Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Wednesday 1st September 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 01/09/21
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BREAKING: Bail-jumping Ex-Pension Reform Team Boss, Maina To Remain In Prison As Court Refuses Fresh Bail Application
File Photo: Abdulrasheed Maina
The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to hear a fresh bail application filed by former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.
The vacation judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, held that the application was contentious and as such could not be heard during the court’s vacation.
File Photo: Abdulrasheed Maina
He, therefore, refused to hear the bail application which was moved by Maina’s counsel, Mr David Iorhemba and returned the case to Justice Okon Abang, who has been the trial judge in the substantive case, to hear the bail application after the court’s vacation.
Andrew Ocholi, counsel for the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed the application, saying he had filed a counter-affidavit and a preliminary objection to show that Maina was no longer entitled to bail, The Punch reports.
Maina is being tried alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, on 12 counts of laundering over N1 billion, among others.
They were first arraigned on October 25, 2019, following which Justice Abang ordered that Maina be remanded in the Correctional Centre at Kuje, pending a hearing of his bail application.
After perfecting his bail conditions, Maina was released from the correctional centre in July but had his bail revoked on November 18, 2020 after he jumped bail.
Maina had, on January 20, 2021 approached Justice Abang for another bail following his rearrest for jumping the first bail.
At a resumed trial in February 2021, he told the court that his leg might be amputated if not granted bail to have adequate medical care.
His counsel, Sani Katu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said his client was taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, because of his worsening health condition and the medical report was exhibited in the bail application.
The lawyer, who said that Kuje Correctional Centre where Maina was kept did not have the facility to attend to his state of health, added that if not granted bail, his leg might be amputated.
But Justice Abang ruled on February 28, 2021 that Maina’s bail application was without merit and that he failed to place sufficient materials before the court to convince it that he deserved another bail.
The judge held that after violating the conditions of the bail granted him earlier, Maina did not deserve to be admitted to bail again.
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E2%80%98we-were-practically-stripped-naked-it%E2%80%99s-no-longer-safe-visit-nnamdi-kanu%E2%80%99%E2%80%93-lawyer ‘We Were Practically Stripped Naked, It’s No Longer Safe To Visit Nnamdi Kanu’– Lawyer Laments Inhumane Treatment By Nigeria’s Secret Police
Ifeanyi Ejiofor
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, one of the lawyers representing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has alleged that officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) harass and intimidate the IPOB leader’s counsel during their visit to him in detention. The lawyer said Kanu’s lawyers are “practically stripped naked” by DSS operatives “searching for incriminating materials during a court-ordered visit.”
Ifeanyi Ejiofor
Ejiofor revealed this in a statement on the update of the lawyers’ visit to Kanu on Monday, stressing that “it is no longer safe” for them to visit the pro-Biafra secessionist agitator. Last week, SaharaReporters published how the secret police offered slippers to the legal representatives after ordering them to remove their shoes, and reading glasses when they visited Kanu. “Lawyers on this visit were searched in a manner akin to a situation where hardened criminals are being searched for possible incriminating substances and objects. “They were traumatised not only because they were inhumanly treated as criminals on the investigation, but the lawyers were further dehumanised after this embarrassing and unwarranted frisking, by being allowed to wear only slippers, after being divested of their shoes, reading glasses and writing materials, to visit their client,” Ejiofor said partly in a statement last week.
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Lawless Department Of State Services Orders Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyers To Remove Shoes, Eyeglasses, Others During Visit
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Speaking about a recent visit, Ejiofor said the lawless actions of the DSS operatives were aimed at usurping justice for his client, Kanu, insisting that the IPOB leader should be transferred to a prison facility. The statement partly read, “It is pertinent to note that the harassment, intimidation, and manhandling of our lawyers by the DSS officials during the visit still continued, despite our protest last week. “Lawyers were ‘practically stripped naked’ while searching for incriminating materials during a court-ordered visit. “We, therefore, do not mince words in stating that it is no longer safe as it stands today for us who are visiting our Client. “This hostile treatment is becoming exceedingly intolerable and unacceptable in the prevailing circumstance. “We are now more apprehensive of the fact that no trial will commence in the circumstance, we presently find ourselves until our client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is transferred to the correctional centre. “He cannot be tried for a one-way stereotyped conviction in the manner, the Federal Government is presently pursuing this. To deny us, his lawyers writing materials and for the visits to be conducted under the atmosphere of fear and intimidation is highly unacceptable and condemnable. “The script currently being played is a clear demonstration of the Federal Government strategy to deny him a fair trial, and we cannot accept it, under no circumstance. We understand the game and the dancing pattern.” Speaking about Kanu, he said, “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was visited yesterday and in his usual practice, he extended his compliments to his millions of supporters. He is indeed eternally grateful for the overwhelming support and show of solidarity. “We crave for more prayers and urge you all to continue to remain law-abiding and peaceful in the conduct of your affairs. Be assured that with truth and God on our side, we will win the battle in court overwhelmingly. “We shall continue to keep you posted as the event unfolds, but be assured that we will have reasons to rejoice in no distance time, Umuchineke.”
