The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna state

  • 41 gangsters to face trial for homicide, terrorism in Kaduna

    41 gangsters to face trial for homicide, terrorism in Kaduna

    Kaduna State Security Council has announced the arrest of gangsters suspected of attacking innocent citizens with dangerous weapons, leading to culpable homicide.

    The Council also named four persons who will be charged and prosecuted for acts related to terrorism and possession of dangerous weapons.

    This was contained in a statement issued by Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan.

    According to the statement, the suspects were arrested in different locations in Zaria and Kaduna town by security operatives.

    “The gangsters who are popularly known as ‘Yan Sara-Suka’ or ‘Yan Shara’ are to be prosecuted for causing deaths and injuries.

    “The Security Council also directed that the suspects be charged for illegal possession of weapons, disturbance of public peace, homicide and unlawful assembly”.

    It gave the breakdown of the suspects arrested in Tudun Wada, Zaria areas to include, Salisu Abubakar, Kabiru Auwal, Isyaku Ibrahim, Salisu Musa, Shamsudeen Ahmed, Mohammed Ibrahim, and Ali Tukur.

    Others arrested in Kabala Doki and Kawo areas of Kaduna include, Aliyu Auwal, Abba Yusuf, Sadiq Balarabe, Sharif Abdullahi, Mustapha Aliyu, Bashir Ibrahim, Najib Yusuf, Daddy Yusuf.

    They also include Ahmed Abdurasak, Ibrahim Hassan, Abdulsalam Mohammed, Umurana Shuaibu, Mohammed Ibrahim, Hamisu Umar, Sadiq Ismail, Gadafi Yusuf, Hassan Shuaibu,  Zailani Magaji, Jibril Idris.

    Others are Mansur Sani, Ismail Dahiru, Mukailu Yusuf, Sani Nasiru, Aminu Sanusi,

    Rabiu Musa, Umar Tanimu, Ibrahim Idris, Mohammed Abdurahaman, Mohammed Abdullahi and Shabale Adamu.

    The Security Council also named three persons who will be charged and prosecuted for acts related to terrorism and possession of dangerous weapons.

    It gave thier names as Haruna Usma, Badiya Garba, Saleem Shuaibu, and Ashiru Abdullahi.

     

  • Southern Kaduna killings: Osinbajo orders security reinforcements

    Southern Kaduna killings: Osinbajo orders security reinforcements

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered further security reinforcements in Kaduna State following reports of communal clashes that resulted in the loss of lives earlier this week in Kajuru, Kajuru Local Government Area of the State.

    Prof. Osinbajo, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, commiserated with families of the victims, the government and people of Kaduna State, and wished the injured victims speedy recovery.

    He also commended the prompt response and efforts of the State government, and those of the security agencies which contained the situation and restored the peace.

    While condemning the act of violence in strong terms, the Acting President noted that the security challenges in Southern Kaduna which has led to the needless deaths is a source of concern for the Federal government and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians.

    Noting previous and ongoing efforts of the Buhari administration to confront the situation, Prof. Osinbajo assured that no effort would be spared in identifying and bringing perpetrators of these dastardly acts, against innocent Nigerians to justice no matter how long or hard it may take.

    According to him, Nigerians in the area and everywhere in the country have a right to live in peace, and the Federal Government considers this its sacred duty.

    “We will not relent and won’t be deterred in our pursuit of securing the lives and property of all Nigerians, everywhere and in every part of this nation. In the end, we will not only secure the peace all around, but we shall enforce justice for the victims and all of those that are affected,” he declared.

     

  • NDLEA seizes 1.168 tonnes of illicit drugs, arrest 101 suspects in six months in Kaduna

    NDLEA seizes 1.168 tonnes of illicit drugs, arrest 101 suspects in six months in Kaduna

    The Kaduna State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it had seized 1.168 tonnes of illicit drugs and arrested 101 suspected drug traffickers in the state from January to June.

    The Commander of the agency, Mr Samuel Azige, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Wednesday.

    Azige Also said that 10 of the suspects had been convicted while the trial of other suspects were at various stages.

    He explained that out of the 1.168 tonnes of illicit drugs seized, Indian hemp constituted the highest with 608.917 kilogrammes, while psychotropic substance constituted 559.086 kilogrammes.

    He also said that two suspects were arrested with locally made AK47 pistol, a revolver and a Dane gun during the period.

    “The suspects have been handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution,” the commander said.

    He also said that the command had conducted massive enlightenment campaign against the use and trafficking of illicit drugs within the period.

    “We enlightened students of Barewa College, Zaria, and students of Post-Basic Psychiatric Nursing in Kaduna.

    “We also reached out to patent medicine dealers in Jere, Kagarko Local Government Area of the state, and had intensive talk with them on controls of psychotropic drugs, “Azige said.

    He said that the command would continue to do everything within its powers to curb drug abuse and trafficking in the state.

  • Kaduna pilgrims to commence medical, pregnancy test

    Kaduna pilgrims to commence medical, pregnancy test

    The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, on Monday said it would commence medical and pregnancy test for intending pilgrims to this year’s hajj .

