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Tag: Kebbi

  • Association trains, empowers 510 traders in Kebbi

    Association trains, empowers 510 traders in Kebbi

    The Market Traders’ Association of Nigeria (MATAN), Kebbi chapter, has trained and empowered 510 traders on different trades to boost their capabilities in various businesses.

    During the graduation and swearing-in of the State Executives of MATAN in Birnin Kebbi on Monday, Governor Nasir Idris promised to assist the association to achieve its set goals.

    He commended the association for its “laudable foresight” and urged it to sustain the tempo for the benefit of other members.

    The Kebbi Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Usman Ladan-Dakingari, appreciated the governor for supporting the association both morally and financially.

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    He encouraged the new executive members to focus attention on what would bring unity among members and support the growth of Kebbi.

    Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad-Kanna, appealed to the marketers to consider the possibility of reducing the prices of goods and food items because the Muslims fasting period was approaching.

    The chairman also urged them to extend helping hands to the less-privileged as well as downtrodden “to attract the mercies of our creator”.

  • Notorious kidnapper Dogo Oro killed in Kebbi

    Notorious kidnapper Dogo Oro killed in Kebbi

    A notorious kidnapper, Dogo Oro, has been killed in Kebbi, the state government said yesterday.

    Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi State Governor,  Ahmed Idris, said Oro was killed  by local vigilantes in Tunga village in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.

    He said the kidnapper launched attacks with sporadic shooting at people with bows and arrows in one of the surrounding villages of Kanzanna yesterday.

     “The security progress report indicated that today, 01/12/2023, from Tunga village in Tilli ward, Bunza Local Government, a notorious kidnapper called Dogo Oro, who was well known for terrorism in Bunza and Kalgo local government areas, was killed this morning by our men, the vigilantes at Tunga area,” he said in a statement.

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    The suspected terrorist had been kidnapping innocent villagers and demanding ransom for their release, Idris added.

    He said that with the successful operation by the local vigilantes, the residents of the communities can now go about their normal business activities unhindered, with the security of their lives and properties guaranteed.

    Applauding the gallant efforts of the vigilantes in supporting other security operatives, he appreciated the unending support of Governor Nasir Idris in ensuring that the security challenges in some council areas of the state are critically addressed.

    According to him,  regular security meetings and logistical support for security personnel will be a priority for all security agencies to address banditry and criminality in the state.

  • Appeal Court affirms Sani, Idris’ elections as Kaduna, Kebbi govs

    Appeal Court affirms Sani, Idris’ elections as Kaduna, Kebbi govs

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the September 28 judgment of the election petition tribunal which declared the last governorship election in Kaduna state inconclusive.

    In three unanimous judgment on Friday, November 24, a three-member panel of the court held that, as against the finding of the tribunal, the election was conclusive and won by the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose candidate was Uba Sani.

    The court held that there was no basis for the tribunal to have ordered the conduct of supplementary election in 22 polling units in seven wards in four Local Government Areas in Kaduna State.

    Justice Obietonbara Daniel-Kalio, in his lead judgment in the main appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it’s candidate in the election, Mohammad Isa,  resolved the five issues, identified for determination, against the appellants.

    Justice Daniel-Kalio held that the petition filed by the appellants at the trial tribunal was deemed abandoned because their application for the issuance of  pre-hearing notice was filed prematurely, before the close of pleadings and was therefore considered incompetent and void.

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    He said: “The consequence of filing premature application for issuance of pre-hearing notice is that the petition is deemed abandoned.”

    The judge also held that the tribunal was right in holding that the written statement on oath of subpoenaed witnesses were invalid having not been filed with the petition as required under Paragraph 4 (5) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act.

    He further that the tribunal was right to have rejected substantial portions of evidence of two witnesses called by the petituoners for being hearsay evidence.

    Justice  Daniel-Kalio held that, as against the contention by the appellants, the tribunal correctly evaluated the evidence adduced by them.

    “I cannot see where the tribunal incorrectly evaluated the evidence of the appellant’s and that the evaluation was perverse,” he said and proceeded to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.

    Justice Daniel-Kalio, who also read the lead judgments in the cross-appeals by the APC and Sani, allowed both appeals and set aside part  the judgment of the tribunal which declared the election inconclusive and ordered the conduct of fresh election in 22 polling units.

    He held that the tribunal was wrong to have ascribed probative value to election results, which it found to have contained discrepancies, in arrive at its conclusion that the election was inconclusive.

    In a separate judgment, another panel of the appellate court dismissed the petition by the PDP and its candidate in the last governorship election in Kebbi state.

    Justice  Uzo Ndukwe-Anyannwu, who read the lead judgment, resolved all the five issues, identified for determination, against the appellants.

    Justice Ndukwe-Anyannwu, who held that the appellants failed to prove their claims of forgery and non-complaince, said the appeal was without merit.

    She further held that the allegations of forgery of testimonial made by the appellants against the state’s Deputy Governor of the State, Abubakar Umar was unproved. 

