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There have been protests in Kaltungo, Shongom, and Billiri areas of Gombe State, after the newly selected ruler, Mai Tangale, Dr Musa Maiyamba, was not given his appointment letter and sworn in by the state government. SaharaReporters learnt that the state governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has been delaying issuing the chosen candidate’s letter because he is against his emergence, being a Christian while Yahaya is a Muslim. SaharaReporters learnt that the issue may cause a religious crisis in the area as Billiri is a Christian community and the kingmakers selected Maiyamba to lead them after the demise of the late Mai Tangale. A top source said the selection among the potential rulers was suspended three times and in the fourth time, Maiyamba still won. “The two other contestants got two votes each while Maiyamba had five votes when the kingmakers cast their votes. For many days after the election, no reason was given by the governor of Gombe State as regards why the state government

Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has said Nigerians don’t need the permission of any governor to reside anywhere in the country. According to Mohammed, citizens don’t need the permission of his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, to live in the forests in the state. Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed Akeredolu had last month issued a seven-day quit notice to Fulani herdsmen operating illegally in the state’s forest reserves. Apart from ejecting the herdsmen, the governor also banned underage grazing, night grazing, and movement of cattle within the cities and on highways. The issue generated an uproar and after a meeting with different stakeholders, Akeredolu asked herdsmen to register with the government so that they can operate unhindered in the forest reserves. Speaking on Friday on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme, Mohammed said, “Land is in the hands of the state and federal governments in trust but Nigerians don’t ne

A former Military Administrator of Ogun State, Navy Commodore Kayode Olofinmoyin (rtd), has berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for filling the National Security Council with many northerners.   He said the NSC, which is tasked with the security of the nation, is being comprehensively lopsided in favour of the North against the South.   Olofinmoyin said this at the ‘Leaders’ News House Peace, Unity and Security Lecture Series’ in Asokoro, Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Wednesday.   The forum, which was held at the Economic Community of West African States’ main auditorium, was chaired by a former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Boni Haruna.   Commenting on the theme of the discussion: ‘Sustainable Peace: The Divide of a Growing Nation,’ Olofinmoyin, who was the last Ogun State Military Governor described the composition of the national security arrangement as a clear example of political discrimination in the country and one of the reasons causing e

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Committee on Electoral Reforms and Constitutional Amendment, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Thursday, said the federal policing structure existing in the country cannot solve the current security challenges.   He said this in an address during the inauguration of the committee at the PDP National Headquarters, in Abuja.   Ekweremadu, the immediate past Deputy Senate President, also said that Nigeria can create state police within 10 days to address the disturbing insecurity in the nation. He said this would be possible with the right political drive in place.   Ekweremadu, who was also the Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in the 7th and 8th National Assemblies, observed that there was a general agreement that the present centralised system of policing has failed woefully.   He said, “The weaknesses in our structure and the Constitution we operate, have never been as pronounced as they are today. Som

Prominent Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, on Thursday led the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, and security operatives to a meeting with some suspected bandits in the state. SaharaReporters gathered that the delegation met with the armed men in Tegina forest, a border town between Niger and Kaduna states. The development comes two days after gunmen abducted 27 students and workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State. The cleric, while suing for peace, reportedly preached to the gunmen and urged them to release all abductees. Gumi told the bandits that they had legitimate concerns and that the Nigerian government should look into ways of providing “reasonable” means of livelihood for them. Speaking during the visit, the leader of the group, Dogo Gide, promised Gumi and others that all those kidnapped either directly by his people or by people he could influence, would be released soon.  See Also PHOTONEWS: Islamic Cleric, Gum

A pan-Fulani group for cattle breeders, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has alleged that Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, created the Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun, to kill the Fulani and northerners residing in the South-West. National Secretary of the Association, Saleh Alhassan, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. Alhassan called for calm among his people, assuring them that efforts were ongoing to proffer a permanent solution to the challenges. He urged state governments to quit enacting laws that will widen cracks in the unity of Nigeria, but rather promote steps that will further strengthen the fragile peace and unity in Nigeria. Alhassan, however, lauded Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, for constantly speaking for the Fulani pastoralists who, he said, are being persecuted in many states through the enactment of negative obnoxious laws against their means of livelihoods, and issuance of illegal eviction notices from their places

