Terrorism : Fulani herdsmen sack 25 Tiv villages in Nassarawa

The Indigenous Tiv communities in Nassarawa State have cried out that their people in Kadarko, Keana Local Government Area of the state have been rendered homeless.

The ethnic group said their people in the area were under siege as 25 villages of the area have been sacked by herdsmen.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, weekend, a group under the umbrella of Concerned Indigenous Tiv People in Kadarko, Keana Local Government Area of Nassarawa State, claimed that since the Tiv people were displaced from their ancestral home as a result of the alleged herdsmen attack since 15th January this yea.

The group further alleged that despite the fact that the military had been drafted to the affected areas, the police were not properly liasing with the military for the military to credibly discharge their duty to get to the terrorists that sacked the villages.

The spokesperson of the group, Dr. Benjamin Agbede, expressed worries that though the area was being inhabited by other ethnic nationalities, like Alago, Eggon, Hausa, Igbo and others, Tiv people were allegedly selected target of the terrorists.

The group said, “As leaders of concerned indigenous people of Kadarko, under Keana Local Government of Nassarawa State, we are concerned with the security challenges confronting us and have decided to draw the attention of all and sundry about the killings, maiming and other security issues as well as the activities of the Nassarawa State Government and the security agencies; namely the police and the military personnel drafted to restore normalcy in the area.

“Since the outbreak of the crisis on the 15th January, this year, due to the Fulani/herdsmen attack on our villages, leading to the displacement of Tiv in their ancestral homes, the Nassarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura, has done very little to bring the situation under control.

“As a father to all, he has not given the Tiv people any confidence that his government is willing and ready to protect them. This is because, his government has not provided the needed assistance in terns of providing food and the needed basic supplies to the displaced people who are now refugees in the R.C.M Primary School, Kadarko.

“It is on record that the governor visited the area and saw the dead bodies on the 30th of January, 2018, he merely directed that the corpses should be buried by the families of the deceased without any form of assistance. We are shocked that a paltry sum of N500,000 only was made available to be shared by the families of those killed and those in different hospitals.

“This amount is a mere pittance as non of the families got anything reasonable considering the share number of people killed and those hospitalized. For the avoidance of doubt, 12 people were killed and more than 30 are receiving treatment in different hospitals. The paltry sum given by the governor is a demonstration of the disdain and lack of care about the pernicious pain and plight of the Tiv people.

“We are deeply worried that the area is inhabited by other ethnic nationalities like, Alago, Eggon, Hausa, Igbo and others, it was only the Tiv people that were selected target of the terrorists. We are also bothered that the Police were quickly informed when the terrorists launched their attack at about 1:00am on the 30th of January, 2018, there was no swift response from them. We wonder why the police could nit respond on time to save the helpless people when they (police) were duly informed of the shooting, killing and maiming at Agwan Tiv. This is a clear case if a well designed and planned terrorist attack on the hard working Tiv indigenous people of Kadarko.

“Although, the military has been drafted to the area after the visit of the governor, it appears to us the police are not properly liaising with the military for the military to creditably discharge their duty to get the terrorists. We reliably learnt that each time the military makes an effort to get at the terrorists, the terrorists flee before the move could be executed thereby frustrating their arrest.

“For now, the Tiv indigenous people of Kadarko are under siege as 25 villages are completely deserted.”

According to the group, the deserted villages are Azer, Tamen, Bature, Agbara, Peter Agbede. Nguchi, Igbacha, Shatse, Gidan Sule, Ngur, Nyam Adaga, Cha, Tseiyo (Gidan Akpen), Ahima, Mori, Kpilaior, Che Tor, Chia, Anisa, Dooga, Mbamar, Rest house, Anom, Che Utsaha and Ikpe. - Daily Post

Credit cards from Nigeria ‘to be blocked abroad’ as Egmont Group mulls expelling NFIU

Nigerians may no longer be able to carry out international transactions as Egmont Group is considering expelling the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) because of governance issues.

A major consequence of the expulsion will be the blacklisting of Nigeria in international finance.
This could affect use of MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards by Nigerians.
It could also affect the international rating of Nigerian financial institutions, restricting their access to some big-ticket international transactions.

