The bandits who abducted 287 school children at Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded a N1billion ransom to set their captives free.

They also threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid in 20 days.

Recall that on Thursday, March 7, 2024, the bandits invaded the school, shot one of the pupils and escaped into the bush with over 200 others, including some secondary school students they marched into the primary school premises.

The bandit’s demand for ransom came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu warned against payment of ransom to criminal elements, including bandits.

“The President has directed that security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, ensure that these children and all those who have been kidnapped are brought back in safety and also in the process, to ensure that not a dime is paid as ransom,” the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammed Idris, had quoted the President as saying after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.

According to Reuters, the bandits contacted a spokesman for the families of the school children, demanding a total of 1 billion naira ($620,432) for their release.

Reuters also said the kidnappers vowed to kill the students and staff in 20 days, if their demand was not met.
A leader of the community, Jubril Aminu, who acts as spokesman for the families of the hostages, said: “They (kidnappers) made a total of a N1 billion ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school.

“They gave a request to pay the ransom within 20 days, effective from the date of the kidnap. They said they will kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.”

Military vows to rescue school children

Meanwhile, the military vowed yesterday to rescue the schoolchildren and return them unhurt to their families.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made the vow at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, said the military is committed to rescuing all kidnapped victims unhurt.

He, however, blamed the school owners for failing to report cases of abduction to security agencies on time, while also blaming the recent kidnapping of some internally displaced persons in Gamboru-Ngala, Borno State, on their disobedience to instructions as they left the camp in search of firewood without informing camp officials.

Major-General Buba said the kidnap was a ploy by the bandits to use them as human shields, following the onslaught that had led to the elimination of their leaders and foot soldiers in recent weeks.

He noted that the terrorists/bandits might also be planning on recruiting new foot soldiers, hence the abduction of young students and children

“We have depleted their ranks, and neutralized many of their commanders and foot soldiers. The terrorists exhibited gross cowardice by going after children.

“We have taken their commanders out. We recently acquired new air platforms to further decimate them. They know we mean business. It is to protect themselves that they went after the students. But we will not rest until all the kidnapped victims are rescued.”

Gen Buba, however, stated that it took more than six hours after the students were abducted for the information to get to security agencies before machinery was commenced for the rescue efforts.

“These citizens were abducted by a brutal and blood-thirsty group that should only be addressed as terrorists, not bandits. I repeat these are terrorists and not bandits.

“They are holding these citizens against their will and all norms of human behaviour, and the laws of armed conflict and any good measure in the world.

“Several of their leaders and commanders have been neutralised as a result of troops onslaught. They want to use these hostages as human shields for their survival. Nevertheless, be assured that we will not rest until the hostages are returned.

“No doubt, this is a difficult situation, but not one that is insurmountable. The hostage situation is an extremely sensitive one which unfortunately is not unprecedented in the history of the ongoing war.

“These terrorists have exhibited cowardice by going for such soft targets to impede troops’ advances. I assure you that we will not rest until they are returned.

“Given the hostage situation, it can be deduced that the search and rescue effort was grossly affected by the non-notification of troops of the incident on time. Nevertheless, I can assure you that we will not rest until these hostages are returned.

“However, because of the sensitivity of the matter, I cannot go into further details as to signs of life, location, and the different options we have to get these hostages back.

“Let me further assure you that getting these hostages back is very clearly at the top of our priorities. It is for this reason we have leveraged our international partners for support.

NSCDC working with others to secure the release of Kaduna students — CG

Also yesterday, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, assured the government and people of Kaduna State that with the collaborative efforts of security agencies, there would be speedy recovery of school children and students recently abducted in the state.

Spokesman of the Corps, Babawale Afolabi, said in a statement in Abuja that the CG gave the assurances when he visited Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani.

“Your Excellency Sir, as a matter of concern, let me on behalf of the NSCDC management and personnel across the nation, say that we are ready to work in collaboration with all relevant security agencies with full mechanism and security apparatus put in place to see that the perpetrators of this heinous crime do not go scot-free.
“The NSCDC remains a key actor in the nation’s internal security and the lead agency in the Safe Schools Initiative.

The NSCDC boss commended the governor for providing the necessary logistics for the state command to function effectively while also praying for the allocation of a befitting command permanent site and operational vehicles that will enhance the discharge of the Corps’ statutory mandate in safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructure across the state.

