Breaking News
Bloody Friday: Bandits Kill 10 In Kaduna Villages
Some bandits have invaded communities in three local government areas of Giwa, Igabi and Chikun in Kaduna State, killing 10 people, including a community leader, while injuring no fewer than four persons in the attacks.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the attack and counter-attacks, yesterday, was, however, silent on when the attack occurred.
Aruwan also disclosed that crisis was brewing between members of Borno community in the state and the Nigerian Army in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of the state, assuring that the state was in control of the situation.
According to the commissioner, security agencies have reported that bandits invaded Na’ikko Village in Giwa LGA, killing three residents of the area.
“The community volunteers engaged the bandits and in the ensuing gun duel, three residents were killed,” he said.
The commissioner gave the names of those killed as Alhaji Shafiu, Alhaji Balailu Sani and Abdulsamad Hussaini.
He added that in a reprisal attack, youths of Na’ikko Village attacked a nearby Fulani settlement, Rugan Abdulmuminu, and killed two persons whom they alleged to be involved in the earlier attack while identifying those killed as Abdulmuminu Agwai and Samaila Agwai.
Similarly, the commissioner said some bandits also invaded Dakyauro Village, Sabon Birni, Igabi LGA and killed four persons after rustling about 25 cows.
“The four persons killed were listed as Musbahu Yusuf, Basiru Jaafaru, Ja’afaru Yahaya, Umaru Sulaiman. Two persons were injured in the attack: Anas Ibrahim, Aisha Abbas,” he added.
Meanwhile, the commissioner said bandits killed a community leader, Dauda Adamu, at Ungwan Ayaba in Chikun LGA of the state.
“Bandits also invaded farmlands on the outskirts of Gigani Village, Kerawa, Igabi LGA and rustled about 14 bulls being used by farmers to plough the land,” he added.
The commissioner said that the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, while receiving these reports, sent condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in the attacks as well as prayed for the repose of their souls.
“The governor noted with deep concern the incidents in Na’ikko Village in Giwa LGA and appealed to residents to embrace recourse to law.
“He implored them to avoid killings and reprisal actions that would prove utterly detrimental to peace in the area, as government was working closely with security agencies and stakeholders.
“Governor El-Rufai assured farmers in the Giwa, Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru and Chikun LGAs of the government’s awareness of their plight, and that active steps are being taken towards ensuring that they would continue to pursue their livelihoods in safety,” he said.
He added that the governor also addressed reports received on brewing tension in Bomo community, Sabon Gari LGA, between residents and the Nigerian Army.
He said, “The governor appealed to members of the community to maintain calm, as the matter had been reported and steps were being taken in conjunction with His Royal Highness, the Emir of Zazzau, to address the situation.
“The Kaduna State Government has urged private schools operating in high-risk areas to adhere to the security advisories issued to them. This followed reports that some schools have continued to operate outside of the guidelines presented to them by the security agencies for the safety of their students and staff.
“The governor is also monitoring the developments in Kauru, Jema’a and Zangon Kataf LGAs, and working assiduously to enhance security and peace in the identified flash-points in these LGAs,” the commissioner added.
Breaking News
RSG Faults Assembly On Assembly Service Commission Law
The Rivers State Government has faulted the State House of Assembly over the passing into law of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission Amendment Bill, 2024.
The Tide learnt that 24 lawmakers loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, were present at last Friday’s emergency plenary where the new law was enacted without the governor’s assent.
The action of the lawmakers to override the governor was sequel to an observation by the House Majority Leader, Major Jack, that the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission Amendment Bill which was sent to Governor Siminalayi Fubara since February 19, 2024 had yet to be assented to by the governor.
But the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Hon. Edison Ehie, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday and made available to The Tide, said the lawmakers lacked the powers they intend to assume.
Ehie stated, “The Rivers State House of Assembly lacks the powers, legal or otherwise, to remove the power of appointment of the Chairman and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission from the governor and vest that power on themselves.
“The provision in the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission (Amendment) Law, 2024 seeking to vest that power on the House is in clear contravention of the 1999 Constitution, and therefore, a nullity in the eyes of the Law. See the case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169 where the court held that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.”
Ehie argued that the alteration to the Third Schedule, paragraph 1A provides that the composition, tenure, structure, finance, functions, powers, and other proceedings of the Commission shall be as prescribed by a law of the House of Assembly of the State, but that the appointment of the Chairman and members of the Commission is not listed therein.
He, therefore, asserted that the power to appoint the Chairman and members of the House of Assembly Service Commission lies with the governor, as is the case with the other bodies listed under Section 197 of the 1999 Constitution.
