National News

Killings: Lawmakers knock Buhari, President meets security chiefs

Published

4 years ago

July 29, 2022

Killings: Lawmakers knock Buhari, President meets security chiefs

The opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday said there was no going back on their plan to impeach the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, if he failed to resolve the insecurity in the country within six weeks.

The lawmakers, consisting of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance members, contended that insecurity had reached the peak under Buhari’s regime.

They spoke about the same time that the President was meeting the nation’s security chiefs under the auspices of the National Security Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

This happened as bandits again raided Pinau village in the Wase Local Government of Plateau state and killed six persons.

But restating their six-week ultimatum to the President at a press briefing in Abuja, the opposition lawmakers said they were tired of the worsening insecurity in the country and could no longer keep quiet over the state of the nation.

Addressing journalists after a closed-door session, the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu said they were ready to fight the President ‘tooth and nail until the insecurity issues had been resolved.’

Elumelu said, “They (Senators) have given six to eight weeks for Mr. President to address the insecurity that is, of course, affecting this nation, and I want to also join on behalf of my colleagues, also to say that upon the expiration, we will proffer ways of ensuring that we will gather all the signatures.”

Buttressing his Senate colleagues, Elumelu said that the ultimatum was beyond the issue of the opposition party but a unanimous agreement between the lawmakers.

He said, “And let me make it clear. Those who are thinking that it is only the issue of the PDP or the minority caucus, no. Many of our colleagues under the bipartisanship are affected. Many of them are affected. So, they may not be speaking but we may be speaking for them. And when the time comes, everyone will come out.”

Elumelu also responded to the comment by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on Wednesday night where he described the impeachment threat as “performative and babyish antics”, stating that time would show the President the reality.

Elumelu said, “I heard somebody this morning saying it is a laughable attempt. Perhaps, when the action starts, the person will find out that it’s not a laughable action. It’s real and we will not stand to allow this nation to collapse. We think that it is high time the insecurity of this nation is addressed.

“The nation has been awash with what happened yesterday (Wednesday) in the Senate where our colleagues had to walk out in protest as to the state of the nation as regards to the issue of insecurity in the nation. Concurrently, even though we did not do it exactly the way they did it, we also drew the House attention as to what is happening in Nigeria, most importantly in FCT.’’

Elumelu further lamented that the problems of the country were too enormous and if they didn’t rise to the occasion, the nation was on the verge of collapsing.

He said, “ And of course, we also have the issue of oil theft which has risen, now making it difficult for us to earn income from oil revenue.

“And these and many others are the reasons we are joining our colleagues in the Senate to ask Mr. President to address the insecurity of this nation within six and eight weeks. Otherwise, we will find the constitutional means to ensure that we serve him an impeachment notice.’’

Senate Minority leader

Earlier, the Senate Minority leader, Philip Aduda also noted that they were not rescinding their decision to impeach the president if he failed to meet their demands.

He said, “Our actions yesterday (Wednesday) were spontaneous from the issues that were raised on the floor of the Senate. I am sure that members of the press must have interacted with our various colleagues to know that this issue is not just about the PDP caucus but it is a bipartisan issue.

“We all agreed that the security architecture is failing and there is a need to salvage it immediately and we also agreed that we must issue; for some who do not know, the issue is to issue an impeachment notice to the President because the primary responsibility of the government is the protection of lives of the citizens. Once that is not done, then, there is a problem.”

The senator further said that they had invited their colleagues at the house to further explain things to them and know where they stand on the issue.

Also, the Senator representing Cross River South Senatorial District, Gershom Bassey, said that they were committed to ending the security issues in the country, and if the President didn’t solve the challenges, they wouldn’t have a choice but to use the constitution.

“This six-week (ultimatum) is just the last straw; we have been giving this recommendation, motions, and budgetary support since 2018. We have been talking about insecurity since 2017,’’ he noted.

Also, the lawmaker representing Osun East Senatorial district, Senator Francis Fadahunsi said that the senators including some from the ruling party, had agreed on serving the impeachment notice but some people were still trying to serve their personal interest and were resisting the decision of the Senate.

The PUNCH on Wednesday reported that Senator Smart Adeyemi of Kogi West, Senator Bulkachuwa Muhammed of Bauchi North and Senators are the APC senators who have openly declared their support for the President’s impeachment.

