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Gunmen Abduct 18 Bus Passengers In Ondo

A Lagos-bound bus with 18 passengers was attacked by armed men, yesterday, along Idoani-Ifira Road in Akoko South-East, Ondo State.
An undisclosed number of passengers were also abducted by the armed men.
The incident, according to local, sources occurred on the failed portion of the Idoani-Ifira Road.
It was gathered that there was sporadic shooting as the gunmen carried out their operation, causing the passengers to run for safety.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Isua Akoko, Mr Hakeem Sadiq, confirmed the incident to newsmen, yesterday.
He said the police are already working with other sister agencies to ensure that the travellers were rescued unhurt.
In the meantime, an Ifira Akoko community leader, Chief Boboye Ojomo, has attributed incessant robberies and kidnapping on that axis to deplorable condition of federal road from Orita Ipele to Idoani.
He called on Federal Government through the Minister of Works, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to look into all federal roads in Ondo State as many are now in state of disrepair.
However, the Ondo state security outfit codenamed, ‘Amotekun’ has rescued nine out of the 12 passengers kidnapped in a Lagos-bound commercial bus between ldoani/lfira in Akoko South-East area of the state.
The state Commander of the security outfit, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed this to newsmen in Akure.
It would be recalled that the abduction of the travellers occurred at a failed portion of the highway.
The commercial bus was coming from Abuja and heading to Lagos when it was attacked by bandits.
A police source said that the kidnappers who were Fulani herdsmen reportedly ambushed the commercial Toyota Hiace bus and shot at which forced the driver to stop.
In the process, the passengers reportedly took to their heels while the kidnappers doubled cross them and abducted those that could not escape from the scene at gunpoint.
The report said that many of the passengers were thereafter marched into the forest.
Adeleye said that nine of the victims had been rescued by his personnel.
“The gunshot from the bandits attracted the officials of the Amotekun in the area who pursued the criminals into the bush.
“Nine of the 12 passengers in the vehicle were rescued overnight by the Amotekun men while they are still combing the forest to rescue the other three victims”.
Adeleye assured that the three other victims will be rescued unhurt.
He said that the hoodlums will be brought to book while the anti-kidnapping unit of the command had swung into action to ensure the release of the victims.
Reports had it that local hunters in the community have joined to comb the thick forest.
Contacted, the spokesperson of the state command, Olufunmilayo Odunlami, also confirmed the abduction of the passengers.
According to her, “There was actually a kidnap case as I speak to you our anti-kidnapping unit has taken over that case and we expect something positive.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

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
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

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.