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Bandits kill seven in Plateau market assault

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Bandits kill seven in Plateau market assault

At least seven persons have been confirmed dead after bandits attacked a market in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

It was learnt that the attack which happened at Zurak Compani Market on Sunday afternoon also left several others injured.

A youth leader in the community, Abdullahi Hussaini, who confirmed the incident on Monday, said the bandits arrived at the market around 2 pm and opened fire on the people transacting business which led to the death of the victims.

Hussaini said, “The gunmen arrived at the market in their numbers riding on motorcycles.

“They started shooting indiscriminately,  killing seven people instantly while many others got injured. The gunmen successfully launched the attack and fled without any resistance because people were not expecting any security threat at the moment.

“The bandits later fled to the bush but police personnel have been deployed to the community to restore law and other.

“But after the incident, we discovered that seven persons were shot dead by the bandits leaving several others injured.

“We are calling for more security deployment in the area because we don’t know what may happen anytime soon.”

When our correspondent contacted the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, he said only four persons were killed during the incident, adding that an investigation was ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.

“We are aware of the Zurak Compani incident. Four persons died and six persons who were injured are receiving treatment. Meanwhile, we have deployed our men to the area while investigation continues”, the PPRO said.

Wase LGA, situated over 200 kilometres from Jos had suffered from banditry and kidnapping activities in the past but were curtailed by security operatives in the past year until the latest attack occurred on Sunday.

In January 2024, no fewer than 30 persons were killed in Plateau State in the early hours of the day by gunmen who attacked Kwahaslalek village, Mangu Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the victims, who were mostly women and children, had run to the house of a community leader in the area on the previous night for safety following earlier unrest during the day in Mangu town when the gunmen surrounded them and killed all of them.

Tinubu seeks finish to farmers-herders clashes

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Tinubu seeks finish to farmers-herders clashes

President Bola Tinubu has given two weeks to find a solution to the clash between farmers and herders in the country.

The farmers and herders clash has cost the lives of farmers and large parcels of farm produce in several states as the cattle and their herders invade the farmlands to consume crops worth millions of naira.

Tinubu made this known on Monday in Minna during inauguration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport and mechanised farm implements purchased by the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago.

The president, who expressed dismay that the country has not been able to end the farmers-herders clash, said, “Let us reorganise; I know what it means as economic sabotage for roaming cows to eat up the crops and vegetation of our farmers. I know what it means; I know it could be painful.

“When we reorient the herders and make provision for cattle rearing, the problem will be solved. You are the governor who must provide us the land, I, as the president, I am committed to giving you in two to three weeks time a comprehensive programme that will solve this problem.”

Tinubu, who said that he came to Minna to kick start the Niger State agro-processing development growth, appealed to state governors to pay state workers their wage awards.

In his remarks, Bago reiterated his commitment to pursuing his agricultural and infrastructure development agenda to a logical conclusion.

He noted that the state’s infrastructure, especially the Minna Airport, was in a state of collapse before the inception of his government.

“We gather to celebrate a good example demonstrated in our modest contribution to infrastructure and agricultural development as encapsulated in our New Niger Agenda.

“For us, agriculture is key to our commitment to addressing the challenges in critical sectors of our economy, and we shall seize every opportunity for the attainment of growth and engender prosperity for the people of our beloved state and, by extension, our dear country, Nigeria.

“As a government, we couldn’t fold our arms and allow the ugly picture it creates in the minds of visitors to subsist. Hence, in recognition of the importance of this critical infrastructure, the State Government took responsibility for its completion.

“Today, I am proud to announce that the Minna International Airport is completed and renamed as Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport which you just graciously commissioned,” he said.

Man to die by hanging in Ekiti for armed theft

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Man to die by hanging in Ekiti for armed theft

An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Bello Abduquadri, to death by hanging for armed robbery.

Abduquadri was arraigned on March 8, 2023, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery for robbing someone of a phone and motorbike armed with a gun and cutlass.

The charge read, “That you, Bello Abdulquadril and others at large, on March 22, 2022, at Ado Ekiti, conspired to commit armed robbery, and on the same date, time, and place, you robbed one Owolabi Taiwo of his phone and Jincheng Lady Motorcycle. At the time of the robbery, you were armed with offensive weapons, to wit, a gun and cutlass.

“The offences are contrary to Sections 314 and 312 (2)(a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.”

