News
The Nigerian military had located and exchanged fire with gunmen who kidnapped scores of secondary school students in northwestern Katsina state, according to a statement from the president on Saturday.
The gang, armed with AK-47s, stormed the Government Science secondary school in Kankara district at about 9:40 p.m. on Friday, police and locals said. A parent and school employee told Reuters that roughly half of the school’s 800 students were missing.
President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that the military had located the kidnappers in a forest and was exchanging fire with them, aided by air support.
In the statement, Buhari condemned the attack in his home state. Police and the military were still working to determine how many were kidnapped and missing.
Police at the scene on Friday exchanged fire with the attackers, allowing some students to run for safety, police spokesman Gambo Isah said in a statement.
Police said they would deploy additional forces to support the search and rescue. One officer was shot and wounded in the exchange of fire with the gang, they said.
Katsina is plagued by violence the government attributes to bandits - a loose term for gangs of outlaws who attack locals and kidnap for ransom. Attacks by Islamist militants are common in northeastern parts of the country.
Violence and insecurity across Nigeria have enraged citizens, particularly after scores of farmers were killed, some beheaded, by Islamist militants in northeast Borno state late last month.
Buhari, who arrived on Friday for a week in his home village some 200 km (125 miles) from Kankara, was scheduled to brief the national assembly on the security situation last week, but cancelled the appearance without official explanation.
Reuters
Multiple sources, including residents and security operatives revealed on Saturday that the bandits who were said to be in hundreds and fully armed, stormed Kankara in Katsina state on foot a few minutes after 9pm having parked their motorcycles at a nearby village to avoid suspicion by residents and security operatives stationed in Kankara.
It was further learnt that while some of the bandits engaged policemen stationed at the main gate of the school in a shoot-out, some of the bandits scaled the school fence to gain entrance.
Some top officials of the school also revealed that the bandits first went to the staff quarters where they took the wife of a staff member who they later released. The bandits reportedly proceeded to the pupils’ hostel where they gathered the students together and marched them out of the school.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The pupils were being marched out of the school when troops of the Nigerian army arrived and engaged them in a fierce shoot-out. The development made some of the pupils to escape while the bandits left with some others. It was a very disturbing scenario.”
Parents who had their wards in the school continued to storm the school throughout Saturday to make enquiries about their children.
Punch
More than 300 students are still missing, following an attack by gunmen on Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina.
Security sources confirmed on Saturday evening that 345 students have not been accounted for.
The gunmen had invaded the school on Friday night, shooting into the air to scare away people in the area.
The school is said to have a population of around 800 students, and according to the police, when the gunmen attacked, some of the students scaled the fence to escape.
A security officer who was manning the school premises was also shot.
As of Saturday morning, the police said around 200 students had been found.
Isah Gambo, spokesman of the Katsina police command, had earlier said a search was ongoing for the missing students.
The Cable
A committee to protect the welfare of children on the streets, Committee on Welfare of Street Children (CWSC) has been inaugurated by the Ogun state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Members of the committee are Abiodun Jimoh, Idowu Hassan, Tunde Jimoh, Olaseni Arowora; Moshood Gbadanosi, Jide Dahunsi, Hakeem Ishola and Tawakalitu Soneye.
The Commissioner in the ministry, Mrs Funmi Efuwape, represented by a Director, Mr Toyin Kayode while inaugurating the Committee at a developmental programme, organised by the Global Support for Kids (GSK) Initiatives, in Abeokuta, charged the committe to oversee and protect the welfare of children living on the streets.
The commissioner urged the committee members to see themselves as agents of progress and not agents of destruction.
She advised them to be good ambassadors in ensuring that, the rights and welfare of children on the streets are well protected.
Mrs Efuwape urged the committee not to cover up for the children, whenever they are involved in any wrong inimical to the society, saying, "covering up for them without seeking ways of correcting them, would be endangering the lives of people in their community".
She said the ministry cannot do it alone but needs the support and collaboration of Non governmental organizations, NGOs, CSOs and private organizations, adding that children not attended to would become vulnerable to the society.
