The Acting Commander of the agency in the state, Mr Aloye Oludare, told our reporter in Minna on Monday that the suspect was arrested on Oct. 9 in Mokwa Local Government Local Area of the state.

Oludare said that Pam Ezekiel Adamu with staff Number: SN 5454 was serving in Gombe Command before his dismissal in 2019.

”They loaded the car with the substance in Ado Ekiti in company of another suspect who escaped, while they were heading to Adamawa, ” he said.

He explained that the suspect would be charged to court after the agency completed its investigation.

The acting commander appealed to the public to always report any suspicious activity or individuals to the relevant authorities to enable the agency to rid the state of drug trafficking and its attendant crimes.

”We have reached out to stakeholders, especially traditional and religious leaders, to mobilise residents to volunteer information about those engaging in illegal drug business in their neighbourhood for prompt security action,” he said.

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the explanation on Friday when he featured on Nigeria Television. Authority (NTA) live programme, “Good Morning Nigeria”

The programme which focussed on “Nigeria at 60: Matters Arising” was monitored by our correspondent in Abuja.

Specifically,the Minister said the rail extension is intended for Nigeria to take economic advantages of import and export of Niger Republic, Chad and Burkina Fasso which are landlocked countries.

Mohammed said contrary to the disinformation by some commentators on the rail extension project, the decision was taken in the economic interest of the country.

Our correspodent reports that some Nigerians have queried the rationale behind Nigeria borrowing so much to fund the infrastructure of a neighbouring country.

The Minister, however explained: “I think there have been a lot of disinformation and total lack of information over that linking of Lagos, Kano, Katsina railway to Marradi”

“The wisdom behind it is that Niger, Chad Burkina fasso are all landlocked meaning that they do not have access to sea.

“What this means is that most of their imports and exports have to go through neighbouring countries’ sea ports like Cotonou in Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.

Because we do not have a road infrastructure that will encourage Niger republic to use our seaports, we believe that we will be able to take over their imports and exports with the rail linkage.

“The simple reason, therefore is to strengthen the economy of Nigeria,” he said.
Mohammed explained further: “For now, Niger Republic used seaport of Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana and the exporters go through the stress, challenges and time of being on the road from Cotonue, Lome or Accra to their country.

“But when you look at the distance by rail by the time we link them from Katsina to Marradi, it will be easier for us to take over the business.

“There is nothing like territorial expansion, it is purely economic,we are taking advantage of proximity and efficiency of rail system”.

The Minister further explained that the distance from Jibia the Nigeria border town with Niger Republic to Marradi is a few kilometre and there is existing business relations between the people at both border town’s.

He admonished critics of government policies and decisions to always seek clarifications before going to town to misinform the public.

Mohammed equally said that government will keep engaging in more conversation to enlighten the public on its policies, programmes and decisions.

It was recalled that the Federal Executive Council on Sept. 23 approved over 1.959 billion dollar for the construction of the rail line from Kano to Marradi in Niger Republic.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who disclosed this to State House correspondents said the rail line designed to take off from Dutse in Jigawa, Katsina and Jibia will terminate in Marradi.

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AVM Muhammadu Muhammed, NEMA Director General, made the call when he led a team from the national headquarters to the state on an advocacy visit on 2020 flood.

Muhammed, represented by Alhaji Nura Bappa, NEMA Director, Special Duties, disclosed that the visit was to interact with the State Government and stakeholders to know the level of preparedness on responding to floods.

He said that Local Government Areas (LGAs) like Suleja, Magama, Agware, Gbako, Shiroro, Bosso, Wushishi, Lavun and Lapai were flood risk areas and called on the state government to take proactive mitigation measures.

He directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), local government authorities and other response agencies to put in place preparedness action.

Responding, Gov. Sani Bello commended NEMA for its prompt intervention through the distribution of relief materials to victims of Suleja and Shiroro floods.

Bello, represented by his Deputy, Mr Ahmed Ketso, said that the state government had directed communities in high risk areas to relocate, adding that compensation had already been paid.