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TRENDING: Council Chairman Empowers Farmers Each With One Yam, Hoe And Cutlass In Cross River
The Chairman of Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State, Evangelist Margaret Inde, has empowered pilot farmers in the council each with a hoe, cutlass and one tuber of yam. Inde handed over the items during activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of the local government area as well as celebration of the New Yam festival held on Friday, August 27.
In trending pictures on social media, the council boss was seen ‘empowering’ her people each with one yam, a hoe and a cutlass. The scheme has elicited varying reactions on social media with many people criticising Inde’s gesture. In her speech at the celebrations held at Cenotaph, Sankwala, headquarters of Obanliku, the council boss said, “Fellow Obanliku people, on behalf of myself and the executive council, I wish to congratulate all of us on the historic 30 years of existence as a Local Government. “Also as we celebrate our new yam festival signalling the end of hunger in our traditional calendar, I bring you warm greetings and candidly commend your individual and collective hard work at ensuring food security in the entire area. “30 years ago, our local government, I mean our fatherland – this beautiful land with different faces of natural endowments, especially its geographical landscape spread across the political wards became a reality on August 27, 1991, through a proclamation by then Military President General Ibrahim Babangida. “I wish to proceed with my speech by making reference to the Almighty as encapsulated in Psalm 125, ‘What marvels the Lord worked for us, indeed we were glad, for it was like a dream’. We rejoiced, we danced and our joy knew no bounds. “As the current executive chairman, this occasion provides me with a great platform to tell you how we have fared with the mandate you gave us but first, I want to remind us of the economic situation of local governments in the country with very little resources available to run a government closest to the people. “When we assumed office, with the resources available to us, we undertook the renovation and furnishing of the Secretariat. We also renovated and furnished the legislative chambers of the council. “More so, we have set in motion the discussion for the overall development of our LGA. This includes the inauguration of a high powered committee for the development of an Obanliku new City. In spite of the lean resources, we were also able to participate actively and support the Obanliku stakeholders’ conference held in June on June 14 -15, 2021 during which robust discussions aimed at fast-tracking the development of our dear local government took the centre stage. The outcome of the conference has already kick-started the implementation of the resolutions. “The Council under my watch recognises peace and security as pivotal to the growth of the LGA. In our time in office, we have made this critical sector a priority through regular meetings with security heads and traditional rulers council. “I again urge us today to increase our commitment to the security of life and property at every time. In the area of cultural preservation, we have given all the support to our traditional institutions and leaders and we will continue to do so. Our new yam festival which we celebrate today is a testament to this fact. “Fellow Obanliku people, let me reiterate the point that to truly grow, we need to unite. We need to solidify our strength which is our people who remain our greatest asset. The spirit of hard work and excellence passed down to us by our forefathers should continue to burn in us. “Our youths must rise to the occasion of community building even as I congratulate them on nation-building. From Bendi to Becheve, from Bishiri to Utanga, from Basang to Bisu, from Busi to Bebi, Obanliku is one.”
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E2%80%99s-tv-anti-buhari EXCLUSIVE: Retired Navy Commodore Olawunmi Declared Wanted Over Channel’s TV Anti-Buhari Interview Had ‘Friendly Chat’ At Defence Intelligence Agency— Source
Retired Nigerian Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi, who visited the Military Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja on Tuesday had a ‘friendly chat’ with his colleagues, SaharaReporters has learnt. SaharaReporters had reported that Olawunmi arrived at the DIA headquarters earlier on Tuesday over his comments during an interview on Channels TV last Wednesday.
The DIA had declared Olawunmi wanted for exposing in the interview how President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration refused to probe high profile politicians whom Boko Haram terrorists named as their sponsors.The agency had asked Olawunmi to come to its headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday with his passport.
