Suspected bandits have killed over 40 people in Wase Local government area of Plateau state, Nigerian Tribune reports.
Many other residents of the community were also believed to have sustained serious injuries in the wake of the attack, including several buildings razed by the criminals
The development is the latest in the recurrent attacks on the state by the bandits, whose operations have left many residents homeless.
Tribune Online learned that bandits armed with sophisticated weapons at about 7:00 p.m. on Monday attacked Zurak village on motorcycles and opened fire on everyone on site.
An eyewitness, Abdullahi Musa, who escaped the attack narrated that the attack was unexpected, adding that the vigilantes in the community who tried to wade off the attack were subdued by the superior force of the marauders.
“The attack came to us as a surprise because we have no issue with them. They came in large numbers and opened fire on the residents at random, killing more than 40 people. The majority of those killed were vigilantes.
“Several houses were equally burned in the course of the deadly operation. We could not alert security agencies on time because of a bad communication network, so it took several hours before they could come to our aid.”
The attack lasted for more than an hour with some residents of the community, mostly women, injured and receiving treatment at the nearby hospital.
However, a youth leader in the area, Mallam Sahpi’i Sambo, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits arrived at the community on motorcycles and killed more than 40 people, leaving many others injured.
It was also learned that the community is now deserted, as the inhabitants have run for cover in the neighboring communities and the capital of the local government area.
Recall that no fewer than 145 persons were reported killed in bandits’ attacks on 23 villages in Plateau State last December.
Barely a month after in January this year the suspected bandits returned to attack the same community killing 15 persons.
The people of the community appear to have lost the confidence in the government to protect them from the invaders, close watchers of the Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang-led state said.
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh has led his men to rescue some Abuja residents abducted from their homes by bandits.
Numbering 20, those rescued by the police were reported to have been kidnapped on Sunday by the criminals in Dawaki, a community near Kubwa, FCT suburb.
According to the report, the bandits had raided houses on Frank Opara Street, abducting many people including men and women.
Tunde Abdulrahman, the Chairman of Dawaki Rock Heaven Community, said the gun men numbering over 50 launched the attack on around 8 pm on Sunday.
Abdulrahim said the armed men, numbering about 50, invaded the community and broke into about six houses.
On learning about the attack through a distress call placed to the command by some well-meaning residents, Igwe was said to have led some of his men to the area.
The spokesman of the command, Josephine Adeh, a Superintendent of Police said the commissioner engaged the criminals in a gun battle on arrival at the community.
He said Igweh and his men displayed “remarkable bravery and coordination” which led to the rescue of the abductees.
The statement: “In an immediate and strategic response to a distress call on the attack by unknown gunmen in Dawaki on May 19, 2024, at about 11.30pm, the operatives of the FCT Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Igweh, himself, swiftly mobilised to the scene.
“Displaying remarkable bravery and coordination, the police, in synergy with local hunters, advanced on the assailants, tactically ambushing them at Ushafa Hill via Bwari and Shishipe Hills via Mpape.
“While one of the rescued victims is still in the hospital receiving medical attention, the Commissioner of Police, FCT, reaffirms the command’s steadfast dedication to maintaining peace and security in the territory, as search operations are ongoing to rescue other hostages who fled the scene during the shootout.”
Following the decision of the FCDA to step up security in and around the nation’s capital following repeated bandits attacks early this year, close watchers of the city insist that the problem of kidnapping has drastically reduced.
Justice Ademola Enikuomehin of Owo High Court one, in Ondo State has dethroned a First Class Monarch, the Olute of Ute, Oba Michael Adetunji Oluwole, from the throne.
Oluwole is a retired army officer of the rank of Major.
The judgment followed a 29-year old prolonged Chieftaincy tussle between the Olule Omoloja Ruling House and the dethroned Oba Oluwole.
The Chieftaincy case, which has been taken to the Appellate and Supreme Courts levels was referred back to the Owo High Court for continuation.
Justice Enikuomehin ruled that Adetunji Oluwole should stop parading himself as Olute and ordered fresh selection process from within the Olule Omoloja ruling house lineage.
The Court also affirmed that the retired army officer has no right to the throne, being a member of the Kingmakers and should not make himself King.
The Court, thereafter, awarded damages against the dethroned Monarch in favour of the claimants.
Speaking on the judgment, Counsel to the Claimant, Mr Adewumi Fabuluje said it was victory at last for the Olule Omolaja ruling house for a case that started in 1995 and traversed all Courts.
