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Tiv vs Jukun crisis: Middle Belt group writes TY Danjuma over incessant killings by own militias

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Tiv vs Jukun crisis: Middle Belt group writes TY Danjuma over incessant killings by own militias

The Middle Belt Reformers Movement (MBRM) has written elder statesman and former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd) over the incessant killings by some persons believed to be Jukun militias in Taraba and Benue States.

The middle belt group said there is an obvious agenda by the Jukun ethnic group to wipe others from the face of the earth.

The warning came barely three days after three Benue students and a lecturer of the Federal University, Wukari were killed by some suspected Jukun militias, thus leading to the closure of the institution by the management.

In a letter addressed to Gen. Danjuma (rtd) and obtained by our reporter on Friday, the middle belt group frowned at what it tagged as ‘conspiratoral silence’ by Danjuma and other elders on the continuous killing of Tiv people in Taraba and Benue by Jukun militias.

The lettere jointly signed by Prince Aduku Obi, President, Middle Belt Reformers’ Movement and Alli Ahmed, Secretary- General, called on the elder statesman and his group to speak out over the wanton killings in the states .

The letter reads below.

“TY Danjuma: It is Time To Check Your Conscience: An Open Letter”

1. We are most obliged at the beginning of August, a new month, to send you fraternal greetings, as supposed elder statesman, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Defence Minister, Chairman, Nigerian Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), UN- recognized international investor, prominent son of Nigeria’s Middle Belt region and now born-again as we have been made to believe.

2. Members of the Middle Belt Reformers Movement (MBRM) holds you in very high esteem in this part of the region. There is no doubt that we are proud of you for exemplifying our proud geographical and cultural heritage, the Almighty God Himself has bequeathed to us through our ancestors.

3. When we look around and see your likes still alive, we feel protected. We feel secured against all forces of destruction obsessed with blighting the cordiality we have enjoyed by wishing to sow the seed of discord to forcefully break the chain of our communality relished for decades.

4. The Middle Belt region is a microcosm of Nigeria in the sense that outside the Igbos and a few other tribes, every other ethnicity from the nearly 500 ethnic nationalities in our cherished country have aboriginal roots in this region.

5. Needless to remind you, this region is a complex mix of ethno-religious identities which have co- existed in peace and harmony, a tradition we have inherited from our forefathers.

6. Whatever peace we savoured before today, if we recount now is because elders and leaders like you, alongside a few others such as late Chief Solomon Lar, Amb. Yahaya Kwande, Wantaregh Paul Unongo and hordes of others have been tutuledged by our progenitors on these templates of peaceful co- existence.

7. Therefore, we are always elated and bestrode the land proudly when you particularly galvanise other eminent Nigerians to raise a voice at our behest on issues affecting us.

8.Not long ago, when the British Parliament’s Committee invited you or the NCEF to address it on the alleged plots of Islamisation of Nigeria and the alleged religious persecution of christians in the predominantly christian Middle Belt, we were extremely excited. Your vocality on this issue was trenchantly touchy.

9. At least, we knew instantaneously that we have leaders who, like the late Captain Thomas Sankara, former Military Head of State of Burkina Faso, once asserted; can raise a voice for the voiceless in the region.

10. Sir, but we are feeling disappointed with you at the moment. We feel whatever “war” you launched against alleged killings by herdsmen, Fulanis, Hausas or allied groups, in which you postured as so “concerned” and led leaders of your ilk in remonstrations for us have piled into insignificance with your comfortable passivity on the resurgence of the Jukun/ Tiv crisis, which is ongoing.

11. Middle Belt Reformers Movement is sufficiently convinced and prompted to address you in an open epistle because unlike what your actions have taught us, your obvious and conspiratoral silence on the killing of Tiv people in Taraba state by your Jukun kinsmen to near genocidal levels indicates your acquisance.

12. General Sir, you had every opportunity to halt the crisis at it’s embroynic stage, hence it started in Kente, a Jukun community in Wukari LGA, the traditional headquarters of Jukun Kingdom.

