Absence of Judge delays Evans trial

On Monday, the scheduledtrialof alleged kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans, at an Ikeja HighCourt,was delayed due to the absence of the judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo.

Our news correspondent learnt from a court official, who pleaded anonymity,that Justice Taiwo was on an official assignment with JusticeOpeyemi Oke, the Chief Judge of Lagos State.

However, the case was adjourned until June 16 for a continuation of trial.Evans is facing trial alongside Victor Aduba on a four-count charge bordering on kidnappingand unlawful possession of firearms.They are accused of kidnapping Mr. Sylvanus Ahamonu, holding him hostage for at least nine weeks and collecting a ransom of 420,000 dollars from hisfamily.

During the last court proceedings on March 14, the videos of Evans confessing to committing crimes of kidnapping and armed robbery within and outside Lagos were shown in court.

The footage in two compact discs was aired during the testimony of Inspector Idowu Haruna, a member of the Police Intelligence Response Team.The videos which were projected on the wall of the courtroom showed Evans wearing a red T-shirt, seated on a leather sofa in a room and confessing his crimes to Haruna.He could be seen smiling and telling the policeman about his daytime and nighttime armed robberies of banks as well as his kidnap escapades where ransom ranging from 250,000 dollars to one million dollars were received from his victims.

He could be heard giving details of his family background, how he ran away from home and embarked on a life of crime.Evans is also facing trialfor two other kidnappingcases at the Ikeja High Court.

They are being tried for the attempted kidnap of Chief Vincent Obianodo,the CEO of the Young Shall Grow Motors also before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, whilethe case of alleged kidnap of Mr. Donatius Dunu, the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceuticals is before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.

[NEWS] How to make business easier among Commonwealth Countries - President Buhari explains

President  Buharihas identified Trade and Investment Facilitation to generate resources for sustainable development; Ease of Doing Business and Regional Integration that expands markets with safeguards against injurious trade practices from third parties; More Inclusive Growthwith the empowerment of women and the youth, as factors that are capable of making business amongCommonwealth countrieseasier.

Delivering his keynote addressWednesday, at the Commonwealth Business Forum at Guildhall, London, President Buhari said , Provision of a platform for Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) ; A radical expansion of human capital for the 21st Century, what is now known as“Knowledge Economy”; and Provision of hard and softwareinfrastructure for the 21st Century Digital Economy to boost e-commerce, increase efficiency, solve development problems and enhance cyber security, are other factors necessary for an easier business environment.

The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) with the subject “Making Business Easier between Commonwealth Countries” is part of events at this year’s Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting, CHOGM- 25.The President said Nigeria hadalready started championing this course with events such as the "High-Level Trade and Investment Facilitation Forum for Development" convened byNigeria in November 2017 in Abuja in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS):“The Abuja Statement from this Forum:

"Deepening Africa's Integration in the GlobalEconomy through Tradeand Investment Facilitation for Development," has become a global and multilateral reference point. We believe that the Commonwealth should lend its support to these types of activities, as a sound model, for Making Business Easier Amongst Commonwealth Countries.“To underscore Nigeria’s commitment to spreading prosperity throughout the Commonwealth, in the past 6 months, Nigeria Co-Chaired with the United Kingdom, the “UK All-Parliamentary Group for Trade out of Poverty” (APPG-TOP).

The Report of this Commonwealth Inquiry Report was launched on3rd April, 2018.“Nigeria affirms its commitment to the principal message from this Commonwealth Inquiry Group that Nigeria co-chaired with the UK. The surest, most sustainable way tolift millions of people out of poverty across the Commonwealth is through boosting trade and investment. We believe that, we, as Leaders in the Commonwealth, should grasp the opportunity and agree a major new focus on trade and investment for inclusive development.”He also shared the experiences of Nigeria regarding on-going deep and extensive ‘ease of doing business’ reforms which are being staged under a 60-day National Action Plan.According to him, “Stage 1 focuses on eight areas that make it easier to register businesses, obtain construction permits, get credit, pay taxes, have electricity, trade across borders, facilitate entry and exit of people and register property. These reforms were codified in an Executive Order. Transparency and efficiency across government was mandated and made enforceable. These reforms have resulted in improvements: reduction in cost and time and greater transparency particularly for micro- small and medium sized enterprises.“Stage 2 is focused on 11 areas, improving on Stage 1.

