UBEC board chairman, daughter, others kidnapped along Abuja-Kaduna expressway

The chairman of the Governing Board of Universal Basic Education
Commission, UBEC, Mohammed Abubakar, is among the dozens of people
kidnapped Monday along Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

Family source confirmed the abduction to our reporter, saying Mr
Abubakar was kidnapped alongside his daughter while traveling to
Abuja.

It was gathered that his driver was shot dead on the spot as the
assailants shot sporadically at moving vehicles.

“It is true he was kidnapped today alongside his daughter. They
shot his driver on the spot,” the source who preferred not to be
named said.

A witness, Mohammed Dambatta, who escaped the attack told DAILY
NIGERIAN that the attack occurred at 3pm at Kurmin Kare in Kachia
Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to him, the kidnappers opened fire sporadically on
Abuja-bound travellers, forcing at least 15 vehicles to stop and
successfully shepherded the occupants into the bush.

“I counted about 15 vehicles without occupants, including a
police van, a Kano Line bus and a jeep. The driver of the jeep was
apparently shot. Some of those who emerged from the bush after the
attack suffered gunshot wounds,” he said.

Although police did not officially speak on the incident, local
sources said at least 10 people lost their lives in the attack.

On Sunday, the Nigeria Police Force said it had arrested
Abubakar Ibrahim, 37, the suspected killer of late traditional
ruler of Adara chiefdom, Maiwada Galadima of Kajuru Local
Government Area of Kaduna state and 17 other suspected
kidnappers/armed robbers.

The late Mr Galadima was abducted and murdered by his abductors
in October 2018, after being held captive for days.

Other suspects arrested in the recent raid are: Johnson Okafor,
44, Shaibu Iliyasu, 20, Ishaik Dabo,38, Mohammed Nasiru, 25, Aminu
Haruna, 25, Shafiu Gudau, 25, Auwalu Hamisu, 24, Ado Ya’u, 35,
Ibrahim Yusuf, 30, Ibrahim Audu, 22, Salisu Ajah, 50, Magaji
Abubakar, 27, Salisu Ali, 18, among others.

A statement by the force spokesperson, Frank Mba, on Sunday in
Abuja, said Mr Ibrahim was arrested on April 15 at Rigachikun in
Igabi Local Government of Kaduna State.

He said the suspect confessed to the kidnapping and murder of
the traditional ruler of Adara and other kidnappings and
murders.

Mr Mba, a deputy commissioner of police, said the arrest of
other suspects followed the arrest of the “Spiritual Father” of
kidnappers and armed bandits operating in the Northern part of the
country, Salisu Abubakar.

He said items recovered from the suspects were: 22 AK 47 rifles,
five locally fabricated pistols and a cache of live ammunition.

He said the combined team of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT
and Tactical Intelligence Unit, TIU of the police arrested the
suspects at different locations and times in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger
and Kogi states.

He said the suspects have been into some of the most heinous
crimes committed in Kaduna State and its environs in recent
times.

The spokesman said the arrested gang members were also linked to
kidnapping and murder of Yakubu Usman, 40, of Jere Local Government
Area of Kaduna State and many other crimes.

He said the suspects were currently in custody, assisting the
ongoing investigations.

Mr Mba said the suspects belong to different criminal gangs but
their operations were centrally coordinated by their spiritual
godfather.

He said efforts were currently being intensified to arrest other
gang members still at large, and recover all weapons in the gangs’
armory.

Mr Mba quoted the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu,
as re-assuring that the police would not rest on its oars until
kidnapping and other crimes were subdued.

Mr Adamu on April 5 inaugurated “Operation Puff Adder” to fight
insecurity along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

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ICT: FG Engages Academia, Stakeholders for Innovation

In its quest to foster rapid revolution, innovation, industrial
growth, and sustainable development in the Nigerian ICT sector, the
Federal Government says it is facilitating greater linkages between
the Academia, stakeholders in the ICT sector and the international
telecommunication union (ITU) for cordial collaboration to attain
the nation’s (ICT) set goals and objectives.

Minister of communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, who was
represented by Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Dr.
Patricks Oghuma disclosed this while addressing participants at the
international conference on Information Technology in Education and
Development (ITED-2019) with the theme “Advancing the Capacities of
Information Technology professionals for Rapid National
Development”, held at Baze University, Abuja.

He said, “We count on the continued engagements of the private
sector and interest groups of ICT professionals to support the
economic policies of this administration. Our destiny with regards
to national development are in our own hands as ICT
professionals”.

Dr. Shittu maintains that the Ministry of Communications will
ensure Nigeria continues its good work within the ITU and also
ensure her interests in relation to the national ICT policy is
protected and enhanced which explains why it has identified the
need to collaborate with academia in the area of research and
national development.

He charged the Academia to undertake focused research, targeted
at solving specific problems, leveraging on its huge students
/talents capacity, adding that they should let the outcome of their
research findings are relevant and useful for the market and
national development in the long run.

The Minister Regretted that these days, universities are being
evaluated based on the number of papers they write and publish
rather than on practical knowledge and result oriented techniques
that companies need.

He described the “mathematics-based science” as a mismatch,
stating that the trend must be changed in tandem with the creative
economic paradigm of the 21st century.

He assures that his Ministry would not rest on its oars to
rejuvenate its mandate by ensuring ICT professionals are always
consulted and engaged, as well as liaise with research think tanks,
relevant scholarly communities for national development.

Highlighting the significance of the conference, the President,
Academic Information Technology Professionals (AITP), Prof. A..A
Obiniyi said the aim of AITP is to enhance quality education and
ensure high impact research in computer science, information
technology and related disciplines, with interest in use of
information technology to enhance national development

He pointed out that the time has come for Nigeria to set a pace
for the establishment of professionalism in the IT, teaching and
related discipline and must therefore brainstorm on how to put
Nigeria on the global map by looking into what we have to get what
we need.

According to him, “we need to explore a new, innovative and
emerging form of research emanating from our laboratories which can
bring to bearing local contents”.