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In a tragic incident, gunmen invaded the palace of Oba Segun Aremu-Cole in Koro Community, Kwara State on Thursday night and fatally shot the monarch and abducted his wife along with two others.

The attack occurred around 7p.m in the community bordering Egbe town in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, confirmed the attack, describing it as shocking and abominable.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, said: “The monarch was reportedly shot dead in his palace on Thursday night by some unknown gunmen, who also whisked away his wife and two others.

“The governor condemned the development, which he said was reckless, shocking, and abominable.

“He charged the security agencies not to spare any resources to track down the perpetrators, free the spouse and others taken away, and bring them to book.”

He assured that “We will certainly get the perpetrators and ensure that this is their last crime against humanity.

“My profound condolences go to the people of Koro. Our hearts are broken, and we stand by them at this time and always.”

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has promised to begin the publication of flights delayed or cancelled by local airlines next week.

“Every week, we will start publishing the list of flights that were delayed or cancelled and the reasons and action taken. We will start publishing them next week. We will name and shame erring airlines,” the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said when he featured as a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

Delayed flights without explanations or compensation have been a bane in the nation’s aviation in the recent past.

The issue lingering through the tenure of past ministers was left unresolved, causing more pain to air travellers already haunted by the exorbitant prices of travel tickets.

But Keyamo speaking during the interview, said the issue was a delicate one and should handled carefully so as not to discourage potential investors.

He added the ministry is ready to enforce laws on the delay and compensation packages for customers as stipulated by international laws.

He said, “I feel the pains of Nigerians who go through the pangs of flight delays. I see a lot of messages on my phone concerning it and it is sad.

“It is difficult and you could see that all my predecessors in office could not address that issue but I am trying to get a reasonable bend on this issue. do you sanction the airlines by closing them down? That would create more chaos because we don’t have enough local airlines. how do you proceed with all of that?

“And that’s why we have to handle it delicately because what we are trying to solve should not be escalated. The most important thing is that the customers must have succour. We must take steps to alleviate that pain.

“There are flight cancellations all over the world but in other climes, they keep to the rules on how to treat customers and refunds. We have to enforce those rules and that’s what we are thinking.

“We’ve engaged a couple of insurance companies to insure passengers and their flight tickets. They will be present at every airport in the country and will swing into action whenever there is a flight delay or cancellation to ensure passengers are not stranded.

“Do not forget that it is a bit more complicated than that and to be honest, sometimes we are complicit. it is not always the fault of the airlines, weather, or bird strikes. It is the responsibility of FAAN to clear those bids because the airlines paid for parking space and utility, so we should make the atmosphere good for them. sometimes it is the lack of jet AI fuel and other times, it is the airlines’ fault.

“And I have instructed starting this year to get a weekly report on all flights delayed or cancelled and the reasons or actions taken.”

Continuing, the minister stated that there is no going back on the relocation of the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria from Abuja to Lagos.

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the movement of the FAAN headquarters would save the government and the people of Nigeria half a billion naira wasted on air tickets by officials of the Authority who have to commute from Lagos to Abuja and back.

Keyamo said the whole issue was compounded by the fact that FAAN is not yet digitalised and so, in one year, they spend half a billion naira on flight tickets between Lagos and Abuja alone.

“You see them flying every day to and fro Abuja to get one file signed. They fly every day back and forth. In one year, they spent close to half a billion naira on flight tickets. N450m on flight tickets alone,” he said.

The Federal Government’s Student Loan Scheme is yet to commence despite the assurance of the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu that the January take-off date will be achieved.

Leading reporters recalls that the minister who briefed State House Correspondents two weeks ago after the first Federal Executive Council meeting for 2024, had stated that the website for application was almost done and will be open for students soon.

“January is a reality. Already, the website is almost done. Application for beneficiaries is going to be online, and you can access your loan within 30 days,” he had said.

However, the website for the scheme is yet to be opened to Nigerian students who are eagerly waiting to apply for the loan.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Student Loan bill into law last year. The Act allows Nigerian students in tertiary institutions to access interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

However, President Bola Tinubu recently instructed the management of NELFUND to expand its focus area to Nigerian students interested in skills development programme.

“I am not sure if expanding this scheme to cover skill development was part of the current Act but if the Federal Government feels this scheme should cover other parts of education and not just tertiary education, then this will have to be effected and amended in the Act.

“They will have to propose this amendment and we will look at it and see how it fit in the overall objective of the student loan scheme.

“The Student Loan Act says tertiary education, skill acquisition is not a tertiary education so if we are extending this scheme to look at skill acquisition, then we might have to look at how to completely rewrite or re-do the Act.

“As it is currently written, I don’t think it is a bad idea but I think that we have to look at it holistically so that we don’t just throw in policies and ideas that may be at variance at what the student loan scheme hopes to achieve,” he said.

Ugbor however stated that arrangements are being made for the scheme to take off in March after some amendments have been made.

The Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says the Nigerian Government spends N1 billion on Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and air tickets for Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, officers who travel back and forth from Abuja to Lagos, annually.

Keyamo disclosed this on Thursday in a statement clarifying his ‘N500 million FAAN workers’ DTA’ comment on Channels Television.

According to him, in 2023, FAAN workers spent N493,678,620.37 on DTA and N451,058,950.09 for air tickets.

“When I did my Channels TV interview yesterday, I was not briefed about the amount FAAN spent last year alone on DTA (Duty Tour Allowance) for the principal officers who travelled back and forth from Lagos to Abuja almost daily.

“The amount came up to N493,678,620.37. Aside from the air tickets, which I mentioned amounted to N451,058,950.09.