A source had earlier told SaharaReporters that the former Navy commander arrived at the agency’s office in company with his lawyers – Femi Falana (SAN) and Abubakar Marshall – on Tuesday.
“Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi has arrived at the military DIA in Abuja. He was accompanied by his lawyers,” the source told SaharaReporters.
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BREAKING: Retired Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi Arrives Defence Intelligence Agency After Being Declared Wanted Over Channels TV’s Anti-Buhari Interview
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“They initially declared him wanted but downgraded it when the plot was leaked.”
But in a recent development, a top source told SaharaReporters that Olawunmi only visited for a friendly chat.
“I confirm that it was a friendly chat between Commodore Kunle Olawunmi and his colleagues. The chat ended a few minutes ago. The friendly chat was held in strict compliance with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.”
The Defence Intelligence Agency is the primary military intelligence agency of Nigeria.
Following the declaration by the DIA that Olawunmi was wanted, a top source had said, “The agency has declared retired Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi wanted for spilling the beans over Boko Haram sponsors in the Buhari regime. They asked him to come with his international passport on Tuesday to the DIA office in Abuja.” SaharaReporters had last Wednesday reported what Olawunmi said when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme. He had condemned the attack by bloodthirsty bandits on the Kaduna campus of Nigeria’s foremost military university, the Nigerian Defence Academy, where two military officers were killed and another kidnapped.
The Professor of Global Security Studies had said, “It is an aberration; you don’t attack the Nigerian Defence Academy and get away with it. In 2017, I carried out an investigation by the Minister of Defence that wanted me to check what was going on with the training and the security there (NDA). I remember I spent about a week in the NDA with the commandant and the staff but something struck me: every Friday, the gate of NDA is thrown open and everybody has access to pray in the mosque. “On Fridays, you are going to see the same thing happening across all military formations in the country. If you go to Defence Headquarters, I served at the Defence Headquarters as the Deputy Director, Defence Administration, between 2015 and 2017, throughout my two years at Defence Headquarters, I received visitors twice because of the strict security architecture there but every Friday, the gate of the Defence Headquarters is thrown wide open for everybody to come in and observe Juma’at. “That is the time the terrorists have the time to profile our security environment. It has always been the case. I have served the military intelligence for the past 35 years. Our problem is religion and socio-cultural.” Olawunmi had added that he was a member of the Intelligence Brief at the Defence Headquarters during the leadership of the then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (retd.). The intelligence expert said he told the then CDS that the centre of gravity of the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North-East and spreading to other parts of Nigeria was the sponsor. “I told General Olonisakin then that the centre of this problem cannot be solved the same way we solved the problem of the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta problem was solved during (Ex-President Umaru) Yar’Adua basically by me and I told them that we can’t use that same template for Boko Haram. “I told General Olonisakin to look at the centre of gravity of the problem. I was made a member of the committee in 2016-2017 including former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru that died. “I told them that the centre of gravity of Boko Haram in Nigeria is the sponsors of the programme. It was beyond us because the job we needed to do was kinetic but we cannot resolve the issues of sponsors of Boko Haram that were in Buhari’s government that we know them. That was why we couldn’t pursue that aspect that could have resolved the issue because we need to arrest people. “Recently, 400 people were gathered as sponsors of Boko Haram, why is it that the Buhari government has refused to try them? Why can’t this government bring them to trial if not that they are partisan and part of the charade that is going on? “You remember this Boko Haram issue started in 2012 and I was in the military intelligence at that time. We arrested those people. My organisation conducted interrogation and they (suspects) mentioned names. I can’t come on air and start mentioning names of people that are presently in government that I know that the boys that we arrested mentioned. Some of them are governors now, some of them are in the Senate, some of them are in Aso Rock. “Why should a government decide to cause this kind of embarrassment and insecurity to the sense of what happened yesterday (Tuesday at the NDA)?” Olawunmi had also said that the Department of State Services (DSS) had tremendous information on terrorists but could not do anything because of the body language of the President.
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E2%80%99s-suspended-aide-bidemi-rufai%E2%80%99s-bank-accounts-seizes-lagos Court Freezes Governor Abiodun’s Suspended Aide, Bidemi Rufai’s Bank Accounts, Seizes Lagos House Over N158Million Scam
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the interim forfeiture of the funds and properties traced to Abidemi Rufai, the suspended aide of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who is facing wire fraud charges in the United States of America. The court order, which was granted on Tuesday, covers Rufai’s property located at 11, Omodayo Awotuga Street, Bera Estate, Chevy View, Lekki, Lagos, and funds in his accounts domiciled in Sterling and Zenith banks.
