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Tag: Nasarawa State

  • NNPP lawmaker defects to APC in Nasarawa

    NNPP lawmaker defects to APC in Nasarawa

    Musa Ibrahim, the member representing Doma South constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Mr Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the House announced the defection of Ibrahim during the plenary  on Wednesday in Lafia. Jatau appreciated the lawmaker for his wise decision to join the progressive party, APC in the state. The speaker assured of his continued commitment to provide all inclusive leadership in the House.

    Also speaking, Dr Aliyu Bello, the Chairman, APC, Nasarawa State described the defection of the lawmaker as “home coming” The APC Chairman assured the lawmaker of equal privileges, rights and treatments in the party.

    On his part, Ibrahim said he defected from NNPP due to crisis rocking the party at the national level.

    ”I write to intimate you of my immediate resolution to defect from my former party, NNPP to APC in Nassarawa State. As a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly  I’m duty bound to make laws that will impact on the lives of my constituents,” he said.

    He said that  the crisis in NNPP  had impeded on his  concentration, hence the reason for his  defection.

    ”Upon receipt of the letter, I denounced my membership of NNPP and now a member of APC. I look forward to working with the leadership of APC in Nassarawa State House of Assembly and the State at large.

    ”Attached to  this copy are series of cases lying in various superior courts of records in the federation which has shown a great division in the party,” he said

    The lawmaker promised  continued effective and quality representation at the state legislature. With this development,  APC has  12 seats with the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) having nine and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) three  in that order.

  • NNPP lawmaker defects to APC, gives reason

    NNPP lawmaker defects to APC, gives reason

    Mr Mohammed Isimbabi, member representing Toto/Gadabuke Constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has defected from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the house, announced this while reading Isimbabi’s  defection letter during its proceedings on Monday in Lafia.

    The speaker said Isimbabi cited division in NNPP at the national level as the major reason for his defection to APC. Jatau has commended the lawmaker for his bold step in joining the ruling APC in the state.

    ” I want to commend him for taking this very serious decision to join APC. His defection to APC is welcome as a leader of the house,” he said

    The speaker said that Isimbabi’s defection would add value to the party.

    Also speaking, Alhaji Aliyu Bello,  APC Chairman in the state commended Isimbabi for joining the progressive party in the country.

    ”Hon. Isimbabi’s defection is very significant.This is the beauty of democracy as Hon. Isimbabi was our former member. Since there is a  lot of crisis in the NNPP at the national level , it is necessary for him to join APC to add value to the development of the state and country,” he said.

    The APC chairman also commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule over his developmental strides in the state.

    Bello said: ” Hon Isimbabi also joined the party due to the developmental strides of Sule. He has disclosed that five more members will soon join APC.

    ”There is no more PDP in the country. PDP has failed in government and opposition in the country.”

    He said that APC’s doors were open to welcome more people into it, adding, “very soon,  five lawmakers will join APC in the State.”

    Bello assured the lawmaker of equity and fairness in the party.

    On his part, Mr Musa Abubakar( NNPP- Doma South), while congratulating Isimbabi on his defection, said that he would also join APC soon.

    He said: “Hon Isimbabi’s defection is a welcome development. We share common political interests.  I will be leaving NNPP soon.”

    Responding, Isimbabi said that he defected from NNPP due to the division within the party at the national level. He, however, appreciated NNPP for giving him the platform to vie for election which he won to become a member of the assembly.

    The lawmaker said that he would continue to serve his people in order to improve their standard of living.

    ”Before taking this decision,  I have gone round the six electoral wards of my constituency to consult them on my defection. They have given me the go ahead to defect to APC,” he said.

  • Police nab woman with anti-aircraft ammunition in Nasarawa

    Police nab woman with anti-aircraft ammunition in Nasarawa

    The Police Command in Nasarawa State says it has arrested a woman in possession of anti-aircraft ammunition in Keffi Local Government Area of the State.

    DSP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state disclosure this to newsmen on Saturday in Lafia.

