The Kogi State Command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) made a total seizure of 3,433.450 kilogrammes of illicit drugs and arrested 143 suspects in connection with the seizures across the state in 2015. The commander of the agency in Kogi, Alhaji Idris Bello, who disclosed this in his end of year briefing yesterday in Lokoja, said the command also impounded 11 vehicles used to ferry the drugs. Bello said that the command discovered and destroyed a large cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) farm at Uloko in Ankpa Local Government Area of the state and arrested a man suspected to be…
Author: Kunle Atiba
The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) has disclosed that the Federal Government has not intention to change the uniform of officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS). He dismissed reports in a section of the media that plans are underway . Dambazau said this in a statement signed by Mr Bassey Akpanyung, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry yesterday in Abuja. “The attention of the minister, Lt. Gen Abulrahman Dambazau has been drawn to a publication to the effect that plans are underway to change the fatigue uniform of officers of the NPS. “Gen. Dambazau states that no such issue was…
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has defended the records of the administration in response to criticism that it was slow, saying that steps must be taken with caution to avoid mistakes. He stated this yesterday in Abuja in an audience with Women In Politics Forum (WIPF). “People say we are slow. We are trying to change structures put in place by our predecessors in office for 16 years. If we hurry it, we will make mistakes. That will be a disaster,” he said. According to the president, Nigeria has a budget proposal for the New Year that…
Sequel to the Federal Government’s directive to sell petrol at N86/litre for NNPC retail stations and N86.50k for other marketers, most petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had already complied. Our correspondent who went round the town reports that all the stations visited had enough products, as well as standby trucks loaded with the petrol. The stations visited such as Conoil, Oando, total and Mobil filling stations within the city centre witnessed very low patronage. Mr Suleiman Mohammed, the Sales Representative of NNPC retail station and a Supervisor of FCT retail stations, said that the directive took effect from 12…
Nigerian Government has warned Gabon and other ECOWAS member states not to dump deportees from their countries in Nigeria. The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau, gave the warning yesterday in Calabar during the evacuation of 617 people including women and children deported from Gabon to Calabar. He warned that the federal government would impound any vessel used in dumping deportees in Nigerian seaports. Dambazzau, who was represented by Mrs Funke Adeuyi, the Comptroller of Immigration, Cross River Command, said that the affected people were dumped at Calabar port since Dec. 26, 2015. He said that other punitive measures including seizure of vessels…
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday assured Nigerians that year 2016 would be a better year for all. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s Assistant Director (Publicity), Mr Edegbe Odemwingie. The statement said although 2015 was difficult, 2016 would see the fulfillment of all campaign promises by the APC. The statement said: ”I want to, on behalf of our great party, the APC, wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. While 2015 was difficult for many Nigerians, we must also look back, with relief and a collective sense of…
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday has declared Governor Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the validly elected candidate in the April governorship elections in Taraba. The appellate court set aside the November 7 judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal for the state which had declared Senator Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election. The court of appeal panel of five justices, presided over by Justice Abdul Aboki, held that the decision of the tribunal was a nullity. The appeal court said the tribunal erred in law in its decision that…
Immediate past President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator David Mark has called on Nigerian Scholars and Research Institutes to collaborate with government to fashion out a workable blue print to overcome the present economic down turn. He is of the view that the present economic quagmire is a challenge that must of a necessity bring out the best in our research institutes and professionals on the way forward. The former Senate President in a new year message to Nigerians stressed that there is no better time than now for the nation to face the stark reality and declare an emergency on how…
Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, the former Governor of Sokoto State, has endorsed the ongoing anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari. Alhaji Bafarawa, who is standing trial in the ongoing arms deal corruption trial, code-named “Dasukigate”, made this known to newsmen in Sokoto yesterday. “In spite of our ongoing trial by the court in relation to the arms deal allegations, I still support Buhari’s anti-corruption war. Nigerians should support the President’s efforts to tame the social monster, corruption as it stalls the even socio-economic development of the nation. I also fought corruption to a standstill when I was a governor in Sokoto State between 1999…
The Anglican Archdiocese of Enugu has disclosed that it will establish a football club as part of efforts to use sports as a tool for evangelism. The church also said that it would use the football club to encourage the development of youth football. Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, who is the Archbishop of the diocese, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Enugu yesterday. He said that the church’s focus on football as a tool for evangelism was based on the realisation of the need to change strategy. You find out that now people are crazy with sports and the only…
