4 dead as tricycle collides with train in Lagos

Four people have been killed as a tricycle collided with a moving train at Iju area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The incident occurred around 6:52am on Tuesday at Iju Ishaga area of Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos.

General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Adesina Tiamiyu confirmed the incident, saying that four people lost their lives.

He said the agency received a distress call via the emergency toll-free number 112/767 regarding an accident at the Iju area, Shina Peters Road, Iju Ishaga on Tuesday, at about 6:52 am, saying this prompted the immediate activation of the agency’s Response Team and other stakeholders to the scene of the incident accordingly.

“On arrival at the scene of incident, it was gathered that a tricycle with five people on board had a collision with a moving train at the aforementioned address.

“Further information gathered at the scene revealed that the immediate cause of the incident was due to reckless driving on the path of the tricycle driver trying to cross the rail crossing.

“Unfortunately four (4) persons (three adult males and one adult female) lost their lives. One adult male escapes unhurt,” he said.

According to him, the agency’s Response Team and other stakeholders, which included Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Nigeria Police Force and the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) were responders at the scene of incident.

Tiamiyu said the Agency Team recovered the dead bodies and handed them over to SEHMU to be moved to the mortuary.

He, however, advised motorists, especially tricycle operators to always exercise patience when crossing railway line to avoid unnecessary loss of lives in the State.

- PM NEWS

POS fraudster arrested in Ondo, exposes trick used against shop owners

A 26-year-old man, Damilola Arowolo has been apprehended by the police after he was caught swindling shop owners via fake bank alert.

Arowolo, a graduate from the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, was alleged to have serially manipulated the POS machines of shop owners in Akure, the Ondo state capital, while posing as a potential buyer.

Owning up to the crime, Arowolo, who graduated in 2013, stated that he was lured him into the illicit business by one of his friends.

“I’ve only been involved in this act for only three weeks.

“What I do was that I normally walk into any store with an ATM [card] which has no fund in it.

“After inserting the card in their POS, I immediately push a bank alert message to their phone.

“It was one of my friends that thought me the trick.”

While urging the public to be conscious of who they transact business with, the Ondo State Police Commissioner, Undie Adie, emphasised that investigation is on towards curbing the new trend.

“It has become necessary at this point to alert members of the public to a new method being adopted by some con men to defraud people.

“These unscrupulous elements go to commercial outlets including shops, hotels etc and purchase goods and services and ask to be allowed to pay through POS .

“They then proceed to manipulate the POS and generate credit alert without the account being credited. A case in point is that of one Arowolo Damilola ‘m’ 26yrs of age, of Ijoka Road Akure, who recently defrauded one Olusola Ayodeji through this method after buying some wares from his shop.

“The suspect has confessed to defrauding many other innocent people.

“Investigation is on and the suspect will be arraigned in court.”

- DAILY POST

NAPIMS’ ex-GGM, Dafe Sejebor, arrested in US for ‘human trafficking’

Houston Police Department has arrested Dafe Sejebor, former group general manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), over his alleged involvement in human trafficking.

Sejebor was arrested along 46 others in an investigation that lasted 10 days with focus on Fort Bend County and the Katy areas of Texas.

Sejebor was retired from NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in August 2015.

According to Click2Houston, the 47 suspects arrested include 27 woman and 20 men.

It added that eight were confirmed as victims, including 2 juveniles, another eight charged with sex and human trafficking-related offenses.

Some of those charged with sex and human trafficking also face other charges related to unlawful possession of weapons, and narcotics charges and possession of controlled substances, tampering with evidence and prostitution.

“We are here to help, first and foremost. We understand the problem of human trafficking. We understand what it does to the victim, how to fix the victim,” said John Wall, an officer with the Houston police department vice-division.

“We understand they are scared to come forward, but we are going to do everything in our power to keep them safe, give them the services they need to move forward in life.

“If you think about it, children (and) young adults spend and an enormous amount of time on social media, and they are vulnerable. They don’t understand the risk involved in talking to individuals they don’t know on that type of forum.

“And, at the end of the day, we hope we can put the trafficker where he belongs, and that’s in prison.”

- THECABLE

13 die in Adamawa road crashes

Two separate road crashes along Ngurore – Mayo-Belwa highway in Mayo-Belwa LGA of Adamawa State have claimed the lives of 13 people and caused injuries to 21 others.

