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Tag: Kaduna

  • El-Rufai approves N1.3bn end-of-year bonus for Kaduna civil servants

    El-Rufai approves N1.3bn end-of-year bonus for Kaduna civil servants

    Ahead of the Christmas and end of the year festivities, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has approved the payment of end of year bonus to civil servants in the state.

    In a statement signed by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai said all civil servants will this month receive bonuses ranging from 100% of monthly pay for junior civil servants to 30% for senior civil servants.

    The statement explains that the end-of-year bonus is part of the state government’s efforts to boost morale and enhance the welfare of civil servants.

    According to El-Rufai, workers from Grade Levels 1-7 will be paid 100% of their monthly salary as a bonus, Middle-level civil servants from Grade Level 8-13 will get 40%, while senior officers on Grade Level 14 and above will receive 30% of their monthly earnings.

    The 2021 end-of-year bonus will cost the state N1.382bn.

    In September 2019, the Kaduna State Government became the first government, national or subnational, to pay the new national minimum wage. The state also increased the minimum pension to N30,000 monthly for retirees on defined benefits.

  • Bandits kill nine in fresh attacks on four Kaduna communities

    Bandits kill nine in fresh attacks on four Kaduna communities

    No fewer than nine people have been killed in separate attacks by bandits in four local government areas of Kaduna State.

    The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in the state, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attacks and the casualty figure.

    He listed the affected areas to include Chikun, Igabi, Zaria, and Zango Kataf.

    Three people, according to Aruwan, were killed while another person sustained gunshot injuries when bandits barricaded the Buruku-Udawa section of the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road in Chikun Local Government Area (LGA).

    He added that one man was killed by bandits in the Yola-Kadi general area, also in Chikun LGA, while another resident was injured in the attack.

    Similarly, bandits killed two people in Sako village in Zangon Kataf LGA, while two corpses were discovered by a security patrol team in the Kurfi-Magamiya general area of the local government.

    In Zaria, one person lost his life after bandits attacked Saye village within the local government, bringing the total number of those killed to nine.

    In his reaction, Governor Nasir El-Rufai condemned the attacks and prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed by the armed men.

    He also wished the injured ones a speedy recovery and called on security forces to intensify operations against criminal elements across the state.

    News of the latest attacks emerged barely a week after bandits killed a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rilwanu Gadagau.

    Gadagau, who represented Giwa Constituency and served as Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, was killed on Monday night.

    He was among many other travellers abducted by the criminals who laid an ambush on the Kaduna-Zaria Highway. The operation on the highway, according to sources, lasted more than two hours.

    Two days after the incident, the lawmaker’s body was found near Mawai, a village just about 13 kilometres from the Kaduna State capital.

  • Police arrest 305 suspected bandits, kidnappers, rescue 168 victims in Kaduna

    Police arrest 305 suspected bandits, kidnappers, rescue 168 victims in Kaduna

    The Police Command in Kaduna State, says it’s operative have arrested 305 suspects for banditry, armed robbery and kidnapping between January and November 2021.

    A statement by the command said 242 of those arrested are being prosecuted by various courts within the state.

    The statement was issued by the Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, on Wednesday in Kaduna.

    Jalige said command has been unrelenting in its determination to rid the state of banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping and other crimes.

    “This has led to the arrest of a total of 305 suspects for involvement in the series of banditry attacks, armed robbery and kidnapping operations on the Kaduna-Abuja highway and other localities in Kaduna State.”

    According to him, the command was able to recover 161 sophisticated firearms and weapons, and 2,924 ammunition within the period under review.

    Jalige also said that 168 kidnap victims were successfully rescued and reunited with their families.

    “The command under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Madussiru Abdullahi, will remain focused in the discharge of these responsibilities.

    “The command enjoins all stakeholders in the fight against insecurity to desist from making comments capable of undermining the fight against banditry and other crimes, not just in Kaduna state, but the country at large.

    The police commissioner said that the comments would not discouraged the police in any way and pledged to arrest and prosecute “the few misguided individuals bent on disrupting the peace in the state”.

    He urged residents of the state to promptly report any suspicious activity within their locality to the nearest police station.

  • Bandits kill pastor after receiving ransom; abduct woman, four children in Kaduna

    Bandits kill pastor after receiving ransom; abduct woman, four children in Kaduna

    Bandits have killed one Pastor Dauda Bature who was in charge of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) parish in the Narayi area of Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.

    Bature, who was initially abducted by the armed men, was killed despite the payment of an unspecified amount of money to his captors as a ransom for his release.

    Although police authorities in Kaduna have yet to react to the killing, a top member of the church confirmed the death of the clergyman on Saturday.

    The source who does not want his identity disclosed explained that the bandits kidnapped Bature on November 8 while he was working on his farm.

    His farm is said to be situated at a location not far from the Rigasa Train Station on the outskirts of the Kaduna metropolis.

    According to the church member, the body of the pastor was found some days ago after his family had paid the ramson demanded by his abductors.

