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• November 1, 2025
• 13 views
• 1 minute Read

Don’t be surprised if bandits take over filling stations next time – Mahdi Shehu

Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has criticised Nigeria’s security agencies following a viral video showing armed bandits freely fetching fuel from a tanker into their motorcycles. In a post shared on X on Saturday accompanied with the video, Shehu expressed shock at what he described as the growing boldness and confidence of criminal gangs in
Don’t be surprised if bandits take over filling stations next time – Mahdi Shehu

Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has criticised Nigeria’s security agencies following a viral video showing armed bandits freely fetching fuel from a tanker into their motorcycles.

In a post shared on X on Saturday accompanied with the video, Shehu expressed shock at what he described as the growing boldness and confidence of criminal gangs in the country.

“Don’t be surprised if next time around they take over a filling station, refill 300 machines over three hours, and go unchallenged because the drones and surveillance would have been busy identifying Yahoo-Yahoo boys’ hideouts,” he wrote.

According to him, such acts of impunity show the audacity, courage, and guts of bandits who now operate without fear of confrontation.

Don’t be surprised if bandits take over filling stations next time – Mahdi Shehu

• Hot Source
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• November 1, 2025
• 15 views
• 4 minutes Read

Akwa Ibom communities lament poor road network, lack of electricity

The people of Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim and Obot Akara Federal constituency of Akwa Ibom State, have raised concerns over the collapse and poor road network dotting the federal constituency as well as the lack of electricity and youth unemployment. These were part of the submissions presented to their Federal lawmaker, Patrick Umoh on Friday,
Akwa Ibom communities lament poor road network, lack of electricity

The people of Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim and Obot Akara Federal constituency of Akwa Ibom State, have raised concerns over the collapse and poor road network dotting the federal constituency as well as the lack of electricity and youth unemployment.

These were part of the submissions presented to their Federal lawmaker, Patrick Umoh on Friday, in Ikot Ekpene at an event tagged, “Peoples Assembly,” organized by Yiaga Africa with support from the European Union.

The people who spoke from different local governments of the constituency, regretted the lives lost, economic misfortunes and security risk they have suffered amid the collapsed roads and appealed to the legislature to ensure that the construction of the road network is factored into the budget.

They also tasked the executive arm to ensure the implementation of the budget, saying, “The major problem we have here is poor road network. You can hardly move from one community to the other. Farmers that have the farm produce cannot go to market or bring their produce to urban areas. We have witnessed some maternal and infant mortality due to bad road in the course of taking our sick ones to hospital. Recently, we lost two students who had accident in Obot Akara, by the time we could take them to cottage hospital, they were declared dead.

“We believe that if roads in Obot Akara are fixed, security will be improved and many other things will fall into shape. We also need electricity, for over two years in my community, Okon, in Essien Udim, there was no power supply. We are still drinking from our streams, we need water supply.”

While acknowledging the efforts of their representative, Umoh, in securing employment for some persons, the people stated that more needed to be done in that aspect as many youths who are graduates still roam the streets unemployed, even as they called for skills and grant empowerment for youths, women and people with disabilities.

Earlier, the Program Officer, Yiaga Africa, Olaniyan Sanusi said the essence of the Peoples Assembly was to bring the lawmakers or government closer to the people, giving them the opportunity to share information to make people oriented policies.

Sanusi, who emphasized that the government cannot do everything at once, encouraged the people to prioritize their concerns before presenting them to their representatives and ensure they follow up with its implementation.

His words, “Peoples Assembly is aimed at supporting government and people’s interaction in amplifying citizens’ consensus on policy issues. So what I would tell people of Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim and Obot Akara Federal constituency is that they should seize this opportunity and tell their representative what they want which he will also present to the floor of the house. This will also shape the federal Lawmaker’s actions so that his actions would reflect their own needs and not just carrying out his agenda.

“We have tested this in other parts of the country, and we’ve been able to see positive results from it.”

He also urged the people to make requests within the constitutional bounds of the federal lawmaker and not to make demands beyond his jurisdiction.

” It is a point of note to citizens that the recommendations reached from these deliberations should fall within the responsibilities of the lawmaker. Not to ask him to do the work of the executive or the other arm of government. Clear understanding of this will make it easier for the lawmaker to implement those recommendations,” he added.

One of the participants, Joy Umo, the Secretary of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability in the South South commended Yiaga Africa for bringing the constituents and their representatives under one roof and giving them especially those living with disability the opportunity to bare their minds.

“A lot of times, we were looking forward to having meaningful conversations, to be able to mention our needs to our legislators to let them understand where it hurts and where it pinches. But this engagement has helped us so much to be able to communicate our hearts to our legislators on how best they can actually improve persons with disability in their various roles in legislation. Yiaga has been able to bridge that gap, build that relationship, we are very happy about this opportunity.”

