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Tag: kogi

  • Coronavirus: Kogi orders civil servants to work from home

    Coronavirus: Kogi orders civil servants to work from home

    Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Kogi State Government has decided to excuse civil servants from work and keep them at home from Monday, as a preventive measure to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

    Kingsley Fanwo, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication made this known in a statement on Sunday.

    Fanwo said those who render critical services would be communicated through the Office of the Head of Service of the State on how to keep the system running without endangering the workers, despite the inevitable decision of government.

    “Civil servants from GL 1 to 13 are directed to stay off workplaces for 14 days which is subject to review after the first week starting from Monday, 23rd March, 2020.

    “Only workers from GL 1 to 13 are affected by the directive to stay at home while GL 14 and above are to report at their Offices. Those rendering essential services are to continue to go to their workplaces as they are not affected by the “Work from Home” directive.

    “The Kogi State Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the virus doesn’t find its way to the state and in the unfortunate scenario it does, Government is prepared to control and manage the cases.

    “No case of the virus has been reported in Kogi State yet and it is hoped that Government’s efforts at staving the virus off the State will prove productive.

    “We urge Kogites to ensure adherence to health instructions from the State Ministry of Health on how to prevent the disease as well as ensure personal hygiene,” Fanwo said.

  • Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello loses mother

    Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello loses mother

    Hajia Hauwau Bello, mother of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, is dead.

    A statement personally signed by the governor and circulated among media houses in Lokoja said that Hajia Hauwau died after a brief illness on Sunday at the age of 101 years.

    “We are relieved that her passing was peaceful and painless,” Bello said in the statement.

    According to him, she will be buried according to Islamic rites on Monday, March 16 at her residence in Nagazi, Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    She is survived by children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many adopted children.

  • Kidnappers release JAMB, NSCDC officials in Kogi

    Kidnappers release JAMB, NSCDC officials in Kogi

    POLICE in Kogi State have confirmed that the five officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) kidnapped on Obajana-Kabba Road over a week ago have been freed.

    Also set free were five officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) kidnapped on Ayingba Road.

    A police statement issued on Tuesday evening said that all 10 kidnap victims were hale and hearty, and have reunited with their families.

    Read Also: Kogi varsity set date to receive repentant cultists
    The statement, however did not say whether any ransom was paid or how much.

    The JAMB workers were said to be traveling from the exam board’s Abuja office to Kogi ahead of a mock exam, while the NSCDC personnel were on their way for a promotion examination in neighbouring Benue State when the kidnappers accosted them.

  • JUST IN: Five JAMB staff, NSCDC operatives kidnapped in Kogi released

    JUST IN: Five JAMB staff, NSCDC operatives kidnapped in Kogi released

    The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the release of all the five Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) staffs kidnapped along the Obajana-Kabba road, over a week ago.

    Also, all the five personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) that were kidnapped around Ajegwu, along the Ayingba road have secured their freedom.

    The police command, in a statment on Tuesday, stated that all the Kidnapped victims were hale and hearty and have reunited with their families.

    It however did not disclose if any ransom was paid to secure their freedom.

    Close family source of one of the released NSCDC operative confirmed their release.

    The freed JAMB workers were said to have been from the examination body’s head office in Abuja and were headed for Kogi West, ahead of the mock UTME which held last Tuesday while the NSCDC operatives were abducted on their way for a promotion examination in neighbouring Benue State.

  • Just In: Kidnappers release 10 victims in Kogi

    Just In: Kidnappers release 10 victims in Kogi

    Ten of the kidnap victims abducted in Kogi last week have been released, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP William Aya, has said.

    He said in Lokoja on Tuesday that those released included six JAMB staff kidnapped on the Obajana- Kabba road and the NSCDC officers in Alo-Offoke community on the Itobe-Ayingba road.

    Aya said that the JAMB staff were released at about 12 midnight on Monday, adding that they left for Abuja early on Tuesday morning.

    He also confirmed that the NSCDC officers were released on Sunday and had since reunited with their families.

