Village head, 49 others abducted in Niger Community

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Suspected armed bandits have kidnapped the Village Head of the Fugge community in the Rijau local government area,

Niger state, Mallam Abdullahi Zaure, and forty nine others. According to sources, most of those abducted during the last Friday attack were women, and children, while few of them were males.

Reports further revealed that besides those abducted, many cattle of the villagers were also rustled.

It was gathered that the terrorists invaded the village on several motorcycles and started shooting into the air to scare the villagers in broad daylight. Efforts to contact the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer PPRO DSP Wasiu Abiodun proved abortive as his phone line didn’t go through.

NSCDC maiden inter-directorate competition ends, as CG pledges to ensure annual event

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Aweek-long maiden Inter-Directorate Sports Competition organised and coordinated by the Sports Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for personnel at the National Headquarters, Abuja, has ended with 54 medals won in various competitions.

Approved by the Commandant General (CG), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the sporting event began on the 8th of May, featuring seven sporting events such as Football, Tug of war, Badminton, Table tennis, Chess, Scrabble and Dart, all of which were keenly contested for.

Represented by the Acting Deputy Commandant General (DCG) Technical Services, Engr. Saladin Adigun, the CG appreciates all participants, as well as the officials for abiding strictly by the rules of the games and exhibiting high level of sportsmanship in line with global best practices.

He stated that the competition was approved In a bid to build a united, virile and physically fit workforce that is ready to fulfill its mandates at all times and pledges to make it an annual event.

“This competition could not have come at a better time than now considering the enormous tasks we are saddled with by the government.

“I approved the competition because there is need to build a dynamic workforce that is united, virile and physically fit.

“I enjoin those that did not win medals to go back to the drawing boards, train well to perform better in the future.

“We are going to make the competition an annual event that may involve other formations of the Corps.

“I encourage all participants to sustain the tempo exhibited in the competition with a view to improving your performances on the job and in future tournaments,” the CG said.

Speaking on the competition, the Head of Sports Unit, Commandant Ogbadu Austin, appreciates the CG for granting the approval which made it possible for the competition to be held successfully.

He added that, the sports unit is preparing for a more inclusive tournament for all Officers and Men of the Corps, and that the just concluded competition is a test-run of the NSCDC games coming soon.

He expressed confidence that with the support of the CG, the forthcoming competition would be bigger and better, while at the same time, appealing for corporate sponsorship from sports loving Nigerians.

At the end of the weeklong competition among the 6 Directorates, the office of the Commandant General (CG’s office) took the first position in the overall medal table with 6 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 bronze medals.

The Civil Defence Academy, Sauka, came second with 3 Gold, 1 Silver, while the Directorate of Administration took the third position with 2 Gold, 5 Silver, and 3 Bronze Medals in the tournament.

Others are Directorates of Operations and Critical National Assets and Infrastructure with 1 Gold medal respectively.

The Directorate of Operations won the football competition after defeating Critical National Assets Directorate 2 - 1 in the finals, while the CG Office came third in the football event.