Headlines

The Ondo State Governor Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has picked a former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Olaide Adelami, as the deputy governor of the state.

This came a few hours after the governor sacked all the commissioners and special advisers on Wednesday.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan, the name of the new deputy governor has been transmitted to the state House of Assembly for approval.

“His nomination will be announced by the House of Assembly later today,” the statement read.

Details later…

President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja for Paris, France, on a ‘private visit’.

This was disclosed in a statement by Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Wednesday.

The statement was silent on the reasons for the trip.

The statement simply said the trip was a private visit.

The statement added that the President will return to the country in the first week of February, 2024.

Recall that Tinubu hosted the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Tuesday.

The rush by Nigerians to leave the country for greener pasture reached its crescendo in the new year as 32,462 persons have so far applied for international passports and uploaded their documents from the Nigeria Immigration Service site between January 8 and 21,2024.

Of these applications, 15,113 have reportedly been approved for biometric capture and production, which is fifty per cent of the total application.

The summary of passport applications for the year 2024 was provided by the Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Caroline Adepoju, who was on a visit to Ikoyi and Alausa passport offices, yesterday, to see how things were working, regarding the introduction of the automated passport application process.

Briefing journalists at the end of the assessment, the Immigration boss said of the 32,462 applications, 11,505 were awaiting approval, while 3,406 who made payment were yet to book appointments.

According to her, 1,438 applications were queried for various reasons.

Adepoju said: “50 per cent of the total applications have been successfully approved for biometric capture, production and issuance, 35 per cent awaits approval, 11 per cent made payments but yet to book appointments and only four per cent of total applications were queried.

“When queries are successfully answered, the applications return to the queue and are subsequently approved for biometric acquisition, production and issuance “.

Adepoju, who noted that the introduction of the automation of passport applications was not new, clarified that further: “The major difference now is that supporting documents are now uploaded online. It is a research-based decision and we have been recording successes.

“As of this morning (yesterday), we have only recorded four per cent rejection of uploaded documents which may be due to errors on the side of the applicant. But our help desk is operational 24/7.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service, our technical partners, service providers and other stakeholders worked together with the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to come up with this reform on the automation of passport process which has been in place since the inception of the issuance of enhanced e-passport in 2020.”

She explained that the automation of passport application was aimed, among other benefits, at easing the application process and reducing human interface which had been a major complaint from applicants who had been extorted by touts during application.

The Immigration boss called on Nigerians to be patient and allow the NIS to ensure the perfection of the process.

About 30 persons have been killed in Plateau State by gunmen who attacked Kwahaslalek village, Mangu Local Government Area of the state.

The incident happened in the early hours of Wednesday.

The victims, mostly women and children, had run to the house of a community leader in the area on Tuesday night for safety following earlier unrest during the day in Mangu town when the gunmen surrounded them and killed all of them

A community leader in the area, Mark Haruna, confirmed the death.

Haruna said, “What happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu town yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) was just a distraction so that the attention of the people will be shifted away from the villages.

“For the second time, my village Kwahaslalek (behind NYSC camp) came under attack by gunmen yesterday (Tuesday)night. They came at about 12:30 am and killed over 25 people, mostly women and children.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat, also confirmed the killing, describing it as callous.

“I couldn’t sleep last night as a result of what happened in Mangu town during the day yesterday. Now, I have just been told Kwahaslalek village was attacked last night and about 30 people were killed.

“From what I was told, the unrest in Mangu town yesterday created fears in many communities. Some people in the village went and evacuated their loved ones and assembled them in a place where they thought was safe.

“So in the night, the killers went to Kwahaslalek village where the people mostly women and children were assembled and killed all of them,” he said.

The chairman who condemned the killing added, “I was told that no security was on ground to save the villagers. This act is pure wickedness. How can people who are in their villages be targets of constant attacks and killings without anything being done to stop the perpetrators?”

The Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had on Tuesday declared a 24-hour curfew on the Mangu LGA over the deteriorating security situation in the area, which included the burning of several houses, churches and mosques.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.

He ordered that the former governor should be restricted to the court jurisdiction.

He ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to deposit the defendant’s travel documents with the court registrar. 

Ekwo then ordered the registrar to notify the Nigerian Immigration Service of the development.

The prosecution counsel, Slyvanus Tahir, SAN, had prayed the court to remand the former governor.

He subsequently adjourned the case till March 4,5,6 and 7 for continuation of trial.

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has announced that a total of 1,935 repentant Boko Haram terrorists have been released from the Bulumkutu camp in Borno State into the Nigerian society between 2016 and 2022.

The revelation was made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, during a lecture at the opening session of a national security course on “Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS)” organized by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

The CDS, represented by Rear Admiral Daupreye Matthew, Director of Training at the Defence Headquarters, emphasized the military’s commitment to a non-kinetic approach in addressing insecurity challenges.

He said Operation Safe Corridor, a vital component of the approach, aims to encourage voluntary surrender, rehabilitation, and reintegration of former Boko Haram members into society.

Gen. Musa highlighted the success of the non-kinetic efforts, citing the surrender of over 2,000 Boko Haram members between 2016 and 2017.

He noted that 67% of those who surrendered belonged to the Abubakar Shekau faction of the insurgents. Additionally, 1,543 repentant terrorists graduated from the Mallam Sidi Camp in Gombe State.

The CDS reported that from July 2021 to May 4, 2022, a significant number of terrorists and their family members surrendered, with 13,360 identified as fighters. In total, 51,828 individuals surrendered during this period.

He added that the broader initiative has seen a cumulative total of 106,000 terrorists and their family members surrender in the North East.

The disclosure comes amid ongoing efforts by the Nigerian government to employ a multifaceted approach, including rehabilitation and deradicalization programs, to address the Boko Haram insurgency and promote national security.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has imposed a 24-hour curfew in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State due to escalating security concerns.

The governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Bere said the decision aims to avert a breakdown of law and order after consultations with security agencies.

Residents are advised to adhere to the sit-at-home directive, with exceptions only for essential travel within the local government area.

The statement added that despite government efforts to curb terror activities, the Governor expressed frustration that some individuals persist in instigating fear.

“He expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured, and assured them that the government will not relent in ensuring lasting peace in the state. He promised that the curfew will be reviewed as soon as the security situation improves,” the statement added.

The latest development follows the burning of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) and other church buildings by people suspected to be herders who arrived from the surrounding bushes.