The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna state

  • Buhari, govs, service chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with service chiefs, Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and some governors from the northern part of the country.

    The meeting started around 11am at the President’s office.

    Governors at the meeting included Adamawa State, Jibrilla Bindow, Borno State, Kashim Shettima, Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai.

    Also at the meeting were Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazzau.

    Read Also: Buhari didn’t order Nigerians to be shot summarily, says Tinubu

    The meeting was not unconnected with the security situations in the country.

    The recent killings before the postponed presidential election at the weekend resulted in the death of some Nigerians in Kajuru, Kaduna State.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Odinkalu’s misjive

    Chidi Odinkalu’s open rebuttal of Governor Nasir El Rufai’s claim, that 66 locals were killed in the Kajuru Local Government of Kaduna State, would appear ill-advised.

    It could well be interpreted as yet another slur on the victims by local fanatics.  That could result in a future retaliatory blood bath.

    Governor El Rufai, on virtual election eve, had announced the death of the 66, by alleged gunmen.  He pleaded with the victims, believed mostly to be ethnic Fulanis, not to retaliate; adding that the motive was to provoke a reprisal and sabotage the elections in the area.

    But Prof. Odinkalu, former chair, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), sensationally controverted the governor, claiming from his own findings, no more than 11 was killed, and the governor was only playing to the gallery.

    The Cable, an online newspaper, then ran a story which, complete with its accompanying reader feedbacks, all but suggested the governor all but made up the tragedy.

    All taken together, Odinkalu’s intervention was rash and a tad unwise.  To start with, a governor’s voice out to take primacy, in security matters of his state.  He has better access, other things being equal, to security briefings and other intelligence, than other citizens.  He is the chief security officer of his state.

    Odinkalu, therefore, might not be in a position to countermand the governor, no matter how reliable he felt his own cross-sources were.

    Besides, suggesting a governor would just wake up and play politics, with people’s lives, could be pandering to nihilism.  The Nigerian system might be sick.  But nihilism is a new low, to which no one should sink.

    But apart from rashness, Odinkalu’s intervention was rather tactless.  A tragedy, even if disputed, had just occurred.  The governor was touring the troubled spot and trying to calm the angry victims — a governor that could speak the language of the aggrieved and bond with them.  Then, came another voice, bearing a southern name, claiming it was all but empty drama.

    What if things had taken a turn for the worse?  What if things had spiralled out of control, and the victims had lunched reprisal attacks, claiming provocation by Odinkalu’s counter-claims?

    Who would have taken responsibility for the new carnage, knowing that when life is lost, it can never be regained?  That is why Odinkalu ought to have been more sensitive — and circumspect.

    Southern Kaduna has been a bitter zone for ancestral feuds — settlers versus natives, Muslims versus Christians, Hausa/Fulani versus other ethnics.

    This gory cycle has gone on for too long because of sickening dynamics.  A side claims a set of aggressors have illicit backing from their kith-and-kin in government.  The other counters that the media hushes up its own fatalities while they are hysteric in trumpeting the other side’s, with ethnic bias determining the tilt.  It’s a cycle of war without end that must be broken.

    Which is why Governor El Rufai must not rest until he pacifies the victims, and dissuades them from future reprisals.  The best way to do that is arrest the perpetrators of the killing — not only the foot soldiers but the masterminds — try them and get justice for the dead and the maimed.

    As for Prof. Odinkalu, he should be more restrained next time.  The needless controversy he sparked could easily have worsened the matter.  Thank God it didn’t — at least, not yet.

     

  • Kaduna community deserted after deadly attack

    The Fulani community in parts of Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, have abandoned the area after an attack on Feb. 11, which left 66 of them, mostly women and children dead.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that what remained of the Rugar Fulani community were burnt houses, animals, motorcycles, kitchen utensils, as well as were bodies of women and children buried in a ditch.

    Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i, accompanied by General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, the Police Commissioner and journalists who visited the villages on Saturday, found the entire area deserted with no humans in sight.

    Speaking on the attack, the GOC, Major- Gen Faruk Yahaya said troops deployed to the area after the attack, assisted by some villagers, discovered 37 bodies of women and children buried in a ditch and the settlements burnt.

    “We were informed that the women were lured by the miscreants to the stream, and on getting there, they were slaughtered.