A source said Tuesday that the first accident. which happened on Monday night claimed six lives while three others were badly injured.

The Information Officer of Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area, Kabiru Kelly, said the accident, which involved a Sharon bus occurred when the driver attempted to avoid a pothole lost control and rammed onto a pole.

He said the dead had been taken to the Yola Specialist Hospital while the injured victims were receiving treatment at the Mayo-Belwa Cottage Hospital.

According to Kelly, the second accident was a head-on collision involving a Hummer bus and a Toyota starlet.

“The second accident happened when the driver of the bus tried to overtake a heavy duty vehicle and rammed into the oncoming Starlet car,” he said.

He added that the second accident almost wiped off a whole family, explaining, “A father, his wife and their four children who were on their way from Jalingo to Zamfara were involved.”

The council information officer added that the bodies and injured persons were deposited at the Mayo Belwa General Hospital.
Contacted Tuesday evening, the Adamawa State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Hussaini Muhammad, said he was yet to get a briefing on the accidents.

- DAILY POST

Interpol provides EFCC new tracking, Intel-sharing application against organised crimes

The International Criminal Police Organisation, (Interpol) has provided the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) with an application that will enhance intelligence sharing in the tracking of money laundering and terrorism-financing organised crimes.

It also comprises a database to be supervised by the National Central Bureau (NCB), which is an interface between Interpol and national law enforcement agencies of countries through a i24/7 Gemini Project global communications system.

Within the Commission, the application, it was learnt would be managed by its Information and Communications Technology Department.

EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.

He added, “An elated Acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu witnessed the demonstration of the new application at the Commission’s Abuja headquarters.

“Noha Amer, Interpol’s Project Officer, who led the delegation of the global police to the Commission disclosed that the U.S was funding the project in four African countries, to wit: Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Libya in a move to detect and interdict stolen and illicit funds by organised criminals, mainly in the area of terrorism-financing, such as in the manner as it happened in Libya.

“She explained that the project will see to the training of the Commission’s operatives on programmes that include, Interpol policing capabilities and standard operations.

“The training will commence after the installation of the NCB database”.

Amer, according to Orilade further explained, “that the NCB plays an integral role and was at the heart of Interpol in terms of information gathering and sharing.

“NCB is the cornerstone of the Interpol in liasing with the law enforcement agencies of other countries, especially in terms of cross-border investigation, operations and arrest.”

It was gathered that the NCB serves as a tool for timely dissemination of information and, that the Interpol will equip the NCB with the necessary equipment to go with i247 extensions, saying that the i24/7 accommodates IT database.

Also, Christophe Nakobyan, the Interpol’s Project Officer II, also explained, “that the i247 platform as a closed group for law enforcement agencies is a safer form of connectivity than Yahoo and Whatsapp, and gives access to information sharing, with optimal level of security.

Noting the dangers law enforcement agencies face from hackers, Nakobyan disclosed, “we have ten thousand attacks by hackers per day but at the moment it is very safe as no hacker has been successful.

“The Interpol receives over five billion request in a year in the database for information”.

Besides, Nakobyan stated that the database will even advance countries’ cooperation to the extent that it will allow each organisation share information and the information shared will be strictly owned by the sharing commission which will be at liberty to decide what kind of information to share, whom to share with and which service to render to other law enforcement agencies.

Other members of the delegation are Eleyatt Nahah, ACP with Interpol, Sylvester Uzoefuna Jnr, C Udendi, Emmanuel Handan, Akubo Jerry and Chuks Nwaogbo.

- DAILY POST

FG to compensate codeine manufacturers with N1bn for seized products

The federal government says it will spend over N1 billion to compensate manufacturers of codeine-containing cough syrup who had their products seized or withdrawn from circulation.

Moji Adeyeye, director-general, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), disclosed this on Monday in Lagos.

The government had in May 2017 banned the production and importation of codeine and tramadol in the country following a BBC documentary exposing the abuse of codeine-based cough syrup.

Some companies were also shut down for illegal production and distribution of the products but were later reopened.

According to Adeyeye, over two million bottles of codeine were seized from companies across the country in a bid to curb the use of the syrup by youth to get high.

She explained that some companies where the products were recalled from were producing legally and not guilty of any wrongdoing, hence the move by the government to reimburse them.

