David Adeleke, the popular Nigerian singer, who is better known as Davido, has said that the uncanny resemblance between his young son, and Ifeanyi, the other son he lost in 2022, can best be described as “scary”.

Recall that Davido’s first son, Ifeanyi, had died in a drowning incident in the singer’s Banana Island home on November 1, 2022. In an interview some months later, the singer revealed in an interview that he had “secretly” married Chioma. And in October 2023, almost a year after the loss of Ifeanyi, the adored couple had a set of twins— a boy and a girl. They eventually had a grand wedding in June 2024.

In a recent interview with Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1, Davido stated that with the resemblance the two kids share, it felt like Ifeanyi had “come back”.

Speaking about the loss and how it affected him, the ‘Unavailable’ singer said, “That type of loss made you just be like, ‘I’m out’. I am just going to chill, take care of my wife and take care of the family and get my head right. To come back from that and…to be blessed with twins out the gate; a boy and a girl.

“And, the boy looks just like my son (Ifeanyi) that passed. It is scary. It’s like literally him. We’re like, “No, it’s him. He came back” type stuff.”

The singer added that the painful loss remoulded him to the point that he now encouraged and inspired others who were going through hard times. This even as he stated that his marriage to Chioma and the success of his 2023 ‘Timeless’ album further strengthened his belief that “God is real”.

Speaking on how feels about his journey in the music industry, Davido stated that from watching other stars on social media, he felt fulfilled that his dreams had turned to reality.

Asked about working with American singer, Chris Brown, and what’s next for them, Davido stated that they had made about 20 songs together.

On if they would release a joint album, the Nigerian singer said, “We could put out two albums right now. It is going to happen. I am happy for Chris. I feel like he is back in his bag. He is celebrating his 20-year anniversary. I told him I was meant to go on this tour (Breezy Bowl, 20-year anniversary tour).”

Confirming that he was getting involved in the film industry, Davido said, “I am an executive producer on a movie and a series with my director, Dammy Twitch. (We are) also working on my documentary.”

Lagos State government has revealed that its Metro Fibre project of rolling out 6,000km fibre optic ducts has paid off leading to an increase in the number of internet subscribers to one million between 2024 and 2025.

This was disclosed by the state’s commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake at a ministerial press briefing to mark the second year in office of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Alausa, Ikeja.

While explaining the mandate of the ministry, the commissioner listed among others, science and policy promotion, infrastructure management, science and ICT Advisory, IT-Service management, smart projects and e-governance.

He said the state government through the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has so far registered 6,465,667 residents.

Out of the total registered, the number of adults was 4,058,833 while children were 2,407,224.

Alake stated that the government targets to register over 20 million while working vigorously to register 10 million in the next two years.

He said, “Building a digitised city will require physical infrastructure connections to improve the digital connectivity of the state.

“The MetroFibre project seeks to deliver 6000km of optic fibre and optic fibre ducts for increase in digital penetration.

“Due to efforts in fibre roll out and connectivity, the number of internet subscribers will increase to approximately one million between 2024 and 2025.”

In building a digitised 24/7 city, Alake explained that there has been the introduction of Intelligent Video Surveillance systems installed in areas such as Alapere and Bank Anthony Way areas of the state.

He said it would allow companies to operate in a state and secure environment thereby creating a safer and more conducive environment for businesses which would lead to more jobs and increasing IGR of the state.

Harping on Artificial Intelligence, Alake explained that, “AI is now astronomic and we know the danger in it. So, we want to ensure that when people build the AI, it is safe and takes our diversity into consideration and also makes sure it is fair.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reacted to the walkout on the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, by some women in Rivers State on Thursday.

He described the incident as “very disturbing and embarrassing” and sent a strong message to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his supporters.

The walkout took place during the Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme at the EUI Event Centre in Port Harcourt. The programme was organized by the office of the First Lady and aimed at supporting 500 women in the state with empowerment items.

The women who staged the walkout were reportedly loyal to the suspended governor, Fubara.

Wike, who is currently on official duty in China, released a statement through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka. In the statement, he apologized to the First Lady and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on behalf of the people of Rivers State.

“Insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria in an event is a direct insult on the office of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as a leader in Rivers State, I apologize,” he said.

The governor of Abia State, Alex Otti has reviewed some of the achievements recorded by his administration since assuming office on May 29, 2023.

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television’s Rufai Oseni, the governor said the allegation by the opposition that the state’s money was been wasted and that his administration was not doing much is a mere imagination and does not hold water.

