By Akeem Abas

Sen. Teslim Folarin (APC-Oyo Central) has said that the 9th Senate would achieve restructuring by expunging sick we will remain sick.

That is the truth of the matter. Our mainstay is oil. During this COVID period, there was a time when oil fell to as low as 20 dollars per barrel.

Aviation industry, a major user of oil, is almost grounded. I am not making excuses, we always have our problems, when you add this to it, this is what you will get, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ibironke Ariyo/Yahaya Isah
The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has admonished Squadron Commanders to defend custodial facilities under their watch with maximum force, just as he declared all custodial centres in Nigeria as Red Zones.

Aregbesola gave the instruction while addressing Squadron Commanders of the Nigeria Correctional Services (NCoS) in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ministers directive followed the attack on the Owerri Custodial Centre where over 1,884 inmates escaped from custody on April 5.

NAN also reports that there were also attempted jailbreaks at the Kano and Bauchi correctional centres.

The minister said custodial facilities were symbols of the authority of Nigeria, adding that they were sacred and invaluable formations.

He, therefore, instructed the personnel to guard and defend the facilities with their lives, saying that the safety of custodial centres are in the hands of the service.

According to Aregbesola, these incessant attacks on facilities are no longer happenstances, but coordinated attacks.

I declare, henceforth, all our custodial centres red zones. You (armed personnel) have no excuse at all to allow our facilities to be attacked, either within or from outside.

You are empowered to use any means necessary to defend the custodial centres.

You must use maximum force to hold your ground and prevent the violation of our custodial facilities and the people within, he warned.

The minister, however, maintained that the instruction to use minimal force was no longer tenable in the present situation.

The weapons you carry must be deployed legally to defend the custodial centres.

Anyone who attempts to violate the centres must be made to live to regret it. By the time you make it a death and life matter, that would be the last time anyone would attempt to attack the centres, he said.

Aregbesola charged the personnel to be vigilant, stressing that most of the attacks on custodial centres were carried out with supports from some officers of the NCoS.

It will be difficult or even impossible for a prison to be attacked without the cooperation of officers within, he added.

Aregbesola disclosed that investigation is ongoing into the attack on the custodial centre in Owerri, where close to 2,000 inmates were released by hoodlums.

We will hold the personnel absolutely responsible for any attack on our custodial facilities, going forward, he added.

The minister commended the NCoS officials in Bauchi and Kano for thwarting attempted jailbreaks at their facilities and directed the service to issue letters of commendation to them.

He stressed the significance of custodial centres as the foundation on which societal justice is built, adding that grave and incalculable harm would be done to society if this foundation slipped.

The entire edifice will come crashing down, with dire consequences for all. We are already seeing some of these.

Some of the escaped inmates from Edo have been arrested for committing murder and other crimes. One, in particular, went after those who provided the witness for his conviction, he said.

Earlier, the acting Controller General, NCoS, Mr John Mrabure, had appreciated the minister for his support in attending to issues of the service.

Mrabure said that present realities on ground had occasioned the meeting, adding that jailbreaks and attacks on NCoS facilities are becoming alarming.

Hence, the need to interact with the minister and the service squadrons on the way forward and on how to curb future occurrences, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Stanley Nwanosike

The police command in Enugu State has arrested two suspects who allegedly attacked and hijacked a truck-load of bags of cement within Nsukka-9Mile Expressway in the state.

The command also recovered a small blue-coloured unregistered Mercedes Benz truck; which the suspects planed to offload the bags of cement to.

The commands Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.

Ndukwe said that the feat was achieved by a joint team of police operatives attached to 9th Mile Police Division and personnel of the Nigerian Army, 82 Division, Enugu.

According to him, on April 15 at about 1:35 a.m., Goodluck Samuel, 31, and Ifeanyi Ozo, 30, were arrested along Nsukka- 9th Mile Expressway by 7-up in Udi Local Government Area.

The suspects and others at large, were alleged to have attacked and hijacked from its driver and motor-boy, a Dangotes Sinotruk truck with registration number: GRZ 430 XA loaded with bags of cement en-route Awka, Anambra from Obajana, Kogi.

They demobilised the truck, and were at the verge of trans-loading the bags of cement to a smaller Mercedes Benz truck they used for the operation, when the joint operatives arrested them.

The hijacked truck and goods have been secured, while the said smaller truck has been recovered, he said.

The police spokesman said that further discreet investigation had been ongoing on the matter to arrest other accomplices.

He said that the suspects would be charged to court on conclusion of investigation.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, has appreciated the collaborative supports from sister security agencies and law-abiding residents of the state.

The commissioner also called on residents to remain vigilant and continue to assist the police with credible information required to further curb acts of crime and criminality in the state, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By EricJames Ochigbo

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has commended the vigilance group and security agents in Dekina Local Government Area of the state for the arrest of notorious kidnappers.

Bello gave the commendation in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, on Sunday after a successful operation where three kidnapped victims were also rescued.

The governor said that the kidnappers had been operating and terrorising communities in the environs.

