Anger As Makurdi Resident Protest Against Herdsmen Killings

By Emma Ella

...Ask Buhari to Resign 

Residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Wednesday staged a massive protest against the gruesome killing of over 50 persons in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas carrying placards calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign from office “for his failure to provide adequate security for the state.”

The entire Makurdi  metropolis and other towns in state were locked down  in protest against the killings by suspected Fulani herders.

The inaction of the federal authority and its security agencies to take proactive action to stem the needless killings of Benue people was also questioned.

Over the past few days, the killer herdsmen over ran countless rural villages in the state, killing several people and destroying properties including farm produce.

The state Governor, Samuel Ortom, while briefing journalists, called for calm over the situation.

He called on residents of the state not to take laws into their hands but should abide by the law.

The governor disclosed that more casualties of the attack were still been brought to Makurdi, confirming that the carnage has been reported to the president

"I have reported the matter to the president and we are expecting action. Some of the people we have evidence against are the leaders of Miyati Allah who have been threatening the state. We are calling on the president to arrest them immediately,” he stated.

He said the federal government should rise to its responsibility “if not, they are saying Benue is not part of Nigeria."

Trouble Brews in Anambra Over Disappearance of Herdsman, Dead Cows

The disappearance of one Shehu Issah, a herder, in Aguleri may have caused a major misunderstanding between members of Aguleri community and herdsmen.

It was gathered that Issah who went out with his cattle for grazing disappeared without trace, just as two of his cattle were found dead.

The Chairman of South East Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders ,  Alhaji Gidado Sadeeq, declared that the 23-year old  herder disappeared in Aguleri, Anambra State, but failed to state his date of disappearance.

He said two cows under Issah's guide were killed in the community while others returned without the herder.

Sadeeq said the situation had created tension in the area, while stating that  the police and the Department of State Service(DSS) averted an attack on some other cattle herders by the host community.

It was  gathered from a source in Aguleri, who pleaded to remain anonymous that the disappearance of the  herder may breed trouble for the community, saying  this has been a source of worry to the community.

He insisted that the community did not know anything of the diasppeance of the herder, nor were they involved in the travails of the herder.

But the Chairman of South East Miyetti Allah cattle breeders ,  Alhaji Gidado Sadeeq, expressed worry too about the safety of his people.

"My people are now afraid of an imminent attack. It's unfortunate that this is happening.

" It's unfortunate that the host community are not keeping to the agreement reached between the security,  Anambra State Government and the herdsme," Sadeeq stated.

Journalists gathered that as a result of the development security had been beefed up in the community which incidentally is governor Willie Obiano's home town.

When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nkeiruka Nwode said the matter had not  been brought to her knowledge.

She promised she would get in touch with the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Otuocha, where the incident alleged occurred, and get back to our correspondent; but she never did as of the time of filing this report at 5.40pm.
Ends.

FOREIGN: Teen Charged With Murdering Her New Year’s Eve Date

A Texas woman is charged with murder after she allegedly shot her New Year’s date, then snatched his wallet as he lay dying.

Yvonne Raquel Ramirez, 19, of Baytown had recently met Josh McKinney and hatched a plot to rob him of his guns, prosecutors say.

McKinney—19-years-old and an aspiring Marine—met up with Ramirez on Dec. 31 near Mizell Street in Highlands. According to ABC 13, Ramirez allegedly demanded $2,000 for the return of McKinney’s firearms during the encounter, which took place around 4:30 a.m.

One witness told cops that McKinney put Ramirez in a chokehold and pressed a pistol to her head. The bystander ran to call 911 and heard gunfire moments later, ABC 13 reported.

McKinney was found dead in the street. Ramirez took a bullet in her shoulder.

The suspect allegedly told cops she fired in self-defense, but Harris County prosecutors told ABC 13 that her story didn’t add up.

She allegedly first claimed McKinney was shot and killed when the gun dropped. She later told detectives that she grabbed the weapon and fired in self-defense.

