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Buhari embarks on State Visit to Spain Tuesday – Presidency

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Buhari embarks on State Visit to Spain Tuesday - Presidency

Buhari embarks on State Visit to Spain Tuesday – Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday depart Abuja for Madrid, Spain on a State Visit at the invitation of the Spanish President, Pedro Sanchez.

The president’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to Adesina, at a separate meeting during the visit, the first by the Nigerian leader, Buhari will also meet with the Head of State of the Spanish nation, His Majesty King Felipe VI.

”During his engagements with both leaders, the Nigerian President will discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries, which will expectedly result in the signing of Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding on a wide range of topics geared towards further enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations.

”Such areas include Extradition and transfer of convicted persons, Mutual Legal Assistance, Cultural Matters, Cooperation towards fighting crime and enhancing security, as well as issues affecting dependants of diplomatic staff.

”Also on the agenda are Cooperation on Energy, Trade and Investment, Transportation, Public Health and Sports Development,” he said.

The presidential aide revealed that the president would also be the Special Guest at an Investment Forum jointly organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Trade, and the Confederation of Employers (CEOE).

The Nigerian leader will be speaking to the gathering of top members of the Spanish business community and their Nigerian counterparts on the investment opportunities in Nigeria and ways of expanding the volume of trade as well as further collaborating for the development of the economies of both countries.

Adesina said Buhari would be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo.

Others on the President’s entourage are; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora.

The National Security Adviser retired Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno; Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i; and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa are also on the President’s entourage

The President is expected back in the country on Friday.

The News agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria and Spain established relations over the last 25 years.

The volume of trade between Nigeria and Spain stood at seven billion euros in 2012, the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Alvaro Aguilar.

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Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

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Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

By: Zagazola Makama

Angry youths in Iware, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State, attempted to burn down the office of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following the alleged torture and death of a suspect in custody.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makaka that the unrest began after Yunusa Kaka, 42, was reportedly tortured by security personnel at the NSCDC office in Iware.

Trouble started on March 30 at about 9:00 p.m. when Biliaminu Adamu, 24, was arrested for allegedly stealing two handsets and two packets of Benson cigarettes from Peter Majo of Iware Ward. While in custody, Adamu claimed he had given the stolen phones to Kaka, who denied any involvement.

Security personnel allegedly resorted to torturing Kaka in an attempt to extract a confession. He later became unresponsive and was rushed to Miyetti Allah Hospital in Iware by his brother, where he was confirmed dead.

News of Kaka’s death sparked outrage, with a large number of youths mobilizing to attack the NSCDC office.

However, security personnel managed to prevent the attack, and calm has since been restored to the area.

Authorities say investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

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NAN, AWALCO Partners to Promote ECOWAS Parliament

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NAN, AWALCO Partners to Promote ECOWAS Parliament

By: Michael Mike

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has pledged to partner the Association of West African Legislative Correspondents (AWALCO) to publicise the activities of the ECOWAS Parliament, particularly its 25th anniversary celebrations.

The Managing Director of the agency, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali,, made the pledge when the leadership of the association paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja on Thursday.

Ali while expressing appreciation to the association’s officials for deeming it worthy to pay him a courtesy visit, said as Africa’s biggest news content provider, NAN was home to all.

He said: “For deeming it worthy to come and pay us this courtesy call, the agency is appreciative.

“We hope that it will help the Parliament achieve its goals, and raise awareness, like you said, about its activities.

“On our part, the News Agency of Nigeria, like you know, is Africa’s biggest news content provider.”

He noted that the agency is the most authentic and biggest news hub in Africa, with a domineering influence and reach within the West African subregion.

Ali said: “So, with an association like this, certainly in the News Agency of Nigeria, you find a soulmate, a fellow traveler. You are welcome. We look forward to partnering and doing more, and the News Agency of Nigeria is your home.”

Speaking earlier, AWALCO President, Mr Innocent Odoh, explained that the purpose of the visit was to seek the collaboration and support of NAN, as the indisputable leader in terms of news credibility reportage, and viability.

