Politics

Nigerians will appreciate my govt soon- President Muhammed Buhari

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Tuesday vowed that his government would not allow any candidate use their “personal resources or influence to intimidate other Nigerians” ahead of the next year general elections.

He added that in six months, Nigerians will appreciate his government that it respects them.According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President spoke when he received members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum led by its Chairman, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, at the State House, Abuja.

The statement was titled ‘Why I believe in non-interference in the political process, Buhari.’Citing the outcome of the Ekiti, Anambra and Osun States governorship elections, the President assured Nigerians of his desire to bequeath strong political institutions through non-interference in elections.

This, he noted, would give credence to the political process, ensure participation and inclusiveness, and show that the governing party respects the electorate.

The President said,

“I want Nigerians to know that we respect them, and for us to show that, we will allow them to vote who they want.

We all witnessed what happened in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. What happened in those states gives me a lot of hope that we are succeeding.

“We will not allow anyone to use personal resources or their influence to intimidate other Nigerians. We will not allow intimidations materially, morally or physically. This is the kind of leadership that can emerge and consolidate our nation.

“In six months, Nigerians will appreciate the government of the All Progressives Congress that we are sincere and we respect them.’’

To the APC political leaders, he called for intensified efforts in “thinking, meeting and strategising for the 2023 elections.’’

In his remarks, the Chairman of the PGF thanked the President for his leadership, affirming that the Nigerian economy had been growing, in spite of challenges.

“We want to congratulate you on the positive trajectory of the economy, with the 3.5% growth in the second quarter, up from 3.1% of the first quarter of this year. Infrastructure projects are ongoing in different parts of the country, and the social intervention programme is expanding,’’

Bagudu stated.

However, the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Debo Olugunagba, said the President’s statement was an acknowledgement of the need to ensure free, fair and credible elections “without unnecessary interference by money bags.”Ologunagba stated,

“We believe that this election should be based on issues, not about who can purchase who.

We know that the leaders and the veterans of the APC, as reported in various media, are always interested in buying votes and trying as much as possible to derail the will of the Nigerian people, either by corruptly buying votes, or unleashing violence, which of course, we have the records.

“So, if the President says that today, that is a welcome development, with the hope that the President will keep his word for once on that, because if his performance in other sectors, particularly security, is anything to go by, then we need to take that statement with a pinch of salt.’’

Lifestyle, Politics

”This incident is capable of making citizens to be fearful of assisting soldiers”- President Buhari condemns killing of Yobe Islamic cleric by soldiers who he gave a lift

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President Buhari has strongly condemned what he calls “the unprovoked and cold-blooded murder of a Yobe State-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Goni Aisami, by a callous soldier he had offered a lift as confirmed by the Police.”

The Muslim cleric was hacked to death by two soldiers who he offered a lift at Jajimaji, the headquarters of Karasuwa local government council in Yobe state on Saturday, August 20.

Reacting to the incident, President Buhari in a statement released by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said ;

“this barbaric murder of a compassionate man by a soldier he had assisted has no place in our training as soldiers, and it negates the entire ethos of military life which is anchored on discipline and respect for the sanctity of innocent lives.”

”As the Commander-in-Chief, I am personally outraged by this criminal and wicked act by a law enforcement official trained to protect life.

By our training, we are guided by a code of conduct that frowns on this kind of reckless and criminal act. It is not in our character and training to put innocent citizens in harm’s way.

Of course, the action of this soldier is an isolated incident involving an individual, but it is capable of staining the collective image of our military.

This incident is capable of making our fellow citizens to be fearful of assisting soldiers, thereby destroying the bond of trust between our military and the civilians.

I call on the military authorities to punish the perpetrators of this heinous crime without delay, and flush out other elements with such criminal tendencies,” President Buhari said.

The President condoled with Yobe State Government, the people of the State, and the family of the victim of this tragedy.

Politics

Buhari has done his best, everybody’s best is different – Isa Yuguda

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Former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, has said that President Buhari has done well in leading the country.

Yuguda shared this opinion when he appeared on Channels TV this morning. “Mr President has done his best. Everybody’s best is different.

So I can say the President has done his best. And he has appointed actors to assist him to manage the country – they are also doing their best. It all depends on somebody’s assessments.

As far as I’m concerned, the President has done his best.” he said Yuguda argued that despite the fact that the Nigerian economy and security were “a little bit depressing”, the President has done well.

