News
Troops Nab Fake Soldier, 21 Suspected Criminals In Jos …Gunmen Kill Three, Kidnap Many In Kaduna
The Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), maintaining peace in Plateau State has arrested one James Dogo, for falsely parading himself as a military personnel.
Dogo was arrested alongside one Dotun Shomoye, who specialises in printing identity cards for fake security personnel.
Other 20 suspected criminals, who are between the ages of 20 and 25, were arrested for armed robbery, drug abuse, snatching of phones, and other criminal activities.
The Commander of the task force, Maj-Gen Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, yesterday in Jos, said the suspects were arrested in different locations within Jos metropolis.
Okonkwo said that the raid was aimed at ensuring sanity and ending petty crimes as well as other criminal activities within Jos and environs.
“In our efforts to weed out bad elements across our area of joint operation, we have arrested some criminal elements terrorising the peace loving people of Jos and environs.
“Among them is a fake soldier and printer, who produces identity cards for fake security personnel.
“Similarly, 20 other suspected criminals were arrested as part of our operation, launched to bring sanity to Jos metropolis,” he said.
The commander, who said over 60 suspects were arrested in the past days, added that they would be handed over to the Police for prosecution.
Okonkwo assured Jos and Plateau residents in general of his commitment to ridding the area of criminal elements and ending all forms of insecurity in the state.
He, however, urged members of the public to report suspicious movements and criminal activities around their vicinities to security agencies for prompt action.
The items recovered from the suspects include: Indian hemps, machetes and swords and various types of dagger and knives.
Items recovered from the printer of fake identity cards include: two Dell desk top computers, three CPU, two Canon printers, among others.
Meanwhile, some gunmen in the early hours of yesterday invaded Buda Community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and killed three persons.
The National President of the Adara Development Association, Awemi Dio Maisamari, who confirmed the attack, said scores of persons were also kidnapped during the incident.
Maisamari, in a statement in Kaduna, yesterday, claimed that the attack took place about 2am when the natives were asleep.
The fresh attack occurred a few days after the Justice Isa Aliyu-led Commission of Inquiry into the incessant violent crises in the Kajuru LG, submitted its report to Governor Nasir el-Rufai.
Kajuru is located in Southern Kaduna.
The statement read, “Today, Sunday, 6th September, 2020 at 2.00am, the Adara community of Buda, in Buda Ward of Kajuru LGA came under another deadly attack from suspected Fulani militia.
“The premeditated and unprovoked attack claimed the lives of three people namely Rev Alubara Audu, 45, with five children; Adamu Tata, 40, with four children and Ishaku Peter, 37, with five children. Furthermore, the following persons were abducted – Sani Peter, 25 and Esther Sani Peter, 20.
“At around the same time, the terrorists also abducted five people from neighbouring Kemara Rimi community of Buda Ward. They are Ojo Aminu, 35, Danfulani Makaranta, 37, Namiji Gwamna, 36. Ali Musa, 36 and Grace Mathew, 16.”
The statement, also recalled that “these callous and barbaric attacks sometimes abate but never really stop in Adara community. On Sunday, 16th August, 2020, another fatal attack occurred at Kallah village on the banks of river Kaduna.
“This resulted in the death of Mr. Danladi Abashi, a 50-year-old farmer who ventured near the villages that were invaded and are still occupied by Fulani herdsmen in the Kallah/Gefe/Libere area of Kajuru LGA. His body was only recovered with the help of the police because the herdsmen disallowed Adara people from even approaching the occupied enclave.
“Similarly, the incidents of abductions of innocent people for ransom are also continuing. On 27th August, 2020, five incidents of kidnapping occurred including that of Daniel Shuaibu and Abednego Paul from their residence at Maraban Kajuru.
“During the operation, Mr. Sunday Barau was shot and injured and the abductees are still with their abductors because his helpless family has been unable to meet their demands.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.