9th Senate: Fulani herdsmen endorse Sen. Ahmed Lawan

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9th Senate: Fulani herdsmen endorse Sen. Ahmed Lawan

 

Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has endorsed the candidature of Senator Ahmed Lawan as the next Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This was made known in a statement issued on Saturday in Damaturu by the National President of the Association, Khalil Mohammed Bello where he said the endorsement was based on Senator Lawan’s track of records and year’s of serving humanity.

“He (Senator Ahmed Lawan) has a genuine concern for the development of both livestock and arable farming in the country.

“For example in the year 2017, Dr. Ahmed Lawan spent millions of naira in procurement of animal vaccines and freely vaccinated 2 millions head of Cattle in Yobe State and he did same to help arable farmers in Yobe North Senatorial District.

“The free animal vaccination was the first of its kind in Yobe State done by an individual legislator”, the National President explained.

He added that, Senator Lawan has brought many physical developmental projects, such as provision of portable drinking water for both animals and human consumption and in addition to numerous empowerment projects to the people of his district.

According Bello the Association is confident that, as a former renowned Scholar, Senator Ahmed Lawan knew the value of education, hence will help towards formulating and total implementation of beautiful educational policies, that would promote education and bring to an end the intermittent strike in the nation’s Universities and other higher institutions.

“Having come form the Northeast part of the Country, where the esteemed seat of the Senate President is zoned, he knows the security challenges of the area, which are almost the same with that of the Northwest and some parts of the country for which if elected, he would cooperate with the Federal Government to find out immediate solution to it, so that peace and harmony would immediately flourish in our beloved Country.

“We are optimistic, that if he (Senator Lawan) has gotten the seat under reference, he will carry everybody along, so that Nigeria will once again be blessed with having a National Assembly, that will work hard towards solving the problems of security challenges that are hindering the development of our great country”, Bello said.

The President described Senator Ahmed Lawan as a person whose main concern is the development and unity of Nigeria, adding that he would surely create a good working relationship between the two chambers that would accelerate decision making process and execution of those decisions by the Federal Executive Council.

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‘Forget plans for Fulani radio’ – Urhobos tell Buhari

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‘Forget plans for Fulani radio’ – Urhobos tell Buhari

 

The President-General of Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), Olorogun Moses Taiga, has urged the Federal Government to jettison plans to set up a Fulani Radio station.

He said despite the explanation put forward by the government, the timing of the Radio station was wrong.

In a statement issued yesterday, Taiga said the government should rather concentrate on implementing fiscal federalism.

According to him, the UPU appreciates the need to promote the speaking of indigenous languages.

However, he added: “any government effort should either be holistic or each ethnic nationality should be left to preserve its culture and language.

“The selective promotion of the Fulani language has heightened tension among ethnic nationalities in the country and the project should be jettisoned at once.”

He decried the spate of insecurity in the country, urging the government to devote more energy to tackling the problem.

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BREAKING NEWS Taraba Crisis: Ishaku Declares Indefinite Curfew In Taraba

BREAKING NEWS

Taraba Crisis: Ishaku Declares Indefinite Curfew In Taraba

Curfew has been declared in parts of Taraba State where fresh violence broke out between Mambilla militia and Fulani youths.

The state government declared the curfew in Mayo Ndaga in Sardauna Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that during the a security meeting, a riot act was read with a warning that security personnel sent to all parts of Mambilla were combat ready and would restore peace and order and troublemakers would be dealt with.

In Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, Governor Darius Ishaku also chaired a security meeting with police commissioner, Mr. David Akinremi, Director of state security service and the heads of all security agencies in the state.

The senior special Assistant on media affairs to Governor Darius, Mr Bala Dan Abu, confirmed the meeting held but there was no statement issued on the meeting.

The Police Public Relation Officer Taraba State command, ASP David MiSal, did not answer calls made to his phone by our reporter but replied a text message saying “there is calm in the area now.”

Crisis erupted in the area last Wednesday following attacks on Fulani communities in Yarimaru area by suspected militia which later spread to other parts of the Mambilla plateau.

The curfew was slammed on the area as more towns and villages came under attacks in the troubled Sardauna Local Government Area.

The attacks are said to have spread to parts of Mayo Ndaga, Yarimaru,Kakara and Sherif up to towns on the Nigeria Cameroun border.

The chairman of the local government, Mr. Godwin Sol, said as at Yesterday, 29 corpses were recovered while search for many missing persons continued.

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Fulani Herdsmen: Traditional Leader Imprisoned For The Death Of A Herdsman In River State

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Fulani Herdsmen: Traditional Leader Imprisoned For The Death Of A Herdsman In River State
 

The clan head of Ito South in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State, His Royal Highness (HRH) Etinyin Edet Okon Eyet Ebita has been thrown into Afokang prison in Calabar, Cross River State capital.

In a charge sheet, case no MC/160 C/ 2018, the HRH was charged with ten counts bothering on attempted murder of Fulani herdsman in Ekwere Obong, Obot Esu, Ito South clan in Odukpani Local Government Area of the State.

But the counsel to HRH, Ntufam Mba Ukweni, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in a letter to the Commissioner of Police said that his client received a letter dated 14th February 2018 from the Commissioner of Police inviting him (HRH) to his office to answer an allegation of the murder of a Fulani cattle herdsman and he honoured it on the 19th February, 2018.

The incident took place at Ito North Clan of Odukpani local government sometime in November 2017 during an invasion of that clan by some Fulani herdsmen, “It should be noted that Ito North clan is a distinct clan from Ito South clan where our client resides,”the SAN stated.

He further stated that, “The incident did not take place in his clan and he was not involved in whatever took place there. He knew nothing about the alleged murder or whatever might have taken place at Ito North clan…but he facilitated amicable resolution of the cattle herdsmen issues in the area.”

He regretted that informal bail application made by Barr. Bassey I. Inyang, a retired deputy commissioner of Police and the Village heads who accompanied him, including the member representing Odukpani state constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon Bassey Akiba was turned down by Mrs. Evelyn Tami Peterside, the deputy commissioner of Police in charge of state CID.

Consequently, it was gathered that without releasing the suspect on bail, the matter was hurriedly charged to Magistrate Court which Barr. Eyet N. Eyibio told our correspondent has no jurisdiction to hear murder case.

“Sadly, on Monday 26th Feb 2018; he was hurriedly arraigned in Court, Magistrate Court which has no jurisdiction to entertain the murder case. Our clan head was remanded in prison custody; this is a complete desecration of our traditional Institution.

“It cannot happen in the North, no Emir can be imprisoned, we vehemently oppose to this development. HRH Ebita was not in his palace and resides some 8 km away from Mbiabong Ito, the scene of the incident.”

In a statement dated February 28th 2018 and made available to our correspondent, His Highness, Chief Inyang Inyang said ,“In view of the foregoing, the entire Ito people are saddened by the unfolding scenario and want to state here that Fulani herdsmen in connivance with the Police have desecrated our traditional institution.

“By this act, our ancestors are angry with the Fulanis and there are henceforth not permitted to come to any part of Ito community or pass through same for purposes of grazing their herds (cows).

“The Commissioner of Police, Cross River who is a Fulani knows that no category of their chiefs (Emir or District Head) can be so treated in the North without serious reaction from the people. That we are minority and law abiding should not be taken for granted”

At the time of filling this report, His Royal Highness Etinyin Edet Okon Eyet Ebita was still in the Afokang prison while a team of lawyers were battling to secure a bail from the High Court, Calabar for him.

Source DailyPost

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BREAKING NEWS

10 Armed Herdsmen Destroying Farmland Nabbed By The Troops in Benue

Troops deployed to Yelwata under the ongoing Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) have arrested 10 herdsmen destroying farmland at Tse-Tigir and Tse-Ndugh villages of Benue.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said the suspects fled into the bush when they sighted the troops.

“While in the act of destroying the farmland, the herdsmen sighted the aggressive troops and fled into the bush.

“The determined troops pursued and arrest them.

“Items recovered from them are five motorcycles, two machetes, assorted charms and N120,000,” he said.

Chukwu said the suspects and the items were handed over to the Police for investigation.

The spokesman said the Army was determined to fish out criminals and recover weapons they use in killing innocent citizens.

He appealed to the people to cooperate with the troops.

NAN

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Benue Killings: Tiv Leaders Blast Army For Providing Cover To The Armed Herdsmen

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Benue Killings: Tiv Leaders Blast Army For Providing Cover To The Armed Herdsmen

File Photo

Leaders of the Tiv nation on Thursday accused the army of allegedly providing cover for armed herdsmen to take over the land naturally given to them by God.

They also expressed displeasure over the operation of a military exercise code-named “Cat Race” launched in the state by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to restore peace in Benue State communities following attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen.

President of the Mzough U Tiv (MUT), Chief Edward Ujege, in a statement issued to the media in Makurdi, expressed reservations over the emerging trends of the military operation which he said has made the people be apprehensive about the real mission of troops deployed to the state.

Chief Ujege disclosed that since the flag off of the exercise, the military has been circulating pamphlets through its Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Army Headquarters which “confirmed that the military had come to provide cover for armed Fulani herdsmen to take over the land of the people.”

The translation on the pamphlets, Chief Ujege emphasized, portrayed a purported dialogue between the Fulani herdsmen and Benue farmers on their alleged resolution to shift grounds on both farming and cattle grazing activities in the state.

Part of the translation of the pamphlets reads:

Tiv farmer: I’m your brother and a farmer; my farm produce is just as important as your cattle.

Fulani herder: I will no longer destroy your farm produce and longer kill your people. You are my brother, we should live in peace.

Tiv farmer: I too will no longer rustle or kill your cattle. You are my brother, let us live in peace.

Ujege said it was clear from the flyer that the military has acknowledged that the Fulani herdsmen are responsible for the large-scale massacre and massive destruction in of farm crops in the state.

He regretted that instead of addressing issues of justice, reparation and compensation, the federal government is compelling people of the state to accommodate the perpetrators of the heinous atrocities.

“Moreover, there is no reference to the Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment of Ranches Law 2017, which addresses the fundamental issues of making both the farmers and the herders coexist in peace. The military is not only silent on the law but has encouraged open grazing with all its concomitant consequences. This silence on the law points to the fact that they are not in its support and are not ready to ensure its enforcement”.

But the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Major Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, in a swift reaction, countered the position of the Tiv leader saying “Operation Cat-race is not in support of any group”.

The Army spokesman, Major Ayeni said the role of the army in the crisis is to ensure the return of enduring peace in sacked communities and safe return of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.

“All that the army needs to do here is to ensure that no Benue resident is killed or displaced from their homes, that is all we are doing. We want to ensure peaceful coexistence among the herders and farmers. We are not saying the Fulani herdsmen should not obey the anti-open grazing law enacted by the Benue State government.

“Let me inform you that we had arrested a Fulani herdsman yesterday and two others that wanted to attack Governor Ortom’s farm in Guma and with all these successes you should know that Operation Ayem A Kpatuma is not in support of any group and is not in the pursuit or criticising any group.”

“Our role is to make sure that Benue State is peaceful and one of the ways we are going about it is for the herders to know that either a Tiv man or an Idoma man or Igede man is a Nigerian like him and a herder who is not violent now is their brother.

“However in the course of the military exercise if we find a violent herdsman that want to kill or displace any person in Benue State, we get him arrested and that is why we arrested two people two weeks ago, and arrested another one for preventing the Tiv people from been peaceful in their own environment.

“So the way and manner we go in achieving a peaceful environment in Benue State especially in Guma and Logo local government areas of the state and Katsina-Ala local government is by using this psychological method to test these people that we are friends, don’t fight or pursue the other because we are one family. But however, if you saw anyone who want to kill you, report and we will get that person arrested and deal with him according to the law”, said Major Ayeni.

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The Mastermind Of Benue Attacks & Leader Of Killer Herdsmen arrested: see his face (Photo)

One of the suppliers of the weapons used in perpetrating violence in the restive middlebelt region has been apprehended and paraded by security operatives.

Alhaji Laggi

According to reports, the 40-year-old leader of the killer herdsmen said to be responsible for the attacks in Benue has been arrested.

Alhaji Laggi who is said to be the mastermind of the Fulani herdsmen responsible for the attacks in Benue State – was apprehended following strict orders by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to his Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

The suspect was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by ACP Abba Kyari at the Tunga Forrest in Nasarawa State.

Details coming soon....

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