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Tag: kogi

  • Kogi traditional ruler, Obobanyi dies at 116

    Kogi traditional ruler, Obobanyi dies at 116

    The Obobanyi of Ohionwa in Ihima, Okehi Local Government of Kogi State, Chief Jeremiah Akaava, has died at the age of 116.

    A statement issued by the Ohionwa clan in Lokoja on Saturday said that the monarch died in the late hours of Friday.

    It said the deceased spent 36 years on the throne.

    The statement, signed by Mr Yusuf Itopa on behalf of the Ohionwa Clan, described the late monarch as a man who stood for peace, unity and progress of Ohionwa, Ebiraland and Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.

    The clan expressed its gratitude to men and women of goodwill who appreciated the late Obobanyi’s role as a unifying force in the land and consequently showed love and respect to him while alive.

    The late monarch has since been buried.

  • Kogi govn’rshp ticket: Yahaya Bello set to dump APC, orders removal of party flag from govt house

    Kogi govn’rshp ticket: Yahaya Bello set to dump APC, orders removal of party flag from govt house

    Indications emerged on Wednesday that the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello might dump his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    According to insider sources, the governor is likely to join the Accord party for the party’s ticket to contest the November governorship election in the state.

    Feelers to this emerged when the governor ordered the removal of APC flags and banners from Lugard House, seat of the state government.

    The governor has been having a tough battle with APC chieftains in the state to secure the party’s ticket for the election.

    According to a report by ThisDay, the Accord Party secretariat has been renovated by the governor. Although the Accord Party was his alternative party in 2015 when he lost the APC governorship primary to late Prince Abubakar Audu, he was eventually nominated to take the place of Audu in the supplementary election.

    Sources disclosed that Bello told some of his closest allies in his cabinet that some cabal in Aso Rock advised him to move to another party since forces were against him for the ticket.

    According to him, he has been assured of their support if he contests the governorship election in another party.

    The sources also disclosed that the governor of Benue state, Dr. Samuel Ortom, a good friend of Bello, also advised him to dump the APC for another party so that he could contest in the election.

    Already, the national secretariat of the APC received over 10 petitions submitted by individuals, various groups and also within the party demanding that Bello should not be given ticket for second term.

    Senior officials of the party at the national secretariat in Abuja that preferred anonymity, however, said while it was normal for discontent to exist in the polity, it was doubtful if Governor Bello would contemplate jumping ship.

    “What the national leadership is determined to do is to level the playing field for all aspirants to play. The question of anyone being favoured by Abuja is totally misconceived,” an official said.

  • Senate rejects motion seeking to recognise Kogi as oil producing state

    The Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion seeking recognition for Kogi State as an oil producing state.

    The motion was rejected following observations by senators at plenary that the Senate lacked the powers to declare any state as oil producing entity through a mere motion.

    Senator Isaac Alfa who moved the motion, however refused to withdraw it despite persuasion from his colleagues to do so, saying, “I have moved the motion and I am not ready to withdraw it”.

    Senator Alfa moved the motion following what he described as restiveness in border communities contiguous to Kogi, Enugu and Edo states.

    The Senate urged governors of the three states and other stakeholders to resolve the communal crises in their various communities.

    It also called on the Federal Government urged to direct the National Boundary Commission to its report on the determination of the boundaries contiguous to OPLs 915 & 916.

    It’s the quest for derivation from oil resources in the OPLs 915/916 that has continued to trigger communal clashes in the communities.

    The lawmakers similarly appealed to the Federal Government and governments in the affected states to ensure that the displaced persons in the communities are allowed to return to their homes and adequate compensation paid to them.

  • Police IG deploys ”Operation Puff Adder” squad to Kogi

    Police IG deploys ”Operation Puff Adder” squad to Kogi

    The Acting Inspector -General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, has approved the deployment of a squad of ” Operation Puff Adder ” to Kogi, in response to the wave of violent crimes in the state.

    The state Commissioner of police , Mr Hakeem Busari, inaugurated the squad comprising 340 men and officers selected from Mobile Police Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, and IGP Special Tactical Squad.

