Borno

The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Borno
State  Chapter, says over 18, 000 rice farmers in the state will cultivate their farms in 2016 after four years of insecurity.
The state AFAN Secretary, Salihu Aliyu, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
He said that many farmers had returned to their farms as a result of the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
Aliyu, who lamented that the strangulating challenges of insecurity in the state and its environs, said insurgency had before now virtually crippled farming activities in the state.
He explained that the association was discussing with government officials on how its members could access part of the N4.9 billion loans to rice farmers under the CBN Anchor Borrower programme.

Ekiti

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered the
remand of two students of Ekiti State University, Sanya Alabi, 24, and Damilola Onipede, 20, over alleged involvement in cult activities.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Bankole Olasunkanmi, told the court that the accused persons committed the offence on August 8 at about 10.00 p.m. at Iworoko-Ekiti.
Olasunkanmi alleged that the accused persons, on the said date, armed with guns, cutlass and axe, attempted to kill one Oyewole Adebayo.
According to him, the offence contravened Section 320,1(2) of Secret Cult (Abolition and Prohibition) Law, Laws of Ekiti State.
FCT

The National Environmental Standards Regulations and
Enforcement Agency (NESREA), has said that the training of the police on environmental activities, would assist in promoting clean environment in the country.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Lawrence Anukam, made this disclosure in Abuja in an interview with newsmen
He said that the training would also enable policemen to contribute their quota to the promotion of the nation‘s environmental activities.
“Taking cognizance of the important role the police will play in the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, the agency has started training the police on environmental activities. “Some of the reasons for the agency‘s collaboration with the police is the establishment of Environmental Laws Enforcement Police Unit.

Kaduna

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Kaduna, has handed over
806 livestock and four motorcycles to Operation Yaki, a security outfit coordinated by the Kaduna State Government.
The NAF Base Commander, Air Commodore Bello Garba, disclosed this after handing over the livestock to the State Coordinator of Operation Yaki, Alhaji Yakubu Yusuf.
Garba said that the livestock recovered on August 8, included 665 cows and 141 sheep, adding that they were recovered in Birnin Gwari forest where bandits were operating. He said that during the operation, there was exchange of fire between the Air Force personnel and the rustlers.
Kano

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
says  no fewer than 18 persons lost their lives and property worth over N700 million destroyed by flood in Kano State in the past two weeks.
This is contained in a statement by the North-West Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Musa Ilallah in Kano.
According to the statement, the massive flood ravaged the 22 local government areas of the state.
It said that properties, including houses and farmlands were lost to the floods by no fewer than 1000 persons.
“The worst affected local government areas are Shanono, Bagwai, Kiru with 749 victims and N347million worth of properties damaged.
Kogi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),
Kogi State command, has arrested a truck driver carrying 1,126.9kg of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) worth over N5 million.
NDLEA Commander in Kogi State,  Alhaji Idris Bello, made the disclosure while parading the suspect and three others before journalists in Lokoja.
He said that the driver was arrested near Kabba junction on the Lokoja-Abuja highway.  He said that the illicit drug was concealed in 100 big bags.
Bello said that the driver told NDLEA operatives that he was conveying the Indian hemp from Uromi in Edo State to Kaduna.
Lagos

The wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo,
has appealed to organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support the needy and malnourished children in the country.
Osinbajo made the appeal at the launch of the “Get Involved” initiative to prevent annual death of thousands of malnourished Nigerian children in the internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Lagos.
According to her, the gesture can be in form of material items.
The wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, launched the ‘Get Involved’ initiative at the State House, Abuja on July 21.
“We are appealing to all Nigerians to get involved in providing humanitarian support for these needy and malnourished children in the country, especially those in the IDP camps.
Nasarawa

District heads and community leaders will be held re
sponsible for breach of peace in their domains, Dr Bala Angbazo, the Aren Eggon of Eggon nation in Nasarawa State, has warned.
Angbazo gave the warning when he received the State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Bello at his palace in Nasarawa Eggon. The paramount ruler, who was reacting to the alleged resurgence of the “Ombatse” cult group, tasked district heads and chiefs to rise up to the occasion in order to nip any incidence in the bud.
Niger

The Students Union Government (SUG), College of Edu
cation, Minna, Niger State, has called on the state government to compensate the family of a pregnant student killed by an articulated vehicle.
SUG President of the college, Mr Ahmad Tafyan, made the call in Minna in an interview with newsmen.
The deceased, Mrs Angela Daniel was killed by the vehicle on Monday afternoon while on a motorcycle conveying her home after lectures along with another student who narrowly escaped with injuries. The incident triggered demonstration by students of the college who blocked the Minna/Suleja dual carriageway for over four hours until the police intervened.

Oyo

The Nigeria Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) has called
for the formulation of a national policy on livestock breeding.
The Chief Executive Officer of the institute, Prof. Eustace Iyayi, made the call at a lecture organised by the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan.
Iyayi, who spoke on “Sustainable Innovations in the Present Day Nigeria’s Animal Production Industry,’’ said such policy would bring a sustainable innovation in animal production industry.
He stressed the need to tackle problems associated with drivers of livestock production through research.
“We need national livestock census to ascertain the number of animals for production; renovation in breeding and molecular genetics.

Sokoto

A total of 1, 500 intending pilgrims from Sokoto and
Zamfara States have been transported to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj from the Sultan Abubakar International Airport, Sokoto, an official has said.
Alhaji Abubakar Kaoje, Sokoto Zonal Coordinator of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said that the pilgrims were taken directly to Medina.
Kaoje told newsmen in Sokoto State that the pilgrims were transported between August  8 and 10 by Max Airline.
He said that 1000 of those transported were from Zamfara while 500 came from Sokoto state.
The coordinator expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise and commended the airline for keeping to schedule.
Zamfara

A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member of
Batch B, Stream 2, 2015/2016, Mr Umar Abubakar, has planted 100 trees in Matazu-Filin Jirgi Community in Gusau, Zamfara.
The Corps member, who was serving in the state’s Ministry of Justice and an indigene of Bauchi State, planted the trees under his Community Development Service Project (CDS).
Launching the tree planting yesterday, the State’s NYSC Coordinator, Malam Ballama Bello, described the corps member as ‘a patriotic and dedicated Nigerian’.
Bello represented by the Head of CDS in the state NYSC Secretariat, Mr Mamman Adamu, said that CDS was one of the major cardinals of the NYSC scheme that provides direct benefits to the corps member’s host community.
“Even in the NYSC three weeks orientation course in the camp, we give emphasis to the CDS because it gives maximum contributions to the development of communities, especially in the rural areas.
“On behalf of the Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Sulaiman Kazaure, the entire staff and NYSC in Zamfara, I commend you on this wonderful and encouraging effort”.