₦airaland Forum

Enugu Command of the Nigerian Police Force has arrested 40 criminal suspects for various offences.

Parading the suspects at the Command’s headquarters on Friday, the Commissioner, Mohammed Aliyu, said they were arrested from across the state for conspiracy, armed robbery, child stealing, unlawful possession of firearms and cultism.

Aliyu who attributed the achievement recorded to interagency collaboration and information sharing, however, warned criminals to leave the state as he declared that there would be no hiding place for them under his Command.

He said, “During our last meeting, I told you that we are making conscious efforts to put in place policing strategies that we require to effectively police the state, in view of maintaining public security. It will interest you to know that these strategies have resulted in successes.

“Today, the Command has successfully arrested a total of 38 male and two female suspects for their involvement in the offences of conspiracy, armed robbery, child stealing, unlawful possession of firearms and cultism.

“This was as a result of sustained synergy with sister security agencies, the neighbourhood watch group, security stakeholders and law-abiding citizens of the state.”

Items recovered according to the Commissioner include 11 firearms, five expended ammunition (.9mm and .22mm calibre), four live cartridges, one expended cartridge, two empty magazines, 12 vehicles, three tricycles, one motorcycle, one military camouflage jacket.

The Commissioner added, “Five ATM cards of different banks, three television sets, one LG DVD Player with remote, one laptop, 15 mobile phones of different types/makes, 36 SIM cards of different networks, two power banks, one Sweet-Home Water Heater appliance, one international passport, one national identity card.”

Also recovered include “some quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp and substance suspected to be cocaine.”

Meanwhile, among those paraded were 16 members of Aro Mates and Eiye Confraternity who were engaged in a bloody cult war for the passed one week.

He gave their names as Eneh Chizoba (m) aged 40, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Ugwu Nnanna (m) aged 38, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Eneh Chibuike (m) aged 45, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Egbo Chimezie (m) aged 31, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Ani Sunday (m) aged 25, of No. 15 Old Artisan Quarters, Ogui, Enugu; Chinonso Nnaji (m) aged 24, of Obuofia Akagbe, Enugu; Ani Friday (m) aged 26, of New Garriki, Enugu; Uwa Chinaza (m) aged 20, of Emene, Enugu; Isreal Opoke (m) aged 22, of New Garriki, Enugu; Kelvin Ukadike (m) aged 30, of No. 6, Asubo Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Isaac Chidera Ekene (m) aged 28, of Nwaforani Street, Garriki Awkunanaw, Enugu ; Ani Obinna (m) aged 28, of No. 6 Ezila Street Trans-Ekulu, Enugu; Ndubuisi Onyedikachi (m) aged 22, of Ugba Village Emene, Enugu; Edeh Chigbogu Emeka (m), aged 22, of Oye-Emene, Enugu; Chinecherem Chibuzo (m), aged 22, of No. 22 Rehab Road, Emene, Enugu, and Arum Chukwuebuka (m) aged 21, of Police Post, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned the trio of Theophilus Omambala, Lawal Umar and Alexander Danjuma before Justice Musa Usman of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Bwari, Abuja on one-count charge bordering on false and misleading information.

The charge reads: “That you Theophilus Omambala sometime in 2021at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, gave false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that monies were stashed at the residence of one Audu Innocent Ogbeh located at Lugbe District of the FCT, which information turned out to be false, untrue and misleading and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 39(2) (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act (2004)”.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them. In view of their plea, the prosecuting counsel, Aliyu Bokani Usman asked the Court for a trial date and that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kuje.

Counsel to the defendants, A.I. Na-jirgi prayed the Court to grant his clients bail. The judge rejected his oral application, insisting on a formal bail application which should be filed before the next adjourned date.

The defendants have been remanded in the Kuje Custodial Centre pending determination of bail application. The case has been adjourned till June 21, 2021.

Malami, in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, said contrary to reports that he singlehandedly picked Bawa to be the chairman of the EFFC, four names were submitted to the president for consideration and Bawa was subsequently picked.

