₦airaland Forum

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has acknowledged the receipt of petition urging it to probe and prosecute Tukur Buratai, immediate past Chief of Army Staff.

Deji Adeyanju, convener of the civil society organization Concerned Nigerians on Tuesday said the Hague-based court wrote the group to confirm receipt of the petition forwarded to it last week.

Mr Adeyanju also said he and his group will not rest until the ex-military chief whom they accused of commiting crime against humanity and human rights violations is made to pay for the consequences of his actions while in office.

“The International Criminal Court has written back to us on our petition against Buratai. I can tell you we are making progress. We will not rest until he faces justice at The Hague,” the activist said on Twitter Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, the federal government has described those demanding the probe of Buratai as unpatriotic elements.

lalasticlala, mynd44

A schoolgirl among those abducted from Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in April 2014 has reportedly been rescued.

Boko Haram terrorists had six years ago stormed the boarding school and kidnapped the students who were said to be writing their final examination at the time, an action that necessited protests globally.

Some of the girls were rescued years after while many are still in custody of the terrorist group.

Hauwa Halim Maiyanga, according to TheCable quoting a military source, was rescued by troops waging insurgency war around sambisa forest.

“For a month now, troops have been bombarding the Sambisa forest and Boko Haram hideouts in the operations Tura Takaibango and Lafiya Dole, and many civilians are being rescued,” the source said.

“When the enemies are neutralised, those they have captured regain freedom. The Chibok girl is one of those that has been freed, after her captors hideout was cleared. There are many other girls, we are still trying to find out where they were stolen from,” it added.

“She is currently been examined and given medical treatment at the army hospital there,” another source resident in the area confirmed.

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly, asking it to confirm the appointment of new service chiefs.

This is according to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Babajide Omoworare, Mr Buhari’s letter to Senate President Ahmad Lawan was dated January 27.

The decision comes two days after a coalition led by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, described the appointment of service chiefs by the president as illegal without recourse to the lawmaking arm.

The new service chief most of whom have assumed duties includes: Lucky Irabor, a major general, as the Chief of Defense Staff, brahim Attahiru, a major general, as Chief of Army Staff, Auwal Gambo, a rear admiral, as Chief of Naval Staff and Isyaka Amao, an air vice marshal, as Chief of Air Staff.

Read the full statement by Mr Omoworare below.

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BUHARI SEEKS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S CONFIRMATION OF SERVICE CHIEFS.

President Muhammadu Buhari has communicated the appointment of the Service Chiefs to the National Assembly and has sought for the confirmation of the said appointment by the Senate through his letter to the Senate President dated 27th January 2021. This was done in furtherance of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A.20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

Contrary to fears expressed in some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari has “bypassed” the National Assembly in the process of appointment of the Service Chiefs and that he has no intention of seeking consideration and confirmation of their appointment, Mr. President upon nomination for appointment sought confirmation of the Senate for the appointment of Major General Lucky Irabor, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff respectively, vide his aforementioned letter.

It is on record that this same procedure was adopted when the immediate past Service Chiefs were appointed. Upon announcement of the appointment of the then Service Chiefs – Major General Abayomi Olonisakin (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Ibok-Efe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), Mr. President had written the 8th Senate on 14th July 2015 for confirmation. Whilst the correspondence was read on the floor of the Senate on 28th July 2015, consideration and confirmation of the appointments was carried out at the Committee of the Whole on 4th August 2015

It will be recalled that the National Assembly will only resume plenary sessions on 9th February 2021 when hopefully Mr. President’s communication for consideration and confirmation of the nomination for appointment of the Service Chiefs would be undertaken.

Before this administration, confirmation of Service Chiefs were not sought and obtained from the National Assembly in consonance with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A.20 LFN. We are aware that in Keyamo Vs. President & Ors, the Federal High Court set aside the Armed Forces Modification Order 2008 (purportedly made under Section 315 [2) of the Constitution) on 1st July 2013 and ruled that the confirmation of the National Assembly must be sought for the appointment of the Service Chiefs. We are in compliance with the spirit and letters of both the statute and case law.

Signed:
Senator Babajide Omoworare
(ssa-p/nass/senate)
Friday, January 29, 2021

Atiku Abubakar has condemned the shutdown of online publication, Peoples Gazette.

The ordeal of the news outlet founded last year began Tuesday evening after Nigerian telecommunications networks barred internet subscribers from visiting the news portal. TODAY POLITICS confirmed this while accessing the web portal using MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile internet services.

Samuel Ogundipe, the managing editor of Peoples Gazette in a statement said the censorship was as a result of the paper’s publications exposing misconducts particularly by state actors.

