The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nasarawa

  • 64 primary schools affected by crisis in Lafia – Official

    Yusuf Okbele, Education Secretary (ES), Lafia East Development Area, said 64 Primary Schools were affected by the recent herdsmen/farmers crisis in the area.

    Mr Okbele disclosed this on Friday in Lafia, Nasarawa State during a step-down training of teachers in the area.

    According to him, the recent crisis in the Southern Senatorial Zone of the state has affected activities in 64 primary schools in Lafia East.

    He explained that the government was making serious efforts for activities to resume, while activities had commenced in some of the schools.

    “The efforts of the government with the support of all stakeholders have yielded results, because normalcy has returned in some of the affected communities.

    “All parents should send their children to schools as academic activities had since commenced,” he said.

    He called on all teachers in the area to take their jobs seriously in order to impact positively on the pupils.

    Okbele also urged Head Teachers of all schools in the area to ensure that their staff write lesson notes, plan their lessons and observe time for every lesson.

    He promised to step up supervision to all schools by deploying supervisors to move round every day to ensure better service delivery.

  • Re: Al-Makura and Nasarawa killings

    In his Sunday column; “Barometer” published on April 22, 2018, Adekunle Ade-Adeleye analysed the reaction of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to the recent killings of 32 persons in Keana, Obi and Awe Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State. The central treatise of Mr. Ade-Adeleye’s piece was that Governor Al-Makura was “philosophically aloof” back in January when killer herdsmen perpetrated “the New Year’s Day Killings in Benue State” but now that the killings have caught up with Nasarawa State: “Mr. Al-Makura is now very flustered with the killings spilling over to his (own) state with deadening regularity!”

    Governor Al-Makura has had his baptism of fire long before now because on May 29, 2011, when he was sworn in as governor of Nasarawa State, his first official assignment was to preside over a security council meeting which dwelt on how to resolve herdsmen and farmers clashes at the border of Nasarawa with Benue State and at that meeting he stated that: “Peace and harmonious coexistence between Nasarawa and Benue State remain fundamental necessities in our quest for enduring development and progress!”

    The governor has kept true to his conviction of “neighbourliness anchored on peace” in the last seven years of his stewardship during which he faced and surmounted monumental security challenges, including the nightmare of 2013 when over 77 security personnel were killed in Alakyo at the height of the onslaught of the Ombatse ethnic militia in the state. But at no point during the time of its travails did Nasarawa State ever point accusing fingers at our neighbouring states as being the source of our troubles.

    It is correct for Ade-Adeleye to remind the world that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State at that time had accused neighbouring Nasarawa State of harbouring killer herdsmen who “allegedly” strike from Tunga in Awe Local Government Area and recoil there to avoid being apprehended by the security forces. And in the words of Ade-Adeleye; “Mr Ortom was to later apologize for his harsh comments which he attributed to the grief that overcame Benue people as a result of the January massacres!” But the point to be made here is that there was nothing offhand or rueful in the way Governor Al-makura accepted with warmth and empathy the apology of his counterpart in Benue State.

    So when Mr. Al-makura appears calm in the face of the storm or shows restraint at the onslaught of attack, it is not because he is being “cold” “insensitive” or is exhibiting what Ade-Adeleye calls a combination of “unearthly calm” and “philosophical aloofness!”, it is simply because the governor and good people of Nasarawa State have long since been tempered by years of relentless and bitter scourge of unabating violence. That was why Governor Al-makura urged for restraint in official utterances or pronouncements of government at that time and the Editorial of THE NATION of January 12, 2018 titled: “Not time for bickering!” accurately captured the sentiment of the governor.

