The Senate has introduced a bill seeking to ban the importation, sale and use of generating sets in Nigeria.

The proposed legislation, titled: “Generating Set (Prohibition/Ban) Bill, 2020”, was read for the first time on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Muhammad Enagi Bima (Niger South), who explained that the ban was to facilitate the development of the power sector as well as curb the menace of environmental pollution which poses potential health hazards to the country.

A copy of the proposed legislation showed that “any person who imports generating sets; or knowingly sells generating sets shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than ten years.”

The ban, however, excluded the use of generating sets for essential services.

The bill listed the essential services to include: medical purposes (hospitals and nursing homes and healthcare facilities), airports, railway stations/services.

Other are: elevators (lifts), escalators, research institutions and such facilities that require 24-hour electric power supply. The piece of the legislation states that approval for exclusion shall be obtained from the minister in charge of power who shall brief the Federal Executive Council quarterly on approvals granted.

It states further that: “All persons are hereby directed to stop the use of electricity generating sets which run on diesel/petrol/kerosene of all capacities with immediate effect in the country.” The bill defines generating set to mean a machine that is used for producing electricity.

Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, has appointed the deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, as the Chancellor of the Kaduna State University (KASU).

This is the second appointment for Sanusi from the kaduna State governor within 24 hours. He was earlier appointed the Vice-Chairman of Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA) on Tuesday.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication), Muyiwa Adekeye, said that the deposed emir Sanusi II has consented to serve as Chancellor of KASU and as Vice-Chairman of the board of KADIPA.

It stated that: “The Kaduna State Government has named His Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Chancellor of the Kaduna State University (KASU). He succeeds the pioneer Chancellor, His Highness, Malam Tagwai Sambo, the Chief of Moro’a, who was appointed to the role in 2005.”

The statement noted that Governor El-Rufai had no doubt that as Chancellor, the deposed emir would provide symbolic and substantive leadership in raising the profile of KASU as an emerging centre of learning on the national and global level.

“On behalf of the government and people of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai is delighted to appoint His Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Chancellor of the Kaduna State University.

In public life, His Highness has demonstrated a strong commitment to education,” the statement reads in part. It said the appointment came at an exciting moment for KASU which is transiting to a multi-campus structure with presence across the state, adding that Governor El-Rufai had conveyed the profound appreciation of the government to HH Malam Tagwai Sambo for the long years of distinguished service to KASU and the state.

“The Kaduna State Government is grateful that HH Muhammadu Sanusi II continues to support and assist the realisation of the governance objectives of the Kaduna State Government,” it stated.

Sanusi was dethroned as Emir of Kano and banished to Nasarawa State last Monday by the Kano State Government. His lawyers are challenging his dethronement in court.

Source: Daily Trust

Suspected kidnappers on Monday night abducted four Rufus Giwa Polytechnic graduates on their way to Zamfara State for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, it was learnt on Tuesday.

The victims made up of three male and a female were kidnapped around Funtua in Katsina State at about 11:30pm by armed men who laid a siege to the road.

As a result of this action, security officials renewed their advice to commuters to avoid night travels especially in areas where there are security threats.

It was gathered that the victims and some of their school mates who were posted to Zamfara State were travelling on a chartered bus from Owo, Ondo State to the camp site ahead of yesterday’s opening of the orientation camp.

While some of the occupants were able to escape and hide in the surrounding bush, the kidnapped four were not fortunate as the armed men whisked them away.

It was gathered that one of the occupants, who escaped, contacted the parents of some of the victims to notify them of the incident.

She also went to the police station to incident it.

It was gathered that the kidnappers, who could only speak Hausa, have established contact with some relatives of the victims but there were hiccups because neither side had a translator.

“The graduated students chartered a bus from Owo to Zamfara State where they were posted for NYSC. The bus was to take them directly to the camp. Their families last heard from them around 4pm on Monday when they got to Zaria only for Tolu to call Tuesday morning that kidnappers attacked them and took four persons.

