₦airaland Forum

The forum also accused Wike of infiltrating Abuja with kidnappers

The Katsina Elders’ Forum has urged President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, countermand the plan to relocate the refurbished airport rescue and firefighting vehicles project of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina, to the south or risk 2027.

The forum, which is an umbrella body of Katsina State senior citizens, also warned the president against relocating certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the Southern part of the country.

The Secretary of the forum, Aliyu Mohammed, who briefed journalists in Katsina on Wednesday evening on its resolutions after a closed-door meeting, said the relocation move was a premeditated attempt to cripple the socio-economic activities of Northern Nigeria.

He said the contractor of the refurbished airport rescue and firefighting vehicles project of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport wrote to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, demanding its relocation for flimsy reasons.

He explained that President Tinubu was being ill-advised by those he termed enemies of Nigeria who does not want the unity of the country to relocate the Katsina airport project, CBN departments and FAAN to the Southern part of the country.

Mohammed said: “Therefore, we are warning Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as long as he is interested in coming back in 2027, as long as he is interested in the votes of the Northerners, to reverse these unconstitutional decisions. Whoever is advising him to take such decisions is an enemy of the country.

“Such a person is not interested in the Nigeria project. And the North is not afraid of telling Tinubu to his face that we are not ready to re-elect him in 2027 once he starts moving all these critical departments to Lagos.”

He, however, accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of deploying all tactics to infiltrate Abuja with kidnappers to fine-tune the federal government plan of relocating such projects.

According to him, “The FCT Minister is inviting the Israelis to come and provide security to Abuja. We have never known anything like kidnapping in Abuja until Wike came into Abuja as a minister.”

The secretary of the forum called on President Tinubu to focus on tackling the myriad of security challenges besetting the North rather than relocating economic-boosting projects from the region to other parts of the country.

“Despite the insecurity situation in the North, Tinubu is not making any effort to curb the insecurity and is moving all these departments”, he added.

The Bayelsa State Government has said it is working on plans to make the teaching and learning of the Ijaw, French and Chinese languages as well as science and mathematics a priority in public schools in the state.

It stated that the essence of emphasising the teaching of the three languages, and the core science subjects, including mathematics, was to prepare and equip children to take full advantage of career opportunities in those subjects.

The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the state chapter of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria in Government House in Yenagoa.

He explained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, on Thursday, that the growing economic influence of China in global affairs as a major state actor in world trade and commerce, justified the inclusion of Chinese as a subject in the school curriculum.

While responding to issues raised by APWEN, Ewhrudjakpo said, “I am happy about the programme you are introducing. For us, we have made it compulsory; we are pursuing STEM because we believe that with that, the negative impression of Bayelsa State would change sooner or later.

“We will really be available for anything you want us to do from the government angle. As I told you earlier, in our teachers’ recruitment we deliberately laid emphasis on science, ICT and mathematics.

“We are recruiting more teachers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, agricultural science and computer science. The other subjects we are placing priority on are Chinese, French and Ijaw languages.”

He charged the members of APWEN to make teamwork their watchword to achieve their objectives as a professional body, and also include male students in their programmes.

Ewhrudjakpo pointed out that the engineering career requires a lot of hard work for one to be awarded a fellowship, urging the association to work together in closer synergy to gain more visibility in the male-dominated profession.

Earlier in their separate remarks, the state chairman of APWEN, Diepreye Owana-Omubo, and the vice-chairman, Ann Obuebite, said the association was doing everything to push its corporate social responsibility project aimed at introducing the girl-child to engineering at the basic education level.

The high point of the visit was the presentation of two special awards to the deputy governor by APWEN.

Splashme:
With Wike controlling 90% of the Assembly?

He can do NOTHING!
.

SeeWahala:
Coward. Its only to shout them sabi

Someone who should have performed a citizens arrest and get properly hailed for it na to dey shout go back go back him sabi

Notfogotten:
Empty talks.

What Ikemba Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu saw in 1967 is what is happening today.

Nigeria can never get better which ever way you look at it.

I support the division of this country.

That is the only solution.

If Nigeria is divided today, lives will be saved.


We told Nigerians that muslim-moslem ticket will lead to islamization of the country and no body believed.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Preliminary findings indicate that an overheated metal refuse container activated under intense heat, exploded, thereby causing injury to two of the refuse evacuators.


