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Author: Our Correspondent

  • COVID-19: Chinese First Lady donates Medical equipment to Nigeria’s First lady

    COVID-19: Chinese First Lady donates Medical equipment to Nigeria’s First lady

    First Lady of the People’s Republic of China, Peng Liyuan, has donated medical equipment to Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari to support Nigeria in the fight against Covid-19

    Chinese Deputy Ambassador Zhoa Yong handed over the medical equipment to the First Lady of Nigeria this Wednesday in Abuja.

    The Chinese First Lady in her message said that solidarity, cooperation and mutual assistance among countries was crucial to defeating COVID-19, hence the token of her support with medical equipments from the government of China.

    She said the sudden onslaught of COVID-19 has posed an enormous challenge to humanity. For countries to defeat the virus, solidarity, cooperation and mutual assistance are crucial.

    She added that At the height of China’s battle against the virus, Nigeria gave solid support to China. This expression of profound friendship will always be remembered.

    Peng also reiterated the message of Chinese President, Xi Jinping at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on solidarity against COVID-19 held last month.

    She said “humanity will ultimately defeat the virus, and Chinese African people are poised to embrace better days ahead”.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs, Hajo Sani who represented the Wife of Nigeria’s President
    said the donation was significant and shows that the bilateral relations between Nigeria and China was growing beyond international policies.

    She said the items would support Nigeria’s ongoing efforts in fighting the pandemic, assuring Peng that the items would get to those that they are meant for.

    Aisha Buhari also appreciated the Chinese first lady for keeping to her promise following the focal Forum for the cooperation of foreign cooperation of China and Africa.

    The items donated includes disposable medical masks and infared thermometers.

  • Why El-Rufai’s position on appointment of Judges is an imbroglio to the NJC

    Why El-Rufai’s position on appointment of Judges is an imbroglio to the NJC

    At the heat of the nationwide lockdown, the National Judicial Council, NJC, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad held its 91st Meeting via virtual conferencing, where it among other proceedings, considered and made recommendations on the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee. 

    Seventy successful candidates were recommended to their respective state Governors for appointment as Heads of Courts and other judicial offices.

    The NJC shortly after the listing of the new Judges, noted that all the recommended candidates would be sworn-in only after approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, and the respective state governors and subsequent confirmation by the respective State Houses of Assembly.

    Among the Judges recommended were Justices Amina Bello, Ambo John, Rabi Oladoja and Andow Edward, whose names were sent by the Kaduna state Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai for the state. 

    While performing the swearing in ceremony of the new Judges, El-Rufai suggested that the appointment of high court judges at the state level should not be within the purview of the NJC. 

    He said the bottlenecks in the process are the NJC’s bureaucracy, which unduly delays appointment of judges.

    “Though, only four were appointed, the state requires about 20 judges to compliment the current ones, who are overworked. Each of our High Courts in the state has a minimum of 200 cases, which is too much for them to handle and therefore, affect the administration of Justice.

    “To this end, the State needs more judges as we have the capacity to make their work easier with the provision of housing and vehicles, among other necessary things to make their stay memorable.

    “In my opinion, the NJC should only select judges for the appellate and Federal courts and leave the selection of judges for State high courts to an equivalent Council at the State level, either the State Judicial Service Commission which now appoints Magistrate or the State Judicial Council which select judges. We are trying to operate a unitary judiciary when we have a Federal Executive and Legislature, this needs to be corrected,” he suggested.

    But the Kaduna governor was wrong in his own words. He may have merely made that suggestion from his ambiance at the time. 

    The NJC as a legal body, with its procedural rules for appointment of Judges, makes for a carefully designed process which is indispensable in achieving an efficient and independent judiciary capable of commanding public confidence in the administration of justice, as well as promoting and protecting the rule of law and human rights. 

    The judicial policy of the council ensures that appointment process is mostly transparent, merit-based and skill-based.

     

    While rule two of the procedural rules for appointment of Judges implies that notice shall be given to state governorsconcerned stating the number of judicial officers to be appointed, the final powers for the selection process lies with the NJC. 

