Followers of renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky have cried out to the Federal Government to grant their leader total freedom by releasing his passport to allow him to go for proper medical checkups abroad. The group under that aegis of Poet Forum under the leadership of the renowned Islamic Scholar converged in Minna, Niger state capital to garner sympathy from the public on why Sheik Zakzaky should be granted total freedom. Speaking with Journalists at the end of the programme, the leader of the delegation, Malam Ahmad Is’hak also known as Ahmad Sapele recalled the ordeal of the Islamic Scholar in the hands of the Military in 2015 that led to the loss of lives of innocent Nigerians including three sons of the Sheik. “The main reason for holding the programme is to create more awareness for the people to see the injustice done by the Nigerian Army to the members of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, especially to their leader in 2015 at Zaria where over one thousand armless men, women and children, followers of the Sheik including three of his sons were killed by the Nigerian army during the annual mauled programme organised by the Islamic movement in Nigeria. He said a Court of Law in Kaduna had also acquitted the Sheik on any misdeeds but that yet, his passport is still being withheld thereby denying him to travel abroad for medical treatment. “In 2021, Kaduna State High Court presided by Justice Gideon Kurada delivered a favourable judgement on “No case submission” filed by the defence lawyers on the case brought against the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Shaikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife Malama Zeenat who were standing trial for sundry trumped up charges and the Court dismissed and acquitted the Sheikh and his wife but his passport and that of his wife are yet to be released to them.” Similarly, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Niger state chapter, Malam Ibrahim Khalil, said that the programme organized by the Poets of the Islamic movement is to enable the entire nation and the world to have a knowledge of the silent suffering of the Sheik and his family in the past years and therefore called on the government to act swiftly to their demand equity and fairness. He however called on the followers to continue to embrace peace while the demand for total freedom for their leader is achieved. During the sensitisation programme, lectures and different Poems were sung by the Poets to enable the society to have more enlightenment on Islam as a religion and also on the activities of the Islamic movement under the leadership of Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky towards having peace and tranquillity across the country. Participants from Kaduna, Niger and a few other States attended the programme.

  Any moment soon, students of Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State, will embark on a protest against the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Charles Esimone and the entire management of the institution over insecurity on campus. This followed the killing of a 200-Level student of the the university which sources said had stirred unrest within the school community. “This is as the incident unravels the dilapidated state of insecurity in university’s off-campus area,” the source told our investigative reporters. Daniel, as the the late student was identified, was killed by armed men who busted a hostel on Sunday night, at the Laurel junction area of Ifite, a community primarily dominated by students outside the campus. Sources disclosed that the armed men entered the apartment of his female friend, where he was at the time, and they demanded he should hand over his phone. Daniel was reported to have hesitated before letting go but pleaded with the assailants to allow him to take out his SIM card. This website gathered that it was in that process that the armed men pulled the trigger and the bullet penetrated his belly, causing him to drown in his blood. Eyewitnesses said he was rushed to Amaku Teaching Hospital, in the Aroma area of the state where medical practitioners did their best, but could not help the situation until he gave up. Daniel, a student of Mathematics at the university was scheduled for an examination soon, and according to sources, had just resumed school a few hours before the incident occurred. The deceased is just one out of many students, whose livesended following the rise of armed robbery and cultism within the university community. A sources said,”What is uncertain is if these assailants were students or external forces with missions to rob students of their possessions. “There is nothing like school security and everyone is just quiet about it. This is why we are trying to protest because they are not doing anything about it. Even the Anti-cult which is like the existing security arrived an hour after the incident occurred. “There have been underreported cases of robbery in the off-student area of the university. Criminals and students allegedly go about with weapons to protect themselves or perpetrate crimes. The students have begun an online campaign on the Macro Blogging App tagged: ‘End the Killing,’ ‘End The Robbery,’ ‘Schooling in Unizik Is Not Death. This website gathered that there are ongoing plans by students to protest against the lack of security in the school as the situation has deteriorated. The Institution’s Dean of Student Affairs, Chinonso Achebe could not be reached, as he was yet to respond to calls, and texts placed on his phone. The School Public Relations Officer, Chika, however, said she was not in the best position to speak on the issue, noting, “We are currently in a meeting over the security situation”. When contacted, the State’s Police Spokesperson, Ikenga Tochukwu berated the situation and said that the command was on the matter. He said, “This is unfortunate, I got this information from the SUG president last night. Police patrol has been on since then. I urge the witness of the incident to help us with information to investigate please”.

  Amaka Onah, a 22-year-old female lady with allegiance to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), has been arrested by security operatives in Igboeze South Local Government Area (LGA) in Nsukka, Enugu State. According to reports, Onah confessed to have killed at least five people including one Igwe Baniko whom they equally burnt down his filling station. She further stated that one Duri who is currently at large was the mastermind of their dastardly deeds. This newspaper sighted pictures of decomposing body parts of the criminals’ slain victims, but they are too gory to share. IPOB, which campaigns for the secession of southeastern Nigeria where the majority are of Igbo ethnicity, has been accused of terrorism by Nigerian authorities, although the group constantly refutes the allegation. IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja, where he has been held since June 2021 following his arrest in Kenya.

