Author: Aliyu H. Mohammed, Minna

THERE was pandemonium at Minna, Niger State Capital, when a suspected member of Boko Haram commander engaged security operatives in a gun duel in the wee hours of Tuesday. Security Operatives were said to have launched an operation at Gebganu Area of Minna, where the house of the suspect is located. This newspaper gathered that no fewer than 150 AK47 rifles, about 3, 000 live ammunitions, explosives, a rocket launcher and Anti-aircraft rifle were recovered from the house. A night watchman from the neighboring house, Mubarak Abubakar, was reportedly hit by stray bullet and is receiving treatment at the emergency…

THE Village Head of Zazzaga in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, Mallam Usman Sarki, has been shot dead by bandits. This newspaper gathered that some bandits launched the attack on Zazzaga and adjoining communities Tuesday night. Sources said dozens other farmers including women were also kidnapped. A source who pleaded anonymity said, “the attack was launched in the night on Tuesday. They shot the village Head of Zazzaga, Mallam Usman Sarki, dead and kidnapped dozen other. For now, we cannot give the exact number of people they took away. They also rustled many cattle belonging to us.” Another…

OVER l30 farmers lost their lives, mostly women, while several others are missing in a mishap involving a passenger boat in Gbajibo Community, Mokwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State. Sources said the victims were from Gbajibo, Ekwa and Yankeiade, all in Mokwa LGA. Chairman, Mokwa LGA, Jibrin Abdullahi Muregi, confirmed the incident, saying 37 corpses had so far been recovered by local divers as at 2pm sunday. He added that efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining victims. This newspaper gathered that the incident happened on Sunday morning. Officials of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, however, said…

THE National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting at the Minna High Court complex has upheld the election of Senator Sani Musa of All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Sani was dragged to the Tribunal by Barrister Ibrahim Isyaku (SAN) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of the second respondent at the February 25, 2023, National Assembly Election of Niger East Senatorial district. The petitioner in his Petition filed on the 7th of June 2023, claimed that the election was marred with unprecedented irregularities, over-voting, and denial of eligible voters to cast their in seven out of…

THE Niger State chapter of Organized Labour has rejected the N110 million palliative allocated to it by the state government saying, the money should be added to the palliative earmarked for the civil servants in the state. The State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulkarim Idris Lafene, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen in Minna. Lafene, frowned at the insensitivity of Governor Umar Bago’s led government for excluding pensioners in the sharing fomular of the palliative added that the exclusion of the senior citizens is a serious source of concern for the labour unions and that such flaws…