News

News

A young medical doctor, Megafu Chinelo, who was killed on Monday in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack was meant to travel out of the country on Friday, one of her friends has told Sahara Reporters.  

It was earlier reported how bandits attacked the train which was on its way to Kaduna from Abuja on Monday night.

The gunmen were said to have blown up the rail track after which they launched an attack on the passengers.

The dentist was one of the over 970 passengers on board when the terrorists attacked the train.

Shortly after the attack, Chinelo took to her Twitter page at 9:43 pm asking Nigerians to pray for her.

“I’m in the train. I have been shot please pray for me,” she had tweeted.

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, a friend of the deceased said, “Dr Chinelo was making an honest living, she was working at St Gerald's hospital in Kaduna, she wanted more for herself and processed her papers to leave this hell-hole.

“She resigned last month to leave the country this Friday then this happened. Nigeria why???”

Another friend of the deceased said, “Yes, it’s true, though I don’t know when she was meant to leave. May her soul Rest In Peace.”

The Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, has suspended its Abuja-Kaduna train service after terrorists blew off its train on Monday night, killing and injuring some passengers in the process.

The NRC made the announcement in a terse statement on its Twitter page.

In the ill-fated train, many are feared kidnapped and two confirmed dead, while others sustained injuries during the attack.

The NRC wrote on Tuesday, “Dear passengers, due to unforeseen circumstances, train operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route has been temporarily suspended.

“Further communication would be given in due course.”

A former Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, was among the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers who was shot by terrorists on Monday evening.

SaharaReporters learnt that Wakkala was shot on the leg and currently hospitalised.

Sources also confirmed to SaharaReporters that out of 15 patients brought to St. Gerald's Catholic Hospital in Kaduna, two had been confirmed dead, including a lady medical doctor with the hospital.

“A former Deputy Governor of Zamfara Malam Ibrahim Wakkala was equally shot on the leg. Out of 15 patients brought to St. Gerald's Catholic Hospital, two are dead including a lady medical Doctor with St Gerald.

“Two females moved to 44 Reference Hospital because of bullet wounds; they could not be treated at St Gerald's,” the source said.

On Monday night it was also reported that Muhammad Amin Mahmood, an aspirant in the just-concluded National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Northwest Zonal Youth Leadership, was shot during the attack on Monday.

The politician was on board the train and was one of those shot during the train ride which was heading to Kaduna from Abuja.

However, as of the time of filing this report, it was not clear how critical his injuries were or if he would survive.

Two cleaners and workers of the attacked Abuja-Kaduna train identified as Loretta and Abdul were confirmed dead.

There are at least 970 passengers on board the train, according to official sources familiar with the train service.

 

 

 

 

Armed persons Monday evening attacked a Kaduna-bound train carrying hundreds of passengers.

The train, which left Abuja at about 6 p.m., was attacked between Katari and Rijana.

Kaduna State Government confirmed the attack but said it was successfully repelled.

One of the passengers aboard the train, Anas Iro-Danmusa, took to Facebook to solicit for prayers for those in the train.

He said the armed persons planted explosives on the rail which damaged the train’s engines.

“Please this is an emergency. We are inside train at the moment. Kidnappers planted explosives and the train engines have been ruined. We are helpless. Abuja to Kaduna train. Gunshots still being fired right around us. We are just under the seats praying to God while waiting for help. Since 8pm we have been here. Btw Katari to Rijana. I am a living witness,” he posted.

His first post was around 9:07 p.m

According to him, the bandits had surrounded the train and made efforts to enter the coaches but the doors were not opening.

“Please, spread the news. We need help. Gunshots,” he posted.

Over an hour after his first post, Mr Danmusa said soldiers had arrived and repelled the attack.

Also, one Adam Hayatu took to Twitter to, quoting a passenger onboard the train, announce that passengers had been saved by security agents.

“Alhamdulillahi! The military have secured the train. Thank you DSS, thank you Kaduna CP, Thank you Samuel Aruwan, thank you DMI and all the classified persons who answered our calls without hesitation and actually acted upon it. God bless Nigeria and everyone.”

