National News
Media Regulation: Panelists go against new law in Nigeria

Media Regulation: Panelists go against new law in Nigeria
Panelists at a conference on Media regulation in Abuja have again gone against any planned regulation of media practice in the country.
Speaking in Abuja on the topic: “The Media and the Defence of the Civic Space,” organized by the Kukah Centre in conjunction with OSIWA and the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, the panelists submitted that the media has enough mechanism to regulate itself and does not need any new law.
The team of panelists includes respected practitioners, Executive Director/CEO, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Motunrayo Alaka, Former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian and Fellow, Weatherhead Centre, Harvard University, Emeka Izeze, Managing Director, Arise News, Christian Ogodo, Head of Current Affairs, DAAR Communications Plc, Amaechi Anakwue, Digital Media Strategist and International Speaker, JJ Omojuwa.
Izeze said Nigeria civil space predates the government as we have been having civil conversations in the country that make us Nigerians despite our social, cultural and religious dichotomy.
He said Nigerian civil space has grown in leaps and bounds, and has been responsible for the political development of the country, from colonial rule, through first republic to military rule, then second republic back to military rule until the new democratic governance.
Izeze said the civil space unfortunately is threatened now even more than under the military dictatorship and there is now a need to return to the vibrant Nigerian civil space which makes Nigerian different and distinct from any other nationalities.
On his part, Christian Ogodo said the universe is made smaller by technology which has brought everybody together and has changed civil space, making everyone a practitioner.
He said it has become impossible to clampdown on the media like it was done in the past when journalists could easily be locked up.
He said with the advent of social media, everyone is now a journalist on the move, insisting however that many with the prerequisite training have brought new challenges that need to be addressed.
He however said that both traditional and social media have mechanisms to weed off the chaff and should be allowed to grow unimpeded.
Anakwue said Nigeria used to have active civil space before independence which continued to expand until 1999 but now we have witnessed a space that is shrinking, lamenting that “corruption has affected everything and the media is being swallowed.”
He added that the pressure that has made it difficult for traditional media to effectively function is now taking up by social media.
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Alaka said the civil space is now tense and facing uncertainties at the moment in the country, calling on the media being the oldest institution of democracy to come out to play the role assigned to it by the constitution.
She said: “The fact we see today is that the legislators, despite the fact that they should be representatives of the people, are representing themselves.”
She however said: “Good that we have the social media to broaden the civil space but it has brought with it its challenges.”
Omojuwa said there should be accountability for the active participants in the civil space, insisting that you cannot ask for accountability when you cannot yourself be held accountable.
All the panelists, however, admitted that the media has in-built mechanisms to regulate its practitioners and need no external control or new laws.
In his keynote address, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hasan Kukah said the advent of the social media which has created “journalists” all over is not necessarily a bad thing.
He likened journalists to the faith community, insisting that “journalism and faith community are the same, just like the faith community where we have churches all over, the advent of social media has created journalists and editors everywhere.”
He however said there is no need for the government to introduce regulation as it is left for the people to decide which medium to be trusted.
Media Regulation: Panelists go against new law in Nigeria
National News
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
A renewed chieftaincy tussle in Muye village, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, has sparked violent confrontations between rival supporters, prompting swift intervention by security operatives.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the crisis began around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday when the deposed village head, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulkadir Maigari II, forcefully returned to Muye and broke into the palace.
The incident provoked tension among residents, especially after supporters of the current Dakachi confronted the deposed monarch. The situation was immediately brought under control by a team of security personnel from Lapai.
However, Zagazola learnt that the situation escalated on Friday morning when supporters of both camps clashed again, leading to a free-for-all fight that disrupted public peace in the community.
Security sources were swiftly deployed to Muye to restore normalcy.
“The combined security teams have brought the situation under control. Monitoring and surveillance operations are ongoing to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” the source said.
No casualties or arrests have been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
National News
Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony
By: Michael Mike
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.
The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.
The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.
The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.
According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.
The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.
It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
End
National News
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
By: Michael Mike
A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.
Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.
Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.
He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.
“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.
“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.
According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.
Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.
He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.
He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.
“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.
“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.
In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.
Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.
He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.
“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
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