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BREAKING: Foreigners funding terrorism, illegal mining for blood-money – Tinubu
“Look at the illegal mining that plagues so many of our nations today. Those who think illegal mining has no connection with financing terrorism are sorely mistaken. The international community has both the moral and legal obligation to help in this cause because it is outside money not African money that fuels the illegal operations.”
These were the exact words of President Bola Tinubu, on Monday as he pointed out the role played by the global community in the escalation of illegal mining, illicit funds flow, and terrorism funding in Africa, which he insisted must help in the ongoing war against the menaces in the continent.
It was a day the President also emphasised the need for African countries to strengthen regional cooperation and institution-building to address the evolving threat of terrorism on the continent, stressing that terrorism poses a significant threat to peace, security, and development in Africa.
Tinubu told his audience, at the opening ceremony of a two-day African High-Level Meeting on Counter-terrorism, hosted by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Abuja, emphasising that it is money from foreign land that had been fuelling illegal mining in Africa, which has in turn been funding terrorism.
Bemoaning the ugly situation, the President whose message at the themed Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address Evolving Threats of Terrorism, was conveyed via by Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesman in a statement, said that illegal mining, apart from sustaining high level criminality across the continent, had robbed countries on the continent of the natural resources required to meet their national needs.
Emphasising that the activities were now being hijacked by terrorist groups in exchange for foreign cash, which was in turn used to buy more arms and ammunition, he stated: “While we seek to address the root causes of terrorism, we must also attack the roots that feed this evil branch. Evolving from the tactics of yesterday, terrorism is becoming a greater threat as it perfects ways to continuously finance, re-equip, and re-supply itself for its sinister mission.
“Not only does it kidnap people, it kidnaps precious resources. Billions upon billions of dollars that legitimate governments should be using to sculpt better societies by providing education, health care, and food for its people now go to pay for weapons and mayhem.
“We shall be knocking on this door of the international community to answer this call for justice, peace, and fair play. Terrorism snipes at the very fabric of the tranquil, prosperous, and just societies we seek to build for ourselves and our children. It seeks to frighten the farmer from his field, children from their schools, women from the marketplace, and families from their very homes.”
“Terror cannot co-exist in the same space as democracy and good governance, just as darkness and light cannot endure in the same room at the same time. Terrorism has no respect for national boundaries, ethnic bloodlines, or religious creeds, and therefore requires a comprehensive and collective approach to combat it.
“We must address the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, marginalisation, and social injustice. However, this important fact should not become empty rhetoric, devoid of meaning or action.”
Highlighting the need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre to serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building, he emphasised the importance of strengthening existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU), the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA).
Stressing the need for a Regional Standby Force that includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate, he said: “Such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region. It can stand as a strong deterrent to large-scale and protracted terrorist operations and the capture, occupation, or disruption of strategic land and resources.”
He called for the establishment of an all-inclusive African Union Ministerial Committee on Counter-Terrorism to ensure that high-level government officials meet regularly to assess counter-terrorism efforts and provide guidance on how to improve, adding that Nigeria, remaining firmly committed to fighting terrorism and violent extremism, had taken bold steps to enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities through the enactment of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act and the establishment of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
He added: “Our security forces continue to demonstrate courage and dedication in the fight against terrorism, often at great personal risk. I am grateful for the selfless work and sacrifice of these patriotic men and women. There is the need to halt the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) on the continent. No one state can solve this problem for itself. It requires continuous and concerted action by all of us.
“We need to reposition our regional organisations and build the capacity of our national institutions to effectively address this element of terrorism and violent extremism. I call on African leaders to work together to defeat terrorism and ensure peace and security on the continent.
“Let us show our respective populations that we, as leaders, are committed to their safety and welfare. Let us leave here with real results. May this conference be succinct and to the point. Let us be focused and dedicated to pinpointing and embarking on the meaningful and strong action needed to win the day and free our continent of violent extremists.”
Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), who stated that terrorism in Africa was driven by several factors, including organised crime, foreign terrorist financing and training, poverty, inequality, and prolonged conflicts, among others, regretted the parlous situation while addressing the meeting – an African High-Level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism bringing together leaders and experts from across the continent to discuss ways to strengthen regional cooperation and institution-building to combat terrorism.
I’m the only governor that local government chairmen will come and abuse and I’ll and I’ll say I wish them well. God does not make mistatkes. But even if it was a mistake, by the special grace of God, I’m here today. And let me appeal to them, may they continue to make mistake.”
These were the exact words with which Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, replied Nyesom Wike, his predecessor in office and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with whom he has been at loggerheads since last year.
In what is interpreted as a direct riposte to Wike’s claim last weekend that his bringing Fubara on board as his successor, for which he courted enmity among his political friends in the state, was a mistake, which would be rectified in due course, the governor had regretted that all his efforts to make peace seemed to have failed.
It was also a day the governor indicated that he had pulled off the gloves for a hard-knuckle fight with the former governor, by hinting of plans to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate how the affairs of governance were conducted in the state before he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
Fubara, who spoke while swearing in Dagogo Israel Iboroma (SAN), as the new Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State (AGS-CoJ) at Government House, Port Harcourt said he was bringing the Attorney-General on board at a critical time that there were lots of legal matters that needed to be tackled, with bravery and courage.
His word: “So, my brother, Dagogo Iboroma, you are going to be the brand new Attorney-General of our dear State. SSG (Secretary to the State Government) give him his letter, he is the Attorney-General. Why are we bringing you at this very critical time? We have a lot of issues around us. We believe that you are not going to be the one that when they send service to you, you go and file “nolle prosequi” or you go and file one thing that would kill us here.
