By Suleiman Yakubu

The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal (NAEPT) in Niger State, has concluded plan to deliver judgement on the petitions received from the February 25 2023, elections.
The tribunal has reserved indefinitely, a date for the delivery of judgement as all parties' counsels in the petitions adopted their final written addresses and admitted by the three members panel of the tribunal for onward judgement.
However, the second tribunal led by Justice Godspower Anugwa was still ongoing as hearing into the state House of Assembly and two Federal House of Representatives was still going on.
Justice Angela Otaluka led tribunal sitting at the Minna High Court complex, in its sitting of July 27 adopted, the 17 petitions filed by various petitioners counsels during the pre-hearings of the tribunal.
Equally, the tribunal received and admitted a total of 455 exhibits and evidences during the hearings, which among them included ballot papers, BVAS machines, among others.
A total of seventeen petitions were received, among them included three Senatorial Districts of Niger South, Niger North Senatorial and Niger East Senatorial Districts petitions have been reserved for judgement on a date to be announced to the respective counsels to the petitioners and their respondents.
Shehu Abubakar, who contested the Senatorial seat of the Niger North under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), filed a petition against the immediate past Governor of Niger State Abubakar Sani Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Shehu Abubakar, approached the tribunal challenging the victory of Abubakar Sani Bello, alledging that the election was marred with irregularities, votes buying, over votings among other electoral malpractices. His counsel, Barrister Hussain Umar Garba, prayed the tribunal to upturn the election and declare his client the winner of the election "having scored the majority of votes casted at the February 25 2023 election".
Similarly, Senator Mohammed Bima of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenged the election of Senator Peter Jiya of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the alledgations of multiple votes, and other electoral malpractices during the conduct of the election.
Meanwhile, Stephen Usman Adehi SAN. counsel to Senator Mohammed Sani Musa of the All Progessives Congress (APC), has adopted his final written address.
Senator Mohammed Sani Musa was dragged to the tribunal by Ibrahim Isyaku SAN, who contested the February 25 National Assembly Election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was challenging the victory of Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, before the Justice Godspower Anugwa election petition tribunal alledging that he was the rightful winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election to represent Niger East senatorial district.
He alleged that the election was characterized with over voting, vote buying and other irregularities.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Nigeria Police operatives, attached to Tafa Division of Niger State Command, have intercepted a Volkswagen vehicle with Registration number LkJ 739 BJ, along Kaduna/Abuja Highway, and arrested its nine occupants suspected to be criminally minded.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State Command, DSP Wasiu Abidoun, who disclosed this in a press release issued and obtained by Newsline, said that the vehicle was intercepted based on an intelligence report received, that the vehicle body was found to have been riddled with bullet impacts, and the occupants, numbering nine men, suspected to be criminals, were arrested.
The suspects, according to DSP Abidoun, were Mohammed Sani, Hakimi Abdullahi, Aminu Bello, Buhari Abdullah I, Tasiu Abdullahi, Kabiru Abdullahi, Bello Awual, Kabiru Abubakar, Abdullahi Dabo, and Babangida Ibrahim.
The preliminary investigation, according to the police spokesperson, however revealed that the arrested suspects specialised in targeting and monitoring faulty loaded trucks along Abuja/Kaduna Road, Keffi/Jos Road, Nassarawa/Akwanga Road, and Suleja/Minna Road.
The syndicate, DSP Wasiu Abidoun said, was discovered to have been engaged in, attacking, and breaking into trucks and containers while looting items and properties contained therein.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and clarified that they have a warehouse at Akwanga, where they keep the looted items while they sell them in Kano.
They later attempted to bribe the DPO in charge of Tafa Division to terminate the case with an offer of Five hundred thousand naira (N500,000), adding that all the suspects were transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ogundele Joshua Ayodeji, appreciated all Nigerlites and assured members of the public that the police will continue to live up to their responsibility by fighting against all forms of crime and criminalities to make the state crime-free.