At least 63 vigilantes from five communities of Kebbi State have been confirmed dead after bandits ambushed them Sunday evening.

Traditional rulers of two of the affected communities told BBC Hausa that the vigilantes were ambushed while chasing the bandits who had attacked the communities.

But two additional sources spoken to from Sakaba Local Government Area of the state said the number of casualties was higher.

The state police command also confirmed the killings but said the bandits were fleeing from military airstrikes in Niger State when they were confronted by the volunteers.

The Sunday attacks

Village head of Takita, who refused to provide his name, told BBC Hausa that the bandits had stormed villages in Sakaba local government area in Zuru Emirate, abducted people and rustled some cattle.

“Residents were running from the bandits. When the volunteer vigilante members were informed of the attacks, they mobilised and followed the bandits.

“You know how dangerous these bandits are. They know all the forest very well, so they decided to hide on the trees and allowed the volunteers to reach the ring after which they encircled them and started shooting sporadically. 63 vigilantes were killed because we counted them before we buried them in the evening. They were from five separate communities of the area,” he said.

The traditional ruler, however, said some of the bandits were killed, too.

The areas where the vigilante members were from include Takita, Magajiya, Rafin Zuru, Dabai and Sanci.

An anonymous vigilante leader in Zuru told BBC Hausa that after the evacuation of the corpses, they were taken to the police station where members of the vigilante groups of each village took those belonging to their people.

“The attacks affected every village in the Zuru emirate and we suffered a lot in evacuating the dead bodies,” he said.

Ahmad Umar, a native of Sakaba who lives in Birnin Kebbi, and Shehu Bello, a native of Zuru, in separate interviews said those killed were more than 100.

“I can confirm that the number is more than that. Even yesterday (Monday), there were still corpses in the forest where the attack occurred. Those who went to evacuate the bodies couldn’t do that on that Sunday,” Umar said.

Police speak

Kebbi police command spokesperson, Nafiu Abubakar, explained that the police did not know the number of those killed yet.

“There is an ongoing military operation in Niger state. The areas affected (in Kebbi) share boundaries with Niger, so while the bandits were fleeing from military airstrikes, the volunteer vigilante members confronted them,” the spokesman said.

He said the state police commissioner has mandated officers of the command to launch an investigation to unravel the identity of those killed.

“They were among those complementing our efforts,” he said.

“They were part of the security setting and helped us a lot in arresting bandits,” he said.

BBC Hausa

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has submitted the names of its nominees to replace David Umahi and Eric Igwe, governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi, respectively, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A federal high court sitting in Abuja had, on Tuesday, ordered the removal of Umahi and Igwe from office, following their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umahi had defected from the PDP to the APC in November 2020.

Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, ruled that the constitution does not recognise transfer of ballot from one party to another.

“There is no constitutional provision that made the ballot transferrable from one party to the other,” Ekwo held.

The judge also ordered INEC to receive — from the PDP — names of persons to replace Umahi and his deputy, or in the alternative, conduct a fresh gubernatorial election in Ebonyi state in line with section 177 (c) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

Speaking on the development at a media briefing on Tuesday, Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, said the party has nominated Iduma Igariwe and Fred Udogwu to replace Umahi and Igwe.

“After due consultations with other colleagues, we are happy to inform you that for the position of governor, the party, after due consultations with stakeholders in Ebonyi state, is putting forward Iduma Igariwe as the new governor,” Ayu said.

“For position of deputy governor, the party is putting forward Fred Udogwu.”

The Cable

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has reacted to the judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja which removed him and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe, from office on Tuesday.

Umahi, who described the judgement as embarrassing, alleged that the presiding Judge was influenced to deliver the judgement against him and his deputy.

He noted that there is no provision in the Nigeria Constitution whereby a serving Governor or his Deputy could be removed on account of defection to another political party.

He explained it is only through death, resignation or Impeachment by the state House of Assembly that a serving Governor and his Deputy could be removed from office.

Sun

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe, to immediately vacate office as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State on account of their defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo in his judgment held that by defecting from the party on which they were sponsored and elected as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State to the APC, a political party that did not win the election, they had resigned or are deemed to have resigned from office.

The court made the order in a judgement on a suit filed by PDP seeking the removal of Governor Umahi and Deputy Governor Igwe from office.

