President Muhammadu Buhari has described the abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe, as a national disaster. President Buhari also apologised to Nigerians over the incident.

The president said this in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday.

Buhari assured the families of the victims that no effort would be spared to bring succour to them.

“When I received the devastating news of the attack on the school and the fact that the local authorities could not account for all the students, I immediately dispatched a high-level delegation on a fact-finding visit to the town.

“I also instructed the security agencies to deploy in full and not spare any effort to ensure that all the girls are returned safely, and the attackers arrested and made to face justice.

“The entire country stands as one with the girls’ families, the government and the people of Yobe State.

“This is a national disaster. We are sorry that this could have happened and share your pain,’’ he said.
Buhari expressed optimism that the armed forces would locate and safely return the missing girls to their respective families.

He revealed that more troops and surveillance aircraft were being deployed to the affected area to hasten the rescue of the girls.

“Our government is sending more troops and surveillance aircraft to keep an eye on all movements in the entire territory on a 24-hour basis, in the hope that all the missing girls will be found,’’ the president said.

(NAN)

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…As Dapchi Residents Booed Gov

The Yobe state Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, has faulted the claim that the Nigerian Army rescued some of the girls of the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe state who were abducted by Boko Haram terrorist on Monday. The Governor who visited Dapchi town on Thursday, however, said, contrary to the claim,  that no girl has been rescued yet.

The Boko Haram terrorists had attacked the girls’ college on Monday and abducted many of the girls. While 48 of them were said to have been rescued by the army, another 111 of them were reportedly still missing after the attack.

A statement signed by Abdullahi Bego, the Director-General, Press Affairs to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, on Wednesday, claimed that some of the girls were rescued and were then in the custody of the Nigerian Army.

However, after visiting Dapchi community bon Thursday, Governor Gaidam faulted the claim that the Nigerian Army rescued some of the girls. He said, In fact, that none of the abducted girls has been rescued.

A Dapchi resident, Abdul Dapchi, whose two sisters were among the abducted girls, lamented to newsmen that the community became infuriated at Governor Gaidam after his confession that no girl was actually recued.

He said, “We were all angry. How could they have deceived us all along?”

Vanguard

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A combine team of military personnel have rescued the abducted Yobe schoolgirls at Jilli-Muwarti, a border village between Gaidam in Yobe state and Borno State.

The students are on their way to Gaidam in Yobe state for medical check before proceeding to the Damaturu, the state capital.

Details later…

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Nigerians returning from Libya arrived Port Harcourt Airport on Tuesday February 13, 2018. The Federal Government has evacuated a total of 2,091 Nigerians from Libya, since the outbreak of the illegal migration that has sparked global reactions.

A data from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) showed a breakdown of the figures in batches showed that:

In the first batch of Nigerian returnees, 488 comprising 395 males, 88 females and five children arrived from the troubled North African country where they were subjected to dehumanizing conditions referred to as modern slavery.

It was observed that Edo State topped the list with 273 males, 65 females and 2 children while Bayelsa, Benue, Kano and Nassarawa States, on the other hand, had the least representation with just one male. Kogi and Ondo states similarly had just one female representation each.

Edo State also led the list of the second batch of Nigerians with at least 224 people comprising 171 males, 49 females, and 4 children. Next in line was Delta State with 51 people comprising 39 males and 12 females. On the contrary, Benue State had no representation at all.

Statistics making the third batch of Nigerian returnees was far different from the first and second as Yobe State shockingly led other states of the federation with only 243 males. Edo came a distant second with 132 people cutting across 72 males, 55 females and five children. Ekiti, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara and Sokoto states had the least with just one representation each.

Of the 465 Nigerians making the fourth batch, Edo state bounced back with a leading 182 representing 120 males, 55 female, and seven children. Delta came a distant second with 43 males, 25 females leading to 68 people. Last on the least are Benue, Adamawa, Kano and Katsina states with one each.

The 134-man list making the fifth batch has Edo State leading with 44 male, 14 female, and two children bringing the total to 60 persons. Also, Delta State came far second with 16 persons consisting of 13 male, two female and a child. Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Kano and Rivers States came least with one representation each.

ChannelsTv

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The reordered sequence puts the presidential election last.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had before now put the presidential election first.

On Wednesday, the report on the election sequence was submitted for consideration of the Senate by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif.

After the presentation of the report, the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, did not allow senators to make contributions to the amendment, a development that led to series of points of orders on the floor of the Senate.

Senators such as Kabiru Gaya, Abdulahi Adamu and Adamu Ailero raised points of orders on the passage of the bill.

But Saraki ruled the lawmakers out of order.

This led to some lawmakers staging a walkout.

Fifty-nine of them were to later address the Senate Press Corps, insisting on their opposition to the reordering of the elections.

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A ‎funeral prayer for 21 students and three teachers of Government Day Junior Secondary School, Misau, Bauchi State, who died in a ghastly automobile accident, was held in Misau, amidst sobs by parents and relations.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the prayer, held at the palace of the First Class Emir of Misau, Ahmed Suleiman, was led by the Chief Imam of Misau Central Mosque, Usman Baba.

NAN reports that immediately residents of the town received report of the tragic incident, they started mourning, suspending socio-economic activities.

Nasiru Darazo, elder brother to one of the deceased students, Ibrahim Girema, described their death as a ‘colossal loss’.

