Political economist, Professor Pat Utomi has taken a swipe at Labour Party federal lawmakers.

The economist said he's not happy with them.

Utomi said the party must show integrity and understanding of the fact that Nigeria and its democracy are both failing because of the failure of the political parties.

He spoke in a post on his X handle on Friday.

“We cannot call for a new way and not show example with our actions. I have been unhappy with many Labour Party Lawmakers conduct. The Party must show integrity and understanding of the fact that Nigeria and its democracy are both failing because of the failure of the parties,” he wrote.

The statement followed allegations that 2024 budget was padded.

Recall that Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had alleged that N3.7 trillion was padded into the 2024 budget.

Ningi, a lawmaker from Bauchi, was subsequently handed a three-month suspension for raising the allegation, which the Nigerian government and the leadership of the Senate denied.

However, Labour Party lawmakers in the National Assembly have been silent on the matter.

Utomi had recently, attacked the opposition political parties for failing to protest the worsening economic hardship in the country.

According to him, opposition parties lead protests in other climes.

The draw for this year’s Champions League quarter-final have been conducted on Friday.

Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, was tasked with picking the balls.

Arsenal will take on Bayern Munich, while Atletico Madrid play Borussia Dortmund.

Holders Manchester City have been drawn against Real Madrid for the third year running.

Paris Saint-Germain will play Barcelona

The first legs of the quarter-final fixtures will be played on April 9 and 10, with the second-leg fixtures on April 16 and 17.

FULL FIXTURES

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

PSG vs Barcelona

The federal government has persisted in its trend of lopsided financial allocations in the annual budget, contrary to the intended purpose of even wealth distribution.

Investigations by this newspaper reveal that certain institutions and senatorial districts, with influential representatives in both the National Assembly and executive arms of government, manipulate the national budget to their advantage.

An analysis of the 2024 national budget has exposed disparities, with some senatorial districts receiving as low as N6-7 billion, while others, such as Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, home to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, received a substantial N21 billion allocation from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs alone.

This figure excludes allocations from other ministries to the same zone.

The former Akwa-Ibom State governor, serving his first term as Senate President, allegedly influenced various committees to secure his preferences in the N28.7 trillion budget.

Within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Women Affairs, over 20 new project items were introduced, ostensibly to serve specific interests.

Under the Ministry of Agriculture, peculiar budget items such as the construction of rural roads and markets in Akwa-Ibom North-West, totalling N18.5 billion, were proposed in the budget.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Women Affairs introduced four new items to empower women in the Senate President’s constituency.

Notably, N2.5 billion is allocated for women’s empowerment initiatives, including provisions of deep freezers and generators across ten local governments, with N250 million earmarked for each local government.

Detailed allocations also include N1 billion for the construction of rural farm roads in various local governments within the senatorial district, alongside N500 million for the installation of solar street lights in towns.

In addition, there are plans for the rehabilitation of roads, installation of transformers, and erosion control measures, amounting to billions of naira, aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and infrastructure development in the region.

Items on the list of the Ministry of Agriculture include the proposed construction of rural farm roads in Ikono & Abak of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial which will cost the government a total of N1 billion.

Another N1 billion is budgeted for the construction of rural farm roads in Essien & Etim expo of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at N500m per LGA to make a total of N1 billion.

The proposed construction of new rural farm roads in Ika & Ikot Ekpene of the same constituency at N500 million per LGA will cost another N1 billion, with the construction of rural farm roads in Ini & Obot of the senatorial district at N500 million to cost a total of N1 billion.

Aside from that, the construction of rural farm roads in Orun Anam & Ukanafun of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district costs N500 million per LGA, bringing it to a total of N1 billion.

In a different provision, the government has planned to spend N500 million for the fabrication and lighting up of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in all the towns in Ikono & Abak LGA of Akwa Ibom State, besides the N500 million that has been earmarked for the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in towns in Essien & Etim Ekpo LGA of the state.

The ministry of agriculture will also spend N500 million for the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in towns in Ika & Ikot Ekpene LGA of Akwa Ibom State that was governed by Akpabio for eight years.

In that same regard, the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with all-in-one new standard solar street lights in towns in Orun Anam & Ukanafun LGA of the state is to cost the government another N500 million.

If Senator Akpabio can lobby the relevant financial departments of government to do his bidding, he will get the agric ministry to implement the rehabilitation of “selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns” in Ikono & Abak local government of North-West senatorial district of Akwa Ibom at the cost of N1 billion.

