The Nation Newspaper

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  • Customs seize N30m contraband in Sokoto, Kebbi

    Customs seize N30m contraband in Sokoto, Kebbi

    The Federal Operation Unit ( FOU ) Zone `B’ of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has seized second hand clothes, rice, cooking oil and vehicles worth N30 million in the last six months at borders across Sokoto and Kebbi states.

    The Federal Controller, Mr Usman Dakingari, told newsmen in Sokoto on Wednesday that the items were seized from April and the unit had strategies to address smuggling in all axis, including porous borders.

    Dakingari said smuggling of banned items remained customs challenge in the 11 states under the zone and urged border communities to assist customs with useful information as smuggling deprived Nigeria of economic progress.

    “The Federal Government intensifies efforts on reviving cotton, rice and soya beans cultivation to enhance indigenous textiles, rice and cooking oil processing factories.

    “The efforts will provide employment and general income to government to execute needed projects, but smuggling activities cripple the system’’ Dakingari said.

    He said that such smuggled products constituted health hazard, stressing that customs officers and men were being motivated to ensure that they lived up to expectation.

    The controller expressed the unit’s commitment to its primary duty of anti-smuggling in all forms.

    NAN

  • Bindow offers to broker peace between Fulani and farmers

    Bindow offers to broker peace between Fulani and farmers

    Adamawa governor Mohammadu Bindow has offered to broker peace between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Plateau toward halting midnight attacks on rural communities in Miango.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that rural communities in Bassa Local Government of Plateau have come under heavy attacks that claimed several lives in the last three weeks.

    Among villages hit were Ncha, Taegbe and Ndizewron where 26, six and 29 persons were confirmed killed

    Bindow, who visited his Plateau counterpart, Simon Lalong, to commiserate with him over the attacks, described the violence as “unacceptable”, and pledged to work with the governor to end the bloodshed.

    “As a governor of a state that hosts the leader of the Fulani world wide, the Lamido of Adamawa, I am in a good position to intercede, if it is established that Fulani people are involved in the hostilities,” he said.

    Bindow said he was particularly saddened by the violence because he grew up in Plateau and was an ex-student of Government Secondary School, Miango where the attacks were being carried out.

    “I will lead my brother, the Governor of Plateau, to the Lamido, for discussions. I will plead with the Lamido to visit the area to speak with the people, if need be.

    “I don’t know where the Plateau problem came from, but we will join hands with you and do our best to ensure that the problem becomes a thing of the past,” he said.

    He condoled Lalong over the death of his younger brother, Wummen, who he described as “very hardworking”, and prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.

    In his response, Lalong appreciated Bindow for the show of affection, saying that the visit had strengthened the relationship between the two states.

    He regretted that violence was returning to Plateau after two years of uninterrupted peace.

    “For 15 years, violence was our lot, but that was replaced by two years of stability before the recent incidences,” he said.

    He said that government was already leveraging on the prevailing peace to bring development to the people before the devil interrupted.

    Lalong, however, said that the people of Plateau were determined to sustain the peace, and urged the residents to promptly report any suspicious persons or movement to the law enforcement agencies.

    NAN

  • UNICEF urges FG to increase funding of education sector

    UNICEF urges FG to increase funding of education sector

    Mr Eki George, UNICEF’s communication For Development Specialist in Kaduna State, has urged the Federal Government ( FG ) to increase funding of the education sector to solve the nation’s technological challenges.

    George made the made the call at the opening of a five-day National Social and Behavioural Change Communication ( SBCC ) Strategy, for Infant and Young Child Feeding ( IYCF ), 2016 to 2020 domestication workshop in Kacha, Kaduna state.

    According to him, any nation that fails to properly fund its education sector will not develop.

    “Education remains a crucial tool for technological advancement towards national socio-economic development.

    “Nigeria desires to develop technologically, but sadly the country is not making the needed investment in educating its population to be creative, inventive and innovative.

    “Today, many graduates in the country are not employable, because the educational institutions have not been able to properly educate the youths with requisite skills needed to move the country forward,” he said.

