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  • Buhari orders security chiefs to end crude oil theft

    SECURITY chiefs got an order on Thursday from President Muhammadu Buhari to end crude oil theft, Inspector-General (IG) Muhammed Adamu told reporters after the security chiefs met with the President at the State House in Abuja.

    Adamu said the President specifically told security agencies to intensify security along the petroleum pipelines and other facilities to check the menace.

    IG Adamu said: “Sequel to the improvement in the general security situation in the country, we have been charged by the President to ensure there is a near zero crime society in all geo-political zones; in fact, the whole of the country.

    “So, we’ve also been charged to increase security along the pipelines, to make sure that crude oil theft is stopped completely because the loss that the country is facing in that regard is not tolerated.”

    The IG also noted that the country had witnessed a significant drop in the activities of bandits and kidnappers, following an improvement in security situation across the country.

    He said: “We have noticed within this quarter that the security situation in the country is stable. We made comparison of what happened in the previous quarters and this last quarter and we saw that there is tremendous decrease in kidnappings, banditry, armed robbery and acts of cultism.

    “You can see from the situation in the Northwest zone of the country that banditry and kidnapping have reduced tremendously and we have statistics to back what we are saying.’’

    The police boss revealed that a good number of bandits and kidnappers had been apprehended on the Kaduna – Abuja and Kaduna – Birnin Gwari roads.

    According to him, many of the bandits’ camps had been destroyed while the police have intensified efforts to apprehend those bandits who refused to surrender.

    He said: “Those that refused to accept peace initiatives, we have been able to identify their camps, especially along Kaduna – Abuja road; on Birnin Gwari – Niger axis and we went to the dens of these kidnappers. We went to their camps and we dislodged some of these camps.

    “In fact, in the security meeting we gave specific numbers of the camps we destroyed and the casualties the bandits recorded as a result of that.

    Read Also: Buhari, Atiku: What next after judgement?

    “So, that had made some of them to surrender and some of them relocated. Those that have relocated, we are following them to know the new locations with a view to apprehending them.”

    He said security agencies were also advised to support the peace initiative on Tiv/Jukun crisis in Benue and Taraba states to achieve sustainable peace in the affected areas.

    “Recently, there have been series of peace initiatives, especially the Tiv/Jukun crisis, the Federal Government came up with initiatives by bringing the leadership of the two states and their traditional rulers.

    “We have been asked to support that initiative and see to it that dialogue succeeds and that there is peace between the Jukun and Tiv.”

  • Dancing Queen Adekuoroye makes history

    ODUNAYO Adekuoroye is known globally as the ‘Dancing Queen’ for her trademark dance steps after major victories. And when she burst into the same dance steps after beating Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita to claim bronze at the world championship in Kazakhstan, fans at Barys Arena had no choice but to applaud the Nigerian prodigy.

    After missing the race for the gold medal following the 1-6 loss to Japan’s Risako Kawai, Adekuoroye moved straight for her opponent’s jugular to win the fight 10-0 in two minutes and affirm her status as one of the world best in the women’s 57kg of freestyle event.

    Adekuoroye displayed exceptional skill to confuse most of her opponents who had no answer to the Nigerian superior fighting style. And against Nichita she was ahead 2-0 inside 20 seconds and secured the win with a good rollover which prompted the referee to award her the match with a 10-0 win in less than two minutes.

    This is Adekuoroye’s third World Championship medal after winning bronze in 2015 and silver in 2017 in United States and France respectively.

    Blessing Oborududu is in race for a place at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the 68kg of freestyle  event after starting her campaign well against Italy’s Dalma Caneva with a 10-0 win. But she lost to eventual finalist, United States’ Tamyra Mensah 12-1.

    President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Daniel Igali confirmed to NationSport that Oborududu would be fighting in one of the Repechage (qualifying) bouts with winners joining the list of qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.

    In today’s bout, Oborududu will take on New Zealand’s Michelle Montague on Mat A. But the second round loss by Aminat Adeniyi ended her dream of fighting for Olympics slot with her conqueror; Ukraine’s Yulia Ostaphchuk was beaten in the quarterfinal by eventual finalist, Kyrgyzstan’s Aisuluu Tynybekova.

