The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gusau

  • Zamfara imposes curfew on motorcycles

    Zamfara state government on Wednesday imposed curfew on commercial and private motorcycles in all the fourteen local governments from 7 pm to 7am.

    Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Bello Dankande Gamji, announced the decision in Gusau.

    The commissioner explained the curfew became unavoidable in view of the security threat bedeviling the state.

    He lamented a woman and her child were abducted recently when she boarded a tricycle to her home.

    READ ALSO: Dusk to dawn curfew imposed on troubled Kajuru LGA

    Dankande, who was flanked by the Commissioner of Police Celestine Okoye, warned the police will be spread in all nooks and crannies of the metropolis enforce the curfew and arrest defaulters.

    He further revealed most of the crimes committed were organised and perpetrated with some commercial motorcycle riders and tricycle operators.

    “We know that the action could be considered harsh or hard on our people but such measures are must be taken in order to safeguard our people, protect lives and property, ensure that peace prevail in all corners of our state,” Dankande explained.

  • Banditry: Zamfara calls for 3-day fasting

    The Zamfara Government has called on the people of the state to embark on three-day fasting and intensive prayers to seek God’s intervention against the activities of bandits, kidnappers and other crimes.

    The state’s Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Dankande, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Gusau.

    He said “I am sure you all know the efforts the state government and the Federal Government are making to tackle the activities of criminal elements in the state.

    “We believe that the fasting and prayers will facilitate Allah’s intervention for both the safety and success of our security men and bring the ugly situation to an end.

    “These three days of fasting is voluntary to everybody because we are all either directly or indirectly affected by the situation.

    “We are also soliciting for the intensive reading of the complete Holy Qur’an by Islamic scholars and their students to invoke Allah’s help.”

    The commissioner said that the law against wood logging and illegal sale of petrol in the state were still in place, adding that violators would face the full wrath of the law.

    “The ban on wood logging and illegal sale of petrol had greatly frustrated the activities of bandits as the law had affected their food supply, fuel, among others.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government had in 2018 imposed a ban on wood logging and illegal sales of petrol in the state.

    “This followed reports that the bandits received food, illicit drugs, alcohol and other supplies through the wood loggers and those who engaged in illegal sale of petrol to the bandits.”

  • Informants fueling insecurity in Zamfara – Yari

    Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara has blamed the continued killings in the state on informants who support the bandits and kidnappers.

    Yari stated this at a press conference in Gusau on Thursday, urging the people of the state to support the government in tackling the situation.

    He said that both state and federal governments, as well as security agencies, had been making efforts to address the situation.

    Read also: Yari supports ‘State of Emergency’ in Zamfara

    He lamented that informants had made it difficult for security agencies in the state to operate effectively.

    The governor said that most of the bandits and kidnappers received information from people in the state, which he said was “unfortunate”.

    He said that President Muhammadu Buhari was doing his best to end the situation and had deployed more security personnel to the state.

    “Before Buhari’s administration, we have few security personnel in this state, but today we have about 4000 security personnel including Army, Police and Civil Defence.

    “I held a meeting earlier today with traditional rulers and local government council chairmen. We are working hand in hand with all stakeholders to ensure that we end this situation,” he said.

    He urged the people of the state to stop blaming the government for security challenges.

    “I am calling on communities to always support security agencies with information on suspicious movement in their respective areas,” he said. (NAN)

  • Money Laundering: Zamfara SUBEB boss jailed 41 years

    The Chairman of Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Murtala Adamu Jengebe has been sentenced to a 41-year jail term.

    This was disclosed in a tweet by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) via its official twitter handle: @officialEFCC on Thursday.

    EFCC disclosed that a five-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto and presided over by Justice Hannatu Sankey sentenced Jengebe to a cumulative jail term of 41 years.

    The tweets further reads: “Jengebe was convicted by the court after the appellate court found him guilty on the seven out of the 10 counts for which he was earlier acquitted at the Federal High Court, Gusau, Zamfara State.

    Read ALso: ‘Buhari will enhance democratic governance, if re-elected’

    “In the lead judgment of the Court read by Justice Habeeb Abiru, the earlier acquittal of the embattled Chairman by a Federal High Court in Gusau was set aside.