    A reference to valid records shows that in 2012 Governor Al-makura along with former Governor Gabriel Suswam led an effort to put in place a subsisting security arrangement which Nasarawa State initiated with Benue where both States agreed that there should be greater synergy between the security agencies of the two states and that a Joint Security Task Force was to be constituted by the two States or if that proved impossible, individual Border Patrol Teams were to be established by each state (but with a strong border liaison arrangement). The entire goal of the security template of 2012 which has been revisited by both states over the last seven years is to ensure effective intelligence sharing for proactive actions, detection of foreign incursion, the mopping up of illegal arms from both the criminal elements who are herders and farmers in both States and the continual conduct of air surveillance by security chiefs from both states around the Benue valley and inter-state boundaries prone to upsurge of violence.

    Ade-Adeleye made reference to reports that: “The Nasarawa State governor was quoted as saying that the Anti-Open Grazing Law passed by Benue State was unnecessary notwithstanding the horrendous attacks orchestrated by the herdsmen who were thought to be mostly Fulani!” For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Al-makura believes that Benue State as a federating unit has the right to enact laws which serve the interest of Benue people and Nasarawa State has no interest whatsoever or intension to meddle in the internal affairs of Benue State, but as a proactive neigbour Nasarawa State observed that consequent upon the introduction and implementation of the Anti-Open-Grazing Law, there was panic migration of herdsmen in large numbers along with their cattle and families into Nasarawa State.

    This mass exodus prompted Nasarawa State to send a letter to the Federal Government on November 13, 2017 wherein, the State Government invited the attention of the Federal Government on the absolute need to put in place measures to address the security challenges urgently in order to avert the likelihood of breakdown of the seemingly peaceful and harmonious co-existence, as well as security, law and order in the Benue Valley and, indeed, along our border with Taraba State.

    The point therefore is that although Nasarawa State (had nothing to do with the implementation of Anti-Open Grazing Law, but as a responsible government, Al-makura had to be proactive and act in good faith to pre-empt and forestall the likely consequence or fallout of the mass migration. That was why Governor Al-makura sent the letter!

    The governor did not lose his cool nor did he angrily abandon the IDPs in Agwatashi as is being peddled. But as a caring father who is supporting over 11 IDP camps in Obi, Keana and Awe, he only admonished the youth that if they persist in being unruly and refuse to listen to him; government will have no choice but to leave them to defend themselves!

    But when that hard tactic did not quieten the crowd, the governor admitted in his own words (and as quoted by Ade-Adeleye) that: “The reaction from the people is understandable, given their plight and we have to use diplomacy to address issues. Continuing to address them at the moment would not yield any result, so we have decided to avoid further altercation!” That same day the governor sent relief materials to the same IDP camp and the next day, he liaised with the security forces to set up a Joint Security Post in Agwatashi in Obi Local Government area.

    So if I may ask, if in the end the governor showed statesmanship and compassion to the IDP camp in Agwatashi, what is the purpose of Ade-Adeleye’s BAROMETER to allude that: “whether Mr. Al-makura was sensitive or not, it was clear that he was unable to vicariously feel Mr Ortom’s pains when Benue farmers and indigenes were massacred by herdsmen!”

    Is this not a deliberate attempt to dig up fragile issues which may heighten public suspicion and escalate tension between Nasarawa and Benue State?

     

    • Lamai, is Senior Special Assistant, Public Affairs and Media Strategy to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State

     

     

  • Troops arrest five ‘militias’, recover arms in Nasarawa

    Troops of 177 Guards Battalion have arrested five suspected militias at Ugyi, Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

    Army spokesman Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu said the troops recovered arms during a raid.

    Chukwu said a Daihatsu Sport Utility Vehicle; seven motorcycles; six dane guns and locally-made revolver were recovered.

    Others are four 9mm rounds of ammunition and cartridge; 26 daggers and a list containing phone numbers, sword, 40 pieces of customised regalia; N1,205; and assorted charms.

    Chukwu added that preliminary investigation is on and the suspects will be handed over to the appropriate authorities.

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Andoma of Doma, Alhaji Aliyu Ogah, has called for peace among farmers and herdsmen.

    Ogah spoke yesterday in Doma during a peace talk with CAN officials.