Mr Ogundipe said investigations indicted the Nigerian government through the National Communication Commission (NCC).

Weighing in, the opposition presidential candidate in the last general election said the development is unacceptable.

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“I have received with concern, reports of technical censorship of @GazetteNGR, an independent online newspaper, ostensibly by agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria. This is not acceptable,” the former vice president said in a statement replicated on Twitter.

“Press freedom is not only a constitutionally guaranteed right but an integral component of democracy.

“The battle for the democracy that Nigeria enjoys today was fought and won with the Nigerian media standing in the frontline against anti-democratic forces.

“Sadly today, it seems as though our victory 22 years ago was half-won as there still exists oppressive tendencies of the past.

“As a Democrat and believer in press freedom, I denounce every attempt to gag the media in Nigeria.

“I do so because I know that our democracy is benchmarked on the principle of a republican government and that the people of Nigeria deserve to have access to information about the workings of the government,” he added.

deantimes:
Source: https://todaypoliticsng.com/my-campaign-promises-to-nigerians-difficult-to-fulfill-buhari/

President Muhammadu Buhari says he finds it difficult fulfilling the major campaign promises he made to Nigerians while seeking the exalted office.

Mr Buhari while in the opposition castigated his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan for failing to nib insecurity in the bud but backtracked when Boko Haram terrorists were brutally dealt with saying it was a fight against the Northern region where he hails from.

He had promised to crush the terrorist group in no distant time if elected into the position but expressed surprised 5 years after over the continued existence of the terror group fighting to Islamize the nation.

TODAY POLITICS also recalled he criticised the economic policies of the Jonathan administration especially in 2012 when he took part in the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy which led to the increase in prices of petroleum products at the time.

But addressing the new service chiefs he appointed recently, the president said since he took over the affairs of the nation his administration has been finding it difficult to fulfill the promises made albeit progress has been recorded.

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“We’re in a state of emergency. Be patriotic, serve the country well, as your loyalty is to the country,” presidential spokesman Femi Adesina in a statement quoted his principal as saying while addressing the new security chiefs yesterday.

“You know the stage we were in 2015, you know the stage we are now, and the undertakings we made.

“We promised to secure the country, revive the economy, and fight corruption. None has been easy, but we have certainly made progress,” he added.

Nigerians dislike President Muhammadu Buhari because of his failures in governance and not because of his tribe says former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

Mr Omokri stated this in response to the assertion of presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, who said her principal was being disliked because of his ethnicity.

Mr Buhari is from the Fulani tribe who are largely into rearing of cows. His kinsmen are accused of being behind rising insecurity bedeviling the nation. While his administration has claimed to have improved on insecurity, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency, much attention has not been paid to alleged criminality traced to herdsmen.

For instance, the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu had last week ordered herders out of the state’s forest reserves. Stating his reason, he alleged that testimonials from kidnap victims indicted herdsmen who often reside in the bush to perpetuate the criminal acts.

The president’s attempt at establishing cattle colonies nationwide was roundly rejected most especially in the southern part of the nation. Critics described it as a plot to fulanise the country which, an allegation first made by former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Buhari administration thereafter suspended the programme despite some northern states buying the idea and willing to donate lands for the initiative.

Attacking critics on Monday Onochie said their hate for her principal was because of his ethnic group which she said amounts to fishing for trouble.

“If there is an ethnic or community clash where lives and properties are lost, we pick and choose which to attribute to community clash and which to lay on the doorsteps of the Fulanis, Buhari’s ethnic group, in order to satisfy the craving for more bitterness and hatred towards Buhari,” she said in series of tweets.

“There is no tribe that is free of bad eggs. But criminalising an ethnic group because you don’t like President Buhari’s face, is nothing short of evil and fishing for trouble,” Onochie added.

But responding, Omokri faulted the opinion of the presidential aide, urging her to reconsider her position.

The ex-presidential aide to Goodluck Jonathan who cited the late president Umaru Yaradua as an example to buttress his point added that even the president dislike Nigerians who opposition his aspiration to the highest office in the land.

“Those saying we dislike General @MBuhari because of his Fulani identity should have a rethink,” Omokri said in a tweet Monday.

“Umar Musa Yar’adua was Fulani, from the same Katsina. Yet, we supported him. We campaigned for him. We voted for him. We oppose #Buhari due to his monumental failure!

“#Buhari himself does not like some of us. This is a man who began his tenure by warning us that “constituents who gave me 97% cannot be treated same with constituencies that gave me 5%.” The man says he does not see us as equals and you want us to celebrate him?” he queried.

