News
Bandits Kill 70, In Niger, Sack Eight Villages …NMA Raises Alarm Over Massive Loss Of Life …Police Detain 15 Officers For Extortion
Armed bandits had continued their attacks unabated on villagers in Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, yesterday as the death toll increased to 70, with eight more villages affected while the number of displaced persons have also risen to over 1, 000.
The figure from the attacks which started in the wee hours 2 Sunday 9th June, 2019 has risen from the initial 12 people that lost their lives as the bandits were said to have spread their indiscriminate killing spree to more villages.
Our correspondent gathered that apart from the several injured people who were rushed to nearby rural health facilities in Kuta, Erena and Zumba, many of the displaced villagers were taking refuge in seven Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps around the area.
Information made available to journalists by the Senator representing Niger-East, Senator David Umaru in whose constituency has been a victim of the massacre indicated that no fewer than 19 persons died in the past six days in Kwaki village, 14 in Barden Dawaki village.
Our correspondent also learnt that, 8 persons died in Ajatawyi village, 7 in Gwassa, 5 in Ajayin Bataro, 4 others in Bwailo, 3 in Baton village and 2 reported dead in Giji village, while over 800 herds of cattle belonging to the villagers have been rustled within the same time.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger state command, DSP Mohammed Abubakar Dan-Inna said the police could only confirm 12 people so far dead in the attack, adding however that more security personnel have been deployed to the troubled area.
Meanwhile, Senator David Umaru has appealed to President Mohammed Buhari to come to the rescue of his people in Shiroro, Niger East Senatorial district from the rampaging bandits by ordering deployment of more security personnel to the area.
“I am in pains and sorrow over the killing of my people by armed bandits who have taken over our communities in the past few days”.
“It is horrible that over 69 people have been killed and 1000 displaced and yet there is no respite for the good people of my constituency,” adding that it has become apparent that the situation is beyond the capacity of the police”.
According to him, “I am appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to order the military into the area to stop the bandits from further annihilation of my people by the armed bandits who have continued their onslaught unhindered and unabated”.
“I am also calling on the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Div Nigeria Army, Kaduna to deploy more personnel to save the armless villagers from the onslaught of the armed bandits”, Umaru said, as he stressed the need for the State Government to provide adequate logistics to enable the security agencies crush the bandits.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Kaduna State Chapter, has called on the Federal and Kaduna State Governments including agencies saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of lives on the country’s highways to expedite action to end the needless loss of lives on the Kaduna-Zaria road.
NMA observed that since the commencement of the reconstruction of the road and subsequent blockade and road diversion, it has led to increased road traffic accidents and impacted negatively on the already overstretched accident and emergency services in the hospitals.
Addressing newsman in Kaduna yesterday, State Chairman of the Chapter, Dr. Stephen Akau Kache said, “It is important to note that many travellers along this road suffer untold hardship and are exposed to enormous risks due to the blockade and several diversions on certain sections of the road. This, in turn, has resulted in loss of man-hours and several accidents have occurred with varying degrees of injuries and deaths occurring as a result. The most recent of which happened on Monday, 10th June 2019, in which several people were either injured or lost their lives, including that of Professor Adeola Abosede Orogade from the Department of Paediatric, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria.”
The NMA called on government among others to declare a state of emergency on the Kaduna-Zaria expressway, pointing out that in doing so, they must deploy a joint task force of security operatives on the road to ensure strict adherence to traffic laws.
It added that there is the need to deploy cranes and other equipment at strategic locations along the road that could be used to extract victims who are trapped in vehicles as well as establish emergency medical units in strategic locations along the road.
The association noted that the government should prevail on the contractors to adequately mobilise and complete the road construction.
In the interim, to curb road accidents, NMA suggested that a number of diversions on the road should be minimized to one at a time and by extension, the repair of the road should be done in shorter segments.
“Temporary rumble strips (speed breakers) should be putin place and also on that portion of the road, set up mobile courts to try and prosecute traffic offenders,” NMA advised.
It said, “We believe that the reconstruction of the road is a laudable initiative and all efforts must be put in place to ensure the safety of lives plying the road.”
In another development, the leadership of the Abia State Police Command says it has arrested 15 police personnel under its command for allegedly extorting money from motorists and other members of the public.
The police officers, it was learnt are standing orderly room trial at the command’s Headquarters in Umuahia, the state capital.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ene Okon who disclosed this in Aba said that the command would not shield any corrupt person within its workforce that is trying to tarnish its good image.
