The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has directed Assistant-Inspectors General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in the South South and South East zones to disarm members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) who are agitating for the Republic of Biafra out of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Police boss who gave the directive in a statement said that the directive followed the manifestation of the disposition of the armed IPOB activists to undertake premeditated attacks on police officers engaged in operations aimed at restoring public order in the states.

The statement which was issued by an acting Commissioner of Police, who is the Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, quoted the inspector-general as saying: “the targeted attacks on police personnel showed that the activists have crossed the threshold in their misguided attempt to test the common will of the nation.”

Arase condemned the killing of policemen by members of IPOB and directed the arrest of any member of the group found in possession of firearm and be made to face the law.

He said that all IPOB activists arrested in connection with the killing of policemen would be charged to court.

He reiterated the determination of the Nigeria Police Force to continue to work diligently toward eliminating any threat to internal security and assured Nigerians of their safety. [myad]

The 31 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Minna rose on Tuesday to quench the religious violence that claimed four lives in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

Information reaching us indicated that the Army, Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps rose to the occasion to restore peace in the area.

It all began when one Methodus Emmanuel, a 24-year-old trader based in Padongari, was killed on Sunday by a mob over allegations of blasphemy.

Confirming the incidence to news men, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations Officer, Major Njideka Agwu, said: “three other persons, including personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also lost their lives.

“Troops of the 31 Artillery Brigade of One Division, Nigeria Army, quickly intervened and restored law and order while a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in the town.”

Agwu said that a religious house and a shop were burnt even as 25 other shops were looted following the violence.

She said that the hoodlums embarked on further violence on Monday morning, looting shops and blocking the Lagos-Kaduna Road, a major highway connecting the northern and southern parts of the country.

The spokesperson said the army had made some arrests in connection with the incident, adding that the suspects have been handed over to the police.

“The army and other security agencies have commenced confidence building patrols in all the nooks and crannies of the area toward restoring peace.

“As part of measures to de-escalate tension and ensure lasting peace in the town, the military is working with the local government council authorities and community leaders, including the Kagara Emirate Council, to pacify all aggrieved parties and build on the peace so far established.”

Agwu said the army would continue with its non-violent approach to maintaining peace in the area.

She, however, warned that the army would deal with any person attempting to promote violence in the community even as she enjoined members of the public to abide by the conditions of the curfew put in place in order to maintain peace. [myad]

Farmlands in  five  communities in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have  been submerged by flood.The flood was caused by the blockade of a dam being constructed by the Federal Government in Npu,Anuri Local Government Area  of Enugu state.

The affected communities are Ameke, Okue, Amaokwe, Ngwogwo and Obodo.

Governor David Umahi, who raced to the site of the dam on learning of the development on Monday, ordered a comprehensive report of farms and cash crops destroyed by the flood.

The governor said that the report would be sent the Federal government  to call for its assistance to the state and farmers whose means of livelihood have been severely affected.

“We came to the point of  the Ukeh River  Dam that is being constructed by the Federal Government in Npu,Anuri LGA of Enugu State.

“A comprehensive report will  be carried out so that we can seek Federal Government’s assistance not only to the state but to the farmers whose agricultural produce have been seriously  damaged.”

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ivo LGA, Chief O. Ude,b who accompanied  Governor Umahi to the site of the  dam  said the blockade  caused   water to overflow backwards, thereby   destroying  the farmlands in  the affected communities.
“If you look back from where we are standing, you will see a river coming down from there,that is Ivo, and this river is Ukeh.So the rivers meet here and  it is from here that  the contractors created an embarkment that makes water to flow backwards.”
The chairman of Ngwogwo Community Development Union, Mr. Johnson Ukpai, lamented that the flood had destroyed agricultural produce like yams,cassava, rice,Maize and  cocoyam.

He pleaded with the Federal government to come to their rescue.

“The blockage of dam which resulted in the over flow of flood to this our community has caused enormous damage to this our community. Our crops like, Yam, Cassava, Rice, Maize, Coco yams has been destroyed.”

Youths of the area were seen displaying cassava tubers which had decayed due to the impact of the flood.

Barr. Augustine Ossai, a liaison officer in Ivo legislative council, also lamented the damages done by the flood and called on the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency to immediately come to the assistance of farmers in the area. [myad]

President Muhammadu Buhari has not yet recovered from the shock on how a few individuals sat down and shared $2.1 Billion meant for procurement of arms and ammunitions for the nation’s soldiers to prosecute the war against terrorists, represented by Boko Haram.
“People were entrusted and the most recent one which we haven’t recovered from is the $2.1 Billion (which) was given by the government then, to the military to buy hardware to fight the insurgency which had taken over part of the country. And they just sat just the way you are sitting now and shared the money into their own (bank) accounts. They didn’t even bother.”
President Buhari who addressed State House Press Corps at the Democracy Day Luncheon at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday, said that because of some legal technicalities, his government is pursuing the recovery of such money with caution.
“So we are still trying to get the cooperation of the international community and so on, and we have to do it with a lot of respect to the judiciary. We can’t go out and talk too much. We have to allow the judiciary to do their work.
“We give them the facts, the names, the countries and the bank accounts.
“If you talk too much, technicalities will come in. Then we will realize less than what we want to realize.
So please, when next you want to interrogate our visitors, try and do some research so that when they are coming next time, they will do research themselves.”
Narrating his experience before. And shortly he arrived at Aso Villa to take over the leadership, President Buhari noted that the experience of the staff, their commitment and zeal is different from what it is now, saying that 16 years in the life of a developing nation is a long time.
“When we came there were 42 ministries we cut it to 24.
This is where I pay my respect to former President Goodluck Jonathan. This is actually a privileged information for you. “He called me at a quarter past five in the evening. He said good evening your Excellency Sir, and I said good evening. He said, I have called to congratulate you that I have conceded deceit. Of course, there was dead silence at my end , because I did not expect it. I was shocked. I did not expect it because after 16 sixteen years: the man was a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and was President for six years. For him to have conceded defeat even before the result was announced by INEC, I think it was quiet generous and gracious of him.
“Abdulsalam (Abubakar) recognized the generosity of Jonathan to concede deceit and said we should go and thank him immediately and that was the first time I came here (to Aso Rock).”
President Buhari said that when he came in he found out that government could not continue with 42 ministers and the paraphernalia of office so he cut it down to 24.
“We had to cut down half the number of permanent secretaries and then do some cross postings. The permanent secretaries that were there for the past five to seven years; the only thing that they know is how things were done in the previous years.” [myad]