The panel set up by the Federal Government to investigate the cause of the two-storey school building collapse in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Friday, disclosed in its preliminary report, that the building was constructed with weak materials.

Recall that the two-storey building housing Saint Academy located at the Busa Buji community in the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State collapsed on Friday, killing 22 persons and leaving about 132 injured.

The Director General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Samson Duna who spoke with journalists on the issue, stated that the panel headed by O.F. Job of the Building Department at the University of Jos revealed that from its physical observation, the building looked distressed.

Job said the report also depicted that the quantity of concrete used in the two-story building was in doubt as there was no boundary between the concrete and the steel reinforcement, adding that the slab reinforcement anchorage provided was inadequate.

The DG said, “The committee has commenced its investigation. Preliminary investigation revealed that the physical observation of the building looks distressed.

“The quantity of concrete is in doubt because there was no boundary between the concrete and the steel reinforcement.

“The slab reinforcement anchorage provided was inadequate. The sizes of the footing (foundation) provided were lesser than the required number (1200 mm X 1200mm). A comprehensive report on the investigation will be presented at the conclusion of the investigation.”

Duna advised the government and other professional bodies in the construction industry to insist on carrying out integrity tests on all distressed buildings, especially those around the collapsed building site.

He stated that there was need to fight the menace of building collapse in Nigeria especially as the country is experiencing an average of 20 building collapses annually.

He stated that the institute has so far intervened in more than 60 cases of building collapses in Nigeria.

Duna stated that there was need for all organs of government and professional bodies responsible for building construction to enforce strict compliance with building codes, regulations, and standards.

“There should be professionalism by ensuring that only qualified professionals like registered architects, engineers, and builders are involved in building projects. In a situation where a contractor borrows a certificate from a professional to execute a job, both the contractor and the owner of the certificate should be sanctioned,” he said.

He called for regular inspections and penalties for non-compliance, lamenting that no one has been sanctioned for negligence or found wanting in relation to building collapse.

“Public awareness should be reinforced by educating the public on the importance of building safety and the risk of illegal construction. This is necessary because many are not aware of what they need to do before they embark on building projects,” he added

A total of N1.35tn was on Tuesday shared to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils in the country.

The revenue was shared at the July 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, held in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

A communiqué issued by the FAAC stated that the N1.35tn total distributable revenue comprised statutory revenue of N 142.514bn, Value Added Tax revenue of N523.97bn, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N15.69b, Exchange Difference revenue of N472.19bn and Augmentation of N200bn.

Total revenue of N2.48tn was available in the month of June 2024. Total deduction for cost of collection was N92.112bn while total transfers, interventions and refunds was N1.03tn.

Gross statutory revenue of N1.43tn was received for the month of June 2024. This was higher than the sum of N1.22tn received in the month of May 2024 by N208.77bn.

The gross revenue of N562.68bn was available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) in June 2024. This was higher than the N497.66bn available in the month of May 2024 by N65.02bn.

The communiqué stated that from the N1.35bn total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received the sum of N459.77bn, the State Governments received N461.97bn and the Local Government Councils received total sum of N337.019bn.

A total of N95.598bn (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

On the N142.514bn distributable statutory revenue, the communiqué stated that the Federal Government received N48.952bn, the State Governments received N24.829bn and the Local Government Councils received N19.14bn. The sum of N49.591bn (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

The Federal Government received N78.596bn, the State Governments received N261.987bn and the Local Government Councils received N183.39bn from the N523.97bn distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.

On the N200bn augmentation, the Federal Government received N105.360bn, the State Governments received N53.440bn and the Local Government Councils received N41.2bn.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, have blamed hastily implemented government policy shifts without corresponding plans to mitigate the negative effects of the inception of the present government for the socio-economic crises confronting the country currently.

The trio spoke separately on the issue yesterday, with NECA saying major policy shifts undertaken by the government in 2023 and the adverse impacts they had across various sectors, are having terrible effects on businesses and the national economy.

