TheNewsGuru

Tag: Gusau

  • Banditry: Parents withdraw children from schools out of fear in Zamfara

    Banditry: Parents withdraw children from schools out of fear in Zamfara

     

    The banditry activities ravaging Zamfara State for over a decade have forced indigenes of the state to be suspicious of any strange face, especially in rural areas.

    Many people living in the Damba area of Gusau, the state capital, have been vacating the axis as it has become a bandits’ den, with terror attacks being unleashed unabated.

    Many parents have withdrawn their children from schools for fear of being kidnapped.

    Some residents in Gusau, the state capital, have expressed serious fear that with the rate the bandits were operating in many villages inside Gusau Local Government Area, they may eventually penetrate the Gusau metropolis.

    The banditry activities have collapsed almost all sectors including education as many parents have withdrawn their children from schools.

    A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kauran Namoda Local Government Area of the state, popularly known as Kingsley said he was supposed to have completed his Higher National Diploma (HND) in four years but he is now spending six years due to insecurity.

    “Every time the school management would close down the school and send students on compulsory break,” he lamented.

    According to him, it was no longer news that the education sector had totally collapsed in the state especially when the education calendar has been totally altered due to the insecurity situation.

    Between 2019 to date, available records, revealed that four government secondary schools have been attacked by the ravaging bandits and hundreds of students were kidnapped even though none was killed.

    The local governments where these four government secondary schools were located are Anka, Bakura, Maradun, and Talata-Mafara.

    This development has no doubt, caused a lot of setbacks in the education sector in the state, a development that led many parents to withdraw their children from boarding schools across the state.

  • Zamfara govt to restore telecom services in Gusau Friday

    Zamfara govt to restore telecom services in Gusau Friday

    Gov. Bello Matawallen of Zamfara has agreed to restore telecommunications services within the state capital of Gusau effective Friday 1st Oct.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Mr. Zailani Bappa, and made available to newsmen in Gusau on Friday.

    Bappa said the restoration of the telecom services in the state capital became necessary following the tremendous successes recorded in the fight against banditry in the state.

    He added that restoring telecommunications to Gusau would ease the hardship faced by both the private and public sectors in their daily businesses.

    He said, “The state government finds it necessary to ease the tight measure having recorded the desired success of destabilising the syndicate of criminals terrorising the state by the security operatives.”

    According to him, the governor promised that his administration would continue to monitor closely the unfolding developments and would announce further decisions and measures being taken.

    In a related development, the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, while briefing newsmen said over 2000 informants and bandits’ collaborators were arrested and investigations were ongoing.

    He said the fight against banditry was successful as the measures had forced about 80 per cent of the bandits to move out of the state.

    He expressed belief that if the neighbouring states could adopt the same measures, the menace would be crushed totally.

  • Gusau stands still for Gov Matawalle’s defection from PDP to APC

    Gusau stands still for Gov Matawalle’s defection from PDP to APC

    All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Zamfara took over the streets of Gusau on Tuesday to witness the defection of Governor Bello Matawalle from the Peoples Democratic Peoples (PDP) to APC.

    Roads leading to Gusau Trade Fair Ground, venue of the event where APC National Caretaker Committee chairman of the APC, Yobe’s Gov. Mai-Mala Buni would receive Matawalle, were jam packed by the supporters.

    The courts declared Matawalle, PDP candidate, winner of the 2019 governorship election in the state, since the APC that got the highest number of votes did not produce a valid candidate from its primaries.

    According to reports, Zamfara has been wearing a new look since preparations for the governor’s defection began.

    As at Monday, PDP billboards had been changed and replaced with those of the APC with the governor’s pictures spread all over.

    Similarly, vehicles which bore PDP campaign posters have completely disappeared while new ones with APC markings have taken over the roads blaring praise songs of Matawalle and the APC.

    Security operatives had difficulties in controlling traffic, especially at the venue of the event even as the guests were yet to arrive.

    Many people were seen trekking to the venue.

    Gov. Matawalle is defecting to the APC alongside all 24 members of the state’s House of Assembly, 11 National Assembly members, all political appointees and their supporters.

    All state executive members of the PDP at all levels in the state are also in tow.

    The national body of the PDP, however, dissolved all the executive committees of the party in the state on Monday.

    Meanwhile, APC leader in the state and immediate past governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, had welcomed the governor into the party.

    Yari announced at a press briefing after holding meeting with some of the state’s APC chieftains in Kaduna that the APC had welcomed the governor with open arms.

  • Why IAAF won’t ban Nigeria over Gusau’s suspension

    The Acting President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Mr Olamide George has allayed the fear that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) may sanction the country following the suspension of Ibrahim Gusau.

    Gusau is as the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) who was suspended on Tuesday by eight out of the 13 members of the board of the association for alleged flagrant violation of the federation’s constitution.

    The board also accused Gusau of refusing to pay athletes, coaches and officials allowances during major international competitions.

    It also accused him of reaching an agreement with sport wear manufacturer, PUMA, without the knowledge and approval of board or the secretary general who is the custodian of the federation’s documents, records and properties.

    George, in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Abuja, said that due process was followed in the process that led to Gusau’s suspension and that there was no faction in the board.

    He also noted that the board had decided to constitute a five-man committee to investigate the circumstances that led to Gusau’s suspension and report to the board at its next meeting.

    “In as much as we are doing things with the constitution, the code of governance and in as much as we are playing with the rules in the right way, we cannot be banned.

    “If you are talking of faction you must consider numbers; we have eight members here and how many are we on the board, you must consider that.

    “Solomon Ogba, the Board Chairman, has resigned, the Technical Director Sunday Adeleye has been recalled by ministry; how many of us are left,” George asked.

    He commended the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare. for paying the balance of 135,000 dollars erroneously paid into the account of the AFN by the IAAF in 2017.

    George also commended Dare for providing the fund for Nigeria’s participation at the concluded IAAF World Athletics Championship held in Doha between Sept. 27 and Oct. 6 and prayed for continuous support for AFN.

  • Breaking: NAF special forces storm Gusau, Zamfara state

    Breaking: NAF special forces storm Gusau, Zamfara state

    Following the recent attack on Bawan Daji community in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State where some lives were lost, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed that Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces be deployed to Gusau, as part of efforts to stop the incessant banditry attacks.

    Accordingly, the NAF Special Forces, who were trained in asymmetric warfare, were airlifted from Kaduna with the NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft to complement the efforts of other security forces on ground to prevent further attack on innocent citizens.

    TheNewsGuru reports the personnel and other supporting staff would operate from the recently established 207 Quick Response Group in Gusau, where they would reinforce the existing Regiment personnel in the Unit in support of the ongoing Operation SHARAN DAJI in the State.

    In his address to the troops at Gusau shortly before their deployment earlier today, the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita, announced that the Special Forces would be further deployed to remote areas of Zamfara State, where they would be engaged in Internal Security operations.

    He therefore further urged them to effectively utilize their experience and training to protect the lives and properties of the people of Zamfara State.

    He added that the NAF leadership expects the Special Forces to exhibit the highest standards of professionalism and respect for human rights in discharging their duties.

    In recent times, the NAF has taken additional measures to enhance its contributions to tackling Internal Security challenges in the country, in fulfilment of its constitutional responsibility.

    In addition to earlier established Quick Response Groups and Wings and the deployment of NAF Special Forces to various states, the NAF recently established Quick Response Wings at Agatu, Doma and Nguroje in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States respectively to bring security closer to those in the relatively remote areas.