The ministry has also voted N1 billion for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Essien & Etim ekpo local government of the senatorial zone at the cost of N1 billion.

Unlike other senators, Akpabio’s constituency has got the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to budget for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Ika & Ikot Ekpene local government of North West senatorial district of Akwa Ibom. That would cost N1 billion.

Another list of items in the budget for his constituency is the proposed rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Ini & Obot local governments of the state at an estimated cost of N500 million.

There is a new plan for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Orun Anam & Ukanafun local government of North West Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom at N1 billion.

The long list also includes the planned construction of Ibiakpan-Not Akan road to boost agricultural output in Akwa Ibom State at the rate of N1billion, with the “construction of Ikot Uko road and Ikot Ebak at N500m each to aid the movement of fishery produce in Akwa Ibom State” for a total of N1 billion.

There is also the provision of N1.5 billion for erosion control in some parts of Abiakpo, Ikot Essien aci-aikono to ease movement of farm produce which is a new item on the budget, with the construction of internal roads at various communities in the senatorial district to take N1.5 billion.

The ministry has also planned the construction of markets in various communities in Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at the cost of N1 billion.

In detail, the Ministry of Women Affairs budget showed that Essien & Etim Ekpo got N500 million; Ikono & Abak, N500 million; Ika & Ikot Ekpene, N500 million, while Ini & Obot will also get N500 million for women empowerment. Another N500 million was earmarked for the empowerment of women with deep freezers, generators and other empowerment items to boost their daily earnings in the two local governments of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at N250 million each (Orun Anam & Ukanafun).

Call For Akpabio’s Resignation Morally Reprehensible – Senate

However, the Senate has described the call for the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio as morally reprehensible.

By his position, Senator Akpabio is the chairman of the National Assembly.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for calling for the resignation of Senator Akpabio over the unfounded claim of N3.7trn budget padding allegations by the suspended Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi.

Adaramodu said the PDP had elevated chicanery to statecraft and fatally failed in their sordid attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting public, on the ineffectual but spurious allegations of budget padding.

“The party’s ludicrous call for the resignation of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President is unthinkable and shows the party as a massaging balm for falsehood and immoral Legislative outbursts,” he stated, adding “that Akpabio will not resign and has no intention to resign at any time because he has not committed any wrong doing to warrant a resignation”.

According to him, it is shocking that the PDP leadership could not comprehend what transpired at Tuesday’s plenary where the allegations were debated and Senator Abdul Ningi, who was given the ample opportunity to defend himself and prove the budget padding allegations, was suspended after he failed to substantiate his claims in the full glare of the public.

He said, “Contrary to the contention by the PDP that N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects, and what transpired on the floor of the Chamber, it is open knowledge that no such absurdity is found in the budget passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is being implemented judiciously by the federal government. Perhaps, the N3.7trn being mentioned in the PDP’s shocking statement exists only in the fickle minds of its purveyors and serves as a dubious version of the budget generated by PDP’s unidentified political flying objects.”

Budget: Atiku Insists On Investigation Into Ningi’s Allegations

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations raised by Senator Abdul Ningi.

The former vice president also criticised the senate for the sudden suspension of the whistle-blower without adequate explanation, saying the action has fueled the crisis and raised more questions than answers.

Atiku, who reacted on the matter on his X handle, said, “Over the past few days, allegations have rocked the Senate, questioning the very integrity of the 2024 Appropriation Act, the cornerstone of our nation’s annual planning and development.

“A fiscal policy analytics and advocacy organisation has unequivocally confirmed a disturbing lack of transparency within the 2024 Appropriation Act.

“I demand an immediate and thorough investigation into these allegations. Appropriation lies at the heart of governance, and any deviation from serving the people’s interests will be met with fierce opposition.”

Atiku said denials are unacceptable, and the suspension of one senator cannot silence accusations of corruption and illegal fiscal spending by the federal government.

“Without a clear explanation to the people of Nigeria, we must treat these allegations for what they are: outright fraud.

“The accusation of budget padding totaling N3 trillion cannot be dismissed lightly by the government. Given the current hardships facing our nation, a padded budget is already translating to a padded hunger, padded poverty, padded insecurity, padded energy crises, padded forex instability, and the soaring cost of living.”

He said the Nigerians cannot afford to ignore allegations that worsen our already dire economic situation.

“The current federal government has a disgraceful track record of ignoring issues of transparency and due process in public administration.

