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Tag: Abuja

  • Eid-el-Kabir: DSS foils terrorists’ attacks on Abuja, Kano, four other states during festival

    Eid-el-Kabir: DSS foils terrorists’ attacks on Abuja, Kano, four other states during festival

    The Department of State Services (DSS) said it had foiled plans by the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA) terrorists to attack Abuja and other cities during the recent Ed-el-Kabir festivities.

    A statement issued by an operative of the service, Mr Tony Opuiyo, on Saturday in Abuja, said the plans were to conduct gun attacks and suicide bombing on selected targets in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States.

    Opuiyo said the mastermind of the operation was Hussein Mai-Tangaran a well known senior Commander who had been on the radar of the Service and the Nigerian Army since 2012.

    Opuiyo said that Mai-Tangaran was also responsible for the deadly attacks against worshipers at the Kano Central Mosque as well as an attack on a military formation in Yobe in 2015, which claimed hundreds of lives.

    He said that Mai-Tangaran, an IED expert, had been prepping and priming others for the perpetration of suicide bombing attacks carried out by the group in the past within the North-East region.

    He said the suspect was arrested in Kano on Aug. 31 and further exploitation led to the arrest of one Abdulkadir Umar Mohammed on Sept. 2 at Kantin Kwari market in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano.

    Opuiyo said Mohammed was a fighter of the sect who left the group in the Sambisa forest to team up with others toward carrying out the attacks being planned by the group.

    He said that another accomplice in the plot, one Muhammad Ali, was arrested on Sept. 3, at Sheka area in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.

    “Prior to his arrest, Ali was the financial courier of the group in Kano. He was one of the conduits through which funds and other material logistics were channeled to the group from foreign extremist elements/sponsors.

    “Like Mohammed, Ali was involved in the plot to perpetuate the planned attacks in Kano and other States in the North during the just concluded Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

    In a related development, the service said it had arrested the duo of Yahaya Abacha and Yusuf Mohammed on Sept. 3, in Kano.

    “The duo are the leading elements of a cell of the extremist group and have been hibernating and furthering the doctrines of the group in the city.

    “They were also to be responsible for operations in FCT Abuja, Kaduna and Niger States,” the operative said.

    He said the service had also arrested Abdulkarim Mohammed following credible intelligence report on Aug. 29, in Ajilani Local Government Area of Borno.

    ” The suspect has been spying on targets in Maiduguri, particularly troops’ deployments/positioning and subsequently passing same to elements of the group in Sambisa forest,” he said

    “This Service wishes to thank the general public for its support and cooperation in providing useful information on criminal and terrorist elements in their domain.

    “The Service also wishes to reiterate its stance that no matter how long, every perpetrator of violence and criminality against the Nigerian State and its law-abiding citizens, shall be made to face the full course of justice,”Opuiyo said.

     

     

  • Sallah: FRSC arrests 149 motorists, refers 28 for psychological tests in Abuja

    The FCT Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it arrested 149 motorists for various traffic offences in the territory during the recent Sallah festivities.

    The Sector Commander, Wobin Gora, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

    Mr. Gora was speaking on the outcome of the FRSC’s special Sallah patrol in the territory held between Aug. 31 and Sept. 6.

    He said that 28 of the offenders were arrested for “critical offences” and were referred to relevant public health facilities for psychological tests.

    “The critical offences are use of phone while driving; route violation; traffic light violation; dangerous driving and overloading,” he said.

    “They are so designated because they are the most rampant life-threatening traffic law violations in the country.

    “Fourteen of the offenders referred for the tests returned with negative results, while the other 14 have yet to come with their results.

    “But their vehicles are in our custody, and will remain with us until we see the results of their tests.”

    Mr. Gora identified speed violation, use of phone while driving and tyre violation as the most prevalent offences in the territory during the period.

    The sector commander also said that the command recorded 16 road traffic accidents involving 23 vehicles and 78 people within the period.

    Three persons lost their lives in two fatal cases, Mr. Gora said, adding that 56 others were injured in 12 serious and two minor cases.

    He further stated that 13 of the vehicles involved in the accidents were private, and the remaining 10 commercial.

    He said that the two fatal cases which involved commercial vehicles occurred at Abaji on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.

    Mr. Gora noted that there was a general improvement in the attitude of motorists in the FCT, but said the command had intensified its public enlightening campaign.