“Any rational Nigerian will know that it could not have been any better no matter who was there on the driving seat.

Most of these things that are happening to us are historical. If you are coming from an environment where the foundation has been distorted then what you reap is what you sow.

Security, for instance, is a historical thing. it didn’t start with Buhari’s government. It started in 2008, 2009.” Yuguda argued that security challenges cannot be associated with the President.

“Yes, he is the overall head, but if you see something going wrong in terms of security, you hold the Governor responsible.

You (Governor) are sworn in to protect life and property because you own the land.

The President does not have land, so you don’t expect the President to secure your land.”he said

Lifestyle, Politics

Abductors of Nasarawa Commissioner contact family, demand N100m ransom

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The abductors of the Nasarawa state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Yakubu Lawal, have contacted his family and demanded N100 million as ransom before he will be released from captivity.

The kidnappers invaded Lawal’s home in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of the state on Monday night, August 15 at about 8:45pm and abducted him.

The abductors contacted his family at about 4.30pm on Tuesday, August 16, and said the only way they would release the commissioner is if the sum of N100 million is paid as ransom.

The state police has since confirmed Lawal’s abduction and stated that efforts are being made to rescue him unhurt.

Politics

Termites allegedly eat up N17.128B expenditure evidence at NSITF

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The Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) has put the current and past management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) under scrutiny.

The committee said it discovered that the fund’s management failed to produce relevant documents to justify alleged spending of N17.158 billion in 2013. Some of the documents to back the expenses were said to have been eaten up by termites, according to the Nation.

The Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF), in its 2018 audit report – now being considered by the Senate panel chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South) – had queried the agency over the disbursed sums without appropriate supporting documents.

In his report, the OAuGF said the N17.158 billion represented the total sum of money, transferred by the agency from its Skye and First Bank accounts, into various untraceable accounts belonging to individuals and companies between January and December 2013.

The OAuGF had, in its 2018 audit report, raised 50 different queries bordering on alleged misappropriation of funds against the agency. The AuGF’s query reads:

“Management of NSITF, as shown in statements of account number 1750011691 with Skye Bank Plc, for the period 1st January, 2013 to 20th December, 2013, and statements of account number 2001754610 with First Bank Plc for the period January 7, 2013 to February 28, 2013, transferred amounts totalling N17,158,883,034.69 to some persons and companies from these accounts.

“However, payment vouchers relating to the transfers together with their supporting documents were not provided for audit. Consequently, the purpose(s) for the transfers could not be authenticated.

“These are in violation of Financial Regulation 601 which states that ‘all payment entries in the cashbook/accounts shall be vouched for on one of the prescribed treasury forms.

Vouchers shall be made out in favour of the person or persons to whom the money is actually due’.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Urhoghide, had summoned and interviewed NSITF’s past and present managements on where the said N17.158 billion was transferred to between January and December 2013.

It was learnt that no official of the former management could offer satisfactory explanation on the alleged multiple transfers with necessary documents.

Members of management in charge of the agency in 2013 had told the committee that relevant cash vouchers pertaining to the transactions were left behind by them.

But the current NSITF Managing Director, Dr. Michael Akabogu, was said to have claimed that no such documents were in the organisation’s custody.

The container the said documents were kept by past management has not only been beaten by rains over the years but even possibly been eaten up by termites.

“As directed by this committee, I told the past management officers on the need for them to help us out in answering this query with necessary documents which have not been made available for us,” Akabogu allegedly said.

The Managing Director of NSITF from 2010 to 2016, Mallam Umar Munir Abubakar, allegedly claimed that he was aware of the query and had no explanations to render since the audit exercise was not carried out during his tenure.

But his successor, Mr. Adebayo Somefun, who was head of the agency from May 2017 to July 2020, allegedly insisted that those in the agency’s account section should be able to trace the documents.

But the current General Manager Finance of the agency allegedly said that the container in question had been under lock and key and abandoned in an isolated area within the premises of the organisation in Abuja.

In his ruling, Urhoghide expressed worry over the development and ordered both members of past and present management of the NSITF to re-appear before the panel with all necessary evidence concerning the transactions unfailingly on Thursday, September 22, 2022.

Lifestyle, Politics

Abuja-Kaduna train abduction shows Buhari’s failure – CSOs

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Three civil society organisations have asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to give an account of the missing and the dead in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.The Community of Practice against Mass Atrocities and the Joint Action Civil Society Committee under the aegis of Nigeria Mourns said the abduction of the passengers of the ill-fated train was an indication of Buhari’s “continued failure to protect the lives and property of Nigerians”.

