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Train Attack: El-Rufai Carpets Military, ACF Laments, DHQ Fails To Deploy Tucano In N’West

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Nasir El-Rufai on Wednesday, said he was frustrated and helpless, adding that the military knew the location of the bandits wreaking havoc in the state, but was refusing to bomb their hideouts.

It was gathered that five months after a Federal High Court designated bandits as terrorists, the Nigerian military had yet to deploy the Super Tucano aircraft in the North-West.

Recall that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had on November 25, 2021, obtained a judgment designating all gunmen in the North-West as terrorists. This was said to be a condition by the United States government for the deployment of the aircraft outside of the North-East.

However, top sources confirmed that the Super Tucano had not yet been deployed in the North-West.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday when the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, visited the state to assess the situation following a terrorist attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train that left at least eight persons dead, El-Rufai said the terrorists’ hideouts should be bombed.

He said the location of the terrorists was public knowledge and even the Department of State Services usually monitors their telephone lines.

The governor stated, “We have enough intelligence for us to take action. The Air Force undertakes enough ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance); and the DSS has informants all over the place.

“We know what they (terrorists) are planning. We get the reports. The problem is for the agencies to take action. Don’t wait until they attack before you respond. The Army should go after their enclaves to wipe them out. Let the Air Force bomb them.

“Before, they were categorized as bandits and if you bombed them, you would have issues with human rights organizations and international criminal courts and so on. But, now that they have been declared terrorists by the court, they can be legally killed without any consequences from international human rights organizations.”

The governor insisted that the camps and phone numbers of the terrorists were known by the military agencies, stressing that Kaduna State was currently in a state of war.

“We know where their camps are, we know where they are; the SSS have their phone numbers, they listen to them, and they give me the report. We know what they are planning. We shouldn’t be waiting for them to attack; why can’t we go after them?” El-Rufai asked.

The governor said the bandit areas should be declared a warzone, adding that he was ready to allow a few innocent people to lose their lives in the process.

“We are in a state of war; this place should be declared a warzone. The Army, Air Force, and the police should go in there and kill them. Will there be innocent casualties? Yes! In every war situation, there are casualties,” he added.

The governor stated that train services should stop at 4 pm as nighttime had become too dangerous.

El-Rufai stated, “We have written to the Nigerian Railway Corporation twice to stop the evening service. The last train from Kaduna to Abuja should leave by 4 pm so that it will get to Abuja in daylight.

“If anything is to happen, the response time will be quick, maybe in 30 minutes. When something happens, the response time will be faster in the daytime. We were lucky the military response was just within an hour because it (attack) was dead in the night.”

The governor expressed his frustration about the situation, saying, “I’m angry, frustrated, and feel helpless. Let us establish military bases within Katari and Rijana (in Kaduna).”

On his part, Amaechi said the Nigerian Air Force would start escorting trains, adding that repair works on the bombed rail track would commence immediately as efforts were now on to install security sensors on the tracks.

He said, “I will speak with the President. He is already giving directives. I’m sure by the time we finish the repair of the rail tracks, we would have got approval for the security equipment and we would possibly have installed it.

“But even if it hasn’t been installed yet, we have spoken with the management of the Nigerian Air Force to escort the trains. They were previously escorting the trains, but recently the weather has been very bad and visibility dropped to below 500 meters, so they couldn’t fly.

“So, they’ve not been flying and this is why this (the attack) was successful. They have resumed flying and will escort the trains when we resume.”

The minister said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had approved that the ministry should employ people who would work on rail tracks for the next six to seven months until the security equipment was installed.

“We intend to employ villagers on the corridor so that they can report any suspicious movement to us and the security agencies,” he stated.

Amaechi said the Army had given maximum medical care to the patients, who were brought to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.

He stated, “They treated the patients with bomb wounds and for the lady with gun wounds in her heart, they are bringing in a specialist, a cardiologist, to attend to her.

“They have just seven patients left; the rest have been discharged. The Federal Government is grateful to the military for the assistance. We will liaise with the hospital to see how much money we can contribute to the victim’s medical bills.”

