₦airaland Forum

Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Chairman of the party in the South-West and former governor of Ekiti State, Eddy Olafeso and Ayodele Fayose respectively, met in Lagos on Tuesday to discuss the way forward for the party.

SaharaReporters learnt that the meeting was centred on how to outsmart the governor of Oyo State and the lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, who have positioned themselves as the leaders of the party.

A source close to SaharaReporters and privy to what was discussed at the meeting, told our correspondent that none of the attendees was bold enough to talk to the media.

The source noted that there were moves to sanction Makinde, Olujimi, and other party chieftains who do not belong to the Fayose-led faction.

But the Ogun State chairman of the party, Dr. Sikirulai Ogundele, who spoke noted that the leaders of Fayose faction would meet some stakeholders of the party in Ondo State on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.

The source said, "None of the members of Fayose faction who attended the closed-door meeting in Lagos were ready to disclose what was discussed. However, the Ogun State Chairman, Dr. Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele, simply said 'we the leaders of Fayose faction are meeting Ondo State stakeholders tomorrow Wednesday, 10th February, 2021. I am sure the whole process is to tell the so-called leaders like Makinde and Olujimi that they are paperweight in the PDP'.

"He also condemned the activities of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who he said is profiting materially from the South-West crisis and advised him to live a life of a statesman."

The disagreement between Makinde and Fayose over who should be the leader of the PDP in the South-West has led to divisions among party members in the zone.

A faction believes that Makinde, as the only PDP governor in the South-West, is naturally the leader of the party in the region, while the Fayose-led faction is of the opinion that no governor should have power over the party structure in another state.

Speaking on the issue, a member of the House of Representatives representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, Wole Oke, once noted, “By convention and practices of the PDP, Makinde, who is the only PDP governor in the South-West is the leader of the zone and no loyal, committed member of the PDP family should challenge the noble arrangement in the overall interest of the party, except for selfish interests.”

And because of that, the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee of the PDP appointed Makinde to lead reconciliation efforts in the zone.

However, Makinde’s peace efforts, especially in Ekiti State, were ignored by Fayose and his supporters, who saw the former governor as their leader.

Therefore, Fayose’s supporters and those of Senator Olujimi held parallel congresses and elected separate state executives.

John Alechenu,

The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has cautioned the leadership of the All Progressives Congress against admitting former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, into the party.

Lukman described as disturbing, the circulation of pictures of a meeting between the APC National Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; and Fani-Kayode amidst speculations that the Peoples Democratic Party chieftain was being encouraged to join the APC.

The PGF DG said this in a statement titled, ‘APC: Reminder about Our Values,’ released to newsmen in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The PGF is the umbrella body of all governors elected on the platform of the APC.

Lukman said, “The speculation is that Mr. Fani-Kayode is on his way to joining the APC. The verdict in most media platforms is quite disturbing, but justifiably so, if the news about Mr. Fani-Kayode joining the APC is true.

“That our leaders will be meeting with Mr. Fani-Kayode in such a compromising way, suggesting that he may be on his way to joining our party, clearly indicates that either those of us saddled with the responsibility of advising them have failed or we have been completely cut off.

“How can a person who just few days, if not few hours, ago wrote to one of our leaders and derogatorily and condescendingly condemned his political prospects of emerging as the Presidential candidate of our party, be given such a high-level reception?

“Assuming the open letter to our National Leader, which is all over our media at the time of such reception, wasn’t offensive, what of the open letter he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari last year?

“Besides the open letters, what abusive language has he not used against our party and our leaders? Most of these are unprintable.

“Most Nigerians, both APC members and non-APC members would appear to be in agreement that any association between APC and its leadership with Mr. Fani-Kayode is indicative of problem of values.

“Without being academic in anyway, the issue of values is basically about the qualities of people and the vision they hold.

“What kind of people are we aspiring to attract into our party? Do we want to reduce our party into one in which everybody is welcome?

“Can we for instance in anyway or form contemplate having an Nnamdi Kanu or Abubakar Shekau as a member?

“If that were to be the case, why don’t we just have INEC register IPOB and Boko Haram as political parties and allow them to field candidates for elections?

“At this rate, one day, Nigerians will just wake and see some of our leaders presenting Mr. Fani-Kayode to President Buhari as a new member of our party.

“Although, we can confidently argue that President Buhari will not approve such deranged possibility, it is important to caution that such consideration will be stretching the trust of party members beyond acceptable limits.”

Sodiq Oyeleke
Youths have announced plans to organise a counter-protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday, February 13.

This is coming a few hours after some youths took to Twitter to call for a protest against the reopening of the Lekki tollgate.

The PUNCH had reported that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate had, on Saturday, approved the reopening of the tollgate.

However, four out of the nine members of the panel faulted the report of the forensic experts hired to comb the scene for evidence.

The counter-rally, which is trending on Twitter as #DefendLagos and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell, is to protest against protesters of #OccupyLekkiTollGate.

The poster of counter-rally shared on social media showed that it is holding at the same venue and time as the one planned by the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters.


“Let us protect what the destroyers left behind while we rebuild Lagos. Join the ‘defend Lagos’ rally at the Lekki toll plaza,” a message on the poster read with pictures of destructed buildings and other facilities during the violence that followed the #EndSARS protest in the state.

One of the promoters of the #DefendLagos protest, Olusoga Owoeye @olusogaowoeye said, “Show your love for our Lagos. Get your friends and your neighbors to be there. Join the DefendLagos Rally at the Lekki toll plaza on the 13th of February. We will not cede our city to criminals and insurrectionists. Lagos is our pride.”


Another promoter, @salamhunters, said, “We will defend and protect our Lagos from looters and arsonists.”

“We say no to all retard and opportunists planning evil towards Lagos,” @Adetade6 added.

@Kazeem_AS lamented that he is yet to recover from the damages caused by the last protest.

“I must be there to defend Lagos. I was born in Lagos. Even though I am from Ondo State, I lived all my life in Lagos. I will never allow any miscreants to destroy Lagos again, never will it happen,” Olumide Akin @holumyne said.

Iyalaya @lollylarry1 noted, “No one has the monopoly of madness. The destruction of Lagos by the foolish lots is enough. This time we are going to #DefendLagos and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell to do anyhow.”


•Security operatives during their deployment to Lekki tollgate to prevent the second round of #EndSARS protest in Lagos; and #EndSARS protesters in Osogbo, Osun State…Monday. Photos: Olukayode Jaiyeola and Bola Bamigbola


Bloody clash looms

Some tweeps have expressed fear that the protests may result in a bloody clash at the Lekki tollgate, urging the state government and security agencies to step in.

One of them, @AjayiWizeman, said “I am sure the #DefendLagos people will not come on Saturday and be civil. They will be dressed in the police, soldiers, and DSS uniforms alongside thugs. Dem no fit face thousands who will #OccuppyLekkiTollGate Na we set the date and time!”

@sageugo added, “This is the plot, they’ll pay some Twitter influencers to trend #DefendLagos from now till 13th February, then on the D-day, they’ll unleash the same hoodlums they used to destroy Lagos during the #ENDSARS protest for a bloody clash with the #OccuppyLekkiTollGate protesters.”

Koiki Olaseni said, “Eventually, the Police will ban all forms of protest to guarantee peace.”

@drjollyseg noted that “@jidesanwoolu this is the time to be proactive! If care is not taken, there will be bloodshed and needless deaths following a possible clash between the two groups. Don’t overrule a possible hijack by hoodlums again.”


Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
#DontLetThemBringLagosDown, Sanwo-Olu’s aide begs

The Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, has reacted to the planned protest slated for Saturday, February 13, 2020, against the reopening of the Lekki tollgate in the state.

Not pleased by the panel’s decision, some Nigerians on Twitter threatened to occupy the tollgate on Saturday to express their displeasure.

Reacting to the planned protest, Akosile, in response to a tweet with the hashtag #DontLetThemBringLagosDown, said “nobody will bring our dear Lagos State down! Their rights end where other people’s rights begin.”


Lagos State had witnessed the destruction of public and private properties during the #EndSARS protest, before and after the alleged Lekki tollgate shooting by soldiers.

By John Ofikhenua, Abuja
Scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol is imminent as depot owners were said to have shut down operations on Monday.

Depot owners were shutting down operations with the excuse that they have no products.

According to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) National Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, the owners were also closing shops because of the speculated increase in the petrol price.

