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Category: Adamawa Update

  • Fintiri Appoints Seven New Traditional Rulers in Adamawa

    Fintiri Appoints Seven New Traditional Rulers in Adamawa

    Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has appointed seven new traditional rulers after the state recently introduced seven new monarchies.

     The new appointees include Sani Ahmadu Ribadu, the younger sibling of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. 

    This comes after the creation of five chiefdoms and two emirates on December 23, 2024.

     The newly appointed leaders will hold second-class and third-class titles, a decision aimed at improving local governance by addressing community demands for additional leadership representation.

     The new monarchs include Sani Ahmadu Ribadu, now Emir of Fufore; Alheri Nyako, Tol Huba; Bulus Luka Gadiga, Mbege Ka Michika; Ali Danburam, Ptil Madagali; John Dio, Gubo Yungur; Aggrey Ali, Kumu of Gombi; and Ahmadu Saibaru, Emir of Maiha.

    READ ALSO: Rev Fr. Alia of Benue State Unveils Zeva Premium Lager Beer

    Governor Fintiri commended the new rulers for their merit and popularity, encouraging them to perform their duties with fairness and integrity. 

    The appointments are effective immediately, expanding the state’s total number of chiefdoms and emirates.

  • Fintiri Creates New Chiefdoms, Emirates in Adamawa

    Fintiri Creates New Chiefdoms, Emirates in Adamawa

    Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, has unveiled the establishment of seven new chiefdoms and emirates across the state.

     Governor Fintiri announced the changes during a state-wide broadcast, wherein he introduces the following areas: Hoba (Hong), Madagali (Gulak), Michika (Michika) and Fufore (Fufore).

    Others are Gombi (Gombi), Maiha (Maiha), and Yungur (Dumne), with each assigned specific class rankings. 

    READ ALSO: Adamawa Gov Fintiri Joins Wike G-5 Faction, Storms Port Harcourt

    This move is part of the government’s broader strategy to improve governance and maintain peace within the state.

    Governor Fintiri emphasized the role of traditional institutions in peace-building and the effective management of areas with limited government presence.

     The creation of these new entities is seen as a step toward addressing diversity and ensuring unity across Adamawa. 

    Additionally, the governor reassured citizens that the state’s security had improved, with reduced urban crime ensuring a safer environment for daily activities.

  • NDLEA arrests wanted drug baron ‘Barryshine’

    NDLEA arrests wanted drug baron ‘Barryshine’

    Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a wanted drug baron, Suleiman Aremu (also known as Barryshine).

     

    The agency stated that Aremu, who is the Managing Director/CEO of Barryshine Suleiman Nigeria Ltd, had been on its watchlist for two years for his alleged involvement in four failed attempts to export cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Qatar via Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, between 2022 and 2024.

     

    This was revealed in a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Friday.

     

    The statement read, “His name first appeared on 13 November 2022, when a female passenger on a Qatar Airways flight to Saudi Arabia, Alhaja Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika, was arrested at the MMIA in possession of 400 grams of cocaine, concealed inside female footwear.

     

    “An investigation later revealed that one Abdullahi Ramon, the brother of Suleiman, hired the arrested drug courier. Further information emerged that the flight tickets and other travel expenses of the suspect were financed by Alhaji Suleiman Ganiu Aremu.

     

    “A few days after the arrest of Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika, another drug mule, Lawal Lateef Oyenuga, was also arrested on 24 November 2022, with the same quantity of cocaine, 400 grams, concealed in male footwear while heading to the same destination, Saudi Arabia. The suspect, Lawal Lateef Oyenuga, confessed that one Wasiu Sanni Gbolahan (also known as Teacher), who was later arrested and convicted by the court, hired him on behalf of Suleiman.

     

    “Lawal further alleged that Wasiu Gbolahan linked him to the baron through one ‘Igbono’, who was later identified during the investigation as Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye (also known as Igbono, Murphy, Femi Iwaya, Ade Iwaya, Baba Eje, and Ejeoto). While the investigation of the two cases was ongoing and the manhunt for the baron continued, two drug mules were arrested at the MMIA on 21 June 2024, on their way to Doha, Qatar.

