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By Danzumi Ishaku.

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state has denied ever playing into the antiques of the suspected kidnap kingpin Hamisu Bala. In a statement made available to journalists by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on media and publicity, Bala Dan Habu said governor Ishaku has never paid or given such amount of money to Wadume.

“The attention of His Excellency, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has been drawn to the claims by Hamisu Bala Wadume, a kidnap suspect currently under arrest to the effect that he duped him(the Governor) of Six Million Naira during his inglorious reign as a kidnapper. “We wish to state categorically that Gov Ishaku was never a victim of Wadume’s duplicity and never lost money to his antics.

“We urge the general public to discard and disregard Wadume’s confessions on the alleged defrauding of Gov Ishaku as the rantings of a drowning criminal, Gov Ishaku has never met the kidnap suspect and would not even recognize him if they were to meet today.

“Governor Ishaku would like to use this opportunity to commend security agencies for promptly arresting Wadume who is the reason behind the dastardly murder of three police officers and one other person in Ibi earlier this month.

“Ishaku urged security agencies to expand their dragnet to all nooks and corners of Taraba State where the accomplices of Wadume and other criminal gangs may still be hiding to arrest them and bring them to book.

Meanwhile the chairman All Progressive Congress Taraba state chapter Bar. Ibrahim Elsudi has said that the recent indictment by the suspected notorious kidnapper kingpin Hamisu Bala AKA Wandume that he received a sum of 6 million naira from Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state was a clear vindication of the APCs earlier stand that the governor has been harbouring criminals in the state.

Reports dominating national dailies last weekend have it that Wadume during interrogation by the IRT revealed that he received monies from some Political parties, he also revealed that he collected 6 million naira from Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state during the just concluded governorship election.

Speaking with Journalists, the chairman APC Taraba state Bar. Elsudi said his party had earlier accused the governor of empowering and arming criminals in Taraba state.

“The revelations by the suspected kidnapper kingpin Hamisu is a clear testimony of what we were constantly accusing the governor of doing during the recent general election. “We accused the governor of keeping so many criminals close to him, there is another one called Fuski, he enriched him with state resources, thank God all we have said has come to the limelight, I learnt that even Fuski has been arrested, more investigation should be done by the IRT to unravel those who have been behind criminality in Taraba state.

By Dauda R Pam

Maj-Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, theatre commander operation LAFIYA DOLE, has revealed that Boko Haram was running a fishing economy to fund terrorist activities in the Northeast.

The Theatre commander said this while destroying four trucks of fish, hides and skin intercepted by the Nigeria Security Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), along Gamboru/Ngala Road, Borno State.

He said,“Nigerians have been wondering exactly how Boko Haram finances itself; how they go about it and how they have survived for many years. While I’m not disputing there may be people financing them, I know one of the ways the group gets money is through fishing,” and appealed to law-abiding Nigerians and members of the National Union of Roads Transport Workers (NURTW) not to support their illegal fishing business.

Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, warned, that anybody caught transporting fish for Boko Haram would be dealt with, as both the fish and modes of transportation would be destroyed.

By Dauda R Pam

The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is set to the partner with the state ministry of works, Environmental Protection and Roads Maintenance Agencies to address perennial flooding in 11 IDPs camps.

This was disclosed at the weekend by the Chairperson of SEMA, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, who lamented that last week’s flooding, has displaced 20,159 IDPs households in the state, with 41 makeshift shelters and the Bakassi camp perimeter fence also destroyed by the flood.

She also explained that a special report will be submitted to the state government on measures to be taken to overcome challenges of flooding in IDPs camps and their host communities hinted that“emergency protection concerns”would also be addressed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) and other development partners.

According to her,

The temporary measures being adopted, according to her, was to drain
the floodwaters from three IDPs camps of Bakassi, Teachers Village and
stadium and quickly added,that massive enlightenment campaigns will be launched on public health in various units of IDPs camps, while she warned mothers to desist from the use of floodwaters and sewages by children.
Ends.

By Dauda R Pam

Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, at the weekend departed for Japan on the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) scheduled to hold on Wednesday through Friday, August 28 and 30 in the City of Yokohama.