Mr Yaradua, from Katsina State where Buhari hails from, succeeded Obasanjo in office and admitted that the election which brought him to power had much irregularities, a rare statement from politicians in the country.

He was loved by many especially due to his handling of the militancy in the Niger Delta region but died while in office.

Kaduna1stson:
We are going there to give the governor an order. We cannot beg.

Its either he let's our people stay in the forests or lose his second term bid.

The leadership of Miyetti Allah, umbrella body of herdsmen in the country, is set to meet with Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo State, to plead for more time to comply with his decision to regulate herdsmen in the state.

Mr Akeredolu while citing insecurity traced to herdsmen residing in forest reserves, ordered the herders to either register with the state government or vacate the woodlands.

The meeting reportedly facilited by the presidency will also have state governors from the South-West geo-political zone present.

This was disclosed by a media aide of one of the state governors who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity in Akure, the state capital.

The aide who said his principal will be present at the meeting added that the presidency has admitted it wrongdoing while reacting to the 7-day ultimatum to herdsmen by the Ondo State government.

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“The whole thing was about misconception. We all know the Presidency misinterpreted the Ondo State government’s directive. They took it to mean a total action which intended to clear the state if all herders,” the anonymous source said on Sunday.

“And while admitting that the spokesman to Mr President acted hastily and without proper authorization, they (Presidency) have reached out to other governors to facilitate a meeting where the leadership of Miyetti Allah would likely plead for time to comply with the directive.

“My principal is involved and very concerned too because this is a Yoruba matter and not a personal issue between Aketi and the herders.

“So we are coming to Akure for the meeting tomorrow at 12. We need to give the honour to our chairman, the governor of Ondo State who is even leading the fight against insecurity in the region,” the source added.

The Muslim Right Concerns (MURIC) has called on Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor and President Muhammadu Buhari to compensate Fulani herders attacked by angry mob on Friday.

The religious body made the demand in a Sunday statement signed by its director, Ishaq Akintola.

Mr Akintola also advised that the crisis which erupted in Ibarapa, Oyo State between a Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and Fulani herdsmen be properly handled.

Calamity struck when supporters of the Yoruba activist invaded the Fulani settlement in Ibarapa and attacked herders after the expiration of Igboho’s vacation order to herdsmen in the area.

Properties worth millions of naira were lost after the irate youths set houses, vehicles and other valuables ablaze. Weighing in MURIC is advising that those attacked be immediately compensated by the government to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

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It also advised against demonizing an ethnic group over the criminal activities of few elements within its fold.

“The Igangan incident must be condemned by all lovers of peace. But at the same time, we cannot close our eyes to the pain and suffering of farmers and indigenes of the area whom criminals see as soft targets for kidnapping, armed robbery, etc. It is however crystal clear that it is not a religious matter, though some have been misled into labeling it an Hausa-Fulani affair. Our focus must be the criminals, not any tribe,” MURIC said.

“While we do not endorse violence, we opine that people whose farms have been destroyed have the right to express indignation. In the same manner, those whose relations or friends have fallen victims to criminal activities like kidnapping and armed robbery are justified to speak up. The only difference here is that no single tribe should be held responsible for all the crimes.

“This is because criminals abound in all faiths and tribes everywhere in the world, not only in Nigeria. We should therefore address crime and criminals. We should target kidnappers and armed robbers, not any particular ethnicity. Those who make the mistake of profiling people of certain tribes will end up hurting decent elements within that tribe and this is against the law of natural justice.

“With particular reference to the Oyo and Ondo State incidents and the quit notices, MURIC reminds people of the South West that the crisis cuts across ethnicities. The same herdsmen are involved in several states. Benue, Kaduna, Adamawa, Taraba, Enugu, Onitsha, PortHarcourt, etc, are facing the same problem of herdsmen versus farmers. In essence, the phenomenon is general and not targeted at the Yoruba per se.

“Almost all the northern states face the herdsmen versus farmers conflict, banditry and kidnapping. People of the South West must consider the fate of thousands of their kinsmen from Ogbomosho, Offa, Iwo, Ibadan, etc who have resided in the North for more than a hundred years before insisting on a general expulsion of Northerners.

“Truth is bitter, but the earlier we say it the better. Herdsmen have no right to destroy crops. This is where people have genuine grievances against herdsmen. But indigenes should not label all herdsmen as kidnappers because there are law abiding citizens among them. Yet the most disturbing thing is that many of the criminals are foreigners. Our suggestion is that it is these criminals and foreigners that the security agencies (including Amotekun) should go after.

