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In Nnew Attack In Kaduna, Bandits Kidnap 22 Villagers, Injure Four Others

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On Wednesday, gunmen suspected of being kidnappers abducted 22 people and injured four others in Idon, Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

Mr. Aboki Danjuma, a resident of Idon, said the criminals arrived around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday evening.

The bandits started shooting sporadically, he said, breaking doors and windows.

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Justina Joseph, Mary Joseph, Rejoice Joseph, Stephen Joseph, Samson Ladan, Christiana David, Boniface David, Helen Aminu, Mirabel Aminu, Precious Philemon, Nelson Philemon, and Christian Philemon were among those taken away by the bandits, according to a councilor in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the State, Bala Jonathan.
Others are Yosi Gabriel, Stephen Clement, Jinkai Musa, Derrick Obadiah, Daniel David, Paul David, Istifanus Peter, Miracle Matthew, Jesse Charles and Favour Daniel.

He mentioned the four injured persons as David Maigaya, Micah Musa, Josephine Matthew and Marshall Musa.

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The Kaduna Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige is yet to confirm the killings as of the time of filing this report, as he did not pick his calls and did not respond to a text message sent to him.

Buhari ordered to fire IGP Usman Baba immediately, Abba Kyari

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Reno Omokri, a well-known social media activist and former presidential aide, has chastised President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to fire Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba.

After the suspended cop, Abba Kyari, was seen at his (Usman) son’s wedding two weeks ago, he believes the IGP should have been fired.

The wedding Fatiha of Maina Alkali, the son of Alkali Baba, was graced by the suspended former head of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

It was Kyari’s first public appearance since his controversial involvement with alleged internet fraudster, Hushpuppi, sparked outrage with a Facebook post on August 4, 2021.

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As Nigerians were yet to come to terms with issues of his link with Hushpuppi, the former ‘super cop’ is currently in detention for his alleged links with a powerful drug cartel.

Recall that former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos, despite resigning suddenly amid allegations of corruption during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Omokri believes that is how those found wanting in public offices should be treated, calling on Buhari to take a decisive action.

“If Buhari had any shame, by now the IGP would have been out of a job for hosting a then suspended Abba Kyari at his son’s wedding 2 weeks ago,” he tweeted.

Sharing a picture of Tafa Balogun in handcuffs, he added, “This is Obasanjo’s IGP in handcuffs. That is how to fight corruption. Not hosting a known criminal cop at your IGP’s home!

“Exactly 2 weeks to the day he was declared wanted by the NDLEA, Abba Kyari was a guest of the IGP at his son’s wedding.

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“A man that was meant to be under suspension? It is not only Abba Kyari that should be answering questions. The IGP has serious questions to answer.”

Reno Omokri explains why Abba Kyari Rbecame supercop

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Reno Omokri, a socio-political activist, claims that DCP Abba Kyari, the embattled Deputy Police Commissioner, was promoted to supercop due to a religious imbalance in Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies.

According to the former presidential aide, most of the country’s law enforcement agencies are led by Northern Muslim males, who ignore Christianity.

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President Muhammadu Buhari’s major critic, in a post on his official Facebook page on Wednesday evening, claimed that there are other undiscovered Kyaris in the system.
He said, “There is no ethnic or religious balance in Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies, and that is why someone like DCP Abba Kyari became a super-cop.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Attorney General, IGP, EFCC Chairman, NDLEA Chairman are all Northern Muslim males.

Read Also:  Kanu’s Trial Reschedules For April 8, He Demands Freedom.

“Where is the balance? How is that possible in a multiethnic nation? Nepotism and tribalism made Kyari a super-cop! And do not be deceived. There are other undiscovered Kyari’s in the system”.

Kanu’s Trial Reschedules For April 8, He Demands Freedom.

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Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), demanded his freedom yesterday, contesting the validity of the Federal Government’s 15-count amended charge against him.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja set April 8, 2022 for a ruling on a preliminary objection filed by his legal team during a resumed hearing of the alleged terrorism charges against him.

After his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, and the prosecution’s counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, argued for and against the defendant’s preliminary objection, the court set the date.

Ozekhome had pleaded with the court to acquit and dismiss Kanu’s charges, claiming that the 15-count amended charge was flawed and without merit.

Ozekhome told the court that his application aims to quash, strike out, and dismiss Kanu’s 15-count amended charge of incompetence, as well as denying the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

Labaran, on the other hand, asked the court to disregard Kanu’s objection and order him to enter defense.

“We wish to state emphatically and particularly in paragraphs 7, 8, 9, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 of the affidavit in support of the motion,” he said.

