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No one is denying us land in Igboland, Yoruba, Hausa in Abia declare

Published

3 weeks ago

December 1, 2024

No one is denying us land in Igboland, Yoruba, Hausa in Abia declare

In Abia State, contrary to the wrong insinuation held by some uninformed persons that the people of the Southeast do not sell their lands to outsiders to build houses, investigations have revealed the true position.

Findings by Sunday Sun showed that the Hausa and Yoruba, as well as other people from other tribes outside Igbo land, indeed, live, work, do businesses and own property in Abia State.

The investigation revealed that in Aba and Umuahia, the two major cities in the state, Muslims of Hausa and Yoruba extractions had bought plots of lands in prime areas of the cities where they built their mosques and dwelling apartments.

In Aba, for instance, there is no church that is strategically located than the Yoruba mosque on Azikiwe by Asa Road.

The same is with the Hausa mosque on Mosque Street by Hospital Road, Aba; ditto the Mosque in Umuahia, located close to Isi-Gate, the most sought after location in the state capital.

On personal level, non-natives own property in choice areas of the state.

For instance, Sarika Yaro Danladi is the leader of the Northern community in Abia State and lives in Umuahia.

Outside the thriving cattle business he is involved in, Danladi, who has lived all his years in the Abia State capital, built a hotel in Umuahia he is effectively running.

Danladi some years back was appointed Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State, which made not only him, but the entire Hausa community in Abia State to have a sense of belonging.

Danladi who has lived for close of 60 years in Abia State, in an interview enthused that most of his family businesses are in the state.

Hear him, “I’m very happy that I’m in Abia, not only in Umuahia. It might interest you to note that at my age, I’m almost 60, my own father was born here, I was born here too, most of our businesses are here, I am married to an Ohuhu (Umuahia) lady.

To cap it all, Danladi who is living in a house he bought land in Umuahia to build, feels very much at home in Abia.

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His words: “I will be proud to tell you that I am an Hausa/Igbo man. I’m happy staying in Abia and I’m going nowhere. Abia State government has been assisting us in various ways and we are happy with that.”

Like Danladi, Idris Ibrahim, living in his house, is also doing a thriving business in Umuahia and he is not in any way planning to go back to the North anytime soon.

He was born and brought up in Umuahia.

“I attended both primary and secondary schools here in Umuahia and ever since I was born, we have been living peacefully with the Igbo people.

“I am not planning to go back to the North any time soon; as I have nowhere or home to go to if I leave Umuahia. This is the only place I know because I have not stayed in the North more than one week since I was born. What’s the point of leaving? I am comfortable in Umuahia; I am being well treated by the government and people of the state,” he confessed.

Danladi and Ibrahim are not alone in being accorded this sense of belonging in Abia as there are other Northern businessmen who own property and do good business in Umuahia, including Ali and Usman.

The duo spoke on how they have been living in the city peacefully and doing their businesses ever since without any molestation from any quarters.

They added that their host even encouraged them to buy landed property.

Speaking on whether non-natives living in Umuahia are discriminated about, including being denied the opportunity to buy and own landed property in Umuahia, Musa dismissed the insinuation as complete lies, saying rather the contrary is the case.

Hear him: “No, there is nothing like that. Our people doing business in Ama-Hausa and other places in the city are not being discriminated in whatever form, including the opportunity to own landed property in the capital city.”

On his own part, Ali said: “To be frank, I prefer staying in Umuahia because the people are very friendly and accommodating, they don’t disturb us, even when we don’t want to buy landed property here, they encourage us to do so. Some of us own houses in the city, we did not build them on the air.”

Investigations revealed that apart from the Hausa community in Umuahia being allowed to own landed property, both the state government and some individuals have been assisting them in various ways. It was gathered that a former member of the House of Representatives at a point in time, sank borehole in their mosque.

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Musa attested to this: “Abia State government always comes around to help us when we have problems. Some individuals are also assisting us. A former member of the House of Representatives sank borehole for us in our Mosque and we remain grateful.”

Away from Umuahia, in Aba, the commercial hub of the state, is the Sariki family among others. Apart from having a bustling business in the city, the family has a princely property in a choice area of Ehi Road, which not only serves as residential area for the Hausa community in Aba, but also used as praying ground during festivities.

Debunking insinuation in some quarters that the Igbo refuse to sell their lands in Southeast to non-Igbo, Alhaji Mohammadu Guzu, an elder of the Hausa community in the commercial city, who himself owns a house on Hospital Road, Aba, said many Northerners own property in the city.

