Gunmen Who Invaded Abuja Estate Demand N50million Ransom, 11 Residents Remain In Captivity

It was further gathered on Monday that some persons had been released by the kidnappers but no fewer than 11 people still remained with the kidnappers because they had yet to bring the ransoms.

The gunmen, who on Friday night invaded Grow Home Estate in the Chikakore area of Kubwa, a satellite town of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and abducted several residents, have demanded N50million ransom from the affected families amid the prevalent naira scarcity.

It was further gathered on Monday that some persons had been released by the kidnappers but no fewer than 11 people still remained with the kidnappers because they had yet to bring the ransoms.

It was reported that some gunmen invaded the estate, opposite Champions Church, around 10pm on Friday and shot sporadically before making away with several victims.

The victims had included a pastor, whose name had yet to be ascertained, his wife and three children, totaling no fewer than 15 persons during the one-hour assault.

It was gathered that the gunmen made away with the victims through the forests at about 11pm but gunshots from the vigilantes forced them to allow about seven persons to escape.

On Monday, a top source close to the families said the gunmen had got across and demanded for N50million ransom.

“Yes, they have called in. They called in on Sunday and demanded for N50million ransom. One or two persons have been released but 11 persons are still with them. We believe the police and other security agencies are also working underneath to secure their release,” the source stated.

Why I’m Not Part Of Team Defending Tinubu’s Victory In Court – Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has explained his absence from the legal team defending Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, in court.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu winner of the February 25 presidential election, but his major rivals in the exercise, headed for the court to challenge his victory.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of Labour Party are both claiming to have won the election and they have hired lawyers to prove their case in court.

On Tuesday morning, the list of Tinubu’s 48-man legal counsel went viral on social media.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also released a 12-man list of senior lawyers to defend Tinubu.

However, the name of Keyamo is not on any of the lists.

In an apparent response to inquiries on the absence of Keyamo in the legal team, the senior lawyer wrote, “For those who made inquiries, a serving Minister (by our Constitution) cannot be listed in any private legal team, though he/she can support the team in preparation. Hence, the present cabinet Ministers who are SANs can only formally join the Election Petition team after May 29th.”

Keyamo was actively involved in the campaign of Tinubu, serving as a spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

He is currently the minister of state for Labour and productivity.

Buhari in total support of Tinubu – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is in total support of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the forthcoming election.

Mohammed made this clarification on Thursday in Abuja at the 22nd edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023), organised to project the achievements of the Buhari government.

He said in his comment that “the President is committed to a free, fair and credible elections, and that he is doing everything possible to ensure a level-playing field for all contestants”, was misinterpreted by some sections of the media.

“Yesterday, while reacting to a question at the post-Federal Executive Council briefing at the State House, I said, inter alia, that Mr. President is committed to a free, fair and credible elections.

“This comment has been misinterpreted in some circles, especially with regards to Mr. President’s support for the presidential candidate of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I want to say, unequivocally, that Mr. President is in total support of our party’s flag bearer, and that is attested to by his continuing campaign with the candidate across the country.

“It is preposterous to even suggest that Mr. President, who is the leader of our party, is equivocating on his support for our presidential candidate.

“I hope this clears any ambiguity that may have arisen from my statement yesterday.”

You’re Mentally, Physically Unfit To Be Nigerian President; Your Hands Shake Because You Suffer From Parkinson’s Disease, Atiku Hits Back Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has said his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Tinubu is sick and unfit to be the Nigerian President.

The former Vice President also described Tinubu as a “wobbly, wonky and narcotic-devastated Presidential Candidate”.

On Wednesday, Tinubu in a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, said he has it on good authority that Atiku indeed fell ill and travelled to the UK to seek medical help.

Reacting in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Atiku-Okowa Campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, Atiku said Tinubu is corrupt and unfit for public office owing to his alleged corruption.

The statement read, “It is imperative to observe that our campaign had focused on issues and refrained from Tinubu’s appalling health issues prior to this ignoble public dance of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign.

“However, since Tinubu by himself has opened the channels for Nigerians to examine his ill health, we have no other option than to further expose that the APC Candidate must be suffering from manifest Parkinson’s disease accompanied with incontinence.

“For clarity, Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder which symptoms include shaking hands, stiffness of limbs, difficulty with coordination, problem with balance when walking; articulation disorder, memory problems as well as general mental and physical weakness which are all being witnessed in the APC Presidential Candidate.

“This perhaps accounts for the desperation, the endless gaffes, the articulation errors, the incoherence, the many blunders and disconnection from reality for which Asiwaju Tinubu has become the butt of weird jokes among Nigerians and internationally.

“It is rather unfortunate that the APC Presidential Candidate, who cannot stand erect or walk up an elevation unaided, who is plagued by visible tremor of the hands, who palpitates at the slightest physical exertion and who is reported in the public space as being challenged by incontinence could attempt to speak on the health status of any Nigerian. Moreover, some medical professionals have associated certain cases of nerve cell death with narcotic use and unhealthy lifestyle and our campaign urges Tinubu to examine himself in that regard.

