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Tag: Emir

  • Barely 24hrs after removal, El-Rufai damns Ganduje appoints Sanusi board member

    Barely 24hrs after removal, El-Rufai damns Ganduje appoints Sanusi board member

    The Kaduna State Government has appointed deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, into the board of the state Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA), about 24 hours after his removal.

    A statement from the Governor’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, on Tuesday, said that “the appointment is part of the reconstitution of the board of KADIPA, which is statutorily chaired by the Deputy Governor, and has as internal members, other senior officials of the Kaduna State Government.”

    The statement added that “Kaduna State hopes to benefit from the profile, experience, intellect and networks of His Highness, Muhammad Sanusi, who before becoming Emir, had built a solid reputation in global financial circles.

    “Malam Nasir El-Rufai said that Kaduna State is honoured to be able to call on the services of a man of such calibre to drive its development,’’ the statement added in parts.

    According to the statement, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, will chair the board, while His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II will be Vice-Chairman.

    Other members of the board include Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Jimi Lawal, Senior Adviser and Counsellor and Aisha Dikko, the Attorney General of Kaduna State.

    The KADIPA board also includes the Head of Service, Hajiya Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed, Commissioner of Business, Innovation and Technology, Idris Nyam, Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development, Fausat Ibikunle and Commissioner, Planning and Budget Commission, Thomas Gyang.

    Other board members are the Director-General of Kaduna Geographic Information System (KADGIS), Altine Jibrin, Muhammad Hafiz Bayero, the Managing Director of Kaduna Market Development and Management Company, Farida Dankaka and Umma Aboki, the Executive Secretary of KADIPA.

    “The Governor also said that he is confident that the new board, which contains the most senior officers of the state will further propel KADIPA to greater success in attracting investments to Kaduna State,” the statement read in part.

    It also disclosed that the government carefully chose the external members to further reinforce the investment credentials of the state.

    “El-Rufai has expressed his gratitude to members of the reconstituted board of KADIPA for agreeing to serve”.

  • JUST IN: Emir Sanusi moved to another town

    Exiled deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi will no longer go to Loko as he has been moved to another town in Nasarawa state. His new abode is Awe, capital of Awe local government.

    Loko, a town on the bank of River Benue, was ruled out as it is said to be far from the capital. It is part of Nasarawa LGA.

    Reports said he was flown in a helicopter to his new abode today from Lafia, capital of the state, less than 24 hours after he was ejected from Kano palace and began his exile journey via Abuja.

    From reports, the deposed Emir never even got to Loko, before the Nasarawa State Government decided to change his exiled place from Loko to Awe.

    A report published in Daily Trust, claimed certain influential Nigerians like the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd) were personally met Governor Abdullahi Sule and requested for a change of location.

    The newspaper said quoting a source said, “Others who called the governor were Alhaji Aliko Dangote and General Aliyu Gusau amongst others,”the source said.

    “Actually, the deposed emir was scheduled to be exiled from Kano to Opanda town in Toto Local Government but there was a change of decision at the last minute.”

  • Breaking: Police arrest more suspects involved in gruesome killing of Emir’s Police escorts

    Breaking: Police arrest more suspects involved in gruesome killing of Emir’s Police escorts

    More suspects involved in the recent attack and attempted kidnap of the Emir of Potiskum that resulted in the gruesome killing of the Emir’s Police escorts have been arrested.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in a statement by DCP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, has also released the names of the suspects, three (3) more members of the Ansaru Terror Group.

    According to the statement, the arrest followed sustained mop-up operations by Police operatives at the operational bases of the Ansaru Terrorists’ Group in Kuduru Forest, Birnin-Gwari.

    The suspects are Munkailu Liman Isah aka Babban Driver ‘m’ 32yrs, Abdullahi Saminu aka Danmunafiki ‘m’ 21yrs and Aminu Usman ‘m’ 22yrs.

    According to the Police, the arrest brings the number of persons arrested to eight (8), and they are already assisting Police investigators with useful information relating to the membership spread and make-up, criminal/operational records, logistics and general modus operandi.

    “Preliminary investigation reveals that the arrested suspects were actively involved in the recent attack and attempted kidnap of the Emir of Potiskum that resulted in the gruesome killing of the Emir’s Police escorts.

    “They were also involved in several other kidnap operations and terror attacks on commuters and other innocent citizens along some major highways, especially in the North-West and North Central States of the country,” the Police statement read.

