The Defence Headquarters on Friday said it has declared 97 persons wanted for terrorism, violent extremism and secessionist threats against the state.

Prominent among the wanted persons is the factional leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Simon Ekpa.

Major Gen Edwaed Buba, Director, Defence Media Operations, confirmed the names and pictures of the people declared wanted in Abuja on Friday night.

The wanted persons, terrorists/ bandits and insurgents commanders are from the North East, North West, North Central and South-East zones.

The military authorities did not place any bounty on the wanted persons.

A breakdown of the wanted persons shows that 43 were declared wanted in North West Zone plagued by banditry, and kidnapping among others.

Some bandits/terrorists leaders include: Alhaji Shingi; Malindi Yakubu; Boka ; Dogo Gide; Halilu Sububu; Ado Aliero ; Bello Turji; Dan Bokkolo; Labi Yadi ; Nagala; Saidu Idris; Kachalla Rugga and Sani Gurgu.

In the North East plagued by Boko Haram and Islamic State for West Africa Province terrorists, 33 persons were declared wanted.

Among them are terrorists commanders, Abu Zaida; Modu Sulum; Baba Data; Ahmad; Sani Teacher; Baa Sadiq; Abdul Saad; Kaka Abi; Mohammad Khalifa; Umar Tella; Abu Mutahid; Mallam Mohammad; Mallam Tahiru Baga; Uzaiya and Ali Ngule.

In the North Central and South East 21 Insurgents/militants and violent criminals were declared wanted.

They include factional IPOB leader Simon Ekpa; Chika Edoziem; Egede; Zuma, ThankGod Gentle; Flavour ; Mathew; David Ndubuisi ; High Chief Williams Agbor; Ebuka Nwaka; Friday Ojimka.

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Others in the South East include Obiemesi Chukwudi aka Dan Chuk ; David Ezekwem Chidiebube and Amobi Chinonso Okafor aka Temple .

The multi-billion naira Baro Inland Port in Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, is yet to commence operation five years after it was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

A gigantic mobile harbour crane overlooks the mass of water surging from the Niger River in front of the Baro Inland Port. It is one of the technical equipment for cargo handling that was procured for the take-off of the port ahead of its commissioning in 2019. Also staring at the water within the quay of the port is the Reach Starker and three forklifts, which, according to Usman Bumba, the port manager, are still in perfect condition and ready to perform their cargo handling functions.

But therein lays the paradox: this multi-billion-naira equipment, including other facilities, such as water hydrant system, water treatment plant and a 100 KVA generating set, have been lying dormant as no single cargo has been lifted or any vessel berthed since the ceremony unveiling the port for business activities over five years ago.

A visit by this reporter revealed that after the pomp and ceremony that heralded its inauguration by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2019, the Baro Inland Port, located in Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, is yet to commence operation.

This is in spite of the fact that the N5.8billion project. which was awarded to a Chinese firm, CGCC Project Limited in 2011/12, has a cargo stacking yard of 7,000 square meters, a transit shed of 3,600 square meters and an estimated capacity of 5,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) at a time.

During the inauguration ceremony, Buhari said the project would enhance intermodal transportation connectivity in Nigeria, reduce the pressure of big trucks on the country’s roads, create huge economic opportunities for Nigerians and help in decongesting similar ports.

The then managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, said the completion of the port, which was abandoned by previous governments, would ensure the effective evacuation of farm produce and other commodities from Baro community.

On his part, former Governor Abubakar Bello said the port was a stepping stone for creating a Baro International Port City that would give Niger State global visibility and an effective source of sustainable income. He disclosed that a plan was underway for the acquisition of 728square kilometers of land for the master plan for the proposed Baro Smart International Port City and Regional Plan for Greater Baro Development Area, implementation of a rapid economic empowerment programme for the residents of Baro and its environs and the development of Baro International Port City.

Dashed hopes, expectations

However, a visit by Daily Trust Saturday to the facility showed that five years after commissioning formalities, the Baro Port remains a pipe dream as neither a cargo has been lifted nor a single vessel berthed.