“Let me also say this, you have a big task. We will be setting up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the affairs of governance. So, brace up, I am not going back on it. Please, defend us. We know that you are going to defend us because your record is clean. You are a gentleman and peaceful. You are not a noise maker. People like you are endowed, and they have the fear of God.
“I am happy that this is happening today to mark the beginning of a new era in our administration. When I said that I had a reason for being patient, it is because I know that we are all from one family. And if we have a disagreement, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved amicably.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement, there is no way to resolve it amicably. And for a lot of reasons, there are visible evidence that there is sabotage, deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration. For that reason, we have to move forward. And, moving forward, if it means taking decisions that are going to hurt anybody, we are not going back.”
Berating Zaccheaus Adangor, Iboroma’s predecessor as AGS whom he accused of indulging in sabotaging the same administration he served, Fubara, said: “It is good that you were already a SAN before your appointment. This means that you’re a very thorough lawyer and has earned your appointment. Not like the one we had here, who while in office, they went to pay money to get SAN. When you become a SAN, the only thing you will do is to sabotage government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you go publicly to claim that you are a learned person. But go publicly to tell people that you were the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer? You were here and you went to stand before a Magistrate Court. At that time, you didn’t remember that you were a Chief Law Officer, going against the ethics of your job. Like I said, you will get your reward, not in the next world, but in this world.”
Lead British International School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, at the centre of a recent bullying incident, may have to cough out a whopping N500million if the action by the family of Namitra Bwala, whose daughter was seen being slapped and pushed around by some other students of the school succeeds with their demands.
The Bwalas have approached a Federal High Court (FCT), sitting in Abuja, with the demand for the monetary damages, in a civil suit instituted against the school, weeks after a video, which went viral, surfaced in public, showing their daughter in dire stress in the hands of her tormentors.
The outrage elicited by the incident led to the temporary closure of the school by the management, which announced that it had commenced an investigation into the matter while one Maryam, the main culprit, in a separate video, publicly apologised to the victim for bullying her.
Regardless, the family which seems not pacified by the steps, is going further to press for monetary compensation, going by the suit at court, dated May 9, marked FCT/HC/CV/2341/24, where the student is also demanding a public apology that should be published in two national dailies from the school.
The N500million in general damages is being demanded from the school for “failing in its obligation to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for their daughter, the document, said adding that the institution was also liable, having “failed to prevent the assault, inform her parent immediately, and carry out an investigation until the video became viral on social media.”
Besides, the family is also asking for: “A declaration that the Defendant’s failure to prevent the assault, torment, emotional distress, pain, and trauma suffered by the claimant while under the custody and supervision of the defendant amounts to negligent conduct on the part of the defendant.
“A declaration that the defendant’s failure to immediately inform the claimant’s parents of the assault and emotional trauma suffered by the claimant while under the custody and supervision of the defendant amounts to negligent conduct on the part of the defendant.
“An order directing the Defendant to issue a public apology to the Claimant in two national daily newspapers. An order directing the Defendant to pay the Claimant the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general damages for the Defendant’s breach of the duty of care it owes to the Claimant, and its negligent conduct in failing to prevent the assault, torment, emotional distress, pain, trauma and breach of privacy suffered by the Claimant while under the Defendant’s custody and supervision. The cost of this suit at N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira).
“An order directing the Defendant to pay the Claimant post-judgment interest on the sum(s) awarded at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of the delivery of judgment until the judgment is fully and finally settled and such orders or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
Are Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 and Peter Obi, his Labour Party (LP), counterpart, coming back together to re-enact their joint ticket in the 2019, edition, where they ran against Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), or is there something else cooking between the two?
This has remained the question on the lips of Nigerians as a picture of the pair was released on Monday, after Obi was said to have visited the former VP, to whom he teamed up as the running mate in the February 23, 2019 presidential election, in which Buhari was declared winner, was released by Atiku.
Sharing the picture in which he was seen in a warm handshake with Obi, former Governor of Anambra State on his verified X handle, Atiku, believed to still be eyeing the Presidency for a record eight times, wrote: “It was my honour and privilege to host
@PeterObi today.”
Contrary to the belief in certain quarters that Obi’s exit from the PDP in May 2022, was fuelled by the ambition of the former VP, Atiku’s camp, has insisted that it was actually Nyesom Wike, former Governor of Rivers State, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), that actually forced him out of the party.
Paul Ibe, spokesman of Atiku, who maintained that his boss was in agreement that the Presidency should be zoned to the South in 2023, insisted that it must be zoned to the South East particularly, but that the insistence of Wike, and others outside the zoned, left him with no choice to throw his hat in the ring.
He told Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast released on Saturday: “Atiku did not force Peter Obi out of the party. Wike was instrumental in the exit of Obi because Wike had promoted the zoning of the presidency to the South.
“Atiku Abubakar had said that he was prepared to get himself off the ticket if the party zoned the ticket to the Southeast. Wike frustrated that effort because he believed that if it was zoned to the south, not the South East, he would be in the best position to be able to get the ticket.”
May you make more mistakes, Fubara mocks Wike *Moves to probe ex-gov
BREAKING: Abuja school to cough out N500million compensation for bullied girl
Another tag-team? Notions, as Obi, Atiku, meet in Abuja
BREAKING: Supreme Court on fire! Judges’ offices razed days after Atiku, Obi’s appeal!
Soyinka, Obi, Tinubu: When repayment of mafia debt is inescapable
In the military, INEC boss and his team would be executed – Bode George *Why put Tinubu’s boy in charge of IT?
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