Adamawa

 The North-East Zonal Office of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has sealed-up eight bakeries in Adamawa for refusing to observe approved standards in the production of bread and confectionaries.

The SON team, led by the Zonal Coordinator, Mr Cherry Achema-Alewu, on Saturday closed down the bakeries located within the twin cities of Jimeta and Yola, the Adamawa capital.

The affected bakeries are Faruk Special Bread, Lovers Bakery, Godwill Bakery, New Nigeria Bakery, Alheri Bakery, Sawaba Bakery and Adamawa Bakery all in Jimeta and Samti Bakery in Yola.

Achema-Alewu said the exercise was aimed at ridding the society of sub-standard products.

Bauchi

The Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese, Most Rev. Oliver Doeme, has called on the country’s authorities to ensure free and fair general elections in 2011.

The Bishop made the call in his homily during a thanksgiving mass in honour of the late Bishop of Bauchi Diocese, Most Rev. John Moore in Bauchi on Thursday.

Doeme said that some of the aspirants warming p for the 2011 elections should not have been allowed to contest, but expressed the hope that there would be no rigging.

Borno

 Three policemen on Friday at a Maiduguri High Court identified three suspects as members of the Boko Haram sect.

The three police men, who were testifying at the court presided over by Justice Yerima Sanya, said the suspects were arrested after the sectarian violence.

Emmanuel Johnson, a constable, said Hashimu Idris, an indigene of Argunun Local Government of Kebbi State, was arrested at Ngala border town while attempting to flee to Cameroon.

He said items recovered from the suspect included a bag

containing the Qur’an as well as audio and visual CD players.

Johnson said when the CDs were played, it was found to contain various statements condemning western education.

FCT

 The newly-elected FCT Area Council chairmen on Friday said that they would give priority to agriculture, health and infrastructural development, to enhance grassroots development.

One of them, Alhaji Zakari Angulu, who is the Chairman of the Gwagwalada Area Council, told newsmen that he would prioritise the provision of road network.

Angulu pledged to build on the foundation he laid during his first term in office.

“The priorities of my administration will be to ensure rapid infrastructural development, especially in the area of good road network, which we started during our first term in office.

Gombe

 Gov. Mohammad Goje of Gombe State on Friday inaugurated the newly re-constituted 14-member Governing Council of the state’s university.

He called on them to pay attention to mobilisation of resources for the running of the institution.

“You should pay attention to resource mobilisation and the ability to attract investment and external funding from individuals, corporate bodies, as well as notable foundations, not only in Nigeria, but across the world.

“We should remember that the topmost university in the world, Havard University in the United States, owes its success to its ability to attract funding from the private sector,” he said.

Kaduna

 The Kaduna Diocese of the Anglican Church Communion said in Kaduna it realised about N804,610 from mangoe sales during this year farming season.

The Bishop of the Diocese, Idowu Fearon said this during the second session of the 18th synod of the Church.

Fearon said the sales were from the seven mangoe species grown on the church farm along Maraban Rido in the outskirts of Kaduna.

The Bishop said the farm had the capacity of trippling that yield if the irrigation system was boosted.

He expressed regret that in spite of the fine selection of trees on the farm, they were faced with the problem of irrigation.

Kano

Kano State Government has so far spent more than N4.8 billion on its rice development projects, the Commissioner for Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Alhaji. Ibrahim Garba, has said.

Garba who disclosed this on Saturday when he visited the Magaga Dam Irrigation project in Kabo Local Government Area, said the projects were aimed at boosting food security and poverty alleviation in the state.

He, however, said that farmers on whose lands the rice cultivation project would be executed, would not be able to plant crops on their farms this rainy season.

Kebbi

The Kebi Police Command in Birnin Kebbi on Friday warned politicians against violation of rules and regulations guiding conduct during election period.

The Commisioner of Police, Mr Dallatu Sa’Ad, told newsmen that the command would not condone any act contrary to the rules during the forthcoming 2011 general elections.

He gave the assurance that the command would remain vigilant and make sure that people obeyed the rules before, during and after the 2011 elections, especially maintenance of peace and order.