    According to him, peaceful co-existence among communities would boost food production.

    He said: “When farmers and herdsmen co-exist peacefully, the situation will enhance food security and socio-economic well being of the people and the economic development of the state.

    “Peace is priceless and non-negotiable, that is why I am suing for peace among my people, especially among farmers and herdsmen so that both of them will enjoy the fruits of their labour.

    “Peace is also a necessary requirement for the development of any society, hence the need for all of us to see ourselves as our brothers’ keeper in the interest of development.

    “More so, no society will develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion.”

    The monarch, who lamented the crisis in some parts of the state, advised communities against retaliation.

    CAN Chairman Rev. Joseph Anzaku said the visit was aimed at partnering the Emirate Council to promote peace in the state.

    Anzaku advised communities affected by the mayhem against reprisal attacks, saying all religion preached peace and unity.

    He assured the monarch that he will continue to advocate peaceful co-existence among religious groups for sustainable development.

  • ‘Nasarawa recorded 81 per cent IGR in 2017’

    The Director-General, Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, has said Nasarawa State recorded an 81 per cent growth in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), amounting to N6.2 billion in 2017, as against N3.4 billion in 2016.

    Okauru spoke in Lafia yesterday when he led a delegation of the forum and the Joint Tax Board on a one-day official visit to the state.

    He noted that the federal allocation to the state had dwindled from N50.5 billion in 2013 to N38 billion in 2017, with corresponding growth in budgetary pressures making it imperative for the government to find other ways to support fiscal recovery and stability.

    The DG, however, maintained that in order to meet its 2018 target, IGR collection would require improvements in revenue administration, improved taxpayer literacy, tax base expansion and improved remittance system through the adoption of electronic payment.

    Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board Oseni Elama stressed that to record any meaningful success in tax administration, professionalism and autonomy are key, saying tax education and automation are the driving force in revenue generation.

    Governor Tanko Al-Makura said it was imperative on the state to develop a robust revenue mechanism to bridge the shortfall from the federal allocation.

    According to him, on assumption of office in 2011, the state generated only N1.5 billion a year before, but N8 billion has been generated so far in the year. He vowed that the set target of N12 billion for 2018 would be realised.

  • CP laments killing of three policemen in Nasarawa by Herdsmen

    Nasarawa State Police Commissioner Ahmed Bello lamented yesterday that suspected herdsmen killed three of his men on duty on Monday in two separate attacks in Awe and Keana local government areas..

    Bello told reporters that five persons had been arrested in connection with the killings.

    Those arrested he listed as: Bawa Alhaji, Aliyu Waziri, Muhammed Auta Riga, Sale Muhammad and Alhaji Adamu Auta. He said they were all arrested in Riga Auta along Radio House in Keana local government.

    He said items recovered from them include one AK 47 rifle with 30 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition,.  Investigation into the killings are ongoing, he added.

    Ahmed said: “It is quite unfortunate that these attacks were not only unleashed on innocent citizens, but also on security personnel who are trying to restore peace and order in the affected communities.”

    “On April 16, 2018 there were attacks on our men while responding to distress calls in Awe and Keana local government areas, which led to the loss of three police personnel on peacekeeping mission.”.

    Ahmed said so far, 16 suspected Fulani herders had been arrested by Nasarawa state police command in connection with the ongoing killings and for committing various offences in Obi, Awe and Keana local government areas of the state.

    The police boss announced the arrest of four Fulani mercenaries who he said migrated from Shendam in Plateau state to Azara  in Awe local government to unleash terror.

    Those apprehended are: Mohammed Sani- Adamu, Shuaibu Alhaji, Saidu Mahammadu and Adamu Jatau.

  • Herdsmen attacks: 17 buried in Nasarawa

    Seventeen victims of herdsmen attacks in Tiv villages in Nasarawa South have been buried in Lafia and Keana local government areas.

