Irabor hails from Agbor in Delta State and is a member 34 Regular combatant of the Nigerian Army.
He is an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife and holds two Masters Degrees from the University of Ghana, Accra, and Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka.
Before his appointment as the CDS, Irabor was Chief of Training and Operations, Defence headquarters.
The General was formerly the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole as well as Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin Area. He is a distinguished awardee of several militaries, ECOMOG and United Nations Awards and Medals.
Attahiru
He hails from Kaduna North Local Government of Kaduna State and he was born in 1966.
Before his appointment, he was in charge of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army.
Attahiru replaced Irabor as Theatre Commander of Operation Lafia Dole in the North-East in 2017.
Amao
Chief Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao was born on September 14, 1965 at Enugu. He hails from Oshogbo Local Government Area of Osun State.
He enlisted into the Nigerian Air Force on January 19, 1984 as a member of 35th Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course and was commissioned as Pilot Officer on December 20, 1986. He has the following academic qualifications: Master’s of Science in Defence and Strategic Studies from University of Madras India, Master of Military Science and Strategy and Advance Diploma in Defence and Strategy Studies from National Defence University China, Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy from Kaduna Polytechnic Nigeria, National Diploma in Freshwater and Fisheries Technology from Federal College of Freshwater and Fisheries Technology, New Bussa Nigeria and Nigerian Defence Academy Certificate of Education.
Air Vice Marshal Amao has attended the following courses:
Primary Flying Training, at 301 Flying Training School Kaduna Nigeria.
Basic Flying Training at 303 Flying Training School Kano Nigeria.
Tactical Fighter Training at 99 Air Combat Training Group Kainji Nigeria.
Instructor Pilot Course at 301 Flying Training School Kaduna Nigeria.
Aircraft Accident Investigation in Civil Airline at Nigeria Civil Aviation Training School Zaria Nigeria.
Appointments held include,
Deputy Defence Adviser (Air) at Nigerian High Commission London.
Air Component Commander Operations ZAMALAFIYA and LAFIYA DOLE. (North East Nigeria Operation).
Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command Makurdi.
Chief of Training and Operations Nigerian Air Force.
Chief of Policy and Plans Nigerian Air Force.
He is currently the Commandant Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Lagos.
Gambo
The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo was born on April 22, 1966 and hails from Nasarawa LGA in Kano State.
He enlisted into the Nigeria Navy on September 24, 1984 as a member of Regular Course 36 and was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant on Sept 24, 1988.
He is an Underwater Warfare specialist with a subspecialisation in InteIIigence. The senior officer has attended several military courses which include; Sub-Technical course and Officers Long course both at NNS QUORRA.
He also attended Junior Division 48/99 and Senior Course 26 both at AFCSC Jaji. Other courses attended include the National Defence Course at the South African National Defence College. Until his appointment as the CNS, he was the Director of Procurement at the Defence Space Administration. The senior officer holds a PGD in Transport Management and a Master‘s degree in Transport Management (Logistics option) both from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. He is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Fellow of the Certified Institute of Shipping. Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria as well as a fellow of the National Defence College, South Africa.
President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the immediate resignation of the Service Chiefs, and their retirement from service.
Those involved are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
President Buhari thanks the outgoing Service Chiefs for what he calls their “overwhelming achievements in our efforts at bringing enduring peace to our dear country,” wishing them well in their future endeavours.
The new Service Chiefs are: Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, Chief of Air Staff.
The President congratulates the new Service Chiefs, and urges them to be loyal and dedicated in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
January 26, 2021
Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has said that what was destroyed at his old house set ablaze by arsonists cannot be worth anything less than N50 million.
Igboho’s old house in Soka was set ablaze by unidentified men in the early hours of Tuesday just hours after a meeting between Southwest Governors and members of Miyetti Allah.
The meeting was held as a result of the growing tensions over an ultimatum issued by Igboho for criminal herdsmen to leave Oyo State.
His ultimatum was followed by a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, for herdsmen to vacate the forest reserves in the state.
Narrating what he learnt about the attack on his old house, Igboho who spoke with journalists said the arsonists fired gunshots before breaking in.
He said, “Around 3.30am today, my younger ones residing at my old house rushed to my gate to wake me up, saying some bandits came to the house, fired gunshots, broke the gate, and set the house ablaze. The two people at the house managed to escape. By the time I got there, the bandits had escaped. So, we called firefighters to help us put out the fire.”