The groups condemned in strong terms the spate of insecurity across the country and called on the Federal Government to take “actionable steps to mitigate further attacks by terrorist groups”.

In a statement posted on the global petition website, change.org, which had gathered over 7,000 signatures as of the time of filing this report, the groups noted that the Buhari regime had failed in its primary responsibility to its citizens.

“Since the Kaduna train attack, the government has failed to account for the number of persons rescued, the missing and the dead, failing in its primary purpose as provided for in Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”, and Section 17(2) (c): “governmental actions shall be humane”.

“We point out that the level of humaneness envisioned by our constitution is lacking in the actions of the government in each of these incidents, and that these actions rather suggest that the value for human life in Nigeria is now at its lowest and that the government is failing in its constitutional duties,” part of the statement read.

In the same vein, Global Rights, which also petitioned Buhari on change.org asked the FG to secure the release of the remaining abductees.

“None of us are free till all victims of abductions across the country are free. Our security is a constitutionally prescribed duty of the government,” part of the statement read.

Lifestyle, Politics

We won’t use force to rescue abducted train victims – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the federal government will not use force in securing the release of the remaining abductees of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train.

Buhari who revealed this during a meeting with the representatives of the families of the victims at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday August 11, said they’ve weighed all options and concluded that the best way to bring all the victims back home safely was not to use force.

He also stated that the federal government is doing everything within its powers to ensure the safe return of the remaining captives.

The President said;

“I have been informed that at last count, there remain about 31 people in the hands of the kidnappers, and our determination is to work towards returning these 31 people to their families.

“It is understandable that emotions typically run high, we have received several suggestions about the deployment of lethal military force in extracting those still being held in captivity.

“This option has indeed been considered and evaluated. However, the condition to guarantee a successful outcome and minimize potential collateral damage could not be assured and therefore that course of action had to be reluctantly discarded.

“My primary concern is to get everyone released safe and unhurt.“Each one of them will be hunted and pursued and spoken to in the language that they understand.

“Judging by the available reports to me and news that have begun emerging in the last few days, I will say they (security operatives) have heard this instruction and are responding appropriately.

“In the past couple of days, you must have heard about the number of terrorists neutralized by the military, and number of hostages freed. These efforts will not stop, or reduce.”

Buhari also said that several actions had been taken by government to bring succour to the affected families and to prevent a recurrence in the country.

Business, Lifestyle, Politics

Nigeria is facing existential threat – World Bank warns

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The World Bank has raised an alarm that Nigeria might be facing an existential threat due to its dwindling economy.

The international financial institution opines that the dwindling revenue, the continued payment of trillions of naira on fuel subsidy by the government, and the attendant economic challenges put Nigeria in an unfavorable position economically.

The Senior Public Sector Specialist, Domestic Resource Mobilisation, at the World Bank, Mr Rajul Awasthi, raised the alarm at a virtual pre-summit, with the theme ‘Critical Tax Reforms for Shared Prosperity’, organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group on Wednesday, August 10. He insisted Nigeria would have to eliminate the subsidy regime eventually.

In a slide he shared during his presentation, which showed Nigeria’s Development Update, Awasthi explained that between 2015 and 2019, Nigeria’s non-oil revenues were among the lowest in the world and as a result the second lowest in spending, and that oil revenues were also falling even when oil prices were higher.

“Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa and the largest country in Africa by population, so it is critical to Africa’s progress. There is no doubt about that. But the government of Nigeria, from the public finance perspective, is really facing an existential threat.

Let’s not downplay the situation. That is the actual reality. he said Nigeria is 115th out of 115 countries in terms of the average revenue to Gross Domestic Product ratio.

Despite the oil prices rising the way they have been, net oil and gas revenues have been coming down because of the tremendous impact of the subsidy.So, what is going to happen in 2022? The federation’s revenues are going to be significantly lower.

They are already very low, and Nigeria is already the lowest in the world out of 115 large countries and this year, it’s really going to be lower than what it was in 2020 because of the debilitating impact of fuel subsidy.”

Speaking on how to get out of the impending threat, Awasthi stated that in the non-oil sector, Value Added Tax compliance gaps were immense and they needed to be breached as well as rationalise tax expenditures.

