Crime Facts

Shehu Sani: FG more interested in going after secessionists than bandits

The north-west has been the hotbed of banditry in recent times with over 500 students kidnapped in the region by bandits this year alone. The latest is the abduction of 121 students in Bethel Baptist Secondary school in Damishi, Chikun LGA of Kaduna state, on July 5. Less than a week later, the Emir of Kajuru and 13 members of his household were abducted at his palace. While bandits continue to wreak havoc in the north-west, security operatives have successfully clamped down on leaders of secessionist movements in the southern part of the country. Last month, authorities arrested and extradited Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), back into the country to face charges of treason. In a similar development, DSS operatives declared Sunday Igboho, a prominent voice in the call for ‘Yoruba Nation’, “wanted” after raiding his home and killing two people. Many have criticised the government for not extending an equal level of commitment to tackling banditry. Speaking to Arise TV on Monday, Sani added his voice to the criticism. While making it clear that he’s not in support of the secessionists, he said: “I can say in comparative terms that there’s more interest for the government in going after secessionists than going after bandits. I’m not a supporter of secessionists and I believe that secession agitation are virtually wrong and we should work towards a united Nigeria. “But I believe that if the same effort — the way they are going after Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho — is applied to these bandits, things would have been better for us in Kaduna and the north-western part of the country. Arresting bandits is more important to us than the issues of Igboho and Kanu as far as I’m concerned.” The former senator added that just two out of the 23 LGAs in Kaduna state are safe. He also lamented that all the entry points of the state are besieged by bandits and residents who live in the outskirts are constantly running for their lives. “Abduction has become a daily tragedy in Kaduna state, many even go unreported. Those that are reported are either mass abduction or the abduction of prominent people. We have reached a point, today, in this state where the only local government that are safe are two — Kaduna North and Kaduna South,” he said. “All the other local governments in the state are under siege of bandits. We have never seen this kind of trouble and it appears that the abductions are even increasing by the day. All the four entrances to Kaduna state are all under bandits attack. “Anytime after 7pm, people in the outskirts virtually move to the centre of the city to go back in the morning.”

Fredrick Nwabufo convenes ‘Journalists for United Nigeria’

Fredrick Nwabufo, journalist and columnist, has convened an ideological and voluntary group for journalists committed to peace-building, national cohesion and progress. According to the columnist, the group named, ‘Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN)’, is strictly non-partisan; not a pressure or lobby group, but a think-factory to connect minds in the media who are committed to a united Nigeria. ‘’I believe, the media possesses some of the brightest minds. JUN is more or less a discussion forum for like-minded people. It is non-partisan; it is not a pressure group. It is not a lobby group; it is not a political group. It is a forum where journalists can converge to exchange ideas and opinions on how to strengthen national unity,’’ Nwabufo said. ‘’We need in abundance citizens who can be Nigerians. It is my view that only journalists fit into this. By virtue of being men and women of the pen, they shape opinions and narratives. They make or mar. The sustenance of our national unity rests largely in our hands. We must rise to the occasion and mobilise both the political class and the populace to imbibe our togetherness. We have no other country than Nigeria. Let us, through our profession, lead by example. ‘’I would like to be emphatic here; this group was conceived out of a strong desire for the peace and progress of Nigeria. I believe we are stronger together. ‘’It is purely voluntary for Nigerians. No financial rewards whatsoever; except for the psychological fulfillment that comes from knowing you are contributing to the peace and growth of your country.’’ Nwabufo said he believes the current challenges in the country will be tackled effectively with the support of all Nigerians.

