Father of five allegedly kills wife for money ritual

A bizarre incident occurred yesterday at Araromi Street in the densely populated Oshodi area of Lagos, following the killing of a mother of five by her husband. The suspect, Sogei Jafairu, who hails from Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo state, was suspected to have committed the act for ritual purpose. Late Rose and husband He was said to have returned home Thursday evening, after spending one week outside. His unsuspecting wife, Roselyn , who was a trader at Ijora market, prepared food for members of the family . But the food was alleged to have been poisoned by her husband, who also ate with her. At about 1am, Jafaru was said to have been seen pacing around his one room and parlour apartment. He was said to have also been sighted licking some black substance suspected to be concoction to neutralise the poisoned food he ate with his wife. Thereafter, he allegedly slit his wife’s throat with a knife, while she was sleeping. Saturday Vanguard gathered that he attempted to stuff the lifeless body inside a container when he suddenly started vomiting. One of their children, Richmond Sogei (16) narrated the incident when Vanguard visited. He said “My daddy and mummy never ate together since I grew up knowing them as my parents. We only saw them eating together for the very first time yesterday (Thursday) .Mummy came back from the market with some drinks she said we would use to celebrate Children’s Day today (yesterday) “We were surprised when we saw them eating beans and garri from same plate but concluded that it could be as a result of my kid sister’s birthday that was celebrated same day.We all went to bed without any thought of the unexpected. But at 3am my daddy woke me up and instructed me to go and meet my mum in the bedroom. I left the sitting room where I slept with my aunt and three siblings. As I was going to urinate, I saw daddy vomiting in the bathroom. I went outside to urinate and when I came back, I saw him lying down in the bathroom. When I flashed the torchlight, I noticed that he was vomiting some black substance. He also excreted on himself. Out of fear, I rushed to wake my aunt up to assist daddy. I also told her to wake mummy up to come and help daddy but she said that mummy was not responding. When I went inside and flashed my torchlight at her, I saw that the bed she laid on was socked with blood. On closer observation, I discovered a deep cut on her throat and passed out. “Daddy initially said somebody broke into the room and killed mummy but we discovered that the gate was locked. Later he said I was the one that killed my mummy. How can I kill a mother that has been playing the role of a father to us?. She was even sponsoring my elder brother, Collins who just gained admission into the University. She was the bread winner. Twice, we have been sent packing by our landlords at Michael and Banjoko streets because daddy could not pay the rent. Why would anyone think of killing such person? “, he asked, crying. Vanguard also gathered that the suspect had been beating the deceased before the incident occurred. On one of the occasions, she had threatened to quit the marriage. A relative of the deceased, Feronica Imomoh, revealed that the suspect accused his wife of infidelity. She said: “Our family had warned him to stop beating my sister . He does not have any job, she was the one feeding him and paying the rent. Anytime she collected gifts from her relatives, he would quarrel with her, accusing her of sleeping with men. There was a time he took him to our village in Edo State to swear before a shrine that she was not cheating on him. Just yesterday (Thursday) he demanded N10, 000 from her. She promised to raise the money by borrowing from her friends”. Jafaru who attempted to escape was apprehended by sympathisers until the arrival of policemen from Akinpelu who whisked him away and removed the corpse. Meanwhile, all apartments and shops at the two storey building located were under lock and key, as their occupants have fled, for fear of being arrested by the police. When contacted, Deputy Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Chukwuma Ozoani, a Deputy Superintendent of Police said that the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation. He said:”It was a murder case and the husband was suspected to be under the influence of drug. The case has been transferred to the SCID and investigation has commenced.”

Igbo Group Lament Buhari’s Shut-out of South East Region

Notable leaders of the South-East geopolitical zone Thursday in Enugu reviewed the place of the Igbo people in the nation’s present political configuration,  lamenting that unless the people came together to take their destiny in their hands, the future looked very bleak.

The leaders who spoke at the Anniversary lecture of Alaigbo Development Foundation,  a Corporate body comprising eminent scholars,  elders, public figures, clergy, youth and women committed to the rebuilding and development of the zone and the rebirth and advancement of the spirit of her culture and civilisation, delivered by the Arch Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Owerri, Dr. Anthony Obinna, entitled “Religion and Culture in the modern Igbo context: the Chukw-Kriti Dynamic”.

Among the notable leaders who lamented the fate of Ndigbo in the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari included former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, Secretary General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nworgu and the organisation’s former President-General, Dozie Ikedife, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, the ADC to late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu, Bishop Obi Onubuogu, Archbishops of Catholic,  Anglican and Methodist Churches and other traditional rulers.

They expressed dismay that the present administration had relegated the Igbos to the backgroud, noting that in the present arrangement, the people of the zone had been shut out from the nation’s security apparatus especially in the military and paramilitary,  a development they insisted portends great danger for the people.

The Archbishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma said Igbos had completely lost out insisting that urgent steps should be taken to address the anomaly.

On his part, former governor,  Obi urged both religious and traditional leaders to come together and find a lasting solution to the myriads of problems confronting the people of South-East zone.

“When I was in office, it wasn’t easy to bring even the governors of the south-east together for our parleys but we achieved it, and for two years since we left, they’ve not been able to come together. Our religious and traditional leaders should come together and proffer solutions to this problem.

“Another problem we have is the fact that our means of engagement is very low. The quality of our politicians is very low and as such they can’t proffer solutions.

For instance, in the senate, we need quality people there. Today, we have very important committees in the senate. Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano is heading Planning, Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe is heading Appropriation and Wammako, former governor of Sokoto is heading Education. Can you beat that.

“I’m not just talking about political leaders. Our means of engagement is very low. For instance, is Prof Wole Soyinka an elected person but when he speaks, everybody listens. We have such people here but they have refused to be part of the engagement. Igbos need to work together,  I’m urging the church to intervene and bring us together.  If we have our best in everything we do, it will augur well for us. For me, governance is about service, when I hear people saying different things at the same time, I simply shudder,  I passed through the process and we were able to achieve a lot.

“Our means of engagement is very low, not just those elected, even the followers. We have to come out with the voices of quality. We must up our game,” he noted.