Malam Isa Gusau, Special ADVISER, Public Relations and strategy, said Professor Zulum left together with President Buhari on board presidential jet alongside Governors Abdulraham AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos states.

Malam Isa Gusau noted that at the conference, which has the theme, “Africa and Yokohama, Sharing Passion for the Future,” President Buhari is scheduled to deliver Nigeria’s statement with a focus on evaluating the country’s international relations with Japan and the takeaways from the conference.

The President is also expected to attend a state banquet in addition to a reception to be organized by the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, which takes place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and explained that although Governor Zulum is travelling as member of President’s delegation, the Governor hopes to use the conference to establish areas of cooperation that can benefit Borno State.

The spokesman recalled that Borno State has benefited from some Japanese funded interventions which include an intervention on livelihood support through the UN’s World Food Programme launched in March 2019; an intervention on agriculture for villagers in Kaga local government launched in September 2016 and a rural electrification project executed through a Japanese grant in aid, commissioned in Damasak headquarters of Mobbar local government area back in December 2004.

Governor Zulum, he said, intends to build on these partnerships to identify ways that his presidential trip to Japan ‎will be of direct benefit to the people of Borno State.
Ends

By Dauda R PamMaiduguri

The theater commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major Genera Olusegun Adeniyi,has debunk the claims that troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, have withdrawn from their duty posts giving access to Boko Haram who attempted to take over Magumeri and Gubio towns, explaining that the theatre has changed its mode of operations insisting that troops are still in firm control of Magumeri and Gubio towns.

The theatre commander who took journalists around Magumeri, Gubio and Jakana towns at the weekend, said “where are the Boko Haram? we are here in Gubio town and we passed through Magumeri, motorists are plying the road and you can see our troops and normal businesses are going on in the two towns. It is some politicians and some so-called security experts that sat in the comfort of their offices that were making false claims.”

” We have changed our means of operations, we have adopted the new concept of Super camps and operating on wheels, unlike in the past where insurgents will just come and attack our formations and carted away ammunitions. We will not continue that way” he added.

He said,” operating on wheels will give us the opportunity to respond to emergencies and re_enforcements to distress calls from our troops among others”.

In an address to the troops in Gubio, the theatre commander. Major General, Olusegun Adeniyi said” ” let’s finish the fight and go back to our barracks. Nigeria is our’s we should keep Nigeria together. We know it is sad that you are here come rain or sunshine but not to be deterred. We must work hard to ensure that Boko Haram is defeated. I know you can do it and God is with us. ”

In Jakana, the Garrison Commander 7 Division, Brig. Gen. Sunday Ighiomhia, said ” we now have a new concept of super camp, we are operating on wheels, patrols and respond to emergencies. ”

He said ” our troops are very ready and determined to fight to finish the war, with this new strategy our troops will, by the Grace of God end insurgency. I assured the residents of the northeast that we have not withdrawn and that they are safe, our troops are on.ground”.

Our correspondent who was in Gubio and Magumeri towns reported that normal business activities were going on and military men were seen in strategic locations in the two towns and their environs to ensure the security of residents and that right from Maiduguri motorists were seen plying the road, especially commercial drivers with passengers going to Gubio.

Speaking in an interview, a Gubio resident, Bukar Mala, said the insurgents came in four vehicles attacked the town, but they are not going to leave Gubio, as they don’t have any other place than Gubio their fatherland.

The resident said ” we must resist any moves by the Boko Haram to send us away from our ancestral home. You can see normal business is going on here. We are surprised to hear on the radio that Gubio is in the hands of Boko Haram.”

Also, a member of Civilian Joint Taskforce, Ibrahim Usman, said ” the insurgents came about 5; 00 am on Thursday until Friday 5; 00 am and abducted two of their members and slaughtered one. We are not going to be deterred. We will fight until we win the war”
Ends.

In this interview, Dr Sani Adamu, the originator of Desrvation.org, and National convener Project774ForAtiku2019 told Journalists in Abuja that a stolen mandate will never yield any good for the country.

EXCERPTS:

On the ruling of the presidential tribunal?
I wish to thank our faithful supporters and well-meaning Nigerians for maintaining peace and remaining hopeful that our stolen mandate will be returned to us soon.