BUA joins Dangote to increase cement price

Cement makers in Nigeria are adding more burden to prospective homeowners in the country amid high inflation by increasing cement prices in response to overwhelming demand. BUA Cement, which at N2.421 trillion is Nigeria’s fourth-biggest company by market value, is the latest in the fray having chosen to up the factory price of the product by about N200 per bag, contrary from an earlier vow not to raise prices. The product now sells anywhere between N3000 and N4000, marketers have told PREMIUM TIMES. BUA Cement reported a profit after tax of N72.3 billion last year. The firm assured Nigerians in April that it would not scale up the factory price of its product. “BUA Cement Plc, in the past two days, has been inundated with calls seeking clarification as to whether it is part of a purported price increase of N300 per bag,” its management said in a Twitter statement. “BUA Cement wishes to inform the public, its distributors, and stakeholders that it has not and does not intend to increase its price of cement now or in the near future, barring any material unforeseen circumstances. “Whilst we are aware that demand for cement is high with current supply levels not sufficient to meet this increased demand, we do not believe the solution lies in an increase in ex-factory price of cement, especially not at this period.” In June, the cement maker in a statement to distributors reassured Nigerians of its fidelity to easing the economic meltdown by giving its due in the form of retaining cement price at its pre-July level as the country rebalances from its second recession in four years. “BUA is also of the firm belief that the current retail prices of cement are higher than normal, hence our earlier communication not to increase ex-factory prices in the foreseeable future,” the document said. “As a responsible corporate entity, we refuse and reject associations with any actions that are deemed capable of projecting any industry we operate as a cartel… “The timing is not right for any increase on BUA’s part, and we do not have any justifiable business reason to increase our prices (ex-factory) anytime soon. We, therefore, urge our distributors not to panic as well as not engage in any arbitrary hike in the retail price of BUA Cement.” But a market survey by PREMIUM TIMES shows BUA cement prices have risen in the retail market, and marketers blame the increase on their depot price. A dealer of the product at Lugbe Airport Road, Abuja, who identified himself as Mr Great said, “the fact is that they are not telling the public the truth. They increase the price literally from time to time.” “Previously we have been getting at the rate of N3,000 and later N3,300 from the depot. That is the situation now. “We sold at the rate of N3,200, later N3,300 and presently it is N3,400. So, anyone that is telling you that the price of cement is stable, that person is not telling the truth.” Two other dealers in Abuja confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES the current price at N3,400, while another put the price at N3,500. When contacted for clarification, Ortega Ogra, a representative of BUA Cement, ended the call and did not respond to a text message seeking comment. The chairman of BUA Cement Company, Abdul-Samad Rabiu, said in Abuja on Thursday that cement prices will crash if Nigeria has more producers to meet local demand, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. “The high price of cement is of great concern for me; the price is actually high. We are 210 million or 220 million people, 30 million tonnes of cement per annum is actually low for us,” Mr Rabiu said at the annual general meeting of his company. “No one can really control the price because it depends on demand and supply. We are trying hard to ensure the price is not as high as it is now. Nigeria is growing with a huge economy; we need more plants on stream to cater to the rising demand of cement in the country. Egypt produces 85 tonnes of cement per annum and the demand of cement in that country is just 50 million tonnes per annum. And that is why prices of cement in Egypt are the lowest on the African continent,’’ Mr Rabiu said. Source: Premium Times

ALERT: Atiku Says Online Portal Fake

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said an online portal, the ‘Atiku Foundation Youth Empowerment Fund’, is fake. Atiku, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said the online was “set up by some unscrupulous elements” to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. He advised his supporters and members of the public not to patronise “any portal called Atiku Foundation for Youth Empowerment. “The portal is fake and certainly does not enjoy the authorisation of Atiku. Indeed this scam was first introduced in 2019 by criminal elements. “We also warn the general public and supporters of the Waziri of Adamawa not to patronise any scheme in his name, which is not expressly advertised on the verified social media accounts of Atiku Abubakar. “We call on law enforcement agencies to track and arrest the individuals behind this online crime and identity forgery and bring them to face the law.”

Lauretta Onochie to know fate as INEC commissioner Tuesday

Lauretta Onochie, a commissioner nominee for Independent National Electoral Commission would know her fate on Tuesday after she was screened by the Senate on Thursday. A senior official close to the Senate panel that screened the former aide of President Buhari told Daily Trust that the panel will submit its report to the plenary on Tuesday. Onochie was screened alongside Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina), Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti), Saidu Babura Ahmad (Jigawa), Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam (North Central) and Dr. Baba Bila (North East) for the post of INEC commissioner. They all will know their fate on Tuesday. The nomination of the former aide of President Buhari has sparked outrage from the opposition lawmakers and some from the All Progressives Congress and civil society groups. They argued that she was too partisan to be a commissioner in an important institution like INEC. Other nominees who are also refused as nominees are accused of being card-carrying members of the ruling APC. Onochie, however, has said she stopped being a member of the APC in 2019. After the screening of all nominees on Friday, Senate Committee on INEC chaired by a former Kano State governor and Senator representing Kano South, Kabiru Gaya, said the committee would look at all the documents before the panel, sieve them, take a decision on the nominees and forward its recommendations to the Senate. “The report on the screening last Thursday will be submitted to the Senate when it resumes plenary on Tuesday,” a senior official close to the Senate panel told Daily Trust.