Politics

I left APC because my rival at the primary insulted my father – Buhari’s Nephew

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Honorable Fatuhu Muhammed, a nephew to President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Peoples Democratic Party.

The lawmaker representing Daura/Mai’Adua/Sandamu Federal Constituency of Katsina State in the National Assembly, failed to secure his re-election ticket after polling 30 votes, while Aminu Jamo, his rival secured 117 votes.

Explaining why he left the party, he told Daily Trust that he dumped the ruling party because his rival allegedly ‘abused’ his father. He said;

“I received an audio recording where their candidate (Jamo) called my father, Alhaji Mamman Dan Baffalo, by name and abused him. Alhaji Mamman Dan Baffallo and President Buhari are of the same father and mother.

“Out of the 26 children born by their father, they are the only males that are from the same father and mother. So, abusing my father is abusing the president.

“So, I said since the issue has gone beyond politics to denigrating the dignity of my parents, I cannot take it any longer, and it is not binding on me to stay in the party, so I decided to leave.”

Politics

It’s only in heaven that there are no security issues. Nigeria is on earth — Minister of State for Labour Festus Keyamo speaks on insecurity in Nigeria

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The Nigerian Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, said the rising insecurity in Nigeria is not enough grounds to say that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has failed.

Keyamo, the spokesperson for the presidential campaign organization of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general elections, said this on Friday, August 5, while appearing on Channels Television.

He said there is insecurity all over the world, including in the United States of America, so Nigeria’s case is no different.

He added that the APC didn’t promise Nigerians that there would never be security breaches, but that when such happens there would be an adequate response.

He said, “Last week those who were gathering around bushes of Abuja, they were raided and flushed out and killed; that is what we promised. We promised response. We did not promise that it will not happen. We promised response and we responded last week. We killed them and Abuja is safe now.

There will be no incident of such around the bushes of Abuja again. We promised response and we have delivered response. People should not engage in scaremongering. Let me tell you about the psychology of bandits -they want to scare people. Their oxygen is fear, scaremongering. They want to create panic. That is the oxygen of the terrorists.

“When you don’t give them that oxygen of fear, of panic or publicity, they will filter a way, and so when you heard there is one security breach around the areas of Abuja, and the press will blow it the next day. It is only in heaven that there will be no security breach at all and we have not arrived in heaven. We are on earth so there must be security breaches. So I’m telling you that we have responded well.”

Business, Lifestyle, Politics

Ask Niger Republic to immediately refund N1.4 billion and use it to offset ASUU funding – SERAP tells Buhari administration

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SERAP has asked the Buhari administration to demand a refund of the N1.4billion it gave to Niger Republic authorities and use the refund to offset ASUU funding.

The Nigerian government on Wednesday, August 3, confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the purchase and donation of vehicles, worth N1.4 billion, to neighbouring Niger Republic.

This revelation sparked outrage and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said that the donation was to help Niger address its security concerns. Reacting, civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) tweeted:

“The Buhari administration must immediately ask Niger Republic authorities to refund the N1.4 billion approved for them to buy vehicles, and use the money to offset the funding for ASUU, so that poor children can go back to school.”

Politics, World News

Buhari Swears-in New Permanent Secretaries

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, administered the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office to three new Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Civil Service.

Buhari swore them in at the Council Chamber of the presidential villa, Abuja.The newly Permanent Secretaries are Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, Mr Udo Okokon Ekanem and Lydia Shehu Jafiya.

Politics

Impeachment threat against Buhari bipartisan – Senator Bassey

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Impeachment threat against Buhari bipartisan ?

Senator BasseyLawmaker representing the Cross River South Senatorial District, Senator Gershom Bassey has said that the impeachment threat against President Muhammadu Buhari is bipartisan. Speaking on why lawmakers asked President Buhari to resolve the insecurity issue in the country within six weeks or face impeachment, Bassey told Punch; The point of our actions is to ensure safety and security in our country. That is the whole point of our actions. The point of our action is not impeachment.

It is to ensure safety and security in Nigeria. And that is why we have given a six-week threshold within which we want the executive, particularly Mr. President, to do something about security in our country.Now, our hope, our best hope, is that the President will respond to what we are saying and to what we’re doing. And at the end of six weeks, everything would have been sorted out, the security situation, to a large extent, resolved. And that is the point of our action. So it is part one that should be the focus, not so much part two.