Most Nigerians have witnessed our efforts at the tribunal. The brilliance showed by our legal team and the steadfastness of our witnesses and technical experts have indeed convinced us beyond a reasonable doubt that Atiku is coming.

You are all living witnesses that since the APC and PMB stole our mandate, nothing has gone right again in Nigeria. Insecurity has gone from bad to worse. It is really unfortunate that the lives of helpless Nigerians do not mean much to this government.

What is your assessment of the fight against corruption?

Corruption has also been institutionalized, and the actions or inactions of the President has proven to all observers that PMB is not serious about fighting corruption.

You are free to indulge in corruption as long as you are a member of APC and support the desperate ambition of Mohammadu Buhari. Not only is the President ready to provide a refuge for the corrupt, but he has also gone ahead to even reward the corrupt with an authoritative slot.

If you do not understand what I mean, check out the Akpabios, the Orji UzoKalus, the Timpre Sylvas and the Gandujes etc.

The Nigeria economy is on autopilot with no captain or first officer. Poverty has been officially declared to be multidimensional in Nigeria and still growing since the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari began in 2015.

98 million Nigerians are caught up in multi-dimensional poverty with no hope of recovery, for as long as Muhammadu Buhari is President.

The President has either suspended all the poverty alleviation strategies adopted to deceive Nigerians into electing him or summarily dismissed the beneficiaries of N-Power Scheme.

What is your take on the TraderMoni Scheme?

What is actually the meaning of the ‘’Next Level’’ Slogan? Are we on track to the next level of Poverty, Scarceness, and Paucity, which has been adjudged by Oxfam to be multi-dimensional?

The answer is resounding YES! Nigerians are in for a raw deal.

About the ministerial appointments?

We have waited months for PMB to appoint Ministers. After a long period of waiting, we ended up with people who are either unknown or incompetent, but are simply called upon for one reasons other than competence.

We have said in the past that the National Assembly under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Lawal and Gbajamiala will be a rubber stamp parliament. The two days of screening of the ministers have been nothing but a waste of time. What the senators have done is not screening at all. The Ministers were not referred to the appropriate committees for initial screening.

The President sent the names on Monday, and by Tuesday over ten nominees have been screened. Some were asked to bow and go! Take the example of Rotimi Amaechi. No one was able to ask questions or account for his performance as former Minister of Transport, He was asked to bow and go simply because he was a former Speaker of River State House of Assembly.
Even the FCT Minister is just a chink chonk chink, the screening was a washout exercise in purposelessness. Nigerians are not pleased at all. But, come to think about this. The mandate does not belong to Buhari or APC We can analyze the Ministerial nominees to show you that PMB is unfit to rule, unfit to Develop Nigeria, and unfit to bring the required peace and security for prosperity.

I wish to remind Nigerians that PMB had lamented severally that the Ministers he worked with from 2015 to 2019 are unknown to him. He promised that this time around, he would only nominate persons he knows very well.

What was the result? He brought the most corrupt individuals on board as those he knows very well. He brought back eleven of his previous Ministers; nine were former Governors who were all adjudged to be fantastically corrupt. Seven were former Senators and only seven were Women. None of the nominees could be referred to represent the powerful and hardworking youths.
Women and Youths are disappointed, but we have said severally during the campaign that Atiku has reserved 40% of ministerial appointees to the Youths. Some unfortunate Nigerians who misplaced their trust in Nigeria are already regretting their actions.
I want to say this to Nigerians, please listen very well. Do not, I repeat, do not place hope in PMB to make your lives better or to alleviate your multi-dimensional poverty, or to provide peace and security, or to reduce corruption. Expecting PMB to provide peace and harmony to bring about development is simply wishful thinking. My reason is simple. Nigerians did not vote for Mohammadu Buhari last February.
They Actually voted for Atiku. What we are doing at the moment is to follow the constitutional way to reclaim our stolen mandate. Do not expect any good to come from those who stole the Atiku mandate. It is garbage in garbage out.