On the Fulani herdsmen/farmers debacle, Obi kicked against the establishment of grazing reserves insisting that owners of cattle ought to establish ranches since it remained private businesses.

“People should build their own ranches and stop invading people’s farms, it’s their personal businesses. We don’t even have the land here let alone the one we will give free as grazing reserves,” he noted.

Earlier, the President of the Foundation, Prof Uzodinma Nwala said the mandate of ADF was to provide Research and Planning Support-base including Data Bank for the overall Economic and Social Development of Igbo land, noting that already the foundation is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and has global membership spread in the continents of Africa, Europe and America.

He said the foundation remained committed to promoting the deepest level of peaceful co-existence and corporation of Ndigbo with their neighbours both in Nigeria and throughout the African continent and indeed throughout the rest of the civilised world.

Other speakers including the chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Ambassador L.O.C. Agubuzu, Ohuabunwa, Methodist Archbishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Chris Ede and Onubuogu stressed the need for togetherness in Igbo land notung that the people of the area had great potentials to turn around their situation for the better.

Okocha, PawPaw shine at Yobo testimonial

Former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo scored twice on his testimonial game on Friday in Port Harcourt but it was another ex-Eagles captain Austin Okocha that wowed the fans  with his bag of tricks and exquisite passes. Team Nigeria beat Team World 5-4 in the encounter in which popular actor Osita Iheme, who is popularly called Pawpaw hit the back of the net.

 Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike took the ceremonial  kick-off at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka stadium but he earned an  ovation when  he hit the bar from the penalty spot  as  Nigeria  keeper Vincent Enyeama stood motionless.

Team Super Eagles parading  Enyeama, Danny Shittu,  Ifeanyi Udeze, Godfrey Oboabona, Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel  Emenike, Chukwu Ndukwe and Joel Obi, took the lead  after five  minutes  through Emenike.

 Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto’o then set up Team World’s  equaliser, Ghanaian Sulley Muntari converting the  ex-Barcelona star’s pass inside the box.  Thereafter, it was an Okocha show of skills and ball  juggling artistry. The ex-PSG man had a field day selling  dummies here and there with his flick-ons, back heels,  precise passes and more to the admiration of  the  fans.

 Joel Obi volleyed in Ambrose’s cross to make it 2-1 but  Eto’o waltzed past Oboabona and Shittu before rounding off  Enyeama to make the  score 2-2.

 Fans were stupefied as Enyeama pursued Eto’o around the pitch. The Lille man caught him and then celebrated the goal  with him.    Emenike replied  immediately using a series of leg-overs to  dash past Dele Ayenugba in goal for Team World and put his  side ahead 3-2.

 Okocha then set up Musa on the left wing and the CSKA Moscow man passed to Emenike to shoot home.

 Eto’o then held Okocha, calling on officials to substitute  the ex-Bolton midfielder but the fans rejected his appeals.

 Okocha returned and continued his dazzling displays.

 Captain Yobo reduced the score stroking home Eto’o’s pass  inside the box.

 After the break, Yobo captained the Eagles and should have  scored but his penalty was saved by Ayenugba. Osita Iheme, reduced the tally for Team World but it was too little too late as Yobo ended his final game a winner.

British Airways may exit Nigerian routes

British Airways is evaluating its routes to Nigeria, adding to aviation industry pressure on the Federal Government as sister carrier, Iberia, and United States competitor, United Airlines, halt flights to the country as traffic stutters and currency controls delay access to revenue.

The United Kingdom carrier is struggling to repatriate its share of the $575m that Nigeria currently owes to airlines globally from tickets sold, according to the Country Manager for British Airways and Iberia in Nigeria, Mr. Kola Olayinka.

Spanish carrier, Iberia, had on May 12, 2016 halted flights to Lagos “due to very difficult operating circumstances and dwindling passenger numbers,” he said in an e-mailed response to questions.The International Air Transport Association Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tony Tyler, met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo earlier in the week over the matter, Bloomberg reported.

In a statement on Wednesday, IATA warned that Lagos could lose its status as a hub to West Africa. United Airlines informed employees on Wednesday that it would end flights from the US to Nigeria on June 30 because of a lack of demand and difficulty in collecting payments.

The Chief Executive Officer, IAG, the parent company for British Airways and Iberia, Mr. Willie Walsh, said last month that Iberia would stop serving Lagos after the low price of oil caused Nigeria’s economy to contract for the first time since 2004 in the first quarter.

Limits on dollar repatriation have been imposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria as reserves slip to $26.5bn, the lowest in more than a decade, from more than $30bn in early 2015.

“Exiting Nigeria is a very big decision” and “not taken lightly” following London-based British Airways’ 80 years of operations in the country, Olayinka said. “I believe very strongly that we will keep evaluating the situation, but I can assure you, BA is very committed to Nigeria.”

The government is assessing the situation, while the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has suggested a flexible exchange rate regime that would end the naira’s peg to the US dollar, Olayinka said.

The IAG is awaiting details of the policy “so that we can start the process of rebuilding,” he said.

Fair rating in security, anti-terror war

President Muhammadu Buhari took over government at a time when the greatest threat facing the country was terror. At the time, Nigeria was said to have lost about 12,000 people to the activities of the deadly Boko Haram insurgent group and the people were looking for a knight in shining armour to save them from the terrorists.

And there came Buhari, a former military officer, with a no-nonsense reputation that perfectly fit the profile of a Mr. Right. Nigerians voted for Buhari and true to his promise to deal with the problem, the President’s first trips were to adjoining Cameroon and Niger to strengthen Nigeria’s collaboration with its neighbours to form a united front against terror.

As Buhari celebrates one year in office on Sunday, May 29, 2016, experts say the President has done well within the period to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty from the terror group, whose aim is to Islamise the country. For instance, a security expert, Mr. John Enweliku, said President Buhari deserved to get 75 per cent score with the way he has dealt with the threat of Boko Haram“                                          I will give him 75 per cent because he has improved on what former President Goodluck Jonathan did in the war against Boko Haram,” Enweliku said.

“President Buhari has been able to weaken the Boko Haram sect and brought some measure and feeling of safety to Nigerians and the North-East.”

