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FG, Gumi’s Aide Disagree On Intelligence On Kuje Prison Attack
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) and an aide to popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, Tukur Manu, have disagreed on availability of credible intelligence before the terrorists’ attack on Kuje prison, last Tuesday.
While the NCoS said it did not have any intelligence report that the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja could be attacked by terrorists, Manu said he had told security forces that the Kuje prison would be attacked but nothing was done to avert the attack.
The NCoS claimed that it only gathered intelligence about the custodial centre in Bauchi and one other place.
Speaking on TVC News’ Your View, yesterday, the NCoS spokesman, Umar Abubakar, maintained that the attackers adopted what he called the principle of surprise.
He said: “We didn’t have intelligence about Kuje Correctional Centre. The intelligence we had was about Bauchi and another. We will only appeal to the communities where these facilities are located to assist us with intelligence. It also has to do with the synergy among the various security agencies.
“All our facilities are fortified. What I want to tell you is that what they adopted is the principle of surprise. They came in with IEDs to our facilities and when they came in; the armed men on ground engaged them in a fierce battle.
“They shared themselves into three. There was an attempt to gain entrance through the main gate of the facility but they could not because of the fierce battle from the armed men on ground. The third group now used IEDs by the wall. They brought down the wall and got access to the facility.”
On the fatalities recorded during the jailbreak, Umar disclosed that an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) lost his life in the Tuesday attack, while some men of the NCoS sustained gunshot injuries.
He explained further that three of the terrorists were shot dead as some escaped with bullet wounds.
“On the side of the security personnel on duty, we lost one civil defense officer, while some of our men sustained gunshot wounds; they are currently being treated in one of the hospitals.
“Then, on the side of the terrorists, three were gunned down and some escaped with gunshots wounds and we have made an appeal to hospitals and clinics that if there is anybody who come to the hospital or clinic with gunshot wound, such person is a criminal and such person should be reported to the nearest police station or they can get across to us,” he said.
On his part, Mamu, who also publishes the Desert Herald Newspaper, claimed the terrorist group that attacked the prison was the same group that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March.
Mamu had helped to negotiate the release of 11 hostages who were abducted from the Kaduna-bound train but 51 of the hostages are still with the terror group.
However, Mamu said the terrorists had earlier demanded the release of 10 of their members in Kuje prison in exchange for the remaining victims of the attacked Kaduna-bound train.
Mamu claimed that the attack on Kuje prison was caused by the failure of the Federal Government to act, which led to the attackers releasing, at least, 64 of their members on Tuesday night.
In a statement released, last Wednesday evening, Mamu said; “This is probably the last I will ever dabble on the above subject matter, because of the frustrations and failure of relevant official stakeholders to take prompt and painful decisions, in the interest of the citizens of a nation that has been consumed by insecurity and avoidable attacks.
“With all the billions in budgetary allocations on security, with instances of few becoming billionaires at the expense of innocent lives, we must accept the fact that the current system has collapsed.
“This is also to confirm to Nigerians that after unnecessary delays and despite the milestone we reached in efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, there was, indeed, a fresh threat by the abductors that they will start slaughtering their victims yesterday, Tuesday, July 5, 2022.
“I was crying on audio after listening to their recorded message and pleading with them. Their renewed threat was a result of our (FG’s) failure to convey to them a definite response regarding their two demands I consider worth giving speedy approval, especially if one will take into cognisance the value of the innocent lives that are with them and in a country where one person will steal far more than what they are requesting for.
“As a result of my engagement they gave us the opportunity to respond to their demands but we failed to do so on four different occasions which resulted in the recent threat.
“For me, there’s no difference between corrupt officials or contractors that are committing treason against the nation by way of stealing the resources that will benefit everybody, monies that will stop preventable deaths in our hospitals due to decaying structures, improve standards of education and even stop insecurity and crimes with the terrorists that emerged because of this sad reality and now unleashing terror on the entire society.
“It was after the failure of the fourth opportunity that they angrily issued the fresh threat to start slaughtering their victims, Tuesday. After much pleading with them, tolerated abuses and begged them to allow individual family members to contact them directly, they gave, Wednesday, July 6, that if there is nothing definite from family members, they will start executing their threat.
