Ogun: Fulani herdsmen shoot, batter woman [VIDEO]

 

A woman, who was identified as Alhaja Morenikeji Salami, has been shot by some suspected Fulani herdsmen.

She was waylaid while driving to her new work-site, around Idofe, Oru-Awa area of Ijebu North Local Government area of Ogun.

DAILY POST reports that Salami had her thumb cut off by a bullet said to have been fire by the herdsmen.

The woman’s jaw was also pierced by the suspects who emerged from the bush while grazing their cows.

In a viral video on Saturday, the woman was seen in severe pains as she was being treated at the hospital.

According to a female voice accompanying the video, Salami drove into the herdsmen numbering about eight and she was shot while trying to reverse.

At first, her tyres were shot to prevent her from escaping, after which she was shot two times.

It was said the woman was left alone after she pretended to have died, as the herdmen went back into the bush.

My mother said she managed to get down from the car after waiting for the herdsmen to go.

“After she managed to alight from the car, she saw a tipper lorry and flagged it down. The driver rescued her and took her to Oru,” a daughter of the woman said.

DAILY POST gathered that the victim was rejected at the general hospital and at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OSUTH) for lack of space.

The Ogun State Police Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi has confirmed the incident.

Oyeyemi said three of the herdsmen were arrested at night after they returned to take away the cattle they left behind.

He disclosed that the arrested suspects have been transferred to the state police headquarters, Eleweran.

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- DAILY POST

Sunday Igboho ‘filling void unaddressed by federal government’

 

Isaac Albert, a professor of African history, peace and conflict studies at the University of Ibadan, says Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, is filling the void created by the federal government on security issues.

According to him, the failure of the federal government to take proactive measures to address security issues in the country has given rise to non-state actors like Igboho.

Igboho, who had blamed the herders for contributing to insecurity in the state,  had issued a seven-day notice to the Fulani community in Ibarapa to leave Oyo.

The notice expired on Friday, after which the youth leader stormed Ibarapa, in the company of his supporters.

However, shortly after Sunday Igboho’s meeting with his supporters, protesters launched attacks on a community said to be inhabited by Fulanis, and set properties ablaze.

Speaking to TheCable on Saturday, Albert said the federal government’s failure to respect the voices of governors and traditional leaders on security issues created a void.

He also warned that if the present situation in Oyo state is not well addressed, it could lead to a nationwide crisis

“When political leaders fail to listen to people with state authority on how to solve a problem, non-state actors will fill the space,” he said.

“What I am saying is that where you find that the leadership of the country not showing respect for the opinions of state governors, council chairmen and traditional rulers, private individuals typically described as non-state actors will fill that space.

“All over Nigeria, people are facing security challenges. There is a collapse of security system all over the country and in all this, there are no actionable responses of the federal government.
The governor of Nasarawa just told us Boko Haram is regrouping in his state, and Zamfara state is facing serious security crisis. In Ondo state, forest reserves are being taken over by career criminals.

“What we see is the federal government responding to every issue that has to do with herdsmen. To me, that is a sign of collapse of a state; a situation where government cannot guarantee security for its people. That is a void that Sunday Igboho is trying to fill.

“Igboho does not have any authority to do what he is doing. But in a situation where the state fails in security, people will resort to self help and that is what we are seeing. It is a sign of complete breakdown of law and order. You can imagine the number of young people who are supporting what Igboho is doing.”

Speaking on the directive by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, and Mohammed Adamu, the inspector-general of police, to arrest Igboho, Albert stated that it would only escalate the situation.

“The statutory responsibility of the IG requires him to make such order. The governor of Oyo state will be failing in his duty if he did not say what he said. If he did not say that, it could be interpreted that he is the force behind Igboho. But the security situation in Oke Ogun area of Oyo state makes the arrest order difficult to be carried out,” Albert said.

“If Igboho is arrested, I see an escalation of the problem. If he is not arrested, I also see an escalation of the problem. What we should have is a middle ground solution of the problem.