This stage also covers new areas, including contract enforcement, simplifying the procurement process, and trading within Nigeria. Action in this and subsequent stageswill revolve inter alia, around reputational issues.”The President said these efforts have been acknowledged as evidenced inthe World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ Report published in November last year, which moved Nigeria up 24 places and recognized the country asone of the top 10 most improved economies in the world. He however said more work needs to be done as we enter the next stage.President Buhari noted that, “In developing countries, labour and industry are concerned about distortions intrade policies that result in subsidised products which have contributed to exports dumped in developing economies.

These have had bad effects in the form of job losses.“Growth is not yet inclusive and remains elusive. There aredownside risks about disruptions to trade and investment. Global and regional markets have been considerably rattled by the risks of trade wars. Concerns over climate change are unabated and are increasing. There are tasks and duties on all sides.”The Nigerian leader emphasised the need for a healthier business relationship among countries: “But if we are to make business easier between our countries and going beyond the Commonwealth, we must avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order, support regional initiatives as well as support domestic structural reforms that focus on the priorities of individual countries.”He reiterated his belief in wealth creation and employment opportunities within the Commonwealth:

“If there is a collective Commonwealth Commitment to the Ease of Doing Business,we shall spur growth, multiply wealth and expand employment opportunities. These objectives will be accelerated by trade and investment facilitation.”President Buhari used the opportunity to call on the Commonwealth Business Forum and prospective investors in the Nigerian economy, to participate in the 2018 “UK/Nigeria Trade and Investment Forum” at the London Stock Exchange.

[Deji Adeyanju] It’s easier to defeat Buhari than another candidate

A former New Media Director for the Peoples Democratic Party and Co-convener of Our Mumu Don Do group, Deji Adeyanju, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a ‘dunce,’ who should not be given another chance to rule the country.

He said all Nigerians should unite and vote out Buhari, who he described as enemy of the country.
Adeyanju was reacting to the Monday’s declaration by Buhari to run for a second term.

Airing his views on Twitter, Adeyanju wrote, “For me, it’s good for the dunce to seek re-election because if he doesn’t & they present another candidate, it will be difficult to defeat them.

“The entire opposition in the country must unite against this enemy of Nigeria before July. Forget about PDP or any party, just UNITE. Buhari will suffer the same fate Jonathan suffered. He will be defeated.”

Update! [BUHARI] I Will Seek Re-Election In 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has saidhe would seekseek re-election in 2019 general elections.

The President has also asked party members to grant waiver to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, who want to recontest in the party’s Congress.

Speaking at the National Executive Council meeting, he also appealed to members of NEC to also grant weaver to the party’s national chairman Chief John Oyegun and other National and State Executive members wishing to seek re-election.

[NEWS] Chief Ayo Adebanjo makes revelation on late Bola Ige

Yoruba leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has revealed that he and others warned the late Bola Ige from joining the government of Olusegun Obasanjo.

Ige, who served as Minister of Justice, was murdered in December 2001.
Adebanjo, in his autobiography titled, ‘Telling It As It Is,’ described Obasanjo’s govt as a calamity.
“We were opposed to Ige joining Obasanjo’s cabinet but he accepted the appointment oblivious of the fact that Obasanjo was not inviting him in good faith.

“Bola Ige didn’t need Obasanjo, it was Obasanjo who needed Ige”, he said.
The author, however, described Chief Ige as brilliant and one of the greatest Awoist.