    According to the PPRO, police personnel attached to Keffi Division had intercepted the suspect on Friday at about 5:10 p.m.,  following credible information.

    The police spokesperson added that the suspect who hails from Doro village in  Katsina, was intercepted with a two- year old baby.

    “Consequently, 124 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition concealed in a gallon of palm oil, one Tecno mobile phone, and N78,500 were recovered from the suspect as an exhibits.

    “Preliminary findings revealed that the suspect received a supply of ammunition at Rafin Sanyi village, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.

    “She concealed the items in a gallon of palm oil en route Katsina state before nemesis caught up with her,” Nansel added.

    Nansel said that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada, had ordered the transfer of the suspect and exhibit to Force Intelligence Department, Force Headquarters Abuja for further investigations.

  • Police detain 50 protesters in Nasarawa

    Police detain 50 protesters in Nasarawa

    The Police Command in Nasarawa State has  detained 50 protesters for allegedly attacking police personnel and causing the breakdown of law and order.

    DSP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, made the disclosure on Thursday in Lafia.

    Nansel said that 25 persons were apprehended in Lafia, 16 in Karu, six in Keffi, and three in Mararaba-Udege in  Nasarawa Local Government Areas respectively.

    He said that the suspects were currently in police custody for further interrogation and investigation.

    The Command’s spokesperson explained that the violence exhibited by protesters in some parts of the state earlier on Thursday had been brought under control by security agencies.

    He gave assurances that the Police and other security agencies would continue  to be professional in handling the protest.

    Nansel,  however, warned troublemakers bent on causing mayhem under any guise desist or face the full wrath of the law.

    He maintained that violent protest was  unlawful and would not be tolerated.

    The spokesperson, therefore, called on members of the public to go about their lawful activities without fear of intimidation.

  • Bandits attack NSCDC command in Nasarawa

    Bandits attack NSCDC command in Nasarawa

    Officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Nasarawa State on Monday successfully defended their state command in Lafia against a raid by unknown assailants suspected to be bandits.

    According to reports, bandits, in large numbers stormed the NSCDC’s Lafia headquarters shooting randomly to intimidate the public.

    Confirming the incident, the NSCDC Public Relations Officer in the state, Jerry Victor, in a statement said that the group of gunmen infiltrated the headquarters in the early hours of Monday in large numbers armed with guns and iron rods, attempting to damage a section of the command’s fence to enter the premises. In contrast, others positioned themselves strategically around the building.

    “The operatives of the NSCDC swiftly responded by opening fire on the hoodlums whose mission was to release some high-profile suspected criminals including informants of kidnappers in the custody of the command,” Victor noted.

    The NSCDC spokesperson, however, clarified that no lives were lost was  during the gun battle between the attackers and operatives of the command.

    He also ascertained that calmness had been restored the area as the event earlier scared residents.

    The NSCDC spokesperson explained further that the command has arrested and detained five notorious suspects for various crimes, including two informants of kidnappers of the 82-year-old father of a former state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Daniel Umaru Lagi who was killed by his abductors after payment of ransom recently.

  • Stay in your offices, Nasarawa Assembly tells LG chairmen

    Stay in your offices, Nasarawa Assembly tells LG chairmen

    Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has frowned at the attitudes of some local government chairmen, who do not stay and operate from their offices.

    The House lamented that the situation was becoming unbearable and called for attitudinal change.

    Mr Musa Ibrahim, Chairman of the  Committee, made the call when managements of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as that of Nasarawa State Local Government Service Commission appeared before the committee to present their 2024 budget performance on Tuesday in Lafia.

    He urged the chairmen of local government areas to operate from their offices for grassroots development.

    “It will not be good for us to see local government chairmen operate from the boot of their cars, or from Abuja and we remain silent, that attitude must changed,” he said.

    The committee chairman urged the ministry and the commission to talk to chairmen of local governments in the state to stay in their offices in order discharge their duties effectively.

    “We would want you to kindly advise the chairmen of the local governments whenever you meet at the Joint Account Allocation (JAAC) meeting to always stay in their offices.

