Some communities in Gurmana Ward of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have been attacked by gunmen.

It was discovered that Sarkin Zama, Bakin Kogi (Lagbe), Siyiko and other adjoining villages were invaded by armed gangs who operated unchallenged for hours.

According to Co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki, some residents were killed in the attack which happened hours after students and staff were abducted at Government Science College, Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area of the state.

“Countless deadly attacks have become daily occurrences thereby compelling the affected victims to live at the mercy of hydraheaded monsters. Defenceless, unarmed and peaceful locals have been abandoned to their fate,” Kokki said.

Details later…

The National Reconciliation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki is currently meeting with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Details of the meeting are sketchy but it was gathrre gathered that it may not be unconnected to the party’s plan for the 2023 election.

Alongside key PDP leaders, Saraki stormed President Jonathan’s residence at Maitama, Abuja, around 1:00pm.

Former governors of Katsina, Gombe and Cross Rivers states; Ibrahim Shema, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Liyel Imoke, are among those in attendance.

Others at the closed-door meeting include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and erstwhile House of Representatives leader, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande.

Saraki’s committee was inaugurated months after the PDP lost the presidential election to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2019.

Among its objectives is reconciling aggrieved members who have left the party and as well wooing new members to the party ahead of the next general election.

It had been reported how some kinsmen and political allies of Jonathan intensified their move to woo the Nigerian leader into 2023 presidential race.

Although the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted the claim that it is planning to make the former president its candidate in 2023, reports on such move have been flying around.

Some of Jonathan’s allies, especially in Bayelsa, where he hails from, have been pushing him for the 2023 election.

Jonathan’s kinsman from Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and pro-democracy advocate, Comrade Wisdom Ikuli, revealed that the former president is very eligible to contest the 2023 presidential election and that most Nigerians are yearning for his return.

Abdulrasheed Bawa, the new helmsman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has about 16 years of experience on job.

At 40, he is the youngest person to chair the Commission. The founding chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, was appointed at the age of 43 in 2003.

Before his new appointment, the Kebbi-born lawyer worked as the Zonal Head of the EFCC in Lagos and Oyo States.

Below are 10 things to note about the anti-graft czar.

• He was born in Jega, Kebbi State, 40 years ago. This makes him the first person to be appointed to the EFCC job from anywhere in Nigeria other than the North-East zone.
• Bawa is the first career operative to head the EFCC. His appointment puts to rest agitation by “core EFCC staff” to have one of their own to head the commission.
• Bawa served under all EFCC past chairpersons, starting with Nuhu Ribadu, who recruited the first set of civilians into EFCC (including Bawa) in 2005.
• The operative started work with EFCC from its Lagos office, after his recruitment in 2005. He went on to work at the headquarters in Abuja, and for a year in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
• He was educated at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2001 and master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy in 2011.
• He is a Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent, a position he was promoted to in 2016.
• Bawa has led a number of key corruption and financial crimes investigations including the infamous case of former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, the case of former Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu and that of the Controversial crude oil swap. He was also involved in the investigation of petroleum subsidy fraud (2012-2015).
• Bawa has headed EFCC zonal offices in Ibadan and Port Harcourt between June 2018 and December 2019.
• From Port Harcourt, Bawa was posted to Abuja as head of Capacity Development Division of the EFCC Academy, Karu.
• Bawa was trained by the FBI, KPMG and many other institutions in the UK, United States and Nigeria

Boris Johnson has insisted US democracy remains “strong”, despite the “kerfuffle” over former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

The Senate acquitted Mr Trump of incitement to insurrection following the storming of Congress on 6 January.

Mr Johnson told US broadcaster CBS his relationship with new President Joe Biden was “excellent”.

And he promised the American and UK governments would work well together on issues like climate change and defence.

Mr Biden, who was inaugurated on 20 January, has never met the prime minister in person, but this is set to change later this year, with the UK hosting the G7 summit in the summer and the COP26 climate change gathering in the autumn.

During his interview for CBS’s Face the Nation show, Mr Johnson was keen to stress that their two countries were “coming together” on the environment, ways of dealing with Iran and the future of Nato.

These were all issues on which Mr Trump took a different line to the UK government, but the prime minister called recent statements by Mr Biden “incredibly encouraging”.

Having previously condemned the violence inside Washington’s Capitol building last month, he was asked about the impeachment trial of Mr Trump, in which prosecutors failed to get the two-thirds majority in the Senate needed to convict the ex-president.

“I think the clear message that we get from the proceedings in America is that, after all the toings and froings and all the kerfuffle, American democracy is strong,” he said.

“And the American constitution is strong and robust. And we’re delighted now, I’m very delighted, to have a good relationship with the White House, which is an important part of any UK prime minister’s mission.

“I’ve had some good conversations already with President Biden, fantastic conversations about the way he sees things.”

Five people died in the violence in Washington on 6 January.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Biden described democracy – in contrast to Mr Johnson – as “fragile” in the face of “violence and extremism”.

He said of Mr Trump’s trial: “While the final vote did not lead to a conviction, the substance of the charge is not in dispute.”

But Mr Trump welcomed his acquittal, calling his impeachment a “witch hunt”.

In his first telephone call to the prime minister last month, Mr Biden said he wanted to “strengthen the special relationship” between the US and UK.