News

Scores Flee Adamawa Village As Boko Haram Sends Threat Letter …Gunmen Kill Monarch In Bauchi

Published

10 years ago

August 4, 2014

Hundreds of residents of Garkida town in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, are reportedly moving out of their homes following a threat letter written to the community by the notorious Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
The purported threat letter was said to have been delivered three days after the insurgents attacked the village, killing four soldiers and several other civilians and other who were swept by river Hawul while trying to escape.
Some eyewitnesses said that, the sect members have cleared Biji-Biji, a village in Garkida and have also settled in another village called Mbewa, where they promising the people that they won’t harm them as their mission was totally different.
They said the presence of the sect members around Garkida does not mean that the days ahead were promising, and as such, there is an ongoing mass exodus of the people who are now trooping into Adamawa, Gombe, Maiduguri and as far as Abuja to stay with relatives.
It was gathered that due to the attacks in Southern Borno area of Hawul, particularly the recent attacks at Tashan Alede where churches were burnt, locals are now taking refuge in nearby forests as they fear further attacks.
Meanwhile, some gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers, on Saturday killed the District Head of Soro in Bauchi state, Malam Abdulrahman Baba, and injured two other persons.
The Bauchi State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the killing in a statement issued yesterday, said the incident occurred 7.45 pm.
“On 2-8-14 at about 19.45 hours, six gunmen suspected to be armed bandits, stormed Soro town in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, killing the District Head of Soro, Abdulrahman Isa Baba, and two other traders.
“They carted away undisclosed amount of money from their victims and escaped to unknown destination.
“The entire surrounding had been cordoned off and efforts are being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects,” he said.
Mohammed also said that a 32 year-old man had been apprehended in connection with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that was buried in a building site located at VIO quarters in Azare town of the state.
It would be recalled that on July 30, the Explosive Ordinance Unit of the state command, recovered and rendered safe, an IED concealed in a fire extinguisher and some assorted ammunition buried in the building.
The spokesperson stated that the man, a resident of Kofar Dumi area of Bauchi metropolis, had confessed to participating in bank robbery in Misau and Azare towns of the state.
Mohammed listed items recovered from the suspect, to include three Barreta, two G3, and one K2 rifles, as well as one double-barrel gun, among others.

News

Nigeria’s Rail Transport Generated N1.69bn In Q2 -NBS report

Published

20 hours ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian rail system generated N1.69billionn in revenue from passengers in the second quarter of 2024, reflecting a 53.14 per cent increase compared to the N1.10billion recorded in the same period of 2023.
This data was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in its report released yesterday.
According to the report, a total of 689,263 passengers travelled by rail in Q2, representing a growth rate of 45.38 per cent compared to 474,117 passengers in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The volume of goods transported via rail also saw a significant increase, with 143,759 tons moved in Q2 2024, up from 56,936 tons in Q2 2023. Additionally, the Nigerian Railway Corporation reported a volume of 5,940 tons of goods transported through pipelines in Q2 2024, an increase from the 2,856 tons recorded in the same period of the previous year.
Revenue from goods conveyed via rail stood at N537.36m in Q2 2024, a remarkable increase of 206.68 per cent compared to N175.22m in Q2 2023. The movement of goods through pipelines also contributed to revenue generation, with N42.08m collected in Q2 2024, compared to N12.81million in Q2 2023.
Other revenue receipts amounted to N994.68million in Q2 2024, representing a staggering increase of 5,206.68 per cent from the N18.74m recorded in the corresponding period of last year.
In the first quarter, of 2024, The Tide source reported that Nigeria spent more on servicing the debt incurred for building its railways than the revenue generated by its railway system. The country spent 2,470 per cent more on railway debt servicing than it made from revenue from rail services in the first quarter of 2024.

News

NDDC Unveils Initiative To Enhance Food Security In N’Delta

Published

20 hours ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is committed to advancing projects and programmes that enhance food security and sustainable growth in the region.
Chief Monday Igbuya, the Delta State representative on the NDDC Board, made this pledge in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, yesterday by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Igbuya spoke at the inauguration of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock and agro processing in Amukpe, Sapele area of Delta.
He stated that the NDDC was prioritising livestock training in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“NDDC is focussed on implementing programmes to ensure food security and agricultural growth in multi sectors, aiming to improve living standards.
“It is our belief that for socio-economic development to take place, there is need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Igbuya expressed confidence that training farmers would enhance livestock production, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta.
Mrs Winifred Madume, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that training farmers and entrepreneurs was essential for improving productivity and market access.
“The commission has been promoting research and development through various institutions and providing farming techniques to beneficiaries,” she said.
The Project Consultant, Dr Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths had registered for the livestock and agro-business skill acquisition programme.
According to him, the programme aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills for self-sufficiency in livestock farming, thereby boosting regional food security.

News

Tinubu Shelves UNGA79 Trip To Address National Challenges

Published

20 hours ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
In his stead, Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit.
Tinubu “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed yesterday.
The statement is titled ‘Vice President Shettima to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly.’
It reads, “President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
“Therefore, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.”
Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trips to China and the United Kingdom, “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” said Onanuga.
At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.
The high-level General Debate, with the theme “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations,” will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024.