    “They need to stay in their locality and provide governance , they don’t need to run away from their people,” he added.

    Ibrahim also appreciated Gov. Abdullahi Sule for his efforts in maintaining peace and ensuring grassroots development in the state.

    “I want to appreciate you and the governor for ensuring that the state remain peaceful and for providing all the necessary demands that people are demanding

    “We want to thank you for the efforts you have done and still doing to ensure that activities of your agencies go on smoothly,” he said.

    The committee chairman disclosed that he would set up committee to address the issue of one per cent deduction for LG Government Service Commission as required by law.

    Earlier, Mr Mohammed Oyigye , Commissioner for LG and Chieftaincy Affairs and Mr Sani Bawa, Chairman, Nasarawa State Local Government Service Commission, appreciated the committee for their support called for its sustenance.

    They assured of their commitment to ensure speedy development at the grassroots level.

  • Nasarawa Assembly threatens to revoke road contract

    Nasarawa Assembly threatens to revoke road contract

    The Nasarawa State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Works and Transport, has tasked the  contractor handling  the construction of the 48.7km Toto/Umaisha road to expedite action and complete the work in the next three months or face sanction.

    Mr Suleiman  Azara, the Chairman of the committee and Majority Leader of the House stated this when the contractor handling the construction of the road appeared before the committee in Lafia on Wednesday.

    Azara said that he decided to summon the contractor over slow pace of work at the road

    ”The slow pace of work at the 48.7km Toto/Umaisha road necessitated us to summon you. We want to ensure that the contractor delivers standard work on that  road and based on specifications.

    ”We want you to finish the construction of the work between now and August this year and failure to do so, we will not hesitate to direct for the revocation of the road contract” he said.

    Azara maintained that the contractor must thrive harder to deliver on the job or face sanction.

    The committee chairman commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule for embarking on massive road constructions and  other infrastructures in the state.

    Earlier, Mr Isiaka  Yusuf, the contractor attributed the delay of work to paucity of funds.

    “And inflation that has impacted negatively on the prices of  commodities and materials” he said

    The contractor pledged to deliver good work and solicited for more time.

    In a related development, the committee had inspected the ongoing work at Lafia Secretariat Complex, renovation of First Lady Office and Adudu/Azara road..

    While here,  Azara, commended the contractors handling the various projects and urged them to maintain the tempo.

    The lawmaker  also appreciated  Sule for awarding the contracts in order to ensure speedy development across the state.

    He said that Sule deserved commendation for the provision of road and other infrastructure in the state.

  • Nasarawa Chief Judge frees 167 inmates

    Nasarawa Chief Judge frees 167 inmates

    Justice Aisha Bashir-Aliyu, the Chief Judge (CJ) of Nasarawa State, has released 167 inmates across the five custodial centres in the State.

    Bashir-Aliyu freed the inmates during an official visit to the custodial centres in Lafia, Wamba, Nasarawa and Keffi Local Government Areas of the state.

    Speaking at the end of the visits on Thursday in Lafia, the CJ said that the tour of the facilities was in line with the extant laws.

    She added that the move was also in compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to decongest custodial centres in the country.

    The CJ explained that the law empowers her to go round the custodial facilities from time to time to review cases of awaiting trial inmates to ensure that justice was served.

    “The exercise is aimed at seeing to the health and well-being of the inmates, to free those wrongly incarcerated or whose jail terms are more than the punishment they were charged for.

    ”The prisons are not places meant to punish the inmates, but to reform them and make them better persons afterwards.

    ”This is also part of President Tinubu’s directive that the custodial centres be decongested from time to time.

    ”So far, we have released a total of  167 awaiting trial inmates; 49 in Lafia, 33 in  Wamba, 16 in Nasarawa, 69 in both the old and modern centres in Keffi,” she said.

    The CJ called on members of the public to accept and support the freed inmates as they reintegrate into the society.

    She promised that the judiciary in the state under her watch would ensure speedy trials so as to decongest the custodial centres in the state

    The CJ lamented that most of the custodial centres  in the country were already overstretched, housing the number of inmates two times their capacities.

