The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lokoja

  • A boost for fishermen in Lokoja

    Fishing, the occupation of most Lokoja, Kogi State people, has received a boost with the donation of a fish market complex and two cold rooms to fishermen and traders by the Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Buba Jibril.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the facilities in Lokoja, Jibril (Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency – APC), said he decided on the modern market to boost fish trade and encourage the local fishermen to remain in the trade.

    Inaugurating the project, a member of the House of Representatives, Mr James Faleke praised Jibril for his efforts at developing the economy of his constituency.

    The market complex comprises 55 stalls, two cold rooms and three gas and coal-powered fish-smoking rooms. A borehole and 250KVA power generating set were also provided to ease preservation of large quantities of fish.

    The two cold rooms have a combined capacity of 3,000 tons of fish at a time.

    According to the lawmaker, the gesture will help curb wastes associated with local fishing and trading and also lead to an increase in the incomes of both fishermen and traders.

    He explained that the construction of the complex followed the training he recently facilitated for 150 people in the areas of fish farming and preservation through the Small and Medium Scale

    Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN).

    Represented at the event by a Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kassim Mabo, he handed over the complex to the Maigari of Lokoja, Alhaji Mohammed Maikarfi.

    The monarch commended Jibril for not forgetting his roots, saying that fishing and fish business remains the major occupation of the people of Lokoja.

    He said that the gesture will not only preserve the much treasured fishing tradition of the people, but will also boost their income and elevate the status of fishing and fish trade.

    Maigari who was represented by the Waziri of Lokoja, Alhaji Abdurahman Idris, said that the allocating of the stalls to fish traders will be on the basis of fairness and equity, just as he admonished prospective stall owners to ensure good maintenance of the facilities.

    He urged other politicians to emulate Jibril by impacting positively on the lives of the ordinary people.

     

  • ‘No strike at Salem varsity’

    Management of Salem University in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has dismissed rumours making the round that the school was on strike. The school, which recently concluded its academic session, said it was on mandatory three-month holiday, during which students are expected to learn a vocation.

    The management said lecturers would use the period to review their academic and research exercises, while also writing seminar papers and preparing for resumption.

    The management said there was no time staff of the school contemplated strike action, noting that the school has its international dispute resolution mechanism to explore if there was disagreement.

    The school response was contrary to the report that the institution had been facing challenges in paying its staff for several months.

    A top management member told our reporter that, while every organisation faced challenges, there was no point for any member of the staff of the institution to raise false alarm.

    Meanwhile, the university has suspended 12 students for offences bordering on indiscipline, and vices that go against the institution’s regulations. The management has advised members of the school not to have any dealing with the affected students until they are cleared by the Dean of Students’ Affairs.

    The Public Relations Officer, Ikani Ocholi, declined to comment on the matter, but he, however, told CAMPUSLIFE that the university, as a faith-based institution, frowned at any act of indiscipline by students.

  • Faculty elects leaders

    A 300-Level Economics student, Joseph Augustine, has been elected president of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL) in Kogi State. The keenly-contested election was held at the school’s main campus in Adankolo.

    Joseph garnered 491 votes to defeat his main challenger, Dominic Odogwu, of the Department of Political Science, who scored 408 votes.

    Joseph described his victory as divine, appreciating his colleagues for their confidence in him. He hailed students for their maturity, assuring that he would not disappoint them

    The president-elect also praised his opponent for displaying maturity being the first person to congratulate him. Joseph described Dominic as “an exemplary individual” with good character.

    He said: “I am committed to my vision of making the lives of students better, and because of my belief that everyone has something to offer, I will do my best to carry all students along on this journey.”

    Dominic thanked his supporters for standing by him in defeat. He urged them to support Joseph in moving the association forward.

  • Attempt on Melaye: Police arrest Ijumu LG administrator

    Attempt on Melaye: Police arrest Ijumu LG administrator

    The police have arrested the administrator of Ijumu Local Governmental Area of Kogi State, Hon. Taofiq Isa, in connection with last Saturday’s assassination attempt on Senator Dino Melaye (APC- Kogi West).

    Isa was arrested on Wednesday by the Police Special Squads drafted from Police Force Headquarters Abuja.

    He was arrested around 1.30pm at the premisis of the state ministry of education, in Lokoja where he had gone to visit the commissioner, Hon. Sunday Tolorunleke.

    The administrator had earlier been invited following Senator Melaye’s insistence that the hands of the administrator were clearly visible in the attempt on his life.

    Sources close to Kogi Sate Police Command told our correspondent that the directive to arrest him was from the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IG).

    The source said that the IG viewed such issues such as an attempt on somebody’s life, as “a very serious matter and ordered the command to do everything possible to investigate the alleged assassination attempt”.