    Busari said the squad also comprised men from the Explosive Ordinance Department , Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the IGP Intelligence Response Team.

    He said that members of the squad will be complemented by officers and men of the state command, saying that they were deployed, to quickly address the insecurity situation on ground.

    To this end, Busari charged them to appraise the prevailing worrisome security situation, in the state and design a template to contain it.

    He also charged them to identify all criminal syndicates ; their leaders, foot soldiers and sponsors, with a view to arresting them with operational precision.

    ” You are to carry out sporadic raids of their houses/homes, hideouts, rendezvous and other tabernacles.

    ” You must recover arms and ammunition, dangerous weapons , dangerous charms and all other items /properties reasonable suspected to be proceeds of crimes,” he said.

    The commissioner of police told the squad members to identify kidnappers’ safe havens, hideouts, warehouses and liberate victims and arrest culprits.

    He said that the squad would be deployed for a 24-hour security patrol on major highways in the state including, Lokoja – Abuja , Lokoja -Okene, Lokoja -Objana, and Lokoja – Ajaokuta.

    Busari also listed Obajana – Kabba, Okene – Auchi and Ajaokuta – Anyigba – Ankpa; as other highways that will come under the heavy security surveillance of the special squad.

    He said that a detachment of the squad will be deployed to Bagana and Ogba communities in Omala and Bassa Loval government areas of the state to prevent escalation of communal clashes.

    He said that the police will not spare any effort to bring lasting peace to the restive communities and rid them of crimes and criminality.

    Busari warned members of the squad to carry out their duties professionally and to respect the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.

    He also charged them to work as a team and refrain from allowing outsiders to infiltrate their rank and file.

    He also appealed to members of the public , especially transport operators, traditional rulers, youth groups, hunters to cooperate with them.

    He charged stakeholders in the community and give them the necessary support that can assist in the fight against kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and other violent crimes.

    NAN reports that on Friday, the IGP launched code Operation Puff Adder along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

    Adamu, said “Operation Puff Adder” (OPA) is a well thought out and major operation being launched by the Police.

    He said that OPA was aimed at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from heinous criminal elements that are bent on threatening the nation’s internal security order.

    According to him, the operation will cover Abuja-Kaduna highway and the adjoining communities and extend to Kogi, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara states.

  • Kogi NBA urges Gov. Bello to halt action on CJ’s removal

    Kogi NBA urges Gov. Bello to halt action on CJ’s removal

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Kogi on Thursday urged Gov. Yahaya Bello not to act on the April 2, resolution of the state House of Assembly calling for removal of the Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah.

    The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an enlarged meeting in Lokoja, of the four branches of the Bar comprising of Lokoja, Idah, Kabba and Okene; as well as all the executives and elders of the association.

    The communiqué, signed by Dr Michael Obamero and Mohammed Usman, the state’s NBA chairman and secretary respectively, said the call was necessitated by the subsisting order of the High Court of Justice, Koton-Karfe, directing the maintenance of status quo in the matter.

    The NBA in Kogi, said it noted with dismay, the very unfortunate state of affairs of the Justice sector in the state.

    It therefore, called on all the feuding parties to sheath their swords and allow the process of peacemaking to take effect.

    “As important stakeholders in the administration of justice in the state, the Bar feels constrained to analyse all the issues involved with the sole aim of ensuring a truce between all parties.

    “That the bar has noted the resolutions of the Kogi State House of Assembly passed on April 2, 2019 on the ongoing crisis.

    “That his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi, should remove/suspend or cause the Honourable Chief Judge of Kogi to step aside from office pending investigations of certain allegations against the judiciary,” the communiqué read.

    It said in view of the subsisting order of the High Court, Koton-Karfe for maintenance of status quo in the matter, Gov. Bello should not act on the house recommendations, but to allow for peaceful reconciliation.

    The NBA however, commended the house of assembly for recommending the immediate payment of the nine months salary arrears owed Judicial staff and appealed to the government to commence immediate payment.

    The legal practitioners also called on the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Kogi Chapter, to call off the four months old strike to allow for amicable settlement of the impasse.