President and Chairman of Council, NECA, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, at the 67th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Association yesterday in Lagos, lamented that the combination of fuel subsidy removal, and exchange rate liberalization have significantly created market distortions and increased the cost of doing business, leading to a contraction in business activities since mid-2023.

He said: “It is no longer a secret that private businesses in the economy are beset with innumerable challenges, pushing many to the realm of mere subsistence.

‘’A good number of these private businesses continue to exist due to sheer determination and doggedness of the owners and investors, who are committed to supporting the economy.

‘’We commend the Federal Government for its various policies aimed at improving the operating environment and for establishing the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.
“As we await the committee’s report, we believe the recommendations will be business-centric and given quick implementation attention by government.”

Our concerns

Notwithstanding the ongoing support by the government, Adeniyi listed six key concerns of businesses including the high cost of doing business due to depreciation in the value of the naira, increased Customs forex rate for clearing of cargoes, business-antagonistic regulations, proliferation of provocative taxes/levies and oversight functions of the National Assembly.

He said: “Private businesses are struggling with high production costs due to increased import bills for foreign inputs and raw materials. Before the liberalization of the forex regime, N460 was exchanged for US$ in the official market and about N750/US$ in the parallel market.

“After the policy, the exchange rate soared to N1600/US$, significantly raising import costs for the private sector. To address these challenges, we urge the Federal Government to review the current forex liberalization policy and adopt a more guided forex management procedure that supports domestic production.

“The upward review of Customs rate for cargo clearance to N1,413/US$ from N952/US$ in February 2024 has severely impacted businesses. These increases depleted the working capital of businesses, increased cost of production and drove up commodity prices, while also reducing household purchasing power.

‘’It has also contributed ominously to the general contraction of private businesses in the economy. Therefore, we urge the government to embark more on policies that are not only pro-business but also drive production and ensure job creation.

“In recent times, we have witnessed a proliferation of unfriendly and unjustifiable regulations aimed at organized businesses. It is our firm believe that regulations are meant to promote businesses and not to stifle them.

“Some of the recent regulations have become a source of shock and distraction to organized businesses, even though some of them were eventually suspended. For instance, the recent ban on alcoholic beverages in small packs by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, caused significant anxiety in the sector before being suspended after lengthy engagement with the government.

‘’We, therefore, urge the government to always conduct exhaustive consultation with private sector stakeholders on policy issues and act in the overall interest of the country within the prevailing circumstances.

“In recent times, we have observed several new taxes being imposed on private businesses by the Federal Government agencies. While we have witnessed the introduction of new taxes and levies, we commend government’s bold initiative of inaugurating the Taiwo Oyedele led Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms.

‘’It is hoped that the recommendations of the presidential committee will usher in a new dawn in tax administration in Nigeria.

“For over 10 years, we have witnessed the incessant invitation of organized businesses by different committees of the National Assembly on issues within the purview of the executive arm of government.

‘’Constitutionally, the National Assembly’s oversight function does not extend to private businesses. This responsibility lies with the ministries, departments, and agencies, MDAs, of the government.

‘’These invitations have caused significant distress to businesses, consuming time and resources. Although NECA has ongoing litigation on the dimension of the exercise of the oversight function with the Supreme Court, we urge the committees of the National Assembly to exercise their oversight responsibilities within the confines of the constitution.”

MAN blames forex, power, inflation

Reacting, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, also identified foreign exchange (FX) volatility, inadequate power supply and high inflation as some of the topmost challenges they encountered in their operations in the first quarter of 2024 (Q1’24).

This, according to it, led to a further surge in production and distribution costs by 20.7 per cent within the period.

MAN based its position on the response of chief executive officers in the manufacturing sector on a survey it carried out.

The Manufacturers CEO Confidence Index, MCCI, Q1’24 survey report stated: “The list of manufacturers’ challenges include unstable and high exchange rate/scarcity of FX; inadequate power supply/frequent power outages; high inflation/high operating cost (of raw materials, labour, equipment and maintenance); high cost of energy (petrol, diesel, gas); high and multiple taxes, charges and levies, among others.”

