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Delta community set ablaze after killing of soldiers

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Delta community set ablaze after killing of soldiers

THE Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta state where sixteen soldiers were killed have been razed.

Residents of the state, including former governor of the state, James Ibori, who confirmed this development, shared the video of the arson on Saturday, March 16. 

There are speculations that some angry soldiers may have perpetrated the act after their colleagues were killed but no group has taken responsibility for the incident. 

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Meanwhile, a manhunt for the killers is still ongoing, and some arrests have also been made by the soldiers led by the General Officer Commanding 6 division Nigerian Army, Major General Jamal Abdussalam.

Residents of the community are said to have fled to neighbouring Ughelli for fear of reprisal by the soldiers who have been on patrol.

The ICIR had earlier reported that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), said 15 military personnel were killed during a communal clash in Delta State.

A statement on Saturday, March 16, by the Director of defence Information, Tukur Gusau, a Brigadier General, listed the personnel to include two Majors, one Captain, and 12 soldiers.

The officers were said to have been killed by some youths while the troops were on a peace mission to the Okuoma community in Bomadi Local Government Area (LGA).

According to reports, Okuoma and Okoloba communities had on January 27, 2024, locked horns, leading to the death of about three persons, with the recent bloody clash, on Thursday, March 14, left many residents homeless and injured.

The defence spokesman said the incident has been reported to the Delta State Government, adding that the CDS has also directed that the culprits be unmasked.

According to him, some suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.

He also reiterated the commitment of the military to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in various parts of the country.

“The Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has directed the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the heinous crime. The occurrence has been reported to the Delta State Government.

“However, the military remains focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country. So far, a few arrests have been made while steps are in place to unravel the motive behind the attack.”

Reactions

Meanwhile, some influential public figures have sympathised with the Nigerian Army over the killing of the soldiers.

They described the actions of the assailants as barbaric and called for their arrest and prosecution.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi while reacting to the development on X expressed his condolence to the families of the late soldiers and urged the government to compensate the families.

Part of his post reads, “Just last week, several policemen were reportedly killed while on duty in Delta State. We were still recovering from the shock over such a sad occurrence when yesterday, we were besieged with the gory reports of the killing of 22 officers and men of the Nigerian Army, also in Delta State.

“In both sad incidents, the dead security personnel were on active duties of securing and keeping peace within our communities, state and country before their unfortunate end, even by the people they were trying to help.

“This killing is barbaric and unacceptable and should not be tolerated by Nigerians and any sane society. For a nation already combatting a high level of insecurity, the killing of our security personnel who put their lives on the line for the security of the nation will be too much of a burden to bear. These sad occurrences and many cases of killing, kidnappings and violent crimes around the country, have continued to fuel very deep concerns over the security of the nation.

Obi urged the government and the security agencies to leave no stone unturned in investigating, arresting and prosecuting those behind these ugly acts.

On the same vein, former lawmaker, Shehu Sani urged the Nigerian army to fish out the perpetrators and punish them according to the law

“The Military should go specifically after those who perpetrated the heinous acts in the Delta Community. But that is what we are saying in GAZA.”

NCC, Mainone confirm undersea cable cut repairs ongoing

Ehime ALEX
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NCC, Mainone confirm undersea cable cut repairs ongoing

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), has announced ongoing repair efforts on the undersea cable cuts, which caused equipment faults in major sea cables along the West African coast, resulting in internet disruptions.

NCC in a statement issued on Saturday,March 16, said operators of the damaged cables had commenced repairs, noting that internet services are gradually being restored.

“Cable companies – West African Cable System (WACS) and African Coast to Europe (ACE) in the West Coast route from Europe have experienced faults while SAT3 and MainOne have downtime.

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“Similar undersea cables providing traffic from Europe to the East Coast of Africa, like Seacom, Europe India Gateway (EIG), Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE1), are said to have been cut at some point around the Red Sea, resulting in degradation of services across on these routes.

