News / politics / Security / Transportation

Afenifere decries kidnapping on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has reacted to the recent kidnappings on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and worsening security in the country.

The group spoke in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, on Wednesday in Lagos State.

Afenifere said the kidnapping of seven people around Isara Remo on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway last Sunday was evidence that the governments have failed in their primary duties of providing security to the people and seeing to their welfare.

Ajayi said in the statement: “Reports had it that some displaced terrorists in the northern part of the country led by one Belo Turji are making an incursion into Yorubaland in the western part of Nigeria. “We recall the incessant kidnapping of and attacks on innocent people in Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti States. We also recall the sacking of certain villages in the Imeko area of Ogun State last week.

“These are unacceptable and must be stopped forthwith by all means.

“The lamentations by Governors of Niger, Zamfara, Benue, Nassarawa, Borno, Kaduna, Sokoto and Katsina states on how terrorists seem to be dictating the pace in their areas ought to serve as a wake-up call for the governments and the security agencies.

“Afenifere acknowledged that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of the security situation going by his recent expressions on the issue. For instance, the President ordered for a ‘robust’ military intervention in the wake of terrorists’ take-over of some local government areas in Niger State just as he asked Nigerians to put their prayers for security before God. The latter he said in a message delivered on his behalf when Governor Ganduje of Kano State hosted the head of Tijanniyah organization worldwide in Kano last week.”…

News / Security

How I’ll rid Anambra of criminals — New Police Commissioner

Tony Olofu, new Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, has said at Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area that he would employ drastic measures in crime prevention.

Olofu, who spoke on Thursday, resumed office as Commissioner of Police in Anambra State on September 10.

He said at his maiden news conference that he would employ measures in line with security control techniques to rearrange and stabilize security architecture in the state.

He said the command would undertake critical threat analysis and embark on painstaking intelligence gathering through strategic deployment of intelligence assets. “We have robust synergy with sister security agencies, organized vigilance groups and other stakeholders to realize the goal,” he said.

Olofu assured that the fight against crime would focus on armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, land disputes, kingship tussles and boundary issues.

He added that the thrust would also focus on farmers/herders clashes, public disturbances, attack on unsuspecting members of the public and security personnel, government infrastructures and sundry offences.

He said he had been briefed on a number of security challenges in the state and had been able to wade into the crises to forestall further incidences.

“The command is fully prepared with newest security strategies that will be more proactive to dominate the public space and checkmate acts of criminality,” he said.

The Commissioner also assured said the command had been bold in confronting numerous challenges faced by the state and had recorded several successes in curbing crimes.

He said senior operatives of the command had also briefed him about the immense support of Governor Willie Obiano, traditional rulers, religious bodies and other stakeholders.

“I sincerely commend the state for such support and appreciate them for supporting the police in their noble course of enforcing law and order,” he said, assuring that his tenure would not abort the cordial relationship.

He said where practicable, the command would support the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution and community policing principles to discharge its duties.

Olofu said the command would like to be in partnership with critical stakeholders, including the …

News / politics

PDP to Buhari: You, not Ortom, are spreading division, hate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asserted that the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency is responsible for spreading division and hatred among Nigerians and not the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, as claimed in the Presidency’s press release.

The party was reacting to the hate statement issued by the Buhari Presidency in a bitter personal attack on Governor Ortom on Wednesday, in which the Presidency made allusions to genocide in Rwanda.

The PDP recalled how the Buhari Presidency has been planting seeds of discord in the country with hate language, divisive tendencies and unconcealed nepotism, to the extent that the nation has become widely divided along all fault lines.

“Nigerians have not forgotten how President Buhari, ahead of the 2011 general elections, declared that ‘if what happened in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood’.

“Moreover, Nigerians can recall how Mr. President tagged those whom he believed did not vote for him; how he described citizens as ‘dot in a circle’, as well as the hate language that attracted sanctions by Twitter.

“It is rather alarming that instead of taking steps to address the killings in Benue state as well as the worsening insecurity, carnages, banditry, terrorism and imminent humanitarian crisis in the country, the Buhari Presidency is thinking of Rwandan genocide while exposing its deep-seated detestation for Governor Ortom.

“Governor Ortom is a highly principled and forthright leader, who is loved not only in Benue, but also across the nation. The PDP urges Nigerians to hold the Buhari Presidency responsible should any harm come to him or his family members.”

The party asked the Buhari Presidency to come clean on its handling of insecurity in the country, particularly against the backdrop of its manifest failure to battle and rout out terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and marauders that have taken over the highways, forests, pillaging communities and killing Nigerians on a daily basis.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, said in a statement: “Under President Buhari’s lethargic …

Crime / News / Security

Lalong on Plateau killings: We’ll arrest those who rush to bail suspects

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has warned against any rush to bail suspects of the August 14 killings along Rukuba Road in Jos and other attacks in the state

The governor spoke on Tuesday at an emergency peace and security stakeholders meeting held in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting focused on the August 14 incident and other attacks in Bassa, Jos South, Barkin ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas.