  • IPOB takes independence agitation to UN

    THE proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has taken what it called the grievances of the Igbo to the United Nations (UN).

    It said on Thursday that its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, vowed before the UN that Biafra’s case would no longer be ignored.

    He led a delegation to a series of meetings with various UN agencies and officials in Geneva.

    IPOB’s spokesman Emma Powerful said in a statement that Kanu demanded urgent action against alleged rights abuses.

    He also spoke on the need to support “Biafrans’” self-determination as enshrined in law, statute and various UN conventions.

    IPOB said: “Every issue concerning our people is now before the various arms and agencies of the UN. Our case will no longer be ignored.”

    The statement said Kanu was accompanied by his deputy, Mazi Uche Mefor, Head of Directorate of State, Mazi Chika Edoziem, and others.

    IPOB said Kanu also raised the issue of the continued illegal detention of Omoleye Sowore, the alleged persecution of the members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria led by Sheikh El-Zakzaky, among others.

    Read Also: IPOB alleges genocide plot in Kanu’s home

    The statement said: “Every issue concerning our people as mentioned by Kanu ranges from the incessant killing of Biafrans in their own land by terrorist herdsmen to extortion and killing of Biafran motorcyclists and commercial drivers over refusal to give N50 bribe…”

    It said Kanu also raised the issues of “systematic oppression and economic emasculation of the Biafran, illegal detention of unarmed agitators, flagrant contempt for court orders, and incessant abduction and extrajudicial killings of IPOB family members”.

    It said all the issues form the basis of the agitation for the separate state of Biafra, “which was existing before the Lugardian amalgamation of 1914.”

    The statement added: “Exploiting the rights of indigenous people to self-determination as provided by the UN charter 2007, Mazi Kanu has conscientiously pursued freedom for the oppressed people of Biafra.”

  • PDP BoT chair, secretary disagree over report on Elumelu, others

    IT was all drama on Thursday as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jubril, and the Secretary, Senator Adolphus Wabara, disagreed over the submission of an investigative report.

    Addressing reporters after a meeting of the board at the party’s Abuja secretariat, the two chieftains contradicted one another on the status of the committe’s report.

    The bone of contention was the report of a five-man committee set up by the BoT on July 9 to investigate why PDP members in the House of Representatives elected Ndudi Elumelu as Minority Leader, against the party’s choice of Kingsley Chinda.

    Miffed by the members’ action, the leadership of the party had suspended Elumelu for one month. Besides Elumelu, others affected by the suspension were Lynda Ikpeazu, Wole Oke, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

    The BoT investigation committee, chaired by former Senate President Iyorchia Ayu, also had two other former Senate Presidents, David Mark and Wabara as members.

    Former Deputy Senate President Ibahim Mantu was also a member, while a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, served as Secretary of the committee.

    However, Opara resigned from the committee before it concluded its assignment.

    Jubril said the Board had received the Ayu committee report but had yet to submit same to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    He added: “We have received the report from the Ayu committee but we have not submitted it to the NWC because we are still deliberating on it and we have not taken a decision on it yet.”

    But he was swiftly countered by BoT Secretary Wabara, who said that the Board had indeed submitted the report to the NWC. Wabara said, “We have considered the report and we have submitted the report on Elumelu to the NWC.”

    This was followed by muffled disagreement between the two elderly party chieftains, with the BoT chair raising objection to the Secretary’s statement even as the latter stood his ground. Their verbal exchange was in hushed tones but was audible enough for journalists to hear their voices.

    Read Also: PDP governors shun meeting in Anambra

    The disagreement dragged till the end of the media briefing, with the two Board members frowning and mumbling at each other as they left the venue and walked through the drizzling rain into their waiting cars.

    Curiously, however, while the BoT meeting was still ongoing, the leadership of the party had issued a statement regarding the disputed report.

    The statement by the party’s spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said the NWC had not received the said report from the BoT.