The CP who was reacting to the calls made by some traditional rulers during a Town Hall Meeting in Aba, asking him to call some of his extortionist officers to order, assured that the Nigeria Police does not shield anyone with criminal behaviour.
Okon pointed out that the command is determined to get rid of bad eggs among its personnel, stressing that it was why it declared one Sergeant Collins Akpugo wanted for killing Mr. Christian Onuoha in Umuahia.
He further disclosed that a reward of N500, 000 will be given to whoever has information on his whereabout.
Okon, who maintained that bail is free, however, urged the members of the public to resist the urge of giving money to any officer who tries to extort them, stressing that every citizen ought to know his right and stand on it.
“We are the only organization that when you err, we punish. All of you must have heard about a policeman that shot somebody and killed him on the 4th of June in Afara Umuahia?
“After killing, he ran away and disappeared. We have declared him wanted and we have placed N500,000 on his head. Anybody that will give us information on his arrest collects N500,000 cash from me,” the CP said.
Speaking on bribery and extortion by police officers, Okon said “It takes two to tangle. If you don’t give, the police will not take. It starts with you. If you know that you’ve not done anything wrong, if you know that you’re operating your joint according to rules, if a policeman comes, you prove to him that you know you’re right.
“I don’t know that policeman that will not be afraid to even tell you to bring knowing that you know your right. Insist that you know your right. Let me be very frank to you, I am not supporting police collecting any money.
“As I’m talking to you, I have 15 policemen in my cell. 7 were arrested here at Opobo Junction when I heard the information that they were collecting money. I sent out my monitoring unit and my monitoring unit went there and met them in the act and arrested them.
“I subjected them to investigation and we have completed investigation and they’re undergoing ‘orderly room trials’. Let God be with them if they’ll escape. At the end of the day, they’ll turn to civilians and be giving money too and see how painful it is.
“I have monitoring unit. We are not sleeping on it. I don’t like it, but you too must stop giving.
If you don’t give, they’ll not take. Insist on your right. My phone number is here, call me, give me the information and see what will happen.”
As Rivers State celebrates the 58th anniversary of its creation today, some stakeholders have called on the State Government to do more towards improving the quality of infrastructure and human capital development in the State..
A cross section of stakeholders who spoke in an interview with The Tide also commended successive administrations in the state for their efforts towards expanding infrastructure network across the state.
They noted that more communities, both at the upland and riverine parts of the State, now have access to road network than when the stayte was created 58 years ago.
They, however, urged the government to return the state to the era of overseas scholarship when brilliant students are given opportunities to further their studies.
Speaking with The Tide, former youth leader of Chokota community in Etche Local Government Area, Mr. Ebere Nwankwo, said Rivers State has made progress in various fronts, despite the ongoing political crisis in the State.
Nwankwo noted that the State now has more tertiary institutions, both private and public, while the number of secondary schools have tripled.
He added that the State has also recorded tremendous progress in the area of healthcare.
According to him, healthcare has been brought closer to the doorstep of the common man, as there is hardly any local government in the state that doesn’t have a government health centre today.
The youth leader further said that many Rivers indigenes, home and abroad, have brought glory to the State in their various capacities, and urged the government to provide the enabling environment for the youths to excel.
Also speaking, the spokesperson for the International Peace Advocates, Mr. Emmanuel Nkweke, said the position of Rivers State among the comity of states in the country cannot be taken for granted.
He attributed this success to the efforts of successive administrations in repositioning the state for development.
Nkweke, however, called for a speedy resolution of the political impasse in the State to enable the State move to the next level of development.
Also speaking, a civil servant, Mrs. Ngozi Sunday, noted the efforts of government to improve the quality of lives of Rivers people, but called for a return to democratic governance in the State.
Another civil servant, Mrs. Munuonye Tina Ogechi, said Rivers State within the past 58 years has recorded significant achievements in road infrastructure, youth empowerment and repositioning of the state civil service for greater productivity.
She commended the suspended Governor of the State, Sir Similanayi Fubara, for taking the issue of women empowerment and peace seriously.
Meanwhile, a teacher, Mr. Orie Fiberesima, decried the high cost of living and lack of jobs in the State, and the need for a more effective government.
He also stressed the need for the government to look into the issue of high rent in Port Harcourt, noting that houses are now beyond the reach of the average Rivers man.