    Seven of the victims were buried at the Christian cemetery in Lafia and the others in a mass grave at Keana.

    Marauding herdsmen, in the last five days, killed 70 persons, including three policemen in Keana and Awe.

    President of Tiv Youth Organization Peter Ahemba said they were forced to bury the victims outside their homes, against the Tiv tradition, as the herdsmen were still laying siege to deserted Tiv villages.

    He said: “We were left with no option than to bury the victims outside their homes  (Lafia and Keana) as the Tiv villages have been sacked and the invaders are still occupying most of them. We could not risk more lives by going to bury the deceased in their homes as demanded by our tradition.

    “This is more so that the bodies had begun decomposing due to congestion at the mortuary”.

    Ahemba added that besides those buried yesterday, others were buried at different locations across Awe, Keana, Obi and Doma councils.

    The search for more casualties is on.

  • Man murdered after winning N11m on Naijabet

    A young man in Sabo Pegi area Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, was brutally murdered after winning N11 million on the football betting platform “Naija Bet”.

    The lifeless body of the victim whose name was given as Achuku Joseph, discovered at the early morning of Saturday abandoned by the roadside at the Federal University, Lafia, with several deep machet wounds.

    Information gathered from a member of the victim’s family who pleaded anonymity said, late Achuku was being monitored right from the time he won the game by some of his friends who earlier threatened his life in order to have a share of the money.

    “Achuku had to relocate to another place to hide, but they traced him and used diabolical charms on him which made him sick and started behaving abnormally.

    “We then decided to employ the services of a pastor who prayed for him and later took him to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist hospital in Lafia. It was in that process, that certain diabolic portion was discovered in his pocket. The portions were removed and discarded before reviving him”, he explained.

    He added that the deceased went out as early as 6am on Saturday without the knowledge of his family members only to be told that his body was found lifeless shortly after.

    Mainwhile, the case is with the State CID in Lafia, as investigation is ongoing to bring the perpetrators to book, while the corpse is still in police custody.
    The state PPRO, John Kennedy, said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

  • Herdsmen kill 13 in Benue, Nasarawa

    Rampaging gunmen believed to be herdsmen yesterday killed 13 people in Benue and Nasarawa states – two neighbouring middle belt states that have been under herders’ attacks in recent times.

    The killing of seven people in Gbeji town Ukum Local Government area in Benue state happened on Tuesday between 6pn and 7 pm, it was learnt.

    The Principal Secretary General of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Comrade Bogal Àbuul, an indigene of the area, said the herdsmen stormed Gbeji town with sophisticated weapons, killed the people before setting the town ablaze thereby destroying properties worth millions of Naira .

    He expressed concern that the invaders operated for more than 10 hours unchallenged despite the deployment of military personnel in the area .

    Police spokesman Moses Yamu could not be reached to comment.

    Six persons were feared killed in three attacks in Nasarawa State.

    Gun-wielding herdsmen attacked Kadarko town in Obi local government area, killing four people, with many others injured.

    An eyewitness account said market activities were forced to shut down abruptly yesterday afternoon following the attack.

    A 29-year-old man identified as Israel Okeh was killed by herdsmen along Ankoma-Doka road in Doma Local Government Area.

    The victim, who hails from Gidan Rai, was said to be conveying two women on a motorcycle when the attackers ambushed and killed him.

    At Udela village in Awe Local Government Area, the armed herdsmen reportedly opened fire on the locals at midnight killing one person on the spot. Many were injured.

    A villager, Mr. Nambe Ornguga, who narrowly escaped death, told our correspondent that the marauders came at about 1am, shooting sporadically.

    “I slept in the bush yesterday with my wife and four children. The herdsmen came shooting and warning people to leave their villages as there would be more killings if they insisted on returning home. They had told us that we would not know peace until Benue State suspended the anti-open grazing law”.

    A resident of Kuduku in Keana Local Government Area, Mr. John Iwar said the herdsmen issued an ultimatum for them to vacate their villages.

