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Tag: kano state

  • Police arrest 11 kidnap suspects, rescue 12 victims in Kano

    Police arrest 11 kidnap suspects, rescue 12 victims in Kano

    The Kano state police Command Wednesday said it arrested 11 suspected kidnappers, and rescued 12 kidnap victims from the dreaded Falgore Forest in Dogua Local Government Area of the state.

    Speaking to Reporters at the Command’s headquarters, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Rabiu Yusuf said due to the upsurge of kidnapping and armed banditry, especially in the Southern part of the state, the Command rejuvenated its anti-kidnapping squad in its bid to launch a major offensive on notorious criminals.

    According to him: “a fierce gun duel for almost one hour ensued at the first and second gates before the main camp was penetrated,” adding that those arrested during the operation include, Bello Bello Shano, Debo Ibrahim, Lawal Shuaibu, Adamu Abubakar and Nura Salisu of Dariya Shere village.

    Others include, Zubairu Mua’azu of Daurawa village, Umar Bello of Kekenta village all in Doguwa Local Government Area,Ibrahim Bashir  S/Kaura Village, Adamu Gainaku,Abdulrasak Isyaku of Gidan Iya, Ruga-Ruga village from Tunduwada Local Government Area  and Maharazu Yahaya

    The Commissioner of Police also stated that while some escaped into the thick forest with bullet wounds, during the mop-up operation , one Bello Salleh and Mohammed Sani all of Rafin Kura village in Dogowua LGA , were kidnapped on the very date were rescued .

    He further disclosed that ten other victims who were taken hostage at the forest including women were also rescued , they are , Halima Sa’adu, Rabi Idri, Amos Yakubu, Jacob Ibrahim all of Doguwa Local Government Area.

    Others are Hajara Yakubu of Karasa village, Maimuna Abubakar , Sule Maigoro , Ibrahim Umaru , Musa Idi and Alhaji Ibrahim Hamisu .

    The exhibits recovered in the Falgore forest camp include, one AK 47 Riffle, two loaded magazines, 250 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition, eight Bajaj motorcycles, criminal masks and personal belongings, saying that, “some quantity of dried leaves suspected to e Indian hemp, some quantity of food items , drinks and drugs were equally uncovered from them.”

    “I wish to further inform you that all the victims underwent post-trauma counseling and medical examination, today, they will be formally handed over to their respective families,” he added.

  • NJC fires appeal court justice, Enugu CJ

    NJC fires appeal court justice, Enugu CJ

    …Auta to face prosecution

    The careers of three top judges including  the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, are hanging by a thread.

    The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended their compulsory retirement and the dismissal of a third – Justice Kabiru M. Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State with immediate effect -for official misconduct.

    Auta is also to be handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 1, Kano State, for prosecution.

    They are to proceed on suspension immediately pending the acceptance of the NJC recommendations by President Mohammadu Buhari (in the case of Justice Tsamiya), Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (in the case of Justice Umezulike) and Kano Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (in the case of Justice Auta).

    The acting Director (Information) of NJC Mr. Soji Oye, broke the news in a statement Friday.

    Tsamiya is said to have abused his office after according to the NJC, he accepted bribe in respect of a 2015 election case pending before an appeal panel in which he was a member.

    The council indicted Umezulike for conducting himself in a manner that conflicted with his position as a judicial officer, while Auta is said to have collected money from a contractor, promising to facilitate the award of a contract to him.

    He failed to deliver on his promise.

    Oye said the decision was reached at the last NJC meeting held on September 29, 2016.

    He said: “Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal was recommended for compulsory retirement from office to President Muhammadu Buhari, pursuant to the ‘findings’ by the Council in the petition written by Nnamdi Iro Oji against him and Hon. Justices Husseini Muktar, F. O. Akinbami and J. Y. Tukur, all Justices of Court of Appeal who sat on Election Appeal panel in the Owerri division of the court during the 2015 general elections.

    “The petition contains the following allegations, among others:- Corruption, malice and vindictiveness; and giving perverse and conflicting decisions on the same issue in similar matters in appeal CA/OW/EPT/SN/50/2015: Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex vs. Hon. Mao Onuabunwa & Anor;CA/OW/EPT/SN/47/2015; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu & Anor vs Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa & Ors; and CA/OW/EPT/HR/61/2015: Nnamdi Iro Oji Vs Nkole Uko Ndukwe & 16 Ors.

     

  • Mass wedding: Kano screens 1,000 prospective couples

    Mass wedding: Kano screens 1,000 prospective couples

    The Kano State Hisbah Board said it had commenced medical screening of 1,000 prospective couples for the next Mass Wedding Programme in the state.

