Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Thursday 25th February 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 25/02/21
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Delta Police Arrest 25 Suspected Cult Members
The Delta State Police Command has arrested 25 suspected cultist members and eight others involved in criminal activities.
Parading the suspects on Wednesday at the state police headquarters, Asaba, the state police commissioner, Ari Muhammed Ali, said the 25 suspected cultists were arrested in Sapele following a raid carried out by his team as a result of the incessant cult-related killings and criminal activities in the area in recent times.
Ali disclosed that among the suspected cult members, two were arrested by the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), B Division, Asaba with two pistols recovered.
He said a suspect who specialised in illegal oil bunkering was also arrested and that six suspects from Plateau State were arrested with guns, daggers, charms and others.
He identified some of the cults the suspects belong to as Junior Vikings Confraternity (JVC), Buccaneers, Eiye, Black Axe, Aye, among others.
Ali said the suspects were arrested alongside some of their girlfriends when the raid on their hideouts was carried out in Sapele.
He said, “Following the last one week, crime rate has increased in the state and I decided to launch a very violent attack on criminals in the state and we are getting results. I have mobilised over 10 different crack teams to Warri, Sapele and Ughelli axes and other parts of the state to ensure that crime in these areas is brought down to the barest tolerable level so that people can sleep with their eyes closed in the state.
“However, we cannot do it alone, we need the support of the public. We need their cooperation; we need the assistance we could get from them. Not just them alone, we want other sister agencies to also join hands with us so that together we can take Delta state to great heights in crime fighting.”
Ali, who said all the suspects would be charged to court, warned criminals to relocate from the state.
He said criminals who refuse to leave would be found, adding that in the coming days, the war would be taken to criminal hideouts across the state.
“Since my assumption of office as Delta state commissioner of police in January 2021, I have warned all criminals in the state to relocate. Whether kidnappers, cultists, armed robbers and whatever you are, you must relocate from the state because I am definitely not here to play, I am here to fight crimes.
“I have drawn the battle line with criminals and I can assure Deltans and residents that all criminal elements must run away from the state and those who refuse to run away will be dislocated. We have just started and anybody who is a criminal, definitely will have his or her cup filled up.
“For my gallant men, I must give them pats on their backs for taming all these criminal elements. I want them to know that I am solidly behind them. They should consider their assignments as that of selfless service to their fatherland and whatever it is, the state and federal governments are also solidly behind them. We will always ensure that their interest is taken into consideration at all times.”
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E2%80%93-abdulsalami-abubakar Negotiation With Bandits Not The Best Way To Fight Insecurity– Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Abubakar
A former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has said having dialogues bandits is not the best option to combat banditry in the country.
He said this when a delegation of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum paid him a visit at his residence in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Wednesday.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami, however, said that the government would not have a choice in negotiating with bandits to secure the release of pupils and others kidnapped from the Government Science College, in Kagara.
He also urged the government to consider all likely alternatives to get the victims freed.
“Dialogue is not the best way but when you are the one wearing the shoe, what will you do? Our children have been abducted for over five days, even if you know where they are, it will be foolhardy to storm there and fight them because there may be casualties.
“Sometimes there is a need to see the best way you can talk to these heartless people to see how you can get these people released. But dialogue is not the best way.
“The law enforcement agencies need to work together to map new strategies on how to deal with the problem,” he said.
The NGF Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, also led his team to the residence of the former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), who spoke on the ordeal of the abducted Kagara children.
“The safety of the children is of the utmost importance for now. We want them to come out safely without anyone being hurt. Any measure the government takes to secure their release will be okay,” he said.
The victims of Kagara abduction have spent a week in the den of bandits.
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E2%80%93-rec 200 INEC Workers Dismissed In Oyo For Electoral Malpractices – REC
The Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mutiu Agboke, on Wednesday revealed that over 200 staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been dismissed for various electoral offences in the state.
The REC who admitted that there were problems during the last general elections in the state, declared that the majority of them were orchestrated by politicians.
Agboke spoke at the symposium put together by the Lanre Oladoyinbo-led executives of the Senior Staff Club of the University of Ibadan, titled, “2019 elections: A post Mortem”.
