Following Sunday’s attack that led to the killing of two persons and abduction of about 20 people at Keke community of Kaduna Millennium City in Chikun Local Government Area of the state, Daily Trust gathered that the abductors have demanded a collective ransom of N900 million to release the victims.

A coordinated operation, which residents of Keke said lasted hours, saw gunmen who posed as security agents in military and police uniforms mount roadblocks in the community on Sunday night.

The gunmen were said to have killed two people, including a provision vendor who attempted to escape, and abducted at least 20 people.

Those abducted included a 19-year-old female food vendor whose family told our correspondent that the kidnappers had demanded N200 million for her release, failure of which they would “turn her into their wife.” The victim’s uncle, who didn’t want his name mentioned for security reasons, told Daily Trust that his niece was abducted while returning home around 8:30 pm.

“The kidnappers called us on Monday evening to demand for N200 million as ransom and then they called again yesterday [Tuesday] afternoon asking if the money was ready,” he said. “Her father is a commercial tricycle operator and the tricycle does not even belong to him. “They threatened that if we fail to raise the ransom she will become their wife,” he said.

Our correspondent made attempts to reach the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, but he did not respond to calls. Calls put to the Kaduna State Police command through the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, also got no response.

A staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Kaduna, Mrs Yemi Awolola has been arrested for allegedly torturing and sexually abusing her 14-year-old house help.

She picked the victim from an Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camp in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna 15 months ago.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that the victim had been given to Mrs Yemi by her parents on the agreement that she would be supported to go to school. Mrs Yemi and her family members had allegedly tortured the victim, including using a lighter to burn the victim’s private part and also inserting the lighter in her private part.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development, Hafsat Baba on Friday said the victim had been made to sleep in the toilet and often times is made to drink toilet water by Mrs Yemi, adding that the offence is contrary to the Kaduna State Child Welfare and Protection Law.

Baba said though the victim is presently receiving treatment at a private hospital, she would be transferred to the state-owned Barau Dikko hospital, adding that the state government will mate out sanctions on Mrs Yemi on three counts of child labour, violence against children as well as sexual violence.

She said the suspect is presently in police custody and urged them to ensure that she is prosecuted while assuring that she would personally write letters to the NNPC to notify them of the involvement of their staff.

Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed confirmed the arrest of the suspect, saying the case has been forwarded to the state CID for investigation.

There was a mild drama on Friday at the burial of the Mother – in – law of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs Florence Adenekan, as the former leader enforced compliance with coronavirus safety protocols.

The deceased died at 90 and was laid to rest at Isara, in Remo North local government area of Ogun State, on Friday.

A statement by the former President’s Media Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi said Mrs Bola Obasanjo (the deceased daughter) was absent at the ceremony, as she was in United Kingdom (UK) and could not made it.

The statement hinted that the former President stood his ground, enforcing adherence to safety measures at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church (Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion) Diocese of Remo, Isara Remo, where the burial service took place.

Our correspondent reports that the state government only allowed gathering of 20 as part of measures to maintain physical distancing as a way to flatten the curve of COVID – 19.

Obasanjo ensured that the approved limit of those to be allowed was adhered to at the church service, the statement disclosed. Some of his close aides and associates were reportedly shut out despite wearing their face masks.

“He (Obasanjo) personally shut the Church doors, as the Service presided over by the Archibishop of Lagos Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos/Bishop of Remo Diocese, Most Rev Dr M.O Fape began at about 10.30am,” the statement indicated. Shortly after the burial service, the internment took place at the Church cemetery located behind the church, with Obasanjo leading family members to pay the dust to dust rites.

The statement said the former President later paid homage to the four traditional rulers at Ode and Isara areas of the local government. The monarchs he reportedly visited were Oba Mukaila Akanbi Olabinjo (Isara), the Iraye Remo, Oba Samuel Olatunji Kalejaiye, the Eleposo Eposo Ode Remo, Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe and the Alaye Ode, Oba (Suvr.) Adetunji Osho. Oba Osho was quoted to have said Obasanjo demonstrated “how true and respected Yoruba son he is, by visiting their domains despite coming on personal engagement to the area.”

“We shall continue to learn from your wisdom. The entire people of Ode is proud and appreciate this visit,” the traditional ruler said.

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The Federal Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved contracts worth the sum of N109.187bn for roads and hostel renovation in four states. The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, told State House reporters, that his ministry presented two memoranda to the council.

He said: “The first one was to aid the completion of the Enugu – Lokponta section of the Enugu – Port Harcourt highway, it was augmentation of existing contract by N25bn, the council approved that augmentation. “The second memorandum was the award of three different roads.