Despite the speculation, the Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC) was yet to announce a new dealer price to marketers.

He spoke with The Nation on phone that depot owners have already raised their price by N7.

The National Vice President said the depots have increased their price from N148 to N155.

His words: “Even depot owners are shutting down because of the expected increase in price of petrol. The depot owners have increased the price from N138 to N145.”

He noted that IPMAN was yet to direct its members to increase their pump price since it was not sure that the depots adjusted their prices legally or illegally.

Speculations of imminent petrol price hike have been rife since the price of crude oil soared to $60 per barrel.

The cost of petroleum products is one of the components of the total landing cost of petrol in the pricing template of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).


Besides, only last Thursday, stakeholders in the industry made a very veiled reference to plan to increase of petrol prices when the Federal Government said it was waiting for the outcome of the meetings of the Organised Labour before raising the freight cost from N7.51 to N9.11 per litre.

Freight cost is also one of the components of the total landing cost in the agency’s pricing template.

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) had in its 21st Annual General Meeting in Niger State, urged the Petroleum Equalization Executive (PEF) Executive Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Bobboi, to commence implementation of the N9.11 freight cost.

When asked when the Federal Government would commence implementation of the new cost, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director, Mala Mele Kyari, told reporters the PEF ES “made a statement that there is ongoing engagement between the Federal Government and labour, and at the end of that process government will make an adequate pronouncement as to the effective date of that figure as contained in the pricing template”.

By Mary Izuaka
Twenty-six Nigerian states recorded zero foreign investment in the whole of 2020, figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics show.

The report on capital importation into the country, compiled by the Central Bank of Nigeria, was released on Friday by the NBS.

It captures the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), portfolio investment and other types of investments into the country in a year the global economy suffered a terrible battering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The total value of capital inflow for the year fell to $9.7 billion, from $24 billion in 2019, representing a decline of 59.7 per cent. It was the lowest in at least four years.

More foreign capital inflows came through “other investments”, followed by FDI, and Portfolio Investment, the report said.

Equities supplied the largest chunk of capital inflows, while the United Kingdom emerged as the top source of capital investment in Nigeria in the year.

Destination
By destination, Lagos emerged as the top destination of capital investment in Nigeria with $8.3 billion, followed by Abuja, which received $1.3 billion.

The others on the list are Abia State with relatively lower $56 million, Niger with $16.4 million, and Ogun with $13.4 million.

Anambra State recorded $10.2 million, Kaduna State recorded $4.03 million, Sokoto got $2.5 million and Kano got $2.4 million.

Akwa Ibom received $1.05 million ahead of Adamawa, which received just $20,000.

All the remaining 26 states received no foreign capital inflows the entire year, the report shows.

They are Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara States.


COVID-19 Effect
Many Nigerian states are known to be characteristically non-competitive in attracting foreign investments, despite their huge populations. Amongst many factors responsible for this is insecurity. This was made worse last year by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the pandemic broke out, public health measures have caused severe economic disruptions that impact foreign investment in countries of the world.

In June 2020, amid the crash in commodity prices occasioned by the pandemic, foreign direct investment flows to Africa was projected to decline between 25 percent and 40 percent, according to the World Investment Report 2020.

FDI flows to the continent were forecast to contract based on gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections, as well as other investment factors.

The contraction was necessitated by the disruption in several services industries including aviation, hospitality, tourism and leisure, among others.

President Joe Biden of the United States of America has assured the African union of cooperation and expressed hope that he would physically attend the next AU summit.

According to him, the United States was eager to re-engage with the African Union to better support the people of Africa in everything from battling the COVID-19 pandemic to working with the AU to address conflicts that are costing lives across the continent.

President Joe Biden made the promise yesterday in his virtual remarks on the occasion of the 34th African Union Summit where he craved attendance in subsequent meeting.

The President said the United States would engage in sustained diplomacy, in collaborate with the AU, to address conflicts that are causing deaths across Africa.

He said, “This past year has shown us how interconnected our world is, and how our fates are bound up together. That is why my administration is committing to rebuilding our partnership around the world and reengaging with international institutions like the African Union.

“We must all work together to advance our shared vision of a better future. A future of growing trade and investment that advances prosperity for all our nations. A future that advances lives, of peace and security for all our citizens; a future committed to investing in our democratic institutions and promoting the human rights of all people: women and girls, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and people of every ethnic background, religion and heritage.”

He said to reach this future, it was imperative to confront the serious challenges we face. “That includes investing more in global health, defeating COVID-19, and working to prevent, detect and respond to future health crisis, and partnering the African CDC and other institutions to advance health security.

“Raising our climate ambitions and ensuring developing nations can mitigate and adapt to climate impacts that are already causing pain. And engaging in sustained diplomacy, in connection with the African Union, to address conflicts that are costing lives all across the African continent.”


He said, “None of this is going to be easy, but the United States stands ready now to be your partner in solidarity, support and mutual respect. We believe in the nations of Africa and the continent-wide spirit of enterprenuership and innovation. And through the challenges ahead, although they’re great, there is no doubt that our nations, our people, the African Union- we’re up to this task. I hope I can be with you next time in person. I want to thank you, though.”

By Mojeed Alabi

The Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, has described the comments made against him by the acclaimed Yoruba warlord, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, as irresponsible.

In an exclusive telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ogunwusi, who spoke through his spokesman, Moses Olafare, said the palace was not ready to engage Mr Adeyemo formally on the matter but the issue of the threat of violence against the monarch would be handled appropriately.

Mr Adeyemo, while taking part in a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday morning with Nigerians in the diaspora, attacked some South-west leaders including the former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, and traditional rulers including the Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and the Ooni.

He accused the Ooni of ”receiving dollars from President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited the Presidential Villa recently” and condemned the monarch’s comments while addressing the media at the villa.

Sunday Igboho described the Yoruba leaders as lily-livered and called them Fulani slaves.

He also threatened to waylay, open fire on them or visit and vandalise their properties.

Ooni speaks

The monarch said no true Yoruba son or daughter would speak in such a manner as Mr Adeyemo has spoken, saying his conduct and attitude cast doubt on his true intention in his “self-saddled responsibility of defending the Yorubas.”

The Ooni’s spokesman, Mr Olafare, said Mr Adeyemo was going overboard in his conduct and that he should not believe that he is bigger than the authorities.

He said; “We have not made any official statements on the matter and the matter does not really make any sense to us. If somebody who identifies himself with the cause of Yoruba could be talking in that manner about the Ooni who is indisputably a spiritual head of the race, then one must wonder whether or not the person has been representing us truly. It gives room to people to suspect your motive.”

Mr Olafare said ”for a man claiming to be defending a race to be attacking the same people you claim you are defending leaves much to be desired”.

Allegations of receiving bribes

Speaking on the allegation that the monarch collected money from the president, the spokesman said the allegation is not only irresponsible but also lacks substance.

“He made some very irresponsible allegations. You know when you make allegations that you cannot back up with evidence, that can only portray you as an irresponsible man. If you make unfounded allegations and then you want to use allegations to further justify your claims as the generalissimo of the race, it is up to the public. It’s so unfortunate, if you say the Ooni has collected money, I expected him to show evidence. You say he has collected dollars. Irresponsible allegation is irresponsible allegation if you cannot back up whatever you allege with acceptable evidence,” Mr Olafare said.

He added that the support of the people Mr Adeyemo is currently enjoying in his onslaught against some criminals that have infiltrated the South-west is not out of the blues. He, however, cautioned him against reckless comments and allegations, saying they do not portray him as a cultured Yoruba man with moral values and virtues.

“If you’re doing something and people are hailing you, I don’t think you need to allow that credit to get into your head and start to misbehave. If you could open your mouth and call Ooni such unprintable names that you called him, that shows the kind of Yoruba man that you are. I do not see any reason that will make me describe a Baale, who is of lower rank on the traditional rulers ranking, with such unprintable names. If I cannot do that to a Baale, why should I say such a thing to an Ooni? It’s not good. It does not portray anybody as an Omoluabi, as a man of Yoruba virtues and values.

“In any case, if you’re fighting for the liberation of the people, this is a responsibility that is self-saddled, you choose to and for you to succeed, you need the same people that you’re representing, otherwise you would not succeed. Is this the way you’re going to get the support of the people you’re representing when you start attacking the same people? People will back out, that is just it. Whether you like it or not, some people are following you because of that same Ooni. They will back out.”

