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Kaduna LG polls: APC Leads, Wins 15 of 19 LGs

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The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 15 out of the 19 local government councils results so far released in the Saturday local government elections announced at the various local government headquarters in Kaduna State.
There are 23 local government areas in the state, but election did not hold in Kaura and Jaba local government areas, as the polls in the two councils were postponed till later date.
According to the results announced by the returning officers, APC won in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Kubau, Sabon Gari, Soba, Zaria, Lere, Ikara, Makarfi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kagarko, Kudan, Igabi and Kajuru local government areas, while the leading opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in Zango Kataf with 55,643 while APC polled 31,514.
The opposition party also won in Kachia, Sanga and Kauru local government areas.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of of PDP in the state and one time Minister of State for Aviation, Hon. Felix Hassan Hyet said, his party has been shortchanged, and the party will contest the results in court.
According to the returning officers, in Zaria local government chairmanship election, APC polled 42,859, while PDP scored 16,033; in Soba chairmanship election, APC had 40,903, while PDP polled 13,835; in Makarfi, Returning Officer Dr. Musa Abdullahi Mohammed said APC polled 22,190, while PDP polled 13,088. APC also won in Giwa local government area polling 57, 005 to beat PDP who had 2,636.
APC won in Kudan local government, the council of serving Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, who is at loggerheads with Governor el-Rufai. The party polled 76,131 to win the chairmanship against PDP who had 3,394.
 
The returning officer Kaduna North local government area, Umar Hayatu while announcing the results of polls, said that APC chairmanship candidate, Alhaji Saleh Shuaibu polled 168,572 votes to win in Kaduna North, beating the PDP candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Babayaro, who polled 12,467 votes. The Peoples Redemption Party candidate polled 4,956 votes.
Apart from being one of the four councils within Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna North is also the local government of Governor Nasir el-Rufai.
Despite being given a scare in his polling unit in Ungwar Sarki ward, Governor el-Rufai’s APC still won the Unguwar Sarki ward convincingly, polling 14,863, while PDP scored 706.
In the Governor’s polling unit, APC polled 65 votes, while PDP had 50 votes for chairman in his ward, APC polled 68 votes for councillor, while PDP won 45 votes.
APC also won in Makarfi local government, the council of former PDP chairman and Kaduna state governor, Senator Ahmad Mohammed Makarfi.
Results in the five other councils are still being awaited. 
Meanwhile, Kaduna PDP Chairman while addressing newsmen at the party secretariat in Kaduna on Sunday said, the party will soon release its field results of the elections.
He alleged that his party has been shortchanged in the results announced so far in the 13 local government areas of the state. He said their party agents have submitted reports and they will follow legal means to address the injustices he claimed meted on them.
Hyet, further claimed that most of the results announced so far were through radio stations rather than the returning officers whom he alleged disappeared.
The PDP state chairman, while calling on supporters to remain calm,said the manufacturers of the electronic voting machines supposed to have stayed in Kaduna to monitor the machines to avoid malfunction in some polling units.
Hyet, however, alleged that some electronic voting machines were snatched to unknown destinations: “We call on you to brief you on the update of the local election results of 13  local government so far released . Some local government results was not announced by the returning officers but radio stations. At the moment we have some local government areas like, Kaduna South, Chikun, Kajuru, Jema, Kagarko, Sanga, still awaiting to be announced as the returning officers are no where to be found. The returning officers have disappeared completely. Even,some  wards returning officers also disappeared” the PDP alleged.
“We are waiting for the returning officers to come out and announce the results in local government areas yet to be announced.Our agents have submitted the results to us and we will take necessary legal steps to address the injustices.The manufactured of the machines would have been on ground to monitor the machines. Humans are that ones operating the machines”
We will soon make our reports collected from our field agents publicly. We believe as a party,we will take over power in 2019 because Nigerians have said good bye to APC” Hyet said.
The Nation

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IGP Confirms Arrest of Police Officers Aiding Foreign Hackers

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The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed that officers who were protecting foreign hackers arrested for cybercrimes were engaged in illegal activities.

This follows the November 4 announcement by the police, which revealed the arrest of 130 suspects involved in high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities threatening national security. Among those arrested, 113 were foreign nationals—87 men and 26 women—primarily from China and Malaysia, alongside 17 Nigerian collaborators.

