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24/10/2021

THE ECONOMIST BLASTS BUHARI, ARMY, SAYS SOLDIERS ARE ‘GHOSTS’, EXIST ONLY ON PAYROLL
…Says Buhari fails to curb corruption
A London Newspaper, The Economist, has blasted President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Army over the poor state of the country.

In its editorial titled: ‘The crime scene at the heart of Africa’ the paper located at number 1-11 John Adam Street Westminster, London, England, took out time to analyse the socio-political cm economical state of Nigeria.

It equally discussed reasons Nigerian youths migrate to other countries. “Why, then, do most young Nigerians want to emigrate? One reason is that they are scared. Jihadists are carving out a caliphate in the north-east; gangs of kidnappers are terrorising the north-west; the fire of Biafran secessionism has been rekindled in the oil-rich south-east. The violence threatens not just Nigeria’s 200m people, but also the stability of the entire region that surrounds them.”

Faulting Buhari’s anti-Corruption fight, the Economic liberalism, Radical centrism and Social liberalism paper founded on September 1843, said: “Economic troubles are compounded by a government that is inept and heavy-handed. Mr Buhari, who was elected in 2015, turned an oil shock into a recession by propping up the naira and barring many imports in the hope this would spur domestic production.

“Instead he sent annual food inflation soaring above 20%. He has failed to curb corruption, which breeds resentment. Many Nigerians are furious that they see so little benefit from the country’s billions of petrodollars, much of which their rulers have squandered or stolen. Many politicians blame rival ethnic or religious groups, claiming they have taken more than their fair share. This wins votes, but makes Nigeria a tinderbox.

“When violence erupts, the government does nothing or cracks heads almost indiscriminately. Nigeria’s army is mighty on paper. But many of its soldiers are “ghosts” who exist only on the payroll, and much of its equipment is stolen and sold to insurgents. The army is also stretched thin, having been deployed to all of Nigeria’s states. The police are understaffed, demoralised and poorly trained. Many supplement their low pay by robbing the public they have sworn to protect.”

“Little more than six decades ago, as Nigeria was nearing independence, even those who were soon to govern Africa’s largest country had their doubts about whether it would hold together. British colonists had drawn a border around land that was home to more than 250 ethnic groups. Obafemi Awolowo, a politician of that era, evoked Metternich, fretting that “Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression.”

“The early years of independence seemed to prove him right. Coup followed coup. Ethnic pogroms helped spark a civil war that cost 1m lives, as the south-eastern region calling itself Biafra tried to break away and was ruthlessly crushed. Military rule was the norm until 1999. Despite this inauspicious start, Nigeria is now a powerhouse. Home to one in six sub-Saharan Africans, it is the continent’s most boisterous democracy. Its economy, the largest, generates a quarter of Africa’s gdp. Nollywood makes more titles than any other country’s film industry bar Bollywood. Three of sub-Saharan Africa’s four fintech “unicorns” (startups valued at more than $1bn) are Nigerian.

“Why, then, do most young Nigerians want to emigrate? One reason is that they are scared. Jihadists are carving out a caliphate in the north-east; gangs of kidnappers are terrorising the north-west; the fire of Biafran secessionism has been rekindled in the oil-rich south-east. The violence threatens not just Nigeria’s 200m people, but also the stability of the entire region that surrounds them.

“Readers who do not follow Nigeria closely may ask: what’s new? Nigeria has been corrupt and turbulent for decades. What has changed of late, though, is that jihadism, organised crime and political violence have grown so intense and widespread that most of the country is sliding towards ungovernability. In the first nine months of 2021 almost 8,000 people were directly killed in various conflicts. Hundreds of thousands more have perished because of hunger and disease caused by fighting. More than 2m have fled their homes.

“The jihadist threat in the north-east has metastasised. A few years ago, an area the size of Belgium was controlled by Boko Haram, a group of zealots notorious for enslaving young girls. Now, Boko Haram is being supplanted by an affiliate of Islamic State that is equally brutal but more competent, and so a bigger danger to Nigeria. In the south-east, demagogues are stirring up ethnic grievances and feeding the delusion that one group, the Igbos, can walk off with all the country’s oil, the source of about half of government revenues. President Muhammadu Buhari has hinted that Biafran separatism will be dealt with as ruthlessly now as it was half a century ago.