“I immediately passed this disturbing intelligence to all the relevant security agencies, the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders. But sadly, as of today, Wednesday, which is the deadline they gave, there is no word from anybody. I have nevertheless sent words to them to reconsider their threat and allow family members to reach out to them.
“And even on the tendency and threat to attack targets and other facilities of interest like the Kuje Correctional Centre attacks, I have shared that intelligence with the security agencies and the committee that was constituted by CDS (Chief of Defense Staff), Gen. Lucky Irabor.
“I can confirm without a doubt that the Kuje Correctional Centre attack was executed and coordinated by the same group that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna-bound train because they gave indications of imminent attacks to that effect which I shared.
“For the records, they requested for the release of 51 of their members. But through the power of dialogue and engagement, I was able to singlehandedly scale that number to only 10 and communicated with audio backing the development to the relevant authorities.
“There was an unnecessary delay on giving them even precise feedback by the government and now they have not only succeeded in carrying out another successful attack that indicts the nature of our intelligence and capacity to respond promptly but has also succeeded in releasing doses of their members which would have been averted if the action has been taken to give them only 10 and secure the release of the train victims.
“In all this risky, painful and frustrating engagement which government is yet to acknowledge, and appreciate I have more than 100 documented audios that I shared with the relevant authorities. For the purpose of this important press release and to authenticate my claims, I will also share four of the latest audios.
“And for the records, since after our successful mission that led to the release of the 11 victims I have made up my mind then to disengage completely from this voluntary service to a nation that doesn’t appreciate sacrifices because of the above reasons and many more but I was instructed on humanitarian grounds by my principal, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi to exercise patience and continue.
“But with the current sad development at the highest official level of government, I am formally announcing my withdrawal completely from this service and to announce to the world that my life is also being threatened. It should also be on record that if anything happens to me certainly it is not the terrorists but within the corrupt society, we are in.
“May Allah preserves the lives of the innocent victims of the train attack and may He secure their release in safety.”
The Federal Government has adopted innovative approach, including carbon tax, to fund the mitigation of the impact of climate change in the country.
The Director-General, National Council on Climate Change, Dr SalisuDahiru, disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos.
Dahiru spoke on the sidelines of a technical workshop on Agro Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, yesterday.
Dahiru said that President MuhammaduBuhari, in creating the council, adopted an innovative approach because the council was going to be the main vehicle that would drive his climate change policy and agenda.
“So, he decided to adopt an innovative approach that will provide sufficient funding and in a timely manner.
“This is to ensure that the council is able to operate, function and discharge responsibilities with little hindrance.
“So, two things are associated with the funding; the major funding source will be the budget.
“But within the Act establishing the council, there is going to be the introduction of Carbon Tax,” Dahiru said.
The DG said that carbon tax was done all over the world because of the grave existential threat of climate change.
“If we do not deal with climate change, climate change will deal with all of us.
“So, this carbon tax will have to come in because that’s the only way that we can clean up our environment and refresh the air,” Dahiru said.
He said that there would be the establishment of a climate change fund, where the government, the private sector and development partners would make contributions.
Dahiru said that another way the council hoped to raise fund was through the establishment of a Redd Plus registry.
“We can demonstrate through the Redd Plus programme, which is called reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
“If we show that we are no longer cutting down the forests, that we are conserving the forest, then, we will be eligible to be paid carbon credits.
“This is calculated based on how much emissions we have prevented from going to the atmosphere as a result of conserving the forest that will also be fed into the funding of the activities of the council.
“And then we will also have this support from the International Organisation for Climate Change.
He said “we are able to do clean projects; projects that will add to our ability to fulfill our obligations under the nationally determined contributions to climate change mitigation in the world”.
“Then development partners under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will provide additional support to the country,” Dahiru said.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has affirmed that the country loses 400,000 barrels of crude daily via oil theft.
Sylva stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, at the Government House, Owerri.
He described the development as a “national emergency”.
