NIGERIAN ARMY COMMENCES INVESTIGATION ON SOLDIER WHO SHOT COLLEAGUES IN RABBAH SOKOTO

The Nigerian Army has instituted investigations into the unfortunate incident of a soldier, who killed his colleagues and himself at Forward Operations Base (FOB) Rabbah, Sokoto State. The sad and rare incident occured in the evening of Sunday 5 March 2023 at the FOB, where troops were deployed for Internal Security Operations.

According to Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director Army Public Relations, in a press release on the
6 March 2023, said, the circumstances leading to the incident could not be immediately ascertained, as the soldier who killed his colleagues also shot himself immediately, terminating his own life.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Nigerian Army, who also doubles as the Commander Joint Task Force Northwest Operation Hadarin  Daji Major General Godwin Mutkut and other senior officers have visited the location,  where he commiserated with troops for loosing their colleagues in such an unfortunate situation. He urged them to be their brother’s keepers and report any anomaly observed amongst their colleagues in order to forestall such  incidents. He also encouraged them to remain calm and committed in the discharge of their duties.

The authorities of the Nigerian Army are deeply concerned about this unusual and ugly development and have therefore instituted a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to  unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident. It is envisaged that the findings of the BOI will help forestall such ugly and bizarre occurrence in the future.

Prince Adebayo asks key questions ahead of Saturday polls

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate in 2023 polls, Prince Adewole Adebayo has raised five questions ahead of the March 11 Governorship and State Legislative Elections.

Prince Adebayo raised the questions in a two page tweet at the weekend.

He maintained that he has observed what he described as the “remorseful tone” of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “over inglorious commissions and omissions of Feb 25 elections”, but insisted that the only redemption for the commission “is clean, clear March 11 elections.”

“I have taken note of remorseful tone of @inecnigeria over inglorious commissions and omissions of Feb 25 elections. Redemption is clean, clear March 11 elections. Nothing less! The big question is, will @OfficialAPCNg @OfficialPDPNig @NgLabour @OfficialNNPPng etc stop cheating?

“Also, (2) will voters still sell votes for money or barter for foodstuffs, cloths, soaps, ‘maggi’ etc? (3) Will security operatives be fully loyal to the law and Country? (4) Will the media expose frauds and infractions conscientiously? (5) Will observers be neutral and ethical?” Prince Adewole Adebayo asked.

Amidst tears PDP FCT chairman laid to rest

USMAN ALIYU

Hon. Sunday Zakka the PDP FCT chairman   died on the 25th of February in a Gastly motor accident in the early hours of the election day on his way to the KUJE area council after having a party meeting with his PDP family at the city center.
Hon. Sunday zakka left behind his aged mother, wife, three kids, and other siblings.

Present at the burial service was the entire PDP family both national and state chapters headed by Sen. Philip Aduda.

The distinguished senator who address the gathering in tears out of emotion said the death of Hon. Sunday zakka left a hole in his heart as the late Hon. Sunday was the captain of his political ship.

Africa security investigation further gathered that Hon. Sunday zakka JP was currently running his master’s program at the university of Abuja despite his tight schedule.

It is worth knowing that the university of Abuja department of public administration, masters students 2020/2021 academic session were fully on ground to pay last respect to Hon.Sunday Dogo zakka JP

Hon. Sunday zakka who died at the age of 43 was buried in his resident Sudaba at KUJE area council FCT Abuja.

NiMet SIGNS MoU WITH INDIA MET DEPARTMENT AS IT EXPLORES ENHANCED PRODUCT/SERVICE DELIVERY WITH WIGOS

As the 76th Session of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Executive Council (EC) meeting taking place in Geneva, Switzerland draws to a close, one of the high points for Nigerian Meteorological Agency NiMet is the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding MoU with the Indian Meteorological Department.

The MoU signing which took place yesterday at WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland  is basically to facilitate the collaboration between both organisations to build capacities in order to promote activities relating to meteorology and climate change adaptation and planning.