Threat of violence

On the threat of violence, Mr Olafare said; “Well, he said that in a video that is well circulated and the video must have gotten to security agents who would see beyond what we are seeing. It is a threat to life if you say that if somebody is going, you’re going to waylay that person and fire him. If you’re bold enough to say that, to anybody not to talk of even an Ooni of Ife, I believe that security agents will see that as a threat to life. While we’re not ready to report any matter to security agents, I believe that they will know what to do.”

Backstory

Mr Adeyemo’s popularity recently rose in the South-west after he led an attack against a Fulani community leader in Oyo whom he accused of harbouring Fulani herders involved in criminal activities.

The herders-farmers’ clashes are rampant in parts of Oyo and other states in the country mainly caused by nomadic herders grazing their cattle on the farms of residents. The situation has gotten worse with some of the nomadic herders engaging in kidnapping, murder and rape, thus infuriating many Nigerians.

Following the repeated attacks in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, Mr Adeyemo issued an ultimatum to herdsmen in the area.

When the ultimatum expired, he led some youth to the house of the head of the Fulani community in Igangan town, Abdulkadri Saliu. Mr Saliu was chased out of the community and his house and cars burnt.

The Seriki Fulani has since relocated to Kwara State with his family.

The ‘warlord’ on Monday also visited Ogun State to continue his self-appointed mandate of chasing Fulani herders out of the state with the state government saying it never asked for his help.

Although there have been several reports of criminal activities carried out by herdsmen in the South-west and other parts of Nigeria, the country’s law does not give any citizen the right to expel other citizens or residents from wherever they choose to live or do business in the country.

Iskilu Wakili is a notorious Fulani warlord in Ayete, a town in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

Farmers and residents in the area thought the eviction of the Seriki Fulani, Abdulkadri Saliu, from Igangan also in Ibarapaland, was the end to Fulani herdsmen oppression but Wakili only waxed stronger as he mounted no cross-zone on farms with the eviction of Saliu in a bid to send warnings to the people of the town that he cannot be evicted.

Here are six reasons Ayete people want Wakili barred;

1- Wakili has been accused of displacing farmers from their farms by forcefully invading their farms with cattle.

2- He has been accused of rape, kidnapping and other crimes in Ayete, Ibarapaland.

3- He mounted red flags on some locations as no-cross zones.

4- Wakili and his men shot a boy who crossed the red flag by mistake.

5- No farmer in Ayete can harvest any crop again but Wakili does all the harvests. He technically displaced all the farmers from their farms by sending his cows to eat all the crops.

6- Wakili shot the emissaries sent to serve him a quit notice.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has condemned the Cable News Network (CNN) over its coverage of the riot at Capitol Hill on the United States and the Lekki Toll Gate shooting in Lagos.

Mohammed told THISDAY in an interview that CNN created division and concocted lies against Nigeria when the federal government insisted on regulating social media.

He said when a scenario similar to the Lekki incident occurred in the US on January 6, CNN categorised the US Congress attackers as “insurrectionists” while describing the EndSARS crowd at Lekki on October 22, last year as “peaceful” and “harmless” protesters.

The minister said CNN’s objection to the federal government’s attempt to regulate the social media ran against logic given that Twitter and Instagram also suspended the account of former US President Donald Trump for allegedly using the platform to spread fake news and make inciting remarks.

He said: “But when we said we must regulate the social media, the world took up arms against us. How come that the same CNN that invented lies against us is suddenly championing the crusade in America that social media must not be used for fake news and disinformation?”

He accused the EndSARS protesters of spreading fake news that incited anger which led to the killing of 37 policemen nationwide, adding it was fake news reported by the media, using social media, that led to the looting, killing and arson by hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful #EndSARS protest.

Mohammed said until the night of October 22, the EndSARS protest was peaceful until it became violent when hoodlums hijacked it.

He also described Amnesty International as an irritant and a purveyor of disinformation and fake news for castigating the federal government on its handling of the EndSARS protest.

Mohammed challenged the human rights group that said 12 protesters were shot at Lekki to appear before a judicial panel of inquiry with evidence.

“Give the names and addresses. Three months or 100 days after the Lekki shooting, if anybody has lost a relation, a son, a daughter or a ward, won’t she or he have come forward? Amnesty International is not a respecter of our judicial system. What it ought to do, if there is any judicial evidence, is to go before the judicial panel of enquiry or at least wait for the outcome of the judicial enquiry.

“Amnesty International is reproving the federal government, but as we speak, the American government is arresting and prosecuting every person that took part in the invasion of the Capitol Hill. They are also investigating the source of funding of those people. When Nigeria started it they went to court, forgetting that it is because Nigeria exists as a country that we are here. When one policeman was killed at the Capitol, it was an insurrection. If not because we were proactive, they were coming to the National Assembly and CNN did not see anything wrong in that. Amnesty is guilty of double standards. When the US refused a visa to ICC investigators, Amnesty did not find its voice. It should respect us as a sovereign nation and should stop vending lies, disinformation. Their purpose we don’t know, but this is very clear when it is Nigeria they find their voices when it is America, they keep mute,” the minister added.

Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has urged Fulani herdsmen to return to the northern region if their security could not be guaranteed in their host communities in the southern part of the country.

NEF also told northern governors to commence preparation to receive the Fulani communities being ejected from southern states.

NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement yesterday, said the relocation advice became necessary following alleged attack on Fulani herders, families and communities in some states of the south.

The forum warned that the nation would be treading dangerous grounds if it continued to tolerate demonisation of entire groups over particular types of crimes.

The elders called on President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors to “protect law-abiding members of Fulani communities from killers and criminals who apparently believe that Fulani have no rights in Nigeria.”

The statement reads in part: “NEF is deeply worried by reports of ejections, under threats and attacks, of Fulani herders, families and communities in some states of the south. The forum has been receiving these reports since the night of Sunday, January 31, and has taken the responsible step by drawing the attention of authorities to the dangers, which these attacks represent for all Nigerians.

“We have also advised law-abiding Fulani communities to seek protection where it is available, and have appealed to other Fulani to resist temptation to take the law into their own hands.

“It is necessary to warn people who threaten law-abiding Fulani communities in all parts of Nigeria, but particularly in some parts of the South, to desist. Majority of Fulani are law-abiding and have rights to live lawfully wherever they can find means of subsistence.

“The Fulani will not be ejected from any Nigerian community only on the basis of being Fulani or herding cattle within the limits of laws and regulations. States that seek to limit criminal activities are perfectly entitled to do so, but they must follow due process, and avoid exposing innocent citizens to danger at all cost. The forum demands that the Nigeria Police must live up to its constitutional responsibility to detect crimes and arrest and prosecute criminals, whoever they are.”

The elders appealed to Nigerians to exercise restraint and not play into hands of people who desire to achieve dubious political goals by pitting citizens against each other.

HERDERS/FARMERS CRISIS: FG MUST BAIL OUT HERDERS - MURIC

The Federal Government (FG) has been tasked to do more than it is doing presently to address the burning issue of insecurity in the country. The advice came from the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). The group wants FG to give the cattle rearing industry enough funds to buy land for the establishment of ranches. FG can ban open grazing after the bailout fund has been released.

The suggestion was contained in a press statement circulated among the media on Wednesday, 3rd February, 2021 by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“The crisis between herders and farmers has generated severe tension over the years and it has resulted in open clashes with loss of lives and properties in recent times. In our own view, the Federal Government still has some options open to it after the state governments in the South rejected the ideas of ranches and rugas.

“In our own view, the state governments who rejected the idea of donating land for ranches and ruga settlements did so because nobody was prepared to pay for such land and FG showed no intention to do so. It will be a horse of another colour if herders and cow owners buy land across the country for grazing. It should be a private project and a business venture just like all other businesses.

“Meanwhile herders and cow owners may not be willing or they may lack the capacity to buy land for cattle grazing. As for the will, Northern traditional leaders have a role to play in persuading herders and cow owners to change their mindset and become willing to operate ranches. Concerning financial capacity, this is where FG should come in. FG must be prepared to stoop in order to conquer. A huge bailout must be granted herders and cow owners to enable them buy land and set up ranches.

“Such a bailout is not new and the herders/farmers connundrum necessitates it. Afterall banks, airlines, private vehicle producing companies, petroleum importers and even farmers have received subsidies, bailouts and waivers in the past. It is now the turn of herders and cow owners and the time to do it is now.

