PRESS RELEASE

Today, there is an unfortunate fashion in public discourse that makes leaders in politics, religion, and civil society liable in the present for every statement they have ever made in the past – no matter how long ago, and even after they have later rejected them.

This insidious phenomenon seeks to cancel the careers of others on the basis of a thing they have said, regardless of when they said it.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, is currently, subject to a “cancel campaign” instigated by those who seek his removal. They do not really care what he may or may not have said some 20 years ago: that is merely the instrument they are using to attempt to “cancel” him. But they will profit should he be stopped from making decisions that improve the lives of everyday Nigerians.

The Minister has, rightly, apologized for what he said in the early 2000s. The views were absolutely unacceptable then, and would be equally unacceptable today, were he to repeat them. But he will not repeat them – for he has publicly and permanently condemned his earlier utterances as wrong.

In the 2000s, the Minister was a man in his twenties; next year he will be 50. Time has passed, and people and their opinions – often rightly – change.

But all discerning Nigerians know this manufactured dispute is nothing to do with the Minister’s prior words, but solely concern his actions in the present.

This Administration is committed to improving the lives of all Nigerians – and that includes ensuring they are not over-charged or under-protected for those services on which modern life depends.

The Minister has been leading the charge against illegal data deductions and pricing; he has revolutionized the government’s virtual public engagement to respond to Covid-19 and save taxpayers’ money; he has established ICT start-up centres to boost youth entrepreneurship and create jobs; he has changed policy to ensure locally produced ICT content is used by ministries, starting with his own; and he has deregistered some 9.2 million SIMs - ending the ability for criminals and terrorists to flagrantly use mobile networks undetected. In two short years, Pantami has driven the contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP to more than 18 percent, making it one of the top two playing a critical role in the emergence of the economy from the Covid-19 induced recession.

In putting people first, the Minister and this administration have made enemies. There are those in the opposition who see success and want it halted by any means. And there is now well-reported information that alleges newspaper editors rebuffed an attempt to financially induce them to run a smear campaign against the minister by some ICT companies, many of which do indeed stand to lose financially through lower prices and greater consumer protections. The government is now investigating the veracity of these claims of attempted inducement, and – should they be found to hold credence – police and judicial action must be expected.

The Administration stands behind Minister Pantami and all Nigerian citizens to ensure they receive fair treatment, fair prices, and fair protection in ICT services.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

April 22, 2021

A traditional ruler and five others have been reportedly killed in three separate attacks on Benue communities by suspected herdsmen at Tse-Zoola Village Agan Makurdi Local Government Area, LGA, Odugbeho in Agatu LGA and Mbayer-Yandev in Guma LGA.

Confirming the attack on Mbayer-Yandev, Guma LGA Chairman Caleb Aba said the incident occurred at about 8pm on Wednesday.

“It happened at about 8pm. Fulani herdsmen invaded Mbayer-Yandev, Council Ward, killing two persons and injuring three others who have been moved to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, for treatment,” the Chairman said.

Also, Councilor representing Odugbeho Ward and Deputy Leader, Agatu Legislative Council, Julius Abu who confirmed the attack and murder of two persons in his constituency by armed herders, condemned the killing saying it was unprovoked.

The Deputy Leader said those killed by the marauding herdsmen were Joseph Babayo and Simon Idewu who were from Odugbeho and Ayila communities respectively but killed along Odugbeho road.

He appealed for the deployment of military personnel to the area to check the killings and mounting tension, stressing that the people were deserting their homes for fear of more invasion and attacks by armed herdsmen.

“We have appealed to our people to remain calm and avoid the temptation of taking the law into their hands. We have confidence in the capability of the state government to tackle the challenge,” the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, residents of Tse-Zoola village, Agan in Makurdi Local Government Area, LGA, of the state also lost their paramount ruler, Zaki Hyacinth Ajon and a middle aged man, Benjamin Anakula to the marauders who invaded the area yesterday.

