Carmaker Toyota on Tuesday said it has partially suspended production in Japan because of an explosion at a supplier’s plant.

Toyota said that 10 production lines at six factories were halted after an explosion the previous day at one of the factories of supplier Chuo Spring in Aichi Prefecture.

The carmaker said it would check whether the affected production lines could be restarted on Wednesday.

Toyota has 14 assembly plants across Japan, producing cars for the domestic and overseas markets.

Recently, the carmaker had to halt domestic production for a day because of a server problem.

Production was restarted the following day.

The Kano State Police Command on Monday announced the arrest of 30 hoodlums for attempting to disrupt the state-sponsored mass wedding conducted on Friday for indigent residents.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Kano State government had organised a wedding Fatiha for about 3,600 young girls and boys, widows and divorcees on Friday.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Usaini Gumel, told NAN in a telephone interview on Monday that the hoodlums were arrested during the event.

According to him, most of the suspects came from neighbouring states with the aim of wreaking havoc and disrupting the mass wedding.

He said, “I assure you that Kano is safe and it will continue to be safe. During the mass wedding over the weekend, some people wanted to disrupt the event, but we did not allow that to happen. Thirty suspects who came with the intention to disrupt the event were arrested. On interrogation, we discovered that most of them came from neighbouring states.

“Some of them came with master keys with the intention to steal vehicles, but their plans were aborted.

“You saw how we were able to secure lives and property during the big event. Nobody complained; that is to show you that we are on track.”

Gumel urged residents and visitors to go on with their businesses without fear.

“Kano is a peaceful state. People should feel free to visit Kano,” he added.

A group, under the auspices of the Veteran Activists, has called on the Lagos State Government to enforce a ban on street trading in the state.

The spokesperson of the group, Declan Ihekaire, while addressing journalists in Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday said the move is crucial in maintaining law and order in the state.

He said that the appeal comes in response to the government’s decision on September 29, 2023, to impose a total prohibition on street trading/hawking and to shut down certain markets.

Ihekaire added that the move aims to protect the lives and properties of citizens, citing incidents of criminals posing as hawkers causing harm and disruption, including robberies and traffic congestion.

“It is expedient and imperative to set the record straight and clarify issues on the statement of a group of people who tried in vain to condemn the decision of the Lagos State Government to clean up markets and ban street trading.

“Some markets have been closed for poor sanitation, indiscriminate waste disposal, and poor management of wastes. The group, which claimed to be acting in support and defense of the traders and market men/women, has criticized the government’s action. This is not right,” Ihekaire added.

He said that in an ideal society, laws are made to regulate people’s actions.

“Total compliance with such laws is the best way to promote good governance and foster good relations between the government and the governed,” he explained.

Ihekaire revealed the government has provided alternative avenues for those affected, pointing out the 19 vocational centers in Lagos where hawkers can learn trades of their choice at no cost.

Furthermore, he expressed concern about the gradual return of commercial motorbikes (Okada) to restricted routes.

According to him, “This brings us to the gradual return of commercial motorbikes to the routes on which they have been restricted. Our finding is that the unholy alliance of the riders/the transportation unions and some law enforcement agencies has fueled the return of this menace.

“If this is not quickly checked with the enforcement of the law, we will be heading for a state of lawlessness. This cannot be right. The Government should wake up to arrest this unhealthy march to chaos,” he said.

Abia State Government, ABSG says, it has converted the cattle market at Lokpanta in Umunneochi LGA to a daily non-residential market to stem the tide of insecurity along the Lokpanta-Umunneochi-Uturu axis of the state.

Briefing newsmen in Umuahia Monday evening, the Security Adviser to the state governor, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba, disclosed that the state government also destroyed a total of 160 brothel rooms in the market suspected to harbour kidnappers and other criminals in the area.

Uba spoke on the heels of allegations that the state government had asked the traders, many of whom are not from the southeast, to leave the state, stating, “There is no truth in asking the community in Lokpanta to leave”.

According to him, “Unfortunately, we see rumour mills making the rounds that Abia State Government has asked the Hausa community to leave Lokpanta. This is untrue.

“Lokpanta-Umunnochi-Uturu axis has been under siege for over a year, even before this administration came in. Government has taken steps to contain the spate of kidnapping in that area”.

