Bunmi Oladuntoye, fiancée To Late NAF Pilot, Lt Taiwo Olufemi Asaniyi, who died when a Beachcraft 350 aircraft crashed at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday, 21st May has penned down an emotional tribute to him.
According to Bunmi, via the microblogging platform, Femi was the most kind and humble person, she’d never know.
Read her tribute below;
”Femi, I have not regretted walking this journey with you; you asked me to be your wife last year in August, and I gave you a resounding yes. One of the last things to said to me was to keep on being humble and continue to give. You were a giver, oh you were such a giver. Femi mi,
Femi mi, Olowo ori mi, who will hype me now when I make a new hair, who will call me fine girl, who will call me the most beautiful woman in the world. I have cried and cried and cried. People have spoken to me, James and Kamal have told me you wouldn’t want me to be sad and I and I know that for sure because whenever I am sad, and I cry, you will be like “what’s the meaning of this now” . The world deserves to know how great you are. To Nigerians and the world at large, my fiance, FLIGHT LIEUTENANT TO ASANIYI was a great man who dedicated his life to serving this country. Pls, pray for him, pray for his family and pray for me. Adigun miiiiii, Femi miiiiii, Hot choco miiii sun re o!!!! I want your blue diary so bad because you had lots of intelligent things written in there. You treated me already like we were married.
You treated me already like we were married. You would always say, “babe, don’t worry, everything will be fine, don’t worry” Hot choco miii, jo ma fimisile OLUFEMI TAIWO ASANIYI I love you now and forever. To Nigerians and the world at large, my fiance FLIGHT LIEUTENANT TO ASANIYI was a great man who dedicated his life to serving this country. Pls pray for him , pray for his family and pray for me. Adigun miiiiii, Femi miiiiii, Hot choco miiii sun re o!!!!”
The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to appear before it on Monday to explain the status of looted funds and public assets recovered in the last 18 years.
Also invited to appear before the House Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment and Status of All Recovered Loot, Movable and Immovable Assets, are Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government as well as top officials, the private sector and civil society organisations.
A statement from the Committee signed by its chairman, Adejoro Adeogun on Sunday, mandated the ministers and all other invitees to appear before it on Monday, “being the day the panel is holding an investigative hearing on the recovered assets.”
According to the statement, the investigation will cover the period between 2002 to 2020.
“The Committee is calling for memoranda from stakeholders and the general public pursuant to Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)”, the statement added.
The essence of the hearing, according to Adeogun, was to ensure effective and efficient management and utilization of the recovered assets.
Stakeholders invited by the Committee to make inputs include the
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption; Commercial Banks; Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria; Chairman of the Disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property and
Chairman of the Disbanded Pension Reform Task Team.
Others are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Navy, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Central Bank of Nigeria; Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority; Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption; and commercial banks.
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has stated that both Governor Hope Uzodinma and his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, lack the financial capacity to sponsor the group.
The group in a statement on Sunday signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, asked the duo to leave them out of their political war.
IPOB also debunked reports that Senator Rochas Okorocha (APC-Imo West) gave the pro-Biafra group a donation of N500m.
While describing their wealth as ill-gotten and bloodstained, IPOB insisted that they would pay for their sins.
The statement read, “They better fight their battle and leave IPOB out of their mess. None of them is good enough to receive our attention.
“They imprisoned and tortured our youths, mothers, fathers and other agitators to please their slave masters. Other politicians that may have sabotaged IPOB and ESN may be forgiven, but OkoroAwusa, Hope Uzodinma, and the wannabe Hitler of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, will never be forgiven. They must pay for their sins sooner or later!”
Society gazette reports that Uzodinma and Okorocha have been at loggerheads over the running of Imo State despite both being from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Uzodinma had recently stated that he will not allow the APC registration and revalidation process to be hijacked by selfish individuals.
He alleged that Okorocha attempted to hijack the party registration and revalidation process in the state.
The governor claimed that Okorocha refused to be registered as an APC member in the state, adding that he has promoted an all-inclusive process in the state, irrespective of affiliations.
Uzodimma added that attempts to get Okorocha to participate in the registration process failed.
Reacting, Senator Okorocha said that without him and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, the APC would have existed in Imo state.
The Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District noted that he and Araraume were the ones making APC thick in the state.
He said: “The media had reported what the Imo State Governor, His Excellency, Chief Hope Uzodinma told the APC’s appeal Committee, on the Party’s Registration and Revalidation exercise. That, Senator Okorocha refused to be registered as an APC member in Imo during the exercise.
