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Terrorists Attack Kaduna Church, Kill Three, Abduct 36
Terrorists in Kaduna State have attacked a church, killing three worshippers while abducting no fewer than 36.
A former Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr.Reuben Buhari, said the attack on Roboh village, Kajuru Local Government Area where 36 people were kidnapped and three killed was not the first attack.
According to him, “Attacks on rural communities by kidnappers have been going on without respite. Most go unannounced, unreported.
“The attack on Roboh village, Kajuru LGA, today, where 36 people were kidnapped and three killed was not the first attack. On January 5, 2022, it was attacked and some kidnapped. On April 27, 2020, the community was attacked again, and this time, some houses were burnt. Then, the attack of today, June 19, 2022.”
He said because of the constant attacks on the community and surrounding ones, “the people in the village decided to start holding church services early by 7am so that people can hurriedly go back to their homes. It was some few minutes after 7am today, while both the Catholic and Baptist churches were holding their services when the kidnappers attacked.
“I spoke to a man whose wife, mother and daughter were taken from the Baptist Church today. The anguish in his voice is something none of us should experience. The worrisome part of the insecurity is that most in Roboh have difficulties cultivating their farms. Moreover, because villages like BakinGada, Ungwan Pada, Maikori, Dogon Noma, that surround Roboh, have all been attacked at different times, people find it difficult to venture far to their farms.
“Now, this man and others would wait for when the kidnappers would call and ask for ransom. They would start borrowing, begging and selling anything to raise the ransom. After it is paid, the kidnappers would come again, kill; and again, kidnap,” hesaid.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attack, yesterday.
He said security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that bandits attacked worshippers and locals at UngwanFada, UngwanTurawa and UngwanMakama in Rubu general area of KajuruLocal Government Area.
According to a statement issued by Aruwan, yesterday, the bandits stormed the villages on motorcycles, beginning from UngwanFada, and moving into UngwanTurawa, before UngwanMakama and then Rubu.
The statement read in part: “In Rubu village, the bandits attacked worshippers in the Maranatha Baptist Church and St. Moses Catholic Church.
“Three locals were confirmed killed in the attacks. They were identified as Peter Madaki (ward head of UngwanFada), Elisha Ezekiel (resident of UngwanFada) and Ali Zamani (youth leader of Rubu).
“Two persons were left injured in the attacks: one Aniro Mai, and a yet-unidentified woman. An unspecified number of locals were also kidnapped, according to the received reports.
“The bandits looted shops and carted away some valuables from the villages.
“The Acting Governor, Dr HadizaSabuwaBalarabe, expressed deep sadness, and condemned the attack in the strongest terms. She sent her sincere condolences to the families of the deceased victims, as she prayed for the repose of their souls.
“The acting governor also commiserated with the attacked churches, and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Security patrols were being conducted in the general area as investigations proceed.”
He further said, “On a sad note, security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that bandits attacked worshippers and locals at UngwanFada, UngwanTurawa and UngwanMakama in Rubu general area of KajuruLocal Government Area”.
When contacted, the Kaduna Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammad Jalige, confirmed the attack, yesterday.
He said the attackers stormed the churches while worshippers were in church.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.