    Every candidate who is shortlisted shall undergo compulsory interview to be conducted by the NJC to ascertain their suitability for the judicial office sought. The mode of the interview is determined by the Council, and the result shall form a major part of the decision on the candidate’s suitability. Hence, a candidate who is unsuccessful at the interview shall not be recommended for appointment by the Council.

     

    “Whenever the Chairman of a State Judicial Service Commission proposes to embark on the process for appointment of candidates or a candidate to Judicial Office in the State, notice shall be given to the Governor of the State concerned stating the number of Judicial Officers intended to be appointed.

    “A copy of the notice sent to the Governor or, as the case may be, to the Chief Justice/Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission/National Judicial Council, shall be forwarded to the Secretary at the same time as such notice is given to the Governor or, as the case may be to the Chief Justice/Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission/National Judicial Council as provided in Rule 2(1) or Rule 2(2).

    “The Secretary shall upon receipt of the notice, advise the Chief Justice/Chairman of the National Judicial Council in regard to the number of Judicial Officers that can be appointed pursuant to the notice, having regard to relevant budgetary provision in the budget of the Council for the year. Upon consideration of the advice, the Chief Justice/Chairman of the National Judicial Council shall notify the Chairman of the State Judicial Service Commission/Committee or, as the case may be, the Head of the Court concerned that the exercise may (i)be proceeded with; or, (ii) not to be proceeded with; or, (iii) may be proceeded with, but with a specified reduction in the number of Judicial Officers proposed to be appointed.

    “The decision of the Chief Justice/Chairman of the National Judicial Council shall be communicated in writing to the Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission/Committee, or as the case may be, the Head of Court and shall be final unless the Head of Court shows grounds to the satisfaction of the Chief Justice/Chairman of the National Judicial Council why it should be reviewed.

    “A copy of the notice given pursuant to Rule 2(1) and the Governor’s response thereto shall be served on each Member of the Judicial Service Commission/Committee concerned. Candidate for the high office of Judicial Officers of the Superior Courts of Record including Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Nigeria, shall be disqualified and shall not be recommended for appointment if found to have been involved in:- canvassing or lobbying for the appointment directly or indirectly in any form and/or through any person or persons, such as but not limited to, politicians, traditional rulers, public officers or other Judicial Officers… influence peddling, part of the procedural rules read.

    But in justifying itself, the NJC must ensure that the entire selection process is transparent and merit-based. 

    Commendably enough, the NJC has never failed in the nomination, appointment and dismissal of Judges.

    Recently when the NJC released a shortlist of officers approved for appointment as Judges for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court and other Courts, several lawyers lashed out in condemnation against what they described as injustice and a skewed selection process.

    After, a wonderful job by the NJC, petitions were written against the council, to president Muhammadu Buhari, conderming the nomination of some Lawyers as FCT High court Judges.

    The petitions generated unnessarary reactions.

    Justifying the decision of the NJC, was  reactions to the  controversial  petition ,in the form of a suit filed by some Abuja-based lawyers to oppose the petition sent to Buhari by the Open Bar Initiative.

    The plaintiffs, Tochukwu Ohazuruike and Clement Chkwuemeka, who is the Chairman of the Bwari, Abuja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, asked the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they instituted the suit to stop both the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), from acting on the petition sent by the OBI.

    The plaintiffs, through their lawyer, Okoro Nkemakolam, described the petition as “mendacious, mischievous, malicious, divisive, calculated to denigrate the integrity of the National Judicial Council.”

    They urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining members of the group,  from taking further steps “to impugn, disparage, and or criticise” the 33 persons on the NJC’s list.

    Like OBI, another group, Stand for Rights Initiative, has demanded the cancellation of the list of 33 nominees.

    The group filed a suit, also, at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order nullifying the list on the grounds  that the process of arriving at the list of 33 candidates was marred by the exclusion of lawyers from Akwa Ibom State.