“This Claim could only be laughable to most Nigerians who still remember how APC came to Imo and indeed, to the South-East. Okorocha needed to revalidate his membership of APC and not to register as an APC member. Governor Uzodinma has always delighted in propaganda that does not fly again.
“The registration and revalidation exercise didn’t take place anywhere in Imo. It was done at the Nick Banquet Hall in Government House, Owerri. The governor’s appointees were generating fictitious names at the Local Government level and take them to the Government House, to be enrolled.
“We Challenge the governor to tell the public how the exercise was carried out in Imo. Whether it was by Polling unit by Polling unit, like Okorocha did when APC anchored. Or, Ward by Ward or by Local Government by Local Government. And let’s take off from there.
“If Okorocha had refused to be registered like our governor had claimed, what happened to Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and his Destiny Political family, who produced Six House of Assembly members, that joined others to give Governor Uzodinma the Majority in the House?”
Two Nigerian men have drowned in Malta in a tragic incident that involved one of the men trying to rescue the other.
Naija News learnt that the incident happened at Dawret il-G?ejjer in St Paul’s Bay around 12.15am on Saturday, May 22.
Police said that investigations had so far shown that one of the men fell into the sea and began experiencing difficulties.
The other man began shouting for help and jumped into the sea to help his friend and found himself in difficulties while swimming.
Both the Armed Forces of Malta and the Civil Protection Department hurried to the scene to rescue the men, but unfortunately, both were declared dead on site.
Magistrate Claire Strafrace Zammit is leading an inquiry into the case.
In an interview with a Malta news portal, the brother of the Nigerian who tried to save his friend described him as a nice person.
“He was a very nice person and he always put family and friends first and a very nice and good giver. Always joking all the time.” he said
Armed men in the early hours of Sunday attacked a police division in Ebonyi, killing one mobile police officer, an official has said.
The gunmen were, however, repelled by the police officers who suceeded in killing one of the attackers, the Ebonyi police spokesperson, Loveth Odah, said in a Sunday morning statement.
“At 1200hrs of Sunday, hoodlums, numbering about 20 in a Mitsubishi L300 Bus, and some others on foot, came in through the back fence and attacked one of our divisions at Ugbuodo Divisional Headquarters in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state,” Ms Odah said.
“The attackers entered and immediately opened fire, shooting sporadically at policemen on duty but were swiftly challenged and repelled in a gun battle that ensued. One of the attackers was killed.
“His AK47 rifle, GSM Phone and Jackknife were recovered while others escaped with bullet wounds. However, one Mobile Police Personnel paid the supreme price.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi Command, Aliyu Garba, has visited the division for an on the spot assessment of the situation.
“He has also ordered a manhunt for the fleeing hoodlums with a view to arresting them for prosecution,” she said.
The Ebonyi incident is the latest in a series of attacks on police officers and facilities in the South-east and South-south states.
PREMIUM TIMES has reported how dozens of police officers have been killed in the past two months in the two regions.
The police have blamed the attacks on an outlawed group, IPOB, which seeks an independent Biafra country from the two regions.
Many IPOB members have also been killed or arrested for their alleged roles in the attacks.
The group has, however, denied any responsibility for the attacks.
The Police Command in Ekiti State has launched an investigation into alleged attack by five police personnel on the principal and teachers of Mary Immaculate Girls’ Grammar School in Ado-Ekiti.
The police officer, Sgt. Agenoise Elijah, allegedly stormed the school with his colleagues on Friday to protest the audacity of the authorities for reprimanding and discipling his daughter for wearing a different hairstyle from the prescribed one.
The police personnel allegedly harassed the principal, tore the dress of a female tutor and seized the mobile of another.
The incident reportedly caused confusion in the school as both teachers and students took to their heels.
Confirming the incident, ASP Sunday Abutu, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, said “the command is not unaware of the reported case of indiscipline at Mary Imaculate Girls’ School, Ado-Ekiti.
“They were said to have harassed the teachers simply because his daughter, who is one of the students, was questioned about the style of her hair-cut which was not inline with the school directive.
“The command wishes to confirm that the Police sergeant and his colleagues, who went to the School to cause chaos, have been identified and discreet investigation has commenced as ordered by the Commissioner of Police and the officers shall not be spared if found guilty.
“The command is also working tenaciously with the state Ministry of Education to ensure that no stone is left unturned concerning the case.
“ The CP in the state is appealing to those who were victims of the officers’ misbehavior to be calm and patient as we shall ensure that the investigation process is not compromised,” the police spokesman said.
Immediate past Chief of Army Staff and Ambassador Designate, retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, says the late Chief of Army Staff was at the verge of making the nation proud before his tragic end.
