The diplomatic process that will ensure the extradition of suspected looters who have fled the country will dominate President Muhammadu Buhari’s discussions with his counterparts when 60 world leaders meet in the United Kingdom next month.
President would at the summit explore ways of bringing to the country politicians who were being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
It was gathered that the outcome of the summit would speed up the extradition of individuals, including a former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro; a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; and a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Others are the ex-Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; her son, Ugonna; and a former Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko, whose house was raided in Abuja in January by the EFCC.
Also included are a former Senior Political Adviser to ex-President and Coordinator of Goodluck Support Group, Prof. Rufai Alkali, who coordinated the disbursement of N320m allegedly collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria during the 2015 elections and the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, who is being allegedly investigated over $1.1bn Malabu Oil deal.
While Obanikoro, who is believed to be in the United States, is wanted in connection with the alleged payment of N1.45bn to his companies, Muazu is reportedly wanted over disbursement of funds to PDP zonal chairmen. He was reported to be in Singapore.
Alison-Madueke and her son are being investigated for N2.3bn disbursed to some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission through Fidelity Bank before the 2015 general elections.
While the former minister is in the UK, the whereabouts of her son is unknown.
Findings revealed that some of the pacts that would be signed by the world leaders at the summit would pave the way for the extradition of those who were being investigated.
A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,said at the sideline of the summit, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, would meet with law-enforcement agencies from 59 other countries.
The senior official said, “The Federal Government is determined to bring politicians, who are under investigations, but have fled the country. The summit will afford the EFCC and the Ministry of Justice the opportunity of discussing how those guys will be interrogated for the offences they have allegedly committed.”
Efforts to get the attorney-general and minister of justice did not succeed on Friday as he did not pick calls to his mobile telephone or respond to an SMS sent to him as of the time of sending this report.
But a source in the Ministry of Justice confirmed to one of our correspondents that Malami would be attending the London conference.
The source said, “Though it is a conference of heads of state, the minister will attend with the President since it has to do with corruption.
“You can also not rule out the fact that there may be the need to sign one agreement or the other with some other nations. In that regard, the President needs the AGF to be with him.”
The AGF had, in an interview on Friday last week, said that the Federal Government and 59 other countries would sign agreement on the sanctions to be imposed on corrupt political and public office holders.
According to him, the sanctions will include travel restriction or denial of entry visa into the 60 countries; rejection of requests for political asylum by corrupt political and public office holders; likely loss of citizenship; non-approval of naturalisation for any corrupt person; stoppage of establishment of shell companies abroad; and banning operation of foreign accounts in any of the 60 nations.
He had said, “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping up the fight against corruption. I am happy to bring to your notice that Nigeria and 59 other countries will enter into an agreement in May on the imposition of international sanctions against corrupt political and public office holders. This will take place at the 2016 international summit on anti-corruption in the UK.
“At the May summit, these 60 countries will agree on some sanctions against those who steal public funds or launder money.
“Some of these measures are travel restriction or denial of entry into the 60 countries; rejection of request for political asylum by corrupt political and public officers; no more approval of application for naturalisation by any corrupt person; and the corrupt will not be allowed to operate foreign accounts in any of the signatory nation to the pact, among others.
“The affected countries will also design ways of sharing intelligence on corrupt officers and money launderers. We will all key into this understanding as part of the global action against corruption. “With this development, there is no hiding place for any public office holder who steals funds in this country.”
EFCC could confiscate assets of escaped offenders –Ex-envoy
Commenting on efforts of the Federal Government to extradite escaped suspects, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Angola, Otunba Folorunso Otukoya, said that EFCC could apply to a court for the seizure of assets belonging to Nigerians accused of embezzling public funds.
The retired diplomat also said that the agency could apply for the extradition of fugitives from their countries of residence so they could come and face trial for their alleged offences.
Otukoya explained that Nigeria has extradition treaties with a number of countries which could be exploited to bring back escaped offenders to the country for prosecution.
He said, “There are many mechanisms for getting someone who is wanted: one, if you have extradition treaty with the country where he has run to. You would make a formal appeal to the government through a court process and he would be handed over to that government and they too would have a system of how to arrive at whether the person should be extradited.
“Other measures may be to impound his assets here through a court order whereby the person could come back and prove his innocence. You can also use diplomatic means to persuade the country of residence of the suspect that he will be given a fair trial; you will assure them that the suspect’s human rights will not be abused.
“That government may assist by encouraging the person to leave their country, not by extradition, but by encouraging him to leave after his visa had expired or they refuse to renew his residency in the country.”