13. We are not out to distribute blames to any of the warring factions. But just imagine what your initial word of caution to your Jukun kinsmen or any other group in Taraba state would have done in calming down frayed nerves to halt the conflagrations, save lost lives and the quantum of destruction of properties?

14. But Sir, while you were very vocal in accusing Fulani herdsmen, including the Army, your primary constituency of complicity in the alleged coercive execution of Islamisation agenda on Jukuns in Taraba state, you are curiously and suspiciously mute on what your kinsmen are doing in the vicious extermination of Tiv people and other ethnic groups in the state.

15. MBRM is pained to approach you in this manner because your silence over the nearly three months killings before your nose does not give a positive testimony about anything you have been clamoring about herdsmen killings in the same state. Only an unwise man would ignore his burning house and rush to quench the fire on his neighbor’s roof.

16. We are concerned that your silence ennobled your warring kinsmen to satanically puncture the serenity and sacredness of Federal University, Wukari (FUW) a few days back. In the onslaught, three persons were killed and all of them of Tiv ethnicity. Yet, you are still quiet.

17. This singular action has portrayed your Jukun kinsmen as the untamed, wild and berserk aggressors. It is because you have reclined from cautioning them against the evil they are visiting on their fraternity in Taraba state, in the Middle Belt region.

18. May the souls of the victims, particularly, Mr. Msughter Vihior, a FUW’s 100 Level student of Microbiology; Mr. Mark Tsav, a security officer and the third victim gruesomely murdered at the varsity campus, when Jukun militias invaded the institution. Same condolences go to families of our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives in the prolonged internecine squabble, and may their souls Rest in Perfect Peace, amen!

19.Sir, so, when would you make a statement on the ongoing crisis between the Tivs and the Jukuns in Taraba, your home state? Please, do not compel us into believing it is only the alleged Fulani herdsmen killings are deserving of your attention or sermonisation around the world.

20. Both your national and international image is now at stake by your deliberate silence over your kinsmen’s extermination of another ethnic group in your state. We all know how you were extremely vocal when Fulanis were reportedly involved.

21. We are worried about your unpretentious silence on these killings, especially when your voice ought to count more and should sound loudest now that your very own brothers are involved. Or do we believe the killings in Taraba state have not been brought to your notice yet?

22. Yet, Barr. Benjamin Bako, President, Jukun Development Association (JUDA) spews everything in promotion of the crisis and killings. Apparently, he looks unto to you or rather emboldened by your silence to urge your kinsmen into more killings. But have you ever cautioned him?

23. We expect you to voice out in the next few days, if indeed, you are not the unseen or veiled force behind the Jukun massacres of other tribes for territorial expansion and rebranding of Taraba, as an exclusive Jukun state. The three persons killed at FUW by Jukun youths/ militias are all Christians.

24. And be reminded that when you eventually address Nigerians and the world to explain the massacres, let’s know whether it is JUKUNISATION of other tribes in Taraba state or what exactly is the agenda of your kinsmen.

25. Or do we believe it is your plot in collusion with your kinsmen to territorially “Islamize” the Tiv people ancestrally domiciled in Taraba State?

26. Lastly, let us remind you that world- wide, the TY Danjuma Family is on the international Investment portfolio as a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN- PRI). The UN- PRI prides a unique status as a global network of investors attuned to the ideals of promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues within it’s investment platforms. It’s odd for you to belong to this reverred international body, yet “supervise” your kinsmen kill other ethnic groups within your home state, and cause social dislocation, pains and sorrows, while you enjoy the convenience of silence.

27. Gen. TY Danjuma, it is time to speak to your conscience on the Jukun/ Tiv crisis and killings. Our people say, a stitch in time, saves nine. If not, we fear your hard earned positive reputation is almost going extinct at the octogenarian age of 80? It’s not good enough! Please speak out now!

