Atiku to the people of Benue: If you vote for me, I’ll make sure the Fulani sign a peace agreement with you

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), speaking on Monday during the party’s campaign rally in the state, said if the people of Benue voted him, he would make sure Fulani signed a peace pact with the people of the state.

He stated, “I am the umbrella of Tiv people worldwide. If you vote for me, I will make sure peace return to Benue State. I will come to the state and make sure Fulani signs a peace pact with the people of the state.”

“Benue state is the food basket of this country. Today, our farmers in Benue do not go to farm again because of insecurity. I will make sure security returns to Benue state.

“I also promise you that by the grace of God, the issue of unemployment of our young men and women will be a thing of the past. That is why in my policy document, I said we are going to allocate 10 billion US dollars to empower our young men and women with enterprises.

He also promised the residents of Benue State that he would repair the federal roads that ran through the state, reopen the state’s railway line, and prevent the Academic Staff Union of Universities from going on strike.

The PDP which is currently experiencing a crisis, and Samuel Ortom, the State Governor, his deputy, Benson Abounu, commissioners, aides, and the 22 local government chairmen of the state were all notably absent from the state’s Atiku Abubakar campaign event.

However, National chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, a native of the state, Senator Gabriel Suswam, a former governor of the state, Senator David Mark, a former president of the Senate, and the three senators from Zones A, B, and C—Suswam, Orker Jev, and Abba Moro—were present.

Titus Uba and John Ngbede, the party’s nominee for governor and his running mate, as well as a few members of the state working committee, also attended the gathering.

Ayu urged Ortom, who had not backed Atiku, to work with the party in order to preserve the nation during his speech at the event.

Ortom had maintained in January that the five aggrieved governors would not support Atiku Abubakar in the election on February 25.

Lalong dismisses herdsmen’s takeover of communities in Plateau

The governor of the Plateau has refuted circulating allegations that herdsmen have taken control of several of the region’s settlements.

At a service to commemorate the 2023 Plateau Forgiveness Day on Sunday at St. Monica Catholic Church in Jos, the governor took advantage of the opportunity to address allegations being made that the State’s government had done nothing to stop herdsmen from occupying some villages and taking control of others.

He refuted the claim and asserted that there was no evidence of any local takeover on his desk.

According to him, the government passed and signed into law the Anti-Land Grabbing bill in 2020 as a preventative measure.

“I want the world to know that what we have been doing is bringing people back to their ancestral lands who have been displaced after fleeing their homes as a result of attacks. For instance, the contractor has been given the go-ahead to begin work on the site for the construction of a Police Mobile Barracks in Kakuruk, Gashish District, Barkin Local Government. This would give the residents of the area the security they need to return to their lands.

“Another village, Jong Community in the Ropp District of Barkin Ladi returned to their abode last two months ago. Similarly, the Shonong Community in Bachit District of Riyom Local Government has also been returned to their homes”.  

Governor Lalong said anyone who has such a complaint should write to the Government or go to court to protest such an infraction if it happens to promise that he will not spare anyone who tries to lay claim on any inch of Plateau State that does not belong to him.

Lalong has come under fire in the past by Plateau youths for how he has handled insecurity in the state

Kaduna Pastor Tackles Elrufai over Claims that Christians are few in the North

…Says the governor’s claims not backed by statistics and lack merit.

A Kaduna-based Pastor, Azzaman Azzaman has berated governor Nasiru Elrufai of Kaduna state over his comments on national television that Christians in the northern part of Nigeria live in enclaves and are few.

Recall that the controversial governor made the claims during a recent interview with TVC News, where he said that though Peter Obi is doing well in christian areas in the north, he won’t be able to win given the fact that northern Christians live in enclaves and are not much in numbers.

In a viral Facebook post he posted on his official Facebook page, Azzaman share statistics backing his claims that Christians have significant number in Northern part of the country.

The post reads;

“Nasiru Elrufai claims we Northern Christians are insignificant and inconsequential.

Fast checks;
This are 5 predominantly Christian states in Northern Nigeria based on the official censors figures of 2006 ( Incase of Kaduna and Adamawa election of Governors is not the basis for Population, many Northern Christians are disenfranchised from voting)

Plateau State -3,206,531

Taraba – 2,294,800

Benue – 4,253,641

Kaduna- 6,113,50 – Kaduna Christians not less than 3m

Adamawa – 3,178,950

From this 5 states alone we are talking of not less than 15million Northern Christians.

