COVER
Reign of Terror in Abuja: Phone Snatcher Chops off Teenager’s Fingers
By Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad
A suspected GSM handset snatcher chopped off two fingers of a teenager in Jiddu village, near Tudun Wada, Lugbe Abuja on Saturday night.
Uncle to the victim, Alhaji Suleman Afawu explained, “The victim, an 18-year-old Sale Ibrahim returned home after grazing cattle and went back to Jiddu village to collect two handsets he had given to a phone-charger around 8:00pm.
“He paid the charging fee and was coming back home when he was attacked by the armed robber who attacked him with a sharp machete.
“He docked using his hand in defence against the cutlass. But he lost two fingers and his forehead was slit open.
“He threw the handsets away and ran home crying for help. We rushed him to a private health facility, Yabisam Hospital in Federal Housing Authority, Lugbe.
“He has received drips and we are waiting for the blood samples to donate blood to him.”
Afawu said that they reported the case to the Police Outpost in Tudun Wada, Lugbe.
The vigilante in Jiddu arrested the suspect and took him to Nigerian Police Divisional Office, Lugbe.
Reign of terror on communities in Abuja has continued unabated.
On Sunday, kidnappers dumped four bodies out the 10 persons kidnapped in Kubwa/Dutse area of the territory at Ida, near Ushafa in Bwari Area Council.
Among the bodies were a secondary school student and daughter of Ekiti State-born Chief Legal Officer of the National University Commission (NUC), Folorunsho Ariyo and a 400 level student of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nabeeeha Al-kadriyar.
Miss Ariyo was abducted along with her mother and three siblings recently while Nabeeeha Al-kadriyar was seized with her father and five of her female siblings last Tuesday in the same axis.
The kidnappers had demanded for the sum of N60 million ransom to release members of the Ariyo family who could only raise about N5 million.
The girl was buried on Sunday in Dutse Cemetery, Abuja while the other members of the family remain with their abductors.
It was learnt that the kidnappers who invaded Al-kadriyar’s residence at Zuma 1, near Bwari at about 9:00pm last Tuesday, also took away her father and her sisters and demanded the sum of N100 million ransom for their release but later dropped it to N60 million.
Last month, activities of bandits were constantly reported in Kuje, Kwali and Abaji Area Councils. Now they concentrate on Bwari.
On Thursday, they entered Kawu village in Bwari Area Council and abducted 23 persons.
Kawu, an FCT village which shares boundaries with Niger and Kaduna states had not been in the radar of the bandits in recent times since they began a regular assault on villages in Bwari and in Garam, a village in Niger State.
The gunmen numbering about 40 were said have divided themselves into groups to launch the multi-prong assault.
Deputy Leader of the Bwari Area Council Legislative arm, Abdulmumini Zakari said the gunmen arrived around the community the previous day from the Kuyeri Forest in Kaduna State.
Zakari explained, “They divided themselves into groups and some went into the palace of the district head, Alhaji Abdurrahman Danjuma Ali where they abducted his son, Lukman and his wife whom he married two weeks ago.
“Others attacked the compound of Alhaji Alhassan Sidi Kawu, the Marafa of Kawu and a former PDP Chairman of Kawu Ward. They abducted him along with his four children.”
According to him, the bandits also went into the compound of Sarkin Pawan Kawu, Gambo Pawa and abducted him alongside his two wives and some children.When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force, FCT Command, CSP Josephine Adeh said, “We are trying to curb insecurity and we wouldn’t relent.”
Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Mr Olasupo Olusi has reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting local manufacturing in Nigeria.Olusi said this when he visited the GU Ebeco facility and inspected ongoing projects at the Nisa Medical and Zeberced Group at the Idu Industrial Layout, Abuja yesterday.