The Commissioner assured that the ministry would give adequate support to members of the committee to ensure that little children are taken off the streets.
Earlier in his welcome address, Director of GSK, Mr Opeyemi Olowookere admitted that building a child is building a nation, thus keeping children off the street would definitely lead to community safety, and make everyone to come together as a family.
According to him "Police, trade unions, motor unions, security agencies, community leaders and many others have roles to play. Children seen as problems today can become great persons in the society tomorrow if well taken care of."
"Parental care must be improved upon, as some parents and guardians are fond of training children with cruelty, transfer of aggression, unnecessary beatings, raining curses and unholy abuses, which hitherto leads to children running away from home.
"When the home is not conducive for them, they eventually get acceptability outside their home, they get freedom to do whatever they like. So, I urge total cooperation from all to take these children out of the streets. Let's give them fatherly and motherly love and relate with them well."
Other speakers including the former state Coordinator of Child Protection Network (CPN), Mrs. Peju Osoba ,
National Secretary of CPN, Mr Olakunle Sanni and the Coordinator of CPN in Ogun State, Mr Soleye Akingbade unanimously stressed the need for protecting all children who according to them, are the future of the Nation.
Others present at the ocassion include Officers of the Nigeria Police; Community leaders; Youths Leaders; Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations among others.
Egba indigenes home and abroad, have been advised to continue to support the Paramount Ruler and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo as well as the New Lisa Aje Egba, Chief Oladipupo Adebutu towards improving the economy and infrastructure of Egbaland.
The Leragun Igbehin and the Okanlomo of Ijeun Land, Chief Toyin Amuzu, TA, gave this advice, while congratulating Chief Oladipupo Adebutu and his wife Yeye Adenike Adebutu on their new Chieftaincy Titles as the Lisa Aje Egba and the Erelu Lisa Aje Egba, by Oba Aremu Adedotun Gbadebo.
Chief Amuzu who described the new Lisa Aje Egba as an astute politician, a hard-working business minded leader and manager of men said his economic activities traverse various boundaries.
He said, "Chief Ladi Adebutu's hotel business , piggery and other economic concerns have provided jobs for the people and revenue for the State Government.
According to him, "his philanthropic gestures and selfless services cut across Ogun State, as he had impacted greatly by donating transformers, managing roads, supporting education, providing drainages and supporting communities as well as individuals.
Chief Amuzu, advised the new Lisa Aje Egba to see the title as a fresh call to service and ensure he improves on the socio-economic status of Abeokuta.
The community leader who commended the Alake for his roles in bringing Egba people together to foster peace and unity, said "this is the only way by which the development of the ancient town can be ensured".
He urged Egba people at home and in diaspora never to forget their root saying, "we all must strive to ensure our homestead, Egbaland, remains a pride of place, because ,Ile labo sinmi oko" (home is where you go after your labour).
In a bid to safeguard the health of its people and fully sanitise all Poultry markets in Ogun State, Live Birds Market (LBM) Operators and Poultry Value Chain actors have been trained on the promotion of Biosecurity and Disease Reporting by the State Ministry of Agriculture through its Veterinary Services Department.
Flagging off the training with the theme "Promoting Biosecurity, Disease Reporting In The Value Chain" at the Veterinary Services Department Ita-Eko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina noted that the training became imperative in order to ensure that bird marketers carry out their trade in the most healthy manner.
He stated that, as a border State, there was the need for stakeholders to guide against dumping of unhieginic animal.
"I want to assure you that the government will continue to do the needful in ensuring that Diseases animals especially those that have the potential to infect humans are nip in the bud. And because we share boundaries with neighbouring West African countries, it is important that we carry stakeholders along in this renewed drive.
"Our regular engagement with Live Bird Market disinfection and decontamination activities especially during festive periods has helped in no small major in checking the spread of Avian Influenza which has become a standard for effective control and eradication of the disease as recognised by the Food and Agricultural Organisation", Odedina said.
