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Aerial onslaught against bandits will be sustained CAS
As Nigeria continue to battle rising cases of banditry especially in the North Central part of the country, the Chief of the Air Staff CAS, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has assured that the Nigerian Force will sustain the aerial onslaught against armed bandits.
He also assured that Air Force will continue to provide adequate support to sister services and other security agencies to ensure the success of ongoing anti-banditry operations aimed at restoring peace to troubled parts of the Northwest and North Central States.
Air Marshal Abubakar made this disclosure while on an operational visit to NAF Base Kaduna, where he received operational briefings from the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command AOC ATC, Air Vice Marshal Musa Mukhtar, as well as Air Component Commanders of various Joint Operations in the Northwest and North Central theatres.
The CAS also disclosed that he was in Kaduna to assess the progress of ongoing anti-banditry operations in the affected States with a view to ascertaining areas of challenge in order to quickly address them to forestall gaps in the planning and execution of both air interdiction and close air support missions.
He expressed satisfaction with the briefing he had received, highlighting that successes had been recorded in air strikes against armed bandits’ camps whilst appreciable level of support had been provided to ground operations.
“Our aim is to ensure that these bandits find no breathing space anywhere, whether in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger or indeed any other State in the area. We shall ensure that we deal decisively with them so that the inhabitants are able to return to their farms and engage in their farming activities as well as pursue other legitimate aspirations without fear”, he added.
Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola in a statement said the CAS earlier inspected the Super Mushshak and Diamond DA-40 trainer aircraft fleets as well as support facilities at the 401 Flying Training School (401 FTS) and 431 Engineering Group.
Daramola said that similar operational visits are planned for the coming days to assess the NAF’s support for joint operations in Sokoto and Zamfara States under Operation Hadarin Daji, Lagos and the South West Zone under Operation Awatse, States in the South South under Operation Delta Safe as well as Benue and other States under the coverage of Operation Whirl Stroke.
May 29, 2020
How Police nabbed armed robbers, ritualists in Kogi.
Kogi State Police Command yesterday explained how it arrested seven suspected criminals, three ritualists, three dare devil armed robbers and one cell phone snatching specialist terrorising the people especially travelers in the Central District of the state.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP William Aya who disclosed this to journalists in Lokoja, said the Command’s unit of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS’s efforts has paid off with the arrest of the seven suspected criminals from Okene, Ajaokuta and Adavi Local Government Areas of the state.
According to DSP Aya the suspects were arrested via an intelligence report which sparked the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS to action adding that in the process, Mohammed Yakubu, Sekpe Samson and Emmanuel Gwatana were arrested for ritual offence while Ibrahim Saliu, Jimoh Yakubu and Isah Usman were nabbed for robbery activities.
He said the suspected ritualists were found with human skull around Ajaokuta flank of the state, while the bandits were apprehended at Okene and Adavi axis of the Central District area of the state.
“On the 29/4/2020 at about 1100hrs, following a report received that some unknown armed robbers invaded and robbed some houses in Adavi and carted away their properties.
“The operatives promptly swung into action and arrested one Ibrahim Saliu of Etahi Village, Okene who have been terrorizing Okene and its environs. Further investigation led to the arrest of the duo of Jimoh Yakubu and Isah Usman both if Okene. All the suspects will soon be arraigned in Court”, DSP Aya explained.
The PPRO stated that some items recovered from the suspects includes human skull, one locally made pistol, one cut to size locally made single barrel gun, seven live cartridges and handsets.
While the Command assured members of the public of the readiness of the operatives to fish out suspected criminals and make Kogi free for all, he said the crime prevention and control strategies adopted by the Command through intensive patrol, raids of identified criminal hideouts, as well as intelligence led to the arrest of the suspected criminals.
May 29, 2020
How Police uncovered 8 illegal routes in Kwara
Kwara State Commissioner of Police Mr. Kayode Egbetokun has explained how the Command uncovered and closed eight illegal routes created by transporters smuggling passengers into the state against COVID-19 restriction of interstate travels.
He said that the Command has proposed tougher sanctions to the state government to check violation of the interstate travel ban.
According to him, the new measures include prosecution and conviction of transporters violating the interstate travels ban, impounding their vehicles while passengers smuggled into the state should be escorted back to their respective states.
Egbetokun who is the Chairman of the JTTT in the state, disclosed this during a meeting with members of the federal government Joint Technical Task Team (JTTT) on COVID-19 to ease the challenges of movement of food and agricultural imputes in Kwara state.