    The statement reads: “In the light of public enquiries and conflicting reports on the position of the leadership of our great party on issues related to the minority leadership of the House of Representatives;

    “The National Working Committee (NWC) hereby clarifies that it has not yet received any report from the Board of Trustees (BoT) concerning the outcome of the five-member committee it set up to intervene on the contentious matter.

    “Consequently, the NWC maintains that it has not taken any decision to review its subsisting stance on the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.

    “The NWC therefore urges critical stakeholders, party members and the general public to completely disregard any report to the contrary.”

  • FIBA rankings: D’Tigers’ progress excite Kida, Ahmedu

    THE hierarchy of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is excited over the rise of the Men’s National Basketball team in the latest FIBA ranking which was released on Thursday.

    D’Tigers moved up 10 places to the 23rd in the world after becoming the first country to qualify for the World Cup. The team won three games and lost two during the competition to finish 17th out of the 32 participating teams.

    NBBF President, Engr Musa Kida said the latest feat was the right reward for hard work put in place by the federation and the team during the qualifiers and World Cup preparation which culminated in a good outing in China.

    “We are really excited with this announcement. It shows that the world has continued to pay attention to Nigerian basketball after many years of playing second fiddle.

    “Although, I believe that we deserve more than being 23rd best team in the world based on our current form, but it is a process. The federation is excited that we are on the right track and we will continue to push harder in our resolve to record more successes.”

    International member on the board of the NBBF, Col Sam Ahmedu also said that the development was a very good and encouraging one which indicates the stride Nigeria is making.

    “Yes, very good news and encouraging. Indication of the strides Nigeria is making. With the efforts being made, Nigeria will soon break into the top 10 in the world,” Ahmedu added.

    USA still hold on to the number one spot while current world champion, Spain are ranked second ahead of Australia who climbed eight places to third spot.

    The Alex Nwora tutored side who have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are still ranked number 1  in Africa ahead of Angola, Tunisia, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire who are ranked 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively.

  • Rohr unfazed by Nigeria’s drop on FIFA rankings

    German coach Gernot Rohr is unfazed about the Super Eagles fall in the FIFA ranking released on Thursday.

    Despite playing 2-2 against Ukraine in an international friendly early this month, the Eagles dropped from 33 from 34 but remained the third in Africa behind Senegal and Tunisia.

    However, Rohr admitted that it would be difficult to gain points from playing a match unlike other countries that played two matches during the international break. “Yes, we played only one match in Ukraine and others played twice in the same period… Even if we play just one against Brazil next month, It will be difficult to take us higher,” he told NationSport.

    Senegal hold on to top spot in Africa and they remain 20th while Tunisia remains 29th in the world to be second best team in Africa.

    Belgium remain top of the ranking after an action-packed number of weeks in international football which saw 78 friendlies, 74 continental qualifiers and 60 FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers take place.

    Though the teams in the top ten remain unchanged, there has been some movement. France (2nd, up 1) and Brazil (3rd, down 1) have traded places, while Spain (7th, up 2) are the top ten’s biggest movers.

  • Gumi decries 2019 general election

    An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has described the 2019 general election as the worst in the country, saying it has produced an incompetent government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Gumi, who blamed the southern political class for the outcome of the election, alleged that the Buhari administration has plunged Nigeria into poverty.

    He spoke yesterday in Kaduna when he hosted the President and Founder of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International, Prophet Isah El-Buba.

    Gumi said the southern political class deliberately supported what he described as failure during the 2015 and 2019 elections for their personal gains.

    The Islamic scholar said the elections were characterised by irregularities, which, according to him, produced an incompetent government.

  • Jilted man commits suicide in Lagos

    A MAN identified as Kehinde Muse, 25, has killed himself after his 21-year-old lover dumped him.

    The incident occurred at 56, Modele Street Surulere, Lagos Mainland.

    This has brought to five, the number of suicide cases reported to the police since July.

    It was gathered that his lover Rasheedat Animashaun had dumped him two weeks ago because of high libido.

    The Nation gathered that the young woman had complained Muse liked too much sex and she could not cope with it.

    Another issue, it was gathered, stemmed from the fact that the young man was not working and depended on the girl financially.

