NEWS
Plateau Killings: TEKAN, ECWA Demand Sack of GOC/STF Commander
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria known as TEKAN and the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) bloc of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Nigerian Army Headquarters to relieved the GOC 3rd Armour Division who double as the Commander Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) Major General Ibrahim Ali from his assignment in Plateau State for living below expectation.
They maintained that the GOC/Commander has demonstrated actions that are not in the interest of ending the crisis when communities came under attacks just some kilomiters away from where their barrack is situated in the same Bassa LGA compelling them to lose confidence on the ability of the Commander.
The CAN bloc led by their Chairman Rev. Moses Ebuga and the Secretary Rev. Mohammed Maina made this call during a press conference yesterday held at the ECWA Jos DCC Headquarters Jos North the Plateau State capital also called on Christians in the troubled areas to defend themselves against the activities of the militia herdsmen.
The Church organization called on the Nigerian Army Headquarters to never again allowed one officer be made to hold a dual responsibilities of heading the Special Force and the 3rd Armour Division.
“We wish to state that recently, Plateau State had lost the relative peace we started enjoying. The GOC of the Third (3rd) Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army who double as the Commander Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in the person of Major Gen. Ibrahim Ali has not lived up to expectation.
“The Military Barracks being and situate in the same Bassa LGA and within a few kilometers radius lie under attacks for long hours and days without any response and protection from the Army. This leaves much to be desired any reasonable man would have expected that Irigwe Chiefdom would have enjoyed more protection and security presence by their proximity and neighborliness.
“As a result of these spade of insecurity, we have lost confidence in his ability to handle the security situation in Plateau State and therefore call on the Nigerian Army Headquarters to relieve him of these responsibility forthwith and strongly advice that no one officer should again be made to hold these dual responsibilities,” Rev. Ebuga said.
They also expressed concerned of the Divisional Police Officer of Bassa LGA James Yakubu and called for his removal as well.
“We have received several reports and complaints about the disposition and conduct of the said DPO in Bassa LGA, James Yakubu which seemed to be bias and partisan during the unfortunate incidences in Bassa LGA.
“This has necessitated us to call for his immediate removal as our people and indeed the Church have lost confidence in him; more so that there is no assurance of any security under his command.
“We shall ensure that relevant information and report about his disposition and possible involvement is provided to the security operatives for necessary action.”
They condemned the killings of 22 commuters recently along Rukuba road in Jos and charged the security agencies to fish our real culprits not innocent passably been bundled and taken into unknown custody.
“We notice that some prominent Islamic scholars have openly confessed their intention to retaliate and attack the Christians on the Plateau.
“We call on the security agencies to undertake credible investigation and bring every culprit to book. We are calling on the state and the Federal Government to forthwith apprehend these clerics whose videos and audio messages are abundantly in circulation and ensure they are effectively prosecuted.
“It has also come to our notice and we have verifiable evidence that whenever there are government directives or security agencies proceed on a sham house search for weapons or any such item, such are being carried out among the natives who barely are able to defend themselves from their regular and aided attackers and they are further rendered helpless and more vulnerable in the face of the usual house-to-house onslaught which has become their fate, but surprisingly.
“The Killer Fulani Herders who roam about with weapons strapped on their bodies in the open glare of the same security agencies are untouchable; this is preposterous,” they said.
The FCT Customary Court, Dutse, Abuja has appealed to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate the renovation of its court complex which fell victim to vandalism and arson during the 2020 EndSARS protests.The President of the Court, Aderinto Adesoji, made the appeal during a resumed hearing in a divorce case between a petitioner, Chiwendu Nwadi and her husband, Emeka Nwadi in Ushafa, Abuja.
