2,484 Sacked Civil Servants Write Benue Govt for Reinstatement, Threaten Legal Action

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The 2,484 Benue civil servants who were sacked by Governor Hyacinth Alia in June have written to the state government to demand their reinstatement within 30 days to avert a legal action.

The position of the aggrieved workers was contained in a letter by their counsel, Mr. Samuel Irabor, to the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, sighted by Vanguard Wednesday in Makurdi, with the caption, ‘Notice of Demands and 30 Days Pre-Action Notice.’

The workers stated that they were lawfully employed by the state government between December 2022 and March 2023 and were issued employment letters to that effect and they carried out their schedule of duties without hindrance or queries.

The affected workers also demanded for the payment of their salaries and allowances, stressing that their employment followed due process.

They expressed the hope that the Benue State Government would grant their demand for reinstatement and not let the matter drag to the courts.

Part of the letter by the counsel read, “It is the complaint of our client that by a press statement on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 the Government of Benue State arbitrarily terminated their contract of employment for no cause even though their employment was considered, approved and authorized by the Benue State Executive Council which is the highest decision-making body of the Benue State Government.

“Painfully, our clients are owed arrears of salaries and allowances from their various period of employment till the time of this notice.

“Flowing from the above, we have our clients’ instruction to apply for their re-instatement and payment of their arrears of salaries and allowances through the facility of our law firm. In the event of non-conformity with the demands above, our clients issues this 30 days pre-action notice.

“Take notice that at the expiration of the pre-action period, we have the instructions of our clients to initiate, and maintain till judgment, legal action to ventilate the above demands. .

“It is our implicit trust that due process will prevail in the resolution of the issues herein laid out. We therefore believe that the Benue State Government will do the needful.”

SOURCE: Vanguard

Domestic Violence: 63-Year-Old Kills Wife For Denying Him Sex

In a disturbing incident, Aminu Mahdi, a 63-year-old retired employee of the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board, has been detained by law enforcement following allegations of fatally assaulting his wife.

Mahdi, a resident of Yelwa Ward in Mubi North Local Government Area, is reported to have aggressively attacked his second wife, 46-year-old Hadiza Zubuchi, after she refused to share her bed with him.

State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, revealed that Mahdi admitted to the act, asserting that he did not contemplate his actions would result in his wife’s demise.

Nguroje, during a media briefing late on Thursday, detailed the tragic sequence of events. Mahdi, after returning to his home at around 9:00 pm on Sunday, the 27th of August 2023, found himself in a situation that spiraled into a fatal outcome.

According to Nguroje, after having his meal and changing his clothes, Mahdi attempted to retire for the night with his wife. When Zubuchi refused to share her bed, a conflict ensued. Reportedly, as Zubuchi began to hit him with a stick, Mahdi forcefully took it from her, assaulting her heavily with it. The severity of the assault led to the death of Zubuchi, whom Mahdi married in 2016.

Expressing remorse during his police statement, Mahdi stated, “I didn’t expect that this kind of incident would happen to me. It was a mistake.”

Adamawa State Chaos: Journalist Assaulted within Government Complex by Alleged Political Henchman

Hamidu Mukhtari, an alleged political enforcer known colloquially as Dogo, has reportedly assaulted a journalist within the premises of the Adamawa State Government House in Yola. The victim, Ibrahim Mista Ali, was purportedly targeted following his critique of the state governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

Ali was in the building to report on a press conference by the Secretary to the Government, Awwal Tukur. He claims to have been physically abused by Dogo, who had previously warned him against publishing negative content. According to Ali, Dogo slapped, punched, and manhandled him, with the incident happening in the presence of security officials.

Dogo has a reputation for conducting several attacks against individuals seen as adversaries of the governor. He is currently on administrative bail following a 2021 arrest for possession of a large quantity of cannabis by the NDLEA. The then state commander of NDLEA, Muhammed Bello, confirmed Dogo’s arrest, stating that he was found with 166 kg of cannabis sativa.

Dogo, who allegedly wields significant influence, was supposedly involved in the kidnapping and degradation of a senior official of the Department of Security Service (DSS), Halilu Musa, and a senior INEC commissioner, Professor Zuru, during the tumultuous governorship supplementary election in April.

Sources claim that Dogo’s influence is so vast that he can bypass protocols and even intimidate security personnel within the government house. He was reportedly granted an office as the Director of Youths Mobilisation by the state’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after his bid to become youth leader was rejected.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Humwashi Wonosiko, refrained from commenting on the issue, asserting that it was a personal dispute and not a governmental concern.

Adamawa Floods: Five Lives Lost, Agency Launches Awareness Campaign for Residents

The devastating flood in Adamawa has led to the unfortunate loss of five lives, as reported by the state’s Emergency Management Agency. Dr. Suleiman Muhammad, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), made this announcement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Yola, the state’s capital, on Thursday.

Muhammad mentioned that the flood had not only claimed lives but also wreaked havoc on countless homes and businesses, particularly in the Fufore, Yola South, and Mubi South local government areas. As a response to this crisis, the agency has been actively urging residents in flood-prone regions to relocate to safer zones.

In an effort to maintain constant communication about the ongoing flood situation, ADSEMA has been conducting sensitisation campaigns across all 21 local government areas within the state. Muhammad emphasized the importance of vigilance and safety consciousness, warning that more rain is expected.

He urged residents to heed the advice of experts, stating, “Residents of flood-prone areas are advised to adhere to the instructions given by experts. They have to be very vigilant. More rain will fall, we cannot say that it is over yet. People must be safety conscious.”