    The plaintiff, through its team of lawyers led by Chief Sunday Essienekak, contended in the suit  filed on May 13, 2020, that the exclusion of names of candidates from Akwa Ibom State from the list was a violation of the Constitution, the Federal Character principle and the provision of Section 2 of the High Court of the FCT (names of judges) Act 2003 (as amended).

    The respondents to the suit are the President, the Federal Government, the NJC, NJC’s Chairman, Chief Judge of the FCT High Court and the FCT Judicial Service Committee respectively.

    To this end, the National Judicial Council, NJC, for now is doing a great service to the Nigerian judicial system and need not to be distracted by anyone.

  • Flying Officer Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile – (1995 – 2020)

    Flying Officer Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile – (1995 – 2020)

    Born on 13 December 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile in Kaduna, Flying Officer Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile, hails from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    She attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 – 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 – 2011 before she later gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of 64 Regular Course on 22 September 2012.

    Flying Officer Arotile was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on 16 September 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

    Flying Officer Arotile was winged as the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force on 15 October 2019, after completing her flying training in South Africa.

    She holds a commercial pilot license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy. Incidentally, she introduced the newly acquired Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, during the induction ceremony at Eagle Square in Abuja on 6 February 2020.

    Flying Officer Arotile died on 14 July 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her.

    Before her untimely death, Flying Officer Arotile made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry and other forms of criminality in the Country,

    Arotile joined the Nigerian Air Force out of passion for the job. In her words “I joined the military simply out of passion for it. Being a military personnel has been a long time ambition, the carriage and what it stands for are simply exceptional”.

    Gone too soon like a candle in the wind, she will be greatly missed by the entire Nigerian Air Force family. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the Service, consoles with the family of late ‪Flying Officer Arotile‬ over this irreparable loss. May her gentle soul continue to Rest In Peace.

  • NAF loses first ever female helicopter combatant

    NAF loses first ever female helicopter combatant

    By Lawrence Ekwonu

    The Nigerian Air Force has announced the death of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died today, its first ever helicopter combatant.

    She reportedly died after sustaining head from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna.‬

    Until her death, ‪Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Service.

    ‬ During her short but impactful stay in the Service, late Arotile, who hails from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is said to have contributed significantly to the efforts to rid the North Central States of armed bandits and other criminal elements by flying several combat missions under Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, Niger State.

  • Alleged N107bn Fraud: Court Acquit Ex-Benue Assembly Member, 8 Others 

    Alleged N107bn Fraud: Court Acquit Ex-Benue Assembly Member, 8 Others 

    The Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State has discharged and Acquitted a  former member representing Logo State Constituency, Benue State House of Assembly (BNHA), Kester Kyenge and Eight others over allegations bordering on  money laundering .

    The Nine defendants are  standing trial before the court on an 11 charge charge, Conspiring to convert the sum of N1, 714, 720, 000.00 belonging to the ALGON domiciled in Keystone Bank Plc which they withdrew in several installments with the aim of concealing the money and thereby committing an offense contrary to sections 18 of the money laundering (Prohibition) act 2011 and punishable under section 15 of the same act. 

    According to the trial Judge,  Justice James Aneke, Out of the 8 prosecution witnesses called by the prosecution and who testified in court, they were unable to prove any element constituting the offenses.

    He held that they were unable to show any concealment, benefit or show that the money was fraudulently used to their own benefits or able to point at any property acquired with same.

    Consequently, the court discharged the nine defendants and acquitted them of the 11 counts charge on a no case submittion filed by their respective counsels.

    They were alleged to be involved in the misappropriation of N107bn during the tenure of the erstwhile Governor of the State, Senator Gabriel Suswam.

    Forty-seven others, along with Suswam, were earlier indicted by the Justice Elizabeth Kpojime Commission of Inquiry set up by Governor Samuel Ortom, to probe Suswam’s eight-year tenure.

    Those freed  alongside Kyenge, are two former aides to Suswam, Terfa Bosua and Andrew Ayande as well as former Chairmen of Ado and Ukum Local Government Area (LGAs) of the state, David Sev-Av and Alex Ogaba respectively.

     End.

  • Joints, disjoints and dislocations in the Buhari government.

