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Ebonyi Gov. Warns Herdsmen-farmers Clashes can Cause Civil War

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National President of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Bello Bodejo, and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Tuesday warned that the killing of innocent Nigerians occasioned by herdsmen/farmers clashes has the capacity of causing a civil war, if not properly addressed.

The duo explained that the issue needs cautious and diligent attention, and so called for caution in handling it.

They spoke at Government House, Abakaliki, during an enlarged security meeting over the recent herdsmen-villagers clash in Enyanwu Igwe, Igbeagu community of Izzi Local Government Area which left four persons dead with two others in critical conditions.

Umahi described the killings as unprovoked. He ordered the herdsmen around the area to leave the place for the attacked villagers to be talked to as to avoid reprisal attack.

The governor said he had engaged various measures to ensure that the aggrieved people of the area remained calm, noting that they are warriors and so could like to retaliate as against the wish of the government – at least for the fact that the herdsmen in the area had before now been peaceful.

His words: “It is unprovoked killings. Life is so sacred. You can’t kill people as if they are fowls. Izzi people are warriors; I physically held them not to go for retaliation. The herdsmen there in Izzi have to leave the place for now until I can calm everybody down.

The way we are going, it can provoke national war and it will not help anybody.  If there is reprisal attack, I will hold all the leaders squarely responsible, I will charge all of you for any reprisal attack.

“The life of every Ebonyian is very dear to me. God forbid, I can’t withstand where 76 people were killed like in Benue, I can’t withstand it. Some people may be fighting to die but we fight to live. Let’s use wisdom and handle the matter.

“This is a national problem; we don’t want our people to continue killed. We must use wisdom to handle this problem. It is very easy to say I want all the herdsmen to leave Ebonyi but there are lots of implications.”

Umahi regretted that agreement reached between the state and herdsmen in the area for peaceful co-existence have been destroyed.

“We banned under aged herders, we banned night grazing in the state. We have no grazing routes in Ebonyi which means that nobody has the right to carry cattle by route to Ebonyi state and we agreed on that.

We also agreed with the Herdsmen that the first offender must be prosecuted. We also said that no farmer should go to farm with gun and no herdsmen should rear cattle with gun or matchette, it is stick. We must abide by these rules,” the governor said.

While addressing Umahi, Alhaji Bodejo corroborated with the Governor that incident killings in the country can cause chaos in the country.

He said the state has been very accommodative to the herdsmen, warning that it should not be abused.

“Ebonyi State is very peaceful and it is accommodating to our members. It has been so accommodating to our members even more than some northern states of the federation and we condemn these killings in this state. There are minors and migrants who are causing these lots of problems.

“There are also criminals moving as cattle herders who are causing this havoc. The Chairmen of Miyetti Allah of various states in the South-East and South-South are all here and we are not happy with what happened, we condemn these killings in totality.

“Nigeria is confronted with so many security challenges and one of them is the unfortunate farmer/herder conflict. If this conflict is not resolved, it has the potential of throwing this country into unnecessary chaos,” he said.
(NEWS EXPRESS)

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Fuel Price Skyrockets To ₦1000 Per Litre In Some States As Scarcity Sets In

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News reaching us is that fuel Prices have gone up ranging up to ₦800 to ₦1000 and above per litre in different states.

The price increase is also as a result of fuel scarcity which has set in. It is believed that some fuel stations are currently hoarding fuel.

Motorists are queuing up in large numbers at filling stations across Kano State struggling to buy petrol that is now selling at over N1,000 per litre.

One Mr Ibrahim said filling stations in the metropolis were charging as high as N1,000 as of Monday morning, adding that he bought the product over the weekend at prices ranging between N950 and N920 before the price skyrocketed on Monday.

The fuel scarcity has also touched Abuja and even Lagos.

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King Charles Reportedly “Really Unwell” And Funeral Plans Are Currently Being Reviewed

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King Charles III’s health is causing concern for friends and the palace as he continues to battle cancer.

“Speaking to friends of the king in recent weeks about his health, the most common response is … ‘It’s not good,’” Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast reported Thursday, April 25.

A friend of the monarch claimed Charles “is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it,” adding, “Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”

Royal writer Tina Brown also hinted at the monarch’s health struggles, writing recently that Charles’ cancer has put Prince William and Kate Middleton “in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye.”

“The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.”

Sykes also reported that the king’s funeral plans, codenamed “Operation Menai Bridge”, are currently being reviewed.

A separate document that states what went well at Queen Elizabeth’s September 2022 funeral and what could be done better the next time a monarch dies is also circulating, according to the Daily Beast.

All the sources emphasized that royal funeral plans are constantly in review. However, one former staffer in particular conceded that Charles’ health woes have given his plans a different urgency.

“The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date,” the former staffer explained.

“It’s no more than what you would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer. But the circulation of them has certainly focused minds.”

Buckingham Palace announced in February that after undergoing surgery for a benign prostate enlargement, it was discovered that the king has cancer.

We hope the king gets well soon.

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EFCC: New Documents Extracted Shows Yahaya Bello Allegedly Paid School Fees To The Tune Of $845,852,84 For His Family Members

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Still on the EFCC trailing on Ex Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, Documents serving as exhibits have shown how he allegedly paid school fees in advance for his family members already in the school and even those to be enrolled in future with hundreds of thousands of dollars withdrawn from the state coffers.

A letter from the American International School of Abuja to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has shown the school admitting that Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, paid $845,852,84 into their bank account since September 2021 as advance school fees for 4 family members from the present class until they graduate.

Payment was also made for any future student to be enrolled by the family.

The document alleges that the payment was made by Mr. Ali Bello, alleged to be the eldest son of Yahaya Bello.

In the document, the school stated that they have deducted the fees for the educational service already rendered to the Bello children in the institution and what is left is $760, 910, which would be refunded to an account provided by the EFCC as the commission continues investigation into alleged money laundering levelled against Yahaya Bello.

the school fees documented payment

The school also added that from the Bello family kids, “no further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition until they graduate from ASIA.”

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