Adamawa

The Adamawa Government has restricted the operations of commercial motorcyclists in the state from 6p.m. to 6p.m.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Maijamaa Adamu, who confirmed the development, said in Yola on Thursday that the restriction was part of measures to improve security in the state.

Maijamaa said that the governor had met with officials of the commercial motorcyclists union in the state, where he briefed them on measures to introduce tricycles for their members.

He said that government would also introduce buses to ease transportation problem across the state.

He called for continuous support and cooperation of the people with the state government, as “measures are introduced to ensure their security and welfare”.

Borno

The Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) has denied media reports alleging desecration of the Muslim Holy Book, the Qur’an, by its personnel in Maiduguri.

JTF Field Commander, Col. Victor Ebhaleme, said in a statement in Maiduguri on Monday that the allegation was untrue.

“The JTF wishes to draw the attention of the public to media reports alleging that some of its personnel abused the Holy Qur’an during operations in Maiduguri.

“The allegation was untrue as the JTF investigated the claim and found it to be false. It is an attempt by members of the Boko Haram sect and their collaborators trying to look for sympathy from members of the public as the curfew imposed have checkmated their excesses,” Ebhaleme said.

FCT

The Senate has passed the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendments) Act 2012, increasing the retirement age of staff in the professorial cadre in the universities from 65 to 70 years.

The law specifies that an academic staff who retires as a professor in a recognised university shall be entitled to pension at a rate equivalent to his annual salary.

The Act, however, fixed the retirement age of other academic and non-academic staff at 65 years.

The passage of the bill followed third reading and Senate’s approval of the report of the Senate Committee on Education.

Gombe

Police in Gombe State have swung into action to unravel the mystery surrounding the killing of Pastor Yahaya Abutu, a cleric at Bajoga in the state’s Funakaye Local Government Area.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Gombe command, ASP Ahmed Mohammed, disclosed this Tuesday during an interview with newsmen in Gombe.

He said however that he was yet to get the details of how Abutu died.

The police spokesman nonetheless gave assurances that he would release details of police findings as soon as they had completed their investigations.

Jigawa

The Chairman, Yankwashi Local Government in Jigawa, Alhaji Musa Karkarna,  said he had spent N206 million on the construction of feeder roads from 2008 to date.

Karkarna told newsmen in Yankwashi on Thursday that the council spent N90 million to construct the 7.5-km Batatsaba-Dunbu-Ringim Road while the Yawara-Gangara Road was constructed with N37 million.

The chairman said that N68 million was spent on the second phase of the 12.7-km Yawara-Furji Road.

According to him, the 1.5-km Murde-Unguwamagaji Road, which was awarded at N11 million, has yet to be completed.

Karkarna noted that the roads were constructed to enable farmers to transport their produce easily to the markets and boost socio-economic activities in the council area.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has stopped the payment of allowances to members of committees set up to oversee some government activities.

The state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Sa’idu Adamu, announced this on Wednesday in Kaduna after the state’s Executive Council meeting.

Adamu explained that the policy was aimed at reducing the cost of governance occasioned by dwindling revenue.

He said that funds saved from such allowances, would be used to provide infrastructure for the development of the state.

Katsina

The Police in Funtua, Katsina State, on Monday shot dead two suspected armed robbers, and sources said the action followed a tip-off by one of their victims.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Katsina State Police Command, ASP Ibrahim Abubakar, told newsmen that the duo were part of a six-man gang that engaged the police in a shootout.

He said that the men were shot on the Funtua-Zaria road, which they blocked at about 1 a.m., adding that it was one of their victims who escaped and reported their actvity to the police.

Abubakar said that the four other robbers fled into the bush with gun shot wounds, but that a search for them had begun.

Kebbi

The Kebbi Government has spent N15 billion on the upgrading of secondary and technical schools in the state within the last five years.

A statement by the Press Secretary to the governor, Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu, in Birnin Kebbi on Monday, indicated that N9.8 billion of the amount was spent on the provision of boarding facilities in 50 schools.

It also stated that 67 new junior secondary schools were established by the government at a cost of one billion naira naira, while N2.7 billion was used to construct five new science secondary schools.

Lagos

A former President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr Waheed Kadiri, has said that the sector may not record significant progress in 2012 due to the current state of the economy.

Kadiri told newsmen in Lagos on Thursday that work on old projects might also be suspended for an upward review in their initial cost of construction.

Until the issue of fuel subsidy is sorted out, much should not be expected from the real estate industry in 2012, he said.

Osun

The Osun command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

on Monday said it arrested 196 suspected drug traffickers in the state between January and December 2011.

The state Commander of the agency, Mrs Anthonia Ndu, told newsmen in Osogbo that 52 of the offenders had been convicted.

Ndu said the trial of other suspects were still ongoing at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.

She added that 3,162.81 kilogramme of cannabis sativa popularly called Indian hemp, 700 grammes of psychotropic substances and 5.1 grammes of cocaine were seized from the suspects during the period.

The commander said that more than 43 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed, while four vehicles used for transporting the illicit weed were seized.

Plateau

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Plateau on Monday commended residents of the state over their peaceful conduct throughout the NLC nationwide protests.

The NLC had called for street protests to force the Federal Government to revert to the old fuel pump price of N65 per litre.

The price of the commodity had gone up to between N138 and N150 after government removed subsidy on fuel from Jan 1.

While people in other states took to the streets, residents of Plateau remained calm and opted to rather sit at home to observe the strike.

NOA State Director, Mr Musa Chantu, who made the commendation, while briefing newsmen on Monday in Jos, described the conduct of Plateau residents as very unique.

Zamfara

Some residents of Gusau say they are happy with the suspension of the strike called by the NLC, recounting the hardship they went through during the period of the strike.

The residents expressed their reaction on Monday immediately after the organised labour announced it was calling off the strike.

The strike had begun on January 9 after government announced it was removing its subsidy on fuel pump price and fuel stations hiked the product’s price to N141 per litre.

Yahaya Umar, a journalist, said the strike caused him and others untold hardship because movement was restricted.

Another respondent, Ijeoma Ekeuhia, said the fuel subsidy removal almost put her out of business as a hair stylist.

Ekeuhia said the cost of materials used in carrying out her business had also increased, thereby causing a rise in the cost of services rendered to customers.