The ex-envoy, however, noted that it may be difficult to extradite a fugitive in a country with which Nigeria has no extradition treaty.
Otukoya said, “Where there is no extradition treaty, it is difficult to persuade another government to send home a fugitive or offender, but if he had been found guilty by a competent court of law in our country, we can use a friendly nation to persuade that country to assist us to get the fellow to come back, but he will not be physically or forcefully extradited.”
A security analyst, Lt. Sola Oremade (retd.) stated that EFCC could explore a wide range of options to bring escaped offenders to justice, “if they are serious and know what they are doing.”
He said the constitution stipulated measures, including legal and diplomatic options that could be taken against offenders and fugitives, stressing that it was important that the commission adhere to the rule of law in its operations.
Oremade said the anti-graft agency might be handicapped if offenders had escaped to countries that had no extradition with Nigeria.
He said, “If they (suspects) have escaped to countries that have no extradition treaty with Nigeria, there is nothing they (EFCC) can do to bring them back, they have to follow the law, you can’t go against the law in Germany, England or Canada.
“You can’t try to kidnap the suspect as they tried to do to Umaru Dikko in the 80s. You have to follow the law, do the right thing and show you are responsible. The other countries will cooperate with us if they see that we are following due process.”
Any anti-corruption summit is of interest to Nigeria –Presidency
When contacted, the Presidency on Friday said any summit on corruption in any part of the world would naturally be of interest to Nigeria because of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption stand.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in an interview with our correspondent.
Adesina was responding to a question on the benefit of an anti-corruption summit of 60 world leaders which Buhari would be attending in the UK on May 11 and 12.
Although the presidential spokesman said all the questions raised by our correspondent would be addressed when the trip is officially announced, he said Nigeria would naturally be a participant at that kind of summit because of Buhari’s reputation.
He said, “These issues (on the benefits of the planned trip) will be addressed when the trip is officially announced.
“It may be premature to begin to talk about them now.
“Suffice to say, however, that any summit on corruption in any part of the world today would have Nigeria as a key participant, because of the zero tolerance of the Muhammadu Buhari administration for graft, and the reputation of the President himself as a man of probity, integrity and transparency.”
Monday, May 2, 2016
NLC flays governors over profligacy
The welfare of Nigerian workers is unlikely to improve, even if the Federal Government grants demand by state governors for increased allocation, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, has said.
Governors of the 36 states of the federation, last week, submitted a fiscal restructuring plan to President Muhammadu Buhari, saying a new revenue allocation formula would enable them pay workers’ salaries.
The move by the governors is coming less than a year after they received billions of naira from the Federal Government in order to pay wages.
But speaking to The Guardian in Abuja, yesterday, Wabba warned that boosting finances available to the governors could push corruption to unprecedented levels, as they have assumed demi-god status in their respective states.
But speaking to The Guardian in Abuja, yesterday, Wabba warned that boosting finances available to the governors could push corruption to unprecedented levels, as they have assumed demi-god status in their respective states.
He said: “The issues are a bit complex. I do not think that inability to pay salaries and meet other needs of the people has to do with the amount of money that is available to them. Instead, the level of irresponsibility at the state needs to be checked. The real problem at the state and local government levels is basically lack of transparency and accountability.”
Wabba expressed concern over lack of innovation and creativity by most of the governors. According to him, “it is a source of worry that the state governors are not exploring tax option to get more revenue. The only people that pay taxes in this country are the workers because government deducts it directly from their salaries at source. There is so much revenue that can be generated by state governments, if they are really serious and creative.
“But since coming to Abuja at the end of every month to get huge resources from the Federation Account is an easy option, they are too lazy to think. Governors have become rent collectors that rely solely on the resources accruing to the country.
“We need to device a system that will engender competition among the states and also make it easy to remove non-performing governors. Through that, many of them will sit up and the number of politicians seeking elective offices might begin to dwindle because cheap funds would no longer be available.”
Wabba said the fight against corruption would not succeed until the crusade “is extended to the states and local government councils. The state governors have turned themselves into emperors ruling over fiefdoms, and the time to check their excesses has come.”
He stressed the need for the Federal Government to initiate a constitutional provision that will ensure the security votes of governors are accounted for, in the spirit of the fight against corruption by the Buhari administration.
In an interview with The Guardian, yesterday, former National Vice President of the NLC, Comrade Isah Tijjani, also described the governors’ demand as reckless and unpatriotic, wondering what happened to the billions of naira they have received over the years.