The FCT Police Command hereby wishes to update the public on an alleged explosion on 24/01/2024 at about 1145 hrs, near a refuse dump outside the Bureau of Public Enterprise premises in Maitama, Abuja.

A rapid response team and members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit was deployed to assess the situation and preliminary findings indicate than an overheated metal refuse container activated under intense heat, exploded, thereby causing injury to two of the refuse evacuator, who are currently receiving medical attention in Maitama General Hospital.

The FCT Police Command urges members of the public to exercise caution and refrain from using metal refuse bins. Instead, we recommend the use of plastic or rubber containers for waste disposal, as they pose a reduced risk of incidents related to over heated metal refuse container.

SP Josephine Adeh,
PPRO FCT Police Command.

Mr Sanwo-Olu and other participants alternated between Calivigny Island and Silversand Grenada, an exotic five-year-old seven-star luxury resort located in Grand Anse beach.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos returned to Nigeria Wednesday morning after spending days partying in the Caribbean Island of Grenada in commemoration of the 50th birthday anniversary of Abuja-based businesswoman and socialite, Aisha Achimugu.

Mr Sanwo-Olu flew in a private aircraft to the Carribean Island, and took residency in one of the most expensive resorts in the world.

Many officials of his government did not know his whereabouts for days, with some saying he was attending an official engagement in London and others simply telling us he was travelling abroad.

But PREMIUM TIMES can report that while the Mandilas building burned in Lagos on 21 January and many Lagosians remained overburdened by poverty and insecurity, their governor was reveling at a party at Calivigny Island, an 80-acre private and exquisite location which costs about $132,000 per night.

Those familiar with the event said organisers rented the Island for seven days, amounting to about $924,000 in total, in addition to other charges.

Mr Sanwo-Olu and other participants alternated between Calivigny Island and Silversand Grenada, an exotic five-year-old seven-star luxury resort located in Grand Anse beach, where some events of the posh celebration were held.

Those familiar with the governor’s itinerary said he left Nigeria on Wednesday, 17 January for Mrs Achimugu’s birthday carnival which began with “a scrumptious welcome breakfast” and “a spectacular dinner with an explosive finish” that day. Other guests had arrived in Grenada on 16 January.

But Mr Sanwo-Olu was only able to join the party on 18 January, the third day of the festivity. He remained there till 23 January, leaving his state without his leadership for days.

It remains unclear as of the time of this report why the governor left his duty post in Lagos, flew 7,585 kilometres to Grenada for a birthday party, at a time the people who elected him to office were grappling with severe and unprecedented economic hardship. Another yet unresolved question is how the governor funded his trip and stay in that Caribbean Island.

Mr Sanwo-Olu did not answer calls made to him by one of our reporters seeking his comments for this report. He also did not respond to a message sent to him on the matter. The known telephone number of the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, rang out the multiple times he was called.

MR SANWO-OLU AND THE SHUTTING DOWN OF GRENADA
Born 22 January, 1974, Aisha Achimugu, founder and managing director of Abuja-based Felak Concept Group, turned 50 on 22 January. The relationship between the socialite and Mr Sanwo-Olu remained unclear but the governor was at the party to honour her.

Some of those who attended said it was one of the most opulent parties they have ever witnessed or heard about. The celebrant rented the Calivigny Island for one week and reserved rooms for her guests at Silversand Grenada. Several guests were also said to have been flown from Nigeria to the party location by chartered jets.

During the week-long party, Mrs Achimugu, a widow who lost her husband to Coronavirus in 2020, is said to have changed clothes at least 30 times, with each dress said to cost thousands of dollars. Those are in addition to the high-end clothes she used for a photoshoot with a celebrity photographer ahead of her event.


For most of the time, she was decked in very expensive diamond jewelry, wore designer shoes and carried Hermes crocodile-leather handbags, each said to cost between $50,000 and $80,000. One of the numerous parties took place aboard the Silver Angel, a Yacht sailing on the Caribbean sea under the flag of the United Kingdom.

In addition, a number of local and international A-list musicians and entertainers flew in to perform at the various events. Those who performed include Kenny G (American saxophonist and composer), Waje, Flavour, Adekunle Gold, Asake and Mr Killa (a Grenada musician).

