The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed that its operatives rescued no fewer than 14 kidnapped victims and arrested five suspects.

The spokesman of the Nasarawa State Police Command, DSP Ramhan Nansel confirmed this on Tuesday after security operatives raided the hideout of the kidnappers.

“Police operatives attached to Toto Division in collaboration with community youths on November 4, 2024 burst kidnappers’ hideout located at Achido village, a deeply forested terrain bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Kogi state where they rescued 14 kidnapped victims namely: Adamu Abdullahi, Musa Ahmed and Auwal Adamu of Kuje FCT – Abuja,” Nansel said.

Other rescued kidnapped victims, according to the statement on X, are Hussaini Yakubu, Haruna Usman, Jibrin Bature, Isyaka Yakubu, Sule Bello and Yusuf Yusuf all males of Lapai, Niger state.

Others include Yusuf Tashai, Kabiru Iliya both of Rubuchi area of FCT, Sabo Yakubu, Sagir Iliya and Yunusa Danladi of Tanshi village, Kuje Area council, FCT-Abuja.

“Consequently, the operatives arrested five suspects in connection to the crime namely Shuaibu Garba, Umar Mohammed, Yakubu Kasim. Mustapha Adamu and Abdul Mohammed,” he added.

Nansel said that they have all confessed to be responsible for the supply of food to the kidnappers in the forest.

He stated that the Nasarawa Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Shehu Nadada has restated the command’s commitment to continuously partner with members of the community to rid the state of crime and urged the public at all times to say something when they see something.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has signed into law the supplementary budget for the year 2024 in Ondo State.

According to a statement posted on the official X account of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ondo chapter on Tuesday, the supplementary budget captures the payment of the N73,000 new minimum wage for the state workers.

The APC added that Aiyedatiwa did this so as to meet up with the new financial commitments of the Ondo State Government.

“This brings the total budget for 2024 to a total of N492,045,100, 000 (Four hundred and ninety-two billion, forty-five million, one hundred thousand naira). This is made up of recurrent expenditure of N246, 727, 852, 786 and capital expenditure of N245, 317, 247, 214,” the APC stated.

It added that the supplementary budget also captures the salaries of newly recruited workers across various sectors.

Governor Aiyedatiwa said the supplementary budget reflects the determination of his administration to cater for the welfare of workers and the overall development of the state.

Meanwhile, the governor on Monday assured civil servants in the state that he will not downsize the workforce no matter the level of recruitment to fill vacant positions.

While emphasising that he is not contemplating such thought, Aiyedatiwa said that the steady defrayment of inherited gratuities will continue, as well as his administration’s support for the healthcare contributory scheme.

The governor disclosed this on Monday in Akure, Ondo State capital, during the Ondo State Public Service Week Celebration Lecture with the theme ‘Creating and Managing a Future-Ready Public Service: A Pathway to Sustainable Development.’

He said: “The gradual recruitment into critical sectors of the service to address acute personnel gaps will also continue as much as practicable. I want to assure you that even with the financial burden that all of these may attract, our administration will never ever contemplate downsizing the workforce.

“In all honesty, the public service requires to be rejigged and equipped to upscale its roles and processes to meet the trends of best world practices in public administration.

“The time has come, therefore, for the service to be more proactive, innovative, dynamic, and tech-driven. The capacity of the institutions and their operators must be enhanced for effective and efficient service delivery to justify the huge resources invested in it and to serve society better.

“I have no doubt in my mind, therefore, that this forum will come with great impartation for our public servants.”

Aiyedatiwa further assured the workers of the payment of the new minimum wage, starting in November.

On his part, the Head of Service, Bayo Philip, appreciated the governor for his moral and physical support towards the welfare of public servants in the state as well as key appointments and the promotion of over five thousand and forty civil servants in the state.

Philip stressed the role of the public service in fostering forward-thinking governance and highlighted the administration’s commitment to regular salary payments, pensions, and the provision of 2024 leave bonuses.

The event featured awards of excellence to the University of Medical Science, Ondo, the State Civil Service Commission, and the state Contributory Health Insurance Scheme for outstanding performance.