    NAN reports that no fewer than 4, 395 prospective couples were registered by the state government to participate in the programme.

    The Director General of the board, Dr Abba Sufi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday that the screening which started last week was aimed at ensuring the health status of the couples before the marriage.

    “The medical screening started about eight days ago and it is intended to ascertain the health status of each and everyone of them.

    “The screening is mandatory as it will enable the board and each partner to know the health status their partners before the marriage is conducted,” he said.

    Sufi said the medical screening was in preparation for the conduct of the programme scheduled to take place after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

    “The state government has planned to conduct the programme after Sallah, hence the decision to start the screening of the couples in time,” Sufi said.

    He said the state government under the leadership of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje was committed to the success of the programme as it would check prostitution especially among indigent unmarried young girls and widows.

    NAN recalls that no fewer than 5,000 indigent unmarried young men and women benefited from the programme during the administration of former Gov. Rabi’u Kwankwaso who introduced it in 2012.

  • Dalung wants private sector to invest in sports

    Dalung wants private sector to invest in sports

    The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Barrister Solomon Dalung has concluded a 2-day work inspection of sporting facilities in Kano State accompanied by a team of foreign investors from the Czech Republic as part of new government initiative aimed at attracting private sector investment in sport development in the country, in order to create job opportunities for Nigerian teeming youth through sports.

    The Minister inspected sporting facilities at the Sport Institute of the Kano State University of Technology and the multi-purpose Kano State Sporting complex.

    Addressing the Management and Staff of the Kano State University of Technology at a dinner held in his honour, Dalung described as praiseworthy the establishment of the Sport Institute by the Kano State Government hoping that the Institute will be able to play the kind of role that a similar Institute in the University of Pretoria South Africa is playing in the development and training of  coaches, referees and other professionals needed to assist in the scouting for young talents, nurturing of such talents to stardom and ensuring that there is constant replenishment when reigning athletes and sports men and women have reached their peak.

    The Minister also used the occasion to challenge the nation’s ivory tower to lead a campaign for new national rebirth and reorientation like the role played by the Intelligentsia in the German revolution in order to save our country from acquisitive tendencies, quest for materialism and personal aggrandisement that are bedeviling our country today.

    He said most of the social problems that the country is facing today can be traced to failure to give priority to youth development; a situation that has led to lack of focus, distrust and despair among the youth. He said there is urgent need to give youth a new re-orientation and direction through investment in sport and strategic inclusion in economic and national affairs.

    Meanwhile, the Minister while paying a courtesy call on the Governor of the State during his inspection visit, described Kano State as the state with the greatest youth endowment and comparative advantage in the country, warning that the neglect of this vibrant segment which constitute about 60% of the State population is a sleeping catastrophe.

    He praised the State Government for identifying sports as a vital instrument of addressing youth challenges assuring that the Federal Government is ready to partner with the state using Kano as a case study where private investment in sports can help develop the youth, check youth unemployment as well as guarantee good returns on investment.

    The Ag Governor of the State who received the Minister assured the Minister that Kano being the most populous state in the federation offers great opportunity for willing local and foreign investors. He said Kano state deserves special attention and intervention of the Federal Government as its youth population alone is bigger than many states in Nigeria.

    The Minister also paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Muhammadu  Lamido Sanusi who he described as a royal father known for giving selfless leadership be it in politics, religion and state affairs. He informed the Emir that he was in Kano State with some foreign partners to explore possible sporting areas for partnership with the State Government, for the overall interests of the youth in the state. “We want to replicate the good things South Africa is doing through support of the private sector by giving skills to athletes so as to empower them and for them to have something to fall back upon after reaching their peak.”

    Responding, the Emir extolled the sterling qualities of the Minister which preceded his appointment and urge him to do his best not to disappoint his numerous admirers. He also advised the government to identify areas to concentrate on and not to be tempted to solve all problems at the same time; saying this is one of the reasons many people spend long time in office without having tangible things to point to despite hard work. He enjoined the public to continue to support the government in the task for repositioning our country

    The Minister later inspected facilities at the Kano State Sport Institute which include the administrative blocks, lecture theatres, indoor game halls, facilities for kinetics, physiotherapy, medicals and other outdoor games facilities like football field, swimming pool, gyms and sporting courts for basketball, long tennis, volley ball etc.

