1. Dubai Sends Urgent Food Supplies To Nigeria
The Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has ordered officials in his country to send urgent medical aid and food supplies to Nigeria.
The humanitarian aid to Nigeria according to Maktoum is a way of showing support for Nigeria’s efforts in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The statement read, “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum orders urgent medical aid and food supplies to be sent to the friendly Nigerian people to support the efforts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and limiting its spread. In a clear confirmation of the UAE's solidarity with all brotherly and friendly countries in crises.”
The relief shipment, which includes seven tonnes of medical supplies and five tonnes of food supplies, were dispatched from Dubai.
2. Nigerian Airport Officials Allegedly Collecting Money In Place Of COVID-19 Test Results
According to the SaharaReporters, some Nigerian airport officials have been discovered to be collecting money in place of carrying out COVID-19 tests to those entering Nigeria from other countries.
Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, had in July said that inbound passengers from foreign trips will be tested for COVID-19 on arrival at Nigeria airports.
Mustapha said this was aimed at protecting all stakeholders and preventing further spread of the Coronavirus disease, especially through the airports.
SaharaReporters gathered that airport officials rather than do the right thing, now collect money in place of COVID-19 tests from passengers.
“In this Coronavirus pandemic, they are still putting money above the lives of the common man. Someone very close to me came to Nigeria from Dubai on Wednesday night and they were routed to Abuja.
“Before leaving Dubai, he had already been tested and he was negative. On getting to Nigeria, their passports were seized and they were told they would be on isolation for two weeks.
“Can you believe that they gave them the option of paying to collect their passport and go without any form of tests or follow-up. He paid N50,000 and he was allowed to go, some paid as high as N100,000 to N150,000 depending on if you know someone there. As you are reading this, he has left Abuja and arrived Lagos.”
3. Air Force Destroys Bandits Camp In Kaduna
The Nigerian military said it has neutralised several armed bandits at their camp in the Kuduru Forest area of Kaduna State.
According to a statement by a military spokesman, John Enenche, the strikes were carried out on August 13.
The airstrikes were carried out by the Air Component of Operation Thunder Strike, a joint military operation with the mission to help rid the country’s North-West of bandits presently terrorising the region.
"This was achieved through air strikes carried out on 13 August, 2020 on the heels of intelligence reports indicating the convergence of members of an Ansaru terrorist sect-linked bandits group led by one Mallam Abba at the location. Aerial surveillance missions conducted over the area also observed several bandits, some wielding weapons, in the forest.
"Nigerian Air Force jets and helicopter gunships were therefore tasked to attack the location. Several of the bandits were killed as the attack aircraft strafed the area, while others attempting to escape were mopped-up in follow-on attacks."
Nigeria's North-West has recently witnessed a surge in bandits attacks and killings, leading to calls by Nigerians for the sack of service chiefs.
Recall that the military on Friday deployed special forces to curb the recent attacks and killings in the Southern part of Kaduna State.
4. FCTA demolishes 134 houses in Apo community
The Federal Capital Territory Administration on Saturday demolished 134 houses in the Apo Akpmajenya indigenous community, to pave way for the construction of a major road network in the area.
The exercise was coordinated by the FCT Task Force on City Sanitation led by its chairman, Ikharo Attah.
Briefing newsmen after the exercise, Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Muktar Galadima, explained that the houses had been marked for demolition since January 2020.
Galadima said that prior to the demolition, the FCTA, through its relevant agencies, interfaced with the inhabitants of the settlement on the need for them to vacate the area.
The director noted that the community fell on one of the road interchanges linking Oladipo Diya Road within the Outer Southern Expressway, adding that the dwellers had been compensated.
On his part, Director of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Baba Lawan, said, “The village is now occupied by commercial people who are mainly traders and they generate lots of waste and those wastes are deposited even on the road.”
He said the Akpmajenya village also caused gridlock on the axis due to its location around the Oladipo Diya Road and the Apo Mechanic Village road junction.
5. Police arrest alleged human trafficking kingpin in Katsina
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a human trafficking kingpin, Abubakar Habibu, in Daura Local Government Area of the state.
This command’s spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, said in a statement in Kastina on Saturday that the suspect was arrested at a police checkpoint along Kongolom-Daura Road, Daura, on August 11.
According to him, the suspect has been on the wanted list of the command in connection with a case of human trafficking under investigation.
Isah revealed that the syndicate specialised in conveying their victims on motorcycles across the Nigerian border with Niger Republic, for onward trafficking to Libya and Europe.
He noted that in the course of the investigation the suspect confessed to committing the crime.
The command’s spokesman added that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate.
He further said the command also arrested two other suspects, Abubakar Saidu and Jafaru Aminu, residents of Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State, who were in possession of 12 stolen cows.
Isah said that the two were arrested based on credible information received by the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
He revealed that they also confessed to having received the cows from bandits along Faskari-Birnin-Gwari axis, with the intention to sell them.
6. Nigerian govt’s borrowings justified – Lai Mohammed
The Federal Government says the funds it has borrowed so far are justified because they are being used for the development of critical infrastructure that will benefit Nigerians.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this at the Obafemi Awolowo terminal end of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Mohammed and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi embarked on an inspection tour of the 156km modern rail project from Lagos to Ibadan.
The ministers were accompanied by the officials of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), the contractor handling the project – China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and journalists.
“There is no better way to answer Nigerians as to what we have done with the money we borrowed than this project we have inspected. This is one of the many projects that we are doing with the money we have borrowed.
“There is nothing bad in borrowing provided that such borrowing is invested in infrastructure. There is also nothing bad in borrowing provided the funds are used to create jobs and create the enabling environment for the growth of the economy,” he said.
Mr Mohammed said he was excited with the level of work done on the project and the coaches which he said can be compared to modern trains in any part of the world.
He said he was also excited with the enthusiasm of many Nigerians who trooped out in their hundreds to hail them over the project at every station they inspected.
Mr Mohammed commended Mr Amaechi for his passion for the rail project which is expected to commence skeletal services in September and full operations in January 2021.
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