The court noted that the crux of the matter was their defection from PDP to APC.

The court said the averments of the Defendants did not address the issue of defection rightly and frontally but rather resorted to general denial to affidavit evidence.

Ekwo said the depositions of the 3rd and 4th Defendants in their counter affidavit were ‘evasive and insufficient’ to competently challenge the Plaintiff’s originating process.

It was the opinion of the court that the ‘Immunity Clause’ in section 308 of the Constitution is not absolute. Section 308 is a veritable constitutional shield’ and not for political reasons.

The court said Umahi and Igwe did not controvert the deposition that total votes scored in an election belong to a political party.

Ekwo said evidence abounds that the 2nd defendant (APC) contested the Ebonyi State Governorship election held on March 2019, with its own candidates.

‘It can be noted that the Constitution does not deal with the issue of defection lightly” the court stated.

‘The 3rd and 4th Defendants cannot transfer the votes and victory of the Plaintiff on March 9, 2019, to the APC.

‘Offices of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi state belong to the PDP.

‘The option for Umahi and Igwe is to vacate office and wait for next election to contest election under the platform of its new party, the court declared.

The court said the act of the APC, Umahi and his deputy was aimed at dismantling the 1999 Constitution.

Consequently, the court declared that under the democratic system operated in Nigeria, the plaintiff won the majority of votes during the election and is entitled to enjoy the same till the end of the tenure of office for which the election was made.

Sun

PRESS RELEASE

The Transmission Company of Nigeria wishes to notify consumers of electricity that the current load shedding being experienced nationwide is as a result of very low power generation by the Generation Companies (GENCOs) for TCN to wheel through the transmission grid to distribution companies nationwide.

The media has been awash with reports that TCN has reduced the load allocation to distribution companies. That information is incorrect. The correct position is that TCN can only transmit the quantum of power generated by GenCos through the national grid to distribution load centres nationwide.

For clarity, TCN does not generate electricity and therefore can only transport cumulative generation from all the generation companies nationwide to distribution load centres. The distribution companies are responsible for end-users consumption. TCN allocates power to distribution companies based on approved percentage (formula approved by NERC), of the total generation available per hour or on day-ahead nomination.

Presently,  the cumulative generation nationwide is low and generation companies have attributed this to several factors including poor gas supply, fault in generating units of generating companies, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, all of which have caused most power generating companies to limit their generation, and sometimes not  generate at all.

A summary of the power generating profiles in the last two months, for instance, clearly shows that fourteen (14) gas powered generating stations were either not generating at all or had limited generation at various times within the period, further depleting the quantum of power generation available for transmission into the grid on a daily basis. Power generating stations in this category include; Omotosho units 5 & 6, Olorunsogo units 3, 4 & 6, Omoku units 3 & 6, Omotosho NIPP units 3 & 4, Delta units 15, 17, and 18, Afam VI units 11 & 12, Olorunsogo NIPP unit 3, Ihovbor NIPP unit 2, Sapele Steam unit 3, Sapele NIPP unit 1, Odukpani NIPP units 1 & 3, and Okpai units 11, 12 & 18.

Also, within the same period, Jebba Hydro and Shiroro Power Generating Stations were either out or had limited generation, causing additional loss of 232MW from the grid, while other power generating plants such as  Omotosho units 3&4, Olorunsogo units 1, Delta units 10 &20, Afam VI  unit 13, Ihovbor NIPP units 4, Geregu NIPP units 22&23 and Odukpani NIPP units 2, 4 & 5, have also been out either on fault or for scheduled maintenance, causing a further loss of about 3,180MW from the grid.

A combination of the above scenarios have persisted and the total effect on the grid is persistent low generation, which TCN Operators have had to strive to dispatch in a way that will not jeopardize the stability of the grid.

More recently, from the 1st to 4th of March, 2022, there was generation shortfall due to water management in Shiroro and Jebba hydro with the loss of 307MW and 125MW respectively from both stations. Within the same period, there were fault and technical problems in Egbin, causing 514MW shortfall and in Geregu causing 230MW shortfall, while reported fault at Alaoji NIPP reduced generation from the substation by 263MW.