“It is about a year ago when the documentary about codeine was made which led to the Ministry of Health banning the product,” Adeyeye said.

“Since that time, we have been having a series of meeting with many government agencies and committees such as National Security Adviser group, the Presidency and the Ministry of Health.

“The final point is that we recalled about 2.5 million bottles of codeine and then put them on hold. This is sad because some companies did not commit the crime.

“So we put all the codeine on hold including the powder that they are using to the syrup. It will cost about N1 billion plus to reimburse these manufacturers.

“We are working on whatever the Ministry of Health is doing now to reimburse those companies affected. We just called a meeting about the last two weeks on it.

“The amount that is tied to the companies and they will be reimbursed because most of them legally produce the product in spite of the bad distribution channels.

“In tackling fake and substandard products, we do raids and many a time, our staffs don’t sleep, they keep vigil, mainly to intercept those drugs in concert with the Nigerian Customs Service.

“We are also working with the local manufacturers to make sure that their products attain the international standard.”

Meanwhile, the house of representatives has proposed a fine of N2 million and a two-year jail term for organisations that will go against the ban on tramadol and codeine in the country.

According to the proposal, individual offenders will be liable to N500,000 fine and two years imprisonment or both on conviction.

- THECABLE

SINATORS !!! Senate passes 2019 budget, injects N10bn

The Senate on Tuesday passed the 2019 Appropriation Bill into law and added N10 billion extra, raising the budget from N8.906 trillion to N8.916‎ trillion.

According to the Senate, the N10 billion extra was meant for Service Wide Vote‎.

This is N86 billion higher than the proposal of N8.83 trillion presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly for the 2019 fiscal year.

The lawmakers passed the bill during Tuesday’s plenary after considering the report of the Senate Committee on Appropriations on the 2019 Appropriation Bill presented by Senator Danjuma Goje.

A breakdown of the budget estimate reveals that statutory transfer is N502.58 billion, N2.25 trillion is for debt servicing, recurrent expenditure gets N4.65 trillion, and N2.94 trillion is earmarked for capital expenditure.

Following the consideration of the report submitted by Senator Goje, the lawmakers resolved to approve the total sum of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

They also adopted the recommendation of the Appropriations Committee which proposed that N10 billion be added to the service-wide votes to support the victims of crises in Zamfara State.

Thereafter, the Senate dissolved into the Committee of Supply for the consideration of the 2019 Appropriation Bill

Channels TV reports that the bill was then read the third time and passed by the lawmakers.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, commended his colleagues for the efforts that led to the passage of the bill and called for its complete implementation by the Executive.

He said, “I want to thank our colleagues, particularly for their understanding and for us to be able to meet today’s deadline in passing the bill and (I) thank the Committee on Appropriation too.”

“I hope that with this budget passed, the Executive will also ensure the full implementation of the budget for the benefit of Nigerians as a whole,” Senator Saraki added.

- PM NEWS

Boko Haram massacre 21 villagers in Adamawa

Boko Haram fighters have massacred 21 people when they raided a village in Adamawa, northeastern Nigeria and set it on fire, residents said Tuesday.

The militants, packed into four trucks and flanked by gunmen on motorbikes, swept into the village of Kuda in Adamawa State late on Monday afternoon, firing as they came.

Villagers fled the attack but returned on Tuesday to bury the dead left amid the charred wreckage of their homes, AFP reports.

“They opened fire on residents, killing 21 people,” said community leader Maina Ularamu. “They burnt several homes.”

Ularamu lost three brothers-in-law in the attack.

“Two-thirds of the village has been burnt,” said resident Paul Waramulu, speaking to AFP by telephone from the village, giving the same toll of those killed.

Waramulu said the fighters had looted food supplies before setting fire to buildings.

Many villagers were terrified and were still hiding in surrounding bush, and those who came back did so to give funerals to those killed, he added.

The village of Kuda lies in the Madagali district of Adamawa state, some 285 kilometres (177 miles) north of the state capital Yola.

There was no immediate official response from the army or police.

The attack is the latest in a long line of massacres carried out by Boko Haram in the area, who have hideouts in the dense forests nearby.

The decade-long jihadist conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions from their homes.

The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition against the jihadists.

