metro
Bandits threaten to kill 29 Kaduna students, demand N500m ransom
Bandits have threatened to kill the 29 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, still in their custody, following the refusal of the Kaduna State Government to meet their demand of N500 million ransom.
A total of 39 abducted from the school were abducted from the school on March 11. Ten of the students have been released in two batches after some parents have reportedly paid ransom to the bandits.
The Kaduna State Government has insisted that it would not negotiate with the bandits, while the parents pleaded with Governor Nasir el-rufai to negotiate with the abductors.
Spokesman for the parents, Friday Sanni, said at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday that they had received the threats via telephone from the bandits to kill the remaining 29 abductees who have now spent 37 days in captivity.
He said, “We are calling on Nigerians, non-governmental organisations, charity organisations and donors to come to our aid in donating to rescue our children. We don’t know what is happening to them.
“The bandits have threatened to kill our children if we play with them. The other time, they said they will marry the female and kill the men and that a time will come when even if we bring the money, the money will not be useful.”
He said since government claimed security agents rescued the two batches of 10 students earlier released, they should do something about the remaining students.
Sanni also said, “The government has said any parent who negotiates with the bandits will be prosecuted but most of the parents are already arrested emotionally. Our children today are faced with AK 47 guns on them. The faith of our children is what we don’t know; they have spent 36 days without clothing, food, clean drinking water or bathing.”
He said the parents would continue to find a way of reaching out to the bandits.
Sanni said: “We will continue to protest, no matter the number of security forces. The highest is death and we are ready to sacrifice that for our children who have promising futures.”
Sources among the parents said the bandits were earlier given N17 million for the release of all the 39 students following negotiations, “but after they collected the money, they changed their mind, saying it was too small and decided to release only 10 of the students.”
The source said negotiations with the bandits by parents were still going on.
In a statement after the briefing by the parents, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said, “The governor will continue to work hard until banditry is contained, without succumbing to emotional blackmail and gradual politicisation of the unfortunate situation.”.
The commissioner denied reports that Governor El-Rufai threatened to prosecute parents of the abductees for negotiating with the bandits.
The governor had vowed that he would not negotiate nor pay ransom to bandits and that anyone that negotiates with bandits on behalf of the state government would be arrested and prosecuted.
Aruwan said, “Contrary to the mischief in some sections of the media, the bond between the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and the parents of the abducted students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, and other citizens in captivity, is deep empathy amidst spirited efforts to secure them.
“The governor will continue to work hard until banditry is contained. Some section of the media has been reporting purported threat by the governor to prosecute parents of the abducted students, which is simply false and deeply mischievous.”
metro
DSS, NIA probe Natasha Akpoti’s attendance at IPU meeting
DSS, NIA probe Natasha Akpoti’s attendance at IPU meeting
Nigeria’s security and intelligence agencies have launched an investigation into how Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central attended the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York without official nomination.
According to a report by Premium Times, officials from the Department of State Service (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are reportedly examining the circumstances surrounding her attendance, including who facilitated her participation, how she obtained accreditation, and whether her presence was intended to embarrass the Nigerian government.
The investigation follows concerns that the senator did not receive official clearance from the Nigerian Senate to represent the country at the IPU event on March 11.
According to the IPU’s regulations, participation is generally restricted to official delegates nominated by their respective national parliaments, with details submitted in advance for accreditation. While some individuals may attend as observers, this typically requires explicit approval from both the IPU and the home country’s delegation.
At the meeting, Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan raised concerns about her recent suspension from the Nigerian Senate, describing it as a politically motivated move aimed at silencing her. She also made allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In response, IPU President Tulia Ackson stated that the organization would investigate the matter while also considering the Nigerian Senate’s perspective.
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However, Nigerian delegate Kafilat Ogbara, who chairs the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, challenged Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims, presenting a letter from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele. The letter stated that the senator’s suspension was due to violations of Senate standing rules rather than retaliation for her statements against Mr. Akpabio.