Daily Nigerian reported that there were 970 passengers onboard the train.

“All the passengers are currently lying on the floor of the train. The bandits are shooting sporadically. We are in serious danger,” a passenger told Daily Nigerian.

Kaduna police command spokesman, Mohammed Jalige, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attack.

However, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna commissioner for internal security and home affairs, later confirmed the development in a statement.

According to him, several passengers sustained injuries, while security operatives are currently conducting “rescue efforts”.

Two persons - a cleaners and a worker of the attacked Abuja-Kaduna train - have been confirmed dead.

The two persons identified as Loretta and Abdul are confirmed to be the only casualty for now, in the fierce late night attack on the train.

Unofficial sources said also that some security personnel and passengers have been killed by the rampaging terrorists but their names have yet to be released.

This is not the first time bandits are attacking Abuja-Kaduna train. Last October, the bandits destroyed a portion of the rail track with explosives which disrupted the journey.

Managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, confirmed that the explosives planted had damaged the track.

The Abuja-Kaduna train is very popular as it is considered safe compared to the road that has witnessed several attacks by armed persons.

The latest attack on the train may, however, cause many passengers to have a rethink.

Kaduna is one of the states most affected by banditry in North-west Nigeria with thousands of people killed or kidnapped in recent years.

 

 

 

 

Following Saturday’s incident where a local guard of the Kaduna International Airport was gunned down, Azman Airline, one of the carriers operating to the airport, has suspended its operation.

The airline confirmed this in a notice posted on its Twitter handle.

Daily Trust learnt that the airline stopped the operation on Monday, leaving many passengers stranded at the airport due to limited flight connectivity in and out of Kaduna.

The airline said the suspension of operation to the airport was to re-evaluate security at the airport.

It said, “The Management of Azman Air will like to inform the general public that we will be halting our operations into Kaduna Airport for a few days.

“We understand the security situation around the airport has been handled and normalcy has been restored accordingly, but it is imperative for the Management to re-evaluate its operational procedures into the Airport to ensure maximum safety of Equipment, Staff and Passengers are fully guaranteed.

“The bedrock of our operations is Safety and we will continue to explore every option to aid its delivery to the highest standard. Thanks for your usual cooperation.”

A Lagos-bound flight was delayed after gunmen and security operatives exchanged fire around the airport on Saturday.

 

Federal government has directed all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to close by 1pm on Tuesday (today) ahead of the second-leg clash between the Super Eagles and Black Stars of Ghana.

In a circular on Monday, Ngozi Onwudiwe, the service welfare officer, also called for the mobilisation of support for the Nigerian senior national team.

Onwudiwe added that all permanent secretaries should ensure the content of the circular is achieved as desired.

“As you are aware, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be meeting the Black Stars of Ghana in continuation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier playoff (return leg),” the circular read.

“There is a need to mobilize support for the Nigerian Team. Consequently, I am directed to inform you that all offices will be closed at 1.00 on Tuesday, 29th March, 2022.

“Permanent Secretaries are requested to give the circular wide publicity to achieve the desired effect on result.”

Nigeria is billed to face Ghana for the return leg of their World Cup playoff at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja at 6 pm.

The first leg finished goalless at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Friday.

The winner of the tie will earn one of the five tickets for African representatives at the World Cup billed for Qatar later this year.

 

 

 

 

 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former President Olusegun Obasanjo have declared that African countries are currently going through a perilous storm following political instability and military incursion in politics in some parts of the continent.

They spoke at the opening session of a two-day high-level dialogue, organised by the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), with the theme, “West Africa: Rising to the challenges of consolidating Democratic Governance”, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

The two-day programme, which was also attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President of The Gambia, Fatoumata Tambajanb, former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, among others, deliberated on how to strengthen democracy in West Africa.

In his keynote address, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo bemoaned military incursion into democratic regimes of some African countries.

