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BREAKING: Terrorists Attack Catholic Church In Kaduna, Kill Three, Abduct Many

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Three persons have been confirmed dead in a terrorist attack on Sunday at St Moses Catholic Church in Robuh, Ungwan Aku, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A former Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Reuben Buhari said the attack on Roboh village, Kajuru LGA where 36 people were kidnapped and 3 killed wasn’t the first attack.

According to him, ” attacks on rural communities by kidnappers have been going on without respite. Most go unannounced, unreported.”

“The attack on Roboh village, Kajuru LGA today where 36 people were kidnapped and 3 killed wasn’t the first attack. On 5th January 2022, it was attacked and some kidnapped. On 27 April 2020, the community was attacked again and this time some houses were burnt. Then the attack of today, 19 June 2022.”

He said because of the constant attacks on the community and surrounding ones, “the people in the village decided to start holding church services early by 7 am so that people can hurriedly go back to their homes. It was some few minutes after 7 am today, while both the Catholic and Baptist churches were holding their services when the kidnappers attacked.”

“I spoke to a man whose wife, mother, and daughter were taken from the Baptist church today. The anguish in his voice is something none of us should experience. The worrisome part of the insecurity is that most in Roboh have difficulties cultivating their farms. Moreover, because villages like Bakin Gada, Ungwan Pada, Maikori, Dogon noma, that surrounds Roboh have all been attacked at different times, people find it difficult to venture far to their farms.”

“Now, this man and others would wait for when the kidnappers would call and ask for ransom. They would start borrowing, begging, and selling anything to raise the ransom. After it’s paid, the kidnappers would come again, kill and again kidnapped,” he. said

Meanwhile, Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, said Security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that bandits attacked worshippers and locals at Ungwan Fada, Ungwan Turawa, and Ungwan Makama in Rubu general area of Kajuru local government area.

According to a statement issued by Aruwanon Sunday, the bandits stormed the villages on motorcycles, beginning from Ungwan Fada, and moving into Ungwan Turawa, before Ungwan Makama and then Rubu.

“In Rubu village, the bandits attacked worshippers in the Maranatha Baptist Church and St. Moses Catholic Church,” the statement said.

“Three locals were confirmed killed in the attacks. They were identified as

“Peter Madaki (Ward head of Ungwan Fada), Elisha Ezekiel (Resident of Ungwan Fada), and Ali Zamani (Youth leader of Rubu).”

“Two persons were left injured in the attacks: one Aniro Mai, and a yet-unidentified woman. An unspecified number of locals were also kidnapped, according to the received reports.”

“The bandits looted shops and carted away from some valuables from the villages.”

“The Acting Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, expressed deep sadness and condemned the attack in the strongest terms. She sent her sincere condolences to the families of the deceased victims, as she prayed for the repose of their souls.”

“The Acting Governor also commiserated with the attacked churches and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Security patrols were being conducted in the general area as investigations proceed.”

BIG STORY

Supporters Cheer As Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti Defies Senate, Returns To National Assembly Amid Tight Security

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan showed up at the National Assembly on Tuesday, where a crowd of her supporters had already gathered outside the complex.

Security presence at the National Assembly gate was significantly heightened, with stern-looking officers inspecting vehicles and limiting access for visitors, directing them to park outside.

At least five police patrol vans were observed stationed at a key point near the Assembly gate.

The increased security followed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s declaration that she intended to resume her senatorial duties despite warnings from the Senate.

The senator, who was suspended in March, said over the weekend that she had officially informed the Senate of her plans to return, basing her decision on a recent court ruling.

Speaking during a constituency training session, she stated that she had written the Senate leadership about her return.

“I will be there, because the court did make the decision on that. Now, they argue that it’s an order, it’s not an order, but it is a decision,” she insisted.

She emphasized that although her suspension hadn’t hindered her from carrying out constituency-related initiatives, it had prevented her from fully participating in legislative responsibilities such as introducing bills and sponsoring motions.

Her position was supported by her legal counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, West Idahosa, who asserted that the court’s ruling justified her return to the Senate.

“Let me be honest with you. Attendance is a legislative action.

“As far as we are concerned, we are focused on the appeal and other issues before the court.

“I think the decision to go back to the Senate will be determined by the constituents.

“Now that she said she wants to go and resume, let us see what the reaction of the Senate will be. But the most important thing is that she is still a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said in a phone interview.