He said that ECOWAS Parliament would be marking its 25th anniversary on November 16 and a series of activities had been lined up for it.

Odoh said that AWALCO, being the association of the parliament’s press corps, was fully involved in it by way of planning to give the occasion a media and publicity glitz.

He said this would help to propagate the ideals of ECOWAS in general, and ECOWAS Parliament in particular, and make the objectives of ECOWAS Commission and Parliament known globally, starting from the subregion.

He said: “In terms of viability, if we talk about the repository of news in all ramifications, in all dimensions, I think the News Agency of Nigeria comes first before any other one.

“So, what we are doing is in line with the media advocacy that we are projecting for the ECOWAS Parliament at 25.

“We can see that if the collaboration with NAN takes off as we planned it, I think it will go a long way in expanding the vision of the association.”

The AWALCO president further said that the partnership would determine how the regional bloc is run, especially at a time that so many things about ECOWAS needed to be interrogated.

“That is why we’re here, to seek that collaboration, to seek that support, how we can deepen that collaboration to ensure that the citizens of the Parliament understand what is happening around them.

“ECOWAS has a vision of 2050 but many people may not be aware of it, but collaborations like this can open up an opportunity for people to understand the vision of ECOWAS,” he added

on her part, Chief Communication Officer, ECOWAS Parliament, Mrs Uche Duru,, who was part of the delegation, in a remark, extended greetings from ECOWAS Parliament Speaker and Secretary-General to Ali and NAN’s management.

The spokesperson for the parliament said the association was beyond Nigeria, as its membership encompassed the entire West Africa, including even from member states that were threatening to exit or had already exited.

NAN, AWALCO Partners to Promote ECOWAS Parliament

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Nigeria, China May Head for Diplomatic Row Over Shooting of Immigration Officer at Chinese Firm

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Nigeria, China May Head for Diplomatic Row Over Shooting of Immigration Officer at Chinese Firm

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria is not taking lightly the shooting of an immigration officer at a Chinese firm in Jos, Plateau State.

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who narrated the story,
The federal government has threatened a serious diplomatic row with the Republic of China over maltreatment of a Nigerian Immigration Service officer shot by a Chinese company in Nigeria for asking for the company’s expatriate list.

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who narrated the story on Thursday in Abuja at a stakeholders sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the Nigeria Visa policy 2025, said Nigeria is not handling the matter with kid gloves as it would be taken up as a diplomatic issue.

Tunji-Ojo lamented that the development alone is an attack on Nigeria. It will never be condoned.

He said the Immigration officer, who was on official duty, had visited the Chinese company in Jos, Plateau state, to check the list of the company’s expatriates, but the owner of the company ordered a security officer in the premises to shoot the government official.

Tunji-Ojo said: “I won’t go to China as a Nigerian, open a company and tell my security to shoot a government official in uniform. It’s never done anywhere in the world.

“These officers put their lives on the line. These officers serve this country with their all. And you will not come from anywhere and ask them to shoot them in their fatherland.

“It will no longer happen. We will take it up with you. Because that company, we (Nigerian government) have the power to withdraw their business permit Nigeria and declare them illegal.”

He wondered how it had become an offence for an Immigration officer to visit a foreign company and demand to see their expatriate list.

He said: “It will not happen again. So we’re going to be very hard. We will not stop your business. We will not overburden your business. But don’t make us inferior in our own land. No, please.

“And we’re going to be very tough on this. Because talking to you, I’m not just talking with passion on this topic, I’m talking with a lot of anger, because that guy that was shot is a Nigeria that we all swore to protect by virtue of the laws of Nigeria, by the constitution. That Immigration guy was not shot by a terrorist, is a father, he is a son to somebody. He is a husband to somebody. That cannot happen anywhere in the world.

“We will not tolerate it. Please, no agent, no company is above the law,” the Minister declared

Nigeria, China May Head for Diplomatic Row Over Shooting of Immigration Officer at Chinese Firm

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