    She also urged judges of lower courts to desist from sending accused persons to custodial centres unnecessarily, insisting that such practices contribute to the congestion of the centres.

    “Always try out-of-court settlement, except it becomes extremely necessary that the accused be jailed,” she said.

    Aliyu-Bashir, however, warned the released inmates to shun all forms of crimes, adding that maximum punishment would be meted on them once they are found wanting again.

    She also warned the staff of the judiciary against indulging in corrupt practices, adding that anyone caught would be severely sanctioned.

    Speaking, Mr Adamu Yahaya, the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS),  thanked the CJ and her team for the visit.

    He noted that the visit had put a smile on the faces of the inmates and provided those who were released a second chance to be law-abiding and responsible members of the society.

    The controller used the opportunity to appeal to families and friends of inmates to desist from supplying marijuana and other hard drugs to them while in custody.

    “We have recorded cases where friends and family members of inmates supply them with marijuana and other illicit drugs either at the court premises or during visits at the custodial centres.

    “We have arrested some of them and one has been tried and is currently serving his jail term at the Nasarawa centre,” he said.

    The CJ was accompanied on the visit by the representatives of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and the National Human Right Commission.

    Others included Police prosecutors, private legal practitioners, judges of higher and lower courts, as well as counsels from the Ministry of Justice, among others.

  • Sule approves N1bn for water project in Keffi

    Sule approves N1bn for water project in Keffi

    Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has approved N1 billion to address water scarcity in Keffi metropolis.

    Mr Ahmed Kana, General Manager Nasarawa State Water Board disclosed this during a courtesy call to the new Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK),  Prof.  Sa’adatu Liman in Keffi local government area of the state on Friday.

    Kana, who was accompanied by top management staff of the board, acknowledged the strategic importance of the university community in the area.

    The general manager emphasised the water board’s commitment to ensuring adequate water supply for the university community and residents of Keffi.

    Kana, who noted that currently, only one pump is distributing water from the Mada Water Scheme to Keffi,  congratulated the vice chancellor on her appointment.

    He  revealed that the governor had approved about N1 billion for a water project in Keffi to address the issue of water scarcity in the area effectively.

    Responding, Liman  expressed appreciation for the visit and commended the board’s commitment to providing water for  the university and the steps taken to address water challenges at the student hostels.

    The vice chancellor reaffirmed the university’s commitment to collaborating with the water board to achieve sustainable water supply solutions.

    She highlighted the importance of ensuring students’ access to water, particularly those residing off-campus, and urged the government, through the board, to intensify efforts to address the water supply shortages in the locality.

    “You cannot imagine what we have seen in the hostel simply because there is no water and it also affects health of the people.

    “So our need to discuss with you on the issue of water is even more pressing than before.

    “For the past one week,  I will say we have been experiencing shortage of water largely due to scarcity of electricity,” she said.

  • Troops restore normalcy to troubled Nasarawa community

    Troops restore normalcy to troubled Nasarawa community

    The Nigerian Army says its troops have restored law and order to Mararaba Udege in Nasarawa Local Government of Nasarawa State, following a clash between Ambu and Eki clans.

    The Nigerian army in a post on its official X handle on Friday, said the troops took decisive action to prevent further loss of lives.

    It however said five civilians were killed while many others were injured during the clash.

    The Army said the troops engaged the warring factions resulting in the arrest of three identified kingpins amongst them.

    The troops also recovered a hand grenade, one AK- 47 rifle, a Beretta Pistol, one locally fabricated gun, two machetes and one club with metal spikes.

    According to the post, the situation is presently under control, with the troops fully deployed in the general area to bring relief to the local populace.

    “The swift and decisive action of the troops will not only bring hope for lasting peace but also serve as a reminder of their dedication to protecting civilian lives and maintaining order in the face of adversity.

    “The Nigerian army remains committed to working closely with local authorities and community leaders to ensure safety and security of all residents in Nasarawa  and contiguous states,” it said.