Buhari lacks political will to address Fulani/farmers challenge –Junaid Mohammed

Dr Mohammed Junaid in this interview, blamed the recurring Fulani herdsmen, farmers clashes on government’s inability to muster political will to address the matter. On the issue of governance , he picked holes in the style of President Muhamnadu Buhari, insisting that the appointments made so far by the President were not such that could inspire hope among Nigerians. Excerpts:

What do you make of the blame game going on over herdsmen/ farmers clashes?

Thank you very much for describing the situation as nothing but political blame game. As far as I am concerned, if a government has the political will to solve a problem, and that will and attitude towards any political problem is perhaps a reflection of the attitude of the elite themselves, that problem can be solved. The central issue here is having the political will.

Abduction of 20 Fulani women untrue - MACBAN

The Borno State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, known by the acronym MACBAN, on Thursday, denied media reports that Fulani women were abducted by Boko Haram members in Borno last week.

Alhaji Amadu Musa, who is Chairman of the MACBAN in Borno State, in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital, said the reported abduction of 20 Fulani women was “not true.”

“We need to tell the world that there is nothing like that. All (of) our women and girls are (safe and) intact. It takes us this long to respond because; we made series of consultations to avoid issuing conflicting statements that will generate tension.

Boko Haram: We Are Suspecting OIC – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Tuesday debunked claims by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) that Boko Haram members and their activities were anti-Islam.

Musa Ayake, CAN Secretary General stated that such statement cannot be true, given the antics and background of the Boko Haram sect.


Ayake told news men that “if they said they are not Muslims, they should meet with Boko Haram because the sect had told the whole world that they are Muslims, that they want to upturn Nigeria’s constitution and put in place sharia law.

Amnesty To Boko Haram, A Step In Wrong Direction – Kaze

A House of Representative member representing Jos South/Jos East, Hon. Bitrus Kaze has described the reported efforts being made by the Federal Government to offer amnesty to Boko Haram terrorist sect despite its continued bombings and killings of innocent citizens as a step in the wrong direction.

“I do not subscribe to any form of dialogue with terrorists; we will not grow weary of making the point resoundingly clear that no country the world over has succeeded in curbing the menace that way,” said Kaze.

The lawmaker stressed in a statement issued in Jos yesterday, that such effort, coming at a time the international community has declared to support Nigeria to stamp out terrorism, will boomerang.

He added: “Motivated by the tension, anxiety and sense of fear permeating the nation as a result of terrorism, those who canvass this awkward idea cannot be right. This should explain exactly why the Alhaji Kabiru Turaki dialogue committee was and will continue to be a perpetual failure”.

Boko Haram sect kills 30 in reprisal attacks on vigilance groups

Boko Haram Islamist militants are now targeting vigilance group members in Borno State killing about 30 in separate attacks on at least two villages in Borno State on Thursday.

The vigilance members were attacked at Morofo in Marte local government area where 25 were killed and Kinmi in Biu Local government area which lost five residents. The deceased were described as members of the local vigilance groups.

The Boko Haram attacks appeared to be reprisals on vigilance groups following the recent killing of scores of Boko Haram members by vigilance groups in two communities in the state. Most villages have formed vigilance groups to protect their communities from militant attacks.

How Cameroon, Chad, Niger became a den of terrorists: Boko Haram get cross-border assistance for their operations

Take a very close look, if you have the heart, at the gory pictures of the wreckage at Nyanya Mass Transit Park, Abuja rocked by bomb blast in the early morning of Monday, April 14, 2014. About 100 people were killed, over 200 others sustained injuries, many maimed, burnt beyond recognition while nearly 18 high capacity buses, several smaller commercial vehicles and cars filled with passengers ready to leave, all destroyed in the explosion planned and mindlessly executed by Boko Haram Islamist insurgents.

Immediately following on the heels of the Nyanya deadly blast about 234 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by the Boko Haram sect after sitting for the West African School Certificate (WASC) examinations. This has caused international outrage as USA, Britain and other western European countries have pledged to assist Nigeria in efforts to rescue the abducted school girls.

Bomb explosions near University of Maiduguri keep students, staff awake - PREMIUM TIMES

Thunderous sounds suspected to be from bomb explosions and continuous shooting around the University of Maiduguri  scared students and staff on campus all Friday night. Many of the students and staff stayed awake till dawn.

‪The explosion, according to PREMIUM TIMES checks, started at about 2 a.m.‬

‪Some students said the sounds woke them up, while those that were awake and reading for the ongoing second semester exams said they were terrified.‬

‪A 200-level student of the University,  Halima Abdul,  told PREMIUM TIMES on phone that “we don’t know from where the explosion and shooting occurred and we could not even run because it is dark and dangerous to do so. It happened around 2 a.m.; I was not asleep then”.‬

‪Halima said the university’s Dean of Students Affairs visited them in the hostel in the early hours of Saturday to assure them of safety, even as he warned of dangers in trying to run from the school.‬

‪A security official who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES but asked not to be named because it was not his role to speak to the press said the shooting had nothing to do with the university. He said the shooting occurred in two villages about 12km away from university campus.‬

Osun, Ekiti People ‘ll Resist Election Rigging – Fani-Kayode

Former minister of aviation and tourism, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has declared that unlike what obtained in Anambra State, the people of Osun and Ekiti states will resist any attempt to rig the forthcoming governorship election in favour of any political party.

Speaking yesterday in Osogbo at the Osun State personality interview forum “News Point”, Fani-Kayode noted that Yoruba people are known for their aversion to cheating from any quarters.
He called on the nation`s electorate to reject Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in 2015, saying another mandate for the party would spell doom for Nigeria.

He also accused President Goodluck Jonathan`s government of promoting corruption, fanning the ember of ethnicity, poor management and increasing tension in the country, adding that his government has failed woefully to address the myriad of problems bedevilling the nation since its inception.

He said the ship of the nation is heading towards the rock, noting that Nigerians are now more divided than before in terms of ethnicity and religion.

His words: “Since his inception of office, crimes have been on the increase. Boko Haram members are killing people as at least 7,000 innocent people have been killed, and nothing has been done by the president to stop the killings. Kidnapping is on the rise; baby factories have developed in the land; the conclusion is that all is not well with this nation.

“In the economic sector, he met a robust economy when he came on board four years ago. The total debt of Nigeria when President Obasanjo came on board was $30billion, but the total debt was wiped out before he left government; this shows that Nigeria had 0% debt profile. This has never happened in the history of this country and even in Africa.

“Five years after, the total debt of this country is now $20billion. This shows that our children have been enslaved and the future generation enslaved too.”


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