Rufai, who served as the Deputy Director-General of the Dapo Abiodun Campaign Organisation in the last governorship election in the state, was arrested in May 2021 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, US, on a criminal complaint of wire fraud for his scheme to steal over $350,000 (about N158 million) in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department, the acting US Attorney, Tessa M. Gorman, announced. He made his initial appearance in court on Saturday, May 15, 2021, in New York. Justice Tijjani Ringim made the order sequel to an ex parte motion filed and argued by a counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ebuka Okongwu.
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EXPOSED: How Governor Abiodun’s Aide, Abidemi Rufai, Changed Name To ‘Sandy Tang’ In Alleged $350,000 US Employment Scam
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The EFCC joined Rufai, his firm, Omo Mayodele Global Investment, and Sterling Bank PLC as the first, second and third respondents in the suit. Okongwu told the judge that it was essential for the court to grant the prayer of interim forfeiture to preserve the remaining and prevent further dissipation of the defendant’s funds in his Sterling Bank account. He then furnished the judge with an affidavit sworn to by an EFCC investigator, Usman Abdulhamid, detailing the agency’s investigation of Rufai in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Justice Ringim, in a bench ruling, granted the EFCC’s order as prayed in the motion paper. “I am satisfied by the averment in the affidavit deposed to by Usman Abdulhamid and the legal submission of the counsel that this application should succeed and the same is accordingly granted as prayed,” the judge held.
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How Governor Abiodun’s Suspended Aide, Bidemi Rufai, Has Been Committing Fraud For Years—FBI
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The judge also ordered the EFCC to publish the order within 14 days from Tuesday for any interested party to show cause why the funds and property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Justice Ringim adjourned further proceedings till December 1, 2021.
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How Department Of State Services Killed Two Unarmed Persons In Hiding, Including Blind Man During Raid On Igboho’s House—Lawyer
Pelumi Olajengbesi, the lawyer representing the 12 associates of Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho has accused operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) of killing unarmed persons during the raid on Igboho’s residence.
The DSS had invaded Igboho’s residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, killing two of his associates, whom the secret police claimed were armed.
The secret police later paraded no fewer than 12 suspects arrested during the operation, who were detained for months. Eight of them were, however, released this week.Some of the items allegedly carted away from his house include passports, charms, guns and dollars.
But Olajengbesi, in a recent interview, stated that the two persons killed were harmless.
The two persons killed have been identified as Saheed Adisa, popularly called Adogan and Igboho’s maternal uncle known as Alfa. On Monday, eight of the 12 detained associates of Igboho were released by the DSS after initially disobeying a court ruling on the matter. The remaining four persons are still being illegally detained by the DSS.
Olajengbesi said: “The people that SSS (State Security Service also called DSS) claimed that they killed in a gun duel, those people were actually hiding during the battle, trying to prevent themselves from being killed because any room the SSS operatives entered, they sprayed bullets. “Those people were harmless, they were hiding, and they were in the dark. “As a matter of fact, one of the person’s killed was because he was blind, he couldn’t see. “Two persons were killed. One was blind. One was in the bathroom hiding, they got in there and sprayed bullets.” One of the associates responded saying that “Alfa is the one, he could not see, those killed were hiding for safety.”
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Nigerian Tertiary Schools Admission Board Cancels General Cut-off Marks, Leaves Schools To Decide Benchmarks For Candidates
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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cancelled the national admission benchmark also known as cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions.
This allows each of the nation’s tertiary institutions to peg its admission benchmark.
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The decision was taken at the 2021 policy meeting which was held virtually and chaired by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
The board’s registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, stated: “Some universities such as University of Maiduguri proposed 150, Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto proposed 140, Pan Atlantic University proposed 210, University of Lagos 200, Lagos State University 190, Covenant University 190, Bayero University Kano, 180.
“Institutions have now been given the liberty to decide cut off marks, there will be no cut off from JAMB.”
On the deadline for the closure of admissions, the stakeholders resolved to allow the ministry to decide as they could not agree on the December 31, 2021 deadline for all public institutions and January 31, 2022, for all private institutions.
Stakeholders also adopted the 2021 admission guidelines, which provide that all applications for part-time or full-time programmes for degrees, (NCE) National Certificate In Education, OND (Ordinary National Diploma), and others must be posted only through JAMB.
The meeting approved that for Direct Entry, the maximum score a candidate can present is 6 and the minimum is 2 or E, as required by law.
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Court Freezes Kogi State Bank Account Over Alleged Fraud Involving N20Billion Bailout Loan
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the freezing of a bank account belonging to Kogi State government over a N20 billion loan obtained from Sterling Bank Plc. The affected salary bailout account is numbered 0073572696.
Justice Tijjani Garba Ringim on Tuesday ordered that the said account should be frozen pending the conclusion of investigation or possible prosecution by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa. EFCC had approached the court for the order in an ex parte application brought pursuant to section 44(2) of the Constitution and section 34(1) of the EFCC Act, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court. A counsel from the agency, A. O. Mohammed, informed the court that the order was necessary so as to preserve the remaining and abate further dissipation of the funds in the account. Moving the application, Mohammed told the court that the N20 billion loan meant to augment the salary payment and running cost of the state government was kept in an interest-yielding account with Sterling Bank. He added that instead of using the money for the purpose it was meant for, Sterling Bank Plc, acting on the instruction of the Kogi State Government transferred the money from the loan account and placed same in a fixed deposit account. He stated that Sterling Bank Plc has yet to present any credible evidence to show that the facility is well secured. Granting the application, Justice Ringim ordered the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper and make quarterly report to the court on the progress of its investigation. The judge consequently adjourned the matter till December 1, for the report of Investigation. The EFCC in its 13-paragraph affidavit in support of the ex parte originating summons deposed to by a member of a team of investigators attached to the Chairman, Monitoring Unit of the EFCC, Lagos, stated that the Commission received credible and direct intelligence which led to the tracing of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities warehoused in account No. 0073572696 and domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc with the name – Kogi State Salary Bailout Account. He said the Commission acted on the said intelligence and assigned same to the Chairman, Monitoring Unit, where it was discovered that on April 1, 2019, the management of Sterling Bank Plc approved an offer of N20,000,000,000.00 bailout loan facility for Kogi State Government. According to the deponent, on the June 19, 2019, the Kogi State Government, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, office of the Honourable Commissioner, applied for credit facility of Twenty Billion Naira (N20, 000,000,000), with an interest rate of 9 percent for a tenure of 240 months from Sterling Bank Plc. He added that the said facility was meant to augment the salary payment and running cost of the state government. He stated further that on June 26, 2019, the credit facility offer was accepted vide a memorandum of acceptance signed by Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kogi State; Asiwaju Asiru Idris, state Commissioner of Finance and one Alhaji Momoh Jibrin, Accountant General of the state. He stated that prior to the said application for loan, Kogi State Government on the 19th June, 2019 vide a letter to the Manager, Sterling Bank Plc, Lokoja applied to open an account in the bank with the name – Kogi State Salary Bailout Account, with Alhaji Momoh Jubril, Accountant General of the State and Elijah Evinemi, Ag. Director Treasury as the signatories to the said account. (Attached and marked exhibit EFCC 04 is a copy of the said letter). The statement said, “That upon the opening of the said account with No. 0072969301, Sterling Bank Plc disbursed salary intervention loan to the tune of N20,000,000,000.00 to the account. “That rather than use the intervention funds for the purpose for which it was granted, the state government proceeded to open a fix deposit account No. 0073572696. “That on the 25 day of July, 2019, Sterling Bank Plc, acting on the instruction of the Kogi State Government transferred the money from the loan account and placed same on aforementioned fixed deposit account. “That the said account sought to be frozen received the sum of Twenty Billion Naira (N20, 000,000,000) on the 25th July 2019. “That as at 1st day of April, 2021 the balance standing to the credit of the said fixed deposit account was N19, 333, 333, 333.36 billion. “That we are still tracing what the sum of N666,666,666.64 b has been deducted from the said funds and were not used for the payment of the salary. “That the Commission has the statutory mandate to prevent the commission of Economic and Financial Crimes with the shores of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “That investigation in this matter is still ongoing and this application is pertinent to secure the funds in the said account to prevent them from being totally dissipated. “That without freezing the nominated accounts, there is no better way of preserving remaining.”
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Nigerian Security Operatives Lie To Journalists, Prevent Them From Covering Induction Of Six Super Tucano Aircraft
Journalists were on Tuesday prevented from covering the induction ceremony of the six newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano aircraft into the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Order of Battle.
They were denied access to the Presidential Fleet Apron, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, in Abuja as they were told by the armed security operatives stationed at the venue and other locations at the airport, that the ceremony had been postponed.
