By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday, donated 100 motorcycles to the six Area Councils and security agencies to strengthen the fight against crimes in the city.The FCT Minister gave Nigeria Police Force 30 motorcycles, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) 5 motorcycles, Department of State Security Service (DSS) 5 motorcycles, and each Area Council got 10 motorcycles.

Wike, while handing over the 100 motorcycles to the beneficiaries in Abuja, urged them not to bring the motorcycles to the city center and do not want to continue to hear excuses that the terrain is so bad, they require this and that and they have not been given. According to the FCT Minister, remember that security agencies requested for a specialized motorcycle, that will be used particularly in the rural areas.”The vigilantes will use them in the six area councils, and then the Police, the SSS, and the Civil Defence will also want to do with theirs.”But let me caution, particularly to the security agencies, I don’t want to hear stories tomorrow that the motorcycles are nowhere to be found again, I don’t want to hear such stories. Because sometimes when you give out vehicles, before you know it, the vehicles are no longer there.”Please utilise these motorcycles to fight crimes in the areas you have identified. Ordinarily, the Chairman of the Area Councils ought to handle this, but this is our support to them in the area councils,” the minister said.He added: “Make sure that these motorcycles are given out to the vigilantes, and we are going to provide logistics for those who are going to use these motorcycles. We are going to provide logistics for them.”We have promised the residents of Abuja and the Area Councils that security is a priority for the Renewed Hope Agenda. Anything we can do to protect lives and properties; we are going to do it.”So, I urge you to use it well, and take it not for commercial purposes, not for commercial purposes. I don’t want to see the motorcycles in the city here. It should be used in the rural areas, so they should not be used here.”We are already trying to see how we can phase out motorcycles here, so please let it be taken to the rural areas. All the security agencies, the outposts give it to them. We do not want to continue to hear excuses that the terrain is so bad, they require this and that and they have not been given.”Now that you have been given, these may not be enough, we will continue to provide more. For vehicles, we believe by the next two weeks, the vehicles would have been ready to give out to the security agencies. For us, we will not relent until those who say we will not sleep, they too will also not sleep.”So, we will give out ten to each of the area councils, we will give out thirty to the Police, five for SSS, five for Civil Defence. But I have said, do not use it in the city here. If I find out you are using them in the city, I will find a way and take them back. Go and use it in the rural areas, they need protection and that is what we are doing.”In his response the Commandant General Vigilance Group of Nigeria, Navy Captain Abubakar Bakori Umar (retd), thanked the FCT Minister for donating operational motorcycles to the group to enhance community security in the six Area Councils, Abuja.And assured the Minister that the operational motorcycles given to the group will be judiciously deployed to enhance and strengthen rural security in the FCT.The Commandant General noted that officers and men of VGN are well trained and are embedded in the communities and rural areas across the country where they assist the police and other security agencies with vital intelligence resulting in successful counter insurgency operations.With the patrol motorcycles, Bakori assured the minister and FCT residents that they will enhance the operability and efficiency of VGN operatives while the incident response time will also be greatly reduced.

From Dan Amasingha, Minna

The worsening security situation within Minna metropolis due to Youth restiveness and cult crisis has claimed no fewer than three lives over the weekend.The three youths were reportedly killed as a result of a violent clash between two rival feuding youth groups with several others sustaining Injuries while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

The crisis which pitched youths of Maitumbi area of Minna, Bosso local government area against their invading counterpart started late on Sunday. It was gathered that properties that include cars, motorcycles, tricycles, shops among others were destroyed by the said youths who used dangerous weapons, stones, cutlasses, machete, knives to carry out their nefarious activities in the area.A resident of the worst affected area of Maitumbi area informed Daily Asset that the miscreants did not spear even the security agents, women, underage.They also use the opportunity to loot people properties, snatched phones, money and other valuable from their victims.According to the sources, this has become an annual decimal noting that, immediately after every Sallah celebrations this kind of youth restiveness will surface, and the innocent citizens becomes victims of the violence who were either killed or injured and they are not compensated by either the state or local governments.One of the victims, Mrs Alofetekun the wife of the late Correspondent of Guardian newspaper in Niger state Akin Alofetekun who visited Maitumbi Mountain for special prayers session said her car was completely destroyed by the hoodlums.The Residents appealing to Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to urgently do the needful to end the consistent activities of youth restiveness in Minna and environs.They lamented that the situation is out of control of the local government councils who are handicapped in handling the situation.the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has declared a State of Emergency on thuggery, noting that his administration has zero tolerance for rascality, criminality and thuggery in the state.When contacted, Niger state police command Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun who confirmed that two persons were killed, and 6 suspects arrested in connection with the incident while police are monitoring the situation to apprehend other suspects.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

A group of Tiv youths under the auspices of the Tiv Youth Patriotic Front, TYPF, on Monday, accused the Chief of Staff to Benue State Governor, Mr. Paul Biam intriguing discord between Tiv prominent leaders.The group who condemned in strong terms, comments by Biam in a viral video which makes a mockery of the peace efforts of the Tiv Traditional Council TTC, said the chief of staff should be held responsible for the failure of the peace deal between his principal Rev.

Fr. Hyacinth Alia and the secretary to government of the federation senator George Akume anchored the Tiv Traditional Council (TTC).It will be recalled that, the TTC under the leadership of the Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse, had on April 1st,2024, held a meeting with the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume to reconcile them following their sour relationship after the 2023 generation elections.The national President of the Tiv Youth Patriotic Front, TYPF, Yoosu Sooter Daniel in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi, explained that the aim of that meeting was to broker peace between the governor and the SGF, for the development of Benue State.”We all saw the SGF and the Governor embraced each other, and showed signs of commitment to work together for the development of Benue State.”Benue people were happy for the peace initiatives and commended the TTC for its intervention in the cold war between the governor and the SGF and their supporters.”This peace meeting was followed up with another between the TTC and members of the National Assembly of Tiv extraction, a few days later.”Benue people have observed a peaceful relationship between the governor and the SGF as well as members of the National Assembly from Benue State.”We also observed that the Akume’s camp has respected the peace deal and even restrained from making utterances against the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia”.”However, we are disturbed by the comments of Hon. Biam in a viral video which has been circulating online.”In the viral video, we saw the Chief of Staff to the Governor while addressing mourners at a burial in Vandeikya categorically saying that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State has two factions”,Yoosu Sooter Daniel stated.Mr. Scooter Daniel maintained that in the video, Biam further told the mourners that the Alia faction was the real or original APC and those who belonged to the Governor’s faction will have food to eat, while those APC members who don’t belong to the Governor’s faction will be treated as enemies, and even members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are regarded ahead of them.”We see the action of Biam as an affront and mockery of the peace efforts of the TTC. We equally see the actions of Mr Biam as a mockery of the efforts of the TTC, to bring peace between the governor and his party, the APC.”As youths of the Tiv Nation, we have observed that Mr Biam has categorically told the world that there can’t be peace between the governor, the SGF and the APC.”We however wish to remind Mr Biam that no society can develop in the absence of peace”, the president stressed.The group however called on the Tiv Nation to take note of crisis-preneurs like Mr Biam whom they said have continued to heat the polity against the decision of the Tiv traditional rulers.”The TTC and the good people of Benue State should hold Mr Biam responsible for the deliberate attempt to ensure the peace brokered by the TTC between the governor and the SGF fails, and hostilities resume”, the group said.