By Ismail Auwal
At least 11 young men from Gagarawa Local Government of Jigawa State perished in another motor accident this morning.
The tragedy occurred around Ringim Town, some 72 kilometers from
Kano where they were billed to sit for Nigerian Navy screening examination.
This is few days after 16 young men from Danbatta Local Government in Kano State lost their lives along Kaduna – Abuja express way.
Details Later.
By Ismail Auwal
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock and sadness at the death of his “friend and ally”, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said, “the country has lost a man of conviction, a resolute and dogged believer in a better Nigeria.”
“He will be sorely missed. This is a massive fish gone out of the media ocean.”
Sam Nda Isaiah died in the late hours of yesterday, at the age of 58. Until his death, he was the publisher of the Leadership newspapers. He started his career as a pharmacist after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University, and later became a renowned columnist with Daily Trust. He was also one time a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
By Ismail Auwal
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has gone into self isolation, as a senior government official working with him has tested positive for COVID-19.
The governor has stated that he is in self-isolation as a precaution pending the outcome of his COVID-19 test.
It could be recalled that Governor El-Rufai had earlier tested positive for the virus, but recovered after some weeks of isolation. This is the second time, in this year, the governor is going into isolation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has also gone into self isolation following a reported postive case of COVID-19 among his close aides.
By Ismail Auwal
Thousands of parents and guardians of Kankara Science Secondary School’s students have, this morning, stormed the school premises to ascertain the safety of their children after the news filtered that the school was attacked yesterday.
Our source has confirmed that the authorities are making serious efforts to douse the tension by deploying more security personnel to Kankara town. The security personnel were seen trying to ascertain the number of students abducted by the gunmen.
At the time of writing this report, the actual figure of the abducted students has not been confirmed. But the spokesman of Katsina State Police Command, DSP Gambi Isah, has claimed that they were able to bring back over 200 students who fled to bush during the night attack.
By Ismail Auwal
Unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have attacked and abducted several students of Science Secondary School Kankara; a male boarding school in Katsina state. According to the report, the kidnapping occurred in the late hours of Friday.
Katsina State’s Public Relation Officer, DSP Gambo Isah, has confirmed the report to BBC but could not ascertain the actual number of students abducted as at the time of filing this report.
DSP Isa also said that the police have been able to track and bring back over 200 students that panicked and dispersed into the bush when the gunmen attacked.
He added that the police had exchanged fire with the gunmen, which led to “a stray bullet hitting and injuring a police officer.”
Accordingly, more police have been deployed to the scene and the police are in the process of ascertaining the number of the abducted students.
An eye witness told BBC that many students have been abducted by the gunmen. The witness who prefers to remain anonymous said, “ I was standing by when the gunmen came and passed me, while shooting at the school. They have abducted many students.”
“We have the information that the gunmen are going to attack the school and we informed the police about it, yet nothing was done,” he added.
Reports coming out later have indicated that over 2000 parents have stormed the boarding school to ascertain the safety of their children.
Katsina, which is home to Nigerian President Buhari, is one of the worst affected states by insecurity in northern. Over the past few years, banditry and kidnappings have gotten entrenched in Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states. This latest daring attack at a boarding school in Katsina reminiscent of the Chibok and Dapchi, came at the time when President Buhari is visiting his hometown Daura to spend a week on a private visit.
By Ismail Auwal
At least 22 people have died following an outbreak of Lassa Fever in Bauchi State.
Radio France International, Hausa service, reported that, the outbreak has also cost the life of a chieftaincy title holder in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Nigeria is endemic for Lassa fever, a form of viral haemorrhagic fever. The deadly disease, which was first discovered in Nigeria and named after the Lassa village in Borno state, is a zoonotic infection that is spread by a multi-mammary rat called Mastomys natalensis. The outbreak of Lassa fever is also enhanced by person to person transmission.
Prior to Bauchi’s outbreak, the Minister of Health had earlier disclosed that Nigeria has recorded over a thousand cases of Lassa fever in 2020, with Ondo states reporting about 3/4 of the cases.
By Ismail Auwal
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has gone into self-isolation immediately after one of his close aides tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a statement by the State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, the unnamed Governor’s aide tested positive, thus, making the governor decide to go into self-isolation from today, Friday.
The statement read, “This is not the first time the governor is taking the COVID-19 test. He has had at least three since May when he announced that 10 of his aides had tested positive for the virus.
“Mr. Governor and other members of his team will be tested by the Lagos State biobank today but will remain in isolation until the results of the tests are available.
