KEBBI STATE GOVERNMENT SPONSORS MASS MARRIAGE FOR WIDOWS AND DIVORCEES: MARRIES OFF 100 WIDOWS, DIVORCEES IN MASS MARRIAGE

          Governor Abubakr Bagudu of Kebbi State.

Reports reaching our news desk from Kebbi State has it that the State Government on Saturday married off 100 widows and divorcees in a mass wedding held in the palace of Emir of Argungu, Samila Mera.

The marriages were arranged by the state and the Argungu Local Government to reduce the number of women, widowed or divorced, left to fend for themselves and their children.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Kebbi state government paid N20,000 “kayandaki” for the brides, with gifts of a collection of brass; enamel bowls; decorative cups and saucers; blankets and bed sheets which are symbol of their married status.

They also gave N30,000 to the brides to start their entrepreneurial businesses.

It was also reported that the Kebbi State government donated furniture and kitchen utensils worth N150,000 to each couple, while the Commissioner for Justice, Hajiya Ramatu Gulma, also donated one wrapper to each of the couples.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State commended the efforts of the emir and the local government for the initiative and urged parents to respect the marriage institution, saying it’s a way to reduce the number of single women in the society.

He called on the couples to continue to be patient and tolerant to enable them have peaceful homes, pointing out that marriage was all about endurance and patience.

“The importance of marriage cannot be over-emphasised as it will promote peace among the couples and will also enable them to get more blessings and God’s mercy,’’ the governor said.

The Emir of Argungu, in his remarks, also commended the state government and the local government for collaborating to organise the occasion in line with Islamic teaching.

“’We are trying to provide women with stable homes, financial and social security,” he said.

NIGERIA POLICE KILLS YET ANOTHER PORT HARCOURT MILITANT GENERAL, SEA PIRATE & KIDNAP KINGPIN

Suspects and recovered items on display by the Rivers State Police command to the press and public.

Operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team have have engaged a Militant General and Sea Piracy Kingpin in a gun battle in Port Harcourt and fatally injured him as he attempted to prevent his arrest.

    
     Nigerian Police on parade

The said Militant General who was known as Prosper David, later died as a result of theis said to have masterminded the kidnapping of Mrs. Tina Bob-Manuel on the 22nd November 2017.

According to a police statement, Prosper David who initially embraced the federal government’s Amnesty programme, later derailed and formed a kidnapping gand and moved to Bayelsa state.

Giving detailed information about the operation, the police said, “In follow up to the kidnapping of Mrs Tina Bob-Manuel, on 21 February 2018 at about 1045am, IRT operatives traced the kingpin, one Prosper David a “Militant General who embraced the federal Government Amnesty program but Later formed a kidnapping gang, to Bayelsa State were he was fatally injured during gun battle with operatives of the IGP-Intelligence Response Team IRT deployed to Port-Harcourt by IGP Ibrahim Kpotum Idris to fight kidnapping and other violent crimes.

“IRT operatives have been on his trail for long time after he masterminded the kidnap of Mrs Tina Bob-Manuel on 22nd November 2017 in her shop located at No.107 Nvuigwe Road Woji Port-Harcourt and several other kidnappings.

“Suspect went underground after the collection of ransom in two installments and when he sensed that the Police are closing in on him, he dropped his contact number known to his personal driver that was earlier arrested by the Police and relocated his family from Victory Estate Azikoro, Yenagoa in December 2017 to the Creek, all in a bid to avoid arrest.

“After about 90-days of painstaking intelligence gathering with Technical Assistance Support from TIU, suspect was tracked to Asiri area of Yenagoa Bayelsa state to his new rented apartment.

“On sighting the operatives, he ran into his apartment ceiling from where he engaged the operatives but was neutralized and fatally injured.

“Suspects arrested for the kidnappings are, Johnson Denis driver to the kidnap kingpin and the Militant General. Exhibit recovered incude one of the victims phone.

Prosper David (Deceased) kidnap and Sea Piracy Kingpin and “Militant General”.

“Exhibits recovered from him include: One AK47 Riffle, 1 magazine, 26 rounds of live ammunition, 4 expended Ammunition and a Nokia phone belonging to his kidnap victim with which ransom negotiation was done.

Benjamin Johnson and Anthony Joshua are 2 more gang members of the Port Harcourt kidnap Kingpin who were also arrested between 21/2/18 and 14/3/18.

The IRT added that serious efforts are in top gear to arrest other gang members and recovery of more arms.

2018 FIFA WC: GERNOT RHOR LISTS SOME EAGLES WITH AUTOMATIC SHIRTS

           
Gernot Rhor in pix

Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr, has listed some national team players who will automatically make his team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia.

According to the tactician, they include captain John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, Balogun and William Troost-Ekong etc.

“We have a few very experienced players, such as our captain John Obi Mikel (Tianjin Teda, China). Our two central defenders William Troost-Ekong (Bursaspor, Turkey) and Leon Balogun (Mainz, Germany) are also very important to us,” the Eagles head coach said in an interview.

“We have players such as Victor Moses (Chelsea, England) and Alex Iwobi (Arsenal, England) – they are also very important for us.

“We have many young players, and everyone has a role to play in our team.

“But the most important leaders are our captain Mikel, the vice-captain Ogenyi Onazi, and Ahmed Musa also”, he concluded.

