The Nation Newspaper

Tag: INSECURITY

  • Insecurity: Vested interests working to subvert democracy -Army

    The Nigerian Army yesterday said some vested interests are bent on using insecurity to scuttle and subvert the nation’s democracy. It warned that such people should not only desist but leave the army out of politics.

    It also warned that appropriate legal actions would be taken against purveyors of fake news and those denigrating the army with all manner of publications over the recent attacks of Boko Haram terrorists on troops of 157 Battalion in Metele, Borno State.

    The Army spokesman Brig Gen. Sani Usman in a statement said it smacks of mischief and ignorance for some people to continue denigrating the army over the recent setbacks in Metele in spite of the achievements of the military in degrading the terrorists in the past three years.

    The statement reads in part: “The Nigerian Army has noted with great concern the deliberate and concerted efforts to mislead the public by some people through misinformation. Thus creating erroneous impression of the Nigerian Army through inaccurate and false publication of casualty figures on the unfortunate attacks on some of its locations in the Northeast.

    “The latest of this worrisome development was the attack on our troops location at Metele, Borno State, in which some persons and media outlets continued to circulate various wrong accounts and inaccurate causality figures of own troops without efforts to verify from the military.

    “This is coming at the heels of our release of 28th November 2018 in which we gave accurate details of the attacks and casualty figures in a bid to set the records straight and inform the public true account of things. We also promised to continuously carry the public along through accurate and timely information dissemination on operations and other activities of the Nigerian Army in the release.”

    The statement deplored what it called “fake news aimed at denigrating the leadership of the Nigerian Army.”

     

  • Insecurity: Sultan, Agwai, others preach unity, dialogue

    SULTAN of Sokoto Abubakar Sa’ad III and former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Martins Lurther Agwai have called for continued dialogue among the various nationalities

    The duo said dialogue remained the only way to entrench peace and unity in the country. They spoke yesterday at the symposium and book presentation in honour of Agwai, who turned 70.

    The book titled: “How a congress of baboon made a general” was written by Ms. Rebecca Agwai, daughter of the celebrator.

    The Sultan stressed the need for unity among the people and also the need to always discuss national issues with sincerity.

    He said: “There are problems facing us left, right and centre, insecurity problems everywhere just like part of the big moll, but we shall overcome them.

    “We must not give up, there is hope as long as there are good people like Gen. Agwai who are struggling to put things together and bring us together in such a forum, and that is what we need in this country, let keep on talking to ourselves, let us never get tired of dialogue. Let us never get tired of telling ourselves the truth because as you all know, the truth can set us free.”

    On his part, Gen. Agwai stresse the need to agree that there is a challenge, which according to him is the fundamental foundation to finding lasting solution.

    He said: “Let us agree that there is a challenge; that is the first thing. If people don’t agree that there is a challenge, that itself is a challenge.

    “When we agree that there is a challenge, then we put our heads together and say ‘what is the way forward. And I think the answer to that is that all of us have to look ahead, and try as much as possible, I didn’t say we should not know where we are coming from, but we shouldn’t so much dwell in the past.

    “We should now conjure our condition, what do we want for our country? What is the way forward? And if we continue talking about the past, the past we continue hurting us. But if we agree, yes, the past has its own challenges, what is the way forward? What is the way forward for a new Nigeria? How do we get to that new Nigeria?

    “With my little life of 70 years, at a local level, the leave in peace, they leave in harmony better than all of us in the cities. Again, we have to learn to forgive, not who is right. We have to start on a new slate. The new slate is to forgive ourselves, forget the past, and then build a solid new foundation for Nigeria.”

    On alleged politicisation of security challenges, Gen. Agwai advised that “we should not allow politicians to use us. How many of us would see fire and go there? But a lot of us because of what I hear today as stomach infrastructure, we stop thinking with our brains. We forget that any temporary gain today, we are actually mortgaging our future.”