Citing the case of the strategic Port Harcourt Road which serves major businesses across the commercial city of Aba, Otti said the opposition while in power abandoned the road for over three decades.

He said, “I would like you to go to Port Harcourt Road after this interview and talk to people, that road has been abandoned for over 30 years, and nobody could fix it except Julius Berger.

“And everybody knows, and if you go to Aba and make this allegation, you’ll probably not come back.

“The road is 5.8 kilometres, it’s a dual carriageway, it is something else and I would like you to just go there.

“So the allegation of the so-called opposition is because they couldn’t fix it and somebody has come to fix it. Every other person is very happy and Julius Berger is handing over the project to me next week,” the governor said.

Speaking on the cost of the project, Otti said it has gone beyond the initial approved N30 billion.

“It has gone beyond N30 billion, it’s actually somewhere around N36.5 billion,” he noted.

Continuing, Otti said the Port Harcourt Road in Aba is one of the most important parts of the Southeast not just for the metropolitan city.

This particular road connects the town, especially, the popular Ariaria International Market to the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and is key for ease of transportation of goods and services within the region.

He said, “Virtually everything is made in Port Harcourt Road, It is a very long stretch of road and I would like you to see it. And everybody is happy, even the opposition is happy.”

President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria’s economy is sailing in the right direction.Nigerian cultural tours

Speaking during a two-day visit to Katsina state where he commissioned projects completed by the governor, the president warned that hunger and poverty have remained the biggest bane to any country’s development.

Also urging for peace through the eradication of poverty, hunger and all the social injustice bedevilling the nation, the president said his administration is committed to banishing hunger.

“The economy is sailing in the right trajectory. Today, we are seeing an effort to banish hunger and a commitment to food security and the empowerment of our people.

“Small and large-scale farming will be encouraged. Once we liberate ourselves from hunger, we will appreciate peace and harmony,” Tinubu said.

He added that so far, Katsina State has witnessed a turnaround and will continue to be rewarded.

Calling for more improved means of the agricultural process, Tinubu said the people must dedicate themselves to ensuring food security for all.

“I want to assure the Nigerian public that agriculture is the heart of our progress and must be for all. We have dedicated ourselves to food security. Nigerian cultural tours

“We must invest in mechanisation and water management. The old style of agriculture is gone,” he said.

• P’Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna refineries’ MDs arrested
• Kyari, 13 senior ex-NNPCL officials face probe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the recently sacked managing directors and some top officials of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.

The officials were arrested over alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for the rehabilitation of the facilities. The total amount under investigation is $2,956,872,622.36.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that the EFCC is probing the sum of $1,559,239,084.36 allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740,669,600 released for the Kaduna refinery, and $656,963,938 approved for the Warri refinery.

The ex-Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd is Mr Ibrahim Onoja, while Efifia Chu served as the ex-Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd.

Also, operators and experts in the sector lambasted NNPCL for deceiving Nigerians regarding the operations of the refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt and Warri plants, following the poor output from the facilities since their resumption of operations in November and December 2024.

Dashed hope

NNPCL manages the three refineries for Nigerians. The plants had remained dormant for decades, but the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries resumed operations in November and December 2024, respectively.

However, less than one month after the Warri refinery resumed operations, the plant was again shut down due to safety concerns.

The Port Harcourt refinery, on the other hand, has been operating below 40 per cent of its capacity since its widely celebrated revamp.

On Tuesday, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the new NNPCL management fired the managing directors of the three refineries under its purview.

Some other senior officials of the national oil firm were also asked to leave; among them was Bala Wunti, a former chief of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, a subsidiary of the NNPCL.

The new management also asked many officials with one year to their various retirement dates to leave.

Arrest of suspects

On Friday, a senior EFCC source, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH on the condition of anonymity due to the lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, revealed that the arrests of the three ex-MDs and top officials were part of an ongoing investigation into the billions of dollars released for the quick-fix maintenance of the three state-owned refineries.

“We are investigating the money that was released for the rehabilitation of all three refineries—money disbursed in recent times. All the principal officers within that time frame are being invited.

“Some have been arrested already, and we are still on the lookout for others. Nigerians are interested in seeing our refineries work. We are asking: where is the money, and what has happened to the refineries?” the official said.

The source added that the investigation was far-reaching, covering all key actors involved in the management of the refineries during the period in question.

The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.

