• I have done well – Buhari
• Place Peter Obi on watchlist, Keyamo tasks security agencies
• Gas explosion injures 5, damages 17 shops, 5 houses in Jigawa
• Mamu aiding terrorism, DSS tells court
• Troops rescue 10 hostages, kill bandits in Kaduna community

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn‘t miss:

I have done well – Buhari

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), said on Tuesday that his government has done “extremely well” with the few resources it has.

The President spoke at a meeting of stakeholders at the Imo State Government House in Owerri, the capital of the state. He had just opened the Owerri-Orlu Road, phase one of the Owerri-Okigwe Road, and the state House of Assembly complex, which was rebuilt by the administration of Hope Uzodimma, the state governor.

He said that despite having few resources, his government was able to do a lot.

“This administration has done extremely well. I had to say it because those who are supposed to say it are not doing so. I don’t know why,” the President said.

He praised his government for getting rid of the terrorist group Boko Haram in the North East and fixing the crumbling infrastructure that he said he inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.

He thanked Uzodimma for inviting him to open projects done by his government for the second time in a year.

He promised to keep helping all states, no matter what party they were in, and build up their infrastructure.

The President praised the governor of Imo for putting construction and reforming institutions at the top of his list over the past three years. He also said that his administration will leave behind a lot of big development projects all over the country.

Buhari told Uzodimma, “You have written your history” when he praised his work to improve the state.

In his speech, Uzodimma said that the roads Buhari opened had been left unfinished for decades by previous governments.

The governor said that his office had built 105 roads in less than three years and that this would help the state’s economy.

Place Peter Obi on watchlist, Keyamo tasks security agencies

Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo SAN has reacted to calls by the Labour Party LP asking security agencies to place him on a terror watchlist.

He said, instead, it is the LP presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi who must be watchlisted.

“I also call on the Security Agencies in Nigeria to place Mr. Peter Obi and some of his demented supporters on the terror watch lists for circulating an incendiary video with a fake message by one of his supporters called Powell Glad Legbe (on his Facebook page) calling on Yorubas not to vote for Peter Obi. Mr. Peter Obi then wrongly and wickedly attributed that quote to an amorphous ‘Tinubu group’. Up till now he has not withdrawn his accusation nor has he apologized to our candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It is obvious Mr. Peter Obi wants to cause religious and tribal crises in the country and for this, I call on the security agencies to place Mr. Peter Obi on security watch or invite him for a thorough investigation. If necessary, I am prepared to be invited too as a witness to prove my case against him”, Keyamo stated.

Also, the Director of Media and Publicity of the council, Mr. Bayo Onanuga has taken a swipe at Mr. Obi, accusing him of having “expanded his catalog of lies on Monday by playing the medical doctor, declaring Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as unwell for the presidency”.

“He even added most gratuitously that Asiwaju’s supporters are backing him for his money.

“We find these statements unbecoming of a man who nurses the ambition to be Nigeria’s next President”, Onanuga stated.

According to him, the APC standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu “is unmatched in the field by even the perennial presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. He is certainly not in the same league with the rabble-rousing Peter Obi by all leadership parameters”.

Gas explosion injures 5, damages 17 shops, 5 houses in Jigawa

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa said yesterday that five people were hurt when a suspected smuggled gas exploded in Babura Local Government Area of the state.

Adamu Shehu, a spokesman for the NSCDC, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse about the incident. He said that shops and homes were also damaged by the explosion.

DSP Lawan Shiisu, who is in charge of public relations for the police in the state, also confirmed the event.

He said that the explosion caused a fire that burned down 17 shops and five homes.

Shehu, a spokesman for the NSCDC, said that the incident happened on Monday around 9 p.m. when security officers in the area stopped a truck carrying 25 gas cylinders.

He said that the truck’s driver wouldn’t stop while being chased by the operatives. As a result, one of the cylinders fell off the truck and caught fire right away.

The spokesman also said that the car came from Tinkim town in Niger Republic’s Magarya LGA and was going to Hadejia LGA in Jigawa.

He said that the victims are getting care at the Babura General Hospital right now.

DSP Lawan Shiisu, who is in charge of public relations for the police in the state, also confirmed the event.

Mamu aiding terrorism, DSS tells court

The Department of State Services told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that during its preliminary investigation, it found that terrorists’ negotiator Tukur Mamu was involved in providing logistics and helping and abetting terrorism.

In an affidavit filed with the court and sworn to by the group’s legal officer, Hamza Pandogari, the claim was made.

The DSS said that INTERPOL caught Mamu on September 6, 2022, in Cairo, Egypt, while he was on his way to Saudi Arabia for a secret meeting with commanders and top leaders of terrorist groups from all over the world.

Pandogari said, “That upon his interception and subsequent repatriation back to Nigeria, a duly signed search warrant was executed in his residence and office at No. 4, Ali Ladan Street, Sabon Kawo GRA and No. 14, Mamona Road, Anguwan Sarki, Kaduna State and various exhibits and items to establish his complicity with terrorists were recovered.”

Some of the items recovered from Manu’s residence and office, according to the DSS, included $151; 20 pounds sterling; 1,530 Indian Rupees; one Saudi Riyald; 70 Dirham; N1,506,000; and 16 assorted foreign coins.

The DSS also said that Mamu had two packs of pump-action cartridges, 16 ATM (automated teller machine) cards from both local and foreign banks, seven cheque books from different banks, six laptops, four tablets, 24 handsets, three international passports, a gun license, eight pieces of Nigerian Army uniforms, and sixteen pieces of Nigerian Naval uniforms.

The secret service said that its preliminary investigation found that “the defendant (Mamu) has used the cover of his job as a journalist to help both local and international terrorist groups.

The DSS also claimed that Mamu’s actions caused the deaths of many “security personnel in North-Central and North-East parts of Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Justice Nkeonye Maha granted the ex-parte motion brought by counsel to the DSS, Ahmed Magaji to further detain Mamu for 60 days.

Troops rescue 10 hostages, kill bandits in Kaduna community

During clearance operations in Kaduna State’s Chikun and Igabi Local Government Areas, which are hard to reach, troops from Operation Forest Sanity killed many bandits and moved their camps.

Samuel Aruwan, who is the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, said that 10 hostages were saved during the operation.

The commissioner said, “As disclosed in an operational feedback, the troops neutralized an unspecified number of bandits while clearing out insurgent and bandit camps at Apewohe in Chikun LGA.

“The operation extended to Dakwala and Kunai hills in the same LGA, where more hideouts were cleared, though no contact was made with bandits.

“Another camp was similarly dislodged at a location known as ‘Daban Lawal Kwalba’ in Igabi LGA after the troops overpowered heavily armed bandits guarding hostages.

“The troops after clearing out the bandits stormed the hideouts and rescued 10 kidnapped persons who were chained and bound with ropes. The images attached depict the dire situation in which the hostages were found.

“The troops untied the hostages, who were identified as Surajo Aliyu, Ayuba Yakubu, Ibrahim Abdulrasheed, Aliyu Mohammed, Magaji Tasiu, Nasiru Ahmed, Mohammadu lbrahim, Ayuba Abdulsalam, Kelvin Musa, and Paul Patrick.

“The troops who came under further attack in the thick forest successfully evacuated the hostages to a military facility where they are receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families.

“Furthermore, a camp was cleared at Rafin Gwaska, Igabi LGA, where the following items were recovered, among other effects: Three locally made rifles, one AK-47 magazine, one AK-47 top cover, four Bafoeng radio chargers, 11 mobile phones, three music boxes, two sets of military uniforms, one frag jacket, Spanners, knives, and chains.”