Commenting, the Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said: “The subdued performance of the sector is attributed to some ongoing harsh economic reforms that have compounded the long-standing challenges confronting the sector.

‘’This is confirmed by the finding of this report which reveals that forex scarcity, inadequate power supply, high inflation, rising energy cost, multiple taxation, policy inconsistency, exorbitant interest rate, poor infrastructure and high logistics costs are the top ten challenges depressing productivity in the sector.

“MAN expects government to frontally address insecurity, improve electricity supply, promote fiscal sustainability, and ensure policy consistency.’’

NACCIMA seeks improved public finance management

Similarly, the Director General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Sola Obadimu, said: “The cost of doing business continues to rise almost on a daily basis.

‘’That’s neither healthy for business operations nor planning. Due to rising interest rates, MSMEs may not have the financial capacity to borrow. Large businesses may also prefer to downsize rather than borrow at current rates.

“With decreasing production due to high cost of funds, unemployment may worsen with the possibility of an increase in crime rates. Unfortunately, in the midst of all these, there seems to be a deliberate effort to aggressively pursue tax drive policies.

“Certainly, there is a need for an improvement in public finance management to ameliorate the harsh economic environment.”

NLC threatens to shut Nigeria

Meanwhile, in his goodwill message at the NECA AGM, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, solicited the support of NECA for a better wage for workers, saying it was not about figure but the value of money.

Ajaero said: “Fair wages are not just a matter of social justice; they are also instrumental in boosting worker’s productivity and, consequently, the bottom line for employers. Enhanced purchasing power among workers will lead to increased consumption, thereby addressing the concerns of rising inventories in warehouses.

‘’We have advocated from the beginning of our engagement on the national minimum wage fixing exercise for the need to put more money in the hands of workers. We made this case on the understanding that it will help our businesses and rev up the economy.

‘’We had strongly believed that your organization would have been one with us and would have seen that we are actually making a great case for the survival of your businesses. We do not have any interest in crippling our businesses because you cannot cut your nose to spite your face.

‘’It is on this premise that we urge members of NECA to join us in the quest for a national minimum wage that will eliminate deep poverty from the lives of workers; wages that will not increase the number of the working poor and amount to a starvation wage for Nigerian workers is what we should all push for.

‘’The only way to break the present consumer resistance is to increase the wages of workers and that speaks to the policy of government that seeks to reflate the economy. It is not by giving handouts or reducing Nigerians to beggars who must queue at the various charity parks before they can eat.

‘’We must join hands to stop this collective slide into the pit. We must save our businesses by saving workers. N250,000 as national minimum wage is already a steep consideration by Nigerian workers.

As we are speaking now, the House of Representatives and the Senate are meeting to make sure they decentralize wage.

‘’We all know that wage in International Labour Organisation, ILO, is a national law and Nigeria will not be an exception. We will also demand that the wages of political officeholders and others are brought under minimum wage.

‘’You cannot be in the Senate and you are under minimum wage and not legislate for a better wage We should know your wage, we should know what you are earning. If you are a governor, you have security vote that is unaccounted for. If you have excess funds, you will not know that people are suffering.

“But if everybody is brought under the minimum wage, even if the governors want to create level 18, 19, or 20 for them, they all should come under the wage system. That is the only way it is going to work.

“If it is possible, both the House of Representatives and the Senate should be on part-time basis.
‘’Let it be based on professional callings. If you are a lawyer, a doctor, you have a business or profession of your own. If they meet three times a week, then the remaining days in the week, you go on with your businesses because the money being spent at the National Assembly is unimaginable. ‘’Unless we address this, the country will continue to go down and the gap between the rich and poor will continue to widen.

Later, in a chat with journalists after his remarks, Ajaero warned that should the governors and members of the National Assembly succeed in deregulating the minimum wage, Organised labour would shut the country for one month.

