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How Bandits Fed Dogs With Flesh Of My Abducted Relatives’ Driver – Sokoto Cleric Says, Appealed For Financial To Pay Ransom
AFOLABI
Sheikh Bashar Danfili, a prominent cleric in Sokoto State, has appealed for financial assistance from the public following the kidnapping of six of his relatives by bandits while they were traveling to an undisclosed village in the state.
In a short video posted on social media platforms, the cleric said the victims include a man, his mother, stepmother, two wives and sister.
He said the bandits had demanded huge amount of money which they could not raise, adding that the deadline was fast approaching.
Danfili said: “The bandits have kidnapped my close relatives. I don’t want to disclose their names.
“They were on their way to a village when they were attacked and kidnapped.
“Their driver was killed on the spot and the bandits fed their dogs with his flesh.
“But the rest are still in captivity, including a husband, his mother, stepmother, two wives and his sister.
“The bandits have demanded a huge amount of money, which runs into millions of Naira. We cannot raise it.
“I am a scholar, I don’t have anything. My job is only to teach people with the books that you can see behind me.
“And they gave us deadline within which the money must be paid or they would kill all of them.
“I know they can do that, looking at what happened recently to a traditional ruler in the state, who was killed by his abductors.
“Therefore, I am pleading for help from the general public so that we can be able to pay the ransom and get them released.”
Professor Pat Utomi, a frontline political economist, has blamed the misery Nigerians are experiencing on the political class.
Utomi the current situation in the country was an indication that the political class has failed Nigerians.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politic Today, Utomi said called for the return of fuel subsidy regime.
According to Utomi: “The first thing to do is to recognise essential things that Nigerians need fuel for. I will subsidise those things.
“There will be a subsidy. The Americans have subsidy for Agriculture, it is a matter of where you direct it to.
“Nigeria’s political class is responsible for the Nigerian misery. The political class has failed the country.
“Look at the choices we have repeatedly made, look at the kind of National Assembly that we have. The political class needs to come out publicly before the country.
“In South-East Asia, people will come out and do a humiliation from what the public has suffered as a result of the irresponsibility of the political class in Nigeria.”
The Federal Government has announced that only those with National Identification Numbers will be eligible to buy from the 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice available at a subsidized rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated during the flag-off ceremony on Thursday, that the rice intervention will be sold strictly on a “one person, one bag” basis.
Kyari explained that the 50kg bags of rice, priced at a flat rate of ₦40,000, are part of the Federal Government’s effort to provide subsidised milled rice to help alleviate the ongoing food crisis in Nigeria.
“This food intervention can be said to be timely considering the times and challenges we are in as citizens of this great nation.
“As one of the numerous efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of high cost of food commodities, kindly join me in applauding the immense efforts of the present administration such as the release of 42,000MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable and the 30,000MT of milled rice which is being flagged-off for sales to Nigerians today September 5, 2024,” he stated.
On buyer verification, Kyari explained that a multi-disciplinary government task force has been deployed to ensure transparency, broad distribution and the overall success of the initiative.
He emphasised that the process was designed to prevent individuals from obtaining more than one 50kg bag of rice, noting that beneficiaries will be verified through identification methods such as the NIN and phone numbers to prevent fraudulent individuals from accessing multiple bags at the expense of other citizens.
“In view of the above, I urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of government.
“It is expected that with the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each of this important staple into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives,” he said.
Speaking on the process Nigerians would have to follow to purchase the rice, the Director of Strategic Grains Reserve, Ministry of Agriculture, Haruna Sule, explained that civil servants can access the grains at designated points of sale by using their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System details.
“To qualify for the one person one bag, you must have a National Identification Number, of course, you have phone numbers and those in public service are all registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform,” he said.
“Once you have any of these three, at the point of sale, with the NIN logged into the system, a code number and a Treasury receipt will be generated, and with that, the buyer can get to the collection centre and pick up his bag. The receipt will indicate, the time and point of collection to eliminate stampede,” he added.
Sule explained that once the buyer provides the code number, a treasury receipt will be issued as proof of payment to the government, adding that the buyer will then receive a receipt indicating the collection point and time.