According to him, the successful fight against criminals in the state is also coming at a time when insecurity is heightened in some parts of the country.

Bello said the gang of notorious kidnappers operating in Dekina Area Council on Sunday met their waterloo on Saturday on Idah Road.

He added that the repel by the Joint Taskforce of Neighborhood watch, vigilantes, hunters and other security agents led to the death of the gang members as three captives were release.

The kidnappers, whose names were Monday Mimiko alias Aneni the law and Abu Billi alias Don German died during crossfire with security personnel while two others escaped with gunshot wounds.

The security team also freed three persons kidnapped by the gang during operation around Egume.

The criminals had been terrorising the Okura axis of Dekina LGA for years engaging in kidnapping and armed robbery.

Confirming the report, Dekina LGA Chairman, Mr Ishaq Okolo, said that he was aware of the operation, noting that the security operatives were acting on the instruction of the governor.

The governor had directed security agents to fish out criminal elements wherever they are in the society.

Okolo urged members of the public to give useful information about criminals to the security agencies noting that all hands must be on deck to ensure a crime-free society, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Monday Ijeh

The Department of State Services (DSS) has warned against unsavoury and inciting statements concerning the country.

The Service noted that some misguided Nigerians had continued to threaten the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of the country.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Service, Dr Peter Afunanya, gave the warning in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said notable among the utterances were the unnecessary vituperations and activities of some religious and past political leaders.

Afunanya noted that this group of people had either called for forceful change of government or mass action against it.

According to him, it has been established that the main objective for these is to cause a disintegration of the country.

It is unfortunate that those in the forefront of this are respectable individuals who should be patriotic and not allow their personal ambitions to ruin the nation.

The Service has also noted their desperation and penchant to collaborate with external forces and influences against Nigeria.

They are reminded that even though democracy offers free speech, it does not give room to reckless pronouncements capable of undermining security.

It is instructive to note that the ballot box remains the vehicle of change in a democracy, he said.

Referring to them asself-centred individuals and groups, Afunanya, called on them to stop engaging in acts inimical to the peace and sovereignty of the nation.

Heurged influential personalities to be sensitive to the emerging situations and guard against divisive and inciting utterances that would cause a breakdown of law and order.

The PRO said the Service had recently, invited and cautioned some persons who, he noted, denied their earlier statements or said they were quoted out of context.

He called on the public to be wary of such individuals who incite them in the open, but turn in the secret to retrieve their words after causing damage.

Afunanyareaffirms the unambiguous support of the Service to an indivisible, indisolluble and united country in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

He said the Service would no longer tolerate deliberate machinations by subversive and hostile groups whose agenda was to throw the country into anarchy and to serve the interests of their sponsors.

Afunanya saidthe Servcie was working with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure the sustainability of peace and internal security of the country. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA ) on Sunday said cutting down of a tree either in private compound or in a public place without permission would attract a fine of N100,000.

Mrs Riskatu Abdulazeez, the Director, FCTA Department of Parks and Recreation, made this known during a tour of the sites where flamboyant trees are planted within the city centre, in Abuja.

She noted that once any tree planted in private houses had grown, it would become a public property that requires the permission of government before its removal.

She explained that government was making efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change on the city and wont allow reckless actions that could further endanger residents lives.

The director noted that after any tree is cut down with the permission of the department, it is also mandatory that two trees are planted as its replacement.

She further explained that even estate developers who remove trees to pave the way for their projects are also compelled by laws to pay and replant the trees.

According to her, trees are not just planted for environmental protection alone, but for beautification and aesthetic appeal.

Abdulazeez noted that nature had made human beings to be dependent on trees for Oxygen while the trees also depend on human beings for Carbon dioxide.

Cutting down of trees is not allowed in the city, we have a penalty. The policy stipulates that if you plant a tree in your compound, once it is grown, it is no more your tree, it has become a public property.

Before such trees are cut down, the permission of the Department of Parks and Recreation must be sought.

Anyone who cuts down tree illegally, depending on the size and age of the tree, such person will pay a fine of N100,000 per tree and will also be compelled to plant a minimum of two trees as replacement.

Even when permission is granted for anyone to legally remove trees, such trees must be replaced with two trees and if there is no space within the place where the trees were removed, the department will provide a place where the trees can be planted.

She stated that trees have enormous benefits and importance for human beings, adding that the oxygen we breathe in is from the trees.

According to her, we breathe out Carbon dioxide which the trees use to live.

Apart from the life the tree gives us, it also douses noise, it reduces glare and mitigates the effects of climate change.

We are all feeling the effects of climate change. It is attributed to the rate at which we cut down trees, leading to deforestation.

As for the housing developers who have been cutting down trees to pave ways for their construction, most of them apply for permission to remove trees and they are also made to pay before removing the trees, she said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Edith Nwapi

Mr Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday said that human rights was key to industrial harmony.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mrs Fatimah Agwai- Mohammed Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the commission in commemoration of the 2021 International Workers Day (IWD) celebrated every May 1.

Ojukwu reiterated the commissions commitment to ensure that human rights principles are mainstreamed into labour practices in various workplaces and amongst labour unions across Nigeria.

