Taraba Facts

  Abductors of 25 youths from Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State have demanded the sum of N52 million ransom as a condition for the release of the victims.  One of the family members of the victims told  Daily Trust  in a telephone interview Friday morning that the kidnappers have established communication with them and demanding for N2 million ransom for each of the 25 persons. He said they have reliable information that the abducted youths and their driver were moved into a forest situated between Takum local government in Taraba and Katsina-Ala In Benue States by the kidnappers. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Taraba Police Command, DSP David Misal, confirmed that the kidnappers have established communication with the relations of the victims. He appealed to the youths of Takum to be patience, promising that the police were making concerted efforts to secure the release of the kidnapped victims. Daily Trust  reports that unidentified gunme...

  About 27 passengers travelling along Wukari to Takum Expressway were on Thursday kidnapped by gunmen in Taraba state. Chairman of Takum Local Government Area Shiban Tikari confirmed this to Channels television via a telephone interview. According to Tikari, the travellers were returning from a wedding ceremony in Wukari local government when the bandits attacked them at Kofai Ahmadu in Takum and whisked them away to an unknown destination alongside the vehicle. ”They were 24 passengers that left for Wukari to celebrate one of them who was getting wedded yesterday,” he said. ”When returning they decided to squeeze in three of their friends who were stranded in Wukari then this thing happened along the road. The Vehicle, an 18 seater, bus was used to convey them to the unknown destination.” He added that with the help of youths of Takum communities and some security agencies, they combed the bushes around, but found nothing. Tikari noted that so far, no call has been made by their ...

  His Excellency, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku has inaugurated the Governing boards of Taraba State Polythenic, Suntai and College of Education, Zing. The Deputy Governor, Engr. Haruna Manu who represented the Governor at the inauguration ceremony, stressed that the two tertiary Institutions have in the past contributed immensely to the progress of the state in areas of educational advancement in State. He said the Institutions, however, need to do more by re-strategizing in line with modern trends worldwide in the training of professional Teachers to improve education. “This administration recognizes that education is the bedrock of all modern societies, therefore, if we must develop as a people, premium attention must be given to the sector, in terms of investment in manpower and infrastructure.” “After a painstaking process, these eminent Tarabans, who have distinguished themselves in various fields, professions and callings were selected to serve on the Boards of these two foremo...

  Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku has directed all relevant security agencies in Taraba to beam their searchlight and fish out killers of Hon. Salihu Dovo, the council chairman of Ardo-kola Local Government Area of Taraba State. Ishaku in a press statement issued to journalists Monday in Jalingo through his SA on media and publicity, Bala Dan Abu, condoled with the family and the entire Ardo-kola local government over the unfortunate killing of Hon. Salihu Dovo. The governor, who described the act as barbaric and wicked, called on the security authorities in the state to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice He described the late chairman as a good man, a man with an abiding love for service to humanity and who certainly did not deserve to die in such circumstance. “As a local government chairman, he did a lot to make life much more meaningful for the people of his local government, the reason he enjoyed a lot of popularity among them. “His death has robbed Ardo-K...

  Suspected gunmen, on Sunday, abducted and killed the Council Chairman of Ardo-kola local government area of Taraba, Hon. Salihu Dovo and his nephew, Timothy Aminu. Aminu was killed while attempting to obstruct his abduction. Police Public Relations Officer of Taraba Command, DSP David Misal, confirmed the incident to The Nation, at Jalingo Federal Medical Centre Mortuary. Narrating the incident, Misal said the gunmen stormed the deceased’s residence located at the Sabon-Gari area of Jalingo at about 1am on Sunday, shot sporadically for over 30 minutes before kidnapping the council boss. He reported that the gunmen took Dovo towards the River Lamurde, the border between Jalingo and Ardo-Kola local government areas. PPRO Misal disclosed that the gunmen shot the victim after they noticed local vigilantes and police and could not escape with him. “His corpse was dumped in Nahuta village across the river Lamurde boundary between Ardo-Kola and Jalingo council areas. “Hi...

