Wike imposes curfew on Rivers land borders

 

 

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has imposed a night curfew at all entry and exit points with Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Imo States.

Governor Wike in State broadcast said the curfew which takes effect from Wednesday night, is necessitated by the recent security breaches and deadly attacks on security personnel by yet to be identified gunmen.

He said the Government of Rivers State decided to restrict night movements in and out of the state from the land borders.

”Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed and no person or vehicle is allowed into and out of Rivers State from 8.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. from tomorrow (Wednesday) 28 April 2021 until further notice.

“We wish to advise that those who have any legitimate need or reason to come into or go out of the state must do so before 8.00 pm when the curfew shall come into force daily.”

The governor said, “security agencies have been posted to monitor and enforce strict compliance with the curfew at all borders and or entry and exit points with Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Imo States.”

police officers dismissed for extorting traveller

 

 

Three police officers attached to the Ogun State Command have been dismissed for allegedly extorting money from a traveller.

 learnt that the dismissed officers, Inspector Sunday John, Sgt Jimoh Asamiya and Sgt Solomon Adedapo were accused of forcefully collecting N153,000 from a man who was travelling from Abeokuta to Lagos State.

In a statement on Tuesday, the state’s Commissioner for Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun noted that the money was recovered from the culprits and handed over to the victim.

The Commissioner added that “They were arraigned for departmental orderly room trial on a three-count charge of corrupt practices, discreditable conduct and disobedience to lawful order,” the statement read in part.

“They were found guilty of all the charges, and subsequently dismissed from the force to serve as a deterrent to others in their shoes.”

FG, NBC told to reverse suspension of Channels TV within 48hrs

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has threatened to take legal action against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari if they fail to immediately reverse suspension of Channels Television within 48hours.

The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC on Monday fined Channels TV N5million for allowing a leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB to make secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution.

SERAP in a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, gave the ultimatum while describing the suspension of the TV station as unconstitutional and illegal.

The group urged Buhari to stop intimidating the media in Nigeria and respect the constitution.

Part of the statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari should caution the NBC to stop intimidating and harassing independent media houses and to respect the Nigerian Constitution, and t international human rights obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

“The government and NBC should immediately lift the suspension and reverse the fine. We will pursue appropriate legal action if the arbitrary, unconstitutional and illegal suspension and fine are not reversed within 48 hours.

“This action by the government and NBC is yet another example of Nigerian authorities push to silence independent media and voices.

SERAP described the development as a new law in Nigeria’s protection of freedom of expression, and the ability of independent media to function perfectly.

“Media freedom and media plurality are a central part of the effective exercise of freedom of expression and access to information.

“The ability to practice journalism free from undue interference, to cover diverse views are crucial to the exercise of many other rights and freedoms.”

“The media has a vital role to play as ‘public watchdog’ in imparting information of serious public concern and should not be inhibited or intimidated from playing that role.”

SERAP went ahead to warn the government and NBC to stop targeting and intimidating independent media houses but protect the right to freedom of speech.

“Article 20 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Nigeria has ratified requires states to prohibit only advocacy that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. Restrictions must be clearly defined, specific, necessary, and proportionate to the threat to interest protected,” the statement added.

BREAKING: Nigerian Army confirms death of commander, soldiers in Boko Haram attack

 

The Nigerian Army, on Monday, gave an update on the battle between troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed in Mainok, Borno State and Boko Haram/ISWAP members.

Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, Director, Army Public Relations, said the insurgents carried out under multi-directional attacks.

“Regrettably, one gallant officer and six soldiers paid the supreme sacrifice while 5 other soldiers sustained various degrees of injuries”, his statement read.

 

The spokesman noted that the fighters stormed the battleground on an unconfirmed number of gun trucks and foot soldiers.

Their intent was to establish a phantom caliphate in the town, the Army added.

Yerima said the terrorists were held by the troops of 156 Task Force Battalion until the arrival of reinforcement teams from 7 Division, Special Army Super Camp Ngamdu and Army Super Camp 4, Benesheik.

He noted that during the fire fight which lasted several hours, the troops tactically lured a number of the terrorists into a killing zone within their camp.

 

There, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole scrambled Alpha jets and helicopter gunship, which took turns in decimating the already trapped terrorists.

“In the aftermath of the encounter, scores of Boko Haram terrorists were neutralized with their body part littering the area and a number of their gun trucks destroyed,” Yerima said.

The wounded soldiers have been evacuated to the military medical facility for treatment.

 Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru applauded the troops for their resilience, commitment and doggedness and reassured Nigerians of the Army’s unalloyed commitment to defeating Boko Haram/SWAP terrorists.

 

Over 600,000 persons displaced in Benue

 

Following repeated attacks in Benue communities by suspected herdsmen, no fewer than Six Hundred Thousand residents have been displaced across the state.

In an interview with  correspondent, the Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr Emmanuel Shior uncovered some facts about the increasing number of Internally Displaced Persons birthed by the rising insecurity in the state.

Being the SEMA boss, do you have the statistics of the IDPs currently in Benue camps?

Of course, I do. In 2019/2020, we carried out a general statistics of the IDPs in all the communities in Benue State. Although we did not limit the excises to just those in camps as we captured both the ones in their host communities.

The total number of IDPs we had in camps and host communities at that time was over 500,000.

However, due to the numerous fresh attacks on our communities, we conducted another statistics recently and recorded 100,000 new displaced persons. There are still others that we have not been able to capture at the moment. So I can tell you that we have over Six Hundred Thousand (600,000) IDPs here in Benue State.

