The whereabouts of seven police officers out of 15 that were ambushed by bandits along the Birnin Gwari-Funtua road on Friday is still uncertain. However, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that eight of the officers were rescued.

Our correspondent gathered that the 15 officers were travelling from Minna in Niger State to Kano through the Burnin Gwari-Funtua road when they were ambushed by a group of bandits along the Farin-Ruwa junction.

The Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (BEPU) also reported that at least 18 police officers were missing but later stated that two had made contact with family members but were still in the forest.

While speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday, the BEPU chairman, Salisu Haruna, said the whereabouts of many of the police officers was uncertain, adding that other officers around Dogon Dawa and other nearby communities had been informed of the incident.

A vigilante source in Birnin Gwari confirmed that the eight officers who were rescued were in the custody of military operatives in Maganda, while contact had been made with another police officer within the forest area.

Several phone calls and a text message sent to the police command in Kaduna State through the public relations officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, were not answered.

* Over N300m worth of goods still trapped at Seme
* It’ll take years to recover our losses – Int’l businessman
* Trading through illegal routes thrives at Mfum, Cameroon border
* Niger Republic promises to respect FG’s new trade protocols

One month after, commercial activities at four of the nation’s land border posts are yet to resume in full swing despite the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that borders be reopened, Daily Trust on Sunday reports.

On December 16, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the reopening of four land borders in three of the six geopolitical zones of the country with immediate effect. These include the Seme border in the South-West; Illela and Maigatari borders in the North-West and Mfun border in the South-South.

However, the ban on importation of rice and poultry, among other items, remained enforced, the Federal Government said.

The borders were closed in August 2019 to stop the importation of contrabands, including arms and ammunition; boost agriculture and protect local economy.

Our correspondents report that news of the reopening had elicited applause in the affected communities, with residents hoping that life would return to normal.

However, investigations by Daily Trust on Sunday reveal that activities are yet to pick up.

Businesses ‘refuse’ to pick at Mfum-Cameroon border

Business appears to be very dull at Mfum, a major border post between Nigeria and Cameroon. Cameroonian authorities have decided not to open their side of the border due to COVID-19, and more importantly, the crisis in the southwestern part of the country, the self-styled ‘Ambazonia Republic,’ which is trying to break away.

The comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Cross River State, Mr James Ezugwu, told our correspondent that they complied immediately with the president’s directive to reopen the border.

Mfum, a town in Etung Local Government Area, is 21 kilometres from the cocoa town of Ikom in the central part of Cross River State.

Upon approaching the international border, the usual trappings associated with a vibrant entry point were absent. There were many checkpoints manned by soldiers, customs, immigration officers and officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) all through the over 20km drive from Ikom. But they seemed reluctant to check motorists or the many motorcyclists plying the road.

Both Nigerians and Cameroonians still freely cross the old iron bridge built by the Germans over 60 years ago, to both sides.

They were not subjected to COVID-19 screenings at the entry points, Daily Trust on Sunday observed, neither were they required to present any travelling paper.

One of the many security operatives at Nigeria’s side of the border said they (security operatives) freely mingled with Cameroonian gendarmes, who also saunter freely into Nigeria to transact business. They could be seen at the far end of the bridge, reclining and chatting away.

“Many of these people you see crossing this bridge live on the fringes of this riverbank. Their villages dot both sides of the border. They claim both nationalities. They inter-marry. It is difficult to distinguish them because they speak the same dialects and languages and have similar Ejagham culture.

Even though our side of the border has been opened, the Cameroonian side is not. The authorities in Cameroon claim COVID-19 is their reason, but we know it is because they want to check the movement of the Ambazonian boys,” he said

There are many roadside eateries, kiosks selling provisions, fried meats, foreign drinks, assorted packaged foods, obviously brought in from Cameroon or sold by Cameroonian women.

At Mfum border, both currencies, Naira and Cameroon CFA, are freely exchanged.

It was gathered that a few weeks to the reopening, those whose businesses and livelihoods depend on the border were understandably angered. They held a peaceful protest at the border, pleading that it should be reopened.

A youth leader from Effraya community, near Mfum, Amos Ndoma said, “There was a mild protest around this border by a collection of youths from the border communities and people who do businesses in and around the border. That protest yielded a good result as the president hearkened to our call and opened the border, which is our main source of livelihood.’’

The non-opening of the Cameroonian side, which was shut long before Nigeria shut hers, is worrisome to Nigerian business people, our correspondent reports.

A Nigerian who trades in rice and fruits across the border, Ikenna Orji, disclosed that they were in discussions with Cameroonian gendarmes for an ‘understanding’ that would aid their businesses.

