Author: Bala Muhammad

THE Sultan of Sokoto Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has demanded justice for the victims of military airstrikes that killed over 100 people in Tudun Biri village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Sultan said this at the Silver Anniversary of the 11th Emir of Jama’a, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Isa Muhammad (CON) on the throne, at the Emir’s Palace in Kafanchan, Kaduna, on Friday. “We are here not only to celebrate the emir, but to also pray for the emirate and the lives of those killed in Kaduna State. We are going to push for it until justice…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Kaduna State to commiserate with the victims and families of last Sunday’s military airstrikes at Tudun Biri village in Igabi Local Government Area of the state. He was welcomed on arrival at the Nigerian Air Force base, Mando by Governor Uba Sani and top officials of the Kaduna State Government. The Vice President was accompanied by the Speaker, Abbas Tajuddeen, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Thursday’s condolence visit comes four days after the deadly airstrike that killed over 85 persons and injured several…

GOVERNOR Uba Sani of Kaduna State has ordered a full investigation into Sunday’s tragic military air strike at Tudun Biri village which claimed the lives of over 50 people. The villagers were observing Maulud celebration and were mistakenly killed and many others injured following a military drone attack targeting terrorists and bandits. In a statement issued to condole with the people of Tudun Biri community over the tragic incident, the governor said his administration is determined to prevent a repeat of the incident. He reassured the citizens that their security and protection will be prioritised in the sustained fight against…

MEMBERS of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Friday unanimously elected, Danladi Jatau, representing Kokona West Constituency as Speaker of the House. Similarly, the position of the Deputy Speaker went to Mohammed Oyanki, member representing Doma North Constituency. The newly occupied positions followed Tuesday’s sack of the former Speaker, Ibrahim Abdullahi at the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja. Our correspondent reports that the new Speaker, Jatua, a member of the All Progressives Congress, collaborated with Oyanki, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party to emerge as leader of the assembly in order to maintain its existing peace.…

THE crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Bauchi State has deepened as executives of the party, on Thursday, passed a vote of no confidence in its Chairman, Babayo Misau. The APC Legal Adviser, Rabi’u Garba, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of an emergency meeting held at the Next Level Secretariat of the party. He said that 27 out of the 37 executives of the party took the decision during the meeting because Misau failed in his responsibilities as state chairman pointing out that this has caused the party losses at the last general election, especially the…

THE Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has rejected over 30,000 applicants who applied as cadets of the 75th Regular Course of the prestigious military institution. NDA Commandant, Major General John Ochai, who made the disclosure at the matriculation of 441 cadets into the various degree programmes as members of the 75th Regular Course of the NDA, said the 441 cadets including one allied student from the Gambia were selected after a competitive screening exercise. He explained that the selection of just 441 cadets out of the over 30,000 applicants, underscored how the academy prioritise competence and compliance with international best standards.…

INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police, Kayode Edbetokun, has said that the Police is not at war with the military. Egbetokun said this during a visit to the Yola command of the Nigeria Police Force, where he offered his sympathies to the family of the late Inspector Jacob Daniel, who was murdered during an invasion of the police quarter guard by soldiers. He told his men that the recent clash between the police and army was being addressed by the highest security authorities in the country. Edbetokun condemned the attack and assured the family of the late officer that justice would be served.…

TROOPS of the Nigerian Army and local vigilantes have rescued six hostages abducted by bandits in a forest in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The all-male hostages were rescued in good condition on Friday and had been reunited with their families. This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Special Adviser to Governor Nasir Idris on Media and Publicity, Malam Yahaya Sarki. “The victims have been reported missing, I mean kidnapped for some time now. Security operatives in the area comprising the army and the local vigilante were alerted and they swung into action inside the…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, on Thursday, said it would end the importation of refined petroleum products by December 2024 as all the country’s refineries would be operational by then. It also projected that the national oil firm would grow its revenue to N4.5tn at the end of 2023 adding that the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, under NNPCL’s management, would be completed by December this year. The Group Chief Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, disclosed this when he led officials of the company to a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen…

THE Federal Government has said plans are underway to conduct head counts of Almajiris in the country and enroll them into the homegrown school feeding programme by the present administration. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Schools Feeding, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, revealed this during a courtesy call on the Executive Governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi A. Sule in Lafia. A statement by Special Assistant to the SSA, Mr Oyedokun Oyewumi indicated that the programme targets children in public schools, adding that her office is open to suggestions. She said her interactions with relevant authorities demonstrates President Bola Ahmed…