He said despite measures put in place by security agencies to check inter states travels restriction truck drivers keep developing pranks to beat security agencies, a reason why he said stiff sanction should be meted out.
“I still receive reports of violation of border closure restriction by truck drivers. We have closed eight illegal routes created by truck drivers but despite our efforts, is not serving as deterrent. They kept on smuggling passengers in different trucks.
”In fact, I am going to suggest to the state government that henceforth, any vehicle caught should be impounded, the vehicle should be forfeited to the state government and the driver should be convicted and sentenced while the passengers should be conveyed in another vehicle back to their respective states”, he said.
May 29, 2020
Human Rights Commission wants 11 states to pass Child Rights Act
As Nigeria joins other countries of the world to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day, the National Human Rights Commission has urged the 11 northern states of the federation that are yet to domesticate the Child’s Rights Act (CRA) to do so without further delay.
The Commission’s Executive Secretary, The Executive Secretary, Mr. Tony Ojukwu said that the passage of the law by the states could help to address the problems associated with Almajiri system.
Ojukwu who made the call in a statement to mark the 2020 Children‘s Day celebration marked every May 27 in Nigeria said “Children must be reunited with their parents and provisions made for their education in a structured and progressive manner as stipulated in the Child Rights Act.”
“NHRC strongly believes that the passage of the Child Rights Act by all state governments will go a long way in strengthening the capacity of Nigeria to build a better world for our children.
“As the world grapples with the challenges of COVID -19, children as vulnerable groups are facing growing risks.
“They need to be safe; many children are facing disorientation due to closure of schools, disrupted academic schedule and limited recreational activities basic to their survival and development.
“This Day offers us an inspirational motivation to advocate, promote, protect, and celebrate children’s rights and translate into action our love for our children.
“We must do this as a matter of necessity not only for the children but for the future of humanity.
“The CRA is an important document to protect the human rights of the Nigerian child,” he said.
As of today, he said, only 25 out of the 36 states have passed the CRA into law in their various states.
“The situation leaves a huge gap in our collective efforts to protect our children,” he added.
He, therefore, called on all states that have not passed the CRA to do so without further delay.
Ojukwu added that children encounter domestic violence, sexual exploitation, torture, Inhuman and degrading treatment and other forms of abuse.
He called on parents to take extra care of the children, help them stay socially connected with friends and family within their circle.
He said further that parents should support the children with information about COVID-19, teach them especially basic hygiene.
Ojukwu stated that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989 is a legally binding international agreement covering a variety of rights including, civil, political, economic, social, and cultural and health rights of every child.
He stated that Nigeria ratified this in 1991 and domesticated it in the Child Rights Act of 2003 (CRA) as a measure of her commitment to the principle of UNCRC.
The CRA, he added, strengthens the human rights provisions in Chapter 1V of the 1999 constitution as amended with regards to children.
He said specific rights of children under the Act include the right to survival, protection, family life, a name, private life, dignity, recreation, cultural activities, health and education.
The Act, he added, provides that in all matters concerning the child, the child’s best interest takes precedent.
Ojukwu stated that the CRC is one of the most ratified human rights treaties in history and had assisted in the transformation of the lives of children all over the world.
“Let us commit ourselves to build a society where the rights of children remain paramount” he stated.
May 29, 2020
479,028 number plates, driver’s licence issued in a year – LSG
Lagos State Government yesterday said it issued over 479,028 vehicle number plates and driver’s licence in the in the last one year.
The state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde who disclosed this newsmen explained that 288,000 number plates and 191,028 driver’s licence were issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) on a weekly.
According to him, the agency issued a total of 6, 000 new number plates weekly; 24,000 monthly and a total of 288,000 in the last one year.
The Commissioner also noted that the administration had recently re-introduced the Temporary Vehicle Tag (TVT) to assist in providing a robust database and sharing of valuable information about all new vehicles entering the state with the law enforcement agencies, which he said harped on safety as well as security alertness.
“In conformity with the international standard, Lagos State government has launched a newly designed Articulated and Allied Vehicle Number Plate (AVNP).
“The new AVNP comes in a set of three, which will be fixed on the cabin head, body and rear.
”A new website (verify.autoreg .ng) has also been created to enable law enforcement agency to verify the authenticity of vehicle number plates,” he said.
The commissioner added that the administration had simplified the process for the issuance of driver’s licence.
“The period for obtaining a driver’s licence has reduced from six weeks to two weeks. As at February 2020, a total of 191,028 driver’s licenses were processed and issued to their owners in the most seamless way.