“All they need is imbibe a culture of financial discipline. These are people that cannot handle their resources and that of their local governments and they are now asking for more revenue. Do they think Nigerians are mad? What is wrong with these people? After squandering their resources and that of their local governments, do they still want Buhari to hand over to them what is meant for the federal arm of government?”
Lagos lawyer and Executive Director, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni, yesterday, also took a swipe at the governors’ bid to alter the 52%-26% revenue sharing formula.
Mumuni said that with a history of financial recklessness, the governors couldn’t be trusted with additional funds. “Imagine any governor in the western part of the country planning to build an airport when there is one in Lagos. They don’t know what their priorities are. What have they done with all the money they have received over the years? They should not be taken seriously. What is the business of any state in the Middle Belt building an airport when there is one in Abuja? What is important is for them to block leakages and review their priorities,” he said.
But the Secretary, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Secretary, Association of Senior Civil Servants, Plateau State Chapter, Comrade Ade Akibon, has defended the action of the governors. Akibon said it is glaring that states cannot pay workers’ salaries and therefore need financial assistance to be able to do so.
Using Plateau State as example, he explained that the wage bill is about N1.6bn and that Governor Simon Lalong inherited over N120bn debt from the immediate past administration, adding that even when the State House of Assembly approved a loan of N10bn, the Central Bank of Nigeria is always the guarantor, which deducts from the monthly allocation from source.
He disclosed that the highest monthly allocation received by the state government is N2.5bn, stressing that when the CBN must have made its deduction, the state will be left with a meagre N1.2bn, which, according to him, is not enough to pay workers.
“We should know that Nigeria is not practicing fiscal federalism. We are operating a monolithic economy that depends solely on proceeds from oil,” he said.
Assassination claim: Odubu campaign organisation lied, says Edo govt
The Edo State Government has dismissed as false the claim by the campaign organisation of Odubu that an attempt was made by thugs to assassinate him at Auchi, in the Estako West Local Government Area of the state.
The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua said the claim was not only untrue but appeared hasty.
It explained that while the incident was condemnable, the clash was caused by thugs allegedly loyal to the deputy governor, as preliminary reports suggested that security details attached to him, allegedly fired the first shots to scare away party supporters, who kicked against the presence of the thugs in their area.
The statement read, “It is instructive to note that the deputy governor was inside the secretariat building of the APC in company with the party chairman in the local government, Alhaji Umoru Akokhia, addressing the delegates while thugs, loyal to him, who had become unruly, fired gunshots at other APC loyalists, who were outside protesting against his visit.
“It should be noted that among those who sustained injuries are APC loyalists, who are presently receiving medical attention in the hospital.
“It is laughable that the Odubu Campaign Organisation will allege that the deputy governor, with a full compliments of security details, was shot at, yet no casualty was recorded on the other side and nobody apprehended.”
It added, “Given the above scenario, we find it lousy for anyone to impute assassination theory as propounded by the Odubu Campaign Organisation especially when investigations are still ongoing and the police are yet to submit their findings on the fracas.”
Meanwhile, the APC chairman in the Estako West LGA of Edo State, Akokhia, has however, debunked the reports that Saturday’s attack in the area was targeted at Odubu.
READ ALSO: How I escaped assassination – Oshiomhole’s deputy
Akokhia, who stated this in an interview with journalists at the Government House, Benin, the Edo State capital, however, noted that the alleged assassination attempt might have been carried out by “thugs that he (Odubu) brought”.
He explained that the warm reception accorded Odubu by the party was interrupted by shouts of ‘Odubu, you don win; Odubu, na you we know’, which came from a crowd outside the venue of the meeting.
He added, “Before the deputy governor came, there were boys around. I asked them what they came for. They said they came to see the deputy governor and I told them they were not invited and that they were not delegates. They said they were Odubu supporters.
“Anybody that said the attack was directed at the deputy is a liar. We were together inside my office. He was inside my office during the shooting.”
The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua said the claim was not only untrue but appeared hasty.
It explained that while the incident was condemnable, the clash was caused by thugs allegedly loyal to the deputy governor, as preliminary reports suggested that security details attached to him, allegedly fired the first shots to scare away party supporters, who kicked against the presence of the thugs in their area.
The statement read, “It is instructive to note that the deputy governor was inside the secretariat building of the APC in company with the party chairman in the local government, Alhaji Umoru Akokhia, addressing the delegates while thugs, loyal to him, who had become unruly, fired gunshots at other APC loyalists, who were outside protesting against his visit.
“It should be noted that among those who sustained injuries are APC loyalists, who are presently receiving medical attention in the hospital.