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on Tuesday announced a special edition of its Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme (UGSS) to commemorate its 35th/25th anniversary.

“NLNG wishes to announce a special edition of the NLNG Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme—UGSS Special Edition—for its host communities,” the joint venture disclosed on X.

NLNG said the UGSS Special Edition is designed to empower exceptional students from the company’s host communities by providing the financial support necessary to complete their undergraduate studies at Nigerian public universities.

Interested candidates can apply online through http://dragnet.ng/nlngscholarship until December 2, 2024.

To apply, candidates must register on the website using a personal email address, activate their account via the email link, log in and complete the online form, upload required documents, including a passport photo, review and submit their application.

How to apply

Interested candidates should visit www.dragnet.ng/ningscholarship to apply

Click “Register” to create an account using personal email, then activate it via the email link.

Log in and complete the online form with your personal, educational and other requirements.

Upload clear scans of all documents, ensuring names match those on your application and include a passport photo with a white background.

Review your application before clicking “Apply Now” to submit it. If your application is successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.

Baltasar Engonga, the Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) in Equatorial Guinea, has been arrested after a shocking discovery of over 400 sex tapes involving the wives of prominent individuals in the country.

The tapes were found during a fraud investigation, where officials conducted a surprise search of Engonga’s home and office.

The tapes, stored on CDs, revealed his sexual encounters with high-profile women, including the wife of his brother, the cousin and sister of the country’s president, the wife of the Director General of Police, and the spouses of about 20 ministers.

The footage, which has since leaked online, was allegedly recorded with the consent of the women.

Local media reported that the scandal has sent shockwaves across the nation. Some of the encounters took place in Engonga’s office, with one scene reportedly showing him engaging in sexual activities next to the national flag.

“Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA is said to have filmed these scenes with the consent of the women themselves, which exonerates him from a possible crime of violation of integrity. In the videos, he is seen having unprotected sex with several women, including those married to powerful and well-known people in the country, but also with the most “diva and influential” single women in Equatorial Guinea. Some scenes take place in hotel rooms, houses, even in the protagonist’s office at the Ministry of Finance,” a report on Ahora EG added.

Equatorial Guinea’s government has responded swiftly, suspending all officials involved in sexual activities within ministry offices.

The Vice President, Nguema Mangue, condemned the actions, stating they violate the country’s Code of Conduct and Public Ethics Law. He reiterated the government’s “zero tolerance” policy for behaviour that tarnishes the integrity of public service, stressing the need for ethics and respect.

While Engonga faces charges related to corruption, authorities have noted that consensual sexual acts do not constitute a crime unless coercion or violence is proven. However, the Attorney General has urged victims of sexual abuse to come forward, stressing the public health risks posed by such widespread sexual encounters.

The scandal has sparked widespread outrage, with calls for stricter oversight of public officials in Equatorial Guinea.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sensitized students in Gombe and Bauchi States on emergency management and reduction in the risk of disaster.

According to a statement on the X account of the agency on Monday, NEMA officials, Gombe Operations Office carried out the sensitization campaign focusing on emergency management and disaster risk reduction in Government comprehensive secondary school, (Hassan) where there is a Disaster Risk Reduction club for students.

“The initiative is aimed at increasing awareness among students and staff across Gombe and Bauchi States on how to effectively respond to emergencies and mitigate risks associated with disasters,” the statement read.

This program is part of NEMA’s broader strategy to strengthen community resilience by educating young people on preparedness measures and fostering a culture of safety and proactive response within the school environment.

By equipping schools with disaster risk reduction clubs, NEMA said it seeks to enhance the overall capacity to handle emergencies and reduce vulnerabilities in educational institutions.

Motorists in Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States have lamented that most roads in the states are now killing zones due to their bad state.

A cross-section of the motorists and other critical stakeholders made the lamentation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a survey on the state of roads across Nigeria.

NAN findings revealed some of the road in the state, though motorable, are potholes-ridden, hence record recurring road traffic crashes.

It was also found out that such obnoxious road accidents often resulted in colossal loss of lives and property.

In Kaduna State, Suleiman Bature, Secretary, Kaduna State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), urged the authorities concerned with road maintenance in the state to wake up from their ‘deep slumber.’