    “The appellate court held that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt seven out of the ten counts of the money laundering charge brought against him by the EFCC.

    “He was consequently sentenced to five years imprisonment on each of four of the counts and seven years each on three other counts respectively. However, the Court ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently.

    “It would be recalled that on the 12th day of May 2017, the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau presided over by Justice Z.B Abubakar discharged and acquitted the convict on the 10 counts charge of Money Laundering but convicted him for engaging in private business while he was still in public service. An offence he was never charged for by the Commission.

    “Dissatisfied with the judgement of the lower court, the prosecution approached the Court Of Appeal seeking it to set aside the judgement of the lower court.”

  • Gov. Bagudu approves N400m for indigenous students in tertiary institutions

    Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has approved over N400 million for the payment of 2017/2018 registration fees for indigenous students of the state in various tertiary institutions across the country.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, made this known on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi.

    Dakingari said that about N111 million would be spent for students in Federal University, Birnin Kebbi for the 2017/2018 session.

    He added that N149 million would also be used for the payment of fees for students in Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, for the  2017/2018 academic year.

    Read Also: Igbinedion University student wins N100,000 in Spot Kick challenge

    Dakingari said that approval of N107 million was also given for the payment of registration fees for indigenes of the state in Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu for the same session.

    “While N2.7 million is for our students at the Federal College of Technical Education, Gusau; another N2.5 million will be paid as fees for students in Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.

    “A similar gesture of N2.5 million has been offered to students of the state’s origin in College of Education, Minna, Niger State,’’ the governor’s spokesman added.

    He said that N25.7 million would be for those in College of Basic and Advanced Studies, Yauri and N7 million for students in Federal College of Education, Kontagora in Niger.

    According to him, the governor also approved N600, 694 for students in Federal College of Education Zaria, Kaduna State.

  • Federal pensioners protest over non-payment of 36 pension arrears

    Over One thousand Pensioners under the auspices of All Federal Pensioners in Kano state Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest at the old campus of Bayero University Kano (BUK) over non-payment of 36-month, 33 per cent pension arrears which has led to the death of 300 pensioners within three years in the North west region of the country.

    According to their spokesman, Malam Muhammad Isa who is the chairman, Federal University Pensioners Association (FUPA), BUK chapter, the pensioners include retired workers from BUK, Federal College of Education, Kano, Dala Orthopedic Hospital, Federal College of Education, Bichi, Katsina, Gusau, Panshin as well as Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano.

    The protesters passed a vote of no confidence on Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), describing the activities of the body as fraudulent and unpatriotic.

    According to their spokesman, “We have no confidence in PTAD, especially the executive secretary who has adopted a selective manner of payment in favour Customs, Immigrations, Police and Prison services as well as paying the university of Lagos teaching hospital pensioners 12 months arrears last August.

    Read Also: Pensioners salute Obaseki’s drive to clear inherited arrears

    In an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari titled Mr. President Save our Soul, the federal pensioners lamented that, “we pensioners have served this country diligently, and we are aged and most of us are on medical drugs.

    “We are no longer employed and we don’t have any regular means of income. We can no longer pay our children school fees, we can no longer provide for our families. We massively voted for President Buhari in 2015 and we appeal to him to use his good office to ensure the release of funds for the payment of our arrears.”

    They added that, “Mr. President, we would like to express our lack of confidence on the executive secretary of PTAD and call on Mr. President to constitute a panel to investigate PTAD since its inception, what it took over, all other allocation made to it, its disbursement, the mode of the disbursement and also ascertain the claim of the executive secretary on the sources of the payments to those favoured sectors.

    The entire pensioners, who have been struggling in the last nine years for PTAD to settle our 33 per cent pensions arrears  want Mr. President to use his authority to prevail on PTAD to pay our outstanding 33 per cent pension arrears before the year runs out.”

    Some of the placards they carried with inscription: “Mr. President pay us our 33 per cent pension arrears of 36 months, General Buharia Save our soul, Federal pensioners are dying, our children are out of school because we have no money to pay their school fees,” “Mr. President, pensioners are hungry; no proper feeding,”

     

  • NiMet predicts thunderstorms, rains for Monday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted influx of moisture and increased heat energy expected to produce thunderstorms and rains over most places in the country for Monday.