What are the particular incidents that led to the displacement of these IDPs

People are displaced here in Benue State as a result of the Fulani herdsmen’s attack, which after displacing them, the killer herdsmen will occupy the affected community, making it difficult for the IDPs to return to their ancestral homes.

That is why the state government has kept some of these displaced persons for over three years in the camps.

It is a big burden on the side of our government. It is very difficult but we thank God.

We thank God for the kind of Governor that we have, who has the passion to serve humanity and to cater for the welfare of not only the IDPs but also the people of Benue State, a God-fearing Governor.

Which of the camps do we have the largest number of IDPs?

The Governor recently established a new camp known as Uikpam in Guma Local Government. It is three times larger than the rest of the camps we have here in the State.

Did the State Government establish any of the camps in Zone C, Benue South?

We cannot create camps everywhere because creating camps also involves managing it by the Benue State Government through SEMA. We don’t play politics with humanitarian issues. People are displaced in Zone C especially in Agatu.

We have engaged the traditional rulers in those areas. Even the communities that are operating camps, we have done the same because the traditional rulers and the community leaders have accepted that idea.

In Agatu where we have the largest number of displaced persons in the Zone, they don’t want their people to be in the camp.

So whatever humanitarian arrangement we have, we extend it to them in Agatu and the rest of them in Zone C.

How is the welfare of the IDPs in those camps?

We thank God, but taking care of IDPs especially in such a large population is a very heavy burden that shouldn’t be left for the state government alone.

The Federal Government had tried in supporting our state government in taking care of the IDPs but it has not done enough.

We usually receive supports from the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, but they don’t come frequently with supports, so it is very difficult.

The state government cannot stop other projects so that the funding that comes to it be directed to only the wellbeing of the IDPs, no. The government has other responsibilities like the provision of roads and other infrastructures.

Is the state government proactive in ensuring that the IDPs are not attacked in camps?

The government has provided security in all the camps and we also hope that by the grace of God nothing will happen to them.

 reports that the State had in recent time been plunged into a deteriorating security situation due to frequent attacks by suspected herdsmen in several communities.

Recall that suspected militia herdsmen on March 20, launched an attack on the convoy of the State Governor, Samuel Ortom while returning from his farm at Tyo-mu along Makurdi – Gboko road.

There has been other attacks ravaging the state almost on a daily basis, forcing residents out of their ancestral homes to the IDPs camps.

Police arrest kidnap kingpin, three gang members

 

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested the leader of a kidnap gang, Kazeem Mohammed and three other gang members.

They were arrested over the alleged kidnap and killing of one Olokose Oluwasola Ojo in Patigi, Patigi Local Government Area of the state.

According to the spokesman of the command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, in a statement in Ilorin on Wednesday, the gang leader of Patigi, collected the sum of N160,000 from one Olokose Oluwasola Ojo, now deceased on the guise of helping him buy a cow to be used on the deceased wedding scheduled to hold between March 12th and 13th, 2021.

“Since the victim left Ilorin with the suspect, he could no longer be reached by anybody including his intending wife, one Ilori Oluwakemi.

“On 3/3/2021, the wife received a call from her husband’s line demanding N12m ransom if she hope to see her husband again,” the statement added.

Following a report on the incident, the state police commissioner, Mohammed Lawal Bagega, directed an all encompassing investigation into the matter, ordering the arrest of the kidnappers and rescue of the victim unhurt at all costs.

Investigation according to the statement, “led to the arrest of the gang leader, Kazeem Mohammed Beiwa in Patigi via the use of hi-tec intelligence.

“Investigation further led to the arrest of three other members of the syndicate, namely, Mohammed Chatta, Jimoh Abdullateef and Madi Jeremiah, who confessed to the crime.”

They allegedly also confirmed the killing of the victim and burying him in a shallow grave inside the bush.

“They took policemen to the scene of the killing where the head was severed and used for money ritual by Mohammed Kazeem, the leader of the gang,” the statement further revealed.

“The suspects stated in their confessional statement that the victim was lured into the remote part of Patigi where he was told the cow he paid for was tied.

“On getting to the spot, he was shot and killed.”

The body, gathered, was exhumed by the police and taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

The police commissioner who advised members of the public to be on guard at all times and know who to transact business with, said the suspects will be charged to court as soon as court resumes sitting from their strike action.

appoints 4 general managers, 8 assistant GMs for ports authority

 

 

The Nigerian Ports 

Authority (NPA) has announced the appointment of four new General Managers (GM) and eight Assistant General Managers (AGM).

Ibrahim Nasiru, AGM, Corporate & Strategic Communications issued a statement on Wednesday.

All appointments are with immediate effect. The NPA now has a total number of 21 GMs and 60 AGMs.

NPA said the move was in furtherance of the commitment to motivate its workforce and building a formidable succession plan in line with the federal character principle.

The new GMs are: Olaseni Alakija, who becomes General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications, Patricia Aboh (Mrs).

Others are Servicom; Mr Sylvester Nwankwo General Manager, MD’s Office and (Mrs.) Anthonia Ohagwa, General Manager, ICT.

The new AGMs are Naphtali Pella, Audit (Finance & Investment); Adesina Salau, Land & Estate, Zainab Dantiye(Mrs), Administration, and Nansel Zhimwan, Corporate & Strategic Communications.

Other Benjamin Oluyori; Enterprise & Risk Management, Ruth Boyo (Mrs), Investments, Mr Mukhtar Isah, Civil, and Felix Adekunle, ICT (Network & Communications).