The Lagos state police command today arraigned the law offending driver who knocked a police officer off the bridge along the International airport road on February 24, before an Oshodi mobile court.

The video of the driver who was driving against traffic and trying to evade arrest from security agents surfaced online on Thursday, February 25. The driver in the process hit the police officer identified as David Zapania.

The driver was arraigned before the court on six charges this morning which include Driving against traffic (one way), Resisting arrest, Reckless and dangerous driving, Driving with an invalid driver’s license, Assaulting a police officer, and attempted murder. The police say he will be arraigned in another court for the attempted murder charge.

At the ruling, no bail or fine was given and he will be remanded in Badagry prison until March 26 for the next hearing.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Talata Mafara local government area of Zamfara State and abducted ‘300’ girls of the school.

According to gathered reports by Bubble Reports, the gunmen stormed the school premises in the early hours of today, Friday, February 26.

Zamfara Government confirms the abduction

The Zamfara state government confirmed the abduction through the state commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Dauran, said the number of students abducted is yet to be ascertained.

“I can confirm to you now that we have sadly received the report on the abduction of the students of GGSS Jangebe and right now, I am on my way to the school.

“At this moment, l cannot say how many students were taken away by the gunmen until l get there, but we have already mobilized security men and members of the vigilantatè who are now in pursuit of the abductors,” the commissioner said.

State Police gives report

Zamfara Police Commissioner, Abutu Yaro disclosed that about 317 girls were abducted.

Yaro said a joint search and rescue operation is already underway with a view to rescuing the 317 students kidnapped by the gunmen. 

The police commissioner also disclosed that the Force Commander of Operations Hadarin Daji, Major General Aminu Bande, Brigade Commander 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army Gusau, and other state government officials led a heavily armed Re-enforcement team to Jangebe to complement the ongoing rescue operation in the locations where the students were believed to have been whisked to.

He appealed to everyone to be calm as joint efforts of the police and other security agencies will surely lead to a successful rescue of the students.

Witnesses reports

One of the teachers at the school claimed that close to 550 students were abducted by gunmen.

The teacher who spoke to Daily Trust said out of 600 students of the school, about 50 were left behind.

The teacher said; 

“Initially, the school authorities prevented them from going with the remaining students but they grew angrier and began to pull down doors and windows of the buildings in the school and the school authority had to yield to their demands.

“When the gunmen laid siege, they attacked the soldiers stationed in the community before they gained entry into the school.

“Some people told us that they stationed vehicles at the outskirts of the school.

“Security operatives and the local vigilante groups are trailing the gunmen and dozens of other residents have volunteered to take part in the search.”

Another staff of the school who spoke on condition of anonymity said,

”The gunmen in their hundreds invaded the town around 2 am on Friday, shot sporadically in the air to scare the residents before coming into the school. After taking away most of the students, we rounded up those that escaped or hid from the bandits and conducted a census where we counted 54 students and we are still searching to see if we can get more.”

The abductors are yet to contact anyone with their demands.

This incident comes barely a week after bandits attacked the Government Science College in Kagara, Niger state and abducted 27 students and 15 others after they had shot a student dead.

The governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has accused the Federal Government of abandoning them in negotiation to secure the release of the abducted students and staff of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.

Sani Bello made the accusation during the visit of the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu at the Government House in Minna on Thursday February 25.

The governor said the state has been left to handle the rescue on its own, said they were left to shoulder the financial responsibility which came off the abduction. He however admitted that the Federal Government sent a delegation to the state and also deployed 300 mobile policemen to the state.

The Niger state Governor however vowed to ensure that the kidnap victims are freed. Bello said; 

“So where is the support? At the moment we have not seen any Federal support here since this incident occurred. Yes we had a delegation that came to commensurate with, but we are left to ourselves. 

“We will use whatever means and resources available to make sure the children return home safely. We don’t have exact day and when these children will be released but I am sure that it will happen very soon.”

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has assured that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos state would be totally reopened to public traffic this weekend. The bridge has been partially shut since July 2020 for repairs.

Fashola, who gave the assurance during a radio phone-in program, did not specify which day of the weekend to expect the reopening. He said

“I can tell you now that this weekend, it will be opened definitely. My directors are still in Lagos. The major works have now been finished, so let me say that again by way of information.

Definitely this weekend it will be reopened. I will announce the date toward Friday and the reason why I am holding back the exact date is that we are government.

Any time we say something, people must reliably be able to plan their lives around what we say’’ he said

Speaking further, the Minister said

“The major works have now been finished, the piles, all the joints, all the bearings, everything is done. The last miles now are the works which were not in the contract but we insisted must be done.

We are asphalting some of the places on the pavement that have been affected by erosion; some of the lane markings have worn away so we want to do that”

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that his administration will continue to deal with the insecurities which are a threat to innocent citizens across the country.

The President said this when he spoke at the joint security meeting of Northern State Governors’ Forum and traditional rulers on Thursday February 25.

Represented by Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president, Buhari said criminality should be handled without resorting to ethnic profiling.

“I must appreciate the efforts of the 19 Northern States Governors’ Forum for their contribution towards national growth and development, especially in this challenging period in our nation’s being where certain fundamental corporate existence need to be frankly deliberated upon and actionable resolutions reached.

This meeting is coming at a time when the nation is making steady progress in addressing the many challenges impeding developmental and progress. We are providing critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports among others which are critical to economic prosperity of our people as well as opening up economic opportunities for our citizens to pursue legitimate aspirations that grow the economy.

At the same time, we are confronting the various dimensions of security challenges that continue to slow down the emancipation of our people from poverty and economic deprivation. The Government shall continue to deal with insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals who constitute a threat to innocent citizens across the country.

Criminals are criminals and should be dealt with accordingly, without resorting to ethnic profiling. I have already tasked the new Service Chiefs to devise new strategies that will end this ugly situation where the lives of our people continue to be threatened by hoodlums and criminals.

I expect that at this meeting, your Forum will also discuss and devise ways of building stronger collaboration with the security architecture and the people in defeating criminality across the region and the nation at large.”