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We are being tactical with religious places of worship to avoid mayhem – Bogis Boss

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We are being tactical with religious places of worship to avoid mayhem – Bogis Boss

We are being tactical with religious places of worship to avoid mayhem – Bogis Boss

By: Bodun Kayode

The pulling down of some structures including places of worship in Maiduguri the Borno state capital by the Borno Geographic information Service (BOGIS) has been seen as a ploy by the agency targeting a certain religion rather than a design to correct some under deals in land matters in the state.

The Executive Secretary of the Government Agency Engineer Adam Bababe told NEWSng while filing questions during a Press Conference that he was brought in by the Zulum administration to correct such under-deals on land matters and to help the government in boosting the economy of the state by making the people do the right thing.

According to him, of particular concern was the EYN church bulldozed by his men. “Government does not fancy pulling down worship places just for the sake of it. We as an agency indeed go after wrong doers and force them to do the right thing.

“Government does not fancy demolition. But if you see any structure, Church or Mosque being demolished, there must be a form of violation. To my conscience any structure being demolished regardless of the category, find out what they did wrong before the law caught up with them.

“Look at this scenario you have painted, let’s say the government has accepted that it demolished any structure wrongly. What are the procedures? Did they follow the laws? Did they pay for commercial or residential? People should ask themselves, after identifying their category; did we actually abide by the terms of reference? Did we adhere to all of them? If yes or no, the answers will be clear to them. However, the Government will react only on the face of the law and nothing else.

“You see, in Borno, we have been involved in over a decade long territorial insurgency and as such we felt we would not allow anything related to religion to cause mayhem. That is why we are being tactical with religious places but many of them are defaulters.

Also Read: Nigerian govt. seeks US assistance to improve Nollywood…

On the mistakes made with the EYN Church in Maduganari he said that “the records say that the land in question is residential not commercial or religious. If they want, let them come and tell us that they want a religious site and we will check and see what is on the ground before responding to them.”

He said nobody can just wake up and impose on the Government what he or she thinks is right even if it’s against what the law says.

“What pleasure do I derive as a Muslim from demolition of a mosque or even a church? I believe that the outburst and anger on that matter was because the people concerned lacked knowledge about the laws. I work according to the laws setting up the agency and I will not do anything touching on the integrity of government that would make me run afoul of the law and cause the Governor to sack me.” He said

Engineer Bababe regretted that people always find it difficult to accept reality because Africans are extremely religious but the church failed to abide by the terms of reference of the land in question and rather went obscene of the law.

“They knew very well that the land was residential and the terms of allocation clearly spelt out and that they must be paying ground rents. But they went ahead to convert it to a commercial plot and even fixed a package water factory on the said land. How do we allow such an infringement to linger for others to emulate?” he asked.

He said the agency will not tolerate any such infringement from anyone adding that he would not have the guts to challenge others with water factories in their residencies if he had not stopped the wrong at the EYN Madugunari church, which was demolished last

According to him, a similar case occurred in which he had to demolish an endangered mosque because of a house, “that case in concern was a Mosque at a particular place close to the Shehu’s palace. It showed some cracks and it was obvious the mosque must go because of the building.

We are being tactical with religious places of worship to avoid mayhem – Bogis Boss

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.

In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.

“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.

“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.

The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.

Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

By: Michael Mike

The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.

A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.

“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”

According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.

The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.

Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People


…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp

By: Michael Mike

Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.

Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.

“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.

“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”

Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.

“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”

She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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