On why he’s against the criminal herdsmen, Igboho said their atrocities in Yorubaland are preventing peace from reigning.
“These Fulanis are killing our brothers in our fatherland. They’re killing, raping, and kidnapping. All the things they are doing to us are not good. That’s why I’m trying to unite our people so that we can chase them away for peace to reign in Yorubaland,” he said.
He expressed the belief that those who attacked his house must have had help from some Yoruba people.
“What I find surprising is that some Yorubas are in support of the herdsmen to set my house on fire. I’m saddened by it,” he said.
The Federal Government will purchase Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for Nigerians because of the availability of facility needed for its storage, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said at the weekend.
According to him, the vaccine can be stored in a facility with temperature +2 to +8 degree celsius for a long period without it losing potency.
With the decision, less emphasis will be paid to Pfizer’s BioNTech vaccine because the country lacks enough space to keep the drug at + 2 to + 8 temperature not more than five days before use.
He explained that the delivery of the 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines will now be next month because of supply and manufacturing hitches according to information from the COVAX facility.
Dr. Shuaib, who spoke during a television interview, said: “The AstraZeneca type Oxford vaccines are the ones that we want to invest in because we already have the infrastructure across the country to be able to store the vaccines.
“In Nigeria, as I speak, almost every single political ward has one freezer that can keep these vaccines at the right temperature.
“Only about 700 political wards do not have this type of equipment, and we are hopeful that if we keep installing them at the pace that we want to, hopefully by the end of this year, we will be able to finish installing, so that in every single political ward, we have the right equipment to be able to store our routine immunisation vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines at + 2 to +8 degree Celsius.”
The NPHCDA added that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would assess and certify the vaccine to ensure that it is safe.
“At this point, we have information from the COVAX facility that Nigeria will be getting up to 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines in February. But ahead of those shipments, we have already made sure that the ultra-chain equipment that is required to keep these vaccines in temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius are available in-country.
“We are also working with the sub-national levels to make sure that when these vaccines are transported to the states and council areas, we will be able to make sure that the transportation takes place in a way that ensures that the vaccines remain and retain their potency.
“The information that we are getting from COVAX facility is that the first 100,000 doses will be coming by February. Initially they had mentioned that it was going to be in January, but just yesterday(Sunday), we got information that due to supply and manufacturing issues, they will not be able to meet the January date that was originally communicated.
“Now, it is looking more like it is in February that will get about 100,000 doses, and then subsequently, we will get larger doses of the vaccine..
“We have made all the preparations to ensure that when the vaccines arrive, NAFDAC is able to access them and certified that they are safe.
“For us, this is the paramount consideration and no vaccine will be administered to Nigerians until and unless NAFDAC goes through the process of making sure that all of the documentation is right and it is contextualised within the Nigerian environment.
“Then we will roll out all of the activities that are required to make sure that we prioritise those that are most at risk and those that are most vulnerable to COVID-19..
“Right now, what we have done is to identify health facilities across the states and council areas , particularly primary healthcare centres where we will be delivering these vaccines.
“From the national level to the sub-national levels, as long as you are able to keep the vaccines with dry ice, then it will be able to maintain the -70 degree Celsius.
“When you get to the sub-national levels, you have to keep the vaccines in a temperature of + 2 to + 8 for the Pfizer vaccines for a period of five days.
“However, what we are getting is just 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and it is just like a drop in the ocean when it comes to our requirements in Nigeria.”
Oxford’s AstraZeneca vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus – although it cannot cause illness.
When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it prompts the immune system to start making antibodies and primes it to attack any coronavirus infection.
Unlike Pfizer’s vaccine – which has to be kept at an extremely cold temperature (-70 degree Celsius), the Oxford vaccine can be stored in a normal fridge. This makes it easier to distribute.
The vaccine was approved for use by UK’s medicines regulator – the MHRA on December 30, last year. The MHRA approved the use of two full doses, which was found to be 62 per cent effective.
The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC says any vehicle causing obstruction on the highway will henceforth be impounded and the owner made to face prosecution
The FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi who stated this during the first strategic meeting of the year with the Twelve Zonal Commanding officers and Thirty Seven Sector Commanders in Abuja explained that newly constructed and rehabilitated Roads were being destroyed due to prolonged and unauthorized parking.