    “The figure of deaths recorded by us is 66, but in collaboration with sister agencies, we will ensure peace is restored and people return to their settlements”.

    On his part, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmad AbdurRahman explained that though the police had mopped up the area, the residents still fled their settlements in fear of more attack.

    He confirmed the arrest of seven suspects in connection with the attack, adding that they would be charged to court on Monday.

    The police chief said investigation was continuing, adding that it was largely to  identify the miscreants and isolate them from the good people within the communities so as to restore lasting peace.

    Also speaking, the governor lamented over the politicisation of the situation by being in denial of the real issues at stake.

    “Some leaders are living in denial. They are saying only 11 were killed and the security have said 66 were killed while the community said over a hundred were killed and missing”, El-Rufa’i noted.

    He advised the people to be vigilant, as those politicizing the issue have disregarded those that died simply because they were not from their tribes.

    “All lives are sacred and equal, hence we must collectively bring an end to this menace,” he said.(NAN)

  • Election Postponement: Plot to enthrone Interim Government – CNPP

    The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) on Saturday described inconsistences associated the preparations for the 2019 generations as supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as “part of a deliberate plot by anti-democratic forces to derail Nigerian democracy and enthrone an interim government in the country.”

    Reacting to the postponement of the February 16, 2019 presidential and federal legislative polls by INEC, the CNPP in a statement by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu wondered why “an election that took the electoral umpire four years to prepare for would be postponed at eleventh hour despite assurances by the Commission that it was ready for the elections.

    “Before now, there has been subtle mussing about plans by some forces to enthrone an Interim Government on the country and it is becoming obvious that such forces have thrown their evil spanners into the democratic electoral process to have a reason to carry out their clandestine agenda.

    “These forces, we suspect, are the same that have carried out systematic arson that led to the destruction of electoral materials and Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) at different parts of the country few days to the election and the killings in Kaduna State on the eve of the election.

    “As an umbrella body of all registered political parties and associations in the country, we compelled to alert the nation and urge well-meaning Nigerians and lovers of democracy around the world that the postponement of the election for February 16, 2019 may not have happened as a mere logistics problems as adduced by INEC.

    “Even when the rumour of plans to postpone the polls strongly permeated the air days to the planned election date, the electoral umpire reiterated its readiness to go ahead with the exercise as scheduled, we are shocked that INEC suddenly postponed the election about five hours to time of commencement.

    “The ruling party and the INEC should be held accountable should our fears come to materialization as there might be another postponement of the rescheduled February 23 national elections.

    “We therefore call on the international communities and all election observers to be on the lookout as discovery of already thump-printed ballot papers and written result summary for an election that was yet to take place are part of efforts to rig and cause confusion and prepare grounds for an interim government to be foisted on the country.

    “The CNPP and other democratic watchdogs will continue to painstaking interrogate the electoral process with a view to exposing manipulations and electoral fraud capable of marring our hard-earned democracy”, the CNPP said.

     

     

  • ‘Let’s give INEC, FG benefit of doubt’

    Ex-Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa on Saturday expressed shock over the postponement of the 2019 general elections, but advised that for the nation to further enjoy peace, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government should be given a benefit of doubt.

    Musa also explained that INEC and the security operatives are over stretched to guarantee free, fair and credible elections.

    He warned that any other postponement of elections date by INEC will cause crisis and both the electoral body and government will lose credibility.

    INEC had announced the postponement a few hours to the commencement of the February 16 presidential and National Assembly polls.

    Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while announcing the postponement in Abuja, attributed the step to “overwhelming logistics and operational challenges.”

    The Commission fixed February 23 and March 9 as new dates for the presidential and National Assembly elections; and the governorship.

    Read Also: Why we postponed polls, by INEC

    Reacting to the postponement of the elections through a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Abuja, Musa who is also the Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), said: “we have to give the benefit of doubt to INEC and the Federal Government. The feeling is that the institutions connected with the elections are not prepared for a free, fair, peaceful and credible elections. These institutions are the Federal Government itself, INEC, security agencies and the political parties.

    “INEC and the security services are over stretched. Their capacity for a free, fair and transparent election which should be peaceful and lead to a legitimate government is over stretched.