In his evidence before the court, the victim said that two men, armed with guns and cutlasses, attacked him and his brother and threatened to kill them, following which “they dispossessed us of my phone and our Lady Bike and escaped. We reported the matter at Amotekun’s office.

“On the second day, I received a call from Iyara Police Station in Kogi State to come there with my phone and motorcycle receipts. I informed them at the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

“They made all necessary arrangements and left for Kogi State; after documentation and verification of the receipts, the phone, the motorcycle, and the suspect were released to the policemen from Ekiti.”

The prosecutor, Adeola Johnson, called three witnesses and tendered defendant statements, motorcycle particulars, receipts, and a search warrant, among others, as exhibits.

The defendant spoke through his lawyer, E.K. Adetifa, who pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy; he called no witnesses.

In his judgment, Justice Olalekan Olatawura found Abduquadri guilty of the offences of armed robbery and conspiracy.

Olatawura said, “The defendant is found guilty of the offences of conspiracy and armed robbery as charged.

“On conspiracy, the defendant, is sentenced to seven years imprisonment, and in Count 2 (armed robbery), the sentence of the count upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

House station crew certain for Earth

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House station crew certain for Earth

Space station crew bound for Earth

Four astronauts left the International Space Station on Monday and were bound for Earth following a more than six-month mission.

Led by American astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, NASA’s Crew-7 arrived at the research platform last August aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

The same spacecraft undocked on Monday morning, with Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Satoshi Furukawa of Japan, and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov also on board.

Moghbeli, who was making her first spaceflight, paid tribute to the post-Cold War international partnership that paved the way for the construction of the ISS in the 1990s.

“It’s an indication of what we can do when we work together,” she said during a farewell ceremony on Sunday.

“To think back to when this was just a dream itself, and the people that had the vision, the grit and the courage to pursue this orbiting laboratory in low Earth orbit, I’m really proud to be a part of this.”

NASA and SpaceX are targeting as soon as 5:35 am Tuesday (0935 GMT) for a splashdown off the Florida coast.

Space remains a rare area of cooperation between the United States and Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions to reshape the global balance of power. Americans also continue to fly aboard Russian Soyuz rockets that launch from Kazakhstan.

The members of Crew-7 carried out science experiments including collecting samples during a spacewalk to determine whether the station releases microorganisms through life support system vents. Another assessed how microgravity, which accelerates ageing, affects liver regeneration.

Crew-7 is the seventh routine NASA mission to the orbital platform for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, with the first coming in 2020. The latest, Crew-8, launched on March 4.

NASA pays SpaceX for the taxi service as part of a US program put in place to reduce dependency on Russian rockets following the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011.

Boeing is the other contracted private partner, but its program has fallen behind, and now plans to fly its first crew in May.

The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998, and it has been continuously inhabited by an international crew since 2001.

Its operations are set to continue until at least 2030, after which it will be decommissioned and crash into the ocean. Several private companies are working on commercial space stations to replace it, while China has already established its orbital lab.

A space station is a large spacecraft in orbit around the Earth or another celestial body, where astronauts live and work for extended periods.

These structures serve as habitable artificial satellites in space, providing a microgravity environment for scientific research, international cooperation, and human space exploration.

The most well-known and extensively used space station to date is the International Space Station (ISS), which has been continuously inhabited since November 2000.

AFP

Tribunal dismisses movement to take away panel members

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Tribunal dismisses movement to take away panel members

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, convened in Abuja, has dismissed a motion filed by the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva.

This motion aimed to disqualify certain members of the tribunal who were presiding over the Bayelsa State governorship election dispute.

This is coming after a petition demanding the disbandment of the tribunal failed.

The APC and Sylva, in a petition dated March 4, 2024, accused the tribunal of bias, seeking the disbandment of the panel and the reconstitution of another.

The petitioners accused the tribunal of denying them their constitutional right to a fair hearing as required by law by ordering them to call their 234 witnesses within seven days.

As a result of the allegations, the tribunal, headed by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, adjourned sine die (indefinitely).

However, the Court of Appeal president ordered the tribunal to resume proceedings on Monday.

At the proceedings, the counsel for Sylva, Tunde Falola, told the tribunal that his clients filed a fresh application against the members of the panel.

He noted that the tribunal had exhibited strange circumstances that made them believe that they would be denied a fair hearing.