According to him, no fewer than 200 employees of the commission were dismissed for various electoral offences.
He noted that arising from the last polls, there were 32 election petitions comprising one petition for governorship, four for senatorial election, 12 House of Representatives and 15 for the House of Assembly.
Agboke, who claimed that a few political actors approached him with ‘big money’, however noted that only a foolish INEC employee would hobnob and run after politicians.
“Between 2015 and last week, over two hundred of them (INEC staff) were on interdiction. They were not alive; they were not dead. Just last week, they were recalled because their issues were revisited.
“There are some that are still in court and over two hundred plus of them were dismissed. People did not see that the majority of the problems INEC faced were orchestrated by political parties.
“What is the reason for my success in the last elections? I will tell you it is engagement, reengagement and over engagement. If you keep quiet, you allow people to suspect you. How would they (politicians) not come?
“If you tell them (INEC staff) it is only those that are foolish among them, that will be hobnobbing with them, visiting them, running after them. As a REC, I am the king in my own right.
“One or few of them made an attempt to bring a very huge amount of money but I looked at them. I am content with what I have. The highest level of joy I had was the day I presented the certificate of return to the person that will become the governor tomorrow.
“With that, I have achieved a lot. We have 32 election petitions, one governorship, 4 senatorial, 12 House of Representatives and 15 House of Assembly. We are going to defend what we did at the tribunal and that is not to say that there were no infractions but I will not agree with you if you say nothing was good about the elections,” Agboke said.
In his contribution, a professor of Political Science, Bayo Okunade, stressed the need to unbundle INEC and relieve it of the many roles it is playing, to enhance its performance in line with the Justice Mohammed Uwais report.
The Registrar/Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council, Segun Ajiboye, also noted that progress had been made in Nigeria’s conduct of elections and called for the review of the participation of university employees as ad hoc staff in future elections.
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Tension As Gunmen Kill Two Police Officers, Burn Patrol Vehicle In Anambra
Residents and indigenes of Ekwulobia in Anambra State are living in fear following the death of two police officers killed by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.
Ekwulobia is said to be one of the largest cities in Anambra State after Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi.
A video clip of the incident seen by SaharaReporters show the bodies of the slain officers dumped by the roadside.
It was not yet clear if the hoodlums carted away their rifles during the attack.
The attack comes less than 24 hours after a police station was attacked and two officers killed in Aba, Abia state.
SaharaReporters gathered that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and a Police Corporal were killed in the attack.
The attackers also broke into a store where arms were kept and carted them away.
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Gunmen Attack Bullion Van In Delta, One Person Feared Dead
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About 10 gunmen attacked a bullion van at Ubulu-Okiti along the Benin/Asaba Expressway, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State with one woman feared dead.
According to Vanguard, the gunmen came out of a bush on citing the bullion van, shooting indiscriminately, forcing the bullion van and its escorts to stop.
Illustration
A source said the gunmen succeeded in robbing the bullion van.
The source also said a female passenger of a bus was killed by a stray bullet from the gun of the armed robbers.
However, the source could not say how much the gunmen made away with, adding that the robbery attack caused traffic congestion on the busy road.
It was also learnt that motorists, passengers and residents close to the scene of the robbery, scampered for safety.
The Acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Bright Edafe, confirmed the attack, but said he was not aware that a female passenger was killed.
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FRSC Confirms Truck Crushes Four Traders To Death In Onitsha
The Public Education Officer for the Anambra State Sector of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Florence Edor, has confirmed that four people were crushed to death on Wednesday morning by the truck.
Edor, in a statement in Awka, the Anambra State capital, said the incident happened around 7:30 am.
The four female traders were reportedly killed by a truck with registration number XF 259 UNZ at the popularly Upper Iweka flyover, Onitsha.
Eyewitnesses said the truck driver had a disagreement with the revenue collectors at Upper Iweka flyover and then the truck rolled back and crushed the four female hawkers along the road.
Reacting to this, Edor said the rescue teams of her sector, Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police took the victims to the hospital where doctors confirmed them dead.
She said their remains had been deposited at a morgue.
According to her, the driver of the vehicle has been handed over to the police for further investigation.
She noted that the state FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Andrew Kumapayi, had sent his condolences to the victims’ families.