I didn’t include

Southern Gombe, Southern Kebbi (Zuru and the Dukawa axis) Southern Bauchi, Southern Borno (Chibok is 90% Christian) , Southern Yobe ( Fika area of Yobe) that have a substantial Christian Population.

I worked in Katsina State for 4 years nobody will tell me Hausa Christians are not 40% at least of Katsina Population. 4 Local Governments of Kano are predominantly Christians. Doguwa, Tudun Wada, Rogo and Sumaila LGAs. In some of this places I mentioned like Lere LGA where I come from in Kaduna State you will see 20 churches before you see 2 mosque go and very Nasiru Elrufai Lere is part of your State.

I did not mentioned Nasarawa State, FCT ABUJA, Kogi state, Kwara state and Niger State.

Northern Christians we are estimated to be not less than 50m. I dare Governor Nasiru Elrufai let’s restructure NIgeria and let Religion be included in the next NIgeria’s Population censors.

Northern Christians do not allow religious bigots like Nasiru Elrufai use psychological Jihad to damping your spirit. Come out with your PVCs all Northern Christians let proof to this liar he is actually what Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said he is a Pathological liar.

This is the same narration Nasiru Elrufai has been giving anywhere he speaks about Christians are 30% of Kaduna, before he lunch his Muslim Muslim ticket in 2019 he further reduced it to 27% he gives Population figures with his religious bigotry biased mind.

ELRUFAI’S RECENT ATTACKS ON PETER OBI

No rational minded human being takes El-Rufai serious. Always speaking from both sides of his watery mouth. We know for sure that he’s one of those jittery of Peter Obi landslide victory. This is the same Nasiru who said Obi can’t garner 200persons in Kaduna at rally. Obi has come to Kaduna for campaign rallies and the outcome made El-Rufai to bury his head in shame. All this noise he’s making is just empty and of no consiquence. About to expire politicians like Nasiru Elrufai should not be given any relevance and taking serious.”
Azzaman Azzaman.

The 2023 general elections have brought about a paradigm shift from the traditional two-party contest with the emergence of Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP.

Supposed herdsmen ambush military, kill three people in Benue village attack

Three people were killed in an attack by Fulani herdsmen on the Ikobi community in the Apa local government area of Benue State on Saturday, February 4, 2023.

Operation Whirl Stroke (OPW) personnel were sent to the area after the attack to stop further assaults. The military, according to neighborhood members, gallantly resisted the invaders.

The killer herders ambushed the OPWS troops in Mbappa, Gwer West local government of the state, but the troops were able to defeat the attackers despite the fact that three of the soldiers were hurt.

In separate attacks just last week, armed Fulani militants killed Superintendent of Police (SP), Mamud Abubakar, the Divisional Police Officer of the Gwer West local government area, along with two other policemen, two children, and three women.

The area has been under siege by killer herders for the past few days, and some analysts attribute the attacks to remarks made by the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, and 51 other people, who accused the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, of using livestock guards and the laws against open grazing and ranches establishment to drive Fulanis out of the state.

The President of the Tiv Youth Organization, Timothy Hembaor, discussed the tragic incident with journalists in Makurdi. He described the attack on the military personnel in Gwer West as senseless and barbaric and questioned why the herders would ambush security personnel whose job it is to maintain peace.

Hembaor urged the appropriate security authorities to quickly start an inquiry into Sanusi and the other Fulani elders whose recent comments, in his opinion, have encouraged the herders in Benue State to commit more atrocities.

“It is not by chance that armed Fulani’s are currently operating in Benue State. They must have been briefed by the senior citizens who just petitioned President Buhari to remove Governor Ortom. Performing an investigation will undoubtedly reveal the facts. In Benue, we are aware of who is attacking us.

Shande stated that “Sanusi and the others must be held accountable for the recent uptick in attacks against our people.

Three days ago, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), a socio-cultural organization, raised the alarm that the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido, and 51 other people should be held responsible if anything untoward happened to the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, regarding the alleged killing of pastoralists in Nasarawa State.

Additionally, the group urged the Federal Government to take action to stop herdsmen attacks on defenseless farmers in Benue State and other Middle Belt regions.

Killer herders have attacked security personnel in Benue State on numerous occasions over the past few years, including the ambush on the military in Gwer West.