“No ransom has been demanded yet but the kidnappers have contacted some of the parents but because they were speaking Hausa, there wasn’t much communication.

“We are appealing to security agencies to rescue these children safely and the government has to direct NYSC to reconsider posting prospective corps members to areas their lives will be endangered,” said a source.

Police spokesman DCP Frank Mba said the Katsina State command had commenced a manhunt for the suspects with a view to rescue the victims unhurt.

He said: “It is true. Four of them were kidnapped around 11:30pm. The command has launched a manhunt for their captors in order to ensure their safe rescue. The command is making progress in its investigation and operation.”

UPDATE:

A report by The Nation indicates that four prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnapped on the night of Monday, March 9, in Katsina state have been rescued.

Reports have it that they were rescued by the policemen in an operation that commenced on the morning of Tuesday, March 10.

It was gathered that the victims, comprising three men and a woman, were being taken to the NYSC camp in Katsina by a police convoy where they were likely to undergo the orientation exercise.

The victims were whisked away by armed men around 11:30 pm on Monday, March 9, after a bus they chartered from Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, Ondo state, to take them to Zamfara, came under attack at Katsina.

While nine of the 13 occupants of the bus escaped being kidnapped, four of them were not as lucky. It was gathered that the kidnappers called the families around midnight on Wednesday, March 11, and demanded N10m ransom.

According to a parent to one of the victims, the kidnappers called with the same number they used to reach him the previous day which was availed the police.

“I just spoke with the commissioner of police now and he told me that all four have been rescued. I am thankful to the police for rescuing them. The kidnappers called again around midnight and this time, someone who could speak English was on the other end. "

They said I have to bring N10m for my child to be released. “But I did not pay anything and they have been rescued. I am thankful that the children are safe and they are being taken to NYSC in Katsina,” said the parent.

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to the alleged N300,000,000 and bulletproof cars gifts reportedly given to him by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa.

In a statement issued by Jonathan's media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, on the purported gift, the ex-president described the story as false and malicious.

A report had claimed that the alleged money and vehicles were part of logistics given to Jonathan's family to cater to their guests ahead of the botched inauguration.

But in his reaction, Jonathan said the report was not only patently fictitious but malevolent, inciting and provocative.

The statement read: "Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and false story planted in the social media by APC Reformation Forum, a nebulous group that claims kinship with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state, calling on the former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to refund N300 million and bulletproof cars given to him by David Lyon, the APC candidate in the last governorship election.

"In the first place, there was no reason for APC or anybody else to offer money and vehicles to the former President for logistics over an inauguration programme in which he was not involved.

"We make bold to state that there is no vehicle in the possession of former president Jonathan given to him by the All Progressive Congress. This is an insufferable lie. If anyone on earth knows of such a vehicle, they should expose the particulars of the said vehicle to the public."

Eze said the claim by the group was nothing but a fairy-tale scripted to tarnish the good reputation of the former president whom Nigerians and the rest of the world hold in very high esteem.

He said: "We condemn in entirety this growing culture of sustained falsehood against the person and family of Dr Jonathan by shady and shadowy characters. We urge Bayelsans and Nigerians to disregard the story as it contains no grain of truth.

Popular gospel artiste, Lanre Teriba aka Atorise, has been attacked by unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

According to source, the gospel singer escaped the attacked but he is seriously injured. He has been admitted in an undisclosed hospital.

The incident happened on Saturday night at the Berger end of the Lagos/ Ibadan expressway while the act was returning from an engagement.

Teriba hit the stardom with his debut album Atorise (Reformer) in 2000. He has staged concerts along with several musicians include K1 De Ultimate, 9ice, Sammy Okposo, Pasuma amongst others.

His unique way of spreading God’s message makes him an outstanding inspirational musician.

His latest song titled, Ope Nla is currently gaining massive airplay.