He expressed delight at the progress made so far at the various facilities while commending the chief executives of the organisations, urging them to do more. During the visit to the GU Ebeco, the BOI boss emphasised the importance of job creation and the need for their products to proudly bear the “Made in Nigeria” label.Olusi praised GU Ebeco’s progress over the past seven years, applauding its expansion into a national enterprise with over 1,500 employees and several facilities across the country.“I am very happy with the fact that BOI has supported this enterprise for the last seven years. It is wonderful to see that it has grown.“It employs 1,500 staff, and operates a national distribution system. We are proud of the significant role GU Ebeco is playing in the Nigerian manufacturing landscape,” he said.The BOI boss also commended the loan repayment performance of the company saying it had taken multiple facilities from the BOI. He encouraged other young entrepreneurs to stay focused, while assuring them of BOI’s commitment to supporting them and Nigeria’s industrialisation efforts.Responding Mr Ebere Uzozie, Managing Director of GU Ebeco, expressed his appreciation for the continued support from the BOI.“We are grateful for the Bank of Industry’s backing. Their loans have helped us expand and create lasting change. We now have 34 facilities, and we are debt-free.” We are optimistic the visit will mark a new chapter for the company, and will ensure further growth and partnerships that will contribute to Nigeria’s industrial future,” Uzozie said.at the Zeberced Group, its Managing Director, Mr Aydin Kurt, said that Nigeria had lots of potential and could be the future of the world.While acknowledging the country’s potential in industrialisation, he emphasised the importance of producing locally in Nigeria rather than relying on imports.Kurt also appealed for more collaboration with the BOI to promote industrialisation, create jobs and help grow the economy.“I cannot do it alone. we have to come together and create a synergy to attract different investors to come and also invest in this country.“This is our vision we have a lot to share with you, and thank you once again for visiting our corporations,” he said.Responding, the BOI managing director said that the bank was keen on infrastructure and committed to supporting industrious infrastructure.“This project is very important to us and a critical objective for the county and, in that spirit, we have decided that we will continue to support the proliferation of industrial parts across the nation.Why yours is so unique is because it has a plan for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which is very important.“We have a mandate to support that particular segment of our economy because they are the ones that champion job creation and most of the growth of the economy is attributed to them,” Olusi said.The BOI boss thanked Zeberced Group for the opportunity while commending the groups’ vision, energy and optimism to carry the project forward.“We look forward to our partnership. Like I said, we all want to be parts and parcel of this project, we have already given you some money to implement it, and we will see how we can do more.“As you expand we will support, but you have to also show us the job creation numbers, and make sure your goods are branded made in Nigeria,” he said.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that GU Ebeco is a furniture company while Zeberced is a construction company. NAN
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has unveiled an app to boost efficiency and mitigate the impact of road accidents in the country.Speaking at the event yesterday in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume explained that the app was designed to digitalize FRSC operations for effective traffic management.
The SGF who described the current rate of accidents as a great concern to the present administration, urged the FRSC management to involve stakeholders in the implementation of the app to monitor motorists and curb the excesses of FRSC officers and personnel. The Chairman, House Committee on Road Safety, Abiodun Adeshida said the National Assembly was ready to review the 2007 Federal Road Safety Corps Act for more efficient service delivery.The Kenyan Ambassador to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina said African countries have a lot to learn from the FRSC’s experience in addressing the high rate of road crashes across the continent.According to the him, Africans must come together and provide homegrown solutions to address road safety challenges.In his welcome remarks, the Corps Marshal FRSC, Shehu Mohammed stated that the innovation was part of efforts to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration on the use of the new technology to strengthen the commitment of road users and enhancing road safety operations.Mohammed said the corps would embark on aggressive sensitization in all motor parks and town hall meetings for stakeholders to key into the new technology.The Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama expressed confidence that the new technology would bring sanity to Nigerian roads.Dr Bulama commended FRSC management for the new operational initiative and pledged FRCN’s continued support to every program to reduce death and enhance economic activities in the country.The Acting President, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Isa Ore said leaders in the transport sector would contribute to the success of the application in saving lives on the highway.Other stakeholders in the transport sector promised to support FRSC in enforcing traffic laws and protect lives and property on Nigerian roads.
By David Torough, Abuja
Minister of State (Oil) Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri yesterday denied that the Federal Government is responsible for the Tuesday increase in the price of petrol, saying it is a function of deregulation.The latest hike in the price of petrol has pushed up transport fares by over 50 percent in major cities across Nigeria.
The increase implemented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) Retail Management ranges from N855 to N897 per litre, depending on the location from the previous N568-N617. Independent marketers have adjusted their prices to between N930 and N1,200 per litre of petrol.The minister denied FG’s involvement while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja.Shettima had summoned Lokpobiri along with the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Mele Kyari and the National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu over the recent hike in the price of petrol.Lokpobiri said, “This sector is deregulated. And we believe that with the availability of products, the price will find its level.“What is important is that the product is available in the country. Between now and weekend, there will be availability of the product across the length and breadth of the country.“We believe that by the time there is availability of the product across the country, the price itself will stabilise.”Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said regulatory efforts were geared toward stabilising supply of petrol in the country, which he said would impact positively on stability of price.Okuoha said, “The objective of the regulator is to ensure that there’s increased operating hours from all loading depots; vessels are being cleared promptly and extended hours where safety can permit truck outs as well.“More importantly also is the reinforcement of the support being given to local refinancing, because with increased production there will be higher supply, which will stabilise the price.”Despite making its product available, the Federal Government has not started lifting petrol from the Dangote Refinery.Yesterday, Dangote Group refuted the claim in the media that NNPCL is currently lifting petrol from its refinery and selling at N897 per litre.A statement signed by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina said the company has not yet finalised any contract with NNPCL.The statement entitled, “NNPC yet to lift our petrol” reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a headline “NNPC lifts Dangote Petrol, sells at N897 per litre” published in the BusinessDay Newspapers of Wednesday, 4 September 2024.“We would like to state that NNPCL 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 NNPCL.“The PMS market is strictly regulated, which is known to all oil marketers and stakeholders in the sector, hence we cannot 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.”
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