“Farmers who toil day and night to produce food and cash crops cannot be blamed for complaining about herders who bring cows overnight to destroy their crops. Worse still. The crimes being committed by some of the herders cannot be tolerated by any community in the country and that is why all communities in the country are at war with herders, including those in Kaduna, Gombe, Niger, etc.

“But this is because Nigeria still relies on analogue grazing in a digital world. It is high time we realized that open grazing and driving cattle on the roads is anachronistic and counter-productive. Farmers need a peaceful environment and a guaranty of security for both their crops and their persons in order to be productive.

“After studying the problem over time, MURIC has come to the conclusion that the conflict between herders and farmers is neither religious nor ethnic. This is because the same herdsmen causing mayhem in Katsina, Sokoto, Niger and Zamfara States are the ones creating panic in Enugu, Oyo, Ogun and Ebonyi. Farms are in disarray all over the country due to the lawlessness of herdsmen.

“For example, herders who destroy farms in Zamfara are Northerners. It is also generally assumed that they are Muslims. Zamfara hunters and vigilante men who protect the farms and chase the herders are also Northerners and Muslims as well. Bandits in Sokoto are also Northerners while the local guards organized to keep the bandits at bay are also Northerners. Therefore there is no ethnic or religious factor in this ongoing herders and farmers crisis. It is neither Fulanisation nor Islamisation. It is an economic cum security problem, pure and simple.

“This has enabled MURIC to come to the conclusion that no religious or ethnic sentiment should be built around the herdsmen/farmers clash whether in Oyo, Ekiti or Ondo State. The reason Lagos has been spared to a large extent is the fact that it is not an agricultural state. The Lagos situation may also have been responsible for our earlier assumption that ethnicity and religious sentiments were at play in the herders/farmers quagmire. This perspective has changed after feedbacks came from our branches in both the North and Southern states.

“Therefore, our message to Miyetti Allah is this: ‘The governments and people of the South West, South South and South East are not just trying to start any quarrel with you or with your cows. No farmer can be happy with those who lead cows to destroy his crops.

“Miyetti Allah must take responsibility. Show good leadership by re-organizing your members into cooperatives and ask FG for bailouts to buy huge portions of land where they can set up ranches and graze freely. Herders and cow owners can come together to purchase acres of land wherever they desire. You cannot expect farmers (whether in Katsina, Sokoto, Igangan or Ondo) to hold the horns while your herders milk the cows. It breaches the law of natural justice.’

“The problem on ground can be resolved if FG shows willingness to give bailout funds to herders and cow owners. State governments should also spend part of their security vote on the project. Any issue that constitutes security threat qualifies for a share of the security vote. Unfortunately our governors heap the whole blame on the presidency, as if they have no business solving security problems in their states.

“State governors can summon representatives of Miyetti Allah in their states and discuss the possibility of bailout funds or loans from the state to purchase huge chunks of land. Such land can be used for ranching. The readiness of each state to respond to this call will be a reflection of the level of the governor’s patriotism and his desire for peace within his territory. Even local governments can participate in the project. Philanthropists and business tycoons are not left out of the option as it offers a good prospect of huge profits.

“Once this is done, farmers in food basket areas of the North will settle peacefully in their farms and the hostility between indigenes and Northern communities in the South will become a thing of the past. There will be bumper harvests and the prices of foodstuff will come down. Security networks like Amotekun which have been set up in the South to complement the police will be able to concentrate on real crimes like kidnapping and armed robbery.

“Finally, we urge FG to embrace this idea of a bailout for herders and cow owners to buy land for ranches. This will drastically reduce the incidence of clashes between herders and farmers. It will also reduce crime by exposing the real criminals among the herders because it will be easy for security agents to distinguish between genuine herders, rapists and kidnappers. Herders will tender their herds inside the established ranches while those who roam about will be picked up. It will also be easy for FG to ban open grazing once ranches have been set up. It is hoped that state governors will use part of their security vote to key into the idea.”

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

Operation Controller, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Benin field office, Ebi Ogiowo, has said that the federal government is considering transportation of petroleum products to various part of the country through the rail system.

Ogiowo said this at the weekend while speaking with journalists on the sideline of the 2020 annual meeting with petroleum products and gas marketers in Edo and Delta states organised by DPR.

“Like you know, oil and gas industry in Nigeria is more than 50 years and some of the pipelines are equally that old, while some of them are not functional,”

According to him, there are depots in some eastern and northern states of the country that are not functional because the integrity of the pipelines had been compromised.

“Government is actually looking at some alternatives of moving petroleum products because our roads are over-burdened, as it is the only way to move petroleum products and between 80 to 90 percent of petroleum products movement is through the road.

“So, government is investing heavily in rail transportation and considering it for movement of petroleum products and in the next two years, it will see the light of the day and Nigeria will all be better for it, as it will help in reducing the risk of moving petroleum products across the nation through the roads.

Ogiowo, noted that the meeting was to bring DPR and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, to come together to look at areas where they have gaps and lapses and try to see how to proffer solutions to be able to close them.

He advised petroleum products and gas marketers to adhere strictly to the DPR guidelines to ensure safe operation and avoid disaster, noting that apart from making profits, “one of the key things for being in business is safety and sustenance of investment.”

Ogiewo explained that DPR is out to sanitize the gas industry in collaboration with other government agencies in the bid to close the gaps noticed in their operations.

Earlier in his presentation, Chukwu Emmanuel, Assistant Corp Commander, Federal Road Safety Corp, said stakeholders must play their role to minimize hazards in the sector.

He noted that trucks conveying petroleum products and gas were meant to pass integrity test with tracking system, saying “if this is imbibed it will go a long way in reducing petroleum tanker accident.”

Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, says there should be a law banning the movement of cattle from the north to the south.

Speaking with journalists after he and All Progressives Congress (APC) governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina state, Ganduje said if the movement of cattle is not stopped, there will be no end to farmer-herder conflicts.

The governor said his administration is already constructing a settlement for herders in a forest near Kano’s border with Katsina.

He said the settlement will have houses, a dam, an artificial insemination centre, and a veterinary clinic.

“We are building a Ruga settlement in Samsosua forest, our border with Katsina and we have succeeded in curtailing the effect of banditry in that area,” Ganduje said.

“So, we are building many houses, we are constructing a dam; we are establishing a cattle artificial insemination centre, we are establishing a veterinary clinic and already we have started building houses for herdsmen.

“My advocacy is that we should abolish the transportation or trekking of herdsmen from the northern part of Nigeria to the middle belt and to the southern part of Nigeria.

“There should be a law that will ban, otherwise we cannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and cannot control the cattle rustling which is affecting us greatly.”

Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, had also called for the setting up of grazing reserves in the north to end farmer-herder crisis.

Dear President JoeBiden i am proudly gay and i beg you to place sanctions on Nigerian government for its inhuman laws against law abiding homosexuals yet this same government pampers wicked fulani herdsmen who kidnap and cause trouble in southern part of nigeria we are tired and scared despite the fact that more than 40% of current legislatures and over twelve governors are homosexuals in naija why the hypocrisy

lalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Saturday said the nation’s balance sheet is open for the National Assembly and all Nigerians.

He said his regime has nothing to hide.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke during an interview with journalists in Daura, Katsina State, after the registration and revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress.

The statement was titled “We have nothing to hide, our books will always be open President Buhari.”

Shehu quoted the President as assuring Nigerians of full implementation of the 2021 budget, with all transparency and openness in meeting the targets, while appreciating the National Assembly for the effective and detailed attention before the passage.

He said the budget aptly captured some of the visions of the administration, and all efforts will be poured in to ensure effective implementation.

Buhari said, “We have directed all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies to follow what is in the budget so that we can get the National Assembly to easily support the next budget. We can tell them what we have received, and how it was spent.

“We are always ready to make the balance sheet available for all Nigerians and the National Assembly. We have nothing to hide.’’

Buhari said his regime had given more attention to agriculture in order to diversify and strengthen the economy.

“We are still grateful to Morocco for the support they gave us in producing fertilizer in the country. We have 42 companies producing fertiliser in six geopolitical zones,” he had.

According to the statement, the President’s registration in Daura was attended by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; 10 APC governors, including the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, who is the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, and other party stalwarts.