    In a related development, bandits invaded Oil village in Chikun LGA where they forcefully took away a woman and her four children to an unknown location.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, Muhammed Jalige, who confirmed the incident in a statement, revealed that the assailants carried out simultaneous attacks on a residential area at Sabo GRA in the LGA.

    “In the early hours of 11th December 2021 at about 0105hrs, the Kaduna Police Command through Divisional Police Officer Sabon Tasha Division Kaduna acted on a distress call received from a good Samaritan to the fact that some suspected armed bandits numbering about 30 with some in military gears and bearing dangerous weapons, were making ferocious effort to break into a residential area at Sabo GRA in Chikun LGA of the State in an attempt to commit a heinous crime,” he said.

    On receiving the distress call, Jalige stated that operatives were immediately mobilised with the support of other security agents to the scene with a view to thwarting the bandits’ intention.

    He added that the criminals, on sensing the presence of security agents, started shooting indiscriminately while the operatives swiftly returned fire and succeeded in foiling the attempt.

    The command’s spokesman explained that the criminals, who were frustrated by the police and other security operatives, set the residence ablaze and fled into the bush.

    “Unfortunately, it was discovered that the bandits operated simultaneously with one at oil village in the same Sabo location where they kidnapped a woman and her four children to an unknown destination,” he said.

    According to Jalige, the police have launched investigations into the two incidents and effort is ongoing to rescue the abducted victims.

    He assured the residents that the police were doing everything possible to restore normalcy in the area and called for the support and cooperation of the people.

  • Kaduna commences fresh competency test for 35,000 teachers

    Kaduna commences fresh competency test for 35,000 teachers

    The Kaduna State Government has commenced another competency test for primary school teachers as part of efforts to ensure quality teaching and learning in basic schools across the state.

    This comes almost four years after it conducted a similar exercise that led to the dismissal of 22,000 unqualified teachers and the recruitment of 25,000 qualified ones.

    Speaking at the commencement of the computer-based test held in three different centres, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Tijjani Abdullahi said the competency test is not to sack any teacher but to identify gaps in the subject areas for the purpose of training and retraining the teachers.

    “The teachers that are here will see the difference in the approach of the testing,” the State SUBEB Chairman told journalists.

    In 2017, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education sacked over 20,000 unqualified teachers who failed a test conducted to determine their competency.

    The decision which pitched the Nigerian Union of Teachers, the Nigerian Labour Congress ( NLC) against the state government, saw the two Labour unions embarking on a peaceful protest.

    Despite the dust it generated, the government stuck to its guns and subsequently went ahead to employ about 25,000 new qualified teachers to fill the gaps.

    Four years down the line, the Kaduna State Government is embarking on the same process of assessing the competency of the newly recruited teachers through a computer-based system.

    The teachers are expected to write ten questions per subject; English language, Mathematics, Social studies and basic science.

  • Bandits free 65 Baptist Church members, others kidnapped since October in Kaduna

    Bandits free 65 Baptist Church members, others kidnapped since October in Kaduna

    About 65 members of the Baptist church and others who were kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna state have been freed by their abductors.

    The victims were kidnapped by bandits on October 31 when they invaded the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The bandits killed two of the captives a few days later.

    On Saturday, the victims including women, men and children were brought to the Albarkar Baptist Church in the Kaduna state capital after their release and were reunited with their families.

    A relative of one of the victims they paid ransom to secure their release.

    Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the victims were handed over to the state government by the military for an onward reunion with their families.

    He also said that the victims, upon their release, were taken to the hospital by the military for a post-trauma evaluation.

  • Bandits kill two, kidnap 20 in another attack on community

    Bandits kill two, kidnap 20 in another attack on community

    At least two people have been killed and over 20 others abducted by bandits who attacked Unguwan Gimbiya community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The assault took place in the early hours of Friday. Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammed Jalige said the bandits stormed the community at about 1 am.

    According to Jalige, the gunmen opened fire while the residents were still asleep, shooting sporadically, killing two people in the process.

    He also stated that the bandits later took away 20 residents of the community before the arrival of security operatives.

    The police spokesman further disclosed that a combined team of security operatives have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victims and arresting the criminals.

  • NUT backs sacking of Kaduna State ‘fake’ teachers if…

    NUT backs sacking of Kaduna State ‘fake’ teachers if…

    The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Thursday backed the state government’s decision to sack 233 teachers alleged to have been working with fake certificates.

    The Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Dalhatu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the union would not defend any teacher with fake certificates.

    “As far as NUT is concerned, we will not defend them if the allegation of tendering fake certificates is true.

    “We have instructed the affected teachers that if any of them have a genuine certificate and his or her name is on the list, they should submit the certificate to us.

    “We will follow up with Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to rectify the issue,’’ he said.

    On the competency test for public primary school teachers, the NUT chairman said that the union’s decision not to participate in the test had not changed.

    According to him, only the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria has the mandate to test and certify a professional teacher and not any state government agency.

