The Nation Newspaper

Tag: punishment

  • Limits of punishment

    Limits of punishment

    •Student’s death after being punished calls for stern measures against errant teachers

    It seems some teachers in our schools are yet to know how far they can go in punishing their pupils or students for whatever misdemeanour they have committed. This is the best we can deduce from the death of Monday Arijo, a student of Obada Idi-Emi High School in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, on October 25.

    Arijo allegedly died from complications he sustained after 162 frog-jumps and 24 strokes of the cane, administered by one of his teachers, Azamdjo Elijah.

    According to reports, the teacher had reportedly brought a dustbin to Arijo’s class with a firm instruction that the students should not break it. Arijo was said to have replied jokingly that the dustbin was bought with the students’ money. This got the teacher angry and he reported the matter to the principal, Tamrat Onaolapo, who instructed that the student be punished.

    There is nothing wrong in disciplining an errant student. The issue now is the nature of the punishment. Was it punitive or corrective? But the scope of the punishment in this case leaves too much to be desired — 24 strokes of the cane after 162 frog jumps! It is simply incredible.

    What was sadder was that the teacher and some other members of the staff of the school who were at the scene delayed in taking Arijo to the hospital for medical attention when he was behaving somehow when serving the punishment. He died 10 days later, allegedly of complications from the corporal punishment.

    Read Also: Nigeria has moved beyond you, group slams Atiku

    Ogun State Police Command spokesman, Omolola Odutola, said “The incident happened on October 15, 2024. The deceased was asked to do 162 frog jumps and was given 24 strokes of the cane.

    “He was rushed to FMC, Idi-Aba, for medical attention and he died today (October 25). The deceased body has been deposited at the Ayetoro mortuary for autopsy. An investigation is ongoing”, she added.

    Arijo’s death was only the most recent of such painful exits. Painful not just because someone has died but because a youth with a promising future has needlessly been despatched to the grave prematurely, over a broken dustbin.

    As usual in such situations, the state government has shut down the school and suspended the teacher. But the closure would only subsist for a while as the school would sooner or later be reopened. Reports say the principal has also been suspended after being queried over the incident.

    We want to believe that this sort of thing keeps recurring in some of our schools because the right things are not done before the schools are reopened after being shut over an incident like this.

    There must be a charter of relationships between teachers and students that the teachers must be made to subscribe to, and this must be scrupulously observed. Corporal punishment is banned in the state; yet, some teachers punish their students beyond permissible limits, sometimes leading to the death of pupils or students as the case may be.

    While we agree that some students canbe cantankerous, there are ways to handle them professionally and this is part of the curriculum in teacher training colleges.

    We cannot afford to be losing children in avoidable circumstances. This incident must be thoroughly investigated and culprits prosecuted.

  • Parents oppose corporal punishment

    Parents in Enugu State have frowned at the use of corporal punishment in nursery and primary schools as a disciplinary measure to correct children.

    They spoke with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

    Mr Emaka Onyia said his child came back home, one day, with an injury on her neck in October and complained that her teacher caned her.

    Onyia said when contacted, the child’s teacher expressed remorse over the injury he inflicted on the pupil but insisted that the intention was not to cause injury to the pupil.

    Mrs Chioma Eze said her five-year-old child was always complaining of chest pain which medical test revealed was due to corporal punishment in school.

    Eze said her child had been telling her that their teacher always used her bare hand to hit pupils at the back any time they did something wrong in the classroom.

    A civil servant, Mr Edward Uchendu, said he was shocked on the day a teacher in one of the private schools gave a child of less than five years a smack.

    Uchendu, who said that the teacher claimed his action was in the name of instilling discipline, added that it took his intervention to stop the scenario.

    “I witnessed child abuse in another form in a private school in Achara Layout where a teacher was beating pupils and passers-by could hear the sound of her hand on them.

    “I went close to the classroom and asked her to stop or else I will report the matter to the Ministry of Education and the police.

    “The sound of the beating attracted my attention; she pushed the child who was just about four years old to the ground and beat her with her hand.

  • How a five-hour punishment I received from dad changed my life’

    How a five-hour punishment I received from dad changed my life’

    Rev. Sunday Oludare Matilukuro is the Primate of First African Church Mission (FACM). A former lecturer who had also worked with Rank Xerox and NCR Nigeria, a technology-based ompany, spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about his journey into gospel work, his childhood experiences and the debate concerning polygamy in the African Church

    At what point did you decide to take up the job of a primate?

