Anambra State Police Command said it had killed four armed men and recovered a number of dangerous weapons.
According to DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, the command’s spokesman, 17 pieces of 7.62mm live ammunition for the Ak 47 rifle, 107 pieces of expended 7.62mm ammunition for the Ak47 rifle, seven pieces of expended cartridges for pump action, ten pieces of expended 7.62mm long for Lar rifle, one big hammer, three phones, and a wallet containing IDs and ATM cards were recovered.
Gado Yahaya, a tailor, has been remanded in custody by a Magistrate Court in Kaduna State, presided over by Ibrahim Emmanuel, for allegedly killing his neighbor during an altercation over a bucket of water.
While in court, Yahaya, a Rigasa resident, appeared remorseful.
Yahaya, 29 years old, allegedly fought with one Liman Salisu over a bucket of water, resulting in Salisu’s death, according to the court.
“He (Gado Yahaya) is a resident of Rigasa in Kaduna State and was arraigned on charges of culpable homicide before a Kaduna Magistrate Court on Monday,” said the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo.
Yahaya, 29 years old, allegedly fought with one Liman Salisu over a bucket of water, according to the court.
The prosecutor alleged that Yahaya killed Salisu with a pestle during a fight over a bucket of water.
He narrated that in the course of the fight, he (Gado Yahaya) went into the kitchen, picked a pestle and hit Salisu on his head, adding that he (Liman Salisu) slumped after he was hit on the head and died on the way to the hospital.
The prosecutor told the Court that Gado Yahaya had written and signed a confessional statement when he was brought to the police station for questioning.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 190 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
The Court directed the police to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice and adjourned the matter to March 9, 2022, for mention.
A pan Nigerian group, Conscience Nigeria (CN), has endorsed the proposed National Youth Service Corp Trust Fund, describing it as a “game-changer” in addressing youth unemployment and job creation in the country.
The group made this known in a statement made available to journalists by its Secretary-general, Bamidele Michael over the weekend, saying that the NYSC Trust Fund is laudable and would serve as an avenue for the federal government to address youth unemployment in the country.
It said: “The proposed NYSC Trust Fund is a game-changer. The provisions in the bill are well captured which indeed reflects the present realities in the country with regards generation of jobs and addressing a critical component of the population of the country.”
“The fact that the bill intends to provide startup capital for youths across the country while undergoing the mandatory service year and even after they leave service is well positioned to set the country on the path of sustainable growth and development,” the statement read.
The group further commended the leadership of the NYSC for displaying “great foresight” in proposing to establish a Trust Fund that would address the myriads of challenges facing the youthful population in the country, especially in the area of employment generation.
“The NYSC leadership deserves commendation for the display of foresight in this critical point of our existence. The opportunities in the establishment of the Trust Fund are innumerable. This is brilliant and well-positioned to serve as the medium for the rapid development of entrepreneurship amongst the teeming youthful population in the country. This is indeed a golden opportunity that the country must harness towards socio-economic development,” it noted.
The group also called on well-meaning individuals and groups in the country to rally support for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund in the interest of growth and development, owing to the strategic role of the youths in nation building.
“We call on well meaning individuals and groups to rally support for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund. This is a national concern positioned to be of immense benefit to the country. It would address unemployment; it would bring out the entrepreneurship potentials of our youths.
“The implication of having a bustling youthful population that is availed unhindered funds for the actualization of their potentials is ours for the taking. Not only shall the country experience rapid growth and development, but the burden placed on the shoulders of parents would also be lifted as youths would be actively engaged in economic ventures that would be beneficial to them and the society at large,” the group pointed out.
It therefore extended its commendation to the House of Representatives for how it had engaged deliberations on the bill on the floor, saying that the lawmakers displayed an “unalloyed commitment” to positively addressing youth unemployment in the country.
“The House of Representatives by their action that ensured the bill scaled through second reading is commendable. The deliberations on the floor of the lower chamber were rich and constructive. It indeed brought out the numerous merits of the bill. This is a display of an unalloyed commitment to national development.
