News
Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team

Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team
By: Yahaya Wakili
The Yobe state government, through the office of the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali mni, has received a reputable consulting team who were engaged to conduct comprehensive feasibility studies and technical designs for the successful implementation of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) project in the state.
The SSG who received the team on behalf of the state government highlighted three priority areas identified by the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, to be handled under the project.
He articulated the three key areas to include: infrastructure, agriculture, and energy, which were strategically selected to improve the livelihoods and promote the economic growth of the citizens.
While making his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government has called on the consultant to justify the conference reposed on them by the government.
Earlier speaking, State Focal Person BADEA, Idriss Mohammed Yaro Gumsa, told the SSG that consultants were in Yobe for the past couple of days as he took them round for a sightseeing visit to some of the proposed project sites.
Also, as part of the mandate for the consultants visit to Yobe, the state government conducted a high-level stakeholder engagement aimed at preparing necessary requirements for securing alternate financing to drive sustainable development and enhance the quality of lives of Yobe communities through funding from BADE.
The session chaired by the SSG, represented by the Hon. Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Alhaji Mohammed Abatcha Geidam, was meant to deliberate on the technical aspect of the project proposal.
“Under agriculture, the proposed initiatives include supporting 20,000 smallholder farmers across the 17 LGAs of the state with essential inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and equipment, including solar-powered water pumps and hand-push tillers, among others.
“Establishing 50 small-scale irrigation schemes in Yobe State to facilitate year-round crop production, targeting over 14,000 individual beneficiaries.
According to him, the focus for infrastructure development in the project involves the construction and rehabilitation of 253 kilometers of rural and urban roads across the state.
Others include drilling and installing 200 hybrid solar-powered boreholes in urban-rural communities, boarding secondary schools and primary healthcare centers, as well as construction of 200-bed capacity hostels in the designated tertiary institutions across the three senatorial districts.
While the energy sector intends to provide solar and renewable energy solutions for boarding schools, specialist hospitals, healthcare centers, and modern markets and promote energy efficiency through advanced technologies and practices.
He urged the consulting firm to work in line with the state government’s priorities and ensure due diligence in the conduct of their assignment.
Meanwhile, in his presentation on the overview of the BADEA project in Yobe, the State Focal Person, Idriss Mohammed Yaro, highlighted the deliberate efforts made by the Yobe state government towards attracting the BADEA project, which include an official visit to the Arab Bank’s headquarters in Riyadh by our leader and people-oriented governor, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON.
The consultant assured the government of their commitment to deliver the assignment according to standard specifications.
Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team
News
North East APC Forum Endorses Tinubu/Kashim Ticket for 2027

North East APC Forum Endorses Tinubu/Kashim Ticket for 2027
By: Michael Mike
The North East chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially endorsed President Bola Tinubu/ Vice President Kashim Shettima ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
The endorsement was made on Sunday during the North East All Progressives Congress Consultative Meeting in Gombe, the Gombe State capital.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe and other top APC officials in the northeast were among thousands of party members that attended the meeting.
The forum noted that President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have transformed Nigeria in their short terms of leadership with their renewed hope agenda.

They call on all Nigerians to rally behind a ticket that promises unity, progress and hope for the country.
While delivering his speech, the governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, noted that in the last two years, the Tinubu/Shettima-led government has done a lot in the areas of health, education, youth and women empowerment, revenue generation, and improving the lives of citizens.

