The Anambra Police Commissioner, Mr.
Hosea Karma, has said the conduct of some politicians and families was
contributing to the rising wave of crime in society.
Karma stated this on Thursday during a
one-day security awareness dialogue organised by the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency in collaboration with the office of the Secretary to
the Anambra State Government in Awka.
He explained that most families were no
longer interested in the moral upbringing of their children because of
quest for material things.
He said, “There is a family today in this state who had refused to bury their 86-year-old mother because of family feud.
“They are nine children from the same
mother. They want to tear their dead mother apart because they are
struggling for the place to bury the old woman. Tell me; if families are
into such violence, what do you think they would contribute to society?
“Politicians should endeavour to play
the game of politics by the rules, demonstrate the spirit of
sportsmanship, elevate politics beyond ethnicity and self-aggrandisement
and ensure the fulfillment of promises made during electioneering.”
Karma maintained, “This will reduce
acrimony and violence associated with politics, which often times create
tensions for the police to contend with in the society.”
Speaking on the activities of Fulani
herdsmen in the state, Karma said his command was able to contain the
activities of herdsmen in the state through an informal security method.
He said the method that had worked for
his command was the use of Fulani herdsmen that were born in the state
to checkmate the activities of others that were somewhat foreign to the
state.
“We have told those Fulani herdsmen born
in the state that any untoward incident that occurred in the state as a
result of herdsmen activity, we shall hold them responsible.
“With this, they have helped us to
police their fellow herdsmen because they understand both Igbo language
and Fulani language. This system has helped us a lot,” Karma said.
The police commissioner enjoined the
traditional rulers and Presidents-General of groups in the state to
always report the activities of herdsmen in their areas to the police
and avoid resorting to self-help as a solution.
He said, “Our investigations have shown
that if you resort to self-help in fighting these people (Fulani
herdsmen), the situation would be catastrophic. They don’t forgive
anything done them, even in three years’ time.”
In his opening remarks, the State
Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Sule Momodu, said the objective of the workshop
was to make everybody in the state security conscious in the prevailing
circumstance of the time.
Momodu explained that the synergy of security agencies in Anambra had made it one of the most secure states in the country.
He commended the state government for what he called its demonstrable commitment in fighting crimes in the state.
No fewer than eight lectures were
delivered at the workshop, among which was the one on ‘Fraud Prevention
Techniques’ delivered by Mr. Edwin Ugwudo, a banker.
Two brothers, Hasib Bin Golamrabbi, 22, and his 17-year-old brother Omar
were arrested on Thursday and accused of murdering their parents, 57
year old Shamima and 59 year old Golam Rabbi, who were found dead last
Sunday in San Jose, California. The older brother, Hasib Bin Golamrabbi
has admitted to killing their father but not their mother.
According to Police, Hasib claims that a stranger came into their home
and assaulted him. He said the stranger ordered him to shoot his father,
which he did, then the stranger shot his mother.
However, his younger brother Omar, says he saw his brother shoot both of
their parents dead in the garage and then his brother asked him to make
sure blood was not seeping from under the door.
After the killings, his brother wrote a creepy message on the wall so
as to make it look like it was done by a serial killer. The message
read: 'Sorry, my first kill was clumsy.'.
When his older brother was satisfied the crime scene would not be detected, the brothers drove to a nearby anime convention.
The brothers were arrested and arraigned on two counts of murder. Omar
Golamrabbi who is 17, was charged as an adult. Despite the older
brother's confession, they both pleaded not guilty.
Mosque spokesman Faisal Yazadi did not know about the arrest of the younger son until notified by a reporter.
Apart from the chilling message on the floor, another message was
written across the wall, which read: 'I can't be like you, telling a
lie. I can't love someone without telling them'.
The brother claimed that Mrs Rabbi begged for her life before she was killed.
Their father who was an engineer, liked to hunt and had several guns in the house, friends claim.
Evergreen Islamic Center in San Jose where the couple used to worship
said the bodies of the parents were released on Wednesday afternoon to
relatives and the parents were buried on Friday at the Five Pillars Farm
Cemetery in Livermore, KNTV reports.
A suspected burglar, Samson Ugbusun, has
revealed how the daughter of his victim gave him up to the police after
he made love overtures to her.
Ugbusun, a 28-year-old bricklayer, was
arrested by operatives of the Edo State Police Command for allegedly
breaking into the home of an unsuspecting resident at Etete, in Oredo
Local Government Area of the state, carting away two mobile phones.
It was gathered that after he
successfully carried out the operation, the suspect went ahead to invite
his victim’s daughter to spend a night with him in his apartment.
According to him, he was later arrested
by some policemen from the Etete Police Division after she leaked his
whereabouts to her mother.
Ughusun, who hails from Ikpoba Okha
Local Government Area of the state, said, “I stole handsets at Etete,
through the window around 11pm. I removed the handset through the window
of the house by tearing the net. This is my first time.
“I saw her (victim’s daughter) number
on the phone I stole. I called the girl and told her that I love her.
She came and spent a night with me and went back to school. When she
came to my place, she told her mother my address and everything; that
was how they got me.”
He also blamed his alleged crime on
family problem, adding that he stole mobile phones to enable him to
generate the sum of N800,000 for his late father’s burial.
“It was due to family problems. My
father has a house and my family (members) are trying to push me so that
I would leave the house for them. They said that if I don’t bury my
father, I can’t claim ownership of the house.
“I wanted to sell the phones on the
streets. But unfortunately, they caught me and I returned the phones
back to the owners. I regret it,” Ugbusun lamented.
However, the State Police Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Osifo Abiodun, who confirmed the suspect’s
arrest, said Ugbusun would soon be charged to court as a prima facie
case of burglary and stealing had been preferred against him.
Abiodun said, “Samson Ugbusun
specialises in stealing from unsuspecting victims. He can steal handsets
as if he had some powers to do so. Luck ran against him when he opened
the window of the complainant at night.
“Constructively, he broke in and pulled
the handset with a long stick, picked it from the window. The occupant
raised an alarm and he was subsequently arrested. He has confessed to
the crime, including other crimes he committed before.
“Very soon, he will be arraigned in
court because a prima facie case of burglary and stealing is established
against him; he will not go unpunished,” the police spokesman added.
Before Manchester United welcome Leicester to the Old
Trafford on Sunday, where they stand a chance of winning the EPL, Juan
Mata has stated the foxes have to wait one more week for their dream
title.
The famous stadium has seen a many Premier League title triumphs, but
none would be as unlikely as Leicester’s, who can secure the crown with
a win against Louis van Gaal’s men.