Plateau attack

Confirming the latest bandit attack, residents of Pinau community said the hoodlums arrived in the area around 3:pm on Wednesday, shooting sporadically, which led to the death of the six persons while many others were injured.

Garba Kasuwa, who escaped the attack, said the bandits came in large numbers on motorcycles carrying heavy guns.

He said “Before the arrival of the bandits, hundreds of residents of the community had already fled because of the fear of being attacked and that is why the casualty figure is not much. The few ones that remained, some were killed; about six of them. The bandits on arrival asked people to lock themselves in their rooms.

“They broke our shops and stole food items and other properties. They also kidnapped some people. The situation is pathetic.”

The Spokesman for the Military Taskforce, Operation Safe Haven in charge of maintaining peace in the state, Major Ishaku Takwa, however, said that troops of the taskforce had been deployed in the community to restore calm.

Before the attack , the residents of the community had raised the alarm over their safety following the withdrawal of soldiers from the area, a development that forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes to neighbouring villages.

“I will call you later on the incident because I’m right now in a meeting with the Force PPRO”, the police public relations officer of the Plateau state command ,Alabo Alfred told The PUNCH in Jos, when contacted.

In a related development, the Defence Headquarters has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, not to panic on account of the terrorist attack on the Presidential Brigade Guards on Sunday in which eight personnel were killed.

The incident led to the hasty closure of schools by the Federal Government and the Federal Capital Territory Administration, sparking apprehension among residents.

But speaking at the bi-weekly briefing on troops’ activities on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Bernard Onyeuko claimed 30 terrorists were killed during the attack on the troops.

He added, ”Troops of 7 Guards Battalion and 167 Special Force Battalion in conjunction with the air component of ‘Operation Whirl Punch’ conducted a clearance patrol around Bwari general area between 24 – 26 July 2022. Troops successfully cleared Kawu and Ido villages.

“Consequently, about 30 terrorists were neutralized and their enclave and hideout destroyed. Ground troops also recovered six motorcycles, two AK47 rifles, one fully loaded LMG magazine, amongst others, during the mop up.”

Reacting to allegations that troops were benefiting from the ransoms paid by abducted victims, the Director, Defence Information Major General Jimmy Akpor said the military high command was unaware of the development.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Vigilance Group of Nigeria in Bwari area council, Titus Awyebemye, killed during the attack on the presidential Guards Brigade has been buried on Thursday.

CAN warns

Also, the outgoing President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has admonished the President to holistically address the security challenges in the country.

Ayokunle, who stated this during a valedictory church service held in his honour in Abuja on Thursday, stressed that the insecurity in the country was no longer a child’s play.

Commenting on the security situation, the presidential candidate of the PDP and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has assured the people of Zamfara State that rescue is on the way.

The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), while speaking with journalists after the National Security Council meeting, said the President and the security agents were aware of the dire security challenges facing the country.

Monguno said, “We are in a very difficult situation and the Council understands. Mr President understands people’s concerns about the growing insecurity. But I can assure you that there’s no straight cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other.

“I know people are weary, people are tired, people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self-help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person.”

According to him, the Security Council has agreed on new strategies to curtail the menace, assuring Nigerians that there will be a renewed momentum against terrorism.

He explained: “Again, the members of the armed forces have made a commitment that in the coming weeks, they have already started working on a new strategy to deal with these snippets of violence.

“And they’ve given their word, their commitment to the President that there will be a change in momentum, regardless of the fact that there might be certain institutional limitations which they face. But they understood the enormity of the responsibilities.”

The NSA also revealed that Council will soon conclude its special investigation on the July 5 Kuje Correctional Center attack and would punish those who, by neglect of duty, allowed the massive escape.

“Council is in the process of winding up the Special Investigative Panel on the Kuje incident. And the idea is to come up with recommendations, hold those who are supposed to be held accountable for their deeds and to ensure that this type of thing never ever, ever happens again in this country,” Monguno stated.

Citing last Friday night’s attack on the 7 Guards Battalion of the Nigerian Army Presidential Guards Brigade, the NSA argued that no country can win an asymmetric warfare without the help of its citizens.

Monguno argued that the casualties could have been avoided if citizens were more generous with information.

