President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to visit Nasarawa State today as part of efforts to ensure peace in some trouble spots.
After Nasarawa, Buhari is slated to visit Taraba, Zamfara and Benue states but the dates of the visits are yet to be decided, a Presidency source said last night.
The President is expected to console victims of herdsmens’ killings and douse tensions in the trouble spots.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Nasarawa State Chapter, has called for the deployment of military to border towns between Nasarawa and Benue, to curtail the incessant attacks on the area.
MACBAN’s state chairman, Mohammed Hussaini, who made the call in an interview with newsmen on Saturday, said measure would bring the situation under control.
He attributed the spill over of the attacks and killings in border towns to the anti open grazing law being enforced by the Benue Government.
“Since this thing started, we have been under attacks by armed militia groups, in which lots of our people were killed, some are still missing.
“A lot of cows belonging to our members were killed and many other rustled in some of these attacks.
“The lives of our members are also being threatened in all the border towns; so the federal government should come to our aid by deploying the military to the affected areas,” he said.
Hussaini said the security agencies should investigate and arrest the criminal elements responsible for the attacks and bring them to justice.
He noted that there were criminal elements in every tribe, and cautioned against the quick generalization tribes when a crime was committed.
“A criminal is a criminal whether he or she is Igbo, Hausa, Eggon or Fulani, but why generalize the Fulanis when some of them commit any crime?” he asked.
He blamed the media for its antagonistic reports on Fulanis, saying “ these are some of the factors that fuel crisis”.
The Chairman commended the Nasarawa state government and heads of security agencies in the state for the proactive steps they took in handling security matters. (NAN)
…Maintains killing is due to communal clash
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has warned state governments and Commissioners of Police against equipping militia and vigilante groups with prohibited firearms.
The Police Chief also directed Commissioners of Police in charge of Commands to monitor the activities of state governments as the country enters into a political era.
He disclosed this on Thursday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during the monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers.
He said: “Everybody is aware we are entering a tedious and serious period in this country. The political issues are coming up to the fore and I believe as officers, we must gear up in our various locations and responsibilities to ensure that we ensure law and order all over Nigeria.
“As police officers, we know our duties. We know some issues that must be considered very seriously because we are coming into a political arena.
“Commands should be very conversant with arming of militia men or vigilante because before a vigilante group is established by a government, there must be a bylaw which must be passed by the House of Assembly.
“It is the responsibility of the Commissioners of Police in charge of Commands to study the bylaw and see how it conforms with the constitution and other laws of this country but where through the connivance of some Police officers, you have a command arming militia men under several leus, I think our officers have to brace up to face these challenges.
He further said: “No government in this country has the responsibility to approve some prohibited firearms to any Nigerian under any guise.
“I think it is the responsibility of CPs of Commands to put a close watch to the activities of some of these governments that are arming individuals which is against the laws of this country.
“All of us are aware of these prohibited firearms, you cannot give approval for any individual to own a pistol or AK47 Rifles. These are prohibited weapons and only the government has the authority to give that approval.
“I call on CPs of various Commands to closely watch the abuse of authority at various levels”, the IGP said.
On the killings in Nasarawa and Benue State and the effect of his relocation as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, the IG said the killings have reduced drastically.
He also maintained that the clashes were communal.
According to him: “To be frank, I relocated to Benue for about eight days and when I came back, I left the DIG Operations there. I must say that the incidences in Benue State and Nasarawa State have reduced drastically”.
On the killing in Gboko, he said: “We had an attack on some travellers in Gboko town, in Benue State where seven fulani people were murdered.
“Seven of them were travelling from Taraba to Kogi State, they stopped in Gboko and the youths there, seeing that they were fulani, pounced on them, killed and roasted them.
“We are investigating that issue now. Our monitoring team have been dispatched to Benue and some arrest have been made in that regard.”
On the clash being a communal clash, the IGP said : “This issue like I said from the beginning, is communal clash. These are clashes occurring between two members of the community and like I stated in both states, as Nigerians, we should learn to live together and tolerant of each other.
“I addressed traditional rulers recently in Port Harcourt and I think they have a lot to do to bring peace and harmony within their community.