“We encourage the members of the National Assembly not to relent in this commitment by ensuring that the bill gets speedy passage in the interest of the teeming youths in the country,” it urged.
It would be recalled that the proposed NYSC Trust Fund bill seeks to “provide a sustainable source of funding for NYSC, skill acquisition training and provision of startup capital to Corps members, train and retrain the personnel of the NYSC, develop camps, NYSC formations and provide facilities therein”.
Mayowa Akinfolarin, the sponsor of the bill, said the trust fund would help in promoting the spirit of self-reliance and entrepreneurship among Corps members. He said Corps members would be trained on various skills, making them establish self-sustainable businesses after completing their national service.
Akinfolarin said the trust fund would “improve the general welfare of Corps members and enhance their preparedness to effectively discharge their statutory duties of promoting national unity, integration, self reliance and accelerated development of the national economy”.
When passed into law, private organizations will contribute one percent of their net profit to the fund, while 0.2 percent of total revenue accruing to the federation account will be earmarked for the fund.
The bill has since been referred to the relevant committee of the House for further legislative inputs.
NYSC Director-General, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim has appealed to members of the public to send memoranda to the House Committee on Youth and Sports, as well as make physical appearance at the public hearing to drum support for the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund.
He said the public hearing on the bill would hold on February 24 this year, having scaled the second reading at the House of Representatives.
He stated this today in Abuja during the opening ceremony of 2022 Batch ‘A’ Pre-Orientation Workshop, with the theme; “Repositioning the critical components of the Orientation Course content to address prevailing challenges”.
He said the Trust Fund would help address infrastructural deficits in the NYSC Orientation Camps, ensure adequate provision of other operational logistics as well as reduce the number of unemployed graduates in the country.
“When the NYSC Trust Fund becomes operational, the number of Corps entrepreneurs will increase drastically, and they will in turn help to provide jobs for millions of other youths in the country. This will equally help reduce the issue of security challenge faced in the country.
Already, a number of ex-trainees of the SAED programme have established flourshing businesses in several states across the country and have employed or trained many youths of the host communities”, he said.
Ibrahim listed some of the challenges faced by the Scheme to include inadequate facilities in some of Orientation Camps, inadequate training materials for Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, in addition to the limited funding opportunities for the SAED trainees to actualize their business plans.
“This partly informed our sustained advocacy for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund”,
…call for Minister’s resignation
Some youths, stakeholders and other faithful of the All Progressives Congress have called for the immediate resignation of Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, over his alleged plots to impose candidates on the party.
The group, under the aegis of the Concerned APC Youth Forum, said the AGF had perfected plans to conjure a list from the backdoor during the party’s national convention on February 26th.
In a press statement today in Abuja, the APC forum said that Malami is on a mission to cause gross disaffection in the party through the imposition of candidates, most of which are his allies and cronies.
The group’s convener/president, Comr. Owolabi Abdullahi, therefore, described Malami as an embarrassment to the party and the Buhari administration in all ramifications.
Abdullahi noted that as a matter of urgency, the AGF must desist from his ploy to dictate to members of the APC how to elect and whom to elect at the convention.
In order to save his reputation, the group, however, urged President Buhari to relieve Malami of his duties in the party’s interest should he fail to tender his immediate resignation from office.
Read full statement below:
The recent events in the buildup to the APC national convention slated for February 26th 2022, has indeed called for concern from all stakeholders; hence this press conference convoked to press for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami from office with immediate effect.
We are indeed concerned that a high ranking member of the government and the party in the mould of the Justice Minister would elect to undertake acts that are inimical to the ideals of the party, which are clearly outside his purview.
Mr Abubakar Malami, in recent times, has been meddlesome in the affairs of the party, using his office to cause intimidation and harassment to the current leadership of the party into submitting to his whims and caprices.
The Concerned APC Youth Forum finds his actions worrisome and an indication that the forthcoming National convention of the party might be in jeopardy due to the unwholesome activities of party members who have elected to make impositions of candidates the new norm at the expense of the array of credible candidates that have signified interest in the leadership positions in the party.