PUNCH

Related Topics:Killings: Lawmakers knock Buhari President meets security

Up Next

PVC will be ready in October, November, says INEC

Don't Miss

Nigeria Air To Borrow Aircraft To Begin Operations

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Click to comment

National News

ECOWAS Reports Resilient Growth and Major Regional Achievements in 2025

Published

3 days ago

January 29, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

ECOWAS Reports Resilient Growth and Major Regional Achievements in 2025

By: Michael Mike

The President of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. Omar Touray on Thursday said the Commiswion has recorded notable economic, social, and institutional progress in 2025, despite global uncertainties and regional security challenges.

Speaking at a meeting with development partners, Touray said the regional economy grew by 4.6 percent in 2025, up from 4.3 percent in 2024, with projections of 5.0 percent growth in 2026.

He noted that this performance reflects the implementation of structural reforms, increased fiscal discipline, and measures to strengthen key sectors such as extractive industries and trade.

Touray said the regional inflation also eased from 24.4 percent in 2024 to 16.8 percent in 2025, supported by coordinated monetary and fiscal policies.

He highlighted improvements in budget management, with the regional deficit declining to 3.1 percent of GDP in 2025, adding that the debt-to-GDP ratio fell slightly to 45.7 percent.

He noted that current account balances remained positive, led by export surpluses from Nigeria, Ghana, and Guinea.

On the political and security front, Touray said ECOWAS strengthened peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy efforts across the region. He revealed that missions in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau assessed operational and financial implications, with recommendations for improved training, monitoring, and exit strategies.

He stated that counter-terrorism initiatives intensified following a rise in fatalities from attacks, with regional intelligence sharing and specialized training programmes expanded, adding that arms control efforts also advanced with the donation of weapons-marking machines to four member states.

On trade and economic integration, Touray said ECOWAS continued to consolidate economic integration, advancing the free trade area, customs union, and common market initiatives.

He said efforts to facilitate cross-border trade included support for women and youth entrepreneurs, the rollout of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card in six countries, and the launch of digital platforms to track trade compliance. The region also participated in major trade fairs and forums, including the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algeria and the first ECOWAS Trade and Investment Forum in Lagos.

Touray noted that significant progress was made in energy, transport, and digital infrastructure, adding that clean energy programmes certified solar technicians, while broadband connectivity projects prepared the deployment of a second submarine cable.

He said ECOWAS also advanced regional road standards, aviation safety capacity, and interconnection hubs for internet access.

He said the Commission strengthened agricultural governance, climate-smart practices, and food security programs, reaching millions of beneficiaries with improved farming technologies, school feeding programmes and livestock development projects. Partnerships on climate resilience, carbon markets, and sustainable resource management were expanded.

He added that through the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), ECOWAS enhanced epidemic preparedness and laboratory capacities, stating that humanitarian support focused on vulnerable populations, including women cured of fistula and youth employability initiatives, including programmes on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and anti-trafficking capacity building were implemented in multiple member states.

Touray said ECOWAS strengthened internal governance, financial management, and staff capacity development, including training in strategic leadership and risk management.

He revealed that the ECOWAS Court of Justice held 79 sessions and increased public outreach to improve citizen access to justice. International partnerships and diplomatic engagements with the UN, EU, World Bank, IMF, and AfDB yielded support for regional development projects across transport, agriculture, energy, and digital transformation.

He said he these achievements position ECOWAS to advance regional integration, economic growth, and stability, despite ongoing challenges such as geopolitical tensions, security threats, and the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Community.

ECOWAS Reports Resilient Growth and Major Regional Achievements in 2025

National News

Kadafur Swears In 27 Newly Elected Local Government Chairmen in Borno

Published

3 days ago

January 29, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Kadafur Swears In 27 Newly Elected Local Government Chairmen in Borno

By: Bulama Talba

The Borno State Acting Governor, Hon. (Dr.) Umar Usman Kadafur, on Thursday swore in 27 newly elected Local Government Chairmen, charging them to embrace accountability, prudence, and people-oriented leadership at the grassroots.

The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Multi-Purpose Hall, Government House, Maiduguri, marked the formal commencement of a new tenure for the Chairmen across the state’s 27 Local Government Areas.

The oath of office and allegiance was administered by the Chief Judge of Borno State, Hon. Justice Kashim Zanna, who was represented by Justice Haruna Mshelia, in three batches.

Delivering the keynote address, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented at the event, described the occasion as a “solemn transition of democratic duty,” stressing that leadership at the local level is a covenant of trust with the people, not a celebration of power.

He congratulated the Chairmen on their victory at the polls, commending the Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC) for conducting a peaceful, free, and fair election.