According to her, Kumapayi admonished pedestrians to be mindful of the dangers they could encounter on major roads and also avoid hawking close to highways.
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E2%80%99s-suits-against-agf-dss-april-22 Unlawful Detention: Court Adjourns Sowore, Bakare’s Suits Against AGF, DSS To April 22
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has again adjourned the fundamental rights enforcement suits filed by the human rights activists, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare, against the Department of State Services and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation, Abubakar Malami, over their unlawful detention.
The matter has been fraught with several adjournments since November 2019.
The activists had in separate suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1407/2019 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1428/2019 filed on November 15 and 20, 2019 respectively claimed N500 million as damages for the violation of their fundamental rights to life, dignity of their persons, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and association.
The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, at the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday told the parties involved in the matter that the preliminary objection would be taken together with the substantive suit at the next adjourned date.
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Court To Hear Sowore, Bakare’s N1billion Suit Against DSS, AGF For Unlawful Detention After 15 Months
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Counsel for the applicant, Marshal Abubakar, reminded the court that the matter was initially slated for hearing at the last adjourned date having filed all the processes.
Meanwhile, counsel for the first and second respondents, I. Awo and Abubakar Abdullahi respectively informed the court that they had filed their counter affidavits in the suits.
The judge therefore adjourned the matter to April 22, 2021.
He also adjourned that of Bakare to April 26 for hearing.
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E2%80%99t-carry-ak-47-rifles-bauchi-governor-makes-u-turn-praises-herdsmen Don’t Carry AK-47 Rifles, Bauchi Governor Makes U-Turn, Praises Herdsmen
Governor Bala Mohammed
The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has pleaded with Fulani herders not to carry AK-47 rifles but remain peaceful.
According to Punch, the governor, who made the plea in his speech at the launch of the 2020/2021 annual livestock vaccination campaign held at the Galambi Cattle Ranch, Bauchi, on Wednesday, described Fulani people as humble, simple, and humane.
Governor Bala Mohammed
He said, “What I will do, I will not say it here, but I will do everything possible to make sure I protect you and lend support to you because I know you mean well.
“Through time and history, you have been seen to be cajoled, and lampooned but you remained humane, you remained simple, you don’t show so much aggression and of course, that humility is always what we recognised and this is what a character should always try to show.
“Please, don’t carry the AK-47 that I made a figurative allusion to. Try to make sure that you remain peaceful.”
The governor said that he has no apology for kicking against the profiling of Fulani herders as criminals.
He said that his administration was aware of the activities of Miyetti Allah and other Fulani organisations in promoting peaceful coexistence in the state, promoting the well-being of the pastoralists, wealth creation, and conflict mediation in the state and in the country in general.
Mohammed had earlier defended armed herdsmen, saying they ought to protect themselves from the aggression of community dwellers by carrying rifles – a statement which generated public criticism.
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Blame Syndrome: 20 Times Buhari Blamed Others For His Administration’s Failures
President Buhari
“Buhari blames” phrase in google search reveals disturbing record of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s failure to accept responsibility for its inadequacies.
After dislodging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the 2015 polls, Buhari promised to steer Nigeria to greater heights.
But reality has so far shown that the reverse has been the case. From ballooning insecurity to abuse of human rights, the administration has fallen short of expectations of many Nigerians.
While many would expect the Buhari-led government to take the blame where necessary and correct its mistakes, the administration has continued to pass the buck on to his predecessors, COVID-19 among others.
SaharaReporters examines 20 times Buhari has blamed his failure on others.
1. Buhari blames the country’s elite with ‘resources and influence’ for upheavals in Nigeria
On February 17, 2021, President Buhari alleged that few Nigerians with ‘resources and influence’ were responsible for the upheavals being witnessed in parts of the country.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the President blamed a number of persons for the various forms of violence, including terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and ethnic tension in the country.
He was quoted as saying, “I am confident that we will eventually convince the small number of people with resources and influence that are a nuisance to this great country. God willing, we will identify them, and deal with them. I am extremely concerned about your constituency like the rest of the country.”