28. We appreciate your patience for reading this open letter to you. And thank you, very much, Sir.

Christians, Muslims unite in prayers against spirit of disunity in Nigeria

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Christians, Muslims unite in prayers against spirit of disunity in Nigeria

Nigerians across religious divides, under the auspices of National Interfaith and Religious Organisations for Peace (NIFROP), on Thursday united in prayers against the spirit of disunity in Nigeria.

The religious group, in this regard has commenced a 40 days’ program of fasting and prayers for the unity of the country.

This was contained in a statement by Sheik Ahmad Jibrin, a Co-Convener at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.

He stated that the program is at the prompting of the spirit to pray for the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the General Election, having seen the revelation that he is God’s choice for ushering Nigeria into greatness.

“We give thanks to God that all that was promised Nigeria have come to pass. In spite of the drums of war beaten by those that were opposed to peace across the country, the Almighty silenced their fury, and the land survived the war and pestilence. The fruits of the evil being planned by those opposed to peace in Nigeria are the killings, kidnappings, banditry, and terrorism that often threaten to engulf the land. However, God has been faithful.” He stated.

The cleric further added that the former leaders in Nigerian need to sober reflect in their actions and inactions in the attempt to make Nigeria great again. “Our former leaders need deliverance. They have become as wise ones who do not know the way to the gate of the city. They seek to undo the damage of their reigns by glossing over the crimes they committed against the country without genuine contrition of heart but rather plying our dear nation with empty words and treatises that testify to their desire to have the present system fail.”

“Some past leaders have a hand in the killings across the country, and we must as God’s elect relay the message to them that they are being called to repent. They should release Nigeria from all the covens where they have taken the destiny of the country to so that things can again be well with them while the final palls of darkness over Nigeria can lift so that God’s glory can manifest and liberate the citizens whose quality of life they are holding hostage with their grip on stolen national resources and the lies they are telling to hold onto their spoils.”

Sheik Ahmad Jibrin also debunked the Islamization rumour making the rounds in the country, describing it as. the handiwork of distractors and those with skeletons in their cupboards.

“The fallacy of Islamization agenda that they have launched to pitch Christians against Muslims when, in reality, there is no Islamization agenda anywhere. What we have is the agenda by looters of Nigeria to escape the claws of the law that are closing upon them. What we have is the agenda by looters of Nigeria to escape the claws of the law that are closing upon them. They forget that they may pervert the human justice system, but they can never escape the justice of God. Their lie about Islamization is from the pit of hell and shall haunt them even in their hereafter.”

In a similar vein, the National Coordinator of NIFROP, Bishop Sunday Garuba in his remark stated that some former leaders in Nigeria need deliverance from their evil ways as manifest in the battles they have waged against the soul of Nigeria.

“Not to be forgotten in our prayers are our former leaders, who need deliverance, on account of those among them that are leading other agents of the devil to trouble the land. They have not only set loose demonic influences like the blood-sucking Boko Haram and IMN terrorists to kill Nigerians daily, but they have also covenanted with the devil to set Nigerians against each other with lies like their claim that there is an agenda by one religion or ethnic group to dominate others. This is the sheer manifestation of the devil.” He stated.

“It is these lies that they have crowned with the bigger lie called Islamization agenda, which has now been discovered to be aimed at inciting Nigerians to kill each other thinking that they are fighting for God’s name. They expected that Nigerians would cut each other’s throats as part of sectarian strife that would be triggered by the lie. However, we thank our God Almighty for sending the spirit of maturity into the hearts of Nigerians so that the expected damage did not occur.” He further stated.

Bishop Sunday Garuba in eulogizing the gathering stated that why the 40 days’ deliverance prayers are backed with fasting is essentially to intercede on behalf of Nigeria for God to deliver the country from evil.

“It is a time the faithful will be in supplication for God to touch the hearts of those that have decided that destruction is the only gift they can bequeath the country. It is an event that we will use to call down God’s fire to destroy all the problems that are militating against peace and development in Nigeria.”