“We are negotiating with them so that we can have unhindered access as usual to meet our customers and suppliers within Cameroon. You know that it would be useless if our side of the border is open and theirs is not. We have to meet and discuss with their people so that they would not disturb our goods,’’ he said.

From all indications, it appears that underground smuggling of contrabands, possibly in connivance with certain security personnel and the Cameroonian gendarmes, is thriving.

“Much of the smuggling is done in the night through many illegal routes. Rice, petroleum products and fruits are smuggled in and out of the country,” an Ikom resident, Peter Akpan, disclosed.

A resident of the nearby Ajassor town, Mgbee Osim, who engages any type of business at the border said, “There are many routes in the border communities, aside from the official route. We can still do our business as usual. The security operatives know about these illegal routes. All we do is to ‘settle’ them and we either trek or drive our trucks through the bush tracts or paths. The illegal routes take us into many Cameroonian towns.

Even when the government claimed to have closed the Mfum border, both Nigerians and Cameroonians were still doing their businesses, including smuggling.’’

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has said repeatedly that there are 31 illegal routes in the border communities in the state, through which arms and illegal businesses thrive. The impact of this on the state is telling, he said.

Lull at Seme, Idiroko borders

Investigations conducted by Daily Trust on Sunday at Seme and Idiroko borders, both in Lagos and Ogun states respectively, show that inward movement of cargo has not resumed.

This is even as over N300million worth of goods are said to be trapped at the Seme border over a month since the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) ordered the release of the affected cargos in November 2020.

The approval, which was contained in a letter signed by Major-General E.A Ndagi, was a sequel to an earlier letter written by members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Clearing Agents (ANLCA), Seme border chapter.

An investigation by our correspondent showed that weeks after the presidential directive, only passengers with valid documents are allowed to cross in and out of the country.

The chairman of the Seme chapter of the ANLCA, Alhaji Bisiriyu Lasisi Fanu, told our correspondent that there were assurances that the trapped goods at the border would soon be released.

Our investigation at Seme and Idiroko borders also revealed that the commands are yet to commence clearing of cargos, weeks after the Federal Government’s directive.

This is as security operatives at the border told our correspondent that they were yet to receive any written document about the directive on the reopening of the borders.

A senior customs officer at the Seme command told our correspondent that a joint meeting of heads of security operatives at Seme-Krake border was held in December 2020, during which the issue of border reopening was discussed.

He said that at the meeting, it was agreed that only the movement of persons with genuine documents would be allowed for now, while the customs awaits directives from its headquarters.

“The meeting was held sequel to questions raised by the Benin Republic customs on the directives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

They want to know when the movement of cargos would commence. As you can see, they are eager because of the large quantities of goods trapped. But there are new guidelines as to how cargos would come into Nigeria, and all the countries that share borders with her will have to comply with the directives.

The fresh guidelines stipulate that goods from third-party countries must be containerised and must arrive in Nigeria sealed from the country of origin. It must not be tampered with and trans-loaded into trucks. Such situations will no longer be allowed,’’ the officer said.

He said only goods for second party countries were allowed into Nigeria in trucks, in accordance with ECOWAS guidelines.

He, however, said the lull in commercial activities had to do with importers who might have wound down their operations for the year.

Residents of border communities at Owode and Idiroko in Ogun State said they were not happy as activities are yet to pick up at the border.

A food vendor at Owode, Fatima Alani, said patronage was still low when compared to what obtained before the border closure.

“When the border was bubbling, I used to cook half bag of rice daily and everything would be sold to customers by 4pm. But right now, I find it difficult to sell five De Rica measures. We hope that things would be different this year,’’ she said.

An importer at the Seme border, Mr Gboyega Ajao, said most of his colleagues who hitherto used the land border decided to use the ports because the amount they were going to pay would be more than the value of the consignments at the seaports.

He noted that apart from importers, end-users of such goods, industry and the economy lost out when they brought in items through the border.

Idiroko, an Ogun border community with the Republic of Benin, is also yet to bounce back to life. Transporters, traders, clearing and forwarding agents, as well as other businesses that make steady brisk profits due to the influx of nationals and foreigners at the border are yet to return.

It was observed that travelling from Sango via Atan-Owode-Ajilete-Oke Odan-Ihunbo-Oko Eye-Ajegunle Enroute Idiroko, over a dozen checkpoints were mounted by the Nigeria Customs, Nigeria Immigration Service and the joint patrol of border drill, ostensibly to enforce the Federal Government’s directive.

The road from Badagry roundabout to Seme is replete with many police checkpoints, with each extorting the sum of N100 from commercial vehicles. Any driver who refuses to part with something would have his vehicle or commercial motorcycle stopped and thoroughly searched.