This is to ensure sustainable industrial harmony, improved productivity and efficient service delivery.

Mainstreaming human rights in the operations of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as in the private sector holds the key to job satisfaction and increased productivity, Ojukwu said.

According to Ojukwu, it is in this connection that the commission has continued to train and retrain law enforcement personnel, labour force in the MDAs and workers in the private sector.

This is for them to understand and appreciate the need to deploy and mainstream human rights principles and norms while carrying out their official duties.

On the other hand, the Nigerian workers both in the public and private sector should not renege on their own responsibility of delivering quality and efficient services to justify the trust and confidence reposed in them by their employers.

Demand for improvement in the welfare packages of the workforce is a legitimate human response in the light of current challenges facing the workforce, he said.

He added that where resources were not immediately available to address such demands, it behoved on workers to show understanding while pushing for their demands.

Ojukwu enjoined the government and employers of labour to always try to pay just wages that could address the basic needs of workers for industrial peace and harmony.

He commiserated with families of those who lost their relations in the line of duty as a result of hazards associated with their occupation or from natural causes.

We must as a matter of necessity remember them whenever we mark Workers Day, given their sacrifices and contributions to nation building.

The current COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the death of many people across the globe seriously affected workers especially health workers including Doctors and Nurses.

This calls for comprehensive life insurance policies for Nigerian workers to mitigate the burden of such casualties on any affected family, Ojukwu added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Kola Adeyemi

Gunmen have killed a Commissioner in the Kogi State Pension Board, Mr Solomon Akeweje, and abducted the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government, Mr Pius Kolawole.

Spokesman of the state police command, DSP William Aya, who confirmed the incident told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Commissioner and Kolawole were travelling in the same vehicle when they were attacked.

He said that police received the report of the attack at about 4:30 pm of Saturday, May 1, and immediately moved to the scene of the incident.

The police spokesman said that the victims were attacked at Eruku, a border community between Kwara and Kogi States.

According to Aya, both Akeweje and Kolawole were travelling back to Egbe from Kwara State when they were attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

The whereabouts of the abducted Kolawole is unknown as at the time of this report while his abductors are yet to call.

However, the driver of the vehicle survived the attack while the corpse of Akeweje was deposited at the morgue of ECWA Hospital, Egbe. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Kingsley Okoye

President of Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has felicitated with Nigerian journalists as they celebrate this years World Press Freedom Day.

Lawan in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, in Abuja on Sunday said that May 3 was set aside every year to remind governments around the world of their obligation to facilitate and respect press freedom.

He said the commemoration of the day was also to remind journalists the need to respect the ethics of their profession.

Lawan said he was proud that Nigeria had a vibrant media that had always resolutely defended freedom of speech.

Lawan said that freedom of the press enables journalists to effectively discharge their roles as the watchdog of the society and Fourth Estate of the Realm.

I also celebrate the Nigerian journalists for the invaluable contributions and sacrifices that they have made throughout our national history to nation-building and entrenchment of democracy.

I pay tribute to the patriots who have lost their lives in the line of duty and pray that their death will not be in vain.

The Ninth Senate and the National Assembly in general will never pass any law that inhibits the freedom of the press but rather work with the media to further enhance the practice of the profession.

It is in this light that I call on the practitioners to purge their noble profession of the bad eggs whose nefarious activities are denting the credibility and reputation of the mainstream practitioners.

The leadership organs of the profession also need to adopt practical measures to check the activities of the purveyors of fake news.

My belief is that the menace of fake news is capable of eroding the integrity and credibility of the media in general, and this should not be allowed to happen, Lawan said.

The Senate President wished the media a happy celebration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom.

It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Martha Agas

Rev. Tajan Moltok, Resident Pastor of Shepherd House Assembly International, Jos on Sunday held special prayers to seek Gods intervention on the security challenges confronting the country.

The Cleric, who led members of the congregation in the special prayer session, prayed the Almighty toexpose evil schemes aimed at destabilising the nation.

He urged Nigerians to put their trust in God and remain confident as He would surely intervene.

He begged God to save the Churchs members from becoming victims of satanic operations and remove harm from their ways.

He prayed for favour for the congregation in the month of May, and expressed confidence that God would perfect their heart desires.

Moltok encouraged members of the congregation to have a deep relationship with God in the midst of tribulations, noting that such relationship s the root of their strength.

Nothing on earth should take children of God by surprise; there are accounts of such tribulations in the scriptures, he said.

In his sermon on the theme for the month of May Month of Greatness of Eternity he said that believers must be strong in the Lord and remain steadily in communion with him.

He explained that being strong entailed the conviction to hold unto God no matter the situation, and for believers not to detest themselves no matter the difficult experiences and life disappointments.

Tell your self the truth even if it hurts; it means losing small to gain something bigger and to be aware you will be unable to do it without God, he said.

To become strong in Christ, Christians should study the scriptures to know God. There is power in knowledge. Those that love God are the wisest, he declared. (NAN)

Source: NAN News