“Those who are led to join us here at the Unity Fountain are welcome to do so daily for the duration of the 40 days of prayer and fasting. Those in other cities and those abroad can unite their faith with ours from wherever they might be, and our prayer Answering-God will still receive our requests and supplications. Let us lift our voices and ask for the demons of splintering, and disunity will not succeed in Nigeria.”

Nigerian Army unveils mine resistant anti ambush vehicles

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Nigerian Army unveils mine resistant anti ambush vehicles

In the bid to adequately equip itself to continue onslaught against enemy forces, the Nigerian Army on Thursday unveiled four Mine Resistant Anti Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles.

The vehicles which are designed and manufactured in Nigeria in partnership with Proforce Limited is in line with the Local Content Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Performing the commissioning, the Chief of Defence Staff General Abayomi Gabriel Olanisakin while commending the Nigerian Army for its dogged resolve in combatting the security threats facing the nation assured of government’s commitment towards provision of weapons and equipment to ensure total victory.

The MRAP vehicles are a result of collaboration between the Nigerian Army and Proforce Limited and in line with desire and commitment of the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai for the Army to be self reliant and the need to develop indigenous production of Defence hardwares.

Recall that under the leadership of Lt Gen TY Buratai, Nigerian Army has successfully established the first ever Army vehicle Manufacturing company in Nigeria and indeed in Africa and it has already comnenced manufcture/production of various types of Armoured Personnel Carrriers, MRAP, Mine Clearance System, ballistic vests, military boots combat, bullets proof vehicles, ballistic helmets, protective jackets among other military hardwares.

The MRAP vehicles will be inducted into the Frontline in the North East to fight terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria. More of these vehicles and other combat capabilities or enablers are expected soon.

Alleged secret burial of soldiers: Stop dramatizing sponsored Wall Street Journal report -NDF cautions Atiku over attempt to blackmail Army

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Alleged secret burial of soldiers: Stop dramatizing sponsored Wall Street Journal report -NDF cautions Atiku over attempt to blackmail Army

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last general election has been warned against dramatizing a sponsored story on Wall Street Journal on the alleged secret burial of slain military personnel .

The National Democratic Forum, which handed down this warning to the ex-Vice President, said the report was planted by some enemies of the country in the foreign media just to blackmail the Nigerian Army and Buhari’s leadership as Commander-in Chief.
The WSJ had in an article entitled, “Nigeria Buries Soldiers at Night in Secret Cemetery” alleged that the military buried soldiers in unmarked graves in the North East.

Atiku, had while reacting, called for the setting up of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate claims of the secret burial of soldiers in the North East made by Wall Street Journal.

However, addressing newsmen over what it tagged as inciting comments and disposition of the PDP presidential candidate on the unverified report, NDF through its Secretary General, Dr. Bolaji Abdulakdir, advised Atiku Abubakar to find productive a job and stop going about parading himself as Nigeria’s parallel president just like the Presidency has warned him.

The group wondered where in the world it has become a permanent occupation for a serial loser to see himself as a shadow President of country whose people have rejected him in more than 5 balloting.