    George decried the seeming neglect of education at the basic, which he said was the fulcrum upon which the secondary and tertiary education relied upon to grow.

    He further noted that it was unfortunate that many primary school teachers in the country are deficient in academic qualification, saying there is need for training and re-training of teachers.

    “Poor service delivery at the basic level where students are poorly prepared at primary and secondary school levels for tertiary education is the root cause of challenges in our education system.

    “Now we have a situation where our children struggle to pass WAEC, struggle to graduate and struggle to get employedand even when they get a job, they are ill equipped for lack of requisite skills. “This is because the country has not given the needed attention to education at the basic level, which was responsible for weak foundation for tertiary education.

    “If Nigerian universities cannot adequately prepare their students to effectively address contemporary problems, how can they prepare them for challenges of the future?

    “We need a bottom-up approach; from the basic to the tertiary institutions to be able to address the rot in our education system.

    “The answer remains adequate funding so that we can give the best to our citizens,” he said.

    The workshop was organised by the National Orientation Agency ( NOA ) in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ).

    Earlier, UNICEF’s focal Person in Kaduna, Malam Lawal Haruna, explained that the objective of the workshop was to create a medium for relevant stakeholders on nutrition to appraise the national IYCF SBCC document.

    Haruna, added that the workshop would enable the stakeholders to set achievable goals as well as design effective strategy for IYCF SBCC, based on the peculiarities in the state for domestication.

    NAN

  • Man in court for seducing married woman

    Man in court for seducing married woman

    The Police on Wednesday arraigned one Ibrahim Bawa in a Minna Magistrates’ Court for allegedly seducing a married woman.

    Bawa is standing trial on a count charge of seducing a married woman, punishable under Section 389 of the Penal Code .

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Ahmed Saidu, told the court that one Alhaji Tanimu Salihu of Paikoro reported the case at the police station on Aug. 26.

    He alleged that Bawa was in the habit of inviting the complainant’s wife to his house at night on the pretext of giving her charms that would make her husband love her more.

    When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.

    The Magistrate, Mr Mohammed Gabi, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in like sum.
    Gabi adjourned the case until Nov. 6 for further mention.

    NAN

  • Shell opens fast-charging service for electric vehicles

    Shell opens fast-charging service for electric vehicles

    Oil major Royal Dutch Shell has launched a fast-charging service for electric vehicles at three Shell service stations near London and in northern England, the company said on Wednesday.

    The service, which charges most electric vehicle batteries from zero to 80 per cent within half an hour, is the oil major’s first foray into fast-charging electric vehicles.

    The service is set to grow with consumers’ demand for cleaner cars.

    Shell will expand the service further in Britain, the Netherlands and Philippines.

    The launch comes a week after Shell announced the acquisition of NewMotion, one of Europe’s largest electric- vehicle charging networks.

    “Shell believes electric vehicles will form a material part of the transport network going forward,” Jane Lindsay-Green, Shell UK Future Fuels Manager, told reporters.

    Shell projects that a quarter of the world’s car fleet would be electric by 2040, although there are currently fewer than 100,000 electric vehicles on the roads.

    Morgan Stanley estimates that one million to three million public charging points may be needed in Western Europe by 2030 to meet rising demand.

    Oil companies are increasingly aware of the threat to parts of their downstream business from electric transport.

    Shell rival BP said in August it was in talks with electric vehicle makers about partnering to offer charging stations at its retail sites.

    Customers using Shell Recharge pay 49 pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh) after the end of a promotional 25 pence-per-kWh offer until the end of June 2018.

    They pay using a mobile payment app that is subscription-free. The service will be available at 10 British locations by the end of the year.

    Shell already offers electric-vehicle charging through a partner scheme in Norway, and earlier this year, opened a hydrogen refuelling station in Britain.

    “This is a new space for Shell. We need to be exploring different opportunities.

    “We are starting small and are going to learn quickly. Then we are going to move in 2018 based on what our customers want.