“This country needs leaders that can unite the communities not leaders that create divisions and I think it is high time leaders answer their names and be among those that will bring peace and stability all over the country”, he said.
The Senate Thursday expressed concern over the spread of Lassa fever to fourteen states of the federation.
It listed the affected states to include Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Imo, Kogi, Bauchi, Anambra, Benue, Federal capital Territory, Abia, Ekiti and Delta.
It also said that the outbreak of the disease which was first recorded on the 5th of January, 2018, has risen to 363 as against the lesser number of cases recorded in previous years.
It said that out of the 363 cases, 81 persons have tested positive, while 44 persons have been admitted at the Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Teaching Hospital, Edo State.
About 11 deaths have been recorded, of which 3 are health workers, it said.
Senator representing Edo Central, Clifford Ordia, drew attention of his colleague to ravaging spread of disease in a motion entitled “Urgent need to support the Centre for Research, Control and Treatment of Lassa Fever disease in Nigeria.”
The upper chamber mandated its joint committee on Health and Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases, to investigate steps taken by the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of the disease.
It asked the Federal Government through the Ministry of Health to urgently provide the Center all necessary equipment to enable it meet its responsibilities to Nigerians seeking medical care at the center.
It also resolved to urge the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to engage in sensitisation and education of the public on the prevention, control and treatment of Lassa fever.
The upper chamber urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to quickly visit the center in Irrua Specialist Hospital for on the spot assessment, with a view to providing relief material to the victims.
Ordia who quoting the World Health Organization said that fever is an acute viral heamorrhagic illness of two to 21 days duration that occurs in West Africa and is transmitted to human through contact with or exposure to food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
He said person to person infection and laboratory transmission can also occur particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevention and control equipment.
Ordia said: “The institute is the only centre in Nigeria known for excellence in the management, control and treatment of Lassa fever in Nigeria. The centre received samples from all states referred above for the purpose of examination and treatment.
“The centre also engages in the training of Health care workers, i.e. Doctors, Nurses and Laboratory Technologists on the management of Lassa fever in Nigeria. Last year alone, the centre trained 67 health workers from 15 states with reported cases of the outbreak.
“The centre is presently overwhelmed by the number of samples received, including patients on admission which has stretched the bed space, beddings, Dialysis Machine, X-Ray equipment, Ultra Sound Scan, ECG Machine, Ventilators monitors, human and financial resources beyond limit.”
“The centre is confronted with the challenges of Inadequate protective instruments for the health workers engaged in the management of victims; inadequate drugs, i.e Ribarvirin for patient treatment; inadequate disinfectants and other infection prevention and control consumables; and lack of operational vehicles, public address system and health education materials for contact tracing and community sensitization.”
The Edo Central lawmaker said that the Senate should resolve to make more funds available for the centre in the 2018 budget.
It also urged the Federal Government to set up centres in different parts of the country.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, said health care should be one of the major responsibilities of government.
Ekweremadu noted that “If this matter is not addressed, we will be fail in our responsibilities. And to know that this issue has been going on for years is worrisome.
“We need to give this issue the attention it needs. We have enough medical doctors. We need to provide the needed equipment they need to work with. I believe that the committee will help us address the issue. We cannot allow this to continue to spread.”
Eighty per cent of teachers in Nasarawa State are not qualified and would fail an aptitude test if it was administered on them, Governor Tanko Al-Makura said in Akwanga on Monday.
In a speech at the opening ceremony of a conference to review the minimum standards of the National Certificate of Education (NCE), Al-makura said government embarked on some research which revealed that most primary and secondary school teachers have no business in the classrooms.
Al-Makura, who was represented by Commissioner for Education Aliyu Tijjani Ahmed, however allayed teachers’ fears of an appraisal test.
“We are not planning a test for the teachers; we only intend to train and retrain them so as to build their capacities for better service delivery,” he said.
He appealed to the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and other stakeholders to step-up supervision in order to save the sector from total collapse.
The governor advised the reviewers to pay special attention to technical education and entrepreneurship to make NCE graduates more attractive to employers of labour.
In his speech Executive Secretary of NCCE, Prof. Bappah Aliyu, said the conference would review the current curriculum and inject new ideas so as to boost the quality of the graduates.