Instead of applying the big stick, MURIC advises the Federal Government to consult widely with elders from all the states of the federation concerning the issue of herdsmen versus farmers with a view to finding a comprehensive solution. FG should also seek advice from other African countries where the same crisis has been on the front burner at one time or the other since this conflict is not restricted to Nigeria alone. It is national, continental and universal in dimension.

“To douse tension immediately, both FG and the Oyo State government should undertake to speedily and adequately compensate victims of the latest conflict in Igangan, Oyo State. FG in particular should take greater responsibility because it is the nationwide lacuna in security matters that has been responsible for the breakdown in law and order.

“Instead of issuing threats and counter-threats, we appeal to the various ethnicities in the country to understand the nature of the conflict. Herders and farmers crisis is not a Nigerian problem alone, it is universal. Nigeria needs to seek an enduring panacea to its own peculiar problems instead of aggravating the conflict. We must learn from the war in Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, etc and the attendant humanitarian disasters. This is still avoidable in Nigeria,” it added.

Ancestral lands across Nigeria are owned by the Fulani tribe, so says Bello Bodejo, the national president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

Mr Bodejo, who stated this during an interview with Sun Newspapers also said the Fulani does not need the permission of anyone to invade which ever land they need.

He stated this while reacting to the directive from the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, to herdsmen residing in Ondo forests reserves to either register with the state government or vacate the bushes.

The Miyetti Allah chief added that neither the governor or any other person has no power to evict herdsmen out of the forests reserves where they have spent centuries living in.

He said herders won’t leave forests to reside in residential areas due to the love they have for the animals who they want to be with all the time.

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“Fulani have been in the forests he is talking about even before he was born; they have been there for over 250 years. No matter how dangerous a forest may be, Fulani would go and settle there,” Bodejo said.

“After staying there for a long time and their cow dung turns the place fertile, people would begin to come there to farm and to settle and from then, they begin to make claims that our cattle were destroying their farms,” he said adding that there are plans to seek redress in court.

When asked why herdsmen does not need permission before accessing forests, he said this is because they (Fulani) owns the forest.

“Which forest, who has the forest? Any person who thinks he owns any forest should be taken to psychiatric hospital. Nobody owns any forest; forests are for Nigerians. Fulani herdsmen have the right to move into any forest and settle there for their business.

“Why do farmers go and cultivate thousands of hectare of land and fence it, who gave them that land? Nobody is born with a land in this country; people were just moving from one place to another for settlement. Fulani are settling in every community, but we are not claiming land, we are only interested on how our cows will have food to eat.

“Fulani can’t value 100 people’s lives like he can value his one cow because since he was born, he doesn’t have any business except that cow. The cow is like his own brothers and sisters. If anything happens to his cow, do you think he can leave you? You have two or three storey buildings and you park your cars, do you fold your hands and watch somebody come to that house carry your cars, your clothes, your wife, destroy the buildings? You must fight. The Fulani man values his cow just as you value your brother and sister and you go all out to protect them.

“They love their cows beyond description, you can’t separate them from their cows to go and stay inside town or city. The cows have names.

“The way you give your children names when they were born is the same way they name their cows. Even a person who has one thousand cows, those cows have individual names and he knows them by name; the cows have fathers, grandfathers and grandchildren.

“What you have in human beings – the ways names are given to people, the same way Fulani give names to their cows. We are cow lovers , that is why sometimes if you kill their cows somewhere they go there to look for justice, because they see it like somebody has killed their brothers; they must go to see who did that and they won’t leave that person,” he added.

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has warned violence instigators on herdsmen to desist because the North knows how to retaliate attacks.

Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, spokesman of the CNG stated this while reacting to the recent tension building in the South-West geo-political zone where violent herders were advised to vacate forests reserves.

In Ondo, the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has vowed to regulate herdsmen in his domain. He said those willing to continue their business in the forests either register with the state government or vacate the bushes.

Mr Akeredolu said this became necessary due to testimonials of kidnap victims indicting herdsmen as arrowheads of insecurity in the state.

The herders are yet to comply with the directive just as the ultimatum expires tomorrow. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had advised them to remain defiant.

In Oyo, supporters of Oodua Republic crusader, Sunday Igboho, clashed with the Fulani community being asked to vacate the area over criminal activities of bad elements in its fold.

“We are meeting over the development and shall come up with a definite position. We are considering a number of options,” Mr Suleiman told The Nation.

“We expected the attack from Ondo following Akeridolu’s directive. But now it’s coming from Oyo.

“As a first step, we are considering recalling all Northern Communities in the south back home safely before considering the next move. We however warn the instigators of this violence to note that the North certainly knows how to repay coin for coin.

