Author: Hamza Rufai

SEVEN students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA) in Nasarawa State, who were abducted four days ago, have been released. Recall that the students were abducted last Wednesday night by gunmen at their off-campus accommodation in Gandu village, close to the campus. After the incident, the students have come out to protest the incessant kidnap in the area, demanding for the release of their peers and for enhanced security measures in the vicinity. This newspaper gathered that the students were released on Sunday evening following collaborative efforts by the military and other security agencies. The President of the Student…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigerian Bar Association will commence the prosecution of electoral offenders in January, this newspaper has learnt. Since 1999, there has been hardly any election that has not been characterised by offences in one form or the other. Such electoral offences include culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms, snatching and destroying of INEC items, misconduct at polling units and stealing of results, among others. On June 30, 2022, a bill to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission passed a second reading in the House of Representatives. A similar bill was passed by the…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says it discovered over 4,800 illegal connections on oil pipelines in the country in what is a grim picture of the country’s major income earner. “We have over 4,800 illegal connections on our pipelines. That means in some lines, within 100 kilometres of pipelines, you have as much as 300 insertions,” the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL Mele Kyari told the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Friday. “Therefore, even when you produce the oil, you cannot deliver them at the required pressure and therefore the volume will also be less.” According to…

FORTY eight hours after being summoned by the Senate, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, has now appeared before the joint committee on appropriations. The Senate had issued a 24-hour ultimatum on Wednesday to the NNPCL boss after an observations that he had in previous occasions, shunned summons by the Senate to appear before its ad-committee probing over 11 trillion naira expenditure on turn around maintenance of refineries in the country between 2010 and 2023. Responding to questions by the senate committee on appropriations on the potential drop in pump…

THE Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, on Thursday, insisted that the military airstrikes at Tudun Biri village that killed over 100 villagers was a “regrettable error” that will not reoccur. Lagbaja stated this when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Army to defend the Army’s 2024 budget. He said that the bombing in Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of the state was “accidental” amid criticism that the bombardment was intentional. But the chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina), said a thorough investigation would get to the root of the…

LOYALTY has been described as one of the secrets of any successful Public Relations (PR) practitioner in Nigeria and beyond. This was stated by a public relations guru and publisher of a book: “An introduction to Strategic Communication”, Dr Sule Ya’u Sule, which was presented at a public lecture on Thursday at Nicon Luxury, Abuja. “What I learnt in about three decades of my career as a PR practitioner is to be loyal to your boss. In fact, if there is more than 100 percent loyalty, just be that – it pays”’, Sule stressed. Dr Sule, who was sharing his…

THE Bauchi State Police Command has revealed that the 500-level Geology student of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, who was stabbed and later died in the hospital, was trying to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from some assailants when the incident happened. This newspaper had reported that the final year Geology student, Joseph Agabaidu, according to multiple sources on the campus, was stabbed by some assailants while trying to steal his mobile phone. Agabaidu, who hails from Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State but is based in Benue State, was said to be the eldest among four children of his…

THE Federal Government has pledged its commitment to collaborate with the Kaduna State Government in providing compensation for the victims of the recent bombing in Kaduna. In an interview with BBC Hausa, Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, confirmed that investigations into the incident were underway. The minister reiterated the government’s dedication to supporting those undergoing medical treatment and assured that anyone responsible for the attack would face the full consequences of their actions. He said, “We are deeply saddened by the occurrence of this incident. May Allah forgive those who died and grant them Jannah. “Indeed, we have suffered a…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has celebrated elder statesman and founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, OFR, on the occasion of his 98th birthday. The President in a statement by Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale joined the Yakasai family, friends and associates in celebrating the distinguished figure who has devoted his life to fight for the unheard masses of our country as well as for justice, the rule of law, and the enthronement of good governance and transparency in public service. The President described the elder statesman as a patriot and one of the noblest men in Nigeria’s…

DEFENCE Headquarters (DHQ) has broken its silence over the air strike by the Nigerian Army at Tudun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, saying it’s because terrorists embedded with civilians. Eighty-five people were killed with several others injured in the bombing, making it one of the country’s deadliest military bombing accidents. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, said the airstrikes were targeted at terrorists. He said the army’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detachment observed the movement of terrorists at Ligarma, an area notorious for being a haven of insurgents. “It should be noted that…