     

     

     

    NAN

  • Christian, Muslim youths organise prayers for Nigeria, Buhari in Abuja

    Some youths in Abuja held a prayer session on Friday in a bid to seek a divine intervention in the perfect restoration of President Buhari’s health and the nation’s unity.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that various clerics took part in the prayers which commenced on Thursday evening and ended on Friday afternoon at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Addressing the participants who came from all parts of the country, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Chief Makole Azugbene, lauded them for raising the nation before God in prayers.

    He called on the government to pay special attention to the youths by creating the right environment for them to express themselves creatively.

    He said, “Today, Nigeria our fatherland is faced with a situation where our maximum efforts are yielding minimum results. The youth have been abused, misused and left despondent.

    “Yet, rather than resort to violence, they have chosen the path of peace. The youth is the hope of this country and as such deserve special attention. Our leaders must not live their today and tomorrow that rightly belonged to the youth.”

    Also speaking, the Chairman, Forum of State Chairmen, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Sara-Igbe Sukubo said religious harmony is practicable in a multi-religious country like Nigeria.

    He noted that the situation in the country called for the youth to stand for national unity and equally seek divine intervention.

    “By this prayer programme, we redefined the uniqueness of our diverse ethnicity as a fulcrum for national unity and strength,” Sukubo stated.

    The Founder of Belema Foundation, Jack-Rich Tein, identified the challenges in the country to include the non-engagement of youths in nation building and misuse of available resources.

  • Lagos, Abuja, other cities Igbos dominate, invest in are part of Biafra land – MASSOB

    Lagos, Abuja, other cities Igbos dominate, invest in are part of Biafra land – MASSOB

    The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, on Thursday declared that Lagos; Nigeria’s commercial hub and Abuja; the nation’s capital territory and some other cities where Igbos live, work and have investments in are all part of Biafra.

    Speaking at Awgu, in Enugu, during a rally organised to welcome the leader of another pro-Biafra group, the Biafra National Guard, ‘General’ Innocent Oji, the leader of MASSOB, Comrade Kingsley Madu said Igbos had contributed immensely in the development of the various cities where they live.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Oji was recently released from detention.

    “Pro-Biafra groups have adopted a new ideology which stated that any part of the country where a large population of Igbos is found, and where Igbos contributed towards human and material development, is part of Biafra,” Madu said.

    According to him, ‘Biafrans’ do not want to ‘confine’ themselves to a particular place.

    The Biafra National Guard is said to be the ‘military wing’ of the pro-Biafra groups.

    Addressing the rally, Madu raised the alarm over the alleged sacking of Igbo traders from a portion of land at Trade Fair and FESTAC in Lagos.

    He said the affected traders were evicted by Lagos State Government after they had invested billions of naira in developing the area.

    Igbo would not be forced out in any part of Nigeria, where they invested lots of resources to develop, Madu vowed.

    Stressing that Lagos and Abuja are part of Biafra, he said, “Some years back a portion of land at Trade Fair and FESTAC were conceded to our people for development in Lagos.

    “After spending billions of naira in developing this part of Lagos for the economic growth of Nigerian government, today information reaching us is that the Federal Government, conniving with the Lagos State Government, yesterday retrieved the land, the platform, all the investment and everything from the people of Biafra.

    “This is part of the reason for Biafra agitation.

    “And we are warning because we now believe that everywhere an Igbo man is is part of Biafra.

    “That is the latest ideology we have.

    “We don’t want to confine ourselves to a particular place; we now believe that wherever our foot touches is our land that is Biafra.

    “Lagos is also Biafra, Abuja is also Biafra.

    “Anywhere our people are that place is Biafra.

    “So what we are saying now is that that part of Lagos that our people developed with their money is also part of Biafra and we cannot leave.”

    The MASSOB leader, however, advised Igbos to locate their investments in the ‘Biafra mainland’, South-East and South-South, where they are guaranteed safety and protection.

    He welcomed Oji back home after several years in detention.

    Earlier, Oji, leader of Biafra National Guard, commended Madu for carrying on with the struggle while he was incarcerated.

    Oji declared that Biafra will be achieved in less than one year.

    The Biafra military wing leader warned that any attempt by the Federal Government to arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who he described as ‘Supreme Leader’, would be met with stiff resistance.

    “By the grace of God, this struggle will not last beyond one year from now because we have our strategy.

    “But if the Federal Government feels we cannot do anything let them go and arrest our supreme leader, Nnamdi Kanu, for them to see what we can do,” he said.

