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Newborn, 49 others die in Jigawa building collapse, flood

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2022

The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said 50 people, including a newborn, were killed in building collapse due to heavy downpours in different parts of the state.
The tragedy occurred across the state since the beginning of the rainy season, SEMA Executive Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Sani, said.

He told newsmen that several houses were either damaged or destroyed, rendering several families homeless.
Sani said the displaced persons were currently taking refuge in 11 temporary camps, while others stayed with their relatives, as the agency was making efforts to open camps to accommodate the victims.
He added that the agency had been providing the victims, including those staying with their relatives, with items and other basic needs.
According to him, the worst hit areas are Kafinhausa and Balangu villages, all in Kafinhausa Local Government Area of the state.
“He said in Kafinhausa, six people died, 68 hospitalised and 1,436 lost thier houses, while in Balangu four people died and 238 lost their houses.
He said the agency got information of the death of seven people from same family including a newborn baby in a building collapse on Sunday in Kafinhausa.

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“From the report we have, if you combine the number is getting to 50 since the commencement of the rainy season,” the executive secretary said.
Sani said he could not immediately give the exact number of communities and people affected by the disaster in the state because personnel of the agency were still assessing the level of damage and compiling list of the victims.
“There is a camp around Kafinhausa that accommodates over 1,000 displaced persons.
“Some have over 300, so I cannot tell you the exact number because we are still taking people there,” Sani said.
He, however, commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its prompt response to the disaster by bringing succour to the victims.
NEMA has begun the distribution of relief items to the victims in six most affected LGAs of Hadejia, Kirikasamma, Kafinhausa, Birniwa, Kaugama and Malammadori.
The relief items according to the agency, are: 7,650 bags of rice, 6,450 bags of maize, 950 cans of 20 litres vegetable oil, 530 cartons of seasoning, 50 bags of 20kg salt and 6,000 bags of cement.
” Maybe by tomorrow or so I can tell you the exact number of people affected.
“And as I was telling you, the disaster occurred in all the 27 LGAs because it’s a matter of rainfall and we had rain for good three days in Jigawa nonstop. So all the 27 LGAs are affected.
“So our personnel are already in the remaining 21 LGAs taking assessment and as soon as we receive the report, we will forward it to NEMA and donor Organisations for intervention,” the executive secretary added.

NPO

Related Topics:Downpour Featured flood Jigawa Tragedy

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

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November 14, 2024

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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%.

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

Published

5 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

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.

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

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.