₦airaland Forum

The Chairman of Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Alhaji Sharifu Kamarawa, has told Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, that some communities in the council are still under the control of bandits.

Receiving the minister at the local government secretariat on Thursday, he said the bandits led by Kachalla Bello Turji, appointed and deposed village heads in those areas.

“Here in Isa town, we are living peacefully. The problem is in the eastern part of Isa. There are places that are still under the control of bandits. They appoint and depose village heads there.

“We are appealing for a military camp in Kagara to take care of those areas. We used to have a camp there before it was relocated. Then there was a relative peace in those places. So we want the camp back,” he appealed.

The chairman however admitted that since the death of Halilu Sububu, the bandits’ kingpin killed about a month ago, there had been a significant reduction in attacks on their communities.

According to him, they can now ply some roads which were formerly deserted.
In his remarks, the minister said President Bola Tinubu was seriously concerned about insecurity in the North, a reason he appointed northerners Ministers of Defence and heads of security operatives.

“The President also directed me to ensure militarisation of all the danger areas in the state. So we are going to creat a military base at Gundumi which will be patrolling Gundumi-Marnona road which remained closed for years,” he added.

Matawalle further assured residents of Isa of deployment of more security operatives to the area.

“So we need your support because the issue of security is everyone’s business. We need to know about the bandits movement,” he said.

Nigeria’s petroleum marketers have lamented that they are worst affected by the latest Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) price hike by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Billy Gillis-Harry, Products Retail Outlets Owners Association, PETROAN disclosed this in an interview on Channels Television on Thursday.

Gillis-Harry was reacting to another petrol hike by NNPCL on Wednesday to N1,030 per liter in Abuja from N897.

According to him, marketers are feeling the pain of the incessant price hike in the last months just like every Nigerian.

He explained that this is because the purchasing power of Nigerians has been weakened due to the fuel price hike.

He noted that commuters who would have bought 50 liters of fuel now settle for Five to Six liters as a result of the petrol price.

“When we talk about these prices of Petrol, it is not only commuters that are crying, we retail owners cry the highest.

“Because we are stocking our products from different sources.

“It is a challenge for us if we can’t dispose of our products as fast as possible.

“We are suffering because the purchasing power of Nigerians has been whistle down. When you come to our retail outlets, a car that should need 50 liters now by only 5 or 6 liters”, he said.

This comes as the Nigeria Labour Congress called for the reversal of the latest fuel hike, noting that it would further deepen poverty in the Country.

However, the Nigerian Government in a statement on Thursday blamed market forces for the recent hike in fuel prices.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has announced that it is still in negotiations with the Dangote Refinery regarding the commencement of oil lifting operations. Currently, IPMAN has not begun taking products from the refinery.

The association refuted earlier reports claiming it accused Dangote of preventing its members from purchasing oil directly from the facility. It was earlier reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would end its exclusive offtake agreement with the Dangote Refinery, allowing other marketers to buy products directly.


The chairman of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, stated in an interview with BBC Hausa that it is widely known that the NNPCL is currently the sole offtaker of oil products from Dangote, with IPMAN members serving in a retail capacity. He emphasised that the union is actively engaging with the leadership of the Dangote Refinery and expressed optimism about the negotiations.

“As I speak to you, there is no official confirmation that the NNPCL has ceased its role as a middleman in purchasing oil from the refinery,” Maigandi added.


“Just today, NNPCL requested us to send our tankers to the refinery for oil lifting, and we complied. They also submitted our waybills to the refinery.”

He further clarified, “At this time, we cannot buy oil directly from Dangote; we must purchase it from NNPCL.”

However, he reiterated that IPMAN is in discussions with the refinery to facilitate future lifting operations, noting that the government has not removed NNPCL as the intermediary in the oil offtake process.

Justice Nwite on Tuesday delivered the ruling validating the Abure-led leadership of the party.

The Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit brought before Justice Emeka Nwite has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Julius Abure as the substantive Chairman of the Labour Party.

Justice Nwite on Tuesday delivered the ruling validating the Abure-led leadership of the party.

He also validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention of the Party that produced the national leadership, while issuing an order compelling the INEC to recognise the leadership.
SaharaReporters had on September 18 reported that the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) accused the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, of betrayal.

Abure camp had made the accusation after the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) announcement that it did not recognise Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

SaharaReporters had reported that in a counter-affidavit filed by INEC at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the electoral body responded to a lawsuit by the Labour Party, which challenged its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

INEC had argued that the party’s leadership, including Abure, was invalid and that the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure as chairman violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.

INEC had emphasised, “It only deals with parties that have legitimate leadership in place.”

The electoral body, through its legal team led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, also stated that the Labour Party's suit sought declaratory reliefs that could not be granted based on admissions alone, asserting that the party needed to prove its case.

Due to the failure of the Labour Party to meet legal requirements for holding its national convention, INEC argued, the party no longer had valid leadership.

The commission had urged the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s suit, maintaining, “The Labour Party is not entitled to the reliefs it is seeking.”

The Abure-led faction in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, had criticised those pushing for Abure’s removal, saying that many lacked the funds to purchase nomination forms ahead of the 2023 elections.