Reports indicated that some of these foreign nationals had been receiving police protection prior to their arrest.

Responding to these claims, Egbetokun addressed the issue on Monday during a workshop on criminal investigation standardization, confirming that the officers involved had been arrested and were under detention.

“It is true that some policemen were seen protecting these foreigners. They have been arrested. We found that these policemen were on illegal duty. Nobody deployed them. They were not properly assigned to that task,” Egbetokun explained.

He stated that the officers’ unit commanders have disowned them, and the officers would face disciplinary action.

“I have explained that those police escorts were not formally deployed by the police authority; they were found performing illegal duties. They have already been found escorting the arrested foreigners. Their unit commanders have denied having sent them. They were performing illegal duties, and they will be dealt with accordingly,” Egbetokun added.

However, the IG clarified that not all police protection is improper. He emphasized that certain individuals, particularly prominent businessmen and employers, do require police protection due to their societal and economic roles.

“That does not negate the fact that we have to provide protection for certain individuals in society. There are VIPs that the police must protect. There are major businessmen, employers of labor, and individuals who have thousands of Nigerians in their organizations. These individuals deserve protection,” he said.

Egbetokun further explained that when determining who qualifies for police protection, authorities consider the person’s status and contributions to the economy.

“If something happens to them, you can imagine the impact it will have on their businesses and the effect it will have on unemployment rates in our country. We assess their position in society and their contribution to the economy when determining whether they need police protection,” he said.

He also addressed concerns about police officers being assigned to individuals who do not require security, revealing that some officers were improperly attached. “Some of these policemen you see attached to people who don’t deserve police protection were not formally deployed by the police authority. Some of them were picked off the streets. We are already addressing this issue. Recently, I issued a directive that any policeman found in such situations will be traced to their origin, and their commander or supervisor will be held accountable. We are confident that with the measures we have taken, such incidents will reduce,” Egbetokun explained.

On the issue of police escorts being misused, the IG warned that action would be taken if individuals were found to be abusing their privileges.

“It is important to note that sometimes individuals apply for escorts. We investigate to confirm they deserve them and provide the necessary security. However, if those individuals misuse their escorts, we immediately withdraw them. There are cases where those entitled to police escorts misuse them, and we take action accordingly,” he said.

In relation to the minors recently arrested, Egbetokun clarified that they were not detained for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests, as some had claimed. Instead, they were arrested for engaging in criminal acts, including looting and destroying public infrastructure.

“I don’t want to make any categorical statements on this issue after the intervention of Mr President. I want to thank Mr President for his fatherly intervention in granting those children a pardon. However, I want to correct the impression that the minors were arrested for participating in the End Bad Governance protest. That is a false narrative,” Egbetokun said.

“The police did not arrest anyone for participating in the End Bad Governance protest. We arrested criminals who took advantage of the protest to destroy public infrastructure, private businesses, and commit arson. These individuals cannot be considered protesters. The police did not arrest any protesters,” he added, emphasizing that those involved in looting and destruction were not engaged in peaceful protest but in criminal behavior.

“It’s a mischievous narrative to claim that the 76 suspects who were arraigned in court were people who participated in the End Bad Governance protest. We have said time and again that protesting is a right of citizens. However, these individuals were caught on video looting businesses, destroying private and public property, and committing crimes. You cannot expect the police to turn a blind eye and allow this destruction to continue. No society can progress under such circumstances,” Egbetokun concluded.

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Wike Vows to Continue Demolition of ‘Shanties’ in FCT

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed that he will not yield to pressure to stop demolition of shanties that pose security threats to the residents of the territory.

He made the vow while reacting to protests by occupants Ruga, an illegal settlement at Wuye, behind Finance Quarters, harbouring more than 10,000 illegal occupants that  was demolished on November 5,  by a  Ministerial Tasks Force named “Operation Sweep”  that had been demolishing illegal settlements across the city.

The occupants during the protest, called for the minister’s sack for demolishing their illegal settlements, claiming it was built by their forefather.

The illegal occupants of Ruga with support from some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) had on Friday protested the demolition, asking Preident Bola Tinubu to sack Wike.