He said, “This is considering the deteriorating condition of some roads across the state and the attendant fatal consequences.”

Bature made the call on Friday in an interview with NAN in Kaduna.

He said although there were ongoing efforts by the state and federal governments to rehabilitate roads in the state, the slow pace of work made it difficult for motorists to operate.

Bature said: “One would not say the government is completely negligent but they have to wake up from their slumber.

“Before now, there used to be routine maintenance, especially after the rainy season due to potholes that emerge on the roads but now we don’t even know what is happening with FERMA.

“You should know that we have articulated vehicles that carry heavy loads and ply these roads as such, it is expected that at least FERMA should carry out maintenance every six months but that is not the case”.

Francis Bisallah, an urban and regional planning expert based in Kaduna, noted that corruption on the part of some contractors was the bane of bad roads in parts of the country.

Bisallah said, “Sometimes, the government is not to blame but some of these contractors who get mobilised yet would refuse to carry out good jobs.

“Some of the contractors who carry out the projects unfortunately use substandard material and that is why after a few months, some of the roads start giving way.

“Government should have a strong monitoring mechanism to ensure standardisation when it comes to road construction to avoid fast deterioration of new or rehabilitated roads”.

Sa’idu Gambo, a commercial driver at Kawo park on his part told NAN that the poor state of the roads had a negative impact on their vehicles as they always had to visit the mechanic after every major trip.

“One can hardly travel on our roads without having to go for one or two repairs at the mechanics due to the deteriorating nature of the roads.

“We urge the authorities to, as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate the roads to curb the high rate of road crashes and loss of lives,” he said.

A staff member of FERMA who sought anonymity told NAN that the agency was limited to commenting on projects in the state until she had permission from headquarters, adding, “We only work based on instructions from above.”

In Kafanchan, motorists and passengers alike have called for regular maintenance of roads by relevant agencies to address the deteriorating state of roads in the state.

They made this known in separate interviews with NAN in Kafanchan, headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area.

Adamu Sambo, a commercial driver, said roads that were not adequately and regularly maintained often develop potholes and cracks, which can cause accidents.

“To me, the number one cause of bad roads in our state is lack of maintenance, because if they were being properly maintained, they wouldn’t be in bad shape.

“No matter how well you construct a road, if you don’t look after it, you are going to have issues,” he stated.

Another commercial driver, Monday Bitrus, made a case for the rehabilitation of the Kafanchan-Kwoi road, which, he said, has become a nightmare for motorists.

“That road has been in bad shape for some years now. So, I am appealing to the government of the day to fix the road as it is a major road,” he said.

On his part, Solomon Hosea, a passenger, told NAN that as the yuletide approaches, there was the need to repair bad roads to ensure the safety of passengers.

In Katsina State, some motorists and passengers have decried the bad condition of the Kafur-Zaria road, urging the Federal Government to hasten its rehabilitation to reduce crashes recorded on a daily basis.

They made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina.

A motorist, Malam Muhammad Abubakar, whose vehicle got punched on the road, said in spite of the ongoing road’s rehabilitation, which he described as too slow, stressed the need for its dualisation.

Another driver, Abubakar Aliyu, said the Federal Government should do the needful, explaining that though the road is busy during the day, it is a dangerous area at night because of its condition.
“The road is a busy road and requires dualisation because at least over 1,000 vehicles, both commercial and private, ply it daily.

“Whenever I pass through this road, especially from Kafinsoli-Matazu-Musawa and from Kafur-Dabai, my vehicle must be taken to a mechanic for a checkup.

“Do we continue like this? Always going to the mechanic after passing through the road?. The road actually needs to be fixed to save people’s lives as a result of incessant crashes due to its bad condition,” he said.

A commercial vehicle driver, Aliyu Abdulsalam, said that whenever he was going to Kaduna with passengers, he always found it difficult because of the condition of the roads.

He, therefore, called for the speedy completion of the rehabilitation in order to reduce the frequent crashes on it.

He also urged the Federal Government to complete the Katsina-Kano road that linked the state and the country with the Niger Republic and other parts of the West African countries.