    “In the case of the political parties, it is irrelevant because as far as we are concerned we know that Nigerian political parties in general are irrelevant to a democratic development in the country. For example we have two major political parties in the country and we have 89 others that oppose to this two.

    “The 89 up until now have not been able to come together and produce an alternative. And we are now talking of peaceful development. Why can’t we do it. We can’t unite produce a third alternative.

    “Now with this situation, if we hold the election as planned there is the risk of anarchy and unnecessary loss of lives and property. It is maintenance of order, we have to give the benefit of doubt to government and INEC that their decision is genuine. Weather it is so or not we have to be briefed by subsequent events. For instance if they try to shift the election again then we will suspect that there is another negative objective.

    “Now the negative state of the nation shows us that really the postponement of the election may be genuine.”

     

  • Breaking: PDP rejects postponement of election

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has said that shoddy arrangement for this election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is a deliberate predetermined agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to cling on to power even when it’s obvious to him that Nigerians want him out.

    He was reacting to the postponement of the election by INEC.

    Prince Secondus said that the postponement which is part of a grand design by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to thwart the will of Nigerians at all cost, clearly exposes INEC as a failure and calls on the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to resign immediately.

    The PDP leader warns that the party will not accept anything short of a well organized electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and the opposition particularly members of the PDP.

    “Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable”, he said.

    The National Chairman said that the APC in connivance with the INEC have been trying all options including but not limited to burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying of electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act.

    According to a statement from the National Chairman’s media office signed by Ike Abonyi, Prince Secondus said that the party is privy to all the pressures from the APC and the federal government to arm-twist the INEC, to dance to their new strategy after their earlier ones failed.

    “With several of their rigging options failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.

    “For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away.

    He said that by the action of the President has further demonstrated his insensitivity costing the huge cost after Nigerians including those who came home from abroad have all mobilized to their various constituencies.

    The National Chairman recalls that the PDP had earlier alerted Nigerians that the APC was coming up with lined up rigging strategies including burning down of INEC offices and engineering crisis in PDP stronghold areas to scare away the people.

    Prince Secondus said that the wicked killing of over 60 persons mostly women and children in Southern Kaduna on the eve of the election is a copious ploy by the APC to frighten the people away from voting knowing too well that they were not going to record any vote from the area.

    “Recall that the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-rufai had earlier threatened international election observers of going to their country in body bags and with the fatal violence in the state on the eve of  election, it’s clear what the motives are, to frighten the observers from the state so that he can carry out his nefarious acts.

    The National Chairman also drew the attention of all lovers of democracy to the statement of President Buhari on the international media that nobody can unseat him from office as an indication of what he wants to do.

    Prince Secondus also regretted that President Buhari who made a promise at the signing of peace accord that the election will be conducted in a fair and transparent atmosphere  has gone ahead in breach of the peace agreements to send soldiers and other security agencies to arrest, harass and intimidate opponents in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Kano, Kaduna states.

  • Buhari condemns killings in Kajuru, Kaduna State

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday night said that he was “pained beyond words” by the news of the new wave of killings on election eve in Kaduna State.

    Reacting to the reports of violent killings in Kajuru local government, Kaduna State, President Buhari described it as an “act of cowardice.”

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President assured that security forces will investigate and apprehend all those involved.

    Read also: Election: FRSC sets up Situation Room

    “The perpetrators of this mayhem will not go unpunished,” said the President.

    He said that the action will not distract the nation from the elections starting tomorrow (today).

    His government, he said, is determined to foil the designs of those who want to disrupt the exercise.

  • PDP kicks as DSS arrests Kaduna PDP campaign spokesman

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked over the arrest of its Campaign Council’s Director of Media and Publicity in Kaduna State, Ben Bako, by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The Nation gathered the campaign’s spokesman was arrested Saturday night and whisked to Abuja after honouring an invitation by the DSS office in Kaduna.

    His arrest, it was gathered, was informed by video clips that have gone viral on social media, showing Ben Bako making inciting comments during the PDP campaign rally in Kafanchan last week.

    However, reacting to the development in Kaduna Sunday afternoon at a press conference  Deputy Director General of the Campaign Organisation, Danjuma Sarki called for immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Ben Bako, arguing that, he has been harassed and illegally detained without trial for over 24 hours.