Dr Oyeyemi while expressing displeasure over the effect of road traffic accidents on the socio economic lives of the people tasked the Commanding officers to tackle the menace headlong this year.
Dr Oyeyemi also appealed to the Commanding officers to collaborate with relevant security agencies towards bringing an end to illegal use of spy Number plates, siren and revolving lights.
The FRSC Boss expressed readinness of the Commission to partner fleet operators and transport union leaders to discourage night travels.
He however solicited the support of the public on effective road management and solution to incessant attacks on road safety marshals and its property across the country.
Several towns in Anambra state are locked in town union leadership crisis arising from varying degrees of the imposition of town union president general and other members of the town union executive.
Town unions no doubt, are veritable partners for development especially because the mandate of the town union leadership comes from their people. However, recent developments show that the tide is changing, but not for good. Elected town union leadership is fast being replaced with the government-appointed caretaker committee in different towns in Anambra state and it is breeding rancor and protestations of public disapproval. As at the last count, there are over forty caretaker committees across different communities in Anambra state where the tenure of the subsisting town union leadership has elapsed but instead of conducting an election to produce new leaders, a caretaker committee is imposed and renewed every three months.
Ndiowu community protested against imposition of leaders on the community and accused Hon. Emeka Aforka who is from Ndiowu community and the member representing the Orumba North constituency in Anambra.
Only a few weeks ago, the Ndiowu community protested against imposition of leaders on the community and accused Hon. Emeka Aforka who is from Ndiowu community and the member representing Orumba North constituency in Anambra state House of Assembly of causing confusion in their town. Currently, Ogbu, Agulu, Igbariam, Ezi-Agulu-Otu, Mbaukwu, and many other communities are trapped in series of controversy and pending chaos, over imposition of leaders on their town union. Oko community is only the latest to join the league. And today, aggrieved Oko people came out en-mass to register their displeasure over imposition of leaders on their community. The protesters gathered in front of Anambra State Government House Awka and later in front of Anambra State House of Assembly Complex, Awka until they were addressed by the Deputy Speaker of the House; Rt. Hon. Pascal Agbodike.
In an exclusive interview with the West Africa Pilot News correspondent, Mr. Ifeanyi Asuzu, one of the leaders of the protest, regretted that the level of crass impunity his community has experienced and imperious, iniquitous insolence is so hard to swallow. He maintained that there was no election in Oko, yet, the government has issued a certain Amobi Okoli a certificate as the president general of Oko community.
“We are here to ask the Honourable Speaker to use his good offices to restore sanity in my home town Oko”, Ifeanyi said.
Narrating the situation he said, “we were supposed to have conducted our town union election on December 31st but it was suspended because of irregularities that were discovered and they now told us that we should prepare and communicate to the commissioner when we are ready. While we were still trying to resolve the subsisting issue some moneybags went to Awka and brought a date, purporting that we have asked for a date to be fixed for the election through the caretaker committee”.
According to Ifeanyi, “when this letter was brought to the caretaker committee chairman, he dismissed it blatantly and said he never asked for election date. So they now told us that we had three days to prepare for the election,” he said.
The community held an emergency meeting under the auspices of OPC. Unanimously, the community mandated the caretaker committee to write to the government that we are not ready for the election.
On the 10th of January, Ernest Igboanugo also called the stakeholders to inform them that the government has mandated him to conduct the election and we also notified him that we were not ready yet as the outstanding issues have not been resolved. There was uproar. So he left and surprisingly he came the next day 11th as he promised and met people protesting on the election ground”.
What followed was a shocker, according to Mr. Ifeanyi. “The caretaker committee announced that day that there is no election and that people should go home and attend to their various business concerns and thereafter, he left. Three after, Ernest Igboanugo granted interview to ABS where he said he conducted a free and fair election in Oko”.
In effect, there was no election whatsoever, but there is new leadership for the community. “That is a rape on democracy”, Ifeanyi Asuzu declared.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Anambra state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters; Greg Obi, to clarify allegations that the letters said to have come from the government mandating Oko community to conduct the election on three days’ notice, came from his office, was unfruitful as his response could not be secured at the time of this report.
While addressing the protesters, the Deputy Speaker thanked them for being law-abiding and assured them that the House will ensure that the right thing is done. “Thank you for being law-abiding. We shall carefully look into your complaint. Nobody has absolute power to do what he likes”, Rt. Hon. Pascal Agbodike said.
