Headlines
Train Attack Terrorists Threaten to Starve, Kill Victims, Make Fresh Demands
Some bloodthirsty bandits who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound AK9 train on March, 28, have threatened to commence the killing of abducted passengers in their custody failure of the Federal Government to meet their demands within seven days.
Parts of the demands were the unconditional release of their detained children held in an orphanage home in Adamawa State under the strict supervision of the Nigerian Army as well as the release of their detained comrade at arm.
The bandits also disclosed that the suspended train service by the Nigerian Railway Corporation slated for May 23 on the Abuja-Kaduna route, was a result of their threat to the government.
These were contained in the latest edition of the Kaduna-based DESERT HERALD newspaper, whose publisher, Malam Tukur Mamu, is a Media Consultant to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
The media aide said the bandits contacted him through one of their leaders simply identified as Abu Barra with a firm instructions to convey the message to the victims’ families as well as the Federal Government.
According to the bandits, the Federal Government are not sincere with the negotiation, warning that unless their detained children, forcefully taken away by security operatives from their wives in Nasarawa state and detained in Adamawa State, are released, known of the kidnapped passengers will come out alive.
In the telephone conversation between the bandits and the publisher of the newspaper, the bandits noted that the Federal Government had contacted them on how to secure the release of the abducted passengers but “there seem to be insincerity on the part of the government putting the lives of the passengers at risk.”
They continued that the Federal Government suspended the resumption of the train service because of their threats.
“The government suspended the resumption of the train service indefinitely because of our threats and we repeat, if our conditions are not met, the resumption of the train service is to the detriment of the government and the passengers.
“We don’t need money. We have a good reason for doing what we did until our demands are met none of the victims will come out alive even if it means we all die with them. They are well taken care of as you can see from the pictures we sent to you via WhatsApp but we assure you that this will not continue.
“We choose you (Tukur Mamu) to convey this important message to the government, the families of the victims and Nigerians in general because we believe you won’t alter our message and we have seen you severally with Sheikh Gumi in the forest, therefore, we recognized the fearlessness in you,” said the leader of the terror group
Barra noted that the abduction of the train passengers was a retaliation for the arrest and detention of their children by security operatives.
He said, “Our children numbering about 8 between the ages of one to seven years are currently being held at an orphanage in Jimeta, Adamawa State under the supervision of the Nigerian Army.
“The names of our children are; Abdulrahman, Bilkisu, Usman, Ibrahim and Juwairiyyah. They were forcefully taken from our wives in Nasarawa and taken to the orphanage in Yola”.
“For any continued discussion on the release of these passengers and a safe resumption of the train service, our children must be released unconditionally. Only then we will release some of the abducted victims especially the women while other passengers will be released on a prisoner exchange with some of our arrested comrades by the government.”
Barra warned that if within seven days the government failed to respond to their demands, they would stop feeding the victims in their custody and start slaughtering(killing) them one by one, adding also the Nigerians should forget using the Abuja-Kaduna rail line as well as the Kaduna-Abuja high way.
Besides, he added that they(bandits) would make life hellish for those plying the Abuja-Kaduna expressway should the government decided send troops to attack them.
“If the government decided not to respond so be it. We are warning Nigerians, especially those that are patronizing the train that if this matter is not resolved peacefully, the day they decided to attack us or do anything funny, passengers or commuters should forget using the train or follow the Abuja-Kaduna road because we will be consistent and they can’t stop us. We believe that you will deliver this message as it is.
“Therefore, we rely on you and urged you to convey this important message to everyone,” he added.
Meanwhile, in his response, Gumi’s aide appealed to the government not to take the bandits’ threat lightly.
He noted that the Federal Government should be ready to make a painful compromise in order to save the lives of the innocent passengers in the custody of the terror group.
Mamu explained that “prisoner exchange” with known criminals on matters of national interest was a global practice and had happened in many developed countries like the United States, urging the government to avoid any military action that would lead to collateral damage and loss of innocent lives.
Mamu, who’s the Dan-Iyan Fika, said, “time is not on our side. The government must understand that they are dealing with persons with misguided ideology and tainted religious beliefs. These people are not scared of death. They seem to believe that they are martyrs when they die. It will be a serious mistake to take this threat lightly. I believe an opportunity has been created for us to explore to save the lives of those innocent victims.
“For me, if these innocent victims will regain their freedom because of my involvement and provided that will lead to relative peace and security on our highways and rail lines, I wouldn’t mind if I die in the process. We must accept the fact that security alone on the Abuja-Kaduna highways remains more fragile than ever and the solution is not militarily alone, especially in a country where impending attacks can hardly be dictated and stopped.”
From the manifest received by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 398 passengers bought tickets but 362 were validated as having bought tickets. Over 60 passengers are still in the kidnappers’ den and had spent over 50 days in captivity.
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.”