Vanguard

I am glad that a young, brilliant and deeply courageous freelance journalist by the name of David Hundeyin thoroughly thrashed, disgraced and removed the pants of a shameless ignoramus, bumbling fool and decrepit imbecile called Kabir Bako on Channels Televisions' 'Politics Today' last night.

The latter had attempted to defend the indefensible by seeking to justify and rationalise the despicable and totally unacceptable submissions and actions of the embattled Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami.

I considered giving Pantami a soft landing a few days ago and opted to forgive him for his offensive, dangerous and repugnant vituperations only because he had publicly expressed his regrets but this is no longer the case because his expression of remorse was clearly not genuine or heart-felt.

If it was he would not have sent Kabir to Channels Television to defend those vituperations. The matter was made worse by the fact that the man spoke utter rubbish and sounded little better than a village idiot.

Now that his friends and supporters are attempting to justify and rationalise what he has said and done, I am free to speak my mind about Pantami and this short contribution serves only as the first shot. More will come later.

For him to publicly express the fact that he is "happy" when those he described as "unbelievers" are murdered reflects his homicidal, sociopathic and psychotic mind-set and is not only indefensible but also unforgivable.

And there is so much more that he has said and done, including his allgeged participation in a frightful event in Bauchi state a few years ago which allegedly resulted in the tragic death of a young Christian student and which I will write about at a later stage.

Simply put the Minister is a hater of Christians and non-Muslims. He is a religious bigot, an ethnic supremacist, an unrepentant jihadist, a lover of bloodshed, carnage and terror and a psychopathic and clearly insane induvidual who may well have been responsible for the slaughter of many innocent Christians over the years as a consequence of his inflammatory rhetoric and reckless actions.

His attempt to defend his evil ways and justify them by sending out idiots like Kabo to speak for him disgusts me. In any case if he had the courage of his convictions why can't he speak for himself?

Does he not owe himself that much? Is he a coward? Does he not have guts? Is he scared of a real fight?

It appears that behind all the bravado he is nothing but a chicken-hearted little quisling who is terrified of his own shadow and who cannot stand the heat of public discourse.

Whatever is behind his cowardly disposition and reluctance to stand up for himself like a man one thing is clear: not only should he resign or be dumped as a Minister but he also ought to be arrested and sent to Nigeria's equivalent of Guantanamo Bay which is a special facility for terrorists, built by the British Government a few years ago, in Kuje Prison in Abuja.

This self-seeking and fanatical monster and cold-blooded and heartless beast who regards himself as a high standing member of our community and who constantly and disrespectfully refers to Christians as "unbelievers" should be arrested by the authorities like a common criminal, stripped naked, put in chains, placed in a tiny monkey cage, paraded before the public, tried in a court of law and made to spend the rest of his sorry life in that facility for his undying and remorseless support and love for terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Worse of all is the very serious allegation that some of those that have called him out have had their lives threatened and that fatwas have been issued on them by both the Minister and his supporters.

Building bridges across religious, regional and ethnic  lines and seeking to establish the peace between hitherto hostile groups and warring factions in our country does not include tolerating the presence of or fellowship with those who seek to kill our people, wipe out our Christian faith, destroy our values and norms and change our way of life.

No single religion can lord it over another in our country because ours is a secular state with constitutional guarantees for members of all faiths.

I utterly despise those extremists that think and behave like Pantami and I have nothing but sheer contempt for all that they stand for and seek to achieve.

The days of butchering, threatening, talking down to and insulting Christians in our country are long over and those that habitually indulge in such things must have a rethink before it is too late.

I consider the millions that have been slaughtered in the East, West, Middle Belt and core North in the name of jihad and sectarian violence over the last 60 years and I shudder with anger and disbelief.