    Former presidential candidate of the defunct National Redemption Congress (NRC), Bashir Tofa, asked some rhetoric questions bothering on the peace and unity of the country.

    He said: “With people like you in this country, if I may ask, how is it that we have sunk so low in destroying one another..?  Why is it that we are friends as individuals but enemies as a community? Why is it that most of our people are so desperately poor and our active and intelligent youths are so left behind?

    He challenged the celebrator through his Centre, the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre to find solution to the insecurity problems bedeviling the country.

  • Southsouth, Southeast rulers worried about insecurity

    Traditional rulers from the Southsouth and southeast have exptressed concern over insecurity in the country and about a free, fair and violence-free election.

    Arising the second Consultation Meeting of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) South-South, South East Chapter in Benin, the Edo State capital, the monarchs noted that if “the local community is saved, Nigeria is saved.”

    Chairman of the Second Consultation Meeting of the Southern monarchs, HRH Edmund Daukoru, the Mingi XII Amanayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, said the meeting was convened to consider the security situation with the elections around the corner.

    “This period is usually tensed and as traditional fathers, we felt we should get together and look at the matter from the grassroots point of view. Being that we have at many times look at it from the holistic national point of view but we felt that such brand of skills required quite some injection of money to get implemented.

    “So this time we changed the tactic and said we should look at it from a practical and local point of view because if our local community is saved, Nigeria is saved. So this is a complete departure from the past when we always focused on the problems from a very high level.

    “But now we are talking about community security at the local government level, at the level of our respective kingdoms and the senatorial districts that is where our concerns rest now,” he said.

    The theme of the meeting is ‘Ensuring a violence-free 2019 general elections in our zones and kingdoms: the role of traditional rulers’, he said, “We have made sure that the recommendations we arrived at this meeting does not require much money but require something that we as traditional rulers do every day and can implement by just applying a bit of more of our own time. But close to elections, we need to rededicate ourselves to what we already have been doing and draw up a sort of check list by engaging with local authorities and stakeholders.”

    HRH (Dr) Appolus Chu, the Ebere Emere Okori, Eleme of Eleme Kingdom, Rivers State; HRH (Dr) Appolus Chu, (event sponsor) said the meeting was a platform where the traditional rulers from the South-south and South East came together to speak with one voice on the policies that would be made in the interest of the nation.

     

  • Insecurity: Borno corps members observe Orientation in Katsina

    AS a result of growing insecurity in Borno State, occasioned by increased attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, the 2018 Batch ‘C’ National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to serve in the state have been relocated to Katsina State where they began their three-week orientation course on Thursday.

    Speaking at their swearing-in ceremony at the temporary camp located within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Training College in Katsina, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, noted that their relocation was due to the temporary security situation in his state, urging the corps members to re-dedicate themselves to nation building.

    Shettima, who was represented by the State Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Mahdi Gazali, however said “The government and good people of Borno State are doing everything humanly possible through our programme of reconstruction and rehabilitation to return the state to the pedestal of peace, security and development it has been known for before the insurgency problem that nearly crippled the socio-economic life of the state’’.

    “I therefore wish to assure you of your safety during the three weeks orientation exercise and the service ahead. It behoves you to be part of the problem solving team by expressing your potentials through rendering honest and dedicated services to your host communities’’.

    “I urge you to summon courage to come and stay in Borno and you will understand the fact that the security situation of the state is not bad as it is being propagated by some media,” he said.

    Speaking earlier, the Borno State NYSC Coordinator, Rabiu Aminu, said 1,350 corps members were posted to the state and enjoined them to exhibit high level of respect and discipline, adding that the camping period is filled with vigorous activities which need active participation.

  • I’m worried about insecurity around me, says Bisi Onabanjo’s widow

    Mrs Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo, the 92-year-old widow of the first civilian governor of Ogun State, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, has expressed serious worry about her personal security.

    This came six days after dozens of gunmen seized her neighbourhood in Fidipote area of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State during last Wednesday’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and sacked hundreds of party members on queue to elect a candidate for next year’s general elections.