Other prominent personalities present at the meeting include the National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ali Bukar Dalori, and other members of the APC.
End
News
Thirteen suspects including notorious kidnappers, escape from police cell in Nasarawa

Thirteen suspects including notorious kidnappers, escape from police cell in Nasarawa
By: Zagazola Makama
Thirteen suspects escaped from police detention after breaking through the wall of their cell at the Area Command in Nasarawa State, a Police sources confirmed to Zagazola Makama on Sunday.
The incident occurred on June 14, 2025, at about 06:30 hours when suspects held by the OC Anti-Kidnapping and OC Anti-Cultism broke out of their cell from the rear wall, sources at the command said.
The suspects, now at large, include Jamilu Abdulsalam chain theft and kidnapping, Abdullahi Yahaya (chain theft, kidnapping and culpable homicide), Usman Yerima (chain theft, kidnapping and culpable homicide), Abba Musa (chain theft, kidnapping and culpable homicide), Idris Hussaini (chain theft, kidnapping and culpable homicide), Abu Amu (chain theft and kidnapping), Usman Hassan (chain theft, intimidation and attempted kidnapping), Hussaini Sani (chain theft and kidnapping), Ibrahim Shuaibu (chain theft, kidnapping and culpable homicide), Hamza Abubakar (chain theft, kidnapping and culpable homicide), Usman Ibrahim, a.k.a Tecno (chain theft, causing grievous hurt, belonging to unlawful society and culpable homicide), and Abdullahi Muhammed (on court order).
The police say efforts were ongoing to arrest the suspects and bring them back into custody.
Meanwhile, the Cell Record Officer, incident duty officer, cell guard, and visiting-round officer have been queried and held accountable for their respective roles in the incident.
Thirteen suspects including notorious kidnappers, escape from police cell in Nasarawa
Crime
Iran-bound businessman ingest 53 wraps of cocaine at Port Harcourt airport

Iran-bound businessman ingest 53 wraps of cocaine at Port Harcourt airport
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) another businessman, 44-year-old Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine while on his way to Tehran Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran.
This is barely two weeks after a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Okigbo heading to Iran with 65 pellets of cocaine in his stomach was caught at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

The spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said Ezemokwe was arrested at the Port Harcourt airport on Saturday 7th June while trying to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 flying to Tehran Khomeini in Iran via Doha. After a body scan proved positive to ingestion of illicit drug, he was placed on excretion observation during which he expelled 53 wraps of cocaine in six excretions with a total weight of 1.172 kilogrammes.
He said the suspect claimed to have gone into the criminal trade two years ago, moving between the West African sub-region and Iran.

He disclosed that similarly NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos in the early hours of Saturday intercepted an Italy bound passenger Edobor Ali on an Air France flight.
He noted that the NDLEA officers in collaboration with the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered drug consignments hidden in the luggage of the suspect during baggage scanning at the tarmac.
He said the suspect was thereafter brought down from the aircraft for baggage identification after which a thorough search of the bag led to the discovery of 14,410 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg concealed in winter jackets.
In his statement, Ebodor said he lives in Italy where he was hired and sent on the all expense paid trip to Nigeria to courier the drug consignments to Milan, Italy for a fee of 2000 Euros.
Babafemi said at the Port Harcourt Ports in Onne, Rivers state, NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a shipment of 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N1.1 billion in street value, during a joint examination of a watch-listed container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies. The opioid consignments were hidden behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares.

He said at least, three suspects: Friday Achibong, 47; Abraham Anthony, 21; and Utibe Okon, 24, were arrested last Thursday 12th June when NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani local government area, Cross River state, where a total of 2,687 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered.
He added that same day in Bauchi state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence, arrested the duo of Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, 30, along Bauchi -Jos road after 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287 kilogrammes were discovered in their Toyota Camry car marked AKL 201 GG.
He said while 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560 kilogrammes were recovered from a wooden boat at Oniru beach in Lagos by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA last Thursday, officers of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport Maiduguri same day arrested two businessmen: Ishaku Abdullahi, 30; and Buba Usman, 32, at the arrival hall of the domestic wing of the airport with various quantities of ecstacy pills and skunk packaged in fanciful wraps labelled as ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’
Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, PHIA, MBIAM, PHPC, Marine, Cross River, and Bauchi commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, praised their compatriots in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Iran-bound businessman ingest 53 wraps of cocaine at Port Harcourt airport
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