     

    “One of the suspects, later identified as Aikhomoun Daniel (also known as Oladapo Olanrewaju), expelled 90 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.022kg, which he had ingested, while the second suspect, Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, excreted 60 wraps of cocaine, with a total weight of 662 grams.”

     

    Babafemi stated that further investigations revealed that the two arrested couriers, Aikhomoun Daniel, and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were recruited by the same ‘Igbono’ who works for the baron and had also been involved in the 2022 arrests of Ajisegiri Sidika and Lawal Oyenuga.

     

    He added that a financial investigation by the agency linked the baron, Suleiman, to the arrested suspects and two of his associates, who recruited traffickers for him: Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye and Olanrewaju Abdullahi Ramon, both of whom are currently at large.

     

    “As a result, the agency blocked the bank accounts linked to members of the cartel, after which Suleiman was eventually taken into custody on 26 August 2024 for further investigation.

     

    “In his statement, Suleiman claimed to be involved in property development and hotel management while residing in Lagos and Paris, France. He also stated that he runs another business selling clothes with his wife at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, adding that his regular visits to Saudi Arabia were for the lesser Hajj pilgrimage. He said he holds the traditional title of Akeweje of Yaba (Youth Leader of Yaba Land). Some of Suleiman’s properties that have been traced include two houses at 63 and 72 Queens Street, Ebute-Meta, and his Barryshine hotel at 95 Freeman Street, Yaba, Lagos,” Babafemi added.

     

    Babafemi also mentioned that Justice Dipeolu Isaac of the Federal High Court, Lagos, granted an application by the NDLEA for the extension of Suleiman’s detention for 30 days and to declare his two associates, Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye and Olanrewaju Abdullahi Ramon, both currently at large, wanted

     

  • Court dismisses suspended Adamawa REC’s suit against IGP, others

    Court dismisses suspended Adamawa REC’s suit against IGP, others

    Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa state, Hudu Yunusa-Ari for lacking in merit.

    Yunasa-Ari is before the court, seeking protection from media trial, arrest and harassment by security agencies following his controversial announcement of the All Progressives Congress(APC) governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Binani Dahiru, as winner of the last Adamawa governorship poll.

    Mentioned as Defendants in the suit are the Inspector General of Police(IGP) Nigeria Police Force,(NPF) the Attorney-General of Federation(AGF)and Minister of Justice, the Director of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 5th respondents respectively.

    Yunasa-Ari,had announced Binani winner of the governorship poll against the due process but the declaration was annulled by the INEC leadership which eventually returned the incumbent governor, Umar Fintiri.

    In his argument, his counsel, Jibrin Okutepa said his decision to announce Binani was due to a tight security breach in Adamawa.

    He submitted that since the incident, the respondents kept issuing press statements against him when he had not been convicted by a law court.

    Justice James Omotosho while delivering Judgement on held that the only issue to determine in the case is whether the fundamental rights of Hudu were breached by any of the respondents.

    The trial judge noted that as fundamental as human rights are, there are exceptions.

    Justice Omotosho noted that the applicant filed this suit to hide himself from prosecution for the role he played in the Adamawa guber poll.

    The court therefore dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

  • Supreme Court affirms Fintiri as Adamawa governor

    Supreme Court affirms Fintiri as Adamawa governor

    The Supreme Court of Nigeria, Wednesday, affirmed the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as the authentic governor of Adamawa State.

    The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed as lacking in merit the application of
    Senator Aisha Dahiru Banani, alongside her party, All Progressive Congress Party (APC), challenging the outcome of the governorship election that was held in the state on March 18, 2023.

    Senator Binani, has through her Counsel, Chief Akinolu Olujimi, SAN, prayed the court to nullify the declaration of Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)as the valid winner of the gubernatorial contest.

    Specifically, she asked the court to set aside the concurrent verdict of the courts below that dismissed their case and upheld Fintiri’s re-election.