The MoU is for the mutual benefit of both organisations in the conduct of Scientific & Technical Research & development of practical skills that benefit International Community, specifically in the following areas
Numerical Weather Prediction Capability, Meteorological Sensor Designing, Satellite Meteorology, Scientific research on meteorology and its applications in various sectors.

The NiMet team also had a meeting with the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) team to facilitate data exchange among WMO Members in the region and ultimately improve Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) forecast for Multi-Hazard Early Warnings. 

The WIGOS is a core WMO activity and a basic WMO infrastructure element supporting all WMO programmes and application areas. It enables WMO and its Members accomplish their shared mission to help save lives, protect property and increase prosperity everywhere on the globe, and provide relevant data and information for policy- and decision making in support of sustainable development. 

WIGOS provides the global framework, the management and design tools so that all providers of meteorological and related environmental observations can optimize their investment in user-driven measurement capabilities that in combination will help meet as many requirements as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

WIGOS is requirements-driven with a clear orientation to public health, disaster risk reduction, water resource management and food security, renewable energy, tourism, travel, insurance, to mention just a few, as an enabler for sustainable development. Hence, the application and involvement in WIGOS will help NiMet enhance its product and service-specific deliveries.

PMB COMMISSIONS 700 TROOPS VEHICLES : CALLS FOR SUSTAINANCE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE COUNTRY

The President and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria ( AFN), Muhammadu Buhari today, 3 March, 2023 commissioned 700 Ashock LeyLand Troops Carrying Vehicles for the AFN. The President while commissioning the vehicles said that the procurement of the vehicles is a testimony of the commitment as well as importance the Federal Government attaches to the welfare of the AFN and other security agencies.
President Buhari who addressed the audience at the occasion held at the Nigerian Navy Holdings Limited in Abuja, via virtual medium added that, his government has over the years, intensified the training and equipment acquisition for the Armed Forces.
He therefore charged the AFN to consolidate on the gains of peace and stability already recorded in the country and gave an assurance of his administration’s continuos respect and improvement on the welfare of members of the Armed Forces.
The Honourable Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (retired) while speaking at the occasion stated that the procurement of the vehicles is a signicant milestone of many initiatives of President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly his quest towards tackling security challenges in the country. He added that the country is faced with mirage of daunting challenges. In his words, “The challenges are however, being confronted head-on by the President’s resilience”. He noted that the process of transforming the AFN is not easy, given the multi- dimension of the challenges. The Minister also seized the opportunity to pay tributes to members of the AFN who payed the supreme prize in the course of defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

Also speaking at the occasion, the permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar pointed out that the vehicles were produced in Nigeria by Nigerians. He emphasized that
with the advent of various faces of insurgency being experienced in the country, it is imperative for the country to look inwards and provide local preventive mechanism to fortify her critical assets, formations, borders and various camps across the nation.
Dr Abubakar explained that the engagement of Stallion Motors Nigeria limited by the Ministry of Defence, was based on the Honourable Minister of Defence convictions on upholding the President’s desires to promote the utilisation of indigenous technology as enshrined in the Executive Order 5 signed by Mr President.
It could be recalled that the procurement of these vehicles was initiated since 2014 by the office of the National Security Adviser to facilitate the operational activities of the Armed Forces.
The Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers of Finance, Police Affairs and Interiors were among the dignitaries that graced the occasion.

SDP stands by election outcome, sets agenda for Tinubu

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to unite the county through a government of national unity and fast-track a process of national reconciliation.

The party also submitted that notwithstanding the obvious challenges that were associated with the election and the concerns expressed by aggrieved stakeholders, the party stood by the outcome of the electoral process.

The National Chairman of the party, Shehu Gabam, disclosed this on Thursday at a press briefing held at the party’s headquarters in Abuja while congratulating Tinubu for winning the keenly contested presidential election. He also lauded the party’s presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, for his impressive outing in the election.

He said, “We call on the President-elect to take deliberate practical steps in uniting the country, to bring the country together through a government of national unity; to fix our obvious national cracks, address the failings, heal the land and fast-track the process of national reconciliation.

“The SDP heartily congratulates all Nigerians for the peaceful and successful presidential and national assembly elections that took place on Saturday, February 25, 2023, and Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress Candidate for winning the keenly contested presidential election.”

