Herders
Ondo assembly passes anti-open grazing, judicial autonomy bills into law
In a bid to regulate the activities of herdsmen and the rearing of livestock in the state, the Ondo State House of Assembly has passed into law the anti-open grazing bill. The House also passed into law the bill on the autonomy of the judiciary and the bill on violence against persons prohibition. The bills were passed after the chairmen of three committees submitted their reports on the bill. The plenary session of the Assembly, held on Thursday, was presided over by the Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oloyeloogun. Speaking on the bills at the session, the committee chairmen remarked that the bills were in the best interest of all citizens of Ondo State. On the anti-open grazing bill, Mr Taofik Mohammed of the House Committee on Agriculture explained that the bill was to regulate rearing and grazing...
NSCDC: Inadequate manpower hinders agro rangers’ operations
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)’s Agro Rangers’ productivity has been slowed down due to several challenges confronting the unit, notwithstanding its marked performance. To buttress the assertion of improved performance, a recent survey conducted in the Northeast showed that many farmers had returned to their farms without fears, and they had a bumper harvest in the last farming season. The Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, disclosed this in Abuja over the weekend at the first Civil Defence Security Empowerment Workshop 2021 for personnel of the Corps in the Northeast. The Commandant-General, represented by Zachari Ibrahim Ningi, Deputy Commandant General, Administration, said the impacts of the Agro Rangers were tremendous “as a recent survey condu...
South-west governors urged to strengthen Amotekun to prevent attacks
The protem chairman of the Coalition of Yoruba Liberation Movement, Yemi Farounbi, has called on south-west governors to strengthen the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun. He said Amotekun operatives need to be “heavily fortified” so that they can repel the attacks of bandits. Farounbi’s message was contained in a press release which was read at an event held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, to mark Democracy Day. Speaking on the backdrop of the recent attack in Ondo and Ekiti states, and in Igangan, a rural community in the Ibarapa area of Oyo, Farounbi said the south-west is under attack from the herders and bandits. He said: “We hereby alert our people in Yorubaland and the entire Yoruba race of the impending indirect slavery coming up in the heels of the well-orchestrate...
Farmer arrested ‘poisoning’ wells in Yobe
The police in Yobe on Thursday confirmed the arrest of a farmer, Mohammad Mohammad, 25, for allegedly poisoning nine wells in Kasesa village near Damaturu. ASP Dungus Abdulkarim, the Command Spokesman disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Damaturu. ”On May 25, he poured insecticide into nine wells which are sources of water to residents and herds in the area. “ When we collected the well eater as sample and conducted laboratory analysis, we discovered that they were contaminated with fecal Coliforms, which can cause cholera , typhoid and other water borne diseases. “ Therefore, we identified and arrested the suspect today. He will be charged to court soon,” Abdulkarim said. The spokesman said Mohammad confessed to committing the offence, but said his intention was to deter herders...
Amotekun operatives to patrol South-west borders
Chairman of Council of Amotekun Commanders in the South-west region, Chief Adetunji Adeyeye, has said operatives of the Amotekun corps will engage in inter-state border patrol in the South-west to ensure synergy in crime fighting. Adeyeye, who is the Corps Commander of Ondo Amotekun, said the synergy expected among the South-west states would be enhanced so that a criminal that escaped from Ondo to Ekiti State could be easily apprehended Adeyeye, who spoke in Akure, said the destruction of farmlands by herders in Ondo State has greatly reduced owing to enforcement of the ban on open grazing. He said herders now offer money to farmers whose crops were destroyed unlike previously when they would walk away. His words: “Being Chairman of the Council of Amotekun Commanders is a greater call to ...
Ondo governor: No land in southern Nigeria will be ceded to invaders masquerading as herdsmen
The Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has declared that “no inch of the space delineated and known, currently, as South West, and indeed the whole South, will be ceded to a band of invaders masquerading as herdsmen under any guise.” Akeredolu made the declaration in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant Special Duties and Strategies, Dr Doyin Odebowale. The declaration was sequel to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, on the position of President Muhammadu Buhari, on the farmer-herder clashes and what was termed as “Deep Rooted Solutions to the herdsmen attacks”. Shehu had in the statement revealed the presidency’s position that ranching and revival...
