The Nation Newspaper

Tag: KOGI

  • Corruption, biggest obstacle to Nigeria development

    Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi has described corruption as the biggest obstacle to the nation’s development, saying President Buhari remain the only antidote for corruption in the country.

    Speaking at his investiture as Patron of the Women for Buhari and Osibanjo, Lulu said he will join in mobilizing support for the second term bid of the President whom he said has been a blessing to the nation.

    The formal NFF Boss hailed President Buhari for sanitizing the nation and the great efforts he has been making in addressing corruption which he said has been the greatest impediment to the development of the country.

    Read Also: As NFF faces the future

    He said: “Before the coming to power of Buhari, Nigeria used to be seen as money-laundering, pariah nation. But today, the story is different, as Buhari is the first leader to really tackle corruption headlong, and the task has not been easy.

    “In all my years on earth I have not seen a leader who has fought corruption like Buhari. There is no doubt that God has ordained him to lead Nigeria and no human being can change this.”

    He scored President Buhari high on security, adding that without him coming to office Boko Haram insurgents would have taken control of the larger part of the country, especially the North. He scored Buhari and his team more than 90 per-cent and urged Nigerians from all walks of life to rally round Buhari and his deputy in the 2019 elections.

    Leader of the Women for  Buhari and Osibanjo, Amb.Fatima Adams said they decided to confer the honour of a patron on Alhaji Lulu Abdullahi because of his track records in football administration, especially when he was the president of the Nigerian Football Federation from 2006-2010.

    She said Lulu’ s transparency in the administration of the place, as well as his overall administrative qualities speak volume about his competence and eligibility, where he impacted on the people that came across him, especially those from his home state Kogi.

    Ambassador Adams said even since his leaving office, Alhaji Lulu Abdullahi has continued to conduct himself exemplarily, providing education and jobs for the poor and those in need. She said with Lulu’s appointment into President Buhari’s Support Group, he should bring his qualities to bear in ensuring that President Buhari is re-elected in 2019.

  • WHO, Kogi donate items to flood victims

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), Kogi Government and Unilever yesterday distributed foodstuffs and other relief items to flood victims in Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

    The state Coordinator of Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Mr Sanusi Yahaya, told newsmen at the distribution centre in Bassa.

    “Our coming here today is about being responsible and responsive to the needs of internally displaced persons and victims of the flood disaster. We are here with the team of Kogi State Emergency Maintenance Agency (SEMA), Red Cross, and ministry’s officials to ensure hitch-free and transparent distribution of the items,” Yahaya said.

    He added that many affected communities in Bassa LGA have been captured and categorised under three distribution centres such as Bassa Nge, Mosu and Oguma districts.

    Yahaya, who doubles as the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, noted that two-third of the profiled victims were from Bassa Nge district in Shintaku with 16 communities on their list.

    “By next week, we will do the same thing for those victims under Mosu and Oguma district, after which we will move to other LGAs as well,” he said.

    “The Federal Government through NEMA has also brought lots of both food and non-food items, which would be distributed as soon as the logistics for distribution is worked out,” he said.

    SEMA Director Administration and Finance Mrs Jummai Makobia, said the Agency had earlier visited the affected communities for need assessment, moving from house to house to get the details of the affected people.

  • Police parade former legislator, 15 others over ritual killings, sale of male and female organs

    Sixteen men, including a former legislator and a vigilance group commander  alleged to be  involved in  kidnapping, ritual murder and sale of the human private organs in  Kogi State were yesterday  paraded by the police in Abuja.

    Police spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood,said  male and female organs, including that of a police inspector were  harvested and sold by the syndicate whose ages range between 19 and 45 years.

    The gang,according to   Moshood,was  working under the instructions or request of  a wealthy businessman, Alhaji Shaibu Adamu alias Aye-Marina (43 years).

    A manhunt is underway to arrest patrons of the group.

    The police sid the arrested men have confessed to the killings and removal of body parts of several people.