Recalling that the state governor had earlier launched ‘Operation Crush’ to stem the tide of kidnapping in the state, he said;

“All Intel points to the cattle market at Lokpanta”, recalling also that the market started from the Garki area in Umuahia to Ubakala, and later to Okigwe before a former governor of Abia State provided Lokpanta about more than 15 years ago.

Kidnappers, he said, have been operating from that place, stating, “Unfortunately market dealers did not carry themselves very well and they allowed kidnappers to use the area as where ransom is paid.”

According to him, the traders extended the market into the median lane of the Okigwe-Enugu expressway “as tactics of monitoring (commercial) buses.”

“They use one of their buses to block the road, cause traffic grid, and allow the passage of a lone bus, and they will send information to others to rob the bus. We dismantled the supposed market in the (expressway) median”.

Three weeks ago, he said, “We carried out a deliberate, measured action there, and brothels numbering over 160 rooms were brought down, arrests were made and millions of naira were recovered.”

The state government, he said, “Has the intention of penciling the market into a daily market because they (cattle dealers) allowed that level of criminality to be out of their hands.

“Cattle dealers will henceforth have that place as a daily market as obtained elsewhere in the country and will be non-residential”, disclosing that the state governor, Alex Otti gave an instruction that within seven days, all residents should move out.

Uba further explained, “We went there on the 8th, and on the 10th, they (cattle dealers) came pleading that the time limit was short. Surprisingly and embarrassingly, they turned around to say they were driven out and sent packing.

“The state government is aware that most cattle dealers are 2nd and 3rd generation Igbos, and are Hausas born here. So, where are we sending them to? Governor Otti doesn’t believe in the state of origin. Where is he sending them to?”

The position of the state government, he said “Is that the market will no longer be residential because our key performance indicator shows that for the past six weeks, and since we took all the measures we have taken, there has not been any kidnapping in that axis.

“Governor Otti wants to ensure that the state is safe and make Abia the number one state. You cannot have any investment and development where insecurity thrives.”

In the past, the high insecurity level in the area has been traced to the Lokpanta cattle market from where road users have been kidnapped and taken to for ransom payment.

The cattle traders had complained and instead of waiting for the state government to give them time, allegedly threatened to petition President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the state government is asking them to leave the state.

By this action, the state government now wants the market to operate from 6 am to 5 pm. daily.

The Euro qualifier game between Belgium and Sweden has been called off after reports of a shooting in the city left two Swedish people dead, BBC reports Monday.

The shooting occurred in Brussels before the game while the gunman was said to have fled the scene and is still at large.

Swedish fans have been told to stay inside the King Baudouin Stadium “for their own safety after the game was stopped” at half-time.

In its reaction, UEFA stated in a tweet late Monday night,

“Following a suspected terrorist attack in Brussels this evening, it has been decided, after consultation with the two teams and the local police authorities, that the Uefa Euro 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden is abandoned. Further communication will be made in due course.

The Swedish players told UEFA of their unwillingness to continue the match which was also agreed by the Belgian team, according to Swedish broadcaster TV6.

It is not yet known whether the victims were in Brussels to watch the Euro 2024 qualifier

The Lagos government on Monday ordered the reopening of Mile 12 market after it was sealed on Friday.

The commissioner for the environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the market was reopened after a thorough assessment, covering various aspects of environmental compliance, waste management practices, and general cleanliness within the market.

He noted that issues critical to the environment, public health and safety were not negotiable, as the government would not watch helplessly as those values were compromised and eroded by the conduct of a few people.

“We cannot continue to be nonchalant about our environment. Our negative attitude towards the environment must stop. The way we treat the environment is the way the environment treats us. We cannot fold our arms and allow the nonchalance of a few to affect the generality of the people.

“Following full compliance with environmental standards and safety measures earlier listed as a precondition for reopening shut markets, the Lagos state government has ordered immediate reopening of Mile 12 International Market.

“In spite of several advocacies and public enlightenment, the government was left with no choice but to enforce. The enforcement exercise will be a continuous one, as no government takes delight in shutting down markets,” Mr Wahab said.

He urged the traders to play by the rules of acceptable standards, putting a premium on hygiene for their health and that of the public, stressing that the government will not shy away from shutting down any market that returns to old filthy ways.

Also speaking on the reopening, the managing director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said LAWMA was committed to environmental sustainability and public safety, especially around market facilities in Lagos.

“The temporary closure of Mile 12 Market was essential to address observed environmental issues. Our aim is to ensure that all markets in Lagos, including Mile 12, operate in line with environmental regulations, creating a safer and healthier trading environment for everyone involved.