Earlier, sources at the NNPCL told Saturday PUNCH that one of the sacked MDs had been with the EFCC for about a week.

“Large amounts have been discovered in his accounts. About N80bn has so far been discovered in his various accounts. The way things are going, it may be bigger than Emefielegate,” the official, who spoke in confidence due to the nature of the probe, stated.

Another official stated, “All the three of them are being investigated by the EFCC. It is indeed sad!”

Kyari under probe

A document obtained by our correspondent on Friday from NNPCL, dated April 28, 2025, and titled, ‘Investigation Activities: Request for Information’, indicated that the probe by EFCC included the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the national oil firm, Mele Kyari.

The EFCC document was addressed to the Group Managing Director (Group Chief Executive Officer) of the national oil company and contained the names of 13 other former senior executives of the NNPCL.

“The commission is investigating a case of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds in which the underlisted officials of your organisation featured,” the document stated.

It outlined the officials to include Abubakar Yar’Adua, Mele Kyari, Isiaka Abdulrazak, Umar Ajiya, Dikko Ahmed, Ibrahim Onoja, Ademoye Jelili, and Mustapha Sugungun.

Others are Kayode Adetokunbo, Efiok Akpan, Babatunde Bakare, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, Bello Kankaya and Desmond Inyama.

“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish certified true copies of their emoluments and allowances, including that of those who have retired and no longer work with your organisation,” the anti-graft commission told the NNPCL boss.

The spokesperson for the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, has remained mute over allegations against top officials of the company, as he ignored repeated enquiries on the matter.

Lies uncovered

Although this is not the first time the company has feigned the effectiveness of its operations, citizens have noted that the lack of transparency not only deepens public distrust but also fuels speculation about the company’s true intentions and the actual state of Nigeria’s oil infrastructure.

On Tuesday, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the NNPCL came under fire as the $897m Warri refinery revamp flopped.

The report also stated that the $1.5bn newly repaired Port Harcourt refinery had been struggling at under 37.87 per cent production capacity.

This was after the revelation that the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company had remained shut since January 25, 2025, due to safety issues in its Crude Distillation Unit Main Heater.

An April 2025 document on the Midstream and Downstream sector obtained from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority revealed that the refinery, which consumed $897.6m in maintenance costs, failed to produce Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and was shut down barely a month after former NNPCL boss, Kyari, declared it operational.

An investigation by Saturday PUNCH on January 5, 2025, revealed that skeletal activities were ongoing at the WRPC, compared with the heyday of the refinery when the company was working at full capacity. But NNPCL debunked this, stressing that production was ongoing.

The PUNCH reports that the 125,000 barrels per day capacity Warri refinery, which had been moribund for decades due to technical issues, was brought back to life by the national oil company on December 30, 2024.

The Warri refinery

Situated in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji areas of Warri, the petrochemical plant has an annual production capacity of 13,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene and 18,000 metric tonnes of carbon black.

Commissioned in 1978, the WRPC is operated by the NNPC and was established to cater to the markets in Nigeria’s southern and southwestern regions.

The PUNCH reported that President Bola Tinubu commended the NNPCL for completing the refurbishment of the 125,000-bpd capacity Warri refinery, which reportedly kicked off operations at 60 per cent capacity.

It is focused on producing and storing critical products, including Straight Run Kerosene, Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and heavy and light Naphtha.

A month earlier, the national oil company, at a much-publicised event, announced the revitalisation of the 60,000 barrels per day old Port Harcourt refinery.

The $1.5bn rehabilitation project, funded through a loan facility backed by international financial institutions, was projected to restore the state-owned facility to full operational status after years of dormancy and seven postponements, with the latest failure occurring in September 2024, from its earlier target of December 2023.

But a few days after the fanfare, a visit by Saturday PUNCH to the refinery revealed that there was no activity on site, as some workers met by our correspondent claimed that the refinery was undergoing calibration. This was also denied by the company.

The NNPCL spokesperson, Soneye, had said that the refinery recommissioned on November 26, 2024, was operating at 70 per cent of its installed capacity, with plans to increase output to 90 per cent in subsequent months.

At its recommissioning, the state-owned firm stated that the Port Harcourt refinery would produce daily outputs of 1.4 million litres of Straight-Run Gasoline blended into Premium Motor Spirit, 900,000 litres of Kerosene, 1.5 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 2.1 million litres of Low Pour Fuel Oil, and additional volumes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

The new NMDPRA document highlighting the refinery’s true state, however, linked the shutdown of WRPC to critical faults in the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit Main Heater.