But while Mata is impressed by the Foxes, he is determined to delay their title party.
“They showed great character, commitment and passion,” said Mata.
“They are really close to doing it. But hopefully it doesn’t happen at Old Trafford. They can wait another week.”
No one is left out in the “National Suffering” as the state of the economy continues to deteriorate.
As the fuel scarcity continues to take its toll on citizens, a white
man was spotted transporting himself in a commercial bus a.k.a ‘Danfo’
-a very rare sight in Lagos.
God will help us all.
E.M.E boss, Banky W, has registered his happiness on the success of Wizkid, who was formerly signed under his label.
Banky, took to social media yo sow just how proud he is of Wizkidlanding on Drake’s album:
called you Superstar from Day 1, because I always ALWAYS knew. Now the whole world does. Too proud of you Wizkid. Too proud. Win forever
Recall, we reported earlier today that multi award winner, Drake, confirmed Wizkid’s feature on his Views album.
Former Nigeria defender, Taribo West, has called for the return of goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to the Super Eagles.
The 33-year-old Lille keeper retired
from the national team following a disagreement with former Nigeria
coach Sunday Oliseh.
Enyeama was during the week ranked the sixth best goalkeeper in the world by football statistics body, CIES Observatory.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner was also nominated for the Best Goalkeeper award in Ligue 1.
Taribo condemned the circumstances
leading to Enyeama’s retirement from the Eagles, saying the Nigeria
Football Federation should plead with him to return to the national
team.
“Nigeria is a country where heroes are
not appreciated and it is painful,” the former Inter Milan player told
our correspondent during the week.
“Nigerians should beg Enyeama to return
to the Eagles and let him retire properly. He is the country’s most
capped football player. It is evident that he still has a lot to
offer the country.
“The Eagles currently lack that leader
figure among them and it is evident in the way they are playing. The
young players need to learn a lot from Enyeama. The awards and rankings
he got this week have shown that he still very good.
“Also, apart from Joseph Yobo, who is
planning a testimonial for himself with some corporate bodies, no
ex-international has been properly retired and they are all bitter
towards the system.
Premier League supporters hailed
Hillsborough campaigners on Saturday after new inquests into the 1989
stadium disaster found police responsible for the deaths of 96 Liverpool
fans.
At Goodison Park, home of Liverpool’s
local rivals Everton, campaigners including Margaret Aspinall, chair of
the Hillsborough Family Support Group, were applauded on the pitch prior
to a game against Bournemouth.
During a minute’s applause, fans unfurled a banner reading “JUSTICE AT LAST 96 BROTHERS IN ARMS”.
Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son, James,
died in the disaster, shared a touchline embrace with Everton manager
Roberto Martinez as she left the pitch.
At St James’ Park, Newcastle United
supporters spontaneously broke out into a rendition of ‘You’ll Never
Walk Alone’, the Liverpool anthem, during a minute’s applause ahead of
their side’s game with Crystal Palace.
There will also be a minute’s applause
before Liverpool’s game at Swansea City on Sunday, which will be the
Anfield club’s first domestic fixture since the verdicts were announced.
Last Tuesday, a jury found that police
blunders caused the fatal crush at the Hillsborough stadium in
Sheffield, south Yorkshire, following two years of evidence in the
longest inquest in British history.
Two criminal investigations into the
disaster should conclude by the end of the year and prosecutors will
then consider whether charges can be brought.
A judge in Colorado has sentenced a
woman to 100 years in prison for cutting an eight-month-old baby from a
stranger’s womb with kitchen knives, local media reported.
The sentence included the maximum
penalties for attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy,
which Judge Maria Berkenkotter said on Friday reflected the brutality of
last year’s attack.
A jury in February found Dynel Lane
guilty of attempting to kill Michelle Wilkins by beating, stabbing and
choking her after luring her to her home by posting an advertisement for
maternity clothes on Craigslist, the online classified listings
service.
Prosecutors could not charge Lane with murdering the baby because a coroner found no evidence it had survived outside the womb.
Lane, 36, had faked a pregnancy for months, deceiving her husband David Ridley, whom she had told would be the baby’s father.
“You embrace your narcissistic fantasy
to live the lie you created, and it was more important than my life and
my daughter’s life,” the Times-Call quoted Wilkins as saying on the
witness stand.
The court in Boulder heard that Lane had
posted photos of herself online in which she had appeared pregnant and
that she had sent Ridley ultrasound images she had downloaded from the
Internet.
However, he had grown suspicious about her claims and pressured her to see a doctor, media reported.
Lane lured Wilkins, 26 at the time, to her house in the city of Longmont, north of Denver, in March 2015.
Prosecutors said that when Wilkins went
into the basement to look at baby clothes, Lane hit her and tried to
choke and smother her before cutting the baby from her womb, the
Times-Call reported.
She left Wilkins on the floor
unconscious while she took the baby to a hospital with Ridley — who
lived with Lane and her two daughters — saying she had suffered a
miscarriage, media reported.
Wilkins later regained consciousness and
managed to call police. Reported to have been barely alive when she
arrived at the hospital, she survived after an operation.
Lane has expressed no remorse for the attack. Asked in court if she wanted to speak, she said “no.”
However, her lawyer said she had been
seriously affected by the death of her son in 2002, when he drowned in
what was ruled to be an accident, the Times-Call reported.
Prosecutors’ inability to charge Lane
with murdering Wilkins’ baby prompted Colorado Republicans to introduce
legislation that would have allowed a murder charge.
However, Democrats rejected the bill, the third time the proposal failed in Colorado.
There was crisis and confusion at the state secretariat of the
Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State on Saturday over the conduct of
the ward congresses to elect delegates, who will eventually elect the
state executives of the party.
One of the chairmanship aspirants of the party, Dr. Bayo Faforiji,
and thousands of his supporters stormed the party secretariat as early
as 8:30am to protest the alleged hoarding of the forms by the State
Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa.
Faforiji’s supporters almost lynched a supporter of Mr. Soji
Adagunodo, who is also a chairmanship aspirant but for the timely
intervention of security men at the scene.
Faforiji, who is said to be supported by Senator Iyiola Omisore
accused Olaoluwa of not giving forms to his supporters in order to
disenfranchise them in the election despite that he paid the stipulated
amount of money for the forms and fulfilled other requirements.
Faforiji said, “I and my people are saying today’s congress should be
cancelled and rescheduled for another day because of the chairman who
should be neutral is not.
“We are also calling for the dissolution of Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa led
executives because the chairman decided to hoard the forms from our
people. We can’t reach him on the telephone and he is not at the
secretariat as you journalists can see.
