The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has intercepted three trucks conveying precious stones in Zamfara without a permit.

At a press briefing on Monday, the NSCDC commandant in Zamfara, Muhammed Muazu, disclosed that the trucks were intercepted in Gusau en route to Sokoto as the drivers had no legal documents for security clearance.

The commandant said,

“We have no problem with the drivers or vehicles; the owners were to provide the necessary evidence that will permit them to engage in the business.”

He explained that people or corporate bodies taking part in transacting any mineral deposits must have the licence to possess and purchase minerals, evidence of royalty payment, mineral title if the solid mineral comes from a legal source, agent movement permit, and mineral buying centre certificate.

He said the trucks were impounded, and the drivers had a seven-day ultimatum to provide legal documents, or they would be prosecuted.

The commandant warned truck drivers to avoid conveying mineral resources without legal documents.

He called on the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to sensitise their members on the danger and legal implications of moving mineral resources without the necessary documents of the law.

Mr Muazu maintained that the federal government would impound trucks and prosecute drivers and others involved in the illegal quarrying of precious stones in Zamfara.

Governor Babagana Zulum has increased the retirement age of teachers in Borno to 65 from 60.

This is contained in a circular from the Borno State Teaching Service Board signed by the permanent secretary, Yusuf Garga.

“The attention of all teachers is hereby drawn to the fact that Governor Babagana Zulum has approved the extension of years of service of all teachers in Borno from 35 to 40 and from 60 to 65 by age, whichever comes first,” the circular stated.

It explained that all interested teachers “willing to enjoy this are expected to write to the board through their principals expressing their interest and attach a medical certificate of fitness from any government hospital.”

The circular added that the letters should be submitted to the board in person.

President Muhammadu Buhari assented to four bills recently passed by the National Assembly, including Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022.

The act provides for the retirement age of teachers in the country. Section 1 of the act states that teachers in Nigeria will compulsorily retire upon attaining 65 or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.

While section 3 of the act provides that the public service rule or any legislation that requires a person to retire from public service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service will not apply to teachers in Nigeria.

An area court in Jos on Tuesday sentenced a bus conductor, Suleiman Mohammed, 22, to six months’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of two knives.

The judge, Thomas Ajitse, sentenced Mr Mohammed following his guilty plea to possessing dangerous weapons.

Mr Ajitse also gave the convict an option of a N50,000 fine.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that on February 23, a police patrol team from the Railway Division Police Station, Jos, arrested the conductor during a stop-and-search.

Mr Gokwat said the convict had two knives on him.

The police prosecutor said the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

Nonye Soludo, the wife of Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra, has urged pregnant and nursing mothers to participate actively in the free Rotavirus vaccination in the state.

Mrs Soludo made the call in Awka on Monday at a meeting with mothers, social and health workers as part of her Easter message to the public.

She said that the ongoing free Rotavirus vaccination was an opportunity for pregnant and nursing mothers to vaccinate their infants against the deadly disease.

Mrs Soludo noted that the essence of the free exercise is to eliminate the heavy financial burden it will cost the poor and low income families to get their kids vaccinated.

“We desire to ensure that the child-killer virus does not hold sway in Anambra.

“Recently, the government in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, worked out a deal to administer the Rotavirus vaccine across public health facilities in the state.

“The free vaccine given to infants between the ages of zero to 12 months, is to prevent diarrhoea related sicknesses that come with dangerous symptoms like severe watery diarrhoea, fever and vomiting.

“The quality health of our people is one of our cardinal goals which is to provide sound health to our children. Take action now to secure healthy living,” she said.

Mrs Soludo further appealed to parents, particularly mothers, to take the programme seriously, noting that it was only when every child had been captured in the process that the disease would be defeated.

“Keeping good hygiene is key in fighting the disease; parents should monitor what their children consume, the environment and maintain hand washing hygiene,” she advised.

The governor’s wife further urged stakeholders to create more awareness about the vaccination as the government intended to cover every child in the state.

She added that the Soludo led administration was committed to enacting health policies aimed at protecting women and children in the state.

Ahmed Audi, the commandant-general of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has advised personnel to observe absolute vigilance while carrying out their official duties.

In an interview on Monday in Abuja, Mr Audi said the advice was sequel to recent attacks and ambushes by gunmen on the personnel in various parts of the country.

He frowned on the recent death rate recorded by the corps, saying that it was saddening and unfortunate.

Mr Audi stressed the need for officers and men of the corps to apply intelligent surveillance before embarking on road trips.The commandant-general said that although the personnel could not avoid fulfilling their statutory duties, it was essential to “watch before you leap.

“Use sirens when necessary and not to alert the criminals who might be on the watch out.

“Ensure that you stay alive because that is the only way you can perform your duties as security operatives.

“This does not, however, mean that you should run away when you are meant to defend citizens and the country; it is only a warning to observe intelligent watch-out during official duties.”

Mr Audi further advised the personnel to collaborate with other security agencies, especially in information sharing.

The FCT police arrested at least 40 suspected members of a criminal syndicate around Gishiri village on Sunday.

In a statement, the command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said the suspects were arrested in an intelligence raid necessitated by complaints from three independent sources over the unwholesome activities of the gang in Gishiri village.