“The first is Dikwa-Marte-Mungunu road for N60. 273bn and the Numan road linking Borno and Adamawa for N15.527bn and the third is for Gombi-Biu linking Adamawa and Borno also for N7.643bn.” The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the FEC approved an agreement between the Kaduna Polytechnic and an investor to renovate 18 blocks of student hostels.

The contract, which is a 15-year concession at the cost of N744,264m, is under a Renovate, Operate, Maintain and Transfer arrangement. Adamu said: “There are 18 blocks of hostels and each room in a block will house four students. “The total number of students to be housed will be 4,032.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said Nigeria was trying to change its foreign policy direction to “reflect the reality of today and the reality of national interest”. He said the ministry had helped Nigerians to secure top positions at regional and continental organisations.

The reported discharge of 2.6 billion barrel of toxic waste over 48 years by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) into communities in Bayelsa State has had the people of Brass Kingdom and Ologbobiri in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area living in a state of panic.

There are worries about air, water and soil contaminations due to oil spills and discharge of toxic waste, which have given rise to concerns that if residents start suffering the health effects, they might be mistaken for COVID-19 symptoms.

Already, there are reports of children and the elderly being struck by unusual ailments that locals suspect might have links to the pollution while fishing and farming, the economic mainstay of the communities, have suffered. Recently, dead fishes have turned up in huge numbers in some riverine communities in the state, especially in the Southern Ijaw and Brass areas and in other Niger Delta states.

The fishermen have blamed the oil spills and gas flaring for this. Concerned by these developments, elders and youths of Brass Kingdom wrote to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) over alleged delays in the remediation and compensation for the over 2.6 billion barrels of toxic waste dumped into the Brass Canal due to the company’s operations.

According to the elders, Agip’s management has made several promises to the state government and the host communities in Brass to address the concerns but the Italian company has continued to discharge over 150, 000 barrels of toxic waste annually into the Brass Canal. This, they say, has contaminated the soil, groundwater and the air quality in these areas thereby degrading the health and livelihood of the people.

Recently, legal counsels of the Kingdom, Iniruo Wills and Dickson Omukoro of Ntephe, Smith and Wills Law Chambers, wrote a letter reminding the company of the urgent need for proper remediation of the ecological damage caused by 48 years of toxic waste discharge at the company’s Brass terminal. In the letter addressed to the company’s Managing Director, the community said it needs adequate compensation based on impartial impact assessment and a restoration and pollution prevention plan as per best practices.

The kingdom also drew the attention of NAOC’s management to the current long-drawn-out process of finding a lasting resolution to the pollution from the Brass Canal/oil terminal, which has triggered lots of petitions and subsequent exchanges and engagement between Agip, the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and other regulatory agencies.

In the letter, the kingdom insisted that they are putting the company on notice, “to stop desperate attempts by their officers to compromise or induce key interests aimed at evading regulatory compliance, frustrating the ministerial directive for an independent comprehensive impact assessment and to corruptly waive NAOC’s environmental obligations to the people of Brass Kingdom.”

Also blighted by the contamination, the people of Okpoama Kingdom in the same local government area, have sent a save our soul message to the Federal Government They said that an oil spill occurred two weeks ago on the 24-inch Ogoda-Brass crude oil trunk line operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

The Chairman of the Okpoama Kingdom Oil and Gas Committee, Percy Jerry Wemi-Kwomain, said that the incident happened at the Amangaetima Bush near Ewoama-Brass.

“The oil spill has discharged enormous amounts of crude oil into the adjourning creeks and rivulets, thereby affecting the environment and the livelihood of the people of the area,” he said.

A section of the media was awash last week with news of a whistleblower, one John Okupurhe, who had written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari accusing the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), of refusing to pay him his reward after he had exposed over $1 billion hidden in Unity Bank Plc. Okpurhe, through his lawyer, Aliyu Lemu, in a letter dated June 22, 2020, had alleged that the said account was secretly being operated by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to illegally collect revenue to the tune of the S1bn from vessels.

He added that upon discovery, he informed the Office of the AGF, in line with the whistleblower policy, of the secret account and an agreement was signed on how he would be entitled to a reward if the information he had provided turned out credible. The whistleblower further alleged that after playing his own part, the AGF’s office “began to play games.”

