Nasarawa boils again

No fewer than 25 people were killed yesterday night, during a clash between suspected Eggon youths and their Fulani counterparts in Alingani-Fadaman Bauna, Lafia East Council Development Area of Nasarawa State.According to an eyewitness account, the clash was induced by an earlier attack by Eggon youths on Fulani herdsmen over the destruction of  their farms by cows. The youths had  allegedly, launched an attack on worshipers in a mosque, killing about three people and injuring many others. The invaders were also alleged to have burnt down houses belonging to the herdsmen. Following the latest clash, our correspondent sighted more than 100 Eggon refugees comprising women and children, who fled their ancestral homes. The refugees were brought in a truck to the Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in the state capital. Two  Eggon indigenes, Musa Idris and Aisha Sule, said: We cannot continue to stay in that community again because the Fulani have already taken over the entire community and there is no security man there to protect us. As we are talking to you now, our houses have been burnt by the attackers and our farms have been destroyed by the Fulani. The policemen that came to the area to rescue us were overpowered by the Fulani herdsmen in the area. An witness told our correspondent that the casualties were more than 25, adding that their corpses were dumped in a bush. He said the fight broke out when the Fulani herdsmen encroached on farmlands belonging to the Eggon.

Sun Newspaper

3 kids injured as Boko Haram tries to destroy bridge

Boko Haram militants yesterday attempted to blow up a bridge on the border with Cameroon after overrunning a town and sending residents and soldiers fleeing, three children were injured, police and residents said.A Cameroon police officer stationed in the far north town of Fotokol told AFP that the terrorists tried to destroy the bridge, which serves as the border crossing with Gamboru Ngala in Nigeria. Boko Haram stormed Gamboru Ngala early on Monday and by evening, had taken over the police station, a military barracks and vocational training centre, where they had based themselves, the residents said. Flying shrapnel from the Cameroon side of the border detonated explosives, possibly injured the three children, they added. Meanwhile, soldiers, who fled into neighbouring Cameroon during a clash with a large number of Boko Haram militants on Monday, handed over their weapons to Cameroonian authorities and to Nigeria yesterday, the Defence Headquarters said. They spent the evening at a Fotokol Customs post. Boko Haram has in recent weeks switched tactics from hit-and-run attacks to attempting to seize and hold territory and have proclaimed one captured town, Gwoza, as part of an “Islamic caliphate. Assessing how much territory the militants now hold is impossible, but residents have said the Islamists now control at least one town in Yobe State, Buni Yadi as well as Gwoza and Gamboru Ngala in neighbouring Borno State.

Sun Newspaper

Ebola: LASAA Mobilises Electronic Billboard Operators for Sensitisation

Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) in partnership with Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), some leading electronic billboard operators in the state and Insight Communications Limited, will soon commence a public awareness campaign as part of efforts to curb the spread of  the Ebola Virus Disease. This initiative supported by the state Ministries for Health and Information would involve electronic billboard operators enabling their platforms across the state to be used free of charge in conveying messages about the disease in strategic locations. It was also estimated that the operators will be waiving over N240million charge for billboard space. LASAA’s Managing Director, Mr. George Noah, noted that the campaign would focus on key areas related to the spread and management of the disease such as modes of transmission, preventive measures, symptoms and help telephone lines. According to Noah, This initiative is designed to complement efforts being made by the state government to curb the spread of  the Ebola virus. It’s also borne out of the need to enlighten the public about the disease and the need to adopt preventive measures.We hope to achieve this with the use of electronic billboard addvertisment which we would be rolling out in collaboration with our esteemed partners who see this as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

Thisday Newspaper

Ebola: Group calls for fumigation of public places

A civil society organization, Civil Society Awareness Response on Epidemic Diseases CARED has called for the fumigation of all public places in the country to prevent the spread of Ebola virus to parts of Nigeria. The organization also urged the Federal Ministry of Health to embark on air spray as a means of preventing the deadly Ebola virus in most parts of the country. The Co-ordinator of the organization, Mr Stephen Aremu who lamented the rate at which the deadly virus spreads, called on the federal government to consider the possibility of preventing hunting expedition in the country. Mr Aremu said areas where bats and other animals are populated should be sprayed to prevent the people from contacting the virus through consumption of animals. He also advised that hotel, religious centres and other public places in all the parts of the country should be fumigated from time to time to prevent the spread of Ebola virus. Also, Aremu who hinted that his organization has concluded arrangements to collaborate with security agencies and other relevant bodies in the country to prevent the spread of Ebola stated that the Federal Government should prevent foreigners from countries where Ebola had been discovered from entering Nigeria. He also urged the federal government to mount surveillance in the entire boundaries of the nation and other entry points to the country where strangers would be screened before entering into the country.

Vanguard Newspaper

Nigeria has no business being poor – Wogu

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has said Nigeria has no business being poor because of the vast natural resources abound in its nooks and crannies. Wogu, who spoke at the 14th National Productivity Day and the award of recognition to selected Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endevour, in Abuja, noted that for the country to achieve the Vision 202020 there must be improved productivity at all levels. He said the country had missed so many opportunities that made her not to take her rightful place as an economic giant in the comity of nations, but expressed optimism that the articulated transformation agenda of the present government led by President Goodluck Jonathan, had put her on a sustainable path of economic growth and development. According to him, the hosting of this ceremony demonstrates the firm resolves of government to transform the Nigeria nation through productivity improvement imperatives. This is because productivity remains the cornerstone for building any virile and dynamic economy. The history of this nation is replete with so many missed opportunities and low productivity that have prevented the country from taking its rightful place as an economic giant in the comity of nations. Indeed, Nigeria has no business with poverty given our vast natural resources.

Vanguard Newspaper

Troops return from Cameroun, to begin counter-terrorism campaign

The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that troops who returned from Cameroun were Tuesday addressed by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Maj.-Gen. Zaruwa as they embarked on another mission in the counter-terrorism campaign. It said: All the soldiers are in high spirit with all their weapons and equipment intact. Meanwhile, the International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS), Nigeria/West Africa Chapter, has asked the Federal Government to direct its military to go all out in the fight against Boko Haram and other insurgent groups and restore peace and tranquillity to the country immediately. Chairman of the chapter, Air Vice Marshall Muhammad Audu-Bida (rtd), who said this in Abuja yesterday while disclosing the outcome of a meeting of the executive board of the society held on Monday, said the board members considered the worsening humanitarian situation in the North-East of Nigeria as well as adjoining states and neighbouring countries and concluded that it was time that all be set aside to wrest the area from rampaging insurgents and restore peace. According to him, figures from local and international agencies such as National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Human Rights Watch, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Internally-Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reveal mounting intolerable number of Nigerians are both displaced or are refugees in neighbouring countries.

Guardian Newspaper