It had also been reported in May that the Labour Party crisis deepened as a Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an order barring the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure and the National Secretary, Farouk Ibrahim from parading themselves as national leaders of the party.

Also restrained by the court from parading themselves as the national officers of the Labour are the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu and the Treasurer, Oluchi Opara.

Recall that a post-election crisis rocked the party over the suspension of Abure by the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party.

Popular Nollywood actor, Saheed Balogun, has lost his daughter, Zeenat Balogun, to the cold hands of death.

The actor announced the passing of his daughter on Saturday via his verified Instagram account, posting a solemn image of a candlelight surrounded by flowers, accompanied by heartbroken emojis.

His colleague, Ronke Oshodi Oke later confirmed the devastating news via her Instagram account.

Posting an image of a candle, she wrote, “No words can ease the pain of losing someone so precious. My heart goes out to you @saidibalogun during this incredibly difficult time. May you find strength in the love and support surrounding you.”

As of the time of this report, the cause of Zeenat Balogun’s death remains unknown.

iwaeda:

iwaeda:
Rivers of blood again. Wike should know, he can't win all the time,Nlfpmod.

Buildings and other property were shattered in the early hours of Saturday as explosives suspected to be dynamite shattered the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The explosion brought down the gate of the secretariat while doors, windows and other property were destroyed.

This is the second time the Chief Tony Okocha-led APC would be experiencing such an attack at its secretariat this year.

This came as the local government elections is set to hold in the state today as the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission said on Friday that all sensitive materials have been distributed to the various local government areas.

A viral video of the incident scene seen by our correspondent showed some workers at the facilities going round to ascertain the extent of damage.

When contacted, the spokespetson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she had yet to get a report on it but promised to revert.

The party has yet to make a statement on the incident.

Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said with the current situation of things in the country, Nigerians will push for change in 2027.

Kwankwaso said this while receiving a large number of the All Progressives Congress (APC) members who decamped to to the NNPP in the state.

KHe received the decamped members of the APC from Dala, Kiru and Gwale local government areas at his Miller Road residence in Kano.

He said, “Nigerians, more specifically northerners, have suffered enough and no amount of pressure or intimidation will change their minds.

“Nigerians should rethink over the current dispensation, it has now become clear that the APC-led government is clearly against the poor masses and will never change.

“It is now clear that regardless of their beliefs and plans to use the security agents and INEC in the forthcoming elections, it will not be possible as Nigerians are tired and will surely struggle for change” Kwankwaso stated.

He described the occasion as historic, stating that the number of those joining the NNPP from the wards of Dala, Kiru, Gwale and Dawakintofa local governments, shows that the APC structure is completely crumbled in the affected places.

He said the APC which created to salvage the hardship of the poor masses has now turned against them with insecurity and poverty eating deep into the fabric of Nigeria saying, “Nigerians are tired,” he added.

The Bauchi State chapter of the Retired Police Officers Association of Nigeria (REPON) has disclosed that over 500 members have passed on while fighting for their retirement benefits.

REPON also lamented the delay of a proposed bill, submitted to the National Assembly since 2012, seeking the establishment of a police pension board.

Speaking at a press conference held in Bauchi, the Secretary of the chapter, retired ASP John Iliya, expressed frustration, stating, “We can no longer tolerate these empty promises.”

Iliya recalled that on May 21, 2024, members of the association protested at the National Assembly gate.

According to him, during the protest, Senator Ahmed Abdulkadir Mallam Madori, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, and his colleagues assured that their demands would be addressed by September 2024.

However, as of October 2, 2024, there had been no mention of the retired officers’ plight, particularly for those in Bauchi State.

Iliya warned that if their demands remain unmet, the association would be left with no choice but to stage another protest at the National Assembly.

He disclosed that one of the key demands of the association is the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and the establishment of a Police Pension Board. This, Iliya argued, would allow police retirees to manage their pensions independently.

He expressed disappointment that despite various meetings with House committees during their last recess, the Committee on Police Affairs had failed to address their concerns.

The association also criticized lawmakers for quickly passing the bill extending the tenure of the Inspector General of Police without public hearings, while the police retirees’ proposal remains neglected.

Iliya, therefore, called on the National Assembly’s Committee on Police Affairs to expedite the passage of the bill to avoid further protests by his members.

The Naira depreciated significantly against the Dollar at the foreign exchange market upon resumption of trading after Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day holiday.

FMDQ data showed that it weakened to N1669.19 per dollar on Wednesday from N1541.94 exchanged on Monday.

This represents an N127.25 loss against the dollar compared to the N1541.94 traded on Monday.

Meanwhile, at the parallel market, the Naira gained N10 to close at N1690 per dollar on Wednesday compared to the N1700 exchange rate on Monday.

DAILY POST reports that on Monday the depreciated marginally against the Dollar.

For months now, the Naira has continued to fluctuate against the dollar and other foreign currencies.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his Independence Day pleaded with Nigerians to be patient with his economic policies.

On June 14 last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria floated the Naira at the FX market which saw the value of the Country’s currency drop.