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Gunmen kidnap 13 persons in Abuja, demand N900m ransom

Published

6 months ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

FCT Police Command Spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine

Gunmen kidnap 13 persons in Abuja, demand N900m ransom

Suspected gunmen raided Piko, a secluded town in Abuja’s Bwari area council, and kidnapped 13 people.

It was reported that the incident, which began at midnight on Sunday in the village, continued more than an hour without being challenged by either the vigilante group or other security forces.

According to a close community source, Chief John Jatau, the village’s Maidakin, has verified that 10 residents, including four nomadic Fulani herders, were kidnapped from his domain.

He noted that out of the four Fulani people, one escaped from the kidnappers’ custody.

While he said that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N900 million, he also gave the names of the kidnapped victims from his community.

According to him, the kidnap victims from the community that are still with their abductors are Nuhu Anyiwoyi, Emmanuel Nuhu, Danjuma Ali, Parisa Numa, Ezekiel Jatau, Shekwosa Ezekiel, Roseline Samuel, Salome Jacob, Abyelo Ezra, and Ezra Male.

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The source said, “The kidnapping incident occurred last night Sunday 05/05/2024, at about 11 pm. The kidnappers raided the village for about one hour without any response, or reaction from the community or outsiders, the major challenge the community faced last night in terms of communication to others was as a result of no telecommunication network in the village, so they picked people’s house to house, from the community they picked about 13 people, and later release three.

“The Madakin Piko informed me that they (gunmen) have called and they said they need the ramson of N900,000,000 (nine hundred million naira). They picked about four Fulani people and one of them is released.”

All possible efforts to reach the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, proved abortive as she neither replied to messages nor picked up calls placed to her for clarification on the incident.

Gunmen kidnap 13 persons in Abuja, demand N900m ransom

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We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

Published

10 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Governor Ahmed Aliyu and Hamdiyya Sidi

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

The Sokoto Police Command has refuted claims circulated by an online platform alleging that Hamdiyya Sidi was arrested and detained for criticizing Governor Ahmed Aliyu.

Labeling the reports as baseless, police officials clarified that Sidi was detained following a complaint lodged against her for allegedly inciting public unrest.

In a statement issued by the Sokoto State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ahmed Rufai, the police detailed that Sidi allegedly admitted to inciting residents to violence during questioning.

According to the statement, Sidi allegedly presented herself as a humanitarian seeking to assist local residents with donations, but later used the platform to incite them, prompting law enforcement action.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto Command, has been drawn to the ongoing falsehood and misinformation circulated by social media handles on the purported story that the Nigeria Police, Sokoto Command, secretly arrested and arraigned a woman who lamented on the recent rise in killings in Sokoto for embarrassing Governor Aliyu Ahmed Sokoto. This is false and misleading.”

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The statement continued to clarify the situation, explaining: “On the 3rd of November 2024 at 1700hrs, Marafa Yakubu, the village head of Sabon Birnin Daji village in Wurno Local Government Area, reported to the police that a woman, later identified as Hamdiyya Sidi from Munki village in the same local government, had visited the area, claiming to represent a charity aimed at assisting women and youth. She reportedly requested to address women in the community, intending to distribute aid to those in need.

“However, instead of distributing relief items as promised, she began encouraging the women to forcibly seize government properties in Wammako Local Government Area, claiming ownership rights over them.”

Yakubu observed the rising tension among community members and alerted local guards, who detained Sidi and subsequently handed her over to the police. “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the offence and was charged to court within 24 hours for the offence of inciting disturbance,” the statement added.

The Sokoto Police emphasized, “One of our constitutional responsibilities is to investigate crimes, both minor and major, and the case of Hamdiyya is no exception.”

The Commissioner of Police advised residents to carefully consider the information they share publicly, warning against the spread of misinformation that could disrupt the state’s peace.

“Sokoto State Police Command remains committed to protecting fundamental human rights while carrying out its duties,” the statement concluded.

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

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Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

Published

24 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

In a significant development, the Governing Council of Federal University Lokoja has approved the dismissal of four lecturers over allegations of examination malpractices and sexual misconduct.

According to reports, the decision was made during the council’s Second Meeting on Thursday, following a thorough investigation into the accusations that surfaced last year.

Led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the council commended the university’s management for adhering to due process in investigating the claims of examination misconduct and sexual harassment against the lecturers involved.

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Ndoma-Egba stated, “The council will not tolerate any unethical conduct in the university” and called for prompt resolution of other pending misconduct cases, particularly one within the Faculty of Science that has gained media attention.

In a caution to staff and lecturers, the council emphasized its commitment to addressing any form of student molestation and urged students to report incidents of misconduct without fear.

Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.