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Chemicals In Mosque: Army Nabs Moslem Cleric

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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.

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Let’s Approach Regional Development Issues Differently – Fubara …As S’South Govs Host Fubara To 50th Birthday Celebration 

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has sued for a change in the current approach adopted by South South Governors in their pursuit to achieve holistic regional development and economic prosperity.

 

The governor insisted on de-emphasis in vested individuals’ political interests while looking at the bigger picture of achieving enduring regional integration that will strengthen unity of purpose to change the trajectory of development in the region.

 

Fubara made the appeal during the meeting of Governors of South-South States, under the auspices of BRACED Commission, at the Bayelsa State Government House in Yanagoa on Tuesday.

 

This was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi.

 

BRACED is an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.

 

He said: “I want to appeal that if we have to succeed in this drive, we need to keep our political differences aside and understand that the struggle, as at today, is for posterity, for the development of our region.

 

“It is really sad that in Niger Delta that is the economic base of this country, the construction of a road that you tagged ‘East-West Road’ could be an issue, that we need to beg, protest, and complain to get it fixed. I don’t think it is proper.”

 

Governor Fubara stated that it is not that the federal authorities do not understand that Niger Delta needs the road but quickly added that they have seen that even the people of the region do not take themselves seriously.

 

The governor said the moment Niger Delta people stopped playing to the gallery, and place value on themselves, outsiders will have no option than to accord the region and its people due regard.

 

Fubara said: “On my part, I want to say this: This is not the first time we are meeting. For me, I followed the course of the region meeting in a forum that we tagged “BRACED Commission.”

 

“BRACED Commission is also one of the bodies that was constituted at that time to support and work out development strategies for this region. But what I am seeing today is just limiting this meeting to only BRACED COMMISSION.

 

“We need to widen the scope where other leaders of the region should be part of the discussion of the development of the region, and I think this is the direction that will help the region.”

 

Reading the Communique of the meeting, the new Chairman of the Forum of Governors of South-South States, and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said they support the Federal Government Tax Reform Bills, and urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing percentages to oil and gas derivation.

 

He stated the Forum’s request to the Federal Government to urge relevant stakeholders and agencies to extend remediation of polluted environment ongoing in Ogoni land to other impacted communities and States in the region.

 

Governor Diri also said that the Forum resolved to establish a structural regional security network to enhance safety and security, foster stable Niger Delta region conducive for economic growth and prosperity.

 

Highlight of the event was the hosting of Governor Fubara to a surprise 50th Birthday celebration by the Governors of South-South States at the Government House in Yenagoa.

 

 

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Fubara Lauds Tinubu For Setting Up Education Load Fund … Vows To Ensure Rivers Benefit Maximally From Scheme

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The Rivers State Government has applauded President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for conceiving the idea of setting up the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) which has opened up opportunities for youths to acquire tertiary education irrespective of their financial status.

 

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, gave the commendation while playing host to a delegation from NELFUND who came on an advocacy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

 

Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, Governor Fubara said in developed countries it is common for people to go through school with loans which they sometimes pay all throughout their lives, noting that “for us, it is more accessible and more friendly because you would be required to pay back the loan two years after your National Youth Service.

 

“It is a win-win situation; it is a situation where the youths in Nigeria should not say because my parents are poor or passed away I cannot improve on my educational growth. This offers them a golden opportunity and I am glad you came for this advocacy.”

 

The governor urged NELFUND to intensify its advocacy to let the people know how they can benefit from it, adding that it is more important when talking about vocational institutions.

 

“If you look at the developed countries it is people that went to the vocational schools that make so much money, because it is pricey to get somebody to do anything, we need to instil this into our people, our youths, because people sometimes tend to look down on people that went to vocational schools, it should not be,” he said.

 

Fubara expressed delight with the NELFUND programme and assured that the State Government would do whatever it can to ensure Rivers State benefits maximally from the scheme.

 

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NELFUND, Dr. Akintunde Sawyer, informed the governor that they were in  Rivers State to seek the support of the State Government towards the loan,  stressing that President Tinubu has directed them to ensure no Nigerian student who has the ability and desire to get educated at tertiary level is denied the opportunity due to lack of funding.

 

He explained that the scheme provides interest-free loans to students who apply, adding that these loans are not repayable until two years after their Youth Service when they must have gotten a job.

 

 

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UK Appoints British-Nigerian As Trade Envoy To Nigeria

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A British-Nigerian politician, Florence Eshalomi, has been appointed as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Nigeria.

Her appointment makes Eshalomi the second Nigerian to hold the position.

Confirming her appointment on X on Tuesday, she wrote: “It is an honour to have been appointed as the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria.

“I’m looking forward to building on my close ties with Nigeria to promote a strong and flourishing economic relationship between our two great nations.

“I am looking forward to strengthening the UK’s relationship with Nigeria to explore shared growth and opportunities for both countries.”

Announcing the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, Jonathan Reynolds, the UK’s Business and Trade Secretary, said the decision was aimed at attracting investment into the UK and boosting economic growth.

“I’ve launched a new team of trade envoys who will use their experience, expertise, and knowledge to unlock new markets around the world for British businesses, attract investment into the UK, and ultimately drive economic growth,” Reynolds said.

Eshalomi, 44, is an MP representing the Vauxhall and Camberwell Green constituency.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political and International Studies with Law from Middlesex University.

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