“The state chairman is causing an unnecessary tension by Hoarding the forms.”
But Adagunodo, who is said to be enjoying the backing of the National
Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, debunked the allegations
against his camp, saying his opponent obviously was not prepared for the
congress.
Adagunodo said Faforiji’s camp paid late for the forms and decided to
disrupt the congress because they knew defeat was staring them in the
face.
He added that the opposing camp was making baseless allegations because they already knew they would be defeated.
The federal government is set to reintroduce toll on some roads that will be built or reconstructed.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN,
made the declaration while fielding questions as guest on the popular
Channels Sunrise Daily programme.
The minister said it would be pretentious to assume that the roads
would get better if we continued to make our roads absolutely toll
free. He added that, there would however be alternative roads to the
ones that would be tolled.
Fashola declared, “We should stop being pretentious that roads can be
had for absolutely free everywhere. There will be toll roads if we want
to get out of this situation. There will be alternative roads as well
so that people can choose.”
Fashola also talked about severance package for ex-workers in the
three ministries. He explained that the record he met showed that about
50,000 such workers were due severance pay and that about 47,000 have
been paid representing about 97 per cent compliance.
“Now, for me, it is a clear evidence of an intention and good faith
to pay. Pensioners are about 5,000 and 3,000 have been paid; that is
more than 50 per cent compliant. When I queried the reasons for the
delay, they told me there was a verification process going on and the
approvals they had to spend money on that process had expired. I gave
them a new approval”, the Minister further explained.
He said the seeming delay in payment was as a result of the
verification exercise going on adding that the verification was due to
the allegation that when the payment started “people were altering
records, issuing employment letters at severance point and backdating
them to people who were not members of staff”.
“That is what has delayed this process. The money to pay is there but
they said they are not going to pay until they are sure of the people
they are paying. So that process is going on. It has to be properly done
and when it is completed we will pay. These are the issues. So when
people get angry or agitated, it is to do so in a context”, he said,
adding that it is not an unwillingness to pay as some people have
already been paid.
On the call for review of the privatization policy especially with
regards to the Power Sector, Fashola, who recalled that the nation’s
refineries were concessioned in 2006, noted that there was agitation
then “by the voices that we are now hearing”, that they shouldn’t have
been concessioned adding that as a result, the YarÁdua administration
responded to that and stopped the process.
He declared, “I think our choice as a nation must be experiential.
The YarÁdua administration responded to the agitation and stopped the
process. But that was in 2007; where are we today, nine years after? We
still don’t have the quality of refineries we want”.
“The Ministry of Petroleum just shared with us the hard work they are
doing getting the refineries back on after about seven years. Perhaps,
as you are aware, Dangote is now building a refinery. Perhaps if we had
allowed that process, and I think Dangote was one of the concessionaires
at the time”, he said.
Noting that government could start reviewing and nothing would
happen, Fashola said in lieu of reviewing, focus should be “on getting
what is on the ground to work”, adding, “And that is what I am doing,
that is what I’ve told you about getting all the various power plants to
work”.
The Peoples Democratic Party has
recently been plagued with one crisis after another and a major test
before it is tied to who emerges the party’s national chairman at its
next convention, GBENRO ADEOYE writes
From all indications, now is the time
for the Peoples Democratic Party to be united and strong, but
ironically, it seems to be the time the party is at its weakest point in
its 17-year history.
Since the party was relegated to the
main opposition status after losing the presidential seat to the ruling
All Progressives Congress in 2015, the tale has been about one
wrangling or the other- all internal. And there seems to be no immediate
end in sight to the ongoing crisis in the erstwhile biggest political
party in Africa.
Indeed, the party is at a crossroads and
some decisions made ahead of the 2019 general elections look set to
either make or mar the party’s chances to discover its lost relevance.
But there is one major decision to be
made first, which will decide the fate of the party’s current National
Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff beyond May 21, 2016- the date of the party’s
national convention.
By all standards, Sheriff is arguably
the most unpopular chairman in the party’s history, so the test before
him and his backers are quite stiff. Although, Sheriff has enjoyed
considerable support from PDP governors, he has largely failed to win
some other key caucuses of the party to his side.
It was learnt that the zonal chairmen of
the party, the state chairmen and some federal lawmakers were against
the choice of Sheriff as the party’s National Chairman, but the
governors pulled weights to ensure that it happened.
Eventually, some of the stakeholders of
the party, who had initially kicked against the choice of Sheriff for
the position, only let it go after being assured that he only had to
complete the three months tenure left for the North East zone.
It is rumoured that Sheriff’s backers
see him as the perfect candidate to reposition the party ahead of the
2019 general elections.
For one, Sheriff was once a member of
the APC and therefore seen as a shrewd politician who can thwart any ace
the ruling party might still have up its sleeves ahead of 2019. Then,
he is believed to have deep pockets, which is crucial considering the
economic downturn and the attendant paucity of funds in government
purse.
Findings however show that his antagonists do not trust him, which is just one of the issues.
Even before Sheriff joined the PDP, he
had worked for the party on more than one occasion. As a member of an
opposition party, Sheriff worked for former President Olusegun Obasanjo;
the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua; and the immediate former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
Although, some members of the PDP have
argued that Sheriff’s history of anti-party activities in favour of the
past leaders means that he has always loved the party, others are of the
opinion that if he had worked against his parties in the past, nothing
stops him from working against his new party- the PDP- in future.
Also, there are members of the party who
see Sheriff as carrying too many baggages than needed for the position
of the party’s number one person.
In 2015, Sheriff was interrogated by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged mismanagement of
N300bn between 2007 and 2011 when he was a governor of Borno State.
He is also being repeatedly linked to
the deadly Islamic sect, Boko Haram, even though there has been no
evidence to substantiate such allegations. However, Sheriff’s
antagonists seem to be of the opinion that their party’s national
chairman should not have such weighty allegations hanging on his neck,
proven or not.
Meanwhile, there is another set of
people who are against Sheriff’s continued stay in his position as PDP
National Chairman for reasons related to equity and this is the set of
antagonists probably giving him the worst headache.
These antagonists argue that all the 12
chairmen the party has had in its history have come from five of the six
geo-political zones and none from the South West geo-political zone.
The past chairmen of the party are: Dr.
Alex Ekwueme (South East); Chief Solomon Lar (North Central); Chief
Barnabas Gemade (North Central); Chief Audu Ogbeh (North Central); Col.
Ahmadu Ali (North Central); Prince Vincent Ogbolafor (South East); Dr.