    The Minister also led the foreign partners to inspect the Kano State Sports Complex reputed to be the biggest in the country. Apart from scores of facilities for table tennis, judo, weight lifting, athletics, basketball long tennis among others, the complex also boasts of 14 training football pitches catering for over 104 football clubs.

    Addressing journalists at end of the inspection, Dalung described Kano State as a sports-friendly and sports-loving state where investors in the sports sector have great potentials for high returns on their investment. He also commended the state government for its massive investment in sports but added that much more still needed to be done in upgrading the facilities on ground. He said while a lot has been achieved in area of indoor facilities at the Sport Institute of the Kano State University of Technology, more efforts are still needed in the provision of standard outdoor games facilities.

  • NDLEA arraigns woman for planting cocaine in pastor’s house

    NDLEA arraigns woman for planting cocaine in pastor’s house

    The Federal High Court in Kano is set to commence the trial of a thirty year old woman who was caught planting cocaine in a pastor’s house by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The accused will appear before Justice Zainab Abubakar on Wednesday, May 25th, 2016.

    According to the NDLEA Kano State Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, preliminary investigation revealed that the accused Mrs. Joy Ogundare who lives in the same compound with Pastor Richard Ekenne was caught red-handed planting 2.2grams of cocaine in the apartment of Richard.

    The accused in her statement explained that she wanted to implicate Pastor Richard because of the misunderstanding between her and the Pastor.

    “I am not in good terms with Pastor Richard. We even have a pending case at the Magistrate Court here in Kano. That was why I wanted to plant cocaine in his apartment to implicate him but I was caught in the process by NDLEA Officers,” she stated.

    NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.)  assured that the case will be diligently prosecuted adding that the Agency will continue to uphold the rule of law. “

    “The Agency respects the rule of law and will remain meticulous in its operations. We are pursuing this case to a logical conclusion. Everything possible will be done to prevent the innocent from being punished while the guilty will never escape justice,” Abdallah stated.

     

  • NLC cautions Kano State govt. over workers’ verification

    NLC cautions Kano State govt. over workers’ verification

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kano State on Thursday urged the state government to re-examine the list of ghost workers discovered in its ongoing workers’ verification exercise.

    The Chairman of the union in the state, Malam Kabiru Minjibir, made the call at news conference in Kano.

    Minjibir said there was need for government to take cognisance of the fact that some workers were undergoing training outside the country.

    “Also, some pensioners are not residing in the country after their service, yet they are pensioners in the state.

    “We also identified some mix-up in the data provided by some government organs as part of their staff lists.

    “It will interest you to know that my humble self, the number one labour leader in the state after dully being captured in my area of assignment on March 18, was among the 7, 629 staff as part of those who did not appear for the exercise,” he said.

    According to him, many staff in active service, including directors, had been identified in the lists as those who have not been captured.

     

    He said the union in the state would not take it lightly if any of its genuine workers or pensioners was deleted from the payroll of the government.

     

    He called on the state government to use any amount of money saved from the exercise to settle some outstanding workers’ salaries, arrears of gratuities, pension and death benefits to pensioners.

  • NYSC loses five corps members in Kano

    NYSC loses five corps members in Kano

    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) lost five corps members to death in Kano during the course of their one-year compulsory service to Nigeria.

    The Kano state NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf Baba who revealed this Thursday during the 2015 Batch “A” Passing Out Parade, also stated that 30 corps members who were supposed to round off their programme would be sanctioned for offences ranging from abscondment from service to other irresponsible acts.

    According to the NYSC coordinator, 2360 corps members completed their one-year assignment without hitches and would be issued certificate at the end of the parade.

    The state coordinator however implored the outgoing corps members to take advantage of the trainings they received in the course of their service year to initiate ideas that will make them self-reliant and impact positively on the nation’s economy.

    He also expressed appreciation to the government and people of Kano state for their unflinching support to the scheme at all times.

    Represented by Alhaji Abba Ado Tudun Wada, Chairman, NYSC State Governing Board and Youth Empowerment, Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje tasked the corps members to be creative and imbibe the skills of entrepreneurishp.

    Ganduje also advised the corps members not to depend on white-collar jobs, adding that the labour market is already saturated, “and we should start thinking of ways to create jobs instead of searching for job or relying on government to provide jobs for you. We have to help the government because the government cannot do it alone.”

    “You too could be an employer of labour through engaging in agricultural activities and other small medium jobs. The sky is your limit, and I urge you to make good use of the opportunities around you.”

  • Kano discovers 7, 629 ghost workers on payroll

    Kano discovers 7, 629 ghost workers on payroll

    Kano state government Tuesday said it has discovered 7, 629 ghost workers on the payroll of the government in the on-going biometric exercise for civil servants in the state.