    However, Alhaji Shaibu Adamu and Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali, a former Kogi state legislator vociferously disowned the gang’s leader who claimed to have been liaising with them, adding that they are doing legitimate businesses with credible business partners including the first son of a former governor of Kogi State.

    Aside from six identified victims including the late Inspector Abdul Alfa who was axed from behind and his police rifle snatched, most of the human organs sale syndicate’s victims cannot be properly identified, even after helpful confession from the criminal suspects.

    Names of the suspects who are indigenes of Ankpa local government in Kogi state as given by the police include: Honourable Abdulahi Ibrahim Ali, alias Halims (35);his driver, Alhaji Abdullahi Zakari (35); a businessman, Alhaji Shaibu Adamu alias Aye-Marina (43); Akwu Audu (21); Sale Adama (45); Musa Abdulahi (32);Yakubu Yahaya (30); Adama Shagari (30); Baba Isah (23); Isaac Alfa (19); Idoko Benjamin (20);and Yakubu Hamidu (39) alleged to be the gang leader while also working as  vigilance group commander in Ankpa Local Government.

    Four other suspects who hail from neighbouring Ofu local are Ubile Attah (21); Julius Alhassan (30); Shehu Haliru alias Fedeco (25); and Abdullahi Tijani (27).

    Exhibits allegedly recovered from them are one pump action gun, two locally fabricated single barrel guns and three short axes.

    According to the police spokesman, the rampant cases of missing persons,  killing of innocent people and the removal of their private parts for ritual purposes in Ankpa town and environs made the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris to direct the IGP Strike Force attached to Operation Absolute Sanity to investigate all such cases, arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

    “In the course of investigation , it was discovered that this gang – from information and intelligence gathered from public spirited individuals and other residents- were responsible for kidnapping, gruesome murder, and ritual killings of innocent people in Kogi State, travellers passing through Kogi State and strangers coming into towns in the area were mostly victims.

    ”Yakubu Hamidu (39 years old Gang Leader and  a Vigilante Commander of Ankpa), and  his vigilante guards are the hit-men responsible for the killings of several victims and removing their organs, mostly male and female organs including other body parts such as the head, kidney, and other vital body organs and selling them to personalities within and outside the state for rituals.

    “During interrogations, the Gang Leader, Yakubu Hamidu and his members now in Police custody confessed to the crime and admitted that they were sponsored and working for Abdulahi Ibrahim Ali alias Halims and Alhaji Shaibu Adamu alias Aye- Marina whom they handed over the body parts to, after killing their victims and severing their body organs and collecting huge sums of money ; Aye-Marina’s driver known as Zakaru receives the body parts from Yakubu Hamidu.

    ” Abdulahi Ibrahim Ali a.k.a Halims who has volunteered statement to the investigators is now in Police custody and is suspected to have used the proceeds of crime to build and own so many properties including big hotels and several filling stations in Kogi State while Alhaji  Shaibu Adamu a.k.a Aye Marina, without any known profession or any known means of livelihood was suspected also to have built ,and owns mansions and four filling stations in Ankpa, Kogi State and another four at Onyangede in Benue State with the proceeds of the crime.

    “Yakubu Hamidu, Julius Alhasan, Shehu Haliru, Ubile Attah and Akwu Audu have confessed to the gruesome killing of Inspector Abdul Alfa attached to Ejule Police outpost in Ofu Local Government on 28 th  November, 2017 and carted away the Police rifle in his possession.

    “All the suspects have made voluntary statements to the Police Investigation Team and have confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the recent kidnapping, gruesome murder and ritual killing attacks on innocent residents and the killing of a Police Inspector, Inspr. Abdul Alfa, attached to Ejule Police Outpost, in Kogi State.

    “Investigation is being concluded and efforts being intensified to arrest other suspects who include prominent personalities linked to the crime but still at large; they will all be arraigned in court on completion of investigation .