  The federal government says Nigeria may stop the importation of petroleum products by the first quarter of 2024. Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, said this on Monday at the government’s series titled ‘PMB administration scorecard 2015-2023’. The series is designed to showcase the achievements of Buhari’s administration since he came into power in 2015. Sylva said by the first quarter of 2023, the 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) Port Harcourt refinery would be partly rehabilitated, and ready for production. “Our promise has been that the 60,000 bpd plant within the Port Harcourt refinery by the end of Q4 2022, it is being completed and is going to be started by Q1 2023 as promised,” he said. The minister said in addition to several modular refinery projects in the country, the 650,000 (bpd) Dangote refinery is also expected to be operational by the end of 2023. Sylva said with the combined production of the Port Harcourt refinery, Dangote refinery, and the modular refineries, Nigeria would end the importation of petroleum products. He disclosed that the federal government had intentionally acquired a 20 percent stake in Dangote refinery to ensure local supply of production from private refineries. “We have taken 20 percent equity in Dangote Refinery. We have also taken 20 percent equity in Azike refinery. In Walter Smith refinery, we took 30 percent and in Duport, we’ve taken more than 20 percent. Duport refinery has already concluded construction and it only remains to start operations. I’m sure within the next one month, they would start operations,” he said. “We are hoping Dangote refinery comes on stream this year and once our own rehabilitated refineries start to work, we will be able to get the country wet (with petroleum products).” Sylva added that the government is currently addressing the crude access challenges faced by modular refineries. Also speaking on the issue of under-recovery payments, the minister reiterated the federal government’s position that the subsidy system was no longer sustainable. According to Sylva, the huge amount of money spent on subsidy could be used for other development projects that would have a positive impact on many Nigerians. He added that the removal of subsidy would increase investment in the oil sector, as many private investors would be willing to invest in building refineries. Last year, Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, had said the federal government would halt the costly petrol subsidy in June 2023. As such, the country’s initial projection to spend N6.7 trillion as subsidy payments for full the year was trimmed to N3.35 trillion for half year. Meanwhile, in August 2021, the federal executive council (FEC) approved the sum of $1.48 billion for the rehabilitation of both Warri and Kaduna refineries. The Warri refinery will resume operations by December 2023, according to Desmond Inyamah, acting managing director, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC). Also, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a South Korean conglomerate to rehabilitate the Kaduna refinery.

  They were part of the thirty-one persons who were abducted when gunmen attacked a train station in Igueben, Igueben Local Government Area of the state. The victims were said to be waiting to board a train heading to Warri in Delta State. But the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in an update about the incident on Monday, said some of the victims have been rescued. A breakdown of the figure showed that the freed persons included a nursing mother, her baby, and a six-year-old child. “Following the directive from Governor Godwin Obaseki that the kidnappers that attacked the train in Igueben on Saturday be smoked out of their hiding and the persons abducted be rescued, we are happy to announce that six (6) persons have been rescued,” the Commissioner added in the statement. “The six persons are a 65-year-old man, a nursing mother with her baby, a 6-year-old girl, and two siblings; aged two and five years old. “We commend the efforts of the rescue team in the bushes and their support staff that have been working tirelessly since the incident occurred to ensure the kidnapped passengers are rescued and reunited with their families.” He expressed optimism that other victims will be rescued soon as security agents have doubled down on smoking out the abductors. “As events unfold in the bushes, be assured that we will keep you posted and we crave the support of all stakeholders, particularly the media to stay with the facts and avoid sensational reports that could further inflict emotional pain on the families and friends of the victims who are already in distress,” he assured.”Operation Bush Combing continues.” READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW: Press Release January 9, 2023 Following the directive from Governor Godwin Obaseki that the kidnappers that attacked the train in Igueben on Saturday be smoked out of their hiding and the persons abducted be rescued, we are happy to announce that six (6) persons have been rescued. The six persons are: a 65-year-old man, a nursing mother with her baby, a 6-year-old girl and two siblings; aged two and five years old. We commend the efforts of the rescue team in the bushes and their support staff that have been working tirelessly since the incident occurred to ensure the kidnapped passengers are rescued and reunited with their families. We are confident that the other victims will be rescued soon as the highly motivated security personnel are in high spirits and have doubled down on the hot chase of the kidnappers. As events unfold in the bushes, be assured that we will keep you posted and we crave the support of all stakeholders, particularly the media to stay with the facts and avoid sensational reports that could further inflict emotional pain on the families and friends of the victims who are already in distress. Operation Bush Combing continues. Signed: Chris Osa Nehikhare, Hon. Commissioner for Communication and Orientation

  The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on Monday, vowed to expose corruption in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The governor said the NDDC has become a cashcow for politicians. He said it is a shame that the NDDC superintends over the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta area and her people. Wike spoke during the flag-off construction of the Elele internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state. “NDDC has become a cashcow for politicians,” he said. “The President has just inaugurated the new Board of the NDDC. N500bn budget for NDDC. Election is coming from the 25th of February. What the politicians have done is to put pressure on the National Assembly so that they pass the N500bn budget for NDDC.” The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, said the people of Niger Delta do not experience the impact of the huge funds disbursed for the development of the area. “At the end of the day, you can’t see the impact of N500bn for Niger Delta. Who are those superintending the Niger Delta? Are they not our children?” he queried. Wike also accused the NDDC of not knowing the priorities of the people but foisting needless projects on the people. The governor challenged the new NDDC Chairman, Lauretta Onochie to judiciously utilise the new budget of the commission for the good of the people of the Niger Delta. “I will use this budget to test you whether you will sit with your management to allow this N500bn to be siphoned to private pockets. I will use this one to test the Chairman of NDDC, our sister, Onochie. “Our eyes are open, this N500bn, our eyes are open. I’ve told the Attorney General to get prepared to go to court and challenge them. This one, I will expose them,” Wike said. The administration of then-President Olusegun Obasanjo established the NDDC in 2000 to facilitate the development of the oil-rich but environmentally challenged Niger Delta area. States under the NDDC area include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers. The NDDC is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs but the NDDC has been enmeshed in corruption and grand malfeasance, requiring that a forensic audit of the commission be carried out from 2001 to 2019.