Author: Sani Nura

THE Zamfara State Police Command on Saturday said it has returned all vehicles it seized from a former governor of the state, Bello Matawalle. The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday via telephone conversation. Abubakar said the vehicles were returned in compliance with the order of a Federal High Court sitting in Gusau. The court, presided by Justice Aminu Bappah-Aliyu, on June 15, ordered all security agencies that removed the vehicles from Matawalle’s houses in Gusau and Maradun to return them within 48 hours. Security operatives…

ALHAJI Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto on Saturday directed Muslims to look out for the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah 1444 AH from Sunday. Abubakar, the President General Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) gave the directive in a statement signed by Prof. Sambo Junaidu, Chairman Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto. Dhul-Hijjah is the 12th and the last month in the Islamic calendar in which Muslims perform annual pilgrimage (Hajj) and celebrate Eid-el-Kabir festival. The statement said, “This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that, Sunday 18th June, which is equivalent to 29th day of Dhul-Qadah…

OVER a hundred students of the Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State have blocked Gusau-Kaduna road to protest the abduction of five students of the university. Five students of the institution were abducted by bandits last Friday night, a situation which has angered the students to block the road as a result of which several motorists were left stranded for several hours. Efforts by the security agents to disperse the students proved abortive as many of them sat on the main road, calling on the appropriate authorities to take urgent action on the security situation in the institution. The Vice…

THE member representing Hong constituency, Barthiya Wesley, has emerged Speaker of the 8th Adamawa State House of Assembly. Wesley was elected unopposed. Similarly, Buba Mohammed Jijiwa of Jada Mbulo also emerged as Deputy Speaker unopposed. Barthiya becomes the first physically challenged person to be elected leader of a legislature, a key fulcrum of government. Though he was not born with a disability, Barthiya survived a crash earlier in life that left him with one of his arms amputated. The UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in its 61st session of the General assembly by resolution A/RES/61/106 states…

BANDITS on Monday killed a medical doctor and abducted 10 people including members of the slain doctor’s family in an attack on Jangebe community, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Residents said the armed men stormed the community around 1am and began to fire shots from several directions. Jangebe community has suffered series of abductions. From January to date, there have been at least four cases of bandits’ invasions of the community according to the residents. In February 2021, more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted from a secondary school in the community. In December 2022, the family members…

ONE person has been killed in an attack by gunmen on Balma and Bakuntube villages in the Ningi Local Government Area (LGA) of Bauchi State. Also abducted in the attack were two district heads and one other person. Eyewitnesses said the attackers were heavily armed and the operation took place in the two villages between Saturday night and Sunday morning within a few hours’ interval. The Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakili, confirmed the incident on Monday to News Point Nigeria, saying the Ningi division of the police had been directed to comb the Balma Forest, rescue the…

FORMER Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has said most of his vehicles taken away by the security agencies from his two houses in Gusau and Maradun were bought before he became a governor. Matawalle was reacting to Friday’s invasion of his home by security consisting of police and the Department of State Services (DSS). News Point Nigeria had reported how operatives moved straight to the former governor’s residence and started evacuating the vehicles. However, speaking to BBC Hausa on Saturday, Matawalle accused the security agents of looting the personal belongings of his wives and children, including clothing materials. He said…

AT least 50 farmers have been reportedly killed by bandits in various communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, while several others have fled their homes. This newspaper gathered that the attacks occured between Wednesday and Saturday. In the latest attacks on about five villages which took place between 2pm on Friday and Saturday morning, an unspecified number of lives were lost and several others abducted including women and girls. Our correspondent was told that while 13 people lost their lives in Kusherki community, 12 others were killed in Gidigori village and several others were yet to be…

SOME vehicles have been seized from the residence of the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, in Gusau, the state capital. Sources told this newspaper that Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were impounded during a raid on Matawalle’s GRA residence in Gusau, on Friday on the order of the state governor, Dauda Lawal Dare. Speaking on a local radio station, the governor had said, “Former governor Bello Matawalle had gone away with 17 vehicles from his office and those in the deputy governor’s office claiming that the vehicles are his personal belongings. In fact, not even office equipment were…

BORNO State Governor, Babagana Zulum has directed the Ministry of Health to investigate and fish out medical staff on duty for allegedly rejecting victims of accidents rushed to Umaru Shehu Ultra Modern Hospital in Maiduguri. Zulum gave the directive on Thursday at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital. The governor’s visit to the hospital was in response to a video clip which went viral showing how some medical officers allegedly rejected accident victims brought to the hospital on a date and time that that will be determined by investigators. He gave 24 hours for a probe team to…

GUNMEN suspected to be kidnappers have abducted Zainab Abbas, who is the wife of an Adamawa State High Court Judge. The incident reportedly occurred between the hours of 1:00 am to 2:00 am on Wednesday at Nyibango, Army Barracks road in Jimeta Yola, Adamawa State. A fortnight ago, a gang of kidnappers stormed the community and whisked away a renowned televangelist Pastor Mike Ochigbo. The Police Command in Adamawa disclosed the latest abduction in a statement and vowed to rescue the wife of the abducted High Court Judge. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Suleiman Nguroje said…

