The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed that six residential buildings and one shopping plaza belonging to suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, are under investigation.

The buildings which are located in Abuja and Maiduguri, include Assurance Plaza, a two-storey shopping mall, with about 100 stores, located along the Giwa Barracks Road in Maiduguri.

Six other residential houses within the Maiduguri New Government Residential Area (GRA), are being investigated.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Spokesman reveals that some of Kyari’s properties in Abuja are under investigation.

“That’s true, others are being marked in Abuja as well,” Babafemi said.

This is coming barely 48 hours after Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu, a suspected drug dealer linked to the N3 billion worth of Tramadol intercepted by the then Kyari-led IRT team, was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA in Lagos.

The police in Yobe State, on Tuesday, shut down their mammy market in the state capital, Damaturu, over fear that the Islamist group, Boko Haram/ISWAP, planning to bomb it according to Premium Times.

The police mammy market have the highest number of bars in the town, but the Islamist group considers the consumption of alcohol ungodly and has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on bars across the country’s north-east where it is primarily active.

The market, which is located inside the Police Area Command Damaturu, had been deserted, the police took the decision to close the market to prevent it from being attacked by the Islamist group.

Last Wednesday, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for attacks on bars in Geidam, in the north of the state, and Gashua town. At least six people were killed in both attacks and several others were injured.

Following the closure of the mammy market, bars in the town, especially in the Jerusalem area of the town, have also closed shop.

A security source said that the market will remain closed throughout the Sallah period until adequate security measures are in place to secure the lives and property of the citizens.

Yobe State Police Spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkareem, said “the police do not want to be embarrassed or caught unaware by these terrorists.

With what happened at Geidam and Gashua, it’s expedient on us to act proactively by closing down the Area Command Mammy Market until further notice. The police and security agencies are also collaborating with other places to ensure adequate protection of people and property,” Mr Dungus informed.

In his reaction, the Security Adviser to the governor of the state, Dahiru Abdulsalam, said the antics of Boko Haram are to draw sympathy by pitching the people against one another.

He said the recent bomb attacks on bars are to win sympathy from the larger Islamic population of the State.

“The security operatives in Yobe State is concerned with protecting the lives of everyone in the state whether in a drinking joint, in the hotel, worship centre, market place etc. our concern is to stop such attacks and nip them from the bud,” Mr Abdulsalam said.

Troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force have neutralized 30 ISWAP terrorists in Kajiwa, a village in the Lake Chad region.

The spokesman of the Force Col. Muhammad Dole, said the operation was carried out by troops of sector 4 Niger Republic when they came in contact with some members of Boko Haram Terrorists in the area of Kaji Jiwa, after a heavy gun battle, 30 terrorists were killed and 15 AK-47 rifles, 2 belts of 222 ammunitions and 179 cartridges, 2 cell phones and 1 Boko Haram flag were seized, the troops also arrested 11 terrorists, including 3 minors, who are currently undergoing interrogation.

He said that the suspects are undergoing investigations before handing over to the right authorities.

The troops also repelled an attack by the terrorists on their base at Doutchi, another village in the Lake Chad.

‘In separate encounter, some elements of the BHT/ISWAP attempted to infiltrate a defended location of sector 4 (Niger Republic) near Doutchi, but were swiftly repelled by a well-coordinated action between the Air Taskforce and ground troops. At the end of the encounter, 3 of their gun trucks were destroyed and one gun truck was recovered, and several insurgents neutralized.

‘Sadly, however, a soldier paid the supreme sacrifice and 6 others were wounded in action. The injured soldiers are currently receiving treatment at a military facility.

‘It is very obvious, that the ongoing offensive actions have significantly curtailed the terrorists’ freedom of movement and actions,’ Dole explained.

Troops of “Taskforce Arege”, which was made up of Nigerian and Nigerien troops, have continued with clearance operations to effectively dominate the general area of Fedondiya and Arege vicinity. Pushing further ahead, there was no contact or resistance, as the elements of BHT continued to abandon their enclaves and makeshifts hamlets and flee.

‘Nevertheless wherever the troops came across such make shift shelters concealed under trees suspected to be enemy outposts, the makeshift houses were thoroughly ransacked and immediately set ablaze before troops continued with their advance.

