The abductors of 15 students and four members of staff of the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara State are demanding N350 million as ransom before the victims can be freed.

Habibu Mainasara, The Provost of the college on Tuesday, said the bandits had contacted him on phone and demanded the amount before they could be set free.

Mainasara added that the kidnappers allowed him to speak with each of the victims in captivity, adding that the victims assured him that they were hale and hearty.

The bandits had last Monday invaded the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura Local Government Area of the state, which is about 120 kilometres from Gusau, the state capital, and kidnapped 15 members of staff and four students.

The bandits had, during the invasion of the school, killed two security guards and one policeman.

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday confer with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari returned to Abuja last Friday after 18 days in London, during which he attended an education summit and did health checks.

The security forces have in the past few weeks taken the battle more robustly to insurgents, bandits, and all other criminals troubling the country, and they are now surrendering in droves.

Buhari will be informed on developments at the Thursday meeting, while plans to bring a decisive end to the challenges will be formulated.

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the family of former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, joining Plateau State Government and indigenes in mourning the passing of the renowned politician.

Buhari also commiserated with leaders and members of the National Assembly, friends, and political associates of the former Deputy President of the Senate, who dedicated most of his life to the service of his people.

The President, in a statement signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday, prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed, believing his legacy of reconciliation and promotion of peaceful co-existence will always be remembered, especially in bringing more harmony in his state and the country at large.

(COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, says Veterans of the Nigerian Army have major roles to play toward tackling current security challenges in the country.

Gen.Yahaya, represented by Maj.-Gen. Boniface Sinjen, the Director of Personnel Services, Army Headquarters, Department of Administration (Army),stated this on Tuesday in Jos.

He spoke at the opening of the 2021 Second Quarter Veterans Affairs Seminar/Workshop.

According to him, the veterans have the potentials to support the Nigerian army in combating all forms of insecurity in the country.

He explained that the workshop, with the theme: ” The Role of Nigerian Army Veterans in the Nigeria’s National Security Architecture”, would afford the army the opportunity to tap from the avalanche of experience of the retired personnel.

Governments of the 36 states of the federation have filed a suit at the Supreme Court of Nigeria against the federal government, over the alleged non-remittance of recovered assets into the federation account.

The suit with number SC/395/2021 dated March 9, 2021 was filed on June 16, 2021 on behalf of the prosecutor and has Attorney General of the Federation as the sole defendant.

The plaintiffs, which include the Attorney General of Abia State and 35 other states attorneys general are alleging that the federal government between 2015 till date from both international and domestic forfeiture recovered the sum of N1.8 trillion cash, 167 properties, 450 cars, 300 trucks and cargoes and 20 million barrels of crude oil worth about N450 billion, but illegally appropriated the assets meant for the three tiers of government.

The suit revealed that some of the questions raised for determination by the apex court are whether by sections 162 and 80 of the Constitution assets confiscated, recovered or forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria constitute revenues payable to the federation account instead of the consolidated revenue account of the federal government.

They further asked the court to determine whether by the constitutional provisions mentioned above, revenues accruing to the federation can be appropriated and applied by the President through the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning or any other ministry or agency without due allocation from the federation account and the approval of the National Assembly.

The plaintiffs want the Supreme Court to declare, “that by the provisions of Section 162(1) and Section 162(10) of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), all income, returns, proceeds or receipts howsoever described derived from confiscated, forfeited and/or recovered assets constitute revenue of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which must be remitted to federation account for the collective benefit of the federal, state and local governments.”

They also want the court to declare that “the failure and/or refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari, the minister of finance, the office of the AGF, and the accountant-general of the federation, and all other relevant authorities and/or agencies of the federation to remit the receipts, income, returns or proceeds derived from all assets recovered, seized, confiscated and forfeited into the federation account to be distributed in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution” is unconstitutional.

“A declaration that it is unconstitutional for the president, through the federal minister of finance, the AGF, or any other authority whatsoever, to utilise, apply, allocate, expend and appropriate same to itself or distribute same in any other manner howsoever without due allocation from the federation account”.

In a 71 paragraphs affidavit deposed to in support of the originating summons, the plaintiffs claimed that they have been denied their fair share from the federation account.

They also submitted that the establishment of the “asset tracing, recovery and management regulation 2019” done by the president through the AGF, contradicts the provisions of the constitution, and that the AGF acted beyond his constitutional powers.

The affidavit deposed to by Asishana Okauru, one who claimed to be the Director General of the Nigerian Governors Forum, alleged that the recovered assets had not been accounted for by the federal government, adding that it is in the interest of equity and fiscal federalism for the said assets already appropriated by the federal government is recovered.

The prosecutors are therefore seeking an order of the apex court directing the president, finance minister, accountant-general of the federation, and all other relevant authorities “to give account of all the receipts, income, returns or proceeds derived from all assets recovered, seized, confiscated and/or forfeited to the federal republic of Nigeria in the sum of N1,836,906,543,658.73 (cash) and N450,000,000,000.00 (non-cash)”, and remit same forthwith into the federation account,” the document reads.