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Tag: Yobe

  • Police arrest 2 soldiers over murder of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Goni

    Police arrest 2 soldiers over murder of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Goni

    The Police Command in Yobe has arrested two soldiers over their alleged involvement in the murder of an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Goni Aisami, in Yobe.

    Dungus Abdulkarim, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and the command’s spokesman, announced the arrest of the suspects on Tuesday in Damaturu.

    Abdulkarim said that on Aug. 19, police operatives apprehended the suspects, Lance Cpl John Gabriel and Lance Cpl Adamu Gideon in connection with the Sheik’s murder.

    He said both soldiers were from 241 RECCE Battalion, Nguru, Yobe.

    Preliminary investigation revealed that the cleric who was traveling from Kano state gave a ride to Gabriel, the principal suspect.

    However, on their way to Jaji-Maji, a village along Gashua town, where the soldier said he was going to, he allegedly told the deceased that there was an unusual noise at the rear tire, which made Aisami to stop.

    It was when the cleric came down to check the tires that Gabriel allegedly brought out his rifle concealed in a camp bed and shot him to death.

    He then dragged the body and hid it in the bush and tried to take off with the deceased’s car, which, however, failed to start.

    The principal suspect called Gideon, the second suspect, on phone to assist in towing the vehicle.

    In another development the police spokesman also said that on Aug. 14, the command arrested one Jobdi Muhammadu, aged 42.

    He said that the suspect was a member of the kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in parts of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe..

    He added that the command also arrested two suspected armed robbers who specialised in breaking into people’s houses and vehicles.

    “The modus operandi of these hoodlums is to hibernate in market and bank premises and watch out for potential victims.”

    He said that the suspects would eventually trail and swoop on customers who withdraw large sums of money by burgling their vehicles or homes.

    The PPRO, on behalf of the command, commiserated with the family of the deceased cleric and appreciated the cooperation and support of the Yobe Government.

    He urged citizens to continue to support the police by providing useful and credible information at all times.

  • Buni mourns slain Yobe cleric, orders thorough investigation

    Buni mourns slain Yobe cleric, orders thorough investigation

    Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe on Sunday expressed sadness over the murder of Sheikh Goni Aisami, an Islamic cleric based in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area of the state.

    Newsmen reports that Aisami was allegedly shot dead by two soldiers on Friday in Jaji-Maji, Karasuwa Local Government Area of the state.

    DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, Spokesman of the Police Command in the state, said the soldiers, who attempted to steal the deceased’s car, were arrested and would be prosecuted.

    Buni, in a statement issued in Damaturu by his Director-General Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, described the circumstances surrounding the murder as sad, regrettable and most unfortunate.

    “The alleged circumstances surrounding the death is most unfortunate and will be investigated thoroughly.

    “Government will ensure that every detail is investigated and anyone found wanting, will face the full wrath of the law.

    “The state government will work closely with the security agencies to unravel every detail to ensure justice is done,” he said.

    The governor condoled with the family of the deceased, the people of Bade local government area and the entire state over the death of Aisami.

    Buni called on them to remain calm and law abiding as investigation was ongoing and would be pursued to its logical conclusion.

    He prayed to Allah for the repose of the soul of the deceased and give his immediate family and the entire people of the state, the fortitude to bear the loss.

  • Post-insurgency recovery: Gov. Buni to replicate lessons learnt in Japan tour

    Post-insurgency recovery: Gov. Buni to replicate lessons learnt in Japan tour

    Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has said that the lessons learnt from his recent Hiroshima, Japan, study tour would fast track post-insurgency recovery process of the state.

    Buni, in a statement by his Director-General Press and Media Affairs Alhaji Mamman Mohammed on Monday in Damaturu, said this when the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Matsuyama Kazuyoshi, paid him a courtesy visit.

    He said lessons learned from Hiroshima, which speedily recovered from atomic bomb destruction, would facilitate speedy restoration of facilities and communities devastated by the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency.

    “Although the circumstances were different, but the methodology of committed leadership, resilience of the communities and time line set up to achieve set targets are suitable for our post-insurgency recovery.

    “The determination of leadership and commitment of victims to restore and recover their lives serves as inspiration for us to achieve our set goals in Yobe state,” the governor said.

    Buni identified education, healthcare delivery, agriculture, youth empowerment and employment, among others, as critical sectors in need of recovery, calling for more support from Japanese government and other development partners.

    In his remarks, Kazuyoshi said Japan was looking forward to a strong and vibrant relationship with Yobe.

    He pledged that the Japanese government would create employment opportunities through investment in cow pea cultivation in the state.

    The Ambassador also pledged to support the state in irrigation farming and provision of modern toilet facilities for schools and public use, as part of efforts to eradicate open defecation.

  • Gov. Buni commends FEC over approval of N18bn refund to Yobe

    Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has commended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approving N18 billion to the state as a refund for the construction of five federal roads.

    Buni, in a statement by his Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, in Damaturu on Thursday, pledged judicious use of the funds.

    He said the refund would provide the state government with opportunities to execute projects that would improve the lives of the people.

