Reports indicate that security personnel and a team of anti-riot policemen have sealed off the Plateau State House of Assembly complex today Wednesday 5th April 2023.
The security personnel were said to have arrived at the assembly complex by 5a.m on Wednesday, and barricaded the main entrance to prevent anyone from accessing the premises, following a recent takeover by embattled Speaker, Rt Hon Nuhu Abok who resumed plenary on Tuesday after being reinstated by the court.
The Plateau Police Spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, said that the move was to forestall any breakdown of law of order around the assembly.
”We learnt that supporters of some politicians will be coming around the assembly to protest.
“If the politicians’ supporters come around, it is going to affect traffic and it may lead to breakdown of law and order.
“In order to save lives and property, we took this action so that we can control security arrangements within the Plateau House of the assembly area.
“If nothing happens, the security will be relaxed and everything will return to normal,” he explained
Recall that Abok Ayuba who was impeached on October 28, 2021, was reinstated by the Plateau High Court on Monday and went on to resume duties on Tuesday and presided over a plenary session that was said to continue today.
But Ayuba’s successor, Yakubu Sanda and 12 others on Tuesday filed an appeal and stay of execution thereby holding on to the former impeachment.
The Drama continues with both Sanda and Ayuba laying claim to the speakership of the Plateau state House of Assembly.
BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR —-The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for stronger collaboration with the nation’s security institutions to combat criminal activities threatening the telecommunications sector.
The appeal was made by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, as part of efforts to safeguard critical telecom infrastructure and sustain industry growth.
He disclosed this at the North Central Zonal Sensitization Workshop for security agencies held in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
He said the collaboration and partnership is important to enable the Commission to “move steadily in harnessing fully, the potential of telecommunications and to sustain the exponential growth in the sector in view of the central role telecommunication plays in the social and economic development of the nation”
The EVC seized the opportunity of the forum to thank the Office of the National Security Adviser; the Nigeria Police Force; the Department of State Services; the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps; the Nigeria Customs Service; the Federal Road Safety Commission and other agencies involved in security governance for the support they have offered the NCC in its effort to contain telecom crimes.
The Workshop, which was attended by personnel from all these agencies, featured paper presentations covering the gamut of challenges of enforcement processes including the role of ICT in Effective Policing; Challenges of Prosecuting Telecom Offences; Overview of NCC Enforcement Regulations; and Overview of NCC Enforcement Powers under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.
Resource persons at the Workshop include Dr. Solomon Arase, former Inspector General of Police; and Paul Usoro, SAN; as well as the representation from the Commission which includes Efosa Idehen, Head Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement who represented the EVC; Dr. Henry Nkemadu, Deputy Director Research & Development; Helen Obi, Head Zonal Operations; Salisu Abdu, Head Enforcement; GT Mohammed, Assistant Director Legal and Regulatory Services; and Al-Kassim Umar, Head Compliance Monitoring.
It was a highly participatory workshop marked by lively, robust and seminal discussion the Commission will find quite useful in its strategic plan to re-engineer its operations for improved regulatory efficiency, robust stakeholder engagement and better quality of consumer experience.
Two persons have been confirmed dead, while three others sustained injuries following an explosion at a petrol station in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State on Saturday.
The Plateau State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the incident in a statement, clarifying that it was an industrial accident and not a bomb blast as initially reported online.
Alabo said misleading reports suggesting a bomb explosion and outbreak of violence in the state were false and capable of causing panic.
“The Plateau State Police Command has been drawn to certain false, misleading and alarmist reports currently circulating, alleging that there was a bomb blast and outbreak of crisis in Plateau State,” the statement said.
According to the police, the explosion occurred at Natty Petroleum Investment Nigeria Ltd during repair work on an underground storage tank.
“The Plateau State Police Command received a report of an explosion which occurred at Natty Petroleum Investment Nigeria Ltd, a filling station located in Daffo District, while welding repair works were being carried out by artisans,” the statement added.