NCC further said that in Nigeria and other West African countries, Internet access and speed have experienced disruptions in the networks of service providers in the affected countries, but confirmed network is gradually being restored.

MAINONE on their own end confirmed that works are ongoing, but  will take about five weeks to fix undersea cable cuts due to an external incident on its submarine cable system in the Atlantic Ocean between Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire, offshore the coast of West Africa.

The incident also disrupted MainOne services south of Senegal and Nigeria, resulting in an Internet outage for telecommunications companies, banks, and several individuals in the country.

In a recent update on its website, Mainone said, “This process might take 1-2 weeks for repairs while about 2-3 weeks of transit time may be required for the vessel to pick up the spares and travel from Europe to West Africa once the vessel is mobilised.

“We have a maintenance agreement with Atlantic Cable Maintenance and Repair Agreement (ACMA) to provide repair services for the submarine cable.”

MainOne, a data center and connectivity solutions provider in Nigeria and other African countries explained that it would first identify and assign a vessel that would retrieve the necessary spares required for repair and then sail to the fault location to conduct the repair work.

To complete the repair, the affected section of the submarine cable would have to be pulled from the seabed onto the ship, where skilled technicians would splice it, Mainone said.

“Post repair, joints will be inspected and tested for any defects and then the submarine cable is lowered back to the seabed and guided to a good position,” it added.

The undersea cable cut occurred on Thursday, March 14, at 7:43 GMT, and investigations have revealed that the fault happened due to an external incident.

“Most submarine cable faults occur as a result of human activities such as fishing and anchoring in shallow waters near shore, natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, and then equipment failure. Given the distance from land, and the cable depth of about 3 km at the point of fault, any kind of human activity – ship anchors, fishing, drilling, etc has been immediately ruled out.

“Our preliminary analysis would suggest some form of seismic activity on the seabed resulted in a break to the cable, but we will obtain more data when the cable is retrieved during the repair exercise,” Mainone said.

Mainone declares force majeure

Meanwhile, Mainone declared force majeure to pay service outage penalties.

A force majeure is an unforeseeable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a contract, The ICIR report.

“A Force Majeure event describes an activity beyond our reasonable control e.g. riots, earthquakes, etc. Commercial contracts typically include such a clause which enables service providers to suspend contractual obligations for the duration of such disruptions.

“Nonetheless, we are working to provide restoration services to as many of our customers as possible, and to complete the repairs to the cable system in record time,” Mainone maintained.

It explained that based on the circumstances, the failure constitutes an event of Force Majeure, a situation beyond its control in the ordinary course of business.

“We recognise the impact of the outage on our customers and are working tirelessly to make available restoration capacity for temporary relief, subject to availability and service configuration specifics,” Mainone said.

CBN to raise benchmark interest rate at next meeting – FDC

Ehime ALEX
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CBN to raise benchmark interest rate at next meeting – FDC

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is expected to raise the benchmark interest rate in its monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting scheduled to be held on March 25 and 26, according to the Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), a finance and research firm.

In its ‘Economic Splash February Inflation’ report, the FDC said the CBN committee members would be in a dilemma, whether to tighten further or maintain the status quo.

“The most likely outcome is a 100-basis point increase in the MPR to 23.75 per cent p.a. The real challenge will be the lag between the rate increase and the moderation in the headline inflation whilst attempting to achieve macroeconomic stability.”

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The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the February inflation data on Friday, March 15, disclosing that headline inflation rose by 2.51 per cent to 31.70 per cent from 29.9 per cent in January, The ICIR reported.

The FDC stated that the 28-year high inflation is making policymakers scratch their heads.

Food inflation, in particular, climbed by 1.8 per cent to 37.92 per cent, driven by sharp increases in prices of rice (35.7 per cent), beans (17.6 per cent), tomatoes (40 per cent), eggs (18.4 per cent), Turkey (25 per cent), and others commodities.