Also, a United Kingdom-trained criminologist and Chairman of Puma Eye Security Services, Mr. Pedro Ayandokun, agreed that President Buhari had performed well in the fight against Boko Haram, but said that he had underperformed in securing the lives and properties of Nigerians from other threats such as Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers, Niger Delta militia men and armed robbers.

Indeed, clashes between communities and Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria preceded President Buhari’s government, but in the last one year, such clashes have arguably increased with more daring attacks by the nomadic cattle rearers.

Experts said President Buhari had failed to deal with this problem.

For instance, in April 2016, about 40 persons were reportedly killed by some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State. About seven communities in Nimbo including Ngwoko, Ekwuru, Ebor, Umuome and Ugwuachara were reportedly attacked by the herdsmen, killing people and domestic animals and burning houses, churches and vehicles.

About two weeks later, some Fulani herdsmen also reportedly invaded Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, killing about 300 people.

The Fulani were alleged to have vowed to take over the area because according to them, the quality of the grass there is perfect for their cattle.

These are only two of the many attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on communities under Buhari’s government and the Federal Government, the police and other security agencies have been largely blamed for failing to deal with the problem. It has also been suggested in some quarters that the Fulani herdsmen have been emboldened by Buhari’s alleged laid-back attitude to the activities of his tribesmen.

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State had during the week banned grazing and rearing of cattle in the state following an attack by suspected herdsmen on some residents of Oke Ako in Ikole Local Government Area of the state last week.

Two persons died from the attack while three others were said to have been injured.

“We will not leave our lands for Fulani herdsmen and in a system where the leadership of the country looks the other way while our people are being killed, we will have no option than to defend ourselves by whatever means,” the governor had said.

Ayandokun, who was in support of Fayose’s stance on the issue, described President Buhari as concentrating too much on Boko Haram at the expense of other security threats in the country.

“One area where Buhari has not succeeded is in dealing with the problem of Fulani herdsmen,” he said.

“President Buhari needs to resolve the issue before he can be said to have done well in the area of national security. So far, the issue is a blot on his efforts to provide security in the country. So, I will give him less than 50 per cent score in the provision of security. People may criticise Governor Fayose but there is sense in what he was saying. He came out to say that the Ekiti people would have to fight the war by themselves since the Federal Government has not shown the commitment to deal with the issue.

 “Buhari has only concentrated on Boko Haram and we can see the implication because we now have various products of the sect coming up.”

Ayandokun, however, advised that the government “come up with a strong policing and judicial system to fight crimes.”

“If kidnappers and other criminals know that they will get life imprisonment or death sentence, their numbers will reduce,” he added.

Enweliku, who also agreed that President Buhari had failed in dealing with the threat of Fulani herdsmen, advised the government to “reform the police force, employ more policemen and military men, and adequately train them because the country does not have enough security operatives.”

He said, “I don’t believe in the grazing bill some people are clamouring for in the National Assembly because it won’t solve the problem. With the violence all over the place, Nigeria with a population of about 180 million is too large for the about 250,000 policemen that we have. The army also needs more men because the soldiers are the ones that have been fighting Boko Haram and going to the creeks to fight militia men.”

Yemi Alade And Wizkid Nominated for 2016 BET Awards

Yemi Alade and Wiz Kid have been nominated for best international Act Africa for 2016 BET Awards. 
Alade who officially started music in an all-girl group called Noty Spices in 2005, but her music became known after she won the Peak Talent Show in 2009.
In the last quarter of 2013, she broke records when her most recent hit single, “Johnny”, produced by Selebobo, got online via the internet.
The song became an international hit as it dominated music charts in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, UK, among others.
Alade has been featured on the covers of several magazines and performed around the world, sharing the stage with both local and internationally renowned artists.
She also headlined the Super Diva’s Nite at the 2013 Calabar Festival, and opened for the 2013 headies award known as Nigerian Grammy’s. On the other hand, Wiz Kid is a very successful musician whose fame cannot be under rated.
Wiz Kid has been nominated for the third time and Alade is on for the second time.
Peter Okoye has signed a new act on his label ‘P-Classic records’. 
Peter Okoye from the Popular P Square has signed an new act ‘P-Classic records’. As Peter continue to succeed in his solo career, he has signed Papi J, Kaffy’s drummer husband. According to Peter Okoye, Papi Jay has released a new song which featured him and Selebobo titled ‘Forget Your Level’.

The History Of Children’s Day Celebration In Nigeria

CHILDREN’S DAY is one dedicated to celebrate “childhood”, it is On this day that tribute is paid to all children in the world.
Children are loved by one and all and they win over our hearts with their angelic eyes and innocent smiles.
Children’s Day is an event celebrated in many places around the world. The holiday is simply set to honour children and minors.
The International Children’s Day had its origin in Turkey in 1920 (April 23, 1920) and later in the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925.
Children’s Day was first celebrated worldwide in October 1955, under the sponsorship of International Union for Child Welfare in Geneva.
The idea of a Universal Children’s Day was mooted by Rubab Mansoor grade 8 and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954.
First proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954, it was established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world’s children.
It was also chosen as the day to celebrate childhood. Generally, children get all excited and eagerly await the day.
All the local schools go to their local stadium where each school has a special march which they perform.
The school with the best marching performance wins the honour for that year.
May 27 is traditionally the Children’s Holiday in Nigeria. First established by the United Nations in 1964, the day remains important in the lives of many Nigerian kids.
On this day every year, children are granted a holiday while several social activities are centered on them. Excused from school, most kids converge at stadiums and centers to commemorate the event.
It has also become the habit of some government officials and media organisations to honour some children with leadership opportunities.
Certain radio and TV stations do this by featuring child broadcasters on air and letting them anchor their programmes for the early part of the day.
Furthermore, information from UNICEF as at 2010 states that 6,332,000 childbirths occur in Nigeria annually. This shows how important they are in Nigeria’s national statistics.
One would wonder then if parents should not strive to ensure good parenting.
When parents are seriously busy, children can often spend more time with unpredictable maids, unrated media content and their peers than with their parents. This often instills bad influences into their lives and is the cause of misconduct.
As we celebrate another children’s day, parents should sincerely evaluate their parent-child relationships.
If in doubt that their efforts are adequate or that the children are heading in the right direction, they should make proper amendments.
They should do these things knowing that vagabonds do not grow from the soil and neither do terrorists fall from the sky.