How effective has this administration been within the last four years?
I honestly wish to state that the government of PMB will continue to move from one blunder to the other. It is simply a display of the highest-level incompetence ever exhibited by any Nigerian Leader, and a retired ‘‘general’’ for that matter Incompetent leader begets incompetent Ministers; incompetent Government will simply bleed Nigerians to death.
If bandits do not kill you, hunger and hopelessness will kill you slowly. If you do not have the heart to commit suicide “God forbid” you may meet an untimely death on the highway or in the farm or in the hands of kidnappers for ransom. There is simply no escape from this all-round incompetent government.
Nigeria has gone so bankrupt and lost all moral obligations that to find a lost item or misplaced money and return to the owner calls for celebration and praises. TO display civic responsibility and integrity has become so enviable that calls for celebration and mention by leaders who themselves do not possess any moral character.

Recently, an Air Force officer, Bashir Umar on duty at the kano Airport found large amounts of money belonging to a Pilgrim and returned it. What seemed a normal occurrence in other Countries has become so rare in Nigeria under the leadership of PMB.

This news has gone viral, especially when the Nigeria Air force promoted Bashir Umar to a rank that will ordinarily take him ten years to attain in the Force, just for displaying discipline and integrity. Such is Nigeria that Professionalism, courage and sacrifice or accomplishment is not rewarded.
This system promotes mediocre to position of leadership manifested in incompetence and stagnation. President Mohammadu Buhari is a failure. All the policies of his government since 2015 failed to yield any good to Nigeria and Nigerians, He has even failed to understand that the patience of Nigeria is running tinny in which Gen. Abdul Salam eagle-eyed.

About Sowore’s detention
I must also comment on the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr Sowore and other Nigerians for planning simple civil disobedience once commended and severally undertaken by Buhari and his supporters in 2003 and 2011.
In 2011 Buhari called for revolution when he was a Presidential candidate of the CPC. He called on Nigerians to sacrifice their lives for his cause and commended the Egyptian revolution that swept Hosni Mubarak from power.

We have said it times without number that Buhari is not only incompetent but despotic, prejudice and boldly dogmatic. Since his unfortunate election as President in 2015, Nigeria has become not only a Banana republic but also the capital of poverty in the world. The police and the Army have become his instruments of suppression and unconstitutional actions against the lawful protest.

I, therefore, call on the government to unconditionally release Mr Sowore without further delay. The government must guarantee his safety and wellbeing and those of his comrades. Enough of these unconstitutional behaviours!

***Hundred houses have been destroyed in an overwhelming storm that destroyed the Daura main residence of President Muhammadu Buhari

***The downpour was said to have begun in the early long periods of Sunday, August 25, morning

By Jennifer Y Omiloli

An overwhelming storm which went on for a considerable length of time on Sunday, August 25, has crushed around 100 houses in the Daura main residence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Although no fatalities were recorded, the downpour overwhelmed the zone prompting the annihilation of numerous houses their walls in Kalgo, Rahmawa, Bayan Motel and Lungun Kofar Baru.

Additionally, Sarkin Yara A ward (Unguwan Kaura) – which is Buhari’s polling unit ward was among the zones influenced by the deluge. Talking on the occurrence, inhabitants in the region said around 50 houses were pulverized in Kalgo region during the downpour which went on for a considerable length of time.

A resident said: “It was a heavy downpour. It started as early as 7 am on Sunday morning,

“It rains continuously and the town is cloudy as I speak with you. It has destroyed many houses, about 100. In Kalgo, 50 houses while it was the same in other areas.

“We called on all appropriate authorities to as a matter of urgency come to the affected person’s aid with immediate interventions to cater for them”

 
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has inducted into service another EC-135 Helicopter, NAF 549, which was reactivated in-country by NAF personnel in collaboration with some technical partners from within and outside Nigeria.

In a statement by Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, air force spokeman, the induction of NAF 549 at the NAF 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG) in Port Harcourt signifies the substantial progress the Service has made in its bid to continually build capacity to cope with technological advancements in the field of military aviation and further prosecute the various ongoing operations in the Country.