The statement reads in full.
The National Democratic Front (NDF) would have ignored this irresponsible piece of reporting from the Wall Street Journal, knowing fully well that in addition to being committed to reporting to destabilize the newspaper has an existing contract that preceded the 2019 General Elections to run propaganda for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Mr Atiku Abubakar. But the report, dubiously captioned: “Secret Military Cemetery Conceals Toll of Islamist Insurgency in Nigeria” continued the tradition of demonizing everything about Nigeria. It is therefore pertinent to react to this attack against our fatherland.
An additional reason to question the intent of the report is the series of events that followed its release. Two of these events stood out: first is the rush with which Atiku Abubakar issued a personal statement that was almost as long as the report, the second is the coordinated promotion of the report on the social media handles of Atiku loyalists and those of social media influencers that had been on his payroll for some time now.
The indication this mix of events gives is that the Wall Street Journal’s report was commissioned for the sole aim of being a trigger or platform on which a campaign of calumny against the Nigerian state and government. This is exactly what has happened. Atiku Abubakar and made his position known and his urchins took up the refrain, perfect proof that it was all a hatchet job.
NDF, however, wants to strongly advise Atiku to stop chasing shadows over the purported Wall Street Journal report dramatizing the killing of Nigerian soldiers while touting a well-known military cemetery as secret graves. It is common knowledge that Atiku’s lack of patriotism and the misrule of the government he and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo ran was responsible for the emergence of Boko Haram. The additional years during which his party, the PDP was in charge of the country allowed the terrorists to grow stronger before the Military was empowered to confront them under President Buhari’s government. It is the height of irresponsibility for the same Atiku to now be desecrating the memory of troops that have paid the supreme price in his bid to score political points.
The PDP candidate will do well to recall his words and actions before and during the elections. He vowed that killings will not end but increase if he loses the election and that has been the case, especially with soldiers being killed by terrorists he hired to destabilized the country. He is yet to demobilize the terrorists and foreign mercenaries he hired to cause chaos ahead of the elections, which is the cause of the unnecessarily frequent skirmishes between troops and jihadists.
This alone makes it irresponsible for him to directly contribute to the loss of the lives of soldiers, pay a foreign newspaper to report an increased body count and allege secret graves while he rushes to condemn the government and emphasize. The feeling he expressed are several levels below shedding crocodile tears because some of the fallen heroes would have still been alive but for Atiku’s desperate inordinate ambition to return to power for the purpose of looting the treasury. He gave the contract to the terrorists that killed them in battle – the only consolation being that our gallant troops brought down 100 terrorists for every soldier that paid the supreme price.
We see his empathy is another attempt to engineer and incite troops to be disobedient to constituted authorities. This too can be proven with Atiku’s track record in the recent past when called on the troops and officers of the Nigerian Army to disregard lawful commands by the Commander-in- Chief because carrying out those orders prevented him from rigging the elections.
His comments, as with his other recent weighing-in on national matters, was further calculated to rubbish Nigeria’s standing in the international community. It takes a dire level of irresponsibility for someone that once aspired to lead a country to turn around to destroy the reputation of that same country. Such an individual does not deserve kind considerations from any citizen or institution in the country and we urge that he should be so treated.
It is our sincere hope that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal concludes its work soon so that Atiku can stop exploiting his defeated candidacy as a prop for seeking relevance in a country that has roundly and resoundingly rejected him. Once the judicial challenge to the Presidential Election has been closed and disposed of, Atiku would have lost all claims to being the opposition leader, which would effectively make him liable for any incendiary comments, whether made by himself or on his behalf.
In the interim, we advise Atiku Abubakar to find productive a job and stop going about parading himself as Nigeria’s parallel president just like the Presidency has warned him. A presidential election loser is not a designation so Atiku must know that his newfound pastime is borderline impersonation and can never be an occupation in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. To the extent that his objective of sponsoring the Wall Street Journal report has failed like the previous hatchet jobs the publication did for him, it is pertinent that he approaches them for a refund, especially now that he no longer has access to slush fund from the nation’s treasury.
NDF shall continue to closely monitor the situation to see the extent to which Atiku complies with decorum and desist from trying to destroy the country because of his desperation. Where he continues to imperil the country through his choices and actions, we shall announce corresponding measures, particularly bearing in mind that a competent Tribunal of the country has been duly notified that he is not a Nigerian, which explains his indifference to the fate of the country.

Skills acquisition: British American Tobacco partners NYSC

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Skills acquisition: British American Tobacco partners NYSC

In a bid to creating jobs for self sustenance, Management of the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation has indicated its interest to provide training for Corps Members on Agro-Allied related ventures.

The Foundation said Nigerians must support NYSC to create jobs for the teeming youth through Skills Acquisition in other to reduce the increasing rate of unemployment in the country.

The General Manager of the Foundation, Mrs Lolade Johnson stated this during a courtesy call on NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim in his office in Abuja.