Some armed herdsmen, on Tuesday, attacked a policeman at his duty post around the flyover area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

It was gathered that the cop, whose name was given as Charles Biweribo, a sergeant, was allegedly stabbed in his right leg by one of the herdsmen.

The herdsmen were said to have entered the premises of the Yenagoa Tower Hotel under construction near the flyover with their cows.

Upon noticing the movement, Biweribo and some police personnel, who were on duty with him, moved close and asked the herdsmen to vacate the premises with their animals.

It was learnt that the herdsmen refused to obey the directive and an argument ensued between them and the cops.

However, one of the herdsmen was said to have pounced on Biweribo and allegedly stabbed him in his right leg and also attempted to collect his rifle.

The victim was said to have been saved by his colleagues, who eventually arrested two of the herdsmen.

The state police command confirmed the incident, but said that it happened on the premises of a leading construction company at the uncompleted Tower Hotel, Azikoro.

The command, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, said one Dautra Abakara and one Agonto Gimta went into the premises with their cows for grazing.

Butswat said the cop was attacked by one of the herders, who attempted to disarm him and his cocked gun accidentally discharged and a bullet hit him in his right foot.

He stated, “The policemen on duty and the civilian guards asked the herdsmen to leave the premises, but the herders refused to leave.

“In an attempt to arrest them, one of the herdsmen tried to disarm a policeman and the officer’s cocked rifle discharged and the bullet pierced his right foot.

“The suspects, Dautra Abakara and Agonto Gimta, were arrested and detained for further investigation.”

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday made a U-turn on her threat to strike out a corruption case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.

And the EFCC promised her that they would issue a criminal summons against Alison-Madueke compelling her to stand trial at the court.

The judge had given the EFCC till Tuesday to have Alison-Madueke extradited from the United Kingdom to Nigeria to face trial or the money laundering charges against her would be struck out.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had said she would no longer allow the case filed in November 2018 to continue to clog her docket without any progress made.

The judge said on Tuesday from her records, the EFCC had not taken any steps regarding the case – to either serve the ex-minister or apply for the issuance of a warrant for her arrest, since the case was filed.

She said with no progress recorded in the case, she would find it difficult to justify its recurrence in her periodical returns to the National Judicial Council.

But she backtracked on the threat to strike out the case after lawyer for the anti-corruption body, Faruk Abdullah, assured her that he was going to file an application for the court to issue criminal summons against Alison-Madueke.

Abdullah said he did not find it necessary to apply for an arrest warrant against the ex-minister since a similar order had been issued against her by the late Justice Valentine Ashi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

He said the arrest warrant and the gratification charges filed before the late judge as well as the money laundering charges pending before Justice Ojukwu were filed as part of the extradition request sent to the UK.

Abdullah informed the judge that Alison-Madueke rebuffed attempts by them to serve documents in connection with the case on her in the UK.

He added, “We have submitted our extradition request to the UK authorities and we have done everything we needed to do.

“This is a case the extradition request is predicated. Once this matter is struck out, the whole extradition process will collapse like a pack of cards.

“We plead with the court to have more patience and continue to keep this matter in the docket.”

He then informed the judge that he would file an application for criminal summons against Alison-Madueke.

Justice Ojukwu adjourned the case till May 11 for mention.

The EFCC on November 11, 2018 filed the 13 counts of money laundering accusing Alison-Madueke of unlawfully taking into her possession $39.7m and N3.32bn when she reasonably ought to have known that the money formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activities.

She was said to have purchased landed property with the money using different fronts.

In September 2013, she allegedly used the name of Rusimpex Limited to acquire a property named Block B3 comprising six penthouses and 18 flats at Zone N Federal Government Layout, also known as Bella Vista Estate, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, with the sum of $37.5m.

On June 4, 2012, she was said to have used the name of Azinga Meados Limited to buy 13 three-bedroom terrace houses with one room maids’ quarters at Mabushi Gardens Estate, Abuja, with the sum of N650m.

