The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Benue

  • FG to take delivery of N10.7bn rice mill Dec 2019

    The Federal Government has said the N10.7 billion integrated rice milling machines procured by the Federal Government will be delivered in December, 2019.

    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this Monday at the pact signing with MV Agro Engineers, suppliers of the farm equipment, in Abuja.

    Ogbeh explained that the benefiting states would indicate interest as off-takers, make 10 percent down payment and express technical capacity to own and operate a mill.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) in April approved N10.7bn for the establishment of 10 new rice mills in the six geopolitical zones.

    The 10 participating states include Kaduna, Anambra, Kogi, Benue, Bayelsa, Niger, and Bauchi. Others are Kebbi, Ogun, Zamfara while the mills are expected to produce 100 tons of rice per day.

    Read Also:Fed Govt to rice millers: we’ll reduce interest rates

    The Bank of Agriculture (BoA) is expected to take over the loan repayment in the next 10 years.

    “As these people arrive, they will install these mills and the BoA will take over the loans repayment over a period of 10 years,” Ogbeh said.

    Asked if the 18 months deadline could be reviewed upward, the minister noted that, “building machines is not cheap. It’s a scientific thing. These people say they may do it faster but we give them 18 months, so there won’t be issues for delays.”

    According to him, there are about 16 existing large rice mills from the already procured 100 mills.

    The minister added that 16 large machines would mill 100 tons of rice paddy daily while others could mill about 300 tons daily.

    “Dangote just brought in 10 milling machines which will produce 1 million tons of rice per annum but there are smaller ones we gave out, about 200 mills of 10 tons and 20 tons per annum operating in villages and small corners equipped with the stoners.

    “We are buying smaller mills and giving them out because the smaller mills produce more rice than the big mills added up but they are scattered all over the country. Virtually every state has small rice mills somewhere, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Katsina and Jigawa,” he stated.

    He commended the contractors advising them to supply adequate quality spare parts.

    In his remarks, the Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture, Kabir Mohammed restated commitment to ensure the project is successful while meeting the delivery targets.

    He said the project financing would not be a challenge.

    The Managing Director, Jamu Babba Dan’agundi, leader of the delegation commended the federal government for the gesture.

    He promised to deliver the machines as scheduled.

  • Gunmen disrupt funeral in Benue community

    There was pandemonium  in Nyamatsor, Mbagen , Mbazagee, Buruku Local Government area of Benue State at the weekend  as gunmen suspected to cultist disrupted a burial funeral rites .

    Halfway into the ceremony, youths  with guns, cutlasses and club stormed the venue and shot at mourners .

    It was not clear if they got their target .

    Many dignitaries , including the traditional ruler  of Buruku Local government council Chief Moses Hangeior , who attended the funeral fled for their lives . The traditional ruler was smuggled  away be his security aides .

    The gunmen stormed the funeral venue at about 8;30pm when funeral rites were going on and shot sporadically into the air to scale away mourners .

    The burial  was the funeral of Late  Engr. Ayol  Vehe, a respected local Government engineer who served as Head of Department ( HOD) works in three local Government areas namely Gboko, Vandeikya and Buruku LGAs.

    Before his demise, he was transferred to Katsina Ala local government as  Head of Buildings .

    The Nation gathered that the deceased had two wives and it was one of his children that mobilized his friends to disrupts the burial.

    Youths however mobilized and arrested a member of the gun men and handed him over to Police  in Abwa.

    There was however disagreement among the families as some elders mounted pressure on the police officer in Abwa to released the suspecting saying its a family matter .

    Gboko Area police command told The Nation that he was yet yo get the report.

  • Suspected herdsmen kill three in Benue

    Suspected Fulani herdsmen killed three farmers in Tse-Tyodugh, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, it was learnt yesterday.

    A community leader and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Job Tiza, who confirmed the killings, identified the deceased as Ormoba Tsebo, Mkarsha Kyaave and Aondofa Iorliam.

    Tiza said the farmers were killed about 7.30am on their way to the farm.

    According to him, four persons were riding on an okada when they were ambushed by suspected herdsmen who opened fire on them. Three died immediately while the surviving victim is on admission in the hospital.

    The community leader appealed to security agencies to live up to their responsibility of protecting life and property.

    Chairman of Logo council Richard Nyajo, who also confirmed the incident, dismissed reports by the military that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have returned home.

    Nyajo called on security agencies to tackle security challenges in the council.

    Police spokesman Moses Yamu said he was yet to get the report.