I remember Gideon Akaluka who was beheaded in Kano many years ago, the young female RCCG Pastor who was murdered in the streets of Abuja for preaching the gospel a few years back, the 800 innocent souls that were butchered in their homes in Southern Kaduna on Christmas day in 2016, the thousands that were slaughtered in Plateau, Kano, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Gombe, Borno, Bauchi and so many other places over the years, the hundreds of thousands that were subjected to pogroms in the North in 1966 just before the civil war and the millions that were subjected to genocide and ethnic cleansing during that war. And there is so much more.

These ugly and sad events are indelibly entrenched in the minds, hearts, bodies, spirits and souls of millions of Christians in our country and the fact that, in accordance with the dictates of our faith, we are constrained to forgive and turn the other cheek must never be misconstrued for stupidity or weakness.

We remember every single one of those that achieved martyrdom and that were cut short for their faith and in our hearts we still mourn them. The fact that they died in Christ and are therefore with the Lord in paradise is our only consolation.

We also remember those that suffered and are still suffering untold hardship and persecution simply because they are followers of Christ and we do so with much pain and regret.

Yet let me say this loud and clear: enough is enough! The mass murder, religious cleansing and endless, godless blood-lettting that we have witnessed over the years against Christians cannot and must not continue.

The Christians of Nigeria are no longer prepared to be anyone's sacrificial lamb or whipping boy. The people of Nigeria are no longer prepared to accept religious extremism or intolerance.

Both the Muslims and Christians of Nigeria must all be protected and treated fairly and equally under the law and neither must be killed or persecuted for their faith. There is no room for fundamentalism on either side.

I have as much contempt and hatred for a Christian that kills Muslims simply because he does not share his faith as I do for a Muslim that kills Christians for the same reason.

Religious intolerance is primitive, barbaric, antedelluvian and archaic. Those that suffer from that affliction do not deserve to be called Nigerians and they should do us a favour by moving elsewhere.

The good news is that the Muslims in our country that think like Pantami are relatively few. They do not represent the mainstream Muslims of Nigeria and neither do they represent the North. They represent only the Islamist terrorists of Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, ISIS and the Taliban.

They are also ideologically coupled and embedded with the foreign Fulani terrorists and bandits that have plagued our land, that are killing our people, that are tormenting our farmers, that are raping our women and that have a strange and inexplicable affection for cows.

Not only is the cold-blooded beast called Pantami not fit to be a Minister of the Federal Republic but he is also not fit to walk our streets freely because he presents a grave danger to our people and our society.

The sooner he is dropped from President Muhammadu Buhari's cabinet like a hot potatoe and brought to justice the better. The world is watching.

Following Friday's night unrest in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government of Oyo State, the Seriki Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, on Saturday morning, said he trekked through the forest to Ogun State from Oyo State.

He said many of his family members were shot by the angry youths, but none of them was killed in the fracas.

Abdulkadir told an online newsmedium (not Nigerian Newstrack) in Ibadan that he, his wives and children were sent out of the settlement by the youths, adding that 11 vehicles and houses were burnt in the process.

He said despite assurance by the police and the people of the state, his house was burnt in the presence of security agents.

He explained that , "As we speak, we are in the bush. Our cars, numbering about 11, have been burnt. Some of my children sustained injuries, and we are looking for a way to get them to the hospital. My children have left their houses for the bush. We need the government to help us. Police, Operation Burst and other security agencies were there when they set my house ablaze."

When contacted on Saturday morning, he said,  "I am now with my people in Ogun State. I am yet to see my other children but I heard those who were shot are still alive.

"Those boys shot my wife, my son and his wife. They shot one of my neighbours, but we thank God none of them is dead. I walked all through the night in the bush but I am safe here."

A popular Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, reportedly stormed the Fulani settlement in the town to eject Abdukadir, and some other herdsmen accused of fuelling security problems in the area.

Addressing the youths, Igboho said, "They started deploying soldiers here yesterday (Thursday). When our people were being kidnapped and killed, there were no soldiers to secure them.