Gas constraint alone in Olorunsogo gas generating plant reduced generation from the station by 104MW, in the same vein,  Omotosho gas lost 102MW and Sapele NIPP lost 263MW. In Omotosho NIPP, there was generation shortfall of 233MW and in Omoku a shortfall of 112MW. Two units in Okpai have limited generation due to technical problems causing a 204MW drop in generation and in Afam VI 511MW drop in generation.

Gas constraint and fault in Olorunsogo NIPP reduced generation by 240MW, Geregu NIPP by 435MW, and Ihovbor by 142MW.  Also, due to gas pipeline pigging, Odukpani NIPP was SHUT DOWN which caused a reduction of generation by 575MW.

TCN further reiterates that a combination of issues ranging from gas constraints, fault, and technical problems within generating plants caused persistent low generation and consequently low load allocation to Distribution Companies nationwide. This is based on the fact that TCN can only transmit what is being generated by GenCos and presently they are all generating below capacity.

It is important to note that except cumulative power generation increases considerably for TCN to transmit to distribution companies nationwide, TCN will be left with no choice than to continue to load shed. We will however continue to work hard to ensure the efficient allocation of the total load generated by power generating stations into the grid, bearing in mind the need to ensure that the national grid is stable in spite of the challenges posed by insufficient load on the transmission grid.

Signed

Ndidi Mbah

GM, Public Affairs

8/3/22

The price of automotive gas oil, also known as diesel, has hit N625 per litre in some fuel stations.

This is 4 percent higher than the N540/litre it sold last week — and about a 30 percent increase in the two weeks.

It was reported that the ex-depot price crossed N500/litre, causing fuel stations to adjust their pump prices to current realities.

The development is coming amid fears that the United States and its European allies will ban imports of Russian crude.

On Monday, global oil prices hit their highest level since 2008 at over $130 a barrel before pulling back to trade around $120 a barrel.

Luke Ofojebe, head of research, Vetiva Capital, said the hike in diesel price was due to disruption in the global oil market.

Ofojebe said the reason is that Nigeria still depends on imported petroleum products from other advanced countries — and high oil prices translate to high landing costs for the products.

Since petrol is regulated, its pump price will remain relatively stable but will lead to high subsidy expenses on the part of the government.

The Cable

Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe state and now-ousted chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee, took steps to scuttle the party’s national convention scheduled for March 26, the Cable can report.

Amid the crisis in the ruling party over the national convention, Buni had held on tightly to the position of APC chairman.

The Cable had reported that his desire to stay in office nearly jeopardised plans for the national convention.

The Yobe governor has been feet-dragging on preparations and issues bordering on the convention.

Unknown to members of the party, Buni and John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary of the APC caretaker committee, had hatched a plot to hold on to the control of the party.

The Cable understands that they used a third party to obtain a court order temporarily restraining the ruling party from holding its convention until a substantive suit has been heard and determined.

The suit, filed by one Salisu Umoru at the high court in the federal capital territory (FCT), had the APC and Buni as respondents.

“That the 1st Defendant/Respondent can only conduct its national convention after the hearing and determination of the substantive suit pending before this honourable court,” the court order seen by The Cable reads.

“That in the interest of justice accelerated hearing of the substantive suit is hereby ordered.

“That this matter is hereby adjourned to the 10th day of January 2022 for hearing of the substantive suit at High Court No. 15, Kubwa, FCT-Abuja.”

BUHARI ASKS NIGER GOVERNOR TO REPLACE BUNI

The Cable understands that after learning of Buni’s ploy and the court order, President Muhammadu Buhari directed Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of Niger, to replace the Yobe governor who is currently on a medical trip in Dubai.

A highly-placed source disclosed that the president got to know about the court order a week ago.

“The president asked the Niger governor to replace Buni when he became aware of the document,” the source said.

“Buni and Akpanudoedehe who is the national secretary will have to vacate their offices immediately.”

Speaking with reporters at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Monday, Bello said he has been acting as the party’s chairman “for a while.”

BUNI OUT IN THE COLD?

The Cable understands that Buhari’s decision on Buni has set off a chain reaction resulting in the isolation of the Yobe state governor by his formerly-sympathetic colleagues.

Muhammad Badaru, Jigawa governor; Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna governor; Atiku Bagudu, Kebbi governor; and Yahaya Bello, Kogi governor, are believed to have turned their backs on Buni, another source said.

“Buni does not have anybody to speak for him now. The APC governors who supported him have taken sides with Mr President,” the source added.

Russia has told Ukraine it is ready to halt military operations “in a moment” if Kyiv meets a list of conditions, the Kremlin spokesman said on Monday.

Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was demanding that Ukraine cease military action, change its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory, and recognise the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.

It was the most explicit Russian statement so far of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to halt what it calls its “special military operation”, now in its 12th day.

Peskov told Reuters in a telephone interview that Ukraine was aware of the conditions. “And they were told that all this can be stopped in a moment.”

There was no immediate reaction from the Ukrainian side.

Russia has attacked Ukraine from the north, east and south, pounding cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv and the port of Mariupol. The invasion launched on Feb. 24, has caused the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two, provoked outrage across the world, and led to heavy sanctions on Moscow.

But the Kremlin spokesman insisted Russia was not seeking to make any further territorial claims on Ukraine and said it was “not true” that it was demanding Kyiv be handed over.

“We really are finishing the demilitarisation of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action. They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot,” he said.

On the issue of neutrality, Peskov said: “They should make amendments to the constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc.”

He added: “We have also spoken about how they should recognise that Crimea is Russian territory and that they need to recognise that Donetsk and Lugansk are independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment.”

NEW TALKS

The outlining of Russia’s demands came as delegations from Russia and Ukraine prepared to meet on Monday for a third round of talks aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

It began soon after Putin recognised two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government forces since 2014, as independent - an action denounced as illegal by the West.

“This is not us seizing Lugansk and Donetsk from Ukraine. Donetsk and Lugansk don’t want to be part of Ukraine. But it doesn’t mean they should be destroyed as a result,” Peskov said.

“For the rest. Ukraine is an independent state that will live as it wants, but under conditions of neutrality.”

He said all the demands have been formulated and handed over during the first two rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, which took place last week.

“We hope that all this will go OK and they will react in a suitable way,” Peskov said.

Russia had been forced into taking decisive actions to force the demilitarisation of Ukraine, he said, rather than just recognising the independence of the breakaway regions.

This was in order to protect the 3 million Russian-speaking population in these republics, who he said were being threatened by 100,000 Ukrainian troops.

“We couldn’t just recognise them. What were we going to do with the 100,000 army that was standing at the border of Donetsk and Lugansk that could attack at any moment. They were being brought U.S. and British weapons all the time,” he said.

In the run-up to the Russian invasion, Ukraine repeatedly and emphatically denied Moscow’s assertions that it was about to mount an offensive to take back the separatist regions by force.

Peskov said the situation in Ukraine had posed a much greater threat to Russia’s security than it had in 2014, when Russia had also amassed 150,000 troops at its border with Ukraine, prompting fears of a Russian invasion, but had limited its action to the annexation of Crimea.

“Since then the situation has worsened for us. In 2014, they began supplying weapons to Ukraine and preparing the army for NATO, bringing it in line with NATO standards,” he said.

“In the end what tipped the balance was the lives of these 3 million people in Donbass. We understood they would be attacked.”

Peskov said Russia had also had to act in the face of the threat it perceived from NATO, saying it was “only a matter of time” before the alliance placed missiles in Ukraine as it had in Poland and Romania.

“We just understood we could not put up with this any more. We had to act,” he said.

Reuters

U.S. efforts to catch up with China and Russia in developing hypersonic weapons may be set back after Lockheed Martin Corp.’s air-launched missile suffered three consecutive test failures that left it on a tight schedule.

That’s put in doubt the Pentagon’s goal to declare it America’s first combat-ready hypersonic weapon and approve initial production by Sept. 30.

China and Russia have conducted test launches and fielded their versions of the new weapons, which can travel five times the speed of sound and maneuver in flight like a cruise missile, making them harder to detect and shoot down. 

The U.S. weapon faces several hurdles in a development phase now expected to cost at least $1.4 billion before it can be found to have “early operation capability.” The Air Force hasn’t yet released an estimate of total acquisition costs or said how many of the weapons it wants.

The latest hurdle: successfully conducting a fourth and fifth test of its booster motor by June 30. Their timing will be contingent on the results of a failure review board for the third test that was to be complete by the end of last month, according to the Air Force program office.