    The judge equally held that there tribunal was right to have held that Umar attended the secondary school he claimed to have attended.

    She said there were sufficient evidence to show that Umar attended the Sultan Abubakar College, Sokoto.

    Justice Ndukwe-Anyannwu proceeded to affirm the earlier judgment of the trial tribunal which dismissed the appellants’ petition and upheld that election of Governor Nasir Idris of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi state.

  • Tribunal upholds Kebbi Governor Nasir’s election

    Tribunal upholds Kebbi Governor Nasir’s election

    • Sule: I can’t use state’s resources to appeal tribunal verdict

    • Rivers APC rejects tribunal rulings against Cole, Assembly candidates

    • Tight security in Abia ahead tribunal judgment

    The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, yesterday upheld the election of Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the panel of judges comprised Justices Ofem Ofem, Dauraba Suleiman-Sikkom and Celestina Dafe.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, General Aminu Bande, had filed a joint suit challenging the election of Idris, as governor in the March 15 election and April 18 rerun on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The petitioners alleged that the deputy governor had submitted a fake secondary school testimonial to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that there was over-voting and that the governor was ineligible to contest the election.

    Delivering the judgment, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ofem Ofem said: “We state categorically that the third respondent did not forge certificate.”

    On over-voting, the chairman said of the 59 polling units being questioned, irregularities were discovered in nine, resulting in deduction of 1,735 votes from APC while over 900 votes were deducted from the PDP.

    He said the deduction of the votes would not affect the merging between the winner of the election and the runner-up.

    Also, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has said he would not use the state’s funds to challenge the tribunal verdict that annulled his victory in the March 18 election.

    The governor spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Peter Ahemba, in a statement yesterday in Lafia, the state capital.

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    The statement reads: “The attention of His Excellency, Abdullahi Sule, Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, has been drawn to a media publication credited to a group operating under the umbrella of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), calling for his probe.

    “In the ill-motivated publication, the group urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a thorough investigation into allegations that the governor might be utilising state funds to support his legal battle following the recent erroneous judgment by two members of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal against him.

    “…Governor Sule calls on the public to consider this allegation as another distractive strategy coming from an obviously partisan group working for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

    Also, the Rivers State chapter of the APC has rejected the judgment of the Governorship, National, and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal for dismissing the petitions of its governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, and all its National and State Assembly candidates.

    In a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt by its spokesman Darlington Nwauju, APC said it considered the reason for dismissing the petition of Cole as hypothetical and inconsistent with the positions of the Supreme Court.

    The party added: “The October 2 ruling confirmed the fears of Rivers APC about getting justice in the face of iron-cast evidences presented by our team of lawyers at the tribunal…”

    There is tight security across Abia State, especially Umuahia, the state capital, ahead of today’s judgment by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

    Our correspondent reports that members and sympathisers of the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been at loggerheads on and off social media, causing panic in the state.

    But spokesman of the state police command, Maureen Chinaka, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), warned that the command would deal decisively with anyone or group of persons that may want to foment trouble in the state.

  • 23 feared dead in Kebbi boat accident

    23 feared dead in Kebbi boat accident

    Twenty-three persons are feared dead in a boat accident in Kebbi State. The boat, it was gathered, sailed from Kasabo to Yauri community with 30 passengers.

    Seven persons were rescued while rescue operations continue to rescue the other 23.

    The government has also condoled with bereaved families, the Yauri Emirate Council, and local government council.

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    A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, urged them to accept the will of God in good faith. He also prayed Allah to grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus).

    The governor also prayed for quick recovery for the injured, and prayed God to end such incidents.

  • Lassa fever: One dies from six cases in Kebbi

    THE Kebbi State Government has confirmed six cases of Lassa fever with one death recorded.

    Dr. Assad Hassan, an epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health, told reporters in Birnin Kebbi that the cases were recorded between February and April.

    Hassan also explained that four of the victims were from Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area and the remaining two were from Bunza Local Government Area.

    “The persons confirmed to be infected with the disease are between 23 to 65 years, and they include four males and two females,” he said.

    According to him, one of the female patients died within the hours she arrived at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi.

    He said the blood sample taken from the deceased tested positive for Lassa fever.

    According to the epidemiologist, “The medical doctor that attended to the deceased was also infected with the fever but has since been treated and discharged from the hospital.”

    Hassan explained that the last confirmed case was on April 27, refuting reports that two children died last week as a result of the Lassa fever.

    “In response to the outbreak, he said there has been continuous sensitisation of healthcare workers on Lassa fever detection and infection, prevention and control measures within the hospital setting.

  • Gombe, Kebbi airports shut over debts

    THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has closed down Gombe and Kebbi airports as a result of over N800 million debts.

    The shutdown took effect yesterday.

    FAAN, in a Notice To Air Men (NOTAM), sent to the airports yesterday, announced the withdrawal of men of the safety, fire rescue and aviation security personnel attached to the two airports.