“We worked closely with Mile 12 Market traders and associations to implement corrective actions, including placement of dino bins, proper waste collection, disposal, employment of waste policing, bin keepers and payment for waste services, among others,” Mr Gbadegesin stated.

The LAWMA boss charged traders at the market to show total commitment to the state’s environmental laws to pave the way for a cleaner and healthier environment for the traders and their customers.

The market was sealed along with the Owode Onirin market for sundry environmental infractions.

The Actors Guild of Nigeria announced its withdrawal from the Federation of Registered Nollywood Guilds and Associations (FRENGAN), emphasising its commitment to members’ growth, development, and welfare as the primary rationale.

Emeka Rollas, AGN president, stated this in a letter he addressed to the leadership of FREGAN on Monday.

“After careful consideration of suggestions and opinions expressed by our members and stakeholders on AGN’s membership in FRENGAN, the National Executive Council has regrettably resolved to withdraw AGN’s membership from the body.

“This is to enable the Executive Council to focus on the growth, development, and welfare of members as we presently operate as service contractors, meaning that we fall short of labour protection with no access to social security,” said the letter.

It added, “However since filmmaking is a collaborative effort, we shall continue to support and promote sound and articulate industrial relationships among all the guilds and associations. We shall continue to uphold fair contractual practices and a regulatory environment to improve the livelihoods of our members while making the future of our industry more sustainable.”

The AGN, however, assured that the guild would continue to support and promote sound and articulate industrial relationships among all the guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry.

FRENGAN is the umbrella body of all registered guilds in Nigeria’s film industry, with the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) as some of its members.

Other guilds and associations under the coalition include the Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPAN), the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners of Nigeria (TAMPAN), and others.

The Kaduna Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives seized 398,192kg of illicit drugs and arrested 69 suspects in Kaduna.

The NDLEA commander in Kaduna, Ibrahim Braji, told journalists on Monday that the seizures and arrests were all made in September.

Mr Braji disclosed that within the same month, 14 illicit drug joints in the state were dismantled.

The commander explained that the 398,192kg of drugs seized included Indian Hemp, cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol, and psychotropic substances.

He disclosed that crude oil wrapped in polythene bags and arranged in three sacks, one locally made pistol and 14 rounds of blank ammunition, with 7.62mm live bullets, were also seized within the same period.

Mr Braji said the 14 illicit drug joints dismantled were in Rigasa, Gwantu, Yankifi, Nasarawa, Television, and Romi.

Others were in Kanti Agah, Kabala Doki, Tudun Wada, Agwa, Tirkaniya, Kakuri, Unguwar Mu’azu, and Gabari Zaria City.

The commander also appealed to state residents for timely and useful information to assist the agency in curbing illicit drug use.

Israel has denied reports of a planned ceasefire with the Palestinian extremist organisation Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“There is no ceasefire,’’ the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday morning.

Earlier, there had been reports a ceasefire with Hamas would be implemented for several hours to allow foreign nationals to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt.

As well as the entry of aid via the Rafah border crossing.

The Israeli military has been bombarding targets in Gaza since the unprecedented attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas fighters on October 7.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the densely populated coastal enclave ruled by Hamas have been completely sealed off following the attacks over a week ago.

They are seeking shelter in the south of Gaza to avoid an expected Israeli ground invasion. (NAN)

Heartland head coach Christian Obi has said he needs to work more on his side’s defence ahead of their clash with Katsina United.

The Naze Millionaires have conceded four goals in three outings in the Nigeria Premier Football League this season.

Obi emphasized the importance of his team to stop conceding unnecessary goals.

“I will still work on my team to enable us to stop conceding early goals, or goals in the first half,” he told Heartland media.

“In the meantime, I give my team kudos for their resilience; always coming back from a goal down is not easy, but we will work on that.

“Two points from three games? Remember that the league is still just starting.”

The former NPFL champions recorded their first point on the road against Sunshine Stars at the Akure Township Stadium on Saturday.

The Owerri club currently sit in 19th position on the NPFL table.

Heartland will host Katsina United in their next league game.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho has offered an explanation following criticisms that trailed his performance in the team’s 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia.

Uzoho conceded a cheap goal in the second half of the encounter played at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao.

The Omonia Nicosia shot stopper diverted a harmless free-kick into his net.