    There is tenure for the office of the primate. The maximum you can spend is 10 years. We had been using the title of Archbishop. The first primate was to retire last year, and there was a need for a successor. Since I was already a bishop, I qualified to vie for the office. I indicated my intention along two other archbishops. By divine providence, I went through screening and election and I came first. Last year, precisely October 2, I was presented as the Primate of The First African Church.

    How has it been as a primate?

    It has not been easy. But with God, nothing is impossible. Our church has gone through seven years of trials and travails. For seven years, the church was in crisis. There was serious crisis all over the nation. But to the glory of the Almighty alone, we were able to resolve the crisis. In February 2016, we came out of the crisis and the change of baton process started. Having gone through crisis for seven years, you will know naturally that it would be anything goes. That was exactly what happened. So, before I came in, I knew it was going to be tough. But I was prepared. By the grace of God, we have surmounted the storm.

    Would you let us into the details of the crisis?

    My brother, I won’t want to go into the details of things that happened. You know that in the house of God, the devil is always around. That was why Jesus Christ prayed that prayer in John 17: “This one thing I ask of you that they may be one.” One thing the devil is always looking for is how to disorganise and disintegrate. That was what happened. A small issue that would have been resolved amicably exploded and became a national issue. You know the beginning of war is what you know; nobody knows the end of it. And when it comes to a church like this, a religious organisation where freedom of association is seriously allowed, anybody can come up and do what he or she pleases. It is not easy or almost impossible for a court to resolve religious crisis. I won’t want to go into details of who and who or what led into it. But we’ve reviewed the laity headship. This church started 14 August, 1891, and it started with clergy headship. Sometimes in between, clergy headship was truncated and we went into laity headship. We had the spiritual father but the real people presiding over the church were the laymen, which was not the design of God. We were like that for 100 years before we said no and came on to clergy headship. And you know when you have gone through such for a long time, change is inevitable. Change is not easy. Some people still believe in this and that, and those that emerged could not manage the emergence, and it led to crisis.

    Is it a full time job or a part-time one?

    It is completely a full time job. Once you become a bishop, you cannot work anywhere again. That is the rule here. That is the procedure. As a bishop, you are in a full time employment.

    What is your area of specialisation, I mean your background?

    I have been in the church all this while. I started as a choir boy at age 5. I became a lay reader, lay preacher and pastor. I had worked as a banker. I did banking and had AIB. I read Business Administration up to M.Sc level. I had taught in a tertiary institution. I’ve worked at both Rank Zerox and NCR Nigeria, both multinational companies. But along the line, the urge was there until I found myself going into seminary and bible school before going into the ministry. Along the line, I came in as a part time minister. I was still doing secular jobs here and there, running business here and there until it got to the climax that I could not resist this full time ministerial job.

    You had a good career working with a multinational company, but you abandoned that luxury to work in the vineyard of God. What could have been the attraction?

    You see, if you have a calling, you will just see yourself getting closer and closer. It was like a child’s play. If somebody had told me five years before I became a minister of God, I would have doubted it, because I was comfortable where I was working. For me to have worked in a multinational company like NCR Nigeria, you know that I must be comfortable. But the call was too much on me, such that at the end of the day, I had to quit what I was doing. If you have the calling, it is natural. If you have a calling, you have to do it. If you don’t do it, you might find yourself in a disturbing situation. So it was the love for the things of God, the zeal for it, and above all, the calling that drove me into it, and today, here I am.

    Do you sometimes feel like going back into your secular job considering the flamboyance and perks of the job, especially banking?