“It is laughable that the Odubu Campaign Organisation will allege that the deputy governor, with a full compliments of security details, was shot at, yet no casualty was recorded on the other side and nobody apprehended.”
It added, “Given the above scenario, we find it lousy for anyone to impute assassination theory as propounded by the Odubu Campaign Organisation especially when investigations are still ongoing and the police are yet to submit their findings on the fracas.”
Meanwhile, the APC chairman in the Estako West LGA of Edo State, Akokhia, has however, debunked the reports that Saturday’s attack in the area was targeted at Odubu.
READ ALSO: How I escaped assassination – Oshiomhole’s deputy
Akokhia, who stated this in an interview with journalists at the Government House, Benin, the Edo State capital, however, noted that the alleged assassination attempt might have been carried out by “thugs that he (Odubu) brought”.
He explained that the warm reception accorded Odubu by the party was interrupted by shouts of ‘Odubu, you don win; Odubu, na you we know’, which came from a crowd outside the venue of the meeting.
He added, “Before the deputy governor came, there were boys around. I asked them what they came for. They said they came to see the deputy governor and I told them they were not invited and that they were not delegates. They said they were Odubu supporters.
“Anybody that said the attack was directed at the deputy is a liar. We were together inside my office. He was inside my office during the shooting.”
EFCC arrests oil baron over N23bn bribery scam
In a continuation of the probe into how the Peoples Democratic Party allegedly bribed some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission before the 2015 presidential election, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested an oil tycoon, Mr. Laitan Adesanya, for his alleged role in the $115m (N23bn) bribe funds.
It was learnt on Sunday that Adesanya, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Lenoil Nigeria Limited, was arrested by the EFCC in Lagos on Friday.
The anti-graft agency had, last week, arrested the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo and the bank’s Head of Operations, Mr. Martin Izuogbe.
Adesanya was alleged to have handed $1.85m to the bank based on the instruction of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Other companies, which allegedly handed over money to the bank MD, included Northern Belt Gas Company Limited ($60m); Auctus Integrated ($17.8m); and Midwestern Oil and Gas ($9.5m).
Diezani was also alleged to have given the bank MD $26m in cash which was ultimately disbursed to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2015 presidential election as bribes.
A reliable source at the EFCC said Adesanya was in the custody of the commission in Lagos and was being grilled as of Friday.
He said, “We are asking him about the $1.85m he dropped and what purpose it was supposed to serve.”
According to the United Kingdom Financial Times, Adesanya is an international oil businessman, who has been in the business for decades.
The newspaper states that Adesanya made huge profits during the military administrations of the 1980s and 1990s.
Also, sources within the EFCC have denied claims by Fidelity Bank Plc that it reported all its financial dealings to the appropriate authorities
The bank had, in a statement last week, stated that “transactions were duly reported as required by the regulators and the bank is cooperating fully with the authorities on the investigation.”
However, the source said the $26m, which the MD allegedly collected directly from Diezani, was neither reported to the Central Bank of Nigeria nor the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, which is domiciled in the EFCC.
The source added, “The $26m cash that was collected from Diezani was not deposited into any account. So, how could they say they reported it? They didn’t report anything because the money was given to the bank for safekeeping and there was no intention for it to be used to open an account.
“If it was put in the system, then, there must be records. Who brought the money? They don’t know. They were supposed to have reported the transaction to the CBN and NFIU, which is domiciled in the EFCC but there is no such report.
“The money was meant for distribution to INEC officials. When the bank MD was collecting $26m cash from a serving minister, why didn’t he ask her where she got the money from?”
It was learnt on Sunday that Adesanya, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Lenoil Nigeria Limited, was arrested by the EFCC in Lagos on Friday.
The anti-graft agency had, last week, arrested the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo and the bank’s Head of Operations, Mr. Martin Izuogbe.
Adesanya was alleged to have handed $1.85m to the bank based on the instruction of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Other companies, which allegedly handed over money to the bank MD, included Northern Belt Gas Company Limited ($60m); Auctus Integrated ($17.8m); and Midwestern Oil and Gas ($9.5m).
Diezani was also alleged to have given the bank MD $26m in cash which was ultimately disbursed to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2015 presidential election as bribes.
A reliable source at the EFCC said Adesanya was in the custody of the commission in Lagos and was being grilled as of Friday.
He said, “We are asking him about the $1.85m he dropped and what purpose it was supposed to serve.”
According to the United Kingdom Financial Times, Adesanya is an international oil businessman, who has been in the business for decades.
The newspaper states that Adesanya made huge profits during the military administrations of the 1980s and 1990s.