He further clarified that the collection point is separate from the sales point, adding, “At the collection point, you present your code to our officials, and you will be handed a bag of rice.”
In July, the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, announced the sale of subsidised rice.
Following this, the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, through its Human Resources Management Department, instructed civil servants to register for the purchase of the food item.
However, the government later suspended the plan without providing any explanation for the decision.
Sheikh Bashar Danfili, a renowned cleric in Sokoto state, has sought financial assistance from the general public after bandits kidnapped six of his relatives on their way to an undisclosed village in the state.
In a short video posted on social media platforms, the cleric said the victims include a man, his mother, stepmother, two wives and sister.
He said the bandits had demanded huge amount of money which they could not raise, adding that the deadline was fast approaching.
Danfili said: “The bandits have kidnapped my close relatives. I don’t want to disclose their names.
“They were on their way to a village when they were attacked and kidnapped.
“Their driver was killed on the spot and the bandits fed their dogs with his flesh.
“But the rest are still in captivity, including a husband, his mother, stepmother, two wives and his sister.
“The bandits have demanded a huge amount of money, which runs into millions of Naira. We cannot raise it.
“I am a scholar, I don’t have anything. My job is only to teach people with the books that you can see behind me.
“And they gave us deadline within which the money must be paid or they would kill all of them.
“I know they can do that, looking at what happened recently to a traditional ruler in the state, who was killed by his abductors.
“Therefore, I am pleading for help from the general public so that we can be able to pay the ransom and get them released.”
[DailyTrust]
Musician Oladapo Oyebanjo, popularly known as D’banj, has treated Lagos commuters to a free concert on a BRT bus on the same day the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line celebrated its official opening.
The award-winning artist, known for his hit song “Oliver Twist,” took to the streets of Lagos to promote his latest album, The Entertainer D’Sequel, in a unique and engaging way.
D’banj’s impromptu concert began at the Leventis bus stop and continued as he traveled to the Marina train station and the National Theatre station.
Passengers greeted the singer with enthusiasm, singing along to his new tracks and dancing in the aisles.
A heartwarming moment was captured on video, showing D’banj dancing with an elderly woman and leading a sing-along of one of his new songs.
[TheNation]
The federal government has launched an electronic quality assurance system for basic education in Nigeria.
The platform, called the Federal Education Quality Assurance Service Cloud Server (FEQAS Collect), was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday.
Yusuf Sununu, minister of state for education, spoke at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) digital resource centre.
He said the system is designed to streamline the collection, analysis, and reporting of data related to the quality of education in schools.
The minister said the cloud server would essentially automate the Federal Education Quality Assurance Service Department.
He said the server would better equip the education ministry to monitor, evaluate, and improve education quality assurance processes.
Sununu, represented by the director of ICT Abubakar Isa, said the server would revolutionise the operation of the FEQAS department.
He said it would enhance data capturing, streamline processes for efficiency, boost efficient reporting, and fortify data protection.
Hamid Bobboyi, the executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), said the manual conduct of school quality assurance evaluation and reporting has been fraught with delay and human errors, hence the need to automate the system.
He said UBEC adopted digital technology for school quality assurance evaluation to promote flexibility, accuracy, and timely reporting.
The executive secretary said the technical support the commission received from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) led to the development of “UBEC Collect” which is currently being used by Quality Assurance Officers in the Commission.
He said UBEC Collect is also used by State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) and Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAS).
“The impact of the technological intervention in our school quality assurance evaluation encouraged us to extend the facility to the Federal Quality Assurance Services (FEQAS) in the overall interest of educational development in the country,” he stated.
Helen Okoro, the UBEC quality assurance director, said that the launch of the Federal Education Quality Assurance Services (FEQAS) and the UBEC Quality Assurance Officers (QAOs) guarantees a unity of purpose in school monitoring and evaluation of schools.
“The use of the digital tablet in conducting school evaluation is meant to simplify the work of the field officers so that all areas of whole school evaluation are effectively covered without difficulties,” she added.
[TheCable]
Popular Islamic scholar, Sheikh Aliyu Ibrahim has slammed President Bola Tinubu over the recent hike in the price of petrol.
