Flood destroys over N100 million farm produce in Sokoto

Farm produce worth over N100 million were destroyed by flood in 27 villages in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, the Chairman of the Local Government, Shehu Chacho, has said.

Mr. Chacho disclosed this to journalists in Wurno on Sunday.

He said the destroyed farm produce, which were already maturing include rice, millet, guinea corn, maize and beans.

According to the chairman, the flood was caused by the release of excess water from Goronyo dam and it had affected no fewer than 7,577 farmers.

He said the villages affected by the disaster include Dinbiso, Gidan-Kamba, Gidan-bango, ‘Yar-wurno, Tunga, Zayawa, Lahodu and Lugu. Others are Barayar-zaki, Kwargaba, Gidan-magori, Tuttudawa, Nasarawa, Gidan-Modi and Dabagin-manomi, among others.

Mr. Chacho said that no fewer than 2,500 hectares of farmlands under the Lugu canals had been submerged by the flood, which also destroyed similar farm produce there.

“We have, therefore, constructed five-kilometer embankment along the Gidan-Modi to Gidan-Kamba road."

”The project which cost about N7.8 million is aimed at preventing the flood waters from submerging the nearby Tuttuduwa canals,” he said.

Two farmers, Garba Gidan-modi and Musa Maigadaje, lamented the development, saying they incurred huge losses.

”We are therefore appealing for urgent assistance from the three tiers of government and public-spirited organisations,” the victims said. (NAN)

South Sudan rebel chief orders ceasefire ahead of Sunday deadline

South Sudan’s rebel chief, Riek Machar ordered his troops to lay down their arms in line with a ceasefire to end a 20-month civil war, his spokesman said Saturday.

His rival, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, had on Thursday ordered all government troops to stop fighting rebel forces as part of the agreement to end the conflict, which has left tens of thousands dead.

DSS Nabs Terrorist Spy Network at Abuja Airport

The Department of State Services (DSS) says it has disrupted a spying network said to have been mounted by Boko Haram terrorists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

A 14-year-old boy, Sulaiymon Abdulraman was apprehended with the help of the aviation security officials at the airport.

On interrogation , Abdulraman said  he and others, recruited by the terrorist group infiltrated the airport with the assistance of Dauda Sadiq who is at large. 

He was to pass on "information in respect of travelers’ movement including passenger screening, boarding procedures and other processes in the departure and arrival halls," DSS spokesman Tony Opuiyo said in the statement.

The DSS said its officers are working closely with major aviation stakeholders especially the aviation security department to forestall any possible attack and to ensure adequate security at the airports.

Members of the public have been asked to remain vigilant and report all issues and persons of suspicion to the nearest security agency.

Nigerian Air Force Aircraft Crashes in Kaduna

A Dornier 228 light aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force has crashed in Kaduna, NorthWest Nigeria.

The aircraft was said to be on its way to Abuja after taking off from the Air Force Base in Kaduna when it crashed at the old site of the Nigerian Defence Academy also in Kaduna, less than ten minutes after it took off.

An eyewitness told Channels Television that the ill-fated aircraft was spinning severally before it crashed with a loud sound.

Upon crashing, the remains of the aircraft went up in flames; the crash also affected some residential buildings inside the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA).

The Quick response of emergency agencies including NEMA and Red Cross officials, led to the fire being put out promptly before the rescue operations could commence. But journalists were barred by soldiers at the NDA gate from getting access to the scene of the crash.

The NorthWest Zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Musa Ilalah told journalists outside the barracks, that all the seven persons on board the jet, including the  four crew members and three passengers all died following the crash.

In the meantime, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar has visited the scene of the blast.

NNPC Cancels Crude Supply Contracts to Refineries

The Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) has cancelled the current contracts on the supply of crude to the nation’s refineries.

The move according to the cooperation is to curb the exorbitant cost and inappropriate process of engagement.

While that subsist, NIDAS Marine Limited, a subsidiary of the NNPC has been engaged to provide crude delivery service on negotiated industry standard rate pending the establishment of substantive contracts.

When another contract is in place, it will be the delivery of crude to the refineries by marine vessels rather than through the pipeline network, which the corporation says is susceptible to vandalism.

In the same vein, the Corporation also terminated the Offshore Processing Agreements (OPA), entered into in January, 2015 with three companies, namely: Duke Oil Company Inc., Aiteo Energy Resources Limited and Sahara Energy Resources (Nig) Ltd, claiming that the current OPA is skewed in favour of the companies’ such that the value of product delivered is significantly lower than the equivalent crude oil allocated for the programme.

To the alternative, the NNPC has invited Messrs, Oando, Sahara Energy, Calson, MRS, Duke Oil, BP/Nigermed and Total Trading to bid for the new Offshore Processing agreement.

On the status of the Crude for Product Exchange Agreement (SWAP) reportedly entered into by the NNPC and some oil traders, the Corporation informed that the last SWAP arrangement lapsed in December, 2014 and was never renewed.

Meanwhile, a tendering process for the 2015/2016 Crude Oil Term Contract for the evacuation of Nigeria’s crude oil equity from the various crude and condensate production arrangements will soon be commenced.

Senate Begins Probe of EFCC Boss Over Alleged Diversion of N1 Trillion

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition has received documents tended as evidence by the anti-graft agency, over allegations of fraudulent diversion of over N1 trillion by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde.

At the opening session of the hearing, which commenced in the National Assembly, the petitioner, George Uboh, said that over 95 per cent of overseas seizures by the agency were also diverted, including the loot recovered from a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; and former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun.

The EFCC boss was not present to state his own side as the commission had written to the committee to ask to be allowed more time to gather relevant documents and given another date to appear before the committee to answer to the petition.

An official of the anti-graft agency, who was present at the event however, questioned the propriety of the committee, saying the petitioner should not have been allowed to present his case in the absence of the committee.