THE STATES

Ekiti

Governor  Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said that
the vacuum left by his late deputy, Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka, had remained unfilled.
Fayemi made the remark at the first year remembrance service held in memory of the former state deputy governor at the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel, Ado-Ekiti.
He said that he and the entire state would continue to miss the selfless services as well as robust contributions she used to render while alive.
Fayemi promised to stand by the pledge he made during the deceased’s funeral a year ago not to abandon her parents, children and other members of her immediate family.

FCT

A group, Women Arise, has called on authorities to
arrest what it described as targeted ritual killings and kidnapping of women in the South West.
The group said in a statement in Abuja signed by its President, Dr Okei Joe-Odumakin, that it was disturbing that victims of latest incidents were mostly women.
“While we are yet to recover from the rude blow we got from the Ejigbo pepper torture, sodomy and murder case in Lagos State, a new outbreak of this bestiality around the South West is quite disturbing.
“At Soka in Ibadan, the kidnappers’ den of horror was discovered where several people had been held hostage.

Kaduna

Bishop Mathew Ndagoso, the Catholic Bishop of
Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province, has called on the Federal Government to be proactive on security matters to guard against attacks and reprisal attacks.
Ndagoso made the call in Kafanchan during a condolence visit by the province to displaced persons in Bondon District, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
It would be recalled that over 100 persons were killed and several others displaced on March 13 when gunmen attacked three villages in Bondon District, Kaura LGA of Kaduna State.
The bishop said that attacks and reprisal attacks in some parts of the country required preventive measures to forestall re-occurrence.

Kwara
The Kwara State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Tunji Moronfoye, has advised beneficiaries of agriculture loans to manage the funds properly and wisely.
Moronfoye gave then advice in a statement signed by the Press Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Olupinla Ayobola.
The statement quoted the commissioner as describing the loans as part of agriculture policy initiated to boost food production in the state by former governor Bukola Saraki.
It said that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed disbursed the loans to members of the farmer associations in the state to empower them to make the state a hub for agriculture.
Lagos

The South-West Zone of National Agency for the Pro
hibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) says it rescued 72 victims between January and March, 2014.
Its Commander, Mr Joseph Famakin, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos recently.
He said that 62 of the victims were women, while 10 were young boys.
The zonal office comprises Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti.
Famakin said that five persons arrested for human trafficking were convicted within the same period, explaining that three were convicted in Lagos and two in Oshogbo.

Nasarawa

An Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State,
has  adjourned hearing to May 14 in a case of assault preferred against Pastor’s John Ogbuche and Emmanuel Ikpa.
Ogbuche, 42, and Ikpa, 31, are senior and assistant pastors, respectively of Ado Christian Centre, Karu, Nasarawa State, and both live in the same Karu.
Ikpa told the court that on January 22, 2012 at about 1 p.m. he was with an iron bender called Benjamin, whom he invited to do a job for him in his house.
He told court that about 4 p.m. he saw the complainant with some policemen from New Nyanya Police Station whom came to arrest him in his house.
Ikpa told court that when he reached the police station he was told to write a statement that the first accused and himself conspired and assaulted the complainant.

Osun

Senator  Iyiola Omisore has emerged the flag bearer
of the PDP for the Aug. 9 governorship election in Osun.
The Chairman of the Gubernatorial Primary Organising Committee, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, announced the result after the collation of the delegates’ votes.
Aliero said Omisore polled 1,128 votes to beat Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, who polled 35 votes and Mr Wole Oke, who got five votes.
Sen. Adetunji Adeleke, a former governor of the state, had on Friday withdrawn from the contest.
Aliero said that 18 void votes were recorded in the election.

Plateau

The Executive Director, National Veterinary Research
Institute (NVRI), Vom, Dr Ahmed Mohammed, has called on ECOWAS member states to establish grazing reserves as a solution to the current clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
Mohammed, a veterinary expert, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Jos recently.
According to him, there is a “massive’’ influx of foreign herdsmen into Nigeria due to the country’s porous borders, leading to the frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
He said that Nigeria’s 16 to 17 million cows could only get the required respite, if ECOWAS commission intervened and prevailed on some members of the sub-regional organisation — Mauritania, Chad, Niger, Burkina-Faso, Ghana and Mali — to also establish grazing reserves.
Sokoto

Governor  Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has  do
nated 606 motorcycles to police constables from the state who have recently passed out from the various police colleges across the country.
Our correspondent reports that Wamakko presented the motorcycles to the beneficiaries in Sokoto.
He also donated N10, 000 to each of the 606 constables, saying,” it is an assistance to enhance their duties.”
Wamakko urged the beneficiaries to demonstrate a high sense of moral and ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties.

Taraba

Governor  Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State has extolled
the outstanding qualities of Mr Dennis Nev, a retired Permanent Secretary, Taraba Government House Administration.
Suntai made the remarks in Jalingo when he spoke as special guest of honour at a thanksgiving service and launch of a biography entitled: “The Man Dennis Orkuma Nev’’, written by Mr Justin Tyopuusu and Mr Richard Iormua.
The governor described the retired permanent secretary as a fine gentleman with unique qualities that were not common to come by in the society.
Represented by Mr Gideon Kataps, Suntai urged upcoming civil servants to emulate Nev’s qualities for a better society.

Yobe

The Deputy Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Abubakar
Ali, has described as “callous and unfortunate’’ the violent attack on the people of Buni Gari in the state by unknown gunmen.
Ali made the remark when he led a state delegation to condole with the survivors of the last Saturday’s attack, which claimed lives and property.
“This is an unfortunate and merciless attack meted on innocent citizens without any sense of reasoning,” he said.
Ali lamented that the state had lost so many lives and properties to insurgency.

Zamfara

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Zamfara State
Chapter, has distributed 100 mosquito nets to 100 families in Tsunami quarters of Gusau to prevent the spread of malaria.
NMA Chairman in the state, Dr Sunday Onazi,said the gesture was part of activities to mark this year’s World Health Day in the state.
He explained that since the focus of the day was on measures to prevent the spread of vector borne diseases, the NMA selected Tsunami quarters because it was under threat of mosquitoes.
He said that the area was flooded during the last rainy season and is suspected to be one of the high breeding areas for mosquitoes in the state capital.

From Left: Executive Secretary, African Capacity Building Foundatin (ACBF), Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, Communications Consultant to ACBF, Mr Paul Okolo, Executive Director, Editorial Operations, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Isaac Ighure, Managing Editor, Mr Lawal Ado during Prof. Nnadozie’s visit to NAN headquarters in Abuja on Friday. Photo: NAN