“That middle ground solution is what Adebayo Alao-Akala, the former governor in the state, suggested this evening — for Makinde to call a council of state meeting of former governors and leaders of opinions in the state. That will give us a solution that will not make the situation become a big national crisis. If the IG that has not secured anywhere in Nigeria chooses to focus on Oyo state, I see the police further humiliated.

“I am not in support of Igboho, but I see a situation where the people of Oke Ogun will rise up to defend him if the police try to arrest him at present. I am addressing the reality of the present moment.

“The people have been abandoned. They are extorted and killed everyday. I expect the federal government to begin to take proactive steps to address security issue in the country. It is not a question of issuing threats, but a question of taking actionable solutions to the problem.”

- THECABLE

‘Child Abuse’ – Naira Marley reacts to arrest of school kids by Amotekun

 Popular Nigerian Singer, Naira Marley has reacted to viral video of some school children being arrested by Amotekun operatives.

According to reports, the students were arrested for modelling themselves as ‘Marlians’.

In the video which has gone viral on social media, a lady who is supposedly a teacher in the school, described the boys as criminals.

The teacher tagged the leader of the group as ‘Naira Marley’ and a bad influence to the other children.

She stated that they were caught in a bush but, however, failed to state their wrong acts.

The video caught the attention of Naira Marley who strongly condemned the arrest of the students, describing it as ‘Child Abuse’.

He wrote; “Guys look what’s happening in stupid Nigeria.How can you arrest school kids? This is child abuse. The teachers and this stupid uncles with guns need to get arrested.”

The ‘Marlian’ leader demanded for the address of the school as he expressed his desire to meet the students.

“I want to meet all these kids, I owe them, please help me with the name of the school or link me up with any of my Marlian Kids. I want to see the witch behind the camera self. What is amotekun self? If they treat your child like this, what would you do? Did you see the slap? You calling someone child criminal? Omoo I’m so angry give me school name please. I need to go there.”

- DAILY POST

Fayose warns Makinde, IGP against Sunday Igboho’s arrest

 

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has warned against arresting Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho.

Fayose condemned the federal government for going after Igboho after he issued an ultimatum to Fulani in Oyo State.

Fayose, in a series of tweets via his Twitter handle on Saturday, told Governo Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, that arresting Igboho would escalate tension in the South-West region and Nigeria.

“Gov Seyi Makinde should rather use dialogue and persuasion instead of escalating tension in his own State by calling for the arrest of Sunday Adeyemo or anyone at this time,” Fayose tweeted.

“If FG and some governors could ‘dialogue’ with Boko Haram terrorists, Gov Makinde calling all stakeholders to a round-table discussion will not be a misplaced action.

“Any attempt to arrest anyone will cause a further threat to the already fragile peace in the West and the country as a whole. Above all, any unchecked escalation may lead to a state of emergency,” he added.

- PM NEWS

Jega: Buhari has disappointed so many Nigerians

 

Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has described the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as “very disappointing.”

In an interview with Daily Trust, Jega said the current administration has performed below the expectations of “so many Nigerians”.

Jega served as Nigeria’s electoral umpire from 2010 to 2015, following his appointment by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He remains the only INEC chairman that has presided over two general elections in Nigeria — in 2011 and 2015, when Jonathan lost to Buhari, making him the first incumbent president to lose re-election.

Jega, who was once a vice-chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, said although Buhari enjoys goodwill from many Nigerians, citizens are worried “about the direction the country is taking.”

“He (Buhari) has disappointed so many people. He still has time to correct things if he has the capacity to do that. Frankly, his government has been very disappointing,” he was quoted to have said.

“Governance has been very poor at the federal level and many of the states, that is why we are seeing challenges everywhere; whether it is insurgency, banditry, armed robbery or other things.”

Jega’s comments re-echoed the concerns of prominent Nigerians including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, who have been critical of this government.

- THECABLE

Fulani herdsmen quit notice: What Buhari govt should do over Sunday Igboho’s order – Islamic group

 

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has called on the federal government to engage in dialogue and consultation over the crisis between Yoruba youths and Fulani herdsmen in the Southwest.

