TheNewsGuru

Tag: Zamfara State

  • JUST IN: Police detain trailer load of passengers heading to Oyo State [PHOTO]

    JUST IN: Police detain trailer load of passengers heading to Oyo State [PHOTO]

    The Police in Kwara on Sunday intercepted a trailer carrying many passengers at Oyun in Ilorin East Local Government Area of the State for contravening the lockdown order.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, who was at the scene of the interception, reports that the trailer, with registration ZAR 180 XW (Kaduna) was coming from Zamfara and heading to Ogbomoso in Oyo State.

    The vehicle, carrying food items also had no fewer than 40 passengers, comprising men, women and children on board.

    The Police, however, intercepted the vehicle and asked the driver to return back to where he was coming from.

    It was gathered that two police vans escorted the trailer to the boundary between Kwara and Niger.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said the command had stationed its men at the boundary with Niger but that the driver resorted to avoiding arrest by going through the bush-path.

    “I have directed that the trailer be escorted out of Kwara. It is the first time we intercepting vehicles that come in through an illegal route,” Egbetokun said.

    He said that he had directed his men to go and identify the route and block it.

    Recall that Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara had on April 10 ordered a complete lockdown, restricting vehicular movement in and out of the state as a measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

    Police in Kwara intercept trailer with passengers heading to Oyo State on Sunday, May 3, 2020 (NAN photo)
    Police in Kwara intercept trailer with passengers heading to Oyo State on Sunday, May 3, 2020 (NAN photo)

  • BREAKING: Supreme Court dismisses APC’s request to review Zamfara judgment

    The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the application for judicial review filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara against Sen Kabiru Marafa and 179 others.

    The apex court had nullified the election of all the candidates of the APC in the 2019 general elections in Zamfara .

    In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court held that the application is a vexatious, frivolous and gross abuse of court process.

     

    Details later…

  • My Governor has sidelined me, Zamfara Deputy Governor cries out

    The Deputy Governor of Zamfara, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, says his Governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari, has sidelined him.

    Wakkala told newsmen in Gusau on Sunday that the governor had denied him his rights and privileges .

    “For months now, several of the legal fundings that are supposed to be made to my office have been stopped and I have been completely sidelined by the state government.

    ” This attitude against me started since I indicated interest to run for the governorship of the state on the platform of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “I know that nothing stops me as a citizen from contesting for any elective position, so I want those concerned and responsible for the interpretation and implementation of the constitutional provisions that accorded me rights and privileges to explain to me why I am being treated this way.

    “If my crime is my declaration, then what about my supporting staff made up of casual staff, feeding of security personnel, fueling and services of vehicles attached to my office, what have they done to have their allowances stopped, “he said.

    The deputy governor also said that it had still not been officially communicated to him that the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, would be serving as acting governor of the state.

    “I knew this on the pages of newspapers, the social media and when the state Commissioner of Information told a journalist that I am treated this way because I belong to the G8 group.

    “My concern at the moment, however, is to see that Zamfara is free from all these security challenges where the killings, kidnappings and animal rustling have taken charge.”

    Clarifying further on the matter, the Deputy governor’s Director-general on Media, Malam Yusuf Idris, said, “the deputy governor is always in his office and nothing is related to him concerning official matters.”

    Yusuf maintained that “the only reason someone else aside from the deputy governor that can act in the governor’s absence is when he (the deputy governor)is impeached, removed from office by court order or death and none of these is the case at the moment,” he said.

    When contacted however, Gov. Yari told journalists that “my main concern in the state now is how to tackle the security situation and see our people living without any threat to their lives, businesses or property.

    “We can only discuss this issue when we begin to talk politics,” he said.

    The APC in the state is factionalized between the governor and his supporters and the G8 made up of eight persons including the deputy governor.

     

  • How troops neutralised 20 bandits in Zamfara – Buhari’s aide

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant, Bashir Ahmad, has explained how troops of the Nigerian military were able to neutralise 20 bandits in Zamfara.

    TheNewsGuru reports the Nigerian military conducting Operation Sharan Daji to flush out bandits in Zamfara, on Saturday neutralised 20 bandits and freed their captives.

    “During the recent clearance operation along Mashema, Kwadi, Kalage, Gambiru and Kagara axis in Maradun, Tsafe and Zurmi LGAs of Zamfara State, heavy fight ensued between troops and bandits, Nigerian troops captured top bandits, destroyed their camps and freed captives,” Bashir stated.

    According to Force Information Officer of the operation, Col. Muhammad Dole, the encounter at DABAN-DOKA village near Dansadau, troops laid ambush along bandits’ identified routes where 20 bandits were neutralised.

    “Some bandits escaped with gunshot wounds and several motorcycles were burnt. In one of the troops’ encounter with the bandits, 2 notorious bandits, Bello Danboko and Sani Maza, were eliminated in Yanwari ward near Yankuzo and Mai Tukunya village near Dansadau all in Zamfara,” Muhammad said.