“Our expectations for development are dimming by the day because since the port was commissioned, no activities have taken place there,” Ndagana Mohammed, a Baro-based school teacher said.

Mohammed said, “During construction, our environment, including farmlands, were destroyed. We made sacrifices to ensure that development came to our immediate community, but it appears that our efforts are in vain. We really don’t know what is happening.

“For over five years, the road from Agaie to Baro through Katcha has been dragging, thereby impacting negatively on our economic activities, such as fishing and farming. We are, however, hopeful that under the current Tinubu-led government, the port would take off.”

Like Mohammed, Ismaila Alhaji Aliyu, the councillor representing Baro ward at the Agaie Local Government, is also worried over the non-takeoff of the Baro Inland Port, five years after commissioning.

“It is worrisome because of the huge investments and immense benefits expected from the project. Any time I visit the place I get saddened, especially in view of the huge resources that have so far been committed into the project.

“During his recent visit to Niger State to commission a project, President Tinubu mentioned the Baro project, and I believe he would stand by his word by making it a reality.”

Why the port is yet to take off

Findings by Daily Trust Saturday indicate that apart from the issue of dredging, poor road network has been the main constraint in the takeoff of the Baro port.

It was observed that accessing the facility itself has been the major headache as the road and railway networks, which should serve as catalyst to its operation are in deplorable conditions.

There are two major roads to access the sprawling community – the 55km Baro/Katcha/Agaie and the Baro/Muye roads linking Gegu on the Abuja/Lokoja expressway, both of which are in a deplorable state.

The federal government is said to have initially awarded the contract for the Baro/Katcha/Agaie axis in 2009 but revoked it in 2012 due to an alleged failure on the part of the contractor to deliver the job on time.

However, the contract for the road was rewarded a few months to the 2015 general elections to an Indian firm, GR Building and Construction Nigeria Limited, at the cost of N17.5billion, with a 12-month completion period.

At the flag-off for the construction of the project in March 2015, the then Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, reportedly said the road was among those the federal government planned to experiment with “rigid pavement” because it is the “gateway linking Baro Inland Port to other parts of the country.”

Daily Trust Saturday, however, learnt that after an initial release of funds by the Buhari administration, the contractor returned to the site, but progress has been quite slow due to government’s failure to advance additional funds for the project.

Findings showed that less than 20km of the road from the Agaie section has been asphalted, although the entire section, up to Katcha, was graded. However, the terrain between Katcha and Baro is a nightmare for commuters, especially during the rainy season.

Similarly, the Baro/Muye/Gegu section is also strategic as it links the port to the southern part of the country. But this section is equally in a deplorable condition and desperately needing intervention.

On the other hand, the rail network, a standard gauge line put in place by the colonialists to aid the movement of goods to the hinterland has become a relic.

“There used to be a railway network that linked Baro to Minna, established around 1911, but it became moribund in early 1970 despite its centrality in the transportation framework of the country,” Salihu Mohammed, the village head of Baro recalled.

He, however, lamented that since former President Buhari commissioned the project in 2019, nothing had happened in terms of takeoff, adding, “We have been expecting it to take off so as to boost our socio-economic activities.”

There are also concerns over the dredging carried out by the federal government following the construction of the port and the actual scope of the project itself.

Experts said the dredging supposedly carried out earlier was not the type that would allow for all-season navigation. A marine engineer said that even with the expensive dredging, there is a need for constant maintenance to sustain the draught.

Findings by Daily Trust Saturday indicate that almost 10 years after the supposed dredging, no maintenance dredging has been done at the Baro port. A source at the port said that after the initial dredging, there was supposed to be maintenance dredging every two years, but none had taken place since the last exercise.

All eyes on Tinubu

Several stakeholders have decried the current state of the Baro port and called on President Tinubu to urgently do something about it.

The chairman of Agaie Local Government of Niger State, Sayuti Halilu Ibrahim, said President Tinubu should make history by making Baro port a dream come true.