Falola, therefore, asked the tribunal to, in the interest of justice, step aside from the petition and allow other members to be constituted by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.
to determine their petition within the little time remaining for the expiration of the hearing of the case.

Counsel for the governor, Chris Uche (SAN), opposed the application and urged the tribunal to dismiss it.

He said, “The allegation of bias is a very serious one. It is on record that they were granted two additional days.

“They should have moved a motion to seek more days if they had more witnesses. Time is of great consequence. Where petitioners ought to be anxious about the disposal of their petitions, they are now the ones delaying proceedings.

“My lord, we submit that it speaks volumes, shows that the substance of their petition is baseless, and seeks an opportunity to repackage their petition.

“It is on record that they closed their case before filing this application. I urge your lordship to award punitive costs and commit somebody to prison for contempt.”

Counsel for the third respondent, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), noted that the application was a calculated attempt to re-present their case.

He stated that the right time to make such demands was at the pre-hearing stage.

Oyetibo said, “This application, upon careful perusal, is a calculated attempt by the petitioners to rescue the petition from the legal consequences of the battered and tattered evidence brought forward by them.

“Judicial bias is the ground for this application; at what stage did they realise the bias?

“At the time they opened their case, they knew they were entitled to seven days and we were entitled to two days.

“If they believe there was judicial bias because of the time they were given to prove their case, the appropriate time was before they opened their case. They were given an additional two days. They waited six days after closing their case; they now accused the tribunal of judicial bias after seeing the weakness of their case.”

The three-member panel, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, dismissed the motion.

He held that a letter from Dongban-Mensem on March 5 mandated the tribunal to proceed with the hearing of the petition, irrespective of any application by the parties.

Adeleye added that the Dongban-Mensem letter had overtaken the request by the petitioners for the disbandment of the tribunal.

The tribunal, however, fixed March 13 and 14, with the Independent National Electoral Commission being the first respondent, to open and close its defence.

The APC and Sylva are challenging the declaration of the governor, Duoye Diri, as the winner of the state governorship election after polling 175,196 votes to defeat Sylva of the APC, who scored 110,108 votes.

The petitioners are contending that elections were held in some polling units in the three local governments of Southern Ijaw, Ogbia, and Nembe, where INEC and the other respondents claimed there was no election.

They argued that if the results from these local governments were added to their votes, they would win the election.

Diri got his certificate of return four days after being announced as the winner.

Ekiti ADP governorship candidate, Elebute-Halle, defects to APC

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Ekiti ADP governorship candidate, Elebute-Halle, defects to APC

Former governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Mrs Kemi Elebute-Halle, has defected to the All Progressives Congress.

Elebute-Halle, who was the Director-General, ADP 2023 Presidential Campaign and the party’s National Deputy Chairman, South, announced her defection to the APC at the ADP State Secretariat in Ado Ekiti on Monday.

The politician, who spoke on the occasion of the introduction of the new state chairman of ADP, Mr Ayodeji Ojo, to party leaders, said that her decision to pitch tent with APC was informed by the organised nature of the ruling APC.

Elebute-Halle, who said that different political parties had since after the 2022 Ekiti governorship election has been making entreaties to her to join them, said that she opted for APC “because the party is well organised.

“I decided to move to APC because I believed in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu government and the love I have for Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji. The governor and the APC family appreciate and celebrate me. I have made up my mind, I will be leaving ADP”.

She said that she was not coming to APC to rock any boat, saying, “I don’t want His Excellency, Governor Oyebanji, to feel that I am coming from ADP to struggle with him. I want him to calmly run his race and believe that he has my backing”.

Elebute-Halle, who said that all pointed to the fact that Tinubu would be Nigeria’s best president, appealed to Nigerians to “give the President, Senator Bola Tinubu, time, he will put things right in this country”.

She told the ADP members that she would be leaving them in the hands of a reliable state chairman, who she said would restructure and pilot the party well in Ekiti State for members’ benefit.

The ADP State Chairman, Ojo, said that though the party was not happy with Elebute-Halle’s decision to leave, there was nothing it could do to stop her.

Ojo told the former governorship candidate, “We are not happy that you are leaving, but like you have said, you are an adult and entitled to your decision. We are not happy to release you, but we can’t hold you back. We wish you the best.”