“Meanwhile, across wide swathes of Nigeria, a collapse in security and state authority has allowed criminal gangs to run wild. In the first nine months of this year some 2,200 people were kidnapped for ransom, more than double the roughly 1,000 abducted in 2020. Perhaps a million children are missing school for fear that they will be snatched.

“Two factors help explain Nigeria’s increasing instability: a sick economy and a bumbling government. Slow growth and two recessions have made Nigerians poorer, on average, each year since oil prices fell in 2015. Before covid-19, fully 40% of them were below Nigeria’s extremely low poverty line of about $1 a day. If Nigeria’s 36 states were stand-alone countries, more than one-third would be categorised by the World Bank as “low-income” (less than $1,045 a head). Poverty combined with stagnation tends to increase the risk of civil conflict.

“Economic troubles are compounded by a government that is inept and heavy-handed. Mr Buhari, who was elected in 2015, turned an oil shock into a recession by propping up the naira and barring many imports in the hope this would spur domestic production. Instead he sent annual food inflation soaring above 20%. He has failed to curb corruption, which breeds resentment. Many Nigerians are furious that they see so little benefit from the country’s billions of petrodollars, much of which their rulers have squandered or stolen. Many politicians blame rival ethnic or religious groups, claiming they have taken more than their fair share. This wins votes, but makes Nigeria a tinderbox.

“When violence erupts, the government does nothing or cracks heads almost indiscriminately. Nigeria’s army is mighty on paper. But many of its soldiers are “ghosts” who exist only on the payroll, and much of its equipment is stolen and sold to insurgents. The army is also stretched thin, having been deployed to all of Nigeria’s states. The police are understaffed, demoralised and poorly trained. Many supplement their low pay by robbing the public they have sworn to protect.

“To stop the slide towards lawlessness, Nigeria’s government should make its own forces obey the law. Soldiers and police who murder or torture should be prosecuted. That no one has been held accountable for the slaughter of perhaps 15 peaceful demonstrators against police abuses in Lagos last year is a scandal. The secret police should stop ignoring court orders to release people who are being held illegally. This would not just be morally right, but also practical: young men who see or experience state brutality are more likely to join extremist groups.

Things don’t have to fall apart

“Second, Nigeria needs to beef up its police. Niger state, for instance, has just 4,000 officers to protect 24m people. Local cops would be better at stopping kidnappings and solving crimes than the current federal force, which is often sent charging from one trouble spot to another. Money could come from cutting wasteful spending by the armed forces on jet fighters, which are not much use for guarding schools. Britain and America, which help train Nigeria’s army, could also train detectives. Better policing could let the army withdraw from areas where it is pouring fuel on secessionist fires.

“The biggest barrier to restoring security is not a lack of ideas, nor of resources. It is the complacency of Nigeria’s cosseted political elite—safe in their guarded compounds and the well-defended capital. Without urgent action, Nigeria may slip into a downward spiral from which it will struggle to emerge.”

01/10/2021

KILLINGS: TOTAL WAR HAS BEEN DECLARED AGAINST OUR PEOPLE – SOUTH EAST GOVERNORS
The Ebonyi State governor and chairman South East Governors’ Forum, Chief Dave Umahi said total war has been declared against the people of the zone. He was reacting to the ongoing killings of Ndigbo by unknown gunmen.

Governor Umahi expressed regret over the killing of 12 persons in the zone in the last weeks and called for an end to the killings.

The governor made the assertion during the state security council meeting at the new governor’s office Abakaliki. He accused some Ndigbo living abroad of masterminding the continuous mayhem against the people.

Governor Umahi directed the people of the zone to ignore the October 1st sit-at-home order and directed that all flags in South East must fly against the directive of IPOB.

“Ebonyi people have been so much deprived in the past, turned to house boys and house girls because of this sit-at-home and we are in a hurry to catch up with others.

“So, we are not going to be sitting down at home. And so, anybody that says sit-at-home, Ebonyi people will not sit-at-home.