    Joints, disjoints and dislocations in the Buhari government.

    By Owei Lakemfa.

    MY primary concern in the running soap opera on the “investigation” of Ibrahim Magu, the erstwhile acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, is public safety. The filming of the drama with the Aso Rock Presidential Villa as main location, had begun with a vehicle suddenly blocking the armed convoy of Magu in the busy streets of Abuja. Both sides were fully armed and a shootout could easily have occurred as they challenged themselves. All the invading force wanted was to deliver a letter to Magu inviting him to appear before a Presidential Panel. So why was the invitation not dropped in Magu’s office or a phone call made inviting him?

    The idea was to make a dramatic point that even a member of the Presidential gang can be treated like a common criminal or even worse. The ordinary suspect even when illegally paraded on camera by the police, is still in accordance with the constitution, presumed innocent until proven guilty. In this case, Magu is presumed guilty. He was simply abducted, flung before a panel with no known legal status, and held hostage even when the constitution states that no citizen can be held for more than 48 hours without being charged to court. I imagined if the invading force had an exchange of gunfire with Magu’s unsuspecting convoy, innocent passers-by might have become victims.

    A similar scenario had played out on June 11 right in the Presidential Villa when the First Lady, Aisha Buhari led her children, Zahra, Halima and Yusuf, and security details to the house of Mr. Sabiu Yusuf, the President’s nephew and personal assistant to place him in forced isolation. Gun shots were fired in the process leading to the latter fleeing for his life. Neither side admitted to firing the shots and all the Presidency said is that it has ordered an investigation which I am sure, like many others, will not see the light of day. What would have happened if passers-by had been hit by the bullets?

    Within minutes of his abduction, Magu’s media trial was in full swing. The secret memo of Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had been leaked to the press and Magu’s humilation, made public. In the days following, allegations of Magu’s criminality including the looting of recovered funds, accumulation of property through fraudulent means, alleged liaison with a well-known fraudster, were systematically fed to the press.

    With a successful media trial spiced with juicy stories and gossips, Magu has been convicted in the court of public opinion; he is like a sacrificial lamb dragged before the altar for slaughter. All the talk about Magu being assured of justice because the Presidential Panel is chaired by the respected Justice Ayo Salami, former President of the Court of Appeal, amounts to nothing because the foundation is faulty. His chances of being declared innocent and restored to his former position is no higher than a cockroach proving its innocence in a gathering of fowls.

    In the first place, no serious government would have appointed Magu to such high office given the fact that five years before his appointment, the Police Service Commission had placed him on 20 months forced leave without pay and indicted him for theft of public documents and unprofessionalism, and subsequently handed him a severe reprimand. Secondly, given the seriousness of the 2016 report on Magu by the Department of State Services, DSS, which contains pretty much the allegations being made against him today, the Buhari government had no business retaining him for another four years. Thirdly with the Buhari Government twice presenting Magu for confirmation by the Senate, and the latter rejecting him on both occasions, the administration had no business forcing him on the country. Now, having run the Magu numbers for half a decade, rather than apologise to Nigerians, the Buhari government pretends to have just realised that it is all a racket.

    Following the Senate refusal to confirm Magu, I distilled three broad positions by the three main institutions involved. For the secret services, Magu is a rotten egg unfit to wear the police uniform or hold any public office. Its message is that Magu is no different from the crooked persons he is being asked to bring to book; that in fixing or changing your locks, you do not hire a graduate from the School of Burglary and Related Studies.

    As for the Senate, confirming Magu as the EFCC Chairman is like asking a cat to keep watch over fried fish or a dog to guard a bone. The Presidency made no attempts to publicly defend its nominee, it simply insisted that Magu must remain the EFCC boss. Its body language suggested that it takes a thief to catch a thief; Magu is the best man for the job.

    So for five years, the Buhari government that advertises itself as an anti-corruption administration, proudly used the intellectually-challenged Magu as the poster boy of its corruption fight. It appears its anger is that Magu is running a racket of his own within the larger runs entrusted to him.