A crusader of social justice and equality, Chief Patrick Eholor has stated that it’s high time the law and justice system of the country enforce the ban on open grazing which was done in 1969 by the renown Justice Adewale Thompson. He said state governors should as a matter of necessity enforce this law and arrest offenders, to protect their citizens and communities.
Eholor in his argument stated that it was becoming increasingly dangerous to ignore the ban, while gun wielding, killer herdsmen go about raiding communities and destroying farm products, lives and property, and even raping women and girls in order to establish fear and dread across the country.
He decried the spate of insecurity raging across the northern part of the country due to the menace of Fulani cattle grazers, which has continued to increase down in the southern part, despite the ban by the late judge.
He stated ” It is time for Nigerians to be aware that there is a ban on open grazing in this country. As far back as 1969, the renown Justice Adewale Thompson delivered a judgment which placed a ban on open grazing, and thereby made it a crime to enter farms and cause havoc to people’s crops.
“We all must be aware of our rights over this impunity, and get the Justice System to reaffirm that ban. Herdsmen must be arrested and jailed for violating that ban, and this must be done within the ambit of the law, to end the growing terrorism imposed by Fulanis upon our communities.
“For the benefit of those who do not know it, Justice Thompson on 17th April 1979, in Suit no AB/26/66 at Abeokuta Division of the High Court, made the ban and warned of unprovoked killing by Fulani herdsmen.
“His words ‘I do not accept the contention of Defendants that a custom exists which imposes an obligation on the owner of farm to fence his farm whilst the owner of cattle allows his cattle to wander like pests and cause damage. Such a custom if it exists, is unreasonable and I hold that it is repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience and therefore unenforceable…in that it is highly unreasonable to impose the burden of fencing a farm on the farmer without the corresponding obligation on the cattle owner to fence in his cattle.
‘Sequel to this,I ban open grazing for it is inimical to peace and tranquility and the cattle owners must fence or ranch their animals for peace to reign in these communities.’
According to Eholor, “It is high time states put this law into practice and end unprovoked killings by Fulani herdsmen. This information should be shared widely so that state governors should be aware of it. It is not known that anybody appealed against this decision, so in law any open grazing is a violation of the law. State governors should setup task forces that will enforce this law and arrest offenders”.
Residents of Igangan in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State on Sunday recounted their ordeals in the hands of Fulani herdsmen.
The community leaders, who spoke during a visit of the state government delegation to the town, stated that they had paid a total of N50m as ransoms for kidnappings carried out by herdsmen in the community.
The community also presented to the delegation, pictures and other evidence of ransoms paid to the herdsmen.
They accused the Seriki Fulani of complicity in the negotiation of ransoms.
The delegation comprising officials of the state and the new Commissioner of Police in the state Command, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko, on Sunday, visited Ibarapa where violence erupted on Friday over kidnappings and killings by herdsmen.
Recall that there was violence at Igangan on Friday when a popular Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, alongside his followers, stormed the Fulani settlement in the ancient town to eject Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and herdsmen accused of perpetrating crimes ranging from kidnappings, killings, rape to invasion of farmlands with their cattle.
During the crisis, the Seriki Fulani of Igangan and his family members were evicted from the town and their property torched.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to state Governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, Igangan community leaders on Sunday stated that besides the payment of N50m as ransoms, 15 women were raped by the herders in the town.
But Fulani leaders, who attended the meeting, begged for forgiveness, saying the Fulani were ready for peaceful co-existence with their hosts.
The Secretary of Igangan Development Advocates, Lawal Akeem, said the people were tired of the antics of the Seriki Fulani of Igangan, whom he accused of complicity in different kidnap cases.
He also said that the community had been forced to pay about N50 million in ransoms for different cases of kidnapping, while also accusing Fulani herders of regularly vandalising farms and raping women of the community.
A youth in the town, Taiwo Adeagbo, said that no fewer than 15 women had been raped in recent weeks.
A member of the state House of Assembly, Peter Ojedokun, also told the delegation that the peace in Ibarapaland had been stirred by the Fulani herders with the incessant attacks on members of the community, kidnappings and other crimes.
LG caretaker chairman, community leader accuse Seriki Fulani of complicity
The Caretaker Chairman of Ibarapa North-West Local Council Development Area, Okediji Olusegun, also corroborated the allegations levelled against the Seriki Fulani of Igangan, saying that the Seriki had been fingered in the series of security challenges in the area many times.
