01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

8— SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
How we kidnapped American, Canadian
expatriates in Kaduna — Suspects
T
wo members of a
notorious Fulani
kidnap gang who took
part in the 2018 kidnap of
two American and two
Canadian expatriates,
working in Kaduna State
and the subsequent killing
of two policemen
providing security escort
for the expatriates, have
been arrested by
operatives of the Inspector
General of Police
Intelligence Response
Team, IRT.
Vanguard gathered that
four other members of the
gang, including the leader
of the gang, identified
simply as Dogo, were
gunned down when
operatives of the IRT
stormed the gang’s camp
located inside a deep
forest in Kuiere near
Kagarko Local
Government Area of
Kaduna State.
Sources disclosed to
Vanguard that the IRT
operatives, led by Deputy
Commissioner of Police,
Abba Kyari, trailed the
suspects, who were also
known to herdsmen, into
the Kagarko forest and
had an exchange of
gunfire with the bandits
when they approached the
camp. Two members of the
gang, Abdulmimini
Adamu and Usmana
Abdulahi, managed to
escape from the scene but
they were later rearrested
by the IRT operatives in
Kano and Kaduna States.
It was gathered that the
operatives trailed Adamu
to Kano State through the
information they gathered
from his camp in Kuiere
area of Kaduna State
while Abdulahi was
apprehended in his farm,
where he had gone to hide
to evade police arrest.
The suspects, in their
interviews narrated their
roles in the kidnap. While
20-yer-old, Adamu, a
native of Igabi Local
Government in Kaduna
State who was married
with a child said he took
active part in the kidnap
of the expatriates and the
killing of the policemen,
Abdulahi, said he was the
person supplying food to
the kidnappers.
According to Adamu; “I
am a farmer and a cattle
rearer, my boss, Dogo, got
me involved in
kidnapping. In my first
operation we killed two
policemen and took away
their rifles. We eventually
kidnapped four white
people, two of them were
Americans but I don’t
know the nationality of the
other two. We attacked the
expatriates along Jere
road in Southern Kaduna
area of the state and it was
an informant who gave us
the information about the
job. Nine of us took part
in the attack, five of us
were armed with Ak-47
rifles, while four others
were holding sticks. I was
holding a stick, while the
people who had guns were
in front. When the vehicle
conveying the expatriates
got to where we were, my
boss and those with guns
started firing and they
MTN makes final payment of N55bn to NCC
By prince Okafor
MTN
Nigeria
Communications
Plc, yesterday said it
has paid the sixth and
final instalment of N55
billion to the Nigerian
Communications Commission,
NCC.
The Information and
Communications Technology,
ICT, company,
also stated that this
completes MTN’s payment
of the N330 billion
negotiated settlement
agreed between
the NCC and the company
in 2016.
The ICT Company
and NCC had reached
•Suspects
forced the vehicle to a stop.
We then killed the
policemen providing
escorts to the expatriates on
the spot before taking the
expatriates into the bush.
We trekked all through the
night until we got to the
camp at Kuiere in Kaduna
State. The expatriates spent
three days with us in the
camp and we fed them with
rice and beans. They ate
three times daily and we
also gave them bottled
water to drink. One of our
gang members who
understood English
language very well
contacted the people who
paid the ransom. I don’t
know the amount he
demanded, but I suspected
it to be around N100
million. I don’t know the
exact amount that was paid
but I got N5million as my
share after the ransom was
paid. I bought some cows
with my share of the
ransom and they are
presently with my brother
in my village. I was
arrested 10 days after the
police burst our camp and
I fled to Kano State. I was
in Kano State to visit my
friend and I didn’t know that
the police were on my trail, I
was shocked they caught me
in my friend’s house.
In his own confession, 26-
year-old Usmana Abdulahi
said “I am married with two
wives, I am from Kagaroko
Local Government Area of
Kaduna State. I am a famer
and I am also into cattle
rearing. I am not a kidnapper
but I supplied food items and
cooking ingredients to the
kidnapper in their camp
a negotiated settlement
in relation to the
fine imposed on them
in 2015 as a result of
a dispute over the disconnection
of unregistered
SIM cards
amongst its subscriber
base.
According to Chief
Corporate Relations
Officer, MTN,
Tobechukwu Okigbo,
“The successful resolution
of the fine was
the outcome of active
collaboration between
the NCC and MTN.