    The Head of Service, Malam Muhammad Awwal Na’Iya who disclosed during a joint press conference with Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, said that the state was able to save overN283, 580, and 848.44 from the blocked ghost workers.

    Na’Iya said that the state presently has a workforce of over 150, 000 civil servants, while it pays over N8 billion as monthly salary.

    He explained that 17 staff were also discovered to be collecting double salary amounting to over N1 million per month, adding that investigation into their matter was on as they will face prosecution and be made to return state fund soonest.

    He also explained that 86, 373 civil servants were captured in the on-ogoing biometric exercise which he said will be continuous, “what we are having today is an interim briefing on the exercise. We want to say that since February the exercise started, we have not had any problem and we promise to keep you posted as we move on.”

    According to him, despite the dwindling financial resources facing the country, Kano state government has been able to pay workers’ salaries as at when due, “as I am speaking to you now, we are not owing workers in the state and we promise to ensure that workers’ welfare are always taking care of.”

    The Head of Service, however, warned civil servants who are collaborating with fraudulent elements to aid and abet collection of double salaries to desist from such act or be ready to receive their sack letters and face prosecution.

    He further noted that staff who were not captured in the on-going biometric data capture would be deleted from the payroll of Kano state government, adding that, “the exercise is still ongoing, however, concerted efforts are being made to ensure its successful completion soonest.”

     

  • Saraki donates N5m to victims of Kano market inferno

    Saraki donates N5m to victims of Kano market inferno

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has donated N5 million to victims of the recent fire incident at Sabon Gari market in Kano State.

    The Chairman, Senate committee on Works, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, announced the donation when he paid a sympathy visit to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje in Kano on Wednesday.

    Gaya, who represents Kano South Senatorial District, said that the magnitude of the inferno would impact negatively on economic lives of the victims.

    “The Senate president was so much worried and concerned about the unfortunate incident; this is the reason why he asked me to represent him to bring the donation.

    ”We, the three senators from the state, will also sponsor a motion on the floor of the house for the urgent assistance of the Federal Government to victims of the disaster,” he said.

    Gaya, who commiserated with the affected traders, prayed God to prevent future occurrence and replenish what they lost in the inferno.

    He also commended Ganduje for setting up committees to facilitate return of business activities in the market as well as for the steps so far taken by the government to provide immediate assistance to the victims.

    Ganduje commended the senate president for the gesture and assured him that the money would be used judiciously for the purpose it was donated.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Gaya had earlier inspected Tamburawa bridge, being threatened by erosion, and promised to ensure its immediate rehabilitation by the Federal Government.

     

  • Compensate Igbo traders over losses – MASSOB tells Kano Gov

    Compensate Igbo traders over losses – MASSOB tells Kano Gov

    The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra, MASSOB, has called on Governor abdulahi Ganduje of Kano State to compensate Igbo traders who were victims of the recent fire incident which gutted the Sabon Gari market.

    The midnight fire incident at Sabon Gari Market, Kano consumed goods of traders worth millions of Naira and touched over 4,000 shops.

    MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, in a statement lamented that Igbo traders have severally been at the receiving end of any market demolition and fire incidents in Nigeria, amounting to untold loss of cash and property, even as he urged the Kano state government to ensure that victims of the inferno are compensated adequately.

    Okerefaor urged Igbo businessmen to invest at home, stressing that if the Igbo could establish 30% of their businesses in their home states, the South East would be more developed than Abuja and Lagos cities.

    According to him, “We are calling on the Kano state government to compensate victims of the Sabon Gari market fire incident. From available information MASSOB had gathered, 90% of the affcted traders are of the Igbo stock who have suffered losses.

    “They should be compensated to assist them get back to business. Again, the state government should set up a probe panel to find the immediate and remote cause of the incident. Ndigbo contributes immensely to the development of Kano state, and must not be abandoned in this hour of need.

    “MASSOB has lost count of market fire incidents and demolition of markets, including government induced policies targeted at Igbo traders. In  Lagos state, in January 2016, Igbo traders returned from the Christmas and New Year festivities to see their shops demolished on the orders of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and wares looted by hoodlums.

    “During crises and riot situations, Igbo traders are always targeted and their goods destroyed. This is why we are calling on the international community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to organize a referendum and grant Ndigbo an independent state of Biafra where there would be no victimization.”

    Okereafor also called on the governor to institute a commission of inquiry into the incident, further stated that those arrested for looting properties at the burnt market should not be allowed to escape justice.