On when the repairs of the bombed tracks would be fixed, Amaechi said, “We will commence work immediately and the military has promised us security as we work. It is less than 2km of rail tracks. We will complete the work as soon as possible.

“If the Ministry of Finance releases the funds, then we can know the number of those to employ. But we will involve the DSS in screening the people we will employ.”

On passengers and other persons on the ill-fated train, who had yet to be accounted for, the minister said, “We are still contact-tracing to establish those missing.”

The Chief Medical Director, 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, Col Stephen Onochukwu, said the patients received by the hospital from the incident were all stable.

“We had 25 of them that were admitted. We discharged some of them that are stable but we are still following them up. Currently, we have seven of them left in the hospital,” he stated.

Attempts to get a reaction from the military proved abortive as the Director of Defence Information, Major General Ohwonigho Akpor, did not respond to calls or text messages.

Reps slam Amaechi, Sirika, service chiefs

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives investigation of terrorist attacks on the Kaduna International Airport and an Abuja-Kaduna rail line and train suffered a setback over the failure of the ministers and leaders of the security and intelligence community to show up at a meeting called for Wednesday.

The House had at the plenary on Tuesday resolved to invite the relevant ministers and those in charge of the nation’s security to an emergency meeting over the attacks.

Those to appear before the House were the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.); Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen Bashir Magashi (retd.); Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Leo Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao; Director-General, Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.

Other is Amaechi; the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Musa Nuhu; Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Rabiu Yadudu; Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Authority, Matthew Pwajok; and General Manager, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidget Okhiria.

However, all the ministers, security chiefs, and other officials sent representatives except the NAMA boss, who appeared in person, a development that miffed the lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Wase noted that the meeting was called a sequel to the motion adopted in plenary on Tuesday, adding, “This became a matter of urgent importance for us to tackle because Nigerians no longer have respite in terms of means of movement, ease of communication and many losses of lives.”

While also noting that the lawmakers did not have any doubts about the capacity of the representatives, Wase stated, “But as a House, I am constrained as a Deputy Speaker to continue the meeting because the accounting officers that were supposed to be here, while you give them the necessary support, are not here.

“So, we cannot proceed. And I am saying with a heavy heart that no matter the assignment that our generals are handling, I believe the parliament deserves a listening ear. This is the House of the people. I am saddened; I am not happy. I am expressing my disappointment.”

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Abel Enitan, said, “My minister is out of town on official assignment as approved by Mr. President before this incident.”

Wase, however, interjected, dismissing the excuse for Amaechi’s absence.

“Please, do not use the name of the President. If he is out of the country, he is out of the country. This institution is not under the Presidency. It is an institution of its own,” he said.

Also, the Chief of Operations, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Oti Akinjobi, said the service chiefs were in a meeting based on the directive of the President.

“The express nature of the assignment demanded that they hold a meeting immediately and they have been in session since last night up to this time,” Akinjobi added.

Not satisfied, the Deputy Speaker said while the lawmakers appreciated the directive given by Buhari to sort out the matter, he noted, “We also believe that their being here, even for 10 or 20 minutes, would not have reduced anything in terms of what should have been done.”

Wase also dismissed the excuse given by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Sanusi Lemu, for representing the IG.

The lawmakers consequently dismissed the representatives, asking those directly invited to appear in person today (Thursday).

Buhari orders speedy resumption, NRC workers kick

In a related development, the President has ordered that the bombed rail track be immediately repaired so that operations can resume even as he said security should also be improved along the affected corridor.

This is according to a post by the President’s Assistant, Bashir Ahmad.

The post titled, ‘FGN response to Monday terrorist attack’, outlined seven responses by the President.

“The Nigerian Railway Corporation management is to speedily repair the damaged lines and resume normal service without delay,” it read in part.

However, the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers said it would be demanding improved security on the route as part of the conditions for the workers to resume work.

The NRC had on Tuesday suspended the Abuja-Kaduna train operations following an attack by terrorists on Monday night.

