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Presidency Tackles Akeredolu Over Herdsmen Ban In Ondo
The Presidency on Tuesday tackled the Ondo State Governor’s directive to ban herdsmen in all forest reserves in Ondo state.
ALSO READ: Governor Akeredolu orders herdsmen to vacate Ondo forest reserves
Earlier, the Secretary General of the Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Usman Baba-Ngelzerma, said that the association had not been formally informed.
In a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President called for restraint on the side of the state government and the Fulani communities.
In the statement titled, ‘In tackling crime, Ondo State Government will not act outside the constitution,’ the Presidency also called on both sides to continue their dialogue.
The statement reads partly, “Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals.
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“If this were to be the case, rights groups will be right in expressing worries that the action could set off a chain of events which the makers of our constitution foresaw and tried to guard against.
“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.
“We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.
“The President, who swore to defend the constitution has spoken against the Indigenous People of Biafra in asking citizens of Northern origin to leave; he did not spare the group based in Sokoto, ‘Muslim Solidarity Forum,’ which asked the Bishop of Sokoto to leave and is prepared to do all that the law permits to protect citizens all over the country in their choice of where they wished to reside and are treated as equal citizens.”
In a swift reaction, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, said the Presidency statement had stated “unambiguously, the position of the Federal Government.
“The Ondo State Government did not ask Fulani to leave the state. The governor said herdsmen who are unregistered should leave our forests. The statement from Garba Shehu is brazen display of emotional attachments and it’s very inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria. We need clearly defined actions on the part of the Federal Government to decimate the erroneous impression that the inspiration of these criminal elements masquerading as herdsmen is that of power. Our unity is threatened, no doubt.
“It (statement) states in a breath that the governor fights crime with passion while it is prevaricating on the atrocities. The question is, are the herdsmen who are perpetrating murder, kidnapping and robbery more important than government and even the Federal Government in this case? Ethnic nationality and activism on the part of anyone hiding under the Presidency or federal government is an ill wind,” the commissioner added.
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has ordered the immediate closure of four tertiary institutions in the state.
The closure comes a day after he ordered the closure of ten boarding schools in the state following the abduction of over 300 schoolgirls in neighbouring Zamfara State.
A statement released by the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, reads
“The Kano State Government under the able leadership of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has directed the closure of some tertiary institutions in the state with immediate effect,”
The tertiary institutions ordered to be closed include RMK College of Advanced and Remedial Studies, T/Wada; School of Environmental Studies Gwarzo; School of Rural Technology and Entrepreneurship Dev (SORTED), Rano and ABCOAD, Dambatta.
All students of the affected schools were also advised to vacate the campuses as soon as possible.
The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello met with the recently freed Kagara schoolboys and their teachers at the state government house in Minna, the state capital.
The state governor said the state government is working to identify the root cause of banditry in the state.
He also disclosed that one of the abductees is in the hospital being treated for excessive exhaustion.
At least four persons were reportedly killed during fresh attacks by suspected bandits in Kagara community in Niger State.
The attack comes after the 27 students and three teachers of the Government Science College in Kagara abducted by suspected bandits last Wednesday, February 17, regained their freedom in the early hours of today, February 27.
According to a report by DailyTrust, the bandits attacked Gidan Adamu, near Yakila, headquarters of Gunna district and Gidan Wamban Karaku community where 11 persons which include seven women were abducted.
The bandits were said to have rustled a large number of cows and also kidnapped the Imam of Madaka district in Rubo village.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday, February 25 arraigned an insurance broker named Abiodun Waheed Hassan, alongside his firm, Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited, on a five-count charge of misappropriating over N26billion PHCN pension fund.
Hassan was arraigned before Justice S.C Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja.
Abiodun allegedly diverted huge sums of money earmarked for the payment of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), into the corporate account of entities.
In one count of the charge, the insurance broker diverted N26 billion paid into the insurance firm account into another bank account on January 25, 2015. Count five of the charge alleged that Abiodun misappropriated six billion naira.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Oriji adjourned the matter till March 4, 2021 for hearing on the bail application and remanded defendant in EFCC custody.
In reaction to the recent abduction of over 300 schoolgirls in Zamfara State by armedmen , the Kano state government has ordered the immediate closure of 10 boarding schools located at the outskirt of the state.
A statement released by the state Commissioner of Education Muhammad Sunusi Kiru, listed the affected schools as Girls Secondary School at Sumaila, Girls Secondary School Jogana, Girls Secondary School Gezawa, and Government Secondary School, Kafin Maiyaki (Male),
Others are Maitama Sule Secondary School, Gaya; Girls Secondary School Kachako; Girls Secondary School, Kunchi; Unity College Karaye; Girls Arabic College Albasu; Girls Secondary School Tudun Wada and Danzabuwa.
“This decision is part of our resolve to protect our children from any unforeseen circumstances.”the statement read
The Commissioner urged parents to bear with the state government over the painful decision, saying it is for the good of the children.
He said schools will resume once the security situation is brought under control.
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