TheNewsGuru

Tag: Killings

  • Benue, Rivers massacres: Presidency slams critics, says Buhari not in support of killings

    The Presidency on Tuesday warned critics attributing the recent killings in Benue and some other parts of the country to President Muhammadu Buhari’s support to desist as the president is always committed to the safety of lives and properties of Nigerians irrespective of religion or region.

    Several concerned citizens and stakeholders have accused the president of complacency in the killings that have cost hundreds of lives in the last two years.

    This was revealed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

    Shehu noted that the president was “conscious of his duty to Nigerians, not least because he is held accountable for everything that goes wrong”.

    “He deeply sympathizes with the families and all the other direct and indirect victims of this violence. He is determined to bring it to a permanent end,” the statement said.

    Read the full statement:

    To find short term and long term solutions to frequent conflicts between farmers and cattle rearers, the Presidency is coming up with a conference of stakeholders on infrastructural and agricultural development to put in place a plan for immediate relief and long term plan for the expansion of agriculture in the country.

    The conference will tap into experiences and best practices to draw up a planned development 20-30 years ahead based on population and development projections and will take into consideration environmental impacts.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been concerned about these conflicts each time he received those very gruesome pictures of mayhem from several parts of the country, especially as it affected Benue and neighbouring states. He is equally worried about some public pronouncements and finger-pointing that are, in most cases very unhelpful to peaceful coexistence of our diverse peoples.

    The President is conscious of his duty to Nigerians, not least because he is held accountable for everything that goes wrong. He deeply sympathizes with the families and all the other direct and indirect victims of this violence. He is determined to bring it to a permanent end.

    While there are many Nigerians who see the conflict between the nomadic herdsmen and peasant farmers as an ethnic problem, others point to religious differences and agenda. The President does not subscribe to such simplistic reductionism.

    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. When Nigeria attained independence, the population of the country was estimated at about 63,000,000. Today the population is estimated at close to 200,000,000; 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.

    It is therefore both unfair and unkind, for anyone to keep insinuating that the President is condoning the spate of killings in Benue and other neighboring States.

    President Buhari has publicly condemned the violence at every turn. He is prepared to permit every possible step that can lead to the stoppage of the killings. It is on account of this he brushed aside an opinion that the federal government should challenge the constitutionality of the anti-open grazing bill. He wanted to give a chance to the State government to succeed in stopping the senseless killings.

    It will be recalled that as he did in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria, which required sustained action from the government before it was finally curtailed, President Buhari gave the relevant mandates to the country’s security agencies to put a stop to the Benue killings.

    The killings must stop and the security agencies have the President’s support to do this as quickly as possible.

    Whipping up hate may captivate the public and score political points on social media, but it will not bring an end to the crisis. Let every stakeholder instead sit down with the government and security forces and carry everyone along in finding an all-embracing solution.

    As a father, a military General and a statesman, President Buhari has maintained lasting relationships with Nigerians, Muslims and Christians among every ethnic group. It is also a known fact that the young people who trek the whole distance of thousands of kilometers tending the cattle do not own the cattle. In fact many of the cattle are not owned by Fulanis or Muslims. The point is that it is too simplistic to see the conflict as ethnic or religious.

    The President seeks the support and cooperation of all citizens and the media in particular, to join hands with his administration to find permanent solutions and not to aggravate or escalate tensions in all conflict areas of the country.

     

  • Your insensitivity to peoples’ plights caused killings in Benue, Rivers, others – PDP tells Buhari, APC

    The National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being insensitive to the security of lives and properties in the country.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the party spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan.

    The party described the massacre of defenseless Nigerians in the three states as extremely wicked.

    The opposition party further lamented what it termed the insensitivity of the APC Presidency, which it said, reacted to the ugly incidents only after the PDP and well-meaning Nigerians called them to task.

    The PDP also called on the Presidency to do some soul-searching with regards to its silence and loud indifference whenever citizens fall under such horrifying attacks.

    “What a way to start the New Year? The sheer insensitivity of the APC Government has continued to cause our nation a lot of pain and sorrow.

    “Is it not only a careless and inept leadership like the APC government that will ignore the danger signs in any part of the country and leave its citizens defenseless, just to be massacred by marauders?