BANDITS have attacked Sakiddar Magaji and Janbako communities of the Maradun Local Government Area in Zamfara State, killing no fewer than 10 persons. Sources from the Janbako community confirmed the tragic incident to News Point Nigeria on Sunday, saying that several others sustained various injuries. In reaction to the latest attack, the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal condemned the attack on the two communities in the Maradun local government area of the state. He described the attack as barbaric and unprovoked aggression against innocent people, adding that his administration will not fold its arms and allow criminal elements to unleash…

THE Katsina State Internal Revenue Service (KTIRS) has embarked on a warning exercise to recover over N1 billion in debt and liabilities from erring commercial banks and other taxpayers operating in the state. During the exercise monitored by Channels Television on Friday, officials of the State Internal Revenue Service led by the Executive Chairman visited three commercial banks in the state and an electricity distribution company, posting notices in some strategic places. The Executive Chairman of the service, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad, noted that the defaulters had a period of two weeks to settle their outstanding liabilities, failure of which he…

ZAMFARA State Governor Dauda Lawal has accused his predecessor Bello Matawalle of spending N2,794,337,500 on new vehicles and failing to leave them behind upon his exit from office last Monday. The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Bala Idris, in a statement on Saturday, said a contract awarded by the former governor, for the purchase of vehicles to be distributed to dignitaries and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at N1,149,800,000. It added that the contract for the purchase of the vehicles was awarded to Hafkhad Properties and Facilities Management Nig. LTD. He also alleged that N484,512,500…

CHIEF Whip of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Haruna Jilantikiri, has opted for bicycle in protest of the recent fuel price hike. The lawmaker, who represents Madagali constituency at the state Assembly, said he decided to dump his car and use bicycle for his daily activities. Petrol price almost tripled after President Bola Tinubu declared that the subsidy regime had ended. Hon. Jilantikiri who spoke to newsmen while riding his bicycle, on Thursday, lamented about the current petrol price. He said he does not think that citizens can afford to drive cars considering the current economic situation. “We…

NO fewer than 18 persons including famous leader, Dahiru Dangamji have been reportedly killed in a separate attacks on communities under Ruwandoruwa ward of the Maru Local Government Area in Zamfara State. An eyewitness, Aminu Ilyasu, who is a member of local vigilante group known as Yan Sakai, told News Point Nigeria that the armed bandits had targeted the vigilante leader of Dangamji community. He said the vigilante leader, Dahiru Dangamji was killed alongside three other persons in his hideout inside bush around Danzara community. “The bandits purposely targeted a vigilante leader Dangamji. He was killed alongside three other persons…

THE Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has appointed Alhaji Abubakar Nakwada as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). The Governor equally appointed Mukhtar Lugga as the Chief of Staff. In another statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, the Executive Governor has also approved the appointment of Sharifudden F. Jatto as Private Secretary to the Governor; Imran Rufa’i Ahmad, as the Personal Assistant to the Governor, Aminu Almajir as the Deputy Chief of Staff Administration; Sulaiman Bala Idris as the Senior Special Assistant, New Media. Others are Nura Almajir as the Senior Special Assistant, Political Matters; Zahradeen…

THE Sokoto state governor, Ahmad Aliyu, has directed the reversal of major decisions taken by former governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal before he left office. The Press Secretary to the Governor, Abubakar Bawa, made the announcement when he addressed journalists at the Government House on Tuesday. “All recent appointments into the State Civil Service made by the out-going government after 19h March, 2023 are hereby nullified with immediate effect. The renaming of tertiary institutions in the state and other appointments related to their Governing Councils and their relocations announced recently by the out going Administration are hereby nullified. All the affected…

Katsina State Governor, Dr Umar Dikko Radda, announced his first set of appointments on Tuesday. In a statement he personally signed, the governor announced Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, a former Director General of the Federal Mortgage Bank, as the Secretary to the Government of the State and Jabiru Tsauri as the Chief of Staff. Similarly, Barr. Muhtar Aliyu Saulawa gets Deputy Chief of Staff; while Alh. Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji has been appointed as Principal Private Secretary. Other appointments approved by Governor Radda are Mallam Maiwada Danmallam, Director General Media; Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed Chief Press Secretary; Malam Miqdad Isah as Senior…

US President Joe Biden has congratulated President Bola Tinubu on his inauguration, saying he looks forward to working with the new government of Nigeria. While saying both Nigeria and the US have strong ties which dates several years back, Biden expressed his desire to strengthen the bond. “On behalf of the people of the United States, I send warm wishes to the government and people of Nigeria as they inaugurate a new President,” Biden said in a Monday statement on the White House website. “My administration has worked to strengthen ties between the United States and Nigeria, and I look…