    “No body is above the law in Nigeria as far the law is concerned. We are still investigating and we must get to the root of the issue”, he added.

    The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, (CP) Wilson Inalegwu while confirming the arrest, said his command was working round the clock on the issue.

    He also confirmed that some guns were recovered, pointing out that he was working hand in hand with his senior officers on the issue.

    He said anyone linked to the crime would be investigated no matter how highly placed.

    “Nobody is above the law. If you are linked to a particular crime, that person must be investigated to know if he or she is innocent,” he said.

  • Assassination unknown to Kogi – Sen. Melaye

    Assassination unknown to Kogi – Sen. Melaye

    • We’ll not join issue with him, replies govt

    The Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Senator Dino Melaye has expressed shock over the assassination attempt.

    He described the situation as highly disturbing and very strange to the socio-political culture of the people of Kogi West.

    This was contained in a press statement he issued on Tuesday, a copy was made available in Lokoja.

    He declared that no matter what, he will continue to champion democratic courses targeted at good governance, masses empowerment and the rule of law.

    “No amount of threat, blackmail or harassment will stop me from being the voice of the voiceless and the mouthpiece of the common man,” he said.

    He also expressed outrage and disbelief that four days after the attempt on his life, the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has not deemed it for to visit to know the state of affairs with him as a serving senator from the state.

    “The governor’s deafening silence speaks volumes. In the history of Kogi West, various political gladiators have at various times had their differences, but none had ever been escalated to the level of differences, but none had ever been escalated to the level of differences but none had ever been escalated to the level of the attempt on life.

    “Chief Awoniyi and Chief Daniyan (both of blessed memory) had their strong differences. Senator Dino Melaye and Prince Olusola Akanmode also had their differences.

    “Arc. Stephen Olorunfemi and Prince Olusola Akanmode and Tunde Ogbeha, also had their differences. Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Smart Adeyemi had their serious political differences, none of these differences was ever escalated to the horrendous level of an the assassination attempt

    “The recent incident is alien to Okun people and to Kogi West. The advent of Yahaya Bello as governor and Taofiq Isa as a local government administrator in the political firmament of Kogi State has brought this unfortunate socio-political paradigm shift,” he lamented.

    Melaye, therefore, called on Kogi elders, traditional rulers and opinion leaders to call for order and restraint, even as he promised never to relent in his fight against corruption, maladministration, impunity and nepotism.on Kogi elders, traditional rulers and opinion leaders to call for order and restraint, even as he promised never to relent in his fight against corruption, maladministration, impunity and nepotism.

    He added: “It may be Dino Melaye today, we don’t know who is next. The agitation for good governance, payment of worker’s salaries and welfare of pensioners should not be punished with assassination”.

    The state governor has, however, said that he will not want to join issues with Senator Melaye.

    The governor who spoke through his Director General on Media and Publicity, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, in a reaction, said Senator Dino Melaye ad an adult was in the best position to explain the path he has chosen to tread.

    He said, “If he accused me of complacency in the so-called assassination attempt, those who have been following the trend from the day his group promised to make Kogi ungovernable will not be surprised.

    “The case is under investigation by the police, and making serious statements about it may be seen to be subjudice. We have been witnessing imaginary attacks in the state and when I travelled to Kogi East, his antagonists also alleged I was attacked, even when the opposite was the case.

    “As a government, we believe the Nigeria Police is capable of getting to the root of the allegations and do justice to it once and for all.

    “I’m redefining leadership in Kogi State, therefore, the plan of, one day one trouble, will not work. We are in the news for the roads we are constructing, the agriculture we are reforming, the healthcare we are making affordable and the walls of insecurity we are pulling down. We have departed from their own ways.

    “You people need to ask Senator Dino Melaye if he reported the incident to the governor who is the Chief Security Officer of the state. If you didn’t tell him anything, he too will have nothing to say. The reports of the security agencies will surely untie the riddles surrounding the allegations.

    “Security should never be politicised in our state. We will not be distracted. We know the plans, but if they know Governor Yahaya Bello, they would know he is too focused to be distracted, too courageous to be intimidated.

    “We are waiting for the reports of the investigation after which we shall be properly guided to make informed comments. Nigerians know what is happening”.

  • NDLEA arrests 9 suspects, seizes 1,020.1kgs of Indian hemp in Kogi

    NDLEA arrests 9 suspects, seizes 1,020.1kgs of Indian hemp in Kogi

    The Kogi Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested nine suspected hard drug peddlers and dealers in the last four weeks.

    The Commandant, Mr Idris Bello, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lokoja that the command also seized 1,020.1 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) from the suspects.

    Giving a breakdown of the arrests, Bello said that four suspects were arrested on Tuesday at Crusher Village along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja.