    “If the APC Federal Government had effectively acted upon the danger signs and had provided adequate security in flash points across the country, particularly in Benue state, north central and Southern Kaduna area, this massacre of Nigerians, who were already impoverished by the APC’s misrule, could have been prevented.

    “Is it not a tragic trajectory of governance that while the APC Presidency was busy basking in its orchestrated New Year self-praise and empty promises, bandits were having a field day mowing down citizens in cold blood?

    “Is it not also an irony that when the government was prompted to react to the spate of killings, all its officials could do was to respond in manners most indifferent, nearly unconcerned and almost without compassion?

    “Indeed, the PDP aligns with Nigerians that the APC and the Presidency should have a serious soul searching on their clear indifference towards the persistent killings and maiming of citizens by bandits who constantly invade communities, slaughter the people and walk away with blood of our compatriots in their hands”.

    The party urged the government to show commitment by ensuring that the perpetrators of these killings were brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law.

    It also urged the military and other security agencies to leave no stone unturned in the fishing out the perpetrators.

    “Nigeria belongs to all of us; every citizen has a right to life and no man should take the life of another for any reason or under any guise whatsoever,” the statement added.

  • Police arrest eight in connection with Benue killings

    The Benue State Police Command says it has arrested eight herdsmen in connection with the recent attacks on some communities in the state.

    Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Moses Yamu, made the announcement in a statement signed by him, a copy of which was obtained by Channels Television on Wednesday.

    He said the suspects were arrested in two local government areas of the state following a gun battle with the police.

    “The Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama, called for calm, as eight herdsmen – six in Guma and two in Logo (LGAs) – had been arrested in connection with the attacks,” he said.

    The statement comes less than three days after at least 33 people were said to have been killed by suspected herdsmen in the last four days.

    The state governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, had condemned the killings and called for proactive measures to tackle the incident while youths in the state have called on the Federal Government to intervene in the matter.

    Police, on their part, said proper additional deployments have been made to the troubled area and its environs for monitoring to calm the tension of the people.

    They said measures have also been put in place to forestall further occurrence and to restore confidence in the minds of the people, adding that the situation has been brought under control while investigation continues.

    Giving a brief on the attacks, the Command’s spokesman said: “The Benue State Police Command has recorded attacks on Tomater village in Sengev council ward; Akor village in Nzorov council ward; and Bakin Kwata village in Umanger council ward of Guma LGA by suspected herdsmen, where a total of 17 persons, including seven members of Benue State Livestock Guards were killed, their vehicle burnt and an uncertain number of persons injured in separate attacks between 31/12/2017 and 02/01/2018.”

    “Again, Agba-Uko near Azege village and Tse-Aga village of Logo LGA experienced the same fate where one person was killed, one motorcycle burnt, and four persons injured. All the injured from both LGAs are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the state.

    “The Command acted promptly by deploying five combined teams of mobile and conventional Policemen to the scene in Guma, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP Emmanuel Adesina, and engaged the armed herdsmen in a gun duel, forcing them to retreat,” he added.

  • Buhari condemns Kaduna, Rivers killings; urges peaceful coexistence

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday expressed shock and outrage at reports of killings of innocent persons in Omoku, Rivers State; and murders of the traditional ruler, the Etum Numana, Dr. Gambo Makama, and his wife in Sango Local Government Area of Kaduna State in the New Year.

    In a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, the President described the incidents as “reprehensible and unacceptable.”

    He directed law enforcement agencies in both states to intensify their current efforts in order to speedily bring the perpetrators to face the wrath of the law.

    “I have always maintained that nothing justifies the taking of the life of an innocent person.

    “People in our communities must learn to live peacefully,” he said.

    Buhari appealed to the communities affected not to embark on reprisal attacks, but to allow security agencies to carry out comprehensive investigations to properly punish the culprits.

    He commiserated with the families of the victims and wished the injured faster recovery.

  • Killings, communal crisis persistent in North because govt failed to implement our recommendations – Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad III, has attributed incessant killings and other crisis particularly in the Northeast, to government’s failure at both the local, state and federal levels to implement several recommendations of the traditional rulers.