CULLED FROM DAILY BEAST

Police Demolish Badoo Shrine, Arrest Chief Herbalist And Cult Leader

The Lagos State Police Command has stated that it has arrested Fatai Adebayo, alias Alese, who is the Chief Herbalist and spiritual head of the Badoo cult, whose notorious activities is prevalent in Ikorodu and Epe axis of the state.

The arrest of the herbalist followed the arrest of the overall Leader of the group, wanted for cruel killings by smashing of mortar and pestle on victims’ heads, at the weekend.

Adebayo, 34, who specialises in administering oath on members of the group before they launch any attack, was arrested at his shrine located in Imosan Village, a suburb of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

Speaking while parading Adebayo before journalists at the shrine, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, said the head of the group was arrested on water during an attempt to escape.

The CP, who led the operation involving the Commander of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP Tunji Disu; Chairman of Lagos State Special Task Force, SP Yinka Egbeyemi, among others, said investigation was still ongoing but that the full details about the arrests made so far would be disclosed on Thursday at a press briefing.

“Over the weekend, we had far reaching achievement in the fight against the killers popularly known as Badoo in Ikorodu,” he revealed.

“Their kingpin who is the head of the group has been arrested. He was arrested on water as he was making his escape.

“One of the suspects arrested confessed and he led us here that before they go for any killing, the head of the group brings them to this gentleman (Adebayo) to come and carry out oath for both themselves and the piece of stone they used for their killings and that they don’t go for any killing without first of all coming for oath in this shrine and that is why we are here.”

Judiciary Expenditure: Agbakoba Faults 2018 Budget, Declares It Unconstitutional

 

Sunday Okobi

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, on Wednesday has faulted the 2018 Appropriation Bill, saying it is unconstitutional for the executive arm of the government to lay before the National Assembly estimates of revenues and expenditure for the judiciary.

According to the Maritime lawyer, the constitution requests each arm of government to lay before the National Assembly its estimates of revenue and expenditure for each financial year after which it is appropriated, harmonized as a bill and presented to the president for his assent.

In a letter he addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Bukoka Saraki, Agbakoba lamented that the action of the executive is against the subsisting Federal High Court decision in Olisa Agbakoba vs. Attorney General of the Federation and  others suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/63/2013, which has declared the practice unconstitutional.

“As you are well aware, the 2018 Appropriation Bill has been laid before the National Assembly by the President and discussions are ongoing on the estimates. Sections 81 to 84 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) set out the procedure for preparing the Appropriation Bill.

“The constitution requests each arm of government (the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary) to lay before the National Assembly its estimates of revenue and expenditure for each financial year for appropriation and harmonization, but unfortunately, the executive has failed to comply with this procedure by laying before the National Assembly estimates of revenues and expenditure for the judiciary,” he noted in the letter.

He therefore suggested that the National Assembly should draw the attention of the executive to the decision of the Federal High Court.

He said: “The National Assembly should request the National Judicial Council to lay before it the Judiciary’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for 2018 and the Executive be made to represent its estimates for 2018.

“In summary, the constitutional procedure for preparing the appropriation bill is that each arm of government (the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary) lays before the National Assembly its estimates of revenue and expenditure for each financial year after which it is appropriated, harmonized as a bill and presented to the President for his assent.

“We are unaware if the National Assembly has laid it budget estimates. But please note that if after seven days the constitutional procedure is not complied with, we shall have no choice but to initiate legal proceedings to enforce the decision of the Federal High Court and set aside the 2018 Appropriation Bill.”

Nigeria’s Electricity Grid Collapses Thanks To Fire Incident

Nigeria’s power transmission grid collapsed on Tuesday night leading to widespread blackout across the country.

It was gathered that the collapse was due to a fire incident on the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System of the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Limited.

Officials had to quickly shutdown the pipeline which incidentally supplies gas to six thermal power plants eventually leading to the collapse of the country’s electricity grid at 10:20pm on Tuesday.

This was confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in a statement issued around on Wednesday morning saying the fire incident was regrettable that after a sustained period of increasing production and distribution of power since September 2017.

