Many residents have been reportedly killed and houses burnt in a crisis that ensued between herders and farmers in Mai Tumbi community of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau. Our correspondent reports that the clash started on Friday, and is still on at the time of filing this report.   A resident, Ibrahim Musa, said, “The crisis is still ongoing. Hundreds of people are fleeing the village. I can not give you the exact number of people killed but many were killed. More than a hundred houses were burnt.” The spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, who confirmed the incident, told Daily Trust that police and troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a multi-security taskforce maintaining peace in the state, had been deployed to restore law and order. He said, “I don’t want to give you conflicting figures. Security personnel have been deployed to ensure normalcy in the area.” The Director General of Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Joseph Lengmang, who condemned the incident said, “We are deeply saddened by the ugly turn of events in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State where disturbing reports indicate a deteriorating security situation in some parts of the locality that has led to the death of scores of precious human lives and property destroyed.”

  At least 97 people have been killed in Sudan as fighting between the country’s army and a paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters third day, Alazeera is reporting. Fighting continued on Monday including fresh bombardment despite a ceasefire agreement reached by both groups. PREMIUM TIMES reported how fighting erupted in Khartoum on Saturday between the Sudanese army and the RSF leading to the death of at least 56 people and injury to 595 others including combatants. Both groups have been competing for power as political factions negotiate to form a transitional government after a 2021 military coup. The tensions stem from a disagreement about how the paramilitary force should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee that process. The army has said it has taken over national television and will communicate to the public through the channel. The Sudanese foreign ministry in a statement on Monday declared the RSF a rebel entity that was fighting the state, ordering its dissolution. Mohammed Daglo of RSF in a tweet said, “the international community must take action now and intervene against the crimes of Sudanese General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air. His army is waging a brutal campaign against innocent people, bombing them with MiGs.” He claimed his group is fighting against radical Islamists who hope to keep Sudan isolated and in the dark, and far removed from democracy. “We will continue to pursue Al-Burhan and bring him to justice,” he said, adding that the ongoing fight is the price of democracy.” He claimed no one was attacked by his team and their actions are merely a response to the siege and assault against them (RSF). “We are fighting for the people of Sudan to ensure the democratic progress, for which they have so long yearned,” Mr Daglo added. “We are taking every possible measure to ensure the safety and security of the people. We will not allow any harm to come to them, and we will do everything within our power to protect democracy and uphold rule of law in Sudan. We will prevail and achieve peace and stability,” he noted. Meanwhile, doctors in Khartoum are calling on the warring sides to stop attacking hospitals so that the facilities can remain in service, Al Jazeera reports. “The bombing of al-Shaab Hospital and al-Khartoum Hospital led to stopping the services of their emergency departments,” Razan al-Douri, the media secretary of the Sudan Medical Association, told Al Jazeera. “Hospitals in Khartoum are located near important strategic areas in the conflict; that’s why they are getting bombed,” Mr al-Douri added, urging international organisations and the Sudanese Red Crescent to ask the rival groups “to stop bombing hospitals.” “We, civilian doctors, cannot communicate with military parties whose leadership we do not know

  The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, says mouth cancers, also known as oral cancers, claims 764 lives in Nigeria every year. He spoke in Abuja yesterday during an oral cancer training programme organised by the Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation (CFDF). Represented by the head of dentistry division of the ministry, Dr Gloria Uzoigwe, he said Nigeria also records 1,146 new cases of oral cancers annually. He said oral cancers remained one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in Nigeria due to late reporting in hospitals, and inability of healthcare workers to detect the lesion early and refer appropriately among others. The minister said the government would launch a new oral health policy in November. Executive Director, CFDF, Seidu Bello, said artificial intelligence helps in early detection of oral cancers and oral potentially malignant disorders. He said it could be used to predict with more than 90 percent accuracy that someone could develop cancer in another 10 years. He said the use of artificial intelligence for oral health was currently close to zero level in Nigeria. President, Nigerian Dental Association, Tope Adeyemi, represented by the Secretary-General of the association, Ukachi Nnawuihe, urged full integration of oral health in the primary healthcare services in the country to ensure easy access to oral healthcare. Prof. Bukola Folashade Adeyemi, from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, identified use of tobacco and alcohol, oral sex and intense use of foods prepared over naked flames such as suya, continuous infections in the mouth, as risk factors for oral cancers in Nigeria.

  Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, wants court cases related to OPL 245 terminated by the federal government because the prospects of a judicial victory are slim, TheCable can report. In a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari, Malami advised that the termination of the cases will allow the country enjoy the economic benefits of the controversial oil block while fossil fuels are still in vogue. He said the dispute and associated litigation has brought negative economic consequences for Nigeria “particularly in terms of foreign exchange earnings, loss of Tax income and Royalty payments”. OPL 245 is believed to be Nigeria’s most endowed oil block but its development has been stalled since Buhari came to power in 2015. His administration has been pursuing a series of litigation home and abroad against Royal Dutch Shell, Eni/Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE), Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep (SNUD) Ltd, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Company (SNEPCO) — as well as Mohammed Bello Adoke, former AGF, over allegations of fraud and corruption in the OPL 245 deal. They all deny the charges. In 2011, Shell and ENI paid $1.1 billion to acquire 100 percent stake in OPL 245 after Malabu, the original allottee, relinquished its interest in the acreage — but foreign anti-corruption campaigners alleged that the transaction was shrouded in corruption. The federal government pursued both criminal and civil cases and has lost in foreign jurisdictions but the prosecution has continued in Nigeria using the same evidence that failed abroad. The cases in Nigeria are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). ‘A SERIES OF LOSSES’ In his memo dated 6 February 2023, the AGF reminded Buhari of the string of losses Nigeria has suffered over the years in trying to prove corruption and fraud in the transaction. Malami wrote: “Your Excellency, recent developments, particularly the series of losses recorded in cases that arose from the facts of OPL 245 2011 Resolution Agreements in different jurisdictions, should be concerning. These losses include:   “I. Judgment of the UK Courts delivered on 22 May 2020 declining jurisdiction in a case filed by FGN against Shell/SNUD and ENI asking for compensation in the sum of $1.1 billion in relation to their conduct in the OPL 245 2011 Resolution Agreements; “II. Judgment of the Italian Constitutional Court dated 17th March 2021, in the Prosecution of NAE in Milan, Italy for international corruption allegedly connected with OPL 245 2011 Resolution Agreements which was concluded in favour of ENI; “III. Judgment delivered by the UK Court in June 2022, the FGN lost its $1.7 billion claim against JP Morgan Bank over transfers of proceeds from the sale of OPL 245 pursuant to the OPL 245 2011 Resolution Agreements. “IV. The US Department of Justice previously investigated the OPL 245 2011 transaction and announced in October 2019 that it was closing the case.   “V. In April 2020, the US Securities and Exchange Commission also closed investigation into the controversial OPL 245 deal after it could not prove fraud or corruption.” Malami noted that upon the conclusion of the case in Milan in March 2021, Buhari — with advice from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Resources Commission (NUPRC) and the office of the AGF — granted consent to convert the oil prospecting licence (OPL) to an oil mining lease (OML) for NAE to commence production. He recalled that Timi Sylva, then-minister of state for petroleum resources, wrote to ENI in May 2022 to convey Nigeria’s readiness to resolve all the issues but the assurance “remains ineffectual as long as Charge CR: 151/2020 against ENI in Nigeria being prosecuted by EFCC remains in Court”. ‘UNFRIENDLY INVESTMENT DESTINATION’ In his assessment of the current situation, Malami wrote: “In sum, Mr. President is invited to note that: “(a) OPL 245 is the most priced Oil block in the country. “(b) FGN has gained certain benefits from SNUD/NAE/ENI in respect of OPL 245. In particular, SNUD/NAE/ENI have made payments to FGN and also expended resources thereon including: “I. Cumulative total of $210 million Signature Bonus. “II. Approximately $500 million committed by SNUD into the development and de-risking of OPL 245. “III. Payment of $1,092,040,000.00 to Malabu as consideration for the OPL 245 2011 Resolution Agreements. “IV. Litigation cost of prosecuting the several Suits connected with the subject matter in various jurisdictions. “(c) By allowing SNUD alter its position in the sums stated in (b) (I) to (IV) above, and without getting a corresponding value for same over time through FGN’s Policy summersault, litigation and disputes, Nigeria could reasonably be portrayed as an unfriendly investment destination whose credibility is suspect. “(d) FGN’s actions which denied SNUD/ENI/NAE the opportunity to exploit OPL 245 led to ENI’s International Arbitral Proceedings against FGN claiming $1.3 billion plus interest and arbitration costs. (No: Case No. ARB/20/41/). “(e) The controversies and litigations, particularly the pending charge No CR/ 151/2020 filed by the EFCC­ against NAE/ENI and others has placed encumbrance on the ability of FGN to enjoy the financial benefits associated with the exploration OPL 245 with attendant economic losses to the Nation. “(f) Judicial determinations in Milan & UK, and administrative decisions in the USA, all favourable to ENI/NAE, together with the Consent Judgment earlier entered to which FGN was a Party makes it a more beneficial approach for FGN to consider settlement of charge No: CR/151/2020 as the best option in the circumstances. “(g) Whilst the dispute and associated litigation cum Arbitration lasted, neither SNUD/NAE nor even FGN would exploit OPL 245 with negative economic consequences for FGN and the people of Nigeria particularly in terms of foreign exchange earnings, loss of Tax income and Royalty payments. “(h) A careful review and evaluation of the Charge No CR: 151/2020 pending at the FCT High Court, particularly the three counts against ENI/NAE, SNUD & SNEPCO leads to an almost inevitable conclusion that the Charge does not disclose sufficient evidence to excite any prospect of success in the case. “(i) It is in the