  • Gov Bello collaborating with Kogi Speaker to sack Chief Judge – Judiciary alleges

    Gov Bello collaborating with Kogi Speaker to sack Chief Judge – Judiciary alleges

    The judicial arm of the Kogi State government has alleged plans by Governor Yahaya Bello to sack Justice Nasir Ajanah from office.

    The judicial service in a statement issued on Tuesday, which was signed by Saqeeb Saeed, Senior Information Officer, Kogi State Judiciary, alleged that the plot being hatched by the governor to remove Ajanah as the state’s chief judge, is to use the speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly to illegally remove the chief law officer in the state.

    The statement read: “Events in the last few days have made it necessary for the Kogi State Judiciary to issue this press statement. The Kogi State Judiciary is aware of clandestine moves by His Excellency, the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to use the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly to illegally remove the Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Nasiru Ajanah, from office over some trumped up allegations.

    “This dangerous and ill-advised move is coming from the executive inspite of the fact that the matter is now before the National Judicial Council (NJC), and there is a subsisting court order restraining the governor from doing so.

    “The governor is advised not to do anything that will plunge the state into an unnecessary constitutional crisis. Rather, he should obey the rule of law and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he swore to uphold.

    “Meanwhile workers of the judiciary should remain calm, as the rule of law shall prevail at the end.”

    As at the time of filing the report, activities at the state assembly indicate there are moves in the offing to ease Ajanah out from office as the Kogi CJ.

    It would be recalled that judicial staff members in the state had on Monday marched through some major streets of the capital, Lokoja, protesting the alleged plan to sack Ajanah as CJ.

    The speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole, had however denied knowledge of such plan.

    Kolawole who was at the government house on Monday, responded to reporters’ enquiry on the issue in the negative, saying he was unaware of the name(s) of such person(s) making the allegations.

  • Kogi fishing festival ends abruptly as gunmen open fire on attendees, injure five

    This year’s edition of the Dankwo fishing festival in Lokoja ended abruptly on Saturday when gunmen opened fire on participants.

    The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the festival, which is an annual event organised by the Lokoja Traditional Council, was just about one hour underway when the gunmen invaded the venue, Kabawa Waterfront, in two engine boats.

    The armed invaders, three in number, positioned themselves strategically inside the boats before firing gunshots indiscriminately into the crowd.

    Guests at the event fled in different directions for safety but five of them were not so lucky as they were hit by bullets.

    Police were immediately contacted but the gunmen had escaped the scene before their arrival.

    They escaped in the same boats, they had come in, it was gathered.

    The Kogi State Police Command spokesman, DSP William Aya, while confirming the incident, described it as unfortunate.

    According to him, all the five injured victims have been taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for treatment.

    He explained that nobody died in the attack, saying that two suspects had been arrested.

    Aya said that full investigation into the incident had started, adding that all those linked with the attack would be arrested and prosecuted.

  • Gunmen injure 5, disrupt fishing festival in Kogi

    This year’s edition of the annual Dankwo fishing festival in Lokoja ended abruptly on Saturday when gunmen opened fire on participants.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the festival, which is an annual event organised by the Lokoja Traditional Council, was just about one hour underway when the gunmen invaded the venue, Kabawa Waterfront, in two engine boats.

    The armed invaders, three in number , positioned themselves strategically inside the boats before firing gunshots indiscriminately into the crowd.

    Guests at the event fled in different directions for safety but five of them were not so lucky as they were hit by bullets.

    Police were immediately contacted but the gunmen had escaped the scene before their arrival.

    They escaped in the same engine boats, it was gathered.

    The Kogi State Police Command spokesman, DSP William Aya, while confirming the incident, described it as unfortunate.

    According to him, all the five injured victims have been taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for treatment.

    He explained that nobody died in the attack , saying that two suspects had been arrested.

    Aya said that full investigation into the incident had started, adding that all those linked with the attack would be arrested and prosecuted.

  • INEC declares elections inconclusive in Kogi East

    The elections for Kogi East Senatorial District and Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency have been declared inconclusive due to widespread violence, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Monday.

    Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, INEC Returning Officer for the senatorial election, who made the announcement at the collation centre in Idah, said that the elections did not hold in 129 polling units across the district.

    Ajayi said that some polling unit elections were cancelled as he announced that scored APC: 113,772 votes; PDP,: 69,131 and ADC, 30,696 votes.

    According to him, report from Bassa Local Government Area revealed that “a registration area with the name Mozum, which has 12 polling units refused to vote.”

    Ajayi said that a new date for the re-run of the polls would be announced after necessary arrangements were made.

    On Saturday, the elections did not hold in four units in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government, as gun wielding hoodlums invaded the polling units in Ajetachi, Etiaja, Abuja and CMML Primary School unit 005.

    In Ajetachi a student of Kogi State University, Daniel Usman, on the queue to vote was gunned down by the hoodlums who operated from a Toyota Sienna bus as they invaded the polling unit.

    In Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area with 65,129 registered voters and 16,543 accredited, elections in four polling units were cancelled within Ofuloko which has 1,145 registered voters.

    The local government also witnessed violent activities in Odolu town as suspected thugs, also in a Sienna bus, shot one Adebayo Adebunmi as they kidnapped Mr Friday Sani, the member representing Igalamela-Odolu constituency at the state House of Assembly.

    In Bassa Local Government, out of 58,892 registered voters, 19,587 were accredited to vote: elections in nine polling units with 6,068 voters were cancelled while elections did not take place in some of the units.

  • Lagos, Kwara, Kogi, others get new CPs [Full list]

    Lagos, Kwara, Kogi, others get new CPs [Full list]

    The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the appointment and deployment of 37 Command Commissioners of Police for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

    Their appointment came following recommendation by the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu to the Commission.

    With the approval, Lagos, Kwara, Kogi and other states now have new Commissioners of Police while the Commissioners of Police in charge of FCT, Borno and few other states’ appointment were revalidated.

    With the approval, CP Mu’azu Zubairu will take over from CP Edgal Imohimi as the new Commissioner of Police Lagos State.

    Details of the approval and deployment is contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by the Commission’s Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani.

    The Commissioners of Police and the states they are deployed to are: “Buba Sanusi, Katsina State; Mohammed Wakili, Kano State; Rabiu Ladodo, Jigawa State; Ahmed Iliyasu, Ogun State; Mu’azu Zubairu, Lagos State; Ibrahim Sabo, Niger State; Alkassam Sanusi, Taraba State; Garba M. Mukaddas, Adamawa State; Omololu Bishi, Benue State; Bola Longe, Nassarawa State; Isaac Akinmoyede, Plagos, teau State; Odumosu Hakeem, Edo State; Olushola David, Bayelsa State; Adeleke Yinka, Delta State; Austin Iwero Agbonlahor, Cross Rivers State; Bashir Makama, Akwa Ibom State; Awosola Awotunde, Ebonyi State; Belel Usman, Rivers State; Bello Makwashi, Gombe State and Abdulrahman Ahmed, Kaduna State.”

    Others are: “Bala Ciroma, FCT; Egbetokun Kayode, Kwara State; Hakeem Busari, Kogi State; Asuquo Amba, Ekiti state; Galadanchi Dasuki, Imo State; Suleiman Balarabe, Enugu State; Dandaura Mustapha, Anambra State; Etim Ene Okon, Abia state; Ibrahim Kaoje, Sokoto state; Celestine Okoye, Zamfara State; Garba Danjuma, Kebbi State; Abiodun Ige, Osun State; Undie Adie, Ondo State; Olukolu Shina, Oyo State; Ali Janga, Bauchi State; Damian Chukwu, Bornu State and Sumonu Abdulmalik, Yobe State.”

    According to the Commission, the CPs are expected to proceed immediately to their new Commands ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Musiliu Smith charged them to quickly settle at their new posts and ensure that the forth-coming general elections in their various Commands are peaceful, free, fair and transparent.

    He also stated that the country cannot afford any disruption of the elections anywhere as the world was looking up to Nigeria for a proof that its democracy has continued to mature.

    The Commission also said its approval has been conveyed to the acting Inspector General of Police for implementation.