On his part, State Counsel, FK Salami noted that the judgment would be reviewed and necessary action taken.
In their responses, Princes Boboye, Omoloja and Chief Leke Obabumoye described the judgment as a relief from long suffering from their original entitlement, which they claimed was hijacked by a stranger.
After endless wait for their entitlements, retired Police officers on Tuesday stormed the National Assembly, Abuja, to protest their unpaid pensions.
The protesters who represented various state chapters, lamented the severe hardships faced due to the failure of the National Pension Commission to pay their entitlements.
They appealed to the Federal Government to remove them from the contributory pension scheme.
This is not the first time Police Retirees have protested.
In September 2021, retired officers from 27 states stormed the National Assembly to demand for their pension payments.
During the 2021 protest, they displayed placards with messages such as ‘NPF pension defrauding Police retirees, SOS,’ ‘Police officers are dying in penury under the contributory pension scheme,’ and ‘CPS is a death sentence against police!’
The affected retirees had also written letters to the Pension Commission on the need to settle their entitlements.
In one of the letters, they listed names of some of their colleagues who died while waiting for their entitlements.
Still basking in his new found freedom from the clutches of his estranged political godfather and predecessor, Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has within a couple of days submitted names of Commissioner-nominees to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Fubara, showing that he has become his own man submitted a list of eight commissioner-nominees to
Assembly.
The nominees are to replace eight Commissioners, loyal to Wike, who resigned from office a few days ago. They resigned because of the face-off between the Governor and Wike.
Their resignation confirmed the long held belief that members of Fubara’s Cabinet, until now, were foisted on him by Wike, who they were obviously loyal to.
The new Commissioner- nominees are Prince Charles Bekee, Mr. Collins N. Onunwo, Hon. Solomon Eke, Dr. Peter N. Medee, Hon Elloka Tasie Amadi, Hon Basoene Joshua Benibo, Mr. Tambari Syndy Gbara, and Dr. Ovy Orludieye Chinedum Chukwuma.
At the time of filing this report, they were being expected to appear before members of the Assembly loyal to Governor Fubara for screening.
A source from Government House, Port Harcourt, said they would be sworn into office between Tuesday and Wednesday if successfully screened.
Gallant and patriotic Nigerian soldiers have shocked terrorists who thought they could buy them over with money.
The terrorists were six in number, and to secure their release, the sum of two million Naira was offered to
Troops of the Nigerian Army.
But the gallant troops, angry at what the terrorists have reduced Nigeria to, with the zeal of patriotism burning in them, and insulted that the criminals had the courage to offer them bribe to secure their release, pounced on them and arrested them.
Arrested were six notorious kidnappers who security agents have long been looking for.
In a statement, the military confirmed that the terrorists who have been wreaking havoc in Taraba State and environs were arrested on May 19, 2024 during two operations in the Wukari and Ibi Local Government Areas of the State. They met their Waterloo in the hands of the operatives of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army.
The statement issued by the Acting Assistant Director, 6 Brigade Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Oni Olubodunde, revealed that the terrorists were responsible for the kidnap of high profile persons, especially, foreigners.
The six captured criminals are: Usman Gide Ali, 25, Abdulraman Adamu, 28, Jafaru Banyi, 28, Mohammad Ardo, 25, Ahamadu Lawal Shatta, 20 and Biyu Ardo, 25.
In the statement, Olubodunde explained:
“In a significant operation on 19 May 2024, troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sub Sector 3 OPERATION WHIRL STROKE (OPWS) have successfully captured 6 suspected kidnappers in separate operations carried out within Taraba State.
“Acting on a tip-off, troops from the 93 Battalion Sub-Sector 3B OPWS, stationed at Forward Operating Base Wukari, carried out a well-planned raid in Chinkai Village of Wukari Local Government Area.
“This raid led to the apprehension of two individuals identified as Usman Gide Ali, aged 25 and Abdulrahaman Amadu, aged 28. The suspects have been on wanted list of the security agencies for their involvement in multiple kidnappings in Wukari and its surroundings.
“Upon their arrest, the suspects attempted to bribe the troops with two million Naira for their release.
“However, the soldiers staunchly refused the bribe, underscoring their dedication to justice and integrity.
“In a parallel operation in Ibi Local Government Area, troops stationed at Sarikin Kudu, acting on credible intelligence apprehended four more suspected kidnappers.