“We certainly don’t consider it an isolated incident but linked to a grand design to destabilize Nigeria and in particular bring the North to its knees by targeting a major component of its population, the Fulani and their livestock assets.

“It is no longer in doubt that for too long, enemies of the North both foreign and local have worked strenuously to ensure that the region remains backward, divided, weak, confused and bewildered by myriads of challenges and problems.

“Today everyone can see a clear pattern drawn from the strategies employed to achieve these results; namely the diminishing of the Northern viability and in particular, bringing the Hausa/Fulani population down by direct annihilation or political and economic incapacitation,” the CNG spokesman added.

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Serious seller.

Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina says the social media is the abode of lazy Nigerians.

Mr Adesina stated this in an article: “Reflection from a wealth laying ceremony,” yesterday.

His principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, TODAY POLITICS recalled, had during his first tenure ascribed Nigerian youths to being lazy.


This was after he earned the sobriquet “Baba Go Slow” from critics over his decision not to immediately appoint ministers when he took over until six months after.

Mr Buhari was embarrassed last friday at the National Arcade, the Eagle Square, Abuja, when the pigeons he released refused to fly.

He left the birds and went to his seat after repeatedly persuading them to fly to which they refused.

One of his aides said the birds refused flying away due to the love they have for his principal but immediately deleted his assertion when knocked by Nigerians on social media.

Commenting on the development, Mr Adesina said those ascribing meanings to the stir caused by the birds were idle and lazy just as his principal said. He added that the social media is the abode of critics he had earlier pleaded with to reduce criticism.


“At every Armed Forces Remembrance Day, after the laying of the wreaths, the sitting President releases some pigeons, to symbolize peace in the land. Emblems of National harmony. It was not different last Friday,” he said.

“The pigeons had been kept in a cage. For how long, I do not know. And when birds and some other roaming animals have been circumscribed for a while, they get accustomed to their new status as lawful captives. Therefore, when you offer them freedom, they first baulk, thinking it’s too good to be true. It’s a natural phenomenon.

“President Buhari opened the cage that held the pigeons, about a score or so. One hesitated, then flew, followed by another. The others temporized a bit. And then, two, three minutes later, they all took to the sky. Nothing extraordinary in the development, you would think.

“But not to the idle and indolent, most of who populate the social media. It was time to major in something minor, cavil, find fault unnecessarily. The pigeons didn’t fly, they refused to fly, it’s ominous, they wailed like wailing wailers. And you began to wonder: are people this idle? Don’t they have productive things to do with their times? Are their minds so addled, and all they want to do is find faults against their President, ascribing spiritual connotations to a non-issue? For their information: Muhammadu Buhari has no time for such frivolities. He just continues to serve the country with his heart and mind, trying to make a difference in security, economy, and anti-corruption. And he will get there, by the grace of God. But if they don’t change, the wailers will be losers, standing small,” the presidential spokesman added.

The presidency has warned state governors in the country to stop linking herdsmen to rising insecurity bedeviling the nation.

This is contained in its reaction against the seven days ultimatum to herdsmen residing in Ondo forests by the state government led by Rotimi Akeredolu.

Mr Akeredolu while issuing the directive on Monday said several security reports in the state linked most of the criminal activities therein to herdsmen residing in bushes.

“These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen,” the governor said.

“These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransoms and carrying out other criminal activities,” he added.

But in statement late Tuesday, the presidency said while it least expected the Chief Security Officer of the state to issue the ultimatum, the governor has no constitutional right to sack the herders residing in bushes account of some bad elements within its fold.

It warned Mr Akeredolu and other state governors to desist from linking herdsmen who are mostly from the Fulani extraction to rising insecurity.

“Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals,” the statement by Garba Shehu partly read.

“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.

“We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.

“The government of Ondo, and all the 35 others across the federation must draw clear lines between the criminals and the law abiding citizens who must equally be saved from the infiltrators. Beyond law and order, the fight against crime is also a fight for human values which are fundamental to our country,” the presidential spokesman added.

The Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello has warned Nigerians against using COVID-19 vaccines that are soon to arrive in the country, despite having no background as a scientist and lacking any knowledge about vaccine engineering.

The Nigerian government has been labouring to secure millions of vaccines to be administered on citizens across the country, amidst a ravaving second wave that has overwhelmed the country’s health facilities.

During a political rally on Monday, Mr. Bello warned Nigerians who wished to use the COVID-19 vaccines to desist from doing so because of its purported debilitating consequences.

“They want to use the vaccine to introduce a disease that will kill you and Us, God forbid,” Mr. Bello said without evidence.