    The move against Magu bears all the trappings of a mafia family getting fed up with a burnt enforcer and showing him who is the boss. Simultaneously, it was sending a message to people outside the group that if a member of the family can be so savagely attacked, worse can be done to outsiders; if chickens can eat the intestines of other chickens what can they not do to the entrails of the cockroach?

    Magu was a serial violator of fundamental human rights and many Nigerians think he deserves the treatment being meted out to him. But I do not think we should descend to his level even if a fundamental principle of the Buhari government as enunciated by Malami, its Minister of Justice is that: “The rule of law must be subject to the supremacy of the nation’s security and national interest.” In other words that the fundamental human rights of the Nigerian are subject to the government’s nebulous definition of ‘national security and national interest.’ This is an elegant way of dressing up fascism.

    In defending Magu’s fundamental human rights to fair hearing, to bail or prosecution within 48 hours and presumption of innocence unless found guilty by a competent court, we are also defending our fundamental rights. If tomorrow the rights of Malami or Salami are similarly trampled upon, we have a duty as Nigerians to also come to their rescue.

    We must not allow the low standards of the Buhari administration to define us as a people. Like all good things, the Buhari administration shall come to pass, but Nigeria will remain.

  • Meet Lamido Yuguda, the new SEC BOSS;

    Meet Lamido Yuguda, the new SEC BOSS;

    Olamide Adeniji

    President Muhammadu Buhari, recently appointed an Economist, Dr. Lamido Yuguda, as the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This brings to an end, the 2-year long controversy surrounding the office of the DG, SEC.

    He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a CFA charter holder, and also holds a Certificate in Financial Asset Management and Engineering from the Swiss Finance Institute, Geneva, Switzerland.

    A member of the Board of Securities and Exchange Commission, Yuguda served in different capacities at the apex bank for 32 years, after which he voluntarily retired in 2016.
    Yuguda during his days at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, successfully upgraded the CBN’s in-house fixed-income trading and settlement capabilities and left a state-of-the-art portfolio management system as his legacy.

    The appointment followed the necessary procedure, which required the approval of the Senate, requesting the house to ratify the appointment of Dr Lamido Yuguda as Commission’s new DG.
    Yuguda’s pedigree as an economist, banker and investment manager, with over 30 years’ experience in financial services is overwhelming.

    He began his career in the banking sector as far back as 1985, when he moved to the Banking Supervision Department and had the task of handling bank licensing and prudential regulations.

    His responsibilities included managing Nigeria’s external debt service, as well as managing the investment of the CBN’s external reserves in a liquid portfolio of cash, fixed-term deposits, and foreign government treasury bills.
    Dr. Yuguda also headed the Debt Conversion Committee to manage the Nigerian Debt Conversion Programme in 1988, after which he had a brief stint at the Foreign Operations Department in 1992. This led him to the post of Senior Manager of the Investment Office.

    Yuguda was seconded to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, the USA in 1997, as an economist in the Africa Department. In this position, Yuguda assessed the economic policies and management of balance of payment support programmes in IMF member countries.

    After a brilliant and impressive stay at the USA, Dr. Yuguda returned to the CBN in 2001. He led a team of staff to restructure and diversify the CBN’s growing FOREX reserve portfolio. Together with this team, a new investment policy was adopted with the introduction of new asset classes, the appointment of a reputable global custodian and asset managers.
    By 2010, he became Director of the Reserve Management Department. He is credited with the strong risk-aware investment culture in the department, and also instilled a disciplined approach to investment evaluation.
    Yuguda has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated in 1983. He later obtained a Master’s degree in Money, Banking, and Finance from the University of Birmingham, UK, in 1991.

    He has attended leadership training at notable business schools like Harvard, INSEAD, IMD, Saïd, Wharton, Haas, and London.

    He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a CFA charter holder, and also holds a Certificate in Financial Asset Management and Engineering from the Swiss Finance Institute, Geneva, Switzerland.