    “As we speak, those displaced persons have refused to return home because the herdsmen are still occupying the farm and communities,” he said.

  • Police name Plateau, Benue killings suspects

    •Councillor arrested

    The Police have named suspects in the Plateau and Benue killings.

    No fewer than 84 people were killed when suspected herdsmen attacked villages in three local government areas of Plateau State.

    There has been consistent killings in parts of Benue State, also by gunmen believed to be herdsmen.

    Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood named some of the suspects in custody over the Plateau killings as: Biliaminu Abdullahi,  Samaila Saleh, Muhammadu Kabiru, Aminu Mohammed,  Alhassan Saidu,  Abubakar Adam, Gazali Isah, Hamza Inusa  Yahuza Yau, Dahiru Ahmed and  Friday Musa.

    The police said they were withholding names of two suspects.

    The exhibits allegedly recovered from them include five AK47 rifles and two live cartridges.

    Speaking in Abuja yesterday, Moshood said the relocation of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of operations and others had yielded results.

    The police said security had improved in the Plateau communities.

    Moshood said: “The Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris, visited Plateau State on June 26 to assess the security situation and police deployment.

    “Since his visit, the security situation has improved, peace and normalcy has been restored in the affected areas in the state.

    “The Police Special Investigation Team, comprising the Intelligence Response Team ( IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), led by Commissioner of Police, IGP Monitoring Unit, deployed to Plateau State have commenced investigation and have recorded significant progress in getting to the root of the killings of innocent people.”

    In Benue State,  four suspected bandits have been arrested.

    The suspects, according to Moshood, are: Benajamin Tivfa, 32, a councillor in Fidi Council Ward, Makurdi Local Government Area, Victor Ganabe, Daniel Kyase, 33, member of Benue Livestock Guards and Julius Avaan 49.

    Others are : Terkula Udeh 37, Sunday Cheche, 34 and Alhaji Adajo Tomza, 28, member of Benue Livestock Guards and Msugh Teraki, 23, member, Benue Livestock Guards.

    Moshood added that items recovered from them include two AK 47 rifles, a locally made pistol and 436 rounds of AK 47 ammunition.

    The suspects were arrested on June 27 by members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

    The spokesman said that six of the suspects were arrested in a hotel in Naka village.

    Moshood said the suspects confessed that the councillor was a member of their gang and was responsible for the supply of arms and ammunition as well as money to finance their operations.

    “The councillor admitted to have bought 15 rounds of AK47 ammunition from Cheche and also confessed to have provided money to finance the operations of the gang.

    “Investigation is in progress to arrest other members of the gang at large. They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation,” Moshood said.

  • Women lawyers cheer up IDPs in Benue

    CREDITED with the kindest touch on humanity, it was just as well that a group of women professionals showed love to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State.

    The state, among others in the Middle Belt, is the epicentre of attacks by suspected armed herdsmen who have sacked many communities, disrupted farming activities, destroyed the villages they conquered, and sent survivors into hundreds of IDP camps across the state.

    The state chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers visited two camps located on the outskirts of Makurdi, the state capital.

    The state chairperson of the organisation, Mrs Margaret  Atu noted that their visit to the Abagana and Agan Primary School camps was intended to put a smile on the faces of the displaced people.

    She said, “FIDA came here to encourage the IDPs not to lose hope. It is unfortunate that they have found themselves here (camps). We believe that God shall arise in their situation. God will make a way so that they will go back home and continue with their normal activities.”

    Atu said FIDA will continue to pray until peace returns to the deserted communities.

    The state secretary of FIDA Mrs . Terfa Suswam commended Mrs. Onyeaka Mary, also a lawyer and FIDA member, for mobilising her clients to donate drugs for the health needs of the IDPs

    Mrs. Oyeaka was accompanied to the IDPs by the Managing Director of BellaDona Pharmacy Mr. Azegba MacDonald who provided the drugs that were donated to the IDPs.

    Special Adviser to the governor on MDGs,  Dr. Magdalene Dura, also a lawyer, on her part, provided sanitary bags containing towels, soaps and other toiletries to  FIDA for  onward presentation to the IDPs.

    The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)’s camp official, James Iorkyaa, who received the women, including the zone 4, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Hilda Harrison, thanked FIDA for their kind gestures.

    Iorkyaa also received the food and non-food items as well as drugs donated by the women. He said that about 20 and 30 families in the camp attempted to go back home but had to return to the camp for their safety.

    “Their homes are not yet safe for them to return to,” the camp commandant said.