“This is a moment of peril for democracy in our region because we are navigating a perfect storm of adverse circumstances, a world economy that is reeling from recessional shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, price and supply disruption from the war in Ukraine, the emergency of armed non-state actors, poor challenges associated with catering for the youngest populations in the world”, Osinbajo said.

He called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and other African organisations to rise up to the challenge and do more in ensuring political and economic stability of West Africa and Africa at large.

Osinbajo said, “We must not allow our continent to become as it was in the cold war era. A fetter of proxy wars and great power conflict, we know from experience that this would result in the recession of democratic values in Africa.

“The militarisation of civil society whether by local military regimes or rival foreign military-industrial complexes can only set us back by several decades.

“Our commitment to democratization must be predicated on the aspiration of our people and not from the whims of foreign powers.

“The recent spate of military coups across our continent and attempts at military coups not only portends the risk of a damaging democratic recession, but it also takes us back to the circles of extra-constitutional disruptions that plagued us decades ago.

“Since 2017, there has been 12 military coups in Africa and half of them occurred since 2020. Two months ago, the democratically elected government of Burkina Faso was overthrown while only in February there was an attempted coup in Genuine Bissau which was thankfully repealed.

“This much is clear, we know that we cannot secure the Africa that we want by turning back the hands of the democratic clock. We have walked these thorny roads before, we have many decades’ worth of bitter experience and impeachable lessons in our history, a clear lesson of our history is that despotism cannot guarantee the security and prosperity of our people.

“No matter how dire our circumstances may be, we now have concrete proof that resorting to extra-constitutional regimes is not the way forward.”

Obasanjo, who is the Chairman of CoDA, in his welcome address, condemned the military takeover of democratically elected governments in some African countries, stressing that democracy in West Africa and indeed Africa requires urgent attention.

He lamented that coup d’etat, election fraud and political violence and instability have crippled the growth of Africa.

Obasanjo insisted that power-grabbing and governance through the gun will not help African nor procure democracy through judiciary, stressing that the continent needs “a peaceful democracy that has respect for the will of the people and the future of our nations.”

The Nigeria’s former President said the only way the African continent can develop is through peaceful democratic transition of governments.

He said, “In recent years, we have witnessed a return of coup d’etat, election fraud and political violence resulting in instability and threatening the developmental gains we have made in the last couple of decades.

“I feel very sad and it gives me great concern when I see the democratic system we have painfully built collapsing. And I believe there must be a solution because the problem is human and all human problems can be solved by human beings.

“That is why the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) under my Chairmanship and the OOPL have brought all of us together today to discuss pertinent issues affecting governance in West Africa, including the challenges and then to seek the way forward.

“Achieving this may not be easy but it is a must if we want our nation to make progress, it must entail responsible management of diversity which makes everyone feel a sense of belonging and be a significant part of the whole.

“Peaceful coexistence has been a hallmark of Africans even before the emergence of the colonial era and we cannot accept anything less in this modern age.

“We need stable environment to grow our economies and ensure that countries develop in a sustainable way. Such all-inclusive democratic environment will fast track development of our economy and will strengthen our security and promote general progress.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

A total of 116.46 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, valued at N18.88bn was stolen in 2021, data from different reports obtained from Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited showed.

Figures contained in various NNPC reports on Product Pipeline Performance for PMS showed that from January 2021 till December last year, huge volumes of petrol imported into Nigeria by the national oil company did not get to their targeted destinations.

The products were lost through four pipeline segments including Atlas Cove-Mosimi and Atlas Cove-Idimu-Satellite, Mosimi-Ibadan, Ibadan-Ilorin and Port Harcourt-Aba.

For January 2021, a total of 6.371 million litres of petrol was lost through three pipeline segment, excluding that of Port Harcourt-Aba, as there was no pumping operation on the line in January.

The ex-depot price of petrol, according to the sole importer of the commodity, NNPC, was N143.17/litre. This implies that the worth of petrol stolen in January 2021 was N943.92m.