“The Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company was shut down on 25th Jan. 2025 due to safety concerns over the CDU Main Heater,” the document stated.

The PHRC facility, on its part, did not exceed 42.23 per cent of its operational capacity within the six months.

At another visit on Friday to the Warri refinery by Saturday PUNCH, some members of staff who were seen around the premises declined to comment on the situation at the refinery.

Non-staff members were denied access to the complex, as security operatives at the main gate insisted they were working on instructions.

Marketers contacted also lamented they had been unable to lift petroleum products at the refinery.

Our correspondent did not see fuel-laden trucks either coming in or going out of the refinery during the visit.

FG deceiving Nigerians – Expert

An energy expert, Kelvin Emmanuel, said the Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna refineries were never truly set to resume operations.

Speaking on Arise News, Emmanuel described the televised commissioning as a “charade,” accusing the government of staging the event to mislead the public.

He said, “For months, I had said that Warri, Port-Harcourt, and Kaduna were never going to come back into operation and that what Nigerians saw on television as the commissioning was just a charade.

“On August 12, 2021, the Federal Executive Council approved memos for monies worth $2.96bn to be raised for the turnaround maintenance of the three refineries.

“This money can build a brand new 60,000-barrel refinery. The last of these refineries was completed in 1989 by Shell. So these refineries were built as very sizable modular refineries to power the operations of operators off-stream.

“So they were not built to refine. The PHRC and WRPC don’t have a catalytic reform unit that can convert Naphtha to PMS.

“The 46km pipeline that was designed to supply feedstock from Escravos to Warri is out of service. So, how are you carrying crude oil to the refinery?

“One of the proofs that the NNPCL was deceiving Nigerians that it was refining is that most of our products are supplied from Lagos.

“We have a situation where $2.96bn was approved by the FEC, but there is nothing to show for it. So, if you claim that your refineries are operational, it is supposed to deliver up to 7 million litres. If you check the balance sheet of the company, the refineries are a loss-making business.”

Staff threaten strike

Meanwhile, plans to restart a section of Nigeria’s 125,000b/d Warri refinery are at risk due to an indefinite strike planned by plant support staff scheduled to begin on Monday, May 5, 2025. The strike is in protest against casualisation, low pay, and lack of benefits.

A new report by Argus Media said the state-owned company had planned to restart the crude and vacuum distillation units (CDU and VDU) and a gas plant in the first week of May. But the support staff have timed their strike to disrupt these plans.

Support staff representative, Dafe Ighomitedo, said the striking workers had been protesting their employment terms since 2015.

“A previous strike called in April 2022 would have delayed the start of the quick-fix programme, but it was called off following appeals from community leaders and a promise from refinery management to address the workers’ demands if they supported the programme,” Ighomitedo said.

“Workers were promised an improved salary structure upon the refinery’s restart, but that promise has not been fulfilled,” he added.

IPMAN worried, PETROAN demands probe

The Delta State Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Harry Okenini, speaking with Saturday PUNCH, expressed worry over the non-production of petrol at the Warri refinery, months after the announced completion of its rehabilitation.

The IPMAN boss said, “Since the inauguration of the rehabilitated Warri refinery on January 5, 2025, there has been no green light for IPMAN to lift petroleum products from the facility.

“For the past months, there has been no product for marketers here, and we cannot just stay idle, so we decided to source products from the private depots.

“These private depot owners, today they will increase the price; tomorrow they will increase it again. So, the whole thing has caused problems for the business.”

He appealed to the Federal Government to give the newly-appointed board of the NNPCL a free hand to work.

Also, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria called for an investigation into the condition of the refineries.

Challenged by one of our correspondents to defend its earlier claims that the refineries were supplying fuel to its members, PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said the refineries were working at the time he and his team visited the sites.

He said, “We had very clear knowledge because we had a technical team with us, and the evaluation showed that there was hope for these refineries to work. We are not the contractors; we are not the ones who maintain them.

“So, we went home with the fact that we saw the refineries working and the furnaces were lighting up. But if today they are not working, then, of course, PETROAN probably needs to revisit and check what happened and what didn’t happen, which we are going to do.

“Since this news came out, I have had meetings with NMDPRA and a few other critical leaders in the industry.

“For us, we want to encourage the system to be very efficient. But if what has been done is not good enough, of course, you can see that punishment is being meted out to those who managed it. So, we hope that things will become much better.”