The Customary Court, Dutse has been sharing the court complex of a sister court in Ushafa for its sittings following the destruction. of its facilities, four years back.NAN reports that while Customary Court, Ushafa, the real owner of the facility, has its sittings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in a week, the Dutse court has its sittings on Tuesday and Thursday. Report says that Dutse and Ushafa are communities in Bwari Area Council of the FCT and they are about 17 kilometres apart.Addressing lawyers to the parties in the divorce case, when they were finding it difficult to agree on a date for next hearing in the matter, the President of the court said it is a recurrent challenge in matters before the courtAccording to him, the constraint of the panel, sitting only twice in a week has grossly affected quick dispensation of justice.He said most cases before the cout involve families, in particular, custody of children which require urgent adjudication, and should not be encumbered.Adesoji said, considering the fact that lawyers and their clients are affected by the constraints, the NBA should take steps to ensure that the appropriate authorities renovate the Dutse court complex.He said promises have been made by the association to that effect in the past, but they were yet to be actualised.Responding to the President’s appeal, Mr Moses Ibe, the lawyer to the petitioner promised the court that he would convey the message to the NBA, Bwari branch for necessary action.Ibe said this in an interview after the court session, that the distance of the court to its jurisdiction and the restrictive days of sittings have affected quick dispensation of justice.He said the essence of building the Dutse court was to bring justice closer to the people, but it has been defeated by the failure of appropriate authorities to renovate it for useThe Counsel promised to officially write to the NBA, Bwari branch to convey the Judge’s message and request for interventionAccording to Ibe, the Dutse court complex, used to serve as the Secretariat of the NBA Bwari branch, before it was vandalised and set ablaze by the EndSARS protesters.Meanwhile, the court has adjourned further hearing in the divorce petition until Oct. 21 to enable the respondent file his reply.Adesoji and other members of the panel, Nana Atipkoru, Aisha Hamza adjourned the case following the position of the respondent’s lawyer, Cornelius Simon, that his client was not served with the “particular of claims” in the petition.The panel directed that all necessary processes should be filed and served before the adjourned date so that the case would be fixed for definite hearing.The panel also ordered that the parties should maintain the status quo, particularly, as regards the custody of the children – the last child is with the petitioner, while the other two are in the custody of the respondent.In the case, the petitioner is seeking, among others, the dissolution of her 13 years marriage with her husband on the ground that “the union has broken down irretrievably”.She alleged that the husband, “is a man of unimaginable violence and cruelty, fetish, a serial wife beater and adulterer’The petitioner alleged that her husband deliberately poisoned her drink which led to losing her pregnancy.According to the petitioner, the union, consummated in 2011, under the native law and custom, as well as exchange of marital vows in a Church, has produced three children, ages, 12 years, 11 years and 2 years.She urged the court to dissolve the marriage, grant custody of the three children to her and restrain the husband from using thugs or any security agents to harass her. (NAN)
The Northern Youths Assembly has cautioned the National Assembly against passing the Tax Reforms Bill from the executive before the legislature.This is contained in an open letter to the lawmakers signed by the group’s President, Dr Ali Mohammed, and Secretary-General, Dr Garba Abduljafiz and made available to newsmen in Kano on Thursday.
The group said the bill, if passed into law, would not be in the interest of the people, particularly youths, urging for broader consultation on matters of that nature. The youths urged the National Assembly to concentrate on youth-friendly laws to safeguard the country’s future instead.“The youth are Nigeria’s future, “and our prosperity hinges on investments in education, skills development, and job creation.“As the largest political demography in the nation, youth must have a say in laws and policies that directly impact the country’s future.“We call for the creation of a special place at the centre, to allow the youths to contribute to solutions that may promote sustainable development, job creation, and economic empowerment,” the group said.The group urged the lawmakers to focus more on making laws that would improve investment climate and job creation.“We urge the National Assembly members to direct their resources and energy towards creating laws that would prioritise and encourage foreign investment.“The laws should encourage skills development and jobs creation for the teeming population of the youths, to improve measures that risk stifling the Nigerian economic opportunity.“We also urge them to stop complying with the dictates and advisory of the agents of destruction, IMF and World.“We must stay away from the trap of the IMF and World Bank, as they are all out to destroy our country through their ill-formulated policies and misleading advisory’’, the group said. (NAN)
The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the emergence of a new terrorists’ group known as ‘Lukarawas’ exacerbating insecurity in the North Western part of Nigeria.The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known while briefing newsmen on the operations of the military on Thursday in Abuja.
Buba said that the new terror group emerged from the Republic of Niger after the coup that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger. He said that the terrorists began incursion into northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, particularly after the coup in Niger Republic.According to him, prior to the coup, there were joint border operations with Nigerien security forces which kept the terrorist at bay.“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology,” he said.Buba said that the group was accommodated by the locals who initially thought that the group meant well for them, adding that they failed to report the movement to the military and security agencies.He gave assurance that toops had sustained Imtelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to degrade the terrorists.He added that the terror group had continued to take advantage of the vast under-governed areas to hide and evade troops as well as harass the locals.According to him, troops are locating them and eliminating the threat. (NAN)
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