Security agencies get marching orders to deal with rampaging Fulani herdsmen

Visiting members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN were on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja told by President Muhammadu Buhari of his resolve to deal decisively with armed herdsmen who have been attacking communities across the country.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina confirmed in a statement that heads of security agencies have been directed to take all necessary steps to arrest and prosecute those behind the heinous attacks.

"We are determined to secure all Nigerians and I have told the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies, in very strong terms, to deal decisively with the attackers,’’ he said.

The President expressed his personal condolences to the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, the people of Ukpabi Nimbo and all other communities that had suffered fatalities and other losses from attacks by herdsmen.

Read More

Six tips for handling tyre burst, by FRSC

HOW TO HANDLE A TYRE BURST

1. Start with maintaining a safe driving speed; there are just no two sides to this. The lower your speed, the higher your chance of survival. A blowout at 80–90 km/h (50–56 mph) will be far less dramatic than one at 140–150 km/h (87–93 mph). Indeed, if you survive a tire burst at 150 km/h (93 mph), consider it a gift of God.

2. Do not slam on the brake pedal. Of course, this is easier said than done, as our brains are hardwired to instinctively jam the brake pedal in an emergency. Hard braking is actually the worst thing you can do as it will further imbalance the vehicle and throw it out of control.

3. Don’t abruptly take your foot off the accelerator. Do it slowly and gradually. In fact, Michelin recommends that you maintain accelerator input momentarily, before releasing it slowly. The deceleration force from a blown tire is so strong that your car will anyway slow down rapidly. If you have engaged cruise control, be sure to disengage it immediately.

4. Try your best to keep the vehicle pointed straight. Cornering or turning with a blown tire will greatly upset the car’s composure. If your car is pulling to one side, you might need to pull the steering in the opposite direction to keep it going straight. This is critical, else you risk drifting into the road divider or worse still, the opposite lane.

5. Do not attempt to over-correct. The key is to maintain the vehicle’s stability. A sharp yank of the steering wheel can result in a rollover. Even when you have gained control and are slowly moving to a safe parking spot, do so with the mildest steering inputs possible.

6. Allow the vehicle to gradually coast to a stop. Use engine braking if necessary. Lightly engage the brakes only when your car has decelerated to a slow speed. Use the turn indicators and pull over safely off the road. Drive on the bare metal wheel if you have to, but do not stop in the middle of the road as you run the risk of getting rear-ended by a speeding car. Remember to activate your hazard lights when stopped.

Credits: Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mokwa, Nigeria.

Read More

Buhari in a meeting with Catholic Bishops at the State House, Abuja (Photo)

President Muhammadu Buhari received some members of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in audience at the State House, Abuja on Monday.

Although the meeting was held behind closed doors, it is that farmers/herdsmen clashes was one of the issues discussed.

Among the bishops at the meeting were Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama; Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan and the Bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, Hassan Mathew Kukah.

Photo by Bayo Omoboriowo, personal photographer to the President.

Read More

Operation Clampdown: Military begins invasion of Sambisa forest

The Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin disclosed to pressmen in Maiduguri on Monday that the military has begun the invasion of Sambisa forest.

He said that the invasion codenamed Operation Clampdown will ensure that the insurgents are cleared out from  Sambisa as soon as possible.

“I want Nigerians to know that we are determined to wipe out the terrorists from our land.

“And from the Sambisa axis, we are really committed to ensure that we clear them as soon as possible.

“I am here for a routine visit with the Service Chiefs. I have come to appraise the level of performance in the operation and see how we can actually address some issues on the operation.

“The operation is actually to wipe out, to clear Sambisa, that is ‘Operation Clampdown’ is to clear Sambisa of the terrorists.

“The operation is on course. Like I said, it is five days gone now. The little issues being encountered by the troops will be addressed so that the momentum of the operation can be sustained.

“We have some landmine of course; it is an issue we have been faced with in this operation.

” We have some counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) equipment and other indigenous devices that will be used to ensure that the operation goes as planned,” he said.

The CDS also assured of the determination of the military to rescue the Chibok Girls.

“The rescue operation for the Chibok Girls is also part of the ‘Operation Clampdown.’ There are five little operations within the operation: the rescue operation is one of the operations.

“Every person that has been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists will be rescued, including the Chibok Girls,” he assured.

Read More

See what Boko Haram did to this 80 year-old man (Photo)

Troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade on counter-terrorism operations rescued this 80 year-old man in Shaltimari village, Borno State on Sunday.

While the elderly Mallam Ibrahim Matuk was in captivity, Boko Haram terrorists wiped out his family.

Credits: Director of Army Public Relations.

Read More

Troops kill 3, capture 9 Boko Haram terrorists hiding inside holes

Counter-insurgency troops from the 22 Brigade Garrison on Sunday, cleared Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the four villages of Cinga, Mallum Maja, Bosuma and Murye in the Northeast.

According to a statement by Army spokesman, Col Sani Usman, three of the insurgents who had been terrorizing the communities were killed while nine others who were hiding inside holes were captured alive.

Several items were recovered during the operation including
"9 Dane guns, 3 machetes, 1 bow with arrows, 6 motor cycles used by the Boko Haram terrorists to ferry slaughtered cow meat to Boko Haram terrorist hideouts."

The statement said that the recovered items were burnt. Other items recovered were 1 tricycle, 4 x Tiger Generators and 1 solar panel.

Usman said that troops also recovered 300 herds of cattle rustled by the Boko Haram terrorists from Fulani herdsmen and handed them over to their rightful owners, while 400 persons held hostage by the terrorists were rescued and set free.

Read More

83 cattle, 20 persons killed in Nasarawa gun attacks

No fewer than 20 persons have been killed in Loko, Nasarawa State over the past few weeks.

According to the traditional ruler of Loko, the killings resulted from reprisal attacks from suspected Agatu youths from Benue State.

Over the weekend, suspected Agatu youths also killed 83 cattle  at Adayi in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

Both the Fulani leader of Adayi area of Loko, Mallam Bideri Ahmadu and the monarch of Loko, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed Sabo suspect that Agatu youths were responsible for the killings.

Mallam Bideri Ahmadu told  newsmen in Loko that Agatu youths crossed over from Benue State about 10:30am last Saturday to perpetrate the latest attacks.

Ahmadu alleged that Agatu youths had wanted to rustle some cattle across River Benue, "but the cattle went berserk because of sporadic shootings.

“Upon realising they could not achieve their aim, the Agatu youths opened fire on the cows, killing 83. The injured ones are in the bush," he said.

Confirming the attacks, the spokesman of Nasarawa State Police Command, Ismaila Numan said his men were investigating the killings of 83 cattle by suspected hoodlums.

He added that there has been tension in the area since the massacre of 300 persons in Agatu by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Read More