The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has relieved all his Special Advisers of their appointments.
Society gazette reports that this was made known in a statement to newsmen by the acting Secretary to the State Government and Head of Service, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe.
According to the SSG, the Special Adviser on Security, retired DIG Mamman Tsafe was not affected by the development.
“It is hereby notified for general information that Gov. Bello Matawalle, has relieved all Special Advisers of their appointments, except the Special Adviser on Security matters.
“This decision is in line with the recent defection to the APC and to allow for an in-depth search of more but competent hands in the administration of the state, irrespective of political affiliations,” he said.
Balarabe directed all the affected Special Advisers to hand over affairs of their respective offices, and government property under them to their Directors General and/or Accounting officers.
This coming less than a week after Matawalle formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Matawalle, speaking on the Osasu Show programme on Friday, had said that his defection will now bring greater development to the state and the issue of insecurity in the state will receive better attention.
He noted that now that Zamfara has joined the ruling party, it will be easier to get the federal government’s attention on issues affecting the state.
“Politics is about interest and confidence. Many of the politicians have changed from one party to another, so it is not a new thing and I decided to change so that I can bring more peace to my state,” he had said.
Security operative dispersing Yoruba Nation agitators at Ojota, Lagos State, has reportedly killed a yogurt seller, identified simply as Jumoke.
It was gathered that the bullets fired by the security operative had severed the stomach of the girl, said to be 14 years.
She was reportedly displaying drinks at a shop when the bullet hit her.
Her body has been covered with a piece of cloth as crowd gathered at the spot.
The protest, which started with singing and chanting, got rowdy as members of the police force engage in sporadic gunshots and teargas shots.
The lifeless body of the unknown girl was crowded by sympathisers at the scene
Naija News had earlier reported that men of the Lagos Police Command on Saturday fired shots at Yoruba Nation agitators who had gathered at the Gani Fawehinmi Park.
This was after some Yoruba nation agitators dared the security operatives by spreading banners and flyers to announce their arrival and presence.
The agitators were dispersed with gunshots and hot water from an armoured tank.
Some of the agitators were seen getting dragged into an armoured tank by policemen.
Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, had in the past boasted that “no government” can stop him from carrying firearms.
The wanted Yoruba activist stated this during one of his past meetings with a South-west traditional ruler.
In a video seen by Naija News on Saturday, Igboho, stated that he knows where to purchase guns.
The activist solicited donations to buy weapons for those who do not have guns.
“Let us buy for them. If they don’t know where to buy guns, I will buy for them,” he said.
“Let us buy guns for boys. No government can stop anyone from carrying guns at the moment. If they are caught with guns, they should mention my name that I gave them. Let them tell security operatives that Igboho gave them. I am making this video so it would be posted on all social media platforms. We are giving them guns bought to defend ourselves,” Sunday Igboho said in the video.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has confirmed that he withdrew his son, Abubakar Al-Sadiq El-Rufai, from a public school in the state.
There had been reports that the Governor secretly withdrew his son from Kaduna Capital school – one of the oldest public schools in northern Nigeria due to fears of bandits attack and possible kidnap.
Society gazette recalls that El-Rufai back in 2019, enrolled his six-year-old son in Kaduna Capital School in fulfillment of his campaign promise.
But the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the governor, Muyiwa Adekeye denied comments when Daily Trust sought a clarification on the withdrawal.
However, Governor El-Rufai in an interview with BBC Pidgin, has now confirmed that he was forced to withdraw his son from the public school based on security challenges.
The Governor added that he also withdrew his daughter, Nesrin from the school after bandits threatened to attack the school.
He added that he took the step based on the recommendation of security agents.
“My son and my daughter are registered in the school because his sister became six and we had to register her.
“But we have had to temporarily withdraw them for the security of the school because we got intercepts from at least two groups that are planning to attack the school to kidnap my son.
“I don’t think they will succeed because there will be enough security there to prevent it but other children may be placed in danger.
“We have no idea what weapons they will come with. I have taken a stand against paying bandits and at least three groups of bandits have been intercepted planning to go to Kaduna Capital school and kidnap my son and ‘see if they catch my son, I go say I no go pay ransom?’” the governor said.
He assured that his decision was not a backtrack on his promise to the people of Kaduna but purely to keep other children in the school safe as the criminals had made the school a high-profile target because his children were attending the school.
“We believe in leading by example, we believe in whatever policy we propose that will affect people negatively, we start imposing it on us,” he said.
The governor said however that his son is still registered with the school and goes to take his exams, adding that he has not been registered in another school but is being home-schooled.
He assured that when the security risk averted, the children will return to the school.
“It is my intention that my children will be in public school as long as I am governor here.
“Of course, when I finish my term, I will move out. I intend to leave Kaduna when I finish. I am not going to stay here. I may explore other options of putting them in other schools,” he said.