Our correspondent counted 28 police checkpoints between Badagry roundabout and Seme. This is outside the approved checkpoint at Gbaji.

A clearing and forwarding agent who identified himself as Muyiwa Salami said he had been out of business since the border was shut, but government’s directive rekindled his hope of surviving.

Ilella border communities, traders recount ordeal

At the Ilella border with Niger Republic, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the town erupted with joy at the news of the border reopening, with motorcyclists stealing the show by pulling off different stunts on the major road leading to the border post.

The people of Konni town in the Niger Republic were not left out in the celebration as they turned out in numbers to grace the occasion.

Speaking during the official reopening, the comptroller of customs in charge of Sokoto and Zamfara states, Alhaji Abdulhamid Ma’aji explained that the border was closed because of abuse of protocols, adding that the government would not hesitate to close it again if guidelines in respect of importation and exportation of goods were not adhered to.

He had earlier met with traditional rulers from Illela and Konni towns, border security operatives from the two countries, whom he intimated on the new guidelines and solicited their support and cooperation.

The meeting was also attended by the governor of Tawa State in Niger Republic, Malam Ibrahim Abbalele, who pledged their support and cooperation with the Nigerian government in its bid to secure its land borders. He promised that the Nigerien government would respect all the protocols guiding international trade.

The Konni chief, Colonel Guzaye Mamman, commended the government of Nigeria on the reopening of the border, noting that the two countries have a long business and social relationship.

A resident of Illela town, Sama’ila Ibrahim, popularly known as Abu Baki, said the 16 months of closure had adverse effects on the town.

“I know many businesses that have closed down and hundreds of youths who were rendered jobless. We thank God that the border is reopened. By the grace of God, new businesses will spring up and our youth would be re-engaged,’’ he said

Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, an international businessman, revealed how their businesses suffered as a result of the closure. According to him, it would take years before many of their members would recover from their losses.

Milgoma, who was speaking on behalf of the Import and Export Traders Association, expressed excitement over the reopening of the borders, which he said would rejuvenate business activities in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

He said his members complied with government’s directive on the closure despite the hardship, and they were willing to abide by the new guidelines.

On his part, a licensed customs agent, Alhaji Muhammadu Sarkin Alaro, said many of his colleagues were put out of business due to border closure.

Activities picking up at Jigawa’s Maigatari border post

Business activities are gradually picking up at the Maigatari in Jigawa State. The reopening of land borders has received applause from some residents of the state, particularly those who carry out businesses at the border.

Those who spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday were unanimous that the reopening of the border had opened a fresh vista in both economic and social activities between Nigeria and its neighbouring Niger Republic, especially in the areas of inter-state relations.

When our correspondent visited the border post, it was discovered that while the gate was open, activities were at its lowest ebb. But security agents on duty said activities normally peaked on Thursdays, which is the local market day.

An official of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) manning the entry and exit points, said, “As you can see, we have since reopened the border in line with Federal Government’s instruction.

For now, I can tell you that we have no problem as we are receiving maximum cooperation from our sister security agencies, both from here and on the Niger Republic side.”

Similarly, an official of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) confirmed that trade between the two countries had started picking up, noting that with time, activities would go back to where they used to be before the closure. According to the NCS official, “The best time to come here for any information is on market days.”

In separate interviews with Daily Trust on Sunday, they believed that besides the revival of activities, social, religious and even inter-marriages between the people in the two countries would pick up again.

The council chairman of Maigatari, Alhaji Sani Dahiru, said they lost a lot of revenue during the closure and hoped that with the reopening, the council would receive a big boost.

According to him, Maigatari Local Government was generating an average revenue of N400,000 to N500,000 monthly, which had gone down drastically during the period of the closure.

Malam Danjummai Saidu, who imports rams into the country from Niger Republic through Maigatari border, believes that with the reopening, people would earn more, noting that since the border closure, a lot of people had been thrown into an economic quagmire.

Sabo Ado Maidoki, who ferries donkeys between the two countries, said even though trading in animals was yet to fully pick up, he was optimistic that with time, everything would return to normal.

Bashar Muhammad, a cattle dealer, said the business was picking up gradually. Muhammad, who is the secretary-general of the Amalgamated Cattle Traders Association of Nigeria, (ACTAN) in Maigatari, said the reopening was a welcome development that will affect the council in a positive way.

“Maigatari is one of the most important border posts in the northern part of the country, and indeed, the whole of West Africa. Our border has made a serious name because of its importance among its competitors.

When the border was closed over a year ago, our economy was seriously affected, especially those of us who are small scale traders on this axis.

Not only did our economy go down, even our younger ones who usually went into Niger Republic, and vice-versa, had been badly affected. It also affected our interactions with our neighbours on that axis too.