    NiMet made this known in its Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday.

    It envisaged Thunderstorms over Sokoto, Gusau and Kano in the morning hours and thunderstorms over most places in the afternoon and evening period.

    It added that, day and night temperature in the northern states would be in the ranges of 28 – 30 degree Celsius and 20 – 22 degree Celsius respectively.

    NiMet said that, moderate rains would be expected over Bauchi, Gombe, Mambilla Plateau, Jalingo, Jos and Abuja in the morning hours.

    According to it, thunderstorms and rains are expected over the entire north central area in the afternoon and evening hours.

    It said that, day and night temperature in the region would be in the range of 27- 29 degree Celsius and 21- 23 degree Celsius respectively, except for Jos that would be between 22 – 15 degree Celsius.

    The agency predicted light rains over Uyo, Port-Harcourt, Calabar and Eket in the morning with moderate rains over most places in the southern states in the afternoon and evening hours,

    NiMet said that, day and night temperature would be in range of 27and 28 degrees Celsius respectively.

  • Irate youths attack police station, set vehicles ablaze in Zamfara

    Some irate youths in Zurmi town, Zurmi local government area of Zamfara attacked the community police station demanding that officers should hand over the three suspected bandits arrested by the army to them.

    The Public Relations Officer of the state police command, SP Muhammad Shehu who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Gusau on Sunday said the police station was attacked on Saturday evening.

    Shehu said that the angry youths also burnt down a vehicle and some motorcycles at the station.

    He said the three suspects were among the bandits who attacked villages in Mashema District of Zurmi local government area on July 24.

    Shehu said when the news of the arrest of the suspects filtered into the town, some irate youths mobilised themselves to the Police station.

    He said the Divisional Police Officer of Zurmi local government area and other policemen at the police station escaped with the suspects through the back fence.

    Shehu said, normalcy has been restored, while the suspects have already been handed over to the state police command for further investigation.

    The command enjoined members of the public in the state to be law abiding and avoid taking laws into their hands.

    NAN reports that over 12,000 internally displaced from 18 communities in Zurmi local government area are currently camped by the state government at some government facilities in Zurmi town.

  • Buhari commiserates with Gusau over wife’s death

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with former Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd), on the death of his wife, Hajiya Binta.

    In a condolence message by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja yesterday, Buhari said the death of Hajiya Binta came to him “as a great shock.”

    The President said: “A wife occupies an important place in a man’s life, a bond so strong that we treat our wives like our own flesh and blood.

    “My heart goes out to Gen. Gusau at this emotionally trying moment.

    “Death is inevitable and we are powerless against the will of God. No tears can wipe away our grief, the best tribute to the dead is to pray for them.’’

    The President prayed Allah to comfort the retired army general and members of his family and grant them the fortitude to bear this great loss.

    “May the soul of Hajiya Binta rest in peace, May Allah reward her good deeds with al- Jannah, amen,” he said.

     

  • NAF deploys Combat Helicopter to Gusau

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has deployed a combat helicopter to its 207 Quick Response Group (QRG) in Gusau.

    According to a statement by AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information,the deployment of the artillery EC-135 helicopter is part of efforts aimed at intensifying the fight against armed banditry in Zamfara and environs.

    “The helicopter will operate from the recently constructed helipads at 207 QRG Gusau thereby, enhancing overall operational effectiveness,” Adesanya said.

    Accordingly, NAF will be better positioned to provide the needed air support to the additional surface forces just deployed by the Defence Headquarters to tackle the security challenges in the State.

    Read Also: Air Force deploys two helicopters to Zamfara

    “Other NAF air assets, however, remain available on nearby alternate airfields to add impetus to air operations in the State as might be necessary,” he said.

    He said that AVM Ismaila Kaita, the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command of the NAF, also undertook an operational visit to the Unit to obtain firsthand information on the situation and address any possible challenges.

    He said that visit by Kaita revealed that the morale of the deployed NAF Special Forces was high and they are in a state of high alert.