The governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has approved the appointment of Umar Mai Aliyu Gulani as the state’s new Auditor-General.

This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alh. Baba Malam Wali.

“His Excellency the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON has approved the appointment of Umar Mai Aliyu Gulani as Acting Auditor General of Yobe State.

“Until his appointment, Umar Mai Aliyu Gulani was the Director Finance and Supply, Yobe State Pilgrims Commission,” the statement said.

Nigerian Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka said Nigerians will not stop demanding to restructuring of the Nigerian federation.

Soyinka stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, tagged, “Roadmap 2023.”

The elderstateman’s comment is coming ahead of the inauguration of the new administration on May 29.

Soyinka said the government of President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, must place a renewed focus on the persistent calls for restructuring, otherwise its programmes and policies will face serious challenges.

He said, “Whomever it is must understand that the people of this country will not cease demanding a restructuring of this nation.”

“New voices are being heard and they are more powerful than before. They are not just whining voices, they are voices based on actualities. We have failed in so many directions and they are saying, ‘let us try in this direction’ and you cannot ignore it.

“Otherwise, even your economic policies will fail, your infrastructure and transformation will fail. We will just go back threading the same old spur.”

According to Soyinka, a mould has been broken during the just concluded elections.

Recall that there have been several calls for restructuring of the Nigerian federation, whereby the government will be brought closer to the people at the grassroots.

There is heavy shooting in today (Monday) as fully armed youths invaded Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC office in Port Harcourt.

This was following protests by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the INEC office.

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State on Monday protested at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

MAIDAWAAREWA reports that the protesters demanded the joint inspection of the Certified True Copies (CTC) of result sheets used in the February 25 and March 18 elections in Rivers State for the party’s tribunal cases.

The demonstration was led by the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie who was re-elected in the March 18 election and Samuel Nwanosike, the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA).

The protest caused heavy traffic at the GRA Junction and Waterlines Junction axis of the Port Harcourt-Aba expressway.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Fredrick Nwajagu, who vowed to invite members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people in the state.

MAIDAWAAREWA learnt that the Igbo leader was picked on early Saturday in a joint operation by the DSS and the police.

It was gathered that the team had traced Nwajagu to his palace, but he fled.

He was said to have been tracked to a hotel in Ejigbo where he was apprehended.

Nwajagu, in a 49-second video, shared on Twitter on Friday by @DeeOneAyekooto, threatened to invite IPOB members to Lagos, justifying the move in the wake of attacks on some Igbo people in the state.

The Igbo leader said he stood by his words, insisting that his people must have a stand in Lagos.

“IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that. We have to do that. We must have our own security so that they will stop attacking us in the midnight, in the morning, in the afternoon.

“When they discover that we have our own security, before they will come, they will know that we have our own men there. I am not saying a single word to be hidden. I am not hiding my words, let my words go viral. Igbo must get their right and get stand in Lagos State,” he had said in the video.

Replying to the post, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the command would resist IPOB presence in the state.

“To start with, the ever-ready @LagosPoliceNG will never fold its arms and allow such within the state,” he wrote.

When our correspondent contacted the PPRO to know whether Nwajagu had been invited by the police in respect of his remarks, he said, “we will give further update at the right time.”

MAIDAWAAREWA reports that there has been a frosty relationship between Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups in the state in the buildup to the 2023 general elections.

The situation degenerated after the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, defeated his counterpart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the state in the presidential poll.

Igbo voters in the state complained of being intimidated during the March 18 governorship election and that many of them were prevented from exercising their franchise.

The Kaduna state government says troops and special forces of the Nigerian Army have killed 11 suspected bandits in Birnin Gwari LGA of the state.

Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna commissioner for internal security and home affairs, announced the development in a statement on Sunday.

Aruwan said the bandits were killed after a fierce battle with the troops.

He said after the encounter, the troops recovered two AK-47 rifles, two AK-47 magazines, and 57 rounds of ammunition, adding that six motorcycles belonging to the bandits were destroyed.

“Troops and Special Forces of the Nigerian Army have neutralized 11 bandits in a fierce battle which took place during fighting patrols in Birnin Gwari LGA,” the statement reads.

“Operational feedback to the Kaduna State Government revealed that the troops advanced to several identified locations, and cleared bandit camps in Bagoma, Rema, Bugai, Dagara, Sabon Layi, Gagumi, Kakangi, Katakaki and Randagi.

“In the course of these operations, the forces made contact with bandits at Kakangi and Katakaki. A fierce gun battle followed, after which the criminals were subdued by the troops’ aggressive firepower. Eleven bandits were confirmed neutralized, as others fled.

Receiving the report, Governor Nasir El-Rufai expressed his satisfaction at the emphatic outing by the security forces, and praised the leadership of the Major General TA Lagbaja, GOC One Division and Force Commander of the Operation Whirl Punch.

“The Governor lauded the troops for their consistent and spirited efforts, as he urged them to build on the momentum of this notable success.”