News
Gunmen kill police operative, set station ablaze in Imo community
Gunmen launched an attack on the quiet Umulogho Community in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo, on Wednesday, killing a police operative and torching a section of a police station.
The News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the incident happened at Umulogho by NEPA Junction on the Owerri-Umuahia Road.
The gunmen were alleged to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.
They were reported to have stormed the area in a Sienna bus at about 8p.m. on Tuesday night.
NAN also learnt that the hoodlums spent more than one hour profiling residents of the area until they identified and killed the police officer.
“Upon identifying the man as a police operative, he was tortured with machete and left to die,” a source from the community told NAN on the condition of anonymity.
The source further said that the gunmen, who operated unchallenged, returned in the wee hours of Wednesday morning to burn down a section of the Divisional Police Station in the area.
Another source further disclosed that it took several hours before military personnel responded to the distress call made by the residents.
“Imo Police Command and the State Government need to step up the fight against insecurity in the state, especially in the rural areas.
“It is confusing how there are three different police formations domiciled in one police division, namely the Area Command, Isiweke Police Station and Obowo Police Division, yet the hoodlums were not challenged.
“It is even more worrisome that the police couldn’t respond because they claimed they did not have any operational vehicle.
“This is disheartening. It portends danger for residents that there is no security in the area,” the source said.
Another resident also called on the State Government to establish and equip vigilance groups in every community to support the police in the fight against violent crimes.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident to NAN.
Okoye said the command had deployed a special unit to the area to smoke out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
“We received the report and we have deployed our tactical unit to go all out to arrest those responsible for the act.
“As I am talking to you, I am with the Commissioner of Police, and together with other service chiefs, we intend to visit the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
“We want to equally inspire a certain level of confidence in the officers and residents, so they can go ahead with their duties and businesses without fear,” Okoye said. (NAN)
A Kano State High Court, on Tuesday, reserved ruling in the case of alleged bribery and misappropriation filed against the former governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others.
The Kano State Government instituted an eight-count charge bordering on bribery, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of Naira against Ganduje and seven others, including his wife, Hafsat Umar.
Others charged with Ganduje are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
When the case came up for hearing of all pending applications, counsel to Ganduje and his wife, Offiong Offiong SAN, applied for an extension of time and urged the court to grant the application.
“We also filed our preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court, dated Nov. 18, 2024, along with a 28-paragraph affidavit and a written address in support.
“We also filed a reply on point of law dated April 4, 2025,” he said.
However, counsel to the state, Mr Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated Oct. 22, 2024, addressing all the respondents.
“The application is attached with a seven-paragraph counter affidavit and a written address dated Dec. 13, 2024, attached along with several documents as exhibits,” Adedipe said.
He prayed the court to dismiss the respondents’ applications for lacking merit.
Counsel to the 3rd and 7th defendants, Mr Adekunle Taiye-Falola, filed a motion on notice on a preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“In reply to the complainant’s counter affidavit, we filed our further and better affidavit dated Dec. 12, 2024, and a reply on point of law. We urge the court to grant the application as prayed,” Taiye-Falola said.
Counsel to the 5th defendant, Mr Sunusi Musa, SAN, also filed a motion on notice on a preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, which was supported by an affidavit, an exhibit and a written address.
“We also filed our affidavit and reply on point of law and urged the court to grant the application with substantial costs against the complainant,” he said.
Counsel to the 6th respondent, Mr Ashafa Yusuf , also filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Sept. 9, 2024, supported by a nine-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“My Lord, we filed a further and better affidavit dated Feb. 17, supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit. We also filed a reply on point of law and urged the court to grant the application,” he said.
Also, Faruk Asekone, counsel to the 8th defendant, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“In reply to the complainant’s counter-affidavit, we filed our further and better affidavit and reply on point of law dated Feb. 13, 2025, and urge the court to grant the application,” Asdkome said.
The judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, granted the application for an extension of time.
Adamu-Aliyu adjourned the matter for ruling on the notices of preliminary objection to a date that would be communicated to the parties at a later date. (NAN)
A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, describing it as the most “corrupt and worst” government in Nigerian history.
El-Rufai, who spoke in an interview with some journalists in Katsina Monday night, said Tinubu’s government is also the most intolerant government since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
He claimed that the Federal Government of President Tinubu is the most lying government that depends on false propaganda, especially on security challenges bedevilling the country.
The erstwhile Kaduna governor, who was in Katsina to condole with Governor Dikko Umaru Radda over the demise of his mother, also refuted the claim by the Federal Government that security has improved in the country.
He added that the insecurity in the country is due to the Federal Government’s failure to proffer deeper solutions to address what he termed the prevailing security challenges from their roots.
He stressed that many local government areas in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States were under the control of bandits, adding that bandits and terrorists’ leaders like Dogo Gide, Mallam Abba and Bello Turji have not been killed.
El-rufia said: “I have said it before, this is the worst Federal Government in Nigerian history and all the indices have shown it. This is the most corrupt and most intolerant government in Nigeria.
“This is the most lying government that depends on false propaganda. They lied that security has improved in Nigeria. They read out numbers of bandits killed except the ones we know are the leading bandits.
“In Kaduna, Dogo Gide is still around, Mallam Abba, the Boko Haram terrorist is still alive. Bello Turji is still around but everyday, they announce names of people that are bandits’ leaders that they have killed and security has improved.
“How many local governments are under the occupation of bandits in Katsina State? How many are occupied by bandits in Zamfara State and some parts of Sokoto State? And because you are in government you think that nothing would happen?”
The former FCT Minister, however, described his new political party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as a party with a long history and credibility that will wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
A prominent loyalist of former Nigerian Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed for comments deemed “reckless” and “disrespectful” towards the elder statesman.
Dr. Aslam Aliyu, known as Gimbiyar Kauran Namoda from Zamfara state and one of the mast respected politicians in Nigeria, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning Governor Muhammed’s remarks, which she described as unbecoming of a party leader.
One of Nigeria’s respected female political voices suggested that Atiku is not a politician to be betrayed.
“Atiku Abubakar is not a politician to be undermined by mere political officeholders whose relevance remains confined to their states,” Aliyu said.
Dr Aliyu highlighting the former vice president’s enduring influence since 1999.
She pointed to his service under President Olusegun Obasanjo, his pivotal role in shaping the PDP, and his consistent presence in Nigeria’s political landscape over two decades.
Aliyu accused Muhammed of exposing his “political inexperience” by attempting to diminish Atiku’s stature within the party.
“For a governor who owes his platform to the PDP’s legacy to belittle one of its founding pillars is not just ungrateful—it is dangerous,” she warned.
She stated that when discussing the leaders of the People’s Democratic Party today, after Atiku Abubakar, the next in line is Senator Aminu Tambuwal.
“He demonstrated a spirit of sportsmanship by stepping down for Atiku in 2023 for the sake of northern development.”
She added that if Kaura wishes to resolve the PDP crisis, where was he when Wike and Fubara were at loggerheads over leadership for more than two years? No action was taken until the Governor was suspended and the state was declared a state of emergency .
“If he wants to end the crisis in the PDP, he should first resolve the one in his own state, Bauchi, and also reinstate the Rivers State Governor, Fubara, who is currently suspended.”
The statement urged Muhammed to exercise humility and cautioned that divisive rhetoric threatens the PDP’s unity.
“The PDP stands today because of the loyalty, sacrifice, and vision of men like Atiku Abubakar,” Aliyu declared, calling for mutual respect to safeguard the party’s future.