On Wednesday, DAILY POST reported that four members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Batch B Stream II in Taraba State  tested positive for COVID-19. The participants are in quarantine at the isolation centre of the Orientation Camp in Sibre, near Jalingo, the state capital. NYSC camps opened nationwide on Tuesday. Three corps members tested positive on resumption day and the fourth on Wednesday. But the isolation centre is not conducive; it has no electricity or medication. On Thursday, DAILY POST was informed that the camp authority was yet to return with another sample taken from the cases. “They have been giving all sorts of excuses. Now they are saying the testing machine in Jalingo is not working. That they have to take the samples to another place. “What is even more annoying is that camp officials told other corps members at the daily assembly that only two not four tested positive. This is Nigeria”, a source said. Before camps were opened, the federal government ...

  Mixed  reactions from residents of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, have continued to trail the dualisation of the Jalingo main road and building of a flyover at Roadblock area of the city. Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, awarded the contract for the road project at the cost of over N30 billion, to dualise a portion of the highway through Jalingo from Sibre to the end of town heading towards Jalingo-Numan Way, while a flyover at the Roadblock area is expected to ease the flow of traffic and add beauty to the city. However, while some residents are grateful and looking forward to the completion of the project and the benefits that will come with it, some are of the opinion that the project is a misplaced priority, stressing that it would have been better for the governor to invest the huge amount into other areas of priority to the people. Commenting on the road project, one of the residents, Mr Albert Ulehga, said: “The project is the only thing that will make you fe...

  Channels Television     File Photo of the Nigerian Army logo.   Officers of the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested some suspected hoodlums in Taraba State. The officers successfully foiled an attempted murder of a resident in Katibu community of Lau Local Government Area of the state. The swift response follows an alarm raised by the motorcyclist when he was attacked by the hoodlums in a bid to kill him and collect his motorbike. This was disclosed by the Commandant of the NSCDC Taraba state Muhammed Waksha while parading the suspects in Jalingo, the state capital. He explained that the hoodlums attacked one Sunday Sanya In Katibu area of Lau local government area of Taraba, with a machete, horn and snatched his motorcycle away, luckily he didn’t die. ”He raised alarm and they were arrested by security operatives in that area” Also paraded is a buyer who is suspected to be in the business for years now and encouraging t...

For decades, water transportation has been a major business in Ibi, a town and administrative district in Taraba State. But the award of a contract for the construction of a bridge across River Benue, if actualised, is likely to render thousands of people in that locality jobless, Daily Trust Saturday reports. Ibi, a town located on the southern bank of River Benue, is known for water transportation, which has existed for many decades. This business started with the use of canoes to ferry people across the river but gradually advance to engine boats. Over 20,000 people earn their living through this business, but it was learnt that majority of them may soon become jobless following the award of a contract for the construction of a bridge by the Federal Government. This figure includes boats and ferry operators, boat makers, repairers, food vendors and other services providers. While some members of the community who have been yearning for a bridge over the years received the news of th...

  Taraba state government has said over N34.39 billion would be used to fund salaries, pensions, and gratuities of its workforce in 2021. The state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Solomon Elisha while giving a breakdown of the approved 2021 budget of N141.62 billion on Monday, explained that the new minimum wage was taken into cognizance before arriving at the figure to fund salaries, gratuities, and pension. He said the N34.39 billion represents 41.8% of the state’s total recurrent expenditure of 2021 which stands at N82.24 billion. According to him, “the state government plans to spend the sum of N82.24 billion as recurrent expenditure, while the balance of N59.38 billion would be used for capital development. “Personnel cost has taken the largest share of 41.82% of our total expenditure, followed by the overhead cost of N27.56 billion, which represents 33.50% while recurrent liability has the least with N330 million (0.40%).” Speaking further on how the state government wo...