2. Presidency blames Nigerians for Transparency International’s poor corruption rating
In a February 1, 2021 report, the presidency also blamed Nigerians for the country’s poor ranking on Transparency International’s 2020 corruption perception index.
According to the fresh TI CPI, Nigeria scored 25/100 which is one point less than its 26 points in the previous year. It says Nigeria is now 149th worst nation out of 180 countries, a record that is three steps lower than its rank of 146 in 2019.
However, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, described the report as an indictment on Nigerians and not on President Buhari.
Speaking on the ranking on Channels television’s Sunrise Daily programme, Shehu said, “I’ll tell you that this one by TI is not a judgment on Buhari or his administration or its war against corruption, I will tell you that this one is judgement on Nigerians because if you look at the indices, they used at arriving at these conclusions, they used eight indices, six of which showed Nigeria as being more or less Nigeria in the same position…”
3. Buhari Blames Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan For ‘Near Destruction Of Nigeria’
On October 1, 2020, while giving his Independence Day speech, President Buhari blamed Nigeria’s past leaders since the start of the current democratic dispensation for the “near destruction of the country”.
Using indirect reference, the president faulted leaders who presided over Nigeria between 1999 and 2015, questioning how such leaders had the ‘impudence’ to criticise his administration.
“Those in the previous governments from 1999 – 2015 who presided over the near destruction of the country have now the impudence to attempt to criticise our efforts,” he said.
Nigeria’s presidents since 1999 are Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 to 2007), the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (2007 to 2010), and Goodluck Jonathan (2010 to 2015).
Highlighting some of the interventions: tradermoni, farmermoni, school feeding programme, job creation efforts and agricultural intervention programmes, President Buhari said no government in the past did what his administration had done with such scarce resources.
“We have managed to keep things going in spite of the disproportionate spending on security…you will agree with me that all these challenges and many more, were long ago left unattended to thereby, leaving the country in the mired state we inherited,” he said.
4. President Buhari Blames “Hooliganism” For Violence During #EndSARS Protest
The president, during the #EndSARS protest that rocked the country in October 2020, said security forces used “extreme restraint” in their dealings with protesters because of hooliganism.
Buhari stated this when was speaking to a special meeting with former heads of state and other officials on the way forward after some of Nigeria’s worst turmoil in years
5. Buhari Blames Economic Recession On COVID-19
President Muhammadu Buhari on November 23, blamed the severity of the global downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for the country’s latest slipping into recession.
Buhari said the decline in the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) came after 12 successive quarters of positive growth.
He said the downturn caused by the pandemic included lockdowns, disruption in global supply chains, business failures and rising unemployment.
“We can all recall that during the lockdown, farming did not take place, businesses were closed; schools were closed as were hotels and restaurants. Also, airlines stopped flying, while interstate commerce was disrupted.
“The economy only began to recover when these activities resumed and if we are able to sustain the nearly three percent point increase from the second quarter decline of minus 6.1 per cent, the performance in the fourth quarter could take us into positive territory,’’ he said.
6. Buhari Blames ‘Desperate’ Politicians For Electoral Violence In Nigeria
President Buhari had also blamed power-hungry politicians for the problems with the country’s electoral process.
Nigerian elections are usually characterised by violence and political tension, leading to many clashes, risking further violence during and after the polls.
During his Independence Day speech in 2020, the President said, “The problems with our electoral process are mainly human-induced as desperate desire for power leads to desperate attempts to gain power and office. The desperation of these set of people leads to compromising the judiciary to upturn legitimate decisions of the people.”
According to a report by SBM intelligence, which monitors socio-political and economic developments in Nigeria, 626 people were killed during the 2019 election cycle, starting with campaigns in 2018.
The United States of America on many occasions had imposed visa restrictions on some individuals for their actions during the elections in Nigeria.
7. Buhari Blames ‘Corrupt’ Middlemen For High Food Prices
President Buhari, last year also blamed food traders for the high cost of food items in the country.
He said: “While providence has been kind to us with the rains and as such an expectation that a bumper harvest would lead to crashing of food prices and ease the burdens on the population, government’s concern is that the exploitative market behaviour by actors has significantly increased among traders in the past few years and may make any such relief a short-lived one.”
Buhari frowned on the activities of those he described as “corrupt middlemen” whom he said had further compounded the situation.
