Southern Kaduna crisis is being exaggerated – Police Commissioner

Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Agyole Abeh has said the crisis in the southern part of the state is largely exaggerated.

Abeh stated this in Kafanchan on Friday, while giving update on the security situation in the area.

He also claimed that some Southern Kaduna leaders were compounding the issues due to their selfish interest.

“The issue of people being killed and houses burnt are all exaggerated,” he said.

“The crisis in southern Kaduna is about attacks and reprisal attacks, but the security is on top of the situation.

“We are not taking sides in our operation; we are paid by the federal republic of Nigeria and we are committed to sustaining peace in the communities.

“We will always respond if there is breakdown of law and order.

“We will do everything possible to ensure that peace is restored in this part of the state. We have enough security force on ground to curtail the situation”, he said.

The Commissioner said some arrests had been made since the crisis started and appealed to the communities to maintain peace.

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White House reportedly bars CNN, New York Times, others from press briefing

The White House on Friday barred a few news networks from its press briefing, as President Donald Trump continues to fight against those who allegedly spread “fake news.”

Media houses like CNN, the New York Times, Buzzfeed, the Los Angeles Times and Politico were all denied access.

However, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox, Breitbart, the Washington Times, and One America News Network were all given access.The briefing was a “gaggle” — an informal session that’s on the record, but without cameras televising the event.

The Associated Press and Time reportedly boycotted the briefing.

Editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, Ben Smith in a statement, said: “While we strongly object to the White House’s apparent attempt to punish news outlets whose coverage it does not like, we won’t let these latest antics distract us from continuing to cover this administration fairly and aggressively.”

The president of the White House Correspondents Association, Jeff Mason, said they will discuss the development.

“The WHCA board is protesting strongly against how today’s gaggle is being handled by the White House,” Mason, who is also chief white house correspondent for Reuters, said.

Executive editor of the New York Times, Dean Baquet, also issued a statement to the paper.

He said: “Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties,” Baquet said in the statement. “We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organizations. Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest.”

A White House communications official denied that the publications had been blocked

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Ban on multiple wives: Do not violate the Quran – Islamic cleric, Daurawa warns Sanusi

An Islamic cleric and Kano State Commander-General of the Hibah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, has reacted to the plan by the Emir of kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, to propose a law that restricts poor men in the emirate from marrying many wives.

Recall that Sanusi had divulged his plans, saying he would ensure that the law would be passed by the Kano State Government as a way of immortalizing Ambasador Isa Wali, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, who was one of the first northern elements to advocate gender equality.

But the cleric, in his reaction, said the Emir’s plan will violate the Quran.

Speaking with BBC Hausa, Daurawa said the criteria for marrying another wife as contained in the Quran should be strictly followed.

Daurawa advised the monarch to focus on enlightening the people on the intricacies of polygamy.

He said, “Allah’s position on marriage is sacrosanct as stated in the Holy Quran and any infringement is nullity.

“What needs to be done is not enactment of a law that would bar the poor from marrying more than one wife but rather enlightenment on the intricacies of polygamy.

“There about 13 criteria to be followed before one qualifies to marry a second wife and this include been just and caring to the wife as been enshrined in the Holy Quran should be strictly followed,”

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Osinbajo is doing what Buhari failed to do – Dele Momodu

The publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu, has said that Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, is effecting positive and noticeable changes in Nigeria, a feat his principal, Muhammadu Buhari failed to achieve while in the country.

Buhari handed over to Osinbajo on January 19 before proceeding to the UK on a medical vacation .

Since that time, the Acting President has been to several states in the Niger Delta and this week, stopped by the Muritala Muhammed International Airport on an impromptu visit .

The Naira has also appreciated greatly against the US dollar .

In his latest article published on Saturday, titled “Before President Buhari returns home,” Momodu praised the work done so far by Osinbajo and asked Buhari to continue when he is back.

“The good news is that the Acting President has started doing some of the things we expected and advised President Buhari to do. I do not want to over-excite anyone yet but this is smelling good, like the Americans would put it. We must enter special prayers and intercede with serious fasting so that President Buhari can continue along this path of progress when he returns to office, hopefully very shortly, by the grace of God

Momodu added: “Professor Osinbajo is re-navigating the country in the right direction and should be encouraged to do more by President Buhari. If a man discovers a snake and a woman kills it, it doesn’t matter who did what. The glory ultimately goes to President Buhari for having the wisdom of entrusting Nigeria to such a loyal and dependable ally. Baba should ignore the demons of power who may wish to drive a wedge between them. Any parent or sibling would be proud of a child making the family great. This is what Osinbajo is doing and he should be commended and applauded for it.”“I had suggested in my memos to him that what he was looking for in Sokoto (the city) is actually in his sokoto (pocket). He has got a powerful joker in the pack and that is his Vice President. Professor Osinbajo is not your typical politician. He is a technocrat with the diligence, astuteness and thoroughness of the smart lawyer that he is. He has a passion for Nigeria and its great development that is uncanny and worthy of emulation,” he wrote.

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