He added that the Ministry was committed to working with the Poultry sector operators to promote effective standards of Biosecurity, create a network for Disease Reporting and Surveillance to further build healthy poultry population as well as ensure profitability in poultry value chain.
Odedina disclosed that the state engage stakeholders through an all- inclusive Agricultural opportunity with a new focus to benefit all, "we have a new focus on Poultry in Ogun State. There is the Anchor Borrowers Programme for graduate and unemployed youths, Noiler programme for small holder farmers where we will support farmers with 50 birds and with inputs and the Mother hen project".
In his lecture tittled: "Biosecurity Guidelines for Live Bird Marketers", Deputy Director, Veterinary Services Department, Dr. Tade Olanrewaju enlightened the trainees that birds markets should be at least, 200 metres away from residential areas, advising them to ensure cleanliness and regular disinfection of the market as well as cages.
He enjoined them to see that their markets are of strong Biosecurity standards to be certified by Veterinary Doctors or Public Health Operators.
He counselled them to understand the value chains related to their markets saying restrictions must be placed on entry of poultry where diseases like zoonotic influenza viruses are on rampage, warning that dead birds must be properly disposed.
In their remarks,the duo of Ejide Balogun and Olaonipekun Ayodele appreciated the Government for the training saying, it has further exposed them to see themselves as Agricultural stakeholders, pledging to advice their members to imbibe hygienic poultry practice.
Nigeria’s foreign-currency shortage is squeezing the life out of Africa’s biggest economy.
Banks won’t honor card payments, foreign investors can’t get their money out and manufacturers are unable to import vital raw materials as output hurtles toward a second contraction in four years.
Dependent on oil exports for half of its revenue, the Nigerian government’s coffers have emptied after crude prices plunged in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s little prospect of a respite any time soon: it needs oil prices of $70 per barrel and production of 2 million barrels a day to balance its budget, but prices are hovering around $40 and OPEC curbs have restricted the nation’s output to about 1.4 million barrels a day.
The evaporation of foreign income forced the central bank to halt weekly interbank foreign-currency sales since March.
Now the effects of the dollar shortage are seeping through to the economy.
“A lot of the members can’t access the amount of dollars they need from the banks,” said Eke Ubiji, executive secretary of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.
“That is constraining business.” International Monetary Fund predicts Nigeria’s economy will contract by 5.4% this year, the most in four decades.
The latest official job figures put the second-quarter unemployment rate at 27.1%, the highest in a decade.
Inflation, meanwhile, accelerated to 12.8% in the year through July, from 12.6% the previous month, as prices of imports including food surged.
Lenders including Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Nigeria’s biggest by market value, have cut the amount of foreign currency customers can spend on payment cards abroad to $100 a month from $3,000.
Rules on what companies do with the dollars they receive have also been changed, said Emeka Mgbeahuru, who runs Tropitec Ltd., an importer of agricultural equipment from Italy and China with distribution links across west and central Africa.
“When you source your own dollars, they won’t let you pay in cash into your account and won’t let you transfer to your suppliers,” Mgbeahuru said by phone from the southeastern commercial hub of Onitsha.
Many banks are following a template they used when they went through a similar contraction in 2016, which was to cut customers’ foreign payments and wait for crude prices to recover before raising the limits.
Central Bank of Nigeria spokesman Isaac Okorafor didn’t respond to a call and messages seeking comment.
“The challenge with dollar liquidity is an industry-wide problem,” said Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami, a spokeswoman of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, which cut its customers’ card spending to $500 monthly.
The shortage of foreign currency is forcing some companies to consider closing down, said Ubiji. “If that happens, it has a ripple effect, which is loss of jobs,” he said.
“We wish the situation changes for the better.”
Bloomberg
Minister of information and culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, says states would no longer be refunded for construction or repair works carried out on federal roads.
Addressing state house correspondents after the third virtual meeting of the federal executive council (FEC), Mohammed said reconstruction works done on federal roads would be supervised by the ministry of works and housing.
