Author: Sani Nura

TROOPS and local hunters are in gun fight with the renowned bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji, in Gatawa town of Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto state, after cornering him behind some hills. Multiple sources from Gatawa confided in this newspaper correspondent that a gun battle began around 6am today. One of the sources, who pleaded for anonymity, said the bandits attempted to attack the town but soldiers and local hunters prevented them from entry. “We are suspecting that Bello Turji is personally leading the fight. Fire exchange started around 6am and up till this time (3:45pm) that I am…

GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has approved the appointment of three new Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service. According to a statement by the Director-General, ( Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe, Ismaila Uba Misilli, Tuesday, the Governor’s approval was conveyed by the Head of Civil Service, Ahmed Kasimu Abdullahi, who explained that the appointments were based on the appointees’ outstanding credentials, extensive experience, hard work, commitment, and loyalty, as well as their exceptional performance in the recent promotion examinations and interviews. The Head of Service further noted that the appointments were necessitated by the vacancies created due…

THE Lakurawa terror group in some parts of northern Nigeria is not new, a security expert and a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have said. A few weeks ago, the Defence Headquarters said a new terrorist group ‘Lakurawa’ had emerged in the North-Western part of Nigeria. But the security expert Bulama Bukarti and the Publicity Secretary of the ACF Tukur Muhammad-Baba who both appeared on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today Monitored by News Point Nigeria, suprisingly said the group has existed before now. “The group that is called Lakurawa today has been sporadically living or camping…

THE Acting Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has arrived in Sokoto for his maiden operational visit to 8th Division Area of Responsibility. News Point Nigeria reports that, in the North-Western state, he is expected to visit the Sultan of Sokoto and meet with other relevant stakeholders within the 8th Division Area of Responsibility. He would use the opportunity to address troops of the Operation Fasan Yamma fighting terrorists in the northwest region. Oluyede’s visit comes three days after the Defence Headquarters confirmed the emergence of a new terror group known as ‘Lakurawa’ in Sokoto and Kebbi states.…

THE new armed group, known as Lakurawa, has reportedly killed 15 people and rustled over 100 cows in Mera, Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State in a latest tragic incident to befall the state. News Point Nigeria reports that the attack was confirmed by the Deputy Governor, Abubakar Umar Tafida, who expressed condolences to the victims’ families in tears. During his visit to the community, Tafida reassured citizens of the state government’s commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice and preventing further attacks. He emphasised that the government would continue collaborating closely with security agencies to ensure the safety…

TWO security officials comprising a member of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps, and one vigilante member lost their lives in an encounter with armed bandits terrorising Jibia Local Government Area of the State. As a result of the simultaneous coordinated attacks carried out by the hoodlums in three quarters in Jibia Township on Thursday November 7, five persons sustained gunshot injuries. The hoodlums launched the attacks at about 2115 hrs (9:15 pm), on Ka’ida, Unguwar One Boy, and Danmarke quarters, all in Jibia Township, Jibia LGA, Katsina State. The spokesman of the State Police Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq confirmed…

THE first week of November 2024 was a very busy,memorable and highly engaging one for the government and people of Taraba state,as it’s very vibrant and  awesomely thoughtful state governor, His Excellency Dr Agbu Kefas and his entire EXCO all dedicated it to very elaborate and genuinely ambitious engagement of about 14 different local/international technical and business investors,all geared towards adding value to the economic, social and technological development of Taraba state. These visiting investors mostly from the Americas,Europe, Middle-East and Asia,all trooped into the state capital, Jalingo,armed with various project & program proposals, articulated towards effecting the needed positive…

ZAMFARA State Governor, Dauda Lawal, on Wednesday ordered the immediate suspension of all non-statutory deductions, notably cooperative associations and commodity vendors deductions. Workers in the North-Western state have raised multiple complaints regarding deductions made through the state payroll system. In a statement issued in Gusau made available to News Point Nigeria, the spokesperson for the governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said that the directive aimed at banning all non-statutory deductions made through the Zamfara State Government payroll. “The decision was made due to numerous complaints about deductions from workers’ salaries, some of which were used to facilitate an illegal surcharge of…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all the chairmanship positions in the local government elections conducted in Nasarawa State and Cross River State on Saturday. In Nasarawa, the ruling party was declared winner of the chairmanship poll in all the 13 local governments of the state. The chairman of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), Ayuba Wandai, declared the results at the headquarters of the electoral commission in Lafia. According to him, for the 147 councillorship seats, the APC won in 140 wards, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won in 5 wards and the Zenith Labour Party…

GOMBE State Government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China18th Engineering, an international engineering firm renowned for large-scale infrastructure and energy projects, for the provision of a 100 Megawatt solar energy plant, as part of measures to enhance energy self-sufficiency in the state. This agreement was signed following recent engagements between Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and top executives of China Railway 18th Bureau Group in China. Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources, Sanusi Ahmad Pindiga signed on behalf of Gombe State Government, while the Group Managing Director, Wan Lian Yu, signed for his company. Governor Inuwa Yahaya,…

THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says power supply has been restored to the 330kV Gombe-Damaturu- Maiduguri 330kV transmission line. According to the TCN General Manager of Public Affairs Ndidi Mbah, the power supply was restored between between Wednesday and Thursday. “Power supply was fully restored on Gombe – Damaturu line at about 7:25 pm, on the 30th, and on the Damaturu – Maiduguri (Molai) part of the line, supply was restored yesterday, October 31, 2024, around 2:01 pm,” she said in a late Friday statement. The development came about over a month after tower 372 along the 330kV transmission…

THE Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, has affirmed its earlier judgment on the illegal dethronement of the 19th Emir of Gwandu, Al-Mustapha Jokolo. This judgement was the second time the Kebbi State government has lost the appeal against the judgement of the lower court which held the same position. Justice Tobi expressed satisfaction with the earlier judgment passed by Justice Abbas Ahman of the Kebbi State High Court, stating that the deposition of the 19th Emir was contrary to the law and did not follow due process. The judge declared the dethronement of Jakolo null and void, noting that he…

OVER 10 traditional and community leaders in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State have resigned from their positions as community and traditional leaders. A spokesman for the leaders and the Ubandoma of Sarkin Gobir, Jamilu Gobir, said over ten of them and their followers decided to resign and pitch tent with Senator Ibrahim Lamido of Sokoto East to liberate the eastern zone of Sokoto from the shackles of insecurity, poverty, and education backwardness. He said beyond politics, the eastern zone of Sokoto is in dear need of deliberate interventions to liberate the region economically haven’t suffered a…

THE Katsina State Government has approved the N70,000 new minimum wage and on Friday inaugurated a 15-member committee to advise the government on important strategies and modalities to implement the new minimum wage with consequential adjustments applied to workers in both the state and local governments. The committee, which is to be headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, was tasked with completing the assignment and submitting its report within three weeks. This move, according to the State Commissioner of Information and Culture, Bala Salisu Zango, is a step towards improving the standard of living for workers…

THIS was announced during the presentation of the Minimum Wage Committee’s report which the governor set up. It was a long-awaited moment for Kebbi State workers who had anticipated a salary increase following the agreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Federal Government on a N72,000 minimum wage. The new minimum wage for Kebbi workers is a slight increase from the Federal Government’s. In the presence of national leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, led by Joe Ajaero, the Secretary to the State Government, Yakubu Bala, revealed that the agreement was reached after extensive meetings between the state…

GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, earlier today, participated in the National Cybercrime Summit held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Organized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) and the European Union, the summit focused on enhancing digital skills as a strategy to combat cybercrime. The event, had as its theme, “Alternative to Cybercrime: Optimizing Cyber Skills for National Development”, as a demonstration of commitment to building digital resilience and ensuring a secure online environment for sustainable national development. The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu,…

KATSINA State Government on Monday directed the immediate closure and revocation of registration and licenses of all private health training institutions operating in the state. This directive followed the recent findings by the State Ministry of Health about the operations of numerous unregistered private health training institutions, many of which operate under questionable standards in the state that have raised serious concerns. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Institutions, Umar Mammada, while addressing a press conference at the Katsina State Secretariat Complex, revealed that some of these institutions do not meet the necessary requirements to operate as private…

THE Sokoto State Police Command has cracked down on a kidnapping syndicate, arresting the prime suspect, 18-year-old Abba Aliyu, who is a neighbour to the complainant from the Badon Hanya area of Sokoto State. A statement made available to newsmen in the state on Saturday by the spokesman of the command, ASP Ahmed Rufai, said on October 16, 2024, at about 1200hrs, Ibrahim Shehu reported to the Anti kidnapping unit attached to the Criminal Investigation Department Sokoto that his son, Saidu Ibrahim, two years old had gone missing since October 13, 2024, at 1800 hrs. “Despite efforts to locate him,…

GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has approved the reorganization of Gombe United Football Club with appointment of new leadership to align with the government’s objective of repositioning the football club for better performance and improving the management of sports in the state. The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi who conveyed the Governor’s approval, indicated that the newly constituted leadership is to align with the government’s objective of repositioning the football club for better performance and improving the management of sports in the state. Mallam Anas Bamusa – General Manager Mr. Ishaya Usman – Team…

THE Gombe State government, through its negotiation team led by deputy governor, Manassah Jatau, has successfully reached an agreement with the staff of the State-owned University, who are currently on strike. Our correspondent reports that the resolution was reached on Friday after the government pledged to address their grievances. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Zonal Coordinator, Timothy Namo, confirmed the agreement, stating that the union has accepted all terms outlined during its discussions with the state government’s negotiation committee. He assured that the process for reopening the Gombe State University would begin within the next week to restore…