Adamawa

Armed policemen averted an attempt by some youths to burn down Adamawa Broadcasting Corporation in Yola yesterday.  

The mob stormed the station over a popular Hausa language entertainment programme. 

In the programme entitled, “Taba Kidi Taba Karatu,” its producer, Alhaji Adamu Katakore interviewed a lady who identified herself simply as Hajiya. 

She claimed to have contacts with three Holy prophets and that she was the mother of one of them.

General Manager of the ABC, Mr Ayuba Tumba, described the incident as unfortunate. 

“We saw hell. The timely intervention of the police saved the station and its staff.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Altine Daniel, confirmed the incident and called for calm, saying the police were investigating the matter. 

Meanwhile, normal broadcasting has since resumed in the station.

Bauchi

A Bauchi High Court yesterday struck out a criminal case filed by the state government seeking an order to arrest Alhaji Ahmed Muazu, the former Governor.

Delivering judgment in Bauchi, Justice Kunesa Hamidu, said the ex-parte motion filed by the state government against Muazu lacked merit and therefore, struck out the case.

He said the grant of an order to arrest Muazu was a discretionary power, which ought to be exercised pending the determination of a substantive case before the court.

Hamidu said that in line with the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), to issue an order for the arrest of an accused could only be exercised when the court believed that the accused had absconded or will not obey court summons.

He observed that an affidavit of service tendered as exhibit before the court, which states that “all efforts made to serve Muazu proved abortive because his security and thugs refused to allow the bailiff to go near him,’’ was contrary to the CPC.

Ekiti

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Adeniyi Olajide, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for the Moba Constituency 1 by-election held on Wednesday in Ekiti State, as the winner.

Announcing the results in Otun-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of the state, the INEC Returning Officer, Mr David Arabambi, said Olajide polled 4,837 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr Gboye Afilaka, who got 2,568 votes.

The Labour Party candidate, Mr Babatunde Yinka, had 239 votes.

The election took place in 49 polling units in five wards which had 25,753 registered voters.

The seat became vacant following the death of the former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Saliu Adeoti (ACN), on October 27 after a protracted illness.

FCT

The FCT Command of  the NDLEA yesterday paraded a 20-year-old student of  Delta State University  who was caught  with 498kg of  Indian hemp.

The FCT NDLEA Commander, Mrs Omolade Omole, who paraded the suspect in Gwagwalada, said he was arrested on the  Abuja-Lokoja road.

She said the suspect was conveying the drug in a 406 Peugeot car with a fake Federal Government registration number, FG 28D50.

Omole said the drug was being conveyed from Akure, Ondo State,  to Maiduguri before it was  intercepted in Abuja. 

She said two 406 cars with fake Federal Government registration numbers were used in the trafficking, with one of them escaping.

“Immediately we intercepted the second 406 car, we sent intelligence  report to our offices in Maduguri, Jos and Yobe.

“The first vehicle has also been intercepted in Maiduguri with 450 wraps of  Indian hemp.

“Efforts are being made to ensure that the suspect in Maiduguri and the one at large in Abuja are arrested,” she said.

Kaduna

Fifteen out of the 17 governorship aspirants in the North-West zone have been screened by the People Democratic Party  (PDP), an official said yesterday in Kaduna.

The party began the screening of governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly aspirants nationwide on Tuesday.

The national secretariat of the party had set up a five-member committee to conduct the exercise for all those contesting in the 2011 general elections on its platform. 

Mr Baba Lawal, the PDP Zonal Secretary and Secretary of the Screening Committee, told newsmen at the end of the exercise in Kaduna that two aspirants did not appear before the committee.

Lawal said the exercise was scheduled to last for two days in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.

He gave the names of the governors of Zamfara and Kaduna states, Alhaji Mahmuda Shinkafi and Mr Patrick Yakowa, as well as Hajiya Mairo Habib as the early aspirants who kept to time.

Others who appeared before the committee were the governors of Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Jigawa, Alhaji Sa’idu Dakingari, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema and Alhaji Sule Lamido respectively.

Similarly, a  former Minister of State for Information, Alhaji Ikra Bilbis, from Zamfara, is challenging the incumbent governor.

Besides, Alhaji Suleiman Hunkuyi and Alhaji Shu’aibu Mikati from Kaduna State as well as Alhaji Rabi’u Kwankwanso from Kano State honoured the invitation.

  Other contenders from Kano State who were screened included Alhaji Bello Mohammed, Alhaji Adamu Suma’ila, retired Col. Habibu Shu’aibu and Alhaji Mohammed Kabir.  

However, Rep. Faruk Lawal and Alhaji Yaro Farakwai from Kano and Kaduna states respectively could not make the screening for unknown reasons.

Lagos

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, yesterday urged Lagosians to work hand-in-hand with the government to ensure the total eradication of polio in Nigeria.

Speaking in Lagos at a stakeholders Town Hall Meeting on the eradication of polio, Fashola said that the responsibility of immunising children should not rest solely on the shoulders of their mothers.

“Both parents should be concerned about taking their newborns to the nearest primary healthcare centre to have them vaccinated,” he said.

The governor urged parents to boil and filter water before drinking it and ensure that toilets and bathrooms are kept clean.

“It is a continuing agitation and the battle is not won until we kick polio out of Nigeria,” he said.

Plateau

The Federal Government has blamed the incessant crises in some parts of Nigeria on the proliferation of small arms. 

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Salamatu Suleiman said this at a sensitisation workshop on small arms in Jos, yesterday.

She said government was worried about the persistent ethnic and religions crises; hence it was taking steps to end the proliferation.

 “It is sad that small quarrels that should be settled quietly snowball into violent dimensions simply because there are arms in circulation.

 “Our community leaders and other stakeholders need to sensitise their wards on the dangers and negative effects of these small and light weapons they are holding and using,” she said.

 Suleiman said it was to check the trend that the Federal Government, in 2008, endorsed the ECOWAS Convention on Control and Prevention of Small and Light Weapons (SALW).

 ”It is high time we rose to the challenge and take concrete and practical action to curb the menace of proliferation of SALW in Nigeria so as to bring about meaningful development,” she said.

 The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Martins Uhomoihi, said that an estimated 630 million illegally acquired SALW were in circulation.

 “The sectarian crises in Jos, the Niger Delta as well as the ‘boko haram’ attacks are results of these dangerous weapons,’’ he observed.

Sokoto

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Sokoto says intelligence officers have been deployed in the metropolis to carry out surveillance during the Christmas period.

Altai Amino Kofar-Soro, Sokoto State Commandant of the Corps, told newsmen in Sokoto  yesterday that the measure was to enhance security in the state during the period.

Kofar-Soro said that NSCDC, alongside other security outfits, were working hard to sustain the peace in the state.

According to him, units commanders in the 23 local government areas of the state have been briefed on security methods to be adopted in their respective areas of jurisdictions.

“We are working like a family to ensure peaceful co-existence among the good people of Sokoto State,” he said.

Kofar-Soro called on the people to support the efforts of the security agencies by reporting any suspected character to the nearest security office for prompt action.

“We are battle ready to ensure peace, progress and political stability in our areas of assignment,” he said.

The commandant also solicited the support of stakeholders in promoting security situation in the state.