“There is a caveat henceforth if any state takes on federal government road, it will not be paid, they will not get any refund,” he told journalists on Wednesday.
“Even if you want to pay from your own pocket, you will still need the permission of the federal government and it will be supervised by the federal ministry of works and housing.”
Mohammed explained that the council approved a refund of N148 billion spent on federal roads by Rivers, Cross River, Ondo, Bayelsa and Osun states.
The minister said approval of the refund followed a memo presented by Mr Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing.
“You will recall that in 2016, 36 states of the federation sent a very huge bill to the federal government, asking for compensation for money that they have expended on federal roads,” he explained.
“This prompted Mr President to set up a committee to go and verify the claims of these 36 states, whether indeed these projects were actually constructed, were they completed, in line with the federal government standards.
“At the end of that exercise by an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the minister of works and housing, but also had ministers of education, transportation, finance, minister of state for works, DG BPP and permanent secretary cabinet office as members.
“At the end of that exercise, the committee recommended that the federal government should refund N550,364,297.31 billion to 31 of the 36 states, after they were convinced that, yes indeed, the projects were completed and they were federal government roads.
“The claims of five other states Cross River, Rivers, Ondo, Bayelsa and Osun failed on the grounds that they did not do proper documentation and the committee felt they needed proper documentation.
“So, the committee went back with new terms of reference to ensure that the claims of the five states were in order, that is why the BPP is on the committee.
“So, at the end of the exercise, the committee now reported that the five states – Cross River with 20 roads and one bridge will get a refund of N18,394,737,608.85, Ondo with six roads to get a refund of N7,822,147,577.08, and Osun with two roads and one bridge to get a refund of N2,468,938,876.78.
“Others are Bayelsa with five roads and one bridge is to get a refund of N38,040,564,783.40 and Rivers with three roads and three flyovers bridges is to get a refund of N78,953,067,518.29.”
The minister said the committees confirmed the roads and the bridges, that not only were they completed, they were in substantial-good form, adding that some of the bridges and roads were built about 10 years ago.
The Cable
Less than a week after a 100-level student of the University of Benin, Uwaila Omozuwa, was raped and killed inside a church in Benin City, an 18-year-old student of Federal College of Animal and Production Technology, Moore Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, has suffered the same fate.
The teenager, Barakat Bello, who was undertaking National Diploma programme in Science Laboratory Technology, was attacked on Monday.
Also on Monday, three armed men allegedly gang-raped a 17-year-old street hawker at the Oja-Oba Market, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
It was gathered that the attack on Barakat took place at her home in the Akinyele area of Ibadan.
Initial reports had it that her corpse was found near the house.
Father of the deceased, Kasimu Elepo, told reporters that he was not at home when the incident occurred.
He stated that the deceased’s sister was also out of the house when the tragic incident occurred.
According to him, the sister found Barakat’s body in a pool of her own blood at the back of the house when she returned from Quaranic lessons.
Elepo said, “I was not at home when the incident happened. The victim’s younger sister was not at home too; she went for Quaranic lessons, but when she returned home, she saw Barakat at the back of the house with deep cuts all over her body. She had been raped and killed.
“Somebody called me on the phone that I should come home, but he refused to tell me what happened. When I got home, I saw that my daughter had been raped and hacked to death.”
Coordinator, National Association of Nigerian Students, Zone ‘D’, Mr Samuel Olawale, demanded justice for the victim and said the rape of women must stop.
The deceased, who was a member of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, was buried on Tuesday according to Islamic rites.
The murder of the teenager has sparked protest on Twitter with the hashtag, #JusticeforBarakat.
A United Kingdom-based medical doctor, Harvey Olufunmilayo, said the rape epidemic must be brought to an end.
He tweeted, “Barakat Bello was alone at home when some men attacked her. She was raped and killed. This was in Ibadan yesterday. She was only 18. Barakat was at home. She is a Muslim hijabi sister. You mad people that come up with excuses for rape, what is the excuse this time?”