    Sarki also alleged the arrest of Ben Bako was part of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) goverment’s plan to intimidate and silence the opposition in the state.

    He alleged a number of party leaders including himself two former governors, former minister and former party chairman had been penciled down for arrest ahead of the elections.

    According to him: “We are very much aware that long before now,  the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, under the leadership of Governor Nasir el-Rufai, has penned down a long list of influential PDP members in the state for intimidation, arrest and detention over spurious charges few days to the general elections. The list includes the following:

    “We also aware that several youth leaders of the PDP in the state, women leaders and  staunch supporters of the PDP, including some public commentators are also to be locked up shortly before the elections.

    “The plan is to lock away 150 leaders of the PDP at the State and Local Government Areas on trumped up charges of “hate speech” during campaign rallies. The intention is to send fears and weaken the spirit of the campaign or to stir crisis in the state.

    “But, unknown to governor El-Rufai and the DSS, the more he arrests us, the stronger the PDP gets.

    “It is too late to reverse the determination of the traumatised people of Kaduna state. They have been fleeced by a narrow group of friends and family under a government of tyranny, propaganda, bigotry, disunity and backwardness.

    “The world today is still outraged by the murderous threat of governor Nasir el-Rufai to International Election Observers, when he vowed that should any of them intervene contrary to the designs and expectation of the APC during and after elections, they would return home in body bags.

    “Curiously the Presidency, came out in full support of that crude, barbaric bravado which carries a costly diplomatic price, should any harm befall any International Election Observer in the course of their legitimate duty in Nigeria during the polls.

    “The PDP in Kaduna state will not be drawn into any violent conflict no matter the provocation. Let us reiterate for the records: The PDP in Kaduna state is determined and totally committed to a violent free polls.

    “No member or supporter of the PDP must be involved in breaking the law. In the same manner, the PDP is solid serious about ensuring that every vote cast in the state counts.”

    He called for the immediate redeployment of Kaduna State Director of the DSS, alleging he won’t be neutral.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked over the arrest of its Campaign Council’s Director of Media and Publicity in Kaduna State, Ben Bako, by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The Nation gathered the campaign’s spokesman was arrested Saturday night and whisked to Abuja after honouring an invitation by the DSS office in Kaduna.

    His arrest, it was gathered, was informed by video clips that have gone viral on social media, showing Ben Bako making inciting comments during the PDP campaign rally in Kafanchan last week.

    However, reacting to the development in Kaduna Sunday afternoon at a press conference  Deputy Director General of the Campaign Organisation, Danjuma Sarki called for immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Ben Bako, arguing that, he has been harassed and illegally detained without trial for over 24 hours.

    Sarki also alleged the arrest of Ben Bako was part of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) goverment’s plan to intimidate and silence the opposition in the state.

    He alleged a number of party leaders including himself two former governors, former minister and former party chairman had been penciled down for arrest ahead of the elections.

    According to him: “We are very much aware that long before now,  the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, under the leadership of Governor Nasir el-Rufai, has penned down a long list of influential PDP members in the state for intimidation, arrest and detention over spurious charges few days to the general elections. The list includes the following:

    “We also aware that several youth leaders of the PDP in the state, women leaders and  staunch supporters of the PDP, including some public commentators are also to be locked up shortly before the elections.

    “The plan is to lock away 150 leaders of the PDP at the State and Local Government Areas on trumped up charges of “hate speech” during campaign rallies. The intention is to send fears and weaken the spirit of the campaign or to stir crisis in the state.

    “But, unknown to governor El-Rufai and the DSS, the more he arrests us, the stronger the PDP gets.

    “It is too late to reverse the determination of the traumatised people of Kaduna state. They have been fleeced by a narrow group of friends and family under a government of tyranny, propaganda, bigotry, disunity and backwardness.

    “The world today is still outraged by the murderous threat of governor Nasir el-Rufai to International Election Observers, when he vowed that should any of them intervene contrary to the designs and expectation of the APC during and after elections, they would return home in body bags.

    “Curiously the Presidency, came out in full support of that crude, barbaric bravado which carries a costly diplomatic price, should any harm befall any International Election Observer in the course of their legitimate duty in Nigeria during the polls.

    “The PDP in Kaduna state will not be drawn into any violent conflict no matter the provocation. Let us reiterate for the records: The PDP in Kaduna state is determined and totally committed to a violent free polls.

