President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday ordered a lot of changes in the nation’s security operations during a meeting with the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya.
Newspot had earlier reported that Buhari met with Yahaya at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), said Buhari shared his military experiences with the new COAS and reminded him of the current “pressure on security” in the country.
On what President Buhari told the new COAS, the minister said: “He told him that there’s a lot of pressure on security and being an actor, at one point or the other, he has given us a direction in which we can learn from his experiences and apply them to our modern operations and I think we have taken the advice seriously.
“The issue of synergy among the security forces was also stressed and I’m sure there will be a lot of changes as regards to the security operations in this country.”
On what the military was doing in the Northwestern part of the country, Magashi said: “In the northwestern part of the country you know that the more concern we have is the insecurity of banditry, kidnapping, and other criminalities.
“We are taking the challenge, but you know, really, this is the constitutional responsibility of the police, we are only an aid to the police and we are giving maximum cooperation to the police in order to see an end to this banditry and insecurity in the Northwest, otherwise I think it’s quite different from the Northeast.
“In the Northeast, it’s Boko Haram issue and we are up and doing to ensure that we bring an end to this Boko Haram issue, especially with this development of ISWAP.”
The apex leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, has raised the alarm that war had been declared on Yoruba people with the recent attack on Igangan area of Oyo State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
He described the attack in which no fewer than people were killed as a declaration of war against peace-loving Yoruba people.
Accusing the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government of backing terrorist herdsmen that have been maiming, killing and raping people in Yoruba land, Akintoye, in a statement personally signed by him and made available to journalists on Monday by his Communications Manager, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, called on Yoruba people to arm themselves with whatever they can lay their hands upon to defend their land against external aggression.
While saluting Rotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo State who doubles as the Chairman of South-West Governors Forum for his bold stand on the Igangan massacre, Akintoye called on the governors to put aside constitutional objections to defend their people, saying “Yoruba land has been surrounded, and we must act now.”
The renowned historian said historically, the Yoruba people have never been conquered, while urging the younger generation of Yoruba people never to surrender to any form of intimidation or harassment.
He said, “The Alana and worldwide leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor ‘Banji Akintoye, on behalf of all patriotic and concerned Yoruba people, and in consultation, and collaboration with hundreds of self determination groups at home and in the Diaspora, express uttermost shock and horror at the news of the barbarous killings and destruction by Fulani and other terrorists upon our people at Igangan, Ibarapa area of Oyo State.
“While commiserating with our people in Igangan, we hereby issue a red alert to all Yoruba people at home and in the Diaspora.
“It must now be clear to all Yoruba people of all classes and economic circumstances that war has come in a big way to our homeland. This war has been coming relentlessly for five years, but some of our own people failed to understand the full intent and impact of it. Some have thought the answer is to do one constitutional or political thing to Nigeria and the war would go away. But we must now all know that such propositions concerning Nigeria are blatantly unrealistic.
“And indeed these endanger Yorubaland, the Yoruba people and the Yoruba civilization by diverting the attention of our people from the manifest reality of our time.
“We now call on all Yoruba people at home and abroad to focus on the danger of the moment in a manner that will be powerful enough to preserve our nation and civilization.
“First we call on our State Governors to push aside all the constitutional objections that have been constantly raised from certain quarters whenever our governors have taken measures to defend our people.
“We are particularly grateful to Governor Akeredolu of Ondo State and all other Governors who support him in the patriotic and manly statement that he has issued on the Igangan disaster.
“We repeat what we have said again and again that we will stand fully and powerfully behind our Governors in any measure that they may adopt to defend our people.
“We say to our state governors, your first constitutional duty is to ensure the security of life and property in our Yoruba states. In the face of that important task, constitutional and political finesse and obstructions are a danger to the lives and property of our people.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has failed woefully to protect the Yoruba people, along with other indigenous peoples of the Nigerian South and the Middle Belt against these invading, marauding forces.
“In fact, when we consider all the behaviour of the federal government in the face of this danger to the indigenous peoples and citizens of Nigeria, we can not avoid the conclusion that the federal government is a sponsor of the terror in our land.
“The federal government started by saying and doing nothing about the terrorism while apparently instructing the security agencies to do nothing to confront the terrorism.