  Two hoodlums have been nabbed by the Osun State Police Command for extorting a student, Yusuf Joseph, of N150,000. The suspects, Sodeeq Adegoke, 24 and Abubakar Ajibola, 24, were paraded at the Osun Police Command headquarters in Osogbo, yesterday. One of the suspects, Adegoke confessed waylaying the victim on the road and leading him to a deserted area inside the Government Reservation Area in the state capital around 11 am last Friday. His words: “We stopped his motorcycle and jumped on it, forced him to a deserted area in the GRA, where we forced him to transfer N150,000 into Ajibola’s account number. We already spent N85,000 on the money. “We forced him to unlock his phone where we discovered he had money in and coerced him to transfer the money.” However, the other suspects said he was not part of the attack but the N150,000 was actually transferred to his account. The victim, who claimed the money was his school fee, said he was attacked by the duo.

  Barring any last-minute change of plans, the Federal Government will begin payment of the planned increase in civil servants’ pay by the end of this month (April), The PUNCH can report. The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, is expected to give his final assent for disbursement any moment from now. If the proposal sails through, it means the increase will be coming about two months to the June date proposed for the removal of petrol subsidy. Officials of the Federal Government told The PUNCH exclusively that the fresh pay increase, tagged consequential allowance, would lead to a 40 per cent rise in the current pay of government workers. Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, revealed that the Federal Government might begin payment of the 40 per cent pay rise by the end of April this year, adding that the three months arrears of January, February and March would be paid at a later date. Oshundun, however, said she could not confirm if the proposal by the government committee saddled with the task had been finally approved by the President. He said, “Consequential allowance Salaries will be increased by 40 per cent for civil servants from level 1 to level 17. “What we receive now is called consolidated public service salary structure, it is the combination of basic and all allowances. So, the increase will be 40 per cent of what a public servant is earning now. “They will start paying from the end of this month (April) and the arrears of January, February and March will be paid later. The salary increase is effective from January 2023. That is the proposal submitted by the committee set up to look into salary adjustment for civil servants, but am not sure if the President has signed it yet.” Last month, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige disclosed that the Federal Government had approved a pay raise for civil servants in the country. He added that the pay rise had been included in the 2023 budget, noting that it would take effect from January 1, 2023. Ngige described the pay raise as a peculiar allowance for civil servants in view of the current economic reality and it is meant to help government workers to cushion the effects of rising inflation, rising cost of living, hikes in transportation fare, housing and electricity tariffs. The PUNCH reports that Nigeria’s headline inflation increased to 22.04 per cent year-on-year in March, the highest rate since September 2005. According to the National Bureau of Statistics data, the latest rise in inflation rate is the third consecutive increase this year, increasing by 0.13 per cent points when compared to the February 2023 headline inflation rate. The NBS added that the cost of food and beverages contributed significantly to overall inflation. “The contributions of items on the divisional level to the increase in the headline index are food and non-alcoholic beverages (11.42 per cent); housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel (3.69 per cent); clothing and footwear (1.69 per cent); transport (1.43 per cent); furnishings, household equipment and maintenance (1.11 per cent); education (0.87 per cent); health (0.66 per cent); miscellaneous goods and services (0.37 per cent); restaurant and hotels (0.27 per cent); alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola (0.24 per cent); recreation and culture (0.15 per cent) and communication (0.15 per cent),” the NBS report added. However, leaders of the organised labour on Monday described the proposed pay rise as a meagre allowance that would not be equivalent to a 40 per cent increase in workers’ salaries. Reacting in a telephone interview, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, Tommy Etim, confirmed the moves by the government to increase “allowances and not salaries” as publicly insinuated. According