​Buhari mourns Nasarawa Miyetti Allah leaders

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the government and people of Nasarawa State “over the brutal killing of the leaders of the Miyetti Allah who forged a strategic partnership with the government against the menace of bandits and kidnappers.”

This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in Abuja, Monday.

President Buhari in the statement described the late State leader, Alhaji Mohammed Husaini who was among those murdered “as a beacon of peace for Nasarawa State and the subregion.”

In praying for the repose of the souls of those killed, the President “urged the Fulani leaders in the state to choose new leaders who will build on the foundations of peace set up by the Husaini-led leadership.”

President Buhari reiterated the determination of his administration to work with all members of the society to rid the country of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

​How seeking for sponsorship of university inspired my building a church – Oshiomhole

It was a gathering of political heavyweights across the three senatorial districts of Edo state and country particularly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stock including the deputy governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shiabu when the former governor of Edo state and former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole donated a multi-million naira church edifice for St Joseph Catholic Church in his Iyamho home town.

At the dedication of the church and its Canonical Erection to a Parish, Oshiomhole said he got the inspiration for the design of the church while he was looking for sponsors for the state-owned Edo University whose academic activities would not be truncated by strikes and unstable academic calendar.

He said “I wanted a faith-based organisation particularly the Catholic Church to manage the University. I had the opportunity of visiting the Loyola College in Abuja and some Loyola Universities in the US so we visited their headquarters in New York that is Jesuit Headquarters and we had a conversation and I realised the amount of time it will take to be able to start would be long, we didn’t have that much time and I wanted the University to take off before the end of my tenure.

“After conversation, my daughter Winifred took me to the Jesuit Church within the premises of that University. From outside, just like what we have here it looked this way but when you get inside the church, it was a fine design of plank and the administrator explained to us they used plank to ensure that you don’t have to paint it every six months. So that was where I got the idea of this design and in the panelling of the wall, this time we used bamboo panelling because it is far stronger than wood and our hope and prayer is that it will last for a long time. So I am extremely humbled that I did not drop this idea at the airport like many of us do”

In his homily, Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Most Rev. Dr Gabriel Dunia commended Oshiomhole and his late wife, Clara Oshiomhiole for their support for the Catholic Church.

He said “we were thinking of building a parish in their compound but Oshiomhole’s wife died and we thought that was the end but I was surprised that he said the building will commence and no longer inside their compound”

Also a Clara Oshiomhole Multi-Purpose Hall was launched where the National Chairman of the APC, Mai Mala Buni who was represented by former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Professor Stephen Ocheni made a donation of N10m.

Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Simon Ebegbulem also donated N10m. Governor of Ogun state also sent a donation of N5m while his counterpart in Lagos Oshiomole said has promised to make donations later.

The colourful ceremony also had Minister of Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba in attendance.

Others included Senator Francis Alimikhena Hon Dennis Idahosa, Hon Johnson Oghuma, APC state house of assembly members-elect, former commissioners and other dignitaries.

Kogi govt, police differ over arrest of anti-Buhari protesters in Lokoja

The Kogi State government has contradicted the Nigeria Police over the arrest of protesters campaigning against President Muhammadu Buhari in Lokoja the state capital.
While the State Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Edeh, has confirmed the arrest of two of the protesters caught at the wee hours of the night carrying out smear campaign against President Mohammadu Buhari in Lokoja, the state government said it was the youths of the state who apprehended the protesters and handed them over to the police.

The state commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Kingsley in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja said those arrested were brought in from the neighbouring Benue State.

According to the Police commissioner, “At about 2:30am in the early hours of the night, men of the command arrested two young men who were painting buildings and carrying posters with the inscription that “Buhari Must Go”.”

Ede said while people have the right to protest, it must be done lawfully without inciting the public, “The young men could not have been protesting at the wee hours of the night as is being insinuated. Painting walls, buildings and pasting anti-Buhari posters can not be termed as peaceful protest.”

He said his command is working round the state to ensure the protection of lives and properties, warn mischief makers to stay clear of the State, as his command will fish and arrest perpetrators.

But the state government in their narrative commend youths of the state for stopping imported anti -Buhari Campaigners, “The Kogi State Government wishes to commend the gallant and ever vigilant youths of the state for rising to the occasion to crush the ungodly campaign by some imported and sponsored youths who came to the State to campaign against President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The sponsored youths congregated at Benue State from where they moved to Kogi State and began to paint walls as well as display anti-Buhari posters that were printed in a South South State.

