Gunmen kill LG legislator

Gunmen Thursday night shot dead the leader of Ahoad West Local Government Area Legislative Assembly in Rivers State, Hon Ekele Chikobi.

Chikobi was also the Chairman, Mobilization SubCommittee of 2019 PDP Campaign Council in the local government area. He was killed when their bus was ambushed along the East West road as they were returning from a political campaign.

A witness said Chikobi died on the spot while other occupants sustained injuries.

The Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) DSP Nnamdi Omoni, could not confirm the story at the time of filling this report, but Governor Nyesom Wike, said the state government would ensure that the killers are brought to justice.

Farmers seek speedy passage of bills

Farmers from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa and Niger states have called on the National Assembly to quickly pass three bills concerning them before the legislature.

They include the Fertilizer Quality Control Bill, the Independent Warehouse Receipt System Bill and the National Agricultural Seed Council Bill.

Speaking at an event to mobilise the farmers to push for the passage of the bills in The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has denied allegations that it plans to shut down internet services during the general elections.

A statement from ONSA spokesman Danjuma Reuben yesterday said: “The office wishes to advise the general public to disregard the allegation, which is a disinformation.” Abuja, the National President, Association of Small Scale Agric Producers in Nigeria, (ASSAPIN), Joshua Jonathan, said if the bills were eventually passed, farmers would have the right fertilizer quality, seed quality and better storage facilities.

Also speaking, Dolapo Enejor of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and Project Manager, Agribusiness Legislative Reforms Project, said they convened to talk and sensitise them about the bills that have been pending for quite a while at the legislative chambers.

NSA: No plan to shut internet for polls

It added that, “This office wishes to state that the internet and associated communications infrastructure are major components of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) which the ONSA is mandated to ensure its security.” Furthermore, every single national security platform in the country rides on the same internet to function. Therefore “shutting down” the internet is akin to shutting down national development and security.”