News

Buhari mourns as suicide bombers kill 30 at Konduga viewing centre

Published

5 years ago

June 18, 2019

Eric

President Muhammadu Buhari declared on Monday that those who attacked a viewing centre in Mandarari in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State on Sunday would be punished by God.

About 30 persons were reportedly killed in multiple bomb blasts carried out by suspected Boko Haram members. 40 others were reportedly wounded.

Speaking with one of our correspondents on the phone, the Head of the Rescue Team of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Bello Dambatta, said suicide attacks by three females on Konduga left 30 persons and others injured and hospitalised. Dambatta said the attacks occurred simultaneously on Sunday at about 8pm.

According to a statement by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, “President Buhari decries the heinous acts, stressing that perpetrators of evil acts have judgment awaiting them, not only from man via the long arms of the law, but also from God Almighty.”

Meanwhile, suspected Fulani herdsmen on Monday evening attacked Janibanibu village at the outskirts of Jalingo forcing residents to flee as tension rose in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

Rev. Fr. Cyriacus Kamai the Parish Priest of St. John the Baptist, Janibanibu, said, “Though the people have fled the area, the attackers burn down the whole village before the arrival of security agencies.

“Their target is to attack Kona village as a follow up to what happened yesterday,” he said.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP David Misal, who confirmed the attack said there was an attempt by bandits to attack the Nukkai area of Jalingo but men of the command and other sister security agencies repelled the attack, forcing the attackers to retreat.

News

National Grid Collapses Again, Nigeria in Total Blackout

Published

23 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.