An energy expert, Dan Kunle, described the much-celebrated renovation as a scandal.

Giving insights, Kunle said the Federal Government failed to convince the original builders of the refinery from Japan to come for its renovation, as the country’s government warned against insecurity.

He said another contractor was employed to fix these refineries at a high cost with nothing to show for it yet.

He said the government was only wasting money on renovating the refineries, saying the Kaduna refinery has no pipelines to supply it with crude oil.

“Why did we avoid Japan? Why did we go around when a sovereign authority like Nigeria could not convince Japan to come and fix the refinery? And the same Japanese company is in NLNG doing contracts.

“Kaduna refinery has no pipe to feed it. Even if you fix the Kaduna refinery with the $800m or $750m, how will crude get there? So why will you put the rehabilitation of that place on course and abandon the crude pipeline from Escravo to Warri, to Auchi, to Lokoja, to Suleja?

“The crude pipeline was built in the late 70s. Today, you cannot pressurise crude from Escravo to that place.

“All these three refineries, we are wasting money rehabilitating them,” Kunle stated.

He accused Kyari of launching media propaganda with public funds to deceive Nigerians that the refineries were working.

Survivors of the recent attacks in Plateau State are still struggling to come to terms with the heavy losses they suffered when terrorists invaded  their communities.

For John Mai’Agwa, a 52-year-old man who lost four children, four cousins and three in-laws, the pain is unbearable.

In one fell swoop, the gunmen killed 11 of his family members, he said.

In his lamentation during an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, Mai’Agwa said life is cruel, miserable, and bitter for him.

The same goes for Jerry Mwa, who also lost two of his children, wife, and three grandchildren in the attacks.

The echoes of gunfire still linger in his mind and the memories of his loved ones loom large in his grief-stricken heart.

According to Mwa, they were sleeping when, at 1:30am on the fateful day, he heard gunshots in the area. He said before he could rush out, he was overwhelmed by the attackers and in the ensuing confusion his son and the grandchildren were burnt inside their room.

He said his family had already gathered their ashes for proper burial.

For Mrs. Wiki Kaja, a 35-year-old housewife, her husband, three children, mother-in-law, and five of her husband’s siblings were mowed down by the heartless assailants.

READ ALSO: Like Benue, Like Plateau

While narrating her ordeal to LEADERSHIP Weekend, she appealed to the federal government to deploy Mobile Police Force to the affected areas to flush out the gunmen from their communities.

Still in shock, Mai’Angwan said he was told that army uniforms were not sold in the open market and asked how the militiamen got the army camouflage fatigues they wore.

He said, “If the federal government has no hand in what is happening to us, they should do the needful by protecting us. In fact, on that day, bullets were flying everywhere.”

Forty-four-old farmer Sunday Gudu said he lost two children and six other extended family members in the attack

Gudu claimed that throughout the period that the attack lasted, the militiamen had a field day as there were no security operatives in his community.

He appealed to the federal government to stop the senseless killings in Plateau, Benue, and other states of the federation, stressing that without the people there cannot be governance.

The attacks were launched on communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas where 150 residents and property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

The attack on Zike Kimakpa community of Irigwe chiefdom of Bassa Local Government Area was carried out at midnight of April 13, 2025.

Barely two weeks later, a similar incident was simultaneously launched on five communities in Bokkos LGA of Plateau state .

On what to do next, Mwa said, “We have been calling on federal and state governments to stop these killings but till now nothing has been done.

“We cannot leave our ancestral homes for them (killers) because this is our inheritance. I am calling on governments at all levels to intervene. As it is right now, I am only left with my working stick,” he said.

For Mrs. Wiki Kaja, a housewifer who lost 10 members of her family, consisting of her husband, mother-in-law, and her husband’s siblings, the federal government should deploy Mobile Police Force units to the affected areas to chase out the bandits from the communities.

Irigwe, MACBAN Leaders Differ On Allegations Against Fulani Herders

Meanwhile, leaders of community associations have told LEADERSHIP Weekend that over 500 members of their communities have been killed from December 2023 till date.

The national president of Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Dr. Daniel Gya, said from 2023 till date, 146 persons were killed at Irigwe land.

He said the killings started in 2001, adding that from 2016 to 2023, they have lost about 1,014 persons.

He added that during the period, several communities were destroyed while many of the residents were displaced.

Gya further claimed that from 2001 to 2025, 21,224 homes were burnt while 21, 876 farms and 212 barns were destroyed in the area.

