Agrolog in partnership with Grey Soft Technologies delivered N20,000,000 (Twenty million Naira) worth of grains and essential

The MD/CEO Agrolog, Dr. Manzo Maigari, in partnership with Grey Soft Technologies delivered N20,000,000 (Twenty million Naira) worth of grains and essentials which were distributed to thousands of displaced and vulnerable people in various locations in Southern Kaduna through a Kaduna based NGO Resilient Aid and Dialogue Initiative (RADi).

Trucks loads with food items were delivered to the following locations: IDPs in Zonkwa, IDPs in Sabon Tasha, IDPs in Gonin Gora, IDPs in Rimau and Households in Kafanchan.

While talking to the press, Dr. Manzo disclosed that “We as a company have decided to give back to the very people that we work with, which is the communities where we played at as a company. We have mobilized items for the immediate needs of those that have been dis placed by banditry attacks.”

He continued “Our budget for this is N20 million, and most of it are coming in kind.”

The CEO of Greysoft Technologies, Mr. Isah Raphael also spoke to the press members “When we heard that Agrolog is embarking on a Corporate Social Responsibility, and off course as part of what we’re planning to embark on already, we came in to support Agrolog in this initiative; and we believe that this will be the beginning of so many things to come. The first step is the feed people in the IDP, and the next step as we go on is to help them acquire skills that will be sustainable so that people in the IDP can have a glimpse of hope that life can be better.”

Also present at the IDP camp is the President of SOKAPU (Southern Kaduna People’s Union) Hon. Jonathan Asake who expressed his delightfulness.
In his words, “Truly I’m excited, I’m overwhelmed and I lack words to expressed my happiness with what I’ve just witnessed today.”

The beneficiaries of the this profound kind gesture could not put into words how exceedingly happy they were, and also prayed for those who remembered them during this trying times.

Report linked Serving Police, Military Officers to bandits – El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state has said that the report of a preliminary investigation linked some serving police and military officers to terrorists terrorizing parts of the State.

The governor, who spoke on Thursday during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the investigation revealed that the security officers have some form of communication with the assailants.

He, however, declared that the government is yet to have a clear evidence to back the report of the investigation, stressing that a lot of works still needed to be done.

He said, “we’re concerned and it’s not impossible to have infiltrators. As I alluded to when I was answering this question, the preliminary report of (investigation into) Boko Haram financing also showed some links to bandits and pointed to some police and military officers in service as having some communication or connection with the bandits.

“So, there’s always that risks, in any system you have traitors and we are concerned about that. But till date, we don’t have any firm evidence of that. I think a lot more work needs to be done”.

According to the Governor, there is the urgent need to stop the financing and logistics chain of the bloodthirsty bandits, stressing that the amount of money the bandits are making from ransom is enough to destabilize Nigeria.

Benue Residents Abandon communities, As Herdsmen Invade, Plan Permanent Occupation

Residents of several Benue communities across four wards of; Yonov, Tomboe, Turan and Nenzev, in the Logo Local Government Area of the State, have abandoned and fled their communities over the influx of Fulani herdsmen into the area.

A community leader, Joseph Anawah who was a media aide to an ex-governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam, raised the alarm on Tuesday.

He said some communities in the four wards had been invaded by herders with more than 1,000 cows.

The invasion, according to Anawah, is posing a serious threat to neighbouring communities in the Buruku and Guma local government areas.

Anawah said the herders crossed the River Benue and settled at the Tse Azaye, Tse Agah, Tse Getim and Tse Iosun communities in the Tombo ward.

He added that the herders later migrated through Akwana in the neighbouring Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State and moved through Kurungu village to the Tombo ward from where they proceeded straight to Tse June in the Turan ward in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

He stated, “On February 20, 2022, around 8pm, herdsmen arrived at Tse Ikyegh in the Yonov council ward of the Logo LGA with over 1,000 cows and settled beside the Logo stream.

“They migrated from the Tombo council ward in Logo and proceeded straight to the Yonov community in the interior part of the Ugondo geopolitical axis after causing a lot of destruction to cassava farms and seed yams in the Tombo and Turan council wards.