The book reviewer, Professor Wale Adebamwi, added: “How a man (Ige) of such superb and enviable endowment could join the cabinet of one of the most perverse figures in our political history is a question that the author attempts to grabble with in this book”.

I can run Nigeria better than Buhari even in my sleep – Sowore

He stated this on Tuesday while addressing hundreds of his supporters and members of the “#TakeBackNigeria Movement” at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

While addressing the crowd, Sowore, who would be undertaking series of rallies and town hall meetings, said he was in Nigeria to lead a movement to change power in 2019.
“It is over for the old people, it is over for the cabal, it is over for the mafias that have been running Nigeria down,” he said.

“I can run Nigeria better than President Buhari, even in my sleep. There is no need to become a local government councillor or a senator when I can run a better country as the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. I am the most transparent candidate,” he added.

Sowore, with the mammoth crowd, moved from the airport to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota where he addressed another waiting crowd.

[NEWS] JSS 2 student in military outfit arrested for robbery

A Junior Secondary School (JSS) 2, student, Atoo Aondoana, has been held by the Police in Benue State for his alleged involvement in armed robbery along Makurdi-Alaide highway of the state.

Aondoana alongside his accomplice, an elderly cleaner who works with the Nigeria Airforce in Makurdi, Peter Aghande, who is being held for supplying the military uniforms used for the robbery are currently helping the police with further information about their illegal activities.
State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, yesterday paraded the duo alongside 29 other suspects of armed robbery and cultism at the Police headquarters in Makurdi.

Owoseni said that the suspects were arrested from various locations of the state between March 28 and April 3 for crimes mainly bordered on armed robbery and cultism.
He said one of the robbers whose gang specialised in robbing people along Makurdi-Lafia road was killed in the process as he engaged the police patrol team in a gun battle while the likes of Aondoana was apprehended in military uniform supplied by Aghande.
The police commissioner added that 13 different types of weapons were recovered from all the arrested suspects including sub-machine guns and one motor vehicle.
Speaking to Daily Trust in an interview, the 18-year-old suspected robber in military uniform who lives with his father at the Ikpayongo village in Gwer West local government area, near Makurdi admitted to the crime, explaining that he bought the military uniform from someone.

“We carry hunting guns for operation but I was not arrested with a gun. I had no weapon on me during my arrest. I’m a secondary school student in JSS2 at Ikpayongo. My father is a farmer and I’m the only child of my mother who is now married to another man in Makurdi,” he narrated.
Aondoana said he feels bad about his ill behaviour, stressing that a friend introduced him to the robbery gang.

On his part, the cleaner, Aghande, who brandished his identity card as a cleaner with the Nigerian Airforce, claimed that the Airforce personnel use to give him bad clothes (uniforms) to throw away and the boy (suspect) begged him to give them to him rather than disposing of them.

“But, I was shocked by the following day when I heard that the boy went to rob with it,” Aghande said.

Nigerians react to Naomi Campbell's photo with President Buhari and the tweets are absolutely hilarious

President Buhari caught up with international model, Naomi Campbell, at the Eko Atlantic city today March 30th and social media can't keep calm with several conspiracy theories.

While the President was at the Atlantic center to commission it, Naomi is in nigeria for the 2018 Arise Fashion week.

[NEWS] IGP Idris orders removal of Kogi police commissioner over escape of suspects

The commissioner of police in Kogi state, Ali Janga, has been removed from his position following the escape of some suspects who were arrested in connection with the ongoing case involving Dino Melaye, a senator from the state.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, who ordered the removal of the commissioner also asked other senior police officers in the state to vacate their positions over their alleged complicity in the escape of the suspects.

The police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement on Wednesday, March 28, said the IGP directed Esa Sunday Ogbu, commissioner of police, federal operations, force headquarters to immediately proceed and take over as the new commissioner of police in Kogi state, Premium Times reports.