Senator calls for removal of AGF over remarks on herdsmen
Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, has called for the immediate removal from office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN, over his argument, equating open grazing with Southerners’ selling spare parts in the North. Dr. Basiru, who spoke in his personal capacity as a patriot and Senator said that, “anyone who cannot rise above primordial sentiments and pursuit of parochial ethnic agenda need not occupy position of trust especially at this time of sectional agitations. It was not dignifying of the status of the nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to make such remarks. The Senator said that equating the activities of nomadic herdsmen, destroying people’s means of livelihood with others, legitimately carryi...
Former Nigerian soldier who trains ESN militants arrested in Abuja
The police have arrested a dismissed army lance corporal allegedly responsible for training and recruiting people into the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant arm of the outlawed pro-Biafra group, IPOB, according to a report. He was arrested a few days after a top commander of the terror group, Awurum Eze, was arrested in Aba, Abia State. The group is alleged to have been responsible for killings of security agents and destruction of public properties in the South-east and South-south zones. They have, however, denied the allegations. According to sources, the 32 years old dismissed soldier, whose name was given as Livinus Owalum-Barnabas, was arrested on Sunday, at Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT by men of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT). The e...
Nigerian farmers raise alarm as insecurity threatens food availability
Some concerned parties in the agriculture sector have appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts in curbing banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, as these can threaten food security. The parties made the appeal in separate interviews with newsmen on Friday in Abuja. They noted that the recent increase in kidnapping and banditry had made a lot of farmers run from their farmlands in search of safe hideouts. The Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, said there was a need to urgently address the insecurity challenges in the country in order to overcome the challenge of food shortage. Ikonne noted that dialogue remained critical in addressing issues of insecurity and herders, adding that a peaceful dialogue between farmers and her...
Femi Falana: Southern governors should legalise open grazing ban to prosecute offenders
Naijaloaded Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has urged southern governors in the country to back their ban on open grazing with a legal instrument to enable the prosecution of offenders. Falana spoke on Wednesday evening while featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme monitored by newsmen. Newsmen had earlier reported that about 17 southern governors met on Tuesday in Asaba, Delta State, and resolved to ban open grazing and movement of cattle by foot in the region. The governors also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation and convoke a national dialogue to address widespread agitations amongst various groups in the region. Speaking on the television programme on Wednesday, Falana said the ban on open grazing, night grazing, underage grazing wa...
Southern governors meet, urge President Buhari to address Nigerians
Worried by the rising rate of insecurity, Southern Governors, Tuesday, met in Asaba, the Delta State capital and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on the spate of insecurity in the country. The Governors in the meeting which started at about 12 noon and ended about 4:20 pm, urged the Federal Government to convocated a national dialogue as a matter of urgency and insisted on the ban of open grazing across Southern Nigeria The Governors in the 12 point communique read by the Chairman of Southern Governors Forum, Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, “affirmed that the peoples of Southern Nigeria remain committed to the unity of Nigeria on the basis of justice, fairness, equity and oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its peoples with ...
Police: 21 officers killed by gunmen in Akwa Ibom
The police authorities in Akwa Ibom State said they have so far lost 21 officers due to gun attacks in the state. The commissioner of police in the state, Amiengheme Andrew, disclosed this on Monday while briefing Governor Udom Emmanuel who visited the police headquarters in the state to condole with the families of the slain officers and the police over the loss. Mr Andrew also informed the governor that the police in the state lost 11 vehicles and seven firearms in the various attacks. Mr Emmanuel, who visited the police headquarters immediately after the State Executive Council meeting, announced a donation of N60 million to the families of the slain officers. Besides meeting with the police commissioner in his office, Mr Emmanuel met with officers inside a hall where he thanked them fo...