    Let me tell you something: the Orthodox Church, which we were part of originally, the focus was on the salvation of souls. But when the new generation churches started coming, they started looking at prosperity and all that. Because you are saved does not mean you cannot prosper. But the ultimate is salvation, and that is where we stand. We have millionaires, we have multi-millionaires in our church. But be that as it may, as a servant of God, you are compelled to employ moderation. If you are not moderate, you will be selling yourself and not Christ. You will be projecting yourself and not Christ. Yes, we have ministerial ethics. You need to be neat. You neat to be okay. You don’t have to be seen as a pauper or wretched. But be that as it may, you don’t need to be flamboyant. Christ was not flamboyant. He was a simple person to the extent that they could not even identify him among his disciples. Judas had to reveal who Christ was among his disciples. That is our approach. Fathers of faith in the ecumenical order were like that. You see what is happening now. I’m not out to criticise or condemn men of God, but I’m telling you the scripture. There should be moderation in everything. That is our aim and that is what we preach. I will not go back. I will remain with God. As a matter of fact, I reached the peak. I have a definite assignment. If I go back, I’m finished. What I’m I going to tell God? I’m carrying the whole load of the church now. I’m responsible for so many souls now. What am I going to tell the One who has called me? It is not my business; somebody put me there. I am only standing in for the owner of the church, and the owner of the church said ‘I will build my church’. He is using me as a person to build the church. So, if I withdraw, I’m finished. I know it and I cannot quit.

    How did your wife react to your decision to go into full time ministry?

    She had no choice. I came from a Christian home. My father too was once a teacher. He was once a layman in the church. For so many years, he was a worker with the railways, and at the end of the day, he also came into the ministry. My father was ordained in the church. My wife also came from a Christian home. Her parents were leaders in a white garment church. By the time we were married, she met me doing the work of God and she keyed into it. I have been so much overwhelmed by the work of God right from my youthful days, and I have no regrets about it.

    You’ve lived all your life in the church and you appear to be a gentle man. Tell me a particular incident in your life you will never forget while growing up

    Let me tell you frankly, I was very rascally when I was growing up. The only thing I would want to run away from stealing. But in terms of being rascally, I was. I had very few friends who were not as strong as I was. There were times they would come and call me and I would go and fight. I could lay an ambush. I could fight anywhere. If there is something I would not forget easily, it is my father. God used my father to really mould me. I committed an offence one day and my father punished me as if he was not my father. He punished me as if I was a condemned criminal, and that was the turnaround in my life. I was already in secondary school then, but he punished me from 12 mid-night to about 5 am. By the time I came out of it, God ministered to me and I became a simple person.

    Before First African Church was founded, it transited from the Anglican to African Church, then First African Church…

    (Cuts in) Majority of the founders of the church which was initially called United Native African Church (UNA) metamorphosed into First African Church in 1984. Most of the founders came out of the Anglican Church. Only one or two came from another denomination. What brought them out of the Anglican? Well, a few of them had more than one wife. It was in the colonial era, and they were people of substance who had influence and money and they were being treated as third class citizens where they were. The white people were the ones that were really in control. Some of them really wanted to worship God, singing, drumming and clapping, but that was not allowed in those days. So, they came out and they were charged to court by the colonial masters. The natives won the case in court with Psalm 150 which talks about praising God. Since then, UNA came into existence in 1891 and it happened to be the first church founded by indigenous Africans. There were nine founders.

    What is your attitude to polygamy and the attitude of the church?

    Polygamy? Before now, the church did not preach polygamy but it tolerated it. But today, the church does not tolerate polygamy. Today, you cannot be a minister in the First African Mission if you are a polygamist. Before, yes. But now, no. In essence, when we’re solemnizing marriage in the church, we emphasise during counseling and the solemnization ceremony that you cannot divorce, you cannot marry another person. If you go to Genesis 2:18, God perfected the institution when he saw that Adam was living alone and He said that it is not good for a man to live alone, I will make for you a help mate. If God saw the need for two, three or four, he would have made available 2 or 3 for Adam. He gave him only one and he said the two came together and they became one. We do not tolerate polygamy in First African Mission. No.

    How then do you handle the issue of members with more than one wife?

    We do not send people away from church because they are polygamists. Mark my word, the bible is so clear if you go to the book of Timothy. If a man desires the office of a bishop, that one is so direct; you must be a man with one wife. There is hardly any church you will see today that you will not find polygamists. Even those who say they don’t practise or tolerate it, there is hardly any you will not find polygamists. But if a servant of God is a polygamist, that is highly questionable. Don’t forget that we are in the world, we are not of the world. Therefore, we must apply wisdom of God when we are in the world. If you want to preach and you want people to do what is operational in Paradise, you are likely to incur the wrath of the law. I cannot go to anybody and say you cannot marry more than one wife. If I say if you want to be a member of my church, you cannot marry more than one wife, yes I can say so. But tell me the church where you will not find one member that has more than one wife. They may not showcase it, but they practise it. There is a saying in Yoruba that it is what happens outside that will teach a child how to behave. You don’t need anybody to tell you. If you want to practise polygamy this day, continue. When you see the problems of polygamy, nobody will teach you. Our grandfathers, great grandfathers were polygamists, but how many of us now are polygamists?

