Category: Security

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, also known as Miyetti Allah, has said Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, will face justice for “violating the rights of Fulani herders” in his state.

The National Secretary-General of the Fulani socio-cultural group, Mr Saleh Alhassan, also said Miyetti Allah had approached the International Criminal Court of Justice, Hague, to file a suit against Ortom for seizing over 25,000 cows belonging to members of the group and detaining over 4,000 herders.

Ortom had, after inaugurating the state’s Community Volunteer Guards, said he had secured the conviction of over 400 Fulani herders ‘besieging’ the state.

The governor said, “We have secured the conviction of over 400 Fulani herders, who have besieged the state. We have seized over 25,000 cows. We released some of the cows to the owners who paid fines and auctioned the cattle of those who did not pay because that is what the law says to ensure that we protect our lands.”

Reacting to this development, Alhassan said Ortom was known for always “abducting and keeping” cows belonging to Fulani herders.

“He (Ortom) would go to Benue and Taraba states border communities and seize cows, making our members suffer. We don’t have herders in Benue. So, the livestock that he seized shows that he is part of the problem.

“He is destroying the economy of our people in the border states. We have raised that issue, prepared our documents and sued him before the International Criminal Court in Hague.

“We sued him for stealing our cattle in Nasarawa and Taraba border communities and for also detaining our innocent youths and dumping them in his dungeon because he is a governor.

“He is not arresting herders for violating anti-open grazing law because there are no herders in Benue. The law which he assented to in his state Assembly stated that for a herder to function, there must be a ranch.

The Market Union of Onitsha Main Market has commenced the removal of Shop Extension in the market following the orders of the Governor of Anambra State, in order to decongest the roads within the market and leading in and out of the Market.

The exercise began with the removal of shop extensions on bright street and white house axis of the market yesterday being Sunday 17th July 2022.

The leader of the demolition taskforce, and Provost of the market Mr Felix Umerah said that the exercise was carried out in compliance with the directives of Anambra State Governor Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

Umerah, also a trader in Main Market disclosed that the governor had ordered all market executives in the State to decongest every entrance roads into their various markets to make way for free flow of human and vehicular movements.

“We are removing all the shop attachments and projections that block roads causing obstruction to movements to and fro this market, and reduce our level of sales and patronage from our customers”.

Speaking to the government officials from Ministry of Commerce and Industry that visited the site, the Secretary of the market Mr. Obijekwu Barth Ifediora complained that some traders abandoned their shops to display their wares on the tarred roads, making movements along the roads almost impossible.

“We mobilized a joint taskforce with some security apparatus to rid the market roads of all obstructions, and to send these traders and huckters back into their respective shops.

“As you can see, two vehicles can now overtake each here, there will be normal and peaceful movements of humans and vehicles in these roads again. This is how roads ought to be “.

Another member of the decongestion committee Hon Victor Adizi thanked Governor Soludo, and the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Dr. Obinna Ngonadi for the good works they are doing in the State.

He said that the governor’s directive being enforced will create a conducive environment for business to thrive in Main Market.

He called on the State government to give them a written authority to also clear Bida and Sokoto roads where some locals protest over jurisdiction of territory.

His name is Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid, AKA digital Imam. He is one of the few clerics with the balls to speak truth to power. He was the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters’ Mosque..

Sheikh Khalid is one Imam I follow consistently. His courage is out of this world. He is not one to lace truth with falsehood. He does not know how to placate or massage the ego of those in power. He does not sit on the fence. He dishes and serves it raw and hot to the government of the day.

He was relieved of his position on Saturday, April 02, 2022. His offense? He criticized the government of Muhammadu Buhari for inability to rein in terrorists and near hopelessness in the face of total collapse of security and descent to anarchy. They have only succeeded in taking away a platform. Many other platforms are readily available for him to continue to spread his message of peace, unity and love.

Sheikh, you have the respect and admiration of millions of Muslims and Christians within and outside the country. Your message cannot be suppressed. Thank you for your courage and thank you for all you do for humanity.

An Oyo state high court sitting in Ibadan, friday ordered the DSS to pay the sum of N20billion to Chief Sunday Adeyemo also known as Igboho as damages for the invasion of his residence, destroying of his properties and killing of people in his house.

Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, speaks on Yoruba nation in his interview with Punch news

You know that is a very sensitive issue. What are the people agitating for? They are agitating for fairness; they are saying what is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. The best bet for us is to have one country, but when people are feeling otherwise, there must be reasons they are agitating. Fifteen to 20 years ago, was it like that? When Yoruba people were in power, were there agitations? There must be reasons and we all know the reason has to do with banditry and insecurity. Even in the north, some people are also kicking. What is important now is for us to adequately separate the grain from the chaff. I am not going to blame the agitators. There must be a reason why they are agitating. I will suggest we talk to them; let’s bring them on board, deliberate with them. Let’s debate. It is very important for us to debate and debate on our corporate existence, for things to be right. It is very critical. For me, that is my own approach. Even when you go to war, at the end of the day, you must sit down to negotiate. So, why not have the roundtable discussion now? Why not go through that route? Why must you go through hot agitation and try to destroy things? The best approach has always been the peaceful approach.

Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, made rude remarks about you and later apologised. Have you forgiven him?

This throne, you own the good, the bad and the ugly. You are a father to the good, the bad and the ugly. We are not leaving him. We have set up a lot of committees. Professionals are involved. They are on board for everything in Nigeria to be right ultimately and to look into his (Igboho’s) case. So, we are working very closely with all the relevant authorities to make sure that all is well.

