The organisation said the decision became necessary following rising security challenges.

The incident came barely one year after the March 28, 2022 attack by bandits on the Abuja-Kaduna train, resulting in the death of about 14 passengers while 65 others were abducted.

One of the victims and 21-year-old student of Kaduna State University, Lois Azurfa John, told our correspondent why she declined marriage proposals by the Boko Haram commander while in the custody of the insurgents.

A public announcement by the NRC posted on the passengers’ WhatsApp Group obtained by our correspondent said the closure was “till further notice.”

The statement reads, “Public Announcement: This is to inform our general public and most especially our esteemed passengers, that Ekehen Station has been temporarily closed due to security issues, till further notice.”

Another notice reads, “Due to the incident at Ekehen station on Saturday, WITS 01/ 02 will no longer stop at Ekehen Station. Please advise our customers.”

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Saturday evening abducted many passengers waiting to board a train from the Igueben station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta State, while many others sustained injuries.

The Spokesperson for Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident in a statement.

According to him, the abductors, armed with AK 47, invaded the train station and shot sporadically into the air before abducting scores of intending travellers into the bush.

Nwabuzor said that many of the passengers sustained bullet wounds, assuring that operatives were on the trail of the abductors with an aim to rescue those the kidnappers herded into the bush.

He said, “This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that on January 7, 2023, at about 1600hrs, an unspecified number of herdsmen armed with AK-47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and kidnapped an unspecified number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri.

“The kidnappers who shot sporadically into the air before kidnapping some passengers left some persons with bullet wounds. The Area Commander Irrua, DPO Igueben Division, and men have visited the scene of the crime with members of the Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes, and hunters with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers.

“Bush combing operations have commenced in order to rescue the victims and arrest the fleeing kidnappers. Further developments will be communicated.”

This means that a total of N1.31tn was borrowed within a period of about seven years by the states.

The nine states are Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Abia, Ondo, Imo, Bayelsa and Lagos.

The oil-producing states received the sum of N6.4tn in federal allocation and 13 per cent derivation fund.

The Federal Government disbursed a total of N1.98tn as a share of the 13 per cent derivation fund to oil-producing states, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National budget, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed on Thursday, at the sixth edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard.

She stated that the amount was paid in seven years despite some of the funds preceding the current administration.

She said, “One of the key functions of the Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning is in support of states. The President understands very clearly that this economy wouldn’t have been growing consecutively or wouldn’t have been able to pull ourselves out of recession twice.

“We wouldn’t have been able to grow consistently without enabling the states to grow because it is a federation.

“Mr. President has been very uniquely generous in his support to states. I can say no president has provided the level of support provided to the states of the Federation.

“He understands that the federating units need to work together as one to achieve the targets that he has set for the country. So, everybody goes to support sub-national governments.

“In seven years, we have disbursed N1.98 trillion in funds to oil-producing states.”

The 13 per cent derivation fund has been a controversial issue after comments by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, alleging that the oil-producing states had refused to disclose their own shares paid by the Federal Government from 1999 to all the Niger Delta States.

Ahmed further said that the government had supported states of the federation N5.03tn and an additional $3.4bn since 2015.

She said, “With respect to sub-national governments, the ministry goes over and above its statutory role to provide financial support to States:

“A total of N5.03tn plus an additional $3.4bn has been released to states by the Federal Government over the life of this administration.

“Each of these payments has distinct repayment terms with some given as grants and others as loans with favourable repayment terms, including a long amortisation period.

“The support covers the 13 per cent Derivation refund to oil-producing states, refunds for construction of federal roads, ecological support, support from the Development of Natural Resources Fund, Paris Club refunds, support from the Stabilisation Fund, COVID intervention amongst others.”

Reeling out the details, Ahmed said N445bn was given as salary bailout to states except Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Jigawa, Lagos and Yobe in September 2015, while N340bn was disbursed to states except Lagos and Osun as excess crude loan. Also, N610bn was allocated to all states, except Lagos, as a budget support facility.

Other support included: $2.67tn as an outright Paris Club refund; N750m disbursed in 2021 as an SFTAS reward; and N600bn paid as withdrawal from payment of subsidy in April 2022.

Speaking further, the minister revealed that the non-oil sector had continued to maintain high-level performance in terms of revenue generated, adding that it was currently the mainstay of the nation’s economy.

She said that the sector contributed N1.71trn out of the total revenue of N4.19trn, an outturn of 100.7 per cent compared to the budget projection.

“Today, I call your attention to the very high performance of the non-oil sector of our economy. As of September 2022, the Federal Government’s share of oil revenues to fund the budget was N535.5bn representing 32.6 per cent performance), while non-oil tax revenues totalled N1.71tn an outturn of 100.7 per cent compared to the budget projection.

“The non-oil revenue share of funding the Federal Government has improved. We have been able to move from contributing 35 per cent to the federal budget to contributing 73 per cent to the financing of the federal budget.”

