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Insecurity: Niger Govt raises special squad to battle bandits

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As part of its efforts to combat the security challenges facing the state, the Niger State Government on Monday raised a special security squad to ensure the safe return of the pupils abducted on May 30 from Islamic school – the Tegina Islamiyyah School.

A statement by Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello’s Chief Press Secretary Mary Barje, said the outfit was unveiled in Minna, the state capital.

The squad made up of combined security personnel was immediately deployed in Rafi Local Government Area, the statement said.

The pupils’ abduction was confirmed by the police and some residents of Tegina, in Rafi Local Government Area of the state.

At the inauguration, the governor said the time had come for the state government to take decisive action once and for all, to end banditry in the state.

He said: “We will give you all the necessary support to enable you to implement all your security strategies to ensure safe return of our abducted children and others, if any.

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“We have tried our possible best not to make them succeed in forcing us to change our normal lives;they started by displacing farmers from their farmlands, next they moved to burning farms.

“Then, they moved to kidnapping and forcing us to close our schools, now they have started attacking Islamic schools, only God knows what is next.”

The governor told the squad members that logistics had been provided for them, promising that their allowances and other financial benefits would always be provided as and when due.

He commended the security personnel for their efforts in the ongoing fight against bandits and other criminal elements in the state.

“I mourn the killing of 20 vigilance corps members by the bandits in Magama Local Government Area,” he said.

Sani-Bello had earlier met with parents of the abducted school children at the palace of the Emir of Kagara, Ahmed Gunna, where he urged them to be patience as the government was exploring all avenues to ensure the safe rescue of their wards.

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The emir thanked the governor for all his support to his domain, especially in the area of security, and the support given to the family of the kidnapped school children.

On his own part, the headmaster of the school, Abubakar Alhassan, disclosed that 15 of the teachers abducted from the school had escaped from the hands of their captors in Zamfara.

Mr Alhassan said the teachers are now in a military facility in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, where they would soon be handed over to the government.

 

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UPDATED: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

 

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

 

Ngelale said Tinubu believes that Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience to ensure that no Nigerian student suffers a paucity of funds in the quest for tertiary education.

 

On April 3, Tinubu signed the student loans amendment bill into law to provide Nigerians with quality and accessible education.

 

The law will allow Nigerian students in tertiary institutions to access low-interest loans for tuition and other academic needs.

 

Subsequently, the president appointed Akintunde Sawyerr as the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the fund.

 

Tinubu also appointed Frederick Oluwafemi Akinfala as the executive director of finance and administration, while Mustapha Iyal will serve as the executive director of operations of NELFUND.

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JUST IN: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

 

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

More to follow…

 

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ICPC detains TETFund boss ‘over questionable N7.6bn project’

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has detained Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, confirmed the development on Friday.

 

Bakare said that Echono was invited by the anti-graft agency on Thursday.

“The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.” Bakare said.

 

“He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”

 

It was earlier reported that TETfund awarded two contracts to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) within two months at the cost of N3.8 billion respectively without the approval of the federal executive council (FEC), which is required for the contract size.

 

The contract was to provide capacity building course and learning management systems to about 2 million students across higher institutions in the country.

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In a rejoinder, TETFund said it did not award N7.6 billion contracts to two companies without due process.

 

The agency said it was wrong to say they were contracts, whereas they were ICT projects implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which doesn’t require competitive bidding in public procurement.

 

TETFund further said its disbursement guidelines were approved by the president on the recommendation of the “Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011″.

In an interview with TheCable, Echono said there was no form of irregularity in the N7.6 billion project.

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