Cows blocked a major road in Apo area of Abuja on Saturday afternoon, disrupting vehicular movement for more than 10 minutes.

TheCable observed how vehicles and motorcycles struggled to dodge the cattle as they plied the road just beside Cedacrest Hospital in Apo.

Two herders seen with the cows also struggled to remain in control of the situation.

At intervals, some of the cows pushed their way through the road, bringing vehicles to an abrupt halt.

The chaotic scene that ensued was hilarious as much as it was horrific. Some passers-by watched as a particular motorcyclist swerved while trying to dodge a cow whose horn was just inches away from his face.

Below are pictures from the scene:

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The Federal Government realised a total of N24.8 billion as Value Added Tax (VAT) from banks transactions throughout last year, New Telegraph has learnt. According to the sectoral VAT distribution data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), this showed that VAT generated from the sector increased by 44 per cent from N17.2 billion recorded in 2019. In accordance with Value Added Tax Act (Cap V1 LFN 2004), all banks and financial institutions, except those exempted, are required to charge VAT on services rendered by them to their customers and account for the same to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Recall that the banks had, early last year, adjusted VAT charges upward in compliance with the Federal Gov-ernment’s policy which jerked up the consumption tax from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, effective February 2020. While there had been a general increase in VAT across sectors due to the upward review, the financial institutions accounted for 3.2 per cent of the total non-import VAT revenue generated by the government in the nine months, which stood at N763 billion.

A quarterly breakdown of the VAT from the sector showed that banks and other financial institutions remitted the sum of N5.4 billion to the government’s coffers in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the sector generated N5.1 billion as VAT for the government, while it remitted N6.9 billion in the third quarter.

The sector’s contribution to VAT in the fourth quarter of 2020 stood at N7.4 billion. Prior to the 2020 record, an analysis of the NBS statistics showed that the sector’s contribution to VAT had declined consistently for three years. For instance, while VAT realised from the sector in 2016 stood at N25 billion, it declined by 17 per cent to N20.8 billion in 2017.

The amount generated from the sector as VAT in 2018 stood at N18.5 billion, which also represented an 11 per cent decline from the previous year’s record. In 2019, tax from the sector declined further by 7 per cent to N17.2 billion. The persistent decline in VAT generated from the sector in the past years, analysts say, may not be unconnected with the decrease in banking activities by Nigerians and an increase in the number of inactive bank accounts. However, with the increase in VAT from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, the government would be getting more money from the sector.

To achieve efficiency in the collection of the tax, the FIRS had, in March last year, issued a Public Notice informing taxpayers of automation of the VAT Collection System. The Automated VAT Platform (VATrac), which enables efficient and seamless collection and remittance of VAT on relevant transactions in the wholesale/retail sector and direct audit/reconciliation of all VAT transactions, became effective on April 1, 2020. Industry analysts noted that the introduction of VATrac demonstrated the FIRS’ commitment to leverage technology to improve tax administration in Nigeria.

It is anticipated that the use of technology to enforce VAT compliance would ultimately result in increased tax revenue by minimizing leakages, widening the tax net, and reducing the cost of administration.

A coalition of Yoruba groups, Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye, says it is unhappy with opposition of Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, to the eviction notice issued by Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader popularly known as Sunday Igboho, to herders in Oyo state.

While speaking on a BBC programme on Wednesday, Falana said herders who have lived in the area for 10 years had the constitutional rights to remain there, and that no one has the right under the law to issue eviction notice to any ethnic group.

Falana also called on affected herders to sue Igboho and defend their constitutional rights.

But in a statement signed by Aare Oladotun Hassan, the Yoruba group president, and Siyanbade Adekanbi, its secretary general, IAYL said Falana ignored the atrocities perpetrated by herders in Oyo state and other parts of the country while concentrating on the rights of the herders.

It said if Igboho was taken to court, it would raise 100 senior advocates of Nigeria and other prominent lawyers to defend the youth leader and Yoruba interest in court.

The statement said: “Today it is crystal clear to the blind on the current position we find ourselves in Nigeria, whereas government has failed in its statutory duties to provide adequate security for her people, hence self defence becomes inevitable solution.

“We are disappointed to see Mr Falana’s clandestine call for fundamental rights legal attrition against Sunday Igboho as most unfortunate, demeaning and treacherous, for someone of the legal calibre of Falana to support the Fulani herdsmen bandits wrecking havoc ranging from kidnappings, rape, mass destructions, killings and invasions of farmlands and communities at will, at the detriment of the victim’s fundamental human rights.”


The group said herders, who destroyed farmlands, killed farmers and raped women are not real Nigerians, and asked the Nigerian Immigration Service to wake up to its duties.

“Indeed Falana failed to sue the killer herdsmen, mostly whose identity are deceitfully more visible as Fulanis rather than real Nigerians,” it said.

“While those that invades farmlands most times are Fulani foreign fighters from Mali, Sudan, Niger, Libya to mention a few, hence the Nigeria Immigration Service needs to wake up to her responsibility urgently.

“We are not surprised to see the crafty statements from some of the so called enemies of the Yoruba people and Nigerians at large. We Yorubas are the most accommodating ethnic race in Nigeria, we love everyone including Hausas, Fulani, Igbos, Efiks, Ijaws to mention a few, and they all can attest to their peaceful habitation and successes.”


The group said it would not withdraw its support for Igboho, and that it would also stand by him if taken to court.

“We reiterate our supports for Igboho and other like minds, that for any legal action against him or others, we are prepared to raise 100 SANs and senior lawyers of erudite qualities to defend the Yoruba interests at the court,” IAYL added.

Manufacturers in India have rebranded the opioid Tramadol to Tafrodol to evade detection by customs officials at Nigeria's ports and borders, a report by Enactafrica has revealed.

While the name change makes the drug look like Tramadol, Tafrodol contains two ingredients that should not be combined and can reportedly cause respiratory infection, coma and even instant death.

The rebranding comes shortly after several shipments of Tramadol were seized at Nigeria's border posts.

In August 2020, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) intercepted 33 containers of Tramadol shipped from India worth N1.3 trillion in three different locations in Lagos.

Analysis by the ENACT organised crime project found that Lagos serves as a major market for Tramadol originating from Asia and shipped in through Cotonou in Benin. It is distributed legally and illegally to other parts of Nigeria, especially Edo and Kano states.

Under a 2018 Nigerian government policy, Tramadol is a restricted pharmaceutical product used to treat severe pain and be administered only through prescription by medical professionals.

Despite this, it is widely imported, smuggled and used – particularly among young people – for recreational and non-medical purposes. Health experts warn that this constitutes a threat to health security in the country.

Ahmed Yakasai, the former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, told ENACT that Tramadol's rebranding for shipment into Nigeria had been ongoing for some time.

He said there was "a criminal collaboration between some pharmaceutical companies in Asia, especially India, and criminal gangs in Nigeria that import Tramadol in concealed brands into the country." Examples include Tapentadol, an opioid medication used to treat severe pain.

Reasons for the rebranding include crackdowns by regulatory agencies over the past two years. In November 2018, 581 million Tramadol tablets, worth over N241 million and weighing about 118 metric tons, were seized in Lagos by NDLEA.

In June 2020, customs seized 379 packs of Tramadol worth over N56 million in Kaduna. These efforts have been complemented by restrictions on the movement of people and goods due to COVID-19.

As a result, the quantity of Tramadol in circulation across Nigeria has plummeted, causing demand and prices to rise.

Dr Ibrahim Abdul Abubakar, NDLEA head in Kano State, told ENACT that a 20 kg pack of Tramadol sells for as much as N20 million in Nigeria, especially on the black market.

It's popular among armed insurgents and terror groups from Niger, Mali and Libya for use by their fighters.

Officials from NDLEA and NAFDAC, who spoke to ENACT on condition of anonymity, say that Tramadol smuggling persists despite all measures because of the involvement of corrupt officials.

"Colleagues from sister agencies are involved in this," said a senior NDLEA member. He said when other regulatory agencies record seizures at ports, they send cases relating to cannabis and other illicit drugs to NDLEA for prosecution, but rarely for Tramadol.

Lagos is a major market for Tramadol originating from Asia and shipped in through Cotonou in Benin.

This was confirmed by a NAFDAC director, who told ENACT that while some agencies were working hard to address the challenge, others were sabotaging it.