Reacting, the Oyo State PPRO, Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, said, "Tactical police teams with Operation Burst are on ground to give maximum security protection while efforts are on to ascertain the situation there."

Meanwhile, on Friday, Governor Makinde said that his government would not allow anyone hiding under the guise of ethnic interest to perpetrate a crisis in the state, Punch reports.

Makinde added that his administration would not allow anyone to threaten the state's peace by acting unlawfully as such was against the nation's constitution.

The governor, who spoke while receiving the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko, said the state government would not relent in prioritising the welfare of security agencies in the state.

The governor said, "For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals, and once you get them, they should be arrested and treated like common criminals. For this administration, the major pillar for us is security, because we know that all the good economic plans we have won't be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity."

Sahara Reporters 

Violence erupted in Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday when a popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, reportedly stormed the Fulani settlement in the town to eject the Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and some other herdsmen accused of fuelling security problems in the area.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that some persons were killed while properties worth several millions of naira were set ablaze during the clash which occured in the evening.

Although Igboho could not be reached as calls to his telephone line indicated that he was out of reach, residents of Igangan however said that at least one youth from Igboora was killed by Fulani fighters while two others sustained injuries from gun shots.

The Seriki also told our correspondent that one Fulani woman was killed. He said he had fled the town before Igboho returned on Friday.

The claims from both sides could not be independently verified as of press time on Friday.

Igboho had last week issued a seven-day quit notice to the Seriki and his associates.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had in a broadcast warned people fuelling ethic crisis in the state to desist from such act.

Despite this, Igboho and his supporters stormed Igangan on Friday afternoon.

Addressing the youths, Igboho said, “They started deploying soldiers here since yesterday (Thursday). When our people were being kidnapped and killed, there was not soldier to be deployed to secure them.

Reacting, Oyo State PPRO, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said, “Tactical police teams with Operation Burst are  on ground to give maximum security protection   while efforts are on to ascertain the situation there.”

Makinde vows to resist ethnic crisis

Meanwhile, Makinde said on Friday that his government would not allow anyone hiding under the guise of ethnic interest to perpetrate a crisis in the state.

Makinde said the war to be waged by the state and the security agencies was against criminal elements, irrespective of their tribes, religions or creed.

He added that his administration would not allow anyone to threaten the peace of the state by acting unlawfully as such was against the nation’s Constitution.

The governor, who spoke while receiving the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko, said the state government would not relent in placing priority on the welfare of security agencies in the state.

The governor said, “For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals and once you get them, they should be arrested and treated like common criminals. For this administration, the major pillar for us is security, because we know that all the good economic plans we have won’t be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity.”

“So, when people say things that are neither lawful nor within the spirit of Nigeria’s Constitution, it is not acceptable here. And they cannot hide under the guise of protecting Yoruba interest to perpetuate chaos in the state.”

Punch

A total of 127 soldiers are exiting the Nigerian Army despite worsening security challenges the military is currently combating in some parts of the country.

The soldiers, drawn from various formations of the army across the country, are all of the junior cadres who are mostly at the forefront in the field.

The military personnel, comprising one Master Warrant Officer, three Warrant Officers, 22 Staff Sergeants, 29 Sergeants, 64 Corporals, seven Lance Corporals and one Private, will disengage in May, according to a memo seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general, has since approved their formal disengagement.

The list of the exiting soldiers did not distinguish between those embarking on voluntary retirement and those leaving the army on medical grounds.

According to the memo signed by T.A Gagariga, a brigadier general, who communicated the approval of their disengagements, the 127 soldiers are to submit all military properties in their possession.

“In compliance with the provisions of section A, the COAS vide reference B has approved the voluntary discharge of the above named NWO and 126 others listed in annex A. The soldiers are to proceed on terminal leave WEF 26th April, 21 while their disengagement date takes effect from 26th May 21 in accordance with the NA administrative policies and procedures No. 27 paragraphs 3 and 4,” the memo read.