Core inflation (which excludes food and energy) rose by 1.54 per cent to 25.13 per cent, suggesting structural inflationary pressures are persistent.

To tame inflation, FDC said, “The situation calls for a comprehensive change of strategy in the use of monetary and fiscal measures to address inflationary trends effectively.”

Cost-push factors, weaker naira, and foreign exchange translation costs in replenishing inventory are contributing factors.

Nigeria’s economy faces cost-push inflation, which occurs when there is a decrease in aggregate supply (i.e., the total amount of goods and services that the economy can produce) due to an increase in the cost of production.

It is propelled when, in a bid to retain their profit margins, manufacturers increase the prices of their goods and services as production cost goes up, affecting the cost of some variable factors of production like labour and raw materials increases, The ICIR can report.

At its first MPC for the year, the apex bank raised the benchmark interest rate by 400 basis points to 22.75 per cent from 18.75 per cent, The ICIR reported

The committee adjusted the asymmetric corridor from +100 to -700 from the previous +100 to -300 basis points. Also, it raised the cash reserve ratio to 45.00 per cent from 32.50 per cent and left the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent.

We expect that the inflationary trends increase will continue in March due to the demand push effect of Ramadan and Easter.

Inflation to remain high in 2024

Inflation is expected to remain unabated for most of the year despite CBN’s continued contractionary monetary policy stance.

“The continued uptick in inflationary pressures is expected to stay elevated for most part of the year even as the country reels from the impact of insecurity challenges on food supply chain,” analysts at Cowry Asset Management said in their weekly report.

“They said the issue would be further compounded by the increase in electricity tariffs, stamp duties, removal of subsidy on petrol and the upward exchange rates adjustment by the CBN to ease the pressure on the foreign exchange market.

“Looking ahead, we expect the underlying drivers of inflation to continue exerting upward pressure on components of Nigeria’s inflation basket. As such, we anticipate the Nigeria’s headline inflation will continue its upward trend to 34 per cent in March 2024 following the pass-through effect of the naira devaluation and rising cost of living,” the Cowry analysts added.

Also, analysts at CardinalStone Finance, an investment house, stated in their market review that the rising inflation pressure indicates that Nigeria remains within the top 10 countries with the highest inflation reading in Africa.

“A material jump in prices of foodstuff like rice was a consequence of the increasing depletion of food reserves and incessant insecurity issues in food-producing parts of the country,” the CardinalStone analysts said.

In an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily in January, the FDC chief executive officer and foremost economist, Bismarck Rewane, said the MPC must meet more than four times yearly to stem rising inflation.

Video does not show Soludo blasting Anambra’s commissioner of works

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Video does not show Soludo blasting Anambra’s commissioner of works

AN X user, @Instablog9ja, has posted a video showing the governor of Anambra State, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, chiding a state official over a substandard road project during a site inspection in the state.

The @Instablog9ja, on March 11, 2024 claimed that the video shows the governor blasting the state’s Commissioner of Works over discrepancies observed in the road project.

The post read:

“You’re incomp£tent,” Anambra Gov. Soludo bl@sts his commissioner of works, Ifeanyi Okoma, during a recent road inspection.”

The claim has garnered more than 800,000 views, over 1,000 reposts, more than 6000 likes plus over 600 comments as of March 12, 2024.

The video was also shared with the same caption on LindaIkeji’s blog.

CLAIM 

Video shows Soludo blasting Anambra State’s Commissioner for Works.

Screenshot of the viral post on X

THE FINDINGS

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

When The FactCheckHub examined the face of the man in the video, the checks show that the man is not Ifeanyi Okoma, the Anambra State’s Commissioner for Works.

Further checks revealed that the man Soludo was addressing in the video is the chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Paschal Aniegbunam.

Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government, Paschal Aniegbunam. / Source: Facebook.