The 24-year-old has come under intense criticism for committing similar blunders in the past.Uzoho has now come up with his own defence.

“Generally it was a good game for us, but the result didn’t reflect our performance,” he said ahead of the Super Eagles friendly against Mozambique.

“I should have done better with that situation (fumble that led to the goal from a free kick).

“We make mistakes, but we learn from our mistakes.

“My position is a big position. And that position makes mistakes.

“You can make 10 saves, control your area well, and one mistake, one can forget all that.

“We try our best to do well, the fans should keep supporting whoever is in goal, they could be more supportive.”

The former chairman of the Bank of China has been arrested over suspicions of bribery and giving illegal loans.

Liu Liange, chairman of the state-owned bank from 2019 to 2023, had resigned from his position in March this year.

Weeks later, authorities announced Mr Liu was facing corruption charges.

The 62-year-old is one of the most senior bankers to be ensnared in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption probe into China’s $60 trillion (£49 trillion) financial sector.

The push to weed out corruption from the country’s financial industry appears to be ramping up, with officials in April warning that the crackdown was far from over.

Several high profile financial executives from state-owned banks have already been fined, jailed, or under investigation – with former chairman of China Life Insurance Wang Bin sentenced to life in prison without parole for bribery.

Mr Liu’s arrest comes just about a week after he was expelled from China’s ruling Communist Party following accusations of wrongdoing by the country’s top anti-graft watchdog China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The regulator accused Mr Liu of a range of illicit activities which led to significant financial risks.

These include accusations of illegally granting loans, bringing banned publications into the country and using his position in the bank to accept bribes and other perks such as invitations to private clubs and ski resorts.

Mr Liu had been a prominent figure in China’s banking and financial sector, and had held senior positions in China’s central bank and the Export-Import Bank of China.

He was promoted to become chairman of the Bank of China in 2019.

Australia internet safety watchdog has slapped a A$610,500 ($386,000; £317,360) fine on Elon Musk’s X for failing to cooperate with a probe into anti-child abuse practices.

It comes after Mr Musk had in as post last November said that “removing child exploitation is priority #1”.

The eSafety Commission criticised the firm’s “empty talk” on the issue.Insiders had earlier told the BBC they would not be able to protect users from trolling following mass lay-offs at X.

X, also known as Twitter, has seen a continuous revenue decline since Mr Musk bought it for $44bn last year.

Under Australian laws that took effect in 2021, the regulator can force internet companies to give information about their online safety practices or face a fine. If the fine is not paid, the regulator can pursue the company in court.

Alphabet’s Google was also issued a warning for noncompliance with its request for information about handling of child abuse content.

But X’s noncompliance was more serious, with the regulator saying the company failed to “provide any response to some questions, leaving some sections entirely blank”.

It added that: “Twitter/X did not respond to a number of key questions including the time it takes the platform to respond to reports of child sexual exploitation; the measures it has in place to detect child sexual exploitation in livestreams; and the tools and technologies it uses to detect child sexual exploitation material”.

The company confirmed to the regulator that it had cut 80% of its workforce globally and has no public policy staff in Australia, compared to two before Mr Musk’s takeover.

Last month, X was criticised by Australian researchers for disabling a feature that allowed users to report misinformation about elections.

The move has fuelled concern as it came ahead of a key Australia referendum which took place over the weekend to give Indigenous people more rights.

Enugu State government on Sunday implored qualified people of the state to take interest and apply for recruitment by the Nigeria Police Force.

The police recruitment board had announced earlier that its online portal for recruitment would be open for application for six weeks, beginning from Oct. 15.

Commissioner for information and communication, Aka Eze Aka, said in a statement issued in Enugu that government had noticed lethargy on the part of Enugu citizens to join the police.

“The ministry advises interested and qualified persons from Enugu State to apply to get enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as Police Constables.

“The need to have our people recruited into the Force cannot be overstated.

“Interested applicants should visit www.apply.policerecruitment.gov.ng,’’ Mr Aka advised.

Suspected ritualists have reportedly killed a 10-year-old girl in Guyaba village of the Kirfi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

According to village sources, her parents declared the victim missing for a few days before she was found dead, with some of her body parts missing.

However, details are still sketchy on how the victim was killed as of the time of writing this report.

Confirming the incident to DAILY POST on Sunday, the spokesman of the state police command, SP Ahmed Wakili, said the Commissioner, CP Auwal Musa, has ordered an investigation into the gruesome killing of the little girl.

