wards and the 11 local governments.

    He said: “I am doing my bit to save our state from a failed PDP government and to ensure that Buhari is re-elected.”

    The aspirant said similar donations were made in the past, adding that he decided to made the latest one public to encourage voters and motivate party supporters.

    Muazu called on the people of the state and the entire country to disregard the recent declaration by Rev. Father Cornelius Mbaka that Buhari will not win and that Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo should be supported for the presidency.

    He said Dankwambo was no match for Buhari.

    Muazu added: “From today’s endorsement by key stakeholders in the state you should know that Dankwambo is not popular and cannot be a march with President Mohammadu Buhari. So, I don’t know how Father Mbaka got his inspiration.”

    The aspirant said the people of the Northeast have causeto support Buhari, considering the restoration of peace, the construction of the Mambilla hydro-electric power project, the establishment of the Northeast Development Commission many political appointments from the region.

    The vice chairman of the party, Ado Gabani, who represented the  chairman, Amangal Mike,  thanked Muazu for the kind gesture. He also called on other party members to assist in taking the party to a greater height.

  • Durbar fiesta at Kaduna centenary

    Durbar fiesta at Kaduna centenary

    One thousand decorated horses and a herd of adorned camels were part of the spectacle as Kaduna marked its 100th anniversary.

    It is a day of royalty, trumpets and decorated horses and camels. But the more Kaduna State residents witness the durbar the more they want to see it again. That was the case at the weekend when about 3,000 colourfully decorated horses and camels came out of the stables of 11 influential emirates in Northern Nigeria.

    It was a grand ‘Durbar’ in honour of Kaduna city and its people on the occasion of its centenary celebration. Royalty and culture were on display to the amusement and delight of dignitaries and thousands who converged on the popular Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna for the occasion.

    The durbar is a popular culture in Northern Nigeria dating back hundreds of years to the time when the Emirates (states) in the region used horses in warfare. It is a fiesta for special occasions in such Emirates as Katsina, Borno, Kano, Zazzau, Keffi, Bauchi and Bida, among others.

    The last time a grand durbar like the one display at the weekend was seen was 40 years ago during the Festival of Arts and Culture, popularly known as (FESTAC) 77. On that occasion, Emirates from across the North participated in the traditional horse event. Elderly people like the present Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris who participated in the 1977 FESTAC Durbar can tell the story better.

    Prior to the FESTAC 77, durbar was a display of war strength with each town, district, and the nobility contributing a regiment to the defense of the Emirate. Once or twice a year, the Emirate’s military chiefs invited the various regiments for a durbar (military parade) for the Emir and his chiefs. During the parade, regiments would showcase their horsemanship, their preparedness for war, and their loyalty to the Emirate.

    Today, Durbar has become a festival in honour of visiting heads of state and even event to commemorate the two great Muslim festivals, Eid-el Fitri at the end of the holy month of Ramadan and Eid-el Kabir.

    The centenary event saw traditional rulers of Borno, Kano, Zazzau, Katsina, Gombe, Bida, Zazzau, Bauchi, Hadejia, Misau and Keffi among others leading teams of horse riding warriors and displaying their different cultures.

    The traditional music played with drums and trumpets to accompany the durbar was rythymical, with gunshots in the air.

    The colourful centenary celebrations, according to Kaduna State government, was to showcase the rich history of the city, as the capital city of the Northern Nigeria, the rich cultural heritage of the North and to open up sources of revenue for all the state governments through promotion of tourism and boost the economy of the Northern states.

    Kaduna became the capital of the northern protectorate in 1914, when the colonial Governor General, Lord Fredrick Lugard relocated the capital from Zungeru, Niger State, to Kaduna.

    The city served as the capital of the northern region before the creation of states and has remained the political capital of the north even with the creation of states.

    Governor Nasir el-Rufai said, “Kaduna is a Borno city because the state’s first indigenous governor was Shettima Kashim Ibrahim who was also a title holder in Borno State.

    “And we chose the present Shehu of Borno to lead today’s durbar because coincidentally, his grandfather led the first durbar in 1956 while his father led the FESTAC durbar in 1977. Also, the incumbent Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, rode on the 1977 FESTAC durbar when he was much a younger Emir. This history was related to us by our royal Father, the Emir of Zazzau”, the Governor said.

    Aside the Emirs who led Durbar, other important personalities like the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, Governor Aminu Bello Masari, Deputy Governors of Zamfara, Bauchi, Plateau as well as Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and a host of others, captain of industries graced the occasion, while President Muhammadu Buhari was represented by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alh Muhammad Bello.

    The President said Kaduna is the melting point of Nigeria’s politics, saying it had played a significant role in the region as well as Nigeria, adding that, the city was destined to play significant role in the development of Northern region and Nigeria at large.

    Buhari stressed that, celebrating the 100 years of Kaduna’s existence as a political capital is by no means a child’s, thus his happiness that the celebration is happening under a progressive government .

    He said, “I have noted with admiration that the state has achieved alot under Governor Nasir Ahmed Elrufai who is a progressive governor as he has started implementing the vision he wants to see the state attain in the next 100 years”.

    The President reiterated the determination of his administration to solve the power problem bedevilling the nation, saying, once this is done, many industries in Kaduna that are in comatose will be back as well as other states in the country.

    El-rufai remarked that the state occupies an important position in Nigeria, saying, apart from being one of the oldest cities in the country it was the pioneer administrative headquarters in the Northern Nigeria.

    To this end, after 100 years of being a state  it has become imperative to celebrate the greatness it had attained with the view of laying a solid foundation for the future.

    According to the state governor, they have a duty to do so for posterity,pointing out, the centenary celebration will therefore showcase the rich history of Kaduna as well as showcase it’s rich cultural heritage of the region.

    He said the event will promote tourism, boost the economy of the Northern states and promote unity.

    “It is a great pleasure and honour to be hosting our guests to Kaduna’s Centenary Celebration. We know Kaduna can be better and we are determined to regain its glory,” he said.

    “We pay tribute to those who made this city, and we honour the resilience of its residents. We must make the next century one of peace, harmony and prosperity.”

    “Thus, we celebrate the first 100 years of Kaduna, not because they have been perfect. We celebrate, not because there have not been regrettable incidents in this city. We celebrate because the promise of Kaduna endures.

    “We celebrate because its residents are resilient. We celebrate because there is a future, a chance to reclaim the glory, break new ground and make Kaduna an example of diversity and integration, a dynamo of progress and a model of development.

    “We celebrate because the stains

    and losses of the past are not our destiny. We celebrate because we know that we can be better, and Kaduna is ready to be great again”, he said.

  • Kano Hisbah Board arrests 65 beggars in one month

    Kano Hisbah Board arrests 65 beggars in one month

    Kano State Hisbah Board said it had arrested about 65 suspected beggars for violating the law banning street begging in the state.

    Malam Dahiru Muhammed, an official of the Hisbah Anti Begging Unit, disclosed this while speaking in the state on Tuesday.

    Muhammed said that the suspects were arrested in different raids in the Kano metropolis in November, adding that eight of the arrested were children, while 57 were adults.

    According to him, 47 of them were from Kano, while 18 were from Bauchi, Jigawa, Gombe, Kogi and Zamfara States.

    Muhammed said the arrests were carried out in areas around Bata, Bompai, Bank and Kabuga roads, all in the metropolis.

    Read also: Street begging: Hisbah arrests 166 beggars

    He said that the Hisbah Board decided to release some of the suspects who were identified as first offenders, as well as those suffering from mental disorder.

    Muhammed said those from neighbouring states were also taken back to their respective states.

    NAN