NEWS
Miyetti Allah Alleges Killing Herders, Farmers By Unknown Gunmen In Benue
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria ( MACBAN), Benue State chapter, on Thursday, alleged that unknown people with military and paramilitary uniforms have been killing herders and farmers in some communities living along Benue and Nasarawa States.
The association further stated that the unknown killers usually came to attack herders and farmers living in the communities along the Benue and Nasarawa States border.
Chairman of MACBAN in Benue State, Alhaji Mohammed Risku, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Makurdi, revealed that no fewer than 31 Fulani people including women and children have been killed so far by these unidentified persons between January and April this year, stressing that it has become practically impossible to know the true identities of those uniform men.
“Whenever these unknown people enter the communities, they will begin to attack our people, kill them, kill our cows and even kill local farmers too. We have been reporting these strange occurrences to the joint military operations covering Benue and Nasarawa States but, no action taken.
“The other day, 11 Fulani children were killed around Doma/Gwerwest border areas. Again, six Fulani herders were killed in Gwerwest. They were on bikes, attacked and killed by unknown people. Even at Guma LGA, one herder was attacked and killed, his bike was taken away. All these killings happened in this year 2024”, Risku lamented.
The MACBAN chairman advocated for setting up of a special joint security committee by the state government comprising of local farmers, local fulani herders and other stakeholders to coordinate the local security at the various communities faced with incessant attacks and killings in the state.
According to him, if the government could establish such a committee that could integrate the local farmers and Fulani herders to be recognised, supervised by government security agencies and state government, the incessant attacks and killings would be curtailed.
He said that the association in collaboration with the Benue State Government will soon embark on a statewide advocacy tour of communities located along the Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States to create security awareness.
According to him, the advocacy was necessary in order to enlighten local farmers and herders about the on going peace efforts by various governments, and the need to address issue of incessant attacks on communities in local government areas located in and around riverine areas of Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States
Corroborating the chairman’s position, the secretary of MACBAN, Alhaji Ibrahim Galma, maintained that the leadership of the Fulani herders in the State, have been advocating for such committee but the government is yet to give approval.
He noted that most of the challenges being experienced in the State today, were as a result of non integrations of Fulani group, adding that experience had shown that there were herders and farmers crisis in the State several years ago, and Guma local government area is the worst hit, but today, the local communities and the fulanis have cooperated and incorporated themselves and there is no more crises.
“So, the security agencies at Guma LGA are even now at rest because they don’t have problems of attack and counter attacks anymore, except the problem of bandits and ordinary criminals.
“Even talking about the attacks and killings in the Logo and Katsina-Ala axis of the state, there are large armed bandits and criminals inhabited in those areas which cannot be attributed to Fulani herdsmen.
“The entire Sankara axis was inhabited by a large number of criminal gangs and those criminal gangs are not of Fulani origin. Although,there are few bad fulanis who are also part of them and there are also those local farmers, indigenous youths from the areas who have taken into these dreaded acts due to consumption of illicit drugs.
“This criminal act of kidnappings and armed banditry has made these people acquire money and also have a very large empty area of hiding, especially around the Cameroonian and the Nigerian borders which is a very large empty area, so they are perpetrating crimes.
“So those crimes and criminalities within those axes were not associated with farmers and herders’ issues. Is completely criminal gangs and those gangs are coordinated”, Galma stated.
Speaking on the persistent attacks and killings in Adoka/Apa and Gwer west local government areas of the state, the secretary, said MACBAN could not ascertain on whether the act is being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen, hence there is no representatives of Fulani herders in the Adoka and Apa axis.
“Truly we have been hearing about the attacks and killings in those areas, but we cannot actually allude to the Fulani herdsmen being behind it because we have no representatives from that axis. These Ardos from zone C, most of their settlements are in Otukpo, Ohimini, Okpokwu and Ado LGAs and are not connected to the Apa/Adoka areas.
“Those herders around those areas are strange people and we believe that they are finding their roots from Nasarawa State. This information I am giving you, I believe that the police know about it because the entrance is through Rukubi where they crossed the border. So, we don’t have anything to say or do because when it comes to the issue of attacks and killings, we extonerate ourselves from it” Galma stated.
Israel has sent two planes to evacuate fans from Amsterdam after violent clashes between Israeli supporter and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the fringes of Ajax versus Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa Cup match.
“The Prime Minister has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens,.
“The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked’’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office posted on X on Friday morning.
The Israeli leader’s office called the incident horrifying and demanded that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens.
This clash was however unclear and yet to be unfolded.
The exact events remain unclear. The violent disturbances occurred around the Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday evening. Ajax won 5-0.
There were clashes in several locations in the centre of the Dutch capital; though it was not specified which side started the violence.
Around 60 people were detained temporarily on Thursday evening, the police said.
Amsterdam TV station AT5 reported that demonstrators threw chairs at Maccabi fans.
The police’s mobile units reportedly shielded the Israelis and escorted them to their hotels.
There were also clashes in the afternoon between Israeli football fans and security forces in the city centre.
According to police, about a dozen people were arrested for disturbing public order and illegal possession of fireworks.
Even before the match, there were isolated altercations near the stadium in the south-east of the city, the police said.