    “No member or supporter of the PDP must be involved in breaking the law. In the same manner, the PDP is solid serious about ensuring that every vote cast in the state counts.”

    He called for the immediate redeployment of Kaduna State Director of the DSS, alleging he won’t be neutral.

  • El-Rufai meets Kaduna Pastors, says his decisions based on merit

    Kaduna state governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai at the weekend met with a group of pastors, saying his administration’s decisions are not based on religion and ethnicity.

    The governor said he has been working with people around him based on competency to get results, not minding their tribe, religion, as he called on residents to unite for progress of the state.

    Speaking during a Town Hall Meeting with a group of pastors under the auspices of ‘Pastors United For Change Association’ held in Kaduna, El-Rufai explained that he has nothing against Christians in the state, adding that his choice of running mate, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, from Sanga local government area of Southern Kaduna was purely on her capacity to deliver and not religious sentiment.

    The governor while urging the pastors to check his records of selfless service to the people, maintained that his target is to end the religious,ethnic division and unite the people of the state.

    El-rufai said, “In my life I have never worked with people based on religious and ethnic consideration.

    “Don’t look at what people said but what I have done in the past. Go through my records and see what I have done. On the issue of my running mate, we are encouraging women participation in politics,she is a competent woman.”

    Read Also: El-Rufai clarifies his comments

    The governor added: “Only Kaduna state has male/female governorship ticket in the northern Nigeria. Late Prof. Andrew Nok, our late commissioner for education brought Dr. Hadiza Balarabe when were looking for someone that can revive our primary health in the state and she performed excellently well. I don’t know her before. Her choice as running mate has nothing to do with religion”

    “I am confidence that my running mate will run the state effectively and will be fair to all in the state even if I am not around. When you get into office politics stop. You must be fair to all. Check our records in the last three years and six months,we have worked. We built, repaired primary, secondary schools.

    “We fixed our primary health centres. I am human and I can make mistakes like any other person. I will be fair to everybody. We must unite our people for progress. I want Kaduna state to interact on the basis of humanity not religion and ethnicity.”

    “There are some shifts in some local government areas in Southern Kaduna, which favoured us, which we will win this election,” El-Rufai said.

    Chairman of Pastors United for Change Association, Apostle David Adeniran, said with the governor’s explanation on issues, they now understand that he wanted a united Kaduna without religious, ethnic consideration.

    Adeniran said: “Our sincere clergymen and women, thank you for honouring the invitation. I believe many of you will go home with a new thinking that something good is happening in Kaduna. This is a new Kaduna state. We are here to interact on the next level in Kaduna state. Kaduna state will be better for all of us.”

     

  • ‘Body bag’: PDP calls for El-Rufai’s arrest

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), Prince Uche Secondus, has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest the Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

    The call was made in response to the governor’s threat to foreign election observers and members of the international community that they would be sent back to their countries in body bags if they get involved in the upcoming general elections.

    The governor had, during a live programme on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Tuesday, threatened that foreign election observers planning to interfere with the polls will leave in Nigeria in body bags.

    But speaking at the party’s presidential campaign ally in Makurdi, the Benue State capital on Friday, the PDP chairman, said that an Atiku Abubakar presidency would put an end to mindless killings in Benue and other states.

    Secondus said, “Yesterday, we went to Katsina, they were killing in eight local governments. That is the President’s home state. The killing is so much in Nigeria.  Poverty and hunger is too much in the land. We will shift the headquarters of poverty to another country. Atiku Abubakar will create jobs for our teeming youths. He has done it before, he will do it again”.

    “We were told that Senator George Akume was inviting military. This is not a military regime, this is democracy. Anyone that sends soldiers to Akume is against democracy. And we will reject such rigged results either in Benue or at the national level. We will never accept any rigged results.

    “You are aware that the Governor of Kaduna State has said that people will be killed and carried in body bags. And we must stand because they cannot kill us. The international community is aware.

    “We call on the Federal Government, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari to set up an inquiry. If he refuses, then the International Criminal Court should arrest El-Rufai immediately for saying that the international community and PDP will be carried in body bags. They are not ready for election. They know that Atiku is winning”.

    The PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, assured the people that he would end the security challenges in the state.