MMWG Urges Police To Expedite Justice On The Abuse Of Baby Musa Muritala

The Report of Child Abuse and Infliction of terrible injury on 20 months old baby, Musa Muritala in Kano, Kano State, went viral in the Social Media and the pages of Newspapers this week. 

The injury which involved fractures on his two legs and arm, also had serious damage to his eyes and private parts were allegedly done by his two step mothers.
This was disclosed in a press release by the Coordinator, Muslim Media Watch of Nigerian (MMWG), Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim on Friday.
He said since then, what has been missing in the report so far is the police Report and update on the actions taken to bring the culprits to justice.
“The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria therefore calls on the Kano State Police Command to come out with its report, on how far about the arrest of the devilish women who did that to innocent baby out of pure jealousy and wickedness.” He added.
The MMWG coordinator, said that The Child Right Act has sufficient provisions to deal with the crimes against innocent children and youth that are being committed across the whole Country, such as Infliction of injury, abduction, kidnapping, raping.
He called on the police diligent prosecution of the case so that appropriate judicial sanction could be meted out to the accused.
Ibrahim urged Civil Society and Religious Organizations to join hands to fight crimes Prevalent in the Nigerian Society.

Dangote Gives Micro-Grant To Disadvantaged Women In Lagos

Supporting social and economic change through investments and interventions that improve the lives of the less privileged will make a positive difference in the growth of Nigeria, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote said on Friday.

Mr Dangote made the statement during the launch of his Micro-Grant Programme and distribution of 400 million Naira to disadvantaged women in Lagos State.

Wealth, they say is not measured by quantity, but by the number of lives it has touched.
That perhaps best describes what Aliko Dangote Foundation is doing for women in Lagos State.
The 400 million Naira would be disbursed to 40,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable women across the state.
Quite elated by the gesture, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said the move would complement the efforts of the state Government’s Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction Programme.
The distribution of the grant to beneficiaries will commence on Wednesday, June 2.
Besides Lagos, over 250,000 women have so far benefited from the programme across six states.
The programme targets a minimum of 1,000 vulnerable women in each of the 774 local government areas across Nigeria.

Lagos Lifts Movement Restriction Order For NABTEB Exams On Saturday

The Lagos State Government has lifted the restriction order on human and vehicular movement during the May Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise.

The State government announced the lifting of restriction on Friday, saying the decision was taken in order to allow free movement of examination materials and also for Students, Invigilators and other Stakeholders to ensure effective participation in the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) Examination.

NABTEB examination is expected to be held across the Nation on Saturday, May 28.
In a Statement by a spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, Tunde Awobiyi, the Honourable Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, however, urged Lagos residents to still observe the monthly exercise by cleaning their homes and clearing the drains in their neighbourhood so as to prevent flooding in the State.
He said such exercise would allow free flow of water as the raining reason gathered momentum.
He stressed that the monthly cleaning exercise would resume next month.
The Commissioner said that it became imperative for the State Government to waive the restriction order to avoid jeopardising the future of the candidates whose counterparts in other parts of the federation would write the same examination.
“As a responsible and responsive government, we value the education of our children very dearly and therefore resolved to relax the order in the interest of the future leaders of tomorrow.
“As we are all aware, Lagos is a Coastal City that has high water table levels and prone to flooding whenever it rains. We must therefore imbibe habits which will reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of flooding in the State,” he said.
The Commissioner enjoined Lagos residents to shun acts that could aggravate the adverse global climatic conditions, noting that “people should not dump waste in unauthorized places like canals and drainage channels”.
He said that the target of the state this year was to sustain past record of flood abatement, thus making it possible for the State not to experience flooding as in the past years.
“This can only be achieved through effective collaboration of the people,” he stressed.
According to him, the issue of sanitation has become very critical, especially with the geometrical population explosion in the state, adding that the regular clean-up for a healthier, cleaner and Sustainable Environment has become a matter of survival for residents.

Niger Delta Avengers Blow Up NNPC Pipeline

Barely 24 hours after the Niger Delta Avengers blew up Chevron’s Escravos pipeline, the militants say that they have blown up a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The group said in its Twitter feed on Friday that it blew up the NNPC gas and crude trunk line close to Warri in Delta State, Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.

The spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr Eric Omare, said that another crude pipeline was attacked on Thursday night near Batan Oil field in Warri.
He added that there were two simultaneous attacks on the PPMC and NNPC pipelines.
The NNPC is yet to confirm this incident.
The attack is coming as the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said that government needs to improve its amnesty programme for militants in the Niger Delta to address neglect by the government and international oil companies.