    “The guy was not going anything. It was the girl that was working as an office secretary. She was the one taking care of him financially. He was even sent to learn how to repair air conditioners but he did not achieve much there.

    “So, two weeks ago, the girl said she was tired and dumped him. She complained that all he does was sit at home, eat free food and then have sex countless times,” a source said.

    Unable to accept their breakup, Muse was said to have sent a message to Animashaun threatening to kill himself if she insisted on leaving him.

    She was said to have notified his parents about the message who ran to his room only to discover that Muse had drunk a poisonous substance suspected to be sniper insecticide.

    His parents were said to have rushed him to a hospital but he died on arrival.

    Confirming the incident, police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased person earlier sent a suicide text message to his ex-girlfriend informing her that he will take his life since she decided to quit the relationship.

    “The said girlfriend promptly informed his family about the text message he sent to her and they rushed to his house, broke the door and found him unconscious.

    “He was rushed to the hospital but did not make it. His corpse has been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.”

  • Xenophobia: More returnees relive ordeal

    THERE are more tales of woe as returnees from South Africa settle down in their home country.

    Narrating his experience, Andrew Malone, who owns a spare parts business and has been living in South Africa, said he could not afford to lose his life for simply seeking greener pastures.

    “I decided that I would rather leave my business and return home intact with my family,” he said.

    IT specialist, Frank Ijeoma Uzuokoh, said, “I have spent over 7 years in South Africa, doing business legally, paying taxes and have built this business from scratch, only to be hit with this kind of unfortunate incident.

    Read Also: Xenophobia: Let’s fix economy now, Senate tells Nigerians

    “A lot of these foreign-owned businesses provide several essential services to South Africans, who solely depend on them and even employment opportunities. Honestly, the impact of these attacks is overwhelming as both parties will definitely be affected.”

    As the continent heals from the latest conflict, it is imperative for African leaders to cautiously discuss this reoccurring evil and call their citizens to order.

    The xenophobia menace also goes to show that there are still some major impending issues such as unemployment, leadership, youth empowerment that needs to to addressed.

     

     

  • Army bans NGO for ‘aiding Boko Haram’

    For allegedly aiding terrorist group Boko Haram, a non-governmental organisation Action Against Hunger (AAH) has been blacklisted by the Nigerian Army (NA).

    AAH was declared persona nan grata for allegedly supplying food and drugs to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a statement released by spokesman theatre command Operation Lafiya Dole Col Ado Isa on Thursday evening said.

    The Nigerian military had overtime raised alarm over activities of some NGOs in troubled northeastern states, accusing some of them of supplying food and medication to terrorists and criminals.

    Prior to the statement, there were reports that soldiers laid siege to the Maiduguri office of the AAH with military trucks blocking the entrance.

    Isa said the blacklisting of AAH was a result of its continuous subversive practices despite several warnings that it should desist from aiding and abetting terrorism.

    “The Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE (TC – OPLD)) has observed with utter disappointment and concern the notorious activities of some NGOs working in North East (NE) Nigeria.

    Read Also: Army accuses NGO of providing water, food to Boko Haram terrorists

    “The subversive actions of the NGO Action Against Hunger (AAH) persisted despite several warnings to desist from aiding and abetting terrorists and their atrocities  The TC – OPLD has on many occasions raised alarm over this unwholesome practices of some NGOs and expressed same position during  meetings with the NGOs operating in the NE Theater of Operation.

    “Consequently, the AAH has been declared persona nan grata for aiding Boko Haram Terrorists/ISWAP by supplying them food and drugs despite warning from the TC-OPLD.

    “The command has obtained several credible intelligence indicating AAH as one of  those NGOs operating in the NE that is notorious in supplying food and drugs to the criminals in the area.

    “The public is enjoined to continue to give credible information on the activities of the marauders/criminals and their supporters in the NE theatre of operation.

    “The OPLD wishes to assure  the public of its resolve and determination to always partner credible NGOs and CSOs to cushion the impact of  humanitarian crisis generated by the criminals in the NE in line with international best standards,” he said.