News

Zamfara Gov Accuses FG of Holding Meetings with Bandits, Says He Has Evidence

Published

1 year ago

September 26, 2023

Eric

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said his administration has enough facts to show that some officials of the Federal Government met secretly with bandits in the state.

On Monday, Lawal had claimed that some agencies of the Bola Tinubu-led government had entered a secret dialogue with the bandits after he ruled out the option of negotiating with criminals.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the governor said some government agencies engaged in negotiations with bandits without the knowledge of the state government and other security agencies.

Lawal, therefore, called for an urgent and comprehensive investigation by the Tinubu government into the secretive negotiations held with bandits in the state by the agencies.

In a swift reaction to the allegation, the Federal Government claimed that there was no truth in the claim that some of its agencies held a secret negotiation with bandits in Zamfara.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, however, accused the Zamfara government of politicising security in the state.

Responding to the minister, the Zamfara governor said he had evidence to expose some Federal Government agents involved in the negotiations with bandits.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Lawal stated that the Minister of Information should have conducted a thorough investigation before discrediting his government.

The governor, therefore, urged the federal government to take a firm stance against such activities and investigate the motives of those who engage in negotiating with the criminals.

The statement read in parts: “We sought clarification from the Federal Government regarding the sneaky negotiations with bandits carried out by some of its agents without recourse to the State Government and heads of Security agencies in the State.

“We have facts and evidence on what had transpired between these agents of the Federal Government and the bandits during the negotiations in several places across Zamfara.

“It is disappointing that the information minister discredited our claim without verifying it first. What is expected of him as a professional is to collaborate with relevant authorities to substantiate the claim’s authenticity.

“Zamfara State Government respects protocol and established authority. We would not come out in the media to start exposing the names of the Federal Government agents involved in the covert dialogue with bandits.

“We want to clarify that those individuals leading secret negotiations with bandits in Zamfara are politicising insecurity, not the State Government.

“The Information Minister’s statement claiming that there were no negotiations between government officials and bandits in Zamfara requires further clarification. We have already exposed a few locations where such talks were held with bandits, such as Birnin Magaji, Maradun, Mun Haye, Ajah, Bawo, and Bagege.

“Negotiating with bandits in Zamfara is a grave mistake we cannot afford to make. It is not the solution to the problem and only encourages and emboldens the criminals.

“We urge the Federal Government to take a firm stance against such activities and investigate the motives of those who engage in them.”

Opera News

News

Lawmakers Impeach Lagos Assembly Speaker, Obasa

Published

12 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Eric

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The lawmakers are accusing Obasa of multiple statutory and financial infractions.

Peoples Gazette reports that the lawmakers replaced Obasa by his Deputy Lasbat Meranda.

Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, was also a former chief whip of the House.

Source: Daily Post

News

Chief of Army Staff Approves Redeployment of Senior Officers in Fresh Shakeup

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2025

Eric

The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to various command, staff and instructional positions.

According to the army spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the redeployment is a strategic move to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency.

The redeployment cuts across Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army training institutions, Brigade Commanders and other key positions. The reshufflement underscores Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges.

Some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs at the Army Headquarters include Maj Gen LA Fejokwu, from National Defence College to Department of Army Administration and appointed Chief of Administration (Army), Maj Gen GU Chibuisi, from Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Civil Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil Military Affairs and Maj Gen AS Ndalolo, also from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Army Training and appointed Chief of Training (Army). Others include Maj Gen OS Abai, from Department of Army Training to Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation and Maj Gen JH Abdussalam from Headquarters 6 Division to the Department of Special Services and Programmes and appointed Chief of Special Services and Programmes. Maj Gen EI Okoro has been redeployed from the Department of Army Logistics to the Department of Military Secretary and appointed Military Secretary (Army).

Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Maj Gen OT Olatoye from Nigerian Army School of Infantry to Headquarters 82 Division/Joint Task Force (JTF) South East Operation UDO KA (OPUK) as GOC 82 Division/Commander JTF OPUK and Maj Gen EF Oyinlola from Department of Military Secretary to Headquarters 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/ Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH). The acting appointments of Maj Gen AGL Haruna as GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 JTF North East Operation HADIN KAI and Maj Gen IA Ajose as GOC 8 Division/Commander Sector 2 JTF North West Operation FANSAN YANMA among others have been confirmed substantive in the recent redeployment.

Other senior officers redeployed are Maj Gen GO Adeshina from Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre and appointed Director General while Maj Gen GM Mutkut is posted from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force Njamena as the Force Commander. The redeployment also featured Maj Gen MC Kangye from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Defence Headquarters as the Director Media Operations.

Senior officers appointed as Corps Commanders include Maj Gen OC Ajunwa from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps and appointed Commander, Maj Gen HT Wesley from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, appointed Commander and Maj Gen TT Numbere from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Engineers and appointed Commander. Others include Maj Gen NC Ugbo from Department of Civil Military Affairs to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals and appointed Commander, Maj Gen ZL Abubakar from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and appointed Commander and Maj Gen AP Oguntola from Nigerian Army College of Education Science and Technology to Headquarters Nigerian Army Education Corps and appointed Corps Commander.

Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Maj Gen JO Sokoya, appointed Commandant Nigerian Army Training Centre, Maj Gen UM Alkali appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Maj Gen FS Etim from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation is redeployed to Nigerian Army School of Infantry, appointed Commandant. Maj Gen AB Mohammed has been redeployed from the Department of Army Operations to Depot Nigerian Army and appointed commandant.

News

INEC Rejects N40bn Allocation, Proposes to Spend N126bn in 2025

Published

3 days ago

January 11, 2025

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed the sum of N126 billion for its 2025 budget.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made the presentation while defending the 2024 budget implementation before the National Assembly on Friday.

He pleaded with the National Assembly to approve the 2025 budget, which is nearly three times the size approved last year.

“Our proposal for 2025; the Commission requires the sum of N126 billion. So, we will like the support of the National Assembly members to ensure that we are adequately funded for the responsibilities we are required to discharge, and most of these responsibilities are constitutional, they are not just in the Electoral Act,” Prof Yakubu said.

Prof Yakubu expressed concerns over the high cost of conducting elections in Nigeria, describing it as exorbitant and burdensome.

He highlighted that despite INEC being one of the largest employers in the country, it operated on a reduced budget of N40 billion last year, significantly lower than the N80 billion initially requested.

He emphasized the financial strain this has placed on the commission’s ability to carry out its responsibilities effectively.

In a bid to address these challenges, he appealed to the lawmakers to organize a retreat where both the legislature and INEC can collaborate, exchange ideas, and find solutions to the pressing issues affecting the electoral process in Nigeria.

“We need a major conversation, the commission cannot continue conducting election all year round,” he said.

The INEC Chair further lamented the deteriorating state of INEC’s facilities, particularly the 860 buildings across the country, which are in urgent need of repair.