Dr Innocent Vakkai, the Taraba commissioner for Health, on Tuesday, denied local media reports that he embezzled the sum of N1.2 billion COVID-19 funds given to the state by the Federal Government to tackle the virus. Vakkai, who is also the Chairman, Taraba Technical Committee On COVID -19, refuted the allegations at a media briefing, in Jalingo, saying that the publication was the imagination of the publisher and thus false, with no iota of truth. He explained that all the monies sent to the state for support and management of COVID-19 were paid directly into the state government’s account and not to the committee or individuals. “I want to state here categorically that the state technical committee can only apply for funds through the Taraba government account section, we don’t have an account where support funds can be paid into for me to divert. “If one is to apply for funds, one will first of all state reasons and items, why you need such funds, you also report back to the state ...

P resident doctors strike in Taraba state enters week three, the state government, Tuesday said the demands of the aggrieved doctors were beyond the payment of COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance.  The state commissioner for health, Dr Innocent Vakkai speaking at a press parley, also disclosed that a committee has been constituted to compile the total cost of the COVID-19 hazard allowances due for health workers. He listed the demands of the striking doctors to include, “increase in doctors wages, training, and retraining of doctors on residency programs, improved working conditions and for the state to commence training of horsemanship officers. payment of the COVID-19 hazard allowance to health workers, Vakkai said the compilation of the total cost has reached the last phase and would be paid as soon as it is approved. He also used the forum to dispel insinuations that the state’s share of the Federal Government COVID-19 intervention funds was diverted. According to Vakkai, ...

  Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Joseph Albasu Kunini, has vowed that the State Legislature will deal decisively with any ministry, department or agency that fails to comply strictly with the 2021 budgetary provisions. In his speech at the resumption of plenary on Monday, 11th January, 2021, the Speaker also disclosed that the State legislators will embark on routine oversight, stressing that it will no longer be business as usual for the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the State. The Speaker further thanked his colleagues for working assidously to pass the 2021 Appropriation Bill within a record time. “By this, you have once again demonstrated and exhibited a high sense of responsibilty with uncommon and unparalleled patriotism, commitment and the absolute zeal in the service of our dear State as critical stakeholders,” he added. The Speaker further assured Tarabans that the State House Assembly, “being a people-oriented Parliament, in all i...

By  Nnenna Okoronkwo   The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed shock and deepest grief over the loss of its staff, Mr. Nuhu Hamman’Gabdo in a road accident. Hamman ’Gabdo died alongside his wife, four children, his niece and driver in an accident that occurred on Saturday, January 9, 2021 along Nasarawa-Abuja Expressway while the deceased and his family were returning from his country home, Serti in Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba State. The Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde in a statement said, until his death, Hamman ’Gabdo was a Principal Manager in the Human Capital and Administration Department of the Commission. The entire Board, Management and staff of NCC express their deepest grief over the incident and commiserate with the entire family, relatives and friends of the deceased. We pray that the Almighty grant the deceased eternal peace in His bosom and that the entire NCC and the deceased family find the fortitude to bear th...

  The successful candidates are to report at the Falgore Training Area in Kano State. The Nigerian Army has shortlisted successful candidates for its Short Service Course (SSC) 47/2021 and Direct Short Service Course (DSSC) 23/2021. According to a notice on its website, signed by GAT Ochigbano, the Military Secretary (Army), the successful candidates are to report at the Falgore Training Area in Kano State. While the SSC are to report on January 16, 2021, the Shortlisted DSSC Candidates are to report on February 1, 2021. Read full requirements: a. Writing materials including ruler and eraser. b. 2 pairs of plain white short sleeve vests. c. 2 pairs of navy blue shorts. d. Canvas shoes/trainers and white socks. e. Toiletries. f. Set of cutleries including plates and drinking cups. g. Beddings to include, blankets, bedspreads and pillow cases. h. 4 copies of full size colour photographs at standing position in suit 2. The Selection Board will involve physical, medical and academic te...