Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 20th March 2022
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 20/03/22
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BUA Group Confirms Death Of Three Persons From Explosion Near Facility In Sokoto
The BUA Cement Company has reacted to an explosion, which reportedly killed three persons near its factory in Sokoto State on Friday. The group in a statement on Saturday confirmed the deaths, saying the explosion was from a diesel storage tank.
SaharaReporters earlier today reported that the explosion took place around 9:00am on Friday, and despite the combined efforts of the federal and state fire services, the fire raged.“One of the tanks contained about two million litres of diesel while the other one contained black oil of the same quantity,” a source had said.Another source had said, “There is another tank which we are trying to protect against the explosion.”In a statement, the BUA group said it could not still ascertain the cause of the fire.The statement read; “We wish to use this medium to inform the public of an isolated fire incident which occurred at a diesel storage tank farm situated in the vicinity of one of our factories in Sokoto. This incident occurred whilst routine maintenance work was ongoing on one of the storage tanks by a third-party contractor.”Immediately the incident occurred, our emergency management and mitigation services were alerted, and a swift response activated, which prevented any escalation of the incident or damage to our main plant and equipment.”We are however able to confirm the regrettable loss of three workers of the third-party contractor, who were in the immediate area of the incident.”Whilst we are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire outbreak at the depot which had adequate safety and control mechanisms in place, members of the Federal Fire Service, State Fire Service, and our fire department are working together to put the incident under total control.”We would also like to note that operations at the plant and production which were shut down in the aftermath of the incident as a precautionary and preventive measure, have since resumed at the factory – which was unaffected by the incident. We will keep the public informed through this medium of any new development.”
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Some Nigerians Planning Another #EndSARS Protest Over Fuel Scarcity In Nigeria, Secret Police, DSS, Raises Alarm
The Department of State Services has warned of a sinister plan to stoke violence in parts of Nigeria, particularly the North-Central region.Peter Afunanya, spokesperson for the agency, raised the alarm in a statement on Saturday.
He said the aim was to cause ethno-religious crisis, ignite reprisals and heat up the polity.The DSS said the sponsors had mobilised foot soldiers and held several meetings in and outside the target areas.The agency said students, striking lecturers, labour unions, disgruntled individuals and strategic groups were to be used “to exploit the global energy situation to carry out a mass protest like the EndSARS”.The statement read; “The Department of State Services hereby alerts the public of a sinister plan by some elements to stoke violence in parts of the country particularly the North-Central. The aim is to cause ethno-religious crisis, ignite reprisals and heat up the polity. In a bid to achieve this, the sponsors have mobilised foot soldiers and held several meetings in and outside the target areas.”The service is also aware of a plot to use students, striking university teachers, labour unions, disgruntled individuals and strategic groups as well as exploit the global energy situation to carry out a mass protest like the EndSARS. This is despite ongoing efforts by the government to address the issues.”While the service views the machination as unpatriotic, it is on the trail of the agents of destabilisation who are desirous of using violence to achieve ulterior goals. Though it has placed measures to disrupt these tendencies, it warns the ring leaders and their cohorts to desist from acts capable of causing a breakdown of law and order. The public should be rest assured that the service will, in conjunction with other security agencies, go after the sponsors of this scheme and ensure the law takes its course.”Citizens are advised not only to engage according to rules but should resist persuasions to be used to destroy their own country. Those who may wish to go contrary to the law will, however, face the consequences.”
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Collapsed School Building Kills Five Children Working As Scavengers
Five children have been killed by a primary school building that collapsed on Saturday at UK Bello Memorial Primary School, Paiko, in the Paiko Local Government Area of Niger State.According to a source, the children, who died in the area were scavengers picking materials from a refuse dump by the fence of the school.
According to PUNCH, the building that killed the children had been on the verge of collapse for years and efforts by the Niger State Government to demolish the building were resisted by the residents.The source stated, “There is a refuse dump close to the school toilet where children usually pick up discarded materials to sell, adding that it was during such visits that the toilet collapsed on them.“Now, if you go to the school, it is open. None of the classrooms has a door or no window because they have been stolen, the fence has collapsed and people have been vandalising the infrastructures in the school.“The toilet block is outside the school building and there is a refuse dump very close to the toilet. Children usually go to the refuse dump to dig up for things they can sell. It was in the process of these children digging the refuse this morning that the block which was on the verge of collapsing fell on the children.”Two of the children died on the spot while the other three who were rushed to the hospital for treatment eventually died at the hospital.When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer said he has received the report adding that it was the responsibility of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency to speak on the issue.At the time of filing this report, the Public Relations Officer of Niger State Universal Basic Education Board, Idris Kolo, didn’t pick up his calls.
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Boko Haram Terrorists Plant Explosives In Communities For Attacks, Niger State Governor Laments
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello
Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has revealed that security personnel in the state detected newly planted explosives by Boko Haram terrorists in Galadima-Kogo, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.Bello, who made the disclosure during a visit to the internally displaced persons camp in Central Primary School Gwada, Shiroro Local Government, said the police was working to detonate the bombs.
