COVER
#EndSARS Protests: Pope Francis Weeps for Nigeria
From Jude Dangwam, Jos, Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, yesterday expressed sadness over the social, economic and political unrest in the Nigeria and called for prayers for the country.
The Pope, in his verified tweeter handle @Pontifex, called on everyone, particularly Catholics all over the world to pray against every form of violence brewing in the country in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest.
Amidst tension, killings, looting and vandalism across the country, the Pope in his statement added: “Let us pray to the Lord for Nigeria, so that every form of violence might always be avoided, in the constant search of social harmony through the promotion of justice and the common good”.
CAN Berates Govt for Hoarding Palliatives
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna state chapter, berated government officials for hoarding COVID-19 palliatives that would have been distributed to the citizens.
In a statement signed by the state chairman of CAN, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, yesterday in Kaduna, he said: “Two wrongs cannot make a right.
“Following the event of yesterday 24th October, 2020 in some parts of Chikun and Kaduna South LGA of Kaduna State, where looting and vandalism of public and private properties was reported to have been carried out, which necessitated the enforcement of 24 hours curfew in those areas and later in the entire 23 LGAs of Kaduna State, the leadership of CAN Kaduna State Chapter, held a virtual meeting today 25th October, 2020 with church leaders and other stakeholders in the affected communities to have an objective understanding of the matter, assess it and chart a way forward.
“Against this background, CAN Kaduna State Chapter, condemns in strong terms the vandalisation and looting of public and private properties in Kaduna State by youth.
“We are sad to know that palliatives were discovered in warehouses located in Barnawa in Kaduna, as a result of which the youths fell into the temptation of vandalising the property and looting the said palliatives stored there going as far as searching for other warehouses in other locations within Kaduna. CAN frowns at such actions and condemn it in strong terms.”
Meanwhile, the peaceful protest embarked upon by #EndSARS agitators, but hijacked by hoodlums has now turned to massive looting of government property, warehouses, banks and lawmakers houses.
DAILY ASSET nationwide monitor revealed that places like Kaduna, Cross Rivers , Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Kogi states, were worst affected by the looting.
We gathered that the hoodlums were particularly about items preserved as COVID-19 palliatives, which include food stuff, provisions and confectioneries.
Lalong Father- in- Law, Dogara’s House Attacked
In Jos, the Plateau state capital yesterday, hoodlums reportedly attacked the residence of Plateau Governor Simon Lalong’s father –in-law’s house at Tudan Wada, and looted the residence of former Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara at Lamingo quarters.
The School of Home Economy, the Local Government Secretariat in Riyom, the warehouse as well as the NSCDC office were reportedly vandalised.
The Commander, Operation Safe Haven, Major General, Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, said the suspected looters were apprehended during an operation.
According to him, 13 male and 17 female were arrested at the former Speaker’s residence.
He said Items recovered include five grinding machines, three grinding machine heads, two unassembled Keke NAPEP, 1 Keke NAPEP engine, and one bundle of clothing material.
No fewer than 97 youths were arrested after looting, vandalising and destroying several properties in search of COVID-19 palliatives items.
The rampaging youths broke into State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) warehouse located along Bukuru express way and carted away assorted food items donated to the state government by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Disaster and Social Development Management recently.
DAILY ASSEY gathered that about 73 trucks loaded with grains stored in the warehouse had been emptied by youths who became united for the free for all exercise.
The office of the Plateau State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASSA) along Vom Road in Zawan, was not spared either as documents scattered all in the name of search for palliatives.
The head office of the Plateau Publishing Company, publishers of The Nigerian Standard Newspaper, came under attack even as the Sunday morning incident led to wonder the re-enacted 24 hours curfew on Jos North and Jos South LGA by Governor Simon Lalong.
The rampaging youths also looted the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP) and made away with bags of fertilizers, deferent types of machines, amongst other things.
Meanwhile, security operatives repelled hundreds of youths, Sunday morning with gun shots, teargas, who matched to the Federal Secretariat with the aim of loot offices,
The Plateau State Commissioner of Police (CP Edward Egbuka through the Command’s PPRO ASP Bonbey Peter said “97 suspects were arrested by STF personnel from Dutse Uku who entered PADP and looted properties.”
Governor Simon Lalong had earlier on explained why the reinstatement of the 24 hours curfew became eminent considering the fragile nature of the state.