In the video, Soludo, who was inspecting Relief Market- Obodo-Ukwu Road in Okpoko within the council area criticized the chairperson over his failure to ensure the construction of a walkway on the ongoing road project in the area.

In the footage, Soludo alleged that the chairperson made no efforts to construct a pedestrian walkway along the road, among other inadequacies observed on the project.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows Soludo blasting Anambra State’s Commissioner for Works is MISLEADING, as the man being addressed in the video is Paschal Aniegbunam, the chairman of Ogbaru LGA in the state.

This fact-check is republished from FactCheckHub. 

15 military officers killed in Delta communal clash

Mustapha USMAN
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15 military officers killed in Delta communal clash

THE Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has said 15 military personnel were killed during a communal clash in Delta State.

A statement on Saturday, March 16, by the Director, Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, a Brigadier General, listed the personnel to include two Majors, one Captain, and 12 soldiers.

The officers were said to have been killed by some youths while the troops were on a peace mission to the Okuoma community in Bomadi Local Government Area (LGA).

According to reports, Okuoma and Okoloba communities had on January 27, 2024, locked horns, leading to the death of about three persons, with the recent bloody clash, on Thursday, March 14, left many residents homeless and injured.

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Asari Dokubo accuses Nigeria’s military of massive oil theft in Niger Delta

Responding to the distress call, Gusau said the commanding officer who led the reinforcement team was among those killed in the clash.

The statement read, “The troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State While on a peace mission to OKUOMA community in BOMADI LGA of Delta State were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, 14 March 2024. The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta State.

“The reinforcement team led by the Commanding officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the Commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain, and 12 Soldiers.”

While noting that the matter had been reported to the state government, he said the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, had ordered a probe into the matter.

Gusau further stressed that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

He said, “CDS has directed the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the heinous crime. The occurrence has been reported to the Delta State Govt.

“However, the military remains focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country. So far, a few arrests have been made while steps are in place to unravel the motive behind the attack. Additional details later.”

Police arrest woman who faked her kidnap in Akwa Ibom

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Police arrest woman who faked her kidnap in Akwa Ibom

Police in Akwa Ibom have arrested a woman for allegedly faking her kidnapping.

They also arrested 52 suspects for various crimes.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Commissioner of Police in the state, Waheed Ayilara, told journalists in Uyo on Friday, March 15, that some of the crimes were murder, kidnap, armed robbery, child trafficking, cultism, and fraud.

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He said one of the kidnap “victims”, a female from Nung Oku village in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom arranged her kidnap.

She thereafter demanded N4m ransom but was arrested by the police.

“A report was received on Monday from one Enobong Sampson that her sister had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding N4m as ransom.

“As a result, operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Squad of the Command embarked on an intense and intelligence-driven operation to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victim.

“On Tuesday, however, the purported victim and her boyfriend were arrested at a hideout at Mbierebe Obio, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.

She confessed to having conspired with her boyfriend and three others to proclaim her kidnap to raise money from her aunty based outside the country,” Ayilara said.

Ayilara added that on Wednesday, police arrested a man at Uruting village in Okobo Local Government Area of the state for killing his 75-year-old father, using a machete.

The suspect claimed that his deceased father had sold all the parcels of land he had, including the one that he gave to him to build his house as the reason for his action, the police commissioner said.

Ayilara also said that on March 8, police arrested one man at Ayam village in Etinan Local Government Area of the state for being involved in the production of adulterated fruit drinks, and fake products.

Also on March 8, police rescued and arrested a man who used Point of Sale machines to defraud innocent citizens and was to be set ablaze but for the arrival of police operatives.

Ayilara said most of the man’s victims had identified him and N350,000 cash was recovered from him at the time of arrest.

The police commissioner pledged that all the suspects would be arraigned as soon as investigations were concluded.

Gunmen kidnap Edo PDP chairman

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Gunmen kidnap Edo PDP chairman

Gunmen have kidnapped the Chairman of Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Aziegbemi.