See the full statement from the police below:

"The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, dissatisfied with the circumstances surrounding the escape of six (6) suspects including two (2) Principal Suspects (KABIRU SEIDU A.K.A OSAMA, NUHU SALISU A.K.A SMALL) who indicted Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu in a case of Conspiracy and Unlawful possession of Prohibited Firearm already filed at the Federal High Court, Lokoja which came up in court today, 28thMarch, 2018, has ordered the immediate removal of Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Ali Janga.

"The Commander FSARS in the State, the Divisional Police Officer ‘A’ Division, Lokoja and other Police officers implicated in the escape for negligence, dereliction of duty and gross misconduct in the escape of the six (6) suspects have also been transferred out of the State and are facing serious disciplinary action. Thirteen (13) other Police officers are currently being detained and investigated for their roles in the escape.

"CP Esa Sunday Ogbu, Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja has been directed by the IGP to immediately proceed and take over as the new Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command.

"Furthermore, on the order of the IGP, the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad, Personnel of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department have already arrived in Kogi State to work with the Police personnel in the State for immediate re-arrest of the escaped suspects. They are to also carry out detail investigation into the escape and bring all those involved to justice.

Source - NAIJ.com

57 Council Chairmen Endorse Ambode For 2nd Term

The Chairmen of 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Lagos State have unanimously endorse the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term in office.

Rising from a meeting with the Governor at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, the council chiefs said their decision to support Ambode for another term was on account of the need to allow him continue with the massive infrastructural renewal and transformation of all parts of the State.

The governor had in recent time received series of endorsements for a second term in office from critical stakeholders and sectors in the State which just means he is going for a 2nd term!

NDLEA Impounds 159m Tablets Of Tramadol In Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday said it had seized 159 million tablets of Tramadol at Apapa Port in Lagos.

Director, Technical Services of the agency, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, made this known at a public hearing organised by the Senate Joint Committee on Drugs and Narcotics and Health in Abuja.

The public hearing was based on a motion entitled “The Need to Check the Rising Menace of Pharmaceutical Drugs Abuse among Youths in Nigeria”.

Oloruntoba revealed that 50 tonnes of Tramadol was recently destroyed in Kano alone. He said there were laws guiding the use of controlled drugs like Tramadol and Cocaine and what was needed was enforcement of the laws.

“In 2016, about 31 different substances were abused in Nigeria,” he said.

Buhari Receives Dapchi Girls In Aso Rock

Buhari Receives Dapchi Girls In Aso Rock: President Muhammadu Buhari has received 106 released Dapchi schoolgirls and one boy at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting with the girls started few minutes past 12 noon when the President arrived the Council Chamber Press Gallery at the State House.


The insurgents, Boko Haram, had abducted 110 school girls from Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State on the 19th ofFebruary, 2018.The girls were released unconditionally according to Government on Wednesday morning.


They were moved to Abuja the same day to receive medical attention.

Boko Haram told us not to send our daughters to school - Dapchi parents

√ They said the terrorists told them not to send their children to school

√ The parents thanked President Buhari for the return of their daughters Parents of abducted Dapchi girls who were released by Boko Haram have said the terrorists told them not to send their children back to western education.

NAIJ.com had reported that the girls were released by the terrorists on Wednesday, March 21. Security operatives were not available as the terrorists reportedly drove into Dapchi town were residents celebrated the return of their children and praised President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Premium Times, the terrorists took their time to preach to the residents.
One Ibrahim Husseini who is a Dapchi resident said: “It was a thing of joy for us in Dapchi when suddenly we began to see trucks moving into the town at about 8:00 a.m in the morning.
“They brought the girls and then they were telling the general public that they should not go back to Western education schools; that what they did was not terrorism but rather the propagation of Islamic knowledge.”

Kachalla Bukar, who is the secretary of the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls’ parents’ group, said he was on hand to receive the girls and even took pictures with the terrorists.
He said: “But we, the parents of the missing girls, did not run as other villagers did, because we cannot run and leave our girls in the hands of the Boko Haram.

