The Nation Newspaper

Tag: KOGI

  • ‘Four killed in Kogi post-election crisis’

    Four persons have been reportedly killed at Iyano ward in Ibaji

    Local Government Area of Kogi State, following the crisis, which erupted after the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) ward Chairman, Thomas Ejimah, addressing reporters yesterday in Lokoja, urged the federal and state government, the Inspector General of Police and the Police Commissioner to save his people from extermination.

    He said a group allegedly led by a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly (name withheld), unleashed terror on the community, killing Mr. Emmanuel Ameh.

    Ejimah said since the victory of the APC in the ward during the presidential election, the group had launched attacks on the community, leaving another victim, Gabriel Ejimah, dead, as he was shot in the abdomen.

    He alleged that a chieftain of a popular party in the area mobilised hoodlums from neighbouring Edo State and killed a man and his sons, Paul Egwumi and Raymond Egwumi, yesterday,  while working on their farm.

    The APC chieftain lamented that despite reports made at the divisional police headquarters, the police headquarters and the Department of State Security (DSS), noting has been done to stop the violence.

    Efforts to get the ex-lawmaker to respond to the allegation were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls.

  • Four killed in Kogi post-election crisis

    Four killed in Kogi post-election crisis

    No fewer than four persons were reportedly killed at Iyano ward in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State following the political crisis that erupted after the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly election in the area.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) ward chairman, Thomas Ejimah while addressing a press conference Monday in Lokoja, called on the federal and state government, the Inspector General of Police and the Kogi State Commissioner Police to save the people of his community from extermination.

    Ejimah explained that a group called Abugaja boys, allegedly led by a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Simon Achuba, unleashed terror on the community, killing one Emmanuel Ameh.

    He stated that since the victory of the APC in the ward during the presidential election, the same group have launched fresh attack on the community leaving another victim, Gabriel Ejimah dead.

    Ejimah, according to him, was shot in the abdomen.

    He alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in the area mobilized hoodlums from neighbouring Edo State and killed a man and his sons, Paul Egwumi and Raymond Egwumi, yesterday morning, while working on their farm.

    He added, “The fresh attack on our community is the aftermath of election. He has promised to deal with me and eventually killed my senior brother. Right now our lives are at risk I and my family are not safe”.

    He lamented that despite several reports made at Divisional Police headquarters, the state, Police headquarters and the Department of State Security (DSS), noting has been done to arrest the situation.

    Efforts made to get Achuba to respond to the allegations was unsuccessful as the former lawmaker did not respond to calls made to him mobile telephone line.

  • ‘Nigerians rejected decade of PDP misrule’

    ‘Nigerians rejected decade of PDP misrule’

    The Kogi State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Haddy Ametuo has attributed the victory of the presidential candidate of the party, General Muhammadu Buhari in the state to the more than a decade of bad governance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Lokoja Monday, the he said the people of the state opted for change because they were tired of deception.

    He described the positive development as a revolution against the injustice that have pervaded the landscape under the PDP-led government since 1999, saying Nigerians deserve a better deal.

    He described General Buhari as a forthright politician who has the interest of the masses at heart, saying the down trodden strongly believe in his cause because of his sincerity.

    He described the winning of the three senatorial seats and six out of the nine House of Representative’s seats in the state as a brilliant, urging the loyalists and supporters of the party not to relent until the party convincingly wins the state legislative positions on April 11.

  • Kogi to investigate pupil’s death

    Kogi to investigate pupil’s death

    Kogi State government has set up a committee to investigate the cause of the accident involving a state-owned mass transit bus conveying the pupils of Faith Academy Secondary School, Lokoja, and a truck belonging to a cement company, on Sunday.

    The Nation yesterday reported the accident, which resulted in the death of one of the pupils, Jalekaiye Dominion. Others were injured.

    The bus, it was confirmed, was conveying 54 boarding house pupils and four teachers from Sunday service.

    Dominion was said to have died from head injuries.

    The injured are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja.

    Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi yesterday announced the committee set up to probe the accident.

    He spoke when he visited the school and FMC, saying Governor Idris Wada ordered an investigation into the accident.

    Awoniyi said the government would bear the responsibilities and pay the medical bills of the injured.

    The deputy governor said the government asked for an inventory of those involved in the accident, saying it shared in their pains.

     

  • Kogi youths endorse Buhari for presidency

    Kogi youths endorse Buhari for presidency

    Kogi youths in their thousands Friday endorsed the All Progressives Party (APC) presidential candidate General Muhammodu Buhari (rtd.) as their choice ahead of the March 28 reschedule presidential election.

    The youths under the auspices of Kogi Youth Arise Group (KYAG), at a mega rally in Lokoja hinged their endorsement of the Buhari/Osinbajo candidacy on their belief that only the APC candidate can change the misfortune the country suffered in the hands of past leaders.

    The chairman of the group, Yahaya Bello said the youths have been “raped” by past leaders since the inception of democracy in 1999 and there is need to correct the anomaly by voting out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    According to him, “Without sounding alarmist, it is obvious that Nigeria is in crisis as it is facing grievous challenges in numerous sectors of which security, the state of the economy, joblessness and infrastructural decay are so threatening and need to be tackled all at once before we can achieve any meaningful progress because our situation in this country have never been so bad as it is today and our endurance has been stretched to the limit.