Okwesilieze Nwodo (South East); Dr. Haliru Mohammed (North West); Alhaji
Kawu Baraje (North Central); Dr. Bamanga Tukur (North East); Adamu
Mu’azu (North East); and Prince Uche Secondus (South South). It should
be noted that Bello and Secondus were chairmen in acting capacities.
Consequently, some South West PDP
leaders have threatened to leave the party should the zone be ignored
for the position after the upcoming convention.
It was learnt that some of the PDP
leaders in the zone, who have met over the issue, include a former
Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; former Ogun
State Governor, Gbenga Daniel; former Minister of State for the Federal
Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide; a former Minister of Works,
Adeseye Ogunlewe; the governorship candidate of the party in Lagos in
the 2015 election, Jimi Agbaje; a chieftain of the party, Bode
Olajumoke; and former Special Adviser to former President Jonathan on
Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.
Stressing the position of the South West
caucus, Okupe had said recently, “I want to state categorically,
without any fear of equivocation, that we, the Yoruba from the South
West, desire and demand the post of the national chairman at the next
convention of the party.
“The sad implication of the above is
that, regrettably, many of us from the South West may have to reconsider
our membership of this great party we have helped to nurture and
supported through thick and thin, a party we have loved almost more than
our very existence, and the party… .” But the South West caucus of the
party is not the only one to have threatened to leave the party, some
former ministers, who served with Jonathan have also issued similar
threats, putting pressure on the zoning committee headed by Governor
Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.
Explaining the situation, a lawyer and
political analyst, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said the “PDP has always been
organised around certain understanding, one of which is that offices
will be shared according to agreed formula.
“But that equation seems to have been
altered radically when Jonathan emerged as President in defiance of the
zoning policy of the party and ever since then, there have been all
kinds of permutations.
“So the thinking in the South West is
that they are entitled to chairmanship slot and there are also elements
opposed to the emergence of Sheriff including ministers who served under
Jonathan.”
However, some analysts have taken the
threats with a pinch of salt, saying it is highly unlikely for the PDP
members to leave the party for either the ruling APC or other weaker
parties like the Labour Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance or
the National Conscience Party.
But on the other hand, some analysts
have advised the PDP to take the threat seriously and that failure to do
that could lead to its demise.
For instance, the Head of Political
Science Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Jonah Onuoha,
described the threat by some of the party’s South West leaders as
serious.
Onuoha said the PDP was fast becoming a
party with a strong presence in only the South East and the South South
zones of the country.
He said, “The PDP must do everything to
carry the South West along because for now, it has been quarantined to
the South East and the South South. For it to have the outlook of a
national party, it must carry the South West along.
“The party must adhere to the demand
from the South West to get the national chairmanship because if it fails
to do that, it may lead to its obituary.
“It is only strong in the South East and
the South South and without carrying the South West along; I don’t
think it can face 2019. If it fails to get the South West people on
board, it must align itself with other parties to form a new party that
can challenge the APC. Otherwise, the APC will go unchallenged.”
On what could play out if Sheriff
retains the national chairmanship position of the PDP beyond May 21,
Shittu said, “It is too early to predict what their reaction will be to
particular outcomes but what I see playing out eventually is realignment
of forces.
“Some people might be disenchanted and
want to leave the party but whether it will transform into a gain for
the ruling party remains to be seen because it has been grappling with
its challenges. There might be some agreements that could lead to the
emergence of separate parties. But these are in the realm of conjecture
and speculation so the best thing is to adopt the policy of ‘wait and
see.’”
But generally, the analysts are of the
opinion that the crisis rocking the PDP will ultimately affect the
country’s young democracy.
Onuoha said, “The PDP is not really
playing the role of opposition, for it to do that, it must be strong. To
do that, it needs support from the South West.”
Another lawyer and analyst, Mr. Liborous
Oshoma, who described the threat by the South West PDP members as a
preamble to their defection, also said that the situation would affect
Nigerians.
“It is a way of preparing the ground to
leave an unpopular party because nobody likes to play opposition
politics in Nigeria,” he said.
“Now it seems it is only PDP members
that are corrupt as it is only its members that are facing corruption
charges. So it is either because they have skeleton in their cupboards
and want to cover it up or the ground is no longer as wet as it used to
be.
“Basically, I don’t see the PDP playing
strong opposition, so we don’t have an opposition party. The PDP members
cannot tell the government what to do because they were also there for
16 years and did not impress the people. The only way the party can play
formidable opposition is if it has young vibrant members who will
apologise to Nigerians, rebrand and change its style.
“The name has been associated with
impunity and so it is difficult for the party to play formidable
opposition. So ultimately, Nigerians will suffer for it because there is
no opposition at the moment, so government seems to be on a roller
coaster.
“The government is acting as if it has
20 years to spend in power. The budget has not been passed and people
are suffering, yet there is no sense of urgency. The sooner Nigerians
brace themselves to know they are the ones in opposition, the better for
us.”
Seventy three suspects who specialise in
cultivating and dealing in cannabis have been arrested by the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The suspects made up of 60 males and 13
females were apprehended in Edo State with 10,094.75kgs of cannabis
between January and March 2016.
A statement by NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, released on Thursday, described how the cannabis hauls were seized.
He said, “A cannabis laden Toyota Hilux
and a J5 bus with cannabis disguised as pineapple shipment were
impounded, while a warehouse located at the Okpuje forest, Owan West
Local Government Area of Edo State, was detected and 2,590kgs of
cannabis were seized.
“Four notorious drug dealers at Ekpoma,
Auchi and Benin as well as five young farmers from Taraba and Plateau
States are among those being investigated for cannabis cultivation and
trafficking by narcotic undercover operatives in Benin City. The Edo
State Command exhibit room is already filled to capacity with over
80,000kgs of cannabis.”
According to the Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Buba Wakawa, efforts are ongoing to sanitise Edo of illicit drugs.
Wakama said a fake State Security
Service identity card with the name Daniel Okolo was found in the Hilux
van which was loaded with cannabis.
One of the arrested cannabis dealing
suspects include a 60-year-old woman, Juliana Ogiefa, who is on bail
after her arrest for dealing in cocaine and heroin.
The NDLEA said it is pressing two
separate charges against her at the Federal High Court sitting in Benin
with the hope that her illicit drug activities in the state would be
permanently terminated.
HAMMER PLANET learnt that in a
forest at Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, where NDLEA
officials seized 2,590kgs of cannabis, an official narrowly escaped a
large trap that had been set on the ground by the cannabis dealers.
The Chairman of NDLEA, Muhammad Abdallah, has vowed to identify, arrest and prosecute cannabis cultivators.