He was said to have been abducted on Friday, March 15.

The police authorities and state government confirmed the kidnap on Saturday, March 16.

Aziegbemi was said to have left a meeting at the Government House and was going home in his vehicle when he was kidnapped in the presence of his driver, who was attempting to climb a speed breaker.

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“That is confirmed, it is in the jurisdiction of New Etete Police Division, also known as Godwin Abbe Police Station, that is where it happened,” the state Police Command spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor was quoted to have said.

“The Commissioner of Police has given marching orders to the tactical teams of the operatives to go after the hoodlums and we pray that by the grace of God all hands are on deck and we will be able to rescue him unhurt,” Nwabuzor said

Also, confirming the incident, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, issued a statement, saying the state government is making frantic efforts to secure the release of the PDP chairman.

He said the government is working closely with security agencies on the issue, describing the kidnap as an unfortunate incident.

“The Government is working closely with security agencies to ensure his safe release and return to his family,” the statement read.

“We have also increased surveillance and beefed-up security measures across the State to ensure that these criminal activities are quelled and culprits are brought to justice.”

The commissioner called on residents of the state to go about their lawful businesses without fear and urged them to call the State emergency numbers 112 or 739 to report all suspicious persons or activities within their environs.

Lagos monarch accused of election violence becomes road transport chairman

Bankole ABE
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Lagos monarch accused of election violence becomes road transport chairman

THE traditional monarch of Iba Kingdom, Oba Sulaimon Adeshina Raji, who allegedly ordered a voter to be beaten and stabbed during the 2023 general election, has been named as the new chairman of the Lagos State Branch of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

The change in leadership occurred following the suspension of the association’s operations by the Lagos state government for almost a year.

The association’s National Executive Council (NEC) was present when Adeshina and his executive team were inaugurated on Thursday, March 14, in Abuja.

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This new chapter was made possible by the Federal Government’s intervention in breaking the impasse that stalled the initial inauguration of the association.

Adeshina expressed his happiness and appreciation for the confidence shown by being chosen as chairman in his acceptance speech.

The ICIR reported in June last year that the Lagos State gubernatorial election of Saturday, March 18 2023, ended with a sad tale for a voter *John Kadiri (not his real name), who resided in Lagos.

Kadiri, an indigene of Lagos, told The ICIR that he had never been humiliated as he experienced during the governorship election.

Picture of healing stab injury on Mr Kadiri. The ICIR/16/04/2023
Picture of healing stab injury on Kadiri. The ICIR/16/04/2023

According to him, trouble started a few minutes before midnight on Sunday, April 19, a day after the election.

Kadiri said he opened his door that night because he could recognise the voice at the door. 

According to him, the visitors told him the Kabiyesi wanted to see him.

“They insisted I must go with them immediately. I was tying only a white wrapper and holding a torchlight since I had a clear conscience.

Kadiri said that shortly before getting to the palace of the Oniba of Iba-Adesina, he felt a sharp pain in his back; his captors had macheted him.

“When we almost got to Hajji bus stop, suddenly someone struck me with a cutlass on my back. I looked back and shouted, “Why are you stabbing me?’ By this time, my white wrapper was already soaked with blood.

“I thought the Kabiyesi was waiting somewhere, but the team leader instructed one of the boys to blindfold me,” Kadiri stated.

Kadiri told The ICIR that immediately after he arrived at the traditional ruler’s palace in Iba Town, the Kabiyesi said, “It serves you right. A whole me the King of the town, I begged you, I pleaded with you, but you refused and gathered Igbo people to vote against me on election day. You also invited soldiers to chase my boys into the swamp; what if they have died?”

He added that the traditional ruler, surrounded by some of his chiefs and biological father, became furious and shouted at him.

“He ordered his boys to deal with me; cutlasses and sticks were used on me. I was seriously beaten,” he alleged.