“Accordingly, I am directed to request you relate to their respective units to release the affected soldiers to report to HQ CAR with their unit service documents for documentation NLT 5th January 21 and ensure that:”

“a. All forms of military controlled items, arms, ammunition and items of combat kits are recovered from the soldiers prior to their disengagement date and certified that they are properly de-kitted.”

“b. They complete all necessary documentation for withdrawal from: 1. NAWIS contributions 2. DENFUND contribution 3. National Mortgage Contributions,” the memo read.

Low morale?

The exit of the 127 soldiers who have neither attained retirement age nor mandatory years of service, is coming in the middle of security crises in the country.

Their resignation is coming after a larger number of their colleagues quit en masse last July, a development which insiders in the military said was indicative of low morale in the forces.

The country is currently battling Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east, armed bandits in the North-west and North-central, as well as militants and pirates in the South-south.

Nigerian Armed Forces, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, had in the past lamented about insufficient personnel to help in restoration of sanity in the country.

Recently, Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, a retired major general, said the military was understaffed and underfunded to tackle the various security challenges facing the country.

Despite the minister’s claim of low funding for the military, the defence sector has for the past five years taken a large chunk of Nigeria’s budget.

Following repeated complaints about insufficient personnel, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo revealed last year that there was an ongoing deliberate and comprehensive consolidation of the security situation in the country which included plans to recruit more troops and officers to beef up the personnel of security agencies in order to contain the threats and security concerns in the land.

PT

Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, has ordered massive recruitment into the state chapter of the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun.

Adetunji Adeleye, commander of the corps in the state, confirmed this on Friday.

“The governor has ordered massive recruitment to the corps. The recruitment is free. You can download the form on our website,” Adeleye said.

Donald Ojogo, commissioner for information, also confirmed reports of the recruitment in a text message to TheCable.

“We have not repudiated the story,” he said.

On Monday, Akeredolu ordered herders to vacate the forest reserves over rising insecurity in the state.

He had said “bad elements” had turned the forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating ransom and carrying out other criminal activities.

The governor’s directive had sparked different reactions, with Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, saying the governor could not unilaterally oust thousands of herders “who have lived all their lives in the state”.

But Afenifere, Yoruba sociopolitical group, said Shehu’s response showed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government prioritised Fulani interests above those of other ethnic groups.

The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) asked herders to disregard the governor’s directive.

The Cable

As the seven-day ultimatum Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, issued herdsmen occupying Ondo state forests expires tomorrow, National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo has declared that no power can remove Fulani herdsmen from the state’s forests. In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the Miyetti Allah leader stressed that their people have settled there for over 250 years and so they are not going to obey anybody to leave the place.

He claims the Fulani ethnic group owns all the land in Nigeria. “All the lands in this country belong to the Fulani, but we don’t have any business to do with land if it doesn’t have areas for grazing; if the land doesn’t have cow food, we won’t have any business with it. We don’t sell land, we don’t farm. What we consider is the areas that have cow food. If the place is good for grazing, we don’t need anybody’s permission to go there”, he stated.

Following allegations of kidnapping and robbery carried out by Fulani herdsmen, Ondo State government has given them seven-day ultimatum to leave the forests in the state, what is your reaction?

Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu doesn’t have any right to give such ultimatum to our people. People, including Fulani voted for him to be the governor; so he should be the governor of everybody in the state.

Fulani have been in the forests he is talking about even before he was born; they have been there for over 250 years. No matter how dangerous a forest may be, Fulani would go and settle there. After staying there for a long time and their cow dung turns the place fertile, people would begin to come there to farm and to settle and from then, they begin to make claims that our cattle were destroying their farms.

We are suing the governor and seeking injunction restraining him and others from carrying out his threat. But even at that, nobody, no power can send the herdsmen out of Ondo State.

When are you going to court as the ultimatum will soon expire?