“We basically shut down Grenada and the citizens of that country knew that Nigerians were in town, they knew the eagles had landed,” the source said, asking not to be named to avoid being ostracised by friends.

“But what even surprised me the most was seeing Governor Sanwo-Olu at the event. Is he not sensitive to the mood of the Nigerian nation? What was he doing there as a public figure?”

Strong indications have emerged that the former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano is now in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at its headquarters in Abuja.

The action of the anti-graft agency on Obiano is said to be preparatory for the arraignment of the former governor before a Federal High Court on January, 24 in Abuja.

Obiano is to face trial in an alleged over N4bn corruption charges brought against him by the Federal Government through EFCC.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Slyvanus Tahir, has been assigned to lead the prosecution of the former governor on Wednesday morning in Abuja.

EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale confirmed the development but declined detailed information.

One of the Registrars of the court where Obiano is to be arraigned confirmed to our correspondent that he had sighted the charge but would not know the date of the arraignment.


Some of the charges against Obiano are, “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 – March 2022, sometime between 7th February, 2018 to 18th February, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N156,800.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Pic into the Fidelity Bank Ple Account No: 6060018819 belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

“That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between 9th August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc into the Fidelity Bank Plc Account No: 5600062873 belonging to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

Obiano was first arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on March 17, 2022, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States of America.

At the time of this report, a team of senior lawyers has been assembled by family and friends of the former governor for his defence in the charges and to ensure his bail after arraignment.

A coalition of civil society organisations in Rivers State on Monday protested in front of the Government House, Port Harcourt and warned Governor Siminalayi Fubara not to re-present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the state House of Assembly.

The coalition, under the aegis of Responsible and Non-partisan Civil Society Organisations in the state, said any attempt by Fubara to recognise Martins Amaewhule as speaker of the Assembly is a violation of his oath of office.

Speaking during the protest, the chairman of the coalition, Enefaa Georgewill, urged the governor not to succumb to pressure of further desecrating the country’s Constitution by carrying out other items on the list of the peace accord, which he said contravenes the Constitution.

Georgewill stated, “We have watched with keen interest desperate efforts made by few people and anti-democratic elements to avert democracy and undermine the sacred office of the executive governor of our dear state.

“This is unfortunate, to say the least, if not criminal at worst. While we understand your calculation of political exigency, we wish that you refuse to succumb to pressure to be part of a process clearly intended to further desecrate the Constitution of Nigeria.”

He insisted that re-presenting the already-passed budget would amount to disrespect to the Constitution and may result in anarchy in the state.

Georgewill added, “The Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly does not exist in the eyes of the law by the provision of Section 109 (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“To pretend to constitute itself and continue conducting the business of legislation on behalf of Rivers State is untoward, illegal and reprehensible.

“The governor’s action should be controlled and dictated by our laws. Anything outside that is null and void. The office of the President, the office of the Governor, the office of the parliamentarians be it at the national, state or at the local level are all products of law.

“Therefore any attempt for the governor to deviate from those dictates and spirit of our laws, such a position taken by the Governor or any other person is declared null and void.

“We won’t equally fail to challenge any action of the governor that does not follow the dictates of our laws.”

He added that the Amaehwule-led faction of the assembly ceased to be recognised following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, which explains why the governor must follow the law.

On his part, the spokesman for the Rivers State civil society organisation, Solomon Lenu, said the protest was to give Fubara the needed support and encouragement to stand by the law, as the governor will be held accountable for any actions he takes.

The Rivers Assembly became divided following a move by 27 lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike to impeach Fubara.

The lawmakers defected from the ruling PDP in the state to the APC.

In December, the governor presented an N800bn 2024 Appropriation Bill to a faction of the Assembly comprising four lawmakers.

Following the passage of the budget by the lawmakers, Fubara subsequently signed the budget into law.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday nullified the N800bn budget signed into law by the governor.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, made this known in Abuja on Monday when he delivered a lecture titled: “Non-Kinetic Operations and the Nigerian Armed Forces,” at the opening session of a national security course on “Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS)”organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).



The Nigerian Defence Headquarters, Abuja, has stated that no fewer than 1935 repentant Boko Haram terrorists were released from the Bulumkutu camp in Borno State back into the Nigerian society between 2016 and 2022 after undergoing deradicalisation.


