Bandits Kill One, Kidnap 45 in Kaduna Community
One person and no fewer than 45 others were reportedly kidnapped in Angwan Aku, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Christmas Day.
It was reliably gathered that the attack took place while Christian faithful were getting set to attend Church services in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The bandits, numbering hundreds parked their motorbikes along the road before invading the villages, shooting indiscriminately.
According to a source, the bandits who struck at about 10.00amon Sunday went from house-to-house picking their victims. The source also added that at the end, they went away with 53 but seven people escaped while they killed one.
As at the time of filing this report, 45 persons from the community are still being held hostage by the bandits.
There was no official confirmation of the attack from either the state government or the state police command.
The state police spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige, said he was not aware of the attack but promised to provide more information on the attack as soon as possible.
The Next President May Not Achieve Immediate Results – Ezekwesili
The Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili has said that the level of decay in the Nigerian system may impede the country’s next president from achieving immediate results.
Ezekwesili made this assertion while appearing on Channels TV’s Political Paradigm, scheduled to air on Tuesday noon.
The former minister noted that regardless of who won the presidential election in 2023, immediate results might be difficult due to the decaying system.
She therefore advised Candidates who are running for elections to tell electorates the bitter truth.
Arthur Eze Backs Atiku for 2023 Presidential Election
A prominent Anambra indigene, Prince Arthur Eze, has disassociated himself from the presidential ambition of the Labour Party’s candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
Eze said without mincing words that he was not part of Obi’s presidential aspiration because he has seen that the former Anambra State governor cannot win votes in the Southwest and in the North.
The businessman made the comments in the presence of the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, traditional rulers, women groups and prominent people of the state on Monday, while marking the 2022 Ofala Festival of the traditional ruler of Ukpo, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Eze pointed out that Soludo is the person that is being ripped to become Nigeria’s president of Igbo extraction in the time to come.
He explained that he had already warmed Obi to withdraw from the presidential race, but he refused to listen.
Uneasy Calm in PDP as Wike, Makinde, Others Travel to UK
There was disquiet in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday as the five aggrieved governors relocated to London to finalize decision on who to back for the presidency in next year’s general election.
Before they left, the governors had foreclosed working for the presidential candidate of their party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
A source said the governors under the aegis of the Integrity Group are now tinkering with the idea of either backing the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, or the flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, for the race.
It would be recalled that during a private meeting of three of the aggrieved governors with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, he asked the G-5 to support Obi because no Igbo candidate has been elected president.
However, the governors are still weighing options on the chances of Tinubu and Obi
Lagos Provides Free Healthcare
During an event at Providence by Mantis, Ikeja, Lagos State Health Management Agency has launched a platform, Eko Social Health Alliance (EKOSHA) to enable residents, especially the vulnerable, access quality healthcare
The General Manager of the agency, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, said over 230,000 residents have been enrolled on the scheme.
Mrs. Zamba listed proof of residency, vulnerability as defined in the LSHS law, membership of Lagos State Social Register, people living with special conditions as criteria for eligibility.
Jonathan’s Supporters Commence Mobilisation For Tinubu
Supporters of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who are members of the Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria, CNPDN, have commenced mobilization for All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The political group flagged off campaigns in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, saying that the next president of Nigeria must emerge from the Southern part of the country.
The supporters had in November endorsed Tinubu and commenced grassroots mobilisation in the South East and South South geopolitical zones of the country.
In a statement, the national secretary of the coalition, Mr Francis Okereke Wainwei said they unanimously resolved to support and vote for Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election in 2023.
Wainwei, whose group made a cash donation of N1 million to support Tinubu’s campaign in the two geopolitical zones, vowed to do everything to ensure the next president emerged from the South.
Confusion in Wike’s Camp Over Choice of Presidential Candidate
There appears to be confusion in the camps of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his four other colleagues over the choice of the presidential candidate they would support in the February 2023 presidential election.
