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Umahi denies restricting Obasanjo from using Lagos-Calabar coastal highway
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, on Saturday clarified that he never said former President Olusegun Obasanjo should not use the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway when completed.
Umahi made the clarification during an inspection tour of the highway project in Lagos.
He reacted to some comments to the effect that he said Obasanjo should not use the road for describing the highway project as wasteful.
“The point is that the former president is not only my former president, he is also my father and he is my in-law; so, I have my respect for him.
“ I never said the former president should not use the road.
“He is not the only one among the few criticising the road project.
“ I said, ‘If you say the road is not good, you have a choice to use it or not to use it.’
“That is what I said. I didn’t say the former president should not use the road,” Umahi told journalists during the inspection tour.
The minister said that the 700km road project was never wasteful but a vital investment with huge socio-economic benefits.
“If you say the project is wasteful, it is an ambiguous statement. Is it wasteful in the sense that it shouldn’t have been?
“Is it wasteful in the sense that we are going to be earning carbon credit from the concrete pavement and from solar light?
“Is it wasteful in the sense that along this corridor, we are going to have windmill energy connecting all the communities we are going through?
“Is it wasteful that it is from Lagos to Calabar? Well, we have the Sokoto-Badagry Highway project, which is 1,068km,” he asked.
The minister added that the Federal Government was executing a 462km Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi- Gombe Road project, among other projects.
“ Why then single out this one to say that it is wasteful?”
He said that travelling from Lagos to Calabar through the highway would take only five hours, reducing travel time.
“It is an evacuation corridor; so, the amount that the Federal Government spends in doing transhipment will be saved.”
Umahi said that in the next six months, section one of the highway project would be completed.
“Is it wasteful in the sense that this road is going to be passing a number of existing roads?
“Is it wasteful in the sense that the Bua Refinery, this is passing through it?
“Is it wasteful that it is going to be an evacuation corridor for Dangote Refinery?
“I cannot see the sense in saying that it is wasteful,” he added.
Umahi also said that the project had nothing to do with corruption.
He said that Obasanjo praised his administration’s transparency and achievements when he was the Governor of Ebonyi.
“He is my father. If a father suddenly says that his son is corrupt, it is up to the son to say he is not corrupt.” (NAN)
A joint operation by security forces in Katsina State successfully thwarted a planned bandit attack on Saturday, resulting in the death of one suspected bandit. According to a statement released by Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, the operation was executed under the direction of the Commissioner of Police, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, in collaboration with the Department of State Services and members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps. Sadiq reported that the joint team intercepted a planned bandit attack on Dan Takuri village, located within the Danmusa Local Government Area.
“On March 15, 2025, at approximately 12:30 PM, intelligence from the Department of State Services in Danmusa indicated that a large group of bandits were congregating in the Maijele Mountain area of Danmusa LGA, preparing to attack Dan Takuri village,” the statement detailed. “Upon receiving this information, a combined team of police officers and KSCWC members, led by the Divisional Police Officer of Danmusa, immediately deployed to the mountain where the suspected bandits were gathering.
“A intense exchange of gunfire ensued, leading to the elimination of one armed bandit. The superior tactics and firepower of the security operatives forced the remaining bandits to flee, sustaining various injuries,” the statement continued.Following the confrontation, a search of the area yielded the recovery of an AK-47 rifle with three rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, an unregistered red Boxer motorcycle, 50 packets of suspected cannabis, 32 bottles of soft drinks, a machete, and other illicit substances.
“Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Abubakar Musa, commended the operatives for their professionalism and bravery, reaffirming the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property in Katsina State through collaboration with other security agencies,” the statement added. Abubakar urged the public to continue providing timely and accurate information to support the command’s efforts in combating criminal activities throughout the state.”
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
The Nigerian Army has paid its final respects to Captain Keziah Godiya Ayuba, who was laid to rest with full military honours in her hometown of Sambon Gida, Jaba Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The solemn event was attended by top military officials, family, and friends who gathered to celebrate her life and service.
Brigadier General Philip Ebuk, Commander of 1 Division Supply and Transport, represented the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, during the burial. In his tribute, he described Captain Ayuba as a committed and highly professional officer who served Nigeria with distinction.
Captain Keziah Godiya Ayuba was born on 9 July 1987 in Shogunle, Lagos State, but hailed from Jaba LGA in Kaduna State. She began her academic journey at Police Children School, Ikeja, before moving on to Toamy Private College in Egbe. Her pursuit of higher education led her to Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, where she obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Public Administration.
Her determination and passion for serving the nation motivated her to join the Nigerian Army through the Direct Short Service Course 23 on 3 July 2017. From that moment, she embarked on a remarkable military career that earned her respect and admiration.
Throughout her service in the Nigerian Army, Captain Ayuba held several important positions. She served as the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations within the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport. Additionally, she played a key role as Staff Officer Grade 3, Information and Publication, at 81 Division Army Public Relations.
Her exceptional leadership skills, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to duty distinguished her as a highly respected officer. She consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and dedication to her responsibilities, setting a high standard for her colleagues.
Captain Ayuba’s commitment to excellence was evident in her pursuit of further military training. She successfully completed various specialised courses, including:
Young Officers’ Course in Public Relations
Media Operations Officers’ Course
Legal Aspects of Combatting Terrorism Course
Her outstanding performance in these courses enhanced her capabilities as a military officer, reinforcing her status as a valuable asset to the Nigerian Army. In recognition of her service and contributions, she was awarded the General Operations Medal, a testament to her dedication and achievements.
Beyond her military accomplishments, she served as an inspiration, particularly for female officers striving to excel in their careers. Her journey stood as proof that determination, discipline, and hard work could lead to great success in the armed forces.
As part of the final military rites, the Nigerian Army honoured Captain Ayuba with a traditional 21-gun salute. Her Next of Kin was presented with the national flag and her military insignia, symbolising her selfless service to the nation.
During the ceremony, the Chief of Army Staff expressed deep sorrow over the loss of such a brilliant officer. He highlighted her exceptional qualities and described her passing as a significant loss not only to her family but also to the Nigerian military and the country as a whole.
Russia and Ukraine continued aerial attacks on each other, inflicting injuries and damages, officials said early on Sunday, as the fate of a proposed ceasefire to the three-year-old war remained uncertain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he supported in principle Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine but that his forces would fight on until several crucial conditions were worked out.
Both sides have since traded heavy aerial strikes, and Russia moved closer on battlefield to ejecting Ukrainian forces from their months-old foothold in the western Russian region of Kursk.
The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that its air defence units destroyed a total of 31 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
Of those, 16 were downed over the southwestern region of Voronezh, nine over the territory of the Belgorod region and the rest over the Rostov and Kursk regions, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
In a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod, three people were injured, including a 7-year-old, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said earlier on the Telegram messaging app.
Two of the people were injured after a drone hit their house, sparking a fire in the Gubkinsky district of the region, while the other person was injured in a drone attack on the village of Dolgoye, Gladkov said.
Alexander Gusev, governor of Voronezh, said on Telegram that there was no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The acting governor of the southern Russian region of Rostov said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage reported there either.
In Ukraine, authorities reported several Russian drone strikes, including on the northern region of Chernihiv, where firefighters were battling a blaze at a high-rise building that was sparked by Russian drone attack, Ukraine’s state of emergency service said.
Ukrainian media reported a series of explosions in the region surrounding the capital Kyiv, after Ukraine’s air force issued warnings of a threat of drone attacks on Kyiv and a number of other central Ukrainian regions.
By 0300 GMT on Sunday, there was no official information about damage in the Kyiv region.