“But of all these problems, the most worrisome are the activities of “corrupt” middlemen (with many of them discovered to be foreigners) and other food traders who serve as the link between farmers and consumers found to be systematically creating an artificial scarcity so that they can sell at higher prices.”
8. Buhari Blames Banditry On Mining Activities
President Buhari, some weeks ago, blamed the banditry in Zamfara state on the mining activities in the region.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, President Buhari ordered that illegal mining was fuelling the crisis in Zamfara state.
“Beyond the problems of bandits and cattle rustlers, the scale of lawlessness has been aggravated by illegal miners who are harvesting resources they have no legal rights to exploit.
“Official statistics suggest that there are more than 20,000 such miners undermining this important part of the economy, operating in a manner that is extraordinarily harmful and destructive. The result is chaos.
“In this respect, a meeting is soon to take place that will deliberate on security and the issue of illegal mining which is fuelling the crisis in Zamfara state.”
9. Buhari Blames Politicians, Oil Firms For Tax Losses
On November 5, 2019, President Buhari blamed politicians and oil companies for conspiring to deny Nigeria commensurate revenue from oil production and sales, particularly taxes over the years.
He stated that for many years, taxes were kept at the “barest minimum above $20 per barrel.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, in a statement, quoted Buhari as saying Nigeria failed to secure its equitable share of the proceeds of oil production since 2003.
“A combination of complicity by Nigerian politicians and foot-dragging by oil companies has, for more than a quarter-century, conspired to keep taxes to the barest minimum above $20 per barrel, even as now the price is some three times the value,” he said.
The President said for the first time, under the amended law, “200 million Nigerians will start to receive a fair return on the surfeit of resources of our land. Increased income will allow for new hospitals, schools, infrastructure and jobs.”
10. President Buhari Blames The Internet For Rising Spate Of Insecurity In Nigeria
The President on February 23, 2021 said the growth and development of the internet is to blame for the rise in threats posed by cybercriminals, online financial fraudsters and cyber terrorists in the country.
President Buhari launched the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021 to effectively confront the dynamic nature of threats in the country’s cyberspace.
He also called for an overhaul of the national strategy on cybersecurity, urging more emphasis on exploring the internet for economic growth opportunities, enhancement of knowledge and mitigation of crime.
According to him, “All these initiatives serve as enablers for tackling many of the economic and security challenges facing our country while also providing us with the platform to improve accountability and transparency in our unwavering resolve to tackle corruption.
“However, like many other countries across the globe, the growth and development of the internet are accompanied by significant problems. We are witnessing a rise in threats posed by cybercriminals, online financial fraudsters and cyber terrorists who use the internet to cause apprehension,’’ the President said.
President Buhari added that the internet and social media have witnessed a surge in the propagation of hate speech, fake news, seditious and treasonable messages, as well as the risks of breaches to personal information and sensitive government data.
11. Buhari Blames Poverty, Insecurity On Decades Of Resource Mismanagement
In May 2019, President Buhari blamed the current economic and security challenges being experienced in the country on decades of neglect and mismanagement of resources.
According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President believes that if assets and resources available to the country had been properly managed in years past, it would have been a prosperous and peaceful nation.
12. Buhari Blames COVID-19 Lockdown For Borno, Katsina Attacks
In a June 12, 2020 report, President Buhari attributed the spate of killings by Boko Haram terrorists and armed bandits to COVID-19 lockdown imposed in the country.
According to him, ending insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the nation is being accorded appropriate priorities and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded such threats across all geo-political zones.
He said: “All the local governments that were taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.
“I regret recent sporadic incidents with tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions. Security agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice.”
13. President Buhari’s Spokesperson ‘Blames’ Farmers Murdered By Terrorists In Borno
In November 2020, the suspected Boko Haram terrorists tied up more than 40 farmers in the village of Koshobe, near Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, slit their throats and beheaded them.
President Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, instead blamed the deceased rice farmers, for their misfortune.
According to Shehu, the farmers didn’t receive security clearance before heading to the area.
Some of the victims were reportedly labourers from Sokoto state in northwest Nigeria, who had travelled to the North-East in search of work.