“When they came, they told us that they were returning the girls not because somebody gave them money, but out of their freewill. We thanked them. Then they told us that we must never return our girls to western school again; we said we will do as said. They preached to us for some time, and we said we will heed to their sermons.

“They shook our hands and asked us to forgive them for whatever pains that they might have caused us; then we shook hands and they asked us to snap photos with them using their mobile phone which we all did.”

Haruna Driver who is a father of one of the abducted girls said he was happy for his daughter’s return. He said: “When the news came to me, it was like a dream. But when I saw my daughter, I and her mother shed tears of joy.

“Sadly, we could not spend much time with her before she was taken to the hospital and then to Abuja. We thank God for His kindness and mercy on us. We thank the president and all those that worked hard to see that our daughters return to us safely."

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government has been accused by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of allegedly staging the abduction of the schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe State, for ‘political purposes’, Leadership reports.

In a chat with newsmen, the party’s national publicity secretary, Kola Olagbondiyan, referred to the abduction as a crime against humanity, and called on the United Nations to launch investigations into the matter.

Dapchi protests abduction of their daughters by Boko Haram - on

Naij.com

NAFDAC arrests man with 16 cartons of fake food seasoning product

The Abia state coordinator of NAFDAC,Olisa Okeke, said the agency has arrested one Samuel Chukwu for allegedly faking a food seasoning product owned by another importer

Okeke disclosed that the agency was also able to retrieve some cartons from two people- He said the product is named “Benny Powdered Chicken Stock” with the image of the head of a cockerel in front of the pack The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Abia state Office, has arrested one Samuel Chukwu for allegedly faking a food seasoning product owned by another importer.

The state coordinator of NAFDAC, Olisa Okeke, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Aba.Okeke said that Chukwu claimed in his preliminary statement that he was not the importer but only an agent to an importer in Onitsha, Anambra, who brought in the fake products.

He said that the original product was imported from South Africa by a Nigerian, who had been the sole distributor until the fakers went to China to produce the adulterated version.

Okeke added that the importer of the spice registered it with NAFDAC and had been renewing the registration with a record of good business until the fakers went to reproduce it in China.

He said: ''After surveillance, we were able to isolate the warehouse and with the support of the Nigerian army, the warehouse was stormed and we arrested Samuel Akin Chukwu and confiscated about 16 cartoons of the product.

''We were also able to retrieve some cartons from two persons who had bought the fake products and were leaving the shop on our arrival.

''According to the NAFDAC official, the agency confiscated a total of 26 cartonsof the fake product from Chukwu and his customers.Okeke descried the Eziukwu Market in Aba as the centre for high volume of trade in food items, adding that some dubious persons used the opportunity to manufacture fake food products.

According to him,''Eziukwu is a market that NAFDAC Abia office has its eyes on because of the activities of nefarious individuals in from time to time.”

NAIJ.com

Evans Seeks N1bn From Police In Fresh Lawsuit

Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, today filed a fresh suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking N1 billion damages against the Police over alleged unlawful sealing of his property in Lagos.

The suit, filed by his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has as the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police, Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), Abba Kyari, an assistant commissioner of police and Phillip Rieninwa, a deputy superintendent of police, as respondents.

The applicant is seeking a declaration that the forceful seizure, confiscation and sealing of his property by the respondents without any court order is illegal, wrongful and unconstitutional.
He wants an order compelling the respondents jointly and severally to immediately and unconditionally release the properties as listed in the motion papers.

In addition, he is asking the court for an order compelling the respondents to immediately and unconditionally unseal and vacate the applicants two residential houses located at highbrow area of Magodo in Lagos.
Other reliefs are an order compelling the respondents to severally and jointly tender an apology to the applicant and to pay him the sum of N1 billion being general and exemplary damages for the alleged forceful seizure and confiscation of the applicant’s property without court order.

A perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from tampering or taking any action against the applicant or any of his properties in relation to this case.
Some of the properties listed in the application include N50 million cash, two residential duplex, brigade wrist-watch worth 170,000 dollars, a phone worth 30,000 dollars and five pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond rings worth 100,000 dollars.