- PM NEWS

FUTURE GOVERNORS !!! Nine Nigerians arrested in US for $3.5m wire fraud

Nine Nigerians have been arrested in the United States for defrauding individuals and businesses of more than $3.5 million.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the southern district of New York, and James C. Spero, special agent in charge of the Tampa, Florida, field office of U.S. immigration and customs enforcement’s Homeland security investigations (“HSI”), disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

The suspects are Oluwaseun Adelekan, Olalekan Daramola, Solomon Aburekhanlen, Gbenga Oyeneyin, Abiola Olajumoke, Temitope Omotayo, Bryan Eadie, Albert Lucas and Ademola Adebogun.

The US officials said the suspects committed the fraud through business email compromises, a Russian oil scam, and a romance scam.

“As alleged, these defendants deployed three different email schemes to defraud their victims.  The common denominator in all three schemes was the defendants’ alleged fleecing of their victims through fictitious online identities,” said Berman.

“The schemes allegedly earned the defendants $3.5 million – and also arrests on federal felony charges.”

The defendants are accused of participating in a scheme to defraud businesses and individuals through several categories of false and misleading representations.

“Sending victims email messages that appeared to be, but were not, from legitimate business counterparties that included instructions to the victims to wire payment to those seemingly legitimate business counterparties into bank accounts that were actually under the control of, and/or maintained by, Adelekan, Daramola, Aburekhanlen, Oyeneyin, Olajumoke, Omotayo, Eadie, Lucas, and Adebogun (the “Business Email Compromise Scam”),” read the statement.

“Sending email messages and text messages to at least one victim offering an opportunity to invest in oil stored in Russian oil tank farms conditioned on that victim wiring upfront payments into bank accounts purportedly affiliated with the purported oil investment but actually opened by and under the control of Aburekhanlen, Olajumoke, and Oyeneyin (the “Russian Oil Scam”).

“Sending email messages and text messages to at least one victim from an individual (or individuals) purporting to be a female with romantic intentions toward the victim requesting, further to establishing a romantic relationship, the wiring of payment into a bank account under the control of Omotayo (the “Romance Scam”).”

They are each charged in the indictment with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and each defendant faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

- THECABLE

Current security system has failed the country – NLC President

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, has decried the increased state of insecurity in the country.

Wabba, who disclosed this in a message to state Delegates Conference of the Congress on Thursday, said “There is hardly any day that passes without one incident of armed robbery, kidnap for ransom, militancy or terrorism attack making headlines.

“We call on government at both federal and state levels to urgently rejig our security architecture, structure, and management.

“Clearly, the current approach has failed. We also call for a robust and sustainable response to renewed security challenges in our country.

“Even if that means an increase in the budget for internal security so long it is judiciously and transparently used.

“The political arena offers one of the most effective spaces for tackling almost all the challenges that we have already highlighted to bring about socioeconomic transformation.

“Unfortunately, the conduct of the last general election left a lot of sour taste in the mouth,‘’ he said.

The NLC President called on employers of labour to commence the implementation of the new minimum wage immediately.

“The upward review of the national minimum wage is not so much a gift as it is the right of workers. This right was delayed for too long.

“As Mr President ordered during the signing into law of the National Minimum Wage (2019) Amendment Bill, we call on all employers of labour to commence payment immediately.

“I urge the incoming leadership of our state councils to make the immediate payment of the new national minimum wage of N30,000 and review of monthly pension by state governments your top priority.

“We have crossed the bridge of the debate whether state governments can pay the new national minimum wage or not.

“The feedback we got from the nationwide rallies for a new national minimum wage which took place in January 2019 indicated that most state governments are willing to pay the new national minimum wage once Mr President grants his assent.

“The truth is that if state governments cut down on the high cost of governance and corruption, they will be more than able to pay the new national minimum wage of N30,000,‘’ he said.

Wabba urged the leadership of various state councils to emerge from the conferences to push for the implementation of the new wage by state government.

He said that the NLC completely rejected proposals to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) as a means of funding the 2019 budget.

Wabba warned that any increase in VAT or Pay As You Earn (PAYE) would rob workers of the minimal relief from the increase in the new wage.

The labour leader urged the government to consider other progressive ways of financing the budget.

He also counselled the government against contemplating any increase in the price of refined petroleum products especially the Premium Motor Spirit.

- PM EWS

Home Office investigated over English test cheating claims

A government watchdog has launched an investigation into the Home Office’s decision to accuse about 34,000 international students of cheating in English language tests, and will scrutinise the thinking behind the subsequent cancellation or curtailment of their visas.

