News
Why Northern Elite Can’t Condemn Killings -Sani …Says Blood Now Cheaper Than Petrol In Nigeria
The Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani has revealed why Northern elite are quiet on the incessant killings of innocent Nigerians in the North.
The lawmaker, who has continued to voice out on the killings of Nigerians in different parts of the country said most political elite from the North were quiet just to avoid being tagged or labelled, “anti-Buhari or anti federal government.”
Sani said with their continuous silence, the elite have succeeded in saving their neck while the necks of the masses are massacred.
He wrote on Facebook, “Most political elite from northern Nigeria are not loudly speaking out against the mass murder going on in northern Nigeria, perpetrated by bandits, armed herdsmen or organised criminal gangs out of fear that they may be tagged or labelled as anti-Federal Government or anti-president.
“The elites save their necks by their silence and the necks of the masses are continuously slaughtered.”
Meanwhile, a former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, and spokesperson of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Prof Ango Abdullahi has vehemently defended the incessant killings by Fulani herdsmen across the country.
Abdullahi also said that the herdsmen menace was politically-motivated by the South to disrupt the politically-united North ahead of the 2019 general elections, adding that this was how Boko Haram was introduced during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government which led to his failure in the 2015 polls.
Justifying the killings, Abdullahi said that the herdsmen are killing members of their host communities in order to defend themselves, adding that the herders were free to take the cattle to any part of the country the same way an Igbo man does his business.
In an interview with newsmen, last Saturday, Abdullahi said, “I have been involved in debates against some respected people from the southern part of this country who believe that this country is not balanced because the North is too big; because the North is too politically united, so there must be a way of disrupting this unity, and this is what we are seeing on ground today, and the elements that are being used are the Fulani herdsmen.
“This matter would be looked at properly; political alliances and so on are welcome. You don’t need to lose blood, or property to engage in political alliance or whatever you want, or still, you don’t need to introduce excuses that will lead to loss of lives. We saw this when the Boko Haram was on ground; they said northerners created the sect to disrupt former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, which led to his failure in the last election, and so on.
“Now that Boko Haram is out of the way, the new excuse is the Fulani herdsmen. This is what is happening in other places except in areas that you are talking.
“We have seen what they called a new handshake across the Niger; it is political, and we have seen the mourning that has taken place in Benue and other places to show that the monolithic North is not in tandem with the Middle Belt; it is all politics. Our Middle Belters don’t need to take the agenda that appears to be a thing of distrust. We are not going to force anybody into a relationship politically or otherwise. We see this as a political agenda.
Asked if herdsmen are not the ones committing the murders, he added, “The truth is, if you want to kill me and I have a chance first, I will kill you, or do you want people to be killed and not defend themselves? By your reporting, you have denied them justice and government also has denied them justice by not going to arrest those that are killing them. So, they defend themselves.
On the herdsmen that kidnapped, raided and set Chief Olu Falae’s farm ablaze, he said, “My uncle was kidnapped last week in Kaduna, my cousin’s children were also kidnapped and they had to go and find N2.5 million to pay. Why is Olu Falae case different? Is it because he was Secretary to the Federal Government? He is a Nigerian just like my uncle and my cousin whose children were kidnapped. The right of every citizen is important under the law. Why is he so special?
“What about the impunity of the people killing herdsmen? The herdsmen in Nigeria are reacting to the injustice meted out daily to them?
“You people, you Nigerians, including you who are biased, who are not prepared to protect the rights and interests of herdsmen. They are killed but not reported, that is not acceptable.
“Herdsmen operate in these places you mentioned because the country has denied them the traditional routes which the British created for them in 1914 when they occupied this country because they realised that, like cars require tracks, herdsmen also require tracks they can use to graze and drink water.
“The British provided it for them and gazetted it but people have denied them these routes. So, where do you expect the animals to follow? They have to follow somewhere and the easy road is the one other people are using. We are all living in Nigeria.
Asked if he was trying to justify the menace of herdsmen, he maintained, “I am justifying it very strongly because herdsmen are being unjustly treated in this country.
“They are businessmen just like the farmers whose crops are being destroyed. They should invest in their business; buy ranches like the farmers bought their parcels of land.
They are businessmen. If an Igbo man could go to my state and set up a shop, why shouldn’t herdsmen operate elsewhere? Or are you the one who planted the grass the animals are feeding on? Are you the one who created the water they drink?
“The land belongs to Nigerians and herdsmen are Nigerians. If an Igbo man can go to the North and set up a business, why won’t herdsmen go to the South, including your village, to graze their cattle?
“Where we come from, you don’t pay for land, you only ask for permission to use it. That is why I said you people are biased against other people and that is why the peace of this country will be very difficult.”
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani says blood is becoming cheaper than petrol in today’s Nigeria.
Sani, who spoke, last Saturday, while x-raying the challenges facing the country and the way and manner political leaders value the lives of the citizens, said that Nigeria has now become a country of “mass murder, mass burial and continuous bereavement”.
The senator said when a country is no more shocked by tragedy; it has lost its humanity.
“In Nigeria today, blood is becoming cheaper than water and PMS. The most tragic of all tragedies is when tragedy becomes a routine in our daily lives,” he said.
“We are in an era where our political class are toasting champagne on the tiles of new sepulchre. The silence and cowardice of the northern political elites to the mass killings going on in the north is out of fear that they can be labelled or blackmailed as being anti government.
“When a nation is no more shocked by tragedy, it has lost its humanity. When people are being killed every day, they are buried along with the integrity of their government and the honour of their leaders. When the right to life is not sacred, all other rights are incinerated.”
The senator said President Muhammadu Buhari must stop the “sycophantic” culture of governors leaving their duty posts to visit him.
“The new sycophantic political culture of governors leaving their duty post, in their respective states, almost on a daily basis to climb the Rock of Aso in order to pledge loyalty, leave their citizens in the hands of moribund and powerless deputy governors and at the mercy of well armed killers,” he said.
“President Buhari must ban state governors from the daily ritual of visiting the Villa while their home states burn,” Sani added.
News
Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf
Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.
The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.
CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.
The students, led by Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.
According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.
The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.
Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.
He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.
Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.
The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.
He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.
CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.
He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.
Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.
The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.
The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.
According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.
The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.
Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.
He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.
CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.
He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.
News
College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates For 2027 Polls
The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.
International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.
Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.
He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.
Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.
He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.
“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.
Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.
Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.
He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.
According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.
Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.
The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.
Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.
By: John Bibor
News
Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.
Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.
The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.
He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.
Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.
On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.
The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.
Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.
On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.
The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.
Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.
By; King Onunwor
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