“The unresolved $3.3 billion NNPCL loan repayment scandal, with Nigeria now expected to repay $12 billion, remains a glaring example.

“The Tinubu administration must address these high-profile corruption cases transparently,” he said.

Nigeria’s headline inflation for February increased to an all-time high of 31.70 per cent, compared to 29.90 per cent recorded in January 2024, amid rising food prices nationwide.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this in its latest Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report.

The February 2024 headline inflation rate increased by 1.80 per cent compared to the January 2024 headline inflation rate.

On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 9.79 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in February 2023, which was 21.91 per cent.

This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in February 2024 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., February 2023). Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in February 2024 was 3.12 per cent, 0.48 per cent higher than in January 2024 (2.64 per cent).

The implication is that the rate of increase in the average price level is more than in the average price level in January 2024.

Similarly, food inflation rose to 37.92 per cent in Febuary from 35.41 per cent recorded in January, 2024.

Accordingly, this is the 13th straight time the country’s inflation soared without respite.

DAILY POST recalls that last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria raised the monetary policy rate, known as the interest rate, by 400 basis points to 22.75 per cent from 18.5 per cent.

The supreme court has fixed June 7, 2024 for judgment in an appeal seeking to prevent the final forfeiture of N1,222,384,857.84 to the federal government.

Melrose General Services Limited, the appellant, is challenging the judgment of the court of appeal ordering the forfeiture of the money to the federal government of Nigeria.

The appellate court had ruled on the premise that the money was proceeds of an unlawful activity in the Paris Club refund process.

At the court session on Thursday, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, counsel to the appellant, argued that the money involved in the forfeiture suit is not a proceed of any unlawful activity, but payment for a contractual and consultancy agreement his client entered with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

He prayed the court to reverse the decision of the appellate court.

However, Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), prayed the court to adopt his brief of argument and dismiss the appeal of the appellant.

“There are generally two types of forfeitures used to recover the proceeds and instrumentalities of crimes. They share the same objective — namely the forfeiture to the state of the proceeds and instrumentalities of crime. Both share common two-fold rationales,” he said.

“Recall that the appellant filed his notice of appeal against the well-considered judgment of the federal high court which was equally dismissed by the court of appeal on May 31, 2019, having found that the appellant failed to show that the said funds were not proceeds of crime.

“Further to the background of the matter, the EFCC carried out investigations which revealed among others the sum of N3.5bn was fraudulently paid to the appellant to carry out a consultancy job for the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

“Under the guise that the appellant carried out a consultancy job for the NGF entitling it to the money when it did not do any such work.

“The appellant made several withdrawals within a short time leaving N1,222,384,857.84 before the EFCC intervened.

“Further investigation led to the recovery of an additional sum of N220m which the appellant had paid to WASP Networks Ltd and Thebe Wellness Services.”

After listening to all the submissions, a five-member panel of the apex court reserved judgment in the matter till June 7, 2024.

A member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Kanmi Ajibola, has canvassed capital punishment for corrupt government officials.

According to Ajibola, the greatest injustice to the law of God and humanity is to allow thieves of the nation’s wealth to live.

Ajibola, representing Oriade State Constituency in the Assembly, stressed that the only and sincere way to curb the menace of high level of stealing of public funds in Nigeria is to eliminate all culprits. 

He made his view known in a five-page letter addressed to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

The letter was also forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Attorney-General of Osun State and the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun.

In the letter dated March 15, 2024 titled, ‘You can be the Moses and Musa of the present Nigerian generation’, the lawmaker held that there was compelling need to stop and control corruption by capital punishment in Nigeria.

Citing Section 4(1) and (3) of the Constitution, he said it is in the purview of the National Assembly to make laws that should help to halt corrupt practices in the country.

“Few countries including China, Indonesia and Thailand have introduced capital punishment in their laws. Today these nations are now experiencing economic peace, security and rapid developments.

“The anti corruption Laws and Acts in their present existing forms in Nigeria are not result oriented.”

He lamented that the London Chatham House in its estimation said from October 1960 to October 2019, Nigerian leaders, public officers and civil servants stole about $582 billion, while the Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) reported that the country lost N1.6 trillion and $825.7 million to corrupt officials between 1999 and 2022.

He noted that if the stolen funds had been injected into the capital projects and infrastructural development, the nation would not be facing social vices such as kidnapping, unemployment, abject poverty and insecurity, among others.

“I think the greatest injustice to the law of God and humanity is to let live, the corrupt people whose acts are directly or indirectly killing the innocent Nigerians by the ultimate effect of their ungodly and illegal actions.