    The Police, however lamented that investigation has revealed that some citizens, especially those within the business community, give tacit support to the terror groups by deliberately doing businesses with them through the supply of essential goods, drugs (licit/illicit) and other services.

    “To this end, the IGP calls for patriotism amongst the people, noting that this is the only way the fight against the criminal elements can truly be won.

    “While Police operatives are on the close trail of other fleeing members of the terror groups and their collaborators, the IGP has expressed immense appreciation to all and sundry, especially the good people of Birnin-Gwari and environs for their understanding, cooperation and support which have resulted in the measure of successes recorded so far particularly in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other heinous crimes in the ccountr,” the statement read.

  • JUST IN: Kano Emir sacks five district heads

    The Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has sacked five District Heads within his domain.

    Those dismissed are the District Head of Dambatta, Alhaji Mukhtar Adnan, Dawakin Tofa, Alhaji Yusuf Nabahani, Bichi, Alhaji Idris Bayero, Tsanyawa, Alhaji Abdullahi Sarki Aminu and Minjibir, Alhaji Ali Ibrahim Matawalle.

    The affected District heads were removed for alleged disobedience to Emir Aminu Ado Bayero and the emirate respectively.

    While their replacements were announced immediately.

    Recall that the Emir of Karaye, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar ll, had earlier sacked the District heads of Kiru and Rimin Gado, Alhaji Ibrahim Hamza Bayero and Alhaji Shehu Muhammad Dankadai, respectively according to a statement signed by the Secretary of Karaye Emirate Council, Alhaji Tijjani Usman Getso

    They were all sacked for disloyalty to the Emir.

  • Borno emir returns home 5 years after displacement by Boko Haram

    The Emir of Gwoza in Borno State, Mohammed Shehu-Timta, has returned home following relative peace and security five years after displacement from the kingdom by Boko Haram insurgents.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that mammoth crowd gathered at Pulka and major streets in Gwoza metropolis on Monday to give the first-class traditional ruler a rousing welcome.
    Mr Shehu-Timta who was accompanied by the Deputy Governor of the state, Usman Kadafur, Ali Ndume, the senator for Borno South, members of the state House of Assembly and village heads, among others, was received in a colourful celebration showcased with a martial display of Gwoza culture at the emir’s palace.
    Addressing the people, Governor Babagana Umara said the return of the monarch signified the return of civic authority in the local institution.
    Represented by Mr Kadafur, the governor said his administration accord high respect and commitment to the traditional institution, describing it as a “symbol and pride of every society’’.
    “I felicitate with the Emir and people of Gwoza over the official relocation and return of our Emir back to his palace after years in Maiduguri.
    “This administration will not afford to toy with the people of Gwoza and the traditional institution.
    “I therefore call on you to support the Emir and security agencies to end insurgency in order to move the emirate forward.
    “The government is not unaware of the numerous challenges related to the relocation of the Emir. We are going to accelerate the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gwoza General Hospital, water sources and other public utility buildings, among others,” he said.
    According to him, the government will fast track construction of the mega schools to enable the students resume classes.
    Speaking earlier, Mr Shehu-Timta said he voluntarily returned home to build confidence and encouraged his subjects to also return home and go back to their normal livelihood.
    He recalled when the insurgents sacked the town in 2014, killings dozens of people, declaring the town as their spiritual caliphate.
    He said: “Dozens of my people ran for their lives and became Internally Displaced Persons in Maiduguri, Adamawa, Abuja and Lagos, while some fled to Cameroon.
    “Today’s is my happiest day in life as I officially returned back to my domain after been displaced by insurgents.
    “I therefore call all people of Gwoza to come back home, so that we will rebuild our communities.”

  • Banditry: Again, angry Katsina youths take corpses to Emir’s palace

    Banditry: Again, angry Katsina youths take corpses to Emir’s palace

    Angry youths from Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, Saturday evening, stormed the Katsina Emir Palace with three bodies of victims killed at Zaka village.

    The three bodies, all from the same mother, were brought to the palace of the Emir, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman and accompanied by the aged mother of the victims

    The palace spokesman, Mallam Iro Bindawa, told the youths and relatives of the victims, who came in two J5 buses, to return the bodies to their village for burial.

    Bindawa told the aggrieved protesters that the Emir sympathised with them over the incident and advised them to tell the district head of their village to forward an official letter to the palace on the incident, detailing circumstances surrounding it.