So this directive from the president to reopen the border is a welcome development and big relief. As a result of this, the market in this town has changed,” he said.

Banditry has put Katsina State in the news for the wrong reasons. Hundreds of Nigerians have been killed, more have been abducted and thousands displaced, with villages decimated, women raped and farms destroyed. Daily Trust reports what triggered banditry in the state and how the situation escalated.

In recent times, mass abductions, rape and killings by bandits in Katsina State have led to the deaths of hundreds of people and the displacement of thousands.

As at March 2020, more than 210,000 people were internally displaced while another 35, 000 became refugees. They crossed the borders into Niger Republic to find safety in places like Madaou in Tahoua Region, Dan Dadji Makaou, Garin Kaka and Guidan Roumdji.

Today, hundreds of bandits occupy the vast Rugu forest, from where they attack villages and kidnap residents.

The 334 students of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Kankara, reportedly abducted in December last year, drew national and global attention to the heightened activities of bandits in the state.

Many security analysts told Daily Trust that banditry in Katsina became a major concern in 2014 before it escalated between 2017 and 2018.

While some said it escalated as a result of farmers/herders clashes, which first broke out in the state some 30 years ago, others believed a military operation to tackle the menace in other places pushed criminals to Katsina.

Muhammadu Bashir Shuaibu Galma, a retired major and intelligence officer, described the situation as a pandemic.

“Banditry was in Zamfara before it got to other places in the North-West, including Katsina. There was a time the military conducted a major exercise with the president there. That exercise dispersed the bandits in Zamfara. We called the attention of the authorities that if not well handled, the criminals could spread to neighbouring states and explore safe havens to regroup. That was when they spread to Katsina and other states in the region,” he said.

A resident who did not want his name mentioned, corroborated the major’s opinion when he said the bandits arrived the state at the same time when people displaced by incessant attacks in Zamfara fled into Katsina. According to him, they started random raids here and there.

“At that time, their activities were majorly in Kankara, Faskari, Danmusa, Safana and a section of Batsari,” the resident said.

Vigilante groups arrested several bandits and handed them over to the authorities. This action angered the bandits and triggered a massive reaction.

In March 2014, they attacked villages in Faskari Local Government Area and killed 103 people, including women and children, setting their homes ablaze.

Following many attacks, the state government decided to negotiate with the bandits through one Buharin Daji, believed to be their leader.

This peace deal, the resident said, was a mistake.

“When the Katsina State Government entered into an agreement with Buharin Daji, who was considered as the commander- general of the bandits, they used the opportunity to gain access to Jibia forest. And they breached the peace deal,” he said.

He said Buharin Daji, who did not respect the peace agreement, was killed in a clash with another group of bandits.

Recounting how banditry spread in Katsina, Alhaji Lawal Saidu Funtua, a veteran journalist based in the state, who has been covering security matters for many years and had been invited a couple of times by leaders of the bandits to their hideout said, “We started noticing banditry in this form around 2012 here in Katsina. It got worse around 2014 when they attacked Mararabar Maigora and Maigora towns, during which over 100 people were killed. That was when they started the destructive aspect of it.

The genesis of this menace is clear for all to see. It started as a clash between farmers and herdsmen, and with time, it snowballed into banditry,” he said.

He alleged that a large number of those involved in the crime were Fulani because their cattle routes had been taken over; hence their means of livelihood destroyed.

“When I discussed with these bandits when I visited them, they told me clearly that their major concern was how security agencies had cheated them over the years, with the connivance of traditional institutions and others.

What happened was that if a Fulani man had 100 cattle and he settled in an environment, these traditional rulers, Miyetti Allah and security agencies would find a way of framing his child or brother so as to extort money from him,” he said.

From cattle rustling and isolated attacks in remote villages, banditry is now threatening the entire North- West.

Our correspondent was informed that the bandits now operate a network of informants in the state and take advantage of the vast forest where they have their camps and can keep hundreds of kidnap victims at the same time.

Our source said the influx of weapons from Libya, through the Republic of Niger, had helped the spread of the crime. This claim was also backed by the retired intelligence officer, Major Galma.

Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, suggested that for the criminals to be subdued, security agents must first cut off their sources of arms supply, which he said mostly came from Niger Republic.

Cut off supply of hard drugs

Funtua also said that to overcome the bandits, government should cut off supply of hard drugs to them.

“What I observed during my visit is that government has been careless, especially with the issue of illicit drugs.

Initially, they started by coming to town to drink beer and go back, but with time, they got into hard drugs fully.

When I went during Christmas, I was told they now abuse one drug they call “Fanta,” which they inject into their body. They inject about 10, and once they do that they fear nobody. If they hear gunshots, that is where they will head to. So it is a combination of a lot of factors,’’ he said.