We wish to state that the meddlesomeness of the AGF, Abubakar Malami, in the party’s affairs is unbecoming of a public official and the country’s chief law officer, whose conduct ought to be guided by fairness, equity and justice. But he has indeed displayed an apparent lack of grasp of the issues regarding equity and justice through his actions regarding the forthcoming National Convention of the APC.
As concerned stakeholders of the party, we wish to put it on record that the AGF is on a mission to cause gross disaffection in the party through the attempt to impose candidates on the party, most of which are his allies and cronies through which he intends to hijack the party structure in furtherance of his political ambition.
It is also more worrisome that the AGF, Abubakar Malami, has carried on like the party’s legal adviser at the expense of his responsibilities as the chief law officer of the country, which has caused the government monumental embarrassment in recent times.
There are numerous cases where his legal advice to Mr President on critical matters of national concern has caused the government untold embarrassment and to the chagrin of the APC as a party of repute.
A good example is how the AGF, Abubakar Malami, misled the president into signing Executive Order 10 that the Supreme Court has nullified. This is the most unbecoming of the AGF. It is our considered opinion that he is not fit for purpose. His continued stay in office as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation can no longer be justified.
The Concerned APC Youth Forum wishes to inform all stakeholders of the APC that the AGF, Abubakar Malami, is an embarrassment to the party and the APC government in all ramifications. So much so that we are tempted to question his legal qualifications and competence owing to the public ridicule he has brought to the revered Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The AGF, Abubakar Malami, must, as a matter of urgency, desist from his ploy to dictate to members of the APC how to elect and whom to elect at the National Convention of the party. This is on the heels that should he continue in this fashion; there would be a torrent of litigation against the party after the National Convention.
The APC as a party is known for its strict observance of democratic principles in line with the position of President Muhammadu Buhari, and for the AGF, having a contrary motive and strategy leaves all to the imagination with regards to his professional competence.
We are consequently using this medium to call for the immediate resignation from the office of the AGF, Abubakar Malami, as it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that he lacks the moral right to advise Mr President on legal matters and the spirits of the Constitution is at stake with his continued stay in office.
He must be reminded that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation is not an instrument for intimidation and imposition. And as the Chief Law Officer of the country, his public conduct must reflect that of a constitutional purist.
We also wish to remind the AGF, Abubakar Malami, that the country is indeed aware of how he has monetized the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in a most despicable and inglorious manner.
This is unacceptable, and his recent conduct within the party indeed justifies this position where he has positioned himself to be the Alfa and Omega regarding who occupies leadership positions in the party.
The Concerned APC Youth Forum wishes to reiterate that democracy is at stake with the continued stay in office of the AGF, Abubakar Malami. As such, nothing short of his immediate resignation from office would be accepted.
Our firm position is that the APC as a party cannot afford the luxury of going into the 2023 general election in a rancorous manner, which would eventually lead to the disintegration of the party, and the consequent electoral defeat come 2023.
We are using this medium to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to act in the party’s interest by relieving the AGF, Abubakar Malami, of his duties should he fail to tender his immediate resignation from office.
Mr President must be aware that his hard-earned reputation as an upright and fair leader to all is also at stake with how the AGF, Abubakar Malami, has conducted himself. This is indeed a litmus test for the party. We desire that Mr President would act decisively due to the urgency and necessity of the now.
We also urge other concerned stakeholders of our great party to keep the faith alive as the shenanigans of the AGF, Abubakar Malami, and his co-travellers won’t see the light of the day.
We thank you all for your kind attention and encourage all to ensure that democracy thrives in our great party. We shall not be a party to any form of unnecessary interference in the democratic processes in the party.
Thank you all, and God bless.
Protesters numbering Over 20, 000 led by the APC Youth Development and Solidarity Forum, Yari Grassroot Support Groups and Al- Makura National Chairman Mandate Coalition this morning marched to the presidential villa to register their grievances over plots by some APC Governors to hijack proceedings at the forthcoming National Convention.