“As a human rights activist, I should not be thinking of a capital punishment to curb or drastically minimize corruption in Nigeria, but for the fact that, the acts of the few leaders that are corrupt are leading to the death of their innocent subjects. I think, this is the only way and the hard way.

“It is an axiomatic fact, that, if this stealing spree continually persists unchecked, the country will ultimately end up in an untimely grave.

“To prevent the sudden and untimely death of Nigeria, the 1999 constitution has empowered the National Assembly with this responsibility to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the federation.

“At this very moment, before corruption kills Nigeria, it is desirable that Nigeria Moves faster to kill corruption.

“Due to the non-availability of effective laws to checkmate corruption the way it should be properly checked, there are loss of peace, order, good governance and good government in the federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Within the thirty (30) days of the receipt of this letter, I plead with the National Assembly to perform this public duty to save Nigeria by introducing penalty clause of capital punishment into our Anti-Corruption Laws and Acts.”

The police arraigned a 26-year-old lawyer, Ekunife Emmanuel in a Lugbe Grade I Area Court Abuja for allegedly assaulting a commercial sex worker.

The police charged Mr Emmanuel of Jahi Abuja with criminal breach of trust, assault, causing hurt and inciting disturbance, an offence he denied committing.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Olisaemeka Okeke, told the court that the complainant, Queeneth John, a commercial sex worker of Wuse Zone 5 Abuja, reported the matter at Asokoro police station on March 12.

Mr Okeke said the complainant claimed that on March 11 at about 10: p.m the defendant approached her at Wuse where she was hawking and took her to Bannex Plaza and demanded sex.

He said the defendant also took the complainant to a Hotel Guzape and promised to pay her N 50,000 after having sex with her.

Mr Okeke told the court that the defendant had sex with the complainant and when she demanded her money he refused to pay her the money as he promised.

He said in the process the defendant started beating the complainant as a result she sustained bruises all over her body.

He said when the defendant was brought to Asokoro Police Station he started videoing the station and the police officers on duty thereby inciting disturbance in a public office.

The prosecutor said during police investigation, the defendant made a confessional statement.

Mr Okeke said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 312, 365, 244 and 114 of the Penal Code.

The judge, Aliyu Kagarko, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N1 million and a surety in like sum.

He said, “I hereby grant the defendant bail in line with section 165(2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to deposit 10 per cent of the bail sum at the court registry pending the determination of the case.’’

He ordered that the surety must be a legal practitioner of not less than five years in practice and must summit his or her call to bar certificate.

He said the surety must reside within the court jurisdiction and adjourned the case until April 18 for hearing.(NAN)

There was confusion at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday over the amended fraud charge filed against Alli Bello and Daudu Suleiman, as well as the immediate past governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency claimed that the accused persons diverted about N100 billion belonging to the state government in September 2015, months before Yahaya Bello assumed office.

Bello was not a defendant in the original suit and was not in court.

However, Alli Bello, currently the chief of staff to the Kogi State governor and Dauda Suleman have denied the allegations in the amended charges brought against them at the fresh arraignment yesterday in Abuja.

They pleaded not guilty after the amended charge was read to them before Justice James Kolawole Omotoso.

Earlier, Yahaya Bello through his counsel, A.M. Aliyu (SAN) had objected to reading of the amended charges to his client.

His ground of objection was that the EFCC had failed woefully to comply with Section 218 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

The senior lawyer submitted that a copy of the amended charge was not served on them as required by the provisions of the ACJA Act.

The EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) asked the court to reject the argument of the defendant, adding that the court had on its own endorsed the amendment.

In a brief ruling, Justice Omotoso recalled that he had granted accelerated hearing in the matter and had also ordered that all forms of objections must be kept in abeyance till the address stage.

He directed the registrar of the court to read the amended charges.

In the first count, former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman were accused of conspiring with one another in September 2015 and converted N80,246,470,089 to their personal use.

They were alleged to have run foul of section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 because they ought to have reasonably known that the money was a product of fraud and criminal breach of public trust.

In other charges, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman allegedly concealed several millions of naira with one Rabiu Musa Tafada, a bureau de change (BDC) operator trading under Global Venture in Abuja.

Alli Bello’s counsel, Aliyu (SAN), at this point, requested that one of the EFCC witnesses, Edward Fanada, be recalled for fresh cross examination in view of the content of the amended charges.

The request was granted by Justice Omotoso due to no opposition from the EFCC lawyer.