    The police spokesman could, however, not confirm whether ransom was paid before the victims were released by their abductors.

    The kidnapped officers were on their way to Makurdi, Benue, to write promotion examination when they were kidnapped while the JAMB officials were travelling to Kwara to supervise the UTME mock examination.

  • Court rejects Niger, Kogi’s objections to judiciary autonomy

    Court rejects Niger, Kogi’s objections to judiciary autonomy

    Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected objections by Niger and Kogi states to the execution of a judgment which granted financial autonomy to the judiciary.

    The January 13, 2014 judgment given by Justice Adeniyi Ademola (then of the Federal High Court, Abuja), in a suit by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), prohibited the piecemeal release of budgetary allocations to the judiciary at the state and federal levels by the executive.

    Justice Okon Abang, in two separate rulings yesterday, dismissed two sets of applications filed by both states, and another one by the judgment creditor – JUSUN – for incompetency.

    The first ruling was on an application by Kogi State Governor and the state’s Attorney-General, where they prayed the court to set aside the January 13, 2014 judgment. They argued that they were not served the originating processes in the suit and were not heard in the proceedings leading to the judgment.

    Justice Abang held that the application (listed as the 45th and 46th judgment debtors/applicants) were incompetent, having not been filed in accordance with the provisions of Order 19 Rule 3 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules.

    The judge said the court’s rules provides that an application to set aside a judgment given behind a party should be made within six days after the judgment or such other longer period as the judge may allow, a provision the applicants failed to comply with.

    He noted that the applicants did not only file their application outside the time allowed, they also lied about their claim that they were not aware of the judgment.

    Justice Abang also faulted the affidavit, filed along with the application, on the grounds that it was deposed to by the wrong person.

    He said it was the parties, who denied being served with court processes that ought to personally depose to such affidavit, and not a third party, as was done in this instance.

    “This application is a hopeless and unpardonable abuse of court process. The application dismissed. N50,000 is awarded against the 45th and 46th judgment debtors applicants, to be paid to the judgment creditor (JUSUN) before the next adjourned date,” he said.

    In the second ruling, the judge dismissed another set of applications by the governors of Kogi and Niger States and their Attorney Generals, listed as 45th, 46th, 53rd and 54th judgment debtors/applicants, on the grounds that they were incompetent.

    The four applicants had urged the court to set aside the proceedings leading to the grant of garnishee order nisi in the garnishee proceedings initiated against them by JUSUN in execution of the January 13, 2014 judgment.

    They also urged the court to declare the proceedings as a nullity and set aside the order nisi on the grounds that there were not served with the order nisi.

    Justice Abang, in dismissing the applications, held that the applicants could not query the competence of a garnishee proceedings just because they have not been served with an order nisi.

    The judge also dismissed an application by the judgment creditor, with which it had urged the court to make the order nisi absolute.

    Justice Abang held that JUSUN’s application was not within the powers of a judgment creditor to apply that a garnishee order nisi earlier granted be made absolute.

    He noted that the order nisi, granted on November 21, 2018, by Justice Babatybde Quadri (also of the Federal High Court) was vague as it did not stipulate the amount of the judgment debt to be attached.

    The judge held that the judgment creditor was at liberty to file a fresh application for a garnishee order nisi after computing what amount is due to it from the judgment.

    He said: “The judgment creditor will, as a matter of urgency, calculate what it is entitled to by virtue of the judgment made on January 13, 2014. Once the amount is ascertained, the judgment creditor will be at liberty to file a fresh ex-parte application to attach the accounts of the judgment debtors.

    “The judgment creditor should serve the order nisi on the debtor and garnishee after filing a fresh application.

    “In the final analysis, the three applications by judgment creditor and debtors are incompetent and are struck out.”

    The judge adjourned till April 7 for the garnishee proceedings.

  • Four NSCDC officers abducted in Kogi

    At least four officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been kidnapped.

