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You’re Encouraging Herdsmen Killings …PDP Reps Blast Buhari …No Credible Polls Amidst Violence -Dogara …As APC Chieftain Drags FG To UN Over Killings
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed deep shock over the barbaric killing of many people in Plateau State by herdsmen.
The caucus stated that it had become extremely worrisome that owing to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government’s unending rhetoric and deliberate ineffectiveness, criminality and free flow of human blood had continued across the nation.
In a statement issued by the House Deputy Minority Leader, Honourable Chukwuka Wilfred Onyema in Abuja yesterday, the PDP House Caucus also condemned the Presidential Villa security personnel’s Tuesday assault on a leader of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement (BBOG) and former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili who was on a solo march to the State House to demand for accountability and end· to the violent killings going on in the country.
According to the lawmakers, many Nigerians are perplexed that a government that had taken very urgent and comprehensive action to neutralize the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) which had not killed, currently finds its very difficult to tackle criminal herdsmen who have been attacking people in Benue, Zamfara, Taraba and other states.
“Following the gruesome killing of more than 100 persons and razing of some 50 houses, two· cars and 15 motorcycles by rampaging herdsmen who wantonly invaded Razat, Ruku, Nyarr, Kura and Gana-Ropp villages of Gashish District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, the US Department of State joined its voice to that of numerous concerned Nigerians by expressing utter condemnation for such unjustified violence.
“For long, the APC government that came into power on the basis of now-unrealized promises of bringing back all the abducted Chibok girls had remained rather aloof from the cries and pains of many whose states and communities had been visited with pains, sorrow and death in the hands of rampaging and armed herdsmen.
“Activist lawyer, Femi Falana has expressed possibility of dragging the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government to the Special Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for condoning crimes against humanity and genocide while Amnesty International which notes that at least 1813 people have been murdered in 17 states in the country this year, asserts that government’s failure to hold murderers to account is encouraging them and fueling rising insecurity across the country.
“It is cause for concern that Oby Ezekwesili, the co-convener of the BBOG movement ran into trouble after she began a loud solo protest with her demands for action from the Presidency, as she asked for explanations that normally agitate the minds of many Nigerians.
“On a date that it had just been disclosed that Nigeria, under the APC government, has overtaken India in the democratization of poverty for 87 million citizens, including 11 million that lost their jobs within the last three years; Ezekwesili was asking the APC government to put an end to the endless· killings by herdsmen, stop its routine blame game and reveal the identity of the perpetrators of wanton· killings in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Plateau, Nassarawa and Kogi states.
“Too many needless deaths are occurring and it is time for all to feel deeply concerned; we urge all Nigerians to join hands in special prayers for the repose of the souls of those killed as well as victory against those using political power to tactically justify the activities of killer herdsmen,” the PDP House Caucus stated.
Meanwhile, Passage of the age reduction law popularly known as #NotTooYoungToRun will not automatically pave way for young people to be elected into elective offices in Nigeria, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has said.
Delivering a keynote address at a celebration conference organized by the #NotTooYoungToRun movement in Abuja yesterday, Hon Dogara, maintained that only by removing economic barriers that young people will be empowered enough to run for elective offices.
He stated that there can’t be a credible election in the midst of violence in the country and urged young people to unite and “keep the flame burning until we are able to put young people into leadership positions in Nigeria.”
The speaker who was at the forefront for the passage of the age reduction bill during the constitutional amendment exercise also advocated for the appointment of young people as ministers of states in the next administration.
Power, according to Dogara, is never given freely in any society and charged the youths to brace themselves to wrestle power through participation in politics.
he speaker also decried what he called “generational warfare” that has continued to work against youth inclusion in politics and governance in Nigeria and called on leaders at all levels to train and mentor young people who will lead the nation in the future.
“If we don’t train our youths we won’t have a future because young people are the future of our country”, he said.
He said Nigeria must channel the energies, talents and gifts buried in millions of it’s young people to productive activities in order to curtail the increasing spate of violence.
The speaker cautioned that Nigeria must win the war against violence so as to keep our civilization and lamented how public institutions and symbols of authorities have been totally destroyed in the North East region especially Borno and Yobe states which he said has taken the region back to “Stone Age.”
According to him, the current socio-economic and political atmosphere in the country will not allow more young people to run for elective offices unless deliberate windows are created for them to occupy positions.
