₦airaland Forum

Aremwayne:
It was shot, I lost a colleague.

sultanofpigs:
Na wah...ManirBK:...come and verify

This is the Propaganda version..

https://www.nairaland.com/7802544/naf-airstrikes-hit-oil-thieves

This is the reality.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has simultaneously decimated several criminal elements in the last few days through airstrikes in various theatres of operation.

This is contained in a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, on Sunday in Abuja.

In the Niger Delta Region, Gabkwet said that airstrikes were targeted at the nefarious activities of oils thieves which had continued to affect the general environment of the region as well as the oil output of the nation.

He said the NAF aircraft under Operation Delta Safe had on Aug. 11, conducted air interdiction missions at an illegal refining site situated Southwest of Bille, a coastal town in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers.

Gabkwet said that similar airstrikes were also extended to a well-known IPOB Camp in Orsumoghu in Ihiala local government area of Anambra same day.

According to him, intelligence has revealed that the proscribed IPOB elements in makeshift camps were sighted preparatory to an impending attack on innocent citizens when the need to effectively engage them arose.

He said the airstrike was subsequently carried and deemed successful.

NAF spokesman said that similar airstrikes were carried out same day by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai at a location about 1.5km East of Arra, a once-deserted terrorists’ hideout near Sambisa Forest.

He said that earlier reconnaissance on the location had revealed terrorists massing up at the location which had hitherto been cleared of terrorists’ activities about six months ago.

“There were strong indications that these terrorists had fled from locations around Lake Chad after the areas came under intense bombardment by NAF aircraft.

“The location east of Arra was consequently attacked to decimate the terrorists and deny them settling at the location and using same as a staging point.

“Footage of the aftermath of the strike later revealed it was successful as several terrorists were neutralized and structures destroyed, while the few surviving terrorists were seen scampering away in disarray.

“At the end, their ability to attack friendly forces as well as innocent civilians were degraded,” he said. (NAN)

Export and transit cargoes between Nigeria and its West African neighbour, Republic of Niger, worth $180million are lurching towards a decline due to the sanctions placed on Niger by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), LEADERSHIP Sunday findings have revealed.

ECOWAS had sanctioned Niger Republic after its presidential guards toppled the government of President Mohamed Bazoum and announced Abdrahmane Tchiani as the new president.

Part of the sanctions slammed on that country by the regional body include border closure against Niger Republic and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with security forces already ensuring strict enforcement of the directive by shutting the Nigerian-Niger Republic borders at the seven Nigeria’s northern states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.

Following the closure of the borders, cargoes bound for Niger Republic as well as those bound for Nigeria are currently trapped at the borders of the two countries.

The acting comptroller general of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, also ordered officers of the Service to stop all transit cargoes heading to Niger Republic through all land borders and seaports across the country.

According to him, following the closure of the Nigerian- Nigerien borders, transit cargoes may be smuggled through other Land border posts in the country.

According to him, all transit cargoes headed for Niger Republic through the other land borders, including Idiroko, must be stopped.

He said, “We are monitoring what is happening in Niger Republic and I can assure you that implementation of that directive given by the ECOWAS head of states is 100 per cent and when that is happening smugglers will want to explore openings in other borders, and may want to use other routes. All transit goods heading for Niger Republic should be stopped.”

LEADERSHIP Sunday investigation has shown that transit cargoes headed for Niger Republic no longer come into Nigerian seaports.

Checks by our correspondent from container terminals during the week showed that Nigeria has no record of handling transit cargoes for the landlocked West Africa country.

Maritime experts, however, argued that Nigeria has been removed from the transit nations by Niger Republic.

But at the leading terminal operator, APM Terminals, Apapa, there is no cargo destined for Niger Republic brought into the terminal.

A source who craved anonymity said cargoes destined for Niger Republic are not in the terminal but it is possible they come and offload the cargoes on trucks at various warehouses and take them to the West African country by road.

Also, Port & Cargo terminal, Tin Can Island, said they have never received Niger Republic-bound cargoes.

The newly commissioned Lekki port also stated that Niger Republic-bound cargoes are not part of transit cargoes received in the port in July.

According to the https://oec.world/en, in 2021, Nigeria exported $180 million to Niger Republic. The main products exported from Nigeria to Niger were Electricity ($54.2 million), Rolled Tobacco ($45.1 million) and Cement ($38.3 mliion).

During the last 26 years Nigeria’s exports to Niger have increased at an annualised rate of 6.05 per cent, from $39 million in 1995 to $180 million in 2021.

Also, Nigeria’s trade through Niger in 2020 was $1.3 billion, while trucks from Nigeria account for 40 per cent of the total daily traffic of 104,179 trucks per day along the trans-Saharan road corridor, data compiled by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development showed.