Akwa Ibom communities lament poor road network, lack of electricity

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 1, 2025
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• 2 minutes Read

Christian genocide: Muslim lives matter too – Onanuga tells Trump’s govt for blacklisting Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu’s media aide Bayo Onanuga has said the lives of Muslims living in Nigeria also matter. Onanuga made the remark on Saturday, while reacting to a post on X by the United States, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria. Rubio had while reacting to the
Christian genocide: Muslim lives matter too – Onanuga tells Trump’s govt for blacklisting Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu’s media aide Bayo Onanuga has said the lives of Muslims living in Nigeria also matter.

Onanuga made the remark on Saturday, while reacting to a post on X by the United States, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

Rubio had while reacting to the decision of President Donald Trump’s administration to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concerns, said the “ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria by radical Islamists and Fulani ethnic militias is both tragic and unacceptable.

“As @POTUS said, the United States stands ready, willing, and able to act”.

However, Onanuga, who has consistently debunked the claim of persecution of Christians in Nigeria, said in the comment section, “Secretary Rubio, Muslim lives matter too”.

Onanuga further declared that there “is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria”, stressing that the claim is a “gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation”.

According to him, “What we do have are sporadic attacks on some villages by bandits and terrorists and the attacks are religiously insensitive. Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques are attacked randomly.

“What our country requires from America is military support to fight these violent extremists in some states of our country, not designation as a nation of particular concern”.

Christian genocide: Muslim lives matter too – Onanuga tells Trump’s govt for blacklisting Nigeria

• Hot Source
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• November 1, 2025
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• 2 minutes Read

It’s lion, tiger situation – Shehu Sani rejects Trump’s designating Nigeria CPC

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has faulted US President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern, CPC, over alleged religious persecution. In a post on X on Saturday, Sani described the designation as baseless and founded on misinformation, arguing that terrorist and bandit attacks in Nigeria target victims regardless
It’s lion, tiger situation – Shehu Sani rejects Trump’s designating Nigeria CPC

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has faulted US President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern, CPC, over alleged religious persecution.

In a post on X on Saturday, Sani described the designation as baseless and founded on misinformation, arguing that terrorist and bandit attacks in Nigeria target victims regardless of their religious affiliation.

He said the religious demographics of the country make it “technically impossible” for one faith to systematically persecute another, likening Nigeria’s situation to “a Lion and Tiger” rather than “a Lion and Zebra” configuration.

The former lawmaker accused those who influenced Trump’s decision of seeking to sow division for selfish gain, adding that Nigeria, like other nations battling terrorism, needs global support rather than condemnation.

He wrote: “I understand that Nigeria is among the 12 countries designated as one of particular Concern.The designation of Nigeria is founded on outright falsehoods and wholesale misinformation.

“Terrorists and bandits in Nigeria kill and kidnap their victims irrespective of their religious beliefs.The records are self evident in the last 15 years.

“Looking at the Muslim/Christian ratio in Nigeria, it’s technically impossible for one faith to persecute another. Nigeria is a Lion and Tiger situation and not a Lion and a Zebra configuration.

“Trump was misinformed by anarchists and lackeys and apprentices of neocolonialism who aimed to benefit from their seeds of division, divisiveness and discontent.This particular weapon raised against this country shall never prosper. Nigeria, like all nations battling terrorism, needs support and assistance to tackle its security challenges.”

It’s lion, tiger situation – Shehu Sani rejects Trump’s designating Nigeria CPC

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 1, 2025
• 17 views
• 1 minute Read

FRSC announces temporary diversion on Kaduna-Zaria expressway

The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Kaduna State, has urged motorists plying Kaduna-Zaria expressway to note that there would be a temporary diversion of traffic at KM 49 Gwaranza Village along the route. The Sector Commander, Tijjani Iliyasu, made the announcement in a statement issued on Saturday in Kaduna. Iliyasu said, “This is to notify
FRSC announces temporary diversion on Kaduna-Zaria expressway

The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Kaduna State, has urged motorists plying Kaduna-Zaria expressway to note that there would be a temporary diversion of traffic at KM 49 Gwaranza Village along the route.

The Sector Commander, Tijjani Iliyasu, made the announcement in a statement issued on Saturday in Kaduna.

Iliyasu said, “This is to notify the motoring public, particularly motorists that ply the Kaduna-Zaria route that there will be a temporary diversion of traffic at KM 49 Gwaranza Village along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway.

“This is to enable authorities carry out construction work on an overpass at KM 49 Gwaranza Village as part of the ongoing Kaduna-Kano standard Gauge Rail line Project.”

According to him, the diversion of traffic will begin on November 1, till further notice.

Iliyasu added that in case of any emergency, motorists should call the FRSC tool free line: 122 or 09139601839.

FRSC announces temporary diversion on Kaduna-Zaria expressway