The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nyanya

  • Patoranking, Nyanya, Spyro, others storm Bayelsa for Okpoama Beach Carnival

    Patoranking, Nyanya, Spyro, others storm Bayelsa for Okpoama Beach Carnival

    • Sylva hails steady growth of entertainment industry

    A former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has applauded the emerging global status of the yearly Okpoama International Beach Carnival at the Brass Island, saying it has added to the steady growth of the country’s entertainment industry.

    Sylva particularly applauded the performances of Patoranking, Nyanya, Spiro and other emerging musical and comic artistes that stormed Bayelsa and thrilled guests, tourists and residents that attended the carnival.

    The former Minister of State for Petroleum described the event as beautiful sights and sounds from this year’s Okpoama International Beach Carnival.

    He said: “The best of our country’s musical talents performed and enjoyed the ambience of Brass Island,” he said.

    “Indigenous musical prospects were given the chance to perform alongside internationally recognised stars in a deliberate act of raising their stock.

    “Ultimately, the dream of making Okpoama a proper globally recognised tourism destination is in sight.”

    Okpoama International Beach Carnival has always paraded top musical and comic artistes yearly and attracted multitude of tourists from within and outside the state.

    Read Also: Patoranking becomes first UNDP regional goodwill ambassador for Africa

    In the time past, Timaya, Davido, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage were among the top artistes that identified with and thrilled visitors at the event.

    The event has always presented an indispensable opportunity for people outside the state to enjoy Bayelsa’s hospitality and savour local delicacies.

    The 2025 Okpoama International Beach Carnival, which MC Senibo coordinated as the Master of Ceremonies is usually organised by Sylva’s team and political associates, including Kojo Sam, to highlight the potential of Okpoama and Brass Island as a destination of choice for tourists.

  • Patoranking, Nyanya, Spyro, others storm Bayelsa for Okpoama Beach Carnival

    Patoranking, Nyanya, Spyro, others storm Bayelsa for Okpoama Beach Carnival

    A former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has applauded the emerging global status of the yearly Okpoama International Beach Carnival at the Brass Island, saying it has added to the steady growth of the country’s entertainment industry.

    Sylva particularly applauded the performances of Patoranking, Nyanya, Spiro, and other emerging musical and comic artistes that stormed Bayelsa and thrilled guests, tourists and residents that attended the carnival.

    The former Minister of State for Petroleum described the event as beautiful sights and sounds from this year’s Okpoama International Beach Carnival. 

    He said: “The best of our country’s musical talents performed and enjoyed the ambience of Brass Island”, he said.

    “Indigenous musical prospects were given the chance to perform alongside Internationally recognized stars in a deliberate act of raising their stock. 

    “Ultimately, the dream of making Okpoama a proper globally recognized tourism destination is in sight”.

    Okpoama International Beach Carnival has always paraded top musical and comic artistes yearly and attracted multitude of tourists from within and outside the state.

    In the time past, Timaya, Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage are among the top artistes that identified with and thrilled visitors at previous events.

    The event has always presented an indispensable opportunity for people outside the state to enjoy Bayelsa hospitality and savour local state delicacies. 

    The 2025 Okpoama International Beach Carnival, which MC Senibo coordinated as the Master of Ceremony is usually organized by Sylva’s team and political associates including Kojo Sam to highlight the potential of Okpoama and Brass Island as a destination of choice for tourists.

  • Police detain two officers for allegedly killing NSCDC personnel

    The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) says it has taken into custody two of its officers who allegedly killed an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Nyanya, Abuja.

    Late Ogar Jombo, an Assistant Superintendent of the NSCDC, was allegedly killed on Wednesday in the presence of his wife and children, when he was stopped by the policemen for alleged violation of traffic rules.

    The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Bala Ciroma, who confirmed the arrest and detention of the officers to the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that investigation was ongoing to unravel the cause of the incident.

    Read also: We didn’t kill any suspect in Ondo, says NSCDC

    “There was a fracas between the senior officer and the policemen, we have commenced investigation and we will not know what really happened until after the investigation,’’ Ciroma said.

    NAN gathered from a relation of the deceased, who pleaded anonymity that the late Jombo was taking his children to school in the morning when the unfortunate incident occurred. (NAN)

  • Osinbajo launches door-to-door campaign in Nyanya, Karu

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday launched door-to-door campaign for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari and himself in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election.
    Osinbajo, who took the campaign to Nyanya and Karu areas of the FCT, declared that President Buhari’s honesty, integrity and performance in the past three years in office as evidenced in the ability of the administration to do more even when the country is earning less, set him apart from all other contenders for the exalted office.
    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice President visited two homes: Alhaji S.K Ahmed’s family in Nyanya and the Jimiko compound in Karu.
    “No sooner the VP’s Coaster bus arrived in the communities than the people thronged out en-masse in both places, chanting praises of the President and singing party songs.” Akande said
    After meeting both families, he said that Prof. Osinbajo addressed the mammoth crowd and spent time interacting with the excited people who thronged out in their numbers, often fascinated to see him unannounced in their neighborhoods.
    According to the Vice President “for the honest, decent and hardworking Nigerians, Mr President has devoted his life to ensuring that their lives are made better even when it is sometimes not easy to do so.
    “All of us are going higher. I want you to believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is going to do even better. We have to create more jobs for all these young people. We have to give our market women credit so that they can do more business; our young people money so that they can do more business.”
    Speaking on the President’s concern for the common man, Prof. Osinbajo said, “when he ask us to start the Trader Moni, he said, this is one way by which we can help people to start doing their own business.”