Mr. Innocent Chimobi, in his own view, urged the government to attract more industries and foreign investments to the State as a way of providing employment opportunities for the jobless youths in the State.
He also called the attention of the government to the terrible state of roads in some rural communities, advising the government to work hand in hand with the communities to foster better development.
By: John Bibor/Claire Julius
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, yesterday, unveiled a 12-member ministerial committee to oversee the 753-unit recovered housing estate linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The estate was recently handed over to the Ministry by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement released yesterday, Dangiwa emphasised the critical nature of the assignment, describing it as a key step towards realising the housing component of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement read, “Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, has inaugurated a twelve-member ministerial committee on the 753-unit recovered housing estate located in the Lokogoma district, Abuja, FCT.”
He reiterated that the committee’s mandate aligns with the President’s vision and the Ministry’s reform objectives to transform the estate into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for Nigerians.
“The committee was constituted based on the vision of Mr President and the Ministry’s housing reform drive to ensure that the recovered property is swiftly transformed into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
Dangiwa underscored the importance of technical expertise and institutional integrity in executing the assignment, noting that committee members were selected from key departments within the Ministry.
“Your selection is a testament to the confidence the Ministry has in your ability to drive this initiative with the seriousness and efficiency it demands.
“Nigerians are watching and expect results. They want to see homes completed and allocated transparently. They want to see the government working for them,” Dangiwa emphasised, urging committee members to collaborate effectively and remove unnecessary bottlenecks.
He charged them to adopt a fresh mindset, stating, “Think outside the box. Be results-oriented.”
The committee is chaired by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, and includes senior directors and aides from the technical, financial, engineering, planning, procurement, and media departments.
The committee’s Terms of Reference include conducting a thorough structural and integrity assessment of the buildings, determining the number and condition of housing units, and valuing existing work through proper surveying and market evaluation.
Additionally, the committee will assess costs required to complete essential infrastructure such as roads, power, and water. It will also develop standards for architectural and finishing consistency, propose a fair and transparent strategy for disposal and allocation of units via the Renewed Hope Housing Portal, and devise a public engagement plan to build confidence.
The committee must ensure effective coordination with key stakeholders, including the EFCC, FCTA, and relevant utility providers. A preliminary report is expected within four weeks.
The Minister of State, Yusuf Ata, emphasised the need for the committee to co-opt additional professionals as required, given the scale of the task and tight deadline.
“The committee should have the authority to co-opt members to assist, considering the magnitude of the task and the four-week timeline,” he noted.
Belgore assured that the team would execute its duties diligently and professionally.
“The committee has been tasked with ensuring the recovered estate undergoes a comprehensive technical assessment, is strategically completed, and disposed of transparently and cost-effectively, in line with national housing delivery objectives,” he said.
He added that the success of the assignment would serve as a model for transforming recovered public assets into impactful infrastructure.
“The successful execution of this assignment will serve as a benchmark for converting recovered public assets into infrastructure that directly benefits the people,” he concluded.
Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has been deported from Saudi Arabia after being denied entry into Medina, effectively barring him from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
Gumi, a Kaduna-based cleric, known for his controversial views on national and international issues, confirmed the development in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, yesterday.
“Due to some reasons related to my views on world politics, the authorities in Saudi Arabia do not want me to be present at Hajj even though they have granted me a visa,” Gumi wrote.
The cleric, who was part of a delegation of religious scholars sponsored by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), arrived at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina on Saturday night via Umza Air.
However, upon arrival, Saudi immigration officials reportedly stopped him at the airport and denied him entry into the city, before placing him on a return flight to Nigeria.
Sheikh Gumi added in a statement on his page that the Nigerian authorities have shown concern and have promised to engage Saudi officials to seek clarification and resolution.
“I am grateful to the authorities in Nigeria who have pledged to engage with the Saudi authorities on this matter,” he said.
Although no official reason has been provided by Saudi Arabia for the deportation, observers believe the action may be connected to Sheikh Gumi’s outspoken political and religious views, which may be at variance with the kingdom’s policies.
Gumi has, in recent years, played a prominent role in dialogue initiatives with armed groups in Nigeria’s northern region and has often voiced criticism of Western and Middle Eastern political interventions.
The incident has sparked discussions among religious communities and the wider public, with many questioning the implications of political ideology on religious observance.
As of the time of filing this report, there is no official statement from the Saudi embassy or the Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the development.
Sheikh Gumi has since resumed his public preaching and teaching engagements in the country.