    William Aya, a deputy superintendent of police, revealed that the officers were kidnapped at a spot in Alo-Offoke community on the Itobe-Ayingba road.

    The officials were said to be travelling to Makurdi for promotion examination when their vehicles were stopped by some gunmen.

    “Information gathered reveals that four civil defence personnel were among the kidnapped victims,” Aya said, indicating that those kidnapped may be more than four.

    He said three other persons that sustained injuries during the attack were currently receiving treatment at a hospital.

    Aya said the police responded immediately it received distress calls that some armed men were operating between Alo- Offoke and Ayingba.

    “The Divisional Police Officer in charge immediately mobilised his personnel to the scene where they met two abandoned vehicles, one Volkswagen Sharon bus with registration number Kogi KNA 220 LG and a Volkswagen Gulf car with registration number Lagos EZ 376 SMK,” he said.

    “Both vehicles were riddled with bullets and occupants suspected to have been abducted while 20 expended AK47 ammunition and civil defence kits were recovered from the scene.”

    Aya said the command had flagged off aerial surveillance patrol of Obajana axis and other black spots.

    He said the operation also involved ground troops consisting of police and military personnel who are now combing the bush to rescue victims.

    He said the new operation was being led by the state Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Ekpeji.

  • EFCC arrests ex-Kogi governor’s son for fraud

    EFCC arrests ex-Kogi governor’s son for fraud

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Muhammed Audu in Lagos.

    Mr Audu, a son of former Kogi governor Abubakar Audu, was taken into custody by operatives on February 18 after a probe of public sports funding showed he was allegedly linked to a multi-billion fraud at the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).

    The alleged loot was in dollars and naira, officials said, estimating it to the tune of multi-billion naira. The precise amount would be disclosed in the coming days, operatives said.

    The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorised to disclose the arrest.

    Mr Audu, who has become a top politician in Kogi and contested for governor there last year, was accused of using his entertainment businesses, Mediterranean Hotels Limited and Mediterranean Sports, to divert the funds.

    Efforts have commenced to charge the suspect to court promptly, according to two officials familiar with the arrest.

    It was not immediately clear whether Mr Audu has contacted his lawyer following the arrest.

    More details later…

  • Corps member commits suicide in Kogi, leaves emotional note behind

    Corps member commits suicide in Kogi, leaves emotional note behind

    A serving corps member who hails from Kogi State, Miss Princess Motunrayo Bolufemi, has committed suicide after drinking two bottles of snippers.

    The lady from Gbedde-Ijumu in Kogi State was a graduate of Banking and Finance from Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba.

    She was a Batch “C” National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving at Girls Secondary School, Ibagwa-Aka, Igbo-Eze South local government council of Akwa-Ibom state.

    She was said to have committed suicide on Friday, January 10, leaving behind a suicide note, saying “life is not worth Living”.

    The suicide note she left behind read: “I did this because I see nothing worth living. Mummy, I love you. Daddy I love you. Matthew and John, you guys should take care. We will meet where we will depart no more. I Iove you guys”.

  • Just In: Kogi PDP Vice Chairman slumps, dies

    Just In: Kogi PDP Vice Chairman slumps, dies

    The Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Kogi State, Chief Kola Ojo, is dead.

    A statement by the state Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Bode Ogunmola, in Lokoja on Wednesday said that Ojo slumped and died in Lagos Tuesday evening while playing lawn tennis.

    Ojo, a legal practitioner, was said to be regular player of the game at the Sports Centre, Ogudu GRA, in Lagos where the incident happened at about 5:55 p.m.

    “The Sports Centre was said to be about a five -minute drive to his residence within the GRA.
    “He was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital but was pronounced dead by doctors on duty.

    Ogunmola described Ojo as a “reliable pillar of the party.”

    “He was until his death the Vice Chairman of the party in Kogi West Senatorial district. He did his best to improve the fortunes of the party,” he said.

    According to him, the late Ojo joined politics after retiring from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
    He hailed from Okoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of the state and was married and has four children.