“Likewise, there has been significant improvement in obtaining new number plates. It takes just a day to process and obtain a new number plate under the present administration. This is a departure from the obsolete cumbersome registration process,” he added.
Oladeinde also said the Ministry had completed the installation of truck barriers on selected bridges across the state in order to restrict the movement of articulated trucks.
May 29, 2020
Gov Bala assures Bauchi people of better days ahead
As Bauchi state governor, Governor Bala Mohammed marks his one year in office today, he has assured the people of the state of better days ahead in terms of projects execution.
The governor was represented by the Commissioner of Information and Communication, Alhaji Garba Dahiru as he led group of Journalists that carried out three days inspection of various projects across the state executed by his administration.
The Commissioner noted that one year was enough to assess the performance of any serious government, saying it is the normal practice to invite journalists to access projects being executed by the government.
“You are all aware that the government Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed will soon be one year old and it is a practice and we felt it is very important to invite the media family to come and inspect for themselves what has actually been happening so as to compare and contrast what the governor has done for his people”, he said.
According to the Commissioner, the present administration has practically demonstrated it is a true servant of the people by carrying out numerous developmental projects within such a short period of time.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Stephen Abubakar who conducted journalists round the projects, said the 1.75 kmYakubun Bauchi-Raji quarters access road, the 4.2km Gombe – Maiduguri bye-pass and the 1.1km Muda Lawa link road all are 100% completed at the cost of N2.5 billion.
Engr. Stephen Abubakar explained that the roads have opened up communities that hitherto lacked road infrastructure and were locked out from other neighboring areas.
The delegation also inspected the 1.1km Muda Lawal MarketRoad which rehabilitation work has reached an appreciable stage, and the 6.2 km Jos Road – Dass Road bye pass contracted out at a cost of N2.2 billion with work reaching 85% completion.
May 29, 2020
BASG constructs 270 schools worth N3bn in one year
Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed led administration in Bauchi state has within one year of stewardship constructed new 270 classrooms for Primary/Junior Secondary Schools in the state and renovated 405 others within the state at a total cost of over N3 billion.
This was disclosed to Journalists by the project’s site Manager and staff of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Engr. Bello Zubairu while inspecting projects executed by the PDP-led government in the state within one year of assumption to office
Bello said the projects were executed in partnership between SUBEB and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) with N1.5 billion each counterpart funding saying work on the projects were in tandem with standard specification.
The projects inspection media team was also told that 16 other special school projects were executed by the state government across the state at a total cost of N500 million aimed at promoting the development of basic education.
He said two classroom blocks cost the state government the sum of N9m while another three classroom blocks were built at the cost of N12 million.
Sites Projects Engineer with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mukhtar Mohammed Musa in Bauchi told the journalists at the Yelwa Practicing School of the former Bauchi Teachers College, that the school established in 1931 was fully renovated and a solar-powered borehole sunk in its premises, which was also fenced.
Engr. Musa explained that 16 various projects across the state were either newly constructed or renovated under collaborative between the State Office of SDGs and the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) of the Federal Government with 50% each counterpart funding.
Engr. Mukhtar Musa explained that the projects which were executed in hard-to-reach areas of the state included the provision of equipment, furniture, as well as teaching and learning materials.
The media team also inspected the 6.2km Jos road – Dass Road bye pass where the Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Works, Engr. Stephen Abubakar said the project being executed at a cost of N2.2billion has reached 85% completion.
At the State Water Treatment Plant at the Gubi Dam site where rehabilitation and expansion programmes are being undertaken, visiting journalists were told by the Project Engr. Abdulmumini Mailafia that works on the projects are going according to specification.
Engr. Mailafia said both the rehabilitation works on the existing system that provides 45 million litres, and the expansion programme that will provide 75 million litres of clean water to Bauchi metropolis and environs have reached appreciable stages of completion
Also speaking, Acting project manager of LUTECH PRATIBHA JV Construction Company, an Indian coy undertaking the expansion works, Mr. Nanda Kumar said the company undertakes both the rehabilitation and expansion programmes of the project.
“In the rehabilitation of the treatment plant, we are increasing the capacity from 37, 000 cubic meters per day to 45, 000 cubic meters per day. And we are expanding the project from 45, 000 cubic meters per day to 75, 000 cubic meters per day”, Kumar said
He explained that the projects are expected to be completed by June this year, saying that the rehabilitation is almost 60% completion while the expansion reaches 50% completion.
May 29, 2020
Kebbi receives additional 83 repatriated almajiri
Kebbi State Government yesterday said it has received 83 additional Almajiri (Qu’anic education pupils) repatriated from Kano State.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to Governor Atiku Bagudu on Media, Malam Yahaya Sarki in Birnin Kebbi.