He also expressed doubts about the speed with which scientists came up with COVID-19 vaccine when other deadly diseases have been around for decades without a cure.

“Vaccines are being produced in less than one year of COVID-19. No vaccines for HIV, Malaria for cancer for headache and for several other diseases that are killing us,” the governor said.

Mr. Bello also invoked an incident from the 1990s in which American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer faced federal charges for allegedly deploying an untested polio vaccine in Kano.

“We should draw our mind back to what happened in Kano, Pfizer vaccine, a polio vaccine that crippled and killed our children, we have learnt our lessons,” He said.



While Mr. Bello may have a reason to tackle Pfizer for its controversial handling of the 1995 Kano case, he conspiracy theories against COVID-19 vaccine could put millions of Nigerian lives in danger. Widely published results of field trials conducted by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-Astrazeneca, and other world-leading medical bodies, showed that the vaccine was 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 after it was administered alongside placebo to about 42,000 individuals.

After receiving the vaccines and placebo, only 170 people, less than 5 percent of the study population, remained susceptible to COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation has also thrown its backing behind the approved vaccines after finding them safe to be administered on humans.

Mr. Bello appeared to have joined a growing list of Nigerians who continue to circulate anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, despite lacking scientific background. Last week, Lagos preacher Chris Oyakhilome repeated his false claims that both coronavirus and vaccines developed to combat it were being promoted by an imaginary caucus of powerful individuals to control the world.

Rochas Okorocha, senator representing Imo West at the Nigerian Senate says his party the All Progressive Congress (APC) was hurriedly formed in 2013 to snatch power from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State, who stated this yesterday in Abuja while addressing news men described political parties in the country as having no ideology but a vehicle used by politicians to transport themselves to power.

The APC founded on February 6th, 2013, is a conglomerate of four opposition political parties namely, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC); Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Mr Okorocha.

While in opposition, TODAY POLITICS recalled that the now ruling party promised heaven on earth when it sought power but have since denied most of its promises, saying the vows were made by respective candidates and not the party.

“APC was a hurried arrangement formed to take power when the then government was drifting,” the Imo West lawmaker said.

“APC would have been better until people who were not members of the party, people who came for a congratulatory message, hijacked the party and became lords.

“The issue is not about APC or PDP. It is beyond political parties. We are talking about the character of the politicians. Political parties in Nigeria don’t have any ideology – it is just a vehicle to come to power.

“So, what we have is not the ideal thing. We have so many people who are not interested in working for the nation. For instance, if President Muhamamadu Buhari had surrounded himself with good people, the story would not be the same today.

“We have bad people in APC, just as we have them in PDP and that was why I made the call in Rivers state that the good ones should come together to lead the people,” he added.

Okorocha also hinted of moves to form a new party.

“The movement for a new Nigeria has begun and we must come together, I mean progressive Nigerians, to make the country work,” the former governor who recently declared his party dead in Imo added.

Today we have taken major steps at addressing the root cause of kidnapping, in particular, and other nefarious activities detailed and documented in security reports, the press and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases in Ondo State.

These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen. These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom and carrying out other criminal activities.

As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State. In light of the foregoing, the following orders are hereby issued:

1. All Forest Reserves in the State are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next 7 days with effect from today, Monday 18th January, 2021.

2. Night-grazing is banned with immediate effect because most farm destruction takes place at night.

3. Movement of cattle within cities and highways is prohibited.

4. Under-aged grazing of cattle is outlawed.

Our resolution to guarantee safety of lives and property within the State shall remain utmost as security agencies have been directed to enforce the ban.

In its usual magnanimity, our administration will give a grace period of seven days for those who wish to carry on with their cattle-rearing business to register with appropriate authorities.

Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has cautioned Abubakar Malami, an Islamic cleric who threatened to crucify Matthew Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese.

Mr Malami while issuing the threat during a sermon in Sokoto dared the catholic cleric to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration again and see if he won’t be put to death.

He was reacting to the criticism of Mr Kukah who accused the president of institutionalizing nepotism in the country over competence.

Several Muslim groups lambasted the Sokoto Bishop for criticising the Nigerian leader saying by do so he is speaking ill of all Muslim faithfuls.

The Muslim Solidarity Forum (MSF) had issued an ultimatum, urging Kukah to apologise or leave his primary place of assignment. Although the demand has been condemned by Nigerians including the presidency, they are yet to withdraw it as at press time.

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While threatening to crucify the Bishop if he dares criticise the president again, Mr Malami said even the federal government won’t be able to prevent them [Muslims faithfuls] from carrying out the threat.

