No herders will graze in forest reserves without permission – Akeredolu – Newstrends
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No herders will graze in forest reserves without permission – Akeredolu

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  • Afenifere, ACF, PANDEF, NEF disagree over governor’s ultimatum

The Ondo State Government has insisted that herdsmen will not be allowed to operate in Ondo State’s forest reserves without permission.

This is a reaction to the caution by presidency on Tuesday against the seven-day ultimatum the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), gave the herders to quit the forest reserves.

Also, a pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), which supported the governor, clashed with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that opposed the decision.

Some senior lawyers have also endorsed Akeredolu’s decision, which they affirmed as constitutional.

In a statement in Akure on Wednesday, the state government said no herdsman would graze on the forest reserves in the state without permission.

The state Commissioner for Agricultural and Rural Development, Adegboyega Adefarati, said in the statement that over 50,000 farmers had been registered to engage in various agricultural activities in the state’s forest reserves.

He insisted that no herder would be permitted to graze without going through the same process.

It said, “We have registered over fifty (50,000) thousands of farmers who engage in different forms of agricultural activities in Ondo State Government Forest Reserves. With this, we regulate their activities and reduce criminality as we interface daily with farmers.

“Love it or leave it, farming is farming, be it crop production or animal husbandry. If any Nigerian irrespective of his/her state of origin desires land for farming in Government Forest Reserves, he/she must apply to Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and pay the normal fee for the required hectares of land.

“It is illegal for herdsmen to encroach on the Ondo State Government Forest Reserves without permission and graze on the farms, many of which will be destroyed.”

While NEF and ACF called on Akeredolu to rescind the seven-day ultimatum to herdsmen to vacate the forest, PANDEF and Afenifere condemned the reaction of the presidency on the issue.

The ACF and NEF asked the governor to follow the provisions of the constitution in handling the issue, adding that the constitution guarantees freedom of movement of all Nigerians.

NEF, in its statement, described the governor’s action as provocative and unhelpful in the quest to address the security challenges.

A statement signed by NEF’s Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said if there were criminal elements among the Fulani in Ondo State, appropriate steps should be taken to identify them and deal with them.

NEF stated that the Fulani are not above the laws and must obey all laws and regulations as well as respect the communities in which they live.

It stated, “We call on Governor Akeredolu to rescind his order on the Fulani or clarify his position in the event that he is misunderstood.

“He has a responsibility to protect the rights of all people in Ondo State, including the Fulani, and he will be well advised to engage them towards improving security in the state instead of treating all of them as criminals without rights or protection under the constitution.”

In its reaction, spokesman of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, urged the governor to follow the provision of the constitution in addressing the issue.

The ACF said every offence has its own punishment “and our forum has not seen a law, which says a Nigerian should be denied the freedom to settle anywhere and pursue legitimate business according to the law.”

But PANDEF called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, to order over his comments on the one-week ultimatum given to herdsmen.

PANDEF spokesman, Ken Robinson, in a statement, also asked other governors, especially in the South-west to speak out on the matter.

“The callous and barbaric deeds being perpetrated by supposed herdsmen, should not be allowed to continue, anywhere in Nigeria,” it said.

Also reacting, Afenifere advised the five other governors in the South-West to emulate Akeredolu and flush out herdsmen from their respective states.

National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, in a statement, stressed the need for all Yoruba to stand by Akeredolu and other South-west governors in their bid to rid the zone of the excesses of the herdsmen.

“All true-born Yoruba should stand behind Governor Akeredolu in these trying times. He must do all within the law to flush Ondo forests of all criminals. Other governors should emulate their chair and free our land from the Fulani who have surrounded us with the shield of the federal government,” he stated.

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Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

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Bello Matawalle

Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

Rampaging bandits operating in North-West Nigeria have attacked Maradun town, the headquarters of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara, killing one person and kidnapping several others.

Maradun is the hometown of Bello Matawalle, the former governor of the state and present Minister of State for Defence in the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

Although, police authorities in the state are yet to comment on the latest incident an indigene of the town Nura Maradun told Channels Television that the bandits stormed the town around 1 am on Friday with sophisticated weapons.

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He said they fired indiscriminately to scare residents. According to him, the bandits went from house to house to abduct residents of the town.

“They came in around 1 am and operated till 4 am unchallenged. They went on to search house by house looking for people to be kidnapped,” he said.

“From what I can confirm to you now, one person was killed, and about eight persons most women have been taken away. Some of the women kidnapped are daughters of the Emir’s brother.”

Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

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Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

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Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

The Anambra command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says it has arrested eight suspected unlicensed private security guards with four pump action guns.

During the parade of the suspects in Awka, the state capital on Thursday, Olatunde Maku, the NSCDC state commandant, said the arrest was made in response to intelligence reports.

Maku added that the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were impersonating the Anambra Vigilance Group while others were hired by hotels to provide security services, in spite of knowing that the outfits were not licensed or registered,” NAN quoted the NSCDC commandant as saying.

“Meanwhile, four pump action guns with 16 live cartridges were also recovered from them.

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“All the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.

“This raid is in continuation of the execution of the NSCDC mandate and we will not leave any stone unturned in discharging our responsibilities.

Maku said that the NSCDC is the only agency responsible for licensing, monitoring, and supervising private securities companies in Nigeria, and the raid aims to prevent illegal security outfit proliferation.

The commandant urged licensed private guard companies to adhere to the law and report any suspicious activities or security outfits to the Corps for prompt action.

“I want to put all illegal security outfits on notice to dismantle their operations or face the consequences.

“We will clamp down on any illegal outfit, arrest and prosecute their operators, and recover illegal weapons in their possession.

“This is to restore sanity in the operations of the private security sector and ensure the safety and security of residents.”

Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

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American school gives EFCC conditions to return $760k Yahaya Bello’s children fees

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Yahaya Bello

American school gives EFCC conditions to return $760k Yahaya Bello’s children fees

The American International School of Abuja (AISA) has reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking the agency to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

Bello is alleged to have made an advance payment of $720,000 in school fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.

The children are in grade levels 2 to 8 at the school.

The EFCC operatives on April 17 laid siege to Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

While the operatives were at the house, the current Governor of Kogi, Usman Ododo, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

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In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 had been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date”.

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

“Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Two US Dollars and eighty-four cents) in tuition and other fees has been deposited into our Bank account.

“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty-Four cents).

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

American school gives EFCC conditions to return $760k Yahaya Bello’s children fees

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