Johnson disclosed that her establishment intends to contribute its quota to the socio- economic development of the country by offering the requisite training on Agro-Allied related activities to Corps Members.

The General Manager, while commending NYSC for its roles in Corps empowerment, promised to provide financial support to Corps members as part of its corporate social responsibility on the programme scheduled to take off in August this year.

In his remarks Director-General NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim expressed appreciation to British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation for its initiative.

He added that Skill Acquisition is one of his focal points while he promised the Scheme’s willingness to partner with BAT towards Corps empowerment and job creation.

Group fingers IMN terrorists behind August Mass protest

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Group fingers IMN terrorists behind August Mass protest

Stand Up for Nigeria, a civil society group has fingered the Islamic Movement in Nigeria behind the planned protest across the country in August by Coalition for Revolution (CORE).

The group said IMN was only using CORE to cause panic among Nigerians following its proscription by the Nigerian Government.

Comrade Sunday Attah, National Secretary, while addressing newsmen on Monday, informed the law enforcement agencies that the planned protest was a ploy to evade the designation of the former as terrorist organization and to enable terrorists to continue gathering freely on the streets.

His statement below.

Gentlemen of the press, recent weeks had seen extremists and radical militants take over the streets of Abuja under the aegis of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), which was supposedly demanding the release of their leader, Ibrahim el-Zakyzaky. It must be noted that el-Zakyzaky is on trial for murder, treason and ancillary crimes before a Kaduna State High Court.

The state does not have control of the police and other security agencies so it is logical that while the IMN leader has a case to answer with Kaduna state, he can only be kept in the custody of federal agencies, which is not the same as the Federal Government or the government of President Muhammadu Buhari holding him.

The implication of this is that the violent protests held on the streets of Abuja, and later other Nigerian cities, have nothing to do with the detention of el-Zakyzaky. The protests rather have all the signatures of a terrorism enterprise that is intended to cow the Nigerian state and subjugate all citizens to the reign of IMN, which so happens to be a proxy for Iran.

The measured responses from the Nigerian Police Force and other security organizations, even in the face of aggravated provocations by IMN members, are well documented. Its members often throw projectiles at policemen and in some instances used slingshots to inflict grievous injuries on those whose responsibility it was to prevent the arson that the IMN protestors are intent on committing and also prevent them from manhandling Nigerians.

A side note of use is the reminder that IMN does not believe in the Nigerian state. For every ministry of government that exists it has a corresponding department, which confirms that it is running a parallel country to the one we all know. It also does not believe in the current political configuration of the country be it political parties or offices that result as a consequence of their activities. Effectively, IMN at its most moderate is an anarchist group that later branched into full fledge terrorism.

We were therefore not surprised when the Federal Government, on the strength of a court order, proscribed IMN as a terrorist organization. Let us not forget that militants of IMN executed a Deputy Commissioner of Police on the streets of Abuja in the course of their violent protest on the same they executed a journalist and wasted the life of a dozen others in the course of expressing their so called rage. Before that they have attempted to overthrow the legislative arm of government, being the premier branch of government, when they stormed the National Assembly and laid siege to the place for several hours. That invasion resulted in deaths.
As a matter of emphasis, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Nkeonye Maha, in addition to proscribing IMN as a terrorists organization, further restrained “any person or group of persons” from participating in any form of activities involving or concerning the IMN “under any name or platform” in the country.

Gentlemen of the press, we are therefore concerned that rather than desisting from “as acts of terrorism and illegality” as ordered by the court, IMN members have, in contravention of the court, regrouped under the name of the COALITION FOR REVOLUTION (CORE) in order for them to continue with their violent protests and continue killing Nigerians. CORE’s manifesto openly threatened violence by saying “We have the right to be in rage and to protest,” an agenda that not only tallies with IMN’s creed but is also consistent with the behavior of the terrorist organization in recent months.

Further confirmation that CORE is nothing but a rebranded IMN can be found in the second of the five demands of the group:
“For an effective and democratic end to insecurity and insurgency, combined with the immediate dismissal of the security chiefs and release of all political prisoners including the Shiite leader Ibrahim el-Zakzaky.”

