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Chemicals In Mosque: Army Nabs Moslem Cleric
Soldiers on Monday arrested the chief Imam of Aba Central mosques in Abia State, Alhaji Bashir Idris, and two teachers of the New Horizon Academy, a school attached to the Mosque over alleged discovery of substances suspected to be chemicals in the school.
It was gathered that the two teachers detained by the security operatives are the school Director/Chemistry teacher, Abdulraham Sani, as well as Principal/English teacher, Abdulmajid Abubakar.
A source close to the Hausa quarters at Mosque Street, Aba told our correspondent that 13 out 15 persons, including the Chief Imam, “who were arrested during a military raid on various mosques in the early hours of Monday in the city have been released.”
It was gathered that 13 out of the 15 suspects were said to have been released same day after several hours of interrogation at the 144 Battalion, Asa in Ukwa West Local Government Area headquarters of the state.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after his release, the chief Imam, said that the soldiers told them they came for the raid over suspected bombs and weapons allegedly being stored at various Mosques in the city.
He said, “The soldiers took us to the Army base at Ngwa Road, Aba before moving us to 144 Battalion at Asa where they interrogated us.”
“They said that they were looking for bombs and some weapons which they said we are sharing.
The Muslim cleric, appealed to government and security agencies to stop harassing the Hausa community in parts of southeast region.
“We should be given the chance to live. We don’t keep or manufacture bombs and do not support or encourage any person to make or keep bombs, Mosque is a holy place where we all gather to pray.”
According to him, “We have been living peacefully with Aba residents and will not be part of any plan to cause insecurity in Aba where we all do our lawful businesses.”
The Chief Imam, therefore, called on the soldiers to release Sani and Abubakar, whom he said, are in charge of the school as they are innocent.
Meanwhile, our correspondent reliably gathered that the Chief Imam has been re-invited by the soldiers for further questioning.
An Islamic cleric who does not want his name to be mentioned disclosed that the heavily armed soldiers again returned to the mosque in two Hilux vehicles and invited the Chief Imam to the Army Unit.
Reacting to the Chief Imam’s re-invitation, former Amirul Hajj of Abia State, Alhaji Musa Iheakaram, confirmed that soldiers visited the Aba Central Mosque where they took some photographs and later invited the chief Imam to their base.
“It is true that the school is under the Muslim community, but the school itself does not belong to the Imams.
“It is duly registered with the Abia State Government and also run according to the academic curriculum and education system of the state being used to teach in other schools in the state.
“If the soldiers want to get any information about the school, they should ask the school director and the principal who are already with them and are better placed to provide them with the needed information about the school, not inviting the Chief Imam who is not in charge of the school,” he sated
“Let them check other Chemistry and Physics laboratories in other secondary schools in the state and see if the chemicals they use for practical are different from the one found at the school, then they can go ahead and do what they like, but if they are the same, they should allow the teachers to go hence they did not find anything incriminating on them.”
He said “Our Muslim brothers have started leaving the state en mass because of the way they now being treated in the last two weeks and this calls for serious concern,” the Islamic scholar declared.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police yesterday said that following the massive onslaught by security forces on the activities of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, at the Balmo Forest in Bauchi State, detectives attached to Bauchi State Police Command on Saturday arrested one Mohammed Zakari, a 30-year old man and senior member of the Boko Haram terrorists’ organization along Darazo-Basrika Road while fleeing from the intensive counter insurgency operations going on around the Balmo Forest.
In a statement by Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the suspect, who hails from Kaigamari Village, Daptchari in Darazo Local Government Area, Bauchi State is the self-styled “chief butcher” of the insurgent group at the Balmo Forest Camp, linked with the recent slaughter of seven people, including women and children.
Findings as well as disclosures from the suspect will assist the law enforcement agencies in tracking down some other members of the terror cell.
Mba, an assistant commissioner of police said in the statement that investigation revealed that the suspect was tutored in the art of insurgency at Gombe Forest under the leadership of fleeing insurgent, Abba Taura and moved to Balmo Forest only three months ago.
Zakari actively participated in the April attack against Customs officers at Kari Town, along Maiduguri Road, Bauchi State.
The Police High Command therefore called on the citizens in the affected areas to be on guard for any suspicious or strange character fleeing from Balmo Forest.
The Police also called for the understanding and support of the public. Mba stated the efforts of the police and other security forces in tackling insurgency, terrorism and other related crimes headlong.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.