Katsina

The Katsina State Government has been urged to redeem its pledge of N20 million assistance to the victims of the recent Katsina timber market fire disaster.

The Chairman of the State Timber Sellers Association, Alhaji Halle Muazu, made the plea in Katsina on Friday in an interview with newsmen.

He said the appeal became necessary in view of the fact that five weeks after Governor Ibrahim Shema pledged to support the victims with N20 million, nothing was released to them from the state government.

Muazu said: “Because of the fire disaster, which affected 87 timber sellers, most of the victims are now out of business.

“Hence the need for the state government to redeem its pledge so as to enable the victims to resume their businesses”.

Kogi

Following violent youth restiveness in Ejule, Ofu Local Government of Kogi, a traditional ruler, the Ogohi-Ejule, Chief Akwu Obaje and four others have been remanded in prison custody.

The  community leaders were on Friday remanded on the orders of a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court, for various alleged offences ranging from culpable homicide to illegal possession of firearms.

The Ogohi is facing charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide following the alleged killing of one Blessing Sunday and the missing of Musa Baba during a violent clash between two rival youth groups.

Kwara

The Kwara Government has said that community development is a panacea to sustainable growth as government alone cannot provide all the infrastructural needs of the people.

The state’s Deputy Governor, Chief Joel Ogundeji, stated this in Hudum Oro in the Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara on Wednesday while inaugurating a N50 million road constructed by Chief Matthew Jolayemi, an indigene of the town to commemorate his 70th birthday.

Ogundeji said communities would enjo speedy growth and rapid development if the people were ready to commit their resources, instead of waiting for government.

Lagos

Amanze Uchegbulam, the Chairman, Lagos State Sub-Seat of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for FIFA U-17 World Cup, on Friday returned N1.8 million to Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.

The committee returned the money as the unspent amount given it to manage the sub-seat during the tournament hosted by Nigeria from Oct. 24 to Nov. 15, 2009.

A statement by Hakeem Bello, the governor’s spokesman, made available to journalists on Saturday in Ikeja, said that the money was returned on Friday when the committee presented its report.

The statement quoted Uchegbulam as saying that the amount was the balance of the money given to the committee.

He thanked the Governor for his support.

Oyo

Prof. Eyiwunmi Falaye, Dean, Students Affairs, University of Ibadan (UI), on Friday said cultism and other social vices have been eradicated in the institution.

Falaye told newsmen in Ibadan that vices which had negatively impacted on the development of some institutions were no longer tolerable at the premier university.

He said the prevailing peace in the institution was a result of the institution’s unique admission method which involved an on-the-spot assessment of intending students’ character.

The dean also said students were informed of their responsibilities and rights during the orientation courses organised for them.

Plataeu

The Plateau Police Command has appealed to relations and victims of the January Jos crisis who could not make statements to come forward for pre-trial interview with the prosecution counsel.

In a statement on Saturday, in Jos, signed by the Command’s PPRO, ASP Mohammed Lerama, the command said, in the same vein, witnesses who could not make statements to the police could now do so.

According to the command, it held a pre-trial meeting with the Federal Directorate of Public Prosecution (FDPP) Abuja, and officers and men of the state CID on Thursday in Jos.

Sokoto

Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State on Thursday inaugurated the 17-kilometre Wurno-Huchi-Nassarawa-Tambagarka road constructed by the government at N1.36 billion.

The road, which links several villages in Gwadabawa, Kware, Wurno, Gada and Illela Local Government Areas, also has a four-metre span bridge at Huechi.

Speaking at the event in Wurno in Sokoto State, the governor said the road was constructed in fulfillment of his campaign promises to the people.

Zamfara

The Zamfara Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has petititioned the State’s Police Command over the dramatic abduction of a Gusau High Court Judge, Justice Musa Anka.

Our correspondent reported that Anka was on Monday whisked away from his Tudum Wada, Gusau residence at about 10.00 p.m. by unknown gunmen, suspected to be operatives of the State Security Service.

The NBA Chairman, Alhaji Bello Umar, told newsmen in Gusau on Wednesday that the association had taken up the issue.