Similarly, the immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank has reported the inability of the present government under President Muhammadu Buhari to stop what he called “ethnic cleansing and genocide in Nigeria” to the United Nations.
Frank said that the present administration lack political will to declare the alleged perpetrators of the increasing brutal attacks and gruesome killings on a daily basis in the country as terrorist group.
In an open letter addressed to the Secretary/General of the United Nations, António Guterres, through its office in Abuja, yesterday, the APC chieftain said Nigerians have lost confidence in the security outfits, especially the military, having allegedly shown complicity in the killings going on.
He, therefore, called on the United Nations and other world powers to make their own private findings as to what was going on in Nigeria as it relates to security matters, saying “if we don’t get intervention in good time, there may not be Nigeria in the nearest future.”
The letter titled: “A call for urgent intervention to stop ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Nigeria” read in part: “It has become imperative for me to once again bring to your attention the continuous mass murder of innocent Nigerians by Fulani Herdsmen without required mitigation from the present administration in the country.
“The tension between Fulani herdsmen and farming communities has existed for many years. However, there has been a dramatic upswing in recent time with increasing brutal attacks and gruesome killings on a daily basis.
“The impunity and brutality with which the assailants operate, without regard to law and sanctity of life, is both shocking and appalling.
“It is, however, surprising to note that the government of the day which was elected in an unprecedented public approval in 2015, has not deemed it necessary to summon the political will and courage to forge a lasting solution to the violence. The nation’s security is on a free float while Nigerians are being killed in their native communities where they have dwelled for ages.
“You are no doubt aware that Fulani herdsmen have been acknowledged by the global community as the fourth deadliest Terror Group in the world. ‘Fulani militants’ as they have come to be known are daily visiting deaths on innocent farmers who dare challenge them after their farms have been ravaged by cattle.
“For the singular reason that they want their cattle to graze on other people’s farmland, they kill and maim natives. Therefore, lives and property are perpetually endangered across the country as I write.
“Curiously however, the government of the day has refused to declare the group as a terrorist organization, as a way of bringing permanent closure to their bloodletting activities. Another worrisome dimension to this orgy of violence is the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has consistently defended them as a group that merely carry sticks and machetes.
“However, to the contrary, eyewitnesses report that the Fulani militants are usually armed with sophisticated weapons and often attack their victims when they are most vulnerable, such as midnights, church services and burial ceremonies. They have consistently visited and brutally killed predominantly Christian natives in the North-Central region including some parts of the South and North of the country.
“I dare say that the United Nations cannot stand aloof and watch human lives being wasted on such gargantuan scale as being witnessed daily in Nigeria, due largely to the failure of government to rise to the occasion and stem the tide; by doing the needful to safeguard the lives of its own people.
“I therefore, call on the United Nations and the G7 countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom to come to Nigeria’s aid before it is too late. We as Nigerians have lost confidence in our security outfits, especially the military as they have shown complicity in the killings going on in Nigeria.
“Questions begging for answers are: Why have they not been able to prevent the attacks, make arrest and prosecute the killers? These attacks are being carried out for hours and no single suspect has been prosecuted?
“I, therefore, call on the United Nations and other world powers to make their own private findings as to what is going on in Nigeria as it relates to security matters. As it is, if we don’t get intervention in good time, there may not be Nigeria in the nearest future.”
The General Overseer of Firstlove Assembly and renowned preacher, Senior Pastor Simeon Afolabi, has highlighted the significance of thanksgiving, saying it remains one of the best ways to show gratitude to God, and also one of the ways to please God Almighty.
Pastor Afolabi gave the indication as the guest preacher at the annual thanksgiving celebration of Holy Hills Church in Port Harcourt last Saturday.
The 2025 Holy Hills Church annual thanksgiving, tagged, “Thanksgiving of God’s Mercies”, witnessed the gathering of christian faithful to celebrate God’s unwavering love and mercies despite insurmountable challenges.
The General Overseer said the essence of thanking God cannot be over-emphasised, considering the good things He is doing for mankind.
The renowned man of God said one of the ways to please God is not to take His act for granted but to thank Him for everything He has done.
He urged churches to endeavour to make thanksgiving their priority so as to attract more blessings from God.