Part two happens when we fail to achieve part one. In other words, if there is insecurity, continued insecurity, without the type of response that we expect within six weeks, then we move to part two. So it appears that the focus has been on parts one and two, the impeachment notice. Yes, that one is real. We are serious about that. But we will only get there if part one, which is the action against the situation in our country

For instance, why are there people still in captivity from the Kaduna train attack?Why has nobody been arrested, or has nobody been held accountable for what happened in Kuje prison?

These are actions that can immediately be taken by the executive by Mr. President to show that he’s in tandem with us. There are a number of actions that need to be taken to show that yes, we are doing something about this situation. And we are going to resolve this situation. And that is what we are talking about. Also revealing that the impeachment threat was bipartisan, he added; It’s not just the opposition, and I think a number of our leaders have made that point. That point was made again today (last Thursday). It’s about the Senate. Not just because we are the ones speaking. We (the opposition) are the ones at the forefront. But it’s not just about us. It is about the entire National Assembly.

Our hope is that we won’t get to that. That is our hope; our hope is that the executive will act and will take steps just as I have said. People are dying every day. People are insecure; I don’t know how you feel. But a lot of people feel insecure wherever they are in Nigeria. That is the essence of the action. It is to reduce and, to a large extent, if possible, even go towards eliminating insecurity. That is the whole point of the actual. So yes, I know that it’s nice to talk about the impeachment. And so yes, we are serious about that. But our hope is that we do not get to that, that the President and this government finally respond to all notices, and to all the cooperation and all the support that we at the National Assembly have given to this government, and that they finally do the needful and restore security to our nation. That is the essence of the action. On if he feels the President will resolve the insecurity issue in six weeks, the lawyer added;

Do you feel secure in Nigeria? So how can it be political?

We’re not talking politics here. We’re talking security. Security is not politics. And security should not be politicised. Like I’ve said to you, this is a bipartisan effort to ensure that the executive is up and doing. Six weeks is the last stroll.

We’ve been giving these recommendations, we’ve been giving motions, and we’ve been giving budgetary support since 2018. We began talking about the insecurity issues in Nigeria in 2017.And so it’s not as if it’s just happened in the last six weeks. It’s been happening. We’ve been talking about it; we’ve been passing resolutions; we’ve been moving motions; we’ve been urging the executive; we have given all that they’ve asked; they’ve said, “Oh, we don’t have money; we’ve given the money.” They brought a supplementary budget, we’ve passed the supplementary budget, and we’ve given cooperation that we can every single piece of advice, you name it, and we’ve done it. So six weeks is just the last stroll.

Politics, World News

They were to study Engineering and Medicine – Father narrates how tipper crushed his two teenage sons to death same day in Delta

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A Nigerian man identified as Wesley Anthony Ogheneruona Ojih, from Ebor- Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, has narrated how his two sons died in a motor accident same day. The teenagers, Favour Ogheneruona, 16, and Precious Ogheneruona,14, were laid to rest in their hometown after a funeral service at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Agbor on Thursday, July 21, 2022.

The brothers were said to be on the same motorcycle when they had a fatal collision with a tipper lorry on the Owa-Okei Road, Owa which led to their death on May 24, 2022.

In an interview published by Ika Weekly Newspaper on Tuesday, August 2, Ogheneruona Ojih revealed that his first son was looking forward to studying Engineering, while the second hoped to become a medical doctor before the age of 22. “I had a total of five sons until I lost my first two sons, Precious and Favour Ogheneruona, to death; who had concluded their May/June WAEC examination and just started the NECO examination,” he said.

They have only written Marketing and Physics Practical before the ugly incident that occurred on the 24th, of May 2022.

On that fateful day, they had no examination to write, so they decided to join their mother, my wife, and me on the farm at Otolokpo and by 1 pm, to go back to Agbor for their NECO thumbprinting. It was on their way back, between Owa Ekei and Owa Alero, that a big truck (tipper) crushed them to death. “Their death was a huge loss to us, as my first son was already anticipating studying Engineering, while the second one to become a medical doctor, before the age of twenty-two.

We loved our children so much; they were very obedient and are committed to our well-being of the family, even at their young age. They were working for us because they were envisaging that as they are working for us, we the parents will in turn would use those resources to send them to the University He further added, “The Bible said we should give God thanks in every situation of life, actually, it is better they died that way than becoming a nuisance to society and source of burden to us because the impact of the accident on them was tremendous.”