The protesters who were full of praises for President Muhammadu Buhari for turning away two Governors who went to the villa to submit a list of their choice candidates to the president for endorsement also alleged that these Governors are up to mischief solely for their selfish interest.
The Groups in a letter presented by APC YDSF President, Danelsi Momoh and Tobias Ogbeh, Secretary commended the President’s leadership strides in piloting the country’s affairs since 2015, when they said the people of Nigeria unanimously gave him the mandate to direct the affairs of the country.
The groups in the letter said, “It is instructive to state that this much Mr President has done over the years, and Nigerians have been most impressed, especially by his unshaken stance on transparency and accountability.
“Mr President, these are indeed trying times for the APC as a party as it has become common knowledge that some vested interests are out to undermine the lofty ideals of the party by electing to undertake uncharitable ventures with the potential of puncturing the relative peace and sense of direction of the party in recent times.
“We are constrained to use this medium to bring to the notice of Mr President the attempt by some governors to deceive His Excellency into charting an undemocratic cause in the buildup to the party convention slated for 26 February 2022 by insisting on the candidature of some select individuals for the leadership of the party.
“Mr President may wish to be informed that these individuals do not have the interest of the party at heart; hence their ignoble drive to ensure their preferred candidates get the necessary endorsement at the detriment of other qualified aspirants that have made considerable efforts in reaching out to the various stakeholders in the party with their mission and vision for the party.
“We wish to humbly inform Mr President that the activities of two serving governors are notorious in this regard, which is a betrayal of trust and an insult to the sensibilities of the hard-working members of our great party that have made substantial sacrifices towards building the party to enviable heights.
“Mr President, we must not fail to bring to your notice the activities of the Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu. He has jettisoned governance in Kebbi state and has elected to deploy a massive financial war chest in destabilizing the party’s lofty ideals.
“Governor Atiku Bagudu has boasted in several forums that he would singlehandedly pick the chairman of our party and other candidates for leadership positions during the convention. He has stayed true to his threats by intimidating and attempting to undermine the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.
“Mr President, you must agree with our position that this is undemocratic and must not be allowed to see the light of the day, which has the potential of disintegrating the party before the convention slated for later in the month of February.
“This is indeed against your antecedent, which abhors any form of undemocratic causes that would deprive all stakeholders in the party a right to aspire and contribute their quota to the party’s electoral success.
“This is more worrisome because candidates promoted by these greedy governors are not known loyalists of the party but could pass for moles to compromise the party’s integrity and, by extension, paint a picture of the party as undemocratic before the general public.
“Mr President may wish to know that notable candidates for the chairmanship position of our party, such as former governor of Nasawara State, Tanko Al-Makura, and former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, have conducted themselves notably and appears to have transverse the country soliciting the support of party members towards the actualization of their ambitions.
“Mr President, we are consequently pained with the action of these governors of our party who are desperately trying to undermine the democratic process by attempting to deceive you and other party members into endorsing a fraudulent list of candidates at the party’s national convention.
“We have thus elected, in collaboration with other critical stakeholders and members of our great party, to stage a mass protest to the presidential villa to register our displeasure in this regard and to demand that Mr President denounces these miscreants and direct immediately for a democratic process within the party.
“We pray that Mr President as the father of the party and in line with your stance on transparency and accountability, reject the Governors and their evil plans and equally consult other stakeholders like the Forum of Ex- Governors in the party to make an input.
“We pray that Mr President consults members of our party in the National Assembly, which has the biggest caucus in the party, towards finding an amicable resolution of the impending crisis.
“Mr President, while we anticipate a favourable response, please accept the assurances of our highest regards” the groups said
They therefore delivered the letter to the President through the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Shehu Garuba for onward transmission to the President.
Abdulmalik Tanko, the principal of the school and the main suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Hanifa Abubakar, has pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping and murder of the young girl.
Tanko had earlier confessed to journalists during his parade at the Kano State Police Headquarters that he kidnapped the victim and killed her with N100 rat poison before burying her body in a shallow grave in one of his schools.
