Gov Buni tasks Permanent Secretaries on service delivery, accountability

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has tasked the Permanent Secretaries with an effective and efficient public service delivery and accountability to the people in the state.

He said an improved service delivery can justify the government’s investment in their welfare and professional public service delivery.

Buni gave the task on Thursday in Damaturu, when representatives of the permanent secretaries visited him to express their appreciation for the recent upward review of salaries in the civil service.

The governor congratulated more than 400 graduates sponsored by the state government to study health-related and engineering courses at universities in India under the Buni Scholars programme

The Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mamman Mohammed, in a statement disclosed: “The state government had invested substantially in training civil servants to fill vacancies created by the retirement of experienced personnel, ensure continuity and improve service delivery.”

Addressing the permanent secretaries, Buni urged them to demonstrate their leadership and serve as positive examples to younger civil servants working under them.

“You are the role models of the younger civil servants working under you, you should therefore lead by example. The government reviewed your salaries to improve your welfare and the growing responsibilities that accompanied your offices,” he said.

The governor stressed that the improved remuneration should translate into greater commitment to public service and better outcomes for the people of the state.

“It is said to whom much is given, much is equally expected; you should therefore justify this gesture by putting in your best to serve our people better,” Buni added.

The Head of Service (HoS), Abdullahi Musa, said the permanent secretaries considered it necessary to visit the governor to express their appreciation for the salary review.

Musa explained that the more than 20 permanent secretaries in the state had remained on the same salary structure since 2006, lamen ting that previous efforts to secure a review had been unsuccessful until the current administration.

“Since 2006, Permanent Secretaries in the state had been on a static salary Structure and all efforts to get it reviewed had not been fruitful until now under your administration,” he said.

He commended Buni for approving the adjustment, describing the decision as a significant development for senior civil servants in the state.

“Your Excellency, you have made Yobe Permanent Secretaries as role models of other state permanent secretaries, thank you sir,” Musa said.

He assured the governor that the permanent secretaries would reciprocate the gesture through improved commitment to their responsibilities.

He said they would justify the salary review “to the fullest of their ability” for the benefit of the state and its residents.

In a related development, more than 400 graduates sponsored by the Yobe State Government to study at universities in India visited Buni following the completion of their studies in various health-related and engineering disciplines.

The graduates, known as Buni Scholars, expressed appreciation to the governor for providing them with educational opportunities and supporting their professional development.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Fatima Kolo said the sponsorship had given them an opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills that would benefit both their personal development and the state.

She pledged that the graduates would uphold the values of the programme and contribute to Yobe’s development.

“Thank you, Your Excellency, our Governor for giving us this opportunity at the very beginning of our lives, we assure you of upholding this legacy and giving back to the state,” Kolo said.

Responding, Buni congratulated the graduates on completing their studies and commended them for representing the state positively.

Yobe Police Arrest Five Over Alleged Electricity Vandalism, Fraud

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

The Yobe State Police Command has arrested five suspects in separate operations linked to the alleged vandalism of electricity infrastructure and fraud in Fika and Tarmuwa Local Government Areas of the state.

Police spokesperson, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Thursday in Damaturu, saying the operations were part of ongoing efforts to tackle criminal activities across the state.

According to him, operatives attached to the ‘A’ Division in Damaturu apprehended two suspects over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of food items from a shop along the Ajari–Gashua Road.

Mr Abdulkarim explained that the incident occurred on 31 July when an accomplice allegedly impersonated the complainant during a telephone conversation and deceitfully obtained a carton of OBA spaghetti and two half bags of parboiled rice.

He said detectives launched an investigation immediately after the case was reported, leading to the arrest of the suspects, who reside in the Zanna Zakarya and Waziri Ibrahim housing estates in Damaturu.

“The suspects admitted their involvement during interrogation, while the stolen food items were recovered and registered as exhibits,” he said.

The police spokesperson added that investigations were continuing to identify and arrest other persons connected with the alleged fraud before prosecution.

In a separate operation, Mr Abdulkarim said officers from the Fika Divisional Police Headquarters responded to a distress call on Thursday morning following reports that unknown persons had vandalised a community electricity transformer and stolen its power cable.

He said police personnel, working alongside local vigilantes and community members, tracked down a 23-year-old suspect who was allegedly found in possession of the stolen cable.

According to him, the suspect confessed to the offence, leading investigators to arrest two additional suspects believed to be connected to the crime.

“The stolen transformer cable has been recovered, while investigations are ongoing to uncover the full network behind the vandalism and ensure everyone involved is brought to justice,” he said.

The command also confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with an alleged assault in Tarmuwa Local Government Area.

Mr Abdulkarim said preliminary findings indicated that the suspect allegedly confronted another man after discovering him in what he described as a compromising situation with his wife near her parents’ residence in Danewa-Biriri village.

He alleged that the confrontation escalated, with the suspect shooting the victim with a bow and arrow, causing serious injuries.

The victim is currently receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Damaturu, while the suspect remains in police custody pending the conclusion of investigations.

The spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police, Usman Kanfani Jibrin, urged residents to remain peaceful and always seek lawful means of resolving disputes instead of resorting to violence or taking the law into their own hands.

Police Foil Kidnap Attempt, Rescue Four Teenage Girls in Yobe

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

The Yobe State Police Command has thwarted an attempted kidnapping in Fika Local Government Area, rescuing four teenage girls who were attacked while returning from their farms along the Fika–Bajoga Road.

The police said the victims, aged between 15 and 17, were rescued unharmed after a swift response by security operatives and local vigilantes.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Damaturu, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, said the successful operation underscores the command’s ongoing efforts to combat criminal activities across the state.

According to him, the incident occurred on Sunday, June 28, at about 2:23 p.m., when the Fika Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call that unidentified armed men had attacked and abducted four young girls at Didim Village in Fika Local Government Area.

Mr Abdulkarim said police officers attached to the Kukar Gadu Outstation immediately mobilised alongside members of the local vigilante group to pursue the suspects. Additional reinforcements from the Fika Division were also deployed to the area.

“The coordinated rescue operation led to the successful recovery of all four victims without any injuries,” he said.

Following their rescue, the girls were taken to the Kukar Gadu Primary Health Care Centre, where they received medical attention and other necessary support before they were reunited with their families.

The police spokesperson said efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, describing them as members of a criminal syndicate operating in the area.

He added that the Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, had directed sustained, intelligence-driven operations to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted.

The commissioner also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state, while appealing to residents to remain vigilant and support security agencies with credible and timely information on suspicious individuals, movements, or vehicles.

The latest rescue comes amid intensified security operations by the Yobe State Police Command aimed at curbing kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.