He insisted that by the International Labour Organization, ILO, Convention 131 ratified by Nigeria, minimum wage is a national issue, warning that organised labour would not accept a situation where governors, working with the members of the National Assembly, imposed slave wage and poverty on workers and Nigerians.

“As we are here, a joint committee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Judiciary are meeting. They have decided to remove section 34 from the Exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list so that state governors can determine what to pay you and so that there will be no minimum wage again.

‘’You cannot decide what you should earn. The very moment the House of Representatives and the Senate come up with such a law that will not benefit Nigerian workers, they will be their drivers and gatemen, and there will be no movement for one month.

‘’We cannot accept any situation where the governors and the National Assembly members will foist a slave wage on workers and force poverty on the citizens. Organised ‘labour will not accept it,’’ Ajaero said.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says the Port Harcourt refinery will begin operations in early August.

Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), said the operationalisation of the refinery is one of the emerging indicators in the energy and gas sector that Nigeria would become a net exporter of petroleum products by December.

Kyari spoke on Monday at the national assembly when economic stakeholders appeared before the senate committee on finance led by Sani Musa, a lawmaker.

The NNPC GCEO said in a few months time, oil production level for the country would hit 2 million barrels per day (bpd) as all enablement towards this has already been put in place.

The oil and gas industry, according to Kyari, is very critical in bringing a turnaround in the current economic situation and “we understand the importance of this”.

“We have already seen growth in our oil and gas production because of certain actions that Mr. President personally took, and also the very mere truth that we have also declared a war on production activities, and this is yielding the required results,” he said.

“The combination of these two has now seen us restoring production in our country, and we believe that, as the Honorable minister has said, we will soon hit the target of 2 million barrels oil production per day.

“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, that it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come to operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna; but that of Portharcourt will commence production early August this year.”

Kyari had said the refinery would begin production by the end of March, but this has not happened.

TheCable had reported that president recently expressed concerns over the NNPC’s failure to deliver critical projects including the Port Harcourt refinery.

But Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), said such projects often take time, adding that the refinery is at its final rehabilitation stage.

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has expressed concerns over the scarcity of foreign exchange (FX) in Nigeria.

PMG-MAN spoke during a news conference in Lagos ahead of the 7th Edition of the Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo (NPME).

According to the association, it is impossible for pharmaceutical companies to cope, adding that the forex scarcity led to the exit of several multinational pharmaceutical companies in the country.

Speaking at the conference, Patrick Ajah, chairman of the local organising committee for NPME 2024, said a stable exchange rate is crucial for the progress of the domestic pharmaceutical industry.

Ajah, the managing director of May & Baker, also highlighted the challenges posed by the fluctuating value of the naira, which has deterred investment and planning within the industry.

“Unless the value of the naira is stabilised, achieving the country’s target of 70 percent local drug manufacturing will remain a mirage,” he said.

“The recent fluctuations in the value of the naira have made it difficult for companies to plan and invest.

“This is one major reason why multinational companies are leaving. It’s not the fear of subsidy removal.

“If we didn’t tamper with the currency, all the multinational companies would be here, and they would still be making more investments.”

Ajah added that the recent fluctuations have made it nearly impossible for companies to cope, forcing many multinationals to withdraw.

“Many companies are not able to cope. So, fixing our exchange rate is going to be the one single thing that will immediately reset where we are,” he added.

Ajah also highlighted the recently signed executive order by President Bola Tinubu, which removes tariffs and value-added tax (VAT) on pharmaceutical imports, which is yet to take effect.

He, however, called for the government to implement additional measures, including fixing the exchange rate, to attract and retain multinational investments.

On May 1, Frank Muonemeh, executive secretary of PMG-MAN, said the country should reduce its dependence on imported drugs.

Muonemeh said Nigeria must prioritise locally produced drugs over imported medicines.

He also said the production of local medicines must be taken as a national security issue.

In 2023, prominent pharmaceutical multinationals, such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi Nigeria Limited stopped operations in the country, citing the forex crisis.