Malami also denied being related to the EFCC boss.

“I am happy that most of the comments made are not on his capacity, intelligence, competence and associated ability to deliver. His capacity to deliver was never questioned across the nation.

“The question is whether justice has been served, whether public interest has been served having the chairman appointed with a particular regard to his capacity and ability to deliver.

“My answer is yes. He has the capacity, ability and institutional history of the institution to do justice by way of bringing about added value,” he said.

Malami said having headed three operational divisions of the commission, Bawa’s credentials made him to be selected among the names forwarded to the president.

Malami noted that Bawa “has held various authorities, inclusive of serving in various divisions as the head of operations, including Port Harcourt, Lagos and Ibadan which are adjudged to be the high point.”

The minister said since the law governing the operations of the EFCC had not been altered, the allegation Bawa’s appointment would subvert some of the functions of commission was baseless.

NGsultan:
It's not my challenge but SATANICALLY's.. Simple evidence, you can't provide. Nawa o.

Onochie, who was also a former Special Adviser to the Delta State Government, expressed his desire to contest the presidency in 2023, to put things right for Nigerians.

A diplomat and chieftain of the PDP, Dr Orefo Onochie, has told the Federal Government to consider the option of negotiating with the insurgents, currently terrorizing Nigeria, if that would make the bandits to embrace lasting peace.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, Onochie said that negotiating with the bandits would prove a wiser option in the long run.

According to him, there is nothing wrong in negotiating with bandits if that can end banditry, insurgency and kidnappings in parts of the country.

The former Nigerian envoy to the Philippines and Algeria argued that Nigeria should not continue to be held hostage by terrorists, especially in the north.

He also expressed worry over what he described as the persistent cases of kidnappings and killing of farmers by herdsmen in farming communities in parts of the country.

The PDP stalwart recalled that the Federal Government during the administration of former President Umaru Yar’ Adua had negotiated and rehabilitated Niger Delta militants.

Onochie said that some of the militants were later to become engineers and pilots after undergoing trainings abroad.

He stressed that the same gesture could be extended to the bandits to ensure lasting peace in Nigeria, noting that: “cost of rehabilitation will certainly be less than the total cost of fighting for 11 years”.

Onochie, who was also a former Special Adviser to the Delta State Government, expressed his desire to contest the presidency in 2023, to put things right for Nigerians.

“Nigeria is at a cross-roads and unless the right thing is done, the country may have greater problems in the years ahead,” he said.

The multi-lingual Onochie, who is also the Chairman of Nadam Holding Company Ltd., said that he had abiding faith in the unity of the country, in spite of the nation’s current challenges.

He expressed his optimism that Nigeria would overcome its current challenges and become great, pointing out that what was needed was good leadership to take Nigeria to the Promised Land.

The politician also commented on the country’s current electricity challenges, blaming the problem on the neglect of the sector by successive administrations.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s major aim for investing in rail construction projects across the country is to create employment for Nigerian youths.

Amaechi, in a statement by his media, Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, noted that ongoing projects would contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

According to him, the Eastern rail line when fully operational will generate between 20,000 and 50,000 jobs aside businesses that will open up along the rail corridor.

“Let’s us look at the economic benefits. In the course of doing the visibility study of this project, I discovered that there are so many natural resources on that track. There is iron ore all over the North-East, there is Coal between Benue and Enugu.

“What this does is that it provides logistics for the movement of such natural resources or value addition. You have access to the sea through a cheap means of transportation.

“The minimum I expect they can employ is between 20,000 and 50,000 workers. Imagine how many number of workers will be employed at the industrial park at the seaport.

“The essence of the President’s investment in the project is to create employment, he hopes that we are able to grow the economy of Nigeria through transportation, create employment in the cause of these infrastructure.