Others are three Italian travel bags worth $55,000, 10 Spanish shoes each worth N2.5 million, 20 KVA inverter set worth N10 million, two sets of dinning table worth N8 million.
The applicant also wants N4 million as cost of action against the respondents.
Evans was arraigned by the police before a Lagos High Court in October 2017 on a 40-count charge bordering on kidnapping, robbery among other offences.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit which was filed on Tuesday about 11.35 a.m.

NAN

Three Die Of Lassa Fever In Fresh Outbreak In Ekit...

Continue Reading : Three Die Of Lassa Fever In Fresh Outbreak In Ekit...: Three persons have died in a new outbreak of Lassa fever in Ekiti State. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Olurotimi Ojo,  confirmed th...

[NEWS] 145 Arrested Over Herdsmen/Farmers Clashes

No fewer than 145 suspects have been arrested by the police over herdsmen/farmers clashes in some parts of the country, including Benue, Kaduna and Nasarawa states.

The arrests occurred between January 2016 and January 2018, a Presidency source said.
The source, who does not want his name in print, also revealed that of the number, 124 had been charged to court, while 21 suspects are under investigation and waiting to be charged to court, The Nation reports.

He said: “So far, 106 suspects have been arrested and charged to court for prosecution on the following offences – criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance of public peace, assault and mischief.”

[NEWS] President Buhari meets US secretary of state in Aso Rock

Just back from Benue state where he met with the people, President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to the Aso Rock Villa where he is currently meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillers on.

NAIJ.com learnt that Tillerson arrived Nigeria's seat of power in the evening of Monday, March 12 and is expected to discuss issues relating to both countries.

The meeting is holding behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Vanguard also quotes Tillerson as condemning the recent mass abduction of schoolgirls in Dapchi and promised Washington’s full support in Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram jihad lists. 

The recent kidnapping of 110 schoolgirls is heartbreaking.

[Shehu Sani] If Tinubu’s reconciliation fails, there will be mass defection from APC

¶ Senator Shehu Sani said the APC restructuring plan is just a campaign for2019 elections

¶ He said the ruling party is not prepared to implement restructuring

¶ The APC lawmaker also said the ruling part will experience mass defection if Tinubu’s reconciliation committee fails Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, said the plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to implement restructuring is just a mere form of campaign for the forthcoming 2019 elections.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the senator claimed that Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna state came up with the idea of restructuring just to gain political relevance.

He said:

“Governor El-Rufai is the chief architect of that committee because he wants political relevance. How can an APC that promised restructuring only think of restructuring when it is a year to an election? Document of that committee is more or less a campaign document for 2018. There will be no restructuring, you can quote me.

Speaking about the crises in the ruling party, Sani said Tinubu should be given chance to reconcile the aggrieved party members, as instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He, however, said that the ruling party will express a mass defection if Tinubu’s reconciliation fails. He said“…we need to put our ambitions in our pockets and allow the process of reconciliation to continue because reconciliation cannot go on with ambitions and bulldozers. Even, before you have peace in war situations, you must have a ceasefire.“For now, we are giving a grace of time for Tinubu to succeed. If he succeeds, the outcome of the deliberations will form the roadmap for the future of the party and if he fails, we will simply apply our senses.

It is always good to look at the messenger and the message.“I can tell you that if Tinubu fails, there is going to be mass defection from APC.”

Naij.com

EX-President Olusegun Obasanjo says, only zero hunger can completely defeat Boko Haram

√ Former president Obasanjo recommended strategies to successfully defeat Boko Haram insurgency

√ He said governments must tackle the issue of hunger and joblessness to end the insurgency- The former president said research had proven that the insurgency started as a means of fighting hunger, not for religion’s sake Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president, has said that Boko Haram insurgency can only be defeated if governments tackle the issue of hunger and joblessness. Obasanjo made this statement in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, where he presided over a meeting of the Zero Hunger Forum, a social development goal program of both the Nigerian government and international development partners, Premium Times reports.