This is as stakeholders in the five states, who are also contesting elections have gradually begun to disagree with their self-styled Integrity Group members, who had made known their intention to announce their preferred candidate by January.
Wike and other members of the Integrity Group like Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, however, seemed confused as their followers have declined supporting any other candidate outside of Atiku Abubakar.
This dilemma is not unconnected to a recent comment by the Wike that he would decide, who to vote for in the presidential election later in January 2023.
There’s also a swirling belief that Makinde was in deal with the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for support swap.
Terrorism Financing: Emefiele Must Defend Self
The South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), yesterday insisted that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, should defend himself against terrorism financing allegations that were levelled against him by the Directorate of State Services (DSS).
In a statement that was issued and signed by its Convener, Mr. Joseph Ambakederimo, the group, noted that Emefiele must be made to clear his name of allegations levelled by the DSS.
Fun Seekers Drown in Lagos Beach – LASEMA
There was pandemonium at Baracuda Beach, Abraham Adesanya, Ajah area of Lagos State on Monday when two yet-to-be-identified fun seekers drowned while trying to rescue another person from being swept away by the high current.
The victims were part of fun seekers and beachgoers who thronged the beach for the Boxing Day Celebration in Lagos, after Christmas Day the previous day.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the sad incident.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the Agency responded to distress calls concerning an incident at the above location, (Baracuda Beach, Abraham Adesanya, Ajah).
As of the time of filing this report, the bodies of the victims were yet to be recovered.
Bandits Gang-raped Pregnant Woman to Death in Niger
In Dnakundna village, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state, a pregnant woman was gang raped to death by bandits on Thursday.
The bandits imposed N2m levy on some villages in Shiroro Local Government Area before harvesting their farm produce.
All steps taken by the villagers to raise the amount failed. Therefore, they resorted to fleeing their ancestral homes to avoid being attacked by the bandits.
Unknown to the villagers, some informants within the villages had informed the bandits that the villagers were planning to flee the area and decided to lay ambush for them.
The deceased pregnant woman and mother of three was not however lucky as she and her three children ran into the ambush and were led into the bush with her children, gang raped by seven of the bandits and abandoned.
After a frantic search by the villagers, her body was found in the bush with bruises on her private part and other parts of her body and rushed to the hospital where she eventually gave up the ghost on Friday night.
Her three children were also unlucky as they were matched into the bush along with several other villagers abducted by the bandits.
Terrorists kill 15 residents, wound several others in Zamfara, Sokoto attacks
At least 15 people have been killed while several wounded others are receiving medical attention after terrorists invaded communities in Zamfara and Sokoto States Monday evening, residents have said.
The attacked communities were Ruwan Bore in Zamfara and Gatawa, Dangari and Kurawa in Sokoto State.
In Sokoto, a resident Nura Mamman, stated that the attackers invaded Dangari few minutes after 2 p.m.
He said when the attackers entered the community, most of the residents had run out to other villages. Four residents were killed while over 10 others got various degrees of injuries.
It was also gathered that the terrorists went to Gatawa and Kurawa communities all in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of the state.
Basharu Guyawa, a resident of Isa Local Government Area confirmed that at the last count on Monday night, 11 people from the three communities were counted dead, with several others injured.
Ekiti Will Compensate Tinubu, APC With Votes
The Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Monisade Afuye, has assured the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council that the party’s flag bearer, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, will secure over 75 per cent of total votes cast in the state in the 2023 election.
Afuye said this on Tuesday while donating cash and consumables to Ogoga-in-council and across 11 wards in Ikere Local Government Area to mark the Christmas and New year festivities in Ikere-Ekiti.
The Deputy Governor also gave 110 Ikere-Ekiti indigenes cash gifts and donated N1.5 million to party members and leaders across the wards.
Afuye described Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as part of Ekiti, being an in-law, political leader and mentor to many great politicians of Ekiti extraction, who deserved to be compensated with votes in 2023.
She alluded to Tinubu as one of the best brains and most experienced leaders with fervour to sail the country to prosperity, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s exit.