    Read also: High fertility rate a problem for Nigeria – Osinbajo

    He said Nigeria’s future was brighter with President Buhari on the saddle, noting that no public funds would be stolen under his watch.
    “So, I am here to say to you that the future of our country is great. All of you that are here, you are going to see a better Nigeria and that greater Nigeria can only come if the government is honest; If the government is not stealing our money.
    “If the government is honest, it will build all the roads in Nigeria, for instance, like we are doing the Lagos-Kano rail and others, now.  You can see that with little money we are doing much more because we will not agree to the stealing of our resources.
    “We will go forward and we will move forward. It is a bit difficult now because we are building the foundation. When we came into office; We found no savings. Oil which was our biggest earnings, we had earned so much in four years but there was little to show for it.  They didn’t build the railway, no roads. So, when we came we decided to first of all do the right thing,” he added.

  • Nyanya blast suspect loses appeal

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal by the alleged mastermind of the April 14, 2014 Nyanya bomb blast, Aminu Ogwuche.

    Ogwuche, through his lawyer Ahmed Raji (SAN), appealed the March 3, 2015 ruling by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, directing that he be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    He was arraigned with five others on an eight-count charge of terrorism related offences.

    The charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), has Ogwuche, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Mohammed Sani Ishaq, Ya’u Saidu, Anas Isah and Adamu Yusuf, as defendants.

    After the arraignment on March 6, 2015, the court, following an application by the prosecution, ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody pending trial.

    The prosecution said the defendants could escape if kept in custody. Dissatisfied, Ogwuche appealed, arguing among others, that Section 27 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013, relied on by the court to order his detention in an agency of the prosecution, is inconsistent with Section 35(4) and (7) of the Constitution.

    But the Court, in a June 5 judgment, dismissed the appeal for lack of merit.

  • FCTA tackles Nyanya gridlock

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is taking steps to bring the notorious gridlock on Nyanya-Karu-Jikwoyi-Karshi Road to an end. The gridlock, known to keep commuters stranded for hours, is the worst in the FCT.

    FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello made the revelation when he inaugurated a ministerial task force to decongest traffic along the Abuja-Nyanya- Karu-Jikwoyi-Karshi Road as well as evacuate accumulated refuse from the area.

    Bello said that it is unacceptable that a dual carriageway well-constructed to the highest engineering standards has become a long stretch of refuse dump.

    Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Cosmas Uzodinma made this known in a press statement in which the minister said, “For the first time in my life, I have seen a place inhabited by very vibrant people, very affluent, yet it is one aspect of Abuja where I see that people will collect their refuse and drop on the road median. I have never seen that anywhere in the world and definitely you all agree with me that this is not acceptable and should not be part of the Abuja of our dream.”

    He also added, “The goal of the initiative is to work out a sustainable action that will improve both the aesthetics and traffic situation along that axis and one that would be owned by the people after the task force might have completed its work.

    Uzodinma added, “The Minister expressed confidence that given the caliber of the Chairman of the task force, and its membership, he was sure that by the time the team was done with its assignment in the next six months, the city would be the better for it.

    “In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force on Traffic Decongestion on Abuja-Nyanya-Jikwoyi-Karshi Road, Maj. Gen Emmanuel Nienge (rtd), said the task force will complete its assignment within the allotted timeframe as it has already hit the ground running and holding series of preliminary meetings with members and other stakeholders.

    “While soliciting for the cooperation of the stakeholders and the general public, the Chairman said the Task Force will carry out adequate sensitization to inform members of the public on their activities.”

  • Photo: Suspected Nyanya bombers paraded

    Photo: Suspected Nyanya bombers paraded

    SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM MEMBERS WHO CARRIED OUT NYANYA BOMBING, BEING PARADED BY THE POLICE IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY
    SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM MEMBERS WHO CARRIED OUT NYANYA BOMBING, BEING PARADED BY THE POLICE IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY

  • Suspect in Abuja bombing pleads guilty

    Suspect in Abuja bombing pleads guilty

    One of the five men accused of being involved in the October 2 bomb explosions in Nyanya and Kuje, suburbs of Abuja, Abdullahi Nasiru, pleaded guilty on Thursday to being in possession of 12 Improvised Explosive Devices and other materials used for making the bomb.

    Nasiru (23 years) was arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja on Thursday with Abdulazeez Muhazab (26), Ishiaka Salihu (25) and Mohammed Jimoh (33) and Abdullahi Nasiru (34), who pleaded not guilty to all the five counts of the charge brought against them.

    Nasiru, who was not fluent in English, spoke in pidgin English when the charge was read to him. He pleaded guilty to the fourth count, which relate to being in possession of 12 IEDs and materials used for manufacturing them.