    Its Public Relation Officer, Yunusa Abdullahi, who made the disclosure in a statement said that female intending pilgrims would undergo pregnancy test, in addition to the general medical screening of all other pilgrims.

    The statement said that the pilgrims are to undergo medical screening this week in order to ascertain their health status before embarking on the life time journey.

    It warned that the medical screening was compulsory and the board would only accept result of screening conducted in government designated hospitals.

    “The medical and pregnancy tests are absolutely necessary and compulsory, so any pilgrim who refuses to undergo them can lose his or her Hajj seat”, the statement said.

    It also advised intending pilgrims to collect medical cards from their respective registration officers before going to the designated hospitals for the screening.

    NAN report that no few than 6,335 registered intending pilgrims are expected to perform hajj this year from the state.

  • ICPC arraigns Whistle Blower over raid on VP Sambo’s residence

    ICPC arraigns Whistle Blower over raid on VP Sambo’s residence

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday arraigned one Abubakar Sani for providing false information to the commission.

    Sani’s information had led to the raid on the residence of former Vice President, Namadi Sambo on June 28, in Kaduna by ICPC and DSS operatives.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that since the raid on the property, the ICPC had not said if anything incriminating was found.

    The whistle blower, who was arraigned before Justice Aliyu Tukur of the Kaduna State High Court, is facing two-count charge of providing false information and misleading a public officer while on lawful duty.

    Counsel to the commission, Elijah Akaakohol, said the accused had provided the false information to an official of the commission on June 21, 2017.

    Akaakohol told the court that Sani had claimed to have transported boxes of money in local and foreign currencies from Abuja airport to the house at Ungwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna in 2013, which he suspected to be ill-gotten wealth and still at the house.

    The counsel added that it was based on the claim that the accused “made officers of the commission to carry out a sting operation that turned out to be false.

    “You thereby committed an offence, contrary to, and punishable under section 64 (3) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.’’

    Sani is also being charged for making false statement to one Mr Olusegun Adigun, an official of the ICPC while in the course of duty as a public officer, contrary to section 25(1) and punishable under section 25(1b) of the ICPC Act 2000.

    Sani, who appeared before the court without legal representation, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Judge directed that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till Thursday, Nov. 2, for hearing.

    Before the adjournment, Justice Tukur advised the accused to get a counsel to stand for him at the next adjourned date.

  • NAHCON says uproar over Hajj fares due to communication gap

    NAHCON says uproar over Hajj fares due to communication gap

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has said that the uproar over the 2017 hajj fares was a result of communication gap among stakeholders.

    The Executive Chairman of the commission, Abdullahi Muktar, made the remark at a sensitisation programme organised by NAHCON to educate Muslim clerics in Kaduna State on preparations for the pilgrimage.

    He told the 40 clerics at the event that the commission would not do anything that would impose hardship on intending pilgrims.

    Muktar, who was represented by Saleh Modibbo, Commissioner in charge of Operations, said NAHCON was ready for the commencement of hajj operations at the end of July.

    “The commission has laid solid foundation towards smooth airlifting of pilgrims from Nigerian to Saudi Arabia,’’ he said, adding that arrangements for pilgrims’ accommodation, feeding and transportation had been done.

    “We will not take anything to chance in ensuring the comfort of the pilgrims throughout the duration of the pilgrimage,’’ the executive chairman added.

    Muktar stressed that the forum was organised to inform critical stakeholders of the preparations made so far regarding the Hajj, and get inputs from the public to facilitate successful handling of the exercise.

    “If you organise a forum like this, you are exchanging ideas, you are communicating information, you are hearing questions and answers, you are getting suggestions,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 6,000 intending pilgrims will perform the 2017 hajj from Kaduna state.

  • NAF establishes two new commands, branch, redeploys 58 senior officers

    NAF establishes two new commands, branch, redeploys 58 senior officers

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Tuesday said it had established two new Commands and a Branch for effective operations.

    The Service has also redeployed 58 senior officers.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.

    According to Adesanya, the exercise is part of the restructuring efforts of the Service to enhance the effective and efficient projection of air power.

    He said the two new Commands are: the Air Training Command (ATC) with Headquarters in Kaduna State, and the Ground Training Command (GTC) with Headquarters in Enugu State.

    “These new commands were excised from the now defunct Training Command (TC), thereby bringing the total number of Commands in the NAF to six.

    “The ATC will be responsible for the implementation of policies on flying and air operations while the GTC will be responsible for the implementation of local ground training,” he said.

    Adesanya added that the newly-established Branch is known as Communications Branch, and was unbundled from the former Logistics and Communications Branch.

    This, he said, brought the number of NAF branches to 10.

    He said the new Branch would handle all the needs of NAF with regards to communications, electronics, radar maintenance, Information and Space Technology.

    “Sequel to this development, NAF has redeployed a total of 58 officers comprising 25 AVMs, 20 Air Commodores, five Group Capts. , one Wing Commander, four Sqn. Ldrs., two Flt.- Ltr. and one Flying Officer.