“I am calling on the entire South East to understand this sit-at-home and those who are orchestrating this sit-at-home are our brothers outside this country who are paid per hour.

“If they truly mean it and they want to ask us to sit-at-home, all the south east people that outside this country should be sincere.

“Any day they want us to sit-at-home, let them also sit-at-home and see whether they will not be repatriated because they will have nothing to pay for their livelihood. So, it is all about deceit,” he said.

He noted that those who are being killed here in confrontation with security agencies are youths from the zone adding that nobody is against peaceful agitations.

Governor Umahi stated that the South East Governor’s Forum and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide condemn in totality the insecurity in the zone.

He called on those masterminding the killings and the perpetrators to put to a stop the killings pointing out that restricting the people of the zone from going about their normal business is destroying the people.

15/09/2021

DON’T OBEY MONDAY SIT-AT-HOME ORDER HENCEFORTH, IPOB URGES PEOPLE
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged residents of the South East States to ignore the weekly Monday sit-at-home orders.

The group which stated this in a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, insisted that it had long suspended the weekly order because of its economic implications on the people.

Powerful also warned that anybody caught coaxing the people to complain to the “purported non-existent sit-at-home order” would be treated as a traitor cm enemy of the people and “must be dealt with.”

He said, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again, that we have no other sit-at-home order atfer 14th September.

“Any other purported sit-at-home including the suspended weekly sit-at-home on Mondays does not exist in the dairy of IPOB. In fact, after September 14, there is no other sit-at-home this week. Any contrary news or speculations to this effect should be ignored.”

“Anybody trying to enforce any sit-at-home order using the name of IPOB is a saboteur, and does so at his peril. If we catch anybody disturbing the peace of Biafrans or residents in Biafra land under the guise of enforcing non-existent sit-at-home order, such a person regret his actions because he will receive the reward of traitors.”

“IPOB is a responsible organization with reasoning and empathy. We cannot be part of the problem we are trying to solve. We cannot join the enemies to compound the woes of our people we are fighting to liberate.

“That was why we suspended the ghost Mondays that we earlier declared because of the economic implications to our people. We listened to appeals by the people and reviewed our stance on the matter then. That was why we reduced the sit-at-home protests to the days our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be making appearances in court. That is enough for now and we stand by it.”

In a related development, IPOB has also condemned the reported attack by persons suspected to be members of the group on Okporo Secondary School in Njaba council area of Imo State, on Monday.

The yet-to-be-identified person had dispersed the students taking their WAEC examination and set motorcycles belonging to their invigilators in the process.

IPOB described the attack as barbaric, heinous and stupid, and vowed to deal ruthlessly with those behind the act.

“On this note, IPOB strongly condemn the barbaric act by hoodlums and mentally deranged fellows who disrupted a WAEC exam in a school in Imo State on Monday. What a stupid madness! Whoever was behind such barbarity must be made to pay for their actions,” Powerful said.

“IPOB leadership is hereby promising to replace those motorbikes burnt in the school to their owners and rebuild school blocks burnt by hoodlums in the name of ESN and IPOB volunteers.

“This is not to portray or indicate that IPOB committed the heinous crimes against our people and promise to set up taskforce to checkmate those parading themselves as IPOB volunteers and those committing this crime against humanity and our people.

“We plead to Biafrans to bear with us for this dastardly act against humanity they are using to disrepute and demonize IPOB in the world. We are calling on the school management and those their properties were destroyed to contact any IPOB office near to them for possible payments of their properties.”

05/09/2021

LAGOS, RIVERS BEGIN VAT COLLECTION, FG, NORTH DISAGREE
Punch reports
The governments of Lagos and Rivers states have expressed their readiness to begin the collection of Value Added Tax in accordance with the judgement of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, which ruled that states, and not the Federal Inland Revenue Service, should be collecting VAT and Personal Income Tax.

Already, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had signed into law the bill that empowers the state to collect VAT, while the Lagos State Government said it had already notified all the stakeholders involved in the payment and receipt of VAT of its resolve to enforce the judgement to the letter.

This is in spite of the opposition by the FIRS, which already filed an appeal against the judgment, and some northern states, who said they preferred the Federal Government to continue collecting the tax.