“Edo State is a cannabis producing
state. It is equally an important catchment area to us because it is
strategically located in a way that drug dealers either come to buy or
convey their illicit drugs across the state. This must come to an end,”
Abdallah warned.
He warned against the use of school age
youths in cannabis plantations and called for the support of
stakeholders at all levels in the anti-narcotics campaign.
The new education levy introduced by the
Ekiti State Government is setting it against the Catholic Church, which
has vowed to take the matter to court. KAMARUDEEN OGUNDELE writes about
the issues
When the 2015 Ekiti State Education
Summit was convened by Governor Ayodele Fayose to chart a new future for
education in the state, nobody knew the outcome would generate a fresh
crisis in the education sector.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Restoring the
lost glory’, the Chairman of the Summit and the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti,
Oba Ademola Ajakaye, lamented that students could not construct simple
sentences any longer.
“If we are able to get it right at this
level, the story would change for the better,” he said urging parents to
be part of the change.
The then Provost, College of Education,
Ikere Ekiti, Prof. Francesca Aladejana, in her papers, said education
should be built on strong moral values and religious knowledge, calling
for a review of the curriculum.
In its resolution, the summit agreed
that “funding of education is no more government business alone, all
stakeholders must be part. It should be a cost sharing arrangement.
“Entrepreneurship education should be
given priority at primary and secondary school levels; welfare of
teachers should be given top priority, parents should intensify
monitoring of their children and Ministry of Education officials should
monitor teachers.”
The governor at the summit also promised to go after private school owners.
“We are going to take the issue of
taxation seriously as no government thrives without it. Private school
owners should pay up their dues and levies,” he said.
A few days after the summit, the
government announced a new tax regime where pupils in primary and
secondary schools would be required to pay N500 each and N1,000 each per
term, respectively, if finally approved.
The state Commissioner for Education,
Science and Technology, Mr. Jide Egunjobi, made this known in a press
release made available by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor,
Idowu Adelusi.
According to the statement, there are
178,263 students in the 879 public primary schools; 48,960 in Junior
Secondary Schools and 55,677 in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State,
making a total of 282,900.
Egunjobi said all stakeholders in the
education sector, including parents and teachers, consented to the
introduction of the education development levy at the Summit.
“Before now, secondary school students
were paying N100 as PTA levy, N300 for Extra Lesson and N600 as
Examination Fee while primary school students were paying N100 as PTA
levy, N300 for extra lesson and N200 as Examination fee, making N600 per
term,” he said.
“Apart from the Educational Development
Levy of N1,000, secondary school students will pay N500 as Parents
Teachers Association’s levy, N600 for examination, N300 for extra
lesson, making N2, 400 per term while it is proposed that primary school
pupils will pay N100 as PTA levy, N100 for Extra Lesson, N100 for
examination, making a total of N800 per term.
“Students of public schools in Ekiti
were paying PTA, examination and extra lesson levies before Governor
Fayose assumed office,” the statement said.
Egunjobi reiterated the government’s commitment to the restoration of the State’s lost glory in the education sector.
The government, however, did not begin the enforcement of the levy until last term.
Nevertheless, on March 14, private
schools in the state began a three-day strike to protest against the
imposition of the development levy.
The National Association of Proprietors
and Proprietress of Private Schools in Ekiti contended that the
extension of the levy to private schools ran contrary to the spirit and
letters of Section 42(1) (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The President of the Association, Alhaji
Saka Adeleye, said the private schools would remain shut for three days
to protest against multiple taxation.
Adeleye wondered why the government
extended the levy to private schools that enjoyed no benefits from
government, despite paying 12 different taxes imposed on them.
He listed the taxes to include Annual
Renewal Fee, Personal Income Tax, Pay As You Earn for staff, Personal
Development Fee, Registration of Business Premises Fee, Environment
Levy, Vehicle Permit fee and Tenement Rate.
“There is no infrastructural development
extended to private schools. Nothing was given to us to develop our
schools; all the government does is to extort us with taxes. Even during
the outbreak of the deadly disease-Ebola-no kit was given to us.
“We use our capital to fund our schools.
There have been no textbooks or chalks from the government. The
government distributed laptops to public schools but not one was given
to private schools. So what are we gaining?
“Even the meeting we were able to have
with the Commissioner for Education (Jide Egunjobi) ended half way as he
was summoned by the governor mid-way into the meeting. He promised to
get back to us but till this moment, we never heard from him.”
The association described the policy as
discriminatory and unconstitutional against NAPPS, which is an employer
of over 20,000 workers.
“In view of the foregoing uncontroverted
facts, it is practically impossible for members of our chapters to pay
the new levy. It is our humble view that our amiable governor has not
been well briefed or advised in respect of this matter.
“We call on the ministry to withdraw
forthwith all the circular letters relating to payment of the newly
introduced development levy in private schools in the state and/or any
other development levy.”
But the state government has accused the proprietors of exploiting parents.
Egunjobi said school owners who cannot
produce evidence of payment of other statutory levies imposed by the
state will remain shut even after the self imposed strike.
Accusing some of the proprietors of
inflating the levy, the commissioner noted that some of the schools had
already collected the money from parents without remitting the same to
the government.
“We have indicated interest to see the
receipts of all statutory levies. Receipts of renewal fees, upgrading
and approval fees related to the schools must be produced. I have text
messages from parents, who claimed to have paid the education
development levy, yet some of these schools are among those who have not
remitted the money to the government.”
The case took a religious twist when the
Catholic Church threatened to sue Fayose over the levy, advising the
government to exempt its schools from the schools to pay the levy.
Citing Ekiti State Universal Basic
Education Board (SUBEB) Law, 2005, the church said the state government
had the obligation to provide free and compulsory education for every
child of primary to junior secondary school classes.
The Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, stated this in a press statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti.
He threatened to file a legal action
against the government “in the circumstance that any of the schools
under my custody is disturbed.
“No law empowers the state government of
Ekiti to impose Education Development Levy on pupils/students of
mission schools in Ekiti state.”
Ajakaye said that the church viewed the
new tax as another burden on parents, whom he said were already
overwhelmed with taxes in different forms by the state government.
He recalled with pain how the state,
under the military regime in 1975, “forcibly” took over 106 Catholic
primary schools, seven secondary schools and one technical school
without compensation.
He added that the new tax was
unnecessary because schools established by the Church had been paying
various levies and taxes demanded by both local and state governments.
“The Catholic Church in Ekiti land
implores the state government to see the Church as great contributor to
quality education and a formidable partner in the development of
education in the state. Therefore, the status of the Catholic schools
must be recognised as defined by their purposes and they should be
treated accordingly,” Ajakaye added.