Anambra’s Future Greatness is Assured in our Children—Obiano

The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has expressed optimism on the future greatness of the state on account of the tremendous promise shown by the children of the state.
Obiano who spoke at the ceremonies marking the celebration of this year’s edition of Children’s Day at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka expressed his happiness that the efforts of the APGA-led administration to mould Anambra children into future leaders were beginning to yield desired results.
Said he: “Our children have powerfully responded to our efforts to plant greatness in them. Indeed, it is gratifying to see that the Anambra child has set himself apart from his contemporaries across the country. He has shown a tremendous hunger for achievements that even the world can no longer ignore.”
The Governorlauded the state’s Debate Teams that won a bronze medal at the World Schools Debate Championship in Singapore last year and the one that would represent the country at this year’s World Championship that would hold in Germany in July.
“Our children have also continued to dominate in External Exams in the country. Anambra has produced the best results in WAEC and NECO exams in the past three years. In fact, because of our children’s excellent performance in these exams, the Registrar of NECO, Prof.AbdulrashidGarba visited me at the Governor’s Lodge last year to commend Anambra for recording 80% in 5 Credits including English Language and Mathematics in the year 2015 NECO exams. Biko, let’s put your hands together for umu-aka Anambra!” he further declared.
Speaking further, Governor Obiano therefore reasoned that the celebration of Children’s Day had given him the opportunity“to affirm our faith in the Nigerian child; to rededicate ourselves to the belief that the little acorns we nurture today will become the mighty oaks of tomorrow!So, I urge you all to join me in affirming our faith in the children of Anambra State, the children of Igboland and the children of Nigeria today!”
Quoting American poet, Carl Sandbarg’s comment that “A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on,” Governor Obiano explained that his administration had affirmed that the world should go with the plans it had rolled out for the Anambra child.
“Our plans for the Anambra child starts from maternal healthcare, through basic education to secondary education and finally, tertiary education. Our “No-Child-Left-Behind” educational policy ensures that education is an entitlement of every Anambra child. Our Free-education policy for children living with disability ensures that education is not a privilege but a heritage of the Anambra child,” he further disclosed.
Urging Nigerians to show more interest in the education and upbringing of their children, Governor Obiano declared his total agreement with the saying of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy of the US that “children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see,” reasoning that “these children gathered here before us today may well be the greatest proof that we did our work well as parents and teachers and as a government.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Social Welfare, Children and Women Affairs, Dr. Mrs. Victoria Chikwelu had explained that the Obiano administration had from inception treated issues affecting children with utmost care and importance.
The highlight of the event was a riveting calisthenics display by children drawn from different secondary schools across the state.

Enugu CP talks tough on crime control

The Enugu state commissioner of police Emmanuel Ojukwu has spoken tough on the need to reduce crime and criminality in the state by ensuring that communities and environment are made safe and secured.Ojukwu made this known on 9th of May, 2016  at the state police Headquarters Enugu on the occassion  of his maiden address of  Area commanders, Divisional Police officers and other Heads of Department in the command.
He however expressed sadness  over the recent loss of lives and properties at Nimbo in Uzouwani Local Government Area of Enugu state and revealed thata high powered investigative team has been dispatched by the Inspector General of Police Solomon E. Arase to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the incident and noted that any person found to have been directly or indirectly involved,will face the full sanctions as stipulated by the law.
The commissioner of police, having analysed the security situation  in the state,warned all officers and men to shape up or ship out while he also admonished them to live up to their responsibilities of rendering quality service to the people of the state.He advised officers to embrace the full tenets of community policing which include partnership,openness,accountability and respect for human rights and to work assidiously to restore public confidence.The commissioner of police however warn in strong term that he will not accept excuses for fairlure to deliver while warning criminally elements in the state  to change from their evil ways as the command has mapped out robust crime preventive strategies to flush out criminals from the state.

T.B. Joshua On Food Scarcity - "You Have Not Seen Anything Yet"

On Sunday May 22, 2016, T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), made some shocking revelations on his Emmanuel TV station concerning Nigeria and the world at large.  The ‘prophet’ spoke on many issues including the recent EgyptAir crash, African politics and agriculture, even warning of a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom.

He read out a transcript of the prophecies he had given during his New Year’s Crossover Service, highlighting particularly the national food scarcity. On each point read, he expanded further, detailing what Nigeria and Africa are to expect in the nearest future.

FOOD SCARCITY

“There will be large scale scarcity, shortage of food. As a state, country, continent, we have to go back to the farm to arrest, to alleviate the forthcoming situation”, he read. Further expanding on the details of the prophecy, he said, “It is only a ‘shortage’ that you are experiencing now; you have not experienced ‘large scale.’ ” Giving further insight,he proclaimed, “This one that I am saying now, ‘scarcity’, ‘large scale’, it's a proverb. Whatever you can do from now till December - all of your money you will use to buy food - you will not have enough to buy.”


Advising those in the real-estate business he said, “If you are the type planning to build a house now, stop it for the mean time. If you are in the business of buying land, stop it for the mean time - look for another business. Stop it for the mean time until February next year. Use that money on the need of people now.”

Giving a sombre warning, he said, “I'm preparing you. Get ready; lager scale scarcity is coming!”

In the last few days, Nigerians have woken up to the stark reality of the rising food scarcity. Several reports were released on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday detailing the extent of the current national food woes. Tomato ebola, violence from fulani herdsmen, missed harvests and rising transportation costs have all been attributed as the cause of the food shortage and spiralling food prices.
 

On the rise of "tomato ebola", Kaduna state agriculture commissioner, Manzo Daniel, said: "This is only the beginning of a disaster if we don’t take drastic measures because the disease is fast spreading across the north.”

NIGERIA'S ECONOMY

On the economic plight Nigerians are facing, Joshua read from his beginning of year prophecies: “The president will do everything to reject devaluation of the naira – which is a good idea from a good leader. But there will be overwhelming pressure which he will not be able to resist. Nigeria, we are in a valley. The future is crying for help.”

Expanding on the ‘valley’, Joshua said: “I explained that we are in a valley but it is not the valley of the shadow of death. There is no snake or scorpion, it's different. When you are in the valley you will cry and cry but you will still get out of the valley.”
 

“You have to continue to cut your coat according to your size. Don't just continue to spend your money on something that won't be able to help you. Spend your money on something that the whole world will be looking for - food, shelter.”
 
AFRICAN POLITICS
 
Moving on the political climate in Africa, Joshua noted: “African leaders should quickly arrest the political situation. 50% of counties that do elections, at least 45% of them will face crisis.  More African countries will be under siege by terrorists because of pros and cons in choosing leaders. Mishandling of electoral processes will create a conducive atmosphere for terrorists.”
 
UK TERROR WARNING
 
Joshua also claimed to have seen an attack in the United Kingdom. He said: “Pray for the United Kingdom like the railways, people, and crowds where people gather because I'm seeing some funny people in their country. But I am seeing with prayer and proper security it will be avoided but there will be a sign or trace that this happened but it will not happen the way that it was supposed to have happened but they will know that something happened there.”
 
The day following Joshua's warning, 27 schools had to close nationwide in the UK due to a bomb scare. Apparently, anonymous repeated calls were made to each school, warning of explosive devices. The callers told the receptionists that "if the school called the police the bomb would be detonated immediately". The threats continued on Tuesday with more schools being evacuated.
 
ANOTHER PLANE INCIDENT
 
On the Egypt Air crash, Joshua said: “Egypt has happened and the other one I am seeing is very close and I am going to say the country and the place. This one that I am seeing now is bigger than the one that happened. This one is very close now.
Every airport security must be tight. You should be careful who you employ to fly as a pilot or flight attendant because they too will apply for this kind of job and they will be patient enough; if it is one or two years they will be patient until the achieve their goal.”
 
The cleric dishes out national and international predictions on a regular basis, using the platform of his Sunday services, broadcast live on his Emmanuel TV.
 
While some embrace his prophecies, upholding him as an end-time prophet, others are highly skeptical. Despite mixed reactions to his prophecies and purported miracles, Joshua has a huge following worldwide, with his YouTube Channel having over 350,000 subscribers and 2.2million following him on Facebook.  
 
 
*Photo Caption - T. B. Joshua

This administration is aware that it wasn't elected to make excuses' - Lai Mohammed says

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Buhari-led administration is aware it was not elected to make excuses but that the change they promise is a gradual process. According to Mohammed, they will change the misfortunes of the past administration into blessings. Lai said this while speaking ‎with members of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) ahead of the one year anniversary of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government

'This administration is aware that it was not elected to make excuses, but to put the nation back on a sound economic footing, ensure the security of lives and property and banish corruption. We have therefore decided to turn the disaster that we inherited into a blessing by diversifying our economy away from the mono-product of oil, leveraging on agriculture, solid minerals as well as culture and tourism, among others. Change is not instant coffee. ‎In the words of Henry David Thoreau, all misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune. Change is no instant coffee, it is a process. We are now laying a solid foundation for our country. The road will be rough, but as the saying goes, the darker the night, the brighter the morning. Our long suffering people will surely smile again.”‎he said

FG, Niger Delta stakeholders resolve to stem pipeline vandalism as FG promises economic empowerment for region

The Federal Government and stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have resolved to work together to stop the recent upsurge in attacks on critical oil and gas installations and ensure security, stability and economic development of the area. Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting with stakeholders in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to check the resurgence of pipeline sabotage in the region.

Dr. Kachikwu said all the stakeholders resolved that solutions to the incessant attacks on oil and gas pipelines are within the communities, stressing that communities were now saddled with the responsibility of ensuring protection of pipelines within their domain. He added that all the states in the region would nominate 4 or 5 representatives that would work hand-in-hand with security agencies to secure oil facilities in their respective states.

The Minister further stated that it was resolved that violence was not an option in resolving the problems of the Niger Delta and that all threats from the region should end henceforth. He stated that there was need to reach out to all other stakeholders who were not part of the meeting to embrace peace and dialogue. According to him, there was the need to restructure the Amnesty Programme so as to address the critical issue of neglect by the government and international oil companies.

“The Niger Delta Governors must be involved in providing lasting solutions to the resurgence of pipeline vandalism and there is urgent need to create business opportunities for the locals in the region,” Dr. Kachikwu stated.

Gov. Adams Oshiomole and other leaders of the Niger Delta region who spoke at the meeting urged the agitators to drop their arms and embrace dialogue as the Federal government was committed to the development of the area. All the stakeholders who spoke at the meeting reassured that they would take the message of peace back home in order to provide a win-win situation for the Federal Government and the Niger Delta region.

The meeting was attended by high level government functionaries such as the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole; National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. General Mohammed Babagana Monguno(Retd.); Minister for Niger Delta, Usani Uguru; Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heneiken Lokpobiri , Coordinator Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (Retd.); and stakeholders from Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta and Ondo States.

Female student of Bayero University commits suicide

 The sad news was shared by OAP, Bello Lukman of Unity FM Jos, on his facebook page. He wrote:

"A female student in the Department of Library Science, Faculty of Education Bayero University Kano Sarah Imoleaya has ended her life by taking an insecticide. Sarah, an Indigene of Edo state dropped a suicide note saying, "I will not apply for course suspension my academics is all I live for. If I can't get it right, F... K existence. The deceased had gone to the faculty office to see if anything could be done about her case, but she found out that it was too late to make amends. Consequently, she left the office and descended to the stairs where she left her bag. There, she wrote the suicide note and brought out a container containing Sniper insecticide. She left her mobile phone, charger, suicide note, her bag and the container under the staircase. She was rushed to the hospital where she died.

Women from Yeghe, Rivers State protest harrassment and arrest of their paramount ruler by the Nigerian Army

A group of women from Yeghe Community gathered Wednesday, May 25, to protest the harrassment and arrest of their paramount ruler, HRH Barinadaa Gbaranee by soldiers.
According to Thisday, soldiers from the 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, stationed in Bori, on Monday arrested the monarch (pictured) after his house vandalized.

Yeghe Community, in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State has been a hot-bed of army operations since the army invaded the community in February in search of former agitator, Solomon Ndigbara, whom the military has since declared wanted.

The Assistant Director Army Public Relations, 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Capt. Eli Lazarus, confirmed the arrest of the traditional ruler but however, sad the army "invited" Gbaranee for questioning concerning an investigation it was carrying out.

A text message from Lazarus, said: The paramount ruler of Yeghe Community, Barinadaa Gbaranee was invited by 2 Brigade Nigerian Army in connection with an on-going investigation that relates to security within his domain. I assure you that he will return to his ccommunity as soon as investigation is completed.

Photo credit: Scannews News
Source: Thisday

Lagos State Govt appoints retired Hon. Justice Adesola Oguntade as the Fourth Chancellor of LASU

The Lagos State Government has appointed retired Honourable Adesola Oguntade as the Fourth Chancellor of the Lagos State University, along with other respected men and women who have excelled in their various fields, as members of the 10th Governing Council of the University.

Speaking on new developments for the School, Governor Ambode confirms that he assented to the bill amending the Lagos State University Law. With these amendments, Academic Staff of Professional Cadre can now retire at the age of Seventy (70) years while Academic Staff of other Cadres and Non-Academic Staff will now retire at Sixty-Five (65) years.