We are making consultations with our legal team. But before then, the governor and his people should stop embarrassing our people in the forests and all their businesses.

No any herdsman will obey the governor; the herdsmen will not step an inch out of Ondo forests; they are going nowhere. We won’t obey the governor; it is only the constitution of Nigeria that we obey. We have been in that area before he was born, how can he just grow up and ask us to leave; no Fulani will leave that place. What are his reasons for the quit notice?

He alleged that it is the herdsmen that are kidnapping and robbing people and they operate from the forests

We are not in support of any form of criminality- armed robbery, kidnapping, gun running etc. These crimes are the reasons we have the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Army, DSS, even Civil Defence to nab perpetrators and there are courts everywhere to try them and if found guilty, appropriate punishment meted out to them. The governor is the chief security officer of the state, there is no reason he should single out one ethnic group for the crimes committed in the state. He is supposed to accommodate more Fulani in the state and not to drive them out. Driving them out is not the solution.

I have just concluded a meeting with my fellow Fulani and we have found out that some people will adorn Fulani attire to carry out various crimes. How can Fulani man living in the forest kidnap and ask people to pay ransom ranging from N5 million to N10 million. What would he be doing with that kind of money inside forest; if you pay herdsmen N20 million, N10 million, N5 million in the forest, where would he carry the money to and what will he be doing with such money? Check the leaders of those criminals; let the governors identify who the criminals are. They are not Fulani. He just wants to use that as an excuse to drive our people away from his state. It is just giving a dog a bad name to hang it; the herdsmen are not the kidnappers, let him carry out proper investigations. Let him know this, no any person in this country can push us out of the forests.

If it becomes so hot and your people decide to go, where would you be headed?

The first thing is that nothing will make us take such decision. If you apply force and out of hundred Fulani, you kill 95 of them, the remaining five will go back there and continue with their grazing. They have been there for up to 250 years. They have been there before the state was even created.

All the lands in this country belong to the Fulani, but we don’t have any business to do with land if it doesn’t have areas for grazing; if the land doesn’t have cow food, we won’t have any business with it. We don’t sell land, we don’t farm. What we consider is the areas that have cow food. If the place is good for grazing, we don’t need anybody’s permission to go there.

Nigerians should know that our association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is not backing anybody who is a kidnapper, armed robber, and we are calling for law enforcement agents to go after all these criminals and deal decisively with them.

The criminality all over the country is the more reason we want to fully implement our vigilante system; we want to enter all the forests in this country to check these bandits in the forests that are causing these problems and denting the good image of Fulani ethnic group. We can’t wait any longer; we are sending our vigilantes into the forests to fish out these criminals – those intimidating the herdsmen and stealing their cows and secondly, these bandits causing problems in this country. It is only the Fulani that can enter any forest and chase out these bandits.

Why can’t your people live with the people in the community instead going to live inside forests?

We don’t need cities or towns. If you dash us FCT Abuja or the city of Lagos, we won’t have anything to do with it. We want a place where we continue to practice our age long culture of cattle rearing. We inherited it from our forefathers and it will continue till the end of the world. People are using propaganda to spoil Fulani name, and desperate politicians are in the forefront. Any governor that is drumming up on the Fulani herdsmen issue, watch well, he has issue or problem whether political or otherwise in his state. It is possible that Akeredolu is fighting a political battle, it may be 2023 election and that is why he is playing up this Fulani herdsmen issue. It is the same with Benue State governor, Ortom, when he was not performing; he started to play up Fulani herdsmen and farmers issue to draw support from his people. For almost six years, he hasn’t done any work in his state; he is talking about herdsmen and his people.

Fulani can settle in any bush or forest they want the moment they have cows. We agreed that our children will pursue education and other activities other people are doing in town, but even me, I’m not comfortable staying in the city, up till now my house is inside village.

Why is it that you would not take permission from the owners of the forests before you settle there?

