Gov Alia Wasn’t Stoned By Youths, Benue Govt Debunks Reports

The Benue State government has denied allegations that youths threw objects at Governor Hyacinth Alia during his visit to Vaatia College in Makurdi.  Reports had emerged on Wednesday that youths stoned the governor while protesting over plans to bury their proprietor within the school premises in their community. The proprietor, Engr Vaatia, who died two days ago, was buried today. Sir Kula Tersoo, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, labeled the reports as untrue and aimed at tarnishing the governor’s image. Tersoo clarified that the governor’s purpose at Vaatia College was to address incidents of vandalism and theft, directing authorities to apprehend those responsible.  He emphasized that Governor Alia’s visit was uninterrupted, highlighting the governor’s track record of moving around the state without harassment. In urging media professionals to verify news sources before publication, Tersoo emphasized the need for accuracy and investigative reporting.  He condemned the “ill-intended” nature of the reports and stressed the importance of ensuring the truthfulness of news before dissemination.

Tragedy As Transformer Explosion Kills Many In Plateau

In a devastating incident, Gada Biu community, located in the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, was rocked by a fatal electric transformer explosion on Saturday.  The incident, which occurred around 3 a.m., not only claimed several lives but also caused significant damage to residential buildings and shops in the area. Witnesses on the scene recounted a harrowing scene, describing how the transformer explosion ignited a fire that quickly spread, leading to multiple casualties.  Among the victims, four individuals from Kabong village in the Gada Biu community were tragically electrocuted.  Moreover, the extent of the disaster remains uncertain, as more people were reportedly trapped in the inferno, with their fates yet to be determined. John Silas, a resident of the community, expressed the shock and grief that enveloped the area, stating, “The people of Kabong village in the Gada Biu community woke up this morning around 3 a.m. to mourn the death of four persons.  They were electrocuted due to an electric transformer explosion in the area. I understand that more others were trapped in the fire, and we don’t know their fate now.” Plateau State Police Command’s Spokesman, Alabo Alfred, confirmed their awareness of the tragic incident.  He revealed that several individuals sustained injuries and were promptly transported to the hospital for medical attention.  In response, the police force has dispatched its officers and personnel to the affected area to conduct a thorough investigation and shed light on the circumstances leading to the catastrophe.

Vandals attack Jigawa water plant, steal items worth N20m

Suspected vandals have attacked the Birninkudu Water Treatment Plant in Birninkudu Local Government Area of Jigawa, beat up workers and stole items worth over N20 million. The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, made this known when he inspected the facility on Friday. Garba, who expressed worry over the incident, said government will take drastic measures against those sabotaging its efforts to provide potable water to residents of the state. “This is very sad and unfortunate indeed. Items worth over N20 million were stolen by the vandals. “This is the first time this is happening since the creation of this water facility in Birninkudu in the last 50 years. “This is happening across the state as it happened in Kazaure where about 20 boreholes were destroyed, cables dug out and carted away, it also happened in Babura, Gumel and Dutse. So, it rampantly happening,” Garba lamented. He added that the rampant theft and destruction of water facilities across the state is causing hardship to the citizens in terms of access to potable water and causing set to government efforts to provide water for all. The commissioner therefore, advised the general public to take full ownership of all facilities and other critical infrastructure provided by government facilities in their respective communities and report any suspicious movement around such facilities to the security agencies for prompt action. Also speaking, the Zonal Manager of the Jigawa Water Board, in charge of Birninkudu, Buji and Gwaram, Malam Yunusa Shuaibu, who was among those attacked by the suspected vandals, told newsman that the hoodlums attacked the facility at about midnight on Tuesday. “It was on Tuesday around midnight that a gang of people numbering about 10 carrying dangerous weapons attacked the facility where I the manager and two other staff were attacked. “They tied me up and hit me and other staff with stick, while one staff managed to escape. “They cut off cables and stole items worth over N20 million, in they ransacked the facility,” the official alleged. Shuaibu listed the items stolen by the suspected vandals as high lift cable (150mm×4core), DB cable (100mm×4core), two high lift rotor (75kv), three Kickstarters (100kv), four solar batteries (300arm) and computers. Others are stock cable (6mm flexible, 150mm×4core, 100mm×4core and 16mm×4core), two batteries (150arm 12vol), pump (30kv), seven impellers, overload spear parts, iron slab and five mobile phones. Also, commenting the Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Magaji Yusif, pointed out that the substantial number of residents of the area depend on the facility for their daily water need. Yusif said two third of the 200,000 residents of the local government could not get access to water due to the vandalism. He added that the facility, built in 1972, treats 400 cubic litre of water per hour. The chairman promised that the council will take proactive measures to forestall future occurence of the incidents. According to him, the council will also take immediate action to ensure that water supply continues, pending the general repair of the facility by the state government.