According to him, no sane person will vote Tinubu in the next election.
Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, on Tuesday increased fuel price from N617 per litre to N897.
The development has been causing chaos across the country with transportation fares and prices of goods and services skyrocketing.
In a viral video, the Islamic scholar, who lamented the situation, described the hike as madness.
According to him, the development will cost President Bola Tinubu his re-election bid in 2027, stating that no sane person would support his re-election.
He said, “The hike in PMS price is a total madness, whoever advised the president to do this is mad.
“And this is yet another sign that Tinubu would lose his reelection bid, because no sane person would vote for those who took the PMS price from N180 – N1,000”.
Media
The hike in PMS price is a total madness, whoever advised the president to do this is mad. And this is yet another sign that Tinubu would lose his reelection bid, because no sane person would vote for those who took PMS price from N180 - N1,000. ~ Sheikh Aliyu Ibrahim pic.twitter.com/146TiySU0x
— Abdul-Aziz Na'ibi Abubakar (@jrnaib2) September 5, 2024
Tricycle Rider Kills His Own Mother, Severs His Son’s Private Part In Suspected Ritual Attack
AFOLABI
In the Umudosi community of Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia State, a tricycle rider named Amadi Alozie attacked and killed his mother while she was trying to save her grandson from a suspected ritual assault by his father.
According to Vanguard, community sources said that trouble started for the late woman about 10p.m. when she made an effort to rescue her grandson from his father, who severed his private part in a suspected ritual attack.
It was gathered that the tricycle rider had attacked his son, and severed his private part which made the boy give a loud shout which attracted his grandmother.
Angered that his plan had been foiled by his mother, the tricycle rider attacked the mother and macheted her to death before neighbours could respond to the attack.
A resident of the community told Vanguard that nemesis later caught up with the tricycle rider as he fell into a pit in his bid to escape from the incident.
However, the neighbours were able to rescue the injured son, who lost his private part and is now battling for survival at an undisclosed hospital in the area.
The University of Minnesota is offering significant financial support to international students including Nigerians through its prestigious Undergraduate Scholarship, also known as the Global Excellence Scholarship.
This initiative, as reported by Scholarship Region, aims to attract top talent from around the world, providing up to $60,000 in funding to help cover educational expenses for deserving students.
Details provide that international students who apply before 15 November 2024, will be automatically considered for the scholarship.
Scholarships AF reported that “this scholarship offers substance support to outstanding international first-year students and transfer students. The GES awards are also highly competitive and based on academic merit.”
The scholarship, as reported, is available to international students applying for undergraduate programmes at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
The university is reputed for its broad range of academic disciplines and its comprehensive approach to education.
“We are committed to fostering new knowledge and preparing our students to tackle global challenges,” a university spokesperson said.
For its eligibility, applicants must be an international student seeking admission into an undergraduate degree programme with full-time enrollment in the honours programme.
Prospective beneficiaries are also expected to have exceptional personal skills and academic merit; obtain a high school transcript and/or GCSE results and if the transcript is not in English, also require a certified translation.
Applicants are also required to have obtained a high school certificate or equivalent, hold an offer for a full-time programme at the university and for English Language requirements, applicants are mandated to provide evidence of meeting the University of Minnesota’s minimum English language proficiency requirements.
The institution said that they accept results from English Proficiency Tests including TOEFL, with a test score of 79, IELTS, with a test score of 6.5 in Writing, Pearson Test of Academic English, with a test score of 59, Cambridge Assessment English (CAE), with a test score of 180, and Duolingo, with a test score of 110.
To qualify, interested students are urged to apply for admission into the University of Minnesota’s undergraduate programmes.
Then upon submission of their application, they will be automatically considered for the scholarship based on an overall assessment.
Candidates are also to maintain their F-1 immigration status to remain eligible for the scholarship, noting that no separate application is required for the scholarship itself.
Operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 56 persons suspected to be internet fraudsters in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The arrests were carried out between September 3 and 4, 2024, at different locations following credible intelligence on the activities of the suspected fraudsters that have thrown unsuspected citizens into tears through their dishonest operations.
