Headlines
Kaduna Govt Confirms 34 Killed, 200 Houses Burnt in Sunday Night Attack, Retains Curfew
The Kaduna State Government says no fewer than 34 persons, including two military personnel, were killed in the Sunday night attack on Agban Kagoro in Kaura Local Government Area of the state by bandits.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who made the confirmation on Tuesday, said four locations of Tsonje, Agban, Katanga and Kadarko, all within the Kagoro Chiefdom were attacked on Sunday night.
The commissioner said over 200 houses and 32 shops were burnt during the attack while three vehicles and 17 motorcycles were vandalised.
He added that seven persons sustained injuries during the attacks and are currently receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital.
According to him, the 24-hour-curfew slammed on Jema’a and Kaura Local Government Areas in the wake of the attack is still in force, adding that the curfew is meant to check further breakdown of law and order in the affected areas.
The commissioner quoted the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as condemning the attack just as he condoled the families of the victims as well as the military authorities over the death of the two personnel.
Aruwan identified those killed during the attacks to include Angelina Aboi, Godiya Iliya, Peace Iliya, Stephen Emmanuel, Patrick Pius, Gwamna Ishaya, Philip Joseph, Godwin Latong, Aba Chawai and Nancy Luka.
Others, he said, are Sophia Luka, Hosea James, Daniel Sofa, Geoffrey Ado, Bala James, Henry Dauda, Augustine Iliya, Irmiya Michael.
They also include Murna Luka, Monday Buki, Reuben Kumai, Zilien Gudak, Anita Kawai, Rifkatu Kawai, Titi Bawa, Jacob Yayock, Samuel Ufui, Silas Bulus, Victor Ayuka, Jummai Yunana, Sunday Tachio and Hope Luka.
The commissioner said, “Security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that after search operations and detailed checks, 34 people have been confirmed dead following Sunday’s attack in Kaura Local Government Area.
“According to the report, four locations were attacked by unidentified assailants: Tsonje, Agban, Katanga and Kadarko, all within Kagoro Chiefdom of Kaura LGA.
“Two military personnel were among the 34 killed, with local residents making up 32 casualties.
“One Mrs Abigail Joshua from Adan community is currently missing.
“Furthermore, over 200 houses and 32 shops were burnt in the attack. Three vehicles and 17 motorcycles were vandaliSed.”
He added, “Condemning the attack in the strongest terms, Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i expressed his grief at the feedback, and sent condolences to the families of the locals killed. He prayed for the repose of their souls as he wished the injured a quick recovery.
“The governor also condoled the Military High Command, and the families of the military personnel who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty during this attack. The governor offered prayers for the repose of their souls.
“Going further, the governor appealed to citizens to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as efforts were sustained to stabilize the area.
“The Kaduna State Government enjoins all residents to carefully observe the 24-hour curfew in force in the area. The curfew was declared on the advice of security agencies to prevent the escalation of violence.
“Security reports revealed that criminals took advantage of the chaos to wreak havoc of their own. A bus was attacked by a mob in Agban, and the conductor was killed. Similarly, some places of worship were torched as tension rose in Kafanchan.
“The curfew is therefore essential to urgently stem the tide of violence.
“Government is working ceaselessly with security forces to restore normalcy to the area. Deep consultations with stakeholders are also ongoing.”
The Punch
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has thrown the 2027 race wide open by zoning
its presidential ticket to the South for a single four-year term, a move that instantly puts Peter Obi and other southern aspirants in play.
The decision came at the party’s national convention on Saturday after a motion by Rep. Afam Victor Ogene of Anambra’s Ogbaru constituency. Delegates adopted it without dissent.
Under the arrangement, the South gets the ticket for 2027 only. Once that four-year term ends, the ticket automatically shifts back to the North.
The zoning formula settles months of backroom jostling inside the NDC over where the party should field its standard-bearer. By locking the North into a wait-and-hold position, the convention has effectively cleared the runway for southern heavyweights to move.
For Obi, the former Anambra governor who ran in 2023, the resolution removes the biggest structural hurdle to picking up the NDC’s form. Other southern aspirants now have the same green light to purchase and process nomination forms.
Party leaders framed the deal as a balance between regional equity and political strategy ahead of 2027. Critics inside the party will watch whether the “automatic” handoff to the North holds once the race gets hot.
For now, the South has its window. The question is who walks through it first.
The Senate has amended its Standing Orders, limiting eligibility to contest for its presiding officers and principal officers to only members of the 10th Senate.
In the new rules, a senator shall only qualify to contest for Senate Presidency and Deputy Senate Presidency if he/she has won election to the Senate for at least one term of four years.
To be eligible to contest for any principal office, a senator must have won election for two consecutive periods, the last one must immediately precede the inauguration of the next Senate.
By implication, any senator who plans to vie to become a presiding officer in the 11th Senate (2027-20231) must have been a senator for at least one term preceding the inauguration.
For principal offices (chief whip, deputy whip, minority whip, etc), the senator must have been a member of the current 10th Senate, or they are not eligible to contest.
Under the new provision on “qualification of presiding officers”, it is stated in Order 3,”A Senator vying for the Office of the President of the Senate and the Deputy President of the Senate must have served at least one term of four (4) years in the Senate as a senator of the Federal Republic.”
Similarly, nomination for the positions shall strictly follow ranking in the following order: former president of the Senate; former deputy president of the Senate; former principal officers of the Senate; senators who had served for at least one term of four (4) years; and senators who had been members of the House of Representatives.
According to the provision, it is only the absence of the above that a first-term senator can be nominated to contest for the positions of presiding officers.
Under Order 5, a senator seeking to be a principal officer must have “served as a senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding such nomination. “
The Senate passed the rules after a lengthy executive session presided over by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday.
The new rules impliedly gives Akpabio, other former presiding officers, principal officers and ranked senators the right of first refusal.
Findings indicated that the new rules might be what some sources described as “self-serving” or designed to serve the interest of the present presiding officers and members of the 10th Senate.
For instance, some State governors contesting the 2027 election to the Senate in the hope of vying for the presidency of the Senate, are effectively barred by the new rules.
It was also learnt that even within the Senate, the new rules will stop some senators from vying to become principal officers as they would not have attained two consecutive terms prior to 2027.
The National Publicity Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has claimed that the party favoured Peter Obi more than any other aspirant while with them.
Abdullahi said this while faulting Obi’s claim that internal wrangling was part of the reason he defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Featuring on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Abdullahi said Obi and Kwankwaso’s defection means a lot because they are significant politicians.
He said: “I will be lying to say that their defection didn’t mean anything because these are two significant frontline politicians in this country and when you lose those two politicians then you will fill that you have lost something.
“But it’s not a mortal blow because what we are trying to do is to build a broad based coalition that would include everyone.
“The reason we are building this coalition is because our individual parties have been destabilized and the only way out was to come together.
“There was a consensus among us that the direction this country is going was quite precarious and the only way we can win election and rescue the country from the misrule of the APC is to build a party that is formidable enough.
“Obi and Kwankwaso have a different political idea of what the party should be doing.
“Obi said himself that once we present two candidates against President Tinubu, we have given him a chance. I wonder what has changed.
“So if the legal challenges are the reason that we have left after creating the impression that ADC is drowning in these mountains of legal challenges, the answer is no.
“At the moment, we have only three cases which are flimsy without trying to be prejudicial, as the National Publicity Secretary of ADC.
“I can tell you that none of the aspirants and leaders have been favoured like Peter Obi.”
