Adamawa

The Adamawa Police Command has confirmed the death of a police inspector who was killed by suspected armed robbers while on duty.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba, made this known at a news conference in Yola.

“Our men from Dumne District under Song Local Government Area, while on patrol on Sunday on Waldi- Suktu Road, had an encounter with armed robbers.

“On sighting our men, the robbers opened fire and killed the team leader, Insp Emmanuel Yarius, and one passenger in one of the vehicles already stopped by the robbers,” Shinaba said.

Shinaba further said that one of the robbers was killed during the encounter.

He explained, however, that the command, through its men in Girei LGA and the support of C.I.D, was able to arrest a syndicate which specialised in trans-border car-snatching and armed robbery.

FCT

The Federal Government is making effort to manage migration through capacity building, advisory services and technical assistance on migration matters, says a top official.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a “Validation Seminar for Findings of Institutional Needs Assessments for Migration Agencies in Nigeria.’’

The theme of the seminar was “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria’’

Anyim, who was represented by Hajiya Jimeta Rabi, the Permanent Secretary on Special Duties in the SGF’s office, said the government had established strong collaborations with national and migration stakeholders to enhance border management.

“Strong collaborations have been established with migration stakeholders to fight trafficking in persons, reduce irregular migration and mainstream migration in the country’s development agenda,’’ the SGF said.

Gombe

Sen. Joshua Lidani (PDP, Gombe-South) has spent N6.5 million on extra-mural classes organised for 1,500 school drop-outs in his constituency.

The Senior Legislative Aide to Lidani, Mr Caleb Ubale, told tnewsmen in Gombe on Tuesday that of the amount, N5 million was spent on salary of staff members employed to teach the students, while N1.5 million was spent on registeration of the students for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).

He said the extra-mural classes were to prepare the students for the SSCE to enable them to secure entry requirements for admission into universities and other tertiary institutions.

Ubale said the students were drawn from Balanga, Billiri, Kaltungo and Shongom Local Government Areas in Gombe-South Constituency.

He said Lidani introduced the progrmme when he was the Deputy Governor of the state between 1999 and 2003, adding that it was a permanent scheme.

Kano

The Kano State Government has awarded N2 billion contract for the construction of six faculties at its proposed North-West University.

The state governor, Alhaji Rabi’u Kwankwaso, disclosed this on Wednesday while distributing 30 Toyota Hilux and five BMW motorcycles to some agencies.

“We have set aside money in the 2012 budget for the establishment of the new university, North-West University in Kano.’’

“I want to assure you that by the end this month, the contractors will be mobilised to site so that by the end of September this year, lectures will commence in the six faculties.”

He said the state government had also earmarked undisclosed sum of money to establish another university in the state in collaboration with Texas AM University in United States.

Kebbi

The Jega Local Government Area (LGA) in Kebbi would adopt measures to ensure total immunisation of all children against polio in line with the newly launched free-Torch campaign.

The UNICEF had adjudged the area was among the most critical areas where 19.2 per cent had missed immunisation against the disease.

The Chairman of the LGA, Alhaji Yahaya Bawa, told  newsmen in Jega on Thursday that with 100 per cent increase in the allowances paid to vaccinators, additional efforts would be made to ensure that all children polio was eradicated.

He said the council area had approved that vaccinators be paid N5,000 as against the N2,500 paid to them by the UNICEF while the financial allocation for the entire area had been increased from N800,000 to between N1.6 million and N2.2 million.

“The amount would be determined by how densely populated the location of children to be immunised and we would not be left behind in total eradication of the disease.

Lagos

President of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Mr Bede Opara, has said that liberalisation of the electricity sector rather than outright privatisation will boost the nation’s power supply.

Opara said this in Lagos, while addressing members of the union and those of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) at a meeting.

He said that if the enabling environment was created and the sector liberalised, it would provide an opportunity for interested investors to increase the available megawatts.

“We believe that the government can see reason and appreciate other ways of carrying out the reform in the power sector.

“We have said that liberalisation is what will solve the power sector problem in this country; outright privatisation may not be the best for the sector, ” he said.

Niger

Suspected armed robbers on Wednesday night raided Maje police outpost in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, killed a corporal and stole a rifle.

The Niger State, Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Maishanu, confirmed the incident to newsmen  in a telephone interview on Thursday in Minna.

According to him, ‘’some armed men attacked Maje outpost on the Dikko-Abuja Road, killed a corporal and stole a rifle.

“The army and the police are at present combining the area in search of the fleeing suspects but, I can assure that we will track down and arrest them, so that they can face the full wrath of the law.

“Similarly, the police have arrested some armed suspects in Lapai and recovered two AK-47 rifles from them,’’ he said.

Ondo

The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, on Thursday urged residents of the state to assist internally displaced persons returning home from other parts of the country.

Olanusi, who made the plea in Akure when he received some internally displaced persons in his office, pledged that government would continue to assist such categories of people.

The deputy governor, who expressed happiness at the safe arrival of the returnees, said being alive was an indication of divine intervention.

The leader of the delegation, Chief Anthony Mirayegun, expressed gratitude to the state government for the efforts made to ensure the safe arrival of the returnees.

Oyo

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has called for appropriate legislation on blood donation activities in the country.

Speaking during a parley with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday,  the South-West Zonal Coordinator of NBTS, Dr Wale Egbewunmi, decried the lack of legislation on such activities.

Egbewunmi called for strict laws on setting up of blood transfusion centres and their management as well as on blood collection, storage, testing and transfusion.

“Appropriate legislation will go a long way in preventing unauthorised practices as is the case at present,’’ he said.

Plateau

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has appealed to the Plateau Government to establish a functional state emergency management agency for prompt disaster management.

The Assistant Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, North Central Zone, Mr Abdulsalam Mohammed, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen  in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the appeal was necessary in view of the current challenges in disaster management in the state.

Mohammed said Plateau was the only state in the North Central Zone that had yet to make a law for the establishment of an emergency management agency.

Sokoto

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, on Thursday in Sokoto reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Army towards defending the nation’s nascent democracy.

Ihejirika was speaking during a courtesy visit to the Acting Governor of Sokoto State,  Alhaji Lawali Zaiyanu.

He said that the military would continue to complement the efforts of the nation’s security outfits towards promoting internal democracy in the country.

Ihejirika said that welfare, decent accommodation as well as retraining of the Nigeria Army officers, would continue to receive special attention, so as to ensure productivity among the serving personnel.