But the state government in a swift
response said that there is no going back on the levy in both
state-owned and private schools in the state, including the mission
schools.
It said that mission schools in the
state would not be given preference over other schools because the
decision was reached by all stakeholders at the 2015 Education Summit.
The Commissioner for Education in a
statement, said, “No other body apart from the federal and state
government has power to make policies concerning the operation of both
private and public schools in the country.
“It is wrong for any organisation to
claim that it has its own education policy that is different from that
of the state and that no law empowers the state government of Ekiti to
impose Education Development Levy on pupils/students of mission schools
in Ekiti State,” he said.
Egunjobi disclosed that seven schools
owned by the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti State had already complied with
the government policy by paying the development levy, dismissing the
threat to sue the government by the Catholic Diocese.
“Christ The King Catholic College, Ire;
St. Theresa`s Catholic School, Ikole; Ave Maria International College,
Osun; St. Joseph`s Nursery/Primary School, Ado; Immaculate
Nursery/Primary School, Ilupeju; St. Philip Catholic Nursery/Primary
School, Otun and St. Louis Nursery/Primary School, Ikere have all
complied with the government directive on the development levy,” he
said.
The commissioner also disclosed that
mission schools owned by the Anglican Diocesan, Christ Apostolic Church,
Apostolic Faith, Baptist Church, Deeper Life and Muslim Societies have
already paid the levy.
“It has become necessary that we correct
the impression the press conference addressed by the Bishop of the
Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, on the payment of
Education Development Levy in Ekiti State was meant to create.
“In some states, Crèche Fee, Back Duty
Levy, Entertainment or Merriment Levy and others levies are collected
from schools and mission schools are not exempted.
“Whether or not mission schools should
be treated differently does not even arise because most of the mission
schools in the state have paid the development levy. Even the Catholic
Diocese that is threatening legal action, seven of its schools have
paid.”
But faulting the government’s position,
the Catholic Bishop accused the state government of acting outside
resolutions reached at the 2015 Ekiti Education Summit.
He maintained that the Education
Development Levy imposed on pupils in private primary and secondary
schools was not part of the resolutions reached at the summit.
Ajakaye said, “There was never any
discussion, let alone any decision on Education Development Levy on
private and mission schools.”
He said Catholic Church was one of the
stakeholders at the summit and was not part of the resolution that such
tax should be extended to private and mission schools, contrary to what
the state government had claimed and made the public to believe.
Stating that Education Summit was
different from Economic Summit, Ajakaiye advised the state government to
look for other means to increase its internally generated revenue.
He said, “Here is a poser for the state
government, why can’t it impose same education levy on public and
private tertiary institutions in Ekiti State?”
“With the present stance of the Catholic
Diocese of Ekiti on the imposition of the Education Levy, Ekiti State
Government may decide to close our schools. We have to go beyond threat
and weigh our actions today as we plan for tomorrow. Posterity will
judge.”
In all this, the State Chairman of the
Nigerian Union of Teachers, Samuel Akosile, advised all stakeholders to
support the government to revitalise the education sector.
In a telephone interview with our
correspondent, he said, “Government alone should not be left for the
development of education. The task of developing education should be
collective. We appeal to parents to pay the money.
“The private and missionary schools are
all for profit making. They ply government’s road and so should be ready
to pay tax. The privileged and the rich in the society, whose children
are in such schools, should support the government.
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested 21 robbery suspects in various parts of the state.
According to the state Commissioner of
Police, Leye Oyebade, some of the suspects were recently released from
prison. Among the suspects is a six-man gang, said to operate in Oyo,
Ogbomoso and Ilorin.
They suspects are Aliyu Azeez, 28;
Olanrewaju Ajayi, 23; Kehinde Abiodun, 28; Adeleke ADeyemi, 26; Teslim
Muhammed, 26; and Adamu Muhammed, 23. Leader of the gang, Teslim
Muhammed, said they were arrested after taking delivery of guns in
Ilorin.
He said, “We had yet to make use of the
weapons when we were arrested. After the guys who brought the guns to us
were arrested, they implicated us and brought the police to our hideout
in Agbabiaka area of Ilorin. The guns were actually brought to me. We
all met at different occasions. I knew Azeez through a friend called
Tosin.”
According to police commissioner, the
suspects were nabbed while making plans to carry out a robbery
operation. Exhibits recovered from them include a three cut-to-size
double-barrelled guns, three locally made pistols, 14 live cartridges,
three computer laptops, 29 assorted mobile phones, two digital cameras,
six cutlasses, four jack knives, one saw blade, three spanners, one
hammer, one nail pinchers and assorted criminal charms.
The command also arrested another gang
of suspected robbers, who shot their victim after robbing him of a
Toyota Camry car with number plate DL 994 LLD on April 26 in
Olorunda-Aba area of Ibadan.
One of the suspects, Kamaru Ganiyu, was
released from a prison in Oyo State in February, but returned to
criminal activities soon after his release. Other members of the gang
are Agu Onyeka, Biodun Jamiu, Dare Azeez and Nurudeen Bilawu.
A soldier allegedly shot and killed an unidentified woman in Effurun near Warri in Delta state today April 30th. According to ThisDay,
the woman whose daughter was getting married at a place far from her
house, boarded a tricycle to a relatives house close to the venue of the
wedding.
According to reports, the tricycle operator arrived her home early
enough to beat the movement restriction as the state was observing its
monthly sanitation exercise.
As the woman and the tricycle operator approached
Jakpa junction, they were flagged down by soldiers but for fear of being
detained and dealt with, the tricycle operator refused to stop.
The shoulders opened fire, hitting the woman. The bulled pierced through under her left breast.
Her body has been deposited at the morgue.
The late woman's first daughter named Alero confirmed the incident.
Luis Suarez
struck his 35th league goal of an incredible season on Saturday and in
doing so joined an elite group of Spanish football's top marksmen.
The
Uruguay international was on target in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Real
Betis, a result that moves them back to the top of the Liga table, and
ensured he became one of only six players to have scored 35 plus goals
in a single league campaign...
Antonio Valencia feels his Manchester United
team-mates have been boosted by last weekend's Emirates FA Cup
semi-final success at Wembley Stadium and the Ecuadorian hopes to
harness that feel-good factor against Leicester City at Old Trafford on
Sunday.
The Reds secured an entertaining 2-1 win over
Everton last Saturday to book a place in the showpiece finale against
Crystal Palace on 21 May. There are four important Barclays Premier
League matches left to play before then, however, with a place in the
top four still up for grabs.