Two factors enable public sector corruption in smuggling illicit drugs into Nigeria. First, the bribes offered run into millions of US dollars, and second, those who have resisted the offers from the smuggling networks have been threatened or killed, Yakasai said.

Besides the complicity of government officials, the porosity of Nigeria's entry points and national borders facilitate the trade of Tramadol and illicit substances. Beyond rebranding, smugglers 'have learnt to adopt some models of concealment that are yet unknown to law enforcement agencies,' said Abubakar.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is considering targeted lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; as well as Lagos and Plateau States.

PTF National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Muhammed, who stated this on Friday, described as alarming, the rising cases of Covid infections recorded in the three urban areas.

Muhammed said data showed that urban local governments in the affected places recorded the highest cases of Covid amid the second wave of the pandemic in Nigeria. According to data by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Lagos (46,935 cases), Abuja (16,470 cases), Plateau (7,801) have recorded the highest number of Covid infections and fatalities in Nigeria in the last eleven months.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme monitored by The PUNCH, the PTF official said the Federal Government wants economic activities to continue but these activities must be in a regulated fashion.

When asked of the possibility of a targeted lockdown and not a total lockdown based on data of hotspot areas, Muhammed said, “That is exactly what we did, we have been analysing the data and we have been looking at the geographical areas that have been most affected and the different age groups.”

“Certainly, even if we are going to have a lockdown, it is not going to be a total lockdown. A couple of weeks back, we analysed the data and we identified the hotspot local government areas.

“Mostly, the areas affected are the urban local governments in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Plateau. Even in most other states, it is the urban areas that are involved. So, if we are going to have any restriction, it will be in these areas.

“The urban areas are the most affected and that is why we have these superspreaders and that is where we are going to target. We have analysed that and we are advising the states based on the data that these are the focused areas where these transmissions are more than the others,” he added.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Federal Government in March 2020 locked down Abuja Lagos and Ogun for over five weeks as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic.

The lockdown had a tremendous effect on economic activities with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry putting the loss at about N3bn in the period under review.

Many jobs were also lost as airlines, hotels, banks, amongst others cut their workforce due to the crushing effect of the lockdown.

A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has accused leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the southern part of the country of being unfair to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Fulani ethnic group with their silence.

Lamido, while speaking with journalists in Kano categorically mentioned APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige and former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha among those whose silence has further exacerbated the hatred against the Fulanis.

Non of the APC leaders indicted by Lamido has reacted to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.

He said the ‘hatred’ against the Fulani ethnic group which reached a crescendo with ultimatums issued in Oyo and Ondo states for them to vacate was “fuelled as a result of the failure of the Nigerian government which is currently headed by a Fulani man (Buhari).

“Go on social media and see what they write about Fulanis. It is simply because our own son (Buhari) is there. Therefore, they read us (Fulanis) through him. When Jonathan was there, they called his people names.

“Buhari was the choice of Nigerians not just Fulanis. I am Fulani and I didn’t vote for Buhari. Ask Tinubu. What I am saying is that why can’t his (Buhari) people, Tinubu, his DG of Campaign, Amaechi and other APC leaders defend us and say ‘look, it is not all Fulanis’.

“The APC members who voted for Buhari, the Fayemis, the Rochas, the Fasholas, the Ngiges and all of them, the Soyinkas, who defended Buhari in 2014, why can’t they defend the Fulanis today?”, he asked.

He said the Fulani people are now endangered and persecuted and even sometimes referred to as aliens.

He added that kidnappings, banditry and other criminalities “are as a result of misgovernance and distrust among ethnic groups in the country, adding that the “Northern parts of the country are not safe and he wonder “why the outcry on Fulanis in the south when the Fulanis are generally a peace loving group of people.”

By Mojeed Alabi

Seven Nigerian soldiers were on Monday gruesomely murdered by bandits during a rescue operation in a forest along Mararaba-Udege road in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.

The soldiers, who were killed in an ambush by the bandits, were from the 177 Guards Battalion, Shitu Alao Barracks, Keffi, Nasarawa State.

According to a reliable source, who does not want to be named for security reasons, the slain soldiers were part of a team of 13 soldiers led into the forest by Felix Kura, a captain.

The soldiers’ mission, the source claimed, was to rescue some residents of the state who were abducted by bandits and taken into the forest.

Out of the 14 military men, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that seven including Mr Kura; Yakubu Bati, a sergeant; Kefas Iliya, a lance corporal, and four others whose identity could not be confirmed as of the time of filing this report, lost their lives.

“As soon as they ran into the ambush and they realised they were being overpowered, Mr Kura was said to have told his colleagues including his “cover” to escape,” the source added.

The authorities of the 177 Guards battalion have informed the families of the slain soldiers of their fate “and signal has been sent to the headquarters,” PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

But the spokesperson to the Nigerian Army, Sagir Musa, a brigadier general, denied knowledge of the development.

“I am not aware. I don’t have that information,” Mr Musa told our reporter on the phone on Thursday.



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The late Colonel Felix Kura with his wife, Susan, when he was decorated as a captain in August, 2020

Family confirms officer’s death

An elder brother to the late Mr Kura, Fabian Benjamin, however, confirmed the incident to our reporter on the phone.

A distraught Mr Benjamin expressed bitterness and disappointment at the death of his brother.

He feared that the family is scared to break the news to their.

septuagenarian father, Benjamin Kura, whom he feared may not be strong enough to withstand the shock of the sad news.

Apart from the aged father, Mr Benjamin, the family’s eldest child, also expressed sadness over the fate of his late brother’s young wife, Susan, whom he noted was yet to bear him a child.

He said the late officer was just decorated as a captain in August, 2020.

“My brother read Linguistics at the Benue State University and graduated in 2009. He served in Oyo State in 2010 and joined the Nigerian Army in 2012. He loved the job and was very passionate about it. Some of his commandants even when he was posted to the North East confirmed his bravery and loyalty. I am very depressed right now,” Mr Benjamin told our reporter on the phone.

He said his late brother’s remains will be interred on Tuesday in his home state, Benue.

Failed Mission

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that on Monday the battalion received reports of various abductions along the Mararaba-Udege road and its commander asked Mr Kura to “pull out” alongside 13 other officers to rescue the abductees.

Multiple sources said one of the abductees was a nursing mother whose child was abandoned while the mother was taken.

“Another man was also killed during the operation by the bandits. So no one even knew how many were the victims but only 14 officers were drafted to the scene,” a source said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the command became worried when communication with the troop was lost and their whereabouts unknown.

The command subsequently sent out about 100 soldiers on a search and rescue mission of the platoon.

“That was how seven bodies were found including the team lead,” another source added.

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The late Colonel Felix Kura with his wife, Susan, and a commander when he was decorated as a captain in August, 2020

Kidnapping in Nasarawa

Nasarawa State has in recent times been one of Nigeria’s hotbeds kidnapping, armed robberies and other forms of violence.

Apart from the reported cases along the Mararaba-Udege road, the Deputy Vice-chancellor of Anchor University, Lagos, Johnson Fatokun, was also abducted on his way from Jos, Plateau State capital, to Keffi, on Monday.

Mr Fatokun, a professor of Computational Mathematics, was only released on Wednesday after ransom had been paid.

According to a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES by the university’s assistant registrar, strategy and communications, Sanusi Okesola, Mr Fatokun’s release was “secured after negotiations with his abductors.”

In a telephone conversation, Mr Okesola added that the lecturer was immediately conveyed to Abuja from where he would be flown to Lagos to resume work.

“The professor was not tortured, and he is in high spirit. We only thank everyone including the leadership and members of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, the university community, the Nigerian security operatives and all Nigerians who prayed along with the university,” Okesola told our reporter on the phone.

He added that though N20 million was demanded by the abductors, the ransom paid was not N20 million. He, however, declined to disclose how much was paid.

As the clamour for presidency to return to the South in 2023 continues to reverberate across the country, some stakeholders have opined that the ambition of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may be frustrated just like that of M.K.O Abiola in 1993, if Yoruba people continue to speak in discordant tunes.

The feeling was expressed yesterday at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, venue of the 2021 Pan-Yoruba Summit themed “Yoruba Nation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

The summit was organised by the Yoruba Patriots Movement (YPM) led by Chief Oladosu Oladipo. In attendance were some dignitaries including the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Sanwo Olu, who was represented by Engr. Adekunle Olayinka (Special Adviser on South West Affairs); Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who was also represented by Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Obawale Adebisi.