“This is the time to resuscitate the lost glory; it is about the people growing the economy. President Tinubu should make history by making Baro a reality. As a strategic port in the northern part of the country, we are hopeful that Tinubu would actualise it,” Ibrahim said.

While appealing for the completion of the access road from Agaie to Baro through Katcha, he said that apart from its economic advantages, the takeoff of Baro port, which is in the centre of the North, would also boost tourism.

In a similar vein, the Emir of Agaie, Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu, who expressed worry over the delay in the takeoff of the port said, “When it was commissioned, we thought it would take off immediately.

“That is the only access road for the haulage of goods from the port at Baro to the hinterland, and from Baro to ports in Lagos, Port-Harcourt, and vice versa.”

The emir, who spoke on the strategic importance of the port to the North and Nigeria in general, recalled the role it played during the colonial era in Nigeria.

“Baro used to be boisterous in the past when ships would be transported to the hinterland. The port was used to transport groundnut, cotton and some other goods from the North.

“Although it is yet to take off, we are not losing hope. I know that the road from Agaie to Baro through Katcha is one of the factors causing the. However, work on the road is ongoing and I believe it would be completed.” he said.

The emir called on President Tinubu to revisit the project and make it a reality.

Access road, maintenance dredging required – Port manager

Speaking on why the port is yet to take off over five years after commissioning, the Baro port manager, Usman Bumba, said lack of access road was a major problem.

“Due to lack of access road, concessioners who had showed interest in the project are being discouraged,” Bumba said.

He also said that since the initial dredging was carried out in 2009, there was the need for maintenance dredging of the river for enhanced navigability.

Bumba, however, said all the technical equipment procured for the port’s cargo handling were still in perfect condition.

He said, “I can tell you that concessioners who showed interest have been discouraged from coming here. There is also the need for maintenance dredging. But all technical equipment procured for cargo handling, such as mobile harbour crane, Reach Stacker and forklifts, are in perfect condition.”

[DailyTrust]

• LP petitions SGF, FG over invasion of secretariat
• Seeks disciplinary action against Ajaero, other Labour leaders
• Congress: Abure no longer party chair

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in last year’s general election, Mr. Peter Obi, may have lost his grip on the party after the LP leadership yesterday ignored his alleged mediation in the public spat between the party and its strongest ally in the run-up to the election, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The LP fired a petition against NLC and its President Joe Ajaero to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Labour and Employment Minister and  Registrar of the Trade Union “over the vandalisation of party offices and false claim of party ownership” by the congress.

The party called for disciplinary action against Ajaero and other leaders of the congress.

But congress in a swift response claimed Julius Abure has ceased to be the LP national chairman.

The Nation gathered in Abuja yesterday that Obi had met with representatives of both sides with a view to reconciling them but all that appeared to have hit the rocks yesterday when the LP leadership denounced Ajaero and other leaders of the NLC for the Wednesday picketing of the party’s offices across the country.

The NLC is laying claim to the ownership of the party and wants the national EXCO led by Julius Abure to resign the national convention of the party convened.

A source close to the gladiators said: “Peter Obi met with some leaders of the party and that of the NLC, and he is mediating to ensure that peace returns to the party.

“He also met with other stakeholders, not just the party leadership and NLC. It is not a media stuff that’s why you didn’t see it in the papers. It is an internal party matter.”

National Chairman of the LP, Julis Abure, and the National Secretary, Umar Ibrahim, accused Ajaero of overreaching himself by using workers’ funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters; an action they said amounts to abuse of office and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned.

“It has become unavoidably necessary,” according to them, to request government’s urgent intervention, as the NLC “has over the years engaged in a war of attrition with our party.

“It came to a head and unbearable when the NLC under the leadership of Comrade Joe Ajaero directed the picketing of our party’s National Headquarters and our chapter offices across the country. The unwarranted attack in our office resulted in the destruction of several properties.