A passenger, Malam Dahiru Abubakar, said that the dualisation of the Katsina part of the road needs to be completed.

He explained that in some cases, criminals take advantage of the bad road conditions to block it and robb passengers, especially at night.

Abubakar said that if the road was repaired, the rate at which armed robbers attack passengers would be reduced.

He said that would also assist in easing the transportation of farm produce by farmers and other traders to other states of the federation.

In a related development, the Katsina State Safety and Road Traffic Authority (KASSAROTA) has warned the public against dumping of sand or waste on roads.

Its Director-General, retired Maj. Yahaya Garba-Rimi, made the appeal through his Public Relations Officer, Marwan Abubakar.

He said that the call was aimed at maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the state’s roads.
He emphasised the importance of safe practices and compliance with traffic laws to foster a secure road environment.

Garba-Rimi, particularly, called on individuals who wash motorcycles, tricycles, or cars on the roads to cease such practices, as that violates existing regulations.

The director-general also warned traders who place goods on roads and pedestrian walkways to immediately relocate their businesses because those pathways were meant exclusively for public passage and vehicular movements.

He called on all motorists and residents to support the authority’s initiatives by observing its guidelines.

In Kano State, motorists have also urged the authorities concerned to take urgent steps to fix the deplorable roads in and around the state.

The motorists, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano, called for the repair and completion of Gwarzo-Dayi , Kano-Maiduguri, Kano-Zaria roads and some bad township roads in the metropolis.

A driver, Isa Musa, who called for the repair and completion of some of the important roads, lamented that motorists spend several hours on bad spots.

According to him, the situation called for urgent attention to relieve motorists of the untold hardship they go through.

Another motorist, Abba Malam, said that the terrible state of some of the roads had continued to be a source of great concern to road users, especially motorists.

He added that the dilapidated roads had affected human and vehicular movements within and outside the city, thereby causing serious traffic congestion along the roads.

According to him, the failure of the Kano State Road Maintenance Agency (KARMA) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to repair the affected roads had been responsible for the increasing number of accidents being recorded in the city on a daily basis.

“You hardly drive your car within the city without going through bad portion of roads,” he said.

A resident, Lawan Shehu, said that there was an urgent need for the state government to do something about the roads, most of which, he said, were in a bad state and had become worrisome to Kano residents.

“There are some areas where a distance, which should not last for more than five minutes, now takes between 10 minutes and 15 minutes,” Shehu said.

Aminu Abdul, a trader, also appealed to the state government to renovate the roads in Dakata, Kurna, ring road, Pansheka, Kumbotso and Kawo.

“Most of the roads in the city need to be rehabbed. Indeed, most of the patched potholes have gone bad, thus making it difficult for motorists to move easily,” he said.

Isaac Aliyu, a legal practitioner, attributed the problem to the lack of maintenance, funding ,corruption and mismanagement.

He also said that over-reliance on federal government funding, climate change and weather-related damage could also be attributed to the state of the roads in the country.

Aliyu, who called for more investment in infrastructure, also advised the Federal Government to enter into Public Private Partnership (PPP) for infrastructure development in the country.

Bala Nura , a member of the Kano Civil Society Forum, called for increased funding and budget allocation for road maintenance in the country.

Nura further called for decentralisation of road management to state and local governments, regular maintenance and repair schedules and improved traffic management and enforcement.

A staff of the Kano State Road Maintenance Agency (KARMA) said that the state government had spent enormous resources on repair of township roads and interventions on federal roads.

He said that the agency rehabilitated over 30 roads and evacuated drains in the metropolis.
According to him, the roads rehabilitated include Aminu Kano Way,Lodge road,Tarauni road,Airport road and Kano Government House, among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had recently inaugurated “Operation Free Our Roads.”

NAN reports that the project is a joint initiative between the Federal Ministry of Works and FERMA as part of the government’s efforts to put citizens first by fixing the roads.

The projects executed under the different interventions include patching of potholes, pavement strengthening, repairs of failed sections, limited rehabilitation, bridge/culvert construction and general maintenance, among others.