Man slumps, dies after DNA test allegedly showed he’s not his son’s biological father

A man has allegedly slumped and died after he found out that he is not his son’s biological father through a DNA test. According to supposed friends of the deceased who gave their opinions online, the abroad-based man caught his with cheating another man on Snapchat, so he returned to Nigeria and conducted a paternity test on his son, only to get an unfavourable result. As usual, the report has led to a debate about paternity tests online. Opinions are divided as social media users take sides.

Ekweremmadu: Nigeria’s policing system has failed woefully

Joining calls for state police, a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, said in Lagos on Monday that Nigeria’s policing system had failed to tackle insecurity. Speaking on “Nigerian State and the Call for Restructuring’’ at the opening of Law Week 2021 of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ekweremadu called for the decentralisation of the police. The Week has “The Nigeria of Our Dreams’’ as its theme. Ekweremadu said the decentralisation of the police had become expedient in the face of rising wave of banditry and kidnapping across the country. “Our policing system has failed woefully. There are no other federating states that have done what we are doing in policing. “It is no surprise that with the capsizing of the national police, the nation’s security has also collapsed,’’ he said. Ekweremadu said that restructuring the police was no longer a matter of choice but a matter of urgency. “In an instance where we have a decentralised police, we will have a federal police system and 774 police systems in all the 774 local governments in the 36 states and in Abuja. “The implication, therefore, is that if the federal police fail, we have additional layers in 36 states; but right now, they are absent. “Now that the federal policing have collapsed because they do not have the resources, the funding and the manpower, there is nothing to hold on to, Ekweremadu stressed. In his address of welcome, Mr Bartholomew Aguegbodo, Chairman of the NBA branch said there was no better time to hold the Law Week than now in the light of Nigeria’s current political climate. “Sometime in 2004 or 2005 the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, set up a committee with the task of setting a national vision targeted at year 2020 with all the dreams and hopes. “The year 2020 has come and gone and the dreams are far from being realised. “The founding fathers of this country had policies which would have birthed the Nigeria of our dreams if we had followed them to the letter,’’ he said. Aguegbodo said bad leadership and tribalism had, unfortunately, derailed the objectives of the nation’s founding fathers and set the nation backward. (NAN)

PDP urges court to sack Zamfara Gov over defection

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to sack Zamfara Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle over his defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The request forms part of the reliefs being sought in a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/489/2021 filed in the names of two PDP members from Zamfara State – Sani Kaura Ahmed and Abubakar Muhammed. The plaintiffs are contending that, in view of an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, to the effect that the APC had no candidates in the 2019 governorship election in Zamfara State, having not conducted valid primaries, it would be unlawful for Matawalle to retain his office while defecting from the PDP to the APC, and thereby transfer PDP’s victory to the APC. They want the court to,among others,declare that Matawalle must resign from his office before his defection to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election, within three months, for the PDP to replace him. On Monday after listening to plaintiffs’ lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN) moved his ex-parte motion, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted an order of substituted service of the originating processes on the Governor. Details shortly…

Police record 25 cases of rape, defilement in Adamawa

The Police Command in Adamawa says it has recorded no fewer than 25 cases of rape and defilement between January and June 2021 in the state. DSP Suleiman Nguroje, the spokesman of the command, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Yola, said that 16 of the victims were minors and nine adults. He added that all the suspects, who were mostly from within the neighbourhoods, had been charged to court. Nguroje advised parents and caregivers to take good care of their children, especially the girl-child, to shield them from rapists. He warned those engaged in such dastardly acts to stop, as any person caught would face the full wrath of the law. (NAN) (

Court remands man for allegedly abducting, defiling 17-year-old girl

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered that a 26-year-old man, Sixtus Chinedu , who allegedly abducted and defiled a 17-year-old girl should be remanded in Ikoyi Custodial Centre The police charged Chinedu, who resides at No. 6, Ijaye Road, Ogba, Lagos State, with abduction, rape and unlawful sexual intercourse. Magistrate M.O. Tanimola, gave the order, following a motion moved by the Prosecutor, ASP Victor Eruada, that the matter be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. The magistrate, who did not take the plea of Chinedu, also directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send to the DPP for advice. She adjourned the case untill Aug. 12 . Earlier, Eruada said that Chinedu committed the offence on June 25, at 2.20 p.m at his residence The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 260, 141 and 173 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment on conviction. (NAN)