CHAIRMAN of the South-West Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, on Tuesday, said those behind criminalities in Zamfara State are not bandits, saying they should rather be regarded as terrorists. This is as President Muhammadu Buhari charged heads of security agencies to end what he termed selective abductions and killings, particularly in the North-East and North-Central states of the country. Nigerian troops, in both aerial and land bombardment, had dealt heavy blow to the camp of bandits terrorising the state, killing yet-to-be specified number in a coordinated operation, as the state had become the epicentre of banditry in the country, with daily reports of kidnapping, abductions and killings. Akeredolu, while receiving members of the governing board of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), led by the chairman, Dr Godknows Boladie Igali and the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Joseph Adeola Fuwape, lamented that Nigerians were living in fear stemming from unending insecurity across the country. He consequently maintained that something must be done urgently to address the situation in order to restore the hope of the people and to make the country a liveable place, so that the young ones will be confident and have hope to live in this country. He said, “People are living in fear and something must be done urgently to address the situation and restore hope to the minds of the people. “Look at what is happening in Zamfara. They try to clothe it and call them bandits. They are terrorists.” Speaking on open grazing, the governor stressed the need for the country to embrace modern ways of animal husbandry, describing open grazing as old and now illegal in the state. He said, “Today, I can say there are modern ways of animal husbandry and we have to take the bull by the horns. We are not afraid to take decisions. “Modernity has taught us that you can extract more milk from cows in a modern way better than when you take them from one place to another. It is about science. People have developed that science.” Speaking on the growth of science and technology in the country, Akeredolu noted that “For us in science and technology, we need to do more. “Japanese, Chinese and other developed countries send people to where science is the best. We have heard of countries that send their people to the United States to train on science and technology. “They didn’t stay there. They went back to their country to develop it. Commitment to one’s country is key. “But we need to make this country a liveable place so that the young ones will be confident and have hope to live in this country.” While charging the security chiefs, President Buhari, at a security meeting at the State House, said efforts were already yielding positive results in the North-East and South-East. Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, said the president also directed them to redouble their efforts to restore security across the country, so that citizens can go about their normal businesses. Baba said: “Yes, we had a brief security meeting. Service chiefs and the intelligence chiefs were able to brief the president on the security situation in the country. “The president also observed and made a remark that the constitutional responsibility of government is the provision of security and he is ready to provide such. “He said we should reinvigorate our efforts, which are yielding results in the North-East and South-East, but added that there is more to be done in the NorthCentral and North-West, where people are worried and where he has intelligence and information that schoolchildren and students are being abducted; where selective abductions and killings are done. He said this narrative must change. “We have assured and promised him that we’ll make efforts to do more. He also thanked and praised us for what has been done so far, and he added that we should improve so that people can go about their lawful businesses within the quickest possible time.” Baba said the president further gave marching orders to security chiefs, saying, “The new marching order is that all the service and intelligence chiefs have been warned to go and reinvigorate efforts and to do more so that the North-Central and Nigeria at large can enjoy better security.” Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Magashi (retd), expressed government’s concern over the security situation in Zamfara State and the North-Central. While assuring that government is determined to change the situation, Magashi said: “We believe that the spate at which these things are happening in Zamfara State and North-Central is a source of concern to the government and to all agencies that are responsible for the execution of the operations in the North-Central.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the recent breach of peace in Plateau State and promised that total peace will be restored to the state and Nigeria as a whole, adding that his administration will do all it could to enhance justice. The president who made the promise while declaring open the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) meeting at Government House Little Rayfield, Jos expressed sadness over the unwarranted attacks and killings of innocent lives and destruction of properties in the state. According to the president, to attain the process of peace, the strategy must be inclusive, diverse and transparent and sustained, adding that traditional rulers, religious and community leaders have a crucial role play towards peacebuilding and commended Gov Lalong for establishing the inter-religious council in the state. The president who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Barr Boss Mustapha said the objective of the meeting was to lay the foundation for the execution of dialogue to facilitate ethnoreligious tolerance, justice to strengthen the confidence of the people and to end the cycle of violence in the state through collaborations. “We shall mobilize resources to bring the criminals to justice, appropriate security agencies have been directed to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and effective protection of the citizens across communities. I have directed that all culprits must be apprehended. “The current security situation in the country and indeed Plateau calls for continued dialogue as part of the processes of peacebuilding, removal of mutual suspension, peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance,” he said. The president maintained that in line with the Constitution of Nigeria, safety and security which remains the primary responsibility of government also need all hands on deck with a collaborative mind. He expressed optimism that the aftermath of the meeting will give special assurances to the people of Plateau State as well as change every ugly narrative in the state and the country at large. “Our determination to restore peace or sense of justice transparently, the government remained determined to continue to protect all innocent law-abiding citizens in their communities,” he said. Speaking also at the event, the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, commiserated with Lalong over the recent attacks, urging him not to be distracted in the pursuit of peace and mutual understanding among groups in the state. He called for justice to perpetrators in the acts to serve as a deterrent to others, saying “the path of peace is justice, and the path of justice is equity and inclusion,” he said. In his remarks, Gov. Simon Lalong at the end of a closed-door session said he would deal with religious leaders who make hate speeches. He said peace was critical for rapid development in the state while calling for religious leaders and Plateau people to intensify prayers for the restoration of sustainable peace in Plateau.

Reverend Sister Emmanuella Ayanwu 34, one of the five persons who was kidnapped by the armed gang which killed Olajide Sowore, younger brother of Sahara Reporter’s Publisher, has narrated her escape. Sowore’s younger brother was shot dead while on his way to Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, on Saturday. According to the police, the deceased was gunned down when he attempted to escape the armed gang that operated on the Benin-Lagos road. Ayanwu of All Blessed of the Holy Spirit Convent in Ghana, explained that she was travelling to Imo State but stopped over in Lagos, where she boarded a vehicle to her destination. She said they ran into trouble after the vehicle developed a fault. Narrating how she managed to escape at the State Police Command Headquarters, she said she fled when the kidnappers focused their attention on their new abductee. “It was raining at about 7.30 in the night when they brought a new person to meet us in the bush. They collected the man’s phone and other things. “I then noticed that all their concentration was on the man, I removed my blindfold, summoned courage and escaped unnoticed. “When I managed to get to the road, I met a man who directed me to some policemen on the road by Okada junction after narrating my ordeal to him.” She said the police thereafter took her to their headquarters in Benin, Edo State capital. On how she was kidnapped, the Rev. Sister said, “About five men emerged from the bush after our vehicle broke down and they started shooting sporadically.” She explained that the gunmen rounded them up, adding that when they came down from the vehicle, the gunmen ordered them to lie down, and marched them into the bush blindfolded after collecting their belongings. “They asked me if I am married and I told them that I am married and I have two children but that is not true because I am from the convent and we don’t marry,” she said