    “We will not go for any test. If the Kaduna SUBEB wants to assess the performance of our members, it should follow them to the class and assess them while they are teaching pupils,’’ he said.

    The NUT National Executive Council had on Nov. 18 directed its members in Kaduna State not to participate in the competency test organised by the state government.

    The Deputy National President of the union, Mr Kelvin Nwankwo, who gave the directive, insisted that teachers’ competence had been proved by various accredited universities and colleges of education.

    He stressed that the teachers were also tested before they were hired.

    According to him, the NUT affirms and relies on the provisions of Section 1(d) of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Act 2004, which made provisions for the regulation and control of the teaching profession.

    “As teachers who belong to a professional body, registered and licensed, we shall only subject ourselves to any professional recommendation issued by our Regulatory Council, and to no other body,’’ Nwankwo said.

    NAN reports that the list of the affected teachers provided by the Kaduna SUBEB shows that 210 out of the 233 affected teachers claimed to have obtained their certificates at the National Teachers Institute, Kaduna.

    Kaduna SUBEB’s Executive Chairman, Mr Tijjani Abdullahi, had announced earlier on Thursday that the board would sack 233 primary school teachers for allegedly presenting fake certificates.

    Abdullahi said the board would forward the files of affected teachers to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.

    The SUBEB boss also disclosed that the board would conduct competency test for primary school teachers as part of continued assessment of their capacity to ensure quality teaching.

  • Police arrest suspected ‘errand boy’ to bandits in Kaduna

    Police arrest suspected ‘errand boy’ to bandits in Kaduna

    Police on Tuesday said they have arrested a suspect for allegedly serving as “errand boy” to some bandits in the Northeast and North-Central parts of the country.

    Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja.

    He said the suspect was arrested on Nov. 10 in Saminaka, in Kaduna State while conveying 250 rounds of live ammunition and five AK 47 magazines to some bandits in Niger State.

    “The suspect works with some bandits and his task is to ferry weapons from suppliers to the bandits.

    “He operates with a Volkswagen Golf 3 Salon car, bought for him by one of the bandits with agreement that he will take ownership of the car upon delivery for weapons five times,” he said.

    Mba said efforts were being intensified by operatives to arrest all suspects in connection with the deal.

    He said six suspected members of a car robbery gang had also, been arrested by operatives of the Police Special Tactical Squad (STS).

    According to him, the suspects work in a coordinated manner, steal cars from different parts of Nigeria and smuggle them to Niger Republic.

    He said the gang has a standby buyer in Niger Republic who works on the cars, if necessary and maintain them for more economic value before sending them back to Nigeria for sale.

    He added that the car buyer in Niger Republic is also, a dealer in weapons and so, pay for the cars either in cash or exchange them with weapons.

    According to him, the Nigeria Police is working with the INTERPOL to ensure the arrest of the suspect in Niger Republic.

    He said the suspects were among the 32 suspects arrested by the police over banditry, homicide, unlawful possession of weapons, trafficking in drugs and other heinous crimes.

    He said 19 AK-47 riffles, three revolver pistols, two G-3 rifles, one sub-machine gun, one general-purpose machine gun and different types of knives were recovered from the suspects.

    Mba added that other items recovered from the suspects were 17 vehicles of different types and a total of 453 rounds of live ammunition.

  • 2023: A PDP Governor will destroy my legacies in six months, El-Rufai begs Kaduna residents for continuation

    2023: A PDP Governor will destroy my legacies in six months, El-Rufai begs Kaduna residents for continuation

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has appealed to the citizens of the state not to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections.

    Speaking at an empowerment programme in Kaduna, El-Rufai said that the PDP will only destroy his good legacies and also drag the state and the entire country backward if allowed to return to power.

    He, however, urged the people to rally around and vote for the candidate he will anoint as his successor in 2023, asking them to trust him in his choice for who will be the next governor of Kaduna State.

    “Some people said that what we have done now cannot be reversed, wrong. A bad governor, a PDP governor can reverse this in six months,” El-Rufai said.

    “Don’t make the mistake of voting PDP back into office in 2023. If you do, things will go back to what they used to be. While we go through our process as APC and bring out a candidate and I endorse that candidate, please trust me that that person will be the better governor of Kaduna from 2023 and beyond.”

    The governor accused the two former Senators of Kaduna North and Kaduna central, Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi, of blocking the massive development in Kaduna State that would have surpassed the feat achieved by his administration which Kaduna people are now celebrating.

    While singling out the just completed ultra-modern Kawo Bridge, El-Rufai said credit should not be given to him alone but also to the lawmakers who assured the project had legislative backing, and also to the people of Kaduna State who supported his administration.

    He added, “Let us continue to pray for the progress and success of Kaduna State and stop eulogising the governor.

    “People have been talking about Kawo Bridge. Kawo Bridge would not have been possible if our members of the National Assembly had not approved the loan that Shehu Sani and Suleiman blocked for two years.

    “People like El-Zazzau and all the members of the National Assembly fought and made sure we hold this market and that is why you are seeing this.”