Land of Herdsmen! Soldiers Kill Student, Injure Others while Rescuing a Fulani Herdsman

Nigerian soldiers have inflicted irreparable harm on a secondary school student while rescuing a Fulai herdsman. 

A secondary school pupil, identified as Ayew Atume has been killed by one of the bullets reportedly fired by soldiers attached to 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, Benue State, Punch Metro reports.

It was gathered that Atume, a resident of Jato Aka in the Kwande Local Government Area of the state, was having a lunch in his parents’compound after returning from school on Tuesday when the stray bullet hit him.

He reportedly died at the spot.

Punch Metro reports that some members of a vigilance group in the community had intercepted a car conveying some suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The security guards were said to have found arms in the vehicle, which made them to detain the occupants.

A resident, who did not give his name, said the herdsmen alerted soldiers in the Kashimbila area of the state, who raced to the scene and allegedly freed the men, shooting continuously. In the process, one of the bullets killed Atume.

The resident said, “Youths keeping vigilance on the town acted on a tip-off  and intercepted a vehicle conveying some suspected herdsmen who were in possession of arms. The suspects called soldiers in Kashimbila who then called their colleagues stationed in Jato Aka to rescue the men.

“The soldiers arrived at the scene and whisked the car and the occupants to their base. The continued insistence of the youth for the vehicle to be handed over to the police angered the soldiers who started shooting indiscriminately into the air to frighten them.

“Ayew (Atume) was killed by a stray bullet. The boy just returned from school and was taking his lunch in his parents’ compound near the scene of the incident when the bullet hit him. He died instantly.”

Another resident said several other persons were injured in the commotion that followed the shootings as people scampered to safety.

“The situation now is such that residents of the town are leaving, while commercial activities have been put to a halt.

"The villagers are alleging conspiracy between the Fulani herdsmen and the soldiers to destroy the town. Many residents were injured on Tuesday by the soldiers’ bullets, including a community leader,” he added.

However, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, Maj. Olabisi Ayeni, debunked the claim that the pupil was killed by soldiers.

Ayeni, in a statement on Thursday, stated that the vigilantes had mounted an illegal roadblock in the community. He accused them of harassing motorists and other road users, adding that those rescued by soldiers were victims and not suspects.

“Youths in the town mounted an illegal roadblock, especially along the road linking Jato Aka to Taraba State, arresting innocent road users coming into Benue State.

“They detained some visitors, alleging they were Fulani herdsmen. Our soldiers got a distress call and moved there immediately. They were able to rescue seven people and they were moved to our base to ensure their safety.

“At the time of the arrest, they were searched and their vehicles were also searched, but nothing incriminating was found. The police were immediately contacted for further investigation if actually they were coming in with arms.

“While this was going on, the youth regrouped in their hundreds and surrounded the military base, demanding that the seven commuters be handed over to them.

“On the refusal of our troops to hand them over, they became aggressive and started throwing stones into our base. They later started firing at the camp. They destroyed our operational vehicles.

“They also killed a boy in the process. Furthermore, they attacked some traditional chiefs and the Sole Administrator of Kwande LGA who came to appeal to them.

“Our troops rescued the chiefs, but one of them was injured. Therefore, the claim that our troops are protecting Fulani herdsmen is not true. The illegally arrested commuters by the youths are not Fulani people; they are innocent Nigerians going about their business peacefully.

“The Nigerian Army has the constitutional responsibility to ensure the safety of all Nigerians. Inasmuch as we share the pains of those youths, we won’t allow any Nigerian to be unjustly punished or allow their fundamental rights to be tampered with,” the statement read in part.

The spokesperson warned youths against taking the law into their own hands, urging them to report any security breach to the army or the police.

Tori News

Black Market Bleeds As CBN's Policy Crashes Dollar

The naira has continued in its resurgence against the dollar in the black market as financial speculators encounter losses. 



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Black marketers this week hit rock bottom as several interventions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the forex market bolstered the value of the naira, which rose to N390 to the dollar yesterday.

 

The Naira, which also appreciated against the Pound Sterling and Euro rate, traded at N510 and N415 respectively, even as operators and analysts said they expect the trend to continue.

 

The CBN had over the weeks sold dollars at the interbank and bureau de change market, clearing backlog of dollar demands and meeting forward contracts, as well as BTA/PTA, school fees and medical fees demand.

 

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele said the apex bank was determined to see the convergence of rates at the foreign exchange market.

 

Noting that the apex bank was optimistic that the rate between the official and parallel market would converge further, he assured that the bank could sustain the policy.