Tanko, along with his co-defendant, denied committing the crimes during his arraignment before a Kano High Court on Monday.
They pleaded guilty to the first count of the charge, which is a conspiracy, but not to the other four counts, which include kidnapping, demanding ransom, and murdering the victim.
Meanwhile, the trial judge has adjourned the matter to March 2 and 3 for the commencement of the hearing and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in the correctional centre.
Details later…
The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has been accused by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of infringing on the autonomy of universities.
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the union’s president, lamented that the meddling activities of JAMB in admission processes and regulation of academic activities in the Nigerian university system are putting universities’ autonomy under threat.
According to Osodeke, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was established in 1978 by an Act of the National Assembly and is responsible for the conduct of matriculation examinations for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the appointment of examiners, and the collection and dissemination of information on all matters relating to entrance examinations.
Prof. Osodeke emphasized that each university’s senate has the authority and responsibility to oversee all academic matters at the institution, including setting admission requirements and approving undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
He stressed, however, that JAMB does not have the authority to determine admission qualifications, nor does it have the authority to admit or delist university programs.
The ASUU President went on to say that a university’s senate is responsible for admitting candidates, while the National University Commission is in charge of program regulation and accreditation (NUC).
He emphasized that JAMB is best described as an examination body and clearinghouse for tertiary institution admissions.
“However, it is regrettable that JAMB is collecting and disseminating information on matters relating to admissions from respective institutions based on Senate recommendations outside of its jurisdiction,” he lamented.
As a result, ASUU has urged JAMB to stick to its original mandate and let universities decide on admission policies and procedures.
However, some supporters of Mr. Tinubu issued a statement on Sunday evening that the video was doctored adding that the former Lagos Governor was only sweating and that he did not soil himself as wildly propagated.
Reno Omokri, a former presidential spokesman, has claimed that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s 2023 campaigners are behind the numerous embarrassing leaked videos of APC national leader and 2023 Presidential aspirant Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu has been trending on social media after a video of him allegedly experiencing incontinence went viral. On Monday, Omokri, a vehement opponent, claimed that the leaks were orchestrated by the Vice-campaign. President’s
“The embarrassing leaks about Tinubu are being promoted by Vice President Osinbajo’s campaigners, which may surprise Tinubu’s camp.”
“If they want, we can name names.” Let them sort it out on their own, though we applaud them for airing their dirty laundry!” Omokri tweeted.
Mr. Tinubu’s supporters, on the other hand, issued a statement on the same day.
The failure of the country’s maritime sector stakeholders to provide 60% of the investment required by law, according to the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is the reason for the country’s inability to own a national shipping line.
The minister made the announcement during a thanksgiving service in Benin over the weekend to commemorate the 71st birthday of Gregory Utomwen Ogbeifun, Chairman of Starzs Investment Company Ltd.
The goal of establishing a national shipping line, he said, will not be realized until the stakeholders take ownership.
He pointed out that while the law requires Nigerians to contribute 60% of the equity, foreigners must contribute the remaining 40%.
However, Amaechi lamented that the plan has become practically impossible due to the apathy of major players in the maritime industry to raise such amount.
He added that although a foreign firm had assured of providing all the money to enable the floating of the shipping line, he would not grant such approval as doing so would amount to flouting the law.
“For not having a national shipping line, some stakeholders in the maritime sector think that I may not have done well. The law setting up a national shipping line says that Nigerians would provide 60 per cent of the investment and foreigners will provide 40 per cent.
“So, I went to Singapore, got a company that accepted to bring the 40 per cent but unfortunately, till today, no Nigerian has been able to provide the remaining 60 per cent. The company had said to me that they would bring all the 100 per cent and hire some Nigerians as stakeholders, but I disagreed because that would amount to breaking the law,” Amaechi said.
He also revealed he got an offer from a company in Dubai willing to set up the national shipping line by providing the entire funding.
He said as the minister, his job is not to bring the money but to create an enabling environment for business to thrive, adding until the law is amended to allow foreigners to own 60 per cent of the investment and employ Nigerians there is no way a foreigner can have 100 per cent.