    The tendency in many churches today is to break away and establish new ones because of people’s desire to become shepherds. How do you react to this?

    Let me be frank with you, there is no denomination in heaven, and our Lord Jesus Christ says when the end is near, many will be led astray. Many will come out and claim to be doing so many things in my name. I do not subscribe to the idea of you breaking from one church to establish another church. Where you are, why can’t you make an impact there? Why can’t you stay there and preach the gospel? People hear from telephone and they say they’ve heard from God. People hear the horn of vehicles on the highway and they will say God has told them to plant a church somewhere.

  • ACF seeks punishment for Arewa youths coalition

    The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged the Federal Government to punish members of the Arewa Youth Coalition for making a hate speech.

    Speaking in its Eid-el-fitr message, signed by National Publicity Secretary Malam Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, the ACF said any plan to disunite the country or cause chaos should be resisted and dealt with accordingly.

    The ACF urged the Muslim faithful to adhere to prayers and acts of love, tolerance, unity and others good deeds carried out during the Ramadan fasting.

    The group said: “ACF commends the Federal Government for its proactive approach that douse the tension created by the Biafra agitators and the subsequent quit notice issued by the Northern Youth groups. The consultations held with the various group leaders and other stakeholders from the North and South East for the purpose of promoting unity and peaceful coexistence was appropriate and timely.

    “ACF has observed with concern that the hate messages and actions from the agitators have continued unabated. ACF therefore, urges the Federal Government to be firm and assert its authority, and ensure that the law takes its full course on those who consider themselves above the law.

    “The Ramadan period was an opportunity for Muslims all over world to fast, pray, and devote themselves to the reading and teachings of the Holy Quran, practices and sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It was also an occasion for Muslims to reaffirm their belief in the oneness of Almighty Allah (SWT) and the ideals of Islam.

    “Muslims also prayed fervently for peace, unity and understanding among the Muslim Ummah and Nigerians in general. They also helped the less privileged and the poor in view of the prevailing economic hardships and other inequalities among the citizenry.

    “ACF therefore wishes the Muslim Ummah a peaceful and Happy Eid-el-Fitr celebration. It equally urges Nigerians to devote themselves to prayers for unity, peaceful coexistence and especially to the sick and our dear President Muhammadu Buhari. ACF wishes President Buhari quick recovery and early return home to continue with the daunting task of governance.

    “In the spirit of the season, ACF calls on Nigerians to embrace peaceful dialogue as the most civilised means to address grievances, rather than engage in hate speeches, threats and intimidation, that have unfortunately been trying to polarize us along tribal, regional and religious divides.”

  • ‘Leprosy is not heaven’s punishment‘

    ‘Leprosy is not heaven’s punishment‘

    The Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, has denounced speculations in some parts of the country that leprosy is  heaven’s punishment, adding that it is curable.

    He spoke at a briefing with reporters to mark this year’s World Leprosy Day in Umuahia, Abia State.

    The day was set aside to create awareness and mobilise support for leprosy control, and this year’s celebration was the 64th. The theme was: “Zero disability among children affected by leprosy”.

    According to him, the day provided the opportunity to focus on an ancient disease that had caused a lot of misery to human race.

    Prof Adewole said: “There were many mistaken beliefs about leprosy disease that it was highly contagious, hereditary, heaven’s punishment, and these negatively affected persons with leprosy even after they have been cured”.

    He urged families with sufferers and the public not to discriminate against persons with leprosy, adding that those affected needed care, love and support from them.

    On the ministry’s effort to stem leprosy, the Minister said: “We will continue to ensure sustained efforts to integrate leprosy control activities into health care service, institute a renewed focus on preventing disability and promote socio-economic rehabilitation as well as community development in partnership with people affected with leprosy. We will also continue to collaborate with the World health Oganisation (WHO) to ensure free supply of the multi-drug therapy (MDT) to our patients”.