While GSK ended its 51-year presence in Nigeria in August 2023, Sanofi exited in November last year.

The detained Binance Holdings Limited’s executive, Tigran Gambaryan, was on Tuesday, whisked into Federal High Court in Abuja in a wheelchair.

Gambaryan, who was dressed in a black T-shirt with blue jeans trousers, is facing a money laundering charge alongside the cryptocurrency firm.

When the matter was called, Gambaryan stood up from the wheelchair and walked slowly into the dock.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, told the court that though the matter was scheduled for the continuation of trial, the commission’s lead counsel, Ekele Iheanacho was not in court.

Ujam prayed the court to stand down the matter to enable Iheanacho to conduct the trial.

Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, who appeared for Binance (1st defendant) and Mark Mordi, SAN, who represented Gambaryan, did not oppose the application.

Justice Emeka Nwite stepped down the matter until noon.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Justice Nwite had, on July 5, ordered the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service to release the medical certificate of Gambaryan on or before July 16.

The judge gave the order following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mordi.

Mordi had prayed the court to summon the medical doctor at the health facility of Kuje Correctional Centre, to explain why he had allegedly refused to make available his client’s medical report despite an earlier court order.

NAN reports that Gambaryan had, on May 23, collapsed in the open court over alleged ill-health.

The defence law firm, Aluko & Oyebode, had also, on May 27, raised alarms that the cryptocurrency firm’s executive might die in Kuje Correctional Centre over his alleged deteriorating health.

NAN

The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Monday, said he never knew he would live to be 90.

Soyinka revealed this while answering questions from about 383 students who participated in the 2024 edition of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme held at Prof. Soyinka’s ARI residence, Ijegba, Abeokuta.

This was as the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, announced scholarships and gifts of laptops to nine students who emerged best in an essay competition organised to mark Soyinka’s 90th birthday.

Born on July 13, 1934, the Nobel Laureate clocked 90 on Saturday.

While answering questions from children on his life experiences for the past 90 years, Soyinka said he did not envisage living up to 90, adding that he decided to be a writer to correct some anomalies from stories he listened to while growing up.

On why he broke into a radio station during the military era, he said: “I never broke into a radio station, but sneaked in. The radio station was holding on to something that belonged to the people, and I decided to retrieve it. If that item had been played, it would have demoralised the people and established the culture of brutality.”

He chided Nigerians for always criticising the state but unwilling to examine themselves.

Soyinka said crimes like kidnapping and robbery, among others, could not be blamed on poverty or inequality, but on selfishness and the desire to live a life of luxury.

He lauded Abiodun for helping to develop the environment around his abode and saving it from degradation, even as he emphasised that this has led to his not abandoning the country.

Speaking during the programme, Abiodun emphasised that the gifts of scholarships and laptops were to encourage the students to keep writing as well as motivate others to participate in the next edition of the competition.

Describing the Noble Laureate as the most celebrated black African, who had excelled in his chosen career, the governor noted that as the key to bringing about change and prosperity in Nigeria and around the world, it was imperative to engage the youth and ensure that their thinking and goals were oriented toward progress for the motherland and humanity.

He said the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange was established to honour the playwright’s legacy and reflect on his lifelong commitment to education, cultural exchange, and nurturing future leaders.

He added that the initiative underscored Soyinka’s values, which include justice, freedom, and the pursuit of excellence in the arts and humanities.

Abiodun said this year’s theme, “Engaging National Interest on Good Governance, Understanding Nation-Building,” perfectly encapsulated  Soyinka’s profound commitment to creating a just and equitable world. 

The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange focuses on essay competition,  advocacy, and performing arts, which include poetry, drama, and Spoken Word.

The governor said: “We celebrate a project that, for over 14 years, has upheld his ideals and vision. There is no doubt that the Nobel Laureate has optimally utilised the inherent values and wisdom of African culture and tradition in his global engagement as a world citizen of African descent.