Nigeria will also no longer be able to benefit from financial intelligence shared by the other member countries, including the US and the UK.
Also to be affected is the country’s ability to recover stolen funds abroad.
TheCable understands that the expulsion is part of the agenda of Egmont’ working group and heads of FIU meeting between March 2 and March 7, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The group, comprising 153 countries, mandates its members to establish a financial intelligence unit that serves as a national centre for the receipt and analysis of (1) suspicious transaction reports; and (2) other information relevant to money laundering, associated predicate offences and financing of terrorism, and for the dissemination of the results of that analysis.
All advanced countries are members of the group, which is an initiative of the American government.
TheCable reported in July 2017 that the group had suspended Nigeria, citing interference of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the workings of the NFIU.

The body had asked Nigeria to amend the law establishing the NFIU to make it autonomous.
It also accused the NFIU of failing to protect “confidential information, specifically related to the status of suspicious transaction report (STR) details and information derived from international exchanges”.

“The heads of FIU made a decision, by consensus, to suspend the membership status of the NFIU, Nigeria, following repeated failures on the part of the FIU to address concerns regarding the protection of confidential information, specifically related to the status of suspicious transaction report (STR) details and information derived from international exchanges, as well as concerns on the legal basis and clarity of the NFIU’s independence from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The measure will remain in force until immediate corrective actions are implemented,” Egmont group had said at the time.

The senate had passed the bill granting the NFIU autonomy few days after TheCable reported its suspension.
In December, Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the EFCC, said NFIU had been separated from the EFCC.

He said from January 1, 2018, NFIU, would begin to operate as an independent organisation.
“We have allowed NFIU to go. They are operationally autonomy independent of EFCC,” he had said.
But what Magu said has not been implemented, TheCable learnt.

Nigeria’s admittance into the group in 2007 is considered to be one of the biggest achievements of the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
The membership ensured the removal of Nigerian banks from the blacklist of international finance.
The blacklisting had prevented the banks from engaging in correspondent banking with foreign institutions and also denied Nigerians access to foreign credit cards. - Cable Nigeria

Shocking !!! I enjoy making love to my daughter – Father confesses after impregnating 10-year-old daughter

One Kenneth Abaya has been arraigned before an Ikeja magistrate’s court for defilement and impregnating his daughter.

Abaya who allegedly raped and impregnated his 10-year-old said he did not know why he enjoyed the act.

The suspect who was arrested by policemen at the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Command Headquarters, Ikeja, confessed to the police that he loved his daughter so much and was never irritated when he was having sex with her.

According to the Police sources, upon interrogation, the victim who said her father has been raping her was taken to the hospital for general tests,where they discovered she was pregnant.

“The bubble burst when the victim told the police that her father, who she accused having sexual intercourse with her severally, was the owner of the pregnancy.”

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The court also ordered the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and send a copy to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.

Osunsanmi adjourned the case till May 14, 2018. - Daily Post

NAPTIP engages Edo witches over human trafficking

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has engaged some local witch doctors in Benin, Edo, as ambassadors to fight human trafficking in the country.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Ms Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this at a symposium and training organised for officers of the agency in conjunction with Conference of Western Attorneys General and the Africa Alliance in Abuja on Monday.

Okah-Donli explained that the agency’s investigation had confirmed that some local witch doctors were involved or used in the trafficking of persons to Europe.

She said that in the process of human trafficking, once a victim’s consent was gotten by means of force, fraud or coercion, such person will be taken to a shrine to swear to an oath of secrecy and allegiance before a local witch doctor.

According to her, during that process some rituals will be performed on the victims where the potential victim’s urine will be taken.

The director-general disclosed that the victim’s pubic hair, finger nails, strands of eye lashes, menstrual blood, underwear and other personal effects deemed necessary were also collected.

She added that such ritual was performed with a symbolic animal or bird, mostly a white cock or a white pigeon complemented with cola nuts.

She said that once all of these were done, it would be seen as bond between the victims and traffickers.

Okah-Donli explained that the ritual was also depicted as having some sort of lucky charm for the victims, if she abides by the terms, otherwise the victims stand to face grave consequences.

“In spite of the rituals and oath taking, the victim reaches the destination point only to realise the farce behind the earlier sweet promises of a greener pasture”, NAN quoted her as saying.

“And in this circumstance, such person is told in strict terms not to renege on the oath of secrecy as it cannot be reversed.

“At this point, the victim is left with a resigned fate of horrible demands of the trafficker for fear of being victimised which she already is rather unfortunately.

“When we gathered these witch doctors recently to sensitise them on what these victims go through in Europe, they were shocked.

