Headlines
Police arrest suspected arsonist for ‘killing 3 family members in Kano’
By Nazifi Dawud
The Kano police command has arrested the alleged mastermind of the arson attack in Ungoggo local government area of Kano state, where three family members including a 2-year-old baby died in an inferno.
The suspect, Salisu Idris, 25, is believed to have locked up the deceased family’s house and thereafter set the building ablaze, killing a 50-year-old Aminu Bala, his wife, Rukayya Aminu, 30, and their 2-year-old daughter Aisha Aminu.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at Gayawa Tsohuwa village, Ungogo local government area.
ALSO Read: Arson fire kills husband, wife, 2-year-old daughter in Kano
Confirming the arrest of the suspect, Kano police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said Mr Idris was nabbed after the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, gave an order to arrest the perpetrator of the dastardly act within 24 hours.
“On Wednesday around 3am we received a report of a strange fire incident from Gayawa Tsohuwa in Ungogo local government area which we promised to investigate.
“Using our community policing strategies we were able to trace, track and arrest one person by name Salisu Idris of Gayawa Gabas village in the same ungogo local government area. We traced him and arrested him with some wounds on his body,” Mr Kiyawa, a deputy superintendent of police told journalists.
“We interrogated him and we found out that they were two that carried out the act and the other one is at large and very soon we’ll get him,” he added.
Answering questions from reporters, Mr Idris confessed that he was hired on a payment of N200,000 to carryout the heinous crime.
The suspect, who claimed to be a mobile phone seller at Farm Centre market in Kano city, added that he wanted to use the crime proceeds to enroll in Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano.
“A friend of mine asked me to accompany him to the house. He asked me to come along with him and that at the end of the operation he will give me N200, 000. We came around 2 pm. And when we came we both climbed unto the building with petrol and immediately the fire started, it caught me and burnt my hands and legs,” he said.
Mr Idris said he was traced and arrested after he tried to seek treatment at a local clinic in the community for the burns he had sustained during the arson attack.
Nasiru Yusuf
A Kano State High Court has disçharged and acquitted two suspected armed robbers accused of killing their victim, Bako Zangina, an offense punishable by death.
Kano Focus reports that Justice Suleman Namalam held that though the court has no doubt that the accused are criminals having been convicted previously, the prosecution has failed to estabilish the ingredient of the offence beyond reasonable doubt in the instant case.
The accused Isyaku Umar otherwise known as ‘Small’ and Ibrahim Suleiman were arraigned in court on three counts charges of conspiracy,attempted armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable by death.
The two accused have been in custody since October 2007 for the alleged killing of Bako Zangina.
The court held that while the prosecution established the death of the victim, it failed to establish three ingredients of offense linking the identity of the accused to the crime thereby creating doubt.
The trial judge held that failure of the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt left the court with no option than to discharge and acquitt the two accused.
The two accused persons have been in detention for over 13 years and have previously been tried and convicted for armed robbery.
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program has won the twin National Tuberculosis and Leprosy awards for the year 2020.
Kano Focus reports that, the awards were announced by the Nigeria National TB, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control program during the Annual Review meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital.
Kano get the award as the state with highest consistent quarterly TB case notification for 2020 and the highest TB testing laboratory using GeneXpert Machine.
This is the first time the state have won such National TB and Leprosy Awards.
Nasiru Yusuf
The federal government has on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mota-Engil Group for the construction of US$1.959 billion Kano-Maradi Standard gauge railway line.
Kano Focus reports that the Minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi signed on behalf of the federal government while the Managing Director, Mota- Engil, Antonio Gvoea signed on behalf of the contracting firm.
The new railway corridor which is to be located in northern Nigeria will run through Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states and through Niger Republic territory as far as Maradi.
Other cities to benefit directly from the passage of the rail route are Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.
A statement signed by Eric Ojiekwe, Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation noted that the 283.750-kilometre rail line besides developing freight and passenger transport, “will be integrated with road transport to make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.”
The project duration is for 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani; Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh; Managing Director, Mota-Engil Group, Antonio Gvoea; Head of Legal, Mota- Engil Group, Cameron Beverley; Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada; Director, Mota-Engil Group, Kola Abdulkarim; Vice President, Mota-Engil Group, Mohammed Abdul-Razaq; Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar; Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman among other personalities.
Mota-Engil is a Portuguese conglomerate with diverse interest in construction, transportation, public works, port operations, waste, water and logistics with presence in 23 countries spread across Africa, Europe and Latin America.
Kano High Court acquits 2 suspected armed robbers detained for 13 years
Kano wins national award in the fight against TB, leprosy
FG signs US$1.959bn Kano-Maradi railway project
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