Kanu’s family members brought a cloth with a lion’s heart, which “offends our standard operating procedures,” according to Director of Legal, Directorate of State Services (DSS).

Despite the court’s order, the DSS refused to allow Kanu to change his clothes, according to Ozekhome. “Kanu, what kind of cloth do you want to wear?” Justice Nyako inquired of the defendant.
“Isi Agu,” Kanu replied, “I want to wear the clothes of my people.”

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“That kind of cloth cannot be worn in my court,” the judge quickly responded. APART FROM THAT, Kanu told the court that he was going blind and pleaded with the judge to save him, claiming that he had not been allowed to use the reading glasses provided by his lawyer since his detention.

Ozekhome told Justice Binta Nyako that his client’s glasses brought to Kenya where he was arrested was damaged, while being arrested. The defendant further claimed that the DSS seized the glasses he brought to Nigeria in 2015 when he was first arrested and have not been released to him.

FEC Approves $2.81bn Railway Services

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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a budget of $2,810,574,064.92 billion for the Ministry of Transportation to buy rolling stock and other operational and maintenance equipment for the Ibadan-Kano and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail lines on Wednesday.

Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, said the contract was necessary for the smooth operation of the rail lines, speaking to State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting.

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“I have received cabinet approval to purchase rolling stock, operational, and maintenance equipment for the new railway projects corridors in Ibadan to Kano standard gauge and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge rail lines in the amount of $2,810,574,064.92, including 7.5 percent tax,” he said.
“Rolling stocks are consumables for the maintenance and operation of the railway. So, currently, anytime you hear of break down, which was discussed in the cabinet, it’s because maybe we have run out of rolling stock and we’ve also run out of stock for the railway.

“So, with this, we will replace all the rolling stock. They are essentially the consumables we use to maintain the trains, coaches and locomotives,” he said.

Also speaking, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Ali Pantami, said the federal government has outlawed the use of generic internet domains by federal government officials and institutions for official purposes.

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He said the Federal Executive Council has approved the National Policy on the Government Second Level Domain, which has mandated the migration of all official communications from the generic domains to the nation’s second level domain under government top-level domain.

He said the new order has made the use of generic domains for official federal government business a crime.

“The policy has been entitled as National Policy on the Government, Second Level Domain. This policy has been approved, and it focuses more on mandating federal public institutions, ministries, departments, agencies, and all institutions as long as they are for government that they should migrate from using generic domain in their websites and their emails to our second level domain under government top-level domain.

“For example, you will discover today, some government institutions will engage in official communications using private email And it is an official communication and someone may retire or will complete his tenure or the tenure can be terminated, and he will go with the same email. And in that email, there are many official documents.

“So, this will not be tolerated by government anymore. Any official communications must be using official email and that email should not be a generic one, it must be .gov.ng. What is most important is .ng that is our national identity.

“There are many categories of the second level domain, some are for military, you will see like mil.ng mil is a short form of Military. Dot ng for Nigeria. You can see .gov.ng. Gov for government and ng for Nigeria.

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“So, there are categories of the second level domain, while our country top level domain.ng must be there in our websites, so that whoever gets access will know that this website is from Nigeria, while for email, it must reflect the official name,” he said.

In Bauchi, Police Apprehend Soldier In Possession Of 81 Indian Hemp Parcels, Charms

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According to the Bauchi State Police Command, a military man was arrested with 81 parcels of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis, also known as “Indian Hemp.”

Umar Sanda, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, revealed this when he paraded the suspect alongside others at the Command’s Headquarters on Tuesday.

According to him, the suspect is a member of the Nigerian Army’s 145 Battalion in Abia State.

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“On the 6th February 2022 at about 12.00noon, our Safer Highway Patrol along Bauchi-Darazo Road, Bauchi State, while on routine Stop and Search, intercepted a Toyota Highlander vehicle driven by one Yusuf Gongpolai Adams attached to Nigerian Army 145 Battalion, Abia State, who is currently on Development course at the Nigerian Army School of Environmental and Science Technology, Benue State, while on routine Stop and Search.”

“A thorough search was conducted and eighty-one parcels of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis was found in his possession.

“During the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime.”

Sanda said that other exhibits seized from the suspect, Yusuf Adams, are one pair of Army uniforms, two Michelin tyres, one Army helmet, one bag containing some clothes and some charms.

He said an investigation was ongoing into the matter after which the suspect would be handed over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Similarly, he said that eight suspects were arrested for criminal conspiracy, belonging to the gang of brigands armed robbery, illegally dealing in prohibited firearms, and illegal possession of firearms.