According to the statement, the children were received by the Chairman of the state’s Task Force on COVID-19, and also Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Jafar Mohammed, and his members on behalf of Bagudu.
“The children hail from seven local government areas of Birnin Kebbi, Kalgo, Dandi, Argungu, Maiyama, Jega and Yauri, while one of them was a citizen of neighbouring Niger Republic.
“All the children were handed over to the Chairmen of their respective local governments, while the child from Niger Republic would be taken back to his country through the protocols laid down by the Federal Government,” the statement explained.
“We laud the Kano State Government for earlier testing and isolating the children at the Isolation Centre in Kano.
“I am happy all the children had been declared coronavirus disease-free, as they had tested negative to it.
“They were, therefore, ready to be reunited with their families as well as the general society.
“Our topmost priority now is the continuation of both their Qur’anic and Western education, but with their own biological parents.
“We pledge the state government’s commitment to fully protect all the fundamental human rights of the children,” the statement quoted the commissioner as saying.
It would be recalled that Gov Atiku Bagudu had earlier personally received 61 Almajiri children repatriated to the state by the Kano government on 22 May.
May 29, 2020
COVID-19: Kano sets up nine sample collection centres
Kano State government yesterday disclosed that is has so far set up nine COVID-19 sample collection centres to enhance detection and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coordinator, COVID-19 Technical Response Team, Dr. Tijjani Hussaini who made this known in an interview with newsmen said eight of the centres were set up in the Kano metropolis while one other was established in Rano Local Government Area of the state.
“Ten more sample collection centres will soon be put in place, bringing the number to 19 in the state.
“We are also engaging voluntary mobilisers in the local government areas to enhance active case search at the grassroots.
‘The plan is to set up one sample collection centre in each of the 44 LGAs,” he explained.
Speaking further, Hussaini said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC has opened three functional molecular laboratories adding that the Dangote Foundation and ’54gene’ donated a mobile laboratory at the Muhammadu Buhari Hospital, Giginyu.
”The laboratories have a 650 test capacity per day while plans are underway to increase the capacity to between 1, 300 and 1, 500 per day.
According to the Coordinator, the state government had trained health workers on Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC), to protect them against contracting the COVID-19.
“Some of the infection recorded among health workers is linked to lack of knowledge on how to protect themselves against infections.
“We have quickly turned around the tide and the health workers in isolation discharged,” he said.
On the number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19, Hussaini said that most of the cases were recorded in the Kano metropolis while 31 LGAs recorded at least one case of the virus.
He added that state government in collaboration with development partners had scaled up the campaign to create awareness on the COVID-19 pandemic.
It would be recalled that the Kano State Ministry of Health confirmed 923 COVID-19 cases and 751 active cases.
The Ministry said 134 were discharged and the state recorded 38 deaths, as at May 26.
May 29, 2020
COVID-19: Jubilation as churches open in Calabar
Churches in Calabar went wild in jubilation and praise as they were allowed to hold service after 3 months of stay at home.
Worshippers across the city gave thanks to God and to Governor Ben Ayade for letting the doors of churches re-open.
When Daybreak interviewed a cross section of the people a respondent opined: “In this matter of Covid-19, Governor Ben Ayade has done very well. Even if he has made mistakes in the past, in this pandemic situation he has handled it well. He fought Covid-19 frontally and proactively and the case did not get to Cross River State, to God be the glory”.
In a related development, A civil war veteran, Mr. Clement Njan has called on Nigerians to observe safety measures issued by the authorities in view of the current pandemic saying it is as important as following the instructions dished out by “your commander in the battle field” .
Mr. Njan who drew parallels between the civil war and the current condition ushered in by the coronavirus world wide said, “what is happening right now reminds me of the beginning of the civil war – people hoarding money, hoarding food, movement being restricted and fear of impending death. We are in a battle. I see this as third world war.”
Continuing, he said, “In the battle field, you have to follow the instructions of your commander otherwise, there will be undue casualties. Today the President and the Governors are like commanders in the battle field. When they say, sanitize or wash your hands regularly, do so, when they say don’t shake hands, don’t shake hands. You have to follow these instructions to avoid casualties because hundreds of thousand of people have died worldwide because of the coronavirus, we need to cooperate to fight it.
Mr. Njan claimed he fought on the Federal side as a Nigerian soldier under the third marine commando led by the famous Brigadier Adekunle aka the “Black Scorpion”.

May 29, 2020