to him, the allowance is an increased arising from the peculiar circumstances surrounding the removal of the fuel subsidy and inflation. He, however, stressed that civil servants were yet to receive the payment. He said, “I am aware of the moves by the government and the payment is to start from January. The new payment is not an increase in workers’ salaries. It is a peculiar allowance and not an increase in salary, so we don’t misinform the public. it is just an increase in basic salary and not across board. Other components are not touched so that the market woman will not think the government has increased salary. It is an allowance because of the peculiar circumstances surrounding the removal of fuel subsidy and inflation. An allowance is not a salary. No civil servant has received so I cannot speak authoritatively until it hits everyone’s bank account.” Etim, who is also the president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, further charged the government to consider increment of other allowances such as rent and transportation “We would also admire it if other allowances are looked into, especially housing and transport. The present socioeconomic indices don’t favour transportation for civil servants with some spending their whole salary just on transportation, not to talk of rent and other bills. The government should also look at that aspect as it is very important,” he added. However, the Nigerian Labour Congress denied knowledge of the proposed increment noting that “We are only hearing it as rumours.” The National Treasurer, NLC, Hakeem Ambali, said the union had yet to be involved in any form of discussion concerning the issue. He said, “For us, we are only hear it as rumours because there are procedures for negotiating fringe benefits and workers’ entitlement which is through collective bargaining. It is a tripartite thing that would have to be negotiated. But with what we are seeing, it still looks like a rumour, we are still waiting that the Federal Government will invite the necessary arm of labour where negotiation will be done and we would agree. “Any increment not based on available and empirical data would not be

  Unidentified gunmen have killed two aides and kidnapped their boss, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State According to Vanguard, the furious kidnappers also shot three of the police escorts attached to the respected legal luminary. It was gathered that the three policemen who sustained various degrees of injuries in the attack have been hospitalized. A source, privy to the development disclosed that the kidnappers came in military camouflage and carried out the act around 3 pm, yesterday. The source said the abductors had trailed the SAN and his escorts from a distant place, but that they launched their attack around the Obiri-Ikwerre interchange in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State. Speaking further, the source added that a personal aide and driver to the SAN were shot and killed in the incident and the policemen escorting them only sustained injuries. He said the kidnappers had shot at the tyre of the police van carrying the policemen and the driver of the van had lost control. The source said the car somersaulted after the driver lost control of the steering following the sudden deflation of the car tyre. It said: “This afternoon, kidnappers kidnapped a senior lawyer around the Obiri-Ikwerre interchange. The criminal shot at a police van escorting the SAN. “The killed the driver of the lawyer and another of his aide. They kidnapped the man and ran off. Three policemen that were with them in another van had accident because the criminals shot their tyre before going for their target.” When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the kidnap. She noted that no policemen died in the incident rather that the hoodlums killed aides to the kidnap victim. Iringe-Koko said the police escort sustained injuries and that they have been hospitalized. She said the Commissioner of Police in the state has made adequate police mobilisation to ensure unconditional release of the kidnap victim.

  Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the removal of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as a non-executive Chairman of the newly Incorporated Nigeria National Petroleum Company, (NNPC). Justice Inyang Ekwo in his judgment ordered that the sum of 5 billion Naira be awarded to Ararume for damages incurred as a result of his removal from office. The court also ordered that Ararume be reinstated as non-executive chairman of the NNPC, with all rights and privileges due him The court however set aside all decisions made by the board after the removal of Ararume as the non executive chairman since January 2022 till date.