THE Nigerian Air Force has put up the Falcon 900B aircraft for sale, calling on interested persons to submit their bids for the purchase of the aircraft, which is a part of the presidential air fleet. Details about the sale was contained in a flyer shared on the X page of the NAF late Monday. According to the flier, the aircraft was put up for sale following the approval of the Federal Government. The announcement partly read, “The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the sale of Falcon 900B aircraft owned by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). “In compliance with…

HUGE crowd besieged banking halls on Monday, as customers moved to link their Bank Verification Numbers and National Identity Numbers to their bank accounts. This followed the new directive of the banking regulator to the banks on Friday, to bar customers who were yet to link their BVN and NIN from having access to their accounts. CBN said in its new directive that existing customers must, “Ensure all operated accounts/wallets created through agents, are fully profiled in the NIBSS ICAD and tagged with valid and correct BVN and/or NIN.” It added that, “Effective immediately, any unfunded account/wallet shall be placed…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Sokoto has dismissed a suit filed by a former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, over the ownership of vehicles he took away on leaving office in May 2023. In June, the police went to houses belonging to Matawalle to take possession of the vehicles as ordered by the court. A statement issued on Monday by Sulaiman Bala Idris, the spokesperson of the current governor of the state, Dauda Lawal, stated that the Federal High Court rejected Matawalle’s claims over the ownership of the vehicles. According to the statement, the immediate past governor of…

THE Federal Government on Monday resumed the trial of suspected Boko Haram members in the Kainji Prosecution Project Phase IV in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Speaking at the opening of the court session, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), noted that the first phase commenced in 2017. This newspaper quoted him as saying that the Federal Government, during the 2017 trial, secured 366 convictions, while 896 suspects were discharged for lack of evidence. He noted that 61 other cases were adjourned for further hearing. He noted that the resumption of the trial was…

THE Nigerian Army has taken responsibility for Sunday’s Air Strike that left many villager killed and several others injured at Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State. This development was confirmed by Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs at the end of an emergency security meeting on Monday. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that on Sunday night while the villagers were marking the Maulud celebration to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW, an unmanned aerial vehicle bombed some parts of the community, killing a yet to ascertained number of individuals. Following the incident,…

BOKO Haram arms supplier and detained Nigerian soldier, Abba Gesh, has escaped from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC), a military prison located at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, this newspaper can report. This newspaper learnt that the prison, over the decade, has been known for detaining hundreds of suspected and confirmed Boko Haram terrorists arrested during the ongoing insurgency in the Northern part of the country. Though this newspaper could not establish when Gesh escaped from the facility, security sources revealed he was last sighted on November 26 at Malari, also in Borno State. Gesh, a member…

THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has named new chairmen and deputy chairmen for Standing Committees of the House. At the end of the debate on the general principles of the proposed 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion on Friday, the Speaker, who presided over the session, made the announcement on the floor of the House. Iritomi Thomas was named the Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources Training Funds while the Deputy Chairman is Ajilo Shehu. The Committee on States and Local Governments is to be chaired by Shehu Rijau while his Deputy is Vincent Bulus from…

THE Federal Government, on Thursday, said it had raised N585m towards the settlement of fines for inmates in a bid to decongest correctional centres across the country. The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, represented by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Dr Anayo Romanus-Nzekwe, disclosed this on Thursday in Kano, during the release of 150 inmates, whose fines were settled by the Federal Government. This newspaper reports that the interior minister had repeatedly lamented that no fewer than 4,000 inmates were languishing in detention over their inability to pay fines. Tunji-Ojo had promised that the Federal Government would clear…

THE House of Representatives on Thursday passed the N27.5trn 2024 budget for second reading. Leading the debate on the general principles of the budget, House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere commended President Bola Tinubu, noting that national security and education which got significant allocations, will be enhanced if implemented. “Nigeria will be more secure with the allocation to defence and security. “As a teacher, I am impressed by the emphasis on basic education. I am sure that education will be better off this time,” he said. More details shortly…

BANDITS, on Tuesday night, attacked Dan-Honu II community in New Millennium City of Chikun local government area of Kaduna State, kidnapping eight persons. Among those abducted were a newly wedded couple who got married last Saturday, Chief Imam of the community mosque, his wife and three children, including a 10-month-old baby. The bandits, who stormed the community around 8:50pm numbering about 10, with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons, were said to be clad in black, with one of them masked. A community member, Mohammed, who escaped the abduction by the whiskers, told our Correspondent that the bandits started by…