He said that such review was last carried out in 2012, and urged stakeholders to offer suggestions that would shore up the quality of colleges of education to enable them produce qualified teachers.
Earlier, Mrs. Rebecca Umaru, Provost, College of Education, Akwanga, thanked the NCCE for selecting the institution to host the conference.
She expressed optimism that the outcome of the conference would keep lecturers and the management of the respective colleges on their toes in the efforts to produce teachers that would be assets to the society.
Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has condemned the attack on Kadarko Community in Keana Local Government Area which claimed seven lives on Monday night.
Al-Makura, who visited the community on Tuesday with security chiefs in the state, commiserated with families of the victims and the people of the area over the incident.
He said the State Government was working to ensure adequate security for the people of the area in the wake of unfortunate events of the last 48 hours in the community.
“Suspected cattle rustlers killed 73 cows and abducted two herdsmen on Sunday, while seven villagers were murdered on Monday.
“A unit of Mobile Police Force will be deployed to the area in the meantime, with military surveillance to allay the palpable fear and tension in the community.
“The police helicopter will provide aerial surveillance of the area to identify where the attackers were coming from.
“I want to advise those living in isolated settlements to relocate to Kadarko metropolis for their safety,’’ he said.
The Governor also appealed to the people of the community to suspend going to the farm pending improved security
He also called on the people to remain calm and avoid panic relocation from Kadarko town, adding that the mass movement from the community would heighten tension in other communities in the area.
He said that apart from the security beef-up, government would provide relief materials to the displaced persons already taking refuge at Kadarko Primary School.
Most of the rural settlements around Kadarko such as Gaav-Giza, Ngur-Giza, Gidan-Sule and Sarkin-noma have been totally deserted because of the situation.
Also, aged men, women and children are taking refuge in Kadarko Primary School, while others are moving out of the town in large numbers with their luggages.
The Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing on Tuesday warned communities located near federal highways in Nasarawa State against erecting bumps without approval.
The Federal Controller, Ministry of Works, Power and Housing in Nasarawa State, Mr Wasiu Adetayo, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.
“Normally, for you to fix bumps on a federal highway, you need to take permission. We always reject such request because it is not done.
“They will come with various excuses such as vehicles killed their people and so on, but by the time you fix such bumps, it is no more express.
“That is not to say I am exonerating drivers who speed recklessly but the fact remains that we don’t allow speed bumps.
“So, what they do is to wake up one morning and fix bumps without permission and the bumps they fix cause more accidents which they are trying to prevent,’’ Adetayo said.
He said it was strange that most of the communities were erecting bumps without the knowledge or approval of their traditional rulers and preventing their demolition aggressively.
“It got to a stage that the controller cannot just go out and say he wants to demolish illegal bumps. They will attack him.
“So, we now propose to the headquarters that we have to use uniformed men to assist us because eventually it will get to a stage where we will go out and demolish these bumps.
“We also discovered that to approach this issue, we need to carry the traditional rulers along,” the federal controller said.
A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Monday sentenced a driver, Orya Ugor, and his friend, Lucky Amiadame, to three months imprisonment each, for attempting to dupe a lady.
The judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, however, gave the convicts an option to pay N10,000 fine each.
Sadiq advised the convicts to desist from committing crimes, adding that the sentence would serve as deterrent to others.
The convicts, who reside in Nasarawa, were convicted on a count charge of attempting to steal.
The convicts who pleaded guilty to the offence, begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
The prosecutor, Florence Avhioboh, had told the court that one Florence Avhioboh, and his team attached to Gwarimpa Police Abuja, arrested them on Jan. 24.
Avhioboh said that they tried to dupe a passenger of N7, 000 in their vehicle along Gwarimpa by Kubwa express way.
“The mob around burnt the car to ashes,” she said.
Avhioboh said during police investigation, the convicts confessed to the crime.
The offence contravened the provisions of Section 95 of the Penal Code.
•Bayelsa moves against disease
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control yesterday said Lassa fever has killed 16 people in Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Kogi and Benue.
It also said 61 cases have been confirmed.
According to the agency, 10 health care workers have been infected in four states. Seven died in Ebonyi. One in Nasarawa. One in Kogi and one in Benue.
A statement by the agency reads: “Following the increasing number of Lassa fever cases reported from several States across the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate the response to the outbreak on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health.