Recall that there have been reports that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Mr Atiku Abubakar has been financing the IMN protests in addition to specifying what targets the group should attack. The other four points of CORE’s demand are consistent with Atiku’s propaganda. What we have learnt is that PDP/Atiku has transferred the existing mandate and funding from IMN to CORE in order for the violent street protests to continue with the assassination of policemen later escalating to include senior government officials.

We are using this opportunity to draw the attention of law enforcement agencies to this mutation of IMN into CORE. It is a ploy to evade the designation of the former as terrorist organization and to enable terrorists to continue gathering freely on the streets.

This poses a great danger to the country as they will again be able to resume killing security personnel before adding public office holders to their kill list. It is imperative that the coordinators of the planned protests beginning August 5, 2019 are identified before that date for the purpose of further investigating and establishing their links with IMN.

Nigerians are advised to note that rather than fighting for their cause, CORE is an agent of subjugation that is representing the interest of Iran and a desperate opposition that is eager to reestablish corruption as a norm. All right thinking people must therefore shun the deceptive protests being called by CORE as they are nothing but a ruse to make people support IMN.

Stand Up For Nigeria, a coalition of 22 Civil Society groups and youths groups is challenging CORE to prove that it is not a mutated IMN with the same mandate and funding source. We will soon expose more details of how the promoters of IMN are the very sponsors of IMN protests in Nigeria.

We re-affirm our commitment, the commitment of Nigeria and Nigerians to the unity and indivisibility of the country. We solemnly pledge that Nigerians will defend the country from any uprising being instigated by disgruntled politicians, sectarian terrorists and commercial protesters in the country.

With BVN, your loan may be recovered from another bank

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With BVN, your loan may be recovered from another bank

Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the new group managing director of Zenith Bank, says banks are planning on a mechanism that will allow them to recover customer loans from deposits made in other banks.

Onyeagwu made this known on Thursday when he paid a courtesy to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to introduce the bank’s new management.

He said the new loan to deposit ratio policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria would boost economic activities as the loans would develop SMEs.

The CBN had recently mandated all deposit money banks to maintain a minimum loan to deposit ratio of 60% by September 1 or face penalty.

Onyeagwu explained that banks would not be reckless in lending but that the concern had been the attitude of borrowers towards repayment.

“Bank Verification Number (BVN) has helped in solving the problem of identity and the banker’s Committee is working on building stronger capability into that,” NAN quoted him to have said.

“The capability that will enable us to enforce very effective and tight credit control such that if a customer takes a loan from bank A and abandon and go to bank B to open an account, with the BVN, such customer can be traced.

“If the customer is owing bank A, N1 million and goes to bank B to open an account and deposits N2 million, electronically the system will recover the money from the debtor.

“We believe this will help drive decent behaviour and promote good credit process.”

Onyeagwu, who takes over from Peter Amangbo, assured investors of improved dividend and excellent service delivery.

“We will like to assure the market that we will do everything within us to elevate the strong virtues, the values and the superior performance that Zenith Bank has always been known with,” he said.

“Under this new leadership, you will rest assured that we will deliver outstanding performance.

“We will reward our shareholders and will continue to provide very strong and transparent disclosure to the market.”

Presidency justifies proscription of Shiite IMN

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Presidency justifies proscription of Shiite IMN

The presidency on Saturday defended the proscription of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN).

The order was obtained ‘exparte,’ meaning other interested parties such as the IMN were neither notified nor allowed to be present before the court gave the order.

The government based the order on the protests by the group which turned violent in the past week leading to the death of over a dozen people.

The victims include a senior police officer, a journalist and about a dozen Shiites.

The government accused the Shiites of embarking on violent protests, but the Shiites said their peaceful protests were attacked by armed security operatives.

It was based on the violence lat week that the government moved to ban the group.

The ban has been condemned by senior lawyers and human rights activists who say it is an infringement on the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.