More than 1,000 students have been removed from the UK as a result of the accusation and hundreds have spent time in detention, but large numbers of students say they were wrongly accused. Over 300 cases are pending in the court of appeal as hundreds attempt to clear their names. MPs have warned that this immigration scandal could be “bigger than Windrush”.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has been making preliminary inquiries into the government’s handling of the issue since the beginning of the year, and has now announced that it will proceed with a formal investigation. The body is expected to report its findings in late May or June.

“In 2014, a BBC Panorama documentary drew attention to fraud in the UK student visa system, including widespread cheating in English language tests. The Home Office revoked student visas where there was evidence of cheating, but its decisions have come under renewed public and parliamentary scrutiny in the wake of the Windrush scandal,” the NAO said. “The NAO is looking at the information held by the Home Office on the number of people alleged to have cheated and the action the Home Office has taken to date.”

Undercover filming by the BBC in 2014 showed clear evidence of cheating in two test centres where international students sat the test of English for international communication (Toeic). Reporters showed the footage to Theresa May, then home secretary, who said she was shocked, and promised to take action. The Home Office concluded that around 34,000 of the 58,458 students who had taken the test between 2011 and 2014 had definitely cheated, that a further 22,600 had “questionable results”, and that only 2,000 had definitely not cheated.

Campaigners have questioned whether it is plausible that such a large proportion of students sitting a Home Office-approved test could have been involved in cheating.

Stephen Timms, the Labour MP for East Ham, who represents a number of affected students and who has been campaigning on this issue, said: “I welcome the NAO’s decision to investigate the Toeic scandal on behalf of parliament. I hope we might finally find out why so many innocent students have been treated so disgracefully.”

Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, a charity that has been assisting those affected for several years, said: “This is an important step on the road to justice for thousands of innocent students. Many were wrongly accused and have spent the last five years trying to clear their names in the courts. Most remain trapped in a legal labyrinth, facing Home Office appeals and delays at every step and living with the daily threat of detention and deportation.

“Stripped of the right to work, study or even access healthcare, many of the students are destitute and suffering from severe mental health problems. The criminal allegation against them means that they cannot continue their studies, get a good job or obtain a visa to travel anywhere in the world. The Home Office’s handling of this issue has been spectacularly unfair and opaque, and it’s high time the truth was brought to light.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have been supporting the National Audit Office in its work on this investigation since the start of the year. We will consider the findings of the report once it is published.”

Last year the NAO published a critical report on the Home Office’s handling of the Windrush scandal, highlighting poor-quality data that wrongly classified people as illegal immigrants, the risky use of deportation targets, poor value for money offered by hostile environment policies, and a failure to respond to numerous warnings that the policies would hurt people living in the UK legally.- THE GUARDIAN UK

Pogba refuses to submit visa for Man Utd’s preseason tour amid Real Madrid interest

Paul Pogba is yet to submit a visa application to join Manchester United’s pre-season tour of China this summer, fuelling speculation he is ready to force through a transfer to Real Madrid.

The news broke on Spanish television show, Jugones, that Pogba declined to hand over his passport to the Chinese Consulate this week, despite the rest of his teammates doing so.

It was immediately presumed that this was a power play from the Frenchman, who is reportedly unhappy at Old Trafford and wants to leave the club.

However, the Evening Standard reports that United are relaxed about the situation and have attributed it simply to “passport issues”.

The club still fully expect Pogba to apply for his visa before the end of the season and are counting on him being involved in the tour to Australia, Singapore and China in July.

- DAILY POST

Benue, Taraba killings: Governors under attack over insecurity in Middle Belt

The Middle Belt Conscience Guard (MBCG), has lambasted Nigerian governors over their perceived cold attitude towards the endless killings and unrest in the region.

MBCG said the lukewarm attitude of the governors and stakeholders in the country was becoming worrisome.

The group called on governors in Nigeria to wake up and take a decisive action over the spate of killings, kidnappings and criminality.

The leadership of MBCG and members gave this charge after an emergency meeting to cross-examine the unending crises in some sections of the country.

In a communiqué signed at the end of the emergency meeting by Prince Raymond Enero President, MBCG & Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee (CDC) and Dr. Paul Itodo, Secretary- General, MBCG &, Communique Drafting Committee (CDC), they tasked the governors to “commit resources, energy into resolving conflicts and stop globetrotting”.

