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Tag: niger

  • Police arrest 19 suspects for kidnapping, cattle rustling, other offences in Niger

    The Police Command in Niger have announced the arrest of 16 suspected cattle rustlers, kidnappers and armed robbers that have been terrorising residents of the state.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammadu Abubakar, said this in a statement on Monday in Minna.

    He said that two suspected kidnappers were arrested with three AK 47 rifles, eight rounds of ammunition, two empty magazines, Army uniform, 14 cows, 20 sheep, 11 goats, one Gionee and one Infinix mobile phones at Mashegu and Borgu Local Government Areas.

    The police spokesperson explained that six suspected armed robbers were arrested for robbing one Alhaji Idris Zugurma of Mashegu Local Government Area.

    “The police recovered three locally made pistols, 11 cartridges, wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and charms from the suspects.

    “We have also arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a stolen Toyota Carina with Registration Number GGE 925 APP,’’ he said.

    He said that three other suspects were arrested for criminal conspiracy and armed robbery in Minna town and recovered an Acura MDX Jeep with Registration number MNA 435 JB.

    “We have arrested three suspects in Sabon Wuse of Tafa Local Government Area for unlawful possession of firearm and attempt to commit murder,’’ he said.

    He said that the command also arrested three other suspects in New Bussa and recovered two motorcycles with dangerous weapons while one of the motorcyclists’ left hands was cut off during the operation.

    The PPRO said that two locally made pistols, four life cartridges, fake FRSC identity card and a knife were recovered from the suspects.

    Abubakar said that all the suspects would soon be charged after investigation.

    He appealed to residents of the state to complement efforts of the command by giving information on movement of bad elements in their midst.

     

  • There will be problem in Nigeria if Buhari does not recontest in 2019 – Niger Gov

    Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State has said the nation might experience several challenges if President Muhammadu Buhari does not heed the call to re-contest in 2019.

    The governor also note that Nigerians will not regret electing the president for a second term in 2019.

    Specifically, the governor said the country will face economic challenges and may eventually fall back into recession if President Buhari does not seek reelection.

    Sani-Bello spoke when he received the people of his hometown, Kontagora, at the Government House in Minna.

    He said the support declared by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors was to ensure continuity and sustainability of Buhari’s good work of reviving the country from its economic woes and fighting corruption.

    “If President Muhammadu Buhari does not contest in 2019, there will be problem in solving the enormous challenges facing the country because he is truthful, fair and just in administering the country.”

    Bello, who urged Nigerians to support Buhari’s endorsement, said Nigeria would be greater under his administration.

    He thanked the people for the visit and for calls for recontest, even as he assured them that ongoing projects in Kontagora and other parts of the state would be completed.

    The Coordinator, Muazu Bawa Rijau, said the people were satisfied with the governor’s achievements in the last three years hence, the call for him to recontest.

     

  • Meningitis kills four in Niger

    Meningitis kills four in Niger

    The Niger State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibril, said on Wednesday that four people have died of Cerebro-spinal Meningitis (CSM) “Serotype C” in the state.

    He said 31 cases were reported and nine confirmed.

    Briefing journalists in his office in Minna, the commissioner said the four deaths were recorded in Magama local government area of the state.

    He said Magama local government area had 27 cases while Katcha LGA had four.

    He added that the samples collected tested positive for Serotype C.

  • 2019: No intention to defect to APC – Former Niger Governor, Babangida Aliyu

    The former Governor of Niger, Dr Babangida Aliyu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says that he has no intention of defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Aliyu made the remark on Monday in Minna following the defection of 34, 826 politicians from other political parties including Alhaji Aminu Yusuf, deputy chairman of PDP in the state.

    Recall that many of the politicians who abandoned their various political parties to defect to the APC were mainly Aliyu’s close allies in the state.

    “I have no intention of defecting to the APC because I believe in the PDP. I had the opportunity of decamping to the APC when I led the G-7 Governors but did not do so because of my belief in the PDP.

    “What we protested then was to correct some of the abnormality in PDP but not to defect to the APC.

    “If I were a selfish politician then I will have defected to the APC then. May be I would have become a minister now,’’ he said.

    He noted that the PDP made him a governor, saying that it was a strong political party if not for internal wrangling that made it to lose the 2015 election.

    The former governor said that the party had started working toward correcting the wrongs at the various levels.

    On the herders/farmers clashes across the country, he said that the Federal Government must tag it a security concern and plan how to stop it.

    He advised the government to establish cattle ranches where necessary and carry the stakeholders along in order to avoid misunderstanding that would result in more clashes.

  • Niger Assembly passes motion for councils dissolution

    The Niger House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a motion dissolving the 25 Local Government Councils in the state for alleged poor performance and misappropriation of funds.

     

    The assembly also directed Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger to immediately implement the resolution and conduct fresh council elections within 90 days.

     

    This was contained in a report by the House Committee on Local Government read at plenary by Hon. Abdulmalik Kabir (APC-Paikoro), who is the chairman of the committee.