Officers of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested one Odunayo Idowu for physically assaulting her friend, Opeyemi, for allegedly sleeping with her boyfriend.   Idowu, last Friday, had invited some of her friends to physically assault Opeyemi, filmed the molestation as they nearly stripped her naked, and went ahead to post it on social media.   The Director of Marshall Belt of Investigation Human Rights, Mr. Christopher Jimmy, told SaharaReporters on Thursday.   “Idowu went to her boyfriend’s place on Friday and met Opeyemi. Immediately, she locked the gate and called her friends on the phone to come and meet her there. When they arrived at the place, they started assaulting Opeyemi, beating her, and almost stripped her naked.   “They molested her and also filmed it. Right there, they collected N20,000 from her, seized her phone, and asked her to transfer about N80,000 into a bank account they gave her.   “It was on social media that we saw the video because someo

Two people were killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Thursday in Aiyetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area, SaharaReporters has gathered. The attack occurred barely four days after three people were killed by the same suspected killer Fulani herdsmen at Oja-Odan near Eggua. The recent victims were attacked on their way to their farms early Thursday morning and butchered to death by the suspected murderous herders in an ambush.  A resident of Eggua, who is also the General Secretary of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Olusegun Popoola, told SaharaReporters about the incident on Thursday. “Today, the killer Fulani herdsmen still went ahead to kill two more people at Aiyetoro. The innocent people were killed in the early hours of today on their farms. And the government is still telling us not to react. The Area Commander of the Police is aware of the killing,” Popoola said. Popoola, who also lamented the deaths of the farmers killed on Sunday evening, said they were ret

A 28-year-old woman, Ebiere Ezikiel, has stabbed her 21-year-old boyfriend to death over an argument about N1, 500 along the Obele area of Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.  The accused, Ezikiel, who is an hairdresser and had dated the deceased, Godgift Aboh, for over 12 months, was reported to have stabbed him to death after being slapped for daring to ask for her missing N1, 500. Ezikiel, who told journalists while being paraded along with 26 others charged with various crimes of kidnapping, murder, burglary and stealing and vandalism, said she regretted stabbing her boyfriend in the stomach during the argument.  The Bayelsa Commissioner for Police, Mr Mike Okoli, also paraded Promise Olive, who allegedly killed his girlfriend, 17-year-old Esther Uko, after slapping her twice. He also said one Iniobong Maffat was arrested for allegedly conspiring with his gang members to rob one Mr Nhene Chinedu. The suspects, according to Mr Okoli, allegedly robbed the vict

Nigeria is among the countries South Africa is looking to as it seeks to import skills and boost tourism in the wake of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation address on Thursday evening. “Work is underway with the relevant departments to reform our visa and immigration regime to attract skills and grow the tourism sector. “As international travel starts to recover in the wake of COVID-19, we will undertake a full roll-out of e-visas to visitors from China, India, Nigeria, Kenya and ten other countries,” Ramaphosa said. “The revised list of critical skills will be published for public comment by the Department of Home Affairs within one week to ensure that the final version reflects the skills needed by the economy,” the president added. Over 150 Indian companies with a presence in South Africa have already contributed to skill development in a wide range of areas. Among the leaders in skill transfer has

A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has declared his intention to run for the governorship of Anambra in the November 6 poll.  The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Soludo would be running on the All Progressives Grand Alliance platform.  Declaring his ambition on Thursday in Awka, he said he had been a party man since 2013 and would be better if APGA offered him the ticket.  He promised to achieve victory for the party, hoping to leverage his international connections to transform the state.  He said that having served the global community, he was now poised to serve and develop Anambra.  The governorship aspirant took time to assess Gov. Willie Obiano’s administration in Anambra and described him as one of the best in the country. “I granted an interview where they asked if I still stand by what I said in 2017 that ‘if Anambra is not broken, why mend it?’ and I told them that Anambra is more sound now.  “In 2010, the Federal Bureau

File Photo: President Joe Biden signs his first executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2021. Democrats on Thursday introduced a sweeping immigration bill backed by President Joe Biden, but the legislation faces an uphill battle in the closely divided Congress, with lawmakers already suggesting a piecemeal approach might win more bipartisan support. The US Citizenship Act of 2021 will reflect priorities outlined by the president in an executive order on his first day in office.  File Photo: President Joe Biden signs his first executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2021. Evan Vucci/AP The bill’s lead sponsors — Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. — unveiled the legislation in the Senate and the House. The proposed bill, among other provisions, would: Establish an 8-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US by January 1 Provide an expedited path to citizenship for fa