The body in the communique made available to DAILY POST said it was pained “with the unprovoked invasions of our communities by armed assailants in parts of the country, while governors in the areas watch without swinging into action to end the meance.”

MBCG condemned the “killings; the untold hardships, dislocations of communal life, the pains, and agonies, now experienced by otherwise peaceful communities and the fate of our people or survivors who are now compelled to go through this undeserved accidental physical and psychological trauma.”

They called on the state governors in the country to rise up to the challenge and end the protracted crises, which had claimed many lives and valuables.

The communiqué reads: “The meeting unanimously identified with our people’s pains of losing beloved ones, displacements of people and the connected inconveniences imposed on them by these attacks from satanic and heartless souls. We collectively prayed for the souls of our departed brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the senseless carnages and wished that may Almighty God grant their innocent souls eternal rest in His bosom.

“The forum stated clearly that the people of Middle Belt are communally bonded or are united by the same blood, cultures, traditions and a common destiny in Nigeria, especially in the land our forebears dwelled, which we have inherited. And that the preponderance of violence and the brazen extermination of our kith and kin in this region are against the spirit of our ancestors.

“Therefore, all actors, passive or impassive must sheathe their swords for peace and security to reign in this region. And indeed, in other parts of Northern Nigeria, where violence has replaced peace and harmonious co-existence as members of the same ancestry.
We also resolved to advise all communities to learn to amicably settle all disputes, rather than the prevailing trend of impulsive resort to violence and killings of one another. We sincerely commiserate with our people over the sad crises, which most or all of the times reflect our dilemma as a people or communities abandoned by our respective failed state leaders. They mask as State Governors for politicking sake and thereafter, go in pursuit of a worthless and unlucrative lucre abroad, while in public service.

“MBCG reached a consensus resolution to caution and even warn the State Governors of States domiciled in the Middle Belt and other parts of Northern Nigeria, such as those of Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Zamfara, Katsina states and others to stand up for their first and foremost Constitutional responsibility of securing the lives and property of their citizens.

“The resolution also reminded these State Governors to understand, the 2019 electioneering campaigns/elections and the brawl-beating or escapism from the leadership they seek are over now. It’s enough that these “failed politicians” who have retained themselves back to power or planted stooges, must necessarily warm their seats in offices to focus on governance, than striking enmity with main rivals and supporters.

“A resolution also reminded these State Governors that the first port of call when there is a breach of security in their respective states is to arrest it with the hundreds of millions in security votes they collect every month from the federation account to tame the tide. The idea of “pocketing” security votes, instead of channeling it to nip crisis in the bud before it escalates only to look unto to the Presidency to deploy the military for damage control is unacceptable onwards.

“We resolved that these State Governors must begin to commit States resources and allocations, especially, security votes, collected on behalf of the people into resolving security issues and desist from misappropriating same for globetrotting and purchase of choice properties in Abuja, Dubai, China and in other parts of the world.

“The meeting resolved that these State Governors should initiate peace and reconciliations parleys within the divisive political clans in their various states. It’s obvious the renewed violence and killings in the Middle Belt and armed banditry in the Northwest are instigated by these politicians/ state leaders.

“We appeal to these politicians with over- bloated ego to the extent of overlooking the security of lives and property to bury their pride and seek citizenship protection by whatever means possible for us to be safe. It behooves on these state leaders to evolve home-grown solutions by consulting and collaborating with the traditional, community, opinion and religious leaders to find enduring solutions to these crises, which are peculiar to the different geographical entities and cannot be solved centrally by using one approach alone.

“It’s clear to us that in the build-up to the last general elections, these politicians ”armed youths to snatch ballot boxes,” but were not allowed to exercise this might because of the heavy presence of security for Nigerians to cast their lawful votes unmolested or harassed. Its time for them to call for armistice and disarm the youths they empowered with guns to kill and maim for political reasons.

“We commended the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) led by President Muhammadu Buhari by its proactive reactions through the instant deployment of troops to curtail some of the outbreaks of violence and killings in most of these states. It’s an applauded demonstration of compliance with his oath of office to protect lives and property of Nigerians, despite the apparent slack and dereliction of duty by some of these state Governors/leaders.”

- DAILY POST