‘Lucrative business’

Major Galma also said that banditry grew in the state as a result of a number of factors.

“It was not tackled at the right time and people began to realise that it is a lucrative business, as relatives of kidnapped victims and people in government pay ransoms to secure their freedom.

Also, those who were caught in the act were not prosecuted and punished. You know that punishing crime always serves as a deterrent to others, but in a situation where the culprits are going scot-free, others will not find it difficult to join.

Another factor is the involvement of informants who also make a lot of money from their activities. And most of them are doing it as a result of unemployment. All these things are fuelling the problem,” he said.

He also mentioned the availability of the mobile communication system as one of the things aiding the activities of bandits.

Funtua believes that a change in orientation among the Fulani also played a part.

“In the past, as we all know, the pride of a Fulani man was to have many herds of cattle, but now, he wants to have more arms than his adversaries. If you have 1,000 AK 47 riffles and somebody has 100, certainly you have superior power over him. With that you can conquer territories, attack people and commit all sorts of atrocities,” he added.

Another issue the government needs to look into, according to Funtua, is the possibility of connivance with town dwellers.

“These people collect millions of naira, and whenever they are arrested and interrogated, you hardly find more than N20,000, with them. Where do you think they spend all those millions in the bush? Certainly, there is the possibility that those that are benefitting from it are living with us in the cities,” he also said.

Political involvements

Major Galma also believes the involvement of some politicians, even if not directly, could not be overruled.

“Often, these people would be arrested, and before you know it, somebody in a position of authority would make a call for their release; and that is what will happen,” he said.

On the way out of the problem, the retired intelligence officer said there must be synergy between security agencies, the government and mobile service providers, through which their communications could be tracked and blocked.

Thousands of villagers have been displaced

He said negotiating with the criminals gave them more reasons to commit atrocities, knowing that at the end, it would come down to negotiations and money would be released in most cases.

“People have to be brave enough to give useful information to security agencies. They have to be supported and funded better. On their part, they should be committed and serve with sincerity,” he said.

Saidu Funtua further said, “When I visited them sometime last year, one of their complaints was that a lot of them could not come into towns because the presence of vigilantes who arrest and hand them over to security agencies and sometime kill some of them. With that, they have no source of income, so they have to devise a way, which is criminality.

Daily Trust reports that banditry has affected 35 out of 92 local government areas in four states in the North.

It was learnt that the discovery of goldmines and activities of illegal miners competing for the control of gold reserves also intensify the existence and activities of armed groups in the North-West.

Recent Developments

Apart from the abduction of the Kankara schoolboys on December 11, 2020, bandits also intercepted schoolgirls returning from Maulud celebration and abducted 84 of them. They were, however, rescued by their kinsmen, in collaboration with security agencies that very night.

2020 recorded an unprecedented number of attacks by bandits, including a February incident in Tsanwa and Dankar villages of Batsari Local Government Area, where over 30 people were killed, an undisclosed number kidnapped and dozens of buildings burnt. The bandits also rustled livestock.

In March, the bandits launched attacks in Dandume, Sabuwa, Safana and Faskari local government areas, in which at least 17 people were killed.

In June, the gunmen raided Kadisau and five other villages in Faskari Local Government Area and at least 47 people were reportedly killed, animals rustled and properties worth millions of naira destroyed. That same month, the district head of Yantumaki in Danmusa, Alhaji Abu Atiku, was killed.

In addition to displacement and killings, banditry has hampered agricultural activities and heightened the risk of food insecurity.

According to Dr Abba Abdullahi, the special adviser to Governor Aminu Masari on agriculture, at least 500 farms, equivalent to 58,000 hectares of farmland, have been abandoned by farmers due to insecurity.

Arresting the situation

During the 2020 Nigerian Armed Forces Day celebration, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai launched Operation Sahel Sanity and opened a Super Camp in Faskari Local Government Area of the state.

At the occasion, Buratai tasked security agencies to launch offensives on the bandits in their enclaves across Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states.

“You are very much aware of the escalating, and of course, the deteriorating state of the security situation in the North-West, which calls for concern. The president and commander-in-chief has directed that the appropriate steps be taken,” Buratai said.

In the same vein, the Nigerian Air Force launched an airstrip in Funtua to help the anti-banditry operation. And since then, troupes of Operation Sahel Sanity, alongside those of Operation Sharan Daji and Operation Puff Adder of the Nigerian Police have neutralised several camps of the bandits, arrested some of them and arms smugglers in the forests.

While military options are being pursued, the Katsina State Government twice entered into peace deals with the bandits as explained by the Secretary to the Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, head of the state amnesty programme.