“The Kogi youths who are ardent supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari apprehended the sponsored hoodlums and handed them to law enforcement agents for possible prosecution for violating the Environmental Laws of Kogi State and disturbing the peace of the people.

“We are placing it on record that the fanatical following of Mr President by Kogi people is borne out of our faith in his integrity and quality leadership. Kogi is PMB and PMB is Kogi.

“The Kogi State Government hereby sound a note of warning to all agents of destabilization to steer clear of our state in their bid to play divisive, destructive, destabilizing and debilitating politics. Kogi is focused on development and commitment to improving the living standards of the people.

“For us, President Muhammadu Buhari is more than a national leader. He represents an ideology that protects the poor and the weak, an ideology of transparency and accountability, an ideology of security and stability. These are the unfailing strings that bind us with Mr President.

“We urge Nigerians of all walks of life to continue to give their unalloyed iron-cast support to the best President ever in the history of Nigeria.”

Onjewu Dickson now National Director Media, Publicity of Atiku Care Foundation

A humanitarian initiative of His Excellency Alhaii Atiku Abubakar GCON, Atiku Care Foundation has promoted. New NIgerian Newspapers Online Editor, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson to National Director of Media and Publicity.

This was conveyed to him via a letter signed by the Director General, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, dated April 4, 2021.

“The Atiku Care Foundation is delighted to promote you, Jacob Onjewu Dickson, as the National
Director of Media and Publicity of the foundation.

“The promotion is in recognition of your track record in the foundation image projection, community
engagement, leadership, interpersonal skills, and most importantly the success you recorded in media, communication and journalism corridors,” it said.

The letter further said that the Foundation has evolved over the years and has become a centerpiece that promotion excellence, professionalism, teamwork, cooperation and interplay of creative ideas, which ensure that our goals,
mission and vision are pursued vigorously to achieve results.

“Therefore, the foundation hopes that you will bring your wealth of experience and expertise in
executing your functions to the best of your ability.

“Please accept the assurance of my best wishes in your new position!” It added.

Before his promotion, Onjewu Dickson served as the spokesman to the Director General.

He initially served as Director Media and Publicity of Atiku Care Foundation Kaduna State, before he was promoted to serve same role at the North West zone, from where the Director General moved him to serve as his spokesman.

A graduate of Mass Communication, he has gatheted 16 years of experience in journalism, earning several awards within the period.

30,000 Bandits in 100 Camps Across 6 Northern States – Official

Zamfara State government, has disclosed that there are at least 100 camps and 30,000 bandits spread across six states in the North.

The government made the disclosure on Friday, through the state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara during a press conference in Kaduna.

The affected states according to the commissioner, are; Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger and Sokoto.

“At least there are almost one hundred (100) different bandit camps with no fewer than 300 bandits in each of these camps having sophisticated weapons with them,” he declared.

The commissioner said bandits had equally established 24 routes and networks across the 14 local government areas of Zamfara with 232 leaders and large followership of 4,825 bandits across the state.

The implication of this, he said, was daily loss of lives, kidnapping of people, rustling of livestock in their thousands and other forms of criminality.

Also, he disclosed that between 2011 when the crisis began and 2019, 2,619 people were killed; 1,190 kidnapped and the sum of N900 million paid as ransom while 14,378 animals were rustled in the state. “One hundred thousand people were displaced from their ancestral homes. This is in addition to the hundreds of houses that were burned to ashes with foodstuffs and other valuables worth billions of naira destroyed by the bandits.

“People were traumatised. Farmers were prevented from going to their farms to cultivate the usual food and cash crops for their daily needs. There was general food insecurity in the state in particular and the region in general.

“The economy of the state was devastated by the crisis. This is in addition to the proliferation of both light and heavy weapons, with a high influx of bandits from neighbouring countries, with no solution in sight. The crisis defied all forms of solution,” he stated.

He explained that these statistics informed his government’s decision to negotiate with bandits. “Now tell me, which is the best option for the governor? To fold his arms and watch his people being killed or to go for dialogue and continue to use repentant bandits to convince the recalcitrant bandits to save the lives of the governed?” he said.