He added that the son keeps asking when he would go back to school misses the school environment.
“He keeps asking, ‘Baba, when will I go back to school, I miss my friends, I miss my teachers’ I told him not yet, you can’t tell a seven-year-old you are likely to be kidnapped,” El-Rufai said.
The Zamfara State Command of the Nigeria Police has arrested two secondary school students in the state for attempting to extort money from their principal and threatening to kill their colleagues.
In the incidents as narrated by the police, the two students from different secondary schools in the state, sent threat messages to their respective principals demanding payment of millions of naira to avoid attack and kidnap.
Society gazette gathered one of them threatened to kidnap his principal, while the second one called his school principal on phone threatening to kill and abduct students of the school unless he paid N3 million.
However, after the two incidents were brought to the attention of the police, two students, one in SS3, the other in SS1 suspected to be the mastermind behind the threats have been arrested by the police.
The developments were disclosed at a press conference on Friday at the Zamfara State police command headquarters in Gusau, by the Police Commissioner, Hussaini Rabi’u.
“On 25th June, 2021, a letter was found close to the suggestion box of Dominican College located in Sha’iskawa area, Gusau.
“The content of the letter was a threat to kidnap the principal of the school, Rev. Sister Chinyere O.P and students of the school.
“On receipt of the complaint, police detectives swung into action and arrested one Donatus Ejeh as the principal suspect.
“On interrogation, the suspect was discovered to be an SS3 student of the school,” he said.
Rabi’u added that on 1st July, the principal of Federal Government College, Anka, Zamfara state reported to the DPO Anka Division that an unknown person called her and demanded three million Naira or he would storm the school and attack students.
“On receipt of the complaint, police swung into action and arrested one Tukur Bashir in Bakura Local Government Area of the state.
“Upon investigation, the caller was discovered to be an SS1 student of the school,” he said.
The commissioner said investigations were ongoing to unravel and arrest collaborators of the students.
Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle has declared that his decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is more than mere politics.
The Governor disclosed on Friday that he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the best interest of the people of Zamfara.
Society gazette recalls Matawalle officially defected from PDP to APC on Tuesday at a ceremony to mark the occasion which took place in Gusau, the state capital.
Speaking on his defection, the Zamfara Governor while speaking on the Osasu Show programme on Friday noted that his defection will now bring greater development to the state and the issue of insecurity in the state will receive better attention.
He noted that now that Zamfara has joined the ruling party, it will be easier to get the federal government’s attention on issues affecting the state.
Acclaimed Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo Igboho has disclosed that he is currently in his house at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Society gazette reports that the DSS had declared Sunday Igboho wanted after it allegedly recovered arms and ammunitions from his Soka, Ibadan residence on Thursday.
Consequently, the DSS told Sunday Igboho to surrender himself to any nearest security agency or the law will catch up with him sooner or later.
On Friday evening, there were rumours that the Oyo indigene has been arrested by security agents.
Debunking the rumour, Sunday Igboho spoke through a phone call on a live Facebook video hosted by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki.
Adeyemo explained that he heard the rumour of his arrest, saying it was not true.
“I want to appreciate God and all my fans throughout the world. Today is July 2, 2021. I heard about the rumour that Sunday Igboho has been arrested at Guru Maharaji place. There is nothing like that. I am not at Guru. I am in my house at Ibadan. Thank you,” Sunday Igboho said.
A suspect identified as Michael Olagunju has been arrested by the Kwara State Police Command for allegedly selling the body parts of his father to some ritualists in Kajola, Odo-Owa in the Oke-Ero Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the suspect killed his father on his farm at Kajola last Thursday and connived with some ritualists to remove Olagunju’s body parts, including his two hands and his heart.
A brother of the deceased who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the family members are convinced that the suspect had a hand in his father’s death.
“That is why we handed him over to the police,” he added.
The incident was confirmed by the spokesman of the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi.
He said, “A farmer was killed on his farm at Kajola in Odo-Owa last week. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the crime. The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Bagega, has ordered discreet Investigation into the matter.”
In another development, one Lukman Abdulmalik has reported his son Abdulmalik Kehinde, to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to help recover his money reportedly stolen by the son.
The spokesman for the NSCDC in Kwara State, Afolabi Babawale, in a statement released on Thursday, said, “the old man complained bitterly that his son, Kehinde, has been stealing his money for some time now and recently he stole the sum of N44,000 from his room and all his efforts to reform him has proved abortive.”
Babawale said that after a thorough investigation by operatives of NSCDC, Kehinde confessed that he stole his father’s money adding that a sum of N33,000 was recovered from him while he said that he had spent the balance.
He said that Kehinde had been transferred to the NSCDC Kwara State Command Guidance and Rehabilitation Unit where He was being rehabilitated.
DSS Takes Over Sunday Igboho’s Residence After Attack
The Department of State Security has taken over the residence of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, in the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
This is coming after operatives of the secret police attacked Igboho’s residence, killing two of his allies and arresting twelve others.