    “I want to specially commend Mr President and members of the Federal Executive Council for the sense of fairness to Yobe.

    “The refunds would finance other projects that would impact positively on the lives of our people.

    “Government would direct the resources into education, healthcare delivery, water supply, employment opportunities and other infrastructure to improve the lives of our people,” the governor said.

    He explained that such understanding between the state and federal governments would spur the state to commit more resources on federal projects with direct bearing on the lives of the people.

    Newsmen reports that the FEC on Wednesday approved N477 billion to 24 states as refunds for construction and maintaining federal roads.

  • Gunmen abduct teacher, four others in Yobe

    Gunmen abduct teacher, four others in Yobe

    The Police Command in Yobe on Wednesday confirmed the abduction of Babagana Kachalla, an Assistant Headmaster, Central Primary School, Buni Yadi, and four others by gunmen in Madiya Village, Gujba Local Government Area of the state.

    The Command’s Spokesman, ASP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the incident in a statement in Damaturu.

    Abdulkarim listed the other abductees to include Abubakar Barma, Haruna Barma, Modu Bukar and Hajiya Gana.

    He said the incident which occurred at about 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday was reported to the divisional police station in the area by one Mala Boyema at about 10:37 a.m.

    The spokesman said that Boyema luckily escaped the abduction carried out by heavily armed insurgents when he ran into their road block in Madiya.

    He, however, said that Gana was later released by the insurgents.

  • Heavy casualty as troops pound Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Yobe

    Heavy casualty as troops pound Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Yobe

    The Nigerian Army says the troops of of Sector 2 Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have again inflicted heavy casualty on Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in a fierce battle at Buni Yadi in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe.

    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a a statement on Wednesday, said the feat was achieved on Tuesday.

    Nwachukwu said the terrorists, who frantically attempted to gain access into Buni Yadi, met stiff resistance from troops of 27 Task Force Brigade and Nigerian Army Special Forces School, supported by the Nigerian Air Component.

    He added that personnel of the Nigerian Police also supported the troops who gallantly fought and overwhelmed the terrorists with superior firepower.

    According to him, the ferocious battle forced the criminals to withdraw in different directions having suffered heavy losses.

    “Several gun trucks with their occupants were taken out by the troops. Preliminary battle damage assessment revealed the precision with which Air and Land troops engaged the terrorists destroying their gun trucks.

    “Exploitation is still ongoing by troops to take out fleeing remnants of the terrorists,” he said.

    Nwachukwu said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, had commended the troops for the operational exploit.

    “He also charged them to sustain the current operational tempo to deny the criminals freedom of action,” he said.

  • Half a million people in three Nigerian states at risk of starvation – UN

    Half a million people in three Nigerian states at risk of starvation – UN

    The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that half a million women, men and children in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states are at risk of starvation as its funding for the region dries up.

    In a statement released on Friday, the global agency says it may soon be forced to cut food rations except it secures urgent funding to continue its life-saving operations in the crisis hotspot.

    The region has been a mainstay of insurgency attacks for over a decade and the situation has been worsened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising high food prices, the WFP said.

    The UN agency also said the number of internally-displaced persons surpassed two million in September.

    “Cutting rations means choosing who gets to eat and who goes to bed hungry. We are seeing funding for our life-saving humanitarian work dry up just at the time when hunger is at its most severe,” said Chris Nikoi, WFP’s Regional Director for West Africa following a recent visit to Nigeria.

    The WFP, which won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2020, said it required at least $55 million in a matter of weeks to avoid cutting food aid.

    “Our food assistance is a lifeline for millions whose lives have been upended by conflict and have almost nothing to survive on. We must act now to save lives and avoid disruptions to this lifeline,” Nikoi added.

    The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said cutting food assistance “will be a painful decision for humanitarians as it will negatively affect children, women and men uprooted from their homes due to continued violence.

    “As we call upon our partners to step up their support in response to the growing needs, I would like to say thank you to those who have stood with us over the years in providing the much-needed humanitarian assistance in the country.”

    According to its Friday statement, the WFP said it has “provided life-saving food and nutrition assistance to severely food insecure people, displaced families in camps, and to vulnerable people living in host communities thanks to generous contributions from Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, the United States of America, and private donors.

    “This year, relying on the continued generosity of donor partners, WFP ramped up its response to address rising food insecurity and the impact of COVID-19, targeting 1.9 million displaced people in Nigeria with life-saving food assistance.

    “To sustain humanitarian operations in northeast Nigeria until March 2022, WFP urgently requires USD 197 million.”

  • Nine dead, others injured as fighter jet bombs Buhari village; govt sympathises with victims

    Nine dead, others injured as fighter jet bombs Buhari village; govt sympathises with victims

    A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet has killed nine people in Buhari community, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State.

    Several other villagers sustained injuries and are now receiving medical attention at a government health facility in Geidam.

    According to a resident of Damaturu, Saleh Ibrahim, the jet shelled the village in the early hours of Wednesday when the villagers were preparing to go to the weekly market in Geidam, a neighbouring local government, 200 km from Damaturu.