     

  • Commission identifies persons behind violence, killings in kogi

    A Judicial Commission of Inquiry said it had identified 115 persons believed to be responsible for the bloody clashes that recently engulfed Dekina, Omala and Bassa Local Government areas of Kogi State.

    The Chairman of the Commission, Justice Josiah Mejabi, disclosed this while presenting its report to Gov. Yahaya Bello on Thursday evening in Lokoja.
    Mejabi did not disclose the identities of the persons.

    He, however, told the governor that the bloody clashes which left several people dead in Orokwo and Orokwo Bassa communities in Bassa Local Government communities in May this year involved Igala and Bassa tribes.

    He also said that the violent crises that occurred in Ogane-Nigwu, Iyade, Ojuwo Ajimadi, Agbenema-Ife and Agabifor in Dekina and Omala local government areas were caused by herdsmen and farmers.

    Mejabi said that the commission was able to establish those during its visits and public hearings into the crises.

    He urged government to prevail on the warring factions to maintain the status quo pending the time it would issue a white paper on the report.

    The commission also advised government to assist victims of the violent clashes in all the affected communities to enable them to start life afresh.

    Receiving the report, Bello promised to ensure justice by bringing the perpetrators to book.

    The governor promised not to play politics with the report of the commission, saying that government would continue to ensure security of lives and property of citizens at all times.

    According to him, government will hunt down the perpetrators of the crises wherever they may be with a view to bringing them to justice.

    “We will hunt you down, we will come after you, you may be able to run but you cannot hide, we will smoke you out.

    “We won’t play politics with the lives of the people,” he said.

    The State Security Adviser, retired Navy Cmdr Jerry Omodara, called on the Nigerian Navy to establish an outpost at Nkende, to further enhance the security in the area.

    He promised that the recommendations of the commission would be implemented to bring a lasting peace to the affected communities.

    Omodara expressed regret that in spite of spirited efforts by government, violent clashes still persisted in Bassa Local Government.

    The adviser also stressed the need for urgent meetings between Kogi and Nasarawa States to stem incessant violent clashes between Bassa Kwomu and Ebira Mozum tribes in Bassa Local Government. (NAN)

  • Contestants want Kogi West APC Senatorial contest annulled

    Three of the aspirants who contested and lost the Kogi West Senatorial district primary have asked the National Working Committee of the party to declare null and void the outcome of the primary which produced former NUJ President, Smart Adeyemi as the party candidate.
    They alleged that the primary was not conducted in accordance with the constitution and the guidelines set by the party, adding that the entire process was manipulated by agents of the state government whose continued stay in office was tied to the outcome of the exercise.
    In a joint petition signed by the the three aspirants namely Dr. Williams Akanle, a retired Director of the Department of State Services, Chief Mrs Doyin Ibikunle and Alhaji Tajudeen Bismillah, they asked the party to follow the part of honour and save the current democracy from collapse.
    They said it was unfortunate that the APC has become a.home to those they describe as despots who proclaim decorum and integrity while in reality they are despicable, alleging that what was done in n the Senatorial zone was mere vote allocation that “was perfected during the five hours window between the actual time the committee arrived Kabba and the time the committee surfaced to conduct the primary.
    According to them, the ideals of the APC are based on equity and integrity which all true members of the party ought to uphold, saying “we seek the intervention of the National leadership of our great party on this issue”.
    They want the national secretariat to order a fresh primary and disband the panel sent to conduct the exercise in the state, while also banning the the state government from and its officials from actively getting involved in the conduct.
    They said the primary was supervised by official of the state government led by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, stressing that they actually came with the mindset of throwing up a candidate anointed by the state government.

  • Kogi West, Central aspirants fault APC Senate primaries

    The Dr Willams Toyin Akanle Campaign Organization for the Kogi West Senatorial District has described Thursday’s primaries held in Kabba as a sham.

    In a statement signed by Dayo Akanmode, Director General Campaign for the organization, said it has in the past weeks inundated the APC national secretariat of the alleged plan to imposition.