He, however, said there were no internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps on Irigwe land, stressing that when such attacks happen, whole villages were wiped out while the victims relocated and reintegrated among their relations in other areas.

“They live in the homes of their relatives. In fact, it is not even safe for us to put our people in IDP camps because they are not safe there. People are rather reintegrated in the homes of their loved ones.

He accused the federal government of not living up to expectations.

“How can from 2001 till date, 1, 176 people be killed just like that? Does this show that the federal government, the military, and the police are protecting the people?

“We are talking about 1,176 over a period of 25 years. In less than 10 years, from 2016 till date, we are talking about over 1,100 persons killed. If something is going on consistently like this, can we say that those who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting life and property are doing their constitutional duties?” he asked.

Speaking on the way forward, the Irigwe leader said: “Everybody is aware that the US government declared the Fulani militias the fourth deadliest terrorist group and the same people have killed and maimed innocent citizens of the state.

“In Barkin Ladi LGA alone, the governor was quoted to have said 53 communities have been renamed and taken over by the same militias.

“If these people have proven themselves to be as deadly as this, why is it difficult for the federal government to proscribe them as a terrorist group?”

According to him, unless the government categorise and classify them as a terrorist group, the killings would continue.

But in a swift reaction, the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Yusuf Babayo, described the allegation that Fulani herders were responsible for the killings as a fabrication of lies against the hardworking herdsmen.

Babayo said the Fulani herders were also victims of the persistent attacks and killings in the state.

He called on the herders to remain peaceful and to report any breach of peace to law enforcement agencies for prompt actions.

The chairman of Bokkos Cultural Development Council Vanguard (BCDCV), Barr. Farmasum Fuddang told LEADERSHIP-Weekend in an interview that from December 2023 till date 500 persons have been killed while over 3,000 persons were displaced by the militias.

He explained that the way his people operate is that displaced persons do not normally go to IDPs’ camps but they are rather absorbed by their relatives in other communities, adding that over 2,000 of them have returned to their villages and were staying in churches.

According to him, the returnees are being supported by the Plateau State government, Bokkos local government area, the federal government, COCIN, ECWA and other non-governmental organisations with food.and other basic items.

The chairman said the federal government had not done enough because the killing had continued.

He stressed that the primary responsibility of the government is the protection of the life and property of the citizenry.

“We expected that the federal government should rise to the occasion. People are being killed on daily basis and the government is not doing anything about it. Nobody has been arrested or paraded. Our attackers are still there roaming the streets with impunity,” he alleged.

On the way forward, Fuddang advocated the establishment of state police, which, according to him, was long overdue. He argued that the governor as the chief security officer of the state cannot control the police or military because they do not take orders from him, but from their bosses in Abuja.

“If we have state police, they can be deployed to attacked scenes when the need arises to deal with the situation because the officers are familiar with the terrain to bring the situation under control.

“Since the federal government has failed in its responsibility to protect us, we should be allowed to defend ourselves. Each time people call for self-defence, the federal government will look at it as a call to anarchy. If they do not want anarchy, let them do the needful.”

The District Head of Manguna in Bokkos local government area of Plateau State,  Chief Raymond Alo, asserted that some perpetrators of the attacks that led to the killing of over 53 persons were known members of their communities.

Alo made the revelation during the visit of Governor Caleb Mutfwang to the mass grave site where the victims were buried.

According to him, if given the opportunity, they could be identified with a view to bringing them to justice.

He appealed to Governor Mutfwang to intensify efforts to draw federal government attention to the plight of the victims and the urgent need to rebuild their communities.

State Government Unveils Measures To Avert Further Attacks

The state commissioner for information and communication, Hon. Joyce Ramnap, who spoke on the measures the state government had taken to prevent a recurrence, said Governor Mutfwang swiftly convened an emergency security council meeting with all heads of security agencies, adding that it had resulted in the deployment of additional personnel to strategic and vulnerable locations.

“In addition to that, the state’s internal security outfit, ‘Operation Rainbow’ is being restructured and reinforced with 600 new recruits to be trained and deployed with a clear mandate to provide intelligence, secure communities, and respond to threats”.

Others, according to her, are the activation of the Inter-Religious Council for Peace Mediation, the appointment of a Special Envoy on Peace to lead grassroots consultations, committee to collate and harmonise all the reports of judicial commissions and the formation of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the resurgence of violence and propose measures to ensure lasting peace in the state.