  • SHAMSUDDEEN USMAN JOINS DANTIYE CENTRE AS ADVISER

    SHAMSUDDEEN USMAN JOINS DANTIYE CENTRE AS ADVISER

    By Lawrence Ekwonu

    Former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, has joined the Dantiye Centre for Good Leadership and Journalism (DCLJ).

    The announcement was made recently in a letter signed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DCLJ, Emeritus Professor Munzali Jibril.

    Professor Jibril said the decision to appoint Usman as the Honorary Economic and Regional Adviser of DCLJ was taken because of his “contributions to the economic development and stability of Nigeria and countries in the West African sub-region” and also because of his passion for service.

    He said he hoped that Usman, who was also Nigeria’s Finance Minister between 2007 and 2009, would use his vast experience to continue to mentor young people and “tackle the multifarious development problems” facing the country and the continent.

    DCLJ is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation, with a coterie of professionals, set up to promote good leadership and excellent journalism.

    The Chairman said in spite of the current turmoil facing the world, these are also exciting times to welcome Usman as the DCLJ was forging partnerships to seize new opportunities to deepen citizen engagement, capacity building, peace, stability and development in the country and across the sub-region.

  • Kano Agro Pastoral Project To Collaborate With Napri

    Kano Agro Pastoral Project To Collaborate With Napri

    Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project, KSADP, has solicited the support of the National Animal Production Research Institute, NAPRI, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on fodder production in Kano.

    The Project’s Livestock Specialist, Dr. Garba Saleh, who stated this during a visit to the institute’s Executive Director, Prof. Abdullahi K. Muhammad, explained that the project was desirous of the institute’s support in seed and pasture development, for quality animal productivity.

    “At KSADP, we realized that sustainable livestock development is seriously affected by insufficiency of fodder so there is the need to focus attention on its development”.
    “Quality fodder seeds ensure increase in fodder production leading to improved milk production and reduced feeding cost for herdsmen”.
    “In addition, if sufficient fodder is available within our environment, seasonal migration and its attendant consequences like cattle rustling, farmer-herder clashes etc will drastically be reduced”.

    He stated that the project would promote private sector interest and engagement in fodder production and marketing, in view of its income generating potentials.
    “Just recently, Kano state government approved 1000 hectares of land for lease, for commercial, large scale animal fodder production under our project and this will enable us start our investment in commercial large scale fodder production, in partnership with the private sector”, he added.
    The Livestock Specialist added that the project also targeted small holder investors in fodder production especially those within diary production catchment areas.
    “At the moment, we intend to promote three fodder crops for improved milk production namely, Stylo, Nappeir grass and Gamba”, the Livestock Specialist added.

    Dr. Saleh therefore, stressed the need for research institutes like NAPRI to provide the much needed technical assistance to make the project’s set goals achievable.

    In his remarks, NAPRI’s Executive Director, Prof. Abdullahi K. Muhammad, assured of readiness to partner with the Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project, to develop fodder for animal feeding and any other form of assistance within the institute’s mandate.

  • NSCDC Nasarawa parades 16 suspects for rape, other offences

    NSCDC Nasarawa parades 16 suspects for rape, other offences

    Abel Leonard

    Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has paraded 16 suspects for various offences in Nasarawa state.

    State Commandant of the corps, Muhammadu Gidado Fari, disclosed this today in Lafia saying that some of the suspects were part of those that have been terrorising shop owners in the state.

    The crime ranging from rape, vandalism theft, armed robbery and fraud, adding that all the suspect will be taken to court for prosecution.

    He said 2 of the suspects are alleged to have raped six and seven year old girls, one of the suspect also raped and impregnated a 13 year old girl and two were arrested for homosexual act.

    He further stated that 7 of the suspects were arrested for theft, one for armed robbery while the other was also paraded for 419.

    He urges lawyers to always follow their clients to court to get justice than coming to the command for settlement, while advising the people of the state to share intelligence information with the corps to enhance unity in the state.

    However one of the suspect alleged to have impregnated a 13 year old Bako Alex who spoke with daybreak news admitted to the crime and said he was ready to take care of the responsibilities of the girl saying it is the work of the devil.