OPERATIVES of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Friday stormed the Kaduna State Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the arrest of some suspected Internet fraudsters. The suspects included some serving military personnel. The soldiers arrived at the EFCC office sited at Number 4, Wurno Road in the Kaduna State capital around 10 am in about three Hilux patrol vans and surrounded the main gate of the anti-graft commission office thereby preventing the EFCC officials from going in or out of your offices. In what resembled a combat scenario, the Air Force soldiers and policemen…

AMINA Hassan, a 20-year-old bride from Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, has been arrested for reportedly setting her husband’s newly built house on fire. Amina’s action was reportedly triggered by her husband’s refusal to grant her a divorce. The couple were said to have made the agreement before their marriage. According to reports, Amina had informed her parents that she was no longer interested in the marriage a few days before the wedding. However, they insisted that the wedding must go ahead as they had already distributed invitation cards. After the wedding, she sought the help of…

THE National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has named Setonji Koshoedo the party’s acting National Secretary. Until his appointment, Koshoedo was the Deputy National Secretary of the party. PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, announced the appointment after the NWC meeting on Tuesday, Damagum explained that Koshoedo’s appointment is pending the determination of the case before the Enugu High Court. “We decided that the Deputy National Secretary should take over in an acting capacity pending the resolution of the Court case. We also direct parties involved in the Court case to stand down action for the party’s due…

PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero on Friday said that he was arrested in Owerri by the Police and was handed over to waiting thugs that got him thoroughly beaten. He said that the thugs who were about seven in number dragged him on the floor like a common criminal. Briefing journalists in Abuja, the NLC president said the NLC wrote to all the security agencies before they went to the state for the protest on November I. According to him, workers who arrived at the venue of the protest on that day around 7 am…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has sacked Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and reinstated Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency election in Kano State. The three-man panel led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye held that Datti’s appeal had merit and allowed it. The panel further averred that the tribunal was wrong to have counted the date of the appellant’s resignation on the date of his party primary, adding that Section 77 of the Electoral Act was misapplied as the issue of membership of a political…

THE Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Monday for hearing in the appeal of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) against his All Progressive Congress (APC) rival, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. The governor had filed an appeal to challenge the nullification of his election by the Kano Election Petition Tribunal. This newspaper reports that a three-man panel of judges led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid because “they were not signed or stamped by INEC”. Yusuf had described the tribunal’s verdict as “unfair”…

AT least, 123 schools have reportedly been closed down completely in Katsina State due to activities of bandits and other criminal elements terrorizing citizens of the State. Similarly, a total of 58 healthcare facilities across the state not even the dispensaries are not working according to the State Government. The Special Advisor to Governor Dikko Radda on Victims of Banditry and IDPs, Sa’idu Ibrahim Danja disclosed this on Thursday in Katsina at the launch of the Project Steering Committee for the International Organization For Migration’s “Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation in Northwest Nigeria”. “Access to justice is no longer there…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has welcomed the intervention of President Bola Tinubu into the Rivers State crisis, calling on all parties to sheathe their sword. This was contained in a communique issued by the governors on Tuesday evening after they met at the Oyo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja to discuss the crisis in the oil-rich state and other national issues. “The PDP Governors were alarmed at the recent developments in Rivers State and welcome the intervention of Mr. President to bring the crises to an end,” the communique signed by the Chairman of the Forum and…

THE Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has named the Dangote Cement Plc as the best Contributing Employer for the year 2022 in Kogi State. In a letter seen by this reporter, the Fund said the award is in recognition of the company’s promotion of “human resource development with a view to generating a pool of indigenous training manpower sufficient to meet the need of the economy of Kogi State and the nation in general.” Similarly, in their subsequent visit to the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Manager ITF Area Office Lokoja, Mr. Sokoto A. Simon said the award was also in recognition…

THE Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Mesfin Tasew has provided an insight into the involvement of the East African Airline in the setting up of Nigeria Air, saying the airline almost withdrew but the government insisted it should continue with the process. This is the first time the Ethiopian Airlines leadership would speak on the controversy over the airline which dogged the last minutes of the immediate past administration. Former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika had floated the airline on May 27 which did not see the light of the day as it was later discovered…