    The charge was read and interpreted to Nasiru  and the fifth accused person, ‎Abdullahi in pidgin English.

    Nasiru pleaded not guilty to the first three counts of conspiracy and the carrying out of the bombings in the separate locations, but when the fourth count was interpreted to him, he pleaded guilty but said the items found on him belonged to his friend.

    “I’m guilty, but no be me get am, na my friend get am,” Nasiru said in pidgin English.

    Following his guilty plea to the fourth court, his lawyer, Nurein Sulyman, sprang up from his seat, sought the court’s permission to speak with his client. He approached the dock (where Nasiru stood with others) and asked him if he truly understood what he pleaded guilty ‎to.

    Nasiru maintained that he was guilty of the charge of the possession of the IEDs and the other materials.

    The five men were accused of conspiring among themselves of carrying out the bombings of Kuje town and Jikoyi park in Nyanya on October 2 resulting in “the death of scores of innocent citizens and many others sustained various degrees of injuries as well as destroying properties” being acts punishable under sections 17 and 2(a) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013”.

    It was alleged,  in the fifth count,  that between August and October 2015, Jimoh and Salihu aided Abdulazeez Muhazab (first respondent) “to store and conceal” the items suspected to be used for manufacturing of IEDs, an act punishable under section 2(g) of the law.

    The accused persons are said to all hail from Kogi State. They were said to have been arrested with already-made 12 IEDs and other materials used for manufacturing the explosives in Unguwar Ebira, Karamajiji area, behind Military Cemetery along Airport Road in Abuja on October 6.

    The materials they were allegedly arrested with included 27 pieces of detonators, aluminium powder, hexomine, hydrogen peroxide, sulphur powder, sodium azide plus nitrate, iron II oxide, soldiering wire, sugar, pH litmus paper, sodium carbonate and thermometer.

    Others are chlorate, filter paper, strings, potassium chlorate, 12 ready-made IEDs and full bag of fertilizer.

    Following their arraignment, lead prosecution lawyer and Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Diri, said he would still lead evidence to prove the guilt of all the accused persons, including Nasiru with regard to the count he had confessed to.

    Sulyman, who represented all the accused persons, said after court proceedings that he was yet to have access to his cleints.

    He said by the nature of the charges against his clients, Nasiru was still at liberty to change his plea to not guilty should he wish before judgment.

    “Pleading guilty is actually not a big deal. This is a capital offence, he is at liberty to change his plea to not guilty if he wishes,” Sulyman said.

    Trial judge, Justice Abdulkadir Abdulkafarati ordered that the accused persons be moved from police custody and remanded in Kuje prison.

    He adjourned to November 17

  • Update: Heavy security at Abuja blasts scene

    Security men are keeping watch at the scene of Friday night bomb blast in Nyanya in Abuja.

    The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase arrived the scene about 11.25am to inspect the damage caused by the twin bomb blast.

    An eyewitness said he counted 10 to 15 bodies burnt beyond recognition in the blasts which reportedly occurred within space of five minutes.

     

    First bomb blast occurred at the Jikwoyi park at 9.20pm and second blast at 9.25pm

     

    Some residents who said they were amongst the first respondents at the scene however said the death toll may not be as high as reported.

  • Court refuses Nyanya blast suspect’s request for freedom

    Court refuses Nyanya blast suspect’s request for freedom

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja has refused a request for freedom made by Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged mastermind of the April 2014 bomb blast in Nyanya, Abuja, in which over 70 people died.

    The judge, in a verdict yesterday in a fundamental rights enforcement suit by Ogwuche, resolved the sole issue for determination against him, to the effect that his repatriation from Khartoum, Sudan, where he allegedly escaped to after the incident on July 15, 2014 and subsequent detention without trial did not amount to a violation of his fundamental rights and that he was not entitled to compensation.

    Ogwuche had sued the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), accusing them of violating his fundamental rights as guaranteed under chapter four of the constitution for detaining him for over 90 days without being taken before any court for trial.

    He urged the court to declare his detention illegal, order his release either conditionally or unconditionally; award N600 million damages against the respondents, and order the defendants to offer him public apology to be published in two national newspapers.

    The DSS eventually arraigned him while his case was pending. He is now being tried, with some others, for terrorism before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, also of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    In his judgment yesterday, Justice Ademola agreed with the respondents that Section 35(4) of the Constitution, which prohibits undue detention of a suspect, is not applicable in cases of terrorism.

    He equally agreed with the defendants that section 35(7) of the Constitution, which provides that a person accused of terrorism does not benefit from Section 35(4).

    The judge further agreed with the respondents that rights guaranteed under Chapter Four of the Constitution are not absolute in cases relating to security, and that Section 27(1) of the Terrorism Prevention Act (TPA) allows an accused person to be detained for 90 days before being taken to court.

    “In conclusion, this court takes judicial notice that in the course of argument in this case, the applicant has since been arraigned before Justice A. R. Mohammed of Court 7 of the Federal High Court. In the circumstance, this court agrees with the contention of the 1st and 2nd respondents that the applicant’s fundamental rights are not breached. No order for cost is made,” Justice Ademola said.