    NAN

  • Hillary Clinton says U.S. threats of war with North Korea ‘dangerous, short-sighted

    Hillary Clinton says U.S. threats of war with North Korea ‘dangerous, short-sighted

    Former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said “cavalier” threats to start war on the Korean peninsula were “dangerous and short-sighted”.

    Clinton, however, urged the U.S. to get all parties to the negotiation table.

    Clinton also called on China to take a “more out-front role” in enforcing sanctions against North Korea aimed at curbing its missile and nuclear development.

    “There is no need for us to be bellicose and aggressive over North Korea,” Clinton told the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, stressing the need for more pressure on North Korea and diplomacy to bring Pyongyang to talks.

    Tension between Pyongyang and Washington has soared following series of weapons tests by North Korea and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

    “Picking fights with Kim Jong Un puts a smile on his face,” Clinton said, without mentioning Trump by name.

    Clinton also indirectly referred to Trump’s social media comments on North Korea, saying, “the insults on Twitter have benefited North Korea, I don’t think they’ve benefited the United States”.

    The war of words has seen Trump call the North Korean leader “little rocket man” on a suicide mission, and vow to destroy the country if it threatens the U.S. or its allies.

    In turn, the North called Trump “mentally deranged” and a “mad dog”.

    Talks between the adversaries have long been urged by China in particular, but Washington and its ally, Japan have been reluctant while Pyongyang continues to pursue a goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile to hit the U.S.

    On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of State, John J. Sullivan, said the U.S. did not rule out the eventual possibility of direct talks with North Korea.

    The situation on the Korean peninsula was now touch-and-go point and a nuclear war may break out any moment”, North Korea’s Deputy UN Amb. Kim In Ryong had told a UN General Assembly committee on Monday.

    In Seoul, the vice foreign minister said South Korea was considering levying its own sanctions on the North, although no decision had yet been made.

    NAN

  • Qatar emir says open to dialogue to resolve Gulf crisis

    Qatar emir says open to dialogue to resolve Gulf crisis

    Qatar is “open to dialogue” in resolving a dispute that has seen the Gulf state isolated from its Arab neighbours, its emir said during a visit to Indonesia on Wednesday.

    Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of financing terrorism and maintaining too close of ties to their arch-rival Iran.

    Doha denies the charges.

    Qatari Emir Tamim Thani said he discussed the issue with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, which has the world’s largest population of Muslims and has close ties to the Arab world.

    “We conveyed…that Qatar is ready to conduct a dialogue to solve the problem as we already know that no one will win,” Thani told reporters after meeting with Widodo at the state palace in Bogor, outside the capital of Jakarta.

    “We are all brothers and suffering because of this crisis,” he added.

    President Widodo did not publicly address the dispute.

    The leader of the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas also visited Malaysia, another Muslim-majority nation, and Singapore.

    Saudi and other Arab nations have made a list of 13 wide-ranging demands of Qatar, including closing down the Al Jazeera television network and curbing ties with Iran.

    Kuwait and top United States officials have attempted to mediate between the parties, but there is little sign that the crisis will be resolved soon.

    NAN

  • Police nab 10 suspects over various crimes in Enugu

    Police nab 10 suspects over various crimes in Enugu

    The Police Command in Enugu State said it had arrested 10 suspected criminals who had been terrorising the people of Udenu Local Government Area of the state.

    The Command’s Spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said this in a statement issued in Enugu on Wednesday.

    Amaraizu said that police operatives arrested the suspects when they raided some suspected black spots in the area on Monday.

    He noted that the arrest followed intelligence information given by some members of the public.

    “The command through the combined efforts of its operatives of Udenu Police Division, Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) and Anti Kidnapping, raided some suspected black spots in the council area and its environs.

    “During the raids, six suspects, who were suspected to have link with armed robbery and other related criminal activities were nabbed,’’ he said.

    According to him, they are currently helping police operatives in their investigations in relation to their nefarious activities.