The trans-Saharan road corridor borders seven northern Nigerian states – Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno. This is a vital trade route for Nigeria, connecting the country to its landlocked neighbours in the Sahel region.

However, the Zamfara/Sokoto command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said over 2.5million metric tonnes of export cargoes have passed through the Illela border, Sokoto State, into Niger Republic in the last six months.

According to data obtained by LEADERSHIP, commodities that are mostly transited through the corridor are Cement, Tobacco and Coal, with each truck usually carrying 1000 tonnes.

Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Sunday, former executive secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr Hassan Bello, said 30 percent of Nigerien transit cargoes pass through Nigeria borders to Niger Republic.

According to him, the leadership crisis in the landlocked country will bring a setback to gains recorded by Nigerians to make use of its ports and trade corridors to deliver their cargoes.

Bello further noted that Nigeria is closer to Niger Republic than other African countries, saying Nigerien Shippers’ do incur additional cost by routing their cargoes through other neighbouring country than Nigeria.

He said, “It’s been our hope to have bulk of Niger Republic cargoes and the Nigerien Shippers’ have started believing in Nigeria’s ability to make the process seamless. Niger has its cargoes ship to Cote D’Ivoire, Benin Republic and some other neighbouring ports, and it doesn’t make economic sense because of the proximity and the affinity between Niger Republic and Nigeria.

“As a matter of fact, the Kano-Maradi rail line and the Dala inland dry port were all efforts by Nigeria to capture that transit cargoes, and the Customs are our partners as they have made some trade facilitation concession so that Niger Republic will transport cargoes. But the unfortunate incident may temporarily disrupt that plan. I think in the long run, there will be peace and there will be normal relationship. That is why war is destructive of international trade.”

Speaking on the tonnage, he said, “I know the tonnage is substantial and we ought to have captured all of it but maybe about 30 percent of transit cargoes move from Nigeria to Niger Republic currently”.

Also speaking, president of National Council of Managing Directors of Licenced Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, said that the closure of the border has security implications, which he cannot comment on.

“For some time, Nigeria has been removed from the transit nations. We don’t even know if that transit has started. Negotiating transit is not an easy thing because we still have encumbrances when it comes to factors that limit our countries to these landlocked countries. I don’t know if those areas have been rectified,” he added.

He said it is an economic issue because Nigeria has been delisted from the list of transit nations, adding that negotiating for transit status would be an economic avenue to pursue.

“In a real sense of it, if it is done, it is going to affect Nigeria’s place in the transit nation. Transit module is not in persistence yet in the country. Ghana has its transit that is satellite driven while Nigeria’s own is still manual. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have an edge over Nigeria. Becoming a transit hub is more than making noise about it,” he said.

Niger Republic coup leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani has agreed to dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after his meeting with Nigerian Islamic scholars led by the national leader of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau in Niger Republic

According to Niger Republic’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, General Tchiani gave the green light for talks with ECOWAS and was optimistic the talks with ECOWAS would take place in the next few days.

“We have agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue. They will now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us. we hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted,’’ he said.

Declique:
Please TP to track 45E...
Thanks

Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has approved the sum of N675 million for the payment of furniture allowance to the 21 elected local government council chairmen in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.

Idris quoted the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Umar, as saying that “the approval is for 2022 to 2024.”

While appreciating the governor for the kind gesture, the permanent secretary also commended him not only for making people’s lives meaningful but also for executing projects that have a direct bearing on the lives of generality.

Reacting to the development, Alhaji Aminu Ahmed, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, who is also the Chairman, Birnin Kebbi Local Government, lauded the governor on behalf of his colleagues.

He assured that the money would capture furniture allowance for the local government council, councillors, and secretaries.

“The allowance is long overdue but with the coming of this administration, our impeccable and amiable governor has graciously approved the allowance, this is a sign of good leadership.

“May Almighty Allah guide him and give him the wisdom to excellently pilot the affairs of the state,” he prayed.

NAN

TemplarLandry:
Paper Tigers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has confirmed the suspension of its ongoing strike following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu and the Senate.

The Nation reports that during the protest in Abuja on Wednesday, angry protesters pulled down the gates of the National Assembly and gained access to the premises in a bid to meet with the lawmakers.

This prompted an emergency meeting between the President and the labour leaders.

The resolution followed the National Executive Council meeting of the Congress.

The national treasurer, Hakeem Ambali, in a message on Thursday said, “ Protest suspended due to the Senate intervention and meeting with President Tinubu yesternight.”

The labour centre is expected to brief the public shortly.