“The federal government persistently gives to the wide world a false picture of the situation by claiming that everything is a product of climate change even as the Fulani insistently issues statements that their mission is to conquer and subdue all the indigenous peoples of Nigeria and forcefully take their land for Fulani folks from all over West Africa. And even as international terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Al Qaeda and even Al-Shabab come to reinforce this Fulani terrorism all over Nigeria.
“While allowing the Fulani to move freely with and to import various categories of weapons into Nigeria, the Federal Government prohibited the possession of any kind of fire arms by any indigenous citizens of Nigeria, sending the police and army to seize such privately owned weapons including those for which these citizens had earlier been licensed for hunting and sports.
“In the light of all the foregoing,
we call on all our governors to stop letting objections by federal officials to obstruct the defence of our peoples.
“We call on all Yoruba people to rise up as one to defeat this danger. We Yoruba have a proud history that we have never been conquered.
“Let us not succumb to conquest now. Let us thank the countless young people of our land who have been standing up against the invasion of our land.
“But let us now rise to do more than merely thanking them and rise to give them all the support they need to clear our land of all terrorists of all kinds.
“Let us show to the world that though we are a civilized and life respecting people, we are nevertheless a people supremely capable of defending our people and our homeland.
“The persistent Ilana Omo Oodua calls to arms of all Yoruba people on their farms, hamlets, villages, towns, cities and other communities must now be urgently activated with communal self defence systems, around their abodes and places of work.
“You must urgently install early warning alarms; human, manual, scientific or spiritual.
“Also the traditional and hi-tech defensive mechanisms must come into place. Encourage and assist our young people to form dynamic teams that not only defend but attack the enemies wherever they have dug themselves into our forests and farmlands.
“Arm yourselves with whatever you can lay your hands upon, create or develop as individuals, and as communities to confront the enemy.
“Ensure they no longer succeed in their mission anywhere in Yorubaland. Our technology wizards are already putting together structures that will protect our land and destroy the enemy.
“To the elite of the Yoruba Nation, our businessmen and our professionals, we
now appeal that you decide and take action to assist all the efforts outlined above.
“We remember with gratitude that when the COVID-19 crisis loomed all over the world in 2020, our businessmen quickly put together a fund amounting to billions of naira to help fight the dreaded virus.
“We call on you now to do the same, to set up a large fund for the defence of our homeland and help with your expertise to set up the disbursement, management and auditing of the funds.
“The important goal must be that the funds be made to reach as quickly and adequately as possible all defensive and offensive groups and teams that demonstrate capabilities to produce quick and abiding results.
“We are Yoruba and we will prevail in this crisis. And then we will go forth and manage our own sovereign Oduduwa Nation to the admiration of all mankind- a land of security, opportunity and confident hope in prosperity for all our people and all peaceful and enterprising foreigners who come to our land.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said on Monday, mischief makers were behind the 2023 presidential campaign posters featuring him and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo.
The Atiku-Soludo appeared in strategic locations in Abuja on Sunday.
Those behind the posters which appeared in several designs and colours claimed the duo possessed the required qualities to steer the country’s sinking ship to safety.
The ex-Vice President made the clarification in a statement titled: “Atiku preoccupied with helping to find solutions to Nigeria’s challenges,” signed by his Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, in Abuja.
The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to reports in a section of the media of campaign posters of His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, and Prof. Charles Soludo, an aspirant in the Anambra State governorship election in parts of Abuja.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored the reports, but for the interest of those who may be misled by the disingenuous plot.
“We know nothing about the posters or those who may have promoted it.
“It is obvious that this is a work of mischief. For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar is of the PDP while Charles Soludo is of APGA. It is silly of anyone to attempt to drag the former Vice President into an election in Anambra which outcome will be determined by the people of the state.
“Atiku Abubakar is presently preoccupied with joining hands with other well-meaning Nigerians to help in finding solutions to the myriad of challenges plaguing our nation such as insecurity and economic downturn marked by joblessness and extreme poverty.
“That explains why last Monday, the Waziri of Adamawa commissioned the headquarters of Standard Micro Finance Bank and two manufacturing plants, promoted by him in Yola to provide much-needed jobs and opportunities.
“We wish to restate that the purported 2023 campaign posters in circulation linking Atiku to Soludo were the handiwork of mischief makers and should be ignored.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba, has announced the immediate suspension of tinted vehicle windscreen permits in Nigeria.