In a statement on Sunday, the presidency said the proscription has nothing to do with banning the larger number of peaceful and law abiding Shiites in the country from practicing their religion.

“Instead it was to discourage wanton violence, murder and wilful destruction of public and private property,” the presidency said.

The presidency alleged that the organisation has been taken over by extremists who do not believe in peaceful protests and instead employed violence and arson, driving fear and undermining the rights of others and constituted authority.

The statement was first made available through a Twitter thread on Sunday evening.

Boko Haram Kill 60 At Funeral Procession

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Boko Haram Kill 60 At Funeral Procession

It was a dark Saturday for the residents of Badu, a village in Nganzai Local Government Area of Borno State when Boko Haram insurgents attacked a funeral procession and gunned down at least 60 persons.

Officials of Nganzai local government confirmed that the attack was a reprisal that was meted on poor villagers who had two weeks ago fought back an attack on their community by Boko Haram insurgents.

About two weeks ago, Boko Haram staged an attack on the agrarian village of Badu. The residents did not flee. They courageously repelled the attacked and killed 11 insurgents. They also recovered 10 units of AK47 assault rifles.

That development did not go down well with the terror group who returned on Saturday.

The revenge coincided with a funeral procession in the village and the insurgents simply turned their rifles against the mourners killing 60 people. At least 11 others were injured.

The Chairman of Nganzai Local Government Area, Muhammed Bulama, who spoke to journalists when the state governor, Babagana Umara, visited the community said, “It was purely a reprisal attack.”

“Two weeks ago, Boko Haram insurgents attacked Badu village but the attack was repelled by the villagers and members of the vigilante group.”

“Our people tried their best and resized that by killing 11 of the Boko Haram and recovered many assault weapons including 10 AK 47.

The council chairman said the attack happened on Saturday at about 11:40 a.m.

He said the wounded persons were rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, for treatment.

Don’t reappoint Ngige as labour minister, NLC warns Buhari

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Don’t reappoint Ngige as labour minister, NLC warns Buhari

The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to return Dr Chris Ngige as the Minister of Labour and Productivity in the next cabinet.

It warned that returning the former Anambra State governor as minister would create industrial crisis, adding that Ngige lacked the approach to lead workers.

Towards the end of Ngige’s tenure as labour minister, there were clashes between him and labour leaders over his delay in inaugurating the board of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund more than three years after the expiration of the tenure of the last board. Labour also took on him over his exclusion of Frank Kokori as the chairman of the board. The union held a protest against him in his house which led to a fracas that landed some NLC members at the National Hospital in Abuja after they were allegedly attacked by thugs. President of the NLC, who led the protest alleged that the thugs were sent by Ngige to attack NLC members.

The Nigeria Medical Association, National Association of Resident Doctors, labour unions and some Nigerians also took on Ngige over his comment on a televised programme that Nigeria had no problem with doctors moving abroad for greener pastures because there were enough of them in the country to man hospitals.

When contacted, the Personal Assistant to Ngige, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, said Ngige had no power to assign a ministry to himself, adding that all the problems that the ministerial nominee had with labour unions were settled before the end of his first term in office as a minister.

However, in an interview with our correspondent, the Secretary of the NLC, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, called on the Federal Government to assign Ngige to another ministry to avert industrial actions.

He said, “We think that government will be looking for problem if Ngige is returned to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity as minister because he does not understand how the place works and his own approach will create unnecessary industrial crisis.

“If government is properly advised, it should look for where to put him. Ngige is a square peg in a round hole in the ministry.”

Also in another interview with our correspondent in Abuja, the Head of Information at the National Union of Pensioners, Bunmi Ogunkolade, said pensioners would not welcome the former minister to the ministry.

He said, “Pensioners under the NUP will not wish Ngige to return to the ministry of labour. The President should take him to oversee another ministry. We don’t want him at the ministry again. He is a medical doctor, so why not take him to the Ministry of Health to be minister there? He might do well there since that is his field. This is our official position on Ngige’s return as a minister.”

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