    The monarch, who spoke on Monday in Kaduna State, at a meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, said issues affecting the people, good governance and justice to all would be discussed.

    He said: “I am the leader of Fulani in this country, and in the West African sub-region. I live with so many people and I know their problems, and I will never call on any Fulani to pick up arms to kill anybody.

    “I have said it severally, those killing are criminals, and whoever you are, whether Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba or Fulani, you have no right to take up arms and kill anybody.

    “If you see such things happening, then there must be a failure of government, but if the government wakes up to its responsibility, some of these things will not happen.

    “As usual, we will discuss issues affecting the country, and at the end of the meeting, a communiqué will be issued and sent to our political leaders to see if they will implement any of our recommendations.

    “We don’t have the power to force anybody to implement anything. As royal fathers and religious leaders, we can only recommend certain things and advise because leadership is not a monopoly of one individual, group or society; it’s a responsibility for all, both the lead and the leader. And people must listen to those leading so that we all can be on the same page as we struggle to build our Nigeria where no man is oppressed.

    “I want our brothers from the South to tell us things they are not comfortable with, which are being done here, because all of you here are representatives of your various communities living with us.

    “Tell us what you think we should do to make life better for everybody, and we will tell you too what to do to make life better for our people living with you, because we are a great family and we will continue to extend that hand of love to everybody, irrespective of tribe or religion or political lineage”

    “We keep on calling on everyone to maintain peace and allow the constituted authority take up this issues. We will continue to pressurise them, untill they find solution to this dastardly act.

    “We will talk about issues affecting our women and youth – drug abuse – it has been there and getting out of hand, we will discuss this during the meeting to see how we can assist the authorities on how to bring this to the minimum level.

    “Drug abuse by women and youth is a very serious issue, we will discuss that and other insecurity issues affecting this country.

    “We will also discuss issue concerning the IDPs, because I was told there is about 50,000 orphans in each camp. If we allow those children to grow up in IDP camps, without knowing their parents, then we have a big problem in our hands.

    “We will know how we can take some of them as our own children. We have started doing that, we have taken 150 children, and we will educate them to highest level.”

     

  • I’m not into drugs, know nothing about Ozubulu’s killings – Suspect, Aloysius Ikegwuonwu

    The man mentioned as a suspect in the massacre of worshipers in St Patrick Catholic church, Ozubulu, Anambra State, Aloysius Ikegwuonwu better known as Bishop has reacted to allegations that he is a drug lord.

    Bishop, who is based in South Africa and was reportedly the target of the attack, which also claimed the life of his father, said he, knows nothing about the killing.

    In a statement he personally signed and made available to reporters, Bishop, who is said to have single handedly funded the Ozubulu church, said he has never been arrested or convicted for any drug related offence before.

    His statement said, “My attention has been drawn to a social media campaign where it is alleged that I am connected to the Ozubulu church killing over a drug problem.

    “For the avoidance of any doubt I wish to inform the general public that I know nothing about the church killings an

    “I have never been arrested or convicted anywhere in the world. My businesses are legitimate businesses, duly registered. Apart from warehousing and wholesale of goods I am also a contractor involved in the construction of roads and infrastructure in Nigeria.

    “It’s shameful that Nigerians and the media don’t verify any story before running with them.

    “The handwork of those who are jealous of my success and who are determined to tarnish my image is evident.

    “The Church killings is an unprecedented evil that deserves full investigation to unmask the perpetrators.

    “We await investigations and full police report of the church attack.

    “In the meantime I request all social media and media houses to retract my name from the defamatory stories linking me with the church killing.

    “Failure to do so and any further linking of my name with the church killings will force me to take legal action against the purveyors of the defamatory false story.”

  • Anambra Church Killings: President Buhari calls Obiano

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night made a telephone call to Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra to commiserate with him and people of the State over the Anambra Church killings.

    The Sunday early morning killings on St. Philip Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra had claimed the lives of 11 worshippers and 18 others injured.

    Buhari had earlier in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Malam Garba Shehu condemned the attack, describing the incident as “an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege”.

    In the statement, the President said that “there was no justification whatsoever to target Church worshippers and kill them in cold blood.’’

    He expressed his deep sympathy with the families of the victims, the Anambra Church leadership and the government of Anambra.