    She insisted that she polled the majority of valid votes cast at the election and was validly declared the winner by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC.

    She, among other things, prayed the court to determine who ought to be the bona fide Returning Officer in a gubernatorial election.

    However, Fintiri, through his lawyer, Mr Damian Dodo, SAN, urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal and validate his election victory.

    Fintiri argued that he emerged victorious, having secured the majority of lawful votes and fulfilled all the requirements of the law.

    Delivering judgement in the matter, the apex court panel, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, held that the action of the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who declared Senator Dahiru as the winner of the poll, was an act of irresponsibility and criminality.

    The court held that only a Returning Officer has the duty to announce the results of an election to avert chaos and anarchy in the process.

    According to the Supreme Court, the Electoral Act, 2022, specified who should declare results, stressing that such power was exclusively donated to the Returning Officer.

    Consequently, it resolved all the issues that were raised in the appeal against the appellants.

  • Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Binani’s Suit Challenging Fintiri’s Victory

    Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Binani’s Suit Challenging Fintiri’s Victory

    The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Aisha Dahiru, popularly called Binani, against the governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri.

    The tribunal and Court of Appeal had dismissed Binani’s petition challenging the victory of Finitiri in the governorship election held last year.

    The five-member panel led by John Okoro adjourned the matter for judgment after listening to the arguments of the parties involved in the matter.

    The main contention of Binani, through her counsel, Akin Olujimi, at the day’s proceeding, is that the controversial declaration by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari, was lawful.

    Monday’s decision came months after the Court of Appeal affirmed the victory of Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor of Adamawa State and dismissed Binani’s challenge as lacking in merit.

    It also awarded the cost of N500,000 in favour of Fintiri and the PDP against Binani.

    That judgment aligned with the verdict of the tribunal on October 28, which dismissed Binani’s petition for failing to prove her allegations of over-voting by not tendering documents to prove her case faulting the outcome of the election.

    Before the legal tussle, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Fintiri as the winner of a dramatic governorship poll.

    Fintiri polled 9,337 votes besting Senator ‘Binani’ who scored 6,513 votes.

    But in a controversial move, Ari, while collation was going on, prematurely declared Binani as the winner of the election. This was contrary to the provisions of Section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which gives only the returning officer the right to declare election results for governorship polls.

    Immediately after the announcement, INEC declared the pronouncement as of no effect. It thereafter suspended the collation of results of the supplementary election in Adamawa and invited the REC, Returning Officer, and all officials involved to report to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.

    Later on, police authorities arrested Ari, confirming that the INEC REC was in their custody. He is still in court facing charges.

  • Adamawa Guber: S/Court affirms Gov Fintiri’s election

    Adamawa Guber: S/Court affirms Gov Fintiri’s election

    The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Ahmed Fintiri as the authentic governor of Adamawa State.

    This is following the withdrawal of an appeal brought before it by the Social Democratic Party(SDP) and its governorship candidate, Dr Umar Ardo, challenging Fintiri’s victory for want of merit.

    SDP and its candidate had scored 6,000 votes and challenged the declaration of Fintiri and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who polled over 430,000 votes at the March 18, 2023 election.

    Specifically, Ardo and his party argued that the election was not conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

    The appellants in their submissions through Sylvester Imhanobe, upon discovering the hint of the apex court, the appellants withdrew their appeal, having been found unmeritorious.

    Justice John Inyang Okoro, who led a 5-man panel of Justices of the Court, dismissed the appeal without any cost against the appellants, thereby, affirmed the election of Fintiri as being validly elected and lawfully declared as the Governor of Adamawa State.

    Ardo and his party had filed a petition at the Adamawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal after Fintiri, the candidate of PDP, was declared the winner of the poll.

    The petitioners had sought the nullification of Fintiri’s election on the grounds that there was substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, corrupt practices, threats, and violence during the voting exercise.

    However, the tribunal, led by Theodora Uloho, dismissed the petition for being incompetent and not properly filed.

    They, however, headed to the Supreme Court for further interpretation.