Which forest, who has the forest? Any person who thinks he owns any forest should be taken to psychiatric hospital. Nobody owns any forest; forests are for Nigerians. Fulani herdsmen have the right to move into any forest and settle there for their business. Why do farmers go and cultivate thousands of hectare of land and fence it, who gave them that land? Nobody is born with a land in this country; people were just moving from one place to another for settlement. Fulani are settling in every community, but we are not claiming land, we are only interested on how our cows will have food to eat.

Fulani can’t value 100 people’s lives like he can value his one cow because since he was born, he doesn’t have any business except that cow. The cow is like his own brothers and sisters. If anything happens to his cow, do you think he can leave you? You have two or three storey buildings and you park your cars , do you fold your hands and watch somebody come to that house carry your cars, your clothes, your wife, destroy the buildings? You must fight. The Fulani man values his cow just as you value your brother and sister and you go all out to protect them.

They love their cows beyond description, you can’t separate them from their cows to go and stay inside town or city. The cows have names. The way you give your children names when they were born is the same way they name their cows. Even a person who has one thousand cows, those cows have individual names and he knows them by name; the cows have fathers, grandfathers and grandchildren. What you have in human beings – the ways names are given to people, the same way Fulani give names to their cows. We are cow lovers , that is why sometimes if you kill their cows somewhere they go there to look for justice, because they see like somebody has killed their brothers; they must go to see who did that and they won’t leave that person.

You said that only the Fulani will drive out the bandits in the forests, why is it that they have not done so in the forests of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger?

Those bandits are not Fulani, but they are damaging the name of Fulani and that is why this our vigilantes will go into all the forests in this country to chase out all the bandits. Whatever atrocity that the bandits commit is hanged on Fulani neck. These bandits are equally killing herdsmen in their numbers in various forests, but many people don’t understand this, and the moment they see herdsmen in the bush, they will tag them bandits or see them as kidnappers. This is disturbing us as it is eroding on our credibility; more so, useless people, desperate politicians and social media warriors have latched on this to poison everybody’s mind against Fulani ethnic group.

Why not your vigilante clear Sambisa Forest, which is so vast so that your people will settle and halt these conflicts in many states?

Borno State governor Zulum said he will give Fulani people Sambisa forest, we are waiting for him and when the approval is given I will be the first person to go and live there. We are also waiting for the federal government to put infrastructures there, and then we move in.

Herdsmen in this country are suffering too much; as they move their cattle from one place to the other, some people who want to steal their cows will organise and even kill them, especially these people they are giving uniform in the name of vigilantes. These people are causing confusion, you just pack some people, give them uniforms to go and drive out Fulani people in the forests.

Yes, the Amotekun; I’m calling on the federal government to ban it. Since the federal government has left Amotekun, that is the reason we want to implement our own vigilante, whose operation will be all over the country, not only one state; we will operate everywhere you find Fulani people in this country, we can go there, enter the forests and chase the bandits away. We can help the Nigeria Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the federal government and relevant security agencies to end this banditry in the country. The Ondo State governor has a secret agenda for asking our people to leave his state, not the reasons he stated.

Sun

A tenant in the Alakuko area of Lagos State has allegedly killed her Landlady’s son over an affair with her daughter.

Nigerian Newstrack gathered that the incident happened after one Morenikeji Omowumi, Iya Abe, Toheeb and his two allies made a move to threaten one Abu, but ended up killing Akin Okebukola who happens to be the Landlady’s son.

It was reported that the two young men (friends to Toheeb) were summoned by Iya Abe, who was allegedly assaulted when Olawunmi (her friend) invited her and one Ajoke Bello, to warn Abu after suspecting him to have sexually violated her 16-year-old daughter.

