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President Bola Tinubu has nominated Abbas Balarabe as a ministerial replacement for the former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

 

The replacement was conveyed in a letter read by the Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, at the plenary on Tuesday.

 

Balarabe’s name was read alongside Dr Jamila Ibrahaim and Ayodele Olawande as Minister of Youths and Minister of State for Youths respectively, who were earlier nominated by the president.

 

The PUNCH reports in August that El-Rufai’s name was missing from the list of the ministerial nominees confirmed by the Senate.

 

The Senate after the screening exercise which took place about them a week approved and confirmed a total of 45 out of the 48 nominees sent by President Bola Tinubu.

 

A couple of petitions including those sent by Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) were presented against the former governor during the screening.

 

The lawmaker representing Kogi West, during the ministerial screening, moved against the former Kaduna State governor.

Karimi, after El-Rufai’s presentations, stood up and told the chamber that he had a petition written against the former governor over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna.

He said, “Your performance in any office you find yourself in the country has been outstanding. In the Bureau of Public Enterprises, your record is there, in FCT as a minister, your record is there, and as two-time governor of Kaduna state, you did well.

And I think that the petition has to be considered in this screening exercise.”

 

Karimi then proceeded to lay the petition before Jibrin Barau, the deputy senate president, who was presiding over the screening exercise at the time.

 

Barau in response said, “I don’t know if you followed the normal process, but this is the opportunity for nominees to explain and showcase themselves, later we will come to confirmation and approval.”

 

Other senators commended el-Rufai, noting that the former governor is competent enough to be a minister.

 

Also, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North, Ibrahim Kalid, said he and his two colleagues from the state, as well as all the residents, are in support of el-Rufai’s nomination as minister.

Meanwhile, after making his presentation, the Senate President at the plenary refused to take the petition, levelled against the former governor and said a number of petitions were submitted against a number of the ministerial nominees.

 

Details later…

The FCT Police Command has advised the residents to be wary of boarding unpainted taxis, otherwise known as ‘kabu-kabu,’ to avoid becoming victims of armed robbers, also known as ‘One Chance’.

 

The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Haruna Garba, gave the warning on Tuesday, in Abuja at a news briefing on the command’s achievements in the fight against crime and criminality.

“I wish to advise residents of the FCT to be wary of the kind of vehicles they board. It is advised that they should board only painted taxis from designated motor parks.

It is risky to board an unpainted taxis otherwise known as ‘kabu-kabu’ as they may fall victims of these robbers known as One Chance,” he said.

 

Garba said that police operatives in Abuja, while on crime prevention patrol, rescued one Ebere Alice, who boarded a Golf taxi and was robbed by the driver and the gang members of her belongings before dropping her off.

 

He said that the police gave the hoodlums a hot chase, halted the vehicle and arrested three suspects.

 

“They include Sylvester Attah, the gang leader, who has been into One Chance robbery for the past three years, Olalekan Salihu, and Gabriel Okwashi.

 

“The suspects confessed to the crime and the Golf car with Reg. No TKP 624 AA used in committing the crime was recovered. Suspects will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation,” he said.

 

Garba said that police operatives from Mabushi Division, acting on a credible intelligence, also arrested one Samuel Vincent, a member of a robbery gang, who specialises in robbing unsuspecting taxi passengers of their belongings.

 

“The suspect was about to be lynched by an angry mob before Police intervention

 

The suspect, alongside three others currently at large, had picked a woman (name unknown) from Karmo heading to Lugbe, and then diverted the vehicle to Mabushi area and dispossessed the victim of her belongings.

The suspect confessed to his involvement in the crime and the car used in perpetrating the crime has been recovered. Suspect is cooperating with the police on how to apprehend the fleeing suspects,” he said.

 

The CP also explained that police operatives from Mabushi Division, acting on credible intelligence trailed and arrested four other suspected armed robbers.

 

He said that the suspects included Oluwatobi Precious (an ex-convict), Theophilous Elkana, Ibrahim Usman and Umar Ibrahim, an ex-convict.

 

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects robbed motorists of their phones while in traffic jam around Mobil filing station, Mabushi and zoomed off in a getaway golf car.

Suspects confessed to the crime, while the said Golf car with Reg. No. DKA 288 RY, grey in colour, an Iphone 14 Pro Max and several ATM cards bearing different names and substances suspected to be cocaine were recovered from them,” Garba said.

 

He said that police operatives from Lugbe Division, acting on actionable intelligence, arrested one Emmanuel Abraham also known as ‘Mosquito’, a wanted and notorious armed robber/cultist linked to various cases of armed robbery/culpable homicide and other cult activities within Lugbe and environs.

 

“The suspect whose cohorts are presently in prison for robbery of one Mrs Abiodun Okunde, since 29th October, 2020 will equally be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation,” he said.

 

Garba aid that the police operatives from Kabusa Division trailed and arrested one Adamu Idris, also known as Idi, a wanted and notorious kingpin responsible for series of kidnapping around Galadimawa/Apo, Lokogoma and Kabusa axis.

 

“The suspect, who was sighted at Okada Junction, Kabusa, took to his heels, was given a hot chase and apprehended by police operatives.

During interrogation, suspect confessed to being a member of a 5-man gang, whose other members are currently at large,” he said.

 

Garba said that the suspect was cooperating with the police to apprehend other gang members and would be charged to court soon.

 

In a similar development, on 21/09/2023, one Abubakar Usman of opposite Estate Galadimawa reported at Kabusa Division that two persons later identified as Auwal Wada and Suleiman Hassan of Galadimawa village threatened to kidnap him and his entire family if he failed to offer them N7million ransom.

 

“However, an agreement was reached that he would pay N5 million. The police operatives from Kabusa laid a siege at the point of collection in a bush around Shereti village.

 

“The two suspects emerged to collect the ransom and were promptly arrested.

 

 

Beijing:   China’s railways handled about 16.47 million passenger trips on Monday, the fourth day of the 8-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period, data from the country’s railway operator showed.

China is anticipating 16.35 million railway passenger trips on Tuesday, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Some 11,190 passenger trained were expected to be in operation, including 889 trains newly added to meet the travel demands of railway passengers, the company said. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng) / Flowerbudnews