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Tiv traditional council tackles Sanusi over attack on Gov Ortom

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***Honors Ortom, wife with chieftaincy titles

The Tiv Area Traditional Council has berated the deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi for coordinated and deliberate attacks on the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.The former Emir had led a group of Fulani elite to attack the Governor in recent times over the Grazing law that has come to stay in the State.Chief Press Secretary to the governor Nathaniel Ikyur in a statement said the Council bared its mind Monday, February 13th, 2023 in a 9-point resolution at the end of its supreme council meeting ‘Ijirtamen,’ held in Gboko.

The enlarged council meeting he said was presided over by the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, Prof. James Ayatse.

The Council also conferred the chieftaincy title of “Inyamkyume i Tiv” on Governor Ortom while his wife, Dr. Eunice was honoured with “Shima i Inyamkyume i Tiv.”

Prof Ayatse who read the three page press statement “Condemned in very strong terms the coordinated, unwarranted and deliberate attacks by the group led by former Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi, orchestrated to impugn the person and office of Governor Ortom and calls on the group to embrace patriotism focusing on issues that will foster unity and peaceful co-existence rather than incitement of one group against another.

He further stated that “The 52 persons that authored the letter to the President in their statement blamed the Benue State Government as being responsible for the incident in Nasarawa State” without first waiting for the findings of the panel of investigation of the bombing which they called for in their letter. 

Their action, the Tor Tiv reasoned, “Appears unfortunately premeditated and prejudicial.”

He noted that “Similar premeditated actions of some Fulbe groups and their sympathizers in Nasarawa State could have been what led to the killings, maiming and the destruction of properties of the Tiv people in Nasarawa
State.”

The Council therefore “Expressed strong support for and solidarity with Governor Ortom over the issue of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 as a way of ending perennial conflicts between crop and livestock farmers in the state.

The Council, while commending President Muhammadu Buhari, for the deployment of security personnel to checkmate banditry and terrorism in Benue and her sister states, called for increase in numerical and technical reinforcement for the security agencies to stimulate their performance.

The Council also commended the actions of the Nasarawa State Governor with the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs in taking timely actions to arrest the killings of Tiv people and the destruction of their property in Nasarawa State.

However, the Tiv traditional Council appealed to the Nasarawa State Government to “Take necessary steps to facilitate the return of the Tiv people displaced due to the attacks to their homes by providing the needed relief and protection.

Prof Ayatse in the statement admonished all Tiv sons and daughters to close ranks and face the common security and economic challenges threatening them and continue to be law abiding even in the face of provocations against them.

On the forthcoming general elections, the Tiv Traditional Council warned against violence, thuggery, and other sharp practices during the electioneering campaigns and voting in the general elections. 

The Tor Tiv also enjoined all Tiv sons and daughters to make themselves available to be counted during the national population census.

The Supreme Council  then directed all traditional and religious leaders, party chieftains and elders to fully mobilize their people to  fully cooperate with all the officials and staff of the National Population Commission during the exercise.”

In his address, Governor Ortom, expressed appreciation to the Tiv traditional Council for the full backing the traditional institution has given to his administration amidst the challenges.

He also lauded the traditional institution for the honorific chieftaincy title conferred on him and his wife and pledged to continue to fight for the interest of the Tiv nation.

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Deji Adeyanju fires back at Wike over Comments, Labels Him a “Bully and a Coward”

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Deji Adeyanju and Nyesom Wike

Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has issued a scathing response to comments made against him by Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former Rivers State governor. Wike had recently accused Adeyanju of being jobless, noting that the activist once sought his support in a bid to become the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary.

During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Adeyanju didn’t hold back, describing Wike as “a bully and a coward.”
He went on to criticize Wike’s character and political approach, saying, “Wike has never worked anywhere in his life. He is a serial betrayer. The only difference between Wike and Portable is that Portable does not betray people who have helped him.”

Adeyanju praised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his recent actions against Wike, saying, “I commend Governor Fubara for dealing decisively with him. That’s how to deal with tyrants. Wike is nothing without politics.”

He further expressed his concerns over Wike’s influence, stating, “The reason why he is making so much noise and constituting a nuisance all over the place is because of our political patrimony that he loots. Clowns and charlatans like Nyesom Wike will open their mouths and criticize true activists.”

Adeyanju also highlighted the importance of citizens participating in politics, saying, “Wike wants everyone to leave politics to rogues like him. His idea of nation-building is where people like him control everything. All citizens of conscience should get involved in politics.”

