A late night fire incident has reportedly ravaged valuable materials and properties at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Zamfara State.
Naija News learnt that the office of the electoral body located at the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state gutted fire at about 9 pm on Monday (yesterday).
There was, however, no report of any casualty from the incident.
The PUNCH reports that officials of the state fire service responded to the incident immediately but could not put out the raging fire due to the lack of water in their firetruck.
INEC authorities in the region and the national level are yet to make an official statement about the happening at the time this report is given, Naija News reports.
Also, the Zamfara State Police Command is yet to confirm the incident.
The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Leo Irabor, has lamented the rising number of military personnel assisting and abetting terrorists and bandits in the country.
The commanders of various operations were also instructed by the general to sensitize their officers on the implications of collaborating with terrorists in a letter.
“Recent happenings in various TOOs reveal an increase in cases of aiding and abetting by personnel. This development was revealed in different reports of arrests of military personnel within a short period of time,” the letter signed on behalf of the CDS by one CE Oji read.
“It would be recalled that a soldier was arrested by a covert intelligence Team for conniving with a confirmed terrorists informant known as Babagana Kura in Bama LGA, Borno State.
“The arrests of these personnel are indicative of inside action that has continued to aid the adversary, pertinently with immediate or potential impact on operations.”
Recall, a Nigerian Army battalion instructor, Lance Corporal Abdullahi Jibrin, in Geidam, Yobe State, committed suicide after being apprehended for conspiring with terrorists who recently attacked Yobe communities.
Jibrin, who had vanished from his post, was seen among the Boko Haram insurgents who had stormed Geidam town earlier.
The soldier was tracked by army intelligence and discovered in Gashua, hundreds of kilometres away from his service station, according to military authorities.
Kingsley ‘Kanunta’ Kanu, brother of Nnamdi Kanu, founder of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Tuesday, told the international community that the Nigerian Government has been “misleading” them.
Kingsley was reacting to the non-stop mindless killings being witnessed in the southeast region, particularly Imo and Anambra states.
Many people were left shocked this week when assailants recently killed two soldiers at an unknown location in Imo State, a policeman, two brothers and two others in Anambra State.
Although security agents often allege that those behind the senseless killings are members of the secessionist group, IPOB, and its security arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN), IPOB has always denied being responsible for the attacks.
“Everything #IPOB is accusing @HQNigerianArmy, @PoliceNG and #DSS of doing is verifiable. The epicenter of these crimes are Imo state, where @Govhopeuzodinma is governing. @StateDept @FCDOGovUK @EU_Commission @CanadianPM @LeahHardingAJE @JohnKingCNN, @GovNigeria is misleading you,” Kingsley wrote on his known Twitter handle.
Six people have been confirmed dead by authorities in Lagos in a fresh building collapse in the state.
A three-storey building on Ibadan Street in Ebute Metta area of Lagos collapsed late on Sunday with about 23 persons involved.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition.
A search and rescue operation is ongoing as of the time of publishing this report.
Since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos, a city of some 20 million people, according to data collected by researcher Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola, from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.
One of those incidents that particularly angered Nigerians was in 2014 when dozens of people died in a church collapse in Lagos.
Joe Anatune, the leader of the media team of Governor Charles Soludo, has died a few days after bagging government’s appointment.
Anatune reportedly lost his life on Saturday a few days after his 62nd birthday, and a little over a week after he bagged a government appointment.
The media manager was recently appointed on April 19, 2022, as the MD/CEO of Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
Reacting to the demise, Soludo expressed shock and sadness over the incident through a press statement released by Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary.
He said: “Soludo described Joe Anatune as one of the foremost Apostles of the Soludo project with an uncommon strength and courage to deliver on any given assignment.
“He stated further that Joe’s personal sacrifices during his electioneering campaign were not only exceptional but highly commendable.
“He spearheaded the Soludo Promoters Forum (SPF) and for two years used the platform to engage the professionals into mainstream politics. The government and the good people of Anambra State will sorely miss Joe Anatune.”
Poland has sent reinforcements to Ukraine despite earlier warnings from Russia.
The country has supplied their neighbours with equipment, such as dozens of infantry fighting vehicles and the 2S1 Carnation self-propelled howitzers, drones, Grad multiple rocket launchers and Piorun (Thunderbolt) man-portable air defense systems.
It has also sent over 200 T-72 tanks over the past few weeks, CNN reports, quoting Polskie Radio, Poland’s national public-service radio.
The report said that Poland has so far provided military equipment worth $1.6 billion to Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki made this disclosure last week.
This move, however, is against Russia’s earlier warning that any country, especially in the European Union that provides lethal weapons to Ukraine during the ongoing war, would face the consequences.
Two personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been reportedly killed in Benue State in an encounter with gunmen suspected to be terrorists.
Naija News learnt that two other locals were also killed in separate attacks in the state.
It was reported that the NSCDC personnel were attacked at their duty post at a waterside vicinity in the Wadata axis of Makurdi Local Government Area on Friday.
A resident who spoke with Daily Trust confirmed that the other two villagers were hacked to death in the evening hour of Thursday while working on their farms in Tse Tume in the Turan council ward of Logo LGA of the state.
A community leader had disclosed the names of the deceased as Terkende Injarwua and Mfaiga Ukor.
He told reporters that their remains had been recovered and buried on Friday.
On the account of the NSCDC officers killed, the Public Relations Officer of the security agency in the state, Michael Ejelikwu, promised to give details of the incident in later hours.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue Command, SP Catherine Anene said, “That was not reported to me.”