He also appealed to various communities in Kaduna State to work closely with security agencies by providing actionable intelligence and information to achieve the desired success and results afterwards.
On his part, Governor Sani lauded the good gesture exhibited by the CG and the effective collaboration of the Corps with the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, and the DSS, among others.

He said all critical stakeholders must play active roles to forestall criminalities and frustrate the evil men whose delight was to disrupt the peace and stability of the state.

FCT to use drones to track kidnappers — Wike

He said; “It is unfortunate to say this, that mostly the security agencies, in particular I will say, the Police here, are not adequately equipped. You cannot believe that the police command of the FCT does not even have an ordinary tracking device.

‘’Not only them, even the FCT command of the Department of State Services, DSS, do not even have. And the only one they have is at the headquarters. So, if there are things to do, they have to go to the headquarters, which is not supposed to be.

‘’Luckily, I told Mr President that look, we have to do something, and there must be the emergency procurement of this equipment.

“That is one of the approvals Mr President gave to us that we said look, we are going to purchase our drones to help in surveillance and operations, particularly within these boundaries that the topography is so bad, so hilly, and where you have the forests.

According to him, the FCT Administration has consequently applied to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, for emergency procurement but which was denied until the presidential intervention in January.

19 Northern Govs, NSA, service chiefs meet on possible review of security architecture

Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, governors of the 19 northern states and service chiefs also had a marathon meeting yesterday to review the security situation in the north, to profer a lasting solution to the insecurity in the region.

The meeting, which held behind closed doors, started at 1:30 pm and ended at about 6pm.

“The essence of the meeting, as you can see, is between the governors and the service chiefs and the national security adviser, NSA.

“So it relates to security and you know security is very typical, especially the recent issues of kidnapping in the North-West and we are becoming so concerned that we need to discuss, review and possibly take alternative options to what we have been doing before, so we can have a better result.”

The governor added that the need for a collaborative approach to tackling insecurity in the region necessitated the meeting.

He stressed the need for non-kinetic and kinetic approaches to address the remote causes of insecurity.
Governor Inuwa said the security agencies were doing their best, but noted that there was the need for a non-kinetic approach to addressing the root causes of the problem.

“In fact, that’s the best way to go because the issue is until we join the two (approaches) and already the service chiefs and all other security agencies have been doing their best trying to cover all ground.

“So what we need to do is to change the style, especially in addition to the non-kinetic approach, so that when we join the two, we’ll have a better security situation in the country at the ebnd of the day,” he stated.

Recall that aside from 287 school children, students and their teachers kidnapped at LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State, 112 were abducted at internally displaced persons, IDPs, camp in Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, while 16 Tsangaya Almagiri students were also abducted in Sokoto State last Saturday.

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu addressed the Emir of Bauchi, HRM Dr Suleiman Adamu ( right) at his palace. Sitting to the First ladu’s right is wife of Bauchi State Governor, Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed.

[Vanguard]

President Bola Tinubu plans to withdraw the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as board member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to a report by Western Post, the decision follows pressure mounted on the president by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding Onwudiwe’s political affliation.

A post via her account on X, which reads “it was a landslide victory for Labour Party at my polling unit Lekki polling unit” was said to have incited the APC supporters who protested the nomination by Tinubu.

According to the report, flaunting her support for Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and a display of the result at her polling unit, was a basis for the party members “to protest to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank”.

On March 14, Tinubu asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the CBN.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio, and read at the plenary on March 13.

The president said Onwudiwe is a replacement for Urom Kalu Eke, who was unavailable due to conflict of interest.

Eke declined the nomination because he is still a consultant at the World Bank.

The new nomination came one month after Tinubu asked the senate to confirm five people as directors of the board of the CBN.

On February 29, the senate confirmed four people (excluding Eke) as members of the board.

The directors of the board are; Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Olayinka Aliyu.

[TheCable]

President Bola Tinubu plans to withdraw the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as board member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to a report by Western Post, the decision follows pressure mounted on the president by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding Onwudiwe’s political affliation.

A post via her account on X, which reads “it was a landslide victory for Labour Party at my polling unit Lekki polling unit” was said to have incited the APC supporters who protested the nomination by Tinubu.

