Bandits Kill kidnapped ECWA Church Pastor, after collecting ransom – Newstrends
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Bandits Kill kidnapped ECWA Church Pastor, after collecting ransom

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Bandits have finally killed Rev. Dauda Bature, Pastor of ECWA Church Nariya, Kaduna State who was kidnapped in his farm.

Rev. Joseph John Hayab, Vice President, Northern states and Abuja of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN), had told journalists that late Rev. Dauda Bature was kidnapped on the 8th of November, 2021 by the bandits while he was on his farm, not far from the Rigasa Train station in Kaduna state.

The bandits later demanded for ransom and Rev. Dauda’s wife took the ransom and delivered to the bandits.

“They kidnapped her ,too,” Hayab said. On the 18th of November, the bandits released the wife and few days later, killed the husband.

Rev. Joseph John Hayab who is also the Chairman of CAN in Kaduna state ,appealed to the security agents to double their efforts in the protection of lives and property, insisting that collecting ransom and going ahead to kill the victim, is an inhuman act that must be condemned.

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Meanwhile, residents of a Kaduna community had to run for their lives as security agents and Invading bandits were engaged in a gun duel ,leading to shooting of a pregnant woman.

The pregnant woman was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

Journalists are still waiting for reaction from the police. The security agents ,according to locals, “repelled the rampaging hoard of bandits that attempted to invade the community in the early hours of Saturday morning, December 11, 2021.”

“The loud shots of different types of firearms rented the air from past 12 midnight to almost 3am.Three persons who were abducted from the community were later freed after military and JTF engaged them in gunfire.”

“A woman among the freed was however, wounded by a gunshot. She is said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital.”

“Thousands of residents, including men, women and children took to the streets, with some just covered by their under wears.”

“A residence was seen up in flames at about the same time, the bandits dug a hole through the fence, gained access and set the house ablaze before they fled.”

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The community has been relatively safe, with an isolated incident of kidnapping recorded

almost two years ago in December 2021, when a returnee from the United States was abducted alongside two of his brothers.

Meanwhile, sources said at about same time, a mother and two of her children were suspected to have been abducted from Oil Village, which shares boundary with Sabo GRA.

A day earlier, in the early hours of Friday, sources said a security operative alongside his wife and baby were abducted in Ungwan Bulus, another community bordering Sabo GRA from the western axis.

Normalcy has  returned to the Sabo GRA as people were seen pursuing their legitimate businesses, even as stern looking combat ready security agents continued to patrol the area.

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

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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%.

 

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

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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