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Customary court president, ex-lawmaker abducted in Edo

Ijeoma OPARA
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Customary court president, ex-lawmaker abducted in Edo

PRESIDENT of the Igueben Area Customary Court in Edo State Precious Aigbonoga was abducted by gunmen on her way to the courthouse on Monday, January 9.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin Chapter, Festus Usiobaifo, who noted that the abductee is married to a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the state House of Assembly election, Afebu Aigbonoga.

“The Chairman of the Lion Bar, Chief Nosa Francis Edo-Osagie, is deeply sad by this news and condemns, in strong terms, the worrisome insensitivity of these bandits in kidnapping Mrs Precious Aigbonoga, an easygoing, gentle and hard working judicial officer.

“Meanwhile the Dream Team is in close touch with the Commissioner of Police, C.P. Mohammed Adamu Dankwara. By the grace of God Almighty, His Honour shall be rescued unhurt, and the bandits brought to book, ” the NBA Benin chapter publicity secretary said in the statement.

Gunmen also abducted a former Edo State House of Assembly member Festus Edughele on Monday in Ubiaja.

Confirming the incident, former Speaker of the State House of Assembly Festus Ebea said Edughele was abducted while on his way to the Benin airport.

“He had intended to take the train for Ubiaja but he could not do so since the train services had been suspended.

“The family is aware of his kidnap, the police division in that area has been informed and we hope action will be taken to rescue him,” he said.

The abductions occurred barely two days after over 32 intending travellers were abducted at a train station in Igueben, Edo State.

The abductors invaded the train station welding guns and shooting sporadically into the air, leaving many travellers injured before fleeing with their captives.

Insecurity: Ondo to spend N3.2bn on arms for Amotekun, others

Vincent Ufuoma
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Insecurity: Ondo to spend N3.2bn on arms for Amotekun, others

THE Ondo State government has disclosed that it will spend N3.2 billion on security this year.

The State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Emmanuel Igbasan, made the disclosure while presenting the 2023 budget analysis to journalists in Akure, on Monday, January 9.

He said N2 billion was earmarked to provide security hardware for the Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun.

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“Provision of security hardware for Amotekun, N2 billion; procurement of security vehicles, N500 million; provision of security equipment/infrastructure, N700 million,” he noted.

He added that N5 million will use to purchase 10 motorcycles for court bailiffs and security personnel, as well as other staff.

The commissioner said the budget was prepared from the inputs garnered from Town Hall meetings with various stakeholders across the state including farmers, market women, youths, professional bodies, persons with disabilities and the organised private sector.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had, on December 5, 2022, presented a total budget proposal of N272.73 billion to the state House of Assembly, but the lawmakers passed N275. 98 billion, which he signed into law in December.

DSS director’s wife stops Kano gov candidate from boarding flight

Bankole ABE
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DSS director’s wife stops Kano gov candidate from boarding flight

AISHA Bichi, the wife of the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Bichi, was reportedly involved in an altercation with the Kano State governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Abba Yusuf at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

A reliable source within Yusuf’s camp told The ICIR that the incident happened at the VIP lounge between 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Sunday, January 8.

According to the source, Bichi stopped Yusuf from boarding an Air Peace flight from Kano to Abuja.

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He disclosed that the cause of the brawl was that Bichi claimed Yusuf’s entourage caused traffic that delayed her convoy from gaining speedy passage into the controlled area of the airport.

DAILY NIGERIAN had earlier reported that the clash began at the gate of the VIP lounge of the airport. 

“No sooner had Abba (Yusuf) approached her than she began raining insults on him. Although the state director of service attempted to calm her down, she continued pouring the expletives, saying she would not allow him to be a governor,” an eyewitness said.

AISHA Bichi
AISHA Bichi

The newspaper said it gathered that a member of the politician’s entourage, Garba Kilo, was brutalised on the orders of Aisha Bichi for filming the confrontation with his phone.

It was reported that Bichi insisted that she would not allow Yusuf to board the same flight with her that night.

It was also gathered that the state director of DSS was present during the impasse and made an effort to resolve the issue.

DAILY NIGERIAN added that the DSS operatives released Yusuf after the flight took off with the DG’s wife.

However, the spokesperson for the DSS, Peter Afunanya, in response to The ICIR’s enquires on the issue, said nothing of such happened.

He described the reports as baseless gossip.

“Not true, cheap and baseless gossip not worth the attention of anyone, professional journalist or newspaper,” he said.

“Not true. Cheap and baseless gossip.”

FG shifts fuel importation deadline to 2024

Harrison EDEH
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FG shifts fuel importation deadline to 2024

THE Federal government on Monday projected that Nigeria would be ending the importation of petroleum products by the first quarter of 2024.

The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, made the projection based on the expected completion of the rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt refinery, and completion of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity Dangote Refinery.

