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Insecurity: Army Bans ‘Okada’ In Seven Northern States …Situation May Get Out Of Control -Britain …As Buhari Comes Under Fire Over Zamfara Killings
In furtherance of its efforts at curtailing the murderous activities of armed bandits and kidnappers in Northern states, the Nigerian Army under its Exercise Harbin Kunama 111 has banned the use of motorcycles in seven states of the North, noting that perpetrators of these criminal acts made use of the Okada.
A statement titled ‘Enforcement of Ban on the use of Motorcycles in Ex-Harbin Kunama Area of Responsibility’, signed by Col Sagir Musa, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, made the disclosure in Abuja, yesterday. It said.
“The Nigerian Army (NA) over time has observed the use of motorcycles by armed bandits, kidnappers, criminal elements and their collaborators as enablers to perpetrate their heinous crimes especially in the states within the north west geopolitical zone of the country.
“This informed the decision and directive to ban the use of motorcycles within the hinterland particularly around the Forests where the armed bandits, criminals and kidnappers hibernate and all around where troops are conducting operations alongside other security agencies.
“While this may cause some inconveniences to some law abiding citizens in the area, the need to use all means possible to stop the dastardly activities of these bandits across the North West part of Nigeria needs no emphasis.
“The general public, particularly in the North West and some parts of North Central in Nigeria where Ex Harbin Kunama is ongoing are enjoined to bear with the NA as concerted efforts are being made to combat the insecurity menace ongoing within the area.
“In this wise, it is hereby reiterated that the use of motorcycles remain banned within the forest areas in Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger States..
“ Anyone caught using motorcycles within the named areas will be taken for an armed bandit, criminal and kidnapper with dire consequences. “The respective State Governments are enjoined to please disseminate the ban on the use of motorcycles in the named areas and enforce the ban in conjunction with the Security Agencies”.
Meanwhile, the British government has warned that the security condition of Nigeria has the potential of spiralling out of control if necessary measures are not taken immediately.
It therefore, said it is considering stepping up its military efforts to help the Nigerian government defeat Boko Haram, following a rise in terrorist activity in the country’s north-east in the past year, Jeremy Hunt has said after a visit to the region.
The UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said that he would be discussing what more the British government can do in terms of aid and military support to combat the terrorist group, warning the crisis had the potential to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe on the scale of that in Yemen.
Britain provides £240m in aid to Nigeria, of which £100m goes to the north-east, making it the second-largest donor after the US, and giving the UK a sizeable stake in what happens in the region.
Boko Haram and Islamic State in west Africa have terrorised the region for several years, but their activities came to the world’s attention when hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped in 2014.
British military personnel in Abuja and the wider region are giving strategic advice to Nigerian forces on how to run counterinsurgency operations, with their advice focused on combining humanitarian and military activities.
The Nigerian military has been repeatedly criticised by humanitarian groups for running brutal campaigns that make little effort to win over hearts and minds.
The 120,000-strong army is structured on very traditional lines but sends troops to highly hostile areas for as long as four years. Operating on a small budget, soldiers are often underpaid and morale is low.
Speaking on a visit to Maiduguri as part of a week-long trip to Africa, Hunt said: “It has got all the hallmarks of something that if you do not nip in the bud, it will get a lot worse. Conversely, it feels like a situation that it is something that could be dealt with if there was appropriate action by the government of Nigeria with international support.”
He said the crisis had spread to Niger, Chad and Cameroon. “There is a potential solution here … Nigeria is huge country and it is very stretched,” Hunt added.
Asked if he supported an increase in military action in the region, the UK foreign secretary said: “I think the crucial deciding factor is the willingness and enthusiasm of the Nigerian government and the Nigerian army to work closely with us – we would like to support and help them, but they are a sovereign nation and they have got to want our help.”
He said Britain wanted to bring holistic solutions, suggesting by implication that the Nigerian army has focused too heavily on militaristic solutions. “I think our approach is potentially a very significant one, because we could bring not just the British army but also DfID [the Department for International Development] and our experience in holistic solutions to these kind of situations,” Hunt added.
“This is a region of Africa that is being massively destabilised by conflict. These things can escalate quite quickly and get out of control. We know from Sri Lanka that Daesh [Isis] are looking to make their presence felt now they have lost their territory. We have to be vigilant.”