Pastor Afolabi noted that gratitude is a way of God, hence, “it behooves us to do it every moment of the day,” and opined that the Holy Hills Church was on the right track by recognising God’s mercy and kindness through thanksgiving.
In his remarks, the General Overseer of Holy Hills Church and Chief Host, Pastor Sunny Ikonwa said the aim of the annual thanks- giving celebration was to thank God for His mercy, saying, the annual event which is like Christ Mass to his members could best be described as God’s faithfulness upon their lives.
He said the annuall meeting remains God’s project which the church attaches great importance to and ensures its success every year.
He noted that the church under him will continue to sensitise people and preach to them on the way of peace.
The cleric recalled that the church that started under a palm tree has made tremendous improvement by God’s grace.
Pastor Ikonwa said his mission which is doing what pleases his Maker remains his watchword.
The Holy Hills Church pastor said the mercy of God has been able to sustain his people, saying, the prayer of a Christian goes a long way to rekindle the heart of God, stressing that it is for this singular reason that the church had come in His presence with something measurable to it, as a way of showing appreciation.
According to him, anything big starts small just as his church has done.
He said to the glory of God, today, the church has been growing in His direction.
He, therefore, admonished Christians to have hope and faith in God in the face difficulties, urging the government to always put the interest of the people first, as it has everything it takes to make life meaningful for the citizenry.
Pastor Ikonwa noted that government should be able to implement policies geared towards bettering the lives of the people.
The climax of the programme was the cutting of the thanksgiving cake by the General Overseer and his wife .Various organs of the church also made special presentations to God.
The Nigeria Police Force has indicted the dreaded group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the killing of two police officers, and injuring of one civilian who was rushed to the hospital after sustaining bullet wounds in a coordinated attack in Imo State on June 11, 2024.
The State Police Command, had in a press release accused the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) of being responsible for the killing of the two police officers and injuring of a civilian at Akabo community in Ikeduru Council Area of Imo State.
According to the police, the incident was perpetrated in the early hours of the day by the hoodlums. They attacked one Christian Ama Chukwu in front of his shop at 79, Umudike, Umunnemoche Abazu, Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, engaged them in a prolonged gun battle and ultimately repelled the attack. Unfortunately, two police personnel lost their lives in the attack. An unnamed civilian was also critically injured in the attack,and he sustained serious injuries in the course of the shootout.
Some residents who spoke with newsmen said the hoodlums were first noticed alighting from their vehicles and harassing residents for not participating in the seat-in or seat-at-home protests. They said the situation got out of control when they opened fire on an approaching police vehicle.
Another eye witness, IfechukwuOpara, said the gunmen then moved around the village in the community,shooting sporadically to aid their escape. “They were driving around the community in a reckless manner while shooting in the air to scare people away before they finally left”, he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye had confirmed the incident.
He described it as “a senseless, unwarranted and unprovoked act of violence which must not go unsolved.”
According to him, the police would not leave any stone unturned in the quest to arrest and prosecute the criminals.
Subsequently, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, had mobilised a Police Tactical Squad of the Command to track down the killers, and said, “As I am talking to you now, an intense operation is currently going on in Ikeduru Local Government Area with a view to apprehending the hoodlums responsible for the attack.”
DSP Okoye noted that killings were another painful and stark reminder of the sacrifices police officers make in the commitment to secure the country.
As the Ogoni cleanup programme being implemented by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) continues to record significant milestones across thematic areas, the Federal Government says such gestures further demonstrate President Bola Tinubu’s commitment under the Renewed Hope Agenda to environmental sustainability and ensuring the Project brings benefits to Ogoni people.
The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, who made this assertion during the commissioning of the Bane and Gwara water schemes in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, in line with HYPREP’s mandate to provide potable water to Ogoniland, said the provision of potable water is a critical step towards improving public health, reducing waterborne diseases and enhancing the overall quality of life.
The latest commissioning brings the water stations to 16, providing access to potable water to 45 Ogoni communities , a development the Minister explains as part of President Tinubu’s commitment to peace ,environmental justice and socio-economic empowerment in Ogoniland, a beacon of hope for communities long affected by environmental degradation.
Lawal noted that the latest commissioning is restoring hope and dignity to the communities long deprived of this essential resource .