He said, “People need to understand what it is like in the Lake Chad area. Much of those areas have been liberated by Boko Haram terrorists but there are a number of spaces that have not been cleared for the return of villagers who have been displaced.
“Ideally, all of these places ought to probably be allowed to pass the test of military clearance before settlers or even farmers resume activities on those fields,” he added.
Probed on whether he was blaming the farmers for the attacks, Shehu said: “Not exactly, but the truth has to be said. Is there any clearance by the military which is in total control of those areas? Did anybody ask to resume activities? I have been told by the military leaders that they have not been so advised.”
He added that visiting terrorist-prone areas of Borno is “a window that the terrorists have exploited.”
“The military is not present in every inch of space in that area. Even if the people are ready to go back, some of these areas have been mined and mine clearance has to be carried out first,” Shehu said.
14. President Buhari Blames COVID-19 For Increase In Petrol Pump Price, Electricity Tariff
In September 2020, the President also blamed COVID-19 for the increase in petrol pump price and electricity tariff across the country.
He said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a severe downturn in the funds available to finance our budget and has severely hampered our capacity…”
15. Buhari Blames Civil War, Military Rule for Poor Economy
During his Independence Day address in October 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari blamed the Nigerian Civil War, which was fought between July 1967 and January 1970, for disrupting the nation’s growth.
He said, “Upon attaining independence, Nigeria’s growth trajectory was anchored on policies and programs that positively impacted on all sectors of the economy. However, this journey was cut short by the 30 months of civil war.”
Additionally, he noted that the incursion of the military in politics was responsible for slowing down the progress of the programmes the country attempted to embark upon following the ruins of the civil war.
He said: “We came out of the civil war with a focus on reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation that enabled the country to put in place world class development structures and a strengthened public service that well served the government. This positive trajectory continued with a return to democratic government which was truncated by another round of military rule.”
He noted that, cumulatively, the country has spent a total of 29 years of its 60-year existence as an independent state under military rule.
16. Buhari Blames Youths For Government’s Failure To Cater For Young Population
President Buhari in April 2018 criticised the attitude of some Nigerian youth, saying they were only expecting to get good infrastructure and amenities without doing anything.
“More than 60 per cent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil-producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free,” Mr Buhari was quoted as saying during a panel appearance with world leaders at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London.
17. Buhari Blames Borno Leaders For Unending Boko Haram Attacks
Last February, President Buhari blamed the leaders of Borno communities for not doing enough in terms of cooperation with the military to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said: “This Boko Haram or whoever they are, cannot come up to Maiduguri or its environs to attack without the local leadership knowing; because traditionally the local leadership is in charge of the security in their own respective areas. In my understanding of our culture, I wonder how Boko Haram survives up to this time.”
18. Buhari Blames Insecurity On Neglect Of Education, Healthcare
In August 2019, President Buhari attributed rising insecurity occasioned by terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and other crimes in the country to decades of neglect of education and healthcare.
He said his administration would focus on security, education and infrastructure development, among others, saying: “We have given very serious attention to security, health, infrastructure and education, agriculture and human development.
“I want to see that our youths are completely emancipated, empowered so that we don’t have the youth restiveness that culminated into the Boko Haram insurgency.
“When I came to Adamawa, I met the challenge of youth criminality, which was nicknamed ASILA and today they are no more. So, these are serious areas of concern and I have given it serious attention and it is working.”
19. Buhari Blames Communal Violence on Population Growth
In January 2018, Buhari blamed clashes between Muslim cattle herders and Christian farmers on overpopulation.
Muslim herdsmen, mainly of the Fulani ethnic group, and Christian farmers often clash over the use of land in parts of central Nigeria, known as the Middle Belt.
“President Buhari holds the view, as do many experts, that these conflicts are more often than not, as a result of major demographic changes in Nigeria,” said an emailed statement issued by the presidency.
“While the land size has not changed and will not change, urban sprawl and development have simply reduced land area both for peasant farming and cattle grazing,” said the statement, urging people to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
20. Buhari Blames Gaddafi For Nigeria’s Insecurity
In January 2019, President Buhari said stooges of former Libya leader, Muammar Gaddafi, constituted the terrorists perpetrating evil acts in Nigeria.