In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the decision was taken at a State Working Committee meeting that held at the state party secretariat on Tuesday, with a two-third majority of members resolving in a motion that the state chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, should step aside from his position.

The statement further read, “An Investigative Committee is hereby set up, headed by the State Legal Adviser Barr. Arthur Esene, and is mandated to report back to the Working Committee within one week. Other members of the Committee are Mrs Linsdale Tes Sorae (State Woman Leader) and Dr Wilson Imongan (State Auditor). Amongst the allegations, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi was accused of gross misconduct by brewing unnecessary tension and disunity among party members in the state in a manner akin to bringing the party into disrepute. This decision hard as it is, is designed to bring sanity back to our party. It would be like ignoring the elephant in the room if we ignore this macabre dance as Edo people have watched in utter amazement and disappointment how Aziegbemi has been roped and entangled by his actions and unfortunately too, his inactions in the management of the affairs of the party. We are a very disciplined party and pride ourselves as organised and focused on service delivery to our teeming supporters and of course Edo people. We urge our members and supporters to please remain calm as we embark on this self-cleansing exercise. PDP is listening to the cries of Edo people.”

In Edo State, apart from the two persons killed when hoodlums attacked the protesters at Ring Road in Benin City, some others sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

One of the deceased persons, identified as Ikpomwosa, sustained several machete cuts before he eventually died. The other person was said to have been taken away from the scene of the attack by friends.

The hoodlums, clad in red T-shirts, were said to have suddenly appeared with guns, cutlasses and other weapons to attack them.

Some of those who had gunshot injuries in the attack were rushed to the nearby Central Hospital, while the body of Ikpomwosa was conveyed in an ambulance and taken to the Government House.

However, the protesters later regrouped after the hoodlums had been chased away.

A 60-year-old protester, Victoria Nkechi, said she came out to support the youths in their protest for good governance.

The health agency confirmed this in a tweet on Tuesday night.

16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja were identified as states with the new infections.

Even as the country continues to record new cases, it seems as if there will be light at the end of the tunnel with over 13,792 patients, who have recovered from COVID-19 and have been discharged in different states.

But it quite unfortunate the country has also recorded 754 death from COVID-19 complications

Lagos State remains the epicentre for the virus with 128 new infections, bringing the total infections in the state to 12, 711.

Other states with new infections are Kwara – 92, Enugu – 39, Delta – 33, Edo – 29, Plateau – 28, Kaduna – 23, Oyo – 15 with Ogun and Osun each having cases.

Though new infections in the FCT stand at 12, relatively low when compared to 99 cases as of July 13, states like Ondo and Rivers each reported 9 fresh infections.

Meanwhile, states with fewer cases include Abia – 8, Bayelsa – 5, Ekiti – 3 and Borno – 2.

See Tweet below: 

463 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;

Lagos-128
Kwara-92
Enugu-39
Delta-33
Edo-29
Plateau-28
Kaduna-23
Oyo-15
Ogun-14
Osun-14
FCT-12
Ondo-9
Rivers-9
Abia-8
Bayelsa-5
Ekiti-3
Borno-2

33,616 confirmed
13,792 discharged
754 deaths pic.twitter.com/0F4zsoNjCt

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) July 14, 2020

INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education Festus Okoye said that they convened a meeting due to the crisis which might impede the smooth conduct of primaries and the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state.

The INEC Commissioner said “In view of this and as part of its commitment to deepen the use of technology in elections, the commission will conduct a training programme for Liaison Officers nominated by all the registered Political Parties on the use of the INEC Portal for uploading nomination forms of candidates. The training will take place at the Conference Hall of the Commission on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June 2020 in two batches, to allow for physical distancing in line with the COVID-19 protocols. Political Parties should note that the organisation and scheduling of various activities and processes leading to the conduct of elections are complex and involve extensive and careful planning and any disruption of these processes comes at a huge cost to the nation. The spate and tenor of pre-election litigations and the conflicting orders emanating therefrom can harm the smooth conduct of primaries and the upcoming elections.”

The Rivers State Governor who was accused of being responsible for an order restraining Governor Godwin Obaseki from participating in the PDP primary election ahead of the governorship poll in Edo state lashed out at members of the national working committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who he described as “tax collectors”.

In a statement released by Rivers state commissioner for information and communication Paulinus Nsirim on Tuesday, June 23, Wike queried the NWC for not consulting with governors in the case of Bayelsa state and further alleged that they are blackmailing him.

Wike said “I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors.  They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible. I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo state. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa, and Delta states, know what I have done to resolve the issues in Edo state. As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement. My integrity matters. I have also directed my lawyer to write ThisDay Newspaper on the publication they made against me in their Tuesday, 23rd June 2020 edition. I know the members of the National Working Committee of PDP who connived with ThisDay. They are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts. Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back. I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State. Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally. I will always continue to satisfy my conscience. From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State.”