    “Those posted to Defence Headquarters are AVMs Wakili Ahmed, Defence Policy and Plans; Ibrahim Umaru, Director Safety and Manual; Benjamin Nweze, Director, Civil-Military Relations.

    “Eche Agwungwu, Director Space; Bernard Chiobi, Director of Operations and Onyemaechi Osahor, Director-General Defence Research Production Bureau.

    “Senior Officers posted within HQ NAF include: AVMs Nurudeen Balogun who is now Chief of Training and Operations; Muhammadu Muhammed, Chief of Policy and Plans; Charles Otegbade, Director of Plans,” he said.

    “Others are: Olusoji Awomodu, Director of Museum and Archives; Sani Ahmed, Director of Policy; Muhammad Abdul-Wahab, Air Secretary; Kingsley Lar, Chief of Standards and Evaluation; Napoleon Bali, Director of Training.

    “Christian Dii, Managing Director Aircraft Engineering and Technical Services Ltd; Abdulganiyu Olabisi, Chief of Aircraft Engineering; Charles Oghomwen, Chief of Communications, Cletus Udeagulu, Director Research and Development and Paul Dimfwina, Director of Evaluation,” Adesanya said.

    Similarly, the newly-appointed Air Officers Commanding, he said, are AVMs Samson Akpasa, Ground Training Command, Enugu; Saddiq Kaita, Special Operations Command, Bauchi; and Mohammed Idris, Tactical Air Command, Makurdi.

  • JAP helps end community’s 10 year resistance to polio immunization in Kaduna

    JAP helps end community’s 10 year resistance to polio immunization in Kaduna

    A Non Governmental Organization, Journalists Initiatives on Immunization Against Polio (JAP), says it has facilitated the acceptance of polio vaccine by Ungwar Tagarki community in Kaduna  State after 10 years of resistance.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the JAP coordinator in the state,  Lawal Dogara and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Kaduna.

    Dogara said JAP, state health officials and development partners engaged the community in strategic meetings before they succumbed to accepting the administering of the polio vaccine to their children.

    He said that the whole community had consistently rejected the polio vaccine in spite of several interventions by government and other stakeholders.

    Dogara explained that a community elder, Yusuf Nadabo-Bello helped to break the jinx when he submitted his wards for the vaccination, after which other senior community members followed suit.

    “The eldest community member, who is now late, had placed a curse on anyone who allow his child or grand child to be immunised, so the fear of falling into the spell held back even those willing to do so.”

    The JAP chairman said the breakthrough was not easy, as even the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Dogo, Kubau Local Government Sole Administrator, Shehu Mohammad, WHO, UNICEF, JNI and CAN officials had to intervene.

    He recalled that two months ago, the state Deputy Governor Bala Bantex was in the community with regards to the same problem.

    Dogara added that the state government had pledged to tackle infrastructure challenges in the community.

  • Army distributes 1000 treated mosquito nets to Kaduna community

    Army distributes 1000 treated mosquito nets to Kaduna community

    The 1 Division of the Nigerian Army has distributed more than 1000 treated mosquito nets to residents of Hayin Danmani community in Kaduna North Local Government, Kaduna State.

    Spokesman of the division, Col. Kingsley Umoh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna that the gesture was part of activities carried out to mark the 2017 Nigerian Army Day.

    He said that the mosquito nets were distributed to nursing mothers and pregnant women to prevent them from Malaria attack.

    Umoh said over 80 per cent of those who benefited from the medical outreach programme in the area were women.

    “Those who attended the outreach, mostly women, were diagnosed with hypertension which seemed to be dominant among other illnesses,“ he said.

    According to him, other illnesses identified by the Army medical team include allergic conjunctivitis, intestinal worms, Typhoid, Malaria, and malnutrition among children in the community.

    Umoh said that those found suffering from any ailment were given proper treatment while those with acute cases were referred to hospitals for appropriate medical attention.

  • Woman killed, seven injured as vehicle veers into thick forest

    A vehicle carrying members of one family on Wednesday veered into a thick forest in Hawan Kibo, along the Jos-Abuja road, killing a woman and leaving seven others with serious injuries.

    Among those injured were two other women, two men and three children., while a three-month-old baby escaped unhurt.

    Eye witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the vehicle went out of control, somersaulting several times in the bush before crashing into a tree.

    “Apparently, the driver lost control because the vehicle was in high speed; the car just jumped up and disappeared into the forest,” the witness, a petty trader along the highway, told NAN.

    NAN observed that the vehicle, a Jeep, was badly damaged, with the witness saying that some parts of it had to be cut or broken, to pull out the trapped passengers.

    Mr Andrew Bala, a road safety officer, who confirmed the incident, blamed the accident on speeding.

    “Preliminary investigation shows that the accident was caused by speeding. We have always warned against this, but people hardly listen,” Bala, Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Plateau Command, told NAN.

    He said that the injured victims had been taken to the Kafanchan General Hospital in Kaduna State.