“To them, the native doctors, they are working for the madams who want to traffic the victims

“And they have made their commitments to work with us to fight the menace of human trafficking,” she said.

Migrant crisis: 16 bodies pulled from sea off Morocco

The bodies of 16 people have been pulled from the sea off the coast of Melilla, a small Spanish territory bordering Morocco.

Moroccan rescue services recovered the corpses after the crew of a Spanish ship spotted them in the water.

A medical official told AFP news agency all the dead were from sub-Saharan Africa, apart from one Moroccan.

It is thought they may have been hoping to reach Europe by sailing from Melilla, despite storm warnings.

Melilla, which is just 12 sq km (7 square miles), is a major crossing point for undocumented migrants seeking work or asylum in Europe.

It is one of only two EU land borders with Africa – the other being a second Spanish enclave, Ceuta.

A spokeswoman for Melilla’s authorities said earlier that “about 20” bodies had been retrieved.

The exact death toll has not yet been confirmed. Spanish rescue services resumed a search on Sunday morning.

The sea crossing between North Africa and southern Spain is increasingly favoured by migrants, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

So far in 2018, Spain has been the second most popular entry point for incomers to Europe. IOM figures say some 1,279 arrived there, while 4,256 went to Italy.

Not including those recovered this weekend, at least 243 migrants have already died or gone missing this year after trying to cross the Mediterranean.- BBC

Two killed in fresh Fulani attack in Benue

Two persons have been killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Waku village, Guma Local Government area in Benue state.

Waku village is the country home of Senator Joseph Waku, chairman Governing council of Federal University Akure.

In a joint press conference by the Benue state commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni and chairman of Guma local Government council Hon Antony Shawon held at the state Command headquarters in Makurdi.

Both Owoseni and Shawon told newsmen that two people were killed and many people sustained serious injuries while several houses were set ablaze in the village.

CP Owoseni on his part said 15 mobile units from other states have been deployed to Benue state to beef security. - The Nation

Zuma ‘rejects ANC request’ to stand down

South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma has defied his party and refused to step down, according to media reports.

He and senior members of the African National Congress (ANC) held talks on Sunday but no details of their meeting have been released.

Facing corruption allegations, Mr Zuma was replaced as ANC leader in December.

Party leaders, who may be trying to oust the South African Head of State before his State of the Nation address later this week, will hold an emergency meeting on Monday.

Julius Malema, an opposition leader and former ANC member, said on Twitter that Mr Zuma had been asked to stand down but had refused.

He was regarded to have spent time in prison for his part in the fight against apartheid, most of the way through his second – and last – term as president.

Under his rule, the civil service has expanded, HIV/AIDS rates have decreased, and his plans for development have won support across the political spectrum. But the Zuma presidency has been overshadowed by allegations of corruption and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, was elected the leader of the ANC party in South Africa in December on an anti-corruption platform. - BBC

Herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria should relocate to Kano, says Ganduje

Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, has called on herdsmen across the country to relocate to Kano.

Speaking during the monitoring of the state’s vaccination of over one million cattle and other animals at Kadawa Artificial Insemination Centre in the Garum Malam local government area of Kano, Ganduje said had vast grazing land to accommodate herdsmen and their cattle.

The governor said the vaccination was initiated to keep animals healthy and improve the economy of the state.

He said as part of the government’s commitment to encouraging herdsmen in the state, his administration had been providing facilities that would accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle to discourage them from moving to other states in search of grazing land.

“Fulani herdsmen of Kano origin do not move out of Kano to other states because we have enough grazing land, ranches and traditional stock route,” he said.

“They don’t have any reason to move out of the state. We take care of them and we accord them the respect and dignity they deserve.

“I am inviting herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria to relocate to Kano because we have enough facilities to accommodate them. We have grazing land in Rogo, Gaya, Kura, Tudun Wada, Ungogo and other places, where facilities have been provided to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle.”

The governor revealed that his administration was in collaboration with the federal government and foreign agencies to convert the Falgore Game Reserve into a modern grazing land.

“Falgore Game Reserve can take care of millions of herdsmen and their cattle in Nigeria. The location has been designed to accommodate schools, human and animal clinics, markets, recreational centres and other social amenities that would provide the herdsmen enough comfort to take care of their animals and transact their business without any hindrance,” he said.

“These killings must stop. We cannot afford to continue to witness these senseless killings in the name of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash over lack of grazing land when we have a place like the Falgore Game Reserve, which is being underutilised.” - Cable Nigeria