On the humanitarian crisis, the commissioner hinted that emergency relief and food aid were being distributed to the affected persons in churches and temporary shelters through partnerships with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

“To curb the movement of criminal elements, the governor announced new security directives prohibiting night grazing statewide; banning transportation of cattle by vehicle after 7:00 pm; and movement of motorcycles is restricted between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am daily,” she said.

The commissioner also disclosed that the state government had earmarked 30 hectares of land for the cultivation of Napier grass, an essential feed for livestock in the vast Wase Game Reserve which has become the abode of bandits.

“The Wase Game Reserve will be reclaimed and distributed to registered herders for grazing. Government has also come out with a blueprint for registered cluster farmers in their communities to cultivate and plant crops so that they do not run away from their ancestral lands,” Ramnap said

Ahead of the 2027 election, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has declared that the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, remains the only genuine candidate.

Naija News reports that Sowunmi made this known during a talk show in Abuja on Friday, organised by some members of the Obidient Movement, powered by the Cyrus Group and the Free Nigeria Foundation, as part of the May Day celebration.

He explained that despite being a member of the PDP, he is aware that the future of Nigeria is in Peter Obi.

According to him, Peter Obi is eager to see Nigeria succeed and actively seeking answers to its problems, unlike others who wait for opportunities they are not yet ready for.

He said, “You know, I am of the PDP, but the future of Nigeria is in Peter Obi. He is the only genuine candidate; all others are fake.

“I am very uncomfortable with the way we are passing the baton between the North and the Southwest, leaving out the crucial Igbo zone, even when Obi, who is the future, is available.”

Also speaking at the event, the Acting National Chairman of the LP, Senator Nenadi Usman, said the party belongs to workers everywhere, in construction sites, hospitals, security, or other sectors.

She emphasised that the LP takes workers’ welfare seriously, listing five key areas: equitable wages, labour rights, health and housing programs for workers, and enforcement of labour laws.

Senator Usman cautioned that a government might claim achievements that do not reflect in the people’s welfare, which would be a failure of governance.

While urging Nigerians to remain steadfast, she added, “Stay the course; don’t sell your birthright for tomorrow’s children.”

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senator, Ireti Kingibe, also criticised Nigerian youths and obidients for not doing enough to take ownership of the country, warning, “You are too quiet, and we are going down in this country.”

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said that the Igbo people of South-East will deliver over 70 per cent of their votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election. 

According to Kalu, the development will be one of the ways of repaying President Tinubu for his commitment to the development of Igbo land.

Recalling the promise of reconstruction, rehabilitation and reintegration made to the people of the region by the Gowon regime after the civil war that claimed over three million lives in 1970 which was not kept, Kalu said Tinubu has fulfilled the promise with the creation of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC).

The Deputy Speaker made the pledge while speaking at Ntalakwu in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State on Friday during a grand reception held in his honour by the Atuma Grace Movement, a political structure of former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Atuma.

Kalu, who was also honoured with a chieftaincy title of “Dike Eji Aga Mba” meaning “The Peoples Warrior” by the traditional ruler of Ntalakwu ancient kingdom in Ikwuano Oboro, King Larry said that the people of the South-East will continue to support the administration of President Tinubu. 

The Deputy Speaker also formally received many notable sons and daughters of the community who defected from Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), among whom were Retired Major Akubundu Awa; a three-time majority leader of Abia State House of Assembly, Wisdom Ogbonna; former President General of Oboro Community Welfare Association, Kingsley Uwa and a former Education Secretary, Ikwuano Local Government Area, Chief Sir Uche Nwachuwu.

Kalu said: “No other President has remembered the promise made to Igbo people after the war like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Fifty years came and passed, administrations came and passed, none of them deemed it right to fulfill those promises made to Ndi Igbo and only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took it upon himself and said, there must be a platform to respond to those proposals made to Ndi Igbo. And he chose South East Development Commission which no other President accepted to sign.

“He answered to our problem to enable us develop the rural communities in Igboland. He signed the SEDC bill into law and has funded it even when naysayers said he won’t. He loves Ndi Igbo and we Igbos remember those who love us.