Recall that an activist, Sunday Adeyemo Igboho had issued a quit notice to the Hausa-Fulani in Igangan, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.

The incident allegedly resulted in the destruction of houses and vehicles.

Reacting, MURIC advised the Federal Government to apply caution in handling the fragile situation.

A statement signed and sent to DAILY POST by the organization’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola said the government should dialogue with stakeholders with a view to finding solutions to the crisis.

According to MURIC, “The Igangan incident must be condemned by all lovers of peace. But at the same time, we cannot close our eyes to the pain and suffering of farmers and indigenes of the area whom criminals see as soft targets for kidnapping, armed robbery, etc. It is however crystal clear that it is not a religious matter, though some have been misled into labeling it an Hausa-Fulani affair. Our focus must be the criminals, not any tribe.

“While we do not endorse violence, we opine that people whose farms have been destroyed have the right to express indignation. In the same manner, those whose relations or friends have fallen victims to criminal activities like kidnapping and armed robbery are justified to speak up. The only difference here is that no single tribe should be held responsible for all the crimes.

“This is because criminals abound in all faiths and tribes everywhere in the world, not only in Nigeria. We should therefore address crime and criminals. We should target kidnappers and armed robbers, not any particular ethnicity. Those who make the mistake of profiling people of certain tribes will end up hurting decent elements within that tribe and this is against the law of natural justice.

“With particular reference to the Oyo and Ondo State incidents and the quit notices, MURIC reminds people of the South West that the crisis cuts across ethnicities. The same herdsmen are involved in several states. Benue, Kaduna, Adamawa, Taraba, Enugu, Onitsha, PortHarcourt, etc, are facing the same problem of herdsmen versus farmers. In essence, the phenomenon is general and not targeted at the Yoruba per se.

“Almost all the northern states face the herdsmen versus farmers conflict, banditry and kidnapping. People of the South West must consider the fate of thousands of their kinsmen from Ogbomosho, Offa, Iwo, Ibadan, etc who have resided in the North for more than a hundred years before insisting on a general expulsion of Northerners.

“Truth is bitter, but the earlier we say it the better. Herdsmen have no right to destroy crops. This is where people have genuine grievances against herdsmen. But indigenes should not label all herdsmen as kidnappers because there are law abiding citizens among them. Yet the most disturbing thing is that many of the criminals are foreigners. Our suggestion is that it is these criminals and foreigners that the security agencies (including amotekun) should go after.

“Instead of applying the big stick, MURIC advises the Federal Government to consult widely with elders from all the states of the federation concerning the issue of herdsmen versus farmers with a view to finding a comprehensive solution. FG should also seek advice from other African countries where the same crisis has been on the front burner at one time or the other since this conflict is not restricted to Nigeria alone. It is national, continental and universal in dimension.

“To douse tension immediately, both FG and the Oyo State government should undertake to speedily and adequately compensate victims of the latest conflict in Igangan, Oyo State. FG in particular should take greater responsibility because it is the nationwide lacuna in security matters that has been responsible for the breakdown in law and order.

“Instead of issuing threats and counter-threats, we appeal to the various ethnicities in the country to understand the nature of the conflict. Herders and farmers crisis is not a Nigerian problem alone, it is universal. Nigeria needs to seek an enduring panacea to its own peculiar problems instead of aggravating the conflict. We must learn from the war in Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, etc and the attendant humanitarian disasters. This is still avoidable in Nigeria.

“MURIC’s avowed motto is ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’. We therefore advocate wide scale dialogue in the present circumstances. MURIC advises the FG to apply caution in handling the fragile situation. FG should take responsibility, compensate victims of the attack in Oyo State and engage all stakeholders in dialogue. We call on governors in affected states to consult traditional rulers on the best solution to the crisis. All forms of confrontation and muscle-flexing should stop in the interest of peace.”

- DAILY POST

Fulani herdsmen: High Court bans open grazing, Akeredolu rules effective tomorrow

 

From tomorrow, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s seven-day grace to herdsmen to comply with a slew of rules will become effective.

