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Six killed, five injured in Katsina downpour

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A downpour on Thursday preceded by strong winds has left six people dead and five others in critical condition in Katsina city.

The Executive Secretary of Katsina State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Aminu Waziri, confirmed the incident on Friday.

The downpour, which was the first to be witnessed in the state capital this year, began few minutes after 5.00pm on Thursday and lasted about one hour. The downpour began with strong winds, which damaged structures and led to the death of the victims.

Areas that were badly affected included Kukah Gashua, Modoji, Shinkafi, Ambassador, the military and the Nigerian Air Force barracks in the city, Makera and Kambarawa respectively.

In the areas, houses were damaged, rooftops were blown off, fences were felled and several electric poles and cables were uprooted and flung off.

Among other buildings affected were the office of the West African Examination Council along the House of Assembly Road that was under construction and Shinkafi Quranic Model Primary School in Shinkafi, which had their roofs blown off.

Waziri said six people died in the incident. Although, he did not give their identities, he said four deaths were recorded at Kukah Gashua, while one was recorded each in Modoji and Shinkafi.

Report was not readily available on the dead persons was a 25-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Mustapha Salele.

Salele was said to have been killed while attempting to put some heavy stones on the roof of his building to protect it against the strong winds.

The strong winds reportedly blew him and the stones off and his body was later retrieved from a nearby house.

Arrangements were being made to bury Salele when Saturday PUNCH visited his house on Friday.

Family sources said Salele got married 13 days ago and had recently moved to the house.

Waziri, who described the incident as a natural disaster, said he could not duly quantify the damage in financial terms because members of his staff were still assessing the extent of damage with a view to determining areas where the state government could be of assistance.

He said, “My team is still out there assessing the situation. So I can not quantify the damage in terms of naira and kobo yet. But from what I saw at the military barracks and the Air force barracks alone, I would put the damage at the military barracks at N50m and that of Air force barracks at N30m. What happened was a natural disaster.”

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King Charles Reportedly “Really Unwell” And Funeral Plans Are Currently Being Reviewed

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King Charles III’s health is causing concern for friends and the palace as he continues to battle cancer.

“Speaking to friends of the king in recent weeks about his health, the most common response is … ‘It’s not good,’” Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast reported Thursday, April 25.

A friend of the monarch claimed Charles “is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it,” adding, “Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”

Royal writer Tina Brown also hinted at the monarch’s health struggles, writing recently that Charles’ cancer has put Prince William and Kate Middleton “in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye.”

“The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.”

Sykes also reported that the king’s funeral plans, codenamed “Operation Menai Bridge”, are currently being reviewed.

A separate document that states what went well at Queen Elizabeth’s September 2022 funeral and what could be done better the next time a monarch dies is also circulating, according to the Daily Beast.

All the sources emphasized that royal funeral plans are constantly in review. However, one former staffer in particular conceded that Charles’ health woes have given his plans a different urgency.

“The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date,” the former staffer explained.

“It’s no more than what you would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer. But the circulation of them has certainly focused minds.”

Buckingham Palace announced in February that after undergoing surgery for a benign prostate enlargement, it was discovered that the king has cancer.

We hope the king gets well soon.

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EFCC: New Documents Extracted Shows Yahaya Bello Allegedly Paid School Fees To The Tune Of $845,852,84 For His Family Members

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Still on the EFCC trailing on Ex Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, Documents serving as exhibits have shown how he allegedly paid school fees in advance for his family members already in the school and even those to be enrolled in future with hundreds of thousands of dollars withdrawn from the state coffers.

A letter from the American International School of Abuja to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has shown the school admitting that Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, paid $845,852,84 into their bank account since September 2021 as advance school fees for 4 family members from the present class until they graduate.

Payment was also made for any future student to be enrolled by the family.

The document alleges that the payment was made by Mr. Ali Bello, alleged to be the eldest son of Yahaya Bello.

In the document, the school stated that they have deducted the fees for the educational service already rendered to the Bello children in the institution and what is left is $760, 910, which would be refunded to an account provided by the EFCC as the commission continues investigation into alleged money laundering levelled against Yahaya Bello.

the school fees documented payment

The school also added that from the Bello family kids, “no further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition until they graduate from ASIA.”

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Niger State Prisoners Run From Facility After Rainstorm Brings Down Part Of Fencing

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Many prisoners serving time at the Suleja Correctional Centre, located in Suleja Local Government of Niger state, fled the facility after a rainstorm brought down a part of the inner fencing.

This incident happened as a result of the heavy rainfall which fell on Wednesday night. This led to a cell being torn down, providing incarcerated individuals with a chance at freedom.

Reporters gathered that security forces fired many shots in the air, attempting to scare the inmates out of hiding.

While the State Comptroller of Prisons declined to speak to the press, it has been noted that security has been beefed up on the Minna-Suleja and Suleja-Kaduna roads, including the Madalla axis to Abuja road, which is a likely escape route out of the state for the inmates.

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