“In this state, we did it twice. In early 2017, we had it and were able to achieve relative peace for almost two years. Of recent, the security agencies, under the influence of the Inspector-General of Police, also insisted that we go with this non-kinetic approach, which we did,” he said.

However, both peace deals collapsed.

Possible ways out

Despite the collapse of these deals, Saidu Funtua still believes it is the best approach to peace in the state.

“Well, going by my visit, there is no better option than dialogue because force has been tried over the years but it failed, even in other areas, and people are continuously killed.

However, you cannot go into dialogue without having options A, B and C so that if there is betrayal you can fall on them,” he said.

However, Brigadier-General Saleh Bala (rtd), president of the Abuja-based White Ink Institute of Strategy Education and Research, said the solution should be more holistic.

“The problem, no doubt, has to do with all-round ineffective, negligent, self-serving, insensitive or even clueless and incompetent governance.

It is a no-brainer to see that the worse of violent crimes with us are rural while our patronising national security mechanism is totally urban and elite protection, designed and delivered. Nigeria needs to review its national security strategy to be bottom-up, that is rural to urban protection designed.”

He said the security system was designed to protect the “core elite” in politics, public offices, traditional rulers, business persons and their families. These, he said, had left huge pockets of ungoverned spaces in the country’s over 600,000 square miles.

“At some wedding some days back in Kaduna, one person arrived with a convoy of about 15 well-armed, well-kitted policemen.

We can’t solve our problem by just buying arms and vehicles and promoting individuals only to either serve VIPs or just for political expedience.

Pretending security

We are not providing security in Nigeria. We are pretending security. Governors and local government chairpersons must be empowered by law to preside over the administration of their own political spaces. If it really took the resourcefulness of a state governor and local leaders to free within a few days, the 300 Kankara boys, then it only means that our solutions are in local devolution and control of security strategy,” he said.

Governor Masari, on Thursday received 77 persons, including a military person abducted in the state. Earlier, 26 personnel regained their freedom.

On Friday, another 37 captives, including men, women and children were also released by the gunmen as part of a peace process, raising the number of released captives to 140, apart from the Kankara schoolboys.

Prominent among the released persons were the village head and a newly wedded couple abducted from Bakon Zabo village, Batsari Local Government Area, 11 days after their wedding.

The governor explained the process to journalists at the Government House.

“This is a continuation of an exercise which started with the rescue of the Kankara schoolboys. We saw an opening and are working with the leadership of the Miyetti Allah to ensure that we exploit it and bring back as many of our kidnap victims as we can.

With this 77, we have so far returned 104 of the victims, and the process is still ongoing. We are doing this as quietly as we can to ensure that no one is harmed and further kidnappings stopped,” the governor said.

Masari added that the Police, Army, Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and all other security agencies were involved in the process.

He said the victims were evacuated from different areas, with 77 from the Batsari-Jibia axis, 16 from the Sabuwa-Faskari-Dandume axis, while the other 10 were from Danmusa. He added that not all the victims were indigenes of Katsina State, saying some were from Kaduna.

The commissioner of police, Katsina State command, Sanusi Buba, said the bandits themselves made several appeals for peace to reign in their domains.

“The Inspector-General of Police, in his wisdom, decided to put this machinery in motion to reach out to these elements so as to see if indeed they are serious with their overtures for peace with their neighbours. They have to demonstrate that by the release of their captives.

This process has been on for some days, and we are grateful to all those who are directly and indirectly involved in this rescue. We are making efforts to ensure that all those that are still in captivity are safely rescued without the payment of any ransom or hindrance.

We hope and pray that this method would not be limited to Katsina State, but would go beyond all other vulnerable states,” he said.

What is left to be seen is how far this peace initiative as mentioned by Buba would go and how much the opening, as enunciated by the Katsina State governor, would be exploited?

Five soldiers, including an officer from the 117 Battalion, 28 Task Force Brigade, have been killed while 15 others were injured when they ran into landmines planted by Boko Haram insurgents during an operation in a remote village in the southern part of Borno State on Thursday, sources said.

It was learnt that the incident happened at 10.20am near Kwada Kwamtah Yahi village in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno when their vehicle ran over a massive bomb that exploded, killing one army officer and four others.

A top vigilante member, Yohanna Bitrus, who was part of the troops’ clearance operations in Kwada Kwamtah Yahi village, disclosed that a utility operation vehicle ran over a buried improvised explosive device (IED) and loud explosions ensued, resulting in casualties among troops in the two Hilux vehicles.

“It was a sad encounter for us in Chibok when our escort commander’s car ran over a landmine and the van was damaged completely.

“I saw the vehicle being tossed up into the air. We managed and summoned courage to evacuate the corpses of the fallen heroes including a lieutenant and four soldiers.