The meeting was attended by the host governor, Kashim Shettima, and officials from the federal ministry of agriculture, as well as others from Borno, Benue, Sokoto, Ogun and Ebonyi states.

NAIJ.com gathered that the former president said research had proven that most Boko Haram fighters picked up arms against the state, not for the advancement of any religious conviction but as a means of fighting hunger and lack of jobs.

Obasanjo is the chairman of the SDG program on zero hunger in Nigeria where he is currently leading the campaign against hunger across select states in the country.

He explained that of the 17 SDG agenda of the international community,“zero hunger is number two”.He said:“Zero hunger, or ending hunger has ramification, on 14 other goals. Infant mortality, alleviation of poverty, maternal mortality and all of them have things to do with food security and nutrition.“So when the world food program asked me to lead a committee to work out and implement zero hunger in Nigeria, I was more than delighted to do so. And I want to say, that we are not trying to reinvent the wheel. We are not trying to bring new policy; we have enough policies that have been neglected by non-implementation, and if we can implement the policy that we have there will be no doubt that we will beat hunger by the year 2025”.

The former president explained that the program does not directly give money to feed Nigerians but create an enabling environment for food production and job creation for the people.“This is what we are doing; we are trying to help those who need help. In one of the states, someone asked that how much does the Zero Hunger Forum has to combat hunger and I said the truth is that we have no money; but we have what we can do to help by making sure certain policies are implemented. We have things we can do to make sure we put hunger at bay in Nigeria and particularly in the North-eastern part of Nigeria,"Obasanjo said.

He said recent research by World Bank on Boko Haram revealed that most BokoHaram fighters had no clear religious conviction that drives their radical state of mind other than hunger and lack of means of sustenance. He said:“The world Bank said they interviewed 26 former Boko Haram members and 25 of them out of 26 said they were in Boko Haram because they have no job.“Only one of them said he was there because of religious conviction. So zero hunger tends to contribute in bringing an end to insurgency – not only in the North-east, not only in Borno state but also generally in Nigeria.“So in the next two days we will interact,we will find out things, we will listen and share thoughts and by the time we finish we will know that we have all gained something, we have all learned and will be able to move forward in food production, and nutrition in this state and by extension in the whole of Nigeria.”He said the two-day meeting would provide an opportunity for participants to also see the efforts being made by the Borno state government in the area of food production.

He commended the state governor for taking the lead in the area of investment in agricultural tools and equipment which he said surpassed that of any state in the country. He, however, said such multi-billion investment can only make meaning if there is a safe environment to put them to use for the general benefit of the people.“And we have seen your agricultural equipment, and I can say authoritatively that there is no state in Nigeria that has the quantity of the agricultural equipment that Borno state has.

The only thing now is how do we make use of the equipment for maximum production,”he said.Obasanjo added that government must do all that is possible to improve security so that locals could derive immense from the opportunities being made possible through agriculture.

He said:“For that to happen, there must be efficient evidence of security, otherwise, those naughty boys and girls whom we call Boko Haram, will continue to look for soft underbelly, like a farmer working on his farm, an isolated village, where they will make life impossible through threats and intimidation of the life of the people.“I believe what we are doing, zero hunger, would help in fighting the scourge of the insurgency”.Earlier in his remark, the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, said his government is very much alive with the challenges before it, which he said has to do with hunger and poverty.

He said:“Prior to the insurgency, Borno used to be the home of wheat, rice, beans and animal production in Nigeria…we believe that we have challenges, no doubt about it. But the challenges are mainly tied to poverty. But agriculture provides us with the platform to fighting poverty, hunger and disease in our society."

He said his government has invested in the whole agricultural value chain and in the fullness of time when peace is won, Borno will roll out its full-scale of its huge investment in the food production section which is said is second to none in the entire country.

Naij.com