News

Aisha Buhari calls for stiffer punishment for drug traffickers

Published

5 years ago

May 28, 2019

Eric

The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has called for the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of drug trafficking, which led to the detention of Zainab Aliyu in Saudi Arabia.

Mrs Buhari made the call on Monday when the victim of the drug trafficking conspiracy, Zainab Aliyu, was led to the Presidential Villa by her parents to break the Ramadan fast with her.

News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Zainab Aliyu, who was travelling to Saudi Arabia from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, had drugs planted on her by drug cartels operating at the airport. She was arrested by the Saudi Arabia authorities, for possession of banned substance.

However, Zainab was released after she was found innocent of the offence by the Saudi authorities, following the intervention of the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari.

The wife of the President, therefore, called on intending air travellers to be mindful and careful to avoid falling victims.

While fielding questions from State House Correspondents, the victim Miss Zainab Aliyu, called on the Nigerian authorities to ensure that those engaged in the act were prosecuted according to laid down procedure.

“I want to thank the wife of the President for inviting us to break our fast with her and Nigerians for their prayers and efforts to ensure my release.

“Though, I feel very bad that the cartel, who masterminded this act (to me) was granted bail. They have to be punished for what they did to me to serve as a deterrent to others.

“I’m not the only innocent person that fell victim, there were many innocent persons who fell victims of this illicit drugs traffickers.

“So, I will like to call on Nigerian authorities to punish the cartel,” she said.

On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed her appreciation to the wife of the President for hosting the family to iftar.

Also speaking, Mr Habibu Aliyu, the father of the victim, thanked Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari for facilitating the release of Zainab Aliyu from Saudi Arabian Prison.

“Personally, since we started the struggle, I did not spend money throughout the period, so I thank everybody who contributed to the release of my daughter.

“I feel sad that the cartel, who perpetrated this act was granted bail. They even undermined the government because as I speak to you one of them was allowed to perform lesser hajj and he returned to Nigeria.

“Yes, the offence is bailable but there are stringent conditions that should be attached to serve as a deterrent.

” And to my surprise, the perpetrators have not shown any remorse for committing the act, for day one. One of them knelt down and held my leg saying that she was doing it for a living.

“So, you can imagine she’s living at the detriment of someone’s life,” he said.

News

National Grid Collapses Again, Nigeria in Total Blackout

Published

17 hours ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The electricity national grid has collapsed again throwing the entire country into total blackout.

Some electricity distribution companies (DisCos), on Monday, confirmed the fresh collapse of the national grid, resulting in loss of power supply to their customers.

The grid experienced a fresh shutdown, and generation fell to 64.70 megawatts at 2:42 am on Monday, which was confirmed by officials of some of the DisCos.

According to an earlier report, the latest data from the Independent System Operator showed that the grid was generating 266.50mw of electricity from Okpai, Geregu and Ibom power.

Confirming the collapse in a statement, Jos DisCo said: “The current outage being experienced within our franchise States is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid. The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred in the early hours at about 0242 hours today, Monday, 15th April 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.”

The company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Friday Adakole Elijah, expressed hope that the grid will be restored for normal power supply to its esteemed customers.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), also confirmed the collapse in a statement titled “NOTICE OF TOTAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE”.

“The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 2:41 am today, 15th April 2024.

“This resulted in the loss of supply to all our interface TCN stations. Consequently, we were unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.

“However, the situation is gradually being resolved as we received the supply at Awada TCN station, Onitsha, at 7:30 am.

“We are in constant communication with the relevant authorities awaiting the full restoration of supply by the National Control Centre, NCC, Oshogbo. Thank you for your usual understanding and cooperation,”

A statement by Head, of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh said.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to confirm the collapse as of press time.

News

Gunmen Abduct Channels TV Reporter in Rivers, Demand N30m

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2024

Eric

Gunmen have kidnapped a journalist and reporter with Channels Television, Mr Joshua Rogers, at his residence in Rumuosi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday night.

Rogers, who covers the Rivers State Government House for his organisation, was reportedly trailed after he closed from work to his residence.

The miscreants accosted him before he alighted from his car, pointed a gun at him and whisked him along with his vehicle off to an unknown destination at about 9 pm.

A source who said he doesn’t want his name mentioned said the reporter had earlier covered an event in Ndoni in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the state where Governor Siminalayi Fubara, inaugurated a Primary Healthcare Centre.

The facility was built and donated to the state by the PAMO Educational Foundation, founded by former Rivers governor, Dr Peter Odili, on Thursday.

The source said, “Yes, he was kidnapped last night at his residence in Rumuosi and taken away in his car by some unknown gunmen.

“We are appealing to the kidnappers to release him immediately and unhurt. He is just a journalist doing his job and not a moneybags. So I don’t know the purpose of his kidnap.”

It was also gathered that the hoodlums had contacted his wife and demanded N30m as ransom before releasing him.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, for confirmation, were unsuccessful as she did not pick up several calls put across to her by The Punch.

Iringe-Koko has also yet to reply to a text message sent to her as of publication on Friday morning.

The Punch

News

Bobrisky Goes to Jail! Sentenced to Six months Term, with No Fine Option

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2024

Eric

Cross-dresser, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment without any option fine for abusing the Nigeria currency – naira.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in her sentence, said the judgment will serve as a deterrent to others who are fond of abusing and mutilating the naira.