In his State broadcast of Saturday he said, “Today, some hoodlums broke into the warehouses where palliatives delivered to the State by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development last week were stored awaiting distribution and carted them away.
“This looting has spread to other facilities and is gradually degenerating thereby threatening the peace and security of the State.”
He added, “To avoid further escalation, I hereby direct the immediate reinstatement of the 24-hour curfew earlier relaxed from 4pm today 24th October 2020 in Jos South and Jos North Local Government Areas till further notice.
“By this, security agencies are directed to enforce the curfew and ensure that all violators are arrested and prosecuted.
I call on all citizens and stakeholders to continue to cooperate with Government in ensuring the peace and progress of Plateau state.”
Protesters Cart Away Palliatives in Kogi
No fewer than 500 unidentified persons invaded the warehouse , housing the COVID-19 palliative materials in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital..
The warehouse located along the Murtala Mohammed way, very close to Kpata market in Lokoja were invaded as early as 7 am on Saturday by mostly women waiting for the door to be opened.
Although , it was learnt that the state government had last week commenced the distribution of the COVID-19 palliatives to all the 21 local government Councils, but it was not clear wether the items burgled were part of the ones the government had directed its distribution
In a shift reaction , the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said contrary to insinuations that the items were burgled, the items were distributed under the watchful eyes of security operatives monitoring the exercise.
“The crowd you saw there were in response to the governor’s directive that the remaining items should be given out to the people and the exercise have been going on without any hitch” the commissioner told our correspondent.
Lagos Needs N1trn for Re-construction — Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that Lagos state alone will require a minimum of N1trillion to reconstruct the damaged properties by hoodlums across the state.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke with state house correspondents, said: ” We stand in solidarity with Lagos state government and the people of the state. This is indeed a difficult period. This is not Lagos of our dream. It’s indeed very sad. I don’t want to take ethnic dimension. but I urge us to shut our ears to ethnic conspiracy theory. Nation building is a joint task.
“Whatever the House can do in rebuilding Lagos and other states it will do. We are now in a state of reconstruction. What must be done will be done.
“You have fought a good fight, government, National Assembly have listened. It’s time to take stock and ensure it would never happened again. What has happened has happened.
“However, we want to know what exactly happened at the Lekki Toll Gate. The judicial panel must reveal this. However, I want to encourage Nigerians to allow peace to reign.
“I learnt from the governor of Lagos State that it will take N1trillion to rebuild what had been lost and asked him what’s the budget size of the state, he said about N1trillion. You can see we are moving backward.
“Hence, we must consider the consequences of our actions before embarking on any venture. I, therefore, appeal to the youths to allow peace to reign. I still believe in unity of Nigeria”.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils. The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.
The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
CAN Denies Split, Says No Relief Funds Missing, Warns Against False Claims
ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday, denied alleged division within the Association along Northern...
NBA Makurdi Condemns Detention of Lawyer, Demands Immediate Action
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi Branch, has strongly condemned the arrest and continued detention of...
The Weight of “Permission” from the Law
ShareBy Alu Azege, Abuja The first thing Kessy noticed was the silence. Silence that felt like an entity, leaving her...
Son Kills Father While Defending Mother in Niger
ShareFrom Dan Amasingha, Minna A tragic domestic incident has left a 60-year-old man dead after he was allegedly assaulted by...
Man City, Inter, Chelsea, Juventus Face Off in Hong Kong for Preseason
ShareEnglish and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs...
Pope Leo XIV Pays Tribute to Predecessor on Anniversary of His Death
SharePope Leo XIV commemorated the first anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Francis, as he addressed worshippers in Equatorial Guinea yesterday. The pontiff paid tribute to his...
Labour Party Fixes National Convention April 28
ShareThe Labour Party has fixed its national convention for April 28 in Umuahia, Abia. The party also officially released the list of chairmen and members of its electoral sub-committees for the forthcoming...
Cross River Confirms Case of COVID-19
ShareFrom Ene Asuquo, Calabar The Cross River State Government has confirmed a case of COVID-19 and swiftly activated its public health emergency response mechanisms to contain any potential...
Nigeria Imports 61.7m Barrels US Crude In Two Years
ShareNigeria imported about 61.7 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between January 2024 and January 2026, underscoring...
FG Slams 13-Count Charge against Alleged Coup Plotters
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against...