    President Tiv Youth Organisation in Nasarawa state, Comrade Peter Ahemba, appealed to the government for the provision of security personnel in the affected communities to stop the killings.

    “We call on the federal government to direct the deployment of military forces in the state on a full-scale operation to flush out the armed herders who have forcibly taken over most of the Tiv villages in the state”  As a result of the renewed killings, no fewer than 10,000 people who had left the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned.

    Governor Samuel Ortom described the ongoing killings as an extension of the terrorism perpetrated by Boko Haram.

    Speaking yesterday in Makurdi, Ortom said the manner in which the armed men invade communities is not different from the mindless acts of Boko Haram in the North East.

    “They come with sophisticated weapons and kill people, ” he said

    Ortom said the pattern of attacks by the armed militia is their trademark of occupying communities after killing and sacking the inhabitants.

    “In some cases, they do not have the herds. They just come with their weapons, kill and chase the people out and take over the land, that is the worrisome part of it”, the governor stressed.

    The governor said the trend of attacks on Benue is beyond mere grazing of livestock, arguing that if the invaders were only interested in grazing, the massive destruction of lives and property would not be their priority.

  • Nasarawa, Yobe, Cross River pay highest price for kerosene in March

    The National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ), says residents of Nasarawa, Yobe and Cross River, paid the highest price for kerosene in March.

    The NBS said this in its National Household Kerosene “Price Watch’’ for March, 2018 released in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The NBS report said that residents of Nasarawa paid an average price of N306.07 per litre for kerosene, Yobe paid N300.78 while Cross River residents paid N300.68 for the product.

    Meanwhile, the report noted that states with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Abia; N229.35; Delta; N227.77 and Borno; N225.13.

    The report said that average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosene decreased by -6.79 per cent month-on-month and -13.66 per cent year-on-year from N288.57 in February to N268.99 in March.

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    Similarly, the report said that average price per gallon paid by consumers for the product decreased by -8.45 per cent month-on-month, and -19.57 per cent year-on-year from N1,030.33 in February to N943.27 in March.

    It, however, said that states with the highest average price per gallon of kerosene were Kebbi, N1,105.00; Benue, N1,096.67 ; and Jigawa, N1,061.90, respectively.

    It also noted that states with the lowest average price per gallon of kerosene were Ebonyi, N828.57; Delta, N821.54; and Rivers, N814.08.

    NAN

  • LG polls: Nasarawa speaker denies snatching ballot box

    The Speaker of the Nasarawa state House of Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, has denied allegations that he had snatched ballot box during the chairmanship primary election of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Toto local government area of the state.

    Balarabe Abdullahi stated this while fielding question from journalists in Lafia on Tuesday.

    He described the allegation as, not only false, but unfounded and baseless, saying it is a contraption created by his political foes who do not wish him well in
    his political career”.

    According to him: “Hon. Nuhu Dauda, one of the chairmanship aspirants, was leading and his opponents were no longer comfortable and resolved to throwing stones and other dangerous weapons at people who were present at the venue”.

    “Journalists, you may wish to do further investigation and I assure you that you will find my statement to be the truth”.

    “As a number third citizen of Nasarawa state, how will I snatch ballot box meant for election when there was adequate security on
    ground.

    “The election was going on smoothly before some people went and mobilized their thugs to disrupt the process which was unfortunate and a
    threat to our electoral process”.

    “What I always preach is free, fair and credible election. Let the electorates, the delegates decide who will be their local government
    chairman”.

    He emphasized that delegates from his Umaisha/Ugya constituency gave testimony of his acceptance by his people.

    Balarabe Abdullahi threatened to sue those who are tarnishing his name and called on them to desist from their evil acts towards him.

    The Nation recalls that the Nasarawa state Independent Electoral Commission (NANSIEC) has fixed May 26 for the conduct of the local government
    election in the state.