Victory over Leicester will not come
easily because Claudio Ranieri's men will win the title if they secure
three points at Old Trafford. But in an exclusive interview with Sunday’s edition of United Review, the matchday programme, Valencia reveals spirits are up within the United squad.
“There’s
a good feeling in the air,” he says. “We’re happy and motivated by the
win. It was a really important result for the team and it was well
deserved – a good day’s work. We were really happy in the dressing room.
Celebrating, congratulating Anthony, patting each other on the back
about the excellent work... there was just a big buzz, and we were
laughing around because we’d done it.”
Louis van Gaal’s men are
competing with Manchester City, Arsenal and even West Ham United to
secure that top-four finish and qualification to next season’s UEFA
Champions League. Asked if he is confident of achieving that ambition,
Valencia delivers an optimistic and honest answer.
“Let’s hope
so!” the Ecuadorian says. “We hope we can make it. I think the fans
would love it and we’re fighting hard to qualify for the Champions
League - I’m desperate to get there. Last week’s win really motivates
us; and every game that we play motivates us and drives us on to get
there.
“They’ve had a great season and have proved themselves in
all of their games. Let’s hope they’re not that consistent when they
play us at Old Trafford. It’s going to be a great game. Above all, let’s
hope it’s a victorious game for us. They’re fighting to win the title;
we’re going for the top four. We’re hoping to get what we want from the
game.”
At the very close of Sunday’s programme interview, Valencia
is put on the spot when he is asked to choose between Champions League
qualification and winning the FA Cup. “That’s tough, that’s really
tough! It’s been a while since we won the cup,” he admits.
“But
then again, the Champions League is such a great competition to play in.
It’s a really difficult one to answer. Personally, I’d hope that we get
both. I’m more than convinced we can. We’ve got a great team and with
everyone’s hard work, let’s hope it all turns out the way we want.”
David De Gea has been named Manchester United’s Player of the Month for April, retaining the award he won in March.
The
goalkeeper, who becomes the first Reds player to land the prize more
than once this season, claimed 62 per cent of the votes in polls on
ManUtd.com and Twitter to finish ahead of his fellow nominees Anthony Martial (24 per cent) and Marcus Rashford (14 per cent).
De
Gea was in stunning form to help United reach the Emirates FA Cup
final, producing a breathtaking stop from West Ham's Michail Antonio in
the quarter-final replay and then keeping out Romelu Lukaku's penalty in the semi-final against Everton at Wembley.
He also kept clean sheets in the league wins against the Toffees (in which he brilliantly thwarted a late Phil Jagielka effort to maintain United’s slender advantage), Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
The 25-year-old is also in the running to scoop his third consecutive Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year accolade – you can still vote at ManUtd.com/POTY until Monday evening.
Cristiano Ronaldo's mum, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, has ruled out
her son making an emotional return to Man U, the club where he came
into limelight and won his first Balloon d'or.
Cristiano has frequently spoken of his love and admiration for Man U and
sometimes gave indications that he would one day return to the club
where he spent 6 trophy laden years at.
But his mum's comments have now dampened Man U fan's
hopes. Acording to The Independent, during the launch of her
autobiography in Spain, she said a
'Cristiano is happy here, he would like to finish his career at Real
Madrid'
Ronaldo left Man U in 2009 for a reported £80m after spending 6 trophy
laden years at the club.
The FCT Council of Chiefs paid a Courtesy Visit to the Presidential
Villa on Friday April 29, 2016. They were received in audience by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo. More photos after the cut...
The repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act CAP
N129, LFN 2004, 2015 (SB. 001) is targeted at re-vitalizing and
enhancing the operational framework and removal of the impediments that
hindered the international best practices within the rail transport
sector. This Bill is currently at the committee level for public
hearing, chaired by Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
Nigeria, particularly between the mid-1950s and 1970s operated a network
of an efficient rail system of transportation, which not only served as
a safer, cheaper and more effective means of transporting passengers,
goods and services across the length and breadth of the country but also
a major source of employment.
It is a sad one for the sector that until the inception of civilian
administrations in 1999, wherein the rail sector received some serious
attention, little or next to no investments was made in the Nigerian
rail sector from the mid-1980s when the Nigerian Railway Corporation was
declared bankrupt - till very recently when it has been resuscitated.
Rail transport is the strong base of social and industrial activities in
both developed and developing counties. However, it appears that the
dream of having efficient rail transport systems is elusive to Nigeria
and Nigerians.
The country has lots of benefits to derive from the revival of the
railway transport system. If the obsolete Railway Corporation Act is
carefully repealed and overhauled, there is no doubt that the populace
will enjoy cheaper means of transporting goods and raw materials; also
the incessant damages to our road and lives by heavy duty trucks will be
reduced.
It is therefore the purpose of cross-ventilating ideas on developing a
rich, practical and well-crafted legal framework for the Nigerian
Railway Corporation, and the entire rail value chain by extension, that
the Committee on land Transport has called a Public Hearing which was
declared open by the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to
enrich the quality and content of the Bill.
This Bill is one of very important 30 Bills on the Legislative agenda
of the 8th Senate, and is also very crucial to the transport sector of
our economy. This Bill will not only usher in a new era of growth, but
will also ensure efficiency and sustainability. This Bill will also go
further to change the outlook of our rail system and the economy.
Let us put the viability of a smooth running rail line in every day perspective.
A working railway system means that, Adamu, the onion farmer in Zungeru
can put his onions on a railway coach, and the next day he is in a big
market in a town like Ilorin, where he will sell his onions and go back
home by the next scheduled train service.
No time wasted in needless traffic or at different road blocks. No
chance of robbery on the way, and the reduced cost on freight will put
more money in his pocket and that of his family — resulting in more
money in the system.
With a functional rail system, haulage via the roads will be greatly
reduced, thereby prolonging the life span of our roads, keeping more
money in government coffers for intervention in other areas of the
economy. Imagine all the tippers and lorry's hauling petrol, gravel and
other heavy materials using rail instead of plying Lagos-Ibadan express
way.
With a working rail system, there will be less pressure on the big
cities as Nigerians can afford to travel cheaply from their small towns
and villages to do business in the cities, returning back with ease to
their abodes, without having to stay put in shanty towns at the outskirt
of the cities.
It is a win-win situation.
Laying and building railroads are labour intensive operations, if
handled with sincerity of purpose, it means that thousands of people
will be employed in the value chain. This is even more so in this era of
unbelievable and unconscionable level of unemployment and lack of
social mobility in our country provided the right laws are put in place,
that the companies building the rail sector do transfer knowledge to
Nigerian engineers, and that the work is carried out by Nigerians and
importation of people from other countries who will rather use citizens
of their own country at the detriment of Nigerians.