Lalong said: “The rush to bail suspects of unrest when arrested for investigation frustrates efforts to find lasting solution to insecurity in Plateau.

“Henceforth, people rushing to bail suspects will also be arrested.

“If you find them, please arrest them.

“If people rush to bail them, arrest them.”

Lalong said that such action would deter people fond of bailing suspects of unrest, alleging that such gestures implied that most of them were either sponsors or accomplices to such crimes.

He said the meeting with critical stakeholders, comprising former governors, political leaders, elders and traditional and community leaders, was to seek their views on measures to end the cycle of violence in Plateau State.

Lalong held that the insecurity, particularly in some local governments, required concerted efforts toward lasting peace.

“We cannot afford to fail the upcoming generation by refusing to do the needful,” he declared.

He decried the misuse of the social media by people out to worsen an already bad situation through the massive spread of fake and unsubstantiated videos and messages.

He said: “Such fake messages only ignite further attacks.

“I have directed the security agencies to go after such persons and ensure they face the law for incitement and hate speech.”

Lalong also urged religious leaders and other stakeholders holders not to incite their followers with their sermons or comments on insecurity, noting that they (clerics) were also guided by the constitution.

“In future, defaulters will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

Lalong banned any form of protest in the state, explaining that Plateau …

News / Security

Nigeria ranks 146th on Global Peace Index, 8th least peaceful in Africa

The 2021 Global Peace Index (GPI) has ranked Nigeria 146 among 163 independent nations and territories, according to its level of peacefulness. Nigeria moved one step from 147 in 2020, though it still ranked eighth among the least peaceful countries in Africa after South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Central African Republic, Sudan and Mali.

In the report released yesterday, Nigeria finished with 2712 points and was graded low on the state of peace out of very high, high, medium, low and very low on the chart.

The GPI, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), measures the state of peace in countries. It assesses countries in three domains, including the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarization.

Describing the situation, the report said Nigeria continues to face challenges on both safety and security and ongoing conflict domains. The conflict between government forces and Boko Haram in the Northeast led to an estimated 1,606 people killed in 125 fatal incidents in 2020, making an average of 13 deaths per violent event in the Boko Haram insurgency of last year.

Civil unrest rose 10 per cent globally, driven by the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic caused a global rise in civil unrest and political insecurity, according to the GPI report. There were 14,871 violent demonstrations, protests and riots recorded globally in 2020.

The report said COVID-19 was a “multiplying force” in future political instability and civil unrest. It added the level of this unrest going forward is likely to hinge on the speed and effectiveness of economic recovery. Countries with less debt and higher levels of positive peace were more likely to recover faster.

Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal and Slovenia. Mauritius is the most peaceful African country ranked 28th, followed by Ghana (38), Botswana (41), Sierra Leone (46) …

Agriculture / News / Security

FG will task stakeholders on food security

The Federal Government has commenced meeting with stakeholders through the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) in a bid to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, floods and conflicts on food security.

 

This is against the backdrop of recent reports by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) that listed Northern Nigeria as one of the 20 countries where acute hunger is expected to soar.

The Permanent Secretary, Dr Ernest Umakhile while declaring open the 44th NCARD meeting urged stakeholders to come up with strategies to scale up food production, processing and marketing within the agribusiness ecosystem to avert food crisis and engender food sufficiency for the growing Nigerian population.

While reiterating Federal Government’s commitment to implementing the framework of the National Economic Sustainability Plan and the Nigerian Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan as a strategy for food resilience and economic development, he highlighted some efforts in the sector to include, “the provision of mechanization inputs to farmers, training of extension agents on extension service delivery in crop, fishery and livestock value chain activities and construction of mini earth dam for irrigation activities.

He emphasized the commitment of the ministry “to be tied to the commodity value chain concept of strengthening sectoral linkages, Import substitution initiatives, value added processing and export-oriented activities in the country”.

Umakhihe stressed the importance of sustaining the collaboration on agribusiness initiatives to facilitate incentives to researchers, farmers and processors geared towards increase in agricultural output and match National requirements.

The Federal Capital Territory Secretary of Agriculture, Ibe Prospect, noted that the coming of COVID -19 is a wakeup call for a new beginning in agriculture and for nations to ensure sustainability of their internal food supply.…

News / Security

SARS disbandment creating security challege, IGP cries out

Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman, yesterday, said the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had weakened efforts by the force to confront insecurity frontally in Nigeria.

 

This came, as he also announced that his men had arrested those involved in the March 20, 2021, failed attack on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.

He said the morale of his men had been seriously dampened by the #EndSARS protests and subsequent attacks in the South East.

The IGP, who spoke yesterday during a press briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House, Abuja, stated that the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) squad, established in October 2020 to bridge the vacuum created by the disbanded FSARS, was yet to take off.…