The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Katsina State

  • Katsina State revives metal company to boost economy

    The Katsina State Government has said it would revive the state-owned Kankia Metal Works Company in order to turn around the economy of the state.

    Gov. Aminu Masari, who made this disclosure at the company’s inauguration on Saturday in Kankia, said government would revive it to full production capacity for the purpose of rejuvenating the economy.

    The governor said the factory was established in 1982 by the old Kaduna State Government.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the company is to be run under Public Private Partnership with AMPRI Global Limited.

    According to him, the revival of the company is necessary in view of the present dwindling price of crude oil.

    He said the company was established to produce nails of various sizes, ranging between five and half inches, as well as roofing sheets.

    Masari, however, lamented that the factory had remained an empty building structure in spite of the installation of the required machines by the previous administrations.

    “The present administration has released enough funds to revive the moribund industry, in order to save the infrastructure and machines from decaying,’’ he said.

    According to Masari, the company will create about 400 jobs for youths with various qualifications.

    He urged the host community to be hospitable to the staff of the company, so as to achieve the desired goal.

    In his remarks, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, said the government had conducted feasibility study to ensure that partnership with the company is viable.

    He said the state government would provide the enabling environment for investors, as well as five years tax holiday for new industries in the state.

    Mr Ampri Furi, the Managing Director of the company, pledged that the management of the company would abide by the agreements signed with the government. (NAN)

  • Unknown gunmen kill 100 in four villages

    Unknown gunmen kill 100 in four villages

    The orgy of bloodletting in some parts of the country has continued, with no fewer than 100 killed in four Katsina State villages.

    Officials and witnesses said yesterday that the attackers on Wednesday rode motorcycles into villages in broad daylight and killed residents.

    President Goodluck Jonathan last night ordered the military to dislodge the terrorists whose identities remained unclear.

    Witnesses said some of the assailants were ethnic Fulani. It was unclear whether they were Boko Harm insurgents.

    Some people described the assailants as cattle rustlers.

    House of Representatives member Abdullahi Abbas Machika said 47 people were buried in one village alone, following the attack. “So far, 69 bodies have been recovered from the attacks carried out by a large group of gunmen riding on motorcycles,” he added.

    A witness who narrowly escaped and later returned to his village told Premium Times yesterday that he attended the burial of 27 people in his hometown, Maigora. He said he later attended the burial of another 21 people at Sabon Layin Galadima; 40 people were killed at Marabar Maigora; seven in Kurar Mota and eight in Unguwar Doka.

    Local residents told the BBC Hausa Service that security personnel had not been deployed in the area as at yesterday.

    The villages attacked are Mararabar Gora, Maigora town, Sabo Layin Galadima and Unguwan Doka in Faskari local government area.

    The gunmen moved from house-to-house, killing and maiming people, including children and women. They set houses on fire.

    It was learnt that the attack, which was started on Tuesday night, was extended till Thursday.

    “We are just coming from the funeral of innocent victims at Maiangua town; we attended similar funerals at Unguwar Doka some hours ago,”an eyewitness said.

    Police spokesman Aminu Abubakar declined to speak on the attack yesterday.

    Machika told the BBC that security personnel were busy protecting President Jonathan, who was on a two-day visit to the state while people were being killed in his constituency.

    President Jonathan last night ordered the military to comb the Rugu Forest and dislodge the terrorists.

    Speaking at a dinner organised in his honour by the Katsina State government at the Government House Banquet Hall, Jonathan said the Rugu forest is a border area linking four states of Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna and the neighbouring Niger Republic.

    He regretted that the forest meant for economic purposes had turned to hideout for insurgents from where they launch attacks on the states.

    The President also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to deliver relief materials to the affected communities.

  • Police arraign teenager for rape, murder

    Police in Katsina has arraigned one Murtala Salisu 19, of Wagini village via Batsari local Government of Katsina State before Senior Magistrate Court V over the allegation of Rape and cupable homicide.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Altine Ragije told the court that one Mu’azu Garba had sent his daughter Aisha, 9, to his farm to supervise his tomatoes seed and since then her whereabouts was unknown.

    Ragije explained that the father of the girl was said to have reported the matter to the Wagini police station.

    He added that the family of the girl later discovered a fresh shallow grave inside the farm of one Malam Isah a neighbour to her father Mu’azu Garba and when they dug the grave, the missing girl was found dead inside with swollen eyes and blood coming from her private part.

    Prosecutor further revealed that during the course of investigation the accused person was arrested and confessed to have strangled her and had sexual intercourse with her and in the process she died.

    Ragije said the offence is punishable under section 283 and 221 of penal code law of Nigeria.

    The presiding judge Hadiza Mohammed Danja adjourned the case till October 8, 2013 and ordered the accused person be remanded in prison custody.

  • Katsina border under surveillance

    The Jibia border in Katsina State has been put under surveillance by the Nigeria Customs Service.

    It was gathered that the rate of smuggling of goods from Niger Republic into the country through the border has reduced.

    Investigation in Katsina revealed that Customs had moved to prevent the importation of rice, illicit drugs, vegetable oil, textile, used clothes, confectionery, juices, used bags and other prohibited items from entering the country.

    When The Nation visited the border last week, it found that the warehouse of the command was filled with seized goods and the border post was more organised.

    With the porosity of land borders, investigation revealed that the Customs at Jibia has increased surveillance with a monitoring team in place.

    The Area Comptroller of the command, Alhaji Yusuf Umar, said the surveillance became possible because of the vehicles given to them by the management of Customs.

    Officers of the command, he said, have arrested suspected human traffickers and handed them to the Nigerian Immigration Service.

    About two months ago, he said the command apprehended about 85 people ranging from five, six, seven, 10 and 15 years old.

    The command, he also said, has intelligent officers who give him information on criminals’ movements.

    “We have officers and men who are happy to carry out their jobs and that is why they have been up and doing. We have re-strategised. Also, our men have received training and we have new arms such as AK47 rifles to carry out our duties. When you see our officers on the road, you will notice that some of them have been trained by the Nigerian Army in Zaria and that is why we are very active and pro-active and that is why we have been able to make the seizure you have seen.

    “If your officers are hungry or uncomfortable, they may not be able to do the job as expected. If the environment is not condusive, you will not be able to get what is expected. The Customs service of today is different from the Customs service of four, five years ago because we have a visionary and focused leadership in Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi.

    “His outstanding leadership covers revenue generation, infrastructure and capacity building, among others.

    “I am doing the same thing where I was posted to; to make sure I copy my boss. Whatever he does, I always follow his foot step,” he said.

    He advised officers and men of the service to be diligent in their duties.