Meanwhile, at least five persons have been killed in Anambra State when some unknown gunmen attacked a popular drinking joint on Friday night.
The assailants according to reports, stormed a restaurant situated at Uto Ndu in Obiofia Village, under Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state at about 8:00 pm and started shooting sporadically.
The owner of the restaurant identified simply as Ụtọ Ndụ (a female) was also killed in the attack, Naija News learnt.
Sympathisers, friends and some relatives of the victims have taken to social media to mourn their beloved family members.
Remains of the victims have been reportedly transported to a mortuary while security operatives launch a hunt on the perpetrators.
Seventy-five inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ibara Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Old Abeokuta, Ogun State, have become Ministers of God after bagging Diploma certificates in Theology.
It was gathered that the inmates have undergone a six-month training at the seminary, geared towards reforming and rehabilitating them.
The programme had the combined efforts of other Ministers of God who repeatedly visited the yard to teach the graduating students.
At the graduation ceremony held within the premises of the custodial centre, the National Director of the project, Dr Olamide Emmanuel, said the event was an effort to reform and rehabilitate criminated minds.
“We combined efforts with some men of God to work at the custodial centre here. We have about 75 of them who have distinguished themselves to serve God. Some of them have been released and they have started work outside. The programme is in three stages and it’s already a year today.
“We discovered that many leave this place destitutely with nothing to fall back on. They are castigated outside, they are stigmatised. But, through the help of Ministers of God, we built their psyche so that they will know this is not the end of life, better things are there for them outside,” he said.
Dr Emmanuel disclosed that the third stage of the programme would produce graduates with Bachelor’s degrees in Theology, saying, “We have those who are qualified for that already.”
The Deputy Controller of Corrections, Oshin Bamidele, who is in charge of the Ibara Maximum Security Custodial Centre, held that the duty of correctional officers is to reform, rehabilitate and reintegrate.
“As correctional officers, our mandate is to reform, rehabilitate and reintegrate back into the society. We achieve this through educational programmes and religious activities. These are 75 inmates who have gone through theological school known as seminary. We have seen very radical changes in them,” Oshin said, appreciating the NCoS Controller General, Haliru Nababa for giving them the opportunity to impact the lives of the inmates.
Speaking with newsmen, the Social Welfare Officer of the centre, AbdulAkeem Awesu, said, “Today we are graduating 75 of our Christian inmates who have distinguished themselves in the school of seminary. This programme is under the religious education for the inmates. They will be awarded diploma.”
According to him, the training was not just to train pastors, but for moral modification, spiritual attention and protection
“This goes beyond being a pastor. It has to do with moral modification, spiritual attention and protection, as well as inculcating discipline and the word of God into them. Being a pastor is a thing of choice, but they have undergone process of reformation and rehabilitation. My advice for them is to keep it up,” Awesu said.
In their separate remarks, a male and female graduand (names withheld) explained that they have been reformed spiritually and physically by the training programme, thanking the organisers.
The graduands appealed to youths to give their lives to Christ, saying that is the only way to live a life of holiness and righteousness.
“If you don’t have Jesus in your life, you will be living a life of crisis,” they admonished.
In order not to end up in jail, the inmates advised youths to obey all rules and regulations and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and saviour. Continue Reading
A group of young men who said they are Niger Delta ex-agitators have released a video where they promised to work for and “deliver” for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and an aspirant in the 2023 presidential election.
In the 1 minute 17 seconds video, the armed men were on the water. All of them were masked and apparently understands the terrain of the water.
It is not yet clear when and where exactly the video was made.
“2023, we the Niger Delta, the ex-agitators , from Akwa Ibom, Rivers State, Cross River, down to Bayelsa, to Delta, and Ondo State, and Edo State, we, the person ‘wey we wan work for’ we deliver from the coastal line, na the person of Ahmed Bola Tinubu. ‘Na him we wan work for’. We go deliver. If Asiwaju leads, we follow,” one of the masked men said.
President Muhammadu Buhari will receive visitors for this year’s Sallah homage at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
This was confirmed in a statement made available to our newsroom on Friday evening by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
According to the presidential spokesperson, the traditional Sallah homage was cut off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant risks.
But now with infection rates at a very low rate and still falling, there would be a controlled return to the pre-COVID practice of receiving Sallah visitors.
The presidential media aide however pointed out that all those who have been identified and received invitation as part of those to be part of the Sallah visit to the President must undergo the linear Covid-19 test at the State House Conference Centre and obtain a negative test result before they can be admitted to the actual venue which is the State House Banquet Hall.
He added in the statement that it is compulsory for the about 100 persons invited to use face masks at the event.
“Two years after the world’s biggest lockdown to slow the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional Sallah homage to the President by the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja returns to the Aso Rock Villa,” Shehu said.
He added in the statement that “Although this is a sign of the return to normalcy as infection rates fall to their lowest, those coming on invitation are still required to wear face masks and undergo the linear Covid-19 test at the State House Conference Centre to obtain a negative test result as condition for admittance to the event.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is set to receive the visitors, numbering about 100 at the New State House Banquet Hall at 3:00pm on Sallah Day (Sunday or Monday), itself to be determined by moon sighting to be announced by Islamic authorities in the country.
“Invited Guests for the event, led by Muhammed Musa Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Service, the Senator and House members from the territory, leadership of the FCT Judiciary, Members of the Cabinet, Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies, Muslim and Christian leaderships in the FCT, Council Chairmen, Traditional Rulers and others who received invitations as listed on the manifest.”