“We see a slightly increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases in clusters in Lagos and all Lagosians should adhere to the prescribed advisories of safe distancing, good hand and respiratory hygiene and avoidance of unnecessary gatherings.”
By Ismail Auwal
President Muhammadu Buhari has left Abuja on Friday for his hometown, Daura in Katsina State.
The President will be away from the seat of power for one week in what the Presidency described as a “private visit.”
His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said Buhari will undertake private engagements while in Daura.
Shehu added that the President will also participate in the next Wednesday’s virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council from his hometown.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari is in Daura, Katsina State for a week-long private visit.
“The aircraft carrying the President from Abuja landed at 4:45pm on Friday at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina where he was received by the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, his deputy, Mannir Yakubu, senior government officials and the heads of security agencies in the state.
“In Daura to receive President Buhari at the helipad were the Emir, His Highness Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar, leading the members of the Emirate Council and a parade of colourful horse riders and courtiers.
“Shortly upon disembarkment, the President received the gift of a horse and a decorated sword in his capacity as Bayajiddan Daura from the Emir.
“While in Daura, President Buhari will carry out a number of private engagements but is expected to participate virtually in the meeting of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, to be presided over by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN
“The President last visited his hometown in December 2019, having stayed away largely due to the global COVID-19 situation.”
By Abba Gwale
The once quiet and peaceful Sabuwa village in Katsina state is now a source of nightmare to its indigenes. The residents now have to cross to the neighbouring Hayin Gari village or other close by communities, every evening from 5:30-6:00 pm, for their safety.
The reason is not farfetched. Recently, there is increasing rate of banditry and kidnapping in their village.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, one of the residents narrated how lack of adequate security personnel in the village has forced them to prefer sleeping in neighboring villages for safety.
“Now we cannot eat dinner at home. Whenever the food is ready we would pack it inside polythene bags and migrate to other safer villages. If you see what’s happening you would pity us. Every evening, people carry their children on their backs to migrate to another village where they can sleep with eyes closed,” he said.
BBC Hausa reported that the residents migrate daily to neighboring villages, and even to some part of Birnin Gwari, in Kaduna state. This migration has become a routine every evening, because of the fear of bandits that are attacking the village regularly.
The report further highlighted that there’s surge in attacks in many villages from bandits and kidnappers. On Wednesday, gunmen kidnapped about ten people including the village head of Gamji.
An anonymous person, who spoke about the issue, said the kidnappers have asked the village head to point out those among the people they kidnapped that cannot pay ransom so that they would free them.
An eye witness narrated that several communities have faced attacks by the bandits. He listed communities like Sayau, Tashar Bawa, Unguwar Na-Kaba, Dungun Mu’azu, all in Sabuwa village came under attacks from gunmen recently.
Responding to BBC inquiry, Katsina state command’s Police Public Relation Officer, SP Gambo Isah, has confirmed that they are monitoring the situation. The police is tracking the condition of the kidnapped people from Gamji village, including the village head. He expressed confidence that the command is working hard to stop the incessant attacks bedeviling the area.
Nigeria is facing multiple security threats, with increasing rate of banditry in the northwestern states, especially Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
Recently the Nigerian Army has organized special operation in the region to curtail the spates of insecurity. However, the problem is still persisting, and even forcing some residents to run for their dear lives.
It’s estimated that the insecurity in the North has created over 2-million internally displaced people.
By Nasir Isa
Seventy-nine years old Dr. Anthony Fauci has been awarded the Time Magazine’s Guardian of the Year for 2020. He won the award jointly with some prominent frontline health workers across the world.
Dr. Fauci was selected for his consistent role in providing the leadership and correct messages with empathy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for protecting the integrity of science despite facing onslaught from the powers that be.
The 79-year old Fauci is the longest serving Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of National Institute of Health. He was first appointed as the Director of the organization during the admiration of President Ronald Reagan, about 4 decades ago.
Dr. Fauci was described one of the most universally admired infectious-disease experts in the world, and is considered as the America’s topmost expert of infectious diseases. He has proven over the time that he would be in the fore forefront for the health of American citizens.
Dr. Fauci is known for his consistentcy. He drew the ire of critics and even LGBTQ community in the early days of HIV for his professional stand, but later became their favorite for how he transformed the seemingly incurable disease to be just like any other manageable bchronic disease. He is credited as the brain behind the President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), during the administration of President George Bush jnr, which turned out to be the most impactful foreign aide programme.
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