     

    The motion seconded by Hon. John Bahago (APC-Munya), directed the chairmen of the 25 councils to handover to Directors of Personnel Management (DPM).

     

    The lawmakers upheld that the legislative councils have also failed to hold meetings and sittings as required under Section 38; subsection (1) of Niger local government law, 2001.

     

    The Assembly also discovered that none of the council’s legislative arms had up to 50 sittings, which was short of the required 90 by law, adding that the highest sittings by the councils was 47 in two years.

     

    The Assembly decried absence of the chairmen from office and indiscriminate award of contracts.

     

    Paris Funds: Breakdown shows Gov. Okowa received N27.6 billion

  • Buhari shelves trip to Niger Republic

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday cancelled his scheduled trip to Niger Republic.

    His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had announced on Sunday that Buhari would join some worlds leaders for the 59th Proclamation of Republic of Niger ceremony in Tahoua, Niger.

    Shehu had said Buhari, alongside the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger, will participate in the event held on December 18 of every year to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Niger and creation of the Presidency.

    “After the ceremony, the Nigerian leader will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts before returning to Abuja same day.

    “President Buhari will be accompanied on the trip by Governors Aminu Masari, Ibrahim Gaidam and Kashim Shettima of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States respectively,” the statement had read.

    But Buhari did not embark on the trip on Monday as scheduled.

    Shehu, however, explained that the President cancelled the trip because he felt satisfied that he had had useful discussions with President Mahamadou Issoufou in the course of the weekend meeting of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja.

    He added that after a telephone discussion with Issoufou on Sunday evening, Buhari decided to send the three governors of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States as well as the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs to represent him.

    The presidential spokesman said, “The event to which the President was invited is the celebration of the 59th year of the country’s independence.

    “Niger invited the leaders of neighbouring states: the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Nigeria.

    “President Buhari felt satisfied that he had had useful discussions with his friend and brother, President Mahamadou Issoufou, in the course of the weekend meeting in Abuja, of the Economic Community of West African States.

  • Buhari set to travel to Niger Tomorrow

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday attend the 59th Proclamation of Republic of Niger ceremony in Tahoua, Niger.

    According to a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President, alongside the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger, will participate in the event held on December 18 of every year to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Niger and creation of the Presidency.

    “After the ceremony, the Nigerian leader will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts before returning to Abuja same day.

    “President Buhari will be accompanied on the trip by Governors Aminu Masari, Ibrahim Gaidam and Kashim Shettima of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States respectively,” the statement read.

  • Just in: Buhari arrives in Niger ECOWAS Meeting

    President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Niger to attend a meeting on common currency for the West African sub-region.

    The President left Nigeria early hours of Tuesday for Niamey, Republic of Niger, to participate in a meeting on common currency for the West African sub-region.

    Details later…

  • Herdsmen, farmers sign peace pact in Niger

    Herdsmen, farmers sign peace pact in Niger

    Herdsmen and farmers in Mashegu Local government Area of Niger have signed a peace agreement to stop clashes among them.

    Alhaji Abdullahi Babayo, Director-General of Nomadic Affairs Agency in the state, disclosed this in a statement issued in Minna on Wednesday.

    Babayo said the aim of the meeting was to reconcile communities that were affected by farmers/herdsmen crisis in the area.

    He said that the meeting was attended by Alhaji Bala Sai’du, Chairman, Mashegu Local Government, Alhaji Ardo Adamu, Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Niger, Fulani Herdsmen, Farmers, District Heads and community leaders from the area.

    According to him, the meeting was to promote peace among farmers and herdsmen and to appeal to herdsmen to desist from grazing on farmlands to avoid clashes with farmers.

    The director-general advised both parties to abide by the agreement and continue to respect the cultures of one another, tradition and means of livelihood.

    He urged them to be law abiding and live in peace irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

    “Farmers and herdsmen should adopt alternative dispute resolution mechanism whenever there is a disagreement in order to avert the negative effects of crisis,’’ he said.

    Babayo also urged the Herdsmen to report any suspicious persons to the appropriate authority.

    He said this would enable the authority to interrogate the persons to know their mission in the state.

    He also advised both farmers and herdsmen against blocking cattle routes and destroying farmlands so as to sustain the peace in the area and guarantee food security.

     

     

    NAN

  • Flood: Osinbajo approves release of N1.6bn bailout to Lagos, Niger, Enugu, 12 other states

    Flood: Osinbajo approves release of N1.6bn bailout to Lagos, Niger, Enugu, 12 other states

    Sequel to the devastating effects of the heavy downpour last week on most states in the country, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has directed the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, to immediately release N1.6 billion for the 15 states ravaged by floods.

    The states include; Ekiti, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Oyo, Lagos, Plateau, Sokoto, Edo and Bayelsa

    Spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, made the disclosure to newsmen after the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

    Adesina said the money will help cushion the effects of the disaster on residents of the states.

    He explained said the fund “would be taken from the Federal Government’s Ecological Account in the Central Bank of Nigeria”.

    He said the Minister of Finance has been directed to release the money directly to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, for onward distribution to the affected states.