Cautioning the Muslim cleric over his threat, the Ex-minister on Sunday advised him to stop playing with fire.

“You are totally & completely unhinged. Stop begging for war! Stop playing with fire!” Fani-Kayode said in a tweet, crediting part of the cleric’s assertion which reads: “Kukah is cursed by Allah. If he continues to challenge the FG he will be crucified. We will not listen to anybody when we are crucifying him, not the FG, not the Sultan of Sokoto.”

The governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum has warned Nigerians against referring to Boko Haram insurgency as the problem of Northern Nigeria.

Mr Zulum who gave the warning on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos State, added that there won't be peace in the nation is his state is not peaceful.

“We must stop seeing this insurgency as a problem of the North. The distance between Borno State and Lagos State is about 1,700km, but mind you if Borno State is not peaceful, other parts of the nation will never be peaceful,” the governor said.

“We have to unite and fight these insurgents. We have seen what happened in Libya, Iraq and other countries. Peace building and social cohesion are very important in strengthening the resilience of our communities.

“Unless we get rid of nepotism, tribalism and exploitation of religion, we will not get it right in this country. The constitution is very clear on the need for peaceful coexistence among all of us, which is why the principle of federal character is enshrined in the constitution, but it has been abused,” he added.

Insecurity ravaging the nation continues to rise. In the Northern region, bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements are having a field day while violent herdsmen are in the Southern part, raping, killing and also kidnapping citizens.

The atrocious acts of the herders gave birth to Amotekun in the South-West region while in the South-East, the Eastern Security Network was formed by outlawed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) to checkmate their menace.

Babagana Zulum Borno State governor says Christians are also members of Boko Haram, contrary to the believe that members of the terrorist group are only Muslims.

Mr Zulum made the claim at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch at the weekend.

His new claim contradicts the mission of the outlawed group fighting to Islamize the nation. Formed over a decade ago, the rebellious group has continued to terrorise Nigerians despite killing thousands and displacing millions.

Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed surprised that the group which he vowed to crush in no distant time when he took over in 2015 was still existing. This is after officials of his administration have severally claimed that the insurgents have been decimated but the terrorists are still striking hard.

They are reportedly still in control of some Nigerian territories lost to them during the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan. Yesterday the terrorists overran a military base in Marte, Borno State while residents flee.

While speaking on Friday, Zulum revealed that the terror group which has Christian members also have foreigners in its fold.

“I’m from Borno State, and many of our children are in Boko Haram. I’m not denying the fact. But again, they are being sponsored by many people across the world. Among Boko Haram, we have white men, Asians, Africans, Muslims and Christians,” the governor said.

“We must stop seeing this insurgency as a problem of the North. The distance between Borno State and Lagos State is about 1,700km, but mind you if Borno State is not peaceful, other parts of the nation will never be peaceful. We have to unite and fight these insurgents. We have seen what happened in Libya, Iraq and other countries. Peace building and social cohesion are very important in strengthening the resilience of our communities.

“Unless we get rid of nepotism, tribalism and exploitation of religion, we will not get it right in this country. The constitution is very clear on the need for peaceful coexistence among all of us, which is why the principle of federal character is enshrined in the constitution, but it has been abused,” he added.

Sokoto Cleric To Kukah: Challenge Nigerian Government And We Will Crucify You

A Sokoto-based Islamic cleric, Abubakar Malami, has warned the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, to desist from challenging the Nigerian government or risk being crucified.

This development comes amidst the severe criticisms surrounding the bishop's Christmas message and subsequent statements he has made.

In a video sent to SaharaReporters, Malami, during a sermon, said if Kukah continues challenging the government, the bishop will be crucified and there will be no one to stop it.

"Not even the government will be able to stop us," he said, towards the end of the video.

The cleric, who spoke in Hausa, said, "Matthew Hassan Kukah is already cursed by Allah. Therefore, if Kukah challenges the government, he will be crucified. We will not listen to anybody when we are crucifying him, not the government, not even the Sultan of Sokoto."

The Muslim Solidarity Forum had earlier asked Kukah to tender an unreserved apology to the entire Muslim Ummah over his recent "malicious comments" against Islam or leave Sokoto.

The organisation described the message as a calculated attempt to insult Islam.

JNI, in a statement in Kaduna by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said the bishop “should not take Muslims kindness for timidity or foolishness.”

It said despite the status of Sokoto to Muslims and Islamic history, Kukah was warmly welcomed, accepted, accommodated and accorded respect deserving of his position as a religious leader.