According to the report, flaunting her support for Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and a display of the result at her polling unit, was a basis for the party members “to protest to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank”.

On March 14, Tinubu asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the CBN.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio, and read at the plenary on March 13.

The president said Onwudiwe is a replacement for Urom Kalu Eke, who was unavailable due to conflict of interest.

Eke declined the nomination because he is still a consultant at the World Bank.

The new nomination came one month after Tinubu asked the senate to confirm five people as directors of the board of the CBN.

On February 29, the senate confirmed four people (excluding Eke) as members of the board.

The directors of the board are; Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Olayinka Aliyu.

[TheCable]

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro as Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

Dr. Otuaro holds a PhD in Comparative Politics & Development Studies; an MSc in Public Administration, and a BSc in Education.

He had previously served as a top-level executive of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with a surfeit of experience across multiple sectors, including infrastructure development, security, environmental remediation, as well as oil and gas.

The President anticipates that the new Administrator will bring his requisite experience and know-how to this role to revamp the Amnesty Programme and advance the realization of its founding purpose and vision.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale 

Special Adviser to the President 

(Media & Publicity)

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has elevated his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Gboyega Akosile, to Special Adviser, Media and Publicity. 

The appointment, which took immediate effect, was announced on Wednesday in a letter dated March 13, 2024, and signed by the Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro.

"I wish to convey the approval of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, of your new appointment as Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (Non-Cabinet Rank) to Mr. Governor. The appointment takes effect from 13th March 2024 to 21st May 2027.

"In appointing you, the State Government expects you to demonstrate a high level of dedication, diligence, and selflessness in the discharge of your duties to justify the confidence and trust reposed in you," the statement reads in part. 

Before his new appointment, Akosile was the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu.  He had earlier served as Media Adviser to the Governor during the 2019 governorship campaign and in the same capacity after the swearing-in of Governor Sanwo-Olu for a second term.

He also served as Deputy Chief Press Secretary and later Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu during his first term in office. 

Akosile holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Theatre Arts from both the University of Ilorin and University of Lagos respectively. He also bagged a Master of Business Administration degree, MBA at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU between 2008 and 2010.

He has over two decades of robust career and hands on experience in journalism, media and perception management.

In his new role, Akosile is expected to continue his media and perception management of the Governor and his administration, in line with the Government’s THEMES+ development agenda.

SIGNED

OLABODE AGORO

HEAD OF SERVICE

President Bola Tinubu has approved the relocation of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

NACA was previously domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The relocation of NACA to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is to foster synergy and enhance collaboration in pursuit of the nation's goal to achieve the 95-95-95 pathway for ending the AIDS epidemic.

In line with his topmost priority of manifesting the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration across sectors, the President is determined to consistently harmonize institutions within and between the different sectors in the country, ensuring improved coordination and synergy among agencies for efficient and qualitative service delivery to all Nigerians.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity) 

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Federal Ministry of Environment to align regulations and tax frameworks to facilitate investment expansion in telecommunications and broadband infrastructure nationwide.

The President issued the directive at a meeting with a delegation from American Tower Corporation (ATC) Nigeria at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, expressing dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic pace in permit issuance processing for companies operating in the digital infrastructure sector.

The Chief Executive Officer of ATC Africa, Mr. Marek Busfy had expressed ATC Nigeria's commitment to expanding its investments in the country, which have already surpassed $2.19 billion since its commencement of Nigerian operations in 2015.

Busfy also emphasized ATC's commitment to delivering value to subscribers while reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations.

Responding, President Tinubu commended ATC Nigeria for its significant contributions and investments in the country's ICT sector, highlighting the importance of innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide.

The President lauded the ongoing efforts of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to promote digital connectivity across the nation, particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme that functions to upskill three million Nigerian youths in digital literacy and innovation through innovation incubators nationwide.

President Tinubu outlined ongoing initiatives to establish broadband connectivity in all 774 local government secretariats within six months, leveraging existing infrastructure, such as NIGCOMSAT and Galaxy Backbone's fibre optic network.

''In the area of ease of doing business, no nation can make progress without paying attention to the opportunities that are right in front of them. We have a vibrant youth population that has successfully innovated without much government support. What now happens in this era when we are providing massive support to their digital economic activities? They will do very well. You are investing in the right place at the right time.