He said Sri Lanka was not on anyone’s radar, and showed how threats can escalate. Nigeria was “an area where all the warning signs are there”, he said, adding that not all the conflict was driven by religion.
“The feedback I got from NGOs on the ground is that lack of trust between the authorities and local people is one of the things that is fuelling the problem at the moment. The Nigerian army strategy is largely about herding people into towns and saying if you are not in a secure area, we are going to assume you are Boko Haram and/or Islamic State west Africa,” he said.
“Such an approach was understandable in the short term, but the long-term risk is that you are depriving people of their livelihoods and their farms. There are 2 million people displaced living there at the moment in pretty horrific circumstances.
“Both NGOs and military analysts fear the recent increase in violence reflects changes in the terrorist leadership, and a failure by the Nigerian military to establish humanitarian plans to follow the military clearances of areas. The brutal methods only lead to a loss of support for the military.”
In another development, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has described as a constitutional crime and an unmitigated evil tantamount to an impeachable offence the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari administration to go into dialogue in Zamfara State with armed fulani militia and bandits.
HURIWA frowned at an alleged planned to appease “these mass murderers” with the whooping sum of N100 billion from the tax payers under the guise of setting up cattle ranches for their totally privately owned businesses of herders.
Besides, the group also carpeted the Acting Inspector General of Police, AlhajiAdamu Mohammed, for gleefully announcing the ‘truce’ reached in Zamfara between the Federal Government’s delegation made up largely of Hausa/Fulani Muslem dominated internal security team of the current administration and the Miyetti Allah cattle owners Association- a group that supports the activities of armed fulani Herdsmen over the past few years.
HURIWA expressed disappointment that a supposed chief law enforcement officer of the Country can descend so low as to beg persons suspected to have been carrying out persistent armed banditry and attacks across Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, to stop attacking Nigerians when it is the constitutional obligation of the Nigeria police force to enforce law and order and bring all criminal suspects to face the legal consequences of their crimes against humanity and against the Nigerian State.
In a statement issued to newsmen over the weekend against the backdrop of the purported meeting between the Federal Government and the leadership of Miyetti Allah cattle owners association, the group said the only possible reason the current administration could enter into dialogue with armed bandits is because the offenders share the same Ethno-religious affiliations with the holders of the top security portfolios who make up the exclusive Hausa/Fulani dominated Internal Security architecture.
The statement added, “The members of the current national security team made up of mostly one Ethnicity and persons of one Religious affiliations same with the armed fulani herdsmen and bandits have always made decisions that reflects their biasness and inclination to pamper and protect these armed bandits who ought to be dealt a heavy blow in line with the constitutional provisions.
“The other time the minister of Defence who is from Zamfara state was the person who rather than condemn and order the arrest and prosecution of armed fulani herdsmen unleashing mayhem and violence in Benue state was the one who tried to provide some kind of justification for these dare devil blood cuddling attacks on Benue communities by blaming the properly passed state legislation banning open grazing of cattle which has been at the core of much of the bloodshed.
“The minister of interior who is Fulani Moslem has on many occasions belittled the gravity of the armed fulani violent attacks and dismissed it not as a terror campaign but as a mere law and order issue which the police can handle.
“These members of the internal security team including Mr President have openly made statements that are obviously ambiguous and have failed to decisively treat these attacks by armed bandits and armed fulani attacks as a major national security challenge.
“This is why there is the urgency of the now for President Buhari to obey the constitution and appoint persons of diverse Ethno religious affiliations to make up the national security team and professionally and clinically tackle the rising waves of insecurity and national paralysis.
“As a group of committed patriots, we are shocked to read that this government has entered into a communion of the devil with the armed bandits and armed fulani herdsmen who have wreaked havoc and unleashed devastation across many communities in Nigeria.
“Why do we have laws and why do we have institutions of law enforcement? This shameful piece of bad news of seeking to bribe outlaws and terrorists by this government must be seen for what it is. It is treason that must be seen as an immediate impeachable offence.
“All those who communicated with bandits and outlaws must be arrested and prosecuted for high treason because the laws must not be a respecter of any person.”
HURIWA recalled that in a bizarre twist, the Federal Government practically offered monumental bribe against pur laws to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, by offering it N100 billion over two years to stop kidnapping in the country.