‘’The provision of potable water is a critical step towards improving public health, reducing waterborne diseases and enhancing the overall quality of life. It also signifies a renewed commitment to ensuring that the people of Ogoniland reap the full benefits of environmental remediation efforts.We
will continue to ensure that communities in Ogoniland have access to clean, safe and sustainable drinking water. With this initiative, we are not just commissioning infrastructure but restoring hope and dignity to the communities long deprived of this essential resource”, he said.
While commending the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, development partners, stakeholders and traditional rulers, among others for their relentless commitment towards the actualisation of these projects, he urged communities to protect and take ownership of the projects, emphasising that their longevity and effectiveness depend on their collective efforts of maintaining and protecting them for posterity.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey maintained that the Project remains resolute in its resolve to ensure that it completes and delivers all projects initiated within the time frame for the use and benefit of Ogoni people in line with the directives of the Governing Council and under the leadership of the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
To achieve this, Zabbey explained that “We
continue to work closely with community leaders, youth and women, contractors and other stakeholders to ensure solutions are identified and implementation continues smoothly.
‘’We remain guided by the principle of partnership, dialogue, transparency and accountability, knowing that sustainable progress is best achieved through collaboration and mutual understanding. That is the hallmark of HYPREP,” he said.
He appealed to the people to continue to reinforce peace and understanding, using dialogue as a vital tool for resolving disputes, especially around project sites and within communities, noting that the concurrent implementation of over 100 projects across Ogoniland reflects the seriousness and dedication of HYPREP, a momentum that must be sustained through mutual trust and collaboration.
For the Project Coordinator, the event was an ideal opportunity to provide a project status update to Ogoni people, as he excitedly announced the milestone achievements recorded so far to include environmental remediation-94 percent completion in Phase 1 of mangrove restoration; shoreline at 67.1percent; Phase 2 land remediation at 36.55 percent; potable water-14 completed water facilities inaugurated, supplying potable water to 40 Ogoni communities, while the commissioning of the Bane and Gwara water facilities last Saturday increased the number of communities with access to clean and safe water to 45.
Other milestones are the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) at 92 percent complete and the processes of operationalising the Centre has begun with the just concluded colloquium, while the Ogoni Power Project is progressing steadily with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakara substations ongoing. The Ogoni Specialist Hospital is at 76.8 percent with 98.7 percent achieved in the Buan Cottage Hospital. The Ogoni public study being conducted by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); over 7,000 women and youths have benefited from various employment opportunities, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up skits, among other programmes.
Zabbey further hinted of the commencement of some demand-driven skills areas this quarter, which include cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, GIS and commercial diving.
In their separate goodwill messages, the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Dumnamene Deekor; Chairman,Great Green Wall, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ogoni Trust Fund Incorporated, Hon Emmanuel Deeyah; Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, MrNwizug Gordon; representative of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and General Manager, Relations and Sustainable Development, MrIgoWeli; former Secretary to Rivers State Government, Chief Kenneth Kobani; and former Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya; all commended the Minister of Environment and HYPREP for their commitment to the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Earlier, the Minister and his entourage had paid a courtesy call on Mene Bua Kenwigbara, King D.Y Barile, at his palace, where the former was conferred a chieftaincy title of MeneAnua Le Maa 1 of Ken-Khana Kingdom; and the Project Coordinator of HYPREP as Mene doo Letam 1 of Ken-Khana Kingdom.
Also decorated were the Chairman of Ogoni Trust Fund Incorporated, Hon Emmanuel Deeyah; and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari.
Highpoints of the event were the formal commissioning of the Bane and Gwara water facilities by the Minister and the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Tony Attach,represented by MrIgoWeli; the symbolic issuance of education support Items;and the visit to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Park for symbolic tree planting by the Minister; the Project Coordinator; BoT Chairman; Senator Abe; IgoWeli; Director General, NEASRA, Prof Innocent Barikor; and Zina Wiwa, the daughter of the legendary environmentalist; and the visit to the CEER.
In two years, the Minister of Environment, has visited Ogoniland five times to commission 16 water stations, supplying potable water to 45 Ogoni communities and ensuring that other projects get equal attention, a clear demonstration of his unflinching commitment to the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme in line with Priority 3, Deliverable 3 of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and driven under the visionary and passionate leadership of Prof NenibariniZabbey as Project Coordinator.
By: Donatus Ebi