Another tweet by @mideglow read, “This is becoming too much!!! We are tired of burying our sisters and friends. We are tired of molestation and rape! Capital punishment should be meted to the perpetrators.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, told journalists that although the incident was trending on the social media, he could not confirm it at the moment as it had not been reported to the police.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the deceased’s family to report the case for investigation by the police.
Fadeyi stated, “The story is trending; I have heard about it. I have got the link to the online report and I have read the story, but it is not in our crime diary.
“Efforts are being intensified to confirm the credibility of the report. At present, Divisional Police Officers, Oluyole and Apata divisions, have been contacted, but we found out that the address that was quoted is not correct. When I called the DPOs and I inquired, the two of them said there was no such report in their records.
For the Ado-Ekiti incident, it was gathered that the victim was hawking sachet water when the men, who were said to be armed with broken bottles, accosted her and took her to a corner in the market, where they forcefully had carnal knowledge of her around 7pm.
The victim was reportedly rushed to hospital for treatment after the incident.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu, said two suspects had been arrested, adding that efforts were on to apprehend the third member of the gang.
“The girl was hawking sachet water when the incident happened around 7pm on Monday. The suspects are friends; we have arrested two of them, while the third is still at large. Investigation is ongoing,” Abutu stated.
Punch
Federal Government has reduced the N37bn budget for the renovation of the National Assembly complex to N27.7bn.
Federal Government, in the 2020 revised budget proposal, according to documents obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, cut N9.3bn from the budget for the renovation of the National Assembly complex.
The renovation of the complex at the initial cost of N37bn, which is to be executed by Federal Capital Territory Administration, attracted criticisms from a large section of Nigerians last year.
However, following the drop in the price of crude oil and a fall in projected government revenue, it was learnt that Federal Government decided to reduce the budget for the renovation.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday presented the 2020 Appropriation Act (amendment) Bill to the National Assembly, which both the Senate and the House passed for second reading same day.
Buhari explained that the amendment became necessary in view of the sharp decline in crude oil prices and the cut in Nigeria’s crude oil production quota occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Basic health care slashed by 42.5 per cent
In the proposed revised budget, while the National Assembly complex renovation budget was reduced to N27.7bn (a reduction of 25.1 per cent), Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which is meant to cater for all primary healthcare centres across the 774 local government areas in the country, was significantly reduced from N44.4bn to N25.5bn, a decrease of more than 42.5 per cent
BHCPF is made up of one per cent of Federal Government Consolidated Revenue from international partners such as the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development.
It is the fundamental funding provision under the National Health Act and was appropriated for the first time in the 2018 budget since the Act was signed in 2014.
UBE fund reduced by over 54.25%
Universal Basic Education fund was also reduced significantly from N111.7bn to N51.1bn, by more than 54.2 per cent, according to documents obtained by Dataphyte, an open data organisation.
UBE is a reform programme aimed at providing greater access to quality basic education throughout Nigeria.
It seeks to ensure an uninterrupted access to nine-year formal education by providing free, and compulsory basic education for every child of school-going age.
Incidentally, the budget for the National Assembly which was N128bn was cut by only 10 per cent, bringing its revised total budget to N115.2bn.
The same calculation was applied to National Judicial Council as its N110bn original budget was reduced by 10 per cent, bringing it down to N99bn.
Punch
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Senate on Tuesday approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for $5.51 billion in external borrowing from international lenders.
The borrowing is part of a revised budget for 2020. The revisions allow for the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic and a sharp drop in oil prices, which has dented Nigeria’s spending plans because oil sales make up 90% of its foreign exchange earnings.
The money from International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank, World Bank and Islamic Development Bank is to fund the deficit.
“As regards the IMF loan, there are no usual onerous conditions for borrowing, such as currency devaluation and deregulation of certain sectors of the economy attached to this loan,” a Senate committee on the loans stated.