“They are so hostile and do not want anybody to come close to them. The residents, on sighting the arrival of cows, started packing out of their villages for the fear of the unknown.

“When the kindred Head of the Mbaifu community,  Gbamga Nengem, visited their settlement to know  their mission in his community, they told him clearly that they had come for settlement and any attempt to evict them, either by the host community or government agencies, would invoke their anger and they would be left with no option but to resort to physical and open confrontation.”

Anawah called on the government and security operatives in the state to help beef up security in the Logo council area to avert a crisis.

When contacted by punch newspaper the Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Benue State chapter, Ibrahim Galma, who claimed to be in Abuja, asked for time to confirm the report and promised to call back.

But as of the time of filing this report, Galma had yet to call back as promised and refused to take further calls made to his mobile telephone.

The Deputy Governor of the state, told Benson Abounu, said he had yet to receive a report from the Logo Local Government Area over the alleged influx of herdsmen and their cattle.

ECOWAS Court Orders Nigeria to pay N30 Million to Mrs. Helen Joshua For Unlawful Murder of her Son by A Soldier

The Economic Community of West African States Court (ECOWAS Court of Justice) sitting in Abuja- Nigeria has on Tuesday 15 February, 2022 delivered a judgment in the Case of Mrs Helen Joshua & 1OR V. Federal Republic of Nigeria ECW/CCJ/APP/13/18.

The Court which entered Judgment in favour of the 1st Applicant and against the Respondent, directed the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay N30 Million naira ($75,000) as compensation for the wrongful killing of Solomon Andy, a young Nigerian who on 9 June, 2017, was killed by Private Abel Ocheme, a soldier attached to Command Secondary School Kaduna. The trigger- happy soldier had killed the victim while he was packing sand from a gutter close to the soldier’s duty post.

Delivering the Judgment, Justice Keikura Bangura who read the Court’s Judgment that had in coram, Justice Gberi de Ouattara and Justice Silva Moreira Costa, upheld the arguments of Gloria Mabeiam Ballason Esq, Counsel to the Applicant and found that the killing and confiscation by the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army of the body of the victim who was poor, defenseless, harmless and out about eking out a means of livelihood, was unlawful, cruel, inhuman and degrading.

The Court further found that the Federal Republic of Nigeria failed to uphold its obligations under, Articles 1, 4, 5 & 12 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights which mandates States to protect the sanctity and dignity of every life and stated that the Nigerian State owed Solomon Andy a duty of care which it failed to discharge and did not show the requisite abhorrence for the violation of the right to life of her citizen.

The Court found as “grossly humiliating and a violation of the right inherent in man” for the Nigerian Army to confiscate the body of Solomon Andy and leave it in an advancing degenerative state of disrepair since 9 June 2017 when the killing occured till the time of the judgment. Accordingly the Court ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria which was represented by Maimuna Shiru Esq, to pay N25 Million naira only to the 1st Applicant as compensation for the wrongful and unlawful killing of Solomon Andy, N5million naira only as cost of burial and to immediately release the body of the deceased and comply with all orders of the Court.

Responding to the Judgment, Ballason who is Counsel to the Applicant, thanked the Court for its eventual but sure arrival to justice in the matter stating that the judgment will go a long way in reinforcing the value of a Nigerian life and the worth inherent in all humans.

BREAKING: Terrorists Kill Chief, Wife, Raze Down Church, Entire Community in Southern Kaduna

… Mass exodus of indigenous people, leaving behind their ancestral land in control of herdsmen, residents say.

Ramin Kura, in Badurim Sama ward, Kauru local government area of Kaduna state was on Saturday morning attacked by terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, who killed the community Chief, Gowon Mutua, 55 and his wife Hauwa Gowon 48. Middle Belt Times can authoritatively report.

The terrorists were said to have invaded the agrarian community which shares border with Zangon Kataf local government where terrorists have been launching consistent attacks since January 2022, at about 4:30am local time on Saturday, February 12, shooting sporadically as residents run helter skelter for their lives, a source told Middle Belt Times.