A statement signed by the EFCC’s head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale listed items recovered from the suspects to include 18 different brands of exotic cars, laptops, expensive smartphones, and charms.
Oyewale added that suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigations.
More...
In a tragic turn of events, a 300-level student from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Christiana Idowu, who was kidnapped between Ikorodu and Yaba in Lagos State, has reportedly been killed by her abductor.
Christiana left her home in the Itaoluwo area of Ikorodu to travel to the University of Lagos in Yaba, where she was undergoing her industrial training when she was abducted by kidnappers.
The suspect has since been arrested after combined efforts from security agencies.
In a now-viral post on X, a user named @letter_to_jack shared that intelligence agents were able to track down the abductor using the BVN and bank account information associated with the ransom payments made by the family.
The tweet read, “On the 19th of August 2024, Christiannah Idowu was declared missing after her parents were contacted by her abductors using her own WhatsApp contact.
“The first contact with the parent was established around 8:49pm after which they sent photos of the victim in captivity to them using the WhatsApp ‘view once’ feature.
“The abductors requested for a ransom fee of N1,500,000. Christiannah’s parents raised N350,000 immediately. The abductor then requested that the money be sent to a bet account through a bank deposit channel. (Info reserved for now)
“After receiving the money, on the 22nd of August, the abductor requested that bank statement of the sender be forwarded to his email (withheld).
“On the 23rd of August, family complied. Immediately after that, the abductor stopped communicating with the parents.
“Meanwhile, on the 22nd of August, some amount was sent to the GTB account of Christiannah and the amount was then withdrawn into the wema bank account belonging to the main suspect ( Name withheld for now).
“Investigation by intelligence operatives began on the 26th to unravel details of the account number.
“By the 29th, intelligence operatives had confirmation from the bank that the BVN linked to the masked Betting account allegedly belonged to the account owner (name withheld for now) who also operates the Wema Bank (account no withheld for now).
“Further investigation revealed that he was able to withdraw the sum of 100,000 from the betting account before agents got the bet company to lock the account.
“Armed by these information, operatives began investigation into the suspect whom they observed to have a mutual relationship with Christiannah Idowu, especially judging by Instagram posts as they both commented on each other’s pages.
“The crazy thing is: the same account number used to launder some amount directly from Christiannah’s account has been posted on Twitter once to “beg for a give away free money.
“With all these information at hand, the operatives began to track down his cell phone activities and text messages. The cell phone tracking led them to his parent’s house, somewhere in IKORODU.
“Operatives then got confirmation of his presence in the building through active tracking of his mobile device. Immediately, gallant personnel of the Nigerian army 174bn swooped in on the suspect to conduct arrest.
“After the arrest, damning evidences were seen with the suspect and this includes the victim blue ITEL A56 with IMEI:35230.
“Also, in his phones are details of the money moved and also details confirming he owns the Betting account that was locked. It was registered with his phone number.
“On his phone, they found an interaction between his personal email and the email address that has been interacting with the family of the deceased.
“After reviewing the evidence, the suspect was then taken into custody to enable the operatives conduct further investigations. Upon reviewing this evidence, suspect was successful taken into custody for necessary action.
“On September 3, the suspect reportedly confessed to the father and the soldiers that he killed the girl and buried her in their house.
“There is also a new story awaiting further confirmation that in 2018, the suspect’s ex-girlfriend was killed in same manner. Also that in 2020, the suspect’s own biological sister met the same fate, and the same thing has happened to Christiannah in 2024.”
The horrifying incident has ignited widespread outrage across Nigeria, especially on social media. Many Nigerians have taken to Twitter to demand justice for Christiana, with the hashtag #JusticeForChristianah trending.
Dangote Refinery has announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is yet to lift Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol from its refinery.
It also added that the refinery is yet to announce any price for the sale of petrol from its refinery to members of the public.
The Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, made the clarification in a statement on Thursday where the company reacted to a report which claimed the NNPC has lifted fuel from Dangote refinery and is selling it at ₦897 per litre.