“Those arrested are: Jafaru Banyi, aged 28, Mohammad Ardo, aged 25, Amadu Lawal Shatta, aged 20 and Biyu Ardu, aged 25. These captured suspects have been linked to numerous high-profile abductions in the region, targeting both locals and foreigners for ransom and have long been under the surveillance of security agencies.
“The Commander 6 Brigade/ Sector 3 OPWS, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidebere Uwa, has since commended the troops for their courage and unwavering commitment to ethical standards. He emphasised that the successful apprehension of these suspects is a testament to the diligent efforts and dedication of the soldiers, highlighting their refusal to accept bribes as a clear demonstration of their professionalism and integrity.”
Sweeping generalisation is one of the dangerous assaults on logic. When a premise is abinitio wrong, no conclusion can make the argument right. And it is a mortal sin to presumptuously claim indispensability when we are mere mortals who can exit the stage in a minute, and the world would move on as if we never existed. For someone, therefore, to condescendingly assume that Imo State can not make progress without a certain Emeka Ihedioha is to dismiss the millions of Imo people, educated, cosmopolitan, intelligent, and wealthy, as morons. That is the highest insult to the sensibilities of the good people of Imo State.
While everyone is entitled to dream dreams, it crosses to fantasy and even lunacy for the person to borrow the robes of omniscience mixed with indispensability within a crowd that he knows he may be a tiny pebble. And it irritates sensible people when, instead of acknowledging his limitations, he carries on as if he is an ostrich on one obscure island. Anyone unfortunate to read the gibberish entitled, “Emeka Ihedioha: Imo’s last hope opportunity for growth, development,” written by one Kelechi Jeff Eme and published recently in the media, would be stunned that someone seeking the high office of governor would authorize just a toxic publication that ended up exposing his little mindedness and egoistic malady. This foolishness is not entirely surprising because Ihedioha’s bane has been his ridiculous belief that Imo State needs him as the Messiah.
From the headline alone, the assumption is that without Emeka Ihedioha, Imo would never make progress. Of course, that is a fallacy. Within the body of the essay, it emerged that in their warped logic, the seven months of illegally occupying Douglas House by Ihedioha was the golden era of governance. Again, that is false. The submission that no governor achieved anything in Owerri before Sam Mbakwe emerged as governor was also false. Some of the enduring roads in the capital city today were built by Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu. We should learn not to engage in fiction writing in the name of political campaigns.
Therefore, it couldn’t have been factually correct even to allude that nothing ever happened in those administrations preceding Mbakwe or after him until the arrival of our “Spiderman and superhero, Emeka Ihedioha.” Life and development went on before Mbakwe. Life and development continued after him, just like life and development have been blissfully going on before and after Ihedioha.
Now, to the distortion of facts. Firstly, no one expected Ihedioha and his band of cheerleaders to give credit to Governor Hope Uzodimma for his monumental transformation of the state in all sectors; after all, the man punctured his daydreaming of being a governor after he stole a mandate that wasn’t his. Till tomorrow, I blame our system that allowed all those who violated the constitution by declaring Ihedioha governor when he didn’t win the election to walk the streets, still free men. I don’t think it was enough for the Supreme Court to pronounce Uzodimma as the rightful winner without jailing those who engaged in stealing the mandate in the first place. Both the perpetrators and the beneficiaries of the robbery ought to be in jail. If that had happened, none would have had the guts to pollute the environment with their putrefaction of legacies. I still believe that there is a need to erase the period of that illegal occupation by the courts declaring it as not having existed at all.
Emeka Ihedioha
The constitution and the electoral act were clear that apart from scoring the highest number of votes in an election, a person cannot be declared a governor except he secures one-quarter of votes in two-thirds of the local government areas in the state. After Emeka Ihedioha used his sister-in-law and colluded with INEC to manufacture the so-called highest number of votes, he met the constitutional requirement of spread in only 12 local government areas and not 18 required by the constitution. Yet a professor of mathematics declared him a winner, and INEC accepted that brazen rape of democracy. If Hope Uzodimma had not fought to reclaim his mandate, Ihedioha would have set a dangerous precedent with that inglorious conduct. The truth is that even in 2015, when Emeka Ihedioha came second after Gov Rochas Okorocha, it was only in his Mbaise enclave that he got the sprinkle of votes in that election.