“So, in total, because of insistence on naming Abuja as the headquarters of FAAN (when there are no offices in Abuja to accommodate all the principal officers), FAAN spent close to N1 billion in one year,” he said.

Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta North senatorial district has said that his proposed bill allowing Nigerians to carry firearms was born out of desperation and the need for the citizens to protect themselves from the rising insecurity in the country.

LeadingReporters learnt that Nwoko stated that the Police force also is ill-funded and does not have enough manpower needed to secure Nigeria.

“My bill is predicated on the lawlessness that is currently pervading the nation. We all have experienced it or we know someone that has experienced it. We have come to a point in this nation where we have to make an honest admission to ourselves which is that the security agents cannot really protect lives and properties as stated in the constitution. The common man is left to his fate. He does not get any kind of support from the police and the police force is unequipped, ill-funded, not capable of discharging those onerous duties and that is the fact.

“I am in the senate committee on police matters and I can tell you that we do not have the number of police men that we need to secure Nigeria as a country. The military on the other hand, have been spending billions of Naira over the years, buying warplanes, different arms and ammunition in the name of fighting terrorism and other crimes. But they are also not able to deal with the issues and a lot of money has been spent and lives lost, and we are nowhere in finding solutions.

“The idea of a bill to enable Nigerians to carry arms to defend themselves is born out of desperation, the fact that people do not have the kind of protection that they need. In Nigeria, what stops us from having an emergency number and this is one of those things that we just need to address. How do you help the ordinary Nigerians to reach out to the security forces or emergency services in the event of trouble?”

The Delta North senator also outlined strategic measures that would ensure the smooth running of the bill, if approved.

  “Its not just about people carrying arms. There are measures that are proposed and they are very strict measures. What i am trying to do is to have a system where people who are willing to carry arms are given the opportunity to so do. The first condition that must be met is that every local government must have a gun shooting school and if you want to have a gun and a license, the first thing is to be trained on the use of arms. These shooting schools will be run by former military officers and owned by them.

“When you have gone through the process and you are able to use the arms, the next step is to go to your king or your Emir or Oba who will give you a letter of certification, to confirm that you are from that particular place. Then the next thing to do is to go to two doctors who will certify that you are mentally fit to bear arms.

“Next is your local government chairman who will also confirm that you are from that place and then you go to the DPO of that locality who will also confirm that you don’t have any criminal record. Majority of Nigerians are responsible. If you own a gun and the would-be attackers know that, the possibility of them coming to attack you or rape in your house is almost Nil. There are many vigilantes and security companies in Nigeria who are not even allowed to carry arms.”

Ned Nwoko had earlier in January, proposed a bill for Nigerians to carry firearms in order to check the threat of violence and insecurity in the country.

A former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr Olaide Adelami, has been sworn in as the Ondo State Deputy Governor.

Last Tuesday, Adelami was picked by the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the deputy governor after which his name was sent to the state House of Assembly for screening and ratification.
At a ceremony held at the International Culture and Event Centre, Akure on Thursday, the new deputy governor was sworn in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola.

Details later………

Bandits who abducted seven residents of Kuduru, a neighbouring community of Bwari Area Council in Abuja, have demanded N290 million ransom to release the hostages.

The residents, including a pregnant woman, three children and four adults, who have spent one month and four days in captivity were abducted on January 28 at the Kuduru extension by the bandits.

According to a leader of the community who did not want to be named, the bandits have threatened to kill two out of the victims if the N290 million is not paid on time.

He said the abductors also demanded food items, drugs, bedsheets and cardigans.

“They have reached out to us to bring N290 million to secure their release or that they will kill two of them. We have a pregnant woman and three children among them,” he said.

“They asked us to bring bags of rice, packs of Indomie, cough syrups, antibiotics, bedsheets and cardigans for the bandits’ use.

“They insist that the N290 million ransom must be complete for them to let our people go.”

He pleaded with Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police and Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, to come to the rescue of the hostages.

“We know that they are trying their best but we plead with them to rescue our families like they did to the six sisters and the Ariyos,” he said.

“We understand that these people are already falling sick in captivity because of the harsh weather and the treatment there.”

The Imo police command says no fewer than five persons have been killed in an explosion that rocked the Obiti community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of the state.

Henry Okoye, spokesperson of the Imo police command, said the incident occurred on Tuesday, and blamed vandals for the explosion.

Okoye said Aboki Danjuma, the Imo commissioner of police, has set up a team to unravel the immediate cause of the incident and arrest fleeing culprits.

“It happened on Tuesday and about five persons lost their lives during the explosion. They were burnt beyond recognition and we are currently investigating it in collaboration with other sister security agencies to unravel the identities of those behind the economic sabotage,” Okoye said.

“They went for their normal pipeline vandalism when the incident occurred.

“Our goal is to make sure similar incidents do not occur in future.”

An eyewitness who is a resident of the community, said the vandals stormed the Obitti rubber estate in the area with an articulated vehicle, and dug through to an oil pipeline traversing the area.

“They dug a hole on the pipeline and connected their long pipe to their tanker to steal oil,” the source told TheCable.

“I cannot say exactly what caused the explosion, but I know and from what I saw, many people died, and many others, who narrowly escaped the inferno, sustained various degrees of injuries.

“The fire that raged for hours burnt the tanker and also affected our farmlands, destroying our produce worth millions of naira.”

Some heavily armed men have kidnapped Aondo Ver, a director at Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Abuja, in the wee hours of Thursday, February 1.

The incident occurred around 12:30am at Pambara New Extension, a stone throw from a military camp and checkpoint in Bwari Central Area of the FCT.

The kidnappers were said to have gained access through the fence after cutting the barb wires.

Details shortly…