More than 200 demonstrators attempted to reach the venue, according to the police.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned these “unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis’’ on X and said he had since spoken with Netanyahu.
Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders called it a pogrom.
“We have become the Gaza of Europe,’’ he said, adding that Muslims with Palestinian flags were hunting down Jews.
Israel’s UN ambassador also referred to the incident on X as a pogrom.
Steffen Seibert, Germany’s ambassador to Israel condemned the incident.
“Chasing and beating up Israeli soccer fans is not anti-war protest.
“It is criminal and intolerable and we must all stand against it. As a European I am ashamed to see such scenes in one of our great cities,’’ he wrote on X.
However the Reaction from the United States (U.S.).
In New York, Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), described itself as the world’s largest anti-hate organisation.
He demanded that the Dutch government ensure the safety of Israeli fans, apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators and apologise for the violence.
“This is exactly what ‘globalise the intifada’ looks like,’’ Greenblatt wrote on X, saying there were mobs of hate-filled people who had attacked Israelis who came to Amsterdam to enjoy a football game.
Even New York Attorney General Letitia James chimed in on X, calling the attacks against Jews in Amsterdam “deeply disturbing and horrifying.’’
New York State, particularly metropolitan New York City, has a large Jewish population.
“We must do everything in our power to protect Jews in America and across the world.
“This anti-Semitism and violence must end now,’’ she wrote. (dpa/NAN)
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has given insurance companies Dec.31 deadline to clear all outstanding claims.
The Head, Communication and Stakeholders Management Sub-committee of the Insurers Committee, Mrs Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, made this known while addressing a news conference after a meeting of management in Lagos.
The meeting marked the first gathering of the Insurers Committee with Mr Segun Omosehin, as the Commissioner For Insurance.
Nwachukwu, also Managing Director, Rex Insurance Ltd., said the commissioner charged insurance companies CEOs at the meeting to ensure that no outstanding claims is captured at the close of their 2024 financial accounts.
The NAICOM boss, she said, tasked the insurance company’s executives to defend the insurance industry through payment of genuine claims, which is integral.
“The regulator said it would be checking in an intensive and focused manner, the outstanding claims in the insurer’s books.
“The commission said its focus is on the soundness of the insurance industry, measured by the ability of meet their obligations when due,”she said.
According to her, the commissioner also charged the insurance companies to take steps towards recapitalisation, by evaluating their financial position, as to the need to raise fresh capital.
She said the charge came by the regulator,having exposed a draft of the Risk Based Supervision (RBS) regulations to the operators, in the event that recapitalisation takes-off.
“If there will be need to raise capital, insurance companies need to start speaking with their different boards, shareholders about the possibility of recapitalisation happening, before it becomes a regulation,”she said.
Nwachukwu revealed that the commissioner further encouraged brokers to ensure strict compliance with the “no premium, no cover” regulation, having observed some violations to the regulation.
She said the commissioner also charged CEOs of insurance firms to get involved in addressing complaints.
Nwachukwu also stated that the regulator encouraged the insurance operators to submit the financial statements of their companies early enough, to create more confidence on the industry.
She mentioned that Omosehin charged the insurers to focus their attention significantly on Nigeria’s Data Protection regulations for the insurance industry.
The sub-committee chairman said NAICOM boss also wants insurance operators to pay specific attention to the implementation of the 10- year Insurance Strategic Plan.
She said this was important, having unanimously agreed to seven thrusts of commitment that would enable the industry meets its objective by year 2027.
Nwachukwu added that the commissioner charged the insurance operators to also pay attention to the legal and regulatory framework for the industry, under the Insurance Bill 2024.
“He spoke about focusing of compliance issues, under the Prudential Guidelines released by NAICOM to the insurers and put an end to Corporate Governance abuses, recognised within the industry.
“The commissioner discussed the National Credit Guarantee Scheme signed by President Bola Tinubu.
“If insurers invest in the scheme, we have the potential of sitting on the board of the facility, where a lot of decisions would be taken,”she said.
According to her, Omosehin also informed the insurance operators on the significant progress made on the Agency’s portal, noting that all resources are in place to continue the efficiency of the portal.
Nwachukwu said the present administration of NAICOM is very clear on the insurance industry and what it expects to see and has hinged its success on the collective Insurance Industry Reforms plans agreed upon as an industry.
She further said that the regulator insisted that insurers get the right approval from NAICOM before newly appointed Executive Director of insurance companies assumes their appointment.
The insurer stated that the committee also reconstituted its sub-committees in line with the pillars of its 10-year roadmap for the insurance industry.
Nwachukwu listed the reconstituted sub-committees of the Insurers Committee as, the Insurance Sector Stability committee,Communication and Stakeholders Management committee, Technology and Talent Management committee and Customer Service and Market Expansion committee.(NAN)
Three Israelis are missing following clashes between Israeli football fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the fringes of football club Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match in Amsterdam, according to Israeli authorities.
Ten people were injured in the violence, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Friday morning.
The degree of their injuries was initially unclear.
The ministry urged its citizens to use public transport to travel to the airport, after Israel had announced it was sending two planes to evacuate the fans.
Local security forces had been deployed, the ministry said.
The ministry had initially advised fans not to leave their hotels.
It also advised its citizens not to wear Jewish or Israeli symbols in public.
(dpa/NAN)
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