He said, “The CP, Auwal Musa Muhammad, has directed the DPO, Kirfi Police Division, to investigate and unravel the circumstance of her death, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the dastardly act. So the investigation is ongoing.”

The state’s First Lady, Aisha Bala Muhammad, has visited the victim’s parents.

She charged traditional rulers, faith-based bodies, and security agencies to fish out the culprits.

The latest killing comes two months after suspected ritualists killed a toddler, a one-half-year-old boy, Mohammed Abideen Musa, who was found dead with his vital organs missing in a school at Games Village

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved a project to provide 60,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser to 400,000 smallholder farmers in Uganda.

The bank, in a statement issued on its website on Sunday, said this would be done under the Fertiliser Financing for Sustainable Agriculture Management project.

It said, “The Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism will provide two million dollars in partial trade credit guarantees and a grant of 877,842 million dollars to the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership.

Over a three-year duration, the project will support two wholesalers to sell fertiliser with a value of up to fifteen times the value of the two-million-dollar partial trade credit guarantee.

“It will also link wholesalers to around twenty-five hub agro-dealers and 125 retail agro-dealers who will on-sell the fertilizer to farmers.”

The bank said the credit facility will reduce the risks associated with suppliers lending fertilisers to wholesalers on credit.

It said the project was expected to boost yields and provide training to 3.4 per cent of targeted farmers, with 40 per cent of them women.

It said they would be using improved seeds, balanced crop nutrition, and best farming practices.

Meanwhile, Marie-Claire Kalihangabo, Africa Fertiliser Financing Mechanism Coordinator, said in Uganda that the fertiliser consumption was about 2.5 kg/ha.

According to Ms Kalihangabo, the project will help to make fertiliser more accessible and appropriately used by farmers.She expressed delight as it would in turn boost agricultural productivity and help to improve food security in the country.”

The project will advance the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy by increasing food productivity and security.”

It builds on the results of the Sustain Africa initiative, the Bank’s Country Strategy Paper for Uganda 2023–2026. The project was approved on Sept. 22,” she said.

Veteran Super Falcons captain Onome Ebi has joined Naija Ratels FC of Abuja, ahead of the 2023-2024 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) season, slated for November 15.

The record breaking skipper, who has participated in six FIFA Women’s World Cups, was unveiled at a colourful ceremony on Saturday in Abuja by the management of Naija Ratels.

The fast rising club only gained promotion to the elite NWFL in 2021.

The 40-year-old experienced defender, who captained the Super Falcons at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, said she was happy to return to the local league, after more than a decade abroad.

She said she specifically chose Naija Ratels, because it’s the youngest side in the league, with great organisation and discipline, despite offers from local and foreign clubs after the World Cup.

Ebi said returning to the league was a fulfilment of a childhood desire to return to the NWFL to mentor young talents and support the growth of women football in Nigeria.

“People will ask me why I joined Naija Ratels, why did I come back to the league (NWFL).“I didn’t just decide today to join them, I have had it in mind, my plans before getting to this stage is that I want to give back to Nigerian football.

“I left the league 10-11 years ago, but before leaving I saw the struggles in the league, so when I went abroad I saw how the foreign league is being organized and I said to myself before I retire I will definitely come back.

“Not only to give, not only to support but to play with the youngest team, I said I was not going to play for big teams, so these young ones can get the opportunity, I didn’t have,” she said.

Earlier, President, Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF), Paul Edeh said the game changing move was part of efforts to celebrate Nigerian football legends and change the narrative of the league.

“I am particularly happy today because what Onome brings to the table is not just playing football, but telling the right stories to our young children.

“We all know that all of these young players want to play for the Super Falcons, they want to play abroad, they want to play internationally, what better way to motivate them other than having someone in their fold who has seen it all,” he said.

Edeh who is also the Chairman, Benue State Football Association (BSFA), stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to support the NWFL and women football generally in the country.

He said the RSDF will take over the payment of Ebi’s salary from Naija Ratels and announced a N1.5 million monthly salary for the Super Falcons captain, making her the highest paid NWFL player.

He said the RSDF will continue to work with the management of NWFL and other stakeholders to develop the women’s game in the country.

Chairman NWFL, Nkechi Obi, who was also present at the star-studded unveiling, said the signing of Ebi will add more glamour to the league, as the NWFL management seeks to take the league to a higher pedestal.

