Author: Aliyu H. Mohammed, Minna

OPERATIVES of the Niger State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the arrest of one Fatiyah Abdulhakeem who works as a panel beater, for allegedly killing an ex-Permanent Secretary of the State Government, Adamu Jagaba. Abdulhakeem, 18, was alleged to have stabbed the victim in the head and made away with his car. Jagaba, who retired from the State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, also operated a block moulding industry at the Eastern Bye Pass in Minna, the state capital, before his death. The victim was said to have been rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead…

A DEVASTATING boat accident occurred in the early hours of Friday along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of River Niger, resulting in the loss of multiple lives. According to eyewitnesses, the boat, which belonged to one Musa Dangana, was carrying over 200 passengers, including market women and farm labourers, en route to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State. Tragically, it capsized, throwing all on board into the water. Rescue efforts are underway with local divers working to recover the bodies of the victims. As of the time of this report, eight bodies have been recovered, while search and rescue operations continue…

NO fewer than 20 passengers in 5 vehicles have been reportedly kidnapped on Mariga-Kontagora road in Niger State. The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, who also represents Mariga Constituency, Barrister Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji made this known in an interview with journalists. He said the incident happened on Thursday when bandits blocked Mariga-Kontagora road between Baban-Lamba and Beri. The Speaker was reacting to the military refutal that bandits were not on its training ground in Kontagora LGA of the state which also extends to Mariga LGA. Sarkin-Daji said families of the victims previously kidnapped had taken ransom to bandits…

THE Niger State government has approved a new minimum wage of ₦80,000 for civil servants, which is to commence in November 2024. This announcement was made by the state governor, Umaru Bago, following a lengthy negotiation between the state government and the leadership of the state’s labour union. Governor Bago assured workers that the state’s investment in agricultural development would support the sustainability of the new minimum wage. “This is very sustainable. ₦80,000 is sustainable,” Bago emphasized. “With our agricultural strides, we are sure we can pay. We are creating a civil service farm to encourage productivity among civil servants.…

AT least 60 bodies have been recovered following a boat accident in Niger State. According to a release by the Press Secretary to the Council Chairman of Mokwa local government, Abubakar Dakani, the boat was carrying over 300 passengers when it capsised at the notorious Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State yesterday evening. Dakani said the boat was travelling from Mundi to Gbajibo for the Annual Maulud celebration when tragedy struck. The release also confirmed that Council Chairman Abdullahi Muregi acknowledged the recovery of approximately 60 bodies, while 10 survivors have been found. It added that…

THE National Examinations Council, NECO, has released the 2024 SSCE internal results. This was disclosed on Thursday, September 19, by the NECO’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi. He briefed journalists in Minna during the release of the 2024 SSCE internal results. Also, Wushishi said that NECO blacklisted 21 supervisors in 12 states. They also de-recognised one school in Ekiti state for mass cheating in three subjects. How to check NECO 2024 results: Below are the easy steps to check your NECO 2024 results online: 1. Visit NECO portal at https://www.neco.gov.ng. This is the only official platform for accessing your results.…

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, General Aliyu Gusau, on Sunday, visited ex-Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida at his Hill Top residence in Minna, Niger State. This newspaper gathered that Obasanjo arrived Minna International Airport in Golf Steam 5 Aircraft at about 4:30pm and drove straight to General Babangida’s residence where he joined Abdulsalami and Gusau. A source familiar with the visit said the four elderstatesmen held a closed door meeting that lasted for about an hour after which Obasanjo left Minna around 6:20pm. He said the meeting might not be unconnected with pressing national…

IN the early hours of Sunday, a tragic tanker explosion occurred along the Lapai-Agaie road, approximately 2 kilometres from Dendo Community in the Agaie Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State. The incident, which occurred around 12:30 am, involved a petrol tanker loaded with petrol that collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle. The trailer, coming from Wudil in Kano State and en route to Lagos, was heavily impacted by the collision, which led to a massive explosion. Two other vehicles, a crane truck, and a pickup van, were also caught in the inferno, intensifying the devastation. Initial reports…

THE Niger State Police Command said it has uncovered a large cache of explosive devices including bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices buried in multiple locations in the state. Although an investigation is going on to unravel the sources of the explosive devices, they are suspected to have been concealed by terrorists and bandits who have been wreaking havoc in several local governments in the state. Some of the local governments where these devices were uncovered include Galadima-Kogo in Shiroro Local Government Area, Mutun-Daya in Munya LG, and the Gbeganu Area of Minna. The Command’s spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun who released a…

THE impact of high flooding has destroyed crops in the Argungu Local Government Area and other affected regions in Kebbi and Niger States. This was revealed by the Head of Press and Public Affairs at the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Nura Wakili in a statement on Tuesday, while extending deepest sympathies to the farmers who were affected by the environmental disaster. The commission said it viewed the unfortunate event as a significant setback to the nation’s efforts in promoting sustainability and ensuring food security. The statement said the Commission’s Managing Director, Abubakar Yelwa, expressed deep concern…