“Furthermore, Nigerians find it incongruous that the tarnished Asiwaju Tinubu who is badgered by a smelly criminal past including the $460,000 forfeiture sentence for narcotic related offence by a Court of competent jurisdiction in the United States; alleged looting of Lagos State treasury and stripping of her property; cases of forgery, impersonation, perjury, inconsistencies in name, age as well as questionable educational background, ancestry and genealogy could attempt to speak on corruption and integrity.

“Asiwaju Tinubu should rather hide his face in shame given his malodourous activities for which well-meaning Nigerians have dissociated themselves from his Presidential Campaign.

“In any case, Nigerians are aware that Tinubu is not ethically, physically and mentally fit to hold office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, unlike the decent, honest, physically, mentally and emotionally fit Atiku Abubakar, who exhibits the manifest readiness, intellectual alertness, capacity and experience to lead our nation at this critical time.

“Those pushing Emilokan’s candidature cannot claim to be unaware that he is not fit to preside over a country of 200 million people. They just don’t wish Nigeria well.”

Culled Sahara Reporters....

Tinubu spills on relocating federal capital from Abuja to Lagos

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has clarified the speculation that he will be moving the federal capital from Abuja to Lagos.

Denying the spculations in a statement on Tuesday released by the spokesman of the party’s presidential campaign council Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party of pushing the narrative.

The statement said, “The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council hereby alerts Nigerians about the latest insidious campaign in some parts of the country against our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“After exhausting their arsenal of calumnies and character assassination against Tinubu, the opposition PDP and their surrogate Labour Party have begun a multi-pronged desperate campaign of falsehoods.

“In one of the falsehoods being circulated, especially in the North West of the country, Tinubu is said to harbour plans to relocate the Federal Capital from Abuja to Lagos on succeeding President Muhammad Buhari from 29th May, 2023.

“This misinformation campaign, according to field reports, is being given some traction by some elders on the payroll of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“We are shocked that some people could contrive such egregious lie, all in the name of politics, with the intention to confuse our burgeoning support base in that part of the country.

“Let us say with emphasis, that Asiwaju does not contemplate any such plan and will not do anything that is so ultra-unconstitutional.”

The statement added that the PDP has also been distorting the commercialisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by the Buhari administration.

“The truth is that President Buhari has not privatised NNPC as planned by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Buhari has instead made it a commercial entity, owned by all the tiers of government, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act.

“In due course, the company will be in a position to declare and share dividends to all its owners, the way Aramco of Saudi Arabia and Petrobas of Brazil do.

“As the destined successor of President Buhari, Asiwaju Tinubu will continue the policy of the Buhari administration. Unlike Atiku, Tinubu has no plan to sell NNPC to his friends or cronies,” the statement added. 

Woman found dead in Kaduna hotel room

The corpse of a lady identified as Blessing John was discovered at a hotel on Benin Street in Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State.

The hotel which also serves as a pub, has been said to accommodate female sex workers who lodge on a rent basis.

A person who lives close to the hotel and spoke on the condition of anonymity told Daily Trust that the corpse was discovered on Sunday evening, November 27, 2022. 

"The lady was suspected to have been killed by her customer about 2 days ago, before the corpse was discovered, on Sunday at 5.30 pm. It was after perceiving an unusual odour that her room attracted the attention of the people around. The police were invited and they broke down the door and brought out the corpse. The police took the corpse and deposited it at ABU Teaching Hospital Zaria," the source said.

It was further gathered that the lady who hailed from Benue State had moved to Zaria for about three weeks, where she engaged in commercial sex work.

It was gathered that the manager of the hotel has been arrested and detained in police custody for interrogation.

2023: Tinubu lists conditions for open debate with Peter Obi

The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has listed conditions his counterpart from the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, must meet before engaging in a debate with him.

Tinubu said he would engage Obi in a debate after he released his manifesto for Nigerians to scrutinize.

Speaking through the spokesman of his campaign team, Festus Keyamo, Tinubu said Obi should also list his achievements during his tenure as governor of Anambra State before any debate can hold.

Keyamo said Obi should name any political party he formed.

He said Obi should disclose those he had mentored in politics who are still with him before asking for a debate.

“Before Obi can stand shoulder to shoulder with Asiwaju to debate, he should first release a manifesto for scrutiny; then he should list his tangible achievements as Governor of Anambra State compared to the tangible achievements of Asiwaju as Governor of Lagos State.

“Then he should list those he has mentored in politics from the days of his being Governor who is still with him now; then he should tell us any political party he has either formed or partnered to form and which he still belongs to today.” 

We’ll neutralize kidnappers on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway – Abiodun

The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, vowed that his administration would neutralize kidnappers abducting people on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, particularly on the Ogun section of the busiest highway in the country

Abiodun who made this avowal when he hosted the management of the Leadership Newspapers in his office, equally disclosed that the state in conjunction with its Oyo State counterpart has set up a joint security team to beef up security along the expressway.