    The nonagenarian widow said she had not recovered from the shock of the violence, which spread to her premises.

    For 10 minutes, over 25 gunmen who stormed the neighbourhood, home to one of the political wards in Ijebu-Ode, chose the front of her premises to launch coordinated attacks on the area.

    The hoodlums targeted mostly people waiting to vote during the primary; they shot sporadically and smashed chairs as fear-stricken voters and residents fled towards different directions.

    A source, who told The Nation about the incident, said Mrs Onabanjo, whom she also referred to as “our Mama,” was on her bed at the time.

    The nonagenarian was reportedly horror-stricken as the terror lasted.

    The source added that the gunmen, suspected to be political hirelings, also broke into shops, chased the owners away and vandalised wares.

    The source said: “On Wednesday, October 3, the day the governorship primary was held in Ogun State, members of the family were held hostage in the house by a group of about 30 boys, who came on motorbikes.

    “They were armed to the teeth and kept shooting in the air for about 10 minutes. All the plastic chairs used for meetings were destroyed. Some went to a nearby store and broke bottles of soft drinks.

    “Everyone in the neighbourhood ran away. Our mum will be 93 soon and was in her bedroom.”

    Asked to find out from Mama, on behalf of The Nation, how she felt about the gunmen’s invasion of her premises, Mrs Onabanjo reportedly said: “I’m worried about the level of insecurity around me. I haven’t stepped out to the balcony where I used to sit since it happened.

    “I never thought I would witness a day where such a brazen act would take place in broad daylight in front of my premises. I’m worried that so much violence has been introduced into politics.”

  • Catholic Church expresses concern over insecurity

    The Catholic Church, Lagos Archdiocese, has expressed concern over the state of insecurity which it said is threatening the country’s peace and unity.

    The occasion was at the commemoration of this year’s International day of Peace by the Church and some human rights organisations.

    The Director, Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), Rev. Fr. Anoliefor, said: “there is so much crisis all over the world and not only in Nigeria.”

    He noted that instead of establishing peaceful solutions to conflicts, countries fight each other.

    “There is killings everywhere. Back home in Nigeria there is no peace. In some parts, it is about kidnapping for ransom, while others is for ritual purposes.”

    According to him: “Insecurity is spreading to almost every part of the country. In the Northern part of the country, it all started like a ‘joke’ in the name of religion. Thereafter came the militants problem in Niger Delta with the kidnapping of expatriates in the oil rich region, piracy, hijacking and hostage taking for ransom.”

    Rev. Fr. Anoliefor ascribed the development to job shortages and high level of unemployment in the country coupled with the inability of some state governments to pay salaries and pension.

    The JPDC director decried the state of education in the country and lack of good medical facilities.

    He lamented that many youths from very poor backgrounds have taken to crime and other negative vices because their families cannot afford their education.

    “There is no policy for qualitative education, in fact, no sector is working effectively because when the big man gets sick they travel abroad to seek medical attention.

    “This is why our medical facilities are not up to standard because it is the poor masses that patronize such facilities.

    “In some government owned health centers, there are no bed sheets and pillowcases, no drugs or portable drinking water while nurses working there use the opportunity to hawk sanitary pads, tissue papers, bathing soaps, among other items, inside the female ward to their selfish aims instead of attending to the patients in need.

    “Even those working in the public sector are not being paid for months due to bad leadership style in the country and this is why the organised labour called for strikes nationwide to drive home demand from the Federal Government for better minimum wage for workers,” he stated.

    Rev. Fr. Anoliefor said there were people from some nationalities calling for creation new states, notwithstanding that existing ones are not been properly governed by various governments and politicians.

    “Growing up in our days, the work of elected executive is to take care of the masses but in the politics of today it is not like that again. People these days are after their pockets and their respective families due to greed, selfishness and wickedness,” he recalled.