Following the said allegation, the House of Representatives, in a motion of urgent national importance during plenary last Thursday, gave its committees on Finance and Ports & Harbours a marching order to investigate the secret account allegedly being operated by the NPA with Unity Bank plc.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the NPA was not the owner of the said account number 0013680344, which was cited by the whistleblower, Mr. Okpurhe. It was discovered that the NPA was actually operating an account with Unity Bank Plc with account number 0013670344 and the account had a total sum of $1,057,772.03 by December 4, 2019 and not $1,034,515,000.00, as alleged by the petitioner.

Further probe into the allegation revealed that the account number 0013670344 had been frozen since August 27, 2010 due to a suit number FHC/L/CS/582/2010 filed against the NPA by Aminu Ibrahim & Co and Anor, which went from the Federal High Court to the Supreme Court over a period of eight years.

The said amount had accrued over time since 2003 when thecNPA contracted a consultant to, among others, carry out the following assignments:

1. Identify the various contracts subsisting (or expired) between the NPA and Intel Services Limited. A reconciliation of the financial interest of the NPA in line with contract agreement was to be established and any other payment due to the NPA highlighted.

2. Same as (1) above for NLNG/MOBIL/NPA joint venture projects for the capital and maintenance dredging of Bonny Channel.

3. Consultants to verify contracts between the Authority and some of its joint venture partners, namely Intels, Mobil and NLNG.

4. Reconcile NPA amortization payments in respect of capital dredging and maintenance dredging of Bonny Channels in the NLNG/MOBIL/NPA joint ventures.

5. Check accounting ledgers of the NPA in respect of the projects above to ensure that a true reflection of the state of financial affairs is made for each of the projects.

6. Identify any concessions granted (but which expired) and are used to the detriment of the NPA.

7. Identify any other areas related to the above projects/transactions and make recommendations, and

8. The assignment is on a no-cure, no-pay basis and the fee is fixed at 18 per cent. Not satisfied that money had not been paid, the consultant approached the court praying it to compel the NPA to pay.

The NPA had, in a letter to the AGF dated January 22 and 23, 2003, with reference numbers HQ/GM/1A/AD/COM/045 and HQ/GM/1A/AD/CON/046, drew the AGF attention to the terms of agreement as stated above.

The plaintiffs, while in court, claimed that they carried out the assignments diligently and submitted their bills for payment, but the Authority failed, refused and or neglected to pay their professional fees.

Worried by the twist of event, the NPA filed its defence, which was predicated on the ground that the Authority did not agree to pay the sums claimed by the plaintiffs as there were discrepancies in the report submitted by the plaintiffs, which made same unreliable for the use of the Authority.

It was observed that the NPA further contended that the subject matter of the suit was being investigated by the federal government vide the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and that the payments of all contracts awarded during the period had been suspended by the EFCC.

The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operations Accord and Hadarin Daji have continued to annihilate bandits in Katsina and Zamfara forcing many of them to surrender.

The Co-ordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Enenche said the troops have continued to conduct intensive clearance operations to identified bandits enclaves in the North- West, with attendant successes against the criminal elements.

He said the troops had on July 3, stormed a bandits’ camp at Sanu village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara sequel to actionable Human and technical intelligence on the heavy bandits’ presence in the vicinity. He said that the bandits fled with gunshot wounds, adding that the troops pursued the bandits, engaged them and overwhelmed them with heavy volume of fire.

He said exploitation of the general area led to the recovery of one AK47 rifle and one SMG rifle. “It was also revealed that several bandits suffered heavy injuries and most likely died, as evident in the vast pools of blood along their withdrawal route.

“In a related development, troops made contact with bandits at Bawan Daji village and neutralised one bandit while many others were fatally wounded. “Troops further raided bandits’ enclave at Gidan Zamfarawa about 10km from Mashanyin Zaki.

“The bandits fled on sighting troops from afar but were pursued by the determined troops who engaged them with aggressive firing. “Troops exploited the general area and destroyed seven major bandit camps while one AK47 rifle, and two motorcycles, among others were equally recovered,” he said.

Enenche further disclosed that troops had on July 5, stormed an identified bandits camp at Salihawa village in Batsari area of Katsina State following credible intelligence on their activities in the village. He said that the troops overwhelmed the bandits with superior firepower and neutralised one of the criminals while several others escaped with fatal gunshot wounds.

He said troops also apprehended a suspected bandits’ logistics supplier, Mohammed Illela, at Illela village on July 4, following a tip-off. He said the suspect was arrested while attempting to convey 13 jerrycans of 30 litres of PMS concealed in an ash-coloured Volkswagen wagon car, to suspected bandits.

He added that a bandit was also eliminated during a cordon and search operation by the troops at Bawar-Daji village on July 5. (NAN)