According to her, the complainants fingered some ex-convicts, namely: Awalu, Balo and Baba Ali, as the masterminds of the criminal gang.

She added that the suspects were allegedly involved in intimidation, attack, assault, robbery, and consumption and peddling of illicit drugs.

The spokesperson said the gang members were also alleged to have, on March 30, stabbed 10 residents, brutalised many, and vandalised vehicles in the community.

“They attack and obstruct policemen or vigilante members from arresting any suspect when the need arises,” Ms Adeh added.

The spokesperson said the operatives, having processed the intelligence, swung into action at about 12:30 to 02:30 a.m. on April 9 and apprehended the 40 suspects from carefully marked black spots.

She said the suspects were repulsive and violent all through the process of arrest and while taking their statements at the police division headquarters.

The police spokesperson added that police personnel from Mabushi Division had to apply force in suppressing some of the suspects who revolted after being arrested in the intelligence-led raid.

According to her, the cut-to-suit narrative in a video in circulation was a scene of police officers trying to apply minimum force to restore order.

“While the proportionality of the applied force is in question and has amounted to unprofessional conduct, the officers involved have been duly noted for sanction.

“The Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, and the leaders of the Gishiri community have commended the division and its leadership for promptly responding to public outcry and restoring order to the community.

“The suspects raided were immediately screened, and those with prima facie cases will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigations,” she added.

Men of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a 60-year-old man identified as Umar Gwallaga; and his two sons for allegedly setting ablaze a patrol van belonging to the Federal Road Safety Corps.

Disclosing this to newsmen, the spokesperson of the state police command, Ahmed Wakil, said Gwallaga and his sons, 42-year-old Nasiru and 39-year-old Usman, also said to have attacked and injured an officer of the FRSC in the incident that happened along the Bauchi-Gombe road on Friday, April 7.

“On April 7, 2023, at about 6am, one Nasiru Umar, 42 years old of Gwallaga, Bauchi, Bauchi State, loaded his family members in his Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep from Bauchi to Gombe State.

On reaching Tashan Durumi village in Kirfi Local Government Area, a patrol team of FRSC on a federal highway, performing their strategic duties while on stop-and-search, stopped the vehicle but the driver refused to stop.

At about 3pm, while he was returning from Gombe to Bauchi, he was stopped and asked to present particulars of the vehicle, he then came out of the vehicle and attacked one of the FRSC personnel, Anas Aliyu, and as a result, he had a dislocation on his hand.

He further went and attacked the patrol team driver and then set the patrol van on fire. In the process, his father, Umar Gwallaga, 60 years old and his younger brother, Usman Gwallaga, 39 years old joined him in attacking the personnel.

The suspect and his conspirators were arrested and are under Police detention at Kirfi Police Division.”he said

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) says it is working to restore power supply to Minna and environs after a windstorm damaged some of its equipment and installations.

There was a heavy windstorm on Sunday night before the downpour.This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Minna by the electricity company’s spokesman Adamu Muhammed, for the AEDC Niger region.

The statement, tagged ‘Public Announcement on Power Interruption’, said, “The management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, Niger Region, wishes to inform its esteemed customers that there will be power supply interruption in Minna, the state capital and its environs. The power interruption currently being faced was as a result of a heavy windstorm and rainfall yesterday, which caused serious damages to our equipment and installations.”

It added,

“However, our team of engineers are working round the clock to address the problems and restore normal power supply.”

The AEDC statement explained that the company regretted the inconveniences caused by the natural occurrence to electricity consumers in the area.On Sunday, the company’s technical team worked on the power lines in Minna and the suburbs to restore the electricity supply.

The Supreme Court has so far delivered 272 judgments in the 2022/2023 Legal Year.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, made this known in a statement while felicitating Nigerian Christian and Muslim faithful on the year’s Easter cerebration and the ongoing Ramadan.

The CJN noted that the judgements were delivered in civil, criminal and election-related cases.He counselled both Christians and Muslims to use the two occasions to pray for continued peace and tranquillity in the country.

“It is with gratitude to Almighty Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, the most benevolent for His grace at this season when both Christians and Muslims all over the globe are fasting and calling on Almighty God for protection and blessings that I express my greetings to all.

“I am using this opportunity to thank my brother Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and our supporting staff for their unalloyed cooperation since the beginning of the current legal year of 2022/2023, which started in mid September, 2022.

“I want to specifically appreciate and acknowledge my brother Justices who have delivered 272 judgements in the normal civil, criminal and election-related appeals under immense pressure.

“We appreciate, adore and give glory to Almighty God who has continued to keep us all in good health.

“I wish the Christian faithful a joyous Easter and the Muslim Ummah a rewarding Ramadan and happy Eid-el- Fitr,” the CJN said.

The police in Oyo state has begun an investigation into the death of an Ibadan popular fashion vendor, Adeshina Olayinka popularly known as khadi.

The deceased was said to have been found d€ad in a hotel in the Akobo area of the state on Thursday night, April 6.

The circumstances surrounding her death quite sketchy.

Unconfirmed reports claim she lodged in the hotel with a yet-to-be-identified man and was later found d€ad in the hotel room by the receptionist.

The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Adewale Osifeso who confirmed the incident to LIB said investigation has commenced into the incident and that details will be made public as soon as possible.