Buhari submitted a revised budget of 10.51 trillion naira ($29.19 billion) to parliament last week for approval. Lawmakers can make changes to the budget, before it is sent back to the president to pass into law should he agree to any revisions.
Borrowing requests must be approved separately by lawmakers.
Reuters
Federal Government, on Tuesday released guidelines for religious centres to resume activities in the country.
It said notwithstanding the lifting of ban on religious gatherings, it is safer for people to worship at home. The government had banned large gatherings and ordered suspension of conventional religious activities in April to check the spread of Covid-19.
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, had on Monday, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved that churches and mosques could reopen based on some guidelines.
According to National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Mr Sani Aliyu, during briefing in Abuja, yesterday, one of the guidelines are both churches and mosques must have attendance register to make it easy for contact tracing.
He said due to the nature of religious centres, Covid-19 could spread easily there.
“In view of the widespread community transmission of Covid-19, it is important that places of worship operate in a safe manner to ensure the protection of public health, avoid outbreaks and safeguard the health of the vulnerable members of the population.
“To this end, the following guidelines have been developed as a minimum set of standards that have to be complied with for places of worship to safely operate nationwide. They have been developed by the PTF in liaison with the leadership of religious communities in the country and should be used as a baseline for states to allow these activities.
“It is important to note that due to the nature of religious congregations, places of worship are particularly recognised to have a major potential for spreading Covid-19-19 infections amongst worshippers.
“Therefore, places of worship that are not able to comply with these measures should not be allowed to operate by state governments.”
Aliyu said all places of worship must sign up to full compliance with all aspects of non-pharmaceutical interventions required to protect the public from Covid-19, including but not limited to ensuring the supply of running water and soap, alcohol sanitisers at entry and exit points in all high contact locations including bathrooms.
“There should be no social gathering after or before worship; frequent cleaning and disinfection of places of worship are advised; places of worship should keep detailed records of their worshippers, including contact addresses.
“Therefore, places of worship that are not able to comply with these measures should not be allowed to operate by state governments.”
Sun
Federal Government on Tuesday said no fewer than 812 health workers have been infected with the Covid-19 virus in the line of duty.
It reiterated that the protection of health workers, especially those in the frontline of the pandemic are its priority, and will ensure the constant provision of personal protective equipment (PPEs), to shield them from exposure.
Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Mr Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known during the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, in Abuja.
He said: “As we go further in the easing of the restrictions, I just want to remind all of us that the easing of the restrictions doesn’t mean the easing of the response. In fact, the public response is being strengthen.
“Crossing the 10,000 mark was quite a significant event, and every night when we work so hard to bring out those numbers, sometimes numbers begin to feel like what they are, that we forget that they are people behind each number.
“We have had 812 healthcare workers infected. They are not just numbers. Twenty-nine (29) of these work for the NCDC. They are people I know who have families, wives and children. About eight (8) of them right now are in the Idu treatment center. They are not just numbers but they are people and they matter and we must remember.
“We have distributed over 40,000 pieces of complete PPEs and will continue to do this. By this weekend new consignment will be going out to every state, every Federal Medical Centres in the country.
“We now have the third highest number of confirmed cases on the continent just after South Africa and Egypt. It means that there is an added responsibility for us to work harder everyday.”
He added: “We have increased our testing capacity. We have now tested over 65,000 samples and increased our lab network to 30; having just activated the laboratories in Bauchi State and Abuja.
The Nation
Nigeria’s electricity grid, operated from Osogbo, Osun State, again collapsed yesterday afternoon, leaving the entire nation in darkness.
Managed by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), sources at the firm confirmed the development to reporters as some distribution companies (DisCos) had already notified consumers of the total blackout.
While the grid experienced collapsed in May this year due to industrial unrest, it earlier gave way in April, questioning the integrity of the infrastructure.
Though TCN is yet to advance reasons for the latest incident, the network recorded over 11 failures last year.
Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), umbrella body of the distribution companies, had last year decried the repeated occurrences, stating that TCN’s analogue system caused over 100 collapses since the privatisation of the power sector in 2013.
Guardian