    “One of those arrested, Maharazu Mohammedhad, had 147 blocks of packed Indian hemp, weighing 199.2 kilogrammes, hidden in sheets of rough cartons.

    “From Mohammed’s account, the consignment was to be delivered to one Dan Hutu of Hotoro quarters in Kano,” he said.

    He said that another suspect, Philip Dangla, 32, who hails from Plateau, had 37.2 kilogrammes of the substance which he was taking to Zaria.

    According to him, the driver of the vehicle, Sanusi Sani and the conductor, Abdullahi Mohammed, were equally arrested.

    Bello further said that another suspect, Stanley Duru, 44, from Orlu in Imo, was arrested on March 20, with 421 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 377.8 kilogrammes.

    The commandant said that the hard drug was concealed in false compartments constructed in a Volkswagen Combi bus.

    He alleged that the suspect, who was intercepted at Crusher village in Lokoja, loaded the hard drug in the vehicle at Otua town in Edo.

    Bello added that the driver, Femi Ojabo, 27, from Isua in Ondo State, also stashed 377.8 kilogrammes of Indian hemp in the vehicle.

    He gave the names of other suspects as Haruna Salihu, 30, who was arrested with 14.4 kilogrammes, and Abubakar Sunday, a 31-year-old civil servant, who was nabbed with 13.5 kilogrammes of the substance.

    The NDLEA boss appealed to members of the public to assist the command with relevant information that could lead to the arrest of drug peddlers and dealers, and vowed to rid Kogi of illicit drugs and its dealers.

  • NBA wants Court of Appeal established in Kogi

    NBA wants Court of Appeal established in Kogi

    The four branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Kogi, on Wednesday appealed to the President of the Court of Appeal to establish a division of the court in Lokoja, the state capital.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association has already established a special committee to pursue the matter.

    Mr Emmanuel Haruna, chairman of the committee, which comprises chairmen of Lokoja, Idah, Okene and Kabba branches of NBA, emphasised the need for the court during a visit to the Chief Judge of Kogi, Justice Nasir Ajanah, in Lokoja.

    Haruna held that establishing a division of the appellate court in Kogi was long overdue, pointing out that more than 50 percent of appeals handled by the Abuja division of the court were from Kogi.

    “Kogi has met all the requirements for the establishment of the court. The state was created 26 years, but it is yet to have an appeal court, while states like Ekiti, created five years after, already have a division of the court,” he argued.

    Haruna bemoaned a situation where lawyers and litigants had often traveled to the Appeal Court in Abuja only to discover that their cases had not been listed for mention.

    Responding, Justice Ajanah commended the committee for taking up the matter in the interest of their members and litigants, saying that the need for a division of the Appeal Court in Lokoja had been “on for a very long time”.

    Ajanah said that he had met and discussed extensively with justices of the appeal court on the issue, adding that the state was requested to construct a befitting court building and accommodation for the judges.

    The Chief Judge assured the NBA that he would do everything within his powers to actualise the dream, but challenged lawyers in the state to sit up and minimise incessant appeals for adjournment of cases.

    He promised to take up the issue with Gov. Yahaya Bello to solicit support in meeting the requirements, and urged the committee to also meet the President of the Appeal Court on the matter.

     

  • 58 students renounce cultism in Kogi

    Fifty-eight (58) students from different tertiary institutions in Kogi state on Tuesday renounced their membership of different cult groups at the state headquarters of the Nigeria Police, Lokoja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 58 students, under the aegis of Campus Cult Eradication Foundation (CCEF), declared their new status.

    They also pledged to partner with the police to fight crime and criminality in the state.

    According to the former cult members, they were misled into joining the fraternities.

    Mr Wilson Inalegwu, the Commissioner of Police in the state, while addressing the repentant cult members, said that the police would partner with them in the fight to reduce crime and criminality in the state.

    ”We will be very glad to see more members renounce their membership and join us to enable us operate on the same page.

    “Cultism does not make you great; it makes you less; it also brings you down.

    ”Just have confidence in yourself; I can see police commissioners, governors and great men among you.

    “I commend your boldness and initiative to renounce your membership,” Inalegwu said.

    Earlier, Mr Samuel Ejembi, National Coordinator CCEF, said the body in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force had the task of receiving renounced cult members with a view to rehabilitating and integrating them back into society.

    Ejembi said that cultism was a threat to peace and security, adding that its members had often resorted to robbery, kidnapping, drug dealing and thuggery among others.

    ”Our tertiary institutions have become recruitment grounds and barracks for different cult groups to run their deadly activities. Hundreds die every year as a result of cult-related clashes.

    “A lasting solution is what we want; whereby these youths will come out on their own and say ‘No to Cultism’ just as these ones have done,’’ the National Coordinator said.