“The mission and underlying objectives of WSICE are clear and commendable. They seek to create unity among mankind regardless of nationality, culture, or religion by focusing on youth as the future of humanity, in line with the thoughts and guiding principles of Professor Wole Soyinka.”

The 2024 Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme drew students from different parts of the country who participated in an essay competition on national and international topics.

About 383 students participated in the competition, 90 were chosen, while nine were selected with Alabi Oluwanifemi emerging as the best essayist, Okoye Collins John coming second, and Adebusi Adeoluwa, coming— third.

Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has said Northern politicians, past and present, are responsible for poverty in the region.

Senator Uba Sani said the number of unbanked northerners, out-of-school children and those living in poverty is scary.

He said the cause of insecurity and crisis in the region affecting Nigeria was because the northern politicians in the last 15 years put more northerners below the poverty line.

He said his administration had to open accounts for 2.1 million Kaduna residents to be able to support them. He added that throughout the North, 65 to 70 percent of northerners are financially excluded because they are unbanked.

“In the last six months, we opened accounts for 2.1 million in banks. That is why we can support them. In many parts of northern Nigeria, in some states, about 65 northerners are unbanked, that is why we are having crisis of poverty, crisis of insecurity.”

Governor Sani said this on Tuesday while speaking on NTA Good Morning programme.

“In North, we have millions of out-of-school children. Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the whole world, but 7o percent of that number are domiciled in North, for me that is scary.

He continued, “That is why when people are complaining about insecurity, about poverty, I ask everyone, all of us who are in who politics, who are in government, even some who are in private sector in Northern Nigeria, we need to look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves the truth, all of us must be blamed.”

“In the last 15 years, the level of poverty in northern Nigeria is very scary. In 15 years ago, if you look at the poverty index, only about 35 percent of our people are below the poverty line.

“Today, 15 years, in some states about 70 states of our people are below the poverty line. so I believe all the politicians in northern Nigeria, whether you are former president, former vice president, whether you are a senator, a governor, a minister in the last 15 years you must be blamed for that.

“So we need to sit down and stop blaming everyone and blame ourselves and we need to find solution, that is unacceptable and we should also stop misinforming our people this time. we need to find solution,” he added.

The Kaduna State governor said his administration would ensure the resettlement of victims of banditry was done transparently. He said his administration had to include community leaders and affected families in the process to ensure transparency.

A prominent Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, known as Igboho, has reportedly issued a new eviction notice targeting notorious herders involved in kidnapping and robbery in the South West zone.

This latest directive was communicated through an audio message by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, although its authenticity remains unconfirmed.

The call to action follows renewed hostilities in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State, where locals have suffered increased violence, including kidnappings and killings by the herders.

According to a resident speaking to Vanguard, these criminal activities have also hindered farmers from accessing their fields, exacerbating tensions in the region.

Igboho previously warned these herders to vacate the area a few weeks ago and has suggested the establishment of local security outfits to protect farmers from ongoing intimidation and violence.

In the audio message, Koiki spoke in Yoruba, saying, “Today is the 15th of July, 2024. This breaking news is issued around 6pm. All Fulani people living in Oke Ogun, living inside the bushes there, who are kidnappers, that are killing the people, are immediately ordered to leave now. Sunday Igboho said he would continue his work at Oke-Ogun, in Kishi, and all communities that made up of Oke-Ogun. He said he would touch all those places remaining.

“All Fulanis should leave the bush in Oke-Ogun. The forest does not belong to you. The land belongs to us. He added that he is also waiting for the Obas in other parts of Yoruba land to speak up if they are witnessing attacks from Fulani people in their domains.”

As claimed in the audio, Igboho made it clear that he is not fighting any governor, but he’s ready to show the herders troubling his people out of the zone.

He added that his men would comb all the forests presently occupied by herders across the Yoruba lands after getting permission from kings in Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun states.

He said his men “are currently working on how to storm the forest in Oke Ogun land in Oyo State and warn all Fulani living there to vacate immediately.”