Also, Students can now reside on Campus and the Vice Chancellor shall henceforth hold office for a single term of five (5) years.

Former South Africa coach Ted Dumitru dies after collapsing due to heart attack

Former South Africa soccer coaching legend Ted Dumitru, 76, is dead. It was announced on Thursday afternoon that the former Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana mentor died due to a heart attack after collapsing at Eastgate shopping mall in Johannesburg in the early hours of Thursday, 26 May 2016.
Theodore Dumitru aka "Ted"was a football manager who last worked as a technical director for Mamelodi Sundowns in the South African Premier Soccer League. He was the former coach of the South Africa national football team.

He led Bafana Bafana at the 2006 CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt, where the national team were eliminated in the group stages.

May his soul Rest In Peace!! Amen.

‘How we hijacked 33,000-litre fuel tanker’

Ibadan—Oyo State Police Command, yesterday, paraded some suspects, who specialised in hijacking fuel-laden tankers along Oyo-Ilorin Expressway, Ogbomoso, at gunpoint. One of the suspects, Dauda Akanji, 42, narrated how they operate to newsmen at the Police headquarters at Eleyele, Ibadan, saying they had successfully hijacked two petrol-laden tankers in the past before they were caught by the police last week. The suspected fuel tankers hijackers He said: “We had successfully hijacked two trucks in the past along this same road. Whenever the six of us sight an unsuspecting truck laden with petrol, we make sure we pursue the driver after which one of us will climb the truck and demobilise the pedal. “Thereafter, the drivers will have no choice but to stop and on sighting us they run away, leaving behind the keys to the truck. We then drive the trucks to where we sell the products to our receivers.” Akanji added that he was led into the act out of frustration, as he was not doing well in his spare parts business. During the parade, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, said the suspects were arrested after they had snatched an Iveco truck with number plates XT 643 FKJ at Gbede Village, Ogbomoso, adding that they also carried out series of other robbery operations along the same road in the past. ATM card fraudster Also paraded yesterday was one Joshua Adejumo, 38, who was found with different 14 Automated Teller Machine, ATM, cards. He was nabbed by operatives of the command after a complaint was lodged against him by a victim at the Iyaganku Police Station. Oyebade said: “Joshua, in his usual manner, approached one Abosede Ganiyu, a sales girl, who had gone to withdraw money from the ATM of a commercial bank at Dugbe and offered to render assistance to the victim. “While pretending to help, he deceived his victim into believing that the card had been seized by the machine, but cleverly hid it only to use the same card to withdraw N214,000 from the savings account of one Temitope, who had sent her sales girl to make some withdrawal for her.” However, the suspect, Joshua, who claimed to be a commercial driver, said: “Someone did it to me. That was why I started doing it. Whenever I see anyone come to the ATM and cannot operate the machine, I offer assistance to them. “I will then say their ATM card is stuck in the machine. The unsuspecting customer proceeds into the banking hall to complain and I would, thereafter, withdraw money from the customer’s account. “I do not get a lot of money from this act. The money I get I use to maintain myself.

C’ River loses revenue to delayed cocoa allocation

The Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor on Cocoa Development, Mr. Oscar Ofuka, says the state is losing millions of naira following the delay in the release of the cocoa allocation list.

Ofuka, who made this disclosure in Calabar on Wednesday in preparation for the farming season, immediately directed the state’s Cocoa Allocation Committee to release, without delay,  a revised list of cocoa allocation for 2016 farming season.He said that the directive had become necessary as the continued delay in the release of the allocation list was costing the state millions of naira in revenue.

He urged members of the committee to bury their individual interests and work for the benefit of the generality of the people of the state.

Ofuka, who is also the chairman of the state’s Cocoa Technical Management Team, disclosed that some of the cocoa estates were being destroyed daily by unpatriotic elements.

He blamed such incidents on the continued delay in the release of the allocation list, adding that farmers would start planting as soon as they got their farmlands.

“You cannot witness destruction of any kind if cocoa season is on because everybody will be busy in their farms,” he said.

He warned those perpetrating such acts to desist or the long arm of the law would descend on them.

According to him, the state government is determined to make cocoa the mainstay of its economy in view of the dwindling allocation from the Federation Account.

Be patient with govt, Kalu pleads with Nigerians

In commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day, on May 29, former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu has implored Nigerians to exercise patience as President Muhammadu Buhari, tries to fix the country battered by the last administration.
“The rot perpetrated by the previous regime, under the leadership of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, over the years, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will take some time for clean-up.
“Nigerians must display endurance at this critical time as President Buhari cleans the augean stable.
“It is quite easy and simplistic to destroy but takes a longer period, commitment, hard work and sacrifice to correct ingrained anomalies. There can be no magic wand in sorting out the maze of unprecedented corruption, official banditry, nonchalant looting and holistic underdevelopment, which characterised the immediate-past government.
“Once more, I seize this occasion of the 2016 Democracy Day to enjoin fellow Nigerians to understand the predicament in which we are, which was created by President Buhari’s predecessor in office and collaborate with the current turn-around team of leaders at various levels in the country in the redemption and repositioning of our fatherland,” Kalu pleaded.
In a statement issued by Kalu’s media adviser, Mr. Ebere Wabara, the former governor declared that, with the support of everyone, Nigeria will soon regain its lost glory and bounce back to the era of national flourish, continental leadership and global pride.