Buratai in his tribute to late Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, said he was making tremendous progress in the counterinsurgency and counterterrorism efforts when the tragedy occurred.
He described the incident as tragic to all Nigerians and peace-loving people, adding that Attahiru and the officers that died with him were top-level officers whose records of service were meritorious.
According to him, this unfortunate incident deeply saddens me as it robbed us of the services of the Chief of Army Staff who had left no one in doubt as regards his determination to succeed in the various military operations across the country.
“He was at the verge of making the nation proud in the counterinsurgency and counterterrorism efforts when this tragedy occurred. I do not doubt his ability as he had served under me in various capacities and was well grounded for the job with active support and collaboration of his colleagues.
“I was deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the passing away of my immediate successor, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, the Acting Chief of Military Intelligence, Acting Provost Marshal (Army), his Chief of Staff, the Aide-de-Camp and the Acting Deputy Director Finance in the office of the COAS, his Orderly, as well as the pilots and crew in an air crash on May 21 at Kaduna Airport.
“I would like to, on behalf of my family, reiterate my deepest sympathy and condolences to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria, the families of the deceased, the Honourable Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, gallant officers, soldiers and airmen of the Armed Forces of Nigeria over the passing away of these courageous, loyal and patriotic Nigerians in line of duty,” he said.
Buratai however, urged the armed forces to close ranks and make sure that the legacy of the officers lives on by consolidating on the gains made in the various operations.
According to him, they gave their lives in the line of duty and patriotic service to the nation.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these great heroes. May the Almighty Allah grant them eternal rest,” he said.
‘I Won’t Pay Redundant Workers’- El Rufai Boasts again
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has pledged to redress the damages done by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the state’s economy during its five-day warning strike, insisting that Government was not in a position to pay redundant workers.
El-Rufai, in a radio broadcast at the weekend, commended Federal Government for its effort to intervene in the logjam between Labour and the State Government. He also thanked citizens for their resilience during the strike period.
He said: “I address you, today, on behalf of the Kaduna State Government to thank you for your resilience in the face of sustained assault on your rights, freedoms, and livelihoods by the NLC over the previous four days.
“We appreciate the calm response by our citizens to NLC’s unwarranted provocation, lawlessness, and denial of essential services. We thank our traditional, community and religious leaders, who helped to manage the strong feelings of our people against the needless pain imposed on them.
“Kaduna Government wishes to express its regrets that such lawlessness was permitted by those with the duty to prevent it. We sympathise with all our citizens for the denial of electricity for four days and the persistent attempt to disrupt normal life and prevent government offices, hospitals, banks, and other private businesses from functioning. The laws of our country do not allow anyone to shutdown essential services. The right to strike does not include licence to violate public and private facilities or to shut them down in any way.
“Persons on strike can withdraw from the facilities where they are working, but they are not allowed to stop those facilities from functioning. As your government, we will pursue accountability for the crimes that have been committed and seek remedies for our people…”
He explained that the state Government has done a lot for the welfare of workers, including payment of the minimum wage, pension, and other entitlements of civil servants.
“Many states are yet to pay these wages, while some that began paying have reversed it. But it is the state that is consistently paying that the NLC came to sabotage. We will not become a state that only pays salary, and no amount of pressure will change that. We are a state that believes in progress and development, and we will continue to prioritise this…”
Bandits, on Thursday, raided the Sabon Rafinsanyin area of Suleja Town, in Niger State at about 2.30am, killing one person and kidnapping 11 others.
The Suleja incident came simultaneously with the raids on some communities in Munya local government of the state, which has been one of the epicentre of bandits’ attacks in the last couple of months, just as the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has cried out that bandits were extending their activities to other parts of the state, particularly, the Niger North Senatorial zone
In a related development, suspected herdsmen on saturday attacked Tse Ancha, a community in Makurdi Local Government area of Benue State, killing eight persons and injuring many others.
However, in Niger, the man killed at new Rafinsanyin was identified as Nicholas while his wife and sister in-law, who were staying in the same residence with him were kidnapped.
A staff of the NNPC, whose name was given as Usman Mohammed, a yet-to-be identified staff of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC were also among those kidnapped.
According to a reliable source within the government, others kidnapped were the sister of the NNPC staff simply called Farina, Mr. Ishola, Mr. Baba Daniel and his brother.
The bandits, who were many and heavily armed were said to have raided the new Suleja layout moving from house to house to kidnap their victims and disposses them of their valuables.
“They were all herded into a bus and taken to unknown destination” the eyewitness further told THISDAY, saying there was panic among other residents, who were helpless, because no security people came to their aid.