He however, cautioned that the real task begins with service delivery, noting that local governments are the engine rooms for implementing the state’s 25-Year Development Plan and 10-Year Strategic Transformation Initiative.

The Acting Governor charged the Chairmen to manage public resources prudently, avoid vanity projects, and prioritise initiatives that directly improve security, livelihoods, and the dignity of citizens.

He emphasised that prompt payment of salaries and staff welfare is non-negotiable, while discipline and productivity must be restored in local government administration.

On accountability, the Acting Governor stressed that local councils must operate with openness and transparency, encouraging citizen engagement and public scrutiny.

Alhaji Umar Kadafur also directed Chairmen to reside and work within their respective Local Government Areas, warning against absentee leadership.

The Acting Governor further called on the Chairmen to uphold the rule of law, work closely with security agencies and traditional institutions, and remain vigilant against illegal mining and deforestation, which threaten the environment and livelihoods of communities.

Kadafur tasked the Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs with strict supervision of local councils and used the occasion to commend the immediate past Chairmen for their dedication and service.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Hon. Sugun Mai Mele, highlighted the significance of the state’s decision to grant financial autonomy to Local Governments, describing it as a bold reform that has strengthened grassroots governance.

Hon Sugun Mai Mele cautioned that financial autonomy comes with increased responsibility, noting that all expenditures must strictly follow financial regulations, procurement laws, budgetary provisions, and legislative approvals.

He urged the Chairmen to take the lead in initiating and executing impactful projects, rather than relying solely on state funded interventions.

In his vote of thanks, the Chairman of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and ALGON Chairman, Hon. Ali Umar Bolori, expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah and the Governor for the confidence reposed in the Chairmen.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Hon. Bolori pledged that the Chairmen would serve with honesty, fairness, and dedication, and align fully with the Governor’s development agenda.

He particularly appreciated the extension of Local Government tenure from two to three years, describing it as a strategic decision that would enhance planning and delivery of sustainable development at the grassroots.

The ceremony was attended by Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Hon Satomi Ahmad,APC Party Chairman, SSG, HOS, COS ,Special Advisers,STA,SSA,government officials, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers, security agencies, and APC Party stakeholders and Supporters among others.

Kadafur Swears In 27 Newly Elected Local Government Chairmen in Borno

National News

NSCDC Dismisses Claims of Withheld Promotion Arrears, Reaffirms Commitment to Personnel Welfare

Published

3 days ago

January 29, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NSCDC Dismisses Claims of Withheld Promotion Arrears, Reaffirms Commitment to Personnel Welfare

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has refuted reports alleging that its leadership is responsible for the non-payment of promotion arrears and the diversion of funds meant for personnel welfare, describing the claims as false and misleading.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the spokesman of the Corps, Afolabi Babawale, the Corps said the allegations, which surfaced on some online platforms on January 23, were deliberately crafted to misinform the public and undermine the credibility of the organisation and its leadership under the Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi.

The NSCDC clarified that the payment of salary and promotion arrears does not fall under the control of the Corps or the Commandant General. According to the statement, such payments are handled by the Presidential Committee on Arrears, which is overseen by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federation.

Addressing claims that no arrears have been paid since 2022, the Corps said available records show steady progress in the settlement of outstanding payments. It noted that the current leadership inherited about five years of unpaid salary arrears upon assuming office in 2021 but successfully facilitated the clearance of arrears covering 2015 to 2019, benefiting more than 37,000 personnel nationwide.

On the status of arrears for 2020 to 2022, the NSCDC explained that relevant departments, acting on the directive of the Commandant General, had applied to the Presidential Committee on Arrears. The request, the Corps said, has already been approved and is currently awaiting final release by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for disbursement through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Corps added that arrears for 2023 and 2024 are yet to receive the necessary approvals, stressing that government funds cannot be released without presidential consent and budgetary provision. It also noted that promotion examination results for 2025 were only released in December, and the process of capturing them in the budget is ongoing.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and staff welfare, the NSCDC said it would not be distracted by what it described as attempts at blackmail or cyberbullying. The Corps urged the public and media organisations to verify information through official channels and disregard reports capable of causing tension among personnel.

The Commandant General also appealed to officers and men of the Corps to remain calm and patient, assuring them that efforts are ongoing to ensure the eventual release and payment of all outstanding arrears in line with government procedures.

NSCDC Dismisses Claims of Withheld Promotion Arrears, Reaffirms Commitment to Personnel Welfare