“The incident requires a shutdown of the pipeline supplying gas to Egbin 1,320megawatts; Olorunsogo NIPP 676MW; Olorunsogo 338MW; Omotosho NIPP 450MW; Omotosho 338 MW; and Paras 60MW power stations,” the statement read.

“The sudden loss of generation due to interruption in gas supply from these stations caused the national transmission grid to trip off around 20:20 on 2nd January 2018.

“The national transmission grid is owned and operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.”

Wike Places N200m Bounty on Perpetrators of Omoku Massacre

*Declares war against criminals

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has placed a N200 million  bounty for information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the New Year Day Omoku massacre.

He also said the perpetrators would forfeit their houses just as he directed security agencies to go on a full scale war against criminals in the area.

Wike spoke on Tuesday after he led the Rivers State Security Council  on a fact finding/sympathy  visit to the families of the deceased. He also visited those injured during the attack. 

The governor also visited the sites of the crime where he received briefing  from the Nigerian Police Area Commander, Mr Mike Nwafor and the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) Local Government Council Caretaker Chairman, Mr Olisa Osi.

He said: "We have placed a N200 million bounty for relevant information  that will lead to the arrest of all those involved in this unfortunate act of violence. 

"Anybody who is connected to this crime in any way will have his/her houses forfeited to the Government. This place has been peaceful  before this unfortunate mayhem.

"We will not allow another case of this violence. We have mobilised the security agencies  to take the battle to the perpetrators."

 Wike said all those linked to the Omoku violence  would face the full weight of the law.

"You cannot shed innocent blood and go free. We are working with all the security agencies to do everything  possible  to arrest the perpetrators. They must pay for this," he said.

The governor commiserated  with the families of the deceased, saying that the State Government would support them in burying their loved ones and also settle the medical bills of those receiving  treatment at different hospitals. 

He said: "I am pained by this unfortunate mayhem . Enough is enough. "

The governor and the service commanders also visited the residence of wanted cultist, Don Wanny where the Rivers State Governor commended security agencies for working hard to improve the security of the state. 

Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, Mr Osi Olisa, informed  the governor that 17 persons lost their lives as a result of the attack. 

In an interview, Prophetess Comfort Ordu, who lost her husband and three of her children,  said they were dragged out of their home and killed by the perpetrators. 

Some of those murdered in cold blood include: Favour Odili, Saviour Amirinze, Augustine Ordu, Precious Ordu, Wisdom Ordu, Jennifer Ohia and Innocent Ohia.  Others are: Reuben Idogu, Baby Idogu, Ngozi Ogbuanukwu, Oyi Ogadinma, Nwakaego Ogadinma and Uche Onige.

Wike was accompanied  to Omoku by the Brigade Commander of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General A.A Bande; the Commander of Joint Task Force, Colonel M.N Madi; Rivers State Deputy Police Commissioner, Ahmed Magaji and Rivers State Director of the Department of State Services, Mr Tosin Ajayi. 

New Year Massacre: Fulani Armed Herdsmen Kill Scores In Benue

By Emma Ella

About  50 persons have been reportedly massacred while several others injured in a new year bloody attack carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen on communities of Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue State. 

 

A source disclosed  that the invaders came into Logo local government area at about 10 a.m. on new year day, shooting sporadically as worshipers who were coming out of a church.

 According to him, areas attacked included Ayilamo, Turan and Gaambe-tiev.

He added that several persons are still missing while several houses and property worth millions of naira had been destroyed.

The sources added that three members of the newly constituted Livestock Guards, set up by the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, for the implementation of Anti-open Grazing Law were also murdered even as he frowned at the attitude of government in deliberately refusing to send patrol vehicles to the area.

Also another attack took place in Akor, Umenger and Tomatar in Guma Local government area, council area of the governor at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

 Speaking with journalists at the end of an emergency security meeting held in Government House,   Ortom  said over 20 persons were killed.