''Considering our population and land mass, we need your investments to ensure that we are ready for a higher level of digital penetration in the telecommunications sector and the specific type of digital education that is needed in the competitive, knowledge-based global economy of the 21st century,'' the President said.

Addressing concerns raised by the delegation regarding the ease of doing business in Nigeria, President Tinubu assured them of his administration's commitment to implementing reforms that will eliminate bureaucratic constraints.

In response to a request from the delegation for a reduction in withholding tax for telecommunications companies to stimulate investments in telecommunications and broadband infrastructure, the President said the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) would review the matter and provide a solution that is in the best interest of both the investors and the Nigerian people.

''Every citizen, whether at the corporate or individual level, fights tax. Let us work with the FIRS and see how we can slice the cake. If the country has a good path of growth, it is a greater opportunity for you to invest,'' the President stated.

In his remarks, the CEO of ATC Africa reiterated the company's readiness to invest further in Nigeria's ICT infrastructure to meet the market's growing demand for data, while lauding the clarity of strategy demonstrated by the administration, particularly praising the roadmap and efforts of the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.

''Mr. President, what has struck me in Nigeria is the clarity of strategy by your administration, particularly in the ICT sector, and the administration's 3MTT programme. In the last year, we have invested over $200 million in growing our infrastructure in Nigeria, and we are ready to do significantly more.

''We have employed several hundred people in Nigeria and 25,000 more indirectly. We have paid about $400 million in taxes, both direct and indirect. As an American company, we are often asked about our experience in Africa and in Nigeria, and we want to stress that we are very ethical in our approach to business,'' Mr. Busfy said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, today, signed the Bulk Purchase Agency and Assets Management and Maintenance Agency Bills recently passed by the State House of Assembly, into law.

Speaking during the Enlarged State Executive Council meeting at the EXCO Chambers, Governor Eno commended the leadership of the State House of Assembly for working to expeditiously pass the two bills.

The Bulk Purchase Bill, as the Governor has been saying, is a response by Government to the high cost of staple food items in the nation arising from some economic challenges currently being felt by Nigerians across social strata.

The Governor had stated that, “this is an intervention exercise, and the only way we can mitigate the suffering of our people, is to directly intervene. We believe the best vehicle for such intervention, was to set up an agency that will do a direct intervention in the market and get staple food items to our people at a reduced price. That is what the Bulk Purchase Agency seeks to address.

“Let me again, emphasize that this is an intervention exercise and not a permanent solution. The permanent solution is to return to the farm.

“That is why we will soon, set up an Agric Committee that will support our people with seedlings so they can return to the farm.

“This committee will work tirelessly to ultimately make our staple food items available at drastically reduced price range.

“ The second bill, seeks to create the State’s Assets Register, different and separate from Akwa Ibom State Road and Other Infrastructure Maintenance Agency, (AKROIMA) which as the name implies, is essentially for roads maintenance. We have to develop a strong maintenance culture. We can’t allow our assets to deteriorate.

“This bill also seeks to create an occupational safety department, in line with what obtains elsewhere.”

The signing of the bills was followed by a presentation of the key element of the Bulk Purchase Agency, which is the food voucher by the SSA on ICT Matters, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong.

A massive publicity on the working of this process will be further enhanced in the coming weeks.

All over the State, the people have commended and celebrated Governor Umo Eno for his people- centric initiatives, especially at this time of severe economic stress among Nigerians.

Ekerete Udoh
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC) of the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa-CDC) in Nigeria.

President Tinubu is the African Union (AU) Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.

The President's approval of the siting of the Centre in Abuja is part of his larger effort to convey Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global health security, while promoting local economic opportunities in the health care delivery value chain and enhancing Nigeria's and West Africa's collective capacity to respond promptly to outbreaks which is vital to the overall well-being and stability of the African continent.