It was in the news that you and the Olubadan sent a delegation to Cotonou, Benin Republic, where Igboho had been arrested and facing trial. What was its mission?

Everybody is worried, but for me, I believe more in positive energy than negative energy, so let’s just keep praying for our government. Let us keep praying for them (the leaders) to continue to do what is right and for us to continue to guide them as traditional rulers. Nobody is perfect, but when positive energy is there, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. It is a challenge for us all. Let us thank God that the economy is out of recession. Recent data revealed that we have grown more than five per cent in terms of our gross domestic product and the rate at which we have been having children is about six to four per cent but the economy was growing like 0.4 per cent; it is not adding up. But this time round, I think the agitation will continue to come down if the government focuses more on economic development. That will ensure even distribution of wealth. I know they are working on that, we have seen a positive response over the last six years.

Much has been and will continue to be written about the Taliban’s takeover of military and political power in what is now called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It is an emerging story that has left the world aghast at its sheer incredulity and the implications for Afghans, its neighbours and the whole world.

For sub-saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria which now finds itself buffeted by an unending war against insurgents in the northeast and religiously motivated cells of militias and bandits in the North West and Central, there could be explosive consequences as local jihadists could very well find motivation for their actions and be spurred onto even deadlier actions in pursuit of shared objectives with the Afghan Mujahideens.

There are serious concerns here. Religious fanaticism and extremism have been fingered as the culprit behind the Boko Haram insurgence and the general abhorrence of western-styled education even amongst a northern populace with neither affinity nor sympathy for insurgency. Misguided romanticism for fanatically conservative ethos in northern Nigeria could very well be fertile ground for even more extremist strains to be sown and spread. If it happens, if we lose the north to the seduction of extremism as represented by spectrums such as the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) aka Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, we would all be sorry.

What’s more, with increased ethno-religiously motivated killings in Jos, Kaduna and Benue state, Kano Hisbah’s nonplussed banning of mannequins and contemplation of banning female drivers; Boko Haram’s imposition of its own Governor in Borno state, hoisting of its flag in Shiroro, Niger state so dangerously close to the nation’s capital, Abuja and the guerrilla campaign of herdsmen and bandits whose murderous assault on innocent civilians remain unchecked, one fears that the Taliban ideology has pervaded and permeated the fringes of northern Nigeria than is sufficiently admitted or talked about. We must be wary!

The lesson for Nigeria from Afghanistan is therefore specific. No one will fight for our continuous independence outside of ourselves. This is our war and we can’t afford to lose. We must embrace our pluralism and work harder to achieve an integrated society amenable to constructive change and development. Taliban and Boko Haram represent the very opposite of progressive as seen in their objectification and relegation of women, abhorrence for science and innovation, and rather violent disposition against the right to thought, religion and assembly. Even Afghans know!

The videos and pictures out of Afghanistan reveal so much desperation. There is an uneven scramble for available conveyance out of Afghanistan by diplomats and indigenes alike. In one particular video, two young men are seen hanging onto the recoiling wheels of a plane that takes off into the air, they are then seen to lose their grip and fall to their deaths with their blood-spattered bodies on the sidewalk a befitting, if not sober, canvass of the despondency in Afghanistan today.

I recollect that when Libya fell, a proliferation of arms and jihadists found their way into Nigeria to join the so-called ‘holy war’ and stunted the imperative of a hitherto progressively successful war against Boko Haram. With Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban, we must be even warier. They will hope to embolden local terrorists and the casualties would be the nation’s sovereignty and the freedom of you and I.

Indeed, if we let our country be consumed, we may never find our way back to nationhood. We are warned!

Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq., is a Legal Practitioner and the Principal Partner at LAW CORRIDOR, Abuja, Nigeria.
Lawcorridor@gmail.com.

Plateau house of assembly has called on residents to stand up and defend themselves against killers in the state.

Plateau has recently come under a series of attacks by gunmen, who kill residents and ravage communities.

WITHIN NIGERIA assembled that the assembly gave Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau, two weeks to address the security crisis ravaging the state.

Chairman of house of committee on information, Philip Dasun disclosed the resolution of the assembly during a press conference held in Jos on Friday.

According to Dasun, the lawmakers made the resolution during their plenary session.

“On behalf of the Plateau State House of Assembly, I wish to sympathise with the government and people of Plateau State on the barbaric and dastardly killings that have been taking place in different communities of Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Jos North, Jos South, Mangu, Riyom, University of Jos community and recently that of Yelwa Zangam,” he said.

“The House condemns the killings in totality. These killings are unacceptable and condemnable. We commiserate with the families of all those who lost their loved ones during the attacks.

“We strongly call on Plateau people to practically stand up and defend themselves and their communities, as the conventional security design is no longer guaranteeing our safety as a people.

“We commend the youths on the Plateau for sustained coordinated and organised campaigns against the killings and as well the courage to make it go viral by sending strong messages to the world using the dead bodies from the mayhem on the social media and the streets of Jos; the display of the corpses in the House is a sign that they recognised the authority of the House of Assembly as an institution that can speak for the people. We greatly appreciate that action.

“As an assembly with people at heart, we call on Plateau State citizens to have confidence in us with renewed commitment as we have given two weeks to the governor Simon Lalong to take action on the resolutions the House has forwarded on security matters and how to restore peace.

“We call on the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, to come up with a statement defending us as a people and to bring back renewed commitment to the cause of Plateau.

“We are still expecting with high hopes, the President to also come up with a statement about the killings in Yelwa Zangam just as he did in the killings of travellers along Rukuba road and to also indicate a sign of justice or we will see him as being reflexive about the conflict in Plateau.”