I WELCOME THE EMERGENCE OF THE BIAFRA PEOPLES ARMY (BPA) TO SANITISE THE BIAFRAN STRUGGLE AND CREATE ORDERLINESS
1. I read with joy and excitement the Press Release by some spirits of Biafraland who described themselves as the Biafran People’s Army (BPA). I also watched their video demonstration. I have decided to refer to them as spirits of Biafraland because I could not see their faces. In the Igbo Spiritology and Cosmic Science, human beings do not see the faces of spirits and anybody who tries to see the face of a spirit will either go blind or have blisters and leprosy on his face. So, in my opinion, they are spirits speaking with the voice of humans. After listening to them and reading their Press Release, I described them as Ndi Mmuo Biafra who had emerged from the spiritworld to cleanse the Biafran Struggle and bring sanity, orderliness, decency, and decorum in the Biafran Project. Most importantly, the spirits have created the balance of terror required in the Biafra Project as they will spare nobody who messes up or constitutes an obstacle in the Biafran Project, whether the person is a Biafran or not.
2. I was impressed with their introduction in the Press Release captioned, “BIAFRA PEOPLES ARMY- NEVER AGAIN TO NIGERIA’S HOSTILITY” where they stated as follows:
Allow us to introduce Biafra Peoples’ Army (B.P.A). Over the years we the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra have been maligned and treated as worthless citizens, annihilated in our millions, our women and aged raped, our farms now a death trap, our rivers polluted; despite all these atrocities against our Nation Biafra in the contraption called Nigeria. We have been systematically ostracised from the failed Nigeria state and treated as third-class citizens even without provocation, despite our land being harnessed of its natural resources.
The past decades after the 1967 -1970 civil war ended, our Kith and Kin have attempted to raise the Biafra flag, in the wave of the struggle, some Biafrans became money changers, desecrated the sacred Biafra Name, committed our youths to the front-line that death and anguish became our food on daily basis. Having witnessed all the shenanigans bedevilled the sacred Biafra freedom agitation as perpetrated amongst pro-independence groups, especially the recent IPOB group, we wish to state categorically the following:
(1). Never again shall the Nigeria state and her official and unofficial agent encroach the Biafra geo-space to continue the onslaught against our people and return freely without consequences.
(2). Every unofficial killer agents of Nigeria namely Fulani terrorist in disguise as Herders and Bandits must evacuate the entire Biafraland effect from 30th January 2021.
(3). In this course, as Biafra Peoples’ Army begins our march, we use this medium to warn every money mongers masquerading as a freedom fighter to desist from using the Biafra name to amass wealth for their aggrandisement, forthwith, we shall serve a holy porridge to anyone found wanting or flouting this command.
(4). IPOB and its leadership are warned to desist from their loquacious attitude, Biafra is too big a Nation to become a toy in the hands of mediocre, whose only wish is to seek for cheap popularity and amass wealth on the blood of innocent Biafrans. Attack the sanctity of Biafra Peoples’ Army and dire consequences shall be served. This is the only warning to come, ignore at their peril.
(5). In due time, we shall nominate a more formidable group from amongst the numerous pro-independence groups that shall relate with Biafrans on our behalf, we are still studying all the existing agitating groups and their antecedent, when concluded, we shall announce to the world.
Beloved Biafrans, the Council of Biafra Peoples’ Army have taken over the drive and pursuit of our non-negotiable freedom from Nigeria. Accept our 100% loyalty to you the owners of the land; we employ everyone to be ready for what is to come, it’s no longer business as usual, its either Biafra freedom or Nigeria shall know no peace.
Signed:
Captain Telemor Jones
Commanding Officer 1st of the Great Biafra People’s Army
3. When I read their opening paragraph, “Over the years we the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra have been maligned and treated as worthless citizens…” I believed that the spirits must have read my book where the name “Indigenous People of Biafra” was created in 2007 and published in 2012 as the name for all the remnants of Biafra who were not consumed in the war. They did not describe themselves as members of Indigenous People of Biafra but said “we the Indigenous People of Biafra”. Yes, we are all Indigenous People of Biafra, of which many are dead, few are living and countless are yet unborn. We do not register to become members of Indigenous People of Biafra. Don’t mind Nnamdi Kanu who we ostracised on 12 May 2014 and he took our name and registered it as a limited liability company in London called Indigenous