    He said: “His eminence has directed me to tell them that they should tell their district head to forward an official letter on the incident to the palace for onward dispatch to security operatives. The Emir sympathised with them and advised that the bodies be taken to the village for proper burial.”

    When contacted, Katsina State Police Command spokesman, Gambo Isah, a superintendent of police, confirmed the incident.

    According to him, the victims were attacked on their farmland in the morning, adding that the victims’ farms were close to one of the bases of the bandits.

    He said: “The victims are of the same mother. Actually, four of them were on the farm when the bandits attacked them but one of them managed to escape.”

    Only recently, aggrieved youths and relatives of banditry attacks from Batsari Local Government Area carried 14 bodies to both the Emir and to Governor Aminu Bello Masari at Government House, Katsina.

    The 14 bodies, which later increased to 18, were later buried after a mass funeral ceremony.

  • Zamfara Emirs make U-turn, apologise to NAF over killings allegations

    The Chairman, Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, has apologized to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) over its recent allegations that innocent citizens were killed in the state during air strikes by personnel of the Air Force.

    The Chairman Council of Chiefs, who is also the Emir of Anka, made the apology when a seven-man high powered investigation team led by AVM Idi Lubo visited him at his palace in Anka on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the traditional rulers had, a fortnight ago, alleged that air strikes on suspected bandits camps hit at and killed innocent citizens in some parts of the state.

    The emirs spoke at a press briefing through the Emir of Bungudu, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru.

    This followed an emergency meeting they held in reaction to an earlier accusation by the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Dan Ali, that some high ranking traditional rulers were conniving with the bandits.

    The Emir of Bungudu also followed up the claim with the release of the names of some persons who were killed in the air strikes.

    The Emir of Anka, however, said “the council regrets the embarrassment caused by the press briefing because it was not targeted at the Air Force or the army but at our own son, the Minister of Defence, who wrongly accused us of complicity in the bandits activities in the state.

    “l apologize over whatever embarrassment the statement may have caused and from now, we have drawn a line, there won’t be anything like that again, and I want to appeal that care should be applied while tracking the bandits and when they run from your fire power into the community, the land army should take over so as to avoid killing the innocent.

    “Out of the 17 emirate councils that we have in the state, mistakes occurred in only four and the submissions we made were gathered in the last two years, l also want to state that nothing happened on innocent citizens in the last six months in the state,” he said.

    While speaking on the list of killed persons that was later released by the Emir of Bungudu, the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs said: “The Emir of Bungudu is not the spokesman of the council even though he read our press briefing that day.

    “The list of victims that he released to the press on a later day did not emanate from me nor was I aware of it as the Chairman, l will only take responsibility because l am the Chairman”.

    He then assured that the traditional council would continue to support security agencies in the fight against armed banditry in the state and urged the army to go and occupy deserted villages where some of the bandits were hiding.

    Earlier, leader of the team, AVM Idi Lubo, said the team was in the state to investigate the true position of the allegations in order to avoid future occurrance.

    “We have also come with condolence letter from the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, in case some innocent people were killed in our encounter with bandits.”

    NAN reports that the team was taken round stakeholders by the Commander of the 207 Quick Response Group in the state, Squadron Leader Sunkanmi Thomas.

  • Emir of Patigi is dead

    Emir of Patigi is dead

    The Emir of Patigi in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara, Alhaji Ibrahim Chatta Umar, is dead. Umar reportedly died in Abuja on Tuesday night after a brief illness.

    The report of the emir’s death was contained in a message by Muritala Raheem, Personal Assistant to the Emir of Ilorin and the Chairman of the state’s Council of Emirs and Obas.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that until his death, the deceased was the vice chairman of the state’s traditional council.

    The remains of the first class traditional ruler would be buried on Wednesday in Patigi by 2pm.

    Meanwhile, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has expressed shock at the death of the emir.

    Sulu-Gambari described the late monarch as highly respected, adding that his demise was a colossal loss to humanity.

    The emir in his condolence message signed by the National Secretary of Shehu Alimi Foundation for Peace and Development, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, said that Umar was a true epitome of peace and symbol of unity to the entire Nupe speaking tribes in Kwara and beyond.

    According to him, his death will no doubt create a wide vacuum which cannot be forgotten so soon.

    He further noted that late Umar was until his death the vice chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Council and had used his wealth of experience to promote the council through his numerous outstanding contributions.

    “I received the news of his death with rude shock. Etsu Chatta Umar was
    a peace loving monarch whose penchant for the growth and development of the emirate and state at large knows no bound. We will surely miss him.