When contacted on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s aide, Isah Bala, said he couldn’t confirm her immediate plans.

“It is not something I can immediately confirm now because we just returned from a programme in Okene,” he said, adding that he would provide clarity later.

By the time of reporting, Bala had yet to respond with further information.

Meanwhile, the Senate reiterated its stance that the senator remains suspended and barred from the chamber until the conclusion of the suspension period.

Senator Yemi Adaramodu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, restated the Senate’s position on Sunday, saying there was no court order mandating her reinstatement.

In a separate development, activist Aisha Yesufu pledged to accompany Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Senate on Tuesday as a show of support.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Yesufu criticized the Senate’s position and cautioned against ignoring judicial decisions.

She also labeled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as unconstitutional and accused the Senate of overstepping its bounds.

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BIG STORY

RE-Mining Cadastre Office, A Threat To National Security — By Engr. Tafa Bakori

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I came across a hogwash of an opinion article penned by a suspected fictitious character named Biliyaminur Surajo titled, “Mining Cadastre Office, A Threat to National Security” published on Sahara Reporters and other online media which by all intents and purposes was crafted to not only diminish the great job the Mining Cadastral office (MCO) is doing but also to cast aspersion on the foremost cadastral agency and bring it to disrepute. As a mining stakeholder for over 15 years, I am an insider conversant with the inner workings of MCO and I’ve been following with keen interest ongoing reforms by the present administration to reform and reposition the mining sector. It therefore beggars’ belief that any sane individual can seek to denigrate such efforts with patently outlandish claims as encapsulated in the jaundiced article.

The writer claims that the MCO “has become synonymous with corruption, bribery, and unprofessionalism” without any shred of evidence but rather put together a contraption of conjectures and false narratives to justify his warped conclusion. Reading through the piece, I saw a desperate attempt by the writer to allude to outrightly preposterous postulations by “faceless industry stakeholders”, more like an attempt to “give a dog a bad name, in order to hang it”.

He cited a crisis of overlapping titles, alleging that “for a fee, fake community consent documents can be obtained through MCO channels”. This is not only far from the truth, but a blatant lie. With my vast knowledge of the mining sector, I can assert that the allegations are totally baseless and unfounded because MCO does not get involved in obtaining land owner/occupier consent which is the responsibility of the applicant after the successful submission of application, and the receipt of their priority number.

If Mr. Surajo knows those purportedly claiming to be MCO agents or officers carrying out such nefarious activities, he should bring them forward or submit details of such unscrupulous individuals to the security agencies for necessary action. The onus of proof falls on those who alleges. One would have expected some “naming and shaming” at the least, but carrying out a hatchet job hinged on falsehoods can be such an arduous task.

Claiming that public complaints on overlapping titles fell on “deaf ears” is also disingenuous to anyone conversant with happenings in the sector. While it a known fact that during the process of migrating the cadastral system from computerized to the online Electronic Mining Cadastre plus (eMC+), some of the valid titles couldn’t be moved due to some systemic issues, several efforts have been made to correct the anomaly. I am aware that the rectification took some time which might be responsible for instances of overlapping titles that were hitherto seen on the eMC+ platform. During that period of glitch, it was reported that applicants saw free mining areas on the platform which already has valid owners before the migration and these caused the few incidences of overlapping titles.

From my investigations, it was gathered that a standing committee has since been at work resolving the issues amicably and it is pertinent that those that are facing similar challenges reach out to the agency. I have it on good authority that the cases that have been brought to the attention of the agency have been resolved till date. It is also pertinent to note that the MCO has never lost a single case in court which implies that the agency is guided at all times by extant provisions of the law and the statutes guiding the operations of the agency.

The fictitious writer also erroneously alleged that “beyond official fees, industry sources report a pervasive culture of additional payments to individual MCO officers”. From my experience over the years, this is likely a case of itinerant fake consultants posturing as MCO staff. An instance revealed by the grapevine is a case of a suspect presently cooling his heels in the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Garki, Abuja for impersonating the Special Technical Assistant (STA) to the DG, Madaki Joseph. The suspect, one Shehu Bokane, operating from his base in Niger State has allegedly duped his victims of several millions of Naira, and this is verifiable. This is just one instance and there could be many more at large. What anyone privy to such malfeasance should do is to report the culprits to the authorities instead of tarring an entire agency with the brush of corruption based on false premise or spurious allegations.