“The EOC has deployed Rapid Response Teams to the most affected States- Ebonyi, Ondo and Edo States. The RRTs are supporting the States in response coordination, contact tracing, case management, risk communication and strengthening infection prevention and control practices. Emergency supplies have also been sent to treatment centres in all affected States.
“Since the beginning of 2018, a total number of 107 suspected Lassa fever cases have been recorded in ten states: Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Imo and Lagos States. As at 21st January 2018, the total number of confirmed cases is 61, with 16 deaths recorded. Ten health care workers have been infected in four States (Ebonyi – 7, Nasarawa – 1, Kogi – 1 and Benue – 1) with three deaths in Ebonyi State.
“NCDC is collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, African Field Epidemiology Network, US Centers for Disease Control, University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) and other agencies, in supporting the response in the affected states.”
The agency went on: “Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness, transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. Person-to- person transmission can also occur, particularly in hospital environment in the absence of adequate infection control measures. Health care workers in health facilities are particularly at risk of contracting the disease, especially where infection prevention and control procedures are not strictly adhered to.
“Lassa fever can be prevented through practicing good personal hygiene and proper environmental sanitation. Effective measures include storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage far from the home, maintaining clean households, and other measures to discourage rodents from entering homes. Hand washing should be practiced frequently.
“Health care workers are again reminded that Lassa fever presents initially like any other disease causing a febrile illness such as malaria; and are advised to practice standard precautions at all times, maintaining a high index of suspicion. Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) must be applied to all suspected cases of malaria. When the RDT is negative, other causes of febrile illness including Lassa fever should be considered. Accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment increase the chances of survival.
“Family members who are providing care for patients with Lassa fever are advised to take extra caution. In addition, States are encouraged to ensure safe and dignified burial practices for patients who die from Lassa fever.”
The Bayelsa State government yesterday said it had taken measures to protect residents from the spread of Lassa Fever.
Commissioner for Health Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu said though no case of the fever had been reported in any part of the state, the government rolled out programmes to stop outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
Speaking while presenting his ministry’s scorecard at the ongoing Inter-Ministerial/Agency Briefing at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, he said the people were being sensitised on the need to maintain hygienic environment.
He said: “There is no reported case of Lassa Fever in any part of the state but our people need to be conscious of their environment and if there is any incident of the disease, please report it to the nearest hospital for prompt attention.
“We need to be proactive in the way and manner we handle health related and other issues, that is why the present administration is committing so much to the sector.”
Three dead in Imo
No fewer than three persons have been confirmed dead following the outbreak of lassa fever in Imo State.
Commissioner of Health Dr Angela Uwakwem confirmed the deaths in a chat with The Nation.
According to her, “lassa fever is in Owerri. It has been confirmed”.
The commissioner disclosed that the three persons who contacted the deadly virus, died after they were referred out of the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Owerri.
Uwakwem said: “We have seven suspected cases of lassa fever in the state. Three are confirmed dead. The Imo state government is working hard to establish the point of first contact .the media should equally help us to enlighten our people.”
The Chief Medical Director of the FMC, Dr Kingsley Achigbu, disclosed that the lassa fever victims who were referred to the hospital were later referred out.
Governor Rochas Okorocha said the state government has taken necessary steps to bring the situation under control.
Okorocha said: “This morning we woke up to hear that Lassa fever has killed three persons and we also have seven cases of Lassa fever patients and this number is too large for a State. And we are concerned about the speed of spread. These cases were recorded in some hospitals, somewhere in Orlu and some other parts of the State. For this reason, we kindly advise that people should avoid over crowded areas, lessen the shaking of hands, and body contacts at this period.
“You are aware that Lassa fever is caused by some species of rats. The state is on it. The Ministry of Health has been adequately informed to take all necessary steps to curtail the spread. But as this number has risen this morning, we advise that people should avoid as much as possible some foods and body contacts especially in schools and market areas.
“We will do everything humanly possible to make sure that this spread is curtailed. While government is taking this action, people should keep a clean and healthy environment at this time. Avoid so many children staying in one place while government should handle the burial of those that died of Lassa fever. As you know, Lassa fever is deadly but if any discovery is made, live can be saved.”