    However, barely two hours after the release of the President’s statement on the incident, Shehu also confirmed that the President had a telephone conversation with Gov. Obiano where he commiserated with him, families of the victims as well as the people of the state.

    He said: “The President has just finished speaking to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, in the course of which he commiserated with him, the famines of the victims and the citizens of the state over the tragic shooting incident this morning.’’

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Gov. Obiano was quoted as saying that the Ozubulu killings was a result of a dispute between two sons of the area and vowed that all those behind the act would be apprehended.

    The Commissioner of Police in charge of Anambra, Mr Garba Umar, also in an interview with newsmen in Awka on Sunday, revealed that the police had launched a manhunt on those behind the incident and gave an assurance that everybody behind the act would be brought to justice.

  • APC condemns Anambra Church Killings

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) commiserated with the Catholic Church in Nigeria, the government and people of Anambra State over the attack on St. Phillips Catholic Church in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, which led to the death of scores of worshipers.

    The party in a statement condemned the barbarism displayed by the callous attackers who gunned down defenceless people while they worshiped.

    It called on security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are promptly apprehended and brought to justice.

    The Party also called on security agents in Anambra as well as other parts of the country to provide adequate security in places of worship to forestall a repeat of this unfortunate incident.

  • Anambra church gun attack: Here is all you need to know

    There has been a distortion in the reports on the identity of the actual killer, [gunman] or killers [gunmen] of eight worshippers on Sunday at St. Philip Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Anambra state.

    When the first wave of news reports on incident hit the internet space, over four hours ago [12:00 pm], most news media at the time, erroneously reported that the attack was perpetrated by some unknown gunmen.

    However, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar on Sunday confirmed that it is only one gunman that carried out the killings.

    Also, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who reacted to the Anambra Church killings in a video shared by his supporters on Facebook led a whole lot of netizens confused about the ethnic background of the gunman, by blaming the Hausa, Fulani as being the mastermind of the incident.

    In the video, enraged Kanu said Igbos are tired of the so many killings which he blamed on the current structure of the country that placed ‘Biafra’ under the Nigerian government.

    Watch the video: ‘We are tired of being killed by Hausa,Fulani’ – Nnamdi Kanu

    On the contrary, Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, while quoting an intelligence report gathered by the state linked the shooting to an existing feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.

    Accordingly, the report of the state’s commissioner of police, Garba corroborated with Governor Obiano’s account, which both debunks the Nnamdi Kanu speculation of a possible invasion.

    Garba said, “From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried the attack must be an indigene of the area.“We gathered that worshippers for 6 o’clock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when a gunman dressed in black attire covering his face with a cap entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

    “The man after shooting at his targeted victims still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers,’’ he said.

    The commissioner said information available to police showed that the attacker was speaking undiluted Igbo Language at the time he was firing at worshippers.

    Parish priest, choir member speak

    The Parish Priest of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said that the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m. during a Holy Mass celebration.

    According to the priest, an unidentified man came into the Church, shot at a man, Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

    An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said that the church was dark as there was no light.

    She said that the generating set suddenly developed fault; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.

    According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.

    Why the shootings?

    There are strong speculations that the gun attack is motivated by drug deals gone wrong.

    Recall that the Obiano gave a hint, saying the killings were as a result of a feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu who are living abroad.

     

     

     

     

  • Anambra Church killings: “Sacrilegious, totally unacceptable” – Gov Obiano

    To ascertain the level of damage and sympathize with his people, Anambra State Governor Obiano has visited St Philip’s Catholic Church, where eight worshippers killed in the State.

    Speaking at the Church premises, the governor revealed that preliminary security investigations show that the shooting was caused by a feud between two brothers from the community living outside Nigeria

    This is sacrilegious, totally unacceptable in Anambra State,” Obiano said.

    The deeply saddened governor asked the people to go about their businesses without fear or panic noting that this isolated case must be followed to the root and all perpetrators must be brought to book.

    “We can’t allow this happen in Anambra, we must get everyone involved to face the music” the governor declared.
    Gov Obiano also visited Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi where the injured are being treated.

    Thanking over 50 doctors who were on ground looking after the injured, the governor assured their families that all medical bills will be taken care of by the State Government.