Justice Stephen Pam, who delivered the judgment on August 10, 2021, also restrained the FIRS and the Attorney General of the Federation from demanding the taxes from the residents of the Rivers State, which by implication affects other states.

VAT is charged on the supply of goods and services in Nigeria, including those imported into the country, except the goods and services specifically exempted under the VAT Act.

By virtue of the Finance Act 2020, which took effect on February 1, 2020, the Value Added Tax charged on affected goods and services rose from five per cent to 7.5 per cent. Yearly, VAT contributes significantly to the total revenue generated by the government.

Prior to the court judgment, however, the FIRS, an agency of the Federal Government, had the responsibility of collecting VAT on behalf of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The sum collected is then shared among the three tiers of government, with the Federal Government taking 15 per cent, the states 50 per cent; local governments 35 per cent.

While signing the Valued Added Tax Law No. 4 of 2021 and some other bills into law, Wike said, “We (Rivers State) are standing on the part of history as representatives of the state to have taken the bull by the horns to challenge the illegality of the Federal Government through the Federal inland Revenue Services.”

Justifying the reason for filing the suit, Wike added, “In this Rivers State, we awarded contracts to companies and within the last month, we paid over N30bn to the contractors and 7.5 per cent will now be deducted from that and to be given to FIRS.

“Now, look at 7.5 per cent of N30bn of contracts we awarded to companies in Rivers State, you will be talking about almost N3bn only from that source. Now, at the end of the month, Rivers State government has never received more than N2bn from VAT. So, I have contributed more through the award of the contract and you are giving me less. What’s the justification for it?”

In Lagos State, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, said the state government would soon commence the implementation of the court judgment even if it had to send a bill to the House of Assembly to amend the relevant laws.

He said the judgment was a reflection of true federalism and the state government had already notified all the stakeholders involved in the payment and receipt of VAT of its resolve to enforce it.

Omotosho stated, “We are aware of the judgment and we applauded it. In a federation, that is the way it goes. In our pursuit of true federalism, it is a giant step forward. And in fact, we have notified all our stakeholders about the judgment that the Lagos State Government will implement it.

“We are writing to all the stakeholders to let them know that this is a judgment we are going to obey to the letter.”

Asked when it would take effect in the state, he said, “We are working on it. It is a matter of law. (It will commence) very soon except if we will be sending a bill to the House of Assembly to officially notify the Assembly about the judgment and adjust our own law that will compel those who pay VAT to the state government in obedience to the judgment.”

Meanwhile, there has been an uneasy calm over the judgement, because according to tax experts, no fewer than 30 states would likely face huge drop in their revenue from the federal allocation, which is the main source of revenue for the states.

Former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, had said in August 2017 that 55 per cent of the revenue generated by the Federal Government from VAT was being collected from Lagos State alone, adding that the remaining 45 per cent was being generated from the remaining 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Fiscal Policy Partner and the Africa Tax Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, had earlier told The PUNCH that the biggest losers would be the states, except Lagos.

“A few states like Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Kaduna, Delta and Katsina may experience minimal impact, while at least 30 states, which account for less than 20 per cent of VAT collection, will suffer significant revenue decline,” he added.

Consequently, apart from the FIRS, some states in the north have also expressed their opposition to the judgement, given the impact it would have on their revenue and how it could worsen their already shaky economy. Some of the states had in the past relied on bailout from the Federal Government to pay salaries.

VAT has been a major contributor to the consolidated revenue fund. In 2020, for example, total VAT collection was about N1.53tn, with import VAT being N348bn while foreign non-import VAT was N420bn and local VAT amounted to N763bn.

In the first quarter of 2021 alone, the National Bureau of Statistics disclosed that the country generated N496.39bn from VAT, which was an improvement on the N324.58bn it earned in the same period in 2020.

Apart from the FIRS, some governors in the northern part of the country have also kicked against the judgment.

The Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, told one of our correspondents on Friday that the Federal Government should continue to collect the VAT, arguing that states tend to benefit more if the FIRS is allowed to handle the collection.
Manjang said, “How many industries do we have in Plateau State? There are not many. So, the position of the Plateau State Government on VAT is that the Federal Government, through the FIRS, should continue to collect VAT on our behalf and thereafter remit the proceeds to us.