The Centre will also bring with it enormous socio-economic benefits in the form of enhancing aggregate national productivity and reversing human capacity drain, even as the ability of indigenous medical professionals and scientists will be bolstered to respond adequately to old, recent, and emerging diseases, not only in Nigeria, but across the continent.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 14, 2024

What does palliative mean to you? Free food items from the government? Subsidized transportation or increased in wages? While other states are distributing food items to their vulnerable and the very poor citizens and some are topping up workers’ salaries with some cash, Akwa Ibom state government is going a step further by taking healthcare to the rural communities and the lessons are instructive. For three days in February, Gov. Umo Eno arranged a huge medical outreach program in Uyo in which an open field in the metropolis was turned into a gigantic hospital and thousands of people trooped into the airconditioned tents to receive treatment for all sorts of ailments, ranging from hernia to glaucoma. Practically, every disease that afflict our people were treated for free and in the three days of the program, over 1,700 patients received attention and medications; 248 surgeries were performed, including caesarean sections; 630 eye glasses dispensed; 102 dental procedures performed and 742 eye consultations done. In all, 200 medical personnel participated.

Encouraged by its success, the government is taking the program to the other two senatorial districts. This week (March 13 – 18) is the turn of the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district (or Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district) which has 10 LGAs while Akwa Ibom South or Eket Senatorial district (12 LGAs) will take their turn next month. Persons afflicted with hernia, cataracts, glaucoma, malaria, skin infections and all sorts of ailments are receiving attention, and instead of tents in an open field, the outreach in Ikot Ekpene is held at the general hospital and it will last for five days, two days longer than the one in Uyo. In the first two days at Ikot Ekpene, 3,000 patients have received attention and over 300 surgical procedures, including CS, were performed. I have just asked a friend whose mother is suffering from swollen legs (apparently a symptom of renal impairment) to rush the poor woman to the general hospital.

‘’The success is amazing and the government is thinking of organizing the outreach more frequently’’, Dr. Emmanuel John, the personal physician to the governor told me. But why didn’t these people go to hospitals, the government-owned health facilities, all along? Were they waiting for this outreach program? Did they know that it was coming? I asked Dr. John. His answer is instructive. They kept away from hospital because of cost. ‘’You will be surprised to learn that even a N2,000 bill can scare away our people from hospitals’’, he said, adding, ‘’the governor is very concerned about the welfare of our people in the rural areas and he knows about their limited capacity to bear financial burdens, no matter how minor they are, and so he came up with the idea of this outreach which is essentially taking free healthcare to the people’’.

Although Akwa Ibom government is planning to increase the frequency of the program, the most sustainable system of providing healthcare to the people lies in compulsory health insurance scheme. Nigeria has had health insurance since the Obasanjo administration introduced it over 20 years ago, but the coverage has been too low – just about three percent of the population is covered. In the whole of Africa, it is only Rwanda that has a coverage of up to 90%. Said Dr. John: ‘’We need to make health insurance compulsory in Nigeria so that the working class in the country can bear the burdens of the weak and the elderly members of the population’’. I agree. If, for example, 200,000 people in the state contribute N2,000 each in a month, that would fetch N400 million. This is more than enough to cater for the health needs of every sick person for the month. This is a matter for the National Economic Council and the Nigerian Governors Forum to take a keen look at.

There are some lessons to take away from the success of the Akwa Ibom medical outreach. Number one: Our people are so poor that even the thought of a N2,000 medical bill can prevent them from seeking help in government-owned hospitals. The previous administration spent huge resources to renovate and re-equip general hospitals in many LGAs and the incumbent administration is revamping the primary health centers, yet our people do not go there for treatment.

Another lesson is that distribution of rice and food items is not the only way of providing palliatives to the people. Quite often, we hear of governments distributing foodstuffs to ameliorate the cost-of-living crisis in the country. But unknown government officials, more of their citizens are dying of common preventable and curable diseases than of hunger. These people are so poor that they do not even know where to seek help for their ailments. So, while the governors are in Abuja looking for money to provide food palliatives, their citizens are dying of common infections. Truly, humans require food as much as they need medical care to live.

This program may cost Akwa Ibom government up to N300 million or more, in my estimation. Today, a surgical procedure, whether for hernia or appendicitis, even in a government hospital, costs up to N300,000! Whatever the total cost will be, it is worth it. This is the time to cater for the hapless and the helpless amongst us. I commend the governor. Akwa Ibom State is not for the political class alone! To create a more enduring system, I urge the governor to make a law for a compulsory health insurance scheme in which every working person, including the self-employed, will contribute to a pool that would fund medical care for all, especially the weakest segments of the population.