“Not fewer than 15 others sustained various degrees of injuries; they are currently receiving medical care at 28 Task Force Bridge Clinic in Chibok,” he said.

A security source also confirmed the landmines attack on troops’ convoy to our correspondent.

“It happened yesterday; we lost some gallant soldiers but that won’t deter our determination to wipe them out in our current campaigns,” the security source said.

The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) yesterday appealed to the Nigerian elite to rescue the nation from what it described as “failed leaders”.

According to the forum, the country is in a fragile state.

The forum, through its Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said this in Abuja while speaking at the ‘2nd Never Again Conference: 51 Years After Nigerian-Biafran Civil War’ organised by an Igbo think-tank, Nzuko Umunna.

He said the President Muhammadu Buhari had failed in all aspects of governance, calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise to the occasion of making Nigeria great again by speaking with one voice towards national cohesion.

“We finished this war in 1970 and within four years, virtually all the Igbos who had left the north who were still alive came back to the north, they continued with their lives. Northerners moved to the east and Nigeria moved on.

“Here, we are 51 years after, abusing each other, disputing history. It is a good thing that we are saying ‘Never Again’, but we need to recognise, ‘Never What Again’? The post-civil war elite has substantially failed this country, even more than those who plunged this country into the disaster that ended in 1970.

“The elite of Nigeria still speaks in a manner that suggests that we are still fighting a war. This means this country has not made any progress at all.

“We need to be very careful. We need history but our present and future should not become captives of the past. If we do that, we will never fix the problem, we will always fight over what happened in the past.”

Presidential spokesmen, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, neither answered phone calls nor responded to separate text messages sent to them seeking reactions to the allegation by the NEF that Buhari had failed in all aspects of governance.

The Federal Government has disbursed another round of performance-based grants to States in the sum of N123.348bn ($324.6m) under its States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme for Results.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, who disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr. Hassan Dodo, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations on Wednesday in Abuja, explained that the disbursement followed the achievement of results by the States in the just concluded 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA).

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The assessment was carried out by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) and approved by the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

According to Mrs. Ahmed, the disbursement included N91.048 billion (USD239.6 million) of performance-based grants for the 2019 APA results achieved by 32 Eligible States across various Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) covering fiscal transparency, accountability, expenditure efficiency, revenue mobilization and debt sustainability.

‘Sokoto on Top’

States received grants in accordance to the number of results achieved, with Sokoto State receiving the highest amount of N6.612billion while Kano State got the lowest amount of N1.710billion.

“Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers and Zamfara States got zero allocation due to their inability to meet the 2019 eligibility criteria which required States to publish online approved annual budgets and audited financial statements within a specific timeframe,” she said.

She further noted that the 2019 APA results were a significant improvement on the 2018 APA results where the total performance-based grants of N43.416 billion (USD120.6 million) were received by 24 Eligible States, demonstrating the substantive progress States have made on fiscal reforms.

She disclosed that the second part of the disbursement involved a new COVID-19 response DLI: The implementation of a tax compliance relief programme for individual tax payers and businesses by States by 30 September 2020 where 34 out of 36 States (only Anambra and Zamfara States missed out) were able to achieve the results for this new DLI for the total of N32.3 billion (USD 85 million) of grants.

The disbursement came after the recent one in November, 2020 by the Federal Government where the sum of N66.5billion (USD175 million) was granted to 35 States which achieved results under another new COVID-19 response DLI: the passing of an Amended COVID-19 Responsive 2020 Budget by 31 July 2020.

‘N233billion disbursed since April’

The Minister observed that since the first disbursement in April 2020, the Federal Government has thus far disbursed the total sum of N233billion(USD620.6million) to the States under the US $750 million World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.

Mrs. Ahmed reiterated that the World Bank-assisted SFTAS Programme was principally meant to strengthen fiscal management at the state level so as to ensure effective mobilisation and utilisation of financial resources to the benefit of their citizens in a transparent, accountable and sustainable manner, thereby reducing fiscal risks and encouraging a common set of fiscally responsible behaviours.

She noted that the SFTAS programme could not have come at a better time, given the dwindling government revenue occasioned by oil price volatility and coupled with the current impact of COVID-19 which has further intensified the need for improved practices in fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability as enunciated in the SFTAS ideals.

The Minister stressed that with the disbursement of the total sum of N233.264 billion (USD620.2 million) since the beginning of the Programme for Results, “we have thus far successfully adapted and implemented the SFTAS Programme to provide timely support to States with a view to strengthening their fiscal capacity for responding to numerous fiscal challenges in their respective domains.”

“The increase in the number of benefitting States and results achieved is indicative of the wider acceptance of SFTAS ideals by all States of the Federation and this would herald a new era of transparency and accountability in fiscal governance at the sub-national level”.