THISDAY further learnt that bandits again raided some villages in the Munya Local Government Area of the state, killing two men suspected to be insane.
One person was reported to have been shot and was admitted at the Sarkin-Pawa general hospital for treatment.
These particular raids were said to have taken place between Wednesday and Thursday in broad day light.
An eyewitness told THISDAY that some of the villages raided included Kuchi, Guni and Chibane.
It was learnt that the bandits moved in large numbers and bore sophisticated weapons .
“They moved from vilage to village rustling cattle and taking away the property of villagers” anothereyewitness said but could not explain why the mentally derailed persons were killed, because the bandits were largely after rustling of cattle and dispossesing people of their valuable items
“They (Bandits) must have thought the insane men were normal human being and could attack them,” a different eyewitness said.
Shiroro and Munya Local Governments are among two areas where the military began bandits clearance operation last week resulting in those displaced returning to the communities.
Armed soldiers in several trucks were transported to the area on the orders of the new GOC of the I Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army Kaduna, Major General Hamisu Ali-Keffi for the assault on the bandits.
The Police have not confirmed these incidents, because the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun did not respond to calls made to him afterwards.
Speaking after attending the burial of Bashar Saidu Namaska, son of the Sarkin Sudan of Kontagora,Alhaji Saidu Namaska on Friday, Bello said bandits, who were being dislodged from some communities in the Niger East Senatorial zone of the state had started moving into the hinterlands of the Niger North Senatorial zone to carryout their deadly activities.
The Sardauna Kontagora and three others were killed by bandits on his father’s farm at Masuga on the Kontagora – Rijau road on Wednesday evening.
Bello lamented that while efforts were ongoing to tackle the activities of bandits in Munyan and Shiroro Local Government Areas, the bandits had decided to move into the hinter land of zone C to perpetrate their evil acts and therefore reemphasised the need for the security architecture of the state to be strenghtened.
He said the rate at which banditry were thriving in the state and country as a whole called for every Nigerian to reflect, even as government continued to ensure that it supported the Vigilante, not minding the state’s lean resources, which is now being diverted to security issues.
“The situation on ground at the moment calls for every Nigerian to reflect, think and wake up to do the needful. We shouldn’t politicise matters, and particularly security matters,” he said.
According to him, armed bandits do not differentiate or carry out their nefarious activities along party or ethno-religious divide, hence the need for collective efforts in the fight against banditry, saying also that everyone should stand up to his or her responsibility in what ever capacity to bring the evil act of banditry to an end.
Bello, after the interment, paid a condolence visit to the Sarkin Sudan Kontagora, where he described the deceased son as “a close ally whose services will be missed by the emirate and the state”
He also described the circumstances surrounding his death as “Most unfortunate” and charged the monarch to take the incident as an act of God.
Meanwhile, suspected herdsmen on saturday attacked Tse Ancha, a community in Makurdi Local Government area killing eight persons, in a fresh attack that came less than a month after seven people were killed at the Abagena IDP camp in Makurdi.
Following the attack, the Executive Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Hon Anthony Dyegeh, visited the scene of the attack for an on-the-spot assessment and evacuation of corpses and the injured to the hospital.
Dyegeh condemned the attacks on innoncent people of Benue State and called on various security agencies to stand up to their duties of securing the lives and properties of the citizens of the state.
The Chairman confirmed a total of eight deaths, seven men and a woman while five were badly injured and had been taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.
Also, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security matters, Colonel Paul Hembah, who accompanied the chairman to the scene, called the people to stop relying on federal security alone but stand up to defend themselves and their Lands.
He extended Governor Samuel Ortom’s condolences to the people and prayed for peace to return in the state.
However, at the scene of the attack, an ATM Card bearing Audullahi Sabo with life and empty bullets were recovered.
Society gazette reports that amidst national grief on the day the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Ibrahim Attahiru, is being buried, some Northern governors and ministers rather than join Nigerians to mourn, attended the wedding ceremony of Abubakar Malami’s son.
Mr Attahiru died on Friday in a plane crash with 10 other military personnel onboard the flight. The departed were buried today at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed Mr Attahiru to the position earlier this year failed to show up personally, though it was later confirmed that he sent the Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi, to represent him.
Mr Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) is also the Minister of Justice. His son, Abirul-Rahman, wedded today at Alfurqan Juma’at mosque in the Kano metropolis.
The wedding was attended by Umar Ganduje of Kano; Bello Metawalle of Zamfara; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi and Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe.
Aside the five state governors from the North, Ministers and federal lawmakers also graced the occasion, according to Abubakar Aminu Ibrahim, media aide to Kano State governor