Exclusive Hydraulix Music Group Production: "Kontihene - Omame Opapa"

Kontihene the King, has yet again released another exclusive banger produced by Hydraulix Fonye, the Music Scientist. This song is so refreshing that it carries you along with its dynamic Afrocentric groove.
The beat was creatively produced with a sampling chanting the title of the song, "Omame Opapa".
I have a strong feeling that the award winning artiste, Kontihene is just getting started. I love this joint and I'm very sure you'll love it too. Big ups to Hydraulix Fonye for this fantastic production. I assure u that you'll put this song on repeat. #RoyalFamilyEntertainment #HydraulixMusicGroup

Killer herdsmen may be Boko Haram affiliates – Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said some of the killer herdsmen, who had wreaked havoc in Benue, Enugu and Ekiti states among others, may have affiliation with the Boko Haram insurgents.
He said this on Thursday in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, when he paid a courtesy visit to the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at his Oke Mosan office.
Buratai, who was also visiting Army formations in the state, said this probability was already being investigated as the troops continued their onslaught on the insurgents in the North-East.
He, however, called on all Nigerians to be security conscious and report any suspicious movement of persons in their communities to security agents.
The Army chief added, 'One may not be too far from the fact that some of these herdsmen that are attacking communities across the country may have some affiliation with the Boko Haram terrorists.'
'This we are further investigating and also pursuing them so that we can address the situation.
'Let's report quickly movement of suspicious persons carrying arms especially. If you suspect any individual within your community, we should be able to report immediately. Timely information is very important.
'We have our troops deployed in certain areas and I believe the Police are working with them to be able to tackle any challenge that comes in immediately.'
Buratai, who explained that the insurgents had been largely defeated, said there was no community in the North-East under the sect's control.
He said, 'Our troops are patrolling all those places and we are coordinating with the Multinational Joint Task Force to ensure that the borders are well secured and are blocked from any infiltration.'
Amosun, who called for the creation of a Nigerian Army Division in the state, said the population of the state had increased to over seven million just as the economy of the state had also expanded tremendously.
He commended the military for the successes recorded against the Boko Haram terrorists.
'Nigerians are now happy with the military. We are happy that normalcy has returned to the North-East region even to the point where Emirs, who had earlier had to run away from their domains, have now returned,' he added.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Government on Thursday raised the alarm that the 'systematic' attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Agatu and other local government areas in the state were part of a plot by foreign insurgents to occupy Nigeria.
It called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to nip the development in the bud before it spiralled into another B'Haram insurgency, which it pointed out could be '10 times the scale of what we witnessed in the North-East.'
The Benue Government told a panel of the House of Representatives that the aim of the 'bigger agenda' was first to weaken the Middle Belt of Nigeria, particularly Benue State, before expanding to the South-East, South-South and the South-West.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Benson Abonu, who presented the position of the government to the committee in Abuja, disclosed that intelligence suggested that insurgents dislodged from Mali had moved into Nigeria with the mission of occupying communities.
'There is a national dimension to it, which indicates that they are headed for the South-East, South-South and they are already in the South-West in Ekiti State,' Abonu added.
He called on the Federal Government to treat the matter more seriously than the present approach that tended to situate it as mere clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
Abonu noted that if the government sought to maintain that it was mere clashes, the solution should be to restrict herdsmen to ranches as practised in other climes.
The deputy governor added, 'Our stand is that the solution is ranches, ranches and ranches.
'Cattle breeding is a private, professional business that should be devoid of government involvement.
'It is a private affair of the cattle owners; so, they should seek permission from land owners to build their own ranches in their own localities.'
Some lawmakers from Benue State, including Mr. Dickson Tarkighir, Mr. Adamu Entonu and Mr. Terse Gbillah, also made presentations to the committee, recalling the sad experiences of the attacks on the Agatu, Buruku, Gwer-West/East, Makurdi, Katsina-Ala, Kwande and Logo local government areas.
For instance, the Spokesperson for the Benue Dialogue for Peace and Dialogue, Mr. David Ogbole, informed the committee that herdsmen had already occupied '15 out of the 23' local governments in the state.
'They kill, burn down houses, take over farm-lands and occupy', Ogbole stated.
On its part, the Mdzough U Tiv, the umbrella body of the Tiv people of Benue State, demanded N100bn compensation from the Federal Government for the lives and property lost in parts of the state.
The President-General of the group, Chief Edward Ujege, who addressed the committee, also demanded the immediate eviction of the herdsmen from Benue State.
He disclosed that in 2014 alone, 883 persons were killed, while 23,324 persons were displaced.
According to Ujege, property worth N31.4bn was lost in 2014.
He added that between 2015 and this year, more than 170 lives were lost in Tiv land, besides the 500 hacked to death in Agatu in March.
He said, 'The attackers are well trained in modern warfare and highly motivated. They use sophisticated weapons and are brutish in their attacks, killing all humans that are in sight, including women and children.'
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, who also appeared before the committee, told the committee how he held strategy meetings with the governors of Benue and Nasarawa states as well as holding town hall meetings with Fulani herdsmen and farmers.
Arase claimed that due to his professional leaning, he needed to handle the issue more carefully with the sole aim of achieving peaceful resolutions.
But not satisfied with Arase's position, the Haliru Jika-led committee sought to know why the police had hardly arrested and prosecuted any herdsmen for the atrocities they committed over the years.
The IG claimed that the police arrested 18 suspects in connection with the Agatu killings, but added that they were not prosecuted because the police could not get enough evidence.
'Eighteen suspects were arrested. But, I don't have to go on air to malign them until there is sufficient evidence to prosecute them,' he added.
He also disagreed with the alarm raised by the Benue State Government that insurgents were plotting to overrun Nigeria.
'There is nowhere in security history, that hoodlums overrun a state and the Nigerian state cannot be an exception', Arase argued.
No member of the Miyeti Allah Cattle Rearers Breeders, the umbrella body of the herdsmen, attended the session on Thursday.
Also, the Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, said on Thursday that the increase in the attacks on communities by Fulani herdsmen might dwarf the successes the Federal Government had recorded against the Boko Haram insurgents.
In a report prepared by the foundation, a copy of which was obtained byThe PUNCH in Jos, Lipdo said there were 233 attacks with Boko Haram responsible for 149 and 84 attributed to Fulani herdsmen between 2014 and 2015.
He added that under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the attacks stood at 198, in which Boko Haram carried out 94 while the attacks by Fulani herdsmen increased to 96.
Lipdo said 8,004 Nigerians died in 546 attacks during the last two years of former President Goodluck Jonathan administration, but 2,385 Nigerians had died in 233 attacks, mostly by Fulani herdsmen, in the one year of the Buhari administration.
Lipdo said, 'The report indicates a significant terror decline between July and September 2015. Fulani terror attack indicates a significant drop in November 2015, but soon picked up in December 2015.
'Boko Haram terror attack was on progressive decline since October 2015.' - Punch.