The President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, has threatened to fight African Union (AU) peacekeepers if they were deployed in the country to halt violence that has claimed hundreds of lives. Earlier this month, the AU said it was ready to send a 5,000-strong peacekeeping force to protect civilians caught up in months of unrest, triggered by Nkurunziza’s announcement in April that he would seek a controversial third term. In his first public response to the AU plan, broadcast on state radio on Wednesday, Nkurunziza said that “everyone has to respect” Burundi’s borders, according to a Reuters news agency report. “In…
Top African police officials met in Algiers this month to ratify legal documents related to the creation of Afripol, the pan-African law enforcement agency expected to begin operations next year. Algeria has played a leading role in the establishment of Afripol, which provides a mechanism for cooperation and coordination among African police services. The agency’s headquarters will be based in the Algiers neighbourhood of Ben Aknoun. According to Algeria’s national security chief, Major-General Abdelghani Hamel, this marks the start of a new phase in the country’s battle against “terrorism”. “Afripol can provide an added value to the regional and international…
Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State yesterday, presented an Appropriation Bill of N75 billion for the 2016 fiscal year. He presented the bill, christened: “Budget of Consolidation” to the state assembly in Lokoja for consideration and approval. Only 10 members, including the Speaker, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal, out of 25 members, were present during the exercise. The governor said the budget was 15.3% or N13.6 billion lower than that of 2015. He said it was his belief that the proposed 2016 budget was clearly indicative of his fair, sincere and frank assessment of resources accruing to the state. “The total budget package for year…
A statement signed by the Head of Media Relations and Strategy at Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Bisi Kazeem, indicated that FRSC has promoted 442 Marshal Inspectors, He said this is in line with the commitment of the commission to reward efficiency and punish indiscipline in the service. According to Kazeem, the commission promoted 442 personnel within the ranks of Deputy Chief Inspector and Marshal Inspector III. “At the end of the last promotion exercise, 38 Deputy Chief Inspectors were promoted to the rank of Chief Inspector, while 80 Assistant Chief Inspectors got promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief Inspector. Also,…
The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has tasked media over reportage on terrorism. Yesterday, he urged the media not to glamourise attacks of the Boko Haram sect. Mohammed spoke during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Punch Nigeria Limited in Magboro, Ogun State. He appealed to the media in the country to exercise restraint in their reportage of Boko Haram attacks. “When we glamourise the attacks, it gives the terrorists more life, and in a time of insurgency like this, the media also has a role to play, which is not to glamorise the attacks. Publicity is…
The capital of Central African Republic (CAR), Bangui is quite different to the first time I was here. Then, the main road leading away from the airport was often deserted, heads peeked around the edges of houses, people scurried across the road. Several times during that month last February I saw the dismembered bodies of Muslims lying on the ground – people watched from the shadows, nobody talked. But this time the road is busy and noisy as sellers shout out their specials. Even so, what was once a mixed neighbourhood is now mostly Christian. The street sums up what…
Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State, yesterday began a 10-day Annual Leave for 2015. This was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Dutse by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Bello Zaki. The statement said during the governor’s absence, his deputy, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan, would serve as acting governor. It said the governor thanked the people of the state for the support and cooperation they gave him since the inception of his administration. He also assured the people of his administration’s commitment to their welfare and security. He pledged to continue to introduce policies and programmes that have…
The National Coordinator of Corporate Affairs at Basic Registry and Information System in Nigeria (BRISIN), Mr Tony Okorocha, said the pilot stage of the project will begin in FCT by first quarter of 2016. He made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday. He said that the Federal Government had approved the implementation of the project which would be carried out by Dermo Impex, an Italian based Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company. The coordinator said that BRISIN, an integrated system for the collection, storage and distribution of information to support the management of the economy had a lot…
West African nation of Guinea has been declared Ebola free after more than 2,500 people died from the virus, leaving Liberia the only country still counting down for an end to the ruinous epidemic. People in the capital, Conakry, on Tuesday greeted the declaration by authorities and the UN World Health Organization with mixed emotions given the huge number of deaths, and the damage the virus did to the economy and the country’s health and education sectors. On Wednesday, the government, together with representatives of donor nations and NGOs, will hold an official ceremony to mark the declaration. They will…
The last batch of the self-sponsored pilgrims has arrived in Nigeria on Sunday night via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. This was disclosed by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC). The Assistant Director of Human Resources in the commission, Mrs Charlotte Ajuya, while disclosing this to newsmen in Abuja, said the commission had a successful pilgrimage through 2015. She said that the last batch had 350 self-sponsored Christian pilgrims from different states, mostly from the northern part of the country, observing that none of the pilgrims absconded. I want to encourage them that pilgrimage is a spiritual fulfilment that when you…