After Abduction of 83 Villagers, Niger Bans Sale of Motorcycles – Newstrends
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After Abduction of 83 Villagers, Niger Bans Sale of Motorcycles

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Niger State, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello

– Katsina recruits 500 more vigilance operatives to tackle banditry

To curb incessant banditry and kidnapping in Niger State, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has banned the sale of motorcycles in the state.

This is coming as bandits have invaded Zagzaga community in the Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, the third within one week, and abducted 10 more villagers, bringing the total number of persons with the bandits to 83.

They have also demanded for N150million ransom by the bandits before those in captivity would be set free.

The Katsina State Government has however, recruited 500 more persons as vigilance operatives to complement efforts of other security agencies in rural communities.

Secretary to the Niger State Government, Mr. Ahmed Matane, said in a statement issued in Minna yesterday that the ban on sales of motorcycle resulted from incessant security challenges in some parts of state.

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He stated that the ban was also informed by the fact that bandits and kidnappers now demand motorcycles as ransom.

He explained that the ban covered the sale of “any motorcycle (Bajaj, Boxer, Qiujeng, Honda ACE, Jingchen) with engine capacity from 185 Cubic Centimetres (cc) and above’’.

Matane stated also that the measure was aimed at eradicating the activities of criminals, bandits and kidnappers who unleashed mayhem on innocent citizens.

He condemned the degree of carnage and pandemonium bandits and kidnappers caused in parts of the state and reiterated its continued determination to rid the state of security threats.
Matane added that the government was aware of the inconveniences the measure would cause the people, but the decision was taken in the overall interest of the state.

He appealed to dealers in motorcycles in the state to comply with the directive.
He urged the citizens to cooperate with security agencies on the security measures being put in place to put an end to activities of criminal elements.

The secretary to the state government also stated that government had ordered security agencies in the state to ensure effective and strict compliance and enforcement of the directive.

Matane reaffirmed that commercial motorcycling and operation of illegal garages remained banned in Minna and its environs.
Meanwhile, bandits have invaded Zagzaga community in the Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, the third within one week, and abducted 10 more villagers, bringing the total number of persons with the bandits to 83.

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They have also demanded for N150million ransom by the bandits before those in captivity will be set free.

An eyewitness told THISDAY yesterday that the bandits returned to the community in the early morning hours, riding 10 motorcycles.
“They parked their motorcycles about 500 metres to our village and came on foot, and began to select those they wanted to take away
“They were asking for names of some particular set of people which gave us the impression that they were working with informants,” the eyewitness further said.

It was learnt that before the Saturday morning invasion the bandits had phoned to demand for the N150million ransom.
THISDAY gathered that people are now leaving Zagzaga in droves as a result of the activities of the bandits who have set up a camp at Sohon Kabula with not less than 30 motorcycles at their disposal.

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Government has recruited 500 more persons as vigilance operatives to complement efforts of other security agencies in rural communities.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mustapha Inuwa, said this was part of efforts to check banditry.
He spoke while receving the interim report on the recruitment of vigilance groups, led by the Special Adviser on Security, Alhaji Ibrahim Katsina.

He said the measures were part of sustained efforts by the administration to restore peace and security.

‘Each state in the North-west that is currently facing security challenges has been given the mandate to recruit credible vigilance members to boost their security architecture,’’ Inuwa said.

Also speaking, a member of the Security Committee representing Katsina Emirate Council, Kauran Katsina and district head of Rimi, Alhaji Nuhu Abdulkadir, said the Committee had lived up to its mandates and had searched diligently for trustworthy and reliable people in the communities, who had the needed qualities to be trained and work alongside security personnel for the restoration of peace in Katsina.

A member of the Security Committee representing Daura Emirate Council, and also a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lawal Al-Hassan said the Committee selected 13 vigilantes from each local government area of the state, who were of proven courage and integrity, with the right disposition to get the job done.
With the previous 500 persons that were recruited, the total number of vigilantes in the state is now 1,000.

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Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name

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Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo

Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has directed the immediate freezing of all state-owned bank accounts.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the governor stated that the accounts would remain frozen until further notice.

He instructed commercial banks, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to comply with the order immediately or face severe consequences.

The statement reads: “All state bank accounts with commercial banks have been frozen. Commercial banks must comply with this order and ensure that not a single naira is withdrawn from government coffers until further notice.

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“Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies must ensure full compliance without delay.

“Following necessary investigations and reconciliations, the governor will take appropriate action and decide on the way forward. For now, this order remains in effect.”

Okpebholo also directed relevant agencies to revert the name of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges to its previous title, the Ministry of Works, a change made during the Godwin Obaseki administration.

“It is odd to name a government institution the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, especially when not a single bridge was built by the previous administration — not even a pedestrian bridge.

“In the coming days, we will examine further actions taken by the previous administration and make decisions that serve the best interests of the state,” the statement added.

 

Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name

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Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi

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Prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Ahmad Mahmud Gumi

Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi

Prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Ahmad Mahmud Gumi has criticized the widely discussed two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling it a “deception.”

His remarks followed a recent summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, where President Bola Tinubu and other leaders condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and urged an end to hostilities.

In an interview with Daily Trust at his Kaduna residence, Gumi argued, “This Two-State Solution is a deception. No Israeli will allow a Palestinian to survive, and Palestinians will never allow Israel to survive.

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The only solution is to dissolve the two states and create a democratically electable region.”

Gumi commended the OIC’s support for Palestine, noting that Muslims and Arabs worldwide increasingly see the treatment of Palestinians as “genocide” and accuse Israel of human rights abuses.

He also called for a return to the pre-1948 structure, where Palestinians, Jews, and Christians lived together, suggesting a single, inclusive state that allows peaceful coexistence.

“When I hear people talking about Two-State Solutions, I know they are just deceiving themselves,” Gumi added, advocating for a unified region where people of all faiths can live together, similar to the multi-faith coexistence seen in countries like the United States.

 

Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi

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Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll

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Olusola Ebiseni

Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll

The Labour Party candidature of Olusola Ebiseni for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State has been nullified.

The nullification follows the sacking of Ebiseni by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The governorship election of the southwest State will hold on Saturday, 16 November 2024.

The judgement disqualifying Ebiseni was unanimously delivered by the three members of the panel and read out by the chairman of the panel, Justice Adebukola Banjoko.

The judgment granted the prayer of the Labour Party who preferred the case against Ebiseni.

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Justice Banjoko held that, “the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the Labour Party against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and two others is allowed.”

Justice Banjoko further stated that the Certified True Copy of the judgment would be provided to the parties involved in the appeal as soon as possible for their review.

Recall that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to accept and recognize Olusola Ebiseni and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the November 16 Ondo State governorship elections.

Justice Nwite confirmed that the second primary election conducted by the Labour Party, which resulted in Ebiseni and Awude being selected as candidates, was valid and should be upheld by INEC.

However, the appellate court has now overturned the judgment of the trial court’s judgment.

 

Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll

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