    Items donated to the IDPs include cloths, maternity kits, beans, rice, noodles slippers, drugs and cooking ingredients like salt, and palm oil, among others.

  • Air Peace, Benue ink deal on Makurdi flights

    Air Peace has sealed a deal with Benue State government to operate flights to the state capital, Makurdi in a few weeks’ time.

    Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony in Abuja, Chief Operating Officer for the airline, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide said the airline would deliver exceptional flight experience to residents of Benue and others travelling on the Makurdi route.

    The route will be serviced by an Embraer 145 jet under Air Peace Hopper, the airline’s subsidiary. The flights to Benue will terminate at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Markudi.

    The operations, Olajide confirmed, would cover Abuja-Benue-Abuja and Lagos-Benue-Lagos.

    Chief of Staff to Benue State Governor, Hon. Terwase Obunde assured Air Peace of the government’s support to ensure its success on the Makurdi route.

  • Benue confirms return of IDPs to ancestral homes

    The Benue State Government yesterday confirmed that some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state have started returning to their homes.

    Information and Orientation Commissioner, Lawrence Onoja, told reporters in Makurdi, the state capital, that since the commencement of the military operation on May 18, “the spate of attacks has reduced, with the invaders chased away, allowing some of those displaced to return to their homes, though their homes were reduced to rubble and their means of livelihood destroyed.”

    He added: ”This feat is being achieved at a great expense, with some of those involved in the operation paying the supreme sacrifice while others have suffered various degrees of injuries.”

    He hailed “these gallant patriots, who have demonstrated unequalled commitment to providing security for their fatherland, as well as all the families who have lost loved ones.”

    He commended  President Muhammadu Buhari for “responding to our call to upgrade and replace the military exercise, Ayem Akpatuma, with a full scale military operation.”

    He said the state’s request to the federal government  was necessitated by “the need to flush out blood- thirsty herdsmen militia who invaded several communities in the state since January.”

    He said the  State Emergency Management Agency registered more than 180, 000 displaced persons which “it has been catering for in eight camps while over 500, 000 IDPs are taking shelter wherever they find space.”

  • Plateau killings: PDP knocks Presidency for kicking against call for mourning

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock at a statement credited to the Presidency justifying its failure to stem the tide of killings and bloodletting in the country, particularly in the Plateau, Zamfara,  Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Borno, Kogi, Taraba and other troubled states.

    In a statement on Thursday by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, the Presidency had condemned PDP’s call for seven days mourning in honour of the over 200 villagers killed in Plateau State on Sunday.

    In a statement on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said it’s reprehensible that the Presidency had displayed its usual arrogance and insensitivity too the mood of the nation.

    The statement said, “It is disturbing that even in death, the Buhari Presidency still wants to deny these victims of callous murder the honour of being mourned.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole to Presidency, National Assembly: I’ll uphold party supremacy

    “We are particularly appalled that instead of joining Nigerians in mourning the dead and seeking ways to stem the escalation of the bloodletting under its watch, the Buhari Presidency is engaged in morbid reference to past killings as if the lives of Nigerians have no value under President Buhari’s watch.

    “The PDP, as a party, will continue to identify with Nigerians at this troubled time irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations and will therefore not allow itself to be dragged into a needless mire with the Buhari Presidency, which has shown by its statement, that it has no iota of regard for the lives of Nigerians.

    “PDP urges the Buhari Presidency to confront the challenge of fulfilling the basic responsibility of governance by providing security to the lives and property of all Nigerians, irrespective of their creed, tribe and political affiliations.

    “Finally, the PDP assures Nigerians that we will not be deterred in speaking out against the killings and the failure of the Buhari administration to take concrete steps to stem this ugly tide”.

  • $322m Abacha loot: Cash transfers to poor homes begin in July

    The Federal Government says it will commence disbursement of the recovered 322 million dollars Abacha loot through Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) to 302,000 poor households in 19 states in July.

    Mr Tukur Rumar, of the National Cash Transfer Office (NTCO), said this at a roundtable on assets recovery organised by the Swiss Embassy on Thursday, in Abuja.

    The event was organised to intimate citizens and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the efforts both nations were making on asset recovery after the Post-Global Forum on Assets Recovery (GFAR) held in Washington D.C. in Dec. 2017.

    At the forum, Nigeria made commendable commitments on beneficial ownership, tax transparency, asset recovery, transparency management of recovered funds and payments to victims of corruption.

    The states are: Niger, Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Cross River, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarrawa, Anambra and Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) in Borno.

    According to Rumar, the benefiting households will receive N5,000 monthly and are derived from the National Social Register (NSR) that the 19 states are already on.