 

According to him, currency speculators who doubt the ability of the bank to take decisions and implement the policy were taking a great risk.

 

Emefiele had also warned speculators to desist from stocking dollars at home because the CBN intervention would crash the price of dollar, which was already happening.

 

From a low of N500 to the dollar in February this year, the value of the naira had appreciated at the parallel market, as the CBN intensified its dollar sales, following a meeting with the Vice President.

 

Likewise the rise in the price of crude oil at the international market, coupled with increased output as soon as Niger Delta militants stopped blowing up pipelines boosted the country’s foreign exchange revenue and, consequently, the foreign reserves.

 

Nigeria’s foreign reserves this month crossed the $30 billion mark and is currently trending towards $31 billiion, further boosting the ability of the CBN to continue its consistent intervention.

 

So far, it has sold $1.7 billion dollars in forwards as well as other legitimate dollar demands through banks and BDCs.

 

Black market currency traders in Lagos who spoke with LEADERSHIP last night said the value of the naira had risen to N415 by afternoon and rose further to N395 by the close of business in the evening.

 

One of the Bureau de Change operators, simply known as Tijanni Jos, said that the development had caused operators to lose a lot of money.

 

According to him, operators did not envisage a quick downfall of the dollar which has caused them to buy at an expensive rate, hoping to make returns.

 

Jubril, a currency trader in Lagos said, “I have not been able to sell the dollars that I have with me because I bought it at N420 and now it is priced at N395. People are not buying, they are selling and I believe that  the naira will go up more this week and next week”.

 

This was corroborated by the president of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, who told a reporter that 90 per cent of the speculators have been burnt badly by the appreciation of the naira.

 

According to him, the recent steps taken by the CBN had eliminated most of the “frivolous demands and those demands that do not add value to the economy”. He added that most of them who had envisaged that the naira will continue to depreciate had been disappointed.

 

“People are not buying dollars anymore for now. They are waiting for a level where the CBN cannot go beyond before they demand for dollars again”, he stated.

 

He, however, noted that the CBN could sustain its present intervention levels considering the rising fortunes of the country.

 

Explaining that the interventions have been successful so far, Gwadabe said increased inflow from crude oil sales was bringing in “nothing less than $30 million everyday for the country”.

 

He continued: “We are saving about $13 per barrel through the difference between the benchmark and selling price of oil. The selling price is about $56/57 per barrel, while our benchmark is $40.

 

“This has increased our buffers and then there is the foreign exchange that is expected to come in through the various loans. If all these come into play, then the CBN will be able to sustain the interventions and meet all legitimate demand”.

 

Also speaking, Chief Executive of Cowry Assets Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, said the understanding between the fiscal and monetary authorities will give ability to the central bank to continue its interventions.

 

Observing that the capacity of the apex bank had been limited by a low inflow of foreign investors, he said the accretion of forex from crude oil sales as well as expected inflow from multilateral loans will give the CBN the needed capacity.

“The $500 million Eurobond which the government will go back to the market to raise, the $1.3 billion from China EXIM Bank, the $1.6 billion from World Bank and then the balance of $600 million from the African Development bank”, Chukwu said.

 

Also speaking with LEADERSHIP yesterday, Dr. Tayo Bello commended the CBN for plugging the loopholes in the forex market which was being exploited by currency speculators who were holding the greenback before now, thereby creating artificial scarcity in the market.

 

He said the CBN’s move to flood the market with more forex, thereby creating a glut in the market, was unprecedented.

 

Bello said, ‘‘What we had before was an unprecendedted demand for forex fuelled by unprecedented corruption where people look for forex which are not being chamnnlled into productive uses but now CBN is nomlising everything”.

 

He also expressed hope that if the peace in the Niger Delta region of the country could be sustained, the CBN will be able to susutain its intervention in the market.

 

“Dollar will still sell for N250 in the few weeks to come. Currency speculators are in trouble because what happened in the stock market when the bubble burst is already happening to them. They are already committing suicide and more will still commit suicide”, Bello noted.

 

He enjoined Nigerians to have faith in the country, as that was the only way to get the nation’s economy out of recession.

Tori News

Egypt: 10 soldiers killed in Sinai roadside bombings

Fifteen jihadists were also killed in the fighting, the military said in a statement, without saying when the incidents took place.

Ten Egyptian soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings as they clashed with Islamic State group jihadists in the Sinai Peninsula, the military said on Thursday.

Fifteen jihadists were also killed in the fighting, the military said in a statement, without saying when the incidents took place.

The military said the clashes broke out when soldiers raided "an extremely dangerous" jihadist hideout.

