News
El-Rufai insists no pardon for bandits, says they can’t repent
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has said bandits remain hardened criminals and do not repent.
He said they should be crushed at all costs and no pardon for them.
He said this on Tuesday while fielding questions from State House reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on the recent attack that claimed about 40 lives in the state.
The governor, who was accompanied by the State Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, said the state’s policy is to send the terrorists attacking innocent people to their creator to answer for their crime against humanity.
He said the whereabouts of the bandits were not hidden but that the military was mindful of the collateral damage it could cause the civilian community.
The governor, who urged the security agencies to carry out aggressive operations against the terrorists, stressed the need for recruitment to be ramped up in the military and the police as the few number cannot successfully carry out operations in the 36 states of the federation.
He said, “There is nothing like repentant terrorists. The only repentant bandit is the one that is dead. Our intention in the state is to kill them (terrorists), let them go and see God.”
El-Rufai, who spoke on the three types of terrorists, the Boko Haram elements, the bandits, and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), said the recent declaration of bandits as terrorists by the court had given the military more power to wage war against them.
According to him, if the security forces cannot go to the bandits’ location, the state is helpless.
El-Rufai said he requested the intervention of the President for more deployment of security forces and a comprehensive operation.
News
Ondo: INEC new challenge as 1.7 million votes decide next gov today
Ondo: INEC new challenge as 1.7 million votes decide next gov today
Today, 1,757,205 registered voters in Ondo State will head to polling stations across its 18 local government areas to elect a new governor who will steer the affairs of the state for the next four years.
This marks an increase in the number of registered voters compared to the 2020 election, which had 1,647,973 registered voters, of which only 580,887 votes were recorded.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness for the exercise, deploying 4,002 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices across 3,933 polling units, with 812 units on standby in case of technical hitches.
Speaking on the commission’s preparations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, assured the public that sensitive materials were distributed on Thursday to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) for timely deployment.
READ ALSO:
- Ondo poll: Three gov candidates withdraw for Aiyedatiwa
- $6bn fraud: Judge scolds Agunloye’s counsel over delay tactics
- Emefiele printed new naira notes different from what Buhari approved – Ex-CBN official
Tinubu calls for peaceful polls
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on stakeholders and voters to uphold peace during and after the election. Through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu emphasised the importance of the election reflecting the people’s will.
“The president reminds all political stakeholders, especially the candidates, that governance is a privilege bestowed by the people. This privilege must be respected, and Nigerians deserve a free and fair election to consolidate our democracy,” the statement read.
Tinubu also commended the security agencies’ preparedness, with the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, assuring professionalism during the exercise.
Ondo: INEC new challenge as 1.7 million votes decide next gov today
News
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
The late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was on Friday laid to rest in Abuja, amid tears and tributes.
President Bola Tinubu conferred a posthumous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff.
The burial took place at the National Cemetery in Abuja to end two days of funeral rites that began in Lagos earlier in the week.
His body was lowered into the grave at exactly 4:41pm after the ceremony that lasted over two hours.
Lagbaja’s casket, draped in Nigeria’s green and white colours, arrived at the cemetery around 3pm in a white funeral wagon after a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
Dignitaries were led to the event by President Bola Tinubu. Others are Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and other top government officials and military brass.
President Tinubu announced the conferment of the CFR on the late COAS during the interment at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
The President extolled the virtues of the late warrior, especially his contributions to national security.
According to him, the appointment of Lagbaja as the COAS was one of his finest made so far.
“As an eternal symbol of our appreciation, I have granted the late Chief of Army Staff, the posthumous national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic of the Niger (CFR),” Tinubu declared.
He thereafter invited the wife of the late COAS, Mariya, to collect the award on behalf of the Lagbaja family amid applause from the congregation.
News
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
The Supreme Court has dismissed the suit by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other agencies are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
In the lead judgment by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court resolved the six issues raised for determination in the suit against the plaintiffs.
The court held that the laws establishing the anti-corruption agencies were validly enacted by the National Assembly within its legislative competence.
It faulted the claim by the plaintiffs that the EFCC Act, being a product of the United Nations convention on corruption, ought to be ratified by majority of the state houses of assembly.
Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Abba-Aji ruled that “the EFCC Act, which was not established from a treaty but a convention, does not need the ratification of the houses of assembly.”
-
Sports2 days agoBREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
-
Aviation2 days agoDisaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight
-
metro1 day agoCourt orders varsity to pay lecturer N40m compensation for wrongful dismissal
-
Opinion1 day agoApomu king turns warmonger for PDP
-
Education3 days ago12-year-old Nigerian girl Eniola Shokunbi invents air filter to reduce spread of diseases in US schools
-
Politics1 day agoOndo poll: Three gov candidates withdraw for Aiyedatiwa
-
News2 days agoEdo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
-
metro2 days agoWe are understaffed, ICPC boss laments