Sylva disclosed this at an event on ‘President Muhammadu Buhari Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023)’ organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

The ICIR findings showed this would not be the first time the minister would be making this kind of projection. In December 2022, he put the deadline for the importation of fuel products at the third quarter of 2023.

Before then, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Emmanuel Ibeh Kachikwu, had in February 2017 put a deadline to the fuel importation for 2019, banking on the turn-around maintenance of Nigeria’s redundant refineries.

Sylva, presenting the scorecard of the ministry, said the 60,000 bpd capacity refinery within the Port-Harcourt Refinery complex would be ready for production by the first quarter of 2024.

He added that the Dangote refinery, the largest single-train refinery in the world with investment of over $25 billion, would also be on stream before the end of 2023, in addition to several modular refineries projects in the country.

He, therefore, assured that with the combined production of the Port-Harcourt refinery, Dangote refinery and the modular refineries, Nigeria would end importation of petroleum products into the country.

The minister disclosed that to ensure seamless local production of petroleum products, the federal government deliberately took a 20 per cent equity stake in the Dangote Refinery.

The minister also revealed that the federal government also took a 30 per cent equity stake in each of the 5000 bpd WalterSmith modular refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State and the 10,000 bpd Duport modular refinery in Edo State, among others.

Sylva said that the government was addressing the challenge of access to crude oil being faced by the modular refineries.

The minister also reiterated the position of the federal government that subsidy regine was no longer sustainable.

According to him, the huge fund being spent on subsidy could be deployed to other developmental projects that would impact positively on many Nigerians.

He added that the removal of subsidy would attract more investment into the petroleum sector as many private sector players would be willing to invest in building refineries.

2023: Nigerian Economic Summit set for dialogue with presidential candidates

Harrison EDEH
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2023: Nigerian Economic Summit set for dialogue with presidential candidates

THE Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) says plans are underway to hold a series of dialogue on the Nigerian economy with the candidates in next month’s presidential election.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola, said in a statement today that the dialogue would be part of the group’s principle to provide economic foundation for democracy.

Jaiyeola revealed that the idea was also to intensify discussions on the roadmap towards an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.

Nigeria, he said, was at a decisive point in its history with the 2023 polls drawing closer, while stressing the importance of Nigerians making informed voting choices.

“The challenge before us, therefore, is to ensure the evolution of a process towards a leadership with a broad knowledge of the issues and the political will to steer the ship of our great nation towards shared economic prosperity.

“In a bid to live up to our mandate to foster the establishment of an economic foundation for democracy, we will actively seek independent direct engagements with the presidential candidates,” he added.

He informed that the engagement would dwell on critical economic policy reform issues and prescriptions, in the national interest.

He also said that the presidential dialogue series was geared towards sensitising stakeholders and citizens of Nigeria on peaceful, informed and accountable democratic participation.

The engagement, he added, would provide a unique platform and opportunity for presidential candidates to discuss their economic agenda in an environment of civil discourse.

Police rescue six victims of Edo train attack

Bankole ABE
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Police rescue six victims of Edo train attack

THE Edo State Police Command says it has rescued six of the passengers abducted during the attack on Tom Ikimi Train Station in the Igueben Local Government Area of the state.

Scores of passengers waiting to board a train to Warri, Delta State, were abducted in the January 7 attack. An unspecified number of the travellers were also injured in the incident.

Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, in a telephone chat with The ICIR on Monday, January 9, said the Command has rescued six of the victims. He added that the Command is on the trail of the kidnappers.

“The Police is on top of the matter. We have rescued six of the victims and investigation is ongoing. Yes, they were rescued by the Police ,” he said.

The ICIR reported that many passengers were abducted and others sustained bullet wounds in the attack, said to have been carried out by suspected herdsmen.

In an earlier statement released on the attack, Edo State Police spokesman Nwabuzor said the abductors, armed with AK 47, invaded the train station and shot sporadically into the air before abducting scores of intending travellers.

He also said security operatives were on the trail of the abductors.

Among those kidnapped were the train station manager, Godwin Okpe, the Head of Security, Ikhayere, an Igueben community resident, Victor Osarobho and the station ticket clerk, identified as Akhere. 

Addressing a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, described the incident as the most trying period for the state government. 

The incident occurred almost one year after an Abuja-Kaduna train was attacked on March 28, 2022, resulting in the death of about 14 passengers. About 63 passengers were abducted and later released after several months.

East-West Center hosts webinar on China’s covid policy

Blessing OTOIBHI
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East-West Center hosts webinar on China’s covid policy

THE East-West Center is inviting registrations for its webinar on the topic, “China: The Next Phase of the Global COVID Pandemic”, scheduled for January 12.

The webinar is part of the Center’s China Seminar series.

In the virtual seminar, Dr. Tim Brown, senior fellow in the Research Program at the East-West Center, will review the current approach to COVID being taken in China and explore how it differs from the approaches taken in other countries.