    Prof. Adewole said his ministry  launched a five-year National Leprosy Strategic Plan 2016-2020  last year. The document, he said, facilitated the implementation of appropriate strategies to increase case detection, improve treatment outcome, prevent disabilities and provide rehabilitation to affected persons.

  • Of child abuse and corporal punishment

    SIR: There has been a rise in the cases of mental and physical abuse of children. A father with the connivance of his wife allegedly chained his nine-year old son in a room for more than a month for allegedly stealing meat from the family’s pot of soup. The boy was left to starve without food or water; by the time he was discovered by government officials, he had become extremely weak. Another father allegedly beat his 13 years old son and in the process, ruptured his intestine. There was also another case in which the private part of an 11 year old girl was burnt with hot pressing iron by her mother for coming home late from school, in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

    These are signs of a dysfunctional society where homes are no longer a safe haven of love, protection and care for children.  A situation where people can no longer differentiate between punishment, correction and total disregard for a child’s right.

    There is a need to draw a line of distinction between abuse and corporal punishment as thousands of children are abused daily under the guise of punishment. Some children have lost their lives in the process while some have been maimed for life. Any punishment or correction that threatens the life, health or well-being of a child is an abuse. These forms of punishments are unacceptable, illegal and punishable under the law. Punishment that inflicts pain, emotional and mental torture as well as physical abuse is criminal.

    It is pertinent to observe that there are no strong guidelines or laid down policies, regarding corporal punishment and children, like it is done in developed countries, thus, the flagrant abuse of children in African traditional societies.

    It is also important to note that this form of abuse has become widespread in schools, primary and secondary schools especially. It is, indeed, disheartening, because it is happening in an informed environment where it is believed that, as educationists, they should know better.

    To entrench respect for the rights of the Nigerian child in the consciousness of society and promote the culture of patience and tolerance for children, government should intensify efforts to ensure that policies on Child Rights Protection are implemented while religious institutions should also assist government by building strong foundations for the protection of the rights of children in homes and the society through their programmes and activities.

    In 2003, Nigeria adopted the Child Right Act. But to date, out of 36 states only 16 including Lagos and Abuja have passed the Act. It is, therefore, imperative that Rights Activists in the country step up advocacy for domestication and full implementation of the Child Right Act, across the federation and the Child Right Law which forbids the physical abuse of children should be properly enforced in schools across the nation.

     

    • Temilade Aruya,

    Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

  • ‘Punishment teaches wisdom’

    Living Springs Schools, Lekki Executive Director Mrs Abosede Obayomi, has said punishment is good for pupils as it makes them wise.

    She said pupils must be trained to shy away from telling lies or shifting blame to others because of the fear of punishment. She spoke during the 8th annual valecdictory and prize giving day.

    She said rather they should be taught to embrace their fears so that they would not be liars.

    “Pupils should be taught to tell the truth at all times. They should be able to stand tall and firm for the truth.  Fear of punishment should not make them act otherwise”, Mrs Obayomi said.

    Twenty preschoolers moved to the elementary school while six elementary pupils graduated to high school.

    The valedictorian, Master Oghenekeno Oki, showed gratitude to God as well as the teachers for their various contributions to his life.

    He charged his peers to be prepared for the task ahead as they take on heavier responsibilities, learn new lessons and reach for more goals.

    Oki said: “Dear friends, let us not allow the world’s definition of what is possible keep us from achieving what we want to achieve. Let us not only dream, let us dream grandly. Let us not only reach for the mountaintop, let us reach for the stars.”

    One of the highlights of the event was the music ministration by the pupils as well as the orchestra. The pupils also partook in choreography and ballet dance.

    The workers were not left out as some of them got awards.

    Mr Adewale Sanjo and Mrs Judith Okundalaye were awarded best teacher of the year male and female categories.

  • Padding and punishment

    After a rigmarole that was as ridiculous as it was revealing, the country’s 2016 Budget was eventually formalised with just over six months of the year left. Not surprisingly, there is public anxiety about how far the President Muhammadu Buhari administration can go in implementing a budget that is about six months late.