Sylva regretted that the nation had fallen short of OPEC daily quota, from 1.8million barrels to 1.4million barrels, due to crude theft.
The minister warned that such a huge economic loss was capable of crippling the nation’s economy if not given the seriousness it deserved.
He expressed concern that the menace had persisted, in spite of the efforts by the federal and state governments to arrest it.
Sylva said the problem of crude theft could not be handled in Abuja alone.
“It is a national emergency because the theft has grown wings and reached a very bad crescendo.
“This is because the thefts are taking place in the communities that host the oil pipelines.
“As a result, it has become necessary to involve the stakeholders, especially the host communities.
“And because of the height and orchestrated nature of the menace, Nigeria could not take the advantage and opportunities that abound in the gas production.
“This is because no investor would want to invest where there is incessant insecurity and vandalism of the infrastructure,” he said.
The minister, therefore, appealed to the stakeholders to collaborate to solve the problem.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the Federal Government has disbursed a total of N100billion to indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare investors as loans to expand their capital base and boost local production of medicines and medical consumables.
Buhari said this, yesterday, while receiving the new executive members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The president said the loan was extended through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s support to the private pharmaceutical sector.
He added that the Health Sector Reform Committee chaired by Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, was currently exploring models for revitalising the nation’s healthcare system, in ways that improve quality of care and the benefit package to care providers.
On brain drain in the health sector, the president said he has directed the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, to look into ways of turning “brain drain” to “brain gain” by engaging top Nigerian medical experts in the Diaspora in knowledge and skills repatriation.
He urged the NMA and other stakeholders in the health sector to support initiatives by the Federal Government and work with the committees set up to chart a fast track to a health system that best meets the needs of Nigerians in the 21st Century.
The president also commended the association, which is the umbrella body of all medical practitioners in Nigeria, for consistently choosing peaceful resolution of differences on matters pertinent to the National health system.
“I commend our medical professionals for their contribution to Nigeria’s exemplary management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the control of malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis, and other feats also achieved by Nigerian doctors in the Diaspora.
“Our response to COVID-19 pandemic has been praised internationally and your members are key parts of this success.
“I recall that in the last quarter of 2021, the immediate past NMA Executives visited me and presented recommendations for the health sector, which included, the review and amendment of NHIS Act; upgrading and equipping existing health institutions; loans to fund hospital equipment; the repeal and re-enactment of the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Act; and Appeal for more funding for the four newly established Universities of Medical Sciences.
“I am pleased to inform you that most of these recommendations have been addressed, whilst further action is being taken to study those involving cross-cutting administrative processes with legal implications,” Buhari was quoted as saying in a statement issued, yesterday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
Buhari further congratulated former NMA President, Dr.Osahon Enabulele, on his emergence as the president-elect of the World Medical Association, the first Nigerian to hold the position.
While wishing him a successful tenure, the president expressed hope that Enabulele would use his position to support improvement in health care delivery in Nigeria and lower income countries.üÿ
He also wished the new executive members of NMA a successful tenure, urging them to earnestly continue to serve as arbiters of peace and progress.
The Minister of Health, Dr OsagieEhanire, who led the medical practitioners to the meeting, affirmed that the doctors have been good partners with his ministry, helping to regulate the health profession as well as stressing quality service delivery.
In his remarks, the NMA President, Dr Uche Rowland Ojinmah, said the new National Officers Committee (NOC) was elected on May 21, 2022.
Ojinmah commended Buhari for his “steadfast war against corruption, assent to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act which will improve the health indices of our nation, the constitution of the Health Reform Committee under Vice President YemiOsinbajo, and the various infrastructural projects embarked upon by the Buhari administration.”
He, however, enjoined the president to ensure full and appropriate implementation of the NHIA Act, provision of “adequate work equipment, conducive work environment and necessary budget support”, as well as elongation of the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years and 65 years for non-consultant doctors and other healthcare workers.
Others include implementation of the hazard allowance circularised in December 2021 with the arrears as well as the setting up of a Health Bank.
The NMA president also requested a representation of the Federal Government at the inauguration of Enabulele in Berlin, Germany, later in the year.
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