    Oji also warned the British Government, which he said was responsible for the perceived oppression of Igbos.

    He said, “Have it in your mind today that Britain is aware of what is happening in Nigeria, all these things they are doing to us is caused by Britain.

    “I am using this opportunity to warn Britain and their government, if they say they are not behind what Fulani herdsmen are doing to our people, killing our people and raping our women and other things, they should come out openly and deny it and ask Nigeria to let us go, otherwise when it will happen nobody should be talking about genocide, Britain should be held responsible.”

  • President Buhari departs Daura for Abuja

    President Buhari departs Daura for Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Daura for Abuja after spending his Eid el-Kabir break.

    The presidential helicopter with registration no.NAF-540 left the Daura helipad for Abuja at 10.24 a.m.

    The president was in the company of immediate members of his family, Media Aide Garba Shehu and the Chief Security Officer, Bashir Bindawa and members of the protocol unit of the villa.

    The highly-elated Buhari commended the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk, for the wonderful reception accorded to his Niger counterpart, President Muhammadou Yusouffou, who visited the Daura palace on Tuesday after visiting President Buhari.

    Buhari was accompanied to the departure point by the emir, politicians, well wishers and security personnel deployed to cover the visit.

    (NAN)

  • FG to take over, sell empty Abuja houses – Presidency

    The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property on Tuesday said that the federal government may soon take over empty houses in Abuja and sell them.

    The chairman of the panel, Okoi Obono-Obla, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, made this known when the Say no Campaign, a civil society organisation, paid a courtesy call on him in Abuja.

    He said that there was need for the government to collaborate with civil society groups in order to search out properties of looters of national treasury.

    “I want the houses taken over, that is where CSOs will have to work together with us.

    “We have to take over those building and sell them and maybe put the money into education for our children.

    “I was appointed to work to galvanise the anti-corruption war this assignment is a very important one and I will do it well,” he said

    Mr. Obono-Obla said that there was a law known as the Recovery of Public Property special provisions Act which had been in existence for the past 40 years without being implemented by successive regimes.

    He said that if that law was used, corruption would have been reduced drastically in Nigeria.

    He said that the law stated that anyone who lied about their asset would go to prison for 21 years and if they had assets more than their earning their punishment was life imprisonment.

    The prosecutor said that his office was ready to collaborate with civil society groups to fight corruption.

    He urged them to submit the names of people who own properties illegally, especially public servants.

    “This is because I have been asked to focus on public sector corruption.’’

    Mr. Obono-Obla said that public sector corruption was the endemic worm, adding that bankers could also be investigated including anybody who could not explain the source of his wealth.

    He said that the law had been in existence since September 30, 1979; so, anybody who had been in the local, state and federal governments from that period till date could be investigated.

    Earlier, Ezenwa Nwagwu, one of the conveners of the Say no Campaign, said the campaign was birthed to fight against corruption, impunity, rape and election rigging.

    Mr. Nwagwu said that the group sought partnership with the prosecution’s office because of his passion to fight against corruption adding that his appointment as chair would help the prosecution in Nigeria.

    He said that the group had been worried about prosecutions in Nigeria especially that of anti-corruption agencies because sometimes there were compromising issues that were involved.

    “So, we want to be able to screen out particular areas where we will be coming in to assist you and if there are collaborative areas you think we can also collaborate, the CSOs will be able to do.”

    Mr. Nwagwu said that there were empty houses wasting in Abuja and most of them had been built for over 10 years and nobody lived in them.

    He said that the group would partner with the office to ensure that the fight against corruption was intensified.

    Jaiye Gaskiya, another convener of the group, said that there was a need for property identification scheme in Nigeria so property owners could have numbers just like the BVN.

    Mr. Gaskiya said that if people with property register them and they had numbers it would be far much easier to trace.

    NAN

  • Nigerians are tired of hearing trillions shared in Abuja with nothing to show, CAN tells FG

    …Felicitates with Muslim faithfuls on Eid-el-Kabir celebrations

    …Urges government to reduce cost of living in Nigeria

    The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has called on the Federal Government to address the economic hardship and the high cost of living in the country which he said had reached an alarming level.

    The Christian leader appealed to the government to address the lopsidedness in the polity, attributing the restructuring agitations in the country to the failure of the National Assembly and the National Council of State to tackle the issues.