Baba made the announcement during a meeting with senior police officers, including commissioners and DIGs from across Nigeria on Monday.
While making the announcement, the IGP reiterated that roadblocks remained prohibited in the country and warned that heads of commands must enforce it and key into the road patrol strategy as an alternative to roadblocks.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on April 6 appointed Usman Baba as acting Inspector General of Police.
His confirmation was made known during the Police Council meeting, which was presided by the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded Igangan community on Sunday, killing more than 10 residents.
Parents on Monday afternoon stormed some schools in Iyete, Igangan and Tapa in the Ibarapa North Local Government area of Oyo state to withdraw their children.
It was gathered that news of another attack on residents of the areas by unknown gunmen got to the communities after children had arrived in their schools.
It will be recalled that unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded Igangan community on Sunday, killing more than 10 residents.
Confirming the development to Saharareporters, the Elepe Tapa, leader of a community in Igangan area, Oba Titiloye Oyekanmi Sunday, said people have been running helter-skelter to ensure they took their children from schools.
“We couldn’t sleep till this morning. We just heard that those Fulani people are restrategising to attack us again but they didn’t tell us the precise time. No presence of security agencies here. We need government now,” he said.
Our correspondent learnt that Ayete, Igangan and Tapa are the major communities within Ibarapa North Local Government Area.
The Convener, Igangan Development Advocates, Mr. Oladiran Oladokun had on Sunday said one of the sons of the Seriki Fulani of Oyo state who was chased out of Igangan, Ibrahim Saliu had vowed to ensure Igangan is razed to aches.
Oladokun in a statement on Sunday said; “No state security apparatus got to us during the storm. If we had not made a little cover, perhaps Igangan would have become a dunghill of ashes.”
Oladokun therefore advocated for the relocation of the base of Amotekun Corpa in Igangan, conversion of Igangan Police outpost to headquaters, among other things as solution to the challenges facing Igangan.
He further said: “When the chips were down, our local hunters were the last man standing. Let the state via Igangan Development Advocates (IDA) get their list and use IDA to empower them with necessary logistics. We suggest that the government should relocate Amotekun base to Igangan, empower Amotekun to carry pump actions.
“It is time we deploy extreme measures for this extreme situations even if someone’s toes will be stepped on. The state is empowered to make legislation towards her security, therefore let the state flex some muscles.
“On numerous occasions, Ibrahim Seriki Saliu son kept pledging that Igangan will be raze down to ashes.
He had the audacity to proclaim this on social media as well as on radio shows, perhaps his words were taken as mere groans but local Vigilantes at Igangan kept receiving the news of impending danger.
“The state I believe thought it’s just another hype, for we notified the state of our fears on the 14th of april when covert information reached us of a meeting of the Fulani towards fulfilling their oath of allegiance towards reprisals
“Today we lick our wounds
We suffered heavy loss and casualties
The Fulani fulfilled their pledge.
I cannot say the same for those who are supposed to see to our security.”
Meanwhile SaharaReporters learnt that some of the assailants who were killed include two aides of the Seriki Fulani.
A source who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the phone said they attacked Igangan as reprissal attack to revenge on Yoruba people.
“People recognised one of the four assilants killed by hunters as an aide to the Seriki Fulani. We know he was behind the attack. We are ready for them. Let them come now. Our people including the elders are not sleeping again. We don’t want any Fulani and their herds in Ibarapa land again,” he said.
The Nigerian Government has stated that it will only lift the ban on Twitter if the social media platform is used ‘responsibly’.
Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama disclosed that Twitter’s operations in Nigeria will be restored only if the platform can be used ‘responsibly.’ He said this at a meeting with some envoys from UK, US and other countries on Monday.
He added that there was no definite timeline for when the ban will be reversed. “The condition would be responsible use of the social media and that really has to be it.”
“We are not saying that Twitter is threatening the country or any such thing; why we have taken this measure is to stop them to be used as platforms for destabilisation and facilitation of criminality or encouragement of criminalities,”.
Nigeria made headlines all over the world last week when Twitter’s activities in Nigeria were suspended by the government. The suspension came a day after the micro-blogging platform deleted a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari’s account.
Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwoolu has expressed his views on the current suspension of twitter’s activities in Nigeria by the Nigerian government.