It described Kukah’s message as “irresponsible and seditious”, adding, “Though the message is disguised as a political hogwash to deceive the innocent, there is no doubt that it was a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria, hence the need for this intervention.

“The bishop’s statement was a prepared address considering the occasion and the audience, one cannot but agree that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam, which is typical of him.

“His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence to draw from, is disgusting, disheartening, as well as condemnable.

“Responsibly, Christmas homilies should come with messages of hope, unity, mercy, forgiveness of the Supreme Being and resilience through prayers, especially in this trying time.

“How can the Muslims continue to be hospitable to the one who proves to be ingrate many times over?

“How can the Muslims be comfortable in associating with a bitterly vindictive person disguised in the garb of religious clergy?

“Muslims in Nigeria cannot be charged and be held responsible or accountable for the actions or inactions of government just because it is headed by a Muslim.”

Kukah, in his Christmas message on December 25, 2020, had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism and institutionalising northern hegemony by “reducing others in public life to second-class status.”

“Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any non-Northern Muslim president could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it,” Kukah had said.

Pigeons at the venue of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day refused to fly when President Muhammadu Buhari released them today.

To celebrate fallen heroes, the president traditionally lays wreath and does this with service chiefs and other dignitaries. After that, he proceeds to perform the next assignment of releasing pigeons to symbolize peace in the country.

Having been in power since 2015, Mr Buhari has performed the rites severally but on most occasions the birds refused flying. The scenario repeated itself today when he opened the cage and brought out one of them but the dove he apparently persuaded to fly refused going away and returned perching on the cage.

A live coverage by Channels Television showed other birds in the cage being struck to fly but they remained in their position with none refusing to fly away. Commenting on the scenario, presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, revealed the reason why the birds refused flying away.

Mr Ahmad said the birds were in love with his principal hence their decision not to leave. He said they birds will be returning to the presidential villa with the president.

“They love him so much, they don’t want to leave him, he has taken them back to Villa,” he said in a tweet Friday afternoon.

This has sparked a debate on social media with some Nigerians amusingly saying insecurity bedeviling the nation forced the birds not to fly having realised that no where is safe.

By criticising the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, is disrespecting Nigerians especially supporters of the Nigerian leader.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, made the assertion while reacting to the ultimatum given to the Catholic Bishop by a muslim group yesterday.

Mr Kukah had in his 2020 Christmas message to Nigerians blasted the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He accused the Nigerian leader of institutionalizing nepotism in the country, adding that had a non-northern muslim leader did a fraction of what Mr Buhari has done, the person’s administration would have been toppled by now.

His comments generated mixed reactions. While the Catholic Church threw its weight behind the cleric, Muslims groups like the Muslims Right Concerns (MURIC) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) lambasted him.

The latest attack on the Bishop coming from Muslim Solidarity Forum (MSF) led by acting chairman, Isa Maishanu, is calling on the Catholic cleric to apologise or leave Sokoto State.

Mr Maishanu who described the comment of the cleric as provocative said his group’s concern is the image and reputation of Muslims, which, according to him, Mr Kukah finds pleasure in attacking without an iota of caution and by referring to him [the president] as a Muslim, that automatically brings all Muslims into the issue.

But describing the ultimatum as unconstitutional in a statement today, Mr Shehu said the cleric has greatly offended supporters of his principal and should desist from doing so in the future.

“Under our Constitution, every citizen has the right to, among others, freedom of speech and expression, the right to own property and reside in any part of the country, and the right to move freely without any inhibitions,” he said.

“Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity. The right for all religions to co-exist is enshrined in this country’s Constitution. The duty of the government, more so, this democratic government, is to ensure that the Constitution is respected. But all must respect the rights and sensitivities of their fellow Nigerians.

“Father Kukah has greatly offended many with his controversial remarks against the government and the person of the President, with some even accusing him of voicing anti-Islamic rhetoric.

“On matters such as these, responsible leadership in any society must exercise restraint. Knee-jerk reactions will not only cause the fraying of enduring relationships, but also the evisceration of peaceful communities such as Sokoto, the headquarters of the Muslim community as beacon of pluralism and tolerance. The Sultanate has historically had good relations with followers of all faiths. That is why Father Kukah was received on his arrival in Sokoto with friendship and tolerance.

“Under our laws, groups or factions must not give quit notices, neither should they unilaterally sanction any perceived breaches. Where they occur, it is the courts of law that should adjudicate. Unilateral action is not the way to go.

“Groups such as the Muslim Solidarity Forum must be seen to share and uphold the country’s multi-religious principles. And individuals like Father Kukah must respect the feelings of his fellow Nigerians in his private and public utterances,” Shehu added.