The ADP chairman lauded Elebute-Halle for her contributions to the party in Ekiti State, saying, “You projected ADP more than you met it.”

Group seeks govt, stakeholders collaboration for improvement of Lagos

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Group seeks govt, stakeholders collaboration for improvement of Lagos

The Eminent Persons of Ikorodu Division will be collaborating with stakeholders and the government to bring more development to Ikorodu, Lagos

In a statement on Monday, the chairman of the group’s planning committee, Babatunde Rotinwa, said the group would work with local, state, and federal governments to accelerate the achievement of development objectives in Ikorodu.

Speaking at the Ikorodu Division General Assembly and Award pre-event press conference, Rotinwa said that the event, which also marked EPID’s 10th anniversary, would serve as a strategic feedback mechanism for government officials, political representatives, and service providers, with the goal of upholding the legacy of accountability and responsible stewardship.

He said, “This is in tandem with the dreams of the founding fathers of the Eminent Persons of Ikorodu Division who came together in 2014, under the leadership of late Chief Babatunde Benson, SAN, to chart the course for the positive growth and development of Ikorodu Division.

“Our mandate, as the Liaison Group of the EPID is to collaborate with the federal, state and local government in Nigeria, with a view to bringing about significant sustainable development to Ikorodu division.

“To this end, the 2024 General Assembly has been themed ‘Ikorodu Division: The challenges of an emerging city and the imperatives of synergy between government, corporate sector and residents for all-round development.”

Speaking further, Rotinwa stated that the group raised the bar for stakeholder engagement for the Ikorodu division general assembly holding on May 23, 2024, by holding the assembly as a hybrid event that would make use of multiple online platforms to increase the involvement of stakeholders in the division both locally and abroad.

He added that the purpose of the action was to establish the general assembly as a true forum for lively discussion on Ikorodu leadership and development-related issues.

Rotinwa said, “Let me therefore use this medium to call on all political office holders and government functionaries to be alive to their statutory responsibilities to the good people of Ikorodu division.

“Similarly, manufacturing companies, financial institutions and other corporate organisations operating on Ikorodu division’s soil are implored to join hands with us in building a vibrant and developed community, through strategic corporate social-responsibility initiatives.

“The development of Ikorodu division cannot be left in the hands of the government alone. Developed societies are built through the collaborative and concerted efforts of government, corporate organisations and the citizenry, hence all hands must be on deck!”

Corpse of Ondo dealer discovered inside bush, police start probe

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Corpse of Ondo dealer discovered inside bush, police start probe

The Ondo State Police Command, on Monday, said it had begun an investigation into the alleged killing of a woman, Kudirat Abolarinwa, in Lekere, Ayeyemi Area of Ondo town, Ondo State.

The remains of the deceased, who was a plantain seller, were found in a pool of blood inside the bush after hours of being missing on Saturday.

A source in the area narrated that the position in which the 45-year-old was found indicated that she was allegedly raped and macheted to death by the assailant, whose identity had not been revealed.

He said, “The deceased followed the man to buy plantain on the farm and she was attacked by the same man on the farm.

“The man came on Friday to ask of the people selling plantain, and the deceased followed him to the farm to buy the produce. Since then, we had been looking for her, but her lifeless body was finally found on Saturday.”

The source added that there were signs of violent marks on her body as she was found naked with marks of cutlass while the assailant had run away

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the incident, said an investigation had commenced into it.

The PPRO said, “On Saturday, around 5pm, one Tajudeen Bolarinwa of Ago R⁹oad, Onipetesi village reported that at about 4.30pm, his wife Mrs Kudirat Bolarinwa aged 45 years, who goes from one farm to the other to buy kola nuts was murdered in the bush by an unknown person.

“At the scene of the incident, the deceased was left with only pant and the side of her face, lower arm, and head were severely matcheted. An investigation had since commenced to unravel the circumstances of her subsequent death.”

Ningi insists N3tn in 2024 finances not tied to any initiatives

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Ningi insists N3tn in 2024 finances not tied to any initiatives

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Population, Abdul Ningi, has stated that there was an N3.7tn inserted into the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

Ningi said he was misquoted, and that he never mentioned that President Bola Tinubu was running two budgets.

He added that he granted his recent interview on the matter as a lawmaker and not on behalf of the Northern Senators Forum.

Ningi, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Service) on Saturday, alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.

