Connect with us

NEWS

Brave taxi driver rams into bandits blockade, kills three in Niger

Published

on

Brave taxi driver rams into bandits blockade, kills three in Niger

 

Some bandits terrorizing communities in Niger State have met their death, as a brave taxi driver rammed into their blockade killing three and zooming off on the ever-busy Minna Gwada highway on Sunday

The courageous driver had no other option but to use the high speed as a defense against the heavily armed men suspected to be bandits killing three of them on the spot.

The bandits were said to have invaded the highway to wreak havoc on motorists when the brave commercial driver who was on top speed ran into them

It was gathered that the bandits had earlier carried out their offensive attacks on some communities in Mutndaya, Shiroro local government where they rustled some cattles and kidnapped dozens of persons among their victims were three pregnant women from the local government

It was gathered that the bandits were armed with sophisticated weapons such as Ak47, and Ak49 among other dangerous weapons with which they had earlier laid siege on the highway waiting for vehicles to attack.

Read Also >> Insecurity: Reps Urge FG To Increase Capacity Of Armed Forces

It was further gathered that the hoodlums extended their operation to some communities in Kafi Koro in Paikoro local government and engaged the local vigilante corps and the military in a gun duel where two of the bandits were gunned down while another two were arrested by the joint operatives of the vigilante and the military.

Having been overwhelmed some of the bandits took to their heels escaping into the bush with gunshot wounds as they abandoned their motorcycles.

Already the locals in their large numbers have deserted their homes as a result of the invasion of the gunmen that held them, hostage, for over 8 hours unchallenged.

Among the communities invaded by the gunmen, are Mutundaya, Gwada, Sikiti, Ishau, and Adunu in Shiroro and Paikoro local governments?

A visit to the affected Communities by our correspondent indicated that women and children were seen in their numbers trekking to the nearby village to take refuge.

However, our reporter was told that some heavily armed military personnel have been drafted to both communities who have been able to repel the terrorists killing two and recovering the rustled animals.

It was also gathered during the gun duel with the soldiers who came into the communities in sixteen Hilux vans, some motorcycles abandoned were recovered as some of the fleeing terrorists escaped into the forest with gunshot wounds.

The Commissioner for local government and internal security in Niger State, Mr. Emmanuel Umar could not be reached for his comments as a series of calls to his cellphone were not responded to.

However, the state commandant of Niger State vigilante corps (NSVC) Yarima Nasir Manta while confirming the report explained that his men and soldiers are already on the trail of the fleeing bandits

Three of the communities are now ghosted towns having been deserted by the locals to take refuge in nearby internally displaced person camps (IDP) in Gwada and a primary school in Chimbi community in Paikoro local government.

NEWS

Moghalu Prescribes Good Governance As Panacea To Ethnic Agitation

Published

on

 

The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.

In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’

ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations

The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.

He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.

Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.

“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.

“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from

Continue Reading

NEWS

N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden

Published

on

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.

In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.

READ ALSO: CSR: Dangote Cement Fuels Education With Support Projects At Lagos Schools

He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.

“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.

He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.

“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.

Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.

“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said

He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.

“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”

Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.

He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.

“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.

“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.

He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.

 

 

Continue Reading

International News

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others

Published

on

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.

In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”

READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt  Chairman By Police

The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.

Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.

The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.

With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2022. Biztellers, powered by Alphaxristi.