Alhaji Guzu mentioned one late Alhaji Allah, a cow dealer, who was also chairman, Customs Clearing Agent in Aba before he died as having property in the city.

According to Alhaji Guzu, “those saying the Igbo do not sell their lands to non-natives are economical with the truth. I own a house in Aba and the late Alhaji Allah owned more than four houses at Okpulu Umuobo and Ogbor Hill axis of the city before he denied.

“We also own plots of lands at Good Morning and Onions Markets. In fact, an Igbo man bought land close to the Onions Market and gave to us to build our mosque.”

Like the Hausa, the Yoruba and other non-Igbo actors own property and do businesses in the commercial city.

The Yoruba community has its mosque on Azikiwe by Asa Road, a prime parcel of land no church owned by any South easterner can boost of.

Added to that, the late Prof Charles Adeyinka Adisa was a Yoruba man from Ibadan who studied Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan before relocating to Aba, Abia State.

It was revealed that Adisa became professor of surgery at the Abia State University/Abia State University Teaching Hospital, where he served as Dean of Medicine and Head of the Department of Surgery.

Adisa equally served as president of the Aba Chapter of the Nigeria Christian Fellowship between 2004-2008 and chairman of Aba zone (made up of the southeast states) from 2009-2012.

Before his death in December 2020, Adisa it was gathered had acquired a large expanse of land at the highbrow Okpulu Umuobo axis of the city where he established his hospital.

Apart from the hospital, Prof Adisa bought another landed property in the neighborhood where he built a house he lived till death and his family is still said to be living in that house till date.

Another Yoruba man, Jerome Tunde, is making waves in Aba where he has a state-of-the-art printing press.

Tunde is said to have acquired some plots of land in the city where he lives and does his business.

A Yoruba man who gave his name as Yinka said that apart from the two men above, there are many others who own property in the commercial city.

No one is denying us land in Igboland, Yoruba, Hausa in Abia declare

The SUn

Related Topics:Abia Hausa Igboland Yoruba

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Yuletide: Travellers want fare discount for road trips

Published

6 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Yuletide: Travellers want fare discount for road trips

Bemoan high fares

Passengers travelling to their country homes for the Christmas and new year day celebrations have urged the Federal Government to extend the free rail services announced early in the week to road transport routes across the country.

Some of the travellers who complained about the high fares called on the Federal Government to restore the 50 percent fare reduction on inter-state luxury bus routes granted to road passengers at this time last year.

The passengers who spoke at various terminals and loading stations of long distance road transport companies in Lagos, were reacting to the upsurge in fares to about N40,000 on luxury buses and N65,000 on mini buses going to the South-East.

Reports from some of the boarding stations revealed that upon hearing the announcement of free train ride, some passengers thronged the loading stations at various points in Lagos to benefit from the gesture, but were disappointed when they were informed that the offer did not cover road transport.

At Terminal 1 in Oshodi, Alafia, Jibowu, Mazamaza, and private stations in the Cele/Ejigbo axis, on Saturday, passengers bemoaned the high cost of travelling on both the big and small buses, disclosing that many people were not travelling because they couldn’t afford “the exorbitant fares the transport firms are collecting.”

Interestingly, a trip on board Toyota Sienna which used to attract slightly higher fare than on a typical mini bus, is the same at N40,500.

One of the passengers told our reporter one if the stations in Cele, “You press people should please tell (President Bola) Tinubu that poor masses cannot afford to go home this Christmas because there is no money in the country.

“(President) Tinubu should please repeat the 50 percent discount on long distance fares which some of us enjoyed last year to travel home.”

At the nearby Young Young Shall Grow station, a passenger who planned to travel to the east recalled how he took advantage of the 50 percent fare discount to travel from Abuja to Onitsha and back in 2023, and wondered why the Federal Government has not considered the re-introduction of the palliative this festive season.

According to the man who gave his name as Chinedu Uzoechina, his intention to travel to Anambra state and back with his wife and five children, has been stalled by the high transport fares being charged at the various terminals.

Uzoechina, who came to book for seats in advance, lamented, “I was hoping that the 50 percent fare discount that followed the increase in fuel pump price would be available this year, but that has not been the case this year. Forty thousand into seven is N280,000 for one-way luxury tickets.

“If you add the cost of coming back, it means I will spend nothing less than N560,000 on transportation alone for seven of us. Where will I get that kind of money? I have called my wife to inform her of the situation here (at the terminals in Cele).

“She is not happy that we are not travelling anymore, but what can I do?”