DRUG PEDDLING: NDLEA RAISES ALARM OVER USE OF UNDER-AGED STREET CHILDREN

          
NDLEA operatives

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, has raised alarm over the use of under-aged street children in the sale of hard drugs in the state.

Mrs Mutiat Okuwobi, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, raised the alarm in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ibadan.

Okuwobi said the trend had posed very serious danger to the state and called on parents not to allow their children turn into street urchins.

“In some areas you will find that street children are used to perpetrate sales of hard drugs; most of these children are under-aged.

“They don’t really start out by using the drugs but they help in selling it, especially marijuana or cannabis sativa. These children are supposed to be in school,” she said.

Okuwobi also decried the high rate of use of drugs among adults and adolescents in the state.

“The use of tramadol and cough syrup is trendy now; these are conventional drugs people use. It is mostly abused by youths. Some children also abuse these drugs.

“Children that take these drugs must have probably collected them from older persons as they cannot on their own buy them,” he said.

The PRO further said that few children had been arrested along with some youths abusing the conventional drugs in some bad joints.

She also said there had been some reported cases of secondary school students in the state who indulge in hard drugs.

“We have some secondary schools around our command office at Onireke where students are involved in hard drugs and the authorities do call us for intervention.

“We have counseled some students and there is the need for continuous sensitisation among the students and that is what we do generally to stop the menace.” Okuwobi said.

HOUSE OF REPS TO PROBE ALLEGED IMPORTATION OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT BY GOV. YAHAYA BELLO

                                
Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Yahaya Bello

The House of Representatives says it will investigate the alleged importation of arms, ammunition and military equipment by Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

This followed a matter of urgent public importance by Rep. Sunday Karimi (Kogi-PDP), who noted that the House must act fast to save the lives of ordinary citizens in the state.

Karimi also expressed worry that the Nigeria Customs had done little or nothing about the said subject matter.

“Instead of the Nigeria Custom Service to promptly arrest the importer of the treasonable act of importing military hardware and items into the country, it only requested the importer to provide End-user certificate from the National Security Adviser.

The lawmaker noted that only the military was constitutionally empowered to import such item.

“I am afraid that if the trend is allowed to continue, politicians, state governors and private citizens will start to import arms under the guise of equipping the military.

“This, in the long run, will jeopardize security and lives of innocent Nigerians,” he said.

Supporting the motion, Reps. Hassan Saleh (Benue-APC) and Nnena Elendu-Ukeje (Abia-PDP), said that the problem facing the country today had to do with security.

The lawmakers stressed the need for the executive to take the proliferation of arms in the country seriously.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

The House, therefore, resolved to invite the Comptroller General of Customs, Retired Col Hameed Ali to explain why it only requested end user permit.

OYEGUN’S TENURE EXTENSION WILL NOT HINDER TINUBU’S RECONCILIATION ASSIGNMENT – HON. ABDULRAZAK HAMDAS

             
Tinubu and Oyegun

A House of Representatives member, Abdulrazak Namdas, said All Progressives Congress (APC) reconciliation assignment of Sen. Bola Tinubu’s committee would not be hindered by the party’s National Working Committee’s (NWC's)tenure extension.

Namdas told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that he was optimistic that the reconciliation committee would work amicably with people within the party’s national leadership.

“Tinubu, because of his leadership qualities has been asked to mediate and the Tinubu we know is a member of the APC; whatever issue that arises in APC, he has the capacity to resolve those issues.

“He is an elder and there is nothing he has not said. I think Tinubu will be able to work with anybody,” he said.

The lawmaker said that the recent extension of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s tenure as National Chairman of APC by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was constitutional.

He said that NEC was guided by the rules in the party in the decision, adding that the action was lawful.

“If the NEC which comprises the National Working Committee (NWC) and all the state chapters deemed it necessary to do so, who are we to say no.

“By my understanding, if there are issues, they will be resolved. But, I think that the extension is not something wrong.”

On the recent President Muhammadu Buhari’s reinstatement of Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, who was on suspension, Namdas said it was proper.

He said that Yusuf’s recall would help in the investigation of N10 billion allegedly missing at the agency.

“We are meant to understand that the executive secretary made some revelations that led to his reinstatement.

“If something led to his suspension and later the government realised that he did the right thing, there is nothing wrong in asking him to come back.

“The only thing we have now is that there were two withdrawals from the NHIS of N10 billion that led to a motion being brought before the House.

“As far as we are concerned, this is the area we should focus on because he alleged that even when he was away, the withdrawal was made without his knowledge.

“And, by the law, the agency needs to be the one to request for that money and he does not know who requested for the money.

“If not that he is back nobody would have known who authorised it. So, it was good that he came back; at least he is now able to tell Nigerians that he was not responsible for the authorisation,’’ he said.

The lawmaker added that “if N10 billion was missing when he was suspended, who knows, somebody can also allege that his suspension was to give way for the withdrawal of the N10 billion.

“So, whichever way, until the investigation proves otherwise, I think suspension and reinstatement are normal in the service.

“Once somebody is suspended for alleged wrongdoing and he is discovered not to have done so, there is nothing wrong in reinstating him.

“But, when investigation proves that he is wrong, then he has to go", Hon. Namdas as concluded