“There is nothing in the Alteration that, by any stretch of imagination, can be inferred to confer the power of appointing the Chairman and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission on the Rivers State House of Assembly, notwithstanding the fact that the law creating the Commission was enacted by the Rivers State House of Assembly”, he said.
The Chief of Staff further argued that the purport of Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution is that the Assembly Service Commission is not an appendage of the legislature but under the control of the State Government, adding that, “Even at the national level, the members of the National Assembly Service Commission are appointed by the President in collaboration with the National Assembly.”
Breaking News
Fubara Assures Timely Delivery Of PH Ring Road
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has again reassured the people that the Port Harcourt Ring Road will be delivered on schedule.
Fubara gave the assurance when he visited the site of the project on Wednesday to assess the extent of work that has been achieved.
The governor rode the stretch of the road from off the Obiri-Ikwerre-Airport Road axis, through the Jesuit Memorial School to Elikpokwuodu Community, then to Rumuosi and Ozuoba communities before terminating the inspection tour at UTC Junction.
The inspection tour traversed through three local government areas of the State – Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City.
Speaking to newsmen at the end of the inspection, Fubara explained that the contract for the Port Harcourt Ring Road was the first of such agreements that he signed.
He said so much money had been expended on the project, with the driving objective of making sure that it is delivered to Rivers people.
“I think that we are good, considering the understanding that we had with Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.
“We signed off that in 36 months, this project will be done and delivered, and with what we are seeing, we are meeting up that target.
“I think that we have a few issues; the price rate of things at that time we signed the contract and what subsists presently is no longer the same.
“But whatever it is, I have assured them that we are going to provide the necessary support to make sure that we deliver this project”, he said.
The governor added, “You know this project is very important to us. It is one of the first things that I signed off when I came in as the Governor of this State.
“It is a signature infrastructure project for me, whichever way anybody wants to look at it. We signed on for it. We are paying dearly for it, and it’s one of the objectives of this administration to make sure that we deliver it to our people.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Dr. Lars Richter, who conducted the governor round the project site, said work has advanced after piling and laying of beams on the first flyover, which started on January 15, 2024, and accomplished two months after.
Richter, who explained that while they have intensified work on the second flyover with beams ready to be laid, significant strides have been achieved in laying out the road and the drains for accelerated construction.
He assured the governor that the project will be delivered on schedule, and within specifications.
Breaking News
Reps Want Raid On Justice Odili’s Residence Probed
House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary has called for urgent discreet investigation into the siege laid to the residence of Justice Mary Peter-Odili.
Odili is a justice of Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The committee said the investigation will help to unmask the perpetrators believed to be security operatives.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Onofiok Luke, in a statement he personally signed, yesterday, condemned the siege, saying it was an action capable on setting the Executive and Judicial arms of government on a warpath.
He said that the siege was a repudiation of judicial independence and an assault on the sanctity of the nation’s judiciary.
The statement read: “It is mind-boggling that in the dusk of October 29, 2021, the Judiciary was once again exposed to public opprobrium, due to the uncanny manner in which the residence of the Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, was invaded by law enforcement officials purportedly on an assignment to execute a search warrant, issued by a Magistrate.
“Also disturbing is the fact that the said warrant was revoked by the issuing Magistrate who had discovered that it was procured by the Applicant on the premises of misrepresented facts.
“As a committee currently interfacing with the Judiciary for an improved judicial reform and justice system, we wish to lend our voice once again, to the repeated call by His Lordship; the Honourable Justice Tanko Muhammed CJN, on all Judicial Officers on the need to exercise more caution in issuing ex-parte, conflicting and questionable orders that are capable of bringing disrepute to our Justice system.
“This unfortunate development is also a wake-up call to tighten administrative and supervisory control over the operations of law enforcement agencies in the country. To this end, we empathize with the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation who is constitutionally accountable for the actions and inactions of the law enforcement agents that purportedly executed the said warrant, placing on the AGF, the unavoidable burden of defending his office before the populace.
“On this note, the House of Representative Committee on the Judiciary calls for a discreet investigation to unravel the persons behind this ignoble act, which is capable of straining the existing relationship between the Judiciary and the Executive arms of our democratic government.
“The siege is reminiscent of the 2016 incident, wherein the beat of the night, security agencies invaded private residences of judicial officers, which subsequently turned out as an underserved phenomenon, and a dent on our professed independence of the judiciary, and demanding protection for our judges.
“As we already know, the judiciary harps on due process in the dispensation of justice and the House Committee on the Judiciary avows to collaborate with the judiciary and relevant stakeholders to secure the nation’s democracy, since the confidence and respect of citizens in the judiciary may likely wane if the incidence of this nature continues unchecked.
“We, therefore, condemn in totality such ignoble action, and pledge to every effort at ensuring the sanctity of the nation’s judiciary while giving our continuous support to the independence of the judiciary”.
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