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Edo Train Attack: Sign Hunters And Forestry Bill Into Law, Buhari Told
Published
1 year agoon
By
EditorJohnny Chukwudi Metchie, Assistant Commander General of the Nigerian Hunters and Forestry Security Service (NHFSS) in charge of Technical Services, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Hunters and Forestry Security Service Bill into law.
He said the bill is a sure way of deterring terrorists and other criminal elements from using the forests to commit atrocities against the people of Nigeria.
Recall that suspected terrorists on Saturday, attacked a train station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta State and abducted scores of passengers who were waiting to board a train, leaving many injured.
Reacting to the incident on Monday, Metchie told newsmen that it has become an urgent matter for President Buhari to sign the Bill into law which would empower Forest Guards to bear and arm and protect farms and forests as is the case in many other countries.
READ ALSO: FG Reacts As Gunmen Kidnap Scores Of Train Passengers
He said that one of the most effective ways to curb the menace of bandits and other terror activities, is to recruit, arm and empower young men and women as hunters and forest guards to make it difficult for criminals to operate from the forests.
Metchie noted that when the Bill is signed into law, the Hunters and Forestry Security Service would take over the protection and safeguard of forests across the country.
According to him, one of the greatest gifts President Buhari would leave for his successor, is to sign the Bill into law, as such would make the fight against insecurity easier for the new administration.
He said- “The incident that happened in Edo last Saturday, where many passengers waiting to board a train were attacked and abducted is very unfortunate and regrettable.
“While I condemn the dastardly act and sympathise with victims and their families, I want to use this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, sign the Hunters and Forestry Security Service Bill into law. The Bill is before Mr. President just waiting for his accent.
“I have lived in many countries, including those in Europe, United States, Canada and others. In these countries, even in South Africa, the forests are protected by Forest Guards and Hunters. And this helps tremendously in curbing activities of criminals, especially those that use the forests as hideouts to carry out nefarious activities.
“When bandits and other terrorists strike, where do they take their victims? It is the forests and farms. They take their victims to the forests because they are aware that there are no authorised security personnel there. When the Bill is passed into law, it would empower the hunters and forest guards to bear arms, motivate them to work and defend their fatherland, knowing that they have the backing of the government.
“I believe that President Buhari is a patriotic citizen and a statesman. I want to think and believe that the President wants to leave lasting legacies for his predecessor. He should therefore save the incoming administration the burden of sending the Bill to the lawmakers by signing it into law himself without wasting more time.”
READ ALSO: [JUST IN] Abduction: NRC Shuts Edo Train Station Indefinitely
“Two other areas signing the Bill into law would benefit the country are food security and employment. Today, prices of food items are on the rooftops. The reason is that insecurity has forced many farmers out of the bush.
“The presence of armed forest guards would assure farmers that their farms and produce are safe. In addition, with the signing of the Bill into law, state governments would be motivated to recruit thousands of young people into the service which would drastically reduce unemployment with a double effect of reducing the number of people going into crime,” Metchie added.
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VIDEO: Villagers Give Nigerian Soldiers Heroic Welcome After Successful Operation
Published
3 hours agoon
April 19, 2024By
EditorA heartwarming video of some villagers giving a heroic welcome to soldiers returning from a successful operation in the North East has been shared online.
The Nigerian Army shared the video online as the soldiers returning from their military operation were met with cheers and celebrations from local residents recently.
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The Army wrote: “Heartwarming welcome accorded to Nigerian Army heroic troops in the Northeast region after a successful operation in Sambisa and Timbuktu Triangle during Operation Desert Sanity III. This video clip captures the genuine and heartfelt welcome extended by the local communities to the valiant troops in appreciation of their successful operation.”
Watch the video below…
News
JUST IN: Court Clears Ex-AGF Adoke Of Money Laundering Charges
Published
5 hours agoon
April 19, 2024By
EditorA Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday discharged and acquitted former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) of the money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, while delivering a ruling on a no-case submission filed by the former AGF, held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie (sufficient evidence) case against him.
“I find that there is no evidence to prove the alleged offences against the first defendant (Adoke),” the judge said.
READ ALSO: EFCC Declares Ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello Wanted
However, Justice Ekwo ruled that Aliyu Abubakar, the second defendant, has to open his defence because he has a case to answer.
EFCC had preferred a 14 counts charge against Adoke and an oil mogul, Aliyu Abubakar.
In the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that Adoke sometime in August 2013 in Abuja accepted a cash payment of the dollar equivalent of N300 million from Abubakar and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the money laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended.
Details later…
Armed policemen have sealed off the secretariat of the All Progressive Congress,APC, in Makurdi, the capital city of Benue State.
The party secretariat belongs to the Austin Agada-led APC Working Committee located along JS Tarka Way opposite the Railway Market in Makurdi.
There are two party secretariats in the capital city.
The other one belongs to Benjamin Omakolo’s team which is located along Kashim Ibrahim Way.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Protests As Gunmen Kill 12 In Plateau Village
The Publicity Secretary of the Agada faction, Daniel Ihomun, said that the sealing off of their secretariat may not be unconnected with the inauguration of members of the zoning committee for the forthcoming local government election.
“We are to inaugurate members of the zoning committee for the coming local government election today at our secretariat only for the government to send policemen and their thugs to seal off the secretariat,” Ihomun said.
It was learnt that policemen and Armour Personnel Vehicle were deployed to the Agada-led office as early as 6am on Friday.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Approves Policies For Complete Overhaul Of Education Sector
Efforts to get the reaction of the state Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, to ascertain the reason for the sealing off of the party secretariat were not successful as her phone rang out at the time of filing this report.
The Agada-led faction had constituted a 21-men zoning committee drawn from the three senatorial districts of the state and was expected to be inaugurated on Friday.
But in a swift response, the Omakolo-led team had in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Terseer Agber, called on all party members and the general public to disregard the zoning committee constituted by the Agada-led committee.
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