“See where they stabbed me. I prostrated and begged. I cried; I asked for my offence. I have never been dealt with like this before without committing any offence. I was not paid. This Sule Maito has never done anything for me, but he was oppressing me,” he cried.

Reacting to the allegation levelled against him in a telephone chat with The ICIR on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Adeshina denied the accusation and claimed that as a responsible king, he is not involved in skirmishes with anyone.

“Who said so? With my calibre, I will go and beat somebody? The King asked.

When told that the victim said he did not participate physically in the incident but sent some boys, the Kabiyesi said, “I don’t understand what that person is saying. There is nothing like that in this Iba Town. The election was in March, and who won has won; that’s the main thing. Who do I want to fight with? We are all one; I am a king; I can not play tribalism. I don’t have a problem with anybody at all.”  Read the report here. 

Court directs FG to pay Niger community N1.5trn over Zungeru caused damages

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Court directs FG to pay Niger community N1.5trn over Zungeru caused damages

A high court in Minna, Niger state, has directed the federal ministry of power to pay N1.1 trillion as compensation to the Samboro community in Madaka district, Rafi LGA over damages caused by the construction of the Zungeru hydro dam.

The village head of Samboro community Usman and 2,844 other members of the community had on April 27, 2023, approached the court through the counsel Muhammed Ndarani Mohammed (SAN) in case number NSHC/ KUT/6/2023 demanding compensation.

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In a judgment delivered on Thursday, March 14 Mohammed .A. Mohammed, the presiding judge, held that the construction of the Zungeru dam in Samboro has caused damages to the farmland and other economic trees in the community.

The judge agreed that it was the act of the defendants in the construction of the dam project that led to the continuous flooding and erosion in the community.

He affirmed that the flooding and erosion have led to the destruction of the plaintiffs’ sources of livelihood and ejected them from their ancestral homes.

He noted that the plaintiffs, having suffered from the actions of the defendants, were entitled to monetary compensation.

Consequently, Mohammed issued a perpetual injunction “restraining the defendants, their servants, agents, privies and or assigns whosever and howsoever from trespassing or further acts of trespass or doing any act or actions, conduct of breach prejudicial and or reprehensive to the plaintiffs’ right, interest ownership, possession and occupation on the land situate, being and lying at Samboro community, constituting about 7,868 hectares of land in Rafi local government area of Niger state”.

“An order is hereby given directing the 1st defendant to pay to the plaintiffs, forthwith, the sum of one trillion, one hundred and fifty billion, five hundred and ninety-five million, forty-seven thousand and two hundred and eighty-eight naira  (N1,150,595,047,288) as monetary compensation for the destruction of their farmlands, houses, ponds,  sabotage to their economic welfare and survival, untold hardship and total annihilation of all their resources of livelihood in Samboro Community in Rafi local government area of Niger state,” he added. 

This development is coming weeks after the Federal Government officially transferred operations of the Hydroelectric Power Plant to Penstock Limited, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, which it selected in February 2023.

Despite promises of security, 703 persons abducted in 8 days under Tinubu

Bankole ABE
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0
Despite promises of security, 703 persons abducted in 8 days under Tinubu

WHEN Bola Ahmed Tinubu was inaugurated as President on May 29, 2023, he promised to tackle the insecurity that has held the country captive head-on.

Tinubu, while he delivered his inaugural speech amidst cheers from his supporters, stated that security is a great concern to many Nigerians and pledged to prioritise security and effectively tackle the menace of insecurity.

“Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.

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“To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security Doctrine and its Architecture.

“We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide better training, equipment, pay and firepower,” he stated.

But despite his many promises, about 703 people were abducted between March 3 and March 10 2024. This is in addition to many other kidnappings and killings under this administration.

703 persons kidnapped in 8 days

On Sunday, March 3, 2024, some women were abducted by terrorists on their way to the bush to get firewood in Borno state.