He said: “On the 2nd February, 2022, Police detectives in collaboration with a local team acted on credible intelligence and arrested the following suspects;

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“Idi Lawan, (40) of Badanga village, Bauchi LGA, Tambaya Sule, (25) of Alkaleri LGA, Masa’ud Umaru, (30) of Liman Katagum, Mohammed Lawan alias Dogo (26) of Akko L.G.A, Gombe State, Mohammed Lawan alias Nalumbu (30) of Bauchi, Shehu Sulaiman (28) of Konyi village, Liman Katagum, Abubakar Sama’ila alias Bagobiri (38) of Alkaleri, Kachalla Hamza (30) of Alkaleri, all males.

“During interrogation, the suspects voluntarily confessed to be Armed Robbers. And also reveals that they operated in various places especially futuk Alkaleri LGA, Liman-Katagum, Bauchi LGA, lariski Gombe-Bauchi road, respectively, with AK-47 rifles.”

Furthermore, Sanda said that sequel to the arrest of the above-mentioned armed robbers on 2nd February 2022, the command made intensive efforts and further arrested five gang members.

He gave their names as Ya’u Sale, male, (37) of Bara, Kirfi LGA, Bauchi State, Sule Halilu, Male (32) of Tumfure Lekku village, Kirfi LGA, Abba Sani, male, (30) of Bara Village, Kirfi LGA, Friday Ibrahim, male (28) of Sabon Layi Billiri, Gombe State and Monday David, Male (28) of Lamugu, Billiri, Gombe State.

“The suspects were arrested in possession of three locally made guns. Furthermore, two of the suspects, Friday Ibrahim and Monday David confessed to have specialized in illegal sale of firearms.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one English-made Barretta pistol, seven locally fabricated ammunition, four cartridges, one fabricated SMG gun, one fabricated double-barrel gun, one fabricated revolver gun with four cartridge capacity.

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“Others are one fabricated revolver gun with six cartridge capacity one fabricated revolver gun with 10 capacity of long ammunition, one fabricated short revolver AK-47 with seven ammunition capacity and one fabricated gun with single capacity ammunition,” he said.

According to him, the investigation is in progress, after which the suspects would be charged to court.

FUTA Lecturers Joined  ASUU Strike

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) officially joined the ongoing strike called by the association’s national body on Wednesday.

Prof Yinka Awopetu, the chapter’s chairman, revealed this while briefing reporters after the union’s congress, saying the FUTA branch domesticated the national body’s decision after the chapter’s congress and ordered all university academic staff to resign immediately.

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The government’s failure to honor the memorandum of action signed with the union in 2019 prompted the strike, according to Awopetu.

He said the Federal Government has intentionally ignored the agreement with the union, saying until the demands are met, no member would return to class.

He said: “The National body of ASUU declares strikes and ends strike but each branch must come back home and domesticate it and that is what we have just done today, so from today in FUTA, the strike has fully commenced.

“It is not a warning strike as some people are calling it but a total and comprehensive strike, though definite, it has a time, it is for one month and it will be reviewed later and we will know how to go about it”

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He noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the Federal Government to honour the agreement with ASUU.
According to Awopetu, the union should not be blamed for the incessant industrial action, saying all the cries by members of the public condemning the union should be laid at the doorsteps of the Federal Government.

He said “What exactly is becoming too much? The strike was suspended in November because of such cries by the parents and yet the Federal Government did not do anything and they are now saying it is too much.

“They should face the Federal Government and urge the Federal Government to do the needful. Everything promised had not been fulfilled, while some of them are fulfilled partially, some not even touched at all. So I don’t know what they mean by it is too much.

“Our demands, that the FG should renegotiate our 2009 agreement, sign it and implement it. That the FG should ensure that University autonomy does not fall and University should be revitalised to make us do more and make the students study better and our allowances should be paid. These are the things we have been saying all along.

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“Also the FG should stop the state governments from creating Universities as primary schools. Delta State created three universities in a day while they cannot fund even one. So these are the problems we are talking about.

“Let us tell ourselves the truth, even when the students are in schools, they don’t have anything to work with, no reagents in laboratories, no equipment in workshops, is it not better for them to stay at home till Federal Government can provide this? Why must it be the lecturers that should be at the receiving end?

“As I am speaking with you, 2019 promotion arrears for me has not been paid till today or how many of the parents can stay without payment since 2019.”

Awopetu, however, maintained that the strike will be reviewed after one month said the strike would not be called off without a concrete resolution.

Meanwhile, following the pronouncement of FUTA ASUU on the strike, academic and social activities of the school has been paralysed while most of the students appealed to the government and the lecturers to resolve the crisis amicably.

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Some of the students were seen loitering around, in the absence of lectures while lecture rooms literally deserted, as the lecturers complied with the strike directive.