According to him, the only thing that can make his family travel again is if the Federal Government extends the free train ride offer to long distance road transport routes, like Lagos-east, or reduces the fares in collaboration with the operators.

Like Uzoechina, many other intending travellers were still hopeful that the government wiuld still intervene with a fare discount, even as they disclosed that they would either cancel the trips outrightly or reduce the number of tickets to be bought, if their hopes are dashed.It was learnt that the fares were slightly lower by about N2,000 at Terminal 1 where both big and mini buses have been loading for day and night trips at Oshodi.

Reacting to the passengers’ complaints about high fares at the terminal owned by the Lagos State Government, Damian Ezuma, the manager of Izu Chukwu Transport, blamed the situation on the rising cost of maintaining the buses as well as on the pump price of diesel, which he said, is as high as N2,000 a litre in some parts of the country.

“It is not our fault. The cost of maintenance is so high that it is only by the grace of God that some of transport companies still manage to keep their buses on the road these days. Do you know that one big bus tyre costs between N250,000 and N500,000, depending on the quality and brand?” Ezuma argued.

He confirmed that many intending travellers who heard about the free train services offer by the Federal Government have been coming to the terminal make enquiries on whether long distance-plying buses are part of the gesture and whether last season’s fare discount applies this year.

Many of them leave the terminal disappointed and deciding not to travel anymore, but opting instead to wait for a possible fare palliative from the government.

Also commenting on the reason for the high fares, a manager at Chisco Transport’s head office in Lagos explained that the unfavourable naira-dollar exchange rate has impacted on the prices of replacement parts and maintenance costs generally.

But a major factor is the fact that during the peak festive season, buses are usually full when leaving major cities like Lagos and Abuja, but are almost empty in their return journeys.

So some operators slightly adjust their fares upward to cover the losses incurred during return trips.

In 2023, the special fare discount by government through the luxury bus owners took effect on December 21, and lasted till the second week of January, 2024.

metro

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

Published

9 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has successfully apprehended 19 individuals attempting to stow away on Europe-bound vessels.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos, the ship’s Information Officer, Lt. Hussaini Ibrahim, disclosed that 15 stowaways were intercepted on Dec. 19 aboard the European-bound Moto Tanker (MT) KRITI RUBY. Another four were caught on Dec. 21 aboard MT MCC YANBU.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the stowaways boarded the vessels at night and concealed themselves in the rudder compartment while attempting to illegally migrate to Europe,” Ibrahim stated.

The Navy’s Quick Response Team (QRT), operating from ATLAS COVE and using the Falcon Eye Alignment under the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, facilitated the interception of the 15 individuals near the Lagos fairway buoy.

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Ibrahim further explained that credible intelligence led to the interception of the additional four stowaways by Navy personnel deployed on escort duties aboard the vessel.

“The prompt response of the QRT saved the stowaways from exposure to life-threatening situations during the long voyage,” he added.

The first group of 15 individuals has been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Port/Marine Command, Apapa, for further investigation and necessary action. The remaining four suspects will also be transferred in due course.

“The presence of stowaways poses serious security threats to maritime operations, including risks of smuggling, piracy, drug and human trafficking, among other maritime crimes,” Ibrahim noted.

He emphasized that under the leadership of Chief of Naval Staff Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, NNS BEECROFT will continue maintaining security along Lagos waterways and surrounding creeks to support safe maritime activities and economic growth.

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

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Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

Published

9 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Nigerian military troops

Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

Troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have arrested four suspected members of Ambazonian rebels in Taraba.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ambazonia is a rebel group operating in neighbouring Cameroon Republic.

A statement on Saturday in Jalingo by Capt. Olubodunde Oni, Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, said the suspects were arrested at a hotel in Takum town.

The statement said that acting on credible intelligence, the suspects were tracked and apprehended.

According to the statement, during initial interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of the rebel group involved in arms proliferation in exchange for cocoa with their Nigerian collaborators.

It said that four mobile handsets were recovered from the suspects now in detention undergoing further investigation.

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The statement also said that in another operation following actionable intelligence, troops deployed at Natilde community in Bantaji District of Wukari Local Government Area intercepted a truck with registration number WKR 66 BB, transporting 19 pieces of stolen pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

It said that further collaborative efforts with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Wukari Division led to the recovery of an additional 11 pipes, bringing the total to 30.

“The recovered items have been handed over to the NSCDC Wukari Division for further investigation and necessary action.

“The 6 Brigade Nigerian Army will remain resolute in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property while ensuring the security of critical national infrastructure.

“We urge members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance our collective efforts in maintaining peace and security,” the statement added.