In May 2012, she allegedly used the name of Chapel Properties to buy eight four-bedroom terrace houses, two three-bedroom penthouses, six three-bedrooms apartments, two three-bedrooms Mansionette , two two-bedroom apartments, one four-bedroom apartment at No. 4/6 Thorbun Avenue, and No 5 Raymond Street, Yaba, Lagos, with N937m.

She was also said to have in May 2012, purchased in the name of Blue Nile Estate Limited, 16 four-bedroom terrace houses, at Plot 2C, Omerelu Street Diabu GRA, Port Harcourt Rivers State, with N928m.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the bill by the National Assembly on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions, describing it as discriminatory.

ASUU which launched a two-week warning strike three days ago during a public hearing expressed concerns over the proposed “Sexual harassment of students in tertiary educational institution prohibition bill,” sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.

National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who addressed newsmen on the outcomes of their two-day National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Enugu, Monday, posited that sexual harassment was not exclusive to the tertiary institutions.

He said no sector in Nigeria was immune from the social malaise, including the legislative arm of government that was proposing the discriminatory legislation with the aim of punishing workers in tertiary institutions.

The union said that it was unheard of that laws were made for a segment of the society, noting that such a move was against the rule of jurisprudence.

“Our union condemns, in totality, all forms of sexual harassment no matter its origin. We also condemn the abuse of power in any form.”

Former Brazil and Barcelona player Ronaldinho Gaucho is adapting quickly to life in a Paraguayan jail, the head of the facility told Reuters on Monday, but his lawyers are hopeful he may soon be released into house arrest while the investigation continues.

"In broad terms he is doing very well," prison warden Blas Vera told Reuters in a telephone interview. "I see he is in good spirits, just like you see him on television, always smiling."

Vera said that Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto Assis, who were arrested on Friday for using a false Paraguayan passport, would present their case to a judge on Tuesday.

Their lawyer Sergio Queiroz told Reuters they had asked a court to release them into house arrest and offered guarantees they were not a flight risk.

Vera said the 39-year old former AC Milan and Paris St-Germain forward and his brother had beds, a television and a fan in their cell at the prison on the outskirts of the capital Asuncion.

The brothers use a communal bathroom and have the right to use the outdoor patio on a regular basis.

The pair’s lawyers have provided them with meals and they have not eaten the food offered by the jail.

VERY COMFORTABLE STAY

The maximum security facility has around 195 detainees, including politicians and police officers accused of corruption as well as major drug traffickers.

The more dangerous prisoners are housed in a different wing to Ronaldinho, Vera said, adding that he was working to ensure the pair’s stay is "as comfortable as possible".

Carlos Gamarra, the former captain of Paraguay's national team who also played for several Brazilian clubs, visited Ronaldinho with a group of ex-players in jail on Sunday.

Vera said others who were at the regular Sunday visiting time befriended the Brazilian.

"There was also a group of boys and girls and he welcomed them, gave them hugs and chatted with them," he said.

Ronaldinho, who was last year named a tourist ambassador by Brazil’s far-right government, arrived in Paraguay on Wednesday, invited to the landlocked South American nation by a local casino owner.

Although he last played professionally in 2015, Ronaldinho, who also represented Brazilian clubs Atletico Mineiro, Flamengo and Fluminense, is still hugely popular with global football fans and advertisers.

He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006. He was also named FIFA world player of the year in 2004 and 2005.

Manchester United's Europa League last-16 tie against LASK will be played in an empty stadium due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Austrian Bundesliga side said on Tuesday.

The first-leg tie is scheduled to be played in Linz on Thursday.

"The UEFA Europa League home game against Manchester United... must take place without spectators," the Austrian club said in a statement https://www.lask.at/heimspiel-gegen-man-utd-ohne-zuschauer. "The association will provide further details after publication of the relevant decree."

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said earlier on Tuesday that the country had banned indoor events of more than 100 people and outdoor events of more than 500 in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.