In February, March and April 2021, the oil firm lost 5.317 million litres, 5.722 million litres and 7.366 million litres of petrol, valued at N787.88m, N855.28m and N1.09bn respectively.

In May, June and July 2021, NNPC lost 14.157 million litres, 10.585 million litres and 9.329 million litres of petrol respectively.

The values were N2.1bn, N1.57bn and N1.38bn for May, June and July respectively.

The losses continued in August, as 8.583 million litres of PMS valued at N1.27bn was stolen; September, 13.92 million litres worth N2.06bn was diverted; and in October, 14.075 million litres valued at N3.31bn was lost.

In November and December 2021, the volumes of stolen petrol were 5.953 million litres and 15.085 million litres, respectively.

The NNPC put the value of petrol lost in November at N1.283bn, while that of December was worth N2.24bn.

A summation of the total volumes of PMS stolen during the 12-month period showed that the oil firm lost 116.46 million litres of petrol valued at N18.88bn.

NNPC has been the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria for about four years running. Other marketers of the commodity stopped importing petrol due to the hassles in obtaining foreign exchange for its import.

Also, the inability of the Federal Government to deregulate PMS has made marketers shun its imports, leaving NNPC to continue in the provision of petrol.

 

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), says attacks on herders are having a negative impact on the livestock industry.

The association’s position was contained in a communique signed by Hussein Bosso and Baba Ngelzarma, national president and secretary of MACBAN, respectively, following a meeting in Abuja.

According to NAN, the meeting deliberated on security challenges facing herders across the country.

“The meeting also expressed serious concerns about the continuous displacement of thousands of pastoralists’ families as a result of cattle rustling, banditry, kidnapping and the activities of outlawed groups,” the communique reads.

“They attack, maim, or kill pastoralists without any just cause. If this continues, it might soon bankrupt the livestock industry as a whole.”

The NEC also directed state chapters to conduct town hall meetings, involving community leaders and other critical stakeholders to address issues affecting pastoralists.

“State chapters were also directed to address factors affecting the well-being of pastoralists and invoke the culture of ‘Pulaku’ against any family that harbours or aids criminality,” the communique reads.

“The association expressed its appreciation for the support it had received, as well as the concern of the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, on the plight of pastoralists.

“MACBAN assures the Sultan that the association will do whatever it takes to restore dignity, culture of Fulani people and address issues affecting pastoralists with all the seriousness it deserves.”

MACBAN also appealed to the Sultan to organise a national conference involving critical stakeholders “with the view to addressing issues of insecurity, economic empowerment and the negative profiling of pastoralists in the social and mainstream media”.

 

 

...residents now live in fear

There was pandemonium again on Sunday as residents of Adigbe, Oluwo and Panseke areas of Abeokuta continue to run helter skelter around 8:00 pm due to unconfirmed information that a crisis had erupted in Panseke. 

Shops were seen being locked, while hawkers, commuters and motorists on the panseke road were seen running.

Despite police patrol moving around intermittently, the fear of reprisal attack had been on since the killing of a popular area boy, known as Tommy around Oluwo on Thursday night, when he was murdered in cold blood around Panseke, causing tension among residents.

A daily post report revealed that no fewer than seven persons have been killed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as cultists had been on  rampage in the past one week where members of the Aiye and Eiye confraternities have been engaging one another in a supremacy battle.

"The killing of Tommy, who was described as a leader of the Eiye cult group, might be in retaliation for the murder of a member of the Aiye group", it was said.

"Investigations revealed that seven persons have been eliminated recently in various places in the state capital".

"Before Tommy was attacked on Thursday, six others had been killed by suspected rival cultists", a source informed.

The source listed some of those killed so far to include “Scatter, School Boy, Alakanni, Tommy, Azeez, Olaosebikan and Babajide.”

They were reportedly killed at different locations like Asero, Kugba, Ikereku, Panseke, Adigbe, Oke Ijeun and Isale Abetu, all in Abeokuta.