    Similarly in Kogi Central, one of the party aspirants for the senatorial district’s ticket, Mallam Yusuf Haruna, rejected the process, describing it as a fraud.

    He alleged that all the five local government administrators in the Kogi Central stood as agent to Alhaji Yakubu Oseni, the eventual winner of the exercise.

    According to him: “They were busy writing name for delegates and ordered them to vote for their preferred candidates.

    “After mounting pressure on the delegates, those that still refused to sell their conscience were disenfranchised and denied entry to election venue.

    “We make bold to state that the plan to begin the election by 3am, even when all the aspirants all agreed for a shift of the election to Thursday owing to delayed commencement and inconsistencies surrounding the poll, only for result to be announced.

    “It should also be noted that as at the time the voting commenced many of the delegates had left. One begins to wonder how the over one thousand seven hundred delegates was manufactured.”

    According to the Akanle group, other aspirants were locked out of the the discovered venue of the primaries for over twenty minutes when information leaked that the exercise was holding at another, signaling that the plan to rig the poll for a preferred candidate became manifest.”

    The chairman for the Kogi APC primary, Chief Francis Inegbiniki however commended the outcome, saying that the exercise was free fair and credible.

    Speaking with reporters in Okene, he described the exercise as open and transparent.

  • 2019: Smart Adeyemi, others emerge Kogi APC Senate candidates

    Senator Smart Adeyemi on Thursday won the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the candidate for the Kogi West senatorial district for the 2019 general election.

    The Kogi West APC primary which was witnessed by INEC and security personnel lasted between 11.30 Wednesday night and 6.30am on Thursday.

    It was conducted at the Olonijola Event Centre, in Kabba, headquarters of the senatorial district.

    Adeyemi polled 1,659 votes ahead of three other aspirants; Dr Toyin Akanle, Tajudeen Bissimillahi and Mrs Ibikunle Adedoyin who polled 104, 98 and 19 respectively, while 13 votes was voided.

    The Returning Officer, Mr. Bonnie Eneh, before declaring Adeyemi winner of the exercise, said that 1,900 delegates were accredited, while 1,893 voted.

    Akanle before the commencement of the exercise had however called for its postponement to the following day, on grounds that it was already late.

    Akanle was to later stage a walkout.

    In Kogi East Alhaji Jubril Isah (Echocho) was declared the winner of APC Senate primary.

    Following are the results from the nine LGAs of Kogi East for the APC Senate primary

    Idah LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho   162
    Prince Yahaya Audu   119
    Invalid         11

    Dekina LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho   335
    Prince Yahaya Audu   13
    Invalid       4

    Olamaboro LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho   273
    Prince Yahaya Audu    20
    Invalid      5

    Igalamela LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho 223
    Prince Yahaya Audu 54
    Invalid 2

    Ankpa LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho   373
    Prince Yahaya Audu  1
    Invalid   6

    Omala LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho   317
    Prince Yahaya Audu   3
    Invalid    3

    Ibaji LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho   259
    Prince Yahaya Audu   15
    Invalid   6

    Bassa LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho 272
    Prince Yahaya Audu 12
    Invalid 5

    Ofu LG
    Jibrin Isah Echocho 246
    Prince Yahaya Audu 71
    Invalid 3

    Total:

    Prince Yahaya Audu 308

    Alhaji Isah Jibrin 2,469

    For Kogi Central, Yakubu Oseni, who polled 1,100 emerged the winner of the APC Senate primary for the district.

    Others include Nurudeem Abatemi Usman 160 votes, Dalhatu Sharafadeen 371 votes and Yusuf Haruna 12 votes.

  • NEMA warns Kogi residents against early return to homes

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) on Tuesday warned residents displaced by the recent flood disaster in Kogi against returning to their homes.

    The NEMA Head of Operations in charge of Abuja and Kogi, Mr Bitrus Samuel, who gave the warning in Lokoja, said it was too early for residents to return to their homes, although the water had started receding.