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello
The governor also assured the IDPs in the state that the government was working out modalities to ensure that they all return to their homes soon, Daily Post reports.He decried the activities of terrorist informants, who he said had been arrested by security operatives in the state in the last few weeks and would be severely dealt with.According to him, a total of 4,000 IDPs in Gwada camp were made up of those displaced by the activities of bandits and water backwash as a result of work on the ongoing construction of Zungeru Hydro Dam.“Those displaced by the construction of Zungeru Hydro Dam are yet to be compensated by the Federal Government. We are appealing to the Federal Ministry of Power to as matter of urgency compensate the affected communities to enable them to move to highland,” he said.The governor stated that more security operatives have been dispatched to the state, adding that new strategies were being adopted in tackling the security situation.The governor also interacted with personnel of the Niger State Vigilante Corps undergoing training at Teachers Professional Development Institute Dandaudu in Shiroro LGA while promising to equip them with modern fighting equipment and logistics to enable them to confront the criminals.Speaking, District Head of Galadima-Kogo told the governor that they were pressed to return to their communities as the rainy season was fast approaching to prepare for the next farming season.The district heads of Galadiman Kogo, Aliyu Umar Gurmana, Aliyu Umar and Gini, Isah Abubakar decried the banditry attacks on their communities while calling on the state government to provide them with adequate security to enable them to go back to their homes, especially with the Ramadan period approaching.
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E2%80%93katsina-girls-recount-ordeal How We Escaped From Terrorists Who Abducted Us –Katsina Girls Recount Ordeal
Two Katsina female teenagers, Mubaraka Naziru and Amina Rabiu, who escaped from their abductors recently, have narrated their ordeal while in captivity.Katsina is one of the North-West states badly hit by banditry.
The situation has led to tens of internally displaced persons camps in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states.The two teenagers were abducted when bandits in large numbers invaded Batsari in Katsina State on Wednesday around 12:00am, Daily Trust reports.Naziru and Rabiu escaped when their abductors drank to a stupor.When the two teenagers were led to the bush by their abductors, they were told not to worry as they would be married off as soon as they were brought before the bandits’ kingpin.Upon their arrival, the two girls were provided with bottled juice drinks and loaves of bread while the bandits drank themselves to a stupor.“Upon realising that they were unconscious, we decided to run away. We walked kilometers to a hill and we were lost in the bush,” the teenagers said.The teenagers said they tiptoed out of the bandits’ den and found their way into the bush, even though they did not know where they were heading to.According to them, they met some herders at the foot of a hill and they were directed to the nearby village, Muniya, in Safana Local Government Area, Katsina State.It was at Muniya that they were offered help and taken back home.
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2023: Nigerian Army Chief Warns Officers, Soldiers To Stay Off Politics
Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya
Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, has warned senior officers and field commanders to desist from partisan politics and work towards ensuring a violence-free 2023 election.Yahaya gave the warning at the COAS conference held at Command Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja.
Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya
According to the Guardian, he commended the troops for their efforts in all theatres of operations.He also lauded synergy with the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies, promising it would be sustained.The army chief said, “As we carry out our constitutional duties of maintaining peace and security, in aid of civil authority across the country, let me emphasise that we should all remain professional and glaringly apolitical.“We should also continue to uphold human rights principles in the conduct of our operations, in tandem with the constitution and our rules of engagement. This is particularly important as the activities outlined in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s calendar gathers steam.“In line with our constitutional responsibilities, we will continue to provide favorable and secure environment for the conduct of the general elections through Operation Safe Conduct, in aid to civil authority.”
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Arrest Of Obiano By EFCC, Political Witch-hunt, APGA Says
The All Progressives Grand Alliance, on Saturday reacted to the arrest of former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.APGA described Obiano’s arrest by the EFCC as a “politically motivated witch-hunt”.
EFCC had arrested the former governor at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday night.This was a few hours after he officially handed over to his successor, Charles Soludo, following the completion of his tenure.Condemning his arrest, APGA accused the anti-graft agency of resorting to the use of fifth columnists against perceived political opponents.National Coordinator, APGA Forum, Chinedu Obigwe, while speaking with journalists in Awka, the state capital, said “When they see the real corrupt politicians joining APC, they would turn to toothless bulldogs. But when an opposition figure is involved they will be barking as if the person committed any crime whereas they are doing the evil bidding of their paymasters.“EFCC, as usual, has resorted to the use of fifth columnists for the media trial of Obiano. This is evidence showing that they are executing a politically motivated witch hunt plot against him.”Obigwe wondered how EFCC denied placing Obiano on its watchlist last year but later turn around to recant the earlier claim after his arrest.He insisted that Obiano’s arrest was an injustice that should be condemned.“APGA as a party says no to EFCC media trial of former governor Obiano because injustice to one is an injustice to all,” he added.
