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We were ready to lose students in planned bandits’ bombardment, says El-Rufai

Published

5 years ago

May 7, 2021

The governor, however, said before this could be done, the bandits hurriedly changed location which led to the students spending over a month in captivity.

The governor said this on Thursday during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group.

The event which was tagged: ‘Developing a Viable Nation 2’ was hosted by Pastor of Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo.

Responding to a question on his refusal to negotiate with bandits, the governor said, “Two days after the abduction of the Afaka young people, I was assured by the air force and the army that they knew where the kidnappers were with the students and they had encircled (them).

“We were going to attack them. We would lose a few students but we would kill all the bandits and we would recover some of the students. That was our plan. That was the plan of the air force and the army… But they slipped through the cordon of the army. That is why they were not attacked.

“We know it is risky, we know in the process we may lose some of the abductees but it is a price we have to pay. This is war, there will always be collateral damage in war and we will rather do that than pay money because paying money has not solved the problem anywhere in the world.”

El-Rufai admitted that he had “lost weight” over the insecurity in Kaduna State which was giving him sleepless nights.

The governor, however, claimed that insecurity in Kaduna was not as bad as Niger, Katsina and Zamfara but the media only focused attention on his state because it fitted into their narrative of ethnic clashes.

El-Rufai said in Katsina and Niger states, entire villages were sacked by bandits but nothing of such happened in Kaduna.

On why he asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to negotiate with Boko Haram to rescue Chibok girls, the governor stated that he only gave that advice because that was the first time such abduction would take place.

He said Boko Haram is driven by an ideology and not by money in the case of today’s bandits.

The governor also spoke about his expectations for Nigeria in 2023.

El-Rufai said it was his wish that the next President of Nigeria would not be more than 65 years.

The governor said political leadership is mentally and physically draining and a younger person would handle the stress better than an older person.

El-Rufai also said the President, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), hardly achieved much because he is a nice guy that doesn’t like to sack.

He said he believed in sacking incompetent hands and that was why he achieved more.

“I fire people so I get higher execution rates. President Buhari is a nice guy, he doesn’t fire people so he has a slower execution rate,” the governor added.

An Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, gave this hint in Kaduna while receiving parents of students of Afaka, who were released on Wednesday.

Recall that a leader of the bandits, Sani Jalingo, had in an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America on Monday, threatened that the remaining 17 students in their custody, would be killed if the Kaduna State Government or parents of the abductees failed to pay N100m and provide 10 motorcycles on or before Tuesday (this week).

But Gumi, on Thursday expressed optimism that the remaining students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna would soon be freed.

The cleric, who indicated that the bandits had rescinded their decision to kill the students, stated, “The talk with the Greenfield University students’ abductors is also going on. You know they threatened to kill all of them after a particular deadline, but after talking to them, they are now lowering their bar.

“So, we are thankful they have stopped killing. And we are still negotiating with them. I hope this Afaka case will also encourage (everybody) to know that there is hope in negotiation and release of the children.”

While fielding question from newsmen shortly after the visit, Gumi said the role he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo played was purely mediatory, noting that fight was between the bandits and the government.

When asked about the reported swap of a bandit for the students, Gumi said, “I cannot confirm that but I can quote the Governor of Kaduna State (Nasir El-Rufai) when the children of Chibok were kidnapped by Boko Haram. He said it was the duty of the government to use whatever means possible to save the lives of Chibok girls. This is a general rule that life is more precious. Now, I am happy that 27 lives have been saved.”

Earlier, the parents of the 27 abducted students had said they were in his residence to thank him for the role he played in freeing their children.

Led by the Chairman and the Secretary of the Parents’ Forum, Mallam Usman Abdullahi and Friday Sanni, respectively, they urged the Islamic cleric to extend their appreciation to Obasanjo.

Meanwhile, parents of the 27 Afaka students on Thursday waited in vain as they couldn’t be reunited with their children released by bandits after 57 days.

The parents, who gathered as early 8am to receive their children at the school premises along the Kaduna International Airport road opposite the Nigerian Defence Academy, were disappointed.

There were reports on Thursday that the students were freed after the payment of N15m ransom and the release of a bandit, who was detained by security agencies following Obasanjo and Gumi’s intervention.

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Renewed Hope : No governor can complain of lack of funds under Tinubu’s administration, Says Sanwo-Olu,

Published

5 days ago

November 11, 2025

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has declared that under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, no state governor or local government chairman can genuinely complain of a lack of funds.

He said the Tinubu administration has significantly increased allocations to subnational governments, ensuring that states and local councils have more resources to meet their developmental obligations.