    “I pray that Almighty Allah will forgive his shortcomings, admit him into Al-Janatul Firdaos and give the family and the entire people of Patigi Emirate Council the fortitude to bear the great loss,’’ he said.

  • Emir of Lafia buried amid tears in Nasarawa

    Emir of Lafia buried amid tears in Nasarawa

    The sixteenth Emir of Lafia, the late Isa Mustapha Agwai I, was buried on Friday in the Emir’s Palace in Lafia, Nasarawa State, amid tears.

    He died on Thursday at the age of 84 in Abuja after a protracted illness.

    The Chief Imam of Lafia, Malam Dalhatu Mohammed Dahiru, conducted the funeral prayer at 3:15 p.m. with families, friends and well-wishers in attendance.

    Dignitaries present included Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu as well as traditional and religious leaders within and outside the State.

    After the funeral prayer, the body of the deceased was taken to the ancestral home of late Mamman Ari Agwai in Kofar Kaura for burial.

    He is survived by two children — Alhaji Musa Isa Mustapha Agwai and Hajiya Hauwa Isa Mustapha Agwai.

    The late Emir was born in 1935 at kofar kaura in Lafia town to the family of Muhammad Al-Mustapha Marafa and Hajiya Halimatu.

    He was the longest-serving traditional ruler in the emirate council, spending 45 years on the throne as well as a former Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs.

    During his early age, the late emir was enrolled into a Quranic school in Kofar Kaura, Lafia, after acquiring some elementary aspects of Islamic knowledge, late Mustapha was admitted into Lafia Elementary School in 1943.

    After obtaining his first school leaving certificate from Lafia Elementary School in 1951, the teenage Isa Mustapha Agwai was admitted into Benue Provincial Middle School in Katsina-Ala, the present Benue State.

    Having successfully completed his secondary school education in Katsina-Ala in 1958, the late Mustapha later registered at the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1958 and obtained his Diploma certificate in Accountancy 1959.

    He joined the service of Lafia Native Authority where he served as assistant treasurer, revenue officer and later paymaster in charge of the entire market of Lafia Native Authority.

    After holding several positions within the emirate council, the late Mustapha was appointed Dan Galadiman Lafia and District Head of Obi, which automatically elevated him to earn a full-time membership in the Lafia Native Authority Council.

  • 2019: Emir suspends two traditional rulers for organising prayers for Buhari

    Two traditional rulers in Deba district of Gombe State have been suspended from office after they were accused of organising a prayer session for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 election.

    The two monarchs, Alhaji Julde of Garin Mallam and Ummaru Bappayo of Wajari district, were suspended by the Emir of Deba after they reportedly invited prominent Islamic clerics to the session.

    A letter of suspension written in Hausa language and signed by the acting secretary of the emirate, Saidu Mele, states that they were suspended from office with effect from November 23.

    “ I have been directed to inform you that as from today ( 23/11/2018), his Royal Highness the Emir of Deba has suspended you from serving as district head because of some terrible reasons.

    “You are, therefore, expected to cease carrying out any function as a traditional ruler immediately,” Mele stated in the letter.

    Although the letter did not mention the specific offence the traditional rulers committed, the victims confirmed the reason for the suspension.

    One of the tradition rulers confirmed that they organised the prayer session as a “normal zikr” but that they usually use such occasions to pray for the leaders.

    Julde, the district head of Garin Mallamt while confirming the development said: “It’s true we were suspended for organising Zikr and praying for our dear president. I don’t know what is wrong with that.”

    Julde also said he believes the Emir of Deba was directed by the state government to order their suspension.

    Recall that Gombe is one of only two states in the North-east governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after incumbent governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, won re-election in 2015.

    Dankwambo sought to be the PDP presidenital candidate in the party’s primaries but lost to Atiku Abubakar who is from neighbouring Adamawa State. Dankwambo has, however, pledged his support to Abubakar.

    Julde said the decision to suspend them was taken after a meeting of “top political leaders” in the area. He said he believes Dankwambo ordered their suspension.

    When contacted, an aide to the Emir of Deba, Modu Chokali, said “to the best of my knowledge, no district head was suspended for political reasons.”

    Also, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Umar Nafada, denied knowledge of the suspension.

    “It is not true but I will confirm and get back to you. Thanks,” Mr Nafada said in response to our message sent to him via Whatsapp.