Others included Chairman and Deputy of the South West Agenda ’23 (SWAGA), Senator Dayo Adeyeye and Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi as well as Hon. Bosun Ladele, and former Commissioner for Health in Oyo State, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan.

The royal father in attendance was the Alaafin of Oyo His Imperial Majesty Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, who was represented by Prince Dr. Totoola Adeyemi. Others included former President of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Bayo Oyero, Prof. AdegbengaOnabamiro, Alhaja Iswat Abiola Ameringun (Italoja of Ibadan), Chief Folasade Ojo Tinubu, ex-InspectorGeneralof PoliceTafa Balogun, Dr. Stella Al-Hassan fromTexasinAmerica, Chief ToyinAdeleke, among others.

While the convener of the summit, Oladosu Oladipo through his Next-Level Consolidation Forum advocated apparently for the election of Tinubu in 2023, stressing that “Yoruba planted in 2015 by installing President Muhammadu Buhari” and that the North must give back to us in 2023,” the CCII ex-President said that if Tinubu would emerge as president in 2023, it was the Yoruba that will determine it. He said: “Yoruba are not united. Unless we are united, we would give away our chance again like we did in1993.

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has condemned a situation where Nigerians do not enjoy basic infrastructure that should be provided by government despite paying taxes.

Speaking at the first national tax dialogue organized by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Adesina said Nigerians are among top implicit tax payers in the world. Implicit taxes are levies that are borne but are neither seen nor recorded.

He said residents provide their own electricity, road, security, water, among others, adding that the government must rise to its duty rather than allowing citizens bear such burdens.

“We must also distinguish between nominal taxes and implicit taxes — Taxes that are borne but are not seen nor recorded. Truth be told, Nigerians pay one of the highest implicit tax rates in the world — way higher than developed countries,” he said.

“Think of it: they provide electricity for themselves via generators; they repair roads to their neighborhoods, if they can afford to; there are no social security systems; they provide security for their own safety; and they provide boreholes for drinking water with their own monies. That in incredulous in itself. Boreholes are not the way to provide water in the 21st century. Every household should have pipe borne water!

“Take for example that 86% of small and medium sized enterprises in Nigeria spend $14 billion annually on diesel for generators. Nigeria’s companies lose on average 10% of sales because they do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity.

“Governments, over time, have simply transferred their responsibility to citizens. When governments or institutions fail to provide basic services, the people bear the burden — a heavy implicit tax on the population.”

He said Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth declined in 2020 by 2.1 per cent, the worst in two decades, while the cumulative loss to Africa’s GDP is estimated at $173-236 billion for 2020 and 2021, respectively.

“The (Nigeria) economy shrunk by 3% in 2020 on account of falling oil prices and effects of the lockdowns on economic activity. The pandemic has impacted on budgetary balances and increased debt burdens,” he said.

“Nigeria’s Debt-to-GDP ratio will push debt service payments beyond more than 60% of federally collected revenues. With shrinkage in oil revenues, debt service payments pose the greatest risk to Nigeria.

“To put a human face on the pandemic effects, we estimate that 28-40 million people in Africa are projected to fall into extreme poverty, and 30 million jobs would be lost due to the pandemic.

“We project that Nigeria’s economy is poised to recover to growth of 1.5% in 2021 and 2.9% in 2022, according to the African Development Bank’s soon to be released African Economic Outlook.”

Adesina said building back will require a lot more resources, adding that taxes form a significant part of government revenue.

He urged the federal government to focus on corporate taxes and ensure full compliance.

The AfDB president added that small and medium enterprises should be supported through tax exemptions or tax deferments.

“It is crucial to ensure that the tax base expands. Given that over 60% of Nigerians are in the informal sector, priority should be to support measures to move a large part of this from informal to formal sectors,” he said.

“The Government should focus a lot on corporate taxes, and ensure full compliance. But it is important to ensure that such taxes do not discourage investments

“Profit shifting, base erosion and tax avoidance by multinational corporations form a huge part of “Africa’s missing taxes”; and account for a large share of the over $60 billion illicit capital flows that Africa loses annually.

“If a company works in Nigeria, benefits from Nigeria, it should pay taxes in Nigeria. Small and medium sized enterprises should be further encouraged and supported, as they are the lifelines of earnings and the creators of jobs. Tax exemptions or tax deferments can be used to support their growth.”

A federal high court in Abuja has been asked to compel the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to produce the asset declaration form belonging to Mahmood Yakubu, chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Emmanuel Agonsi, the plaintiff, wrote a letter to the CCB, seeking the INEC chairman’s asset declaration form as well as that of his unmarried adult children.

In an ex parte motion with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/33/2021, the plaintiff through his counsel E. C. Muokwudo, prayed the court to direct the CCB to produce the certified true copies (CTC) of the asset declaration forms.

Agonsi wants details of Yakubu’s assets between 2007 and 2012 when he held office as executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and as INEC chairman between 2015 and 2020.

He also asked the court to order the CCB to furnish him with information about all the properties, assets and liabilities of Yakubu’s unmarried adult children submitted to the CCB for the period covered.

The plaintiff further prayed the court to declare that the refusal of CCB to respond or comply with his request is unlawful.

12.3 million active SIM cards are yet to be linked with their owners’ NIN...

About 12.3 million active SIM cards are yet to be linked with their owners’ National Identity Numbers (NINs), Daily Trust reports.

This is as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed on Tuesday that a total of 47.8m phone users had supplied their NINs to telecom operators.

It was learnt that the over 12 million SIM cards were pending because most of the users do not have the national identity numbers.

There is an average of three to four SIMs per telecom subscriber in the country, according to the NCC.

This means about 191.2m active SIM cards have so far been linked to their owners’ unique identity numbers.

Nigeria’s teledensity rose by 2.2 per cent from 104.4 per cent to 106.6 per cent in October, increasing the number of telecom subscribers to 203.5 million, according to NCC data.

The federal government had given January 19 and February 9 deadlines for subscribers already with NINs and those without NINs, respectively, to link their SIMs with their unique identity numbers.

Deadline draws near

As the deadline draws nearer, the fate of 12.3m active SIMs owners hangs in the balance as they struggle to get their unique identity numbers from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The NCC in a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, said on Tuesday that millions of SIMs will be linked with NINs before the deadline in February.

Adinde disclosed that the Technical Implementation Committee under the Ministerial Task Force on SIMs-NIN linkage had also reported significant progress in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage exercise.

“At the end of a review meeting on 18th January 2021, the Technical Implementation Committee under the Ministerial Task Force has reported significant progress in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage exercise’’, he said.

He said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, had expressed satisfaction with the achievement recorded in the ongoing exercise so far.

He expressed the federal government’s appreciation for the commitment demonstrated by all stakeholders and citizens and urged them to submit their NINs before the 9th February 2021 deadline.

“The minister urged the technical team to fast-track the processes so that the project is delivered soonest’’, Adinde said.

He also drew attention to an app, which allows subscribers to link up to a maximum of seven SIMs to their NINs.

Adinde quoted Pantami as reminding Nigerians to secure and protect their NINs, urging them to desist from selling the numbers or allowing others to use them for registration.

“For any act committed with the SIM good or bad, it will be officially traced and attached to the NIN owner,” the statement warned.

Service providers tasked

Daily Trust recalled that MTN, GLO, Airtel, 9Mobile and other smaller telecom companies in the country were handed a stern order in December to compulsorily demand for the NINs of their customers.

However, NCC had said there would be no mass disconnection of telecom subscribers as a result of the ongoing linkage of NIN records to SIM registration.

NCC said many Nigerians had already linked their NIN to their SIM and there shouldn’t be any fear of mass disconnection.

“A recent survey conducted in Nigeria has shown that on average, there are now approximately 4 to 5 SIMs to every human subscriber. This explains the basis of allowing the linkage of up to 7 SIMs to 1 unique NIN in the recently launched federal government Portal,” NCC said in a recent statement.

Justification for exercise

The federal government said the current exercise of linking NIN to SIM(s) is for the common good of all Nigerians, as it has far-reaching benefits.

“Apart from enhancing our general safety, this will help in such vital exercises like national budgeting, policy planning, social intervention programmes and many more,’’ the government said.

A telecom expert, Ugo Ekanem, urged the NCC to work more on improving quality of networks so that Nigerians would be carrying less SIM cards.