    Ayokunle in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by his Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, rejoiced with Muslims as they celebrated Eid-el-Kabir and urged the citizens to douse the tension in the country, saying no country has ever survived two wars.

    He said, “CAN also rejoices with the First Family and the FG for the restoration of the health of President Muhammadu Buhari as we charge the government to reduce the cost of living that has reached an alarming level.

    “It is needless to remind the political class to fulfil all their promises made during the last elections as they are warming up for another general election. Their words should be their bound.

    “We are tired of hearing billions and trillions of naira being shared among the three tiers of government in Abuja with little or nothing to show for it.”

    Ayokunle said it was time the leaders were held accountable for the management of the nation’s commonwealth.

    “CAN as a body wants our country to remain one but we also want the lopsidedness in the polity to be addressed and it is because both the National Assembly and the National Council of State have failed to address it that is making all well meaning across all the divides to be calling for the restructuring,” he noted.

    The cleric admonished Muslim leaders in the country “to join hands with us in our vision to have a nation where social justice, equity, peace, unity, and progress are her hallmarks.”

  • FIBA championship: Buhari felicitates with D’Tigress, to receive them in Abuja before FEC Meeting

    President Mohammadu Buhari will on Wednesday, before the Federal Executive Council (FEC), receive the victorious D’Tigress, the Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung hinted on Tuesday.

    Dalung, who alongside top members of the sport ministry hosted the new African queens on Tuesday, dropped the hint that the president will meet with the Afrobasket winners before attending the weekly FEC meeting.

    DTigress won all their matches at the competition and also qualified for the World Cup in Spain next year.

    The Minister of sport Dalung attributed the recent successes recorded in basketball and wrestling to the ongoing sports reforms by the ministry.

    The Minister commended the players and wrestlers for truly exemplifying the true Nigerian spirit which always thrives in the face of adversity.

    Dalung praised the team for making Nigeria proud adding that their victory was not by chance but as a result of well- articulated programs by the NBBF and NWF boards.

    “We congratulate DTigress, the technical crew and the entire management of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for winning the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket trophy.

    “You not only broke a 12 year old draught, but also won a ticket to the World Cup next year. This cannot be ascribed to luck, but weeks of hard work, planning and strategising by the board, technical crew and the players. We also applaud the wrestlers for winning silver at the World championship.

    “We are aware of the fact that the road to becoming the African Champions and booking a ticket to the World Cup was never easy. The federal government salutes these brave girls who have written Nigeria’s name on the global map once again after 12 years.”

     

  • Photos: Gunmen invade EFCC office in Abuja, threaten to kill official

    The offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was on Wednesday, August 16, 2017 attacked by unknown gunmen.

    The spokesperson for the EFCC Wilson Uwujaren in a statement said the gunmen invaded the EFCC headquarters in Wuse Zone 7 at about 5 am.

    The Commission said the gunmen dropped a death threat to one of its officers.

    According to the EFCC spokesperson: “The group of heavily armed bandits invaded the office at about 05.00 hours and began shooting into the premises, damaging vehicles parked in the premises in the process. However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty.”

    The hoodlums escaped in a getaway vehicle but not without leaving a message; a white envelope dropped by the fleeing attackers was found to contain a death threat addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the Commission.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Ishaku who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section is in charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military brass hats.

    According to the EFCC, the attack on the Zone 7 office which houses the Commission’s AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, is coming few weeks after another investigator, Austin Okwor was shot and wounded by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The EFCC spokesperson said the latest incident has already been reported to the police for further investigations.

  • VIDEO: Jonathan storms PDP’s Non-elective convention, says ‘party is back on track’

    The PDP Non-Elective Convention is presently holding at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the convention is coming after the party’s 75th National Executive Council meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Friday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the party unanimously agreed to extend the tenure of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi by four months extension in order to allow time to prepare and conduct an elective National Convention to elect new officers of the party.

    Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former Senate President, Senator David Mark, GCON, former Senate President and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Ayim Pius Ayim, Governor of Ekiti state and Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, former Governor of Akwa Ibom state and Senate Minority Leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Sen. Walid Jubril.

    Others are; Governors of River state, Chief Nyesom Wike, Taraba state, Arc. Darius Ishaku, Gombe state, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state, Rear Admiral, John Jonah, Deputy Governor of Cross River state, Professor Ivara Esu, Deputy Governor of Ebonyi state, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, National Vice Chairmen, State Chairmen, Party stalwarts and other leaders of the PDP nationwide.

    See videos from the convention below: