TheNewsGuru

Tag: Fulani Herdsmen

  • JUST IN: Obaseki places 90-day total ban on grazing

    JUST IN: Obaseki places 90-day total ban on grazing

    As an interim measure to forestall further killings and destruction of property, Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has placed a 90- day total ban on grazing in Odighi, Odiguetue communities and environs.

    Obaseki announced the ban during a meeting with members of Odighi, Owan and Odigwuetue communities at the palace of the Enogie of Odighi Community in Ovia North East Local Government Council of the state.

    The governor said the ban became necessary to stop further killings as the duty of his administration is to protect lives and property of the people of the state.

    “We have set up a special taskforce made up of the Army, Police, State Security Service, hunters and vigilante groups to comb the bushes and dislodge squatter camps of killer herdsmen and ensure no grazing takes place in Odighi, Odiguetue communities and environs”.

    He added that within two weeks, the taskforce will go round the affected communities to get information that will help dislodge the criminals who pose as herdsmen in the forest.

    Obaseki noted that “before now fulani herdsmen were known for carrying sticks around to control their cattle” and lamented that “today some of them have become criminals.”

    He said there is need to separate herdsmen from cattle rustlers who steal cattle, invade farms, rape and kill people, and assured that efforts are being made to identify the real herdsmen in the state.

    Obaseki said his administration is set to scale up agricultural activities in Odighi Community which was once known as the food basket of the state, and pledged to fix the water system in the area and re-construct the old roads in the community to open up the area for development.

    “We have taken the designs of the old roads in these areas and in two weeks’ time we will start the re-construction of the roads. Tomorrow, government officials will be here to check the water system in the communities and fix it so that the people will have access to potable water.

    A resident of Odighi Community, Uyiosa Okundia, said the people lived together peacefully with herdsmen until they started invading their farms with their cattle and eating their crops, killing their men and raping their women.

    Ebohon Pius from Odigwuetue community said the only source of water in the community has been taken over by herdsmen as they now buy water and food to feed their family because they cannot farm anymore.

    “We now have kidnappers, robbers and criminals in our community who operate under the cover of herdsmen”.

    Earlier, the governor worshiped at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church Odighi, where he assured the vicar of the church Rev. Canon David Obakozuwa-Edokpolor, the members and people of the community of the readiness of his administration to restore order and peace in the communities.

     

  • Dapchi Christian girl: Archbishop of Canterbury offers to contribute to negotiations

    After weeks Dapchi Christian girl, Leah Sharibu, has remained in lone captivity, and as Nigeria continues to battle Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen menaces, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has repeated his offer to contribute towards peace negotiations in the country.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury, following his January’s tweet, reiterated his offer to contribute towards any peace negotiations while fielding questions on the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria put to the British government in the House of Lords on Monday.

    “I once again exhort President Muhammadu Buhari and other authorities, civil and religious, national and international, urgently to build a coalition to end this violence immediately.

    “In communications earlier this year with the Primate of All Nigeria, His Grace Nicholas Okoh, I offered to contribute towards such effort to the extent such might be useful. I repeat that offer again, knowing, however, that within Nigeria are all the skills needed for resolution of the suffering of the people.

    “My condolences go to those who have lost loved ones and property. I urge the authorities to seek for ways to ameliorate their sufferings and losses. I call on all people of goodwill to continue to pray for the peace of Nigeria,” Archbishop Justin said.

    TheNewsGuru reports President Buhari had assured the parent of the lone girl in Boko Haram’s captivity and the entire Dapchi community that he won’t abandon her because of her bravery not denounce her religion.

    However, weeks after, Leah Sharibu is still in captivity; even after the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, confirmed that the Boko Haram terrorists were set to release her.

    Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had called on all churches and Christians to use the occasion of Easter to offer prayers to God for Leah Sharibu’s freedom and safe return.

    Others, including the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, have appealed for the safe return of Leah Sharibu.

     

  • APC sponsoring Fulani herdsmen to kill innocent Nigerians – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, on Monday, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring Fulani herdsmen to murder innocent Nigerians.

    Secondus while speaking at the headquarters of the party in Umuahia, Abia State, also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure free, fair and credible election in 2019.

    He warned that Nigerians would resist any attempt by INEC to rig the elections in favour of the APC.

    Secondus, who was on a three-day working visit to the state, said the “PDP is on a mission to recover the land from the APC.”

    He said: “APC government has collapsed. They must be held responsible for the killings in various parts of the country. APC government has empowered the Fulani’s with the power to kill.

    “They (APC) must be blamed for the mismanagement of the country’s economy. There is hunger in the land. They (APC) are broken bottle and should brace up and get ready to leave because Nigerians are tired of playing politics with the killing of innocent Nigerians and hunger which they inflicted on Nigerians.

    “The APC government has run down the economy of the country. They can no longer protect the lives and property of Nigerians. They have run down the National Assembly that is why Nigerians are yearning for PDP to come and take over power from the APC.

    We are moving gradually, but working to rescue the nation from the mess that APC has thrown it into. We are not going to allow the APC to rig election in 2019. That is why we are saying that the best gift Buhari will give Nigerians is to conduct a free, fair and credible election, after which Buhari will retire to his house honourably because we know that Nigerians have seen that the APC has failed abysmally”.

  • Come settle in Kano to avoid constant clashes with farmers, Ganduje begs Fulani herdsmen

    Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has reached out to Fulani herdsmen across the country to come establish their cattle ranches in the state to avoid constant clashes with native farmers.

    The governor made the call on Sunday in Kano.

    He noted that the recent killings linked to the farmers-herders crisis were unwarranted especially since Kano has a wide expanse of land, including dedicated grazing reserves, that remained largely underutilised.

    “I am inviting herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria to relocate to Kano because we have enough facilities to accommodate them,” Mr. Ganduje said at an event held to vaccinate over one million cattle and other small animals in Garum Malam Local Government Area Sunday afternoon.

    “We have grazing lands in Rogo, Gaya, Kura, Tudun Wada, Ungogo and other reserved places where facilities are in place to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle.”

    Mr. Ganduje’s call came amidst widening conflict over open grazing of livestock in agrarian settlements across the country.

    Attacks and reprisals between herdsmen and farmers have left thousands dead within the last five years.

    While most of the attacks are concentrated in the north-central, killings linked to herdsmen have been recorded as far as the South -South state of Delta.

    In response to the confrontations, three states —Benue, Taraba and Ekiti— have passed their respective laws which specifically restricted open grazing of livestock and other activities by herdsmen. Several other southern states are currently mulling similar statutes to curb operations of herdsmen.

    Mr. Ganduje said while it is rare to find a Fulani herder of Kano origin in other states, it had become a priority for his administration to ensure that Fulani, notwithstanding their origin, do not face stigmatisation or outright rejection on the basis of their nomadic exploits.

    “These killings must stop,” Mr. Ganduje stated. “We cannot afford to continue to witness these senseless killings in the name of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash over lack of grazing land while we have a place like the Falgore Game Reserve underutilised.”

    The governor said the Falgore Game Reserve, spanning over three local government areas in Kano State, “can take care of millions of herdsmen and their cattle in Nigeria.” Kano State is about 20,000 square kilometres in size.

    “The place has been designed to contain schools, human and animal clinics, markets, recreational centres and other social amenities that can give the herdsmen enough comfort to take care of their animals and do their business without hindrance,” he said, adding that Kano State would partner with the federal government to modernise grazing.

    But the governor’s generous proposal was not immediately acceptable to the leadership of the herders association.

    Ubi Haruna, chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Benue State on Sunday evening that the governor might have sounded nice, but his suggestion was impractical.

    “There are Tiv also in Kano, Niger, Kogi and other states, are they going to return to Benue?” Mr. Haruna said by telephone. “We appreciate the governor’s concern, but we’re not going to leave Benue or anywhere in the north-central because of the bad laws they are putting in place.”

    “Our problems in Benue State include the anti-open grazing law and the livestock guards who are harassing and attacking Fulani and their livestock,” he added. “But the problems would soon be resolved.”

    Mr. Ganduje said his administration had sponsored more than 60 herdsmen to Europe where they received training on modern ranching of cattle.

    The need to adopt modern animal husbandry techniques to end the roaming of herdsmen and their livestock has grown popular amongst political and economic commentators in the wake of the recent attacks across the country.

    Several states, including Kogi and Kaduna, have embraced a proposal by the Buhari administration for the establishment of cattle colonies across the country, although many states in the south are still largely apprehensive about the idea.

  • Fulani herdsmen will lord over states that accept cattle colonies – Omokri

    Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has opined that states that approved cattle colony proposed by federal government will face dire consequences of their decision.

    Omokri on Saturday revealed that Fulani herdsmen will keep requesting for more piece of land once cattle colony is approved.

    According to him, this will lead to increase in population of herdsmen.

    He tweeted, “Here is what will happen to any state that allows cattle colonies. They will take the land you give them. They will increase in population. They will appoint a king. They will ask for more land. You will say no. Then at that point you will know the real meaning of the word colony.”

    So far, Sixteen Nigerian states have agreed to establishcattle colonies proposed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh as a solution to the incessant herdsmen crisis.

    It was gathered that the 16 states, all in the North, have volunteered land for the establishment of cattle colonies in their domain while all the 17 states of Southern Nigeria have refused to volunteer land for colonies.

  • 2019: Buhari lacks intellectual capacity to lead Nigeria – Na’abba I TNGtv

  • Herdsmen attacks pose threat to Urhobo, Nigeria corporate existence – Movement

    Herdsmen attacks pose threat to Urhobo, Nigeria corporate existence – Movement

    The Urhobo Renaissance Movement (URM) has said incessant attacks by Fulani herdsmen across the country pose a threat to national unity and capable of wiping out the Urhobo people from existence if the excesses and the spate of killings are not contained with immediate effect.

    The movement, comprising high-flying professionals (Urhobo sons and daughters) at home and abroad, finds it repugnant and disheartening that the Fulani herdsmen who had previously carried out their grazing peacefully have suddenly become agents of widespread destruction.

    In a press statement signed by Professor Hope Eghagha, AVM Frank Ajobena, Professor Joseph Abugu, Dr (Mrs) Cassidy, and Mr. Lexzy Ochibejivwie, the movement said the criminal silence cum apathy of security agencies to the crime is “shocking, to say the least”.

    “The Urhobo are largely agrarian people. Destroying their farmlands is tantamount to destroying the economic life of the people.

    “The impunity with which they destroy farmlands and rape and kill poor innocent villagers in Urhoboland and across the country is alarming. It is a threat to the survival of the Urhobo nation,” the statement read.

    The movement called on the FG to take immediate action to stop the Fulani herdsmen from further exterminating lives and destroying farmlands, stressing that “Their acts have become a threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria”.

    “The legislator representing Ethiope East (the area where the herdsmen have unleashed a high degree of terror) in the Delta State House Assembly has drawn the attention of the State and security officials to this brigandage.

    “At the time of issuing this statement, the acts of terror have not abated. If anything, the brigandage has assumed a higher and frightening dimension.

    “We call on the Federal Government to take immediate action to stop these marauders from further exterminating lives and destroying farmlands,” the statement read.

    Meanwhile, URM has unequivocally condemned in totality hate speeches emanating from various section of the country.

    “No individual or ethnic group has the right to heat up the polity with speeches that promote hatred and bigotry.

    “The Nigeria-Biafra Civil war from 1967-1970 clearly showed that violence is not the solution to ethnic differences. Religion is a private matter. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

    “It is our view that all such hate promoters be dealt with according to the laws of the land,” URM stated.

     

  • Why we did not declare Fulani herdsmen as terrorist organisation – FG

    …says it is ‘unfortunate’ that US did not see IPOB as terrorist organisation

    The Federal Government has defended why it did not declare Fulani herdsmen as terrorist organization in the country.

    This was revealed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed during an interview on BBC Focus Africa on Wednesday.

    When the minister was asked why more violent groups like armed herdsmen who have killed hundreds of people across Nigeria were not declared terrorists, the minister said: “I think acts of terrorism should not be confused with terrorist acts,” the minister replied. “I just told you that when an organisation decides to set up its own parallel government; when an organisation openly solicits for arms all over the world; when an organisation has issued out its own passport and its own currency and there’s nothing wrong, … then it becomes a different thing.”

    The Minister also described as “unfortunate” the fact that the U.S. does not see the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, as a terrorist organisation.

    “That’s very unfortunate,” the minister said. “Because if countries decide to pick and choose which organisations are terrorists and which are not bearing in mind that terrorism has no boundaries, I think what we should do is, every country should work together to ensure that terrorism does not strive.”

    According to Mohammed, the act and utterances of IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, were acts of terrorists.

    ‘’The acts and utterances of IPOB were acts and utterances of terrorists. For instance Nnamdi Kanu was caught on tape saying that they want Biafra and not peacefully but by force and that if they don’t get Biafra, Somalia will be a paradise with the kind of mayhem,’’ he said.

    Responding to a question on how a man without a weapon can be proclaimed a terrorist, the minister said: ‘’This is also the same man who opens a safe for arms and the same man who set up his own Biafra national gathering, his own Biafra secret service and the same man who actually attacked army formations’’.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the federal government recently labelled IPOB a terrorist organisation after securing a court order following clashes between the group and security agencies.

    The presenter queried further, ‘’Do you worry that IPOB can be driven underground, become a militarised militant because you declared them a terrorist organisation?”

    Responding, Mohammed said, “Nigeria is so fragile that if we allow this kind of thing to go on and there are reprisal attacks on other parts of the country, the whole country will be endangered.”

     

  • Gov Okowa calls on FG to formulate policy to check herdsmen menace

    Gov Okowa calls on FG to formulate policy to check herdsmen menace

    Troubled by incessant attacks by Fulani Herdsmen, Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, introduce policies to curb the menace.

    The Governor made the call during the 25th coronation anniversary of the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, HRM Wilson Oharisi III at the weekend.

    While noting that the menace of Fulani herdsmen was not restricted to Delta State, the Governor said, “Fulani herdsmen menace is a national challenge, it has become something that is affecting all the states in the federation”.

    “The Federal Government should have a policy direction for us to live in peace with the Fulani herdsmen,” he said, asserting, “I do hope that there will be policy direction to reduce the clashes”.

    Governor Okowa at the occasion, commended traditional rulers in the state for ensuring peace in their kingdoms..

    “If all the Kingdoms are peaceful, the state will be peaceful and I want to state that I am proud of our traditional rulers because, they are working in one accord,” he said.

    The ceremony which was well attended by people of all walks of life took place at Ughelli, Ughelli North local government area of Delta State.

  • Police parades 17 suspected Fulani herdsmen over Southern Kaduna killings

    Police parades 17 suspected Fulani herdsmen over Southern Kaduna killings

    The Police at Force headquarters on Wednesday paraded 17 suspects arrested in connection with the violence in Kafanchan and environs in Southern Kaduna which has claimed the lives of many persons and led to destruction of property.

    The 17 suspects according to the Force Public relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood were arrested for inciting public disturbance, disturbance of public peace, causing mischief by fire, culpable homicide, theft and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.

    Explaining how the suspects were arrested, CSP Moshood said, “Concerned by the recent unfortunate sectarian crisis in Kafanchan and neighbouring communities in Kaduna state where so many lives were lost and properties worth millions of naira destroyed, and the need to put a final stop to the crisis, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris constituted a Joint Tactical Operations Squad.

    “The Squad known as Operation Harmony comprised the Police Mobile Squad, Counter Terrorism Unit, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Intelligence Response Team, SIB, Explosive Ordinance Department, IGP Monitoring Unit, Police K9 (Sniffer Dog Section), Police Air Wing and Police Medical Team with headquarters in Kafanchan.

    Suspects in Southern Kaduna killings “The Operation recorded remarkable achievements in tackling the crisis and preventing further disturbance of public peace across Southern Kaduna. [

    The suspects made up of both Fulani herdsmen and Natives of Southern Kaduna include Nelson Paul, the arms supplier to the suspects; Bulus Jatau, Magaji Shuaibu, Danlami Yakubu, Idris Bello, Danjuma Barde, Goma Adamu, Samuel Joshua, and Abdulkareem Abdul. Others are Haruna Ilyasu, Hassan Idris, Adamu Haruna, Adamu Umar, Suleiman Saleh, Abubakar Muhammadu, and Muhammadu Jori.

    The Force PRO gave a breakdown of arms and ammunition recovered from the suspects saying, “A total number of 29 assorted firearms and ammunition were recovered from their possession.

    “All the suspects will be charged to court on completion of investigation for inciting public disturbance, disturbance of public peace, causing mischief by fire, culpable homicide, theft and unlawful possession of arms” Moshood said.

    Responding to questions, the FPRO said more suspects will soon be arrested noting that investigations was still going on concerning individual and collective roles played in the crisis.

    He assured the people and communities of Southern Kaduna of the resolve of the IGP to ensure adequate security and protection of lives and property while enjoining them to be law abiding and give peace a chance to prevail and cooperate with the police personnel deployed in their localities.

    When asked how he got the guns he sold to the other suspects, Nelson Paul said he got them from Plateau State adding that he sold each of the guns which included 3 AK 47 Rifles, between N30, 000 and N40, 000.