The Islamic State group had said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that it blew up two army vehicles during clashes south of the Sinai city of El-Arish.

The jihadists have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and cracked down on his supporters.

The attacks have mostly been confined to Sinai, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, but the jihadists have also struck elsewhere.

In October 2015, the group claimed responsibility for bombing a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a south Sinai resort, killing all 224 people on board.

Pulse Ng

Senator Dino Melaye reportedly files N5b suit against Sahara Reporters

Senator Dino Melaye has filed a N5b suit against online media platform, Sahara Reporters, reports say.

The online media platform alleged that Melaye did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) like he claimed.

According to Vanguard, the Senator filed the suit at the Abuja High Court at 9am on Wednesday, March 22, 2017.

Melaye also confirmed that he has completed the process of filing the suit, when contacted to comment on the issue.

The Senator, in plenary today, told his colleagues in the Red Chambers that he is an authentic graduate of ABU.

Melaye also dared Sahara Reporters to sue him if he indeed did not graduate from the University.

Harvard University also released a statement saying Melaye did not graduate from the institution.

The Harvard Kennedy School of Educational Leadership told Sahara Reporters that Melaye attended a leadership seminar in November 2016.

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U-Turn? Obasanjo Lashes at APC & Northern Leaders, Says Buhari not the Right Leader for Nigeria

Former President,, Olusegun Obasanjo, has again opened up on the state of the nation under the present leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also stated, that the present generation of leaders (APC leadership) had failed the country, because they lacked the focus and commitment to move the nation forward.

Obasanjo, made this disclosure as the Chairman of the 38th Kaduna International Trade Fair Seminar, with the theme: ‘Promoting Public Private Partnership as Panacea for Accelerated Growth and Development’, organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, on Monday.

Obasanjo, noted that his generation might have failed in raising Nigeria to where it should be, but said they (his generation) had fared well in keeping Nigeria united under a stable democratic dispensation.

He added, that Nigerians must learn to stop blaming God for the nation’s woes, saying, “let us stop troubling God, because God has done all we need for us, we only need to play our own part.”

Obasanjo stated that if Nigerians should pray to God, “our prayer should be that God should not take away all He has given to us as a nation.”

He said: “God in His mercy has given us all the needed resources, both human and natural, but we have not been able to put them together and manage them effectively. The countries that have developed and are performing better are not better than Nigeria in terms of resources.

“One problem that must be corrected is the problem of leadership. This is because our leaders lack focus, commitment, continuity, and sometimes proper knowledge about economic and development issues, hence, we have not been able to achieve meaningful result.” 

The former President added: “Somebody came to me and said we need to pray to God, and I said, for what? He said, ‘so that God can do for us, what we cannot do for ourselves.’ And I said, no, let us stop troubling God, because God has done all we need for us, we only need to play our own part.”

“Another problem, is that we take one step forward and another step backwards. Nigerian leaders must be tough and ready to bite the bullet, because Nigeria cannot have it easy. Until we get the right leadership, the problem will continue,” he said.

Obasanjo, who traced the nation’s socio-economic and political history from independence to date, said the First Republic generation, led by its founding fathers, gave the country independence, but noted with sadness that the present generation had nothing to offer.

He said: “It doesn’t matter what you want to say about them, the Awolowos, Nnamdi Azikiwes, the Sardaunas, Aminu Kanos, Tafawa Balewas, gave us independence, they were not perfect and if you like, you can even go from now till tomorrow to condemn what they did, but they gave us independence.

“My own generation fought for the unity of Nigeria. You cannot deny that. There are many things we must have done wrong, but we fought for the unity of this country. I still have sharp nails from grenades that entered my body that our brothers shot at me during the Civil War. But, at the end of it, we reconciled.

“In addition, my generation laid the foundation of democracy in the country. Our democracy is not perfect, our democracy is a journey and not a destination, we must continue to improve on it. My sons and daughters, what will your generation do?”

Besides, the former President said that lack of synergy between the public and the private sectors was responsible for the setback in the nation’s economy growth.

“The public sector perceives the private sector as a profit-making industry that reaps where it does not sow, but in actual fact, they are two legs that when brought together, can accelerate development in all sectors of the economy,” he stressed.

He said public and private sectors must work together to accelerate growth and development.

Obasanjo said: “When we were in office, we privatised the NNPC and sold it to Dangote and partners, but the government that succeeded me revoked it, and that is why till today, the NNPC cannot work optimally.

“Today, the same Dangote that was denied ownership of the NNPC, is building a refinery that can produce in excess of what the NNPC can produce, and what Nigeria can consume. So, it means he will even export.”

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