The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kogi Poly

  • Kogi poly student kidnapped

    •Abductors demand N10m ransom

    A student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Miss Adetutu Adebanjo, has been kidnapped.

    Adebanjo, a Higher National Diploma 2 (HND 2) student in the Department of Office Technology Management, was abducted last Friday on Itakpe-Lokoja-Okene road, when she was travelling to her town in Ogun State.

    The victim, according to a source, had just finished her first semester examination, and was returning home.

    A week ago, three chieftains of Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Kogi State chapter, were kidnapped on Idah road.

    The Director of Students’ Affairs, National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Salihu Lukman, said in a statement that the abductors demanded N10million ransom, which they later reduced to N500,000.

    He said: “Negotiation is on. Today makes it the fourth day now. The poor mother of Adetutu, a widow, can’t afford the ransom.

    “We implore the government and the public to assist in securing her release.”

    Lukman said the police command had been informed, adding that Commissioner Ali Janga promised that the victim would be released soon.

     

  • N145m scam delays Kogi Poly workers’ July salary

    N145m scam delays Kogi Poly workers’ July salary

    Kogi Government says the discovery of N145 million fraud in the salary voucher of the Kogi State Polytechnic ( Kogi Poly ), Lokoja, is responsible for the delay in the payment of July salary of its workers.

    The Director -General, Kogi State Bureau of Information and Grassroots Mobilisation, Alhaji Abdulmalik Abdulkareem, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday.

    The government’s statement is in response to an earlier threat by Kogi Poly local chapter of the Academic staff Union of Polytechnics ( ASUP ) to embark on an indefinite strike over non-payment of July salary of its members.

    “Kogi State Government affirmed that the discovery of N145 million fraud in the salary vouchers was responsible for the delay in payment of the July salary . This is based on facts obtained from the office of Auditor -General of Kogi State,” the statement said.

    The ASUP had threatened to direct its members to embark on strike if the July salary of its members is not paid latest by Sept. 11.

    Andulmalik faulted the position of ASUP and other unions in the polytechnic, saying that the delay in payment of their July salary was self-inflicted .

    He alleged that some accounts staff of Kogi poly bloated the salary vouchers to defraud the state government of N145 million.

    According to him, the salary is being delayed to give room for a thorough investigation into the alleged fraud.

    The director-general said the state government had recovered N145m from over bloated wage bill.

    He , however, assured that all staff would start receiving their July salary as from Sept. 11.

    Abdulkareem said that government had directed that salary of workers in the salary unit of the polytechnic be put on hold pending the conclusion of investigation.

    According to him, investigations showed that staff in charge of salary payment perpetrated the scam by transferring money into accounts of some cooperatives societies and unions.

    “Salaries of some staff of the polytechnic were also fraudulently bloated,” he said.

    Abdulmalik said that there was no need for ASUP and other unions to go on strike again as government would start paying their July salary by Sept. 11.

    He reiterated government’s zero tolerance for corruption, adding that no efforts would be spared to put an end to such fraudulent practices.

  • Kogi Poly shut indefinitely

    Kogi Poly shut indefinitely

    Authorities of the Kogi State Polytechnic (KSA) yesterday announced the indefinite closure of the institution.

    Spokesman Luke Yakubu made the announcement in a statement in Lokoja.

    He said the move was to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

    Students went on the rampaged over the alleged killing of their female colleague by a commercial motorcyclist.

    Motorists travelling on the Okene-Abuja Road were trapped for hours, while property worth millions of naira were destroyed, as the students took over the road, protesting the death of their colleague.

    Law enforcement agents later dispersed the protesters.

    Our correspondent learnt that the deceased and the commercial motorcyclist were arguing over fare, at Adankolo, on Monday.

    An eyewitness alleged that the commercial motorcyclist stabbed the student in the stomach. She died yesterday.

    The source said when the death of the student was announced, her colleagues went on the rampage, blocking the highway.

    They allegedly seized a trailer belonging to Dangote Group, beat up the driver and set it ablaze. They were alleged to have taken another trailer.

    Our source alleged that the students attacked motorists, passers-by and commercial motorcyclists, disrupting traffic.

    He said armed mobile policemen later intervened and restored peace.

     

  • Police rescue kidnapped Kogi Poly students

    Police rescue kidnapped Kogi Poly students

    The Police in Lokoja have rescued three students of the Kogi State Polytechnic kidnapped during a Christian fellowship programme on Wednesday.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, told newsmen in Lokoja on Friday while parading their kidnappers, adding that the students were rescued after spending three days with their abductors.

    Ojukwu said the students, Ayodele Ojo, Isaac Oaikhena and Sefiat Musa were rescued from the kidnappers’ hideout along Gadabiu-Kabba Junction Obajana road without paying the N20 million ransom demanded.

    He said one suspect, Ibrahim Jibo, who was arrested on Thursday when he came to collect the ransom was already helping the police to arrest his accomplices.

    Narrating their ordeal, one of the victims, Ayodele Ojo, said that they were kidnapped at the middle of a fellowship prayer at about 7.30 p.m. on Oct. 14, at the Osara campus.

    He said that the kidnappers suddenly emerged and collected their mobile hand-held phones, money and other valuables and later abducted three of them.

    While in captivity, he said, their abductors called their parents and relations to demand a N20 million ransom for their release but nothing was forthcoming.

    Ojo said that the development angered the abductors who started maltreating them before they were rescued three days after.

    The police commissioner said that the abductors would not escape justice.

    He also paraded 23 other suspects arrested for armed robbery, illegal gun manufacturing and political thuggery at Ejule Ofu Local government area of the state.

    Six guns, including AK47 rifles, locally made guns, bullet proof vests, charms, ammunition, weeds suspected to be Indian hemp and a Ford Galaxy bus with registration number Oyo AH 5095 HK.

    The Police said that all the suspects would be charged to court soon.