ASUU Strike Affecting Ngige’s Children, Labour Ministry Tells NANS

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The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has responded to a statement from the National Association of Nigerian Students accusing Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, of failing to broker a truce between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

“Any strike by University lecturers affects Ngige and his children the same way it affects ordinary Nigerians,” the ministry said in a lengthy statement issued on Wednesday night by the deputy director of press, Charles Akpan.

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ASUU announced the start of a one-month total and indefinite strike on Monday, February 14, 2022, according to reports.

Osodeke had also explained that the one month strike was to give the government time to do the needful after which failure to do so would lead to an indefinite strike.

Following this, the National Association of Nigerian Students had accused the ministry of labour and employment for failing to broker truce and settle the rancour between the government and ASUU.

The statement partly read, “The truth is that any strike by University lecturers also affects Ngige and his children the same way it affects ordinary Nigerians.
“During the 2020 strike, the honorable minister doubled as a concerned parent and Federal Government official, having three of his children in three medical schools in three different public universities in Awka, Lagos and Uniabuja.

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“This doesn’t include the numerous fatherless and indigent students from all parts of the country that he is catering for under his foundation’s scholarship programme.

“It defied logic that Ngige as minister whose children and wards are in public schools would sleep comfortably as university lecturers shut down classes”.

Nnamdi Kanu isn’t your problem, release him — Rita Edochie, actress

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Rita Edochie, a veteran actress, has called for Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, to be released (IPOB)

While calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, Edochie said in an Instagram post on Wednesday that the Biafran agitator is not Nigeria’s problem, but rather the system.

She also issued a warning to lawmakers, claiming that the rise in ritual killings in the country is due to Nollywood.

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The veteran actress urged legislators to be honest with themselves and address the issues they created.
According to her: “How can they be chasing shadows when they know who the real enemies are?

“Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu is never your problem.”

“Also Nollywood is never your problem because recently you have joined Nollywood in it but you are your own very problem and have practically refused to tell yourselves the truth.

“Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and face the problem you created by yourself.”

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu at the hearing in court today complained that he was going blind and pleaded with the Judge to rescue him.

He disclosed that DSS took away his glasses since his arrest.

The Biafra leader also asked the court to dismiss the charges against him on the grounds that the alleged offences were not committed in Nigeria.

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He claimed that no prima facie has been made against him by the federal government throughout the proof of evidence in support of the charges.

2023: Igbo elders reject vice president, insist on presidency slot

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Under the aegis of the Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, prominent Igbo personalities insisted on Wednesday that the South-East geopolitical zone must produce the next President of Nigeria.

They also threatened to punish any Igbo politician who agreed to serve as a presidential running mate for anyone.

They believe that either the South-East will be allowed to produce Nigeria’s next president in 2023 or the region will leave the country.

Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the Chairman of the IECF and former Governor of Anambra State, stated these during a press conference in Abuja.
Among those present at the briefing were a former Minister of Education; Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike; Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo (FCT chapter), Dr. Kingsley Nkonye; His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ibe Nwosu, and several leading Igbo scholars and traditional title holders.

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The Secretary of IECF, Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, warned that any political party that does not zone its presidential ticket to the South-East will lose the region’s votes.

“We are waiting for them (political parties), as they will meet their Waterloo this time if they insist on shortchanging the Southeast people this rare opportunity of producing a credible, patriotic, detribalized, and dynamic president of Nigeria in 2023”, he said.

Ezeife said, “Emboldened by the increasing demand and support by credible and patriotic Nigerians for power to shift to the South in 2023, the Igbo Elders Forum hereby encourages visionary, credible and creative presidential materials of South-East zone to declare their intention for the presidency and pursue it with every sense of seriousness, vigour, and commitment.
“We are very serious about this directive and do not mean those unserious bootlickers, who are angling to be running mates to candidates from other parts of the country, as the Igbos will not take it lightly with any of our sons or daughters who accept to be running mates to any person outside the South-East zone in 2023.

“It is either we are allowed to produce the president of this country in 2023 to change the appalling narrative of continued decay, poverty, insecurity, poor governance, corruption, and maladministration in Nigeria or out of it. No half measure, as serious sanctions will be visited on any Igbo man or woman that sabotages this noble and patriotic decision of our people to provide for Nigeria a credible, visionary, and creative president.

“Legally, morally, and strategically, it is the turn of the Southeast to produce the next president of the country as the other zones have been given the opportunity to serve this country in that capacity.”

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Ezeife also argued that it was not just for the sake of equity, justice, and fairness, but also for a change of narrative of Nigeria, which he described as the sleeping giant of Africa.