Sanwo-Olu, in a recent interview with Arise TV, explained that dialoguing with Twitter would have been better than an outright ban because of the economic implications of the move. In his words;
“The Federal government can handle this a lot better. Because of the number of eCommerce, the number of youths doing digital stuff on the internet, and we cannot throw that away and say it’s not happening.
“I believe there could be a lot of restraint and better management from both sides,”
It will be recalled that last week, the Nigerian government through its Minister of information, Lai Mohammed ordered the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC to order all telcos to block access to Twitter. The directive was issued a day after the social media giant deleted President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet citing ‘genocidal’ violence against the Igbos.
Sanwo-Olu further argued; “On both sides, there are issues that can be resolved between Twitter and the government and I think what they’ve done is not a ban but a suspension like they said, so in the period of suspension let us sit down.”
“If we have 40 million users of that micro-blogger and another country has five million and they chose to take their investment to a country that have five million compared to a country with 40 million. It speaks to the reason we need to have that conversation with them.” he said.
All television and radio stations operating in Nigeria have been directed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to deactivate their Twitter accounts or risk being sanctioned.
The order was given by the regulatory agency of the broadcast industry in the country in a circular issued on Monday by the Director-General of the NBC, Mr Armstrong Idachaba.
In the statement, the NBC chief said broadcast stations still using Twitter after the federal government suspended operations of the famous micro-blogging platform in the country, were disobeying the government.
The regulator said it particularly is not happy that TV and radio stations in Nigeria were still using Twitter as a source of information gathering for news and programmes presentation, especially phone-in.
It directed those still doing this to desist from it or be punished, emphasising that their Twitter handles should be deactivated.
“Consequent on the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria by the federal government over the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining the corporate existence of Nigeria, the National Broadcasting Commission directs all broadcasting stations in Nigeria to suspend the patronage of Twitter immediately.
“In compliance to the above directive, broadcasting stations are hereby advised to de-install Twitter handles and desist from using Twitter as a source (UGC) of information gathering for news and programmes presentation, especially phone-in.
“Section 2(1) r of the NBC Act entrusts the commission with the responsibility to ensure strict adherence to the national laws, rules and regulations.
“Also, section 3.11.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code provides that ‘the broadcaster shall ensure that law enforcement is upheld at all times in a matter depicting that law and order are socially superior to or more desirable than crime and anarchy.
“Attention is also drawn to section 5.6.3 of The Code which requires broadcasters to be mindful of materials that may cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society in the use of a user-generated content (UGC).
“Note that it will be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information, therefore, strict compliance is enjoined,” the full statement read.
Recall that last Friday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, announced that operations of the US-based firm were prohibited in Nigeria indefinitely.
This action was taken after the company pulled down a tweet of President Muhammadu Buhari for violating one of its rules.
On Saturday, GSM network providers were ordered to block their subscribers’ access to the platform and Nigerians bypassed this using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
This angered the federal government and the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami, said anyone using Twitter after the ban would be prosecuted.
Customers of several banks have been informed that they will be charged N6.98 for each USSD transaction.
Excessive bank charges, on the other hand, may constitute a threat to financial inclusion, according to experts.
According to them, it will promote cash transactions because many bank clients would avoid using the USSD for transactions, and it would discourage the unbanked sector of the population from paying such fees on their little deposits.
A message from some of the banks, including Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank and Fidelity Bank on ‘Update on USSD transactions’ stated, “Please be informed that you are now required to pay a fee of N6.98 to your mobile network provider for every banking transaction carried out on all USSD banking platforms.
“This means that when you send money to anyone using USSD, a fee of N6.98 will be charged to your bank account, which is in turn remitted in full by your bank, to your mobile network provider.
“Please note that airtime and data purchases via USSD are exempt from this charge on USSD platforms.”
To avoid paying the costs, the banks advised consumers to use other electronic transactions accessible at the banks.
Dr. Sam Nzekwe, a former President of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, warned that too frequent bank changes were detrimental to the financial inclusion push, particularly for unbanked Nigerians.
He said people would prefer to walk into the banking hall to make payments.
“There are many charges that the banks charge the customers, even if you don’t do any transaction. Some of these informal sectors will start running away because they cannot understand the many charges. That is why many of the informal sector still do their transactions by cash.
“What an average customer wants is to show me why you should charge me. But you are charging me for many things and at the end of the month you will still charge me again.”
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