THE STATES

Benue

A 32-year-old man, Hamisu Jibrin, has been sentenced to nine
months imprisonment for criminal trespass, office breaking and theft.

Police prosecutor, Michael Ewoh told the court that one
Pastor Andrew Idoko came to ‘A’ Division Police Station and reported that the
convict “criminally trespassed into his church with six plastic chairs.’

’ Idoko said the convict had also scrapped off the name of
L.G.E.A. Primary School, Central Makurdi, on the back of the chairs with a
razor, noting that the convict broke into the office of the head mistress of
the school and carted away students’ and staff chairs and one carton of Social
Studies text books valued at N85,600.

The prosecution said that during investigation, the convict
confessed to the crime, adding that the offence contravened the provisions of
Sections 349, 355 and 287 of the Penal Code.

 

Gombe

Gombe State Government has increased the budget for free
medical care to pregnant women and children under the age of five, from N19.5
million to N25 million annually.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya,
disclosed this in an interview in Gombe.

He said the number of women attending antenatal services had
increased, as people from neighbouring states of Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa
and Taraba are visiting Gombe for antenatal services.

Ishaya said pregnant women who were far from the state
capital would be examined and given longer period to return for further
examination depending on their Expected Date of Delivery (EDD).

The commissioner said government would also provide private
clinics with re-agents for testing and screening for HIV and support them so
that any person attending antenatal in private clinic could afford it.

 

Kano

Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers have attacked a
company, near Kantin Kwari Textile Market, in Kano metropolis and carted away
huge sums, the police and witnesses said.

The incident happened around 3p.m.  on
August 6, shortly after a heavy rainfall, which crippled socio-economic
activities in the commercial city.

An eye witness said six hoodlums in a Honda Civic car
stormed the area with sophisticated weapons. “Shortly after their arrival, they
started shooting in the air and people around the area took to their heels.’’

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP
Rilwanu Dutse, confirmed the incident, saying six robbers stormed the company
around 2.35 p.m. He said the police exchanged fire with the hoodlums. “No life
was lost and nobody was injured during the incident,” he said.

 

Kebbi

An early morning heavy rainfall on Tuesday rendered many
residents of Birnin Kebbi homeless and caused the death of a 70-year-old woman.
The rains, which lasted from 3.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., also caused the death of
livestock, flooding of major roads and the collapse of residential houses.

The deceased septuagenarian, Hajiya Aishatu Azumi, who lived
in Gandu quarters, was believed to have died as a result of the flooding which
rendered many areas including Bayan Tasha, Bayan Kara, Gesse Badariya and
Aliero quarters inaccessible.

Owners of water pumping machines made brisk business
rendering services to many shop owners whose premises were flooded, while many
roads were turned into one way traffic due to the floods.

 

Kogi

Unknown gunmen on
have invaded the Deeper Life Church at Otite area in Okene, killing 20
worshippers and wounding  many others.

The Commander of the Joint Military Task Force in Lokoja,
Lt-Col. Gabriel Olorunyomi, confirmed the incident.

He said 15 worshippers died instantly in the attack while
others died on the way to the hospital.

The commander said that many injured persons were rushed to
hospitals in Lokoja, a distance of 40 minutes drive from Okene.

 

Kwara

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has advised Nigerian
Muslims performing this year’s lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia to be good
ambassadors of the country.

Ahmed gave the advice in Ilorin  in a message signed by his Chief Press
Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahaab Oba. The governor also urged them to pray
fervently for Nigeria to overcome its prevailing security and other challenges
for the preservation of its pride in the international community.  Ahmed urged all Muslims and Nigerians at
large to use the holy month of Ramadan to “benchmark the spirit of good
neighbourliness and practises in their individual and national lives.”

 

Lagos

The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union
(RATTAWU) has called on the National Assembly to review the law on radio and television
licence fees.

RATTAWU President, Mr Yemisi Bamgbose, said in Lagos that
the fees should be collected by the radio and television stations only.

The tax law in Lagos permits the local government councils
to collect telecommunications fees, including those of radio and television.
The law authorises all local government councils (along with their local
government development authorities or any other administrative unit established
by law at that level) to collect radio and television licence fees. Lagos State
Local Government Approved Levies for Collection Law, 2010, took effect from
July 12, 2010.