“The NLC claims to be owners of the party and therefore wants to impose the leadership of the party, exert overwhelming control to achieve a political end. It must be pointed out that once a Political Party is registered by INEC, it becomes a body corporate with a perpetual succession and a common seal (see the letter of INEC to NLC dated 3rd September 2015) where INEC stated clearly that the NLC has no superior status.

“Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that a political party once registered has a life of its own and it is only regulated by its constitution. It is imperative to note that by the import of the above provisions, whosoever plays any role whatsoever in the registration of the party becomes immaterial. The party will thereafter be regulated by its constitution.

“It should be noted that Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) prohibits any association from contributing to the funds of any Political Party. It is a criminal offence under section 15 of the Trade Union Act to use Trade Unions Funds whether directly or indirectly to fund a Political Party.

“It is our argument that using workers’ funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters and its legitimate leadership is an abuse of office by the President of the NLC Comrade Joe Ajaero, and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned.

“Similarly, the NLC has no right to picket an organisation where there is no trade dispute. The Labour Party has no staff who are members of the NLC. The actions of the NLC is a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Trade Union Act and other relevant laws.”

On the membership of the party, the petition notes that “It is of importance to further draw your attention to the fact that it is only members who are financially up to date with the party who have rights and obligations to in the party (See Article 9(3)(i) and (iii) of our constitution).

“NLC members are not card-carrying members of Labour Party. The Labour Party cannot be owned by any association. Membership of the Party is on individual basis. The Labour Party’s Constitution says the Party is open to all Nigerians who accept its ideology, programmes and the constitution, irrespective of their religion, ethnic, gender, social and economic status.

“However, the organs of the party as decided by the members assume leadership of the party. How this is achieved is well spelt out in the constitution.

“As lawful citizens, we didn’t want to confront them in an uncivilised manner in order to avoid breakdown of law and order. We had the option of also mobilising party faithful to confront them. Doing that at this point where the harsh economic climate is having its toll on the Nigerian people will result in anarchy.

“Hence, the urgent need to call the NLC and its leadership led by Comrade Joe Ajaero to order, educate them on the limit of their power, condemn their rascality, abuse of office and discipline them as appropriate.”

The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, in a separate statement yesterday in Abuja asked the Federal Government, being the Regulatory Agency for trade unions, to define the role of the NLC, “particularly on its false claim of being the owner of the Labour Party for which NLC has continually harassed and intimidated the leadership of the party by way of interfering in the party’s activities and attempting to impose leadership on it.”

On Wednesday, the LP national EXCO met in Asaba, the Delta State capital and ratified the programme for the party’s convention.

On the same day however, the NLC Political Commission led workers to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja to picket it.

The workers called for the postponement of the convention and the resignation of Abure.

They also called for the setting up of a caretaker transition committee to organise a constitutionally recognised convention.

Head of Information at the NLC, Benson Upah, in a brief chat with our reporter, said the convention planned by LP leadership “is off the table for now.”

“Whoever touches Abure with a long pole now is on his own. I assure you of this.”

The proposed convention has pitted the party against the NLC, the House of Representatives Caucus and some supporters of the party.

The caucus leader, Victor Ogene, asked the leadership of the party to put an end to the infighting that is threatening the party and engage in further consultation in the overall interest of the party.

The caucus had also said that many stakeholders, including the lawmakers, were not carried along in the processes leading to the choice of date and venue for the convention.

Abure no longer LP’s chairman – NLC Political Commission

The NLC Political Commission claimed last night that Abure was no longer LP National Chairman and dismissed as sarcastic and pathetic his allegation that NLC leaders stole staff salary during Wednesday’s picketing of the LP National Secretariat.

Secretary of the commission, Comrade Chris Uyot, accused Abure of mischief.

His words: “Following this week’s successful take-over of Labour Party Secretariats nationwide by the Nigeria Labour Congress who are the real owners of the party, Mr. Julius Abure’s silhouette continues to hide from the long arms of the law over various allegations and charges bordering on criminality.