He further informed the management of the Abuja based newspaper that visited him to inform him of his nomination as the newspaper’s Governor of the Year, that the synergy with Oyo was meant to ensure that the flash points between Lagos and Oyo State are well covered by security teams.

He said that over thirty patrol teams have been formed between Oyo and Ogun to tackle issues of kidnapping along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, adding that the two state governments have gone ahead and cleared both sides of the road.

“We set up a joint security team with the Oyo State Government because we found out that the majority of this incidences are right at the border between us and Oyo State, they take advantage of that area as a blind spot.

“As we speak today, I think, there are not less than thirty patrol teams on that corridor of Lagos-Ibadan expressway. These teams comprise soldiers, policemen, operatives from the DSS, men of the Civil Defence and vigilantes.

“The last thing we want is for people to travel with the fear of being kidnapped and nothing can be more terrible as we approach the Yuletide season.

“We’ve also gone ahead and cleared both sides of the road, because that element of surprise that they introduce when they just jump out of the bushes and then kidnap and run away, so, we have approached our contractors to clear 50 meters on each side so it makes it difficult for them to use the bushes to hide,” Abiodun stated.

The state helmsman, who disclosed that drones would be deployed to cover the road, explained that the drones would aid security agents to monitor and see the activities in the area.

“We are going beyond deployment of security teams, we are deploying drones to cover that road. These are drones that will allow us to see exactly what is happening there even before any occurrence,” he stated.

Abiodun while noting that his administration currently has the biggest footprint of any TechHub in the country with partnerships from different multinational companies, disclosed that his administration is laying an ambitious digital infrastructure project of about 5,000 kilometers across the state.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Leadership Newspapers; Zainab Nda-Isaiah, represented by the Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper; Azubuike Eshiekwene, disclosed that the governor was nominated for the honour after the newspaper conducted an independent investigation on the activities of the governor.

” On behalf of the Chairman, Mrs Zainab Nda-Isaiah, we present to His Excellency, the award of the ‘Leadership Governor of the Year, 2022’

“Once every year, the Board will meet and determine without consulting anybody. And before Leadership chooses you as the Governor of the Year, we didn’t call you or any member of your team, we sent people out, we did our research, we do it as a matter of conscience and duty to the society,” he said.

While noting that Governor Abiodun would be the first governor from the state to be so awarded since the award started 14 years ago, he noted that the governor in the face of extreme provocation had remained calm and focused.

“His Excellency will be the first Governor in Ogun State to be awarded Leadership Governor of the Year. Outside Lagos, you are the second in the southwest to be awarded Leadership Governor of the Year.

“We regard you not as a professional politician, but as a professional in politics and we have seen clearly from your term of office in the last three and half years, accounts have shown in the things you have done, in the face of extreme provocation, you have remained calm and focused,” he said.

The Editor-in-Chief who added that they looked for a serving governor whose programmes have been consequential in the lives of the community with a relatively transparent public service record, said that they have seen the difference Governor Abiodun has made in the lives of the people of the state.

“The criteria is simple, we look for a serving governor whose programmes have been consequential in the lives of the community, relatively transparent public service record and has a proven interest in business, that for us is at the heart of who gets awarded and who does not get awarded.

“We have watched on all the things you have set to achieve, we have seen the difference that you have made in the lives of the people in the twenty local government areas of the state,” he submitted. 

Fr Mbaka arrives USA monastery for retreat

The spiritual director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Ejike Mbaka, has arrived in the United States of America for a retreat.

The Catholic priest made this known when he shared a video of himself at St Andrew’s Abbey, Monastery in Los Angeles, USA.

In the video, Mbaka said, “Officially I have entered into St Andrew’s Abbey, Monastery in Los Angeles, Valyermo.”

Recall that after an outburst against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, Mbaka was suspended from heading the Adoration Ministry.

The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev Callistus Onaga who gave the order in October this year, sent Mbaka to head a monastery in the country.

Buhari decries impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict on taming terrorism in Nigeria

While the Russia-Ukraine Conflict rages, President Muhammadu Buhari has bemoaned its impact in the Sahel region of West Africa, insisting that it is compounding the Boko Haram crisis, especially in the Lake Chad Basin region.

The President used his opening address at the 16th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), held at the Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja to lament the situation.

According to President Buhari, who doubled as chairman of the summit, illicit weapons and fighters are already infiltrating the region from Russia and Ukraine, a trend that has been noticed to have led to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Buhari raised the alarm that the situation calls for a reawakening of the border security of the impacted countries of the region.

The President also noted that though a lot had been done to decimate the strength of the Boko Haram terror group and other violent extremist groups in the region, terrorist threats still persist.

He stated: “Let me gladly inform my dear brothers that in keeping with that decision, the MNJTF has since then, successfully conducted three major operations: Ops‘YANCIN TAFKI (I&II) and Ops Lake Sanity I, with, the fourth one, Ops Lake Sanity II, being planned. The next phase of the operation will take into consideration lessons learnt from previous exercises and effectively consolidating the gains attained by preceding Ops.”