The back-and-forth between Adeyanju and Wike highlights ongoing tensions within Nigerian political circles and has sparked discussions about the role of activists and the nature of leadership in the country.

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Late COAS Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja Laid to Rest in Abuja Amid Tears, Tributes

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***Emotional Farewell as Nigeria Mourns a Dedicated Military Leader

Amid deep sorrow and heartfelt tributes, the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest on Friday at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
His burial concluded two days of solemn funeral rites that began in Lagos, marking the end of an impactful military career.

The casket bearing Lagbaja, draped in Nigeria’s green and white, arrived at the cemetery around 3 pm following a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
His body was lowered into the earth at 4:41 pm after a ceremony lasting over two hours.

The event was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Acting Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, and other high-ranking officials.

President Tinubu, paying tribute, called Lagbaja’s appointment one of his most significant decisions and announced a posthumous national honor of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the late COAS. He urged the military not to lose hope: “Please, do not let death defeat us, and as Commander-in-Chief, I renew my pledge that the country will always support you and your families.”
General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, echoed this sentiment, calling Lagbaja’s passing a call to strengthen the military’s resolve.
“Let us ensure his sacrifice continues to guide us as we defend this nation. We are resolved to defeat all enemies of the state, whether within or outside,” he stated.
Acting COAS Oluyede expressed personal gratitude for Lagbaja’s mentorship, sharing that he had nominated him for a national honor even while facing illness.

Lagbaja’s funeral rites began with a service of songs at the Army Headquarters Garrison Parade Ground, Mogadishu Cantonment, on Thursday, following the arrival of his body at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Lagos.

Lt. General Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff for over a year, having been appointed by President Tinubu in June 2023. He passed away on November 5 after a brief illness, leaving a legacy of dedication and patriotism.

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Group Raises Alarm Over Lagos Task Force’s Invasion of Ex-Minister’s Lekki Property

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A civil society group, Good Governance Alliance – Nigeria (GGA-N), has condemned the Lagos State government following an alleged invasion of former Transportation Minister Admiral Festus Porbeni’s Lekki property by state officials on Friday morning.
They called for immediate action against alleged breach of court order on Admiral Festus Porbeni’s property.

According to the group, the invasion is in direct violation of a Federal High Court order and sets a dangerous precedent for lawlessness.

In a statement issued by GGA-N representative Nathaniel Obasi, the group reported that officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force forcefully entered Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent around 7:30 am, accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen.
Obasi noted that the task force allegedly beat, arrested, and detained several individuals on the premises, placing them in a police vehicle known as ‘Black Maria.’

The statement emphasized that this raid contradicts a Federal High Court injunction prohibiting any disruption at the property and disregards a recent Supreme Court ruling granting federal control over inland waterways and adjacent lands within 100 meters.
Despite Porbeni’s possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy, the Lagos State Task Force allegedly threatened to bulldoze structures on the property, sparking concerns over escalating conflicts between state and federal jurisdiction.

GGA-N therefore urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and federal agencies overseeing waterways to intervene, asserting that the Lagos State government’s actions could lead to “lawlessness and chaos.”

According to him, the disputed property was previously invaded in 2021.

Obasi claimed that at about 7:30am this Friday, officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force, illegally forced their way into Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki, despite the Federal High Court order, which barred any agent from entering the premises or harassing any person at the premises.

It added the Lagos State Special Task Force accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen, beat up, arrested and threw staff and other people met on the property into a police vehicle called ‘Black Maria’, which they brought “for the illegal raid”.
“The officials who cordoned off the area are now threatening to bulldoze all structures on the property, in brazen breach of the Federal High Court order (FHC/L/CS/1384/21).

“The actions of the Task Force is also in disregard of the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court in January which affirmed the federal government’s exclusive control of the country’s inland waterways and all lands within 100 meters of all declared federal waterways in Nigeria.

“The question is despite Admiral Porbeni being in possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), how is the Lagos State Government allowed to flout not only an injunction from the Federal High Court but also a ruling from the Supreme Court?

“The Lagos state government’s brazen disobedience of court orders is a recipe for lawlessness and chaos. We draw the urgent attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Lagos State and relevant federal government agencies in charge of federal waterways in the country to the illegal raid and occupation by the Lagos State Special Task Force,” Obasi stated

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