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Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

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Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has warned the federal government against planned ban of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, as well as illegal mining activities in a bid to stem the rising insecurity across the country, insisting that he would further aggravate poverty in the country,

A statement by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) on Monday lamented that the planned nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles, as well as illegal mining activities by the federal government in a bid to stem the rising insecurity across the country, as hinted by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami last week, will undoubtedly further deepen the national multi-dimensional poverty index if measures are not taken to address the population involved.

ActionAid while agreeing that placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities may cut the supply of logistics and source of funds for the purchase of arms to the terrorists, said while this is being contemplated in the national interest to combat insecurity, there must be well thought-out alternatives to lessen the effects of the attendant loss of livelihoods on the people that will be affected.

The NGO said: “Regardless of the means being considered for the proposed ban on Okada riders, artisanal and small-scale miners, it must be implemented in a way that will not further worsen the country’s dire economic situation, adding that: “A World Bank report has already noted that the number of poor persons in Nigeria will rise to 95.1 million in 2022. The number of poor people was 89.0 million in 2020. This means that over 6.1 million more persons would have fallen into the poverty bracket between 2020 and 2022, a 6.7% increase. With the projected 2022 figures, the number of poor persons in Nigeria has had a four-year increase of 14.7% from the 2018/19 figure of 82.1 million to the projected 95.1 million in 2022.”

ActionAid, in the statement, lamented that in Nigeria, the poverty rate has been aided by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the growing population, the high level of inflation, which stood at 18.6% as of June 2022 and the harsh effects of the Ukraine-Russia warfare. 

It said: “This development is coming after the Nigerian government said it lifted 10.5 million Nigerians out of poverty between 2019 and 2021. Though the President has repeatedly said that the Bank of Industry has created nine million jobs in the country since 2015, and different schemes to create jobs and tackle poverty in the country have been launched. These have failed to stem the tide of poverty in the country.”

The statement said the claim of the Attorney General that, “If you are talking of banning motorcycles, for example, I think the number of people using these motorcycles is not up to 20 per cent of the Nigerian population,” is not tenable against the backdrop that this represents a significant segment of the population whose condition will be worsened because Nigeria continues to battle issues such as food inflation, rising unemployment, the rising cost of living among other economic challenges, and these issues are responsible for why more people are falling into the poverty net. 

AAN said: “Simply put, it means that one out of every five Nigerians will be directly affected by this ban, and this will further increase if you consider their family members, relatives and friends that may depend on them.”

Also Read: Mikano Denies Link With Ex-Vice President Atik

It therefore recommended, among other things, that Nigeria must put a robust social safety net in place to buffer the impact of the planned ban, insisting that: “In addition, the country must invest in agriculture value-chain, especially girl child education, prioritise the health and well-being of its citizenry and enhance economic opportunities while embracing technology to improve economic productivity and opportunities for the citizens. In essence, the government must encourage investments and job creation to engage those that will lose their livelihoods.”

AAN expressed its availability as well as other development partners to work with the government at all levels to create a sustainable alternative for this population, decrying that Nigeria may find it hard to contain crime and criminality and tackle poverty if adequate alternatives are not implemented before the planned ban. 

The statement said: “While it is vital for us to do everything possible to deal with threats to national security or the country’s corporate existence, we urge the FG to give the options being considered human face as the well-being of Nigerians should be prioritised. This will help to reduce livelihood and monetary poverty that will stem from the planned ban on Okada riders and miners.”

Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

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Crime

Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

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Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

By: Zagazola Makama

A 47-year-old Chinese national working as a supervisor at BN Ceramics in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, has died after slumping at his duty post, the police have confirmed.

Sources said that the expatriate, identified as Mr. Luo Zhi Mao, collapsed on Aug. 2 at about 6:30 p.m. while working at the Press Department of the factory.

He was immediately rushed to Covenant Hospital, Ajaokuta, and subsequently referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja. However, due to an ongoing strike by doctors and nurses at FMC, he was later moved to Shifaah Hospital in Lokoja.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, Mr. Luo was confirmed dead at Shifaah Hospital.

His body has been deposited at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

Sources said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of death, though no foul play has been suspected at this stage.

The management of BN Ceramics has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.

Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

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Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe

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Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have abducted the traditional ruler of Yankuzo, Alhaji Babangida Kogo, in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, barely hours after a devastating Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike killed dozens of bandits in a forest enclave near the area.

The monarch was reportedly abducted on Tuesday evening along the Mararraba axis as he attempted to flee his community amid fears of reprisal attacks by the terrorists.

Sources confirmed to Zagazola Makama that the abduction was carried out by a large group of armed men riding on over 10 motorcycles. The assailants intercepted the monarch and his entourage near the abandoned farm of the late Alhaji Malami Yandoto and took him away, leaving others behind.

The abduction followed a precision airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji on the same day, targeting a large bandit assembly believed to be a wedding or celebratory gathering in a forest location between Yankuzo and Munhaye.

Zagazola gathered that the air raid followed credible intelligence and aerial surveillance, which tracked the movement of over 100 armed bandits converging at the location. The strike led to the killing of scores of terrorists and left many others wounded.

Security sources said the gathering was attended by fighters loyal to notorious bandit kingpins operating in the Tsafe–Zurmi axis, some of whom had crossed over from neighboring forests in Katsina and Sokoto states.

“The impact was massive, charred bodies and destroyed motorcycles littered the area after the strike,”said a source.

Following the air raid, fear gripped surrounding villages, with many residents fleeing in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by the surviving bandits.

“We knew they would strike back. That’s why our district head was leaving. Unfortunately, he ran into them before reaching safety,” said a Yankuzo resident who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Local vigilante sources confirmed that efforts were ongoing to trace the whereabouts of the abducted monarch. Military ground troops have also been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.

The abduction point to the growing desperation of bandit groups under sustained military pressure in Zamfara and the wider North West region.

Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe

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Gunmen in military uniform abduct passengers in Benue

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Gunmen in military uniform abduct passengers in Benue

By: Zagazola Makama

Suspected armed men dressed in military camouflage have abducted at least four passengers from a commercial bus along the Otukpo axis of Benue State.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Aug. 3 at about 10:00 p.m. near Mechanic Village in Otukpo, when a commercial Hummer bus, en route from Abia State to Otukpo, was attacked by the assailants.

Sources said that the gunmen, believed to be Fulani herdsmen, whisked away between four and five passengers to an unknown destination.

One of the passengers, Sandra Okoh, a resident of Otobi Akpa, managed to escape during the attack and was later found during a joint search and rescue operation by the Nigerian Troops.

She told the security forces that her husband, Okoh Mike, was among those abducted. She also alleged that the bus driver fled the scene with passengers’ luggage and failed to report the incident to any nearby police station.

The security forces have since launched a manhunt for the suspects and intensified efforts to rescue the kidnapped victims.

Gunmen in military uniform abduct passengers in Benue

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