The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, made this known in Abuja on Monday when he delivered a lecture titled: “Non-Kinetic Operations and the Nigerian Armed Forces,” at the opening session of a national security course on “Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS)”organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

The programme was held with the theme, “Winning Hearts and Minds for National Cohesion and Development”.

The CDS, who was represented by Rear Admiral Daupreye Matthew, Director of Training, Defence Headquarters, asserted that the military had not contemplated scrapping the non-kinetic approach as part of the efforts being used to solve insecurity challenges.

He explained that the use of non-kinetic efforts under Operation Safe Corridor had led to the surrender of more than 2,000 Boko Haran members between 2016 and 2017.

According to him, 67 per cent of those who surrendered were of the Abubakar Shekau faction of the insurgents, adding that 1,543 repentant terrorists graduated from Mallam Sidi Camp in Gombe State and 1,935 were released from Bulumkutu camp in Borno between 2016 and 2022.

General Musa noted that from July 2021 to May 4, 2022 alone, no fewer than 51,828 terrorists and their family members surrendered, out of which 13,360 were fighters, stressing that 106,000 terrorists and their family members had so far surrendered in the North East.

The five-day programme was said to have been organised to boost security experts’ understanding of the dynamics of psychological operations and strategic communication.

Mr Nwanosike said Mr Fubara’s alleged move was to discredit and force the immediate past governor of Rivers and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, out of office.


The chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers State, Samuel Nwanosike, has accused Governor Sim Fubara of orchestrating the incessant kidnappings in the Federal Capital Territory

In a video on his X handle on Sunday, Mr Nwanosike said Mr Fubara’s alleged move was to discredit and force the immediate past governor of Rivers and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike out of office.

“He is paying people to go and tell Abuja that Wike is playing politics in Rivers state that they are doing kidnapping in Abuja,” the Ikwerre chairman told thousands of his supporters at Omerelu community in the video.

“It means that Fubara is part of those supporting the kidnappings in Abuja because he wants Nyesom Wike to leave office. Nyesom Wike will not leave office. Foul!” Mr Nwanosike told his supporters, who responded with excited screams of “foul.”

Mr Nwasonike, who also alleged that the governor had yet to record any achievement since his assumption of office, said since Mr Fubara was paying Chijioke Ihunwo, the chairman of Rivers Youth Council, to insult the FCT minister, he would also continue insulting the governor.

“Fubara is a foolish governor because since he took office May 29, he has done nothing for Rivers people,” said the LG chair.

The local government chairman claimed President Bola Tinubu would not succumb to Mr Fubara’s cheap tactics to remove Mr Wike from office as he is happy with the latter’s performance despite the increased insecurity in the nation’s capital

“Tinubu is aware of who he appointed, and I’m happy that Tinubu is happy that Nyesom Wike is delivering in the service of democracy,” he stated.

Joe Johnson, Rivers commissioner for information, told Peoples Gazette that he was not aware of the allegations as he was “only hearing it now” but that he would react when he can confirm the statement.

Meanwhile, Mr Wike had, last week, said the exacerbated kidnappings in Abuja were the domino effect of military incursion in Kaduna and Niger states, which had flushed out many bandits from the region.

Messrs Wike and Fubara had been at rift over the affairs of the state until the president intervened and came up with a resolution with conditions favouring the minister.

Who can tell me what “bro” thinking about?

Amuluonyenaego:
With no evidence, una go explain tire

InstanetTV:
Now I can satisfactorily conclude, all these recent kidnappings are politically motivated, the north just started fighting back, exactly what they did at a shopping complex wuse 2 Abuja, when Jonathan was president just to discredit his government.
It will only get worse from here on, every Abuja residents must heed this warning and be vigilant cos they may start bombing crowded places soon when they percieve kidnapping is not yielding their desired results.
Jagaban is not a weak president like goodluck, so he will never give in, and the fight will be long and deadly, but the masses will bear the brunt of the battle. SO I REPEAT BE SAFE OUT THERE

jmoore:
Who is Sarki? Another clown with one vote.

vincenteger:
Giving the kidnappers hits of their operations.

I feel ashamed for them

coolcharm:
Illegal miners in a state capital for 11 years without any apprehension? Top shots in government must be involved.

Nigercity:
This man always looks like he is crying
Or he is about to cry