He said the bandits, who escaped from Libya after the death of their leader in 2011 took to terrorism, the brunt of which Nigeria and some other African countries are currently bearing.
Gaddafi, who led Libya for decades, was in 2011 killed during the Arab Spring that saw citizens of several Arab countries taking up arms against sit-tight dictators.
The president stated that the unsavoury legacy of Gaddafi was still haunting Nigeria and other countries.
“The Nigerian cattle herder used to carry nothing more than a stick, but these are people with AK-47 and people refuse to reflect on the demise of Gaddafi,” Mr Buhari said in an exclusive interview with Arise TV.
“Gaddafi for 43 years in Libya, at some stage, he decided to recruit people from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, from the Central African Republic and these young chaps are not taught to be bricklayers, electricians, plumbers or any trade but to shoot and kill.
“So, when the opposition in Libya succeeded in killing him, they arrested some and they did what they did to them. The rest escaped with their orphans and we encountered some of them in the North-East and they are all over the place now organising attacks.”
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Nigerian Army Recovers Bodies Of Four Soldiers Allegedly Killed By IPOB In Orlu
The Nigerian Army has recovered the corpses of four soldiers allegedly killed by members of the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Orlu, Imo State, PRNigeria reports.
A senior military officer, who confirmed the development to the newspaper, said the military vehicle damaged during the attack was also recovered.
The troops, in a joint operation involving the army, air force and the police, sustained a raid operation in the axis, after the killing of the soldiers.
The IPOB members were alleged to have ambushed and killed the soldiers who were escorting a top military officer.
The officer, a Brigadier-General, and his team were on inspection of the civil-military project at Nkwerre.
The IPOB members were said to have also taken away weapons and a vehicle belonging to the troops.
The Nigerian Army had on Monday confirmed carrying out raids and airstrikes in Orlu, saying 20 members of IPOB were arrested – 16 males and 4 females.
Deputy Director of the Army Public Relations, Col Aliyu Yusuf, said, “On Thursday, 7 January, 2021, following incessant robbery and killing of civilians and security operatives by suspected IPOB militia within Orlu Senatorial Zone, troops of 34 Brigade were deployed in Orlu and its environs to commence effective patrol and dominance of the general area to forestall the activities of IPOB.
“On Thursday, 7 January, 2021 our troops in conjunction with the Nigeria Police conducted a raid operation of a suspected hideout of the Armed Group in Umutanze Community in Orlu Local Government Area.
“An SUV Lexus 330 with Registration Number Lagos KRD 320 EY was intercepted with 5 occupants, suspected to be members of IPOB. On sighting our troops, 4 of the occupants absconded, however, One Mr. Freedom Udochukwu Nwachukwu was arrested and handed over to the police for further interrogation.
“On Friday, 22 January, 2021, troops of 34 Brigade in conjunction with the Imo State Police Command carried out raids in Okporo/Ezenta and Akata axis of Orlu Local Government Area to recover the corpse of a police officer killed by members of IPOB.
“During the operation, one IPOB member was killed and one Jeep vehicle (SUV) was recovered. Various IPOB training camps were discovered and destroyed.
“On Monday, 25 January, 2021, our troops were ambushed at Banana Junction, Orlu Local Government Area by members of IPOB while escorting Army Headquarters Team led by Director Civil Affairs, Brigadier General HE Nzan who came to inspect Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation Project at Nkwerre.
“IPOB militia attacked our troops and during the encounter, four escort soldiers were killed and four AK47s got missing. One Hilux vehicle was recovered.
“In a similar development, on Wednesday, 17 February, 2021, based on accurate intelligence reports, a raid operation was conducted in the forest close to Lilu village in Ihiala General Area of Anambra State by combined troops of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, and the Nigeria Police.
“The operation commenced with airstrike at about 171750A February 21 from a Mi-35 combat helicopter on confirmation of the IPOB camp/hideout, while ground troops engaged the escaping IPOB criminals.
“Thereafter troops exploited further into the IPOB Camp. The militia (men) were suspected to have escaped with their dead and shot members with varying degrees of injury, taking advantage of the poor visibility during the preceding operation.”
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