To the glory of God, despite the fact my late sons died at a young age, they were able to write their names in the sands of time.” The late brothers were students of Igumbor Otiku Secondary School, and according to their father would be greatly missed by the school community as well as St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Agbor, their former parish; Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Abavo and St Dominic Catholic Church, Otolokpo will really miss them. Speaking further, he advised everyone to live in a way that pleases God and humanity, adding that there is no need for people to live their lives as if they are the owner, saying that one day, all will give account to God. “At least when we die people should be able to say one or two good things about us. And parents should know that the devil is after the youths, as such they should raise up their children in the fear of God and not go into fetish activities so that the destiny of the children would not be damaged,” he concluded.

Politics, World News

Teenage kidnapper kills boy for forgetting father’s contact.

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The Niger State Police Command has arrested a teenager and one other over the kidnap and murder of a 13-year-old boy, Yasir Salisu.The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Wasiu, in a statement in Minna, said the victim went missing on July 29.Wasiu said the suspects, Nafiu Umar, 18, and Usman Sabiu, 22, confessed to kidnapping the victim to collect ransom from his father.“Usman Sabiu confessed to have conspired with Nafiu Umar and abducted the missing person to the house of Nafiu with the intention of collecting N100,000 from the victim’s father.

Unfortunately, he claimed that the victim could not produce the father’s contact to demand ransom and both suspects were identified by the victim, who are neighbours, hence the victim was strangled and killed by the suspects,” the statement read.The PPRO added that the suspects buried the body in a shallow grave by the riverside.“However, the corpse was exhumed and deposited at the Umar Yar’adua Hospital morgue for an autopsy,” the police spokesman said.

Politics

May God Grant You Success In Kidnapping President Buhari, El-Rufai, Garba Shehu; Flog Them Well In The Bush –Islamic Preacher Prays For Terrorists.

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Apopular Islamic preacher based in Sokoto State, Bello Yabo, has prayed that terrorists who threatened to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, should be successful in their mission. Yabo, who said the prayer while reacting to Shehu’s comment on the terrorists’ threat, however, appealed to the kidnappers to release the innocent victims in their custody. He insisted the terrorists are free to kidnap Nigerian top leaders. SaharaReporters earlier reported how terrorists who abducted passengers of a Kaduna-bound train on March 28, 2022, in a viral video, threatened to kidnap President Buhari, El-Rufai and some lawmakers if they did not comply with their demands. But Shehu while reacting to the threat had said that the “terrorist activity using propaganda and the use of violence to force governments to accept or submit to political demands is not new all over world.”

In response to Shehu’s statement, the Islamic cleric berated him (Shehu) for simply describing the threat as prograpanda. The cleric accused Shehu of being insensitive to the unfortunate plight of kidnapped victims. According to a report by Daily Nigerian, Yabo prayed for Shehu to fall into the hands of the kidnappers, “I pray they kidnap you, Garba Shehu, and demonstrate as propaganda.” “We are praying for you kidnappers. May God grant you success in carrying out your threats to kidnap those people. But please release the innocent people in captivity. “If these were the kind of people you have been abducting all this while, we wouldn’t have bothered ourselves. We would instead pray and bless you because they have become a disaster [to us]. “These are people who promised heaven and earth, and now they have the opportunity but became incompetent. Take them to the bush and flog them, instead of humiliating innocent citizens who are striving to make ends meet.

“And please make good your threats, and we will support you with prayers.”

Lifestyle

Return Nigeria to how you met it, before you leave – Activist to Buhari

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A Kaduna-based activist, Prof. Suleiman Dansoko, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to be anxious to leave office until he cleans all the mess he created for Nigeria.

President Buhari had told party supporters, who paid him Sallah homage in Daura last week, that governance is too tough and he is eager to hand over.

Reacting on Friday, Dansoko, who was formally Head of Department, Bayero University Kano, but now a social activist and political analyst told President Buhari that if he is feeling the heat, Nigerians are only depending on God’s grace to survive.

He said the president should put everything right just the way he met things in 2015 before stepping out of Aso Rock.

According to him, there is no father that will tell his children that he cannot provide their needs, or that he will run out of the home because he faces tough times.

“Please, Mr. President, we all welcome all your team; bandits’attack, killing, hunger, inflation, sickness, unemployment, sacking from Governnent jobs. But, before you go, do your possible best, to settle them, let them leave before you go. Don’t leave any of your team members behind,” he said.