While commending the Independent National Electoral Commission, under the leadership of Mahmood Yakubu, for pulling through in the face of all odds, the party also saluted the good show of the runners-up and all the presidential candidates in the election, for putting themselves forward to serve the country, and for making the contest to be very competitive.

Finally, EFCC Arraigns Zaura for Alleged $1.320m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today March 1, 2023 arraigned Abdulsalam Saleh Abdulkarim before Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court Kano.

The defendant, popularly known as A.A Zaura, was arraigned on a four count charge of obtaining by false pretense.

One of the charge read “That you, Abdulkarim Saleh Abdulssalam, sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) from Dr. Jamman Al- Azmi when you represented that you have the capacity to partner with him for a joint venture business, which representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1[1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

Zaura pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to him.

In view of his plea, counsel for the prosecution Aisha Tahar Habib asked for a trial date.

Counsel representing the defendant, Ishaq Mudi Dikko, SAN, applied for bail on behalf of his client.

After a brief argument between the parties Justice, Yunusa ruled that the defendant continue with the bail terms earlier granted to him by the court.

The matter has been adjourned till May 2, 2023 for the commencement of retrial.

The defendant’s trial is starting afresh after the Court of Appeal nullified his discharge and acquittal on fraud charges by Justice A. L Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano. Zaura is alleged to have defrauded a Kuwaiti Citizen of the sum of $1,320,000 (One Million Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) under the pretext that he is in the business of building properties in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries

“Honour Peace Accord”, Adebayo Implores Other Presidential Candidates

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo has urged Nigerians to ignore people releasing unofficial result of February 25 poll.

“Prince Adewole Adebayo in a terser message on Twitter on Sunday implored other Presidential Candidates to honour the peace accord.

The messages read:

“As Presidential Candidates and political parties, we all agreed to honour the Peace Accord signed with all solemnity. We knew that only one person would win. We all agreed to wait for @inecnigeria to declare the result. I urge all to abide now. Agents provocateurs must desist

“Those announcing their own results or calling on people to come and resist
@inecnigeria as it collates and declares results or hiring spin doctors to go on the media to arouse controversies should remember that nothing can now change the winner. Wait for
@inecnigeria to announce. ”

..,.Recall that SDP Presidential Candidate and his wife cast their votes in Ondo town on Saturday.

NFYO Jubilate As Ireti Wins…Says More Wins To Women

Maryam Aminu

Having been declared winner of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senate seat by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the President Nigeria Female Youth Organization, Princess Mimi Peters, congratulates Hajiya Ireti Kingibe.

In a statement disclosed to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Princess Mimi expressed joy as she congratulates Kingibe

“Congratulations on your successful win in the election, I am so happy for you. I know you are the perfect choice for this position and you will work for the people”

She commended the efforts of voters especially females who came out in their numbers to support their fellow gender reminding how ready the female organization was to fight the cancellation of the whole area council strongholds of their female candidate (Ireti)

Mimi reminded that this time yesterday, the organization was ready to go beyond the Aba women riot if INEC had not done the right thing by preventing Ireti votes from been rigged

Princess Mimi expressed that Ireti has become an incredible role model for Nigeria women and girls and men and boys too   

She assured the incoming Senator that the female organization is strongly behind her and are always ready to work with her

She wishes the Distinguished Senator a successful leadership in her quest for the transformation of FCT and the country at large

Prince Adebayo disagrees with Obasanjo over letter to Buhari

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate in 2023 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, berated former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent letter calling on Buhari to interfere in the ongoing electoral process.

Prince Adebayo who took to his twitter account said the call by the former president is dangerous, unlawful and dangerous and parties who aren’t happy with the process should seek a redress at the court.

Obasanjo in an open letter to Nigerians noted that there are so many discrepancies that needed to be corrected in some of the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the outcome of the presidential election and asked for a rerun election next week.

The former President expressed disappointment over the optimal functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) introduced by the electoral body, to ensure that the elections were transparent and credible.

He also plead with Nigerians to avoid being used for personal ambition of politicians.