  • Gunmen Kill 2 Policemen In Anambra

    Tragedy struck in the Uga Community of Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra State, as gunmen unleashed terror, resulting in the deaths of at least two policemen and several others on Thursday, December 29, 2023.

    Residents urgently called upon security agencies and State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for intervention as armed assailants wielding AK-47 rifles conducted kidnappings and gunfire with impunity at the Uga junction. 

    Witnesses described the scene as chaotic and violent.

    The incident occurred at a junction leading to the homes of prominent political figures, including APC chieftain, Andy Uba, and PDP leader, Chris Uba. Reportedly, the gunmen abducted individuals from luxury cars, engaging in an intense exchange of gunfire when confronted by police officers.

    Disturbing video clips circulating on social media depict the aftermath, showing slain officers and abandoned SUVs with signs of forced abduction. Police confirmed the attack, revealing the assailants were disguised in military gear and likely crossed over from a neighboring state.

    Despite the brave efforts of officers from Enugu State attempting to thwart the attackers and ensure the safety of motorists, the gunmen managed to escape, leaving a trail of tragic fatalities and uncertainty in their wake.

  • Sultan, Kukah seek community involvement in tackling security challenges

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for increased community representatives’ involvement in solving the lingering security challenges facing the nation.

    Abubakar, who was represented by Dr Jabbi Kilgore, the District Head of Kingori made the call during a town hall  organised by the Kukah Centre for Peace in collaboration with Global Right, an NGO on Tuesday in Sokoto.

    The Sultan said that bad governance, injustice and inequality were some factors contributing to insecurity.

    He enjoined leaders at all levels to be fair in dealing with their subjects and know that they would give an account of their stewardship after leaving this world.

    In his keynote address, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah also identified religious intolerance, fanaticism and injustice as some of the factors responsible for insecurity in the country.

    Kukah also said  that sectionalism, fanaticism, injustice and religious intolerance were responsible for insecurity in the country.

    He urged stakeholders at the meeting to come together to form common front in curbing the menace saying insecurity know no religion.

    Earlier,  Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto state, represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Torankawa rreiterated the commitment of the government to partner with groups and association in promoting peaceful coexistence in the state.

    The Sokoto state commissioner of police,  Ali Kaigama, also emphasised on the need for public support to community policing drives initiated by the Nigerian Police.

    Kaigama said the police will continue to partner with the Nigerian army and other sister security agencies in tackling insecurity in the country.

    In his presentation, Prof. Tukur Baba, the Dean Faculty of Social Sciences in Federal University Birnin Kebbi dwelled on factors that promoted insecurity from pre-independece.

    Baba advised authorities to change the land use act, taxations and consider global, regional, national and community approaches to holistically deal with the problems of insecurity.

    He described the assessment by the National Bureau of Statics revealing the poverty index as glaring.

    ”This is the effect of insecurity, maladministration and poor people attitude in the northwest,” he said.

  • Fintiri sworn-in for 2nd term in office

    Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa has been sworn-in for a second term of office in Yola.

    The Oath of office was administered to the governor by the state Chief judge, Justice Hapsat Abdurrahaman in Yola on Monday.

    Abdurrahaman also administered the oath of office to the deputy governor, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta.

    In his address, the governor thanked the people for their resilience, commitment, and dedication to the democratic idles.

    He said the 2023 governorship election witnessed an unprecedented drama, especially during the supplementary election.

    Fintiri said that his administration recorded tremendous achievements in infrastructure, education, agriculture transparency, and accountability.
    He added that other areas were environment and climate change, food security, civil service reforms, youth development, commerce and industry, and security.

    The governor promised to consolidate the gains recorded in his administration.
    “The oath we just took is a sacred act not just a constitutional duty,” he said.
    Alhaji Attahiru Shehu, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, thanked the electorate for voting for the party to ensure Fintiri’s second term in office.

    The ceremony was attended by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, traditional rulers politicians, members of the diplomatic corps, and former governors of Adamawa, Boni Haruna, and Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankombo.