Metro
Terrorists Set Priest, Building Ablaze in Niger, Abduct Worshippers in Katsina
Terrorists on Sunday swooped on a church in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, abducting five worshippers.
The terrorists also shot and injured the church pastor, who was not abducted along with the worshippers.
The spokesman for the Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident.
He identified the abducted worshippers, who were all females, as Rabi Isiaku,15; Rabi Saidu,36; Rabi Baba,49; Nooseba Shuaibu,13; and Saratu Hadi, 27.
The police spokesman also identified the injured cleric as Pastor Haruna.
The worshippers and the pastor arrived at the church, ‘New Life for All,’ in Jan Tsauri, Gidan Haruna, Kankara LGA, around 7am.
They were just settling down for service when the terrorists swooped on them.
Isah said, ‘’The terrorists stormed the church in large numbers at 7am and abducted five worshippers, who were all women. They shot and wounded the pastor, identified as Pastor Haruna. They did not go away with him, but they abducted the women.”
Reports from the community said all was calm while many residents stayed indoors throughout Sunday after the incident, while nothing had been heard from the terrorists.
In a related development, suspected bandits on Sunday burnt a reverend father to death in Kafin Koro community in the Paikoro LGA of Niger State.
The bandits were said to have invaded the community around 1am and shot sporadically while heading for the uphill residence of the priest, Isaac Achi, of SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kaffi Koro.
A resident, who identified himself only as Paul for security reasons, said the bandits divided themselves into two.
According to him, while some went to the Catholic priest’s official residence, others stayed in the town, shooting to stop any form of interference.
Paul stated that when the bandits couldn’t access the late Achi’s residence, they set the building ablaze and waited until it was burnt to ashes with him in it.
The Divisional Police Officer was said to have been called, but help did not get to Achi until he died.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident in a statement to our correspondent in Minna, the state capital.
He said, “The bandits reportedly attempted to gain entrance into the residence, but it seemed difficult and they set the house ablaze, while the said reverend father was burnt dead.
“A colleague of the reverend father identified as Father Collins was equally shot in the shoulder while trying to escape from the scene.
“The lifeless body of Father Isaac was recovered while Father Collins was rushed to the hospital for treatment.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria, in a statement by the Chairman, Most Rev Bulus Yohanna, condemned the killing of the priest.
The CAN chairman called on the government, the police and other security agencies to double their efforts in tackling banditry and insecurity.
The Punch
A stray bullet has allegedly killed a student who was heading to the examination centre to sit for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination being organised by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident happened on Gbagi market road in the Egbeda Local Government Area of the state when a stray bullet allegedly fired by a police officer in pursuit of a suspect hit and allegedly killed the student on Tuesday.
Investigations revealed that the boy was on a motorcycle with his father and twin brother when the incident struck.
The student, according to multiple eyewitnesses, was on his way to the examination centre.
One of the sources, simply identified as Ajani, said, “A police officer opened fire while chasing a fleeing vehicle. One of the bullets reportedly hit the student. The student was riding on a motorcycle with his father and twin brother.
“The victim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Another witness said, “The deceased was on his way to the examination centre alongside his twin brother when the tragedy happened.”
Meanwhile, irate youths took the student’s lifeless body to the state Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, to demand justice and called on Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene.
The deceased body has been deposited at Adeoyo Hospital morgue.
As of press time, authorities have not released an official statement on the incident.
The Punch
The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have condemned the recent distribution formula for the N50 billion earned allowance approved by the Federal government for university-based unions.
The unions expressed their displeasure in the sharing formula in a jointly signed statement by the President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, and the General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi on Sunday in Abuja.
The Federal government last month approved the release of N50billion to universities as earned allowances.
The N50billion is to be shared between the Academic Staff Union of Universities; NASU, SSANU and National Association of Academic Technologists.
The statement said: “We wish to make it clear that this is not a contest of supremacy among unions. Rather, it is about fairness, recognition, and the equitable treatment of all workers who form the backbone of the Nigerian University system.”
The unions further demanded a review and reversal of the allocation formula, which they describe as “grossly unfair” and “totally unacceptable.”
The unions argued that the distribution was capable of creating industrial disharmony and accentuating the teaching/non-teaching dichotomy in Nigerian universities.
They vowed to stand united in demanding justice, fairness, and recognition of their rightful place in the university community.
They warned that going ahead with the unfair distribution will breed resentment and trigger widespread industrial disharmony.
“Non-Teaching staff of Nigerian Universities are not second-class citizens but are critical stakeholders who contribute immensely to the day-to-day functionality, administrative efficiency, research excellence, technical operations, and overall development of the Nigerian Universities system.
“A harmonious and productive academic environment can only be achieved when all stakeholders are treated with respect, dignity, equity, and fairness,” the statement added.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police incharge of Zone 2 Command, Onikan (comprising Lagos and Ogun States) on Saturday led Police officers on a fitness walk to enhance their physical wellness, mental health, and emotional well-being. The Walk which stretched from the Zone 2 Headquarters in Onikan to Eko Atlantic City turning on Ahmadu Bello Way, to Adeola Odeku and back to the Zone 2 covered about 10.2 km, the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) can report.
The exercise, which was undertaken to complement the job of police officers as it demands high level of fitness and health, was to avoid breakdown and collapse, while in and out of duty.
Police officers are known to be on constant move throughout the day, standing for long hours under the rain and sun, and are always under intense pressure in the cause of performing their duties, hence the need for the walk.
Addressing a cross section of NAOSNP members after the tasking but refreshing fitness walk, AIG Adegoke Fayoade stated: ‘This walk is a strategic instruction of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun that we need to be healthy for the job. The Police job is a very tasking job and we require fitness and health to do the job. That is why we decided to do this Walk on a regular basis, it helps us to perform our job effectively which is round the clock.’
‘My charge to our Police officers is that we need to be fit for the job. During leisure, take out time to engage in exercise. It lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Today we did about 10.2km, last time we covered 8.5km, maybe next time, we will do 15km.’
The Zonal Police PRO, Zone 2, CSP Umma Tunni Ayuba added: ‘This Walk plays a vital role in mental fitness which impacts what we do on a daily basis. It is also a means to unite us as officers and engage with members of the public. You can see that some members of the public join us because it goes a long way in the health of an individual.’
‘I didn’t know we did as much as 10.2km because it was fun and enjoyable with good music, like they say, ‘music is life’. I encourage officers to continue to engage in exercise, don’t wait for something to happen to your body before you look for what to do.’
The walk was spearheaded by the Zonal Sport officer, SP Mattias and Lagos State Command Sport Officer, ASP Abayomi Sonaike, SP Mattias and Supol Alex of Zone 2. ‘We thank God that we have an agile AIG who is concerned about our fitness and health. Our AIG Adegoke Fayoade knows that walks will help our agility to do the job better,’ ASP Abayomi Sonaike remarked.