“We prefer it this way because we discovered that the amount that we will spend in collecting the VAT will be more than what we will get eventually.”

In Gombe State, the Chairman, Internal Revenue Service, Abubakar Tata, argued that states lacked the capacity to effectively carry out that responsibility, noting that the consumption tax states were allowed to collect had not been optimally done.

He added, “There are certain taxes that the Federal Government collects on behalf of the states because we have the Joint Tax Board account where all the collection regarding Value Added Tax is paid into and later shared based on the allocation formula. If you allow state governments to begin to collect tax, will it be effective? After all, the states have consumption tax which is five per cent of what is consumed at restaurants, event centres and other services.

“At the moment, not all the states are collecting the consumption tax because of issues like capacity, enforcement and other issues surrounding tax administration at the lower level, particularly at the state level. If you strip the Federal Government of the power to compel any company or taxpaying entity operating in Nigeria to make the payment and you give the power to states, the level of collection we are seeing at the moment will not be the same.”

While questioning the decision of Rivers State Government to test collection of VAT in court, he stressed that the state might not have appropriately enforced consumption tax because of politics.

He added, “At the moment, Gombe is implementing the new tax law in phases and we are distributing letters to all relevant taxpaying entities because we are expected to collect five per cent from the services they render and remit it to the Internal Revenue Service. We are, at the moment, raising awareness through the mass media.

“Assuming all states are collecting the consumption tax as it is enshrined in the state law then we can say we have the capacity and the legal framework to do it and remit the same to our Internal Revenue service.

“At the moment, we lack the capacity to execute that mandate because even the consumption tax, if you go to Rivers, go and find out how much they are able to collect under consumption tax. It’s for politics, somehow to overheat the polity and the economic stabilisation of the country as a whole.”

In Borno State, a top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no state in the North would want the enforcement of the judgment because it would make the prices of goods rise beyond the reach of the people.

He added, “The wisdom behind allowing the Federal Government to receive the taxes on behalf of the states at the point of entry through the then Federal Inland Revenue Agency was to normalise prices and distribute to all states through the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee after deducting 15 per cent.

“The general consensus among the states is that the judge that delivered that judgment did not have the complete information about the service because if he did, he would have understood the idea behind the Federal Government receiving the VAT.”

The official stressed that if all states were to collect their VAT respectively, people, including the rich, would find things expensive to buy.

He added, “For example, here in Borno State, if we are transporting trucks loaded with rice from Lagos down to Maiduguri, how many states will that truck pass through before getting to Borno. If the truck refuses to pay VAT, that state will impound the car.

“The states came together and discussed that all consumables should be charged uniformly and FIRS was appointed to collect the VAT and share among the states. We agreed on the percentage to be deducted by the Federal Government, which is 15 per cent and, considering the total amount being realised and shared, that percentage is small and negligible.”

In Adamawa State, the Director-General, Media and Communications in the state, Solomon Kumangar, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Friday, said the matter was of interest to the state, noting that the state would like to be joined should the Federal Government appeal the judgment and the case proceeds to the Supreme Court.

He added, “Anything to extend and improve on our IGR is welcomed. So, we are keen on joining Rivers State Government should the Federal Government appeal the judgment which granted Rivers State the right to collect VAT. That is because whatever will bring improvement in IGR is a welcome idea for a state like Adamawa just recovery from the ravages of insurgency.

“The truth is that the collection of VAT by the states is the only way to assist states who are heavily dependent on federal allocations to be able to wean themselves and meet their fiduciary obligations. So, if there are areas where revenues can be exploited and extended, surely the state government will welcome it.”

Earlier, Governor Bello Masari of Katsina State, while receiving a delegation from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, had said the state had also appealed the judgment, vowing that the court’s decision would not stand.

“We have heard the judgment of the Federal High Court in Rivers and we have appealed against that judgment. It means people will begin to pay double VAT because if you pay VAT in Kano, at the point of departure, it means when you come to Katsina you pay another VAT.

“If you pay VAT in Lagos, it means you also pay VAT all along the way until you reach your destination. It will bring a lot of burden on the people. That judgment is not fair. It is other parts of the country that make Lagos and Rivers states what they are. We have to work together as a nation and come up with something that will work for all of us.”