The security operatives included men from the military and para-military organisations.
But a top official from the United States embassy in Nigeria said the induction was neither cancelled nor postponed as claimed by the security agents, Daily Trust reports.
The official further said the ceremony was done ‘quietly’, adding that he had no idea why the military prevented journalists from attending the ceremony.
Spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, had on July 22, 2021, announced the arrival of the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft in Kano.
He disclosed that the aircraft were received by the Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd), alongside the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao.
Officials of the United States, the country where the fighter jets were acquired, had on Monday during a roundtable meeting with selected media houses, said US would help Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, using A-29 Super Tucano.
According to the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe and Africa, Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, the induction of A-29 Super Tucano into Nigerian Air Force operations, will be a defining moment in combating terrorism and other violent extremism.
He explained that the acquisition of the fighter aircraft for the Nigerian military had brought in a multitude of capabilities that would help in tackling the prevailing instability in Nigeria.
“Importantly, the platform itself brings a multitude of capabilities and this is not just about weapons, it is about intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, it is about that operability that it provides between the air component and the ground component.”
“And so, it broadens the shared understanding of the force to be able to operate in these different domains.
“And, we see this as a great opportunity to work together in these different areas to deepen our partnership and look for future opportunities, whether it be training or intelligence because part of what we offer and what we are going to work together is really the full package.
“And, when we talk about the maintenance of an aircraft, when we talk about the tactics, techniques and procedures that the pilots use, those are all things, we are going to continue to refine together with the Nigerian Air Force.
“And, we see this as really an opportunity to broaden those areas where we have these shared values and areas that we’re going to work together to ultimately work to improve the security instability and work in partnership with all the things that the embassy does,” he had said.
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Ondo Governor, Akeredolu Dares Buhari, Miyetti Allah Sect, Signs Anti-Open Grazing Bill Into Law
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has signed the Anti- Open Grazing Bill passed by the State House of Assembly, into law.
The assent was in line with the resolution of the last meeting Southern Governors Forum had in Lagos on July 5, 2021, where southern leaders unanimously adopted September 1, 2021, as the deadline for the signing of the bills in their various states.
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
Akeredolu signed the bill into law a few days after President Muhammadu Buhari directed that 368 grazing sites should be reviewed across 25 states.
Buhari has shown preference for grazing routes and expressed reservations against anti-open grazing laws in the past.
Herders under the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore have also said they will not recognise the Southern governors’ anti-grazing laws, describing it as satanic.
The national secretary of the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore, Saleh Alhassan, in an interview, said members of the organisation would not recognise any anti-open grazing policy in the country.
“We don’t recognise anti-grazing law. Nobody can do anti-grazing policy in Nigeria where we are constitutionally guaranteed the right of movement and occupation,” Alhassan said, referring to the September 1 deadline set up by the Southern governors to ban the open grazing policy.
“I think that (open grazing) has been overtaken by events where the federal government is reviving the grazing reserves and grazing routes. Ranches are coming up across the states. Any policy that will heat up the polity, I don’t think is desirable for the country now.”
This is as the September 1 deadline set aside by Southern governors for the banning of open grazing nears.
The herders said the planned policy had been overtaken by events, declaring the group’s support for Nigerian government’s plan to revive grazing reserves, grazing routes and facilitate ranching in all the states.
But according to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Ondo State, Donald Ojogo, Akeredolu signed the bill into law in his office on Tuesday.
“The move is in line with the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum at its last meeting in Lagos where September 1st was set as the deadline for Governors in Southern Nigeria to sign the Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law.
“This is worthwhile and a very laudable development aimed at stemming needless instances of skirmishes, conflicts as well as infractions on the enviably peaceful disposition of the good people of Ondo State.
“It is very pertinent to aver and indeed, reiterate that the Law shall rather, engender a more cordial, mutually benefiting relationship amongst residents of the State irrespective of ethnicity, religion or creed. For emphasis, no particular group of persons is the target.
“While it is the hope of Government that all residents would take ample advantage of this Law to enhance our socio-economic well-being in Ondo State, compliance of same shall be given the utmost attention. Government shall pursue with vigour, through lawful means, to ensure strict compliance.
“In this regard, details of the new Law shall be made available to the public for proper information, more depth of understanding on contents as well as other relevant areas”, the statement said.
The bill was passed on July 2, 2021, as parts of the efforts to finding solutions to issue if insecurity, cattle rearing as well as grazing of livestock in the state.
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SaharaReporters, New York
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