News

Herdsmen Attacks: Efforts To Proffer Lasting Solution To Security On – Obaseki

Published

5 years ago

February 9, 2021

Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration will not politicise security issues in the state, noting that efforts are being taken to isolate and deal with the issues as they emerge so as to provide lasting security to communities across the state.

The governor made the remark when he led heads of security agencies in the state on a fact-finding visit to Udo, Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state.

At the Palace of the Iyase of Udo, His Royal Highness (HRH) Patrick Igbinidu, Obaseki said, “We are on a fact-finding tour around some parts of the state today to access the security situation particularly as it relates to farmers and herders’ conflicts in the state.

“As a government, we do not believe that we should politicise security. It is important that we get the facts right and understand what exactly is going on. We had reports about the crisis or impending crisis around this axis.

“We have also had all sorts of anxieties. Well, I will call them speculations on social media about herdsmen being pushed off from neighboring states into this area and the escalating crisis or impending crisis.”

He added, “We have had situations that have resulted in conflicts between herders and farmers. Our position is that we have to manage this crisis carefully. Like I said, we should not politicise the issues of herdsmen in our society.

“We do not accept the situation whereby anybody will be herding cattle with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons. We also understand that there are bandits and criminals who pretend to be herders but undertake criminal activities such as kidnapping in the name and guise of being herdsmen.

“I have always argued that we should separate these people and deal with each one accordingly. Today, we are here to undertake assessments ourselves and to assure the people of Ovia South West of adequate security being provided by the government to protect the people.”

He continued: “The state government is providing adequate security to protect the lives and property of the people. The security structure of the state has been rigid and revamped.

“We will not also accept the situation where people want to use the current security challenges to destabilise our country. We have no other country. Every country has its own challenges but they look for ways to resolve these challenges.

“We have major security challenges in the country as well as the whole of the Sahara region. I think leadership in this country should be responsible and ensure that we focus on the specific crisis, some of which is not anybody’s doing.”

According to the governor, “Some of the crisis we have in the sub-continent today has to do with environmental changes. We should all come together and look for ways to confront these emerging security problems and not to begin to take it out of context because of cheap political gains to create crisis in the country.”

At a town hall meeting, Obaseki assured the people that his administration would protect residents in the state as he is governor for all.

He urged “The Fulani Community should collaborate with the government and security agencies to fish out criminals. We will create an area where the cattle will go regularly to eat, as they must not go to peoples’ farms. This will stop cattle from moving round the community including in farmlands.”

Earlier, the Iyase of Udo, HRH Patrick Igbinidu, said that the security challenges in his community have been on for a very long time, adding, “Farmers always complain about the activities of the herdsmen. When I received such reports, I had to call both parties to resolve the issues immediately. We have been on it for a very long time.”

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Phillip Agbadu, assured of the readiness of his men in ensuring peace in the troubled areas in the state, noting, “I urge Fulani leaders to ensure that children are not allowed to follow the cattle for grazing as they may not be able to control them.”

In his remarks, the leader of Fulani community in the area, Alhaji Muhammad Buhari expressed appreciation to the governor for the fact-finding mission to the area, adding that Fulani community in the area are peace-loving people and has lived in the community for years and his people will always support peaceful atmosphere.

News

Ovia South West Council Chairman, Edobor Bags National Merit Award

Published

15 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

The Acting Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Charles Nosakhare Edobor, has bagged the 2025 Nigerian Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA).

He was awarded as the Best Performing Local Government Chairman in Nigeria (Security and infrastructure development, purposeful leadership).

Speaking after being conferred with the prestigious award, Edobor applauded the organizers for recognizing his administration’s commitment to localizing good governance.

He highlighted his leadership’s remarkable strides in building a sustainable, livable, and prosperous council area through numerous people-oriented programmes and projects-particularly in road infrastructure and the provision of basic social amenities.

Edobor dedicated the award to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and to the good people of Ovia south west Local Government Area.

He expressed satisfaction with the honour. He emphasized that the award would further spur him to work harder in pursuing people-centred programmes aligned with Senator Monday Okpebholo’s S.H.I.N.E and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Edobor commended Governor Okpebholo for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for local government administrations across the state.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening rural development, empowering youth and women, and ensuring the dividends of democracy reach every ward in Ovia south west local government.

Earlier, in his welcome address at the event which held on Wednesday at the National Merit House, Abuja, the National Coordinator of LOGMA, Chief Bayode Ojo, stated that the award was designed to showcase the achievements of local government chairmen and reward excellence in grassroots governance – particularly those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting grassroots development despite the challenges confronting the third tier of government.

He congratulated all the awardees for making the final list after rigorous scrutiny and spot-checking of some of their executed projects to verify the authenticity of their claims.

Chief Ojo further urged the awardees to continue to be shining examples of sustainable growth at the grassroots and in the country at large.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss

Published

16 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.

The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

More to follow…

News

Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

Published

1 day ago

October 23, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has launched two transformative initiatives designed to recalibrate traffic governance and restore environmental sanctity across the metropolis.

In a visionary bid to guarantee seamless mobility and safe commuting at all hours, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally instituted a 24-hour operational framework for traffic management and enforcement across Lagos State.

The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’s transportation governance.

It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods and services within Nigeria’s economic epicentre—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.

According to Giwa, the 24-hour operational regime epitomises the administration’s steadfast dedication to constant vigilance, operational efficiency and disciplined traffic regulation, especially as the metropolis approaches the festive period, traditionally characterised by heightened vehicular and commercial activity.

This information was contained in a statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.

He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.

“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Giwa stated.

A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialised unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.

In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Costain and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.

The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorised traders, makeshift structures and multiple environmental infractions.

During the operation, enforcement teams uncovered an illegal diesel dumping site and impounded substantial quantities of expired plantain chips and cheese balls, stored under unsanitary conditions—a testament to the government’s prioritisation of public health and environmental integrity.

The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitisation campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.

Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Costain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded.

Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.

Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order and discipline.

General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators and commuters to comply with government directives, utilise designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient and orderly metropolis.

He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement and civic responsibility.