Also, sources within the EFCC have denied claims by Fidelity Bank Plc that it reported all its financial dealings to the appropriate authorities
The bank had, in a statement last week, stated that “transactions were duly reported as required by the regulators and the bank is cooperating fully with the authorities on the investigation.”
However, the source said the $26m, which the MD allegedly collected directly from Diezani, was neither reported to the Central Bank of Nigeria nor the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, which is domiciled in the EFCC.
The source added, “The $26m cash that was collected from Diezani was not deposited into any account. So, how could they say they reported it? They didn’t report anything because the money was given to the bank for safekeeping and there was no intention for it to be used to open an account.
“If it was put in the system, then, there must be records. Who brought the money? They don’t know. They were supposed to have reported the transaction to the CBN and NFIU, which is domiciled in the EFCC but there is no such report.
“The money was meant for distribution to INEC officials. When the bank MD was collecting $26m cash from a serving minister, why didn’t he ask her where she got the money from?”
Chairmanship: Sheriff moves to amend PDP constitution
Following stiff opposition by the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party to his desire to contest the chairmanship of the party at its national convention scheduled for May 21, the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff has begun moves to checkmate it.
Sheriff had proposed an amendment to the party’s constitution, whereby he added a clause that the body would need to consult him before it could call for any meeting.
Unlike before, the BoT, of which the national chairman is a member, does not need his permission to hold its meeting.
It is a statutory organ of the party with powers to act as its conscience.
However, in the proposed amendment, which was meant to be discussed at the last meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, Sheriff is proposing that he needed to be consulted before such organ of the party could meet.
Under PART 1X, Board of Trustees, Meetings of the BoT, the proposed amendment says that “The BoT shall meet at the instance of the Chairman in consultation with the national chairman of the party or at the request of half of the members of the Board or following a resolution of the Board or the NEC request for such a meeting.”
The current constitution of the party merely stated that the “The Board of Trustees shall meet at the instance of the chairman or at the request of half of the members of the board or following a resolution of the board or the national executive committee requesting for such a meeting.”
The proposed amendment to the party’s constitution was included as part of the agenda of the last NEC meeting, which was held in Abuja on Thursday.
However, a copy of the proposed amendment which was sighted by our correspondent showed that rather than being specific on the pages or clauses to be amended, Sheriff decided to print the whole constitution with the amendment.
The idea, it was learnt, was to confuse the NEC members who would not have the patience to read all the entire constitution side by side with the old one and would therefore not know the exact clauses or sections being amended.
A former National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ahmadu Ali, who was present at the NEC meeting, was said to have called the attention of the NEC members to the unusual manner in which the members of the National Working Committee were trying to amend the constitution.
A member of the NEC, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said that Ali insisted that the areas, clauses and pages slated for amendment ought to be printed out separately with the proposed news words, sentences or clauses to be added or removed.
The source said, “Now, he (Sheriff) wants to decimate the powers of the BoT by asking to be consulted before we could hold meetings. He will also be asking for agenda.
“If he’s not around, that means we can’t meet. If he’s not favourably disposed to the issues to be discussed, that means we can’t meet.”
A former Minister of Transport, who is also a member of the BoT, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, also said that many people were already preparing to leave the party because of Sheriff.
He said, “Many people are leaving the party now. That will be serious and have dire consequences for us. I’m ashamed of the party.”
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Jalo, said that he might quit the party on moral grounds. But he said that he was still making consultation.
Jalo, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja, said, “I may leave the party on moral grounds. Jalo may leave on moral grounds. I may likely leave the PDP on moral grounds after Thursday’s NEC meeting.
“When I came in to the meeting hall on Thursday, I realised that the South-West, where most of us had agreed that the chairman should come from, had been short-changed.
“Why give the position to the North again? The North is only interested in the presidential ticket and not the national chairman.
“Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun called me and said that the South-West was conceding the position of chairmanship. I asked him why, he said they had agreed to allow the North produce the national chairman.
Jalo said, “The caucus of the South-West under the leadership of Chief Bode George disagreed with that position.
“I asked him how would he marry his position with that of George? He said the North-West would produce the presidential candidate if the North-East has the chairman.
“This is a bad calculation. In the whole of North-West, the PDP has only one member of the House of Assembly from Kaduna West and only four members of the House of Representatives. How do you take the presidency there?”
He added, “I am the chairman of the House in Gombe State and we did a lot in assisting the state governor to win election. In all the local governments, I have structure. If I’m leaving, I’m leaving with my supporters.”
Oyedokun, also a member of the BoT, however, defended the choice of Sheriff, saying that though the South-West deserved the position of national chairman, he said the timing was wrong.