    The spokesman also disclosed that the police operatives arrested additional four suspects who had in their possession, suspected Customs Service uniforms.

    “They are currently being investigated by operatives in connection with their nefarious activities with the Customs uniforms and other crimes,’’ he said.

    Amaraizu assured members of the public of the command’s readiness, in conjunction with sister security agencies in the state and relevant stakeholders, of their continued security and safety in the state.

    NAN

  • Senate summons Fayemi over Zamfara lead poisoning

    Senate summons Fayemi over Zamfara lead poisoning

    The Senate on Tuesday, summoned the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to appear before it and brief on the ministry’s mining roadmap and implementation framework.

    The minister is also expected to brief the upper chamber on how the ministry intended to ensure protection of the residents of mining host communities against lead poisoning and other hazards.

    This followed the resolution of the Senate sequel to a motion by Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos) and four other senators.

    The motion is on the “Update on Lead Poisoning in Zamfara and the need to prevent further propagation of the resources theory”.

    She said that the senate received with great distress, updates on lead poisoning which occurred in 36 villages and communities in Zamfara.

    “It was observed that besides Zamfara, mining host communities in states like Kogi, Niger and others have also been affected by the negative effects of mining practices.

    While noting that Nigeria did not qualify as a mining state, she said that the 2016 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) breakdown showed the mining sector’s contribution to the nation’s GDP as abysmal.

    “It revealed that the nation’s mining sector is almost redundant, that the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Fayemi, is working to resuscitate the sector, and that the ministry has approved a mining roadmap.”

    In his contribution, Sen. Magnus Abe (APC-Rivers) urged the senate to make use of the opportunity to address the situation before what happened in the Niger Delta repeated itself.

    “This is how the situation in the Niger Delta started and the communities paid for it, because there are no laws in the country governing mining of minerals.

    “The institutions are weak and ineffective and sometimes, we have the institutions running over themselves doing the same thing and the communities suffering for it.

    “We have to use this opportunity to set it right before it gets out of hand and before we have another Niger Delta situation in this country,” Abe said.

    In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at plenary, said that the senate must pursue its mandate by putting things right.

    “We are aware that a lot of illegal mining is going on and we must set things right,” he said.

    After the debate, the lawmakers mandated its Committee on Environment and Solid Minerals to visit the affected communities to ascertain the level of damage done and report back.

    The senate further directed committee to investigate the activities of the Ministry of Environment as it affected the mining sector.

    The upper chamber equally urged the minister to ensure adoption of safer mining methods by mining concerns.

    NAN

  • Alleged fraudulent bishop ends up in Enugu prison

    Alleged fraudulent bishop ends up in Enugu prison

    The Police Command in Enugu says a cleric, Bishop Ginika Obi, recently arrested over his alleged advance fee fraud involving over N500 million, has been remanded in Enugu Maximum Prison.

    The spokesman of the command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu on Tuesday.

    The bishop whose church/office is at Km 111, Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, Enugu, had been alleged to have tricked many people to pay huge amounts of money to him.

    He was said to have claimed that he would help his victims reap bumper financial dividends in return.

    Amarizu said Obi was arraigned on Oct. 11 in an Enugu Federal High Court presided over by Justice A. Liman.

    He said the suspect had been in prison custody since Oct. 12 and that further hearing on his case had been scheduled for Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

    “His offences ranging from conspiracy and advance fee fraud were committed in conjunction with others now at large.

    “On Oct. 11, he took his plea after his 82 count charges of conspiracy and advance fee fraud was read to him.

    “He was later remanded in police custody based on the plea of his defence counsel to be brought to court on Oct. 12 for further hearing.

    “He was later remanded in prison custody as he could not meet his bail conditions,’’ the command’s spokesperson said.

    Amarizu said that the suspect’s arrest and arraignment followed several petitions against him and others now at large for allegedly swindling unsuspecting members of the public.

    He said that the bishop and his alleged cohorts disappeared without traces until the command, through intelligence, closed up on him in a hotel in Enugu.

    NAN