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The webinar will also explore the likely consequences of this uncontrolled spread and its potential implications for the global pandemic.

Journalists interested in covering the recent developments of China’s COVID policy can register for a webinar.

Registration is rolling. Interested applicants can apply here.

Raymond Dokpesi released after London arrest

Oghenekevwe UCHECHUKWU
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Raymond Dokpesi released after London arrest

THE management of African Independent Television (AIT) has announced the release of the founder of the company Raymond Dokpesi, after he was detained at Heathrow Airport in London on Sunday.

According to the privately owned television broadcaster, Dokpesi arrived London via Frankfurt from Abuja on a Lufthansa Airlines flight and was invited off the plane, before other passengers disembarked.

He was delayed at the airport for some hours before his passport was stamped and he was cleared by British Immigration officials for entry into the country.

“Chief Dokpesi wishes to thank all for their outpour of love, prayers and support following the news of the incident and to reassure that he is hale and hearty,” the media organisation stated.

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The media founder is the Deputy Director-General, Technical and Systems of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council.

His visit to the United Kingdom is not unconnected to the invitation of the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar by Chatham House, London’s Royal Institute of International Affairs, to share perspectives on issues around the 2023 presidential elections.

AEDC decries frequent attacks on facilities, partners security outfits

Harrison EDEH
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AEDC decries frequent attacks on facilities, partners security outfits

THE Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) on Sunday, January 8, expressed concerns over the frequent attacks on its electrical assets and installations across its franchise area.

The Chief Marketing Officer of the company, Donald Etim, who disclosed this in a statement, pointed out that such attacks had impeded the efforts to deliver stable and reliable power supply to its customers.

Etim explained that the attacks on its facilities were further dragging down its ability to deliver on some key projects that it commenced last year, geared towards improving power supply in its franchise areas.

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According to the statement, some elements of these various projects involved the procurement and installation of various electrical equipment worth millions of naira.

“Unfortunately, many of these installations are currently being vandalized across the network, causing very painful power supply disruptions, untold hardship and losses to its customers, and huge financial and reputation losses to the company.

“The surge in cases of vandalism within our franchise area has become quite worrisome, especially so because these vandals lately, increasingly utilize unfathomable methods to perpetrate their criminal acts,” the statement said.

The AEDC regretted that 185 meters of XLPE underground cable were carted away at the Central Business Area, Abuja FCT, valued at over N5 million at just one location out of several others that had been similarly affected across our franchise.

A multiplier effect of these damages, the company stated, ran into billions of naira.

Etim noted that the company would not relent on its efforts to ensure it provides adequate uninterrupted power supply, adding that “the company has continued investments in network upgrades, refurbishment of faulty transformers and procurement of new transformers, as well as the construction of new feeders and lines to relieve existing ones.”

Commenting on metering, he noted that the company had gone mobile with its metering drive by physically taking meters to customer cluster locations and getting them metered within 24 hours.

He said, “There are, at least, 27 such locations currently operational within our franchise today, excluding our formal offices. We have launched multiple payment channels, including USSD short codes, that allow our customers vend power at zero commission.

“We have also launched a verify-staff platform that enables customers, for their safety, to quickly verify AEDC visitors to their premises by simply inputting the said staff’s ID card number into a link connected directly to our website. Detailed information on how these innovations work can be found on our AEDC website.”

Etim also informed that the company had strengthened its collaboration with security agencies such as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), community leaders, and had even recently set up a civilian JTF component.

“These collaborations have resulted in increased security patrol exercises, aggressive community sensitization, several arrests and successful prosecutions.

“The company is also working towards deploying a remote monitoring system for locations with high incidences of vandalism,” he disclosed.

FG condemns Edo train attack, assures prompt response

Ijeoma OPARA
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FG condemns Edo train attack, assures prompt response

THE federal government has condemned the abduction of train passengers at a train station in Igueben, Edo State.

The Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation Henshaw Ogubuike described, in a statement on Sunday, the incident as despicable.

Ogubuike reassured members of the public that efforts were being made to secure the release of the abducted passengers.

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”The Nigeria Police is on the trail of the criminals and have mobilised with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers.

”The government is saddened by this unpleasant development and assures on its prompt response to the ugly situation. Further details will be communicated later,” he noted.

Gunmen attacked the train station on Saturday January 7 and abducted many intending travellers to Warri, Delta state.

A statement released by the Edo state police command disclosed that the abductors, armed with AK-47 guns had invaded the train station, shooting into the air before fleeing with their captives.

Some of the passengers sustained bullet wounds during the attack.

The Nigeria Railway Corporation has (NRC) shut down operations at the station indefinitely.

In March 2022, gunmen had also attacked a train along the Abuja-Kaduna railway, killing about 14 passengers and abducting over 60 others.

The abductees had been released in batches,  with the last set regaining freedom seven months after.

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