Reports have it that Iya Abe was angered by the injuries she sustained during the assault, and she reportedly informed her son, Toheeb, who invited his friends to Olawunmi’s residence on Oluobadare Street Gbadabiu area of Alakuko. Testifying to the incident, a resident identified as Johnson Idowu, said Abu fled from his apartment before Toheeb and his friends could get to him.

However, in a bid to avenge his mother’s injuries, Toheeb and the other young men reportedly descended on Abu’s roommate, Okebukola, and stabbed him with broken bottles.

“Immediately blood started gushing out of his leg, because his vein had cut, and he was rushed to hospital but died on the way. After Okebukola died, Iya Abe, Toheeb, and his two accomplices ran away. The person who was killed knew nothing about what happened; he was the landlady’s son, who accommodated Abu in his room,” the eyewitness reported.

On her part when investigated on the incident, Olawunmi told the police that she was not responsible for Okebukola’s death. Though she blamed herself for contributing to the incident, she insisted that Abu was the cause of the incident which claimed the life of the Landlady’s son.

“My daughter has been behaving strangely lately and I do beat her so that she could stop the behaviour. I even reported her to one of our neighbours, who informed me that my daughter was fond of seeing one Abu, who was staying with my landlady’s son, Okebukola,” Omowumi noted.

She added: “I asked Abu and my daughter to stop seeing each other but they refused to obey me. I had to call Iya Abe and my friend, Ajoke Bello, to help speak to my daughter and threaten Abu, but in the process, Iya Abe was injured by Abu. So, Iya Abe held Abu down and quickly informed her son, Toheeb, who came with two other boys.

“Abu quickly freed himself from Iya Abe and ran away. So, when her son and the two other guys came, they chased Okebukola and stabbed him in the leg. We rushed him to three different hospitals, but he was rejected and that was how he died. I was not the one who killed Okebukola, but I blame myself for all that happened.”

Reacting to the incident when contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Olawunmi would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, until the command completed its investigation on the matter.

The PPRO further revealed that some angered mob in the area while protesting Okebukola’s death, destroyed both Iya Abe and Toheeb’s shops.

He said: “When the incident was reported at the Alakuko Division, the Divisional Police Officer, SP Maryam Sonubi, mobilised policemen and the woman (Olawunmi), who alleged that one Abu was sleeping with her 16-year-old daughter, was arrested.

During interrogation, she said she had warned him (Abu), but he refused to leave her daughter and she reported to some people, who called some boys, including one Toheeb, in the area to threaten him.

“It was out of annoyance that Toheeb’s mother called him because she was injured by Abu when they were threatening him to leave the woman’s daughter.

“So, Toheeb brought some guys to beat up Abu, who escaped, but his roommate, Okebukola, was attacked and stabbed to death. Unfortunately, the roommate was not the target.”

Mr Adejobi, however, noted that the command had launched out its men to arrest Toheeb and his accomplices, adding that Okebukola’s remains were deposited in the Ifo General Hospital for autopsy.

Three persons reportedly died while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries, as a fuel tanker exploded and caught fire at the early hours of Tuesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

The inferno which involved a 33,000-fuel laden tanker, was reportedly due to a break failure.

Eyeswitness' account reveals that the tanker which was coming from Sagamu-Siun-Oke-Mosan Road, climbed the overhead bridge but suddenly lost control while descending from the bridge .

The tanker was said to have hit a motorcycle which was in motion and rammed into some commercial vehicles waiting for passengers at the end of the bridge.

Nigerian Newstrack reports that the fire incident that started at about 8:00 am along the popular IBB Boulevard, Kuto-Oke-Ilewo road where the a Private School and the  Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB are located also got Five vehicles and two motorcycles burnt.

The fire which was spreading around the place caused panic as many motorists started making reverse to avoid being caught up in the inferno.

Commissioner for Special Duties  Barrister Femi Ogunbanwo who was at the scene said the rescued victims have been taken to the hospital and are been treated.

He also assured that the incident will be thoroughly investigated to ascertain the cause, to avert a re-occurrence.