Insecurity: Zulum hosts northern Emirs in Maiduguri

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, hosted Northern Traditional Rulers Council for its 7th Executive Committee Meeting on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The meeting aims to tackle the rising insecurity plaguing Northern Nigeria.

The meeting with the theme, “Enhanced Security As A Panacea For Stability and Development of the North” was declared open by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who was represented by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.

In his remarks earlier, Governor Zulum highlighted security and peacebuilding, agriculture and youth empowerment as the critical pillars of sustainable development in the northern region.

The Governor also called on all stakeholders to focus on providing opportunities for the youth in northern Nigeria. He said, “our youth population is large, energetic and eager to contribute, but many are without opportunities. This vacuum is dangerous. We must invest heavily in skills acquisition, vocational education, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship. Empowered youths are not only less vulnerable to crime or radicalisation, they become active agents of development.”

Governor Zulum also stressed that agriculture had remained the economic lifeline for the north, hence a deliberate effort is needed to enhance farming activities across the region.

“With vast arable land and a population well-versed in farming, agriculture is our greatest opportunity. However, insecurity has displaced farmers and halted rural productivity. We must secure our farmlands and support modern agricultural practices to restore livelihoods and reduce dependency. In Borno, we are expanding access to inputs, mechanised farming and irrigation despite the challenges, and the results are promising,” Zulum said.

He added, “On behalf of the government and good people of Borno State, I assure you of our commitment to peace, justice and shared progress. Together, with faith and determination, we will rebuild the north physically, socially and economically.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, explained that the meeting in Borno was to strengthen unity among states in the north and to deliberate on the situation in the region to support the political leadership in addressing series of problems across the north.

The National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff and Inspector General of Police were all represented.

Also in attendance were the Chairman of Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Gombe, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya, represented by his Deputy, Manassah Daniel Jatau, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar Garbai, among many other Emirs across the 19 states of the northern region.

Insecurity: Zulum hosts northern Emirs in Maiduguri

Zulum Orders Arrest and Prosecution of Molester of a Minor in Viral Video

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has ordered the immediate prosecution of Bukar Modu, a man seen in a viral video molesting a minor (Bashir Gaji).

The man was subsequently arrested on Saturday night at Umarari in Maiduguri, following the governor’s directive.

Zulum gave the order when he met with little Bashir Gaji at Government House, Maiduguri.

The video which has sparked outrage across social media platforms, highlights a grave violation of children’s rights and the urgent need for a robust response from law enforcement and judicial authorities.

Zulum while giving the order, emphasised that his administration will not tolerate any form of abuse or exploitation of minors and directed swift action to bring the perpetrator to justice.

He said: “This heinous act is an affront on our values and a betrayal of our duty to protect our children, students and minors who are under our guardianship,” Governor Zulum said. “We cannot tolerate such actions perpetually repeating itself. I am directing the relevant authorities to move swiftly and ensure that this individual faces the full extent of the law. Our children deserve a safe environment to grow and become meaningful members of society.”

Meanwhile, the governor directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to devise modalities for increased community awareness programmes to educate families and local traditional teachers and guardians on the proper means of enforcing discipline on children.

The governor, who later met with the little Bashir Gaji on Sunday at the Government House, announced that he would provide a fully furnished house for Bukar and his family and a scholarship to cover his education.

Little Gaji’s family currently live in an IDP camp in Monguno after his father was assassinated by Boko Haram insurgents.

Zulum Orders Arrest and Prosecution of Molester of a Minor in Viral Video

NDLEA Arrests Malaysian Returnee with Illicit Drug in Music Speakers Meant for Saie in Adamawa, Cameroon

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 41-year-old ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu (aka Richard) with two giant music speakers used to conceal four large parcels of methamphetamine weighing 2.7 kilogrammes meant for distribution in two Adamawa’s town of Yola and Mubi, and across the border in Cameroon.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Udatu was arrested inside a commercial transport bus at an NDLEA checkpoint at Namtari along Ngurore -Yola road, Adamawa last Monday. He was found with two new music speakers used to conceal four packages of methamphetamine and monetary exhibit of N22,300.

Udatu, in his statement, claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia where he had been arrested, convicted and sent to prison for drug trafficking offences.

In another interdiction exercise, NDLEA officers in a joint border operation with Customs personnel at the Nigeria/Cameroon border, Mfum, Cross River state arrested a trans-border drug trafficker, 35-year-old Odoh Ikechukwu, with 8,740 ampoules of assorted opioids, weighing 395 kilogrammes. They include: 1,080 ampoules of fentanyl injection, 2,160 ampoules of morphine sulphate injection, 3,010 ampoules of phenobarbital sulphate injection, 2,160 ampoules of pethidine injection, and 330 ampoules of midazolam injection.

In Kano, NDLEA operatives last Friday arrested 27-year-old Aliyu Ibrahim with 20 ATM cards and 25,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 250mg at Bachirawa area of Kano, while 48-year-old Gambo Lawan was nabbed in a follow up operation at Wazobia motor park, Gwagwalada FCT Abuja following the seizure of a consignment of 8,960 pills of tramadol by NDLEA officers on routine check along Gwagwalada expressway last Monday.

Not less than 124 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in 11 jumbo bags were last Friday recovered from the boot of a Lexus car marked KTU 54 CU driven by a suspect, Ademiluyi Adedapo, 58, along Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger state.

He said the NDLEA commands across the country continued to balance their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the efforts of the officers and men of Adamawa, Cross River, FCT, Kano and Niger State commands of the agency for job well done, tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on their oars but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug cartels with an equal measure of drug demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA Arrests Malaysian Returnee with Illicit Drug in Music Speakers Meant for Saie in Adamawa, Cameroon