If successful, those tests would be followed by the program’s key flight test of a fully operational missile between July and September. Added to that is completion of a production readiness review to assess Lockheed’s capability to manufacture and integrate hardware for delivery.

The hypersonic Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon is a fast-track “rapid prototype” program that’s intended to cut months, if not years, off its development and deployment in the face of rapid progress by adversaries. The weapon is intended to be dropped from a B-52H bomber and accelerated by its booster motor before a solid glide body separates and flies at hypersonic speeds to its target.

Russia said last month that it test-fired a hypersonic missile, sending a message to the U.S. and NATO allies in advance of its invasion of Ukraine. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has asserted that hypersonic weapons will make up the core of Russia’s non-nuclear deterrence capability in the future. The U.S. says Russia has deployed its Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle and its Tsirkon hypersonic anti-ship and land-attack missile.

China is investing heavily in hypersonic weapons as well, putting one in orbit in July that flew 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) in more than 100 minutes of flight, according to the top U.S. nuclear commander.

Russia and China are able to press ahead on new weapons without the oversight by lawmakers and the public that can slow testing and deployment under the Pentagon’s acquisition system.

‘Aggressive Schedule’

Heidi Shyu, the Defense Department’s undersecretary for research and engineering, said through a spokesperson that she’s “supportive of the Air Force’s aggressive efforts to accelerate development,” but “the Sept. 30 operational capability date is a very aggressive schedule.”

The Air Force is also hedging its bets on the declaration date. Its program office said in a statement it “continues to aggressively pursue” an early operational capability “while maintaining high standards of technical rigor.” In spite of the test failures to date, “it is still possible to provide” that capability “in late calendar year 2022 provided future flight testing concludes as per the current plan.” The flight test program “has successfully demonstrated a number of first-time events,” it said.

A production decision on the first 12 missiles that was previously planned for January is on hold pending the results of the December failure review, the two additional booster motor tests and the full-missile flight. The program office said it “will not award a production contract without a Production Readiness Review and a successful All Up Round Test Flight.” 

“To date, the team has not found any systemic quality issues at Lockheed or its subcontractors” that caused the test failures, the program office said.

Limited Exercises

The three failures so far have occurred during limited exercises focused on demonstrating the performance of the missile’s booster motor after separating from the bomber but without the hardened glide-body warhead of an operational missile. 

The remaining schedule of increasing complexity to meet a Sept. 30 declaration “leaves little to no room for test delays or additional flight failures, and so it will likely be challenging,” said Kelley Sayler, an analyst in advanced technology such as hypersonics. 

Cristina Vite, a spokesman for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, said in an email that “the joint government and Lockheed Martin team closely reviews every test to ensure quality measures remain in place.” She said that with each test the missile “continues to gain significant technical maturity while accomplishing many first-time milestones.” 

Lockheed was awarded an initial $480 million development contract in April 2018 that was broadened in December 2019 to $986 million.

Bloomberg

Nice Andrew Omininikoron, the BRT driver, who allegedly killed a lady passenger, Oluwabamise Ayanwola, in Lagos, was arrested by officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Ososa-Ijebu, Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

His friend, “who was protecting and hiding him”, was also arrested.

This was disclosed on Monday by Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi.

Alabi said the suspect, after committing the act, ran to Ososa-Ijebu, where he was arrested.

There was public outcry following the release of an audio and video conversation Ayanwola had with a friend while inside the bus which she boarded in Lekki area of Lagos.

She told the friend that she was afraid because the driver did not pick other passengers. She also sent the bus number.

Later, the driver picked three other ‘passengers’, a move that looked suspicious, forcing Ayanwola to tell her friend through video call.

A few minutes later, the friend could not reach her again.

Her mother later stormed the BRT Yard with some relatives, shouting ‘this is the bus that took my daughter. Where is the driver?’

Alabi said following the disappearance of the driver, detectives were immediately dispatched to look for him.

The body of the lady was later found on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island.

Family members immediately identified the body, prompting security agents to intensify their search.

The body has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy to be conducted.

Alabi said: “After the recovery of the body, information came in that the suspect has been arrested  by officers of the Department of State Security at Ososa -Ijebu where he went to hide in a friend’s house. The friend was also arrested.

“The 47-year-old suspect has not made any useful information on why he killed the lady. We condole with the bereaved family and assure them that justice would be served accordingly.” he said.