During a plenary session last Thursday, Mr. Bamidele questioned the legitimacy of Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attendance at the IPU event, emphasizing that the IPU operates based on established protocols.
“So, if for any reason one of our colleagues, who was not even supposed to be there, found her way to the place, sat on the seat meant for Nigeria, and spoke for herself rather than for Nigeria, you know, that’s another issue altogether,” he stated.
Similarly, Jimoh Ibrahim, chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Activities, issued a statement on Friday asserting that Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan had no official authorization to represent Nigeria at the IPU meeting.
Sources indicate that the DSS and NIA’s inquiry is examining whether Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan obtained unauthorized credentials or was assisted by external facilitators in securing her participation. Investigators are also looking into whether her presence violated IPU regulations or Nigeria’s parliamentary protocols.
Additionally, the probe aims to determine if her statements at the meeting misrepresented Nigeria’s official position and whether any individuals or organizations played a role in facilitating her attendance without the government’s knowledge.
It remains unclear how the security agencies will act once their findings are concluded.
DSS, NIA probe Natasha Akpoti’s attendance at IPU meeting
metro
Why we awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech – Dave Umahi
Why we awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech – Dave Umahi
The Federal Government has explained why it awarded the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, made the explanation during an inspection tour of the highway project in Lagos on Saturday.
“Some people say that it didn’t go through a competitive bidding.
“I want to explain this: we have three types of procurement allowed by law,” he said.
Umahi listed the three types as restrictive procurement, selective/competitive bidding, and open bidding.
“When we started this project, we asked for companies that have up to five wirtgne concrete paver.
“You will agree with me that until we started this, the concrete paver was not common in Nigeria as it is today.
“We had to look for a company that had done this kind of project before, and that is Hitech.”
He noted that Hitech reconstructed the Oworonshoki Apapa Road.
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“We saw that they got it right; so, we called them on Section 1.
“Then, we used restrictive bidding, which we sent to BPP (Bureau for Public Procurement) and we sent to the Federal Executive Council and they looked at it and corrected where they should and passed it accordingly.
“When other companies started bringing in some equipment, because they saw that Ministry of Works is insisting, especially where we have high water table, that we must use concrete, they started to bring in concrete equipment,” he said.
Umahi said that the Federal Government consequently opened Section 2 of the project to selective bidding and selected some companies and they bid.
He said that Hitech won the bidding for Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project.
The minister said that in Section 3A and 3B, the same thing happened.
“We have not gone outside the law, we have not gone outside the Procurement Act.”
He emphasised that President Bola Tinubu did not recommend any company for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project.
“ I want to say that there is no corruption in it. It is very transparent,” Umahi added.
Why we awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech – Dave Umahi
metro
Corps member alleges threats over viral video criticising Tinubu gov’t
Corps member alleges threats over viral video criticising Tinubu gov’t
A corps member serving in Lagos State has alleged that she is receiving threatening messages after publicly criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a viral video, the corps member, identified on TikTok as @talktoraye, voiced her frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic situation, particularly the rising cost of living.
She questioned the government’s response to inflation and lamented how the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program has not been financially sustainable for her, as her expenses far exceed her allowance.
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She said: “If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government. I just want to say to our president, I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”
The corps member recounted her shock at the soaring prices of essential goods, including a crate of eggs now selling for N6,500, a significant jump from previous prices. She also complained about skyrocketing utility bills and transportation costs, describing them as unsustainable.
Following the video’s circulation, she claimed to have received calls from an NYSC official, who allegedly pressured her to take down the post.
In a subsequent video, she shared a recording of one such call, during which an official reportedly scolded her, saying: “Are you normal? Keep quiet and bring down the video you posted.”
As of now, the NYSC has not issued an official response to these allegations.
Corps member alleges threats over viral video criticising Tinubu gov’t
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