“These are young men whom we are looking up to as leaders of tomorrow; today, they are no more.

‎“I have never seen such a tragedy; their remains were all smashed; you would not like to look at their bodies twice,” he told NAN, with emotions covering his face.

NAN gathered that the students and their teachers were returning from an excursion on Tuesday when their bus collided head-on with a trailer along Kano to Gaya road in Kano State, resulting in the death of 11 male and 10 female students, as well as their teachers.

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How Red Cross acted as intermediary between Boko Haram and Nigeria security operatives in release of UNIMAID lecturers, police wives

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the handover of the three lecturers of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and 10 women from Boko Haram insurgents to security operatives.

While the women were abducted in June, Boko Haram fighters captured the men in November.
The kidnap took place in Borno state.

In a statement on Saturday, Red Cross said it was contacted to play the role.

“We are so pleased that these 13 people are free and will be able to see their families again,” said Patrick Youssef, deputy regional director for Africa.

“The ICRC was not involved in any negotiations that led to the handover of the 13 people. The armed opposition handed the 13 people over to ICRC representatives who transported them to Nigerian authorities.”

The organisation recalled how it also facilitated the hand over of the Chibok schoolgirls who regained freedom last year.

“This action was similar to what the ICRC did in October 2016 and May 2017, when we transported the released Chibok girls to Nigerian officials,” Youssef said.

“There are many people missing or being held against their will due to the conflict. This creates untold trauma and suffering, including for families across the Lake Chad region who must live with the daily uncertainty and anguish of not knowing the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones. We hope that these people, too, will get to return to their families soon.”

Red Cross expressed its willingness to provide similar humanitarian services in the future when asked by relevant parties to the conflict.

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He said the policy would not transfer communal land ownership to Fulani herdsmen wherever it is established, but coming as a strategic measure to curbing the incessant bloody clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

It would be recalled that following the pronouncement of this new policy last week by Chief Ogbeh, there have been concerns and speculations that there was an ulterior motive and a grand plot by the government to forcefully collect communal land nationwide and hand over to the marauding herdsmen.

Chief Ogbeh, while receiving the Governor of Plaetue State, Simon Lalong in his office, said that there was no truth in the speculation that government was conspiring to grant supremacy over communal land to Fulani herdsmen.

“Cattle colony is not using Fulani herdsmen to colonize any state. It is going to be done in partnerships with state governments that would like to volunteer land for it. The federal government will fund the project and those wishing to benefit from it will pay some fees”, he said.

Ogbeh, maintained that the idea of the cattle colony was conceived both as a measure to stop the herders /farmers and a platform for government to make more commitments to the development of the livestock subsector.

According to him, while cattle ranching is more of an individual venture for the herdsmen and those wishing to invest in the livestock sector, cattle colonies is a larger project where up to 40 ranchers can share the same facility that will be provided by the government at a reduced rate.

The agriculture minister disclosed that about 16 states have volunteered land for the cattle colonies.

The Minister also stated that the idea behind government funding the project is to facilitate the development of agriculture value chain with the modern facilities that will be in the cattle colonies.

“Ranching is more of an individual venture for those who want to invest, but cattle colony is bigger in scope and size. It is going to be done in partnership with states government who wish to be part of it. Already 16 states have volunteered land. Nobody is going to seize land from any community for the project”, he noted.

Why FG wants cattle colonies, against cattle ranching, across Nigeria – Audu Ogeh

TRIBUNE

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National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun

Jan 6, 2018: Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), has exonerated the party from the list of dead persons included as chairmen and members of boards of government parastatals and agencies.

Odigie-Oyegun told newsmen on Saturday in Abuja that the party’s leadership was not involved in the final compilation of the list.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, had in defence of the error, explained that President Muhammadu Buhari had requested for the submission of 50 names each by the state chapters of the APC in 2015.

Some of the dead persons whose names appeared on the list recently released by the presidency included Sen. Francis Okpozo, who passed on at 81 in 2016; Donald Ugbaja, and Rev. Fr. Christopher Utov, among others.

Reacting to the development, Odigie-Oyegun said that the embarrassment would have been avoided if the party was involved in the final compilation.

“It is pretty obvious that the party was not involved in the final stages of the compilation of that list.

“Yes, we sent names at the initial stage and I am talking of a period of two years ago, we demanded for every state to make 50 nominations which were sent to the committee in charge of the list for the purpose.

“They completed the initial exercise but since then, a lot has happened.

“People have changed parties, people had died, we have three new governors that were not there when the list was compiled,’’ he said.

This, the chairman said, was enough reason for the party’s leadership to look at the final outcome of the exercise.

“But we are not fortunate to participate on that final stage otherwise such would not have occurred.

“It is my sincere hope that we will be fully involved in the review that has to now take place and any other exercise, moving forward from this date,’’ Odigie-Oyegun said.

He added that considering the fact that this year would be build-up to the 2019 general election, the party would hit ground running.

“I will resume on Monday and we are going to hit ground running, we all know that this year is obviously going to be an active year for elections,’’ he said.

He assured Nigerians that the President Buhari-led APC Federal Government was making concrete efforts to make the country self-sufficient in all areas.

The chairman maintained that the government was aware of the challenges Nigerians were going through, assuring that there is light at the end of the tunnel. – PM News

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