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Niger state commissioner narrates how he stayed in the rain for 48 hours with kidnappers

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Sani Idris, commissioner for information in Niger state, has narrated his four-day encounter while in captivity.

Idris was abducted on August 9 by gunmen, who invaded his home in Tafa LGA of Niger state.

Sani Idris Niger state commissioner for information kidnapped - P.M. News

He regained his freedom on Thursday.

Speaking during a TVC programme yesterday, Idris described his experience with the abductors as “dehumanising and humiliating”.

The commissioner said he spent 48 hours under the rain, with his hands and legs tied.

“We thank God for everything, but it is not an experience that I will pray for even my worst enemy. It was dehumanising; it was humiliating; it was degrading — just name it. But we thank God for scaling through,” he said.

“They took me to a no man’s land, in the middle of nowhere and I was there exposed to the rains for 48 hours with neither food nor water given to me, with my hands and legs tied just to break me. But in the long run, God was there for me and I was able to remain focused and I was able to remain sane. We thank God for that favour.

Niger State Ministry Of Information on Twitter: "Commissioner for  Information and Strategy, Honourable Muhammad Sani Idris met with  Information Officers attached to MDAs https://t.co/CBbGNjiSsw" / Twitter

“They explained to me that they see my own as a high profile kidnap and they planned it very well. They came with their team from everywhere to ensure that they succeed.”

Idris, who described his release as a miracle, said no money was paid to secure his freedom.

“I was not rescued and I didn’t pay any ransom. Nobody paid any ransom. It was just miraculous. When they started, they were very hard on me. They pushed me to a limit that you will never expect a human being to still be resilient,” the commissioner said.

“But I give God the glory. Even when they were beating me, I was talking to them that they should have a rethink about this thing they are doing. They think that this thing they are doing is welcomed, and it is favoured in the sight of Allah, in the sight of humanity.

“Instead of breaking me, I started breaking them. They gave me bread; they started giving me water. They untied me and they began to show concern. Even when we were exposed to the rains, in the night, they will sleep in the rain and then they will allow me to use a tarpaulin to cover myself.

“In the long run, I believe it was a miracle. God touched their hearts and they felt I should just go to my family.”

The commissioner said he is undergoing medical observation, adding that he is hale and hearty.

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Okpebholo orders freezing of ALL Edo government accounts

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Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has ordered a freeze of all bank accounts belonging to the state government.

Okpebholo issued the directive on Thursday through Fred Itua, chief press secretary to the governor.

He asked commercial banks, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to immediately comply with the order or face severe consequences.

“All bank accounts in all the commercial banks have been frozen. Commercial banks must comply with the order and ensure that not a dime is taken out of the coffers of Government until further notice,” the statement reads.

“Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies must comply with this order without further delays.

“After the necessary investigations and reconciliations, the Governor will do the needful and decide on the way forward. For now, this order stands.”

Okpebholo also directed relevant agencies to reverse the naming of the ministry of roads and bridges to the ministry of works — a nomenclature changed during the Godwin Obaseki administration.

“It is funny how you can call a Government institution Ministry of Roads and Bridges,” the statement reads.

“Ironically, no single bridge was built by the same administration. Not even a pedestrian bridge

“In the coming days, we will look at more actions taken by the previous administration and more decisions will be taken that will be done in the best interest of the state.”

The development comes days after Okpebholo took over the reins of power in Edo.

The governor had earlier ordered an indefinite suspension of revenue collection in the state — including at motor parks.

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NESREA seals two facilities in FCT, Kogi for violating environmental regulations

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The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed two facilities in Abuja and Kogi for breaching environmental laws.

The facilities are Geld Construction Limited, located in Abaji, FCT, and Arno Energy, a charcoal production company in Okaba, Kogi.

In a statement on Wednesday, Amaka Ejiofor, NESREA’s spokesperson, said the companies were sealed for failure to conduct their environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Ejiofor noted that the facilities also failed to provide important environmental documents, including an air quality permit, an environmental audit report, and a waste management permit, necessary for maintaining standards in companies.

“The EIA provides guidance on mitigating the negative impact of a facility’s operations on the environment,” the statement reads.

“Their failure to do so led to the closure of the facilities to save human health and the environment.”

The NESREA’s spokesperson added that the facilities were also operating in an environmentally harmful manner, resulting in negative impacts on the host communities and the environment.

She said procedural measures, including the issuance of compliance notices, had been taken to force the facilities to address and rectify their violations.

Innocent Barikor, the director-general of NESREA, urged industry operators to ensure their activities and operations follow the stipulations of the law.

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Federal high court to commence Christmas vacation December 16

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The federal high court says it would go on break from December 16 to mark the Christmas holiday.

In a circular, John Tsoho, the court’s chief judge, said the Abuja, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt judicial divisions would remain open to the litigating public during the break.

Tsoho added that the court would resume proceedings on January 6, 2025.

“The vacation is pursuant to the provisions of order 46, rule 4 (c) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 (as amended),” the circular reads.

“Only matters relating to the enforcement of fundamental rights, arrest or release of vessels and matters that concern the vacation judges shall entertain dire national interest.”

The notice added that Emeka Nwite and M. S. Liman would be judges at the Abuja division during the vacation, while Akintayo Aluko and Isaac Dipeolu would sit at the Lagos division of the court.

P. M. Ayua and A. T. Mohammed would be the adjudicators at the Port-Harcourt division pending the resumption of complete court activities.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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