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    FAAN, two weeks ago, warned that its services would be withdrawn should the two state governments failed to clear their debts.

    It was gathered that FAAN gave the state governments enough time to settle their debts, but they remained adamant

    It was gathered that the attention will be shifted to other airports, which are owing.

    FAAN, it was learnt, wanted to carry out the drive in other airports but were stopped by the Presidency.

    “But the agency has vowed to forge ahead with its plans to close state airports owing the organisation,” a source said yesterday.

  • DPR seals 14 fuel stations in Sokoto, Kebbi

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says it has sealed 14 fuel service stations in Sokoto and Kebbi states for selling above control price and suspected diversion of products.

    Mr Muhammad Makera, the Zonal Operations Controller of DPR in charge of Sokoto and Kebbi states, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Sokoto that the sanctions were meted between Wednesday and Thursday, April 10 and 11.

    He said the department had visited 43 fuel selling stations in Sokoto State, noting that three fuel stations were sealed off for selling above control price and one for suspected diversion of the products.

    He added that 69 fuel selling stations were visited in Kebbi State and five were sealed off for selling above control price, two without valid operating licence, while three for suspected diversion of products.

    According to him, 83 trucks of Premium Motor Spirits (PMS) were supplied to the three states from Wednesday and Thursday out which 28 were for Sokoto, 47 for Kebbi while remaining 7 were added to Zamfara State.

    The Controller noted that surveillance teams were deployed to monitor proper fuel dispensing according to regulated price.

    Makera said that the surveillance operation was ongoing; adding that part of measures to ensuring adequate availability of fuel sold at regulated price and to caution customers against panic buying.

    He cautioned marketers against flouting government regulations and ensure proper dispensing at regulated price between N140 to N145 per litre.

    The Zonal Operation Controller stressed that government was committed to ensuring  proper supply of fuel to prevent shortage at all times.

    He further warned people against spreading rumors and misinforming people as government did not intend to increase the price and so people should not engage in panic buying.

    “The sealed service stations will remain closed until the owners comply with penalty and all those found wanton would also face similar penalty,” Makera said.

    The Zonal Operation Controller commended the present administration for its efforts in the energy sector and improving the lives of Nigerians and called on people to cooperate for maximum success of its policies and programmes.

  • UNICEF to Fed, state govts: recruit more female teachers in North

    The United Nations Children’s Fund has urged the federal and state governments to employ more female teachers in schools in northern Nigeria .

    UNICEF said this will drive girls’ enrolment in schools and eradicate the out-of-school children growing population.

    It stated this during the release of two reports: “Effect of Female Teachers on girls’ enrollment and retention in Northern Nigeria, and C4D Assessment in Basic Education” on Wednesday, in Abuja.

    UNICEF said the effects of female teachers on girls’ enrolment and retention in Northern Nigeria were positive, going by its research reports conducted in eight states in the north.

    Some of the states are; Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Taraba.

    The reports said some schools in urban and rural areas will need to recruit 58,121 females across 17,576 rural schools and an additional 3,775 female teachers across 4,225 in urban schools.

    The UNICEF reports said: “To provide additional perspective on the magnitude of female teacher deficit in both urban and rural areas, we calculate that in the eight states under study, rural schools will need to hire about an additional 58,121 females across 17,576 rural schools and an additional 3,775 female teachers across 4,225 urban schools.

    “This deficit is much more significant in rural schools where on average, each school will have to hire additional three female teachers.”

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    The UNICEF reports also recommended that female teachers being posted to rural areas should be given adequate financial compensation to attract first rate candidates to the teaching profession.

    “One approach that teachers and head teachers have mentioned in this report is that teachers with rural posting must be provided with allowances to compensate for the quality of life discrepancies between living in urban and rural areas.

    “Another recommendation is helping female teachers navigate the societal and gendered expectations of their dual roles as caregivers and professionals. This is critical to increasing the number of female teachers in rural schools.

    “Also like male teachers, female teachers are consistently motivated by the professional development and career advancement opportunities and would likely take positions in rural schools if those positions are available.

    “The historical shortage of educated women in northern Nigeria must be addressed for the long-term to increase the pool of potential female teachers,” the reports added.

  • Gunmen kill housewife, 3-yr-old daughter in Kebbi

    The police in Kebbi are investigating the murder of a housewife and her three-year-old daughter in Dole Kaina village of Dandi local government area of the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Nafiu Abubakar confirmed this while briefing newsmen on Friday in Birnin Kebbi.

    According to him, the housewife, Balkisu, 27 and her three-year-old daughter, were found dead on Saturday by her husband, Malan Zayyanu in his house after he came back from a trip.

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    Abubakar said the housewife and her daughter were found killed when her husband travelled to Tsamiya village.

    He described the incident unfortunate, adding that the police in state were doing their best to fish out the criminals and bring them to justice.

    The PPRO said investigation has commenced but no arrest has been made.