They were reportedly besieged by gunmen in the Bula Kunte Bush in Ngala Town’s western section, where the bandits freed older people amongst them and abducted some young boys and girls.

Speaking to The ICIR in a telephone chat on Wednesday, March 6, the spokesperson of the Borno police command, Nahum Daso Kenneth, said the incident happened. However, he still needs to get the details of the occurrence.

But according to Amnesty  International (AI), more than 400 displaced people in Borno state were abducted.

The organisation said on March 3 2024, suspected Boko Haram fighters abducted at least 400 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) – most of them women and children – from Babban Sansani, Zulum and Arabic IDP camps in Gamboru Ngala, Borno state. 

Also on Thursday, March 7, a school teacher, Sani Abdullahi, said at least 287 students and a principal, Abubakar Isah, were abducted when bandits invaded the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Infographics_Abduction_in_one_week
Infographics_Abduction_in_one_week

Abdullahi revealed this during the visitation of Governor Uba Sani and some other state government officials to the school hours after the incident, noting that 187 students were abducted from the secondary school section and 125 from the primary school section, totalling 312 students.

The ICIR reported how the assailants invaded the school and reportedly kidnapped over 100 children, alongside some staff of the school.

The Police in Sokoto confirmed to The ICIR on March 10 that bandits abducted 15 students and a woman.

According to the police, the 15 Tsangaya students were taken from the Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area in Sokoto State.

Reports indicate that the event happened on the school grounds on Saturday, March 9.

The Sokoto state police command spokesperson, Ahmad Rufai, said 15 students were abducted within the school. At the same time, a woman was kidnapped outside the school.

Expert view

Commenting on the spate of abductions in the country, a security expert, Oladele Fajana, told The ICIR that he is disappointed in the approach of the government and security agencies.

Fajana said it is regrettable that government and security agencies still allow “unfortunate incidents like this (Abductions) to keep happening again and again.”

“We are still making the same mistakes. I don’t believe any school in Kaduna will still be attacked successfully in this time and age.

“Our security forces are reactionary. We don’t have to wait until our schools are attacked before we react,” he stated.

On the way forward, Fajana said the security forces should continue to anticipate attacks.

“We must be alert 24 hours; we must not leave any chance. The government should know that when these kidnappers leave a particular spot, they will go elsewhere.”

He said the government should show more seriousness in tackling the issue of insecurity.

“What do they discuss in their security council meetings?” Fajana asked.

What Tinubu must do to tackle insecurity in 2024

Every part of Nigeria has grappled with insecurity and crime, but the North-East, North-West, North-Central and South-East regions have faced them more than the remaining two South-West and South-South in recent times.

In January 2024, the ICIR looked at what the government can do to tackle insecurity in 2024.

Managing director of Beacon Consulting Limited, Kabir Adamu, in a chat with The ICIR, listed things Tinubu’s administration could do to reduce crime and insecurity in the new year. 

According to Adamu, the government should focus on implementing its Renewed Hope Agenda.

He urged Tinubu to expand other policy documents for which the President had signed a performance bond with his minister. 

He added that the government must ensure that national security formations are more effective and efficient and avoid using ad-hoc means to address security challenges. 

In his opinion, the publicity director of Arewa Youths for Peace and Security, Dantata Mohammed, urged Tinubu to review the country’s security architecture by putting the right persons at the helm of affairs. 

He also called for adequate incentives for all the security agencies.

Mohammed urged the top echelon of the security agencies to purge itself of rotten eggs and put in place a monitoring mechanism for checking overbearing behaviours.

Adamu, on his part, listed what security agencies should do differently in 2024 as follows:

  • Strengthen their monitoring and evaluation departments and ensure their key performance indicators are developed.
  • Align with the national security agenda and have international mechanisms for standards and measurements.
  • Strengthen their collaboration, coordination and cooperation and ensure they carry the people along. 

He urged the Presidency to ensure that the platforms for performance measurement, intelligence fusion and grievance resolution are functional.

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