Bamgbose wondered why the councils should collect radio and
television licence fees when they had no input in broadcasting. “It is the duty
of radio and television stations to collect licence fees, just as the water
corporation and PHCN are entitled to collect water and electricity bills
respectively, he said.

 

Nasarawa

A traditional ruler in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Halilu Usman,
on Monday urged members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria
(ALGON) to prudently manage resources at their disposal.

Usman made the call in Udege Development Area when ALGON
members in the state paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.

He said for the country to develop, all political office
holders must be prudent in the management of resources at their disposal, and
advised ALGON members to be prudent and patriotic in the discharge of their
duties.

The traditional ruler also advised the ALGON members on the
need to uphold transparency and accountability in their duties.

 

Niger

The Chairman, Bida Local Government in Niger, Sheikh
Mustapha Umaru-Edota has donated assorted grains worth more than N3 million to
the people for the Ramadan fasting. He said that the gesture was to ease the
Ramadan fasting for the people.

Umaru-Edota said: “Things are really bad now, poverty is
biting harder , and I want to see that my people observe the fasting with
ease.’’

He said that the measures were taken to ensure that the
grains were evenly distributed to the people, and urged the beneficiaries to
make the best use of the foodstuff.

He urged the Muslim faithful to use the Ramadan period to
pray for an end to the killing of innocent lives in parts of the country.

 

Ogun

Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji
Yusuf Olaniyonu has  confirmed that there
were cases of fraud and sharp practices in Ogun State Internal Revenue Service
(OGIRS).

The commissioner, who made this known in a statement made
available to newsmen in Abeokuta, however, denied the allegation of involvement
of Mr Femi Allen in the fraud.

He said that Allen, who is the senior special assistant
(SSA) to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on taxation, was never involved in the
alleged fraud as reported in some newspapers on Monday.

“As a result of his role in uncovering the scam, which is
believed to have gone undiscovered for years, the SSA has been given the task
to supervise audit and head count of various companies in the state.’’

 

Ondo

The Traditional Ruler of Arigigi-Akoko in Akoko North-West
Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, has urged Governor
Olusegun Mimiko, to remain committed to his administration’s programmes.

Olanipekun, who gave the advice in a statement in
Arigidi-Akoko, said that the government had done well in community development
and advised the administration not to relent on the efforts.

The ruler appealed to the government to provide transformers
for the community, adding that electricity supply to the town was epileptic.

He appealed to the governor and the Commissioner for
Community Development and Co-operative Services, Mr Clement Faboyede, to come
to the rescue of his people by providing the community with transformers.

 

Osun

The Osun Government has donated five Armoured Personnel
Carriers (APC) to the state’s police command to fight crime.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who announced the donation at the
inauguration of a joint security outfit tagged: Swift Action Squad (SAS)
has  in Osogbo, also inaugurated 25
Toyota Hilux vans, 500 body armours and several crash helmets.

He said the donation was necessary to ensure that the state
became crime-free and no longer a safe place for criminals, especially armed
robbers. The General Officer Commanding, Second Mechanised Division, Ibadan,
Maj.-Gen. Muhammad Abubakar, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police,
Zone 11, Mr Orubebe Ebikeme, lauded Aregbesola for the donations.

 

Sokoto

Sokoto State Government
handed over a modern Outside Broadcast (OB) van and eight Peugeot 307
cars worth N173.5 million to its media organisations to aid their operations.

The van and three cars were given to the state radio
station, while the state television station and newspaper company got three and
two cars, respectively.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko handed over the van and the vehicles
to the Commissioner for Information, Malam Nasiru Danladi, and said the
facilities should be used in ensuring full media coverage of the state.

The governor said the government would award contracts soon
for the purchase of new digital transmitters for the state radio and television
stations.

 

Taraba

Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba has donated N2 million to
Yagai Academy, Jalingo, to enable it to stock its digital library.

Suntai made the donation
in Jalingo at the inauguration of a digital library built and donated to
the school by the Medical Director, Specialist Hospital, Jalingo, Prof. Zakari
Ahmed.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Amb.
Emmanuel Njiwah, the governor, urged the students to make judicious use of the
library.

Chairman, Taraba Investment and Property Company and
Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, also donated N500,000 to the
project.

He commended the Proprietress of the school , Hajiya Jamilla
Abubakar,  for doing the state proud by
putting up such a standard school.