Another telecom expert, Umar Hafiz, wondered why Nigerians should have more than two SIM cards, saying the government must find a way of trimming the number an individual could have.

“People will tell you that they have multiple lines because the telecom service providers are not reliable; I stand to disagree because if you will carry out a verification exercise, you will discover that some people have multiple SIM cards from one service provider.

“Besides, if the essence of linking SIM cards with NIN is to also reduce insecurity, the idea is already defeated because people with ulterior motives are already using the NIN of some gullible Nigerians to register many SIM cards,” he said.

Asked if there was a way forward, he said, “It is very simple.

“The government should limit SIM card possession to two and then give a timeline to the telecoms to expand their frontiers so that people would have options wherever they are.”

In a recent statement, the Director General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, said the commission would intensify efforts to register and give more Nigerians their NINs.

He reiterated that the federal government had licensed 173 centres and 30 state government institutions to conduct the enrolment of NIN across Nigeria.

“The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim [Pantami], has approved the licensing of 173 agents and 30 State Governments/Public Sector Institutions to conduct enrolment of all persons including legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB) on behalf of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC),” he said.

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The police have arrested a housewife in Kano State for allegedly killing her husband’s fiancée, a week to their wedding.

The police on Tuesday said Suwaiba Shuaibu, 20, stabbed Aisha Kabir, 17, to death in an uncompleted building in Doguwa Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said Kabiru Jafaru had lodged a report with the police that Miss Kabir was missing.

Mr Kiyawa said the police after preliminary investigation arrested Mrs Shuaibu of the same address as the complainant.

The suspect is the wife of Shaibu Ali, who was to be wedded to Miss Kabir on January 9, after six years of courtship, the police said.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed that she had called the victim on phone, deceived and lured her to an uncompleted building in their neighbourhood where she used a sharp knife to stab her on her neck, chest and other parts of her body.

“I killed the Aisha out of jealousy because my husband proposed to marry her,” the police quoted the suspect saying.

Officers evacuated the corpse of Miss Kabir to Tudun Wada General Hospital, the police spokesperson said.

He said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Habu Sani, has directed the case to be transferred to the command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Homicide Section, to wrap up the investigation.


Mr Kiyawa said the suspect would be charged to court after the exercise.

A 60-year-old traditional chief in Ibadan has been arrested for allegedly abusing two female minors.

The suspect was said to have caused the two minors, who are siblings, to shave off their pubic hair, and also inserted his finger in their private parts.

On learning of the suspect’s alleged acts, a mob encircled his house yesterday, intent on burning it down with him inside.

Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) came to his rescue, and took him in for questioning

The suspect, who was identified as Mogaji of Ori Aare compound, was accused of tricking the two girls, one aged 17, the other 13, into his house and made them shave their pubic hair. Afterwards, he allegedly packed the hair in a piece of paper, added alligator pepper and asked them to bury it around their house. He also allegedly warned the children against telling their parents or anybody about their encounter.

But fearing that the Mogaji may have set them up for ritual, they reportedly requested their grandmother to take them to her spiritualist for cleansing. Bewildered by the request, the old woman was said to have probed them further and soon got the whole story.

Spokesman of the corps Oluwole Olusegun, said the suspect claimed that the children came to him for spiritual assistance which he rendered.

There was a mild drama on Monday at the sitting of Judicial Panel of Enquiry, Ogun State, when a police sergeant, Adeleke Olalekan was caught threatening a member of the panel.

Olalekan was reportedly caught pointing a finger at a member of the panel, in a manner suggestive of threat, during the sitting at Magistrate Court 1, Abeokuta.

The erring police cop, in mufti, had accompanied a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Gbenga Megbope, who was being cross-examined over a matter before the panel.

It was gathered that when attention of the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Solomon Olugbemi (rtd) was drawn to the alleged threat, he asked the Sergeant to come forward and explain the rationale behind his action.

In a shot clip of the drama obtained by our correspondent, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police and a member of the panel, Peter Ogunyanwo, was asking the Sergeant, “why are you disrespecting members of the panel?”

The visibly rattled police sergeant, however, could not justify his action, but prostrated before the panel members, and begged for mercy.

“I don’t disrespect you sir. I know you sir (referring to the retired DIG). I can’t disrespect you sir,” the Sergeant said.

On his part, Megbope, who was the Commander of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at Obada – Oko, also begged on the Sergeant’s behalf, saying “We are sorry sir.”

Reeling out the law against such action, the Panel Chairman, said “any act of disrespect, insult or threat to the Commissioners or any Panel members while sitting in Commission or any act of disrespect, insult or threat to a Commissioner or Panel members at any other time or place on account of his proceedings in his capacity as a Commissioner or Panel member shall be deemed to be an act of contempt within the meaning of this law under Section 16 of the same law”.

Reading further, the Chairman revealed that, “any person who commits an act of contempt, whether the act is or is not committed in the presence of the Commissioners sitting in Commission, such person or persons shall be liable to summary conviction before a court of competent jurisdiction to be convicted and punished according to the tenet stipulated in the law”.

Justice Olugbemi noted that the Police Sergeant ought to be recommended for trial at the Magistrate court, but pardoned him following the pleading and apology.

He, however, warned that “the panel would no longer tolerate any act of disrespect to it or any of its members as the law would be allowed to take its course in any such further act.”

Eniola Akinkuotu

A preliminary investigation by the police has shown how Systems Engineer and winner of 2018 IBM competition, David Nketim-Rex, was killed.

Top police sources as well as a relative of the deceased told The PUNCH on Monday that David was shot by robbers on a motorcycle along Jibowu Street in the Jibowu area of Lagos State, last Friday.

David, who was the son of Dr. Yetunde Nketim-Rex, a senior lecturer at the English Department in the University of Lagos, was said to have been dropped off by a cousin named Nicholas around 8pm.

The deceased was said to have walked down to Jibowu Street near Finicky Restaurant which has no functioning streetlights.

While waiting to board a vehicle that would convey him home which is close to WAEC bus stop, he was said to have been using his Samsung phone and this caught the attention of the hoodlums.

An attempt by the hoodlums to snatch David’s phone was resisted and this was said to have infuriated them as one of them brought out a gun and shot him at close range before fleeing with the phone.

A source said, “The incident occurred around 20.00 hours on January 15, 2020. The cousin of the deceased, Nicholas, said they closed from work and they were on their way home. But he said he had to do something and then dropped off David at GUO Transport who was going home.

“From preliminary investigation and from what some eyewitnesses said, a guy alighted from a motorcycle and attempted to snatch David’s phone. A scuffle ensued and the man shot him at close range and fled with the phone.”

A relative of the deceased, who confirmed the preliminary report, said it was when Nicholas arrived home and didn’t see David that the family began to fear that something had gone wrong.

They were said to have launched a manhunt for David and found him lying in a pool of blood.

He said, “When Nicholas returned home, he didn’t see David. He said that Nicholas ought to have arrived because he dropped him off at GUO and should have arrived at home within a few minutes because their home is a short distance from where he was dropped off.

“They called his phone but it was switched off. It was at that time that they began tracing him. On getting to Jibowu Street, he was found lying in a pool of blood and policemen were there.”
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The relative, however, said the police failed to act on time because David had not yet been confirmed dead when the policemen arrived.

He said the policemen had already declared the spot a crime scene and assumed that David was dead.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said David was already dead when they arrived at the scene.

He said, “On getting to the scene, policemen met his lifeless body but relations insisted that he was not dead. So, police took him to Military Hospital, Yaba but the hospital said they could not treat him and then referred him to LUTH.

“He was accepted at LUTH and he was confirmed dead. The family returned to police to get extracts at the station for mortuary. So, the allegation of the police abandoning him is not true. The incident is unfortunate and we sympathise with the family but we did what we could.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the case had been transferred from the Sabo Police Division to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

“The policemen at Sabo said armed robbery and homicide cases are not handled at police stations. So Panti has taken over the investigation,” a relative said.

David, according to a 2018 statement by IBM, had beaten 17,000 others from around the world including finalists from Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Nepal and the United States to emerge as the co-regional winner of the annual Master the Mainframe competition, organised by AngelHack and IBM Z Academic Initiative.

The deceased, who was described as a tech wizard by friends, bagged several certificates and accomplishments before graduating from the Department of Systems Engineering at the University of Lagos in 2019.

Friends have continued to mourn him on social media.