“The killings have been going on since last week. Why many didn’t hear about them was because immediately they killed those guys, their relatives carried their corpses without informing the police.

“Everything got to its climax when Tommy was killed because he was a well-known person. Many didn’t believe he was killed not until they saw his picture. The police should continue to restore peace,” a source said on Sunday.

Another source claimed, her dad could not come home as she had to call him to sleep out to avoid the skirmishes going on in Panseke and Iyana-Oloke.

According to her, "we have called our people not to come home, immediately those living around Panseke informed us of the crisis going on in the area".

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, has confirmed that there were killings in the state within the last one week, saying some people have been nabbed.

Oyeyemi added that the police will now go after the landlords who harbour cultists in their houses within the state, adding that the Commissioner of Police has ordered that such landlords would be charged to court alongside the criminals.

Oyeyemi said, “We have launched a very serious operation on them. We are clamping down very seriously on them.

“About 18 suspects have been arrested during the last encounter we had with them and we are not going to rest until we get the last person of these hoodlums. We cannot be watching anyone making life difficult for the members of the public.

“The Commissioner of police has put on red alert, all area commanders and all tactical team commanders that they should go out and take the battle to the doorsteps of these hoodlums. We must fish them out one after the other.”

Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun has vowed to deal decisively with anybody fomenting trouble in Ogun.

The Governor said his administration would not allow anybody to disrupt the peace being enjoyed by residents of the state, advising parents to warn their children

 

 

 

 

Last modified on Sunday, 27 March 2022 22:16

No fewer than four commercial motorcyclists and residents of the Omi Adio area of Ibadan, the Oyo State’s capital who were said to be chasing some fleeing armed robbers have been reportedly shot dead.

Punch correspondent gathered that the incident happened on Friday after the hoodlums who raided some Point of Sales (PoS shops) were fleeing from the area.

The armed robbers were said to have invaded the Ladeowo area of Omi Adio which is at the outskirts of Ibadan on motorcycles.

They were said to have arrived in the area at around 7:00 pm. and moved from one shop to another in search of PoS machines who they successfully robbed.

The hoodlums were said to have raided five PoS shops before some residents raised the alarm which forced the robbers to abandon the operation and fled the area

As they fled, residents and okada riders were reported to have pursued them and when they saw that the angry crowd was closing in on them, they were said to have opened fire on them and killed four persons.

Two residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity told journalists on Sunday that the robbers did not kill any of the PoS agents but those shot dead were some of the people who were chasing them as they fled the area. 

They claimed that they called the police from the nearby police station but said no response came until the armed robbers left the area. 

One of them said, “Armed robbers came to our area on Friday and robbed PoS shops. They moved from shop to shop in search of PoS agents and the operation was successful.

“They had attacked five shops and some residents summoned courage and raised the alarm. The robbers fled on seeing this and some of the residents and commercial motorcyclists pursued them.

“They opened fire on those pursuing them and four of them were killed in the process.The police did not arrive until Saturday morning.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adewale Osifeso, when contacted said the police were already investigating the case.

He said, “Investigations are ongoing. Updates would be provided accordingly.”

 

 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election, daily post reports.

Wike, who made this known when he visited Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom at the Government House in Makurdi on Sunday, said he is the best man to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “To remove APC from power, I’m the person who can tell them enough is enough. We must take this power and I’m ready to take it for PDP.

“God is with us that’s why APC keeps failing every day.”

He, therefore, urged stakeholders to give him their mandates and not to sell their votes, assuring that he has the capacity to, “face this evil government.”

He promised that if elected, security would be his topmost priority and also queried those founding fathers who ran away from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and still want to be recognised.

Wike stressed that he takes issues of the party personal because he has nowhere to run to.

He said, “by the time you ran away, you sold your share as a founding father so you can no longer retain your position of founding fathers.

“I stood for this party. I work for this party since 1998. I have nowhere to run to and that’s why anything that happens to this party I take personally. I have never relented.”