But speaking on Sunday evening when he inspected demolished shanties in Ruga,  Wike said no amount of intimidation, blackmail or abuses by the illegal occupants or CSOs would deter the government from doing its job.

He expressed worry that the area had been demolished 22 times and yet the illegal occupants have refused to leave.

He warned that would not be a party to a situation where an illegal settlement would be demolished for 22 times and still standing.

“Be assured that we will continue with the demolition of shanties that pose a security threat to FCT, Abuja.

“It doesn’t matter what colouration; whatever name anybody wants to give to it, we will do the right thing and nothing will stop us,” he said.

Wike warned the illegal occupants against rebuilding any structure in the demolished area, saying the FCT Administration has a responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of all residents.

He explained that the shanties were demolished because security agencies have identified Ruga as one of the areas that pose security threats to the FCT,

He added that security agencies were working day and night to keep Abuja safe.

“This is where you have the rail line; this is a buffer zone and if we allow these kinds of people to live here, what it means, anything can happen to our train.

“Nobody will take that risk. You can imagine the number of persons that are living here, whom we cannot identify.

“We have told them that nobody should build anything, whether temporary or permanent, until the government has taken a final decision on what to do with the land,” he said.

He asked the spokesman of the illegal occupants to nominate five persons, including himself and meet with government officials on Tuesday to find a way out for the people.

On other shanties across the cities, the Minister said that all shanties would be demolished, while some of the areas would be converted to bus terminals.

Earlier, the spokesman of the occupants, Malam Abba Garo, said that although they could not lay claim to the land but have been living in the area for the past 39 years.

Garo noted that the area had been demolished 22 times, but occupants returned and rebuilt because they have no alternative accommodation.

He described the Ruga as a “mini-Nigeria” with people from different parts of the country represented in the community.

He pleaded with Wike to find them alternative land to settle, stressing that they have nowhere else to go.

NAN

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Fubara Set to Present 2025 Budget to Oko-Jumbo Assembly

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Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced that he would present the 2025 budget to the Victor Oko-Jombo-led State House of Assembly.

The governor noted that the government would continue to collaborate with the Assembly to improve the lives of Rivers residents, highlighting the positive relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, as demonstrated in the screening of nominees and the prompt passage of executive bills.

Fubara said this at the official unveiling of two ultra-modern community town halls and the launch of a tertiary scholarship and empowerment programme by the Speaker at Akiama and Aganya communities in Bonny Local Government Area on Saturday.

This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi.

Represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Edison Ehie, the governor said: “The government and the people of Rivers State heartily congratulate you and thank you for being a good ambassador of the Ibani Kingdom. We assure you that, as the executive arm, while the legislative arm remains independent, we will continue to collaborate to ensure prosperity for our people.

“I thank you, Mr Speaker, for your support to the Rivers State government, as seen in your cooperation. The Speaker has facilitated the screening of caretaker committee chairmen, expedited executive requests, and will soon play a vital role in enacting the 2025 budget.”

Fubara added that the Speaker’s focus on constituency projects reflects his role as an elected representative, contrasting it with the inaction of 25 former lawmakers he described as “Abuja-based politicians.”

He continued: “Constituency projects are a testament to elected representatives’ commitment to their people. Meanwhile, the 25 former Assembly members who dismissed themselves — have they initiated any projects? Do we see them inspecting or commissioning anything? These are Abuja-based politicians!”

The governor commended the Speaker for establishing the town halls, providing financial empowerment to 100 Bonny indigenes, and awarding tertiary scholarships to 30 Bonny students.

In his remarks, the Speaker thanked the people of Bonny for their support for the 10th Assembly and expressed confidence in his backing of the governor.

He stressed that the Assembly would stay focused despite opposition from “enemies of the state” or the 25 former members.

Oko-Jombo revealed that the 2025 budget would soon be presented to the 10th Assembly and confirmed that Bonny Local Government Area would be included in upcoming infrastructure projects.

He added: “We will continue working tirelessly to ensure Bonny Kingdom’s development. Many needs remain, but as the Speaker, I assure you that the 2025 budget, which will soon be presented by His Excellency, will include Bonny Local Government Area.”

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