The assailants who are said to be armed Fulani herdsmen burnt down the entire village including the only church there says Bulus Kazah a resident of the community.

Ramin Kura is on the axis of Kauru local government area occupied by Atyap natives.

Our correspondent gathered that there is ongoing mass exodus of frightened villages who have been worn out by sustained killings, arson and looting of their assets since 2015.

“The new attacks have taken a turn for the worse as the killers now move in groups of over 300 each armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry.” Kazah said

The affected Atyap villages in Kauru that are leaving their ancestral land in large numbers includes; Kampany, Surubu (mixed with Surubu natives), Unguwan Yabani, Unguwan Audu, Akoriko, Unguwan Yayok, Ramin Kura, Hayin Kogi and Unguwan Israela.

Their neighbors in Unguwan Zaki ward, Zangon Kataf local government area that are also moving out include; Zargwai, Sabon Kaura and Unguwan mamuda.

It is estimated that not less than 10,000 people are displaced by this development.
This will put in the control of the herdsmen thousands of hactres of land belonging to the indigenous peoples.

BREAKING: Gunmen assassinate Kaduna’s Geographic Information Service Director

Gunmen numbering five in the early hours of Friday assassinated the Director of Operations of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), Malam Dauda.

According to reports, the attackers breached the security of the victim’s house located in Barakallahu community in Igabi Local Government Area of the state where they killed him.

Our correspondent gathered that the assailants simply killed the victim and took off leaving all valuables in the house.

The gunmen also attacked a nearby community possibly to divert the attention of members of the community as they conducted their nefarious act. There was however no casualty in the other attack.

Confirming the incident to Daily Trust, the District Head of the community, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi, said the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Rigachikun and Barnawa who are residents of the community have visited the scene of the crime.

He said, “This is simply a case of assassination because they went to only the victim’s house, killed him and left the community, they did not take anything in his house neither did they attack the guard and his wife.

“Even the other village that was attacked, no life was lost, they just caused commotion and left. We feel they just did that to make it look like an attack.

“We have been facing various security breaches in the community informed by the vast ungoverned land taken over by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), you know we were in court, we won at the high court but they appealed the case at the Appeal Court here in Kaduna.”

He called on the state government to mediate between the community and the NAF over the vast land which he said is a hiding place for criminals.

Newsbond

EFCC docks Kachia/Kagarko Reps member over alleged N185 million advanced fee fraud

A serving member of the House of Representatives, Gabriel Saleh Zock was on Thursday at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja arraigned over alleged advanced fees fraud.

Zock who represents Kachia Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State in the House of Representatives was put on trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 2-count charge of allegedly defrauding his victim to the tune of N185 million.

The House of Representatives member was said to have swindled one Adeyemi Kamar of the amount under alleged false pretences.

He had promised to assist the victim influence the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT to secure the Right of Occupancy (R of O) for his property at the Guzape area of Abuja.

However, when the charges were read to him, the lawmaker pleaded not guilty.

EFCC’s counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmed asked the court to remand the federal lawmaker in prison pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.

The lawmaker who was brought to court from EFCC custody has no legal representation to make case for hearing of his bail motion already filed.

In a bid to rescue him, Justice Halilu Yusuf appointed one Adebara Adeniyi as counsel for him for the purpose of arraignment and bail.

The EFCC counsel, however, stood her ground that the application of the defendant filed on February 9 was not ripe for hearing and that she needed to study and respond to all the fundamental issues raised in the bail motion.

Although Adeniyi made an oral application for the bail of the federal lawmaker with cogent reasons, Justice Yusuf overruled him on the ground that a written application had already been filled by another lawyer.

The Judge subsequently ordered that the lawmaker be remanded in the EFCC’S custody till February 16 when his bail motion would be ripe for hearing.

The charge read in part “That you, Gabriel Saleh Zock sometime in 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N 150,000,000 00) from one Adeyemi Kamar under the false pretence that you will facilitate and obtain title documents (Right of Occupancy) from the Federal Minister of the Federal Capital Territory for a parcel of land at Guzape District, measuring approximately 1 5Ha (Hectare) which pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other a Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3 of the same Act.