 But later at the Benue State Teaching mortuary where the corpses of the deceased were deposited, the governor expressed shock at the number of persons murdered.

"What I have seen here is far beyond the report we received. Several innocent people have been killed.  Women and children murdered with their throat slit open. Many people are still missing while several houses have been destroyed. The whole of Guma and Logo have been turned into desolate lands.

 "The security agencies in this country are aware of this because warnings were given out and this seem to be a tip of the iceberg," the governor fumed.

He frowned at the lukewarm manner the security agencies as well as the Federal Government is handing the issue and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rise up and give his people protection by showing that they are also, citizens of this country.

 "We have told our people to be law abiding but there is a limit the people can go. This is not fair and right and we cannot accept it," Ortom lamented.

 Some victims of the attack have been brought to the Benue State Teaching Hospital for treatment

---

FOREIGN: Obama Team Did Some ‘Extreme Vetting’ of Muslims Before Trump, New Documents Show

Five months before President Trump came to office vowing “extreme vetting” for immigrants, the Obama administration added social media checks to a program that scrutinizes persons from majority-Muslim nations, newly obtained internal documents show.

Social-media screening at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services collectively encompassed aspiring immigrants such as asylees and refugees, and even some visa-holders currently in the United States. The effort going back five years had produced little actionable intelligence, according to multiple internal reviews obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration’s plans to build off of the program that one critic likened to a “digital Muslim ban.”  

It began in 2012, when Homeland Security laid out a policy that greenlit social media monitoring for applicant assessments. In 2014, USCIS started pilot projects to analyze the publicly available social media of small groups of would-be immigrants.

Then in July 2016, USCIS created a dedicated Social Media Branch to routinely look at certain refugee populations “identified as high risk,” though the materials do not specify which populations are “high risk.”

Around the same time, social media checks became part of the Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program, a secretive Bush-era initiative that extra scrutinizes immigrants and noncitizens from Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian communities, according to a March 2017 overview of the effort. The ACLU and the Council on American-Islamic Relations have previously sued USCIS for allegedly unlawfully delaying applications for citizenship through the use of the program and discriminating against Muslims.

Today, the Social Media Branch continues and also helps conduct “enhanced reviews” of some refugee populations including Syrian refugees and certain asylum applications, USCIS officials tell The Daily Beast.

CULLED FROM THE DAILY BEAST

We Are In Good Health, Boko Haram Leader Shekau Declares In New Video

Leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, has appeared in the latest video released by the sect declaring that himself and the insurgents were intercepted good health.

In the video, Shekau who spoke in Hausa language, bragged that the military had not been able to put his group in check claiming a series of attacks in Northeast Nigeria during the festive season.

The militant leader also claimed responsibility for the fresh attacks in the North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

The video was released less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari declared that “Boko Haram remains beaten.”

According to him in the video, “We are in good health and nothing has happened to us,” said Shekau in the 31-minute video message.

“Nigerian troops, police and those creating mischief against us can’t do anything against us, and you will gain nothing.

“We carried out the attacks in Maiduguri, in Gamboru, in Damboa. We carried out all these attacks.”

The video then shows footage from a Christmas Day attack on a military checkpoint in Molai village on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, which the military said was thwarted by troops after one hour of battle.

Boko Haram fighters in torn clothes were shown shooting from the back of battered pickup trucks.

On many occasions, Shekau has embarrassed the government and military for claiming victory over his group.

The army had on several occasions claimed that it had killed Shekau, but each time it pronounces him dead, he resurfaces in audio or video messages debunk such claims.

Shekau, a leader known for his lengthy, wild-eyed video messages, took over Boko Haram in 2009 after the death of its founder Muhammad Yusuf.

Innoson Drags EFCC to Court, Demands N200bn for Unlawful Imprisonment, Others

The Chairman/Managing Director of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Chief Innocent Chukwuma, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to court, demanding N200 billion for unlawful imprisonment, malicious falsehood and defamation.