‘Likewise, Sector 1 (Cameroon) Amphibious Taskforce, have step up riverine patrols and assaults against the BHT elements in the general area of Tchol and Chaka.

In the course of these operations on sighting the advancing patrol teams, some suspected terrorists logisticians fled and abandoned some canoes fully loaded with bags of foodstuff (grains) and other materials being ferried to the criminals.

‘All the items were confiscated and destroyed while the troops continued with the patrols on the waterways to block the possible escape and supply routes used by the terrorists.

‘Meanwhile, the Force Commander (FC) Multinational Joint Taskforce has extolled the troops professionalism and uncommon display of courage and bravery.

‘He made the commendation when he visited the troops at the MNJTF Forward Operations Base in Arege near the Lake Chad.

‘He said that, their dominance of Arege was encouraging but urged them to conduct aggressive mobile operations to pin down the enemy in the Lake Chad islands.

The FC equally commended the well-coordinated synergy of efforts between the Air Taskforce and ground forces. He assured the Governor that the MNJTF troops will continue to work hard as a team with the ultimate aim of defeating the terrorists in the region.

‘The Governor who was visibly elated with the visit commended the FC and his team for the guidance and directions given to the troops, which is being translated to victory in the battle field.

‘He pointed out that some bad elements in the society are collaborating with the BHT, which is causing adverse effects on the smooth conduct of the operation.

Victor Umeh, a former Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has said that it is an injustice for the South-East part of Nigeria not to produce Buhari’s successor.

Southern governors have agreed and demand that the next president must come from their region as President Muhammadu Buhari, who hails from Katsina State, completes his two-term constitutional tenure by 2023.

Also many easterners want the South-East region to produce a candidate who will succeed President Buhari because South-East has never produced a President for Nigeria.

Umeh said that almost all the regions in Nigeria have shared power over the years, the South-West has produced a president through Obasanjo democratically for eight years, now they have the vice president standing out for eight years with Buhari, then the South-South has produced President through Jonathan who has been there for nearly six years.

He said that nobody from the South-East has been President, but now is the right time for the South to produce a President.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said it would be injustice if he did not run for the 2023 Presidential election with his great experience in the last seven years in office, he said this when he visited Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Monday in his office in Akure.

Osinbajo praised President Muhammadu Buhari assigning to him great taskses that had helped groomed his experience, he said that it was God that put people in power, but noted that it would be a betrayal of his country for him to step down with all his experience in government.

The Vice President who declared his intention to run as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Monday April 11th, 2022 , said he did so because nobody can bear anything God does not decide that he would be, he added that only God can make a person president, vice president, governor, anything else.

He said he believe that the hand of God must be on anything we are doing, but he declared his intention because he served, with the help of God, he served for seven years and some months.

Osinbajo said he was given many tasks by President Muhammadu Buhari as vice president and he also acted as President, and that was how he got to know so many ideas that most people will never known, he has gained a lot of experience.

He said whenever the President wants to leave the country, he points to him as acting president and told him to be fair and just and do whatever he needs to do, he said he will be the best for the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.

The Vice President also hails Akeredolu for the overwhelming projects in the state, while Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu thanks the vice president for the visit.

Three people have been confirmed dead after Lassa fever was detected in the Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State, 20 patients are being treated at the Iruah Teaching Hospital in Edo State.

The happenings is said to have triggered fear in the local government region, which lacks a functioning hospital to treat the virus, forcing them to be transferred to Iruah.

Abu Okikiri, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, said the cases of Lassa fever recorded for Ibaji LGA currently in care at Iruah Specialist Teaching Hospital are just three. However, it is an outbreak.”

The number of persons affected who are now seeking treatment at the hospital, according to a source from the local government region who spoke on the condition of anonymity, is higher than the figure revealed by the governor’s adviser.

A former Chairman, Ibaji Local Government Council, David Ogwu, and one-time member, Kogi State House of Assembly, said, “It is real that there is an incidence of Lassa fever in Aya and neighbouring communities in Ibaji Local Government of Kogi State.

“The first incident is that about four persons fell ill and died mysteriously without anybody diagnosing the disease or cause of death. After that, others who manifested similar symptoms were taken to Iruah Specialist Hospital, in Edo State.

He said about nine persons had been diagnosed with the disease in Iruah.