    He said that the water level in the River Niger stood at 10.76 centimetres as at Oct. 2, noting that NEMA would advise appropriately on when it would be safe for people to return to their houses.

    Samuel disclosed also that people in Internally Displaced Camps were being provided with foods and drugs regularly, saying that the agency had just taken delivery of new consignment of drugs and medicines.

    Read Also: NEMA clarifies emergency funds; hails Buhari s swift response

    According to him, outbreak of epidemic has not been reported in any of the camps, due to the prevailing high level of hygiene being maintained by state and Federal Governments officials.

  • Organized labour allege minister of scuttling talks on minimum wage

    The leadership of the organized labour in Kogi State, on Wednesday laid blame for the alleged discontinuation of talks on the proposed new minimum wage, at the doorstep of the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige.

    They therefore directed workers to join in the seven days warning strike called by the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), beginning midnight Wednesday.

    In a bulletin which jointly signed by Comrades Onuh Edoka, Ranti Ojo and Aaron Akeji, chairmen of the state councils of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Public Service Joint Negotiation Council (PSJNC) respectively and the state secretaries, they charged that all lawful means, including the notice of a 14-day ultimatum to make the Federal Government committee deliver on its mandate, yielded no result.

    They added: “The (30-man tripartite national minimum wage committee) went into a series of meetings and consultations, including receiving of memorandum from various stakeholders and conducting public hearing in the six geo-political zones of the country and Abuja, in which Glass House of the Government House, Lokoja, Kogi State, played host to the North Central geo-political zone on the 27th April, 2018.

    “To the amazement of the members of the tripartite committee, particularly, organized labour and the general public, a representative of the federal government on the committee and Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, on the day the committee was supposed to submit its report, unilaterally announced an indefinite postponement of the sitting of the committee, thereby putting the realization of the New Minimum Wage in jeopardy.

    “Consequent upon this, organized Labour, utilizing lawful means, including Notice of 14-day ultimatum, to make the committee deliver on its mandate, did not yield positive result, as the federal government did not do the needful.

    “This is to bring to your notice therefore, that sequel to the directive from the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, the entire workers in the country will be proceeding on a (7) seven days warning strike beginning from the midnight, Wednesday 26th September, 2018.

  • Melaye urges unity among Nigerians

    Sen. Dino Melaye, Kogi West Senatorial District, has urged Nigerians to uphold the unity and peace of the country in spite of their religious, political and ethnicity differences.

    Melaye made the call call at a dinner and reception organised by the Okun Development Initiatives (ODI) and in honour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, and Public Complaints Commissioner, Kogi, Olusuyi Otitoju, on Friday night in Abuja.

    He also advised Okun people not to politicise the virtues that united them.

    “People should not because of bread and butter, Naira and Kobo sell the consciences of our people or politicie Okun land,’’ he said

    Read Also:‘Melaye, others underdeveloped Kogi West’

     

    Melaye commended ODI for the reception and described Ologbondiyan as a “one single Nigerian with multiple competences’’.

    He also said that the emergence of Ologbondiyan as PDP spokesman had given a new face to PDP and Nigerian politics.

    Chief Victoria Awomolo, keynote speaker at the occasion, called for specialised courts to try economic and financial crimes and other corruption cases.

    Awomolo said this would reduce the burden on normal courts and ensure speedy trial of offenders.

    “We also need total overhaul of the security apparatus in the country, beginning from recruitment of more personnel, provision of more advanced facilities and tools to combat crimes.’’

    Reponding, Ologbondiyan commended the group for honouring him, saying the award had encouraged him to do more for the country, urging all to contribute their quota to the development of the nation.

    “For us in Okun land, we were all brought up to speak the truth and to fight injustices wherever we find ourselves.

    “As a people, wherever we find ourselves, we must think and work toward emancipation of our people back home,’’ Ologbondiyan said.