    “The villagers were already set to go to the market at Geidam early in the morning when, suddenly, the jet appeared from nowhere and started shelling the village.

    “Instantly, three people died. The sound of gunshots scared the villagers and they ran for safety, but others sustained injuries as a result.

    “Some of the injured were attempting to tend to the dead people when they also got hit by bullets from the jet.

    “As of 5 pm on Wednesday, the number of dead people had risen to nine, while over 30 people sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at Geidam General Hospital,” Ibrahim disclosed.

    He added, “Buhari village is in Yunusari local government, but Buhari village is closer to Geidam and the entire Yunusari local government doesn’t have facilities to attend to the injured victims.”

    Meanwhile, Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni has commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in the ‘unfortunate’ airstrike on Buhari village in Yunusari Local Government Area of the State.

    Buni said although it could have been an accident or mistaken target, the government will join hands with the security agencies to unravel the root cause of the incident.

    The Governor in a statement through his Spokesman, Mamman Mohammed, directed his Special Adviser on Security Affairs, to liaise with the Nigeria Air Force and the Multi-National Joint Task Force, to look into the unfortunate airstrike.

    He assured that government will work closely with the security forces especially the Nigeria Air Force to establish what actually happened.

    “This is very important and necessary for us to guard against future occurrence and to safeguard the lives of our people,” Buni said.

    The Governor also assured the preparedness of his administration to work with all security forces to ensure the safety of the state.

    Meanwhile, Governor Mai Mala Buni has directed government hospitals in Geidam and Damaturu to offer free medical services to those who sustained injuries from the airstrike.

    Similarly, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has been directed to provide relief materials to cater for the immediate needs of the families of the deceased persons and other members of the community.

  • FG disbursed N24bn to Yobe, Katsina, two other states for ranching – Presidency

    FG disbursed N24bn to Yobe, Katsina, two other states for ranching – Presidency

    Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu has said that the federal government has given four states, including the federal capital territory (FCT) N24 billion for cattle ranching.

    Shehu who revealed that the Katsina, Yobe, Ebonyi and FCT have all received funds for ranching in an interview on Channels Television, added that more than 12 states are being processed for payments.

    He said that four states had received N6bn each for ranching and other associated purposes.

    His words: “Yes, Katsina has been given money, but Katsina has not been the only one given. So far, about 24 billion has been issued to four states on ranching and associated activities.

    “Yobe has been given, Ebonyi, and FCT has been given. More than 12 states are now being processed for these payments. We have heard all this nonsense being said by lawyers who ordinarily should be respected – accusing the president… the president cannot be nepotistic, he cannot descend so slow to do what others before him have done.

    “He is a fair and just leader, the fact that Katsina got money, one of two of these states got their own before Katsina but it is because they did not go to town with it, that is why the people are calling out the president and the governor of Benue is saying all these trash against him.

    “It’s a process and the state governors are lining up. You present criteria, you get funded. If you want justice for yourself, do justice to other people as well.”

  • House help, three others detained over alleged killing of banker in Yobe

    House help, three others detained over alleged killing of banker in Yobe

    The Police Command in Yobe said it had arrested four suspects in connection with the killing of Hassan Abubakar, an employee of Damaturu branch of the United Bank for Africa.

    The command’s spokesman, ASP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement in Damaturu on Monday.

    Abdulkarim named one Umar Shaibu, 21; Tajjuddeen Taufiq, 20; Ismail Mohammed, 17; and Bulama Modu, 17, all residents of Damaturu as the suspects arrested by the police.

    He said they were apprehended during a sting operations carried out by detectives of ‘B’ Divisional Police Headquarters.

    “On July 23, 2021 at about 1130hrs, a report was received from one Abubakar Musa, an employee of UBA Bank, Damaturu branch, that the victim, one Hassan Abubakar, a co-employee, did not report for duty and efforts to trace his whereabouts proved abortive.

    “Consequently, detectives swung into action and his home and premises were searched and blood stains were observed on the floor, with some iron rods covered with blood, probably used in the commission of the offence.

    “On July 24, 2021, the principal suspect, Shaibu, who happened to be the house help of the victim, was arrested while carting away valuable items from the victim’s house,” Abdulkarim explained.

    “Upon interrogations, he confessed to the crime, stating that on July 22, 2021, he and three other suspects attacked the victim in his house at Red Bricks Housing Estate in Damaturu.

    “They robbed him (deceased) of money but ended up killing the victim, buried the corpse in the compound and fled.

    “On the next day, July 23, 2021 they began to sell the property until they were eventually nabbed by the police, which led to the arrest of the three other suspects,” Abdulkarim said.

    He added that the suspects would be charged to court after investigations.

    The spokesman said the Commissioner of Police, CP Yahaya Abubakar, who was saddened by the incident, condoled with the family of the deceased and assured them of justice.

    He urged members of the general public to be vigilant at all times and report suspicious acts and movements around them to the nearest Police Station or formation.