The DSS in a press conference in Abuja on Thursday night paraded some exhibits and people who were arrested during an invasion of his house on Thursday.
According to DSS, the items recovered from Igboho’s house include Seven (7) AK-47 assault rifles; Three (3) Pump Action guns; Thirty (30) fully charged AK-47 magazines; Five thousand (5,000) rounds of 7.62mm ammunition; Five (5) cutlasses, One (1) Jackknife, One (1) Pen Knife, Two (2) Pistol holsters; One (1) binoculars, wallet containing Five (5) US dollars in one (1) dollar denomination; local and international driver’s licences in his name, ATM cards, and a German residence permit No. YO2N6K1NY bearing his name, among others.
According to SaharaReporters, when the area was visited on Friday, it was observed that the DSS has taken over the property.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of plotting to kill its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu was reportedly rearrested in Kenya and extradited back to Nigeria last Sunday.
He was then arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who ordered his remand in the custody of the DSS until his next trial date.
In a statement on Friday, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, called on DSS to allow Kanu access to his lawyers.
The statement reads: “Following the refusal of the Nigerian Government and her wicked security agency, the Department of State Services, DSS, to allow our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers and family access to him in the dungeon of DSS secret cell, it is now confirmed that their real intention in kidnapping him and bundling him back to Nigeria is to kill him.
“The mission they could not actualise in September 14, 2017 when soldiers invaded his Afaraukwu home during Operation Python Dance is what they want to actualise now.
“His health has been detoriatorating in the DSS cell as he has refused to eat their food since almost one week they kidnapped him.
“We demand that DSS should allow him access to his lawyers and family members for this is his lawful right.”
Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, had also accused the DSS of torturing Nnamdi Okwu Kanu in custody.
Deji Adeyanju urged Kanu’s lawyers to pray the court to transfer the IPOB leader to a prison facility during his next adjourned date.
He wrote: “Kanu’s lawyers must insist that he be transferred from DSS custody to prison on the next court date to stop the violations of his rights.
“They have also denied him access to his lawyers and family members. This is another major human right violation.
“They are torturing Nnamdi Kanu. They blindfold him for many hours, leave him on the floor in a cold air-conditioned room and subject him to all forms of degrading treatments.
“This is grave violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment.”
The Lagos Assembly on Thursday debated two bills proposing the establishment of two tertiary institutions – a University of Education and a University of Science and Technology – in the state.
The bills, which scaled second reading on the floor of the Lagos Assembly presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, were committed to the House Committee on Education (Tertiary) to report back in two weeks.
Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) argued that the bill for a law to provide for the establishment of the university of Education, Lagos (UNEDLAG) was important as he suggested that it should also have provision for pre-degree programmes.
Yusuff also noted a provision in the bill that would make graduates be somewhat independent rather than search for jobs.
“The inclusion of vocational training will also make the students to be self-employed,” he said.
On his part, Hon. Sani Okanlawon, said it had become important for the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and the Michael Otedola College of Education to be upgraded to a university.
“The society now rejects NCE and what is the benefit of going to a school that your certificate will not be recognised?
“Admission into this school is the lowest as only 18 applicants chose (ACCOED) as first choice in the last Universal Tertiary Matriculations Examinations (UTME).
“With the creation of this varsity, it will reduce the number of applicants seeking admission to LASU,” he said.
Also contributing, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2), who agreed with his colleagues on the need to upgrade the two colleges of education in the state to a university, said the NCE is no longer popular.
According to him, the establishment of the university is timely, but “there is need to have a template to form the institution in order to avoid overlap.”
Hon. David Setonji, chairman of the House committee on Information, supported the bill and added that the state had a high number of primary and secondary schools with less teachers and that the university would help resolve the challenge.
The Leader of the Lagos Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1), who said he was excited about the planned upgrade, told his colleagues that he is a product of ACCOED and that he taught for five years with the certificate he got from the institution.
“The creation of a new varsity is a good thing. This bill takes care of the welfare of both lecturers and students,” he added.
Speaking about the bill, Hon. Abiodun Tobun (Epe 2) said he was optimistic the proposed University of Education would produce good teachers if passed into law.
Concerning the proposed University of Science and Technology, the lawmakers expressed optimism that it would help provide manpower for the development of the state and the country.
In his contributions, Hon. Rauf Age-Sulaimon (Amuwo Odofin 2) suggested that courses in the humanities and legal studies should not be included in the institution’s curriculum as a University of Science and Technology.
While Hon. Femi Saheed (Kosofe 2) said science and technology play vital roles in development, Hon. Bisi Yusuff urged that the studies to be offered should take into cognisance the culture of the people.
Yusuff also advised that the university should be made to go into researches on agriculture to reduce the high cost of food in the state and the country.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