    “It is abundantly clear that PDP-led Federal Government is in deep waters and has failed in all their attempts and antics to avert the waterloo that stare them in the face. This is more so as Nigerians are tired of inept and weak government at the centre and have decided to make a good change and history where the opposition is at the threshold of victory and sending a sitting failed government packing.

    “It will mark an end to an ugly era and a beginning of new one where the mess, division, hardship and hopelessness created by years of inept and rudderless leadership will be cleaned up, and restore Nigeria back to the path of unity, progress and emancipation of the masses and oppressed majority.”

    Bello who urged the youth not to be involved in any act of violence, also urged politicians to desist from hate speeches, and campaign of calumny.

    “Let’s conduct ourselves peacefully, and disappoint those who think that we will fight. Let us go out and elect General Muhammodu Buhari,” he said.

  • Ex-Kogi Speaker to head Buhari/Osibanjo campaign

    Ex-Kogi Speaker to head Buhari/Osibanjo campaign

    In the final onslaught towards uprooting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from office, former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello, was Thursday appointed State Coordinator for the General Muhammadu Buhari/Prof. Yemi Osibanjo Campaign Organisation.

    This was contained in a statement signed by the Media Consultant to the organisation, Dan Dangana, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Lokoja.

    It stated that the appointment was ratified at a meeting of stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central Zone held in Abuja on Monday 16, 2015 and presided over by Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura.

    The ex-Speaker promised to use his wealth of experience and political network in the three senatorial districts of the state in ensuring a resounding victory for the APC in the March 28 presidential election.

    The statement urged party members and lovers of democracy to team up with the APC in ending corruption in the country.

  • Three Chinese nationals kidnapped in Kogi

    Barely one week after two expatriate Chinese workers were kidnapped in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, three other Chinese citizens were on Friday abducted in the state.

    It was gathered that the three Chinese nationals were kidnapped at the crusher area, a suburb of Lokoja metropolis in the early hours of Thursday.

    It was further gathered that the gunmen numbering about 12 stormed the company premises in the area where the victims reside between the hours of 4am and 5am and engaged the five police officers attached to the company in a gun battle.

    A policeman was killed in the process while another one sustained injured.

    The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi said the kidnappers escaped with their victims through the bush.

    He confirmed that one policeman was killed and another one was injured, saying that the police are on the trail of the gunmen.

    The commissioner, who noted that the incidence of Kidnapping is becoming rampart in the state, said that the police will soon arrest the kidnap cartel in the state.

  • Halting kidnapping in Kogi

    SIR: The menace of kidnapping in kogi state recently assumed perilous dimension thereby promoting intense fears amongst its inhabitants.

    Many people had been kidnapped for ransom and one sad occurrence of such was the kidnapping of an American missionary around Emeoro in Ajaokuta Local Government area. This incident remains a serious embarrassment to the state government in its drive for foreign investors. Also within one week of this sad incident, some Chinese workers were kidnapped at Zango Daji construction site culminating in the snatching of riffle of the security official on duty and injuring of other local and foreign workers on site.

    The security agencies in the state should be commended for responding promptly as their efforts yielded results because they were able to rescue some of the kidnapped people. But much work still needed to be done in this area. Kidnapping, until recently, is new in the state which is why the government must endeavor to be proactive in tackling the menace that is about becoming intractable nightmare to inhabitants of the state.

    We are calling on the relevant stakeholders to join hands in proffering solutions on how to nip this ugly trend in the bud. The rate at which kidnapping issues is rearing it ugly heads could scare away external investors to the state, thus resulting in halting the much expected economic prosperity in the state. The ugly trend must be stopped.

     

    • Abu Naya,

  • Police lay ambush for abductors of US missionary

    The Kogi State Police Command says it has spread its dragnet towards ensuring that the kidnappers of the American missionary,  Revd. Phyllis Sortor are arrested.
    The eighty seven year old American missionary who was kidnapped two weeks ago from her school premises in Emiworo, in Ajaokuta LGA of Kogi State was freed by her abductors last Friday.
    She was released around 8.30pm and later sighted at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters, Lokoja, around 11pm.
    The Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sola Collins Adebayo told our correspondent that the
    command would track the kidnappers.
    His words, “She has been handed over to the U.S embassy by the police. She’s safe and healthy. Meanwhile, the police maintained cordon of the area suspected to be her kidnapper’s hideout to ensure their arrest and adequate sanction”.
    The Kogi State Commissioner of Police (CP), Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi said no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

  • 940,000 PVCs distributed in Kogi

    940,000 PVCs distributed in Kogi

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has distributed 940, 000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Kogi State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hussain Pai, spoke yesterday in his office when commenting on the PVC collection.

    He said the commission had achieved 71 per cent PVC collection, adding that 29 per cent were yet to be collected.

    Pai said 1,317,000 PVCs were received by the commission, out of which 940, 000 had been collected and  370, 000 were yet to be collected.

    He said before the election shift, INEC  achieved 61 per cent collection, which had increased to 71 per cent, adding that before the March 8 deadline, it would have achieved a reasonable percentage, if not 100 per cent.

    The REC urged the people to use the extension to collect their PVCs, noting that they were available at the 239 wards.