It could be recalled that the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, was in Port Harcourt in 2018 to unveil an Mi-35P helicopter, NAF 531, after an in-country Life Extension Programme, which was successfully conducted in Nigeria for the first time since the helicopter was inducted into the NAF in Year 2000.
 
In his remarks during the ceremony, the CAS noted that the addition of the newly re-activated EC-135 helicopter would be a force multiplier in the effort of the Service to secure the lives and property of Nigerians as well as protect the territorial integrity of the Country. He added that the successful in-country reactivation of the helicopter has enabled the NAF to save scarce foreign exchange that would have been expended in carrying out the Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) abroad. In addition, Air Marshal Abubakar explained that the in-country reactivation has enabled the transfer of required skills and expertise to NAF technicians, thereby helping the Service build additional capacity to sustain its operations. According to him, “this is in line with the Service’s projected end state, which is to ensure that in the near future, the NAF would have sufficiently domiciled the technical expertise and technological know-how to conduct the full spectrum of maintenance activities locally using its own engineers, technicians and resources”.
 
Speaking further, the CAS added that in order to ensure adequate manning and capacity building for crew of its various helicopter fleets, the Service was conducting various initial and advanced training for NAF helicopter pilots both locally and overseas. He stated that the Service recently approved the training of 10 helicopter pilots by Cobham Helicopter in the United Kingdom. “We have also commenced the tactical training of NAF helicopter pilots at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (405 HCTG) Enugu in order to build their capacity to function more effectively in complex air-ground environments. All these efforts are being made to enable the NAF build its core competencies towards the employment of air power in the discharge of our constitutional responsibilities”, he added.
 
Air Marshal Abubakar restated his commitment to enhancing the welfare of personnel through the provision of conducive work and home environments for personnel and their families to enable them continue to put in their best in support of the various Internal Security operations across the Country. This, he said, would include the provision of additional married accommodation for Officers and Senior Non Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) in Port Harcourt as well as the eventual upgrade of Air Force Secondary School Port Harcourt to a boarding school. The CAS also used the opportunity to express the profound gratitude of the Service to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the priority given to NAF’s efforts in maintaining its platforms and equipment as well as the support given to acquire new platforms such as the A-29 Super Tucano, JF-17 fighter aircraft, Mi-35M, Augusta A-109 Power and AW-139 helicopters.
 
Earlier, while delivering his welcome address, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC), Air Vice Marshal Charles Owho, represented by the Chief of Staff, Air Commodore Shehu Bakari, expressed his delight for the enabling environment the current leadership of the NAF has granted the Command to display its ingenuity towards the achievement of the landmark feat. He added that the reactivation would no doubt contribute to the actualization of one of the key drivers of the CAS’ Vision, which is, “robust logistics support and maintenance culture to sustain platforms and equipment serviceability”.
 
The reactivation programme of NAF 549, which had been unserviceable since June 2013 before its handover to the NAF in 2016, commenced on 10 January 18, with critical assessment of the helicopter, and the entire work was completed in June 2019. The helicopter is one of the three EC -135 helicopters inherited by the NAF from the NNPC. The other 2 EC 135 Helicopters, NAF 547 and NAF 548, have been reactivated in-Country and have since been deployed for operations.

Highlight of the event was the conduct of a Functional Check Flight (FCF) by pilots of the 115 SOG, under the guidance of the Commander, Air Commodore Elijah Ebiowe, to certify the aircraft ready for flight operations. After which the technical documents for the aircraft were handed over to the CAS by the Chief of Aircraft Engineering CAcE, AVM Musa Mukhtar, who subsequently handed these over to the AOC TAC for safekeeping. Also present at the induction ceremony were the Commander Operation DELTA SAFE, Rear Admiral A Akinrinade, as well as other serving and retired military officers and heads of other security agencies in Rivers State.
 
Before leaving Port Harcourt, the CAS, who was accompanied on the operational visit by other senior officers from Headquarters NAF, also had an interactive session with officers, airmen and airwomen of NAF units in Port Harcourt and other locations in the South South Geo-Political Zone. The session was aimed at keeping the personnel informed about the policy directions of the Service while also receiving feedback as well as suggestions from them on how to move the Service forward for effective and efficient service delivery.