    What really caused the delay? For the avoidance of doubt, Buhari shed light on what happened during the recent Anti-Corruption Summit in London. He told reporters:  “Yes, we have six months to implement the budget. You know why there was a delay. There is something called padding. I have been in government since 1975. I was governor of what is now six states: Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, that used to be North East. Then I was in Obasanjo’s cabinet, Petroleum for three and a quarter years. I was Head of State for 20 months. I had never heard about that one, padding, until this year.”

    What has padding got to do with budgeting?  Buhari continued: “And what does it mean? It means that the technocrats just allowed the government to make its noise, to go and make the presentation to the National Assembly. They will remove it and put in their own. When we uncovered this, we just had to go back to the basics again. Ministers had to go again and appear before the Minister of Budget and National Planning and make presentations again.”

    Buhari suggested that he is much wiser now: “This was clearly brought out by the Minister of Health. I saw with my own eyes, nobody told me. I was watching NTA and he appeared before a committee that said the minister should come and defend his budget. He looked at what was presented to him as his budget and he said he had nothing to defend, that that was not what he presented. Subsequently, we discovered that it was not only the Ministry of Health. So they allowed us to talk rubbish as government and they do what they like.”

    Who were the people responsible for this padding?  An anti-corruption administration should tell the public more, and do more to ensure that the padding professionals do not try to pad the next budget. Those who padded the proposed budget should be punished.

  • Medical council to review punishment for doctors

    Medical council to review punishment for doctors

    The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) said yesterday that a review of the law governing the conduct of doctors had begun.

    The Registrar, Dr. Abdulmunin Ibrahim, said greater part of the work was concluded by the last board, which was dissolved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The review, among others, is aimed at ensuring commensurate punishment for erring doctors.

    The present law stipulates between three to six months suspension for any doctor, who falls foul of medical ethics.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, Ibrahim said the act setting up the council was obsolete and weak, as it could not mete out strong punishment to doctors found wanting in the discharge of their duties.

    He noted that the review became necessary, following the magnitude of cases of negligence against doctors, especially cases concerning life.

     

  • Sanusi advocates Sharia punishment for rustlers

    •Police parade 74 suspects

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 11, has said Islamic laws should be used to prosecute cattle rustlers.

    He added that the punishments meted out to them should include amputation of hands and legs, killing, piercing of body with sticks, life imprisonment and banishment to exile.

    The monarch spoke yesterday when the police command paraded 74 suspected cattle rustlers with 818 cows and 87 sheep.

    The animals were recovered in the last 30 days.

    The bush combing at the Falgore game reserve by a special squad was constituted by Police Commissioner Muhammad Musa Katsina.

    Parading the suspects and the animals before Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Emir Sanusi 11, at Kanar Dawaki in Dawaki Kudu Local Government, Katsina said three of the notorious rustlers were killed in a gun duel and a police officer was injured, hospitalised, but had been discharged.

    He said the police recovered arms, adding that some of the suspects were nabbed in police and army camouflage, which they used to rob Fulani herdsmen.

    The police boss said: “Notable among the suspects was Umaru Dogo Ndaiye, a Senegalese, who was shot during a gun battle with our men, who were on a special duty at the Falgore forest, near Gazobi village. He died while receiving treatment in hospital.

    “A pistol and 224 cattle were recovered from him. Four members of his gang were arrested. Other rustlers, who died during the gun duel, were Datti Umar Rodi and Mammadu Dogo.”

    According to him, the police recovered 21 arms, 42 AK 47 ammunition, 15 9.mm ammunition, 28 live cartridges and 12 locally- made AK 47 ammunition.

    He said 82 suspected drug dealers and cult members were apprehended, while 21 parcels of 464 wraps of Indian hemp were recovered. Katsina added that 416 cartons of Tramadol, 119 sachets of Diazepam, 101 cartons of Parklin and Codeine syrup, five gallons of suck-and-die, including two tricycles used in conveying drugs by couriers were also displayed.

    Governor Ganduje described the activities of rustlers as worrisome, saying: “This is happening when we are yet to solve insurgency.”

    Ganduje, who was pained that of the 818 rustlers, who were arrested, some of them were Fulani, urged security agencies to ensure that they were prosecuted, assuring them of government’s support.

    He said a committee had been constituted to ensure that the recovered livestock were returned to their owners, adding that those involved in rustling should realise that their days were numbered.