“And at the end of the construction, we expect those who do businesses in Nigeria to be able to acquire land and site industries along the rail corridor. ”

Amaechi, however, said that the most significant rail projects were the Lagos-Kano rail line because it moves 30 million tonnes of cargo per year and the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri which is expected to move about 11million tonnes of cargo when completed.

Speaking on complaints, on the fare for Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor, Amaechi stated that rail services is not meant for passengers alone but cargoes as well.

He however, said that the ministry was working on getting funding for Lagos-Calabar, which will commence within the shortest possible time.

Against the backdrop of reactions over the recent flag-off of the Eastern railway narrow gauge stretching from Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said the narrow gauge is not in anyway inferior to the standard gauge as being speculated in some quarters.

The Minister said the difference was only in the area of speed.

According to him, the Eastern Rail corridor would be made up of both the narrow and standard gauge, adding that government was only starting off the rehabilitation of the narrow gauge owing to paucity of funds.

A statement signed by Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, Media Assistant to the Minister, quoted Amaechi as saying that standard gauge lines cost about $11-14billion to construct compared to narrow gauge which cost about $3.2 billion, adding that getting the funds within the limited time was not feasible because of other projects awaiting funding.

The statement read: “The standard gauge line is between $11-14billion to construct on the Eastern flag. The standard gauge as designed in Nigeria is 150km design speed, operational speed is 120km. What is the difference between 120km and 100km? The narrow gauge is about $3.2billion dollars at 100km per hour.

“The standard gauge which is at $11 to $14billion is 120km per hour, so if you take off with the standard gauge, say to Damaturu, you will arrive 20minute before me that used the narrow gauge.

“The narrow gauge is cheaper at $3.2billion against the $11 to 14billion to construct the standard gauge. Why we did not get the approval for the narrow gauge on time was because the President insisted on the standard gauge from Port Harcourt-Maiduguri. My argument was if I can achieve the same length of rail with $3.2 billion dollars, why not take that first until we get money for the standard gauge?

“This made him approve the standard gauge as designed but until we get the money because if we continue to wait until we get the $11bn to 14billion dollars, we may not be able to construct the Eastern flag before we leave government.”

However, Engr.Fidet Okhria, Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, said the narrow gauge line was not outdated or less efficient.

The NRC boss added that Nigeria was the first African country to introduce standard gauge line, even as he added that South Africa and other African countries still make use of narrow gauge lines today.

“In the whole of Africa, Nigeria is the only country that has introduced a standard gauge line. South Africa, India and other countries are still using the narrow guage line introduced by their colonial masters. Other African countries are still using what the colonial master constructed.

“The narrow gauge is not inferior in anyway, the difference is in the speed and it cannot carry more load like the standard gauge because the standard gauge is wider while the narrow guage is narrower which doesn’t make it less effective than the standard gauge.

“About the cost, there should be no comparison with the cost because one is $13billion while the other is about $3.2billion. The difference is about $10billion,” he said.

On his part, Engr. Muhammad Baba-kobi, Director Rail and Transport Services, Federal Ministry of Transportation said the difference between the narrow and the standard Ggauge rail lines is the width within the inner edge of the track which is called the gauge.

He noted that the narrow gauge in Nigeria is about 1067mm which is 3ft. Ib some countries, it is 600mm, which is 2ft while the standard gauge is 1437mm which is a little bit more than 4ft.

Baba-Kobi, however said that the use of any of the gauge is by choice not necessarily the cost, noting that in places with hilly and curve terrain like Port Harcourt-Maiduguri corridor, the narrow gauge would be best because its easy to negotiate curves because of its light weight.

“The choice of one or the other relies on certain factors. Whether you put the standard or narrow gauge, you will still have an efficient and functional trains. It just depends on your operational planning, it depends on where you want to take your train to.

“But technically, in most places where you have hilly roads that you have to negotiate into valleys, hills and places with curves, the best in terms of engineering for that terrain is the narrow gauge because it’s lighter, easy to navigate curves that are smaller and the engine can easily thrives,” he said.