Ningi, in the interview, was quoted as saying, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets. One budget was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu and the one was implemented by the Lresidency.”

He stated, “The one approved by us is ₦25tn while the one operating by the Federal Government is ₦28tn

“Apparently, we discovered ₦3tn was inserted into the budgets for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”

The Bauchi senator was further quoted to have said, “We resolved as people representatives to see President Tinubu on this issue, with facts and figures, to ask him if he is aware of this embarrassment or not, then from there we will take action.

“Let Nigerians be patient with us. This is a national issue; it affects all Nigerians irrespective of party, tribe or religion.”

The Senate, through its spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) refuted the claim on Saturday night in a chat with our correspondent, stating that there was no padding whatsoever in the budget.

However, Ningi told journalists on Monday in that he never said that the President was running two budgets but that there was a N3.7tn yet to be accounted for.

He said, “At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing two budgets.

“There was no time, at no time did I say Bola Tinubu was biased against the north. The Hausa version is there. At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing the N25tn budget.

“I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that N25tn so far has nexus in the budget.

“That means that there is money, there is a project and then there is location. But we are yet to ascertain N3tn of that budget.

“We have established the N3tn of that budget, we have not established its location and the place.”

He explained further, “But I said going forward, the budget evaluation is ongoing. And I said lastly, the intention of the northern senators as regards budgetary allocation was to meet the Senate President with our findings and subsequently meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with our findings.

“So if one is questioning our desire to relate with Bola Tinubu, how will I say that the findings of the Northern Senators Forum will go to the Senate president and then to the president and commander-in-chief?”

NANS calls for probe of Ajaokuta metal firm 

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NANS calls for probe of Ajaokuta metal firm 

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students on Monday called on President Bola  Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into the alleged mismanagement of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company.

NANS President, Lucky Emonefe, who made the call in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said all those involved in the mismanagement of the company must be brought to book.

According to the student body, the steel plant when completed and come alive would be a source of massive employment opportunities for Nigerian students upon graduation, as well as being a technology site where potential engineering students all over the country could come and experience technological innovations at its peak as they aspire for greatness in the field of engineering.

He also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to launch an investigation into the management of the steel company.

Earlier, the Senate in February passed a resolution to probe the affairs of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the National Ore Mining Company in Kogi State from 2008 till date.

It also planned to unravel the mystery behind the payment of $496m allegedly made to Mr Pramod Mittal, the Chairman of Global Infrastructure Holdings Limited by the Federal Government in September 2022 as a settlement over contractual disputes.

It also resolved to investigate the circumstances that led to the re-concession of NIOMCO even when the initial concession agreement was validly terminated by the Yar’adua administration with a positive review by the International Chamber of Commerce, London.

NANS president, in the statement, said, “The government and the stakeholders alike are working assiduously to see that the company comes back to life. This is a good omen for the Renewed Hope Agenda to continue to flourish amidst the global economic crisis that has engulfed the world right about now.

“It is also worthy of note that the set of individuals who brought the Ajaokuta Steel Company to this comatose are still walking the street uninvestigated and unpunished.

“These people who have been indicted to the tune of several millions of US dollars further siphoned $496m in September 2022 through Buhari’s administration, have neither been probed nor punished.

“This is not a good precedence at all and if unchecked would create an avenue for dabbling into President Tinubu’s efforts at resuscitating the steel plant.

“These individuals including past corrupt government executives denied the public, most especially the youth, the benefit of experiencing the exodus of job opportunities, technological exposure and economic emancipation that would have been massively accrued to us all these while if they had done what was expected of them.

“They selfishly and callously mismanaged Ajaokuta Steel Company and grounded it with the notion that nothing will happen in the end. If acts like these go uninvestigated and unpunished, what is now the tendency that after rebuilding, some other people would not come and do the same thing to loot and ground it again the umpteenth time? This should not be.

“If there are individuals or groups of individuals protecting the corrupt managers of the Ajaokuta Steel Company and hereby shielding them from any form of probe and judgement, it simply means that they are beneficiaries of the ill-gotten proceeds of the mismanagement or they have other personal interests that are not people-friendly and that is tantamount to water down or nullify President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

“Hence, we implore the EFCC, ICPC and other related agencies to stand their ground against every form of intimidation or shielding, as they probe and investigate these heartless people.”

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