    According to him, during the clearance operation, heavy fight ensued between troops and bandits, and that due to overwhelming military fire power, a reasonable number of bandits were neutralised and their camps were set ablaze.

    This successful feat has created relative peace and spurred massive returns of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their villages in Zurmi Local Govt Area, according to the military.

    Muhammad said the troops had begun aggressive day and night fighting patrols around Kyaranke and Giwabawa villages in Kanoma District of Maru area, following a tip-off on imposition of one million Naira levy each on the 2 villages.

    “Another tip-off led to the rescue and recovery of kidnapped victims and the sum of N500,000 ransom from kidnappers in Subulu forest,” he said.

    He also said the troops in their recent exploits, apprehended 2 notorious bandits, known for terrorising Maradun town and its environs.

    He identified the alleged abandits as Muhammad Aminu and another one popularly called Yellow at Tashan Udda in Maradun. They are undergoing interrogation.

    He said some weapons, ammunitions, motorcycles, phones and large herds of cows were recovered.

    He said the Force Commander, Maj-Gen. Mohammed Mohammed, “wishes to assure the law abiding citizens that the troops are poised to ensure quick restoration of peace and safety in all the vulnerable areas in Kaduna and Zamfara States”.

    Muhammad urged the populace to continue to give credible information for the success of the operation.

    The commander said recent successes recorded were due to collaborative efforts between the troops and the communities.

     

  • Zamfara Govt. expends N9.2b on water projects

    Zamfara Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari has said his administration has spent over N9.2 billion on 30 water projects across the state.

    Yari disclosed this in Gusau on Tuesday while speaking at the 2018 Democracy Day Celebration held at Zamfara Trade Fair Complex, Gusau.

    He said since water was considered as a necessity of life, his administration had since inception in 2011, came up with a special water policy to address the problems of water scarcity in the state.

    “We copied an underground water system from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) water project executed in the state and selected 30 towns and villages across the 14 local government areas of the state that benefited from project”, he said.

    According to him, other sectors that the state government gave emphasis to within his seven years of stewardship are in the area of education, health, agriculture and road.

    He said as education remains bedrock for future development of every society, his government have invested extensively in the sector.

    “Among the projects we executed under the sector were renovation of 18 Senior and Junior Secondary Schools across the state at the cost of over N4.7 billion.

    “We also spent over N3.7 billion for renovation of 112 primary schools, local government education secretaries’ offices and three Model Primary Schools in Gusau and Talata-Mafara local government areas.

    “Over 20 years after the state creation, the present administration came up with a policy to establish the state university which is going to be located in Talata-Mafara; we earmarked N8 billion for the project.

    “We have already secured approval from the National Universities Commission; we are making efforts to ensure that the institution takes off next year.”

    Yari added that the administration had built 130 mosques and Islamic schools at the cost of over N1.6 billion, spent N6.8 billion on fertilizer and over N3.6 billion on the renovation of health facilities.

    “We are making arrangement to establish three referral hospitals in Gummi, Kaura-Namoda and Tsafe towns”, he said.

    The governor further said that the administration had under the period of review spent over N2.2 billion to link 218 communities with national grid and N651 million on the construction of eight fire service stations across the state.

    Yari also said various projects had been executed across the 14 local government areas including the construction of 20 kilometers of township roads in each of the local councils.

     

  • Breaking: NAF special forces storm Gusau, Zamfara state

    Breaking: NAF special forces storm Gusau, Zamfara state

    Following the recent attack on Bawan Daji community in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State where some lives were lost, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed that Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces be deployed to Gusau, as part of efforts to stop the incessant banditry attacks.

    Accordingly, the NAF Special Forces, who were trained in asymmetric warfare, were airlifted from Kaduna with the NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft to complement the efforts of other security forces on ground to prevent further attack on innocent citizens.

    TheNewsGuru reports the personnel and other supporting staff would operate from the recently established 207 Quick Response Group in Gusau, where they would reinforce the existing Regiment personnel in the Unit in support of the ongoing Operation SHARAN DAJI in the State.

    In his address to the troops at Gusau shortly before their deployment earlier today, the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita, announced that the Special Forces would be further deployed to remote areas of Zamfara State, where they would be engaged in Internal Security operations.

    He therefore further urged them to effectively utilize their experience and training to protect the lives and properties of the people of Zamfara State.

    He added that the NAF leadership expects the Special Forces to exhibit the highest standards of professionalism and respect for human rights in discharging their duties.

    In recent times, the NAF has taken additional measures to enhance its contributions to tackling Internal Security challenges in the country, in fulfilment of its constitutional responsibility.

    In addition to earlier established Quick Response Groups and Wings and the deployment of NAF Special Forces to various states, the NAF recently established Quick Response Wings at Agatu, Doma and Nguroje in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States respectively to bring security closer to those in the relatively remote areas.