Additionally, as Nigeria pushes to establish more competition to promote
growth in all its sectors, it is important to let companies from all
over the world to partake in the bidding process to run trains in
Nigeria.
A good example, would be to have companies like General Electric,
Amtrak, TFL rail who maintain a great level of professionalism and
transparency the opportunity to partake in a genuine Public Private
Partnership in Nigeria’s rail sector. However, as we embark on this
shift, we must ensure that the processes that govern the sector are
sanctioned with a high degree of transparency and best practices. This
means that the government’s oversight function should be businesslike,
proactive and investors' friendly.
In our renewed interest in such a vital sector, transparency must be our watchword.
The uplifting news is that, the National Assembly under the leadership of
Dr. Bukola Saraki has assured that it will pass the right reforms to
enable serious private public partnership to encourage companies who
will put safety, quality first above profit and the reforms will be
deliberated with some degree of urgency it merits.
The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has maintained consistently that
under his leadership, The National Assembly, will pass several
reformation bills to enable Private Public Partnership and jump start
Nigeria's economic growth.
Moving forward, we can only hope that this Act when re-enacted will be
able to stand the test of time and open up the rail sector value chains
to private investments in the area of concessioning, determination of
public service obligations, effective passenger services, and the
establishment of an efficient regulatory framework for private
participation.
It Is my hope and that of many Nigerians, that this very important bill,
will have bi-partisan support In both chambers for speedy passage and
the executive will join hands with the legislative to make sure foreign
companies that will be allowed to partake in this process do follow
international best practices at all levels.
Bamikole Omishore is the Special Assistant on "New Media & Advocacy
to the President of the Senate. Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki
The Minister of Defence, Alhaji
Mansur Dan’ali, while speaking on saturday, said the Nigerian Army is
ready to destroy all camps and hideouts of members of the terrorist
sect, Boko Haram in Sambisa forest.
According to Mansur, the Nigerian Army is now at the verge of
entering the forest and will soon flush out the insurgents terrorising
some states in the northeast of Nigeria. He said since the beginning of
the present administration, tremendous success had been recorded in the
fight against Boko Haram as well as cattle rustling in the country.
THE rampant invasion of communities
across the country by suspected herdsmen, particularly last week’s
attack on Ukpabi-Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani council area of Enugu
State, has raised tension in the South-East.
Armed
Fulani-herdsmen The tension was prompted, especially because the
Ukpabi-Nimbo invasion came less than three weeks after the same
suspected herdsmen invaded another Enugu community, Ugwuleshi in Awgu,
where 76 people were arrested and clamped into Umuahia Prisons where
they spent over 10 days before being granted bail by an Umuahia
Magistrates Court. The increased attacks by suspected herdsmen in the
South-East and other areas have pushed government, communities and
groups to take proactive measures.
For instance, Abia State
House of Assembly has passed a resolution, mandating security agencies
to thoroughly search all trucks and other vehicles conveying to the
state or passing through the state, laden with cattle, onion, tomato,
fruit and other goods, from other parts of the country.
The
resolution of the House was prompted by a motion of urgent public
importance raised by the Minority Leader, Mr. Chibuzo Okogbuo, who
lamented the carnage caused by the suspected herdsmen in the Enugu
community. In the resolution, the House also urged security agencies to
promptly prosecute herdsmen found in possession of illegal arms. To
further checkmate herdsmen, the lawmakers mandated every community in
Abia State to be “vigilant, proactive and resist the ugly activities of herdsmen”.
The
House equally called on traditional rulers in the state to sensitize
their people on the destructive activities of herdsmen and to engage the
leadership of Hausa/Fulani communities in their areas in interactive
sessions aimed at embracing a peaceful relationship. The Speaker of the
House, Mr. Martins Azubuike, in his remarks, urged security agencies to
be more vigilant and alive to their responsibilities and ensure
adequate protection of lives and property.
Meanwhile, some Igbo
leaders have blamed herdsmen’s attacks on the inaction of President
Muhammadu Buhari, saying that only the President can halt the rampaging
herdsmen. Some of them also blamed state governors for not taking
drastic actions against the invaders, urging them to be proactive in
warding off the attacks by the herdsmen.
According to the
Chairman of South East Town Unions, Chief Emeka Diwe, Buhari’s long
silence over the invasion of communities and killing of innocent
Nigerians by herdsmen was not encouraging. As the commander-in-chief of
the armed forces, the President, he said, must ensure the protection of
lives and property and lamented that the Constitution left state
governors powerless in matters of security.
“The
truth is that only Buhari can stop his kinsmen from the attacks. This
level of invasion, raping of women and killing of innocent Nigerians is
suspicious. The least expensive solution, which is also the most
effective in solving the problem of herdsmen’s attacks is that only
Buhari can stop his kinsmen”, Diwe said.
“For
those blaming state governors, what do they want them to do? The
President is the commander-in- chief of the armed forces. No governor
has direct control of any security service in Nigeria.
At
least, we learnt about the problem encountered by the Enugu governor,
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, in his effort to reach out to President Buhari over
the Fulani herdsmen attacks in his state. The President is supposed to
be working directly with governors on security issues. What sense did it
make that after the people of Ukpabi-Nimbo were killed and houses
burnt, security was later deployed? I think we are playing politics with
security issues.
“As leaders of town unions in the five
states of the South-East, we are disturbed by the activities of the
rampaging Fulani herdsmen who have continued to destroy farmlands, rape
women and kill innocent people. We are further worried that President
Buhari is yet to give this problem the serious attention it deserves.
The Fulani herdsmen attack did not start today, but the question is:
Were they this daring in their attacks before Buhari emerged President?
“People
have been killed in Agatu; in Delta, a monarch was kidnapped and found
dead. Millions of others have been displaced from their homes. Now
Ukpabi-Nimbo community in Enugu has been attacked and people massacred.
Enough is enough; we won’t tolerate this again in any part of Igbo
land. Nigeria is treading a dangerous path. The President should do
everything to douse the suspicion. We are not saying he sent them, but
he has the authority to check the attacks to avoid reprisal.
Otherwise,
individuals and communities may resort to self-defence”. A civil
servant in Umuahia, who simply gave his name as Mr. Nwoke, also blamed
security agencies for the spread of the attacks by herdsmen, saying they
lack adequate intelligence.
He also questioned the Department
of State Service [DSS] silence over the attacks on Enugu communities
when they raised the alarm over alleged shallow graves with five Fulani
and two Igbo bodies. Nwoke cautioned them on the way they handle issues
to avoid stoking crisis.