     

  • ‘Why insecurity persist in North East’

    Former National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo has attributed the growing insecurity in the in the country especially in the North Eastern part of the country to lack of opportunity for the youth who have remained idle.

    Jalo who spoke after collecting the nomination form to contest the governorship primary in Gombe state said once opportunity for economic growth is given to the youths, the security challenges would have been addressed, while creating a conducive economic environment for the people.

    Read Also:Insecurity: Taraba traditional rulers to the rescue

    He said “we have to farm all year round and not the seasonal farming that is currently going on because if you farm for four months and wait for eight months doing nothing, you will be poor.

    “So, these are the things that are causing insecurity particularly in my zone because many people are not engaged in economic activities or businesses. So, we have to do something so as to ensure our people are better in terms of generating income.”

    Jalo believed that the security challenges in the zone can be addressed if the youths are properly engaged, adding that there are many potentials in the youths that should be brought to the fore through sound education.

    The former National Youth Leader said he will give education the needed priority because “when you educate a person, you have given him freedom. So, education, especially primary education will be given attention”.

    He said further that “Apart from that, I also have the intentions of improving the economic situation of my place. Gombe is the economic centre of the North-East being the state that in the middle. It is a kind of centre for so many trading activities.

    “So, this is also important because as it is now, Nigeria depends on oil and we cannot continue to live like this especially most of us in the North – East because we have to have our ways to have the direct income for our state because that is the only way we will be able to sustain ourselves for a long period of time.

    “So, those that know the history of Gombe will know that we used to have popular grain-market similar to what we have in Kano – the Dala Pyramid. We still have it till today in Gombe.

    When asked why he has chosen not to decry the present governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo about his style of governance in the State, Dasuki said it is not in his nature to be criticizing people, noting he will definitely change his attitude on that.

    He said, “Actually it depends on someone’s nature and upbringing. You know they say empty vessels make the loudest noise. I want to say, on that; people will begin to see the difference.”

  • NBA blames institutional failure for insecurity

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Mahmoud have urged politicians to play by the rules as the nation prepares for the next general elections.

    While Onnghen urged  politicians to ýconduct themselves lawfully so as not to endanger the peace and stability of the country, Mahmoud appealed to political actors, including those holding the reins of power at all levels, to respect and remain faithful to the Constitution.

    They spoke at the opening ceremony of NBA’s 2018 national conference, with the theme: “Transition, transformation and sustainable institutions.”

    Onnghen stressed the need for the continued protection of the independence of the Judiciary to enable it function effectively to safeguard the nation’s democracy.

    The CJN noted that the Judiciary would be bold “to play its role without fear or favour” if its independence was guaranteed.

    Mahmoud blamed the rising cases of insecurity on the failure of state institutions.

    The NBA President, who said he recently led a team to assess the security situation in Zamfara State, said: “it appears to us that at the heart of these conflicts is a weakened state system.

    “There appears to be systemic collapse of institutions of governance both at the local and state levels.

    “In many parts of the state, as we have seen in other places, there is clear evidence of failure of the justice system.

    “In Zamfara State many ordinary people complained to us about how the police, the court systems and traditional institutions have become avenues of extortion and oppression, and how the authority of bandits and other non-state actors is supplanting that of state agents.

    “At our town hall meeting in Gusau many speakers narrated stories of failure of formal systems of dispute resolution.

    “Many spoke openly of the persistent absence of the governor from the state and his failure to provide effective leadership on the ground,”he said.

    Mahmoud also blamed the nation’s inability to overcome its economic and developmental challenges on the absence of viable state institutions.

    He said: “The NBA remains deeply concerned that our transformative journey to a stable prosperous country remains hampered by the absence of strong accountable and sustainable institutions.

    *We are convinced that our huge potentials either as a country or as a continent, cannot not be unleashed until we overcome the challenge of institution building.

    *Rule of law and democracy can only be guaranteed or anchored on strong institutions built on clear, fair and transparent processes with predictable outcomes.” he said.