‘It is unfortunate that instead of courageously coming out to the open to defend himself against several fingers pointing in his direction, Mr. Abure has adopted the cowardly posture of crouching in the undergrowth of shame, lies, treachery and infamy to lay fictitious claims against a dignified, focused and honourable institution like the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“First is to make the point clear that Mr. Julius Abure has since ceased from being the Chairman of the Labour Party. Second, his latest missive that the successful takeover of the Labour Party Secretariat by workers who are the party’s rightful owners resulted in the theft of staff salaries is sarcastic and pathetic. It is unfortunate that Mr Abure has surrendered himself to the laboratory of public opprobrium on how the mind of an incorrigible liar, visionless usurper, timid traitor, and serial scammer works.

“The reclaiming of Labour Party Secretariats across the country was witnessed by many policemen, officers from the State Security Service, and many journalists including television crews. The import of Mr. Abure’s fictitious claim is that the police, other security agents and tens of journalists who observed the peaceful visit by the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission were accessory to the crime of petty theft. We expect the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to add this outrageous defamation to the long list of crimes perpetrated by Mr. Abure.

“During the nationwide peaceful reclaim of Labour Party’s secretariats, not even one canister of tear gas was fired as the picketing was conducted in tandem with the NLC’s philosophy and disposition to peaceful protests.

“For Abure to concoct such daylight falsehood clearly proves to all Nigerians that he carries moral leprosy and must be avoided at all costs. The inconsistency in Abure’s account – from allegations of missing billions now to the theft of workers’ salaries and destruction of valuables – clearly confirms our earlier assessment of him as a drowning political wannabe.

“After being rejected by all stakeholders in the Labour Party, we urge Mr. Julius Abure to show his face in public. He should not hide underground and be vomiting gibberish. The few insignificant scoundrels still hanging on to Abure’s tattered pockets of ill-gotten coins, including irresponsible grandfathers who have committed class suicide and show no visible means of livelihood, and who now appear on television to lie on Labour Party ownership must remember that history’s judgment on traitors is very dire.

“As for Abure, his cup of moral rascality, administrative indiscretion and political incompetence overflows. The Nigeria Labour Congress intends to institute a private legal process against him for the defamation of the noble character of the Congress. He should also be ready to answer questions on why he kept staff salaries in the office a self-admission to financial impropriety, sleaze, and disdain for due process cum accountability.

“While the security agents intensify their nationwide manhunt for Mr. Julius Abure and his ‘food is ready’ partners in perfidy, the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission wishes to remind all Nigerian workers and people that our focus can never be a tiny chameleon who lives under the coarse cannon of common criminality and fodders of low level infamy.

“We are focused on fumigating and ridding the Labour Party of rodents whose only source of livelihood and survival is in picking on the mahogany of ideological and moral clarity that the Labour Party of Nigeria represents.

“Labour Party must be thoroughly cleansed and repositioned as the vehicle for the socio- economic emancipation of all Nigerian workers and people.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has denounced the recent assault that resulted in the death of a village leader and additional residents of Rafi Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

Daily Trust had reported how at least 21 people including the village head lost their lives on Thursday afternoon when bandits in their numbers reportedly invaded a market in Madaka, an agrarian community in Rafi LGA.

According to residents, the attackers raided the market around 3pm when the commercial activities were in full swing and started shooting at the crowd.

Among those killed was a butcher who recently got married. He had gone to the market to purchase some items needed for business when the bandits struck.

Reacting to the development, Abubakar, in a post via X on Friday, said Nigeria had become a “killing field” under President Bola Tinubu.

He called for the need to speed up the introduction of state police.

He wrote: “It is saddening that Nigeria has become a killing field. Thursday’s killing of scores of persons, including the village head and abduction of an unspecified number of people by suspected bandits in Madaka, in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, is yet another confirmation that contrary to assurances, insecurity continues to be rife in our country.

“We have to prioritise security and speed up the process of a constitutional amendment that will introduce State Police so that states and local authorities can deploy mechanisms that best suit their environment in tackling this hydra-headed insecurity in our land.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved and the government and people of Niger State.”