Strangely, these same Mbaise people were the first victims of his abuse of power, avarice, and primitive acquisition of wealth and landed property in the seven months he illegally served as governor of Imo State. Did Ihedioha complete one single road in those unfortunate seven months? Of course not. When he was not blaming Rochas for the state of the streets, he was using the rains as an alibi to cover his cluelessness. Yet he dared to suddenly go blind in the face of the road revolution wrought by Hope Uzodimma by grudgingly acknowledging only three roads as the government’s achievement.
It is essential to remind Ihedioha and his cohorts that within his first 100 days in office, Uzodimma completed
nine (9) solid roads, namely;
Oparanozie Street to Edede Street 2. Chhukwuma Nwaoha Relief Market Road,
Assumpta World Bank Road,
Assumpta Roundabout to Concorde Junction,
Dick Tiger – Egbu Junction Road and
Dick Tiger Aladinma Lake Nwaebere Road
Umuaka internal Road in Njaba L.G.A.
Amaigbo – Njaba Road
Mgbidi – Omuma Road
As we speak, Uzodimma has 100 solid roads and bridges constructed and commissioned within his first tenure.
These projects
are verifiable.
So when a handful of the remaining Ihedioha cronies tepidly talk about his legacies in those illegal seven months, what comes to mind is his vast appetite for self-centeredness. Within seven months, he travelled seven (7) times outside the country. Within seven months, he began the construction of one of the most stately country homes comparable only to Buckingham Palace. When his kinsmen accused him of land grabbing, he used state power to intimidate them to silence. But their silent prayers led to his eviction from Government House. Never in the history of Nigeria had a state governor nursed the imperial taste of Emeka Ihedioha. The official car he ordered for himself was a study in luxury, valued then at over N.2 billion. No president of Nigeria had used such a car because the staggering cost was simply scandalous.
Luckily, he never used the car because it arrived after he was removed from office.
Talking of civil servants, did Emeka Ihedioha feel concerned about their welfare? If he did, how come he hired consultants to do their work of preparing a payroll? How come a hefty five hundred million Naira was being paid monthly to the consultants, an amount that could clear pension arrears? How come many pensioners were still owed by the time Uzodimma took over as governor? Indeed, did he pay a single retiree one kobo? What about the civil servants’ offices that snakes and rodents had taken over? Did he work on them?
He could not have because even the Government House was left desolate. Ihedioha conducted government business in a guest house at Odenigbo. If he had used the same speed he employed in building palaces for himself both in Owerri and his village in renovating the government house, perhaps he would have had one project to show as his so-called legacy. But he left the legacy of imperial inclinations, the legacy of a man who needed power to live like an emperor, a monarch. Nothing more.
He said he paid attention to youth development by building stadiums in the 27 local government areas. He is angry that Uzodimma didn’t continue from where he stopped. Fair enough that he even acknowledged that government is a continuum. But one can not build anything on nothing. The 27 stadia were on paper, though Ihedioha’s illicit administration had already pulled out the money. Where were they?
And is it not laughable that Ihedioha’s vision for youth empowerment is to build a stadium in every LGA? What a primitive vision, indeed. Uzodimma has empowered over 40,000 youths by equipping them with digital skills and many others in different other skills. That is what youth empowerment in the 21st century is all about. Assuming he didn’t understand what youth empowerment means, he should be humble enough to acknowledge what Uzodimma has done in that regard. He should also visit every part of Imo State to interview people on what they think of the prosperity agenda of the present administration, which has changed their perception of governance from predatory Ihedioha’s tenure to that of participatory in Uzodimma’s era.
Again, the vast agricultural project he claimed remains only in his imagination. There is no evidence that his sordid administration ever conceived such vision.
Therefore, it is not enough to criticize a performing governor like Senator Hope Uzodimma. You have to develop functional and acceptable alternatives to what he has done. Realistically, you must know that he has a mileage, an unbeaten record that even blind people can feel and believe. Political opposition is not mere rhetoric of seeking to govern a state based on falsehood and fantasy.
The writer claimed Ihedioha has integrity. I don’t know whether the people of Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, whom he shortchanged for the House of Representatives seat for three tenures, would agree to that assertion. For those not familiar with what happened, check out the facts. The two local government areas comprising the Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency agreed on the seat rotation. Ngor Okpala took the first shot with Greg Egu. After his tenure, Egu declined to re-contest in honour of that agreement. Then Aboh Mbaise took its turn under Ihedioha. After the first tenure, he reneged on the deal. The records are there of how Ihedioha became a monkey that seized the cup he was served water with.