Meanwhile, Kaduna and Niger states said they had yet to take on a position on the issue as they were still studying the judgement.

The Executive Chairman, Niger State Internal Revenue Service, Mohammed Madami Etsu, told one of our correspondents that once the state took a decision, it would be made public.

“We are still studying the judgment and the decision of the state would be made public once a decision is taken on the matter but for now, I cannot say much about it,” Etsu said.

Also, also the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, said he could not make any statement on it because it was a policy issue that needed to be discussed at the state executive level.

“I can’t make any statement on it because it is a matter that needs to be discussed at policy level. We are a federation and individual states would want to collect it by themselves but there are consequences to such a decision. This is a policy issue that needs extensive deliberation at the state executive level,” Matane added.

In Kaduna State, the Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Muyiwa Adekeye, told one of our correspondents in an interview on Friday that the state was studying the judgment to understand its details, impact and ramifications.

Adekeye noted that the state remained a champion of true federalism, anchored on significant devolution of powers and responsibilities to the states, adding that the state focused intensely on expanding its IGR, enabling it to increase its IGR from N13bn in 2015 to N50.2bn in 2020.

He added, “The Kaduna State Government is a champion of true federalism, anchored on significant devolution of powers and responsibilities to the states. Kaduna State has also focused intensely on expanding its internally generated revenue. The El-Rufai government has almost quadrupled IGR to N50.2bn in 2020, from N13bn in 2015.

“The state government is still studying the VAT judgment to understand its details, impact and ramifications.”

01/09/2021

https://searchlightnews.com/2021/09/01/why-buhari-sacked-two-ministers-in-cabinet-reshuffle/

President Buhari sacked two ministers in a minor cabinet reshuffle after an ‘independent and critical self-review,’ that helped to identify ...

31/08/2021

US READY TO IDENTIFY BOKO HARAM SPONSORS
The United States has expressed its readiness to help Nigeria to identify sponsors of terrorism in the country.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with journalists in Abuja.

The envoy was asked if the US was ready to help Nigeria identify sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria.

She, however, said talks were ongoing on the matter.

Leonard said, “That is something we are very eager to partner Nigeria on. I have had at least three conversations in the last two months on this subject. I won’t like to go into details.”

She also allayed fear that the US partnership with Nigeria might end up like that of Afghanistan.

According to her, Nigeria has had a strong bilateral relationship with the US, saying that the situations were not the same.

The Commander, US Air Forces in Europe, General Jeffrey Harrigian, said the purchase of Tucano fighter jets was an opportunity to cement the US relationship with Nigeria as well as curbing insecurity.

31/08/2021

I HAVE DOCUMENT, FULANI WANT TO TAKEOVER NIGERIA – GOV ORTOM INSISTS
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has insisted that the agenda of Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria is to conquer the entire nation.

The Governor, while speaking with BBC pidgin at the weekend, said he has documents to back up his claims.
According to him, the Fulani Nationality Movement who claimed responsibility for his recent attack, said that Nigeria is their only country.

He said, “Fulani Nationality Movement, FUNAM were the people who attempted to kill me recently. They said Nigeria is the only country that belongs to them. It is written and I have the document.

“I have sent copy of the document to the president, police, DSS. The FUNAM said they wanted this revolution in 1800 but could not achieve it through Usman Danfodio.

“They claimed that they have the power, money and all it takes to achieve it”.

Ortom, who has been in a face-off with the presidency over his criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s inability to tackle the security challenges facing the nation, lamented that terrorism is beginning to take over the country like Afghanistan and other warring countries in the world.
“The terrorism that we used to hear in far away countries like Afghanistan Iraq and other warring countries has surfaced in Nigeria.

“And as it is, it seems the presidency is in support of what is happening because it is not saying anything.

“Like I always say, if the Federal Government has the power to stop secessionists like Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho then they should have the power to stop banditry in the country too.

“They call the attackers unknown gunmen but for me, I know that they are Fulani people coming to kill us. And the presidency is involved in this agenda.

“The Fulani people have claimed that they want to capture the entire country”, he added.