Not done trying to justify his fables, the writer described that Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification Project (MINDIVER), funded by the World Bank designed to prevent duplication of titles as a failure. While the eMC+ system faced initial hitches, the system has largely digitized the application processes as all mineral title applications are now submitted exclusively through the system. Like the DG MCO, Engr. Obadiah Nkom said at some fora, “It’s an entirely online platform that offers transparency, efficiency, and real-time access.” Feedback from industry stakeholders back this assertion.

From an informed perspective, the initial glitches that affected the migration of the cadastral system to the eMC+ platform might have been averted if the MCO technical staff had some input in the building of the electronic system. That was not the case as I learnt the agency only made inputs and modifications after the system funded by MINDIVER, was delivered.

I was privileged to attend the recently held African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja, graced by some African ministers of mining and energy amongst other global and continental mining players. The robust engagements I saw, the Ministerial roundtable convened by the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) and chaired by the Solid Minerals Development Minister, Dr. Dele Alake is a sharp contrast to the picture of purported “wasted foreign trips to mining conferences” painted by the writer. It was also recently widely reported that some Nigerian mining professionals went on a capacity building training to Murdoch University in Australia. If that doesn’t represent fruits of Nigeria’s proactive engagement with the global mining community, I wonder what it is.

While there might be need for improvement in some areas like any other human endeavor, it smacks of utter mischief for the writer to paint a gloomy picture of the operations of MCO and by extension the mining sector. For the first time, in our nation’s recent history, the mining sector is experiencing a resurgence on account of the renewed focus of the Tinubu administration in developing solid minerals alongside the tenacious passion of Minister Alake in carrying on with reforms.

It is quite ludicrous that the writer will attempt to describe an agency that is renowned across the African continent as leading a very efficient cadastral system as a threat to national security. Unlike the bogus conclusion of the imaginary stakeholder, “the future of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector—and potentially the nation’s economic diversification” is bright and on course. No hatchet job or sponsored machinations of those frustrated by laudable efforts to reposition the mining sector must be allowed to stand or mislead the public. All Nigerians and responsible stakeholders should join hands with government to take our mining industry to greater heights.

 

Engr. Tafa Bakori, a mining stakeholder, writes from Niger State.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Natasha Arrives As National Assembly Beefs Up Security

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan showed up at the National Assembly on Tuesday, where a crowd of her supporters had already gathered outside the complex.

Security presence at the National Assembly gate was significantly heightened, with stern-looking officers inspecting vehicles and limiting access for visitors, directing them to park outside.

At least five police patrol vans were observed stationed at a key point near the Assembly gate.

The increased security followed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s declaration that she intended to resume her senatorial duties despite warnings from the Senate.

The senator, who was suspended in March, said over the weekend that she had officially informed the Senate of her plans to return, basing her decision on a recent court ruling.

Speaking during a constituency training session, she stated that she had written the Senate leadership about her return.

“I will be there, because the court did make the decision on that. Now, they argue that it’s an order, it’s not an order, but it is a decision,” she insisted.

She emphasized that although her suspension hadn’t hindered her from carrying out constituency-related initiatives, it had prevented her from fully participating in legislative responsibilities such as introducing bills and sponsoring motions.

Her position was supported by her legal counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, West Idahosa, who asserted that the court’s ruling justified her return to the Senate.

“Let me be honest with you. Attendance is a legislative action.

“As far as we are concerned, we are focused on the appeal and other issues before the court.

“I think the decision to go back to the Senate will be determined by the constituents.

“Now that she said she wants to go and resume, let us see what the reaction of the Senate will be. But the most important thing is that she is still a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said in a phone interview.

When contacted on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s aide, Isah Bala, said he couldn’t confirm her immediate plans.

“It is not something I can immediately confirm now because we just returned from a programme in Okene,” he said, adding that he would provide clarity later.

By the time of reporting, Bala had yet to respond with further information.

Meanwhile, the Senate reiterated its stance that the senator remains suspended and barred from the chamber until the conclusion of the suspension period.

Senator Yemi Adaramodu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, restated the Senate’s position on Sunday, saying there was no court order mandating her reinstatement.

In a separate development, activist Aisha Yesufu pledged to accompany Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Senate on Tuesday as a show of support.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Yesufu criticized the Senate’s position and cautioned against ignoring judicial decisions.

She also labeled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as unconstitutional and accused the Senate of overstepping its bounds.

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