According to him, even though, they all complained about the previous administration before Buhari’s, it was better as all forms of criminalities were not recorded then.

Politics

President Muhammadu has woefully failed Nigerians – Catholic priests

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Some Catholic Priests in Edo State have said President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership failed woefully in its primary duty of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians.

The Priests said President Buhari ought to proffer solutions to the increasing rate of killings and kidnappings in parts of the country or step down from being the President.

The priests made the assertion at the weekend when the acting Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu led other government functionaries to pay last respects to a Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Christopher Odia, who was murdered by suspected kidnappers.

The deceased Catholic priest was murdered by his abductors in Ikabigbo, Etsako West LGA of Edo State.

Very Rev. Fr. Johnbosco Ezehi, National President of the Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), at the funeral mass and interment held for the priest at the Priests’ Cemetery, Immaculate Conception Seminary, Ivianokpodi-Agenebode in Etsako East LGA, appealed to President Buhari to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of Nigerians.

He said, “We condemn the increasing attacks by suspected herdsmen, who have turned the country into a massive graveyard. If the president cannot keep our country safe, then he automatically loses the trust of the citizens. He should no longer continue to preside over the killing field and mass graveyard that our country has become.”

The Priests called on the president to take drastic and urgent steps to reverse the ugly tragedy, which he said is threatening the peace and foundation of the collective existence and unity of the nation.

He said it is clear to the nation that the president has failed in his primary duty of protecting the lives of Nigerians.

Lifestyle

ASUU strike: ‘Why hold Buhari by the neck’ – Presidency queries lecturers

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The Presidency has queried the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over the lingering strike.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, wondered why ASUU was holding the President by the neck over an agreement not signed by his government.

Shehu recalled that the agreement in contention was signed in 2009 by the then Federal Government.

Featuring on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, Shehu said Buhari’s government cannot meet their demand 100 percent.

He disclosed that the Federal Government needs to pay attention to other sectors of the country.

According to Shehu, the military needs weapons to fight terrorists, hence government can’t pay all its attention on ASUU alone.

He said: “As for ASUU, the president has the right to appeal on behalf of Nigerians, this is six months or more of the ongoing strike.

“Is it right for anyone to insist on taking 100 percent of all of those grievances that they have? Don’t forget that what is the cause of this problem is a 2009 agreement with the then government that they have no capacity to deliver upon and have passed it from one government to another.

“So, we might ask the question, why is Buhari being held by the neck? What happened in the past? Why didn’t they strangle those past administrations on these matters? That’s our worries.

“The Federal Government has put a lot of substance on the table. Will the Federal Government yield to 100 percent of ASUU demands, I want say.

“There are also other sectors of the economy yearning for attention, the military need weapons, guns to fight terrorists. We have to look into other sectors of the economy.

“The Minister of State for Education has assured that we are about to turn the corner and all these issues are about to be resolved. We have reached this level in the past and my prayer is that it would soon end.

“They have family members and leaders within the community, so they should prevail on them to resume classes and those elements that have not being resolved can be talked over.”

This is coming when Buhari urged the academic body to consider the future of students and call off the lingering industrial action.

Politics

Kuje prison break: Buhari reluctant to hold his appointees responsible – Arewa youths

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The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Monday said that President Muhammadu Buhari is reluctant to hold his appointees responsible for the recent Kuje Prison attack by suspected Boko Haram members.

The ACF, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, wants Buhari to rise up to the occasion and ensure that his appointees are held responsible for any deterioration of the security situation under their watch.

DAILY POST reports that scores of terrorists suspected to be Boko Haram members had last week attacked Kuje prison with explosives and other weapons and freed all their members and other criminal elements.

The incident has continued to create reactions from stakeholders who expressed shock at the level of the security crisis in Nigeria.

“We noted that the response of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Kuje Prison tragedy, in particular, was to offer the familiar cocktail of platitudes of sermons, condemnations and yet more sermons,” ACF’s statement partly read.

“In other countries, the Kuje jail attack and similar ones that have happened in parts of Nigeria would’ve led to massive reshuffle, resignations and possibly prosecutions of officials that are negligent, incompetent or plainly untrustworthy.

“Probably because President Buhari is unable or unwilling to hold his appointees responsible for any deterioration of the security situation and some other socioeconomic sectors under their watch, the vast amount of money and other resources being pumped into the security agencies have largely been ineffective.

“We demand that President Buhari braces up without further delay and rises to today’s occasion,” the group said.

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