    He said the programme was designed to also train beneficiaries on livelihood skills, social skills and other programmes that would change their lives completely.

    Rumar, however, said that NCTO had been making payments to the 46,000 poor and vulnerable households across the 19 states since Dec. 2016, adding that the number had increased to 290,000.

    Mr Iorwa Apera, the National Coordinator, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), said 503,055 households were already on the NSR register from the 19 states, adding that by July, there would be a social register for all the states of the federation.

    He said that of the Abacha loot, about 302,000 poor homes across the 19 states would be mined by the NCTO to begin to receive the Abacha loot.

    Apera told the participants that the Federal Government would begin with those states, because they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NASSCO to put in place certain infrastructure to empower the national register.

    “Some of the states delayed, but the other ones were quick enough to set up infrastructure that allowed us to start work there, but all the states are now on board as they have set up their state operating offices and donated office equipment to us.

    “As states come on board, we enroll and so they extend to the beneficiary register, and presently we are generating data in all the states now,’’ he said.

    Read Also: EFCC launches probe as $500m Abacha loot goes missing

    Mrs Linda Ekeator of the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment said the Abacha loot was invested in the social investment programme, because it was a programme that was already supported by the World Bank.

    She said that before the money was returned to Nigeria, there was an agreement with the Swiss government that it should be used for alleviating poverty and this was to be done with the supervision of the World Bank.

    The Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Eric Mayoraz said the 722 million dollars of the Abacha family money that was hidden in Switzerland was fully repatriated in 2005.

    He also said that the 322 million dollars that was repatriated in Dec. 2017, was money that was frozen by the Swiss Attorney-General, but was not domiciled in Switzerland, but in other countries, mainly Luxembourg.

    He, however, said measures had been put in place to ensure that Swiss banks were not used to hide stolen funds from other countries.

    “For possible new cases, the Swiss legislation has fundamentally changed.

    “The law in Switzerland does not allow bank secrecy anymore, and all banks and financial institutions have a due diligence duty to ask everyone coming with money where it is coming from.

    “That does not mean that there are no illegal or stolen assets now in Switzerland, but then there is another instrument I signed myself with the Nigerian Ministry of Justice and Switzerland two years ago on mutual legal assistance and this is for new cases.

    “Now, this agreement with our own Ministry of Justice and Nigeria is that there will be direct communication and exchange on mutual legal request and we are really collaborating with EFCC and other agencies in Nigeria,’’ Mayoraz.

    The Executive Director, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, said for Nigerian citizens to not keep spreading rumours about the whereabouts of recovered loots, the government must be transparent in all the processes.

    He also said that CSOs should be given access to the social register to enable it monitor properly whether or not the beneficiaries received what was due to them.

  • ‘Government must stop killings’

    Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Igboekulie has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address the orgy of killings in the country.

    The president of Igboekulie Prince Ben Onuora in a statement said last Saturday’s killings in Plateau State, where over 100 citizens were killed was condemnable.

    He said Nigerians were becoming hopeless on security

    He added:  “Our President cannot continue to do the same thing all over again and expect a different outcome. After each round of killings in Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Enugu, Delta, Ondo and other places, Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari condemns the killings, promising to improve on the security of the nation.  These promises are hardly kept because nothing seems to change beyond the presidential commiseration.”

    The group said government’s failure to arrest and prosecute the killers and their collaborators was making the situation hopeless.

    “Igboekulie condemns in very strong terms the unabating massacre of innocent Nigerians by invading and rampaging herdsmen who appear to have immunity against arrest or prosecution.

    Read Also: Killings: Buhari to put more pressure on security chiefs

    “We also, condemn the unwholesome nonchalance of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the unprecedented loss of lives in the past three years.  An FGN that has successfully dealt with restive groups across Nigeria cannot suddenly be helpless, unless out of mischief, when it concerns the murderous herdsmen.

    “After three years of unrelenting bloodshed, it is time for the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to critically evaluate the performance of the security agencies and rejig same to reflect the diversity of the country in line with the federal character principle.

    “This nation is being brought to its knees daily with unprovoked violence by people who insist on illegally grazing their cattle on the farmlands of other Nigerians.  If this journey to anarchy is allowed to continue, no one is sure of how it would end.”

    “We call on all other socio-cultural groups to rise and condemn the spate of killings by the protected invaders against the weak in our society and the contrived helplessness of the FGN.  An injury to one is an injury to all.  If this madness is not halted, it could be the turn of your community tomorrow.”