Sanwo-Olu stated this on Tuesday, November 11, while delivering the keynote address at a one-day public lecture organized by the Arewa Think Tank (ATT) to commemorate Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary at the Arewa House, Kaduna.

The lecture, themed “65 Years of Nigeria’s Independence: The Journey So Far with the Renewed Hope Agenda in View,” brought together political leaders, academics, youth groups, and other stakeholders to reflect on Nigeria’s national progress and future under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Lagos Governor praised the resilience and ingenuity of Nigerians since independence, noting that despite the country’s challenges, its capacity for growth, reform, and unity remains unmatched.

“Today, that story has changed. Ask any State Governor or Local Government Chairman, and they will tell you just how much revenue has surged under the watch of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is now more money to do more that benefits the people of Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He attributed the improved fiscal outlook to deliberate policy reforms by the Tinubu administration, particularly those designed to strengthen federalism and empower the states and local governments.

According to him, between 2023 and 2024, federal allocations to state governments rose by about 62 percent, while allocations to local governments increased by 47 percent. He said the recently enacted tax reforms, which reduced the Federal Government’s share of Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15 percent to 10 percent, further underscored the President’s commitment to fiscal decentralization and grassroots development.

“With the new tax laws, states now get 55 percent of VAT, while local governments receive 35 percent. This is another bold step by the President to ensure that governance is closer to the people,” he noted.

Sanwo-Olu also lauded the President’s insistence on local government financial autonomy, recalling the administration’s Supreme Court victory, which secured historic legal backing for that autonomy.

He disclosed that President Tinubu’s next major reform focus is restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture through the creation of State Police, an initiative he described as “long overdue and fundamental.”

Citing Tinubu’s recent remarks during a meeting with Katsina leaders, Sanwo-Olu quoted: “I am reviewing all aspects of security. I have to create a State Police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity.”

He described the Renewed Hope Agenda as a bridge-building framework aimed at uniting Nigeria’s diverse regions through equity, reform, and inclusive development.

“President Tinubu is a veteran unifier and a bridge-builder. His Renewed Hope Agenda is about connecting Nigeria, bridges of reform, prosperity, and national unity,” he said.

Drawing inspiration from Nigeria’s founding fathers, especially the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sanwo-Olu emphasized that true national development must be homegrown and context-specific.

“More than six decades later, Sardauna’s words still ring true. Our duty is to build on those legacies, planting trees we may not sit under, but ensuring a better Nigeria for future generations,” he said.

He reaffirmed that Nigeria’s diversity remains its greatest strength, saying: “We will continue to affirm that Nigeria is a proudly multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multicultural country. What binds us together is far stronger than what divides us. We shall overcome every challenge, poverty, hunger, and terrorism.”

Sanwo-Olu pledged Lagos State’s continued partnership with the Federal Government in actualizing the Renewed Hope Agenda and building a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient nation.

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Organ Transplant Scandal : Tinubu engages UK, seeks Ekweremadu’s transfer to Nigeria

Published

5 days ago

November 11, 2025

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President Bola Tinubu has sent a high-level delegation to London to discuss the case of a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who has been serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom since March 2023.

Newsthumb gathered that the Federal Government is actively seeking arrangements that would allow Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria.

The delegation, which included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, on Monday held discussions with officials at the UK Ministry of Justice regarding Ekweremadu’s incarceration.

Following the meeting, the team was received at the Nigerian High Commission in London by the Acting High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu.

Confirming the development to Arise News on Monday night, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alkasim AbdulKadir, said the consultations with UK authorities are ongoing.

He added that a formal request for a prisoner transfer to allow Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria has been submitted.

He said, “Consultations are still ongoing with UK authorities on the matter.

“An appeal for a prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria was tabled before the United Kingdom authorities.”

Our correspondence earlier reported that Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police in June 2022, after a man was falsely presented to a private renal unit at Royal Free Hospital in London as a cousin to their daughter Sonia, in what turned out to be a failed attempt to persuade medics to carry out an £80,000 transplant.

Ike Ekweremadu was convicted in the UK for his role in organ trafficking after attempting to bring a 21-year-old Lagos street vendor to Britain for a kidney transplant intended for his daughter, Sonia.

The 21-year-old man, who was allegedly promised work in the UK, reported the matter to the police in May of the same year, stating that he was brought to the country for an organ transplant.

In March 2023, Ekweremadu was found guilty of organ trafficking by a UK court and was later, in May, sentenced to nine years and eight months under the UK Modern Slavery Act.

His wife, Beatrice, received a four-year and six-month sentence and was released early in 2025, while a medical intermediary, Dr Obinna Obeta, was handed a ten-year prison term.

However, in January, Beatrice was released from prison and returned to Nigeria.

The case drew widespread attention, sparking diplomatic discussions between Nigeria and the UK, exposing gaps in transplant regulations, and prompting further investigations in the UK.

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Warri- Itakpe train derailment: Police parade suspects, CP Kwaimo, Says vandalism is an economic sabotage

Published

1 week ago

November 8, 2025

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Warri- Itakpe train derailment: Police parade arrested suspects … this act of vandalism is an economic sabotage – CP Kwaimo

…… Railway properties are critical national assets and not scraps, we are going to deploy technology for rail tracks monitoring – Opeifa

The Railway Command of the Nigeria Police Force today Friday 7th November 2025 at it’s headquarters in Ebute Metta, Lagos, paraded the two suspects arrested in connection with the derailment of the Warri Itakpe train service on Sunday 1st of November 2025.

Speaking to newsmen, the Commissioner of Police Nigeria Police Railway Command, CP Vungmoh S.M. Kwaimo, described the vandalism of train tracks as an act of economic sabotage which will be fought to a standstill. According to CP Kwaimo, the suspects, identified as Mudansuru Mutari (male, aged 27) and Blorie Kokori (aged 39), were apprehended around Kilometer 208 before Abraka, Delta State, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, by operatives of the NRC Police Command in collaboration with local security agents.

CP Kwaimo described the arrest as a breakthrough in the fight against train tracks vandalism in the Agbor Abraka axis. According to him, “We are going all out against the vandals because we have a responsibility to ensure safety of life and property in line with section 4 of the Police Act”.

According to the CP, preliminary investigations and their confessional statements revealed their direct involvement in tampering with vital components of the rail track. He said, “We will pursue this case to see that justice is served”. He also promised to go after the sponsors, some of whom have been identified in Lagos and Agbor.

The CP used the occasion to inform the public that the number of policemen attached to each coach in the operations of the Nigerian Railway is to be increased. He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of police and the management team of the NRC for their support and zero tolerance for railway vandalism.

CP Vungmoh Kwaimo at the parade of the suspects was flanked by his officers and men which included DCP Yahaya Mana DC (CID), DCP Toyin O. Sulyman DC (OPS), ACP Ibrahim Audu AC (OPS), among others.

In a similar vein, the president general of the Nigerian Union of Railwaymen comrade Innocent Luka Ajiji who led members of his executive to the parade of the suspects, was full of praise for the new leadership of the Nigerian Railway police command under CP Kwaimo Vungmoh for their tireless efforts in the fight against rail tracks vandalism, just as he commended the management of NRC led by Dr Kayode Opeifa for the reinvigoration and turn around of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and railway men for their commitment to their duty even in the face of challenges and setbacks caused by train tracks vandalism.

Similarly, the managing director and chief executive officer of the NRC Dr Kayode Opeifa while speaking to newsmen in his office, called on states governments to show concern to take ownership of the railway tracks that passes through their states through the provision of infrastructures like motorable roads to the train stations.

Comrade Opeifa reiterated his warning that railway properties are critical national assets and not scraps, and warned vandals and their sponsors to stay away or face the full weight of the law. According to the NRC helmsman, “Railway properties are national assets, stay away, we are changing strategies to secure train tracks, We are deploying technology and the use of local communities to safe guard our train tracks”.

According to Dr Opeifa, “We are prosecuting many arrested vandals of train tracks and will not stop, unless they stay away from our national assets”.

Dr. Opeifa emphasized that the NRC under his leadership remains focused on President Bola Tinubu administration Renewed Hope Agenda and will not compromise in the provision of efficient service delivery and safety of it’s passengers whose comfort is non negotiable.

He identified funding as a major challenge in the operations of the NRC, but noted that the support of states governments remains critical, to enhancing quality and efficient service delivery to the people.

Comrade Opeifa said that the corporation was in talks with the Rural Electrification Agency to provide electricity to the stations and trains tracks to about 500 meters to the train stations. He also called on the members of the national assembly to consider the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in their constituency projects.

Speaking on the derailed Warri Itakpe train of the 1st of November 2025, Dr Opeifa stated that only two coaches were affected as a result of the removed bolts and clips. He highlighted that over 300 bolts and clips were removed within the axis which caused the derailment, but that the re-railment was concluded within 24 hours, but due to the need to carry out necessary and diligent safety checks, the resumption of train services had to be put on hold temporarily and that train service has resumed on the corridor.

Comrade Opeifa used the occasion of the press briefing to appreciate and commend the commuting public whose loyalty, according to him, “Strengthened our resolve to remain committed and undeterred by the derailment setbacks”.

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