The Federal Government delegation was led by the Minister of Interior, Abdul-Rahman Dambazau, and met with MACBAN leaders on Friday.
HURIWA quoted the media as reporting that this satanic meeting was a closed door event which lasted for over five hours as monetary negotiations according to a source dragged on until N100 billion was accepted.
MACBAN had said it would take nothing less than N160 billion.
But briefing news men after the meeting the exhausted Minister said, the “gathering is part of steps we have taken to tackle insecurity and clashes between herdsmen and farmers.”
“You should not forget the fact that we have extended the meeting as a regional one when the Economic Community of West African Countries hosted a conference on this,” it added.
HURIWA quoted the media as saying that General Danbazau affirmed as follows: “These issues were discussed, and part of the dialogue was to provide a national action plan on security challenges and solutions by all members of the ECOWAS commission, and to present it to the commission for consideration.
“That is the main reason we have come to Kebbi State, to dialogue with leaders of herdsmen as part of the process.”
A bill to amend the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 has passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill, which mandates compulsory counselling and training for individuals convicted of corruption-related offences, was sponsored by Kayode Akiolu (APC-Lagos) during plenary on Wednesday.
Leading the debate, Mr Akiolu explained that the bill sought to amend Section 67 of the principal act, introducing new provisions that were not part of the original section.
“These additional provisions, found in subsections 2, 3, and 4 of the amendment bill, require judges and magistrates to not only impose imprisonment and/or fines on those convicted of corruption but also mandate a minimum four-week anti-corruption counselling and training.
“The counselling and training will be designed and delivered by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) and aims to address the psychological factors related to corrupt behaviour,” Mr Akiolu said.
Mr Akiolu emphasised that the training would help reform convicts by addressing their corrupt tendencies and could even transform them into advocates for anti-corruption efforts.
He added that this approach aligned with the reformative aspect of the criminal justice system, which focused on punishment and rehabilitation.
“As per subsection 4, the bill allows magistrates and judges to order convicts to cover the cost of their counselling and training, preventing additional financial burdens on the government,” the lawmaker noted.
Mr Akiolu further argued that if the bill is passed into law, it would strengthen the country’s fight against corruption.
Given the widespread negative impact of corruption, he urged the House to support the bill for the country’s benefit.
Following the debate, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas referred the bill to the relevant committee for further legislative consideration.
The Judiciary and the Media are key pillars of democracy, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has said.
Kekere-Ekun made this statement in her address at the 2024 National Conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC).
The CJN was represented by Mr Abdulaziz Olumo, the Secretary of the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
“ The judiciary and the media occupy unique and complementary roles in any democratic society.
“ The judiciary serves as the guardian of justice, equity, and the rule of law, the media acts as the conscience of society, disseminating information, shaping public opinion, and ensuring accountability.
“ Together, these institutions provide checks and balances that strengthen the fabric of democracy,” she said.
Quoting Felix Frankfurter, a former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, she said: free press is not to be preferred to an independent judiciary, nor an independent judiciary to a free press. Neither has primacy over the other; both are indispensable to a free society.”
The CJN said this dynamic interdependence between the judiciary and the media presents opportunities and challenges alike.
“ The media is entrusted with the responsibility of informing the public about judicial activities, the judiciary relies on accurate and ethical reportage to enhance public confidence in its work.
“ However, the inherent power of the media to influence public opinion requires careful management, especially when its focus turns to judicial proceedings.
“ The question posed by Robert J.Cordy, a former Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, is pertinent here: “What happens when the free press turns its sights on the courts-scrutinizing, sensationalizing, and exposing the frailties of the judiciary while questioning its ethical standards and performance?”
“The media’s capacity to shape narratives and perceptions is undeniable” she said.
Quoting Jim Morrison , she said “Whoever controls the media controls the mind.”
According to her, this underscores the immense responsibility placed on journalists to report truthfully, fairly, and objectively.
“ Unfortunately, the commercialisation of news and external influences have led to the rise of sensationalism-a practice that distorts facts, erodes trust, and undermines the very essence of journalism.
“ Sensationalised headlines, such as the infamous 2016 headline “We raided the houses of ‘corrupt, unholy’ judges, says DSS,” can paint a skewed picture of the judiciary and its officers. Such reporting, often devoid of context, compromises the integrity of the justice system and misleads the public.
