Mass exodus hits Birnin-Gwari, as terrorists battle over Damari – Newstrends
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Mass exodus hits Birnin-Gwari, as terrorists battle over Damari

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Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai

THE epicentre of terrorism in Kaduna State, Birnin Gwari, is beginning to witness mass exodus following intensified attempts by warring factions to seize control of the territory. It will be recalled that after  the Ansaru terrorists, a faction of Boko Haram, annexed the area and instituted a kind of local authority, the locals had some relief going by report that the heavily armed breakaway group provided security to the people and prevented local bandits from attacking Damari and  neighnoring villages.

For some time, there seemed to have been close ties between the breakaway Ansaru members and the original inhabitants who were allowed to work on their farms and even had their disputes settled by the Ansaru terrorists.

The group had successfully indoctrinated and recruited  followers in the eastern part of Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area from such communities like Old Kuyello, Kazage, Kutemeshe, Kwasa-Kwasa, Gobirawa and Farin Ruwa. As a sign of their success in the affected areas, villagers could be seen with Ansaru uniforms going to the mosques, preaching and sharing pamphlets containing their ideology to congregations.

Many villagers who had since lost hope in the ability of government to protect them against bandits began to develop  interest in joining the Ansaru so that they could live freely and do their businesses without fear in their communities.

The Ansaru members continued to preach and administer Sharia justice system to the  locals but while requiring them to acquire arms to defend themselves against enemies as well as fight government in order to establish what they referred to as a ‘pure Islamic state’.

However, on Monday July 25, 2022 around 6:00pm, a large number motorcycles-mounted bandits, wielding sophisticated weapons, invaded Damari, killing three persons, namely: Hashimu Dan-Daura, Nazifi Adamu and Alhaji Dangude. It was reported that the bandits operated in the area  unchallenged for about an hour.

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Not done with their mission, the militants returned the following day, July 26, 2022 around 6:00pm and freely looted available shops in the town, and on their way back to the forests, kidnapped 13 persons at Hayin-Gada in the same Damari community. The attacks came after Ansaru members who were considered to be defending the locals left the area for about four days.

This happened barely two weeks after the Ansaru members had confronted bandits when they attacked the town on July 13, 2022 and burned a private hospital, two vehicles and one shop. Many were reportedly killed in the confrontation.

The infighting between the two rival factions of terrorists has sent shockwaves to the inhabitants of Birnin-Gwari, who have been at the receiving end of their atrocities since the area fell into their hands with little or no definite action from the security agencies to expel them out of the area. It is has become the most dreaded part of Kaduna State with daily killings, kidnap of innocent persons passing through the area and other inhuman activities.

As a result, the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union, BEPU, has expressed concern over the seeming inability of government to put an end to the destruction of lives and property in the area by bandits and terrorists. The apparent neglect and inaction by government, have left the natives with no choice than to relocate from the theatre of war and seek for safer locations to pitch their tents in order to save their lives.

“Today, the people of Damari are fleeing en masse following incessant attacks by terrorists that besiege the farming community  on “vengeance mission” over Ansaru who have since relocated from the area, a native of Birnin-Gwari, Malam Ishaq Kasai said.

“In the past few days because of the precarious situation and the high level of insecurity in the area, women and children were seen trekking for safety. About 20 vehicles were seen moving out with escapees due to the activities of bandits, killing and abducting people in Damari and neighbouring villages.

“On Thursday 28th July, 2022, the bandits passed through the same Damari town shooting  sporadically; and came back to the town in the early hours of  Friday, a market day, snatched motorcycles, seized money from traders, rustled cattle and kidnapped many locals.

“This is coming after Ansaru members who were considered “protecting” the community against armed bandits have relocated to other areas,” Ishaq said.  “It is against the recent daily recurrent attacks by armed bandits vis-a-vis reliable information available to the locals on bandits planning serious attacks against the community that they are deserting the  town en masse for safety.

“Presently, there is no presence of security agents in the town. It is against this disturbing situation that we are calling on the authorities to, as a matter of urgency, mobilize security personnel to the community in order to arrest the situation,” Ishaq Usman Kasai said.

It will be recalled that between January and July 2022, many communities in Birnin Gwari Local Government  have come under attacks by bandits. A number of cases was reported by the media, but  the villagers said there are many more unreported ones.

The bandits pick villages at random, as there appears to be no pointer as to what informs their choice. Both thickly and sparsely populated communities have been attacked, some were looted, while for some, nothing was taken. Some have had their houses burnt, while some were spared.

The casualty rate in all these  has  been alarming, as within this year alone, no less than 200 locals have been killed, shot or stabbed to death.  The Emir of Birnin Gwari, Malam Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari II also  believes the number of attacks and casualty rate are higher than the ones the public is aware of, saying that over 30 communities in his emirate have come under attack in the past one year, while many of his subjects were killed.

In June 2022, a Divisional Police Officer who was newly posted to Birnin Gwari was kidnapped on his way to report at his duty post. Till date, nothing was heard about him.

Concerned individuals and groups now fear the growth of the interaction and movement of terrorists into the porous and vulnerable area. They fear that it has ramifications for the growth of Al-Qaeda in West Africa because it could lead to Al-Qaeda uniting its Sahelian and Nigerian jihad theatres.

Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area, they suspect, is being considered by internationally connected terrorists as their new operational base after being technically dislodged from the North-East.

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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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