He said residents of the communities were farmers and appealed to the agency to assist them with farm inputs as well as visit the affected communities in Mokwa and Gbako.

At the 31 Artillery Brigade, Bridg. Gen. Jamiu Jimoh, Commander, 31 Artillery Brigade, said that the disaster unit of the command was ready to respond to floods and other disasters in terms of manpower.

Jimoh, represented by Col. Pa Izang, Commander, 31 Artillery Brigade Garrison, mentioned mobilisation of boats and life jackets, early information and inadequate collaboration with lead disasters agencies as challenges affecting quick response to flood.

Also, at the 013 Quick Response Unit of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Acting Commander Tani Auta, said the command was always ready to respond to emergency once it received signal from its headquarters.

She said that the command had intervened at Internally Displaced Persons camps and provided medical assistance to victims of casualties in some LGAs, adding that inadequate manpower was a challenge.

Our correspondent reports that the team also interacted with stakeholders from the Nigeria police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps and other stakeholders on their level of preparedness against flood.

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Abubakar, a commercial motorcyclist and resident of Tudun Fulani in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger, disclosed this while being interrogated by the Niger State Child Right Protection Agency.

Abubakar said: “I saw her outside her school where I had parked my motorcycle to buy sweet and she told me to give her sweet.

“I gave her a sweet and then lured her to an uncompleted building and had sex with her.

“I am a married man and we have a 3-month-old baby; I have not been sleeping with my wife because she just gave birth recently and that tempted me into doing the act with the girl.

“I only had sex with the girl once; I am sorry,” he said.

Narrating her ordeal, the victim said: “He usually lures me to an uncompleted building close to the school during break time.

“He will touch my buttocks and put his finger inside my private part.

“He also gives me sweet and promised to give me N6,000 if I did not tell anyone about the act,” the victim said.

Also, the victim’s teacher, Hajiya Saratu Salihu, who reported the matter to the agency, explained that she started suspecting the victim following her frequent absence from class.

According to her, the victim always disappears from the school during the break periods and will not return to school.

“When I started suspecting that the girl was up to something, I kept monitoring her movement until I caught her outside the school premises with the suspect on Nov. 20.

“When she entered the school, I and another teacher took her to the bathroom and checked her private part; we realised the girl had been deflowered.

“We questioned her and even had to beat her before she told us that an “okada’’ rider had been molesting her secretly.

“We then started monitoring the suspect until he was caught in the act while trying to lure the victim,” the teacher narrated.

Reacting to the incident, Mrs Mairam Kolo, the Director General of the agency, said that most of the abuses meted out to children were committed during schools’ break times.

According to her, the agency will meet with the state’s Ministry of Education to emphases the need for students not to leave schools’ premises alone during break and closing periods.

“We have already embarked on sensitisation campaign to let parents know the dangers involved in allowing children go out alone without monitoring,’’ she said.

Kolo said that the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Department for further investigations while the victim receives medical treatments.

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In recent time, Boko Haram has killed dozens of innocent people who were targeted as they went about their daily lives—attending service at a mosque, shopping in a neighborhood market, or simply traveling down a road.

According to a statement made available to NEWSVERGE on Wednesday, the US Embassy said, “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, and we stand with the people of Nigeria and the region in the fight against Boko Haram”.

The United States however restate its committed to helping Nigeria and its neighbors counter Boko Haram’s senseless acts of terror.

In the statement, “Despite much progress over the past year—due in large part to newly bolstered Nigerian and regional efforts—more work remains to ensure the people of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria can live in peace.

“The conflict has affected the lives of communities across the Lake Chad Basin region, with some 2.5 million internally displaced people and more than 170,000 Nigerian refugees forced to flee their homes.

“The United States provides advisors, intelligence, training, logistical support, and equipment to our African partners as they work to defeat Boko Haram.

“We also support those affected by Boko Haram’s violence through ongoing humanitarian aid and victim support services.

“The United States will continue working with our partners in the region to identify new opportunities to support their efforts to stop Boko Haram’s wanton violence and restore order in the Lake Chad Basin region.”

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