Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Tuesday met with the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) over the spate of insecurity in the state.

Other Fulani elders from the three senatorial districts also attended the meeting.

Aiyedatiwa, during the meeting in his office, said the state government would not rest to ensure that the state was rid of criminal elements.

“According to some intelligence reports, the recent operations in Kogi and Kwara States to dislodge some criminal elements has made them think the state would be a safe haven, but they are wrong.

“This meeting is not being held for the first time.

“Anyone found sponsoring criminal activities, including kidnapping, in Ondo State will face the full weight of the law,” he said.

The governor, who expressed concern over the recent spate of kidnapping, killings and road blockades in some parts of the state, particularly Ilu-Abo and Uso communities, stressed that “security agencies were on top of the situation”.

He said security agencies had, so far, arrested 99 suspects who were currently making statements regarding various degrees of involvement in the crises across the state.

According to him, those genuinely doing the business of cattle rearing can’t be deprived because there are criminals that normally hide within the cows, we should now stop them from doing their business.

“You will be able to know if they are genuine or have rushed to some cattle breeders, using them as shields to gain entrance to another territory, because you are in that profession.

“You know yourselves and your people. Some of your people are also being attacked to take their cattle, that is why we have to work together. It is very, very important because it is the only way.

“As long as I’m in this seat, myself and other members of the government have resolved that anybody can live freely in any part of the country, including Ondo State.

“But the caveat is, when you are here, obey the law of the land. Do your business, go about your enterprise, your legitimate enterprise, without fear.

“That is what we have to provide for everyone, an enabling environment for everyone to live well, to be protected and to do their businesses. Let’s coexist.

“Now, we have been noticing kidnapping for ransom, which used to be very rampant. It was reduced before but recently, it’s coming up again.

“I begin to wonder, where is this coming from again? That is why we must not rest on our oars. We have to wake up and tackle it together, “he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of MACBAN in Ondo State, Alhaji Abubakar Mande, said the association would continue to cooperate with the government to expose criminals within their ranks in order to ensure a peaceful society.

Mande added that the association remained committed to providing intelligence and all necessary support to promote a safer and crime-free Ondo State.

“Not all Fulani living in the state are criminals. The peace of the state is our own peace too,” he said.

From Ifeanyichukwu Nwannah, Gusau

The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested two people suspected to be armed robbers and recovered stolen vehicle and other items following an attack on a resident in Gusau in the early hours of Monday.

The State Police Command confirmed that the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.

The suspects, identified as Mustapha Abubakar of Mareri area and Ahmed Ibrahim of Unguwar Gwaza, reportedly stabbed the victim with a knife during the attack, noting that the victim sustained injuries on his neck and left arm while attempting to resist the attack.

The assailants subsequently robbed him of a Toyota Corolla vehicle, two iPhone 7 mobile phones, three ATM cards and phone chargers before fleeing the scene.

The Police Command said that Police operatives later intercepted the suspects while attempting to escape the State, saying that they were apprehended at the Yankara boundary between Zamfara and Katsina States by a stop-and-search team led by ASP Goma Ibrahim attached to the 42 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Gusau.

The Command noted that all the stolen items, including the vehicle and phones, were recovered from the suspects.

The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba, said the command remains committed to flushing out all criminal elements from the State.

He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and useful information that could help in tackling crime.

“The command is fully committed to ensuring that all criminal elements are flushed out of Zamfara State. We call on residents to always assist security agencies with vital information that will help rid the state of crimes and criminals,” he added.

He said that the case is currently under discrete investigation, after which further legal action will be taken against the suspects.

From Dan Amasingha, Minna

A 30-year-old Point of Sale (POS) operator, Aliyu Musa Vatsa, has been murdered by yet-to-be-identified assailants in Minna, the Niger State capital.

The victim was allegedly attacked by some youths who forced their way into his residence in the T-Mama area of Minna in the early hours of Monday.

According to eyewitness accounts, after gaining entry into the house, the attackers reportedly rejected offers of a large sum of money and pleas made by the deceased, insisting that they were not there for robbery.

“They told him, ‘We are here just to kill you,’” one of the eyewitnesses said.

The attackers were said to have first stabbed him in the stomach before attacking him repeatedly with machetes.

The cries for help from the victim reportedly attracted neighbours, but the attackers had already fled the scene before anyone could apprehend them.

The severely injured victim was initially taken to the Tudun Wada Police Station before he was rushed to the General Hospital, Minna, where he was confirmed dead before receiving medical attention.

The elder brother of the deceased, Malam Ibrahim Kolo, confirmed the incident, stating that the remains of his brother were buried at the Muslim burial ground at about 10 a.m. on Monday.

Kolo described the incident as “very sad and pathetic,” expressing hope that the perpetrators would be arrested and brought to justice.

When contacted, the Niger State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Wasiu Abiodun, declined to comment on the incident.