Then, when he started running for governorship, the same scenario repeated itself. He became a serial manipulator of the PDP primaries in 2015 and 2019. It was only last year, when they succeeded in pushing him aside, that he started sulking like a child denied his candy. Most PDP members in Imo State have described his exit from the party as a good riddance to bad rubbish. The tsunami he predicted never came around. That is a foretaste of what awaits him should he try to contest again.
Meanwhile, while he has the constitutional right to run for office as many times as he wishes, he should refrain from blackmail and character assassination. He should stop presenting himself as a god or messiah who, without him, Imo State, can not be saved. Long after he would have disappeared from the political firmament, Imo would continue to flourish. The charismatic and purposeful leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma has already assured that. Ihedioha and his cohorts dreamers should wake up to the reality on the the ground.
Emelumba is the commissioner for information, public orientation, and strategy, Imo State
In bid to cushion the effects of the prevailing hard economic situation in the country, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, at the weekend distributed a total of 107 commuter buses to his constituents, Kano North Senatorial district.
The distribution exercise which was done through the members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW in all the Local Councils of the Zone was held at the new Bichi Township Stadium on Sunday, May 20, 2024.
The Source reports that the 107 buses were solely procured by the Deputy Senate President.
Speaking at the distribution event, Senator Barau, who is representing the Kano North Senatorial District noted that the scheme is his modest way of facilitating seamless transportation within the zone and Kano State in general.
He also stated that the project will serve as a veritable empowerment programme as well as a palliative to ameliorate the pains being faced by the people due to the current harsh economic situation in the country.
“This project will serve the twin purpose of empowering the people which in turn will ease the problems of transportation of people and goods .
“It will also impact favourably on the economic growth and development of the state.” the Deputy Senate president said .
The buses are being giving to the beneficiaries at a substantially discounted, subsidized rate and under a hire purchase scheme.
Malam Rabiu, one of the officials of the NURTW in Kano North while interacting with the media noted that the palliative measure remains novel in the life of the people.
“Senator Barau has made us proud . His empowerment programmes always have positive and lasting impacts on the people.
“You can imagine how many families that will benefit both directly and indirectly from this palliative.. With these 107 buses, the transportation challenges being faced by the people will be greatly mitigated not just in the Kano North, but across the whole State.
“It is a commendable gesture . And we, the beneficiaries, are assuring him that we will neither disappoint him nor the people. We are assuring that the buses will be well managed to achieve the objectives of the initiative,” the NURTW stated.
“A nation that budgets N10b for car parks and recreational facilities and N1b for Hostels in 12 Tertiary Institutions is not Normal”
The Labour Party 2023 Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi has again cried out on the obvious financial recklessness and misplacement of priorities in the allocation of funds by the federal government.
Obi described as unacceptable the continued deployment of public resources to nonessential areas of development.
The LP standard bearer highlights the poor and embarrassing position of Nigeria in the global average in school enrollment, yet the government is budgeting a paltry N1b for the construction of Hostels in 12 Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria while N10b is going for the building of car parks and recreational facilities.
Writing on his X platform the former Anambra State Governor said:
“As the giant of Africa which we are, I remain concerned about our fiscal indiscipline as a nation.
“Imagine the situation in our Education sector where the global average of Secondary School enrollment is above 80%, while Nigeria is 28%.
“The global Average of Tertiary School enrollment is above 55%, while Nigeria is less than 15%.
“Yet our budget for the National Assembly Car Parks is N6 billion.
The budget for the National Assembly Recreational Facilities is N4 billion.
“Approved for the Construction of Hostels in 12 tertiary Institutions is just N1 billion.
“It is time for us to stop this financial indiscipline and embrace financial discipline by prioritizing the allocation of resources to the critical areas of human and national development.”
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa has just lost his Father.
His father, Pa Suleimon Atanda Obasa, a businessman, passed on in the early hours of Tuesday. He was aged 83.
Obasa broke the news of his father’s demise through his Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele. In a statement he described Baba Obasa, as a loving family man and community leader in his lifetime.
He added that he was a successful businessman in oil and gas and in the transportation sectors owning Petrol filling stations.
The statement reads: “He was also reputed for his success in farming, through which many citizens have always been empowered.
“A devoted Muslim, Pa Obasa dedicated his life to the service of Allah and mankind taking care of the needy and the less privileged.
“He is survived by his wives, children and grandchildren among whom is the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“His remains would be interred at 4pm in the Agege (Old Abeokuta Motor Road) area of Lagos State, according to Islamic rites.”