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E2%80%99ll-return-farming-if-tinubu-succeeds-buhari-%E2%80%93presidential-adviser-ojudu 2023: I’ll Return To Farming If Tinubu Succeeds Buhari –Presidential Adviser, Ojudu
Babafemi Ojudu
Babafemi Ojudu, a presidential adviser, has said that he will go back to farming if President Muhammadu Buhari chooses Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, as his presidential candidate for 2023.Buhari’s Special Adviser on Political Matters said this during an interview with Chude Jideonwo.
Babafemi Ojudu
When asked if he would fall in line if President Buhari chooses Tinubu as his candidate, Ojudu said he would never.Ojudu claimed he can never support or work with someone he does not believe in.He said, “Never. I’ll never support it. Write it down. I’ll go back to the farm. If I don’t believe in you, I’ll not work with you or for you.”Meanwhile, Ojudu had earlier clarified that he would not support Tinubu’s presidential ambition due to his “principled political choices”, not betrayal.
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Terrorists Kill Five People, Abduct 17 Others In Fresh Attacks On Kaduna Community
Suspected terrorists have killed five people including a teacher and a 70-year-old man across three villages of Dogo Dawa, Layin Mahuta and Tabanni in the Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.Ibrahim Abubakar Nagwari, Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Vanguards for Security and Good Governance, said during the separate attacks, which happened between Monday to Friday, 17 people were also abducted by the terrorists.
Nagwari also disclosed that 32 out of the 46 residents from attacks at Ungwan Bula and Ijinga three weeks ago were set free by the bandits after paying N16m ransom demanded.He added that on March 14, the terrorists struck along the Dogo Dawa-Zaria Road in the Eastern part of Birnin-Gwari, where one Haruna Tanko Dogo Dawa was killed and eight other people were abducted.Nagwari further revealed that between Wednesday and Thursday, one Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, a school teacher, was killed along Layin Lasa-Tabanni while a 70-year-old man was killed and “women abducted at Layin Mahuta Tabanni, two other people were abducted by the bandits at old Tabanni.”He said, “We thank you for your usual support and solidarity within Birnin Gwari general area.”In the last working days of the week, fatal security breaches were recorded mostly in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari by armed bandits, notably Dogo Dawa, layin Mahuta and Tabanni in which five people were killed, 17 others were abducted from Monday 15 to Friday 18 March, 2022.“On Tuesday, March 14, 2022, Haruna Tanko Dogo Dawa and two others were cruelly murdered in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari by armed bandits along Dogo Dawa-Zaria, eight other people were abducted on the same route.“At Layin Mahuta(Tabanni), one Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, a school teacher, was killed along Layin Lasa-Tabanni Road on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. While on Thursday, March 17, 2022, a 70-year-old man was killed and seven women abducted at Layin Mahuta Tabanni, two other people were abducted by the bandits at old Tabanni.”Meanwhile, the chairman said no fewer than 32 people out of the 46 abductees from Ungwan Bula and Ijinga had regained their freedom three weeks after abduction, after paying N16m ransom.“In Randagi general area, bandits have released 32 people out of 46 abductees from attacks on Ungwan Bula and Ijinga three weeks ago, after paying N16m. Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road remained quiet during the period under review.“We urge security personnel to always respond to distress calls around Dogo Dawa, Kuyello, Tabanni and Kutemeshi wards in Birnin Gwari,” he added.There was no official confirmation from either the state government or the state police command.
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E2%80%99-i-regret-negotiating-them-%E2%80%93katsina-governor-masari-0 Bandits Deceived Me Twice With Qur’an; I Regret Negotiating With Them –Katsina Governor, Masari
Governor Aminu Masari
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina has said that he regrets trusting bandits, who deceived his government into believing that they had surrendered their weapons by swearing with the Qur’an in his office.“Because they (terrorists) said they are Muslims, we went as far as asking them to swear to the Holy Qur’an that they will never participate in banditry again.
Governor Aminu Masari
“All of them did in this office but even those that have been in jail for over two years that were brought out are today bandits’ leaders,” Masari said. The governor stated this during a visit from the United Nations Development Programme in Katsina on Friday, according to ThisDay.Masari said he regretted believing the bandits were serious when they swore by the Qur’an, and vowed never to trust them again, saying he now realises that he had negotiated with “thieves”. “Anybody who says he is going to engage them on anything is free. I will pray for him but I will not do it again,” Masari said, adding that after failing him twice, he would be a fool “to go the same way”. The governor said bandits had failed his colleague, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara three times, while describing them as “common criminals”.The President Muhammadu Buhari regime has continued to reintegrate “repentant bandits” into the society, despite the terrorists wreaking havoc in the country’s Northern region. The bandits have continued to raid villages in Katsina, killing and kidnapping several locals across Northern states. Masari recently asked the Buhari regime to open the border in Katsina and find solutions to the insurgency, stating that despite the border closure in his state, banditry continues to persist.“The borders should be reopened, and measures should be taken to ensure that law and order in the borders are adhered to,” Masari said.
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