She said the NWFL recently unveiled the “Women’s Football Rising” as the platform to drive its growth strategy for 2023 and beyond.Ebi last featured for Spanish side Levante Las Planas in 2022. The well travelled player also played in Turkey, Sweden, Belarus, China, among other countries.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) on Sunday said three persons died instantly in an auto crash involving a commercial bus and a truck.

A statement by the agency’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, on Saturday, said the incident happened at Gbagada by Charlie Boy bus stop.

“Following a distress call received at 22:01hrs through the agency’s toll-free lines, LASEMA activated the Lagos State Emergency Response Plans with an arrival time of 22:17hrs.

“Upon arrival of the agency’s LRT at the scene, it was observed that a white commercial bus lost control and crashed into a moving truck.

“The 18-passenger commercial bus, with registration number JJJ-844YA and loaded to capacity, was heading to Ajah from Oshodi.

“It lost control while on motion, rammed into a moving truck from behind and three people died instantly.

“Two males and one female, all adults, immediately lost their lives to the incident, while others sustained various degrees and categories of injuries,” he said.

He added that out of the seven people injured, three were promptly administered pre-hospital care and ferried to Gbagada General Hospital for further treatment by the agency’s paramedics.

“The three commodities have been bagged awaiting arrival of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, (SEHMU), to convey them to the morgue.

“Light Tow Truck has been deployed to recover the affected vehicle from the busy road to forestall secondary incidents.

“The LASEMA Response Team, LASEMA Pre-Hospital Care Team, Nigeria Police and Lagos Fire and Rescue Services were all present at the incident,” he said.

The police have arrested three suspected thieves for raiding the palace of the Olu of Ogunmakin town in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State.

The criminals had on Thursday, raided and stolen the crown and staff of office from the palace of late monarch Oba James Sodiya, who passed away about two months ago.

According to Daily Trust, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident to journalists in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Disclosing that three suspects in connection with the crime have been arrested, the police spokesperson added that the crown has been recovered but the staff of office is still missing.

“On the 12th of October 2023, an intelligence was received from the palace of his Royal Majesty that one Amusa Kazeem, Oke Oladipupo and Johnson Oluwole conspired and stole the royal crown and the staff of office two months after the demise of king of Ogunmakin.

“The suspects were alleged to have entered into the house at about 2:00 hours where the property of the late king was kept,” Mrs Odutola said.

The spokesperson added that “The trio took the key where it was kept in the custody of the person assigned to keep the property and removed the royal crown and the staff of office of the late king, an act described as an abomination.

“Immediately the information was received, the police swung into action and recovered the royal crown from the house of one Kazeem Amusan.

“The staff of office has not been recovered, but intensive action is on going to recover same. The suspects have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation,” she disclosed.

The statement stated that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, urged members of the public to provide information that could lead to the recovery of the missing staff of office.

The Kano Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP) has commenced distribution of 100 units of single-row hand-pushed planters to farmers through its implementing partner, Sasakawa Africa Association.

This is contained in a statement by the Communication Officer, Sasakawa Africa, Moses Nongoatse, on Sunday in Kano.

The project is being funded by the Kano State Government, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF).

The planters are being distributed to farmers across different farming communities in the 44 LGAs of the state, to enhance their productivity by providing access to efficient planting and fertiliser application equipment.

The SAA/KSADP Project Coordinator, Abdulrasheed Hamisu Kofarmata, said the distribution was part of ongoing efforts to support smallholder farmers in the state by providing them access to efficient and affordable agricultural tools.

“The KSADP through SAA is helping our farmers to increase their productivity and income levels, which would ultimately lead to improved food security and livelihoods for rural households.

“Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), implementing the crop component of the KSADP, is committed to supporting smallholder farmers in Kano State to improve their productivity and income levels by providing farmers with services, training, inputs, and market linkages.”

He said this would build a more sustainable and food-secure future for Kano State.

One of the beneficiaries, Isa, from Bunkure Local Government Area, expressed gratitude to the KSADP for the kind gesture.

“This planter will make my work much easier and help me produce more crops, increasing my yield and income,” he said.

“Single-row hand-pushed planters are simple agricultural tools that can make a big difference in the lives of smallholder farmers.

“They are easy to operate and help farmers plant seeds more evenly, efficiently, leading to massive increased crop yields and higher incomes.

“The distribution of simple planters would go a long way to improve crop productivity and income in the state,” he said.