“ Closely tied to this is the issue of “trial by media,” where premature and often biased media narratives prejudge cases and infringe on the constitutional rights of individuals” she said.
She added that as Mahatma Gandhi rightly observed, “The sole aim of journalism should be service.” It is imperative for media practitioners to remain steadfast in their commitment to truth and objectivity.
To this end, she advised, the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents to take proactive steps to regulate the activities of its members.
“ This is not merely about enforcing rules but about fostering professionalism and safeguarding the credibility of the media.
“ The judiciary and the media must work as partners in progress.
“ To bridge the gap between these institutions, there is a pressing need for constructive engagement and mutual understanding.
“ Courts can provide the media with guidelines on judicial processes, courtroom decorum, and the nuances of court proceedings.
She noted that globally, courts have adopted initiatives to support the media’s role in reporting judicial matters.
For instance, she said the Supreme Court of Dakota’s media guide outlines protocols for courtroom reporting, while the UK ‘s Media Guidance document provides clarity on access and etiquette for journalists.
“ These examples demonstrate how structured collaboration can enhance the quality of judicial reportage.
“ In Nigeria, we can take a cue from these models by developing a comprehensive media guide tailored to our judicial landscape.
“ This initiative, which would involve inputs from NAJUC and judicial stakeholders, would not only enhance media access to courtrooms but also ensure that judicial activities are accurately and responsibly reported” she said.
She advocated that judiciary correspondents must make deliberate efforts to familiarise themselves with the rules and procedures of the courts.
She added that understanding these frameworks will enable journalists to navigate the complexities of judicial proceedings effectively and responsibly.
“ Training programs such as this conference play a crucial role in equipping judiciary correspondents with the knowledge and skills needed to report judicial matters accurately.
“ The theme of this year’s conference, “The Role of Courts in Enforcement of Judgments,” is both timely and significant, as it addresses an aspect of judicial work that is critical to upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice.
“ I commend NAJUC for its commitment to promoting accountability and transparency through its engagements with the judiciary.
“ As I conclude, I must emphasize the importance of credible journalism in strengthening public trust in the judiciary” she said.
She urged judiciary correspondents to prioritise the pursuit of truth and objectivity, resist undue influences, and remain steadfast in their commitment to ethical standards.
She commended the leadership of NAJUC, under the chairmanship of Mr Kayode Lawal, for its efforts in promoting professionalism among judiciary correspondents.
The Senate has issued an arrest warrant for the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Dr Peer Lubasch, to appear before its Committee on Works.
The Tide’s source reports that the warrant was for Lubasch to explain the utilisation of funds appropriated for the reconstruction work on Calabar-Odukpani-Itu highway.
The warrant followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sen. Osita Ngwu (PDP- Enugu) and co-sponsored by Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River) and Sen. Mpigi Barinada (PDP- Rivers) at plenary in Abuja, yesterday.
Ngwu, in the motion said, that the senate had mandated the committee on works to conduct investigation into the state of road infrastructure across the country.
He said that in furtherance to the investigative hearings, Julius Berger refused to honour invitations to provide details of its role in the Calabar-Odukpani-Itu highway project, in spite of receiving substantial public funds.
He said that this was worrisome, given the alarming discrepancies in performance among contractors on the project, with specific reference to Julius Berger for failing to meet delivery timelines.
Ngwu said it was the constitutional powers of the National Assembly under Sections 8 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to conduct investigations on any person or organisation responsible for administering public funds.
He said that the powers set out in section 6 of the legislative powers and privileges act empowered the Senate to issue warrants of arrest on persons in contempt of its proceedings.
The Tide source reports that the senate further ruled that President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, should sign the warrant, mandating the Julius Berger managing director to appear on a date to be communicated.
Akpabio said that the senate’s decision was in line with its constitutional powers under Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“This senate will not tolerate the continued disregard of its authority.
“The managing director of Julius Berger must appear before the relevant committee, failing which further actions will be taken as prescribed by the constitution.
“The point of order, which was supported by the majority of the senators, highlighted the importance of upholding the integrity of the legislature.
“The senate committee will submit its findings to the National Assembly after the MD’s appearance.
“If there is any further failure to comply, we shall take the necessary steps to ensure respect for the constitution and the rule of law,” Akpabio said.