“We are promising the President, 70 to 80 percent of votes from Igboland. Let us continue to remain as people that love peace and unity. I heard the cry of the traditional rulers who mentioned he was asked not to come and receive the Deputy Speaker by the powers-that-be in the state, when we were received in Bende, we heard that they were asked not to receive those from the Federal Government, asked not to go to any function promoting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It ought not to be so! Election has come and gone. Now is time for governance. Restricting the traditional rulers from coming to welcome those working with President is not the right leadership that Abia state is looking for.
Those who are threatening the traditional rulers, please, we beg you, allow them the freedom to exercise the mandate of the people. Abia state should be free for everybody to express where they want to belong and who they want to follow,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the host Atuma welcomed the Deputy Speaker, saying that the All Progressives Congress was waxing stronger in Abia State.

“The Deputy Speaker, your presence in itkwuano today is not by mistake. As a great son of Abia, a great son of Nigeria, this is your day. We will not celebrate any other person but you because in the leadership pinnacle, you’re the APC leader of Abia State. I’m welcoming my pinnacle leader, the entire Abia people is here.

“We appreciate you, and I would like to make a remark that this is just the beginning of the journey because we are ascending to greater heights, we will shout in victory when we reach the Olympian heights. That’s where we are headed. We are not going to be distracted. We appreciate you and we welcome you specially, both my traditional ruler who was actually asked not to be here in person. Thank you for coming,” he stated.

The pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group -Afenifere – has warned against calling President Bola Tinubu as a Yoruba president. 

Afenifere emphasised that Tinubu did not ascend to the presidency by tribal inheritance but by democratic choice through the result of votes cast in faith by Nigerians of every tongue, creed, and religion.

National Organising secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu stated this in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Friday.

While maintaining that since the opponents of former President Muhammadu Buhari did not describe his government as Fulani Presidency, it would be wrong to describe that of Tinubu as the Yoruba’s presidency.

According to Omololu, Afenifere would not fold its arm and allow other ethnic groups and nationalities to give the government of their kinsman an ethnic colouration. 

He further noted the expose by United States-based Dr Sandra Duru that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegation of sexual harassment against Senator Godwill Akpabio was an attempt to stigmatise the government of President Tinubu.

He stressed that Afenifere has taken due note of the revelation detailing the conversation with the suspended Senator, particularly her alleged shocking admission of a clandestine plot to sabotage the administration of Tinubu, “which the conspirators have stereotyped as a “Yoruba government,” and thereby stir the embers of division to deny him a second term.”

According to the mainstream Yoruba group, there is no light accusation of ethnic colouration, noting that the revelation demands reflection from patriots and repudiation from those who still hold Nigeria dear.

“Let it be said, plainly and without ambiguity, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is not a Yoruba government. It is a Nigerian government. He did not ascend to the presidency by tribal inheritance but by democratic choice — the result of votes cast in faith by Nigerians of every tongue, creed, and religion.

“To label this administration as “Yoruba” and weaponise that label as grounds for sabotage is not only dishonest, but a vile act of tribal opportunism and sedition. We reject it utterly.

“We remind the nation: When President Muhammadu Buhari held office for eight years, no one branded his leadership as a “Fulani government.”

“No tribal coalition was formed to deny him a second term on the grounds of ethnicity. He was allowed to serve out his mandate in full — and rightly so. The same principle of equity and continuity must apply now.

“Let no one demand justice only when it suits them, but deny it when it is owed to others,” the statement noted.

The organisation insists that Tinubu “will serve his full term of eight years, by the will of the good people of this country and under the watch of the Constitution. To suggest otherwise is to play Russian roulette with our national destiny.”

While commending Duru for her uncommon courage for speaking truth not only to power, but to conspiracy, Afenifere said her voice is “a reminder that integrity still walks among us, and that silence, in the face of wickedness, is not an option for those who love this country.”

Afenifere said it strongly decried the internationalisation of fabricated domestic issues by those who authored the falsehood in the first place.

“This is akin to setting fire to your own seat in a cinema and running out crying “Fire! Fire!” — not out of alarm, but out of selfish ambition. It is selfishness that seeks to burn down the image of the nation to satisfy the ego of one person who believes that except she has her way, the country should not have peace.”

Afenifere declared that, “Nigeria is not a personal or tribal empire. Our nation will not bow to tribal blackmail. It will not bend to invented narratives. And it will not break under the weight of the conspiracy.

“Let all patriots rally to the defence of truth, justice, and constitutional order. Let us remember that nations fall not only when tanks roll through streets — but also when lies, repeated often enough, begin to sound like truth.

‘We have come too far to be dragged backward by petty ambition disguised as activism. Let us reject the agents of sabotage — not because they threaten one man, but because they threaten all of us,” Afenifere stressed.