He said, “Yes, we deserve the position of the chairman, but it shouldn’t be cosmetic. We will have it before the presidential candidate emerges. Let us join hands with Sheriff, who had been doing a good job to move the party forward now, especially in the North.
No one can stop us from grazing in the south — Fulani herdsmen
Herdsmen from different parts of Nigeria have stated that nobody can stop them from grazing their cattle in any part of the country, especially in the south. They described such restriction as unconstitutional.
The nomads under the auspices of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, dismissed the ultimatums given by different groups for the herdsmen to vacate the southern part of the country.
This is despite the fact that groups, including foremost Yoruba farmers’ pressure group and ethnic militia, Agbekoya Farmers Association of Nigeria in the South-West; the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (South-East); the Independent Peoples of Biafra (South-East); and some ex-Niger Delta militants in the South-South, stated their readiness to defend their territories should herdsmen attack their communities again.
Suspected Fulani herdsmen, who grazed their cattle from the northern part of the country to the southern part, had been accused of killing, raping and robbing members of their host communities.
The Enugu incident, where several lives were lost, was the most recent.
But the herdsmen, in separate interviews with our correspondents on Saturday, noted that it was wrong for people to restrict their movement as the constitution guaranteed their movement into any part of the country.
The Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Plateau State, Mr. Nuru Abdullahi, said nobody could deprive Fulani herdsmen of their constitutional right of free movement.
Abdullahi said, “Why would they ask them not to go to the southern part of the country? It is their constitutional right to move freely as guaranteed by the laws of the land. What the various governments and security agencies should do is to prevent attacks and counter-attacks and such things that breed violence like cattle rustling and trespassing into farmlands.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of movement for every citizen of the country; this includes the right to live, work and carry out any legitimate activity in any part of the country. If and when you breach this freedom, then, the law should deal with you. So, asking anybody not to go to any part of the country is unconstitutional.”
Also, the Chairman, MCBAN, North-West Zone, Mr. Ardo Ahmadu Suleiman, warned against criminalising all Fulani herdsmen over the attacks.
He said, “We are law abiding citizens of Nigeria. The constitution forbids anybody or group from banning anybody’s movement from one part of the country to another. We have been staying peacefully with tribes across the country for ages. Therefore, for anyone to say he wants to ban Fulani from entering their land is uncalled for.”
However, several socio-cultural and militia groups in the southern part of the country on Saturday stated their readiness to reject the invasion of their communities by Fulani herdsmen.
Agbekoya gave the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to stop the incessant attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on farmers in Yorubaland even as it vowed to retaliate any attack on its members.
The position of the group was made known by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olatunji Bandele, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday.
According to Bandele, if the Federal Government fails to act decisively within the stipulated time, the Agbekoya will have to defend its people with whatever means at its disposal.
Bandele said the association held an emergency meeting last Thursday where it discussed the incessant onslaught by Fulani herdsmen against Yoruba farmers, especially in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.
He stated that if the situation was not brought under control, the group would “close down all markets in the South West; make sure that Fulani herdsmen do not enter any village in Yoruba land with their cows. And if they dare enter, they are doing it at their own risk.
“We have alerted Agbekoya South West warriors across Yorubaland to be battle ready in case the Fulani herdsmen do not heed our warning because this thing has continued for the past four to five years now.”
Bandele added, “We have other security measures that we are taking but keeping to ourselves. If the Fulani herdsmen failed to heed our warning and they dare enter Yorubaland, they will be doing so at their own risk. We are waiting for the Federal Government to take decisive action.”
The deadline, he added, started to read from last Thursday.
Asked if the group was now arming its members against the reported sophisticated fire arms of the suspected herdsmen, Bandele said, “We are not bothered with whether they carry arms or not, we will deal with the Fulani herdsmen hands down. We have done it before. The Agbekoya fought a 14-month war with the military. That was in 1968/69. We have instructed our warriors. Anywhere they kill farmers again, we will move in.”
Asked what the association would do per chance any part of Yoruba land was attacked, he said, “We will retaliate.”
The leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, lamented that Igbo people had been “talking and talking” while they watched their people being killed. He stated that it was time for “action” to end killings by herdsmen.
Madu said, “The Fulani herdsmen are cowards. After the recent attacks, they ran away. If they mean business, let them wait for Ndi’gbo and we will engage them man-to-man.
“It will be demeaning to ask us if we have the capability to confront them.”
IPOB, another Igbo secessionist group which dismissed security agencies as failing to secure the people, alleged that Boko Haram had been disguising as herdsmen to attack parts of the country.
The Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, stated that the group would not be at the forefront of reprisals against criminal herdsmen in the region but would encourage those under attack to defend and retaliate in self defence.
He said, “The world is watching IPOB; the plan was for us to retaliate the attacks by Fulani herdsmen but we will not do so. Rather, we will ask those who are under attack to defend themselves or get killed.
“The international rule is that you have the right to self defence if your life is under threat; security agencies know that. Face whatever or whoever is going to kill you or you die.”
Another Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress, said although the Yoruba were perceived as accommodating, the group would not sit by and pretend as if all was well.
The National Coordinator of the OPC, Mr. Gani Adams, told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the region had gone out of hand.
Adams said, “Nowadays, it is becoming too rampant in the South-West. Now, nobody is provoking the Fulani herdsmen; they are the ones taking laws into their hands, killing and maiming innocent people in their (victims’) communities.
“These Fulani herdsmen may even be Boko Haram in disguise. If government is looking at this as if they are an influential tribe or race in Nigeria and that they can’t tackle it, it may become a very serious security treat.
“We the Yoruba think that we are highly accommodating and that if a stranger who is living in our community has committed an offence, the law should take its own course. But I know for sure that the South-East will not allow their people to be maimed.”
The Chairman of MCBAN in Bauchi State, Abdullahi Abubakar said that the association was planning to hold an emergency executive meeting on Monday or Tuesday to discuss the issues affecting herdsmen.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Students have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to come out boldly and tackle the problem.
The Chairman of CAN in the 19 Northern States, Rev. Yakubu Pam, said the President needed to be courageous in tackling his own people and condemning their terrible activities.
The nomads under the auspices of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, dismissed the ultimatums given by different groups for the herdsmen to vacate the southern part of the country.
This is despite the fact that groups, including foremost Yoruba farmers’ pressure group and ethnic militia, Agbekoya Farmers Association of Nigeria in the South-West; the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (South-East); the Independent Peoples of Biafra (South-East); and some ex-Niger Delta militants in the South-South, stated their readiness to defend their territories should herdsmen attack their communities again.
Suspected Fulani herdsmen, who grazed their cattle from the northern part of the country to the southern part, had been accused of killing, raping and robbing members of their host communities.
The Enugu incident, where several lives were lost, was the most recent.
But the herdsmen, in separate interviews with our correspondents on Saturday, noted that it was wrong for people to restrict their movement as the constitution guaranteed their movement into any part of the country.
The Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Plateau State, Mr. Nuru Abdullahi, said nobody could deprive Fulani herdsmen of their constitutional right of free movement.
Abdullahi said, “Why would they ask them not to go to the southern part of the country? It is their constitutional right to move freely as guaranteed by the laws of the land. What the various governments and security agencies should do is to prevent attacks and counter-attacks and such things that breed violence like cattle rustling and trespassing into farmlands.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of movement for every citizen of the country; this includes the right to live, work and carry out any legitimate activity in any part of the country. If and when you breach this freedom, then, the law should deal with you. So, asking anybody not to go to any part of the country is unconstitutional.”
Also, the Chairman, MCBAN, North-West Zone, Mr. Ardo Ahmadu Suleiman, warned against criminalising all Fulani herdsmen over the attacks.
He said, “We are law abiding citizens of Nigeria. The constitution forbids anybody or group from banning anybody’s movement from one part of the country to another. We have been staying peacefully with tribes across the country for ages. Therefore, for anyone to say he wants to ban Fulani from entering their land is uncalled for.”
However, several socio-cultural and militia groups in the southern part of the country on Saturday stated their readiness to reject the invasion of their communities by Fulani herdsmen.
Agbekoya gave the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to stop the incessant attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on farmers in Yorubaland even as it vowed to retaliate any attack on its members.
The position of the group was made known by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olatunji Bandele, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday.
According to Bandele, if the Federal Government fails to act decisively within the stipulated time, the Agbekoya will have to defend its people with whatever means at its disposal.
Bandele said the association held an emergency meeting last Thursday where it discussed the incessant onslaught by Fulani herdsmen against Yoruba farmers, especially in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.
He stated that if the situation was not brought under control, the group would “close down all markets in the South West; make sure that Fulani herdsmen do not enter any village in Yoruba land with their cows. And if they dare enter, they are doing it at their own risk.
“We have alerted Agbekoya South West warriors across Yorubaland to be battle ready in case the Fulani herdsmen do not heed our warning because this thing has continued for the past four to five years now.”
