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We’ll Secure Release Of Chibok Girls – FG

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We'll Secure Release Of Chibok Girls - FG

The federal government has assured the international community that it is working with its Swiss partners and others, on daily basis, to track and secure the release of the remaining abducted Chibok Girls still in captivity.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this at a briefing at the Department of African Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC.

The minister, who engaged members and students of the department on the development in the country, said that government has never one day forgotten or closed the case of the abducted girls.

“Few days ago was the fifth anniversary of the abducted girls and that means they were kidnapped more than a year before President Muhammadu Buhari administration came into power.

“It was the engagement of this government that led to the release of 107 of the girls and what I can assure you is that the government is still engaging in trying to find out where the girls are and what has become of them.

“However, some of this negotiations are very delicate due largely to the fact that it takes a lot of time and there is a sort of fractionalisation within the terrorist group.

“We are still working with our Swiss partners and the others everyday so that we can be able to track where these girls are, what have become of them and how many are left.

“However, these are not something you can disclose, anyhow because of the sensitivity,” he said.

Responding to a question on the reintegration and sponsorship of the girls, the minister said, going by the experiences of the 107 girls that were released, government took responsibilities for their reintegration and got them all back to schools.

He said only recently, there were media reports about the bright performances of some of the girls in their respective fields.

On the recently concluded general election, the minister said the presidential poll was a referendum on the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari and the triumph of the common Nigerians over the elite.

He said prior to the elections, there were a lot of misinformation and disinformation on the social media that would have marred or discredited the elections, but with proactive steps government overcame them.

The minister said that fake news was one of the major threat to the general election, to the extent that some people had posited that “if there are polling booths on social media the opposition would have probably won”.

He said that government was tackling the menace of fake news through vigorous campaign, which had helped to bring the danger to the fore.

He reiterated the position of the government not to gag the press or use coercion but appeal to the sensibilities of the people in fighting fake news.

Fielding questions on the Boko Haram crisis, the minister said that the war could not be won only by bullets and there is the need to give hope and opportunities to the younger ones being indoctrinated and rehabilitate the victims.

Many of the younger ones are carried away by the terrorists’ ideology because they feel hopeless and excluded from governance.

In winning the people away from the ideology and giving them hope and opportunities, he said the government would consolidate on its social intervention programmes.

He said some of the programmes were put in place to encourage medium and small scale enterprises and allow people access to credit facilities.

Dr Scott Taylor, The Director, African Studies in Georgetown, one of the top 20 universities in the US and number four in International Relations Programmes, thanked the minister for the interaction.

NAN reported that many of the students that took part in the briefing were from Nigeria.

(NAN)

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Sanwo-Olu Commends Banana Island Landlords for Compliance With State Building Laws

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Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday commended house owners in Banana Island for complying with the state building laws.

The governor spoke while commissioning projects carried out by the Banana Island Property Owners and Residents Association, BIPORAL.

The projects commissioned were a state-of-the-art administrative office, recreation Park, mini football field and Banana Island Club House.

Sanwo-Olu commended the outgoing executives of the association led by its chairman Frank Aigbogun for a ‘ good working relationship with government officials.’

” Lagos State officials are currently enjoying working relationships with current executives to ensure necessary fees are paid to the government and residents keep within the rules of engagement in the estate. As a government, what we can do is to continue to support you,” Sanwo-Olu said.



He further urged them to continue abiding with building plans of the state government, adding that ‘we are a government for all ‘

While lamenting the lack of maintenance culture in the country, Sanwo-Olu urged them to maintain the facilities .

On the perennial flood experienced by the residents on the road leading to the estate, Sanwo-Olu promised that the Ministry of Environment will carry out inspection of the road with a view to finding lasting solutions.

He however noted that the flood is caused by houses built on the water channel around the area, adding that the government will not hesitate to demolish such houses after inspecting the area.

“Somebody has built a house on a channel of water that is supposed to be flowing to the sea. I plead with you to work with us. I don’t have an interest in demolishing people’s houses or making life uncomfortable for the people but we have to do what we have to do,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The chairman of the estate, Frank Aigbogun said the commissioning of the projects has redefined communal living in the island and was a major step ‘in our vision to create a thriving, secure and healthy community.’

He also pleaded with the governor to accelerate and ensure the access road to the estate is repaired.

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I Regret Obtaining NDA Form For Lagbaja, Says Family Head

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The head of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja’s family, Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, has expressed regret obtaining Nigerian Defence Academic (NDA) form for the deceased.

Pa Tajudeen, the younger brother of the late COAS’s father, stated that he would not have bought the form had he known it would lead to his death.

Some family members also alleged that Lt. General Lagbaja may have been killed through diabolical means due to a land dispute in his hometown.

According to TheNation, In 2023 a dispute arose in Ilobu, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area in Osun State, when representatives of the Nigerian Army planned to establish a hospital in the community.

Pa Tajudeen told TheNation that he initially obtained the NDA form for the late Lieutenant General.

“Everyone who is born must die. We give glory to God. The year that I obtained NDA form for him, if I had known that he would die before me, I would not have done so. I regret obtaining the form for him. But it is destiny.

“The death that killed Taoreed Lagbaja ought to take me. I took him as one of my children. We are greatly bereaved, we are sad. He constructed a borehole in his father’s compound and other places in the community.

“We can never forget him, his death is so shocking to us. I have accepted the fate, all the promises he made to me have hit a brick wall. He always gave us hope in the family, despite the sorrow, I give thanks to God,” the family head said.

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North: Emergence Of New Terrorist Group, Danger To Nigeria, Says Shehu Sani

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Former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has expressed worries over the emergence of a new terrorist group, Lukarawas in Sokoto State.

Recall that the Defence Headquarters on Thursday confirmed the emergence of the new terrorist group in the North-western part of the country.

Reports indicate that members of the Lakurawa sect are currently making life unbearable for residents of Sokoto State.


Reacting to the ugly development, Shehu Sani in a post on his official X handle recalled how Borno and Yobe State have suffered attacks from the Boko Haram insurgents over a decade.

According to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftain, the emergence of a new terrorist group at the moment would only expand the theatre of operations, citing the unending battle against terrorism in the region.

He, however, expressed confidence that the nation would overcome the daredevil terrorists.


He wrote, “For a country that has been fighting terrorism in multiple fronts for over one decade, the emergence of a new terrorist group in Sokoto will only expand the theatre of operations.

“There is no evil and cruelty that the people of Borno and Yobe have not seen or experienced for over fifteen years. Our country shall overcome and prevail over them”.

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