In a statement made available to  journalists through his spokesperson, Mr. Cornel Osigwe, on Tuesday, the automobile manufacturer said the law suit was in response to his unlawful arrest and subsequent release by the EFCC fortnight ago.

The statement indicated that Chukwuma in the lawsuit which was filed at the Enugu State High Court by Prof Joseph N Mbadugha of McCarthy

Mbadugha and Co, is claiming against EFCC; N30 billion exemplary damages; N30 billion for assault and battery; N30 billion for unlawful imprisonment; N40 billion for injury to feelings-mental pains and anxiety arising from malicious falsehood and defamatory publications of the defendants against the plaintiffs; N50 billion for injury to plaintiff’s reputation arising from the said publications; N20 billion for general damages.

He also asked for an order that the published words complained of be retracted by the defendants and such retraction be published in two national newspapers including the Punch newspapers.

The IVM owner also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant either by itself, agents, privies, and/or assigns from further maligning or otherwise defaming

the plaintiffs in the words complained of or similar words and/or in other manner howsoever.

“An order that 22 percent interest on the sums of money claimed in sub-paragraphs (a)-(f) commencing from December 20, 2017, till judgement is delivered and a post judgement interest of 22 percent on the judgement sum till the final satisfaction of the judgement debt.

Furthermore, Innoson has set machinery in motion for a N50 billion suit against EFCC, GTBank and three others for breach of his fundamental rights.

The EFCC had claimed in a statement on its official website that the arrest of Chukwuma “followed his refusal to honour invitation by the commission having earlier jumped an administrative bail granted him in a case being investigated by the capital market and Insurance Fraud Unit of the Commission’s Lagos office.” EFCC further alleged that “the industrialist used forged documents to secure tax waivers.”

Chukwuma had maintained that “at no time did Chukwuma (Innoson) receive an invitation or was invited by the EFCC or was there any time he jumped an administrative bail granted by the EFCC.

“Innoson is a public figure and a well-known industrialist of international repute. There is no way he would be invited by the EFCC and he would ignore or refuse to honour it.

“Innoson has never had any issue or query from the EFCC of recent. The last issue Innoson had with EFCC was an invitation extended to him in

 2012 based on a complaint against him by Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB). Innoson honoured this invitation and subsequently, EFCC filed a charge against him at the Lagos High Court.

“The charge was subsequently struck out. However, Innocent Chukwuma and Innoson Nigeria Limited appealed against the order striking it out on the basis that it ought to be dismissal and not striking out. The appeal no: CA/I/1330Cm/2017 is still pending at the court of appeal Lagos State. Since then, EFCC has never invited him.”

He said his ‘unlawful’ arrest and detention caused untoward injury and damages to his person, personality, reputation and loss of business interest from his prospective business partners amounting to millions of dollars.

Director Dies After Receiving Sack Letter in Kogi

A director working with the Kogi State Pension Board, Mr. Alphonsis Ameh, 61, has died barely three days after receiving a sack letter from the state government.

Ameh, who until his suspension in February 2016 at the beginning of Governor Yahaya Bello's administration, was a Director of Administration and Finance (DAF) in the state pension board. 

He hailed from Ade community in Olamaboro Local Government Area, and was a resident of Zone 8 area, opposite Science School, in Lokoja, the state capital. 

His niece, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told journalists on Tuesday that Ameh was among the directors and permanent secretaries that were suspended in February 2016 by the present government. 

According to her,  Ameh who was a Grade Level 16 officer in the state pension board, had not been paid any salary since his suspension about two years ago, stressing that the 61-year-old civil servant, who officially received his sack letter on December 29, 2017, died in the early hour last Monday of high blood pressure at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja. 

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has released the second batch of workers in the public service with forged certificates.

The list which includes workers on both state and local government payrolls has almost 800 names. 

In a statement issued and signed yesterday by the state Auditor General, Alhaji Yakubu Okala, he stated that government was committed to sanitising the public service and makes it the pride of the state.  It noted that it will accord top priority to the payment of salary this year and vowed to pursue programmes and policies that will impact on the lives of civil servants.