Bandele added, “We have other security measures that we are taking but keeping to ourselves. If the Fulani herdsmen failed to heed our warning and they dare enter Yorubaland, they will be doing so at their own risk. We are waiting for the Federal Government to take decisive action.”
The deadline, he added, started to read from last Thursday.
Asked if the group was now arming its members against the reported sophisticated fire arms of the suspected herdsmen, Bandele said, “We are not bothered with whether they carry arms or not, we will deal with the Fulani herdsmen hands down. We have done it before. The Agbekoya fought a 14-month war with the military. That was in 1968/69. We have instructed our warriors. Anywhere they kill farmers again, we will move in.”
Asked what the association would do per chance any part of Yoruba land was attacked, he said, “We will retaliate.”
The leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, lamented that Igbo people had been “talking and talking” while they watched their people being killed. He stated that it was time for “action” to end killings by herdsmen.
Madu said, “The Fulani herdsmen are cowards. After the recent attacks, they ran away. If they mean business, let them wait for Ndi’gbo and we will engage them man-to-man.
“It will be demeaning to ask us if we have the capability to confront them.”
IPOB, another Igbo secessionist group which dismissed security agencies as failing to secure the people, alleged that Boko Haram had been disguising as herdsmen to attack parts of the country.
The Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, stated that the group would not be at the forefront of reprisals against criminal herdsmen in the region but would encourage those under attack to defend and retaliate in self defence.
He said, “The world is watching IPOB; the plan was for us to retaliate the attacks by Fulani herdsmen but we will not do so. Rather, we will ask those who are under attack to defend themselves or get killed.
“The international rule is that you have the right to self defence if your life is under threat; security agencies know that. Face whatever or whoever is going to kill you or you die.”
Another Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress, said although the Yoruba were perceived as accommodating, the group would not sit by and pretend as if all was well.
The National Coordinator of the OPC, Mr. Gani Adams, told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the region had gone out of hand.
Adams said, “Nowadays, it is becoming too rampant in the South-West. Now, nobody is provoking the Fulani herdsmen; they are the ones taking laws into their hands, killing and maiming innocent people in their (victims’) communities.
“These Fulani herdsmen may even be Boko Haram in disguise. If government is looking at this as if they are an influential tribe or race in Nigeria and that they can’t tackle it, it may become a very serious security treat.
“We the Yoruba think that we are highly accommodating and that if a stranger who is living in our community has committed an offence, the law should take its own course. But I know for sure that the South-East will not allow their people to be maimed.”
The Chairman of MCBAN in Bauchi State, Abdullahi Abubakar said that the association was planning to hold an emergency executive meeting on Monday or Tuesday to discuss the issues affecting herdsmen.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Students have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to come out boldly and tackle the problem.
The Chairman of CAN in the 19 Northern States, Rev. Yakubu Pam, said the President needed to be courageous in tackling his own people and condemning their terrible activities.
Catholic church weds 109 couples in Nasarawa
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Most Reverend Mathew Audu, wed 109 couples in Masakaon Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Audu appealed to relatives of the couples to allow the newly-weds to build their marriages and urged in-laws not to interfere in their affairs.
The bishop said, “As newly-wedded couples, you must love each other just as Jesus Christ loved the church and died to set souls free.
“You must respect each other’s feelings, care for each other, share views and reason together in peace and unity. You must not allow a third party to come into your matter; always invite God to intervene in your case.
“Ensure that you are coordinated in all your dealings and make the Word of God your standard, pillar, faith and hope. If you can keep these entire commandments, your marriages will be perfect and other couples will want to copy you.”
Audu also confirmed 1,390 faithful, blessed 56 Eucharistic ministers and 76 lectors.
Earlier, the Parish Priest of St. Martin’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Maigari, said the mass wedding was a culture imbibed by the church to enable couples with little finances to wed.
Audu appealed to relatives of the couples to allow the newly-weds to build their marriages and urged in-laws not to interfere in their affairs.
The bishop said, “As newly-wedded couples, you must love each other just as Jesus Christ loved the church and died to set souls free.
“You must respect each other’s feelings, care for each other, share views and reason together in peace and unity. You must not allow a third party to come into your matter; always invite God to intervene in your case.
“Ensure that you are coordinated in all your dealings and make the Word of God your standard, pillar, faith and hope. If you can keep these entire commandments, your marriages will be perfect and other couples will want to copy you.”
Audu also confirmed 1,390 faithful, blessed 56 Eucharistic ministers and 76 lectors.
Earlier, the Parish Priest of St. Martin’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Maigari, said the mass wedding was a culture imbibed by the church to enable couples with little finances to wed.
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