“That you, Gabriel Saleh Zock sometime in 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Thirty-Five Million Naira (N 35,000,000.00) from one Adeyemi Kamar under the false pretence that you will facilitate and obtain title documents (Right of Occupancy) from the Federal Minister of the Federal Capital Territory for a parcel of land at Guzape District, Cadastral Zone A09, measuring approximately 1,500sqm which pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

Dailypost

UPDATE: Seven Killed, Houses, Bridge Destroyed in Three Southern Kaduna Communities

… Terrorists destroyed bridge linking communities to prevent security from coming to help, residents say

No fewer than seven people have been confirmed killed, many houses and a bridge destroyed across three communities in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state after terrorists launched s deadly attack on Wednesday morning.

The communities attacked are; Zaman Dabo, Chibob and Sabon Kaura.

A source who gave his name as Timothy told this newspaper that the attackers invaded the communities in their hundreds and operated simultaneously across the three communities.

“The attacked the three villages at the same time. They were more than hundred in number.

“They operated for over two hours, burning several houses in the process. We cannot ascertain the number of houses burnt at the moment because the destruction was massive.

“They killed one person in Zaman Dabo and killed six in Chibob and Sabon Kaura.

“They also took their time to destroyed the only bridge kinking the communities.” Timothy said.

This is not the first time terrorists attacking communities in the Middle Belt region are destroying pedestrian bridges. In August 2021, terrorists burnt down a pedestrian bridges after a deadly attack that left scores dead in Yelwan Zangam community in Jos, Plateau state. The military said the destroyed bridge prevented them from accessing the community on time during the attack.

This newspaper had reported on Wednesday morning of an attack in Zaman Dabo even though details of casualties and destruction wasn’t available as at that time.

The renewed attack in Southern Kaduna is causing panic as most residents are abandoning their communities for the IDP camps in Zonkwa, a youth leader told this newspaper on condition of anonymity.

“People are leaving their houses for the IDP camps in Zonkwa as we speak.

“The IDP camps are already overstretched at the moment but more people are trooping in for fear that their communities will be attacked soon.” He said.

Resident of Zangon Kataf also confirmed that the security forces on ground are inadequate to tackle the rising cases of attacks in communities in the local government.

BREAKING: Many Feared Killed By Terrorists in Fresh Southern Kaduna Attack

Scores of people are feared killed and many houses burnt after terrorists suspected to be herdsmen militia launched an early morning attack on Zaman Dabo community in Zaman Dabo Ward, Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state on Wednesday, February 9.

A source who confirmed the attack on condition of anonymity told this newspaper that the attack started around 3:30am and lasted for over two hours.

Many houses are reported to have been destroyed by the attackers while many people are also alleged to have been killed during the attack.

As of the time of filing this report, the villagers are still gathering and searching for dead bodies, another source who gave his name as Monday told this reporter on telephone.

“We cannot tell the number of people killed or injured because it is too early.

“Search operation is still ongoing by members of the community.” He said.

Zangon Kataf local government and neighboring Kaura have been under repeated attack in the last one week.

Recall that on January 30, Kurmin Masara community in Zangon Kataf was attacked and no fewer than 16 people were killed by terrorists. Few days later, on February 3 eleven people were killed in communities around Kagoro in Kaura local government area.

Details later……

BREAKING: Kidnapped Kaduna Catholic priest regains freedom after 24 hours

Rev Fr Joseph Shekari, the priest in charge of St. Monica’s Catholic Church, Ikulu Fari Parish, in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been released by his captors after 24 hours in captivity.

This newspaper had reported on Monday that terrorists invaded the residence of the priest around 11:30 pm on Sunday shooting sporadically, killing his personal cook before taking him away.

It was also learnt that the gunmen carted away N2 million realised from a thanksgiving service in the Parish.

The Paramount Chief of the Chawai Chiefdom, Alhaji Mohammed, confirmed the release of abducted priest to The PUNCH on Tuesday morning.

“We thank God immensely for answering our prayers and facilitating his return to us unhurt,” Mohammed said.

As of the time of filing this report, Middle Belt Times could not independently verify the condition in which the priest was released by his abductors.