    Mahmoud commended the government for its prompt intervention during the last invasion of the National Assembly by security personnel.

    He added: “We call on all security agencies to remain professional in their roles and also uphold the constitution whilst remaining loyal to constituted civil authority.

    “The Nigerian Bar Association will remain vigilant in the defense of the constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

    Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to address the conference today “to offer some insights into Ghana’s promising transformative strides and perhaps some lessons, even if tentative for us here in Nigeria.”

    TheNBA President said Ghana, currently ranked above Nigeria, has made great strides from which should learn.

    Mahmoud noted that: “For instance Ghana remains ahead of Nigeria on ease of doing business.  Ghana’s global ranking out of 190 Countries Ranked by the World Bank in Ease of Doing Business, Starting a Business and Getting Electricity is 120, 110 and 136 respectively compared to Nigeria’s rankings of 145, 130 and 172 respectively.

    “In the field of administration of justice, Ghana has made encouraging progress in the reform of its justice system, in creating functional and more efficient commercial courts, in fighting corruption in the judiciary and generally improving the justice sector.

    “Notably, only in July President Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed four new justices to the Supreme Court of Ghana among them, a senior private practitioner and an academic in a bold move to and strengthen and bring diversity to the Ghanaian Supreme Court.”

  • Buhari directs army to tackle insecurity

    President Muhammad Buhari has directed the army and other agencies to tackle growing insecurity challenges facing the country and fight insurgency.

    The president gave the directive yesterday while addressing the troops fighting insurgency in the forests of Zamfara, Kaduna and some parts of Katsina states at Umar Musa Yar’Adua Airport in Katsina state.

    He spoke shortly before leaving the state for Abuja after celebrating Eid el Kabir at his home town in Daura.

    Buhari tasked the troops to deal with any armed robber, cattle rustler and bandit as ruthlessly as humanly possible, reminding them the present administration pledged to provide security, enhance the economy and fight corruption

    He told the troops he was pleased with their performance, adding Nigerians deserved to live in peace.

    He commended the troops for display of gallantry in the field of operations in Zamfara, Kaduna and some parts of Katsina state.

    While urging them not to spare any cattle rustler, armed robber or bandit, President Buhari promised them to be a worthy commander- in-chief.

    The President was seen off at Umar Musa Airport by Governor Aminu Masari in company of his Deputy Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, as well as other government officials.

     

  • ‘Insecurity threatens Eket businesses’

    Several small and big businesses in Eket, Akwa Ibom State are closing down operations due to increasing insecurity in the area, the Chairman, Eket Business Forum (EBF), Chief Dominion Akpan, has said.

    Akpan, who disclosed yesterday, said the recent abduction of ExxonMobil workers; incessant cultism, protests and other security concerns has made Akwa Ibom’s second largest city unconducive for business.

    He said: “In July, the police had to rescue 19 ExxonMobil staff who were travelling from Port Harcourt for a crew change of duty at Qua Iboe Terminal. The abduction of the workers is very worrisome because it was said to have the blessing of some community leaders in the area. The suspected kidnappers reportedly draped sacks over their victims’ heads as they took them to their hideout but were rescued by the police.

    “Cultism is also a huge blight on Eket. Eket, which has significant presence of workers of ExxonMobil, is among the four local government areas mostly affected by perennial cult-killings and related violence in the state. In June, three people were killed by cultists in the area. A contract worker with Mobil was among those killed. He was reportedly shot in the head at close range while drinking at a pub, somewhere in the city.”

    He said cultists have also been terrorising businesses and residents of the area before 20 of them were arrested recently.

    “Also earlier this year, youths under the aegis of Nigeria Youth Initiative Forum (NYIF) in Akwa Ibom State threatened ExxonMobil demanding the employment of youths within the catchment area in contracting firms under the management of the multinational company or suffer disruption of their activities. The youths threatened to barricade the Qua Iboe Terminal road and the Mobil airstrip should the company ignore their demand,” he said.