Dangote said it is yet to finalize contractual agreements with the NNPC nor announce a price for its products, hence members of the public should disregard any misleading information on the subject matter.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a headline “NNPC lifts Dangote Petrol, sells at ₦897 per litre” published in the BusinessDay Newspapers of Wednesday, 4 September 2024.
“We would like to state that NNPC has not commenced lifting of refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from our Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
“Therefore, the issue of fixing the price of petrol lifted from our refinery does not arise, as we are yet to finalize our contract with NNPC.
“The PMS market is strictly regulated, which is known to all oil marketers and stakeholders in the sector, hence we can not determine, fix, or influence the product price, which falls under the purview of relevant government authorities.
“We urge the public to disregard the headline as it is misleading and does not represent the true position in this matter.
“We are guaranteeing Nigerians of exceptionally high quality petroleum products that will be readily available all over the country.”
The Executive Vice President (Downstream) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Adedapo Segun, has urged Nigerians to brace for more fuel scarcity.
This warning follows a recent surge in fuel prices, which has significantly impacted citizens nationwide.
Naija News recalls that the NNPC, on Tuesday, adjusted the pump price per litre of petrol to ₦855 across its filling stations.
Segun, while speaking on Thursday on Arise Television’s Morning Show, emphasized the importance of establishing a competitive market to stabilize fuel prices and ensure a steady supply.
“The pump price today is not market reflective. NNPCL is the sole importer of PMS in the country, which is abnormal. We should be moving towards a situation where the free market determines prices,” Segun emphasized, highlighting that pricing should be dictated by competitive forces rather than a single entity.
Segun elaborated that NNPCL’s position as the exclusive importer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was not by design, but rather a reaction to shifting market dynamics. He made it clear that the company did not intend to monopolize the market.
“Let me put it in the proper context. NNPCL is not a regulator. We didn’t choose to be the sole importer. We don’t determine who plays in the market. We stepped in when others reduced their participation. It’s not about wanting to be monopolists,” Segun clarified, underscoring that the company’s role emerged due to a lack of participation from other market players.
Additionally, Segun pointed out that for fuel prices to stabilize, there must be ideal market conditions, especially concerning foreign exchange availability.
“Market conditions need to be perfect, and there must be FX liquidity,” he remarked, implying that resolving the pricing issue would likely involve broader economic reforms to improve liquidity and competition in the market.
The scarcity, already visible across the country, is linked to NNPCL’s challenges in managing fuel imports and debts to suppliers.
Additionally, experts have called for more strategic borrowing by the NNPCL to address supply issues and prevent further disruptions in fuel availability.
This spike in fuel costs has further strained the pockets of Nigerian citizens, many of whom are already grappling with the high cost of living.
The situation has also sparked concerns about the potential impact on transportation costs and the prices of goods and services, which are likely to rise as a result.
Burkina Faso has officially removed the logo of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from its new biometric passports, a move that underscores the country’s decision to withdraw from the 15-member regional bloc.
This development follows the decision of Burkina Faso, along with Niger and Mali, to sever ties with ECOWAS after the organization imposed sanctions on them in response to military coups.
The bloc has consistently called for the return to constitutional order as a condition for lifting the sanctions.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Mahamadou Sana, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Security, confirmed the move, stating: “On this passport, there’s no ECOWAS logo, and no mention of ECOWAS either. Since January, Burkina Faso has decided to withdraw from this body, and this is just a realisation of the action already taken by Burkina Faso.”
Burkina Faso’s decision to omit ECOWAS from its passports further signals the country’s growing estrangement from the regional organization.
All three nations — Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — have accused ECOWAS of prioritizing selfish interests over the spirit of pan-Africanism.
ECOWAS has warned that the withdrawal of these countries could negatively impact the bloc’s common market and the freedom of movement for the 400 million people living within the region.
Despite these tensions, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, who serves as the current ECOWAS chairman, and his team continue to seek diplomatic avenues to bring Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali back into the fold.
Tinubu emphasized that the bloc remains open and friendly to the nations despite the current situation.
According to the Henley Passport Index, Burkina Faso’s passport ranks 78th globally, with access to 60 visa-free destinations, including many ECOWAS member states.
Whether this change will affect Burkina Faso’s visa agreements within the bloc remains to be seen.