    One of the students, Maxwell Onimisi of Kogi State Polytechnic, expressed his gratitude to God and the CCEF, saying, “I have decided to be useful to myself, my state and my country.”

    Dr Vincent Georgewill, Dean, Student Affairs and Deputy Registrar of Salem University, Lokoja, commended the students for the step they took.

    ”God is interested in repentance. Here we have 58 children, who have decided to turn a new leaf. God will accept you back in Jesus’ name”, he said.

  •  Bello tasks forestry guards to regain control of forests

     Bello tasks forestry guards to regain control of forests

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Wednesday directed newly-recruited forest guards to be responsive to their duties and ensure that all forests in the state are well policed.

    The governor gave the directive in Lokoja at the official inauguration of 100 forest guards recruited by the state government for regaining forest control and utilization of its produce.

    Bello, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Simon Achuba, said the newly- inaugurated guards and the existing forest officers would help to reduce illegal forest activities to the barest minimum.

    “You must resist the pull to compromise the rules of engagement in pursuit of financial gains or personal comfort.

    “Deforestation is a national issue that should be checked on priority basis.

    “I congratulate you on your recruitment and successful two weeks training on strategies of effective policing and other related security functions across the state,’’ the governor said.

    He appealed to various host communities to cooperate with the forest officers by reporting and refusing to accommodate persons engaging in illegal felling of trees in their areas.

    Bello said the law compelling the planting of 10 trees in place of one tree cut down by those who were legally empowered to log for commercial purposes, would be strictly enforced.

    The State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, said the recruitment of forest guards by the governor was necessary for the state to have control of its forest reserves.

    She said that it would also ensure protection of endangered species of both flora and wildlife, and sustainable utilization of forestry produce.

    “Today, history is made in Kogi with the formal inauguration of forest guards, which is one of the critical components of rebuilding the state promised by Gov. Yahaya Bello.

    “One in which the environment is safe for the enjoyment of unborn generation where the totality of Kogi’s resources work for the totality of its people,’’ Osikoya said.

    A lawmaker, Mr Alfa Imam, said the legislators would work with the executives to give the needed legislative support to ensure that Kogi forest reserves are preserved, protected and conserved.

    The Acting Conservator-General, National Parks Service, Mr Abdullahi Hussain, said that in addition to providing ecosystem services, the initiative would also assist in maintaining peace in the state.

    Hussain said the activities of miscreants using the forest as hideouts would be curtailed.

    He appealed to Kogi people to support the efforts of the state government by being responsible and law abiding citizens.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forest guards received two weeks intensive training in protected area management held at Kanji Lake and Old Oyo National Parks at Niger and Oyo State respectively.

     

  • University dropout remanded over alleged kidnapping in Kogi

    A 31-year-old university dropout, Dick Onuku, who allegedly kidnapped one Makama Adamu, and collected 12 million from his family, is to remain in prison pending the determination of his case.

    A Chief Magistrate, Mr. Levi Animoku, gave the order in Lokoja after rejecting the suspect’s bail application.

    He described the crime as heinous, and declared that kidnapping was “one of the horrifying social vices prevalent in the society, especially Kogi”.

    “It has often led to deaths of innocent Nigerian citizens,’’ he stressed.

    He said that the presumption of innocence, as argued by G.O. Adih, counsel to the accused, was not absolute.

    “The offence carries high penalty and the propensity to elope justice is high.

    “Therefore, bail is refused. The accused shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe,’’ he stated.

    Animoku adjourned the case to April 4, for mention.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Mohammed Abaji, in his objection to the bail application, had urged the court to take cognizance of the severe nature of the case.

    He said that the accused, in the company of others, now at large, while armed with dangerous weapons, including guns and cutlasses, kidnapped Adamu, a resident of Otukpo road, at Opulega in Ankpa Local Government of Kogi.

    He said that the accused, who gave his address as Theo Plaza, Duste Alaji, FCT, Abuja committed the offence on February 13.

    Abaji said that Onuku and his gang forcefully abducted Adamu, blindfolded and took him to an unknown destination from where they put a phone call to the family, demanding N12 million as ransom.

    “Investigation led to the arrest of the accused, who made a confessional statement on how the operation was planned, executed and how the ransom of N12 million was shared among the members,’’ the prosecutor said.

    Abaji told the court that the accused was a student of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, but was later withdrawn.

    He said that the offence contravened Section 97(1), 305 of the Penal Code and 4(3) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences (Prohibition) Law, 2015.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty, while his counsel, Adih, applied for his bail pursuant to the provisions of Section 36(5) of the Constitution and 341(2 and 3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

    Under Kogi State laws, kidnapping attracts life imprisonment on conviction.