“We are very pleased
to have completed the
payment of the N330
billon negotiated set-
when they kidnapped the
white people. The first time
I took the food to the camp,
they didn’t allow me to see
the white people. They
stopped me at a distance
and took the food items I
brought from me. On the
second day when I took the
food items to the
kidnappers, they brought
out two of the white people
and took them to a section
of the camp where they
could make calls and
contact their relatives for
the ransom. It was
Abdulmumu who
contacted me to supply
food for the kidnappers
and he was the only
member of the gang who
knows me and he gave
me N1million as my
share after the ransom
was paid.
tlement with the
NCC. We are particularly
gratified to be in
a position to have
fully met the terms of
the settlement within
the agreed
timeframes.
“I would like to
thank the NCC for
their constructive
and collaborative
approach to this issue,
and believe that
we emerge from it
with a stronger relationship,
focused on
ensuring maximum
value is delivered to
our people, from a
strong and growing
telecoms sector.”
B-R-I-E-F-S
Jettison Fulani Radio — Taiga
The President General of Urhobo Progress Union,
Olorogun Moses Taiga, has urged the Federal
Government to jettison plans to set up a radio station
devoted solely to broadcast in Fulani language.
In a press statement he personally signed, the UPU
PG said “the Urhobo Nation is appalled by the setting
up of a Fulani Radio. Whatever the argument the
government might put forward, this radio station is ill
timed and insensitive to the feelings of the Urhobo people
and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, whose portions
of land towns and villages the Fulani herdsmen have
forcefully taken over. The UPU appreciates the need to
promote the speaking of indigenous languages, but any
government effort should either be holistic or each ethnic
nationality should be left to preserve its culture and
language. The selective promotion of the Fulani language
has heightened tension among ethnic nationalities in
the country and the project should be jettisoned at once.”
Taiga also lamented “worsening insecurity in Nigeria,
including Urhobo land.
Okunbo, Afolabi, Tein-Jackrich to
lead conversation on modern-day
slavery
Chairman of Ocean Marine Solutions, Capt
Idahosa Okunbo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi, and
Founder of Belemaoil Producing Ltd, Mr. Tein Jack-Rich
would lead a high-level discussion on the need to
address the rising menace of modern-day slavery and
human trafficking in Nigeria.
With the coming on board by these three business
leaders in the fight to end modern slavery, it is expected
that stakeholders in the struggle to end modern slavery,
would join the fight for a human trafficking-free nation.
The conference being convened by the Nigerian Young
Professionals Forum (NYPF) which would hold in Abuja
on June 10, 2019, is expected to feature other prominent
speakers and opinion leaders.
Chairman of the forum, Mr. Moses Siasia said the
speakers would be discussing various options to end
human trafficking in Nigeria and Africa.
Again, Shi’ites, police clash in
Kaduna
Ben Agande, Kaduna
MEMBERS of the Islamic Movement in Nige
ria (IMN), again clashed with the police as the
Islamic sect embarked on their annual Quds Day celebration.
According to eye witness account, members of
the Shiites trooped out in large number around Kano
road\ Ahmadu Bello Way for the procession when the
police swooped on them, firing tear gas canisters to disperse
them. The incidence sparked panic among traders
and other road users who hurriedly moved to avert
being caught in the crossfire.
Three members of the Shiites were said to have been
wounded by the police, and rushed to an undisclosed
hospital for medical attention.
But in a statement, the Spokesman of IMN, Ibrahim
Musa claimed that members of the sect were attacked by
the police.
“A large contingent of the police in battle gear had
been threateningly patrolling the streets of Kaduna even
before the commencement of the march.
“Hardly had the peaceful march started when the armed
policemen opened fire without warning, with tear gas
and live ammunition indiscriminately. This led to pandemonium
on the busy streets of the central area.
Sanwo-Olu appoints Ayinde as Chief
of Staff, Soyannwo as Deputy
LAGOS
State
Governor, Mr.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu on
Friday announced the
appointment of his chief
of staff and deputy chief
of staff.
In a statement signed
by his deputy chief
press secretary, Mr.
Gboyega Akosile,
Sanwo-Olu named Mr.
Tayo Ayinde as his Chief
of Staff and Mr.
Gboyega Soyannwo as
deputy chief of staff.
Ayinde, an alumnus of
Havard Business
School, Boston, USA
and University of
Cambridge, United
Kingdom is a former
security
and
intelligence personnel.
He served as chief
security detail to the
former Governor of
Lagos State, Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
from 1999 to 2007.
Ayinde also served as
the Director General of
the Babajide Sanwo-
Olu Independent
Campaign Group
between 2018 and 2019.
Soyannwo, a
seasoned banker has
worked in various
management capacity
between 2005 to 2009
heading various
strategic units. Until the
present appointment,
Soyannwo was
Managing Consultant
at Cranbrook Financial
Consulting Services.
The appointment
takes immediate effect.