With the rules being challenged by Aso Rock and Miyetti Allah, a legal boost for correctness of the order has emerged in a revelation that a 1969 judgement in Abeokuta, Ogun state outlawed open cattle grazing.

The judgment, which was not challenged, was given by Justice Adewale Thompson on 17 April, 1969 in Suit no AB/26/66.

Johnson died in 2004 at the age of 82, his last role in retirement being secretary of Yoruba Elders Council(YCE).

In his judgement, the jurist pronounced:

“I do not accept the contention of Defendants that a custom exists which imposes an obligation on the owner of farm to fence his farm whilst the owner of cattle allows his cattle to wander like pests and cause damage. Such a custom if it exists, is unreasonable and I hold that it is repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience and therefore unenforceable…in that it is highly unreasonable to impose the burden of fencing a farm on the farmer without the corresponding obligation on the cattle owner to fence in his cattle.”

“Sequence to that I banned open grazing for it is inimical to peace and tranquility and the cattle owners must fence or ranch their animals for peace to reign in these communities.”

Thompson appeared to have seen far into the future.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in rolling out measures to ensure peace in Ondo State, on 18 January used a similar language.

“Today we have taken major steps at addressing the root cause of kidnapping, in particular, and other nefarious activities detailed and documented in security reports, the press and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases in Ondo State.

“These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen. These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom and carrying out other criminal activities.

As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State. In light of the foregoing, the following orders are hereby issued:

*All Forest Reserves in the State are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next 7 days with effect from today, Monday 18th January, 2021.

*Night-grazing is banned with immediate effect because most farm destruction takes place at night.

*Movement of cattle within cities and highways is prohibited.

*Under-aged grazing of cattle is outlawed.

“Our resolution to guarantee safety of lives and property within the State shall remain utmost as security agencies have been directed to enforce the ban.

“In its usual magnanimity, our administration will give a grace period of seven days for those who wish to carry on with their cattle-rearing business to register with appropriate authorities”.

The 7-day grace expires on Monday.

Officials of the State Ministry of Justice said the Ondo government derived the legal basis for its action, not just from the constitution, but two legal instruments.

One is the Land Use Act, part of the 1999 constitution, which vests the control of the land in the state on the governor.

The other legal instrument is the 1969 Trade Cattle Tax Law of Ondo State, enacted in the West, the same year that Justice Thompson made his historic judgment.

In interviews with Nigerian Tribune, officials cited provisions of the Act.

“Section 12 (1) of the same Act also states that: “It shall be lawful for the governor to grant a licence to any person to enter upon any land” and explained further that while sub-section 5 thereof clearly states that “the governor may cancel any such licence if the licensee fails to comply with any of the conditions of the licence.”

“The word ‘licence’ here simply means permit. Basically, therefore, it is within the powers of a state governor to grant a licence, permit or right to anyone to enter any land within the state, and to cancel or withdraw such permit or licence if the holder violates any condition attendant to same.

“It goes without saying, therefore, that the governor can impose conditions on anyone to enter and/or be licensed to enter any land within the state.

“The Ondo State governor, therefore, has the power to order herdsmen or any other persons carrying on any other business on lands within the territory of the state to apply for permit or licence to do so under the above clear provisions of the Land Use Act. That cannot, in any way, be interpreted as a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of movement.”

The Trade Cattle Tax Law of Ondo State, which has a commencement date of July 3, 1969, also provides:

“Section 2 of the law talks about “movement permit, which is defined as a movement permit issued in the state under the Control Trade Cattle Regulations or a permit relating to the movement of trade cattle issued by any authority having power to issue the same under any law in force in any other part of Nigeria.”

“Among the animals listed in the first schedule to the law are cow, bull, sheep and goat. So, the law applies to those who carry on the business of herding such animals other than as domestic animals.

“Section 5 of the law again recognises the legitimacy of issuing trade cattle movement permit along ‘recognisable trade cattle route’, while Section 4 thereof provides for the establishment of ‘a cattle control post or inspection station, as the case may be, for the purposes of the Law’.

- PM NEWS