Meanwhile, Justice Omotoso has ordered that Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman should continue to enjoy the bail conditions granted them in the previous charges.

A 37-year-old Point of Sale (POS) operator at Kurnar Asabe Quarters in Kano State, Mohammed Sani Abdulrahman, has returned the sum of N10 million wrongly transferred to him by a customer.

The spokesperson of Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, who confirmed the development, said the POS operator reported the incident to the command when he realised that the customer had wrongly transferred N10 million instead of N10,000.

SP Haruna, however, said it took the police investigation three (03) months to identify the owner of the excess money, and after a painstaking investigation and being satisfied with proofs of ownership, the money was returned to the owner’s same account.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, commended the POS operator for his honesty and good conduct while encouraging others to emulate the good habits exhibited by Abdulrahman.

According to him, “It was since on 21/12/2023, that a Point of Sale (POS) Operator known as Mohammed Sani Abdulrahman, 37 years, ‘m’, of Kurnar Asabe Quarters Kano, reported himself at the Bompai Police Headquarters Kano, where he stated that someone among his customers has overpaid into his POS business the sum of Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (N9,990,000:00) while he wanted to make an online transfer of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000:00) only and mistakenly transferred the sum of ten million naira (N10,000,000:00).

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, directed a team of detectives led by SP Abdulwahab Zubairu from the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to carry out discreet investigation with a view to identify the owner and return his money.

“On the 14th of March, 2024, the investigation was concluded by uncovering the identity of the rightful owner, who is a businessman at Dawanau Grain Market in Kano Metropolis.

“After a painstaking investigation and being satisfied with proofs of ownership, the money, the excess sum of Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (N9,990,000), was returned to the owner’s same account. The owner admired the gesture of which, out of joy and with pleasure gave the POS operator cash gift of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000:00). The owner also thanked the CP for his honesty, integrity, and showing good example.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, who is famously nick-named by the good people of the state as “A Fada a Cika,” commended the POS operator for his honesty and good conduct and referred to this kind gesture as rare, enabled the owner also encourages others to emulate,” the statement reads.

The Defence Headquarters has said that the 287 students of a school in Kuriga, Kaduna State, who were kidnapped last week are being held in locations that are difficult to get to.

Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba who spoke to newsmen on Thursday, March 14, said the kidnappers are using their victims as human shields to prevent further air and land offensive against them.

He further revealed that it took more than six hours after the students were abducted for the information to get to security agencies before machinery was commenced for the rescue efforts.

Buba said;

“We have depleted their ranks, neutralized many of their commanders and foot soldiers. The terrorists exhibited gross cowardice by going after children. We have taken their Commanders out. We recently acquired new air platforms to further decimate them. They know we mean business. It is to protect themselves that they went after the students. But we will not rest until all the kidnapped victims are rescued.

“As in every war, there are complexities and ours is no exception. Recently, cases of citizens being abducted in the North East, North West and North Central theatres of operations were recorded.

“These citizens were abducted by a brutal and blood tasty group that should only be addressed as tettorists not bandits. I repeat, these are terrorist and not bandits.

“They are holding these citizens against their will and against all norms of human behaviour, and against the laws of armed conflict and any good measure in the world.

“Several of their leaders and commanders have been neutralised as a result of troops onslaught. They want to use these hostages as human shield for their survival. Nevertheless, be assured that we will not rest until the hostages are returned.

“No doubt, this is a difficult situation, but not one that is insurmountable. The hostage situation is an extremely sensitive one which unfortunately is not unprecedented in the history of the ongoing war.

“These hostages are being held in locations that are difficult to get to, but not out of reached. The situation is however indicative of the desperation of these terrorists to avoid troops onslaught by all means.

“Recall that in recent times troops have decimated several of the terrorists leaders, commanders and foot soldiers and fast closing in one several others.

” These terrorists have exhibited cowardice by going for such soft targets to impede troops advances. I assure you that we will not rest until they are returned.

“Given the hostage situation, it can be deduced that the search and rescue effort was grossly affected by the none timely notification of troops of the incident. Nevertheless, I can assure you that we will not rest until these hostages are returned.

“However, because of the sensitivity of the matter, I can not go into further details as to signs of life, location, and the different options that we have in order to get these hostages back.

“Let me further assure that, getting these hostages back is very clearly on the top of our priorities. It is for this reason we have leveraged on our international partners for support.

“Accordingly, they are providing the necessary support including intelligence that is giving us the advantage in dealing with the ugly situation."