NIGER State Government has conditionally suspended its ban on mining activities in the state, a year after Governor Umaru Bago placed the restriction. Acting Governor Yakubu Garba announced the suspension at the Government House in Minna, outlining the conditions for mining companies to operate in the state. He said mining companies must approach the State Ministry of Mineral Resources for profiling, to curb insecurity and reduce revenue losses. He said the profiling process will enable the state government to keep track of mining activities, ensure compliance with regulations, and prevent illegal mining. The acting governor also inaugurated a task force…

THE kidnappers of 26 women from Allawa Community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have released a video featuring two of the captives. In the video, the women plead with their families to provide the 130 motorcycles demanded for their release. The 30-second video, shared with our correspondent, shows one of the women tied to a tree, pleading for her family to deliver the items required by the kidnappers. Speaking in Hausa, she calls on a relative named Abdulrahman to help provide the items. “Umar, please talk to Abdulrahman. They have brought me to a service area now.…

BANDITS have killed 13 persons on their farms at the Ijuwa fringes of the Alawa community of the Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.  The LGA Chairman, Akilu Isyaku, confirmed the killing of the 13 farmers in an interview with a local radio station in Minna on Wednesday. He said the bandits shot nine of the victims to death while four others were killed at a different location the same day. A local who spoke to News Point Nigeria also said the bandits targeted the community over allegations that members supply intelligence to security agencies on bandits’ movements.…

TWO siblings have died following a mine collapse in Kakaki village, Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State. The incident comes months after a mine collapsed in Shiroro, Niger State, resulting in the death of several miners. In the latest incident, the siblings – Zubairu Ibrahim, 20, and Sadiq Ibrahim, 25, – reportedly died when the mine they were working in suddenly caved in on Sunday. News Point Nigeria gathered that the victims left their home on that fateful day without informing their parents of their plans to join others at the mine site in search of solid minerals. Their…

UNKNOWN Gunmen have killed a farm manager and kidnapped three other individuals during a raid on two farms in Niger State. The manager of one of the farms, located on the outskirts of the Sabon-Wuse community in Tafa Local Government Area, whose name was not immediately provided, reportedly attempted to confront the gun-wielding hoodlums when he was shot to death. The Commander of the Security Vigilante in Tafa community, Hussaini Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits had first abducted three people before shooting the manager. “The manager was among those who attempted to confront the gunmen, but in…

THE Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) with the commissioning of the rehabilitated New Bussa waterworks in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who commissioned the project, said the FG is dedicated to ensuring universal access to clean water and sanitation for all Nigerians. The New Bussa waterworks, which had been moribund for over three decades, has been restored to provide sustainable water management and improve public health in the community. The project is particularly significant for the community, which houses the…

FORMER Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, has disclaimed a post on a parody social media account endorsing military rule over democratic governance. The parody account, @General_Ibbro on X (formerly Twitter), falsely attributed comments to General Babangida, suggesting he preferred military rule to democracy. But in a statement signed by Mahmoud Abdullahi for IBB Media Office, Babangida emphasised his commitment to Nigeria’s democratic process. “Our attention has been drawn to a post on a parody account on X, formerly known as Twitter, which carries the handle, @General_Ibbro, in which former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, was supposed to have endorsed the virtues…

AT least six people have been reportedly killed while some sustained injuries in the ongoing protest in Suleja, Niger State. The victims were said to have killed while security operatives were struggling to dislodge a group of protesters who mounted barricade on a section of Abuja-Kaduna highway. This newspaper had reported how passengers and motorists were trapped on the road for hours. Some policemen who were around the barricade could not control the youths who outnumbered them. However, a reinforcement team was sent to the scene where pandemonium occurred. Among those killed was said to be Yahaya Nda Isah, a…

SOME youths have trooped to the streets of Niger State to protest the ongoing cost of living crisis in Nigeria. They wielded placards such as ‘Enough is Enough’; ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies’; ‘We Are Not Slaves In Our Country’; ‘Hardship Is Unbearable’, ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back’, among others. The protesters marched on the streets as they chanted anti-government songs. Our correspondent saw some of the protesters on Abuja-Kaduna expressway and attempted to speak with them but they declined. The Federal and State governments had made several efforts to stop the protest, saying it could be hijacked by hoodlums and enemies…

RESIDENTS of Kuchi, an agrarian community in Munya Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, continue to suffer as 148 farmers remain in captivity fifty-three days after a devastating bandit raid on May 24, 2024. The bandits, numbering over 100, abducted the farmers, including pregnant women and children, and have since demanded ransom for their release. Abdulmalik Iliyasu, speaking to our correspondent, expressed anguish over the situation, revealing that some captives have died. Those released revealed that the bandits collected ransom before informing families of the deaths. “The bandits demand N2 million and a Honda motorcycle for each captive. We…