The power Distribution Companies (DisCos) are targeting the installation of 10 million meters for all households in at least five years, said its representative group – Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED).

Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy of ANED, Chief Sunday Oduntan blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and logistics issues for the slow metering process.

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Daily Trust reports on Monday that the DisCos installed only 525,120 meters (7.5 per cent) of a 7.6m target in two years.

More so Only seven DisCos installed 16,308 meters, with five installing none despite fixing a target of one million meters between from October to December 2020 under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

But reiterating the DisCos’ commitment to closing the 10m meter deficit, Oduntan said: “I believe that within the next five years, all households in Nigeria should be metered. When I talk about 10 million meters, it’s about those who are still building, the deficit gap; the six million meters of which one million may be completed hopefully by June.”

The DisCos’ spokesman also apologised and called for patience for the failed meter target saying, “Meter is not just something you procure and plug and play; it takes a lot of effort and logistics unlike buying a mobile phone and slotting SIM card. We are not giving excuses, all we are asking for is, to be patient with the government, to show understanding with the regulators and the operators.”

On his part, the Managing Director of MEMMCOL meter manufacturing firm, Mr Kola Balogun, exonerated the manufacturers.

“If you recall there was a scheme that was going on across the country called MAP which needed to be rounded up before we started the mass metering programme.

“A couple of DisCos needed to tidy up those ends so that the new metering initiative which is supposed to be free from the government will come in. Between October and December, that is what most of the DisCos were rounding up.”

Mr Balogun however said, the one million metering target may be met by June 2021.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is strategising, by way of mobilising, repositioning and reactivating its structures to reclaim Ekiti State in the 2022 governorship election.

The decision was taken yesterday at a meeting convened by the state secretary of the party, Mrs Funmilayo Ogun, with 16 local governments and 155 ward secretaries in attendance.

The meeting, which was held at the state party secretariat, Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti, was attended by the state chairman of the party, Bisi Kolawole and other members of the State Working Committee (SWC).

Addressing the executive members, Kolawole tasked them to embark on an aggressive membership drive for the party so that it would be well positioned to take control of the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2022.

Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with the country accounting for about 20 per cent of global maternal deaths. Daily Trust, in this report, examines some of the factors responsible for this ugly trend.

Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in several low-and-middle-income countries is alarming, with about 34% of global maternal deaths occurring in Nigeria and India alone.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the MMR of Nigeria is 814 deaths (per 100,000 live births).

The lifetime risk of a Nigerian woman dying during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum or post-abortion is one in 22, in contrast to the lifetime risk in developed countries estimated at 1 in 4,900

Nigerian women are also said to be 500 times more likely to lose their lives in childbirth when compared to most advanced nations of the world.

An online research media, indexmundi puts Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate at 917 deaths/100,000 live births.

Speaking on the increasing rate of maternal mortality in the country, the Programme and Communication Officer, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Mr Armsfree Ajanaku said, from their experience as an organization that has been working to mitigate the devastating impact of scourge of maternal and child health in Nigeria, they have observed a number of factors contributing to the situation.

“In the first place, the poor governance of the Primary Healthcare Sector is a major issue.

“A situation where PHCs, which are supposed to be the first port of call for expectant mothers and infants are ill equipped to respond to basic treatment needs, exposes large number of mothers and babies to untimely death,” he said.

He said they have situations, especially in rural areas, where equipment as basic as beds, thermometers, and blood pressure monitors are not available in PHCs resulting in patients being treated without the right indices.

Mr Ajanaku said many Nigerians in urban centres take some of these things for granted, but in the rural areas, “they are luxuries, which are hard to come by.”

He urged the government and stakeholders in the health sector to look deeply into the PHCs and make available facilities and human capital needed to make them function well to enable pregnant women have access to quality healthcare services at the grassroots to reduce the rate of maternal deaths recorded yearly.

In Northern Nigeria, many women die from pregnancy-related complications as many reports have exposed.

It is believed that this is because of the inaccessibility of health care facilities for expectant mothers, which is because of a plethora of reasons.

Poverty, early marriage big factors in Kano

In 2020, Daily Trust profiled a group of women in the Gwammaja area of Kano State, who had identified some of these problems around them.

The women, led by one Hajiya Amina Tanko, had first identified poverty as the foremost problem amongst them.

“Women and their relatives simply had no money to invest in antenatal care, or for safe deliveries in reputable hospitals.

“Among us, some died while giving birth or their children will die because some husbands will say they do not have money to take them to the hospital, and that was why we had to do something to help our members, so that nobody will be dying anyhow,” Hajiya Tanko said.

A Nigerian is classified as poor when he lives below $1 per day, which is about N400.