However, speaking with one of our correspondents, the President-General, NURW, Innocent Ajiji, said the workers were worried about the attack on the train, adding that they would not be resuming except the security structure on that axis improved.

Ajijic said, “We are going to be demanding an improved security structure before going back to work. Our workers are concerned about the attack on the train. Everybody knows how bad the security is in the country.

“You’re aware that on Saturday the airport was attacked in Kaduna. Of course, you’re also aware that roads are not secure to pass again despite the number of security spots on them. So, we will equally demand that our rail lines are beefed up.

“Build a security post on every section of our rail lines so that we can have the presence of security just like we have checkpoints on the roads. If we have that in place on our rail lines, I am sure it’s going to reduce attacks.”

FEC honors victims with a minute of silence

At the Federal Executive Council, attendees observed a minute’s silence at the meeting presided over by Buhari to honor the victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

At the start of the meeting, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, called for a minute of silence for the eight departed souls, including a medical doctor, Ms. Chinelo Megafu; Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress, Musa-Lawal Ozigi; and the Kwara State Chairman of the TUC, Akin Akinsola, among others.

Present at the meeting were Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who was in Kaduna on Tuesday to visit survivors recovering at the 44 Army Reference Hospital; the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen, Babagana Monguno (retd.), and many ministers.

BIG STORY

Nigerian Firm Codix Bio To Begin Production Of Malaria, HIV Test Kits Amid USAID Fund Cutback

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Codix Bio Ltd, a Nigerian company, has announced plans to manufacture millions of HIV and malaria test kits at its new facility for use both locally and across the region.

As reported by Reuters on Thursday, the initiative aims to fill the gap created by funding reductions at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a US donor body.

Former US President Donald Trump had initiated a suspension of funding for HIV treatment in developing nations under an executive order concerning foreign aid.

These executive orders also disrupted the activities of USAID and other US-funded foreign aid programmes.

Speaking to Reuters, Olanrewaju Balaja, general manager of Codix Bio, said the plant located in Ogun state will begin distributing the test kits later this month.

He explained that the production will be done in partnership with SD Biosensor, a pharmaceutical firm based in South Korea, and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to him, the facility initially has the capacity to produce 147 million test kits annually, with potential expansion to over 160 million.

“From the statistics of what is supplied (by USAID and PEPFAR) for a specific programme year, and looking at what we have currently in capacity for Nigeria, we have enough capacity to meet the demand,” Balaja said.

He also indicated that the firm is prepared to expand its services to “West and Sub-Saharan Africa, including other African countries”.

“The focus was for us to be able to play in the field of supply of rapid diagnostic test kits for donor agencies, which particularly USAID was at the forefront,” Balaja added.

Balaja stated that both the Nigerian government and donor organisations such as the Global Fund are expected to source test kits from Codix Bio.

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Benue Killings: We Are Starving, Dying, IDPs Cry Out

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Displaced persons from Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, affected by coordinated attacks by suspected armed herders, protested on Thursday over poor living conditions in their camp.

The IDPs, currently staying at the International Market in Makurdi, the state capital, took to the streets and blocked major access routes leading to the temporary camp situated on George Akume Way, Makurdi, to express their frustration and the hardship they’ve faced since arriving at the facility.

They accused officials of the state government of diverting relief materials donated by well-meaning individuals and humanitarian groups, which they said has deepened their suffering.

One of the displaced persons, Fidelis Igban from Yelwata, described the conditions at the camp as unbearable due to starvation and a poor environment.

He stated, “Imagine, people would come to the camp and donate food items and other relief materials to us(IDPs), and once those items were handed over to the officials, it will end up not reaching us.”

He added, “Just few days ago, secretary to the government of the federation, Senator George Akume came to the camp and donated some items for onward distribution to IDPs. Up till now, we have not seen anything.”

He also said, “The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, came here and donated materials for our consumption, yet nothing gets to us. We are starving and dying here. We want to go back to our homes.”

He lamented the reality of being forced from their homes due to herdsmen attacks, only to face new hardships in the camp after losing loved ones.

“There’s no food, our children are starving, we sleep on the floor, and mosquitoes are almost killing us. We are suffering, and people are dying. officials overseeing camp management were hoarding and diverting donated materials,” he said.

Erdoo Targa, another IDP, said she was six months pregnant when she arrived and has struggled to access medical attention.

She said, “Government brought us here and abandoned us. No food, no medical care, hunger is telling us, we are starving and our children are getting sick day by day”.

She explained that the protest was to call the attention of the government and concerned individuals to their plight.

She urged the state government and relevant humanitarian bodies to investigate the alleged diversion of supplies and ensure fair distribution of aid.

Efforts to contact the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Aondoaseer Kude, and the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Dr James Iorpuu, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls or text messages.

The agency’s information officer, Tema Ager, said he was not authorised to speak on the protest.

He said, “Kindly get across to the Head of Administration of SEMA or the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management. They are in better position to speak to journalists, thanks”.

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Road To 2027: President Tinubu Has No Rival In Kaduna — Speaker Abbas

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Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that residents of Kaduna State do not see any other option besides President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential race.

He explained that the president has significantly impacted the state “In very practical terms” by initiating “A wide range of federal infrastructure projects that directly impact” its citizens.

According to Abbas, because of these efforts, the people of Kaduna are ready to surpass the votes President Tinubu received in the state during the 2023 elections.

He made these remarks during President Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna on Thursday to commission several projects carried out under Governor Uba Sani’s administration.

Among the projects inaugurated were the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, Soba, and Samaru-Kataf; a 300-bed hospital in Kaduna Millennium City; the 24km Kafanchan Township Road; the Tudun Biri Road; the 22km Kauru-Pambegua Road connecting Kauru and Kubau LGAs; a Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri; and the deployment of 100 Compressed Natural Gas buses.

Abbas noted that Kaduna remains central to Nigeria’s socio-economic growth and said Tinubu’s visit “Reflects a leadership that engages directly, listens attentively, and responds with action.”

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, Abbas was quoted as saying, “Kaduna has no reason to vote for anyone else in 2027. My belief is strengthened by your administration’s commitment to Kaduna in very practical terms. You have initiated a wide range of federal infrastructure projects that directly impact the state of Kaduna.

“Mr President, Kaduna has long been at the centre of Nigeria’s national conversation, politically, economically, and historically. In the 2023 presidential election, the APC received about 30 per cent of the valid votes cast in the State. While that outcome is significant, it leaves room for growth.

“Therefore, on behalf of our governor, our party, and our communities, I assure you that Kaduna is determined to do more. Our goal is to double that margin and secure at least 60 per cent of the vote in 2027. This is not merely a political ambition; it is a coordinated objective backed by a united political structure and a population that believes in your leadership.”

He also praised the president for initiating the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Federal Highway reconstruction, noting it “Was flagged off by Your Excellency in April and reinforced by substantial budgetary approval from the Federal Executive Council.”

He described the $2.8bn Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project, which had reached 72% completion by Q1 2025, as another milestone.

He added, “We also acknowledge with deep gratitude your vow to complete the Ibadan-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano railway project, which will further reinforce Kaduna’s role as a transport hub.

“Other significant projects under your administration include the recent establishment of the Federal Medical Centre in Kafanchan and the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia. For the people of Southern Kaduna, these developments are not merely about access to health and education; they are, more importantly, about federal presence, institutional recognition, and long-overdue inclusion.”

Abbas said Zaria has also benefited under the current administration, stating, “We have also seen measurable progress, made possible by your support and federal backing. Through consistent legislative engagement and collaboration with your administration, we have secured significant federal investment in institutions of higher learning.

“These include the upgrade of the Federal College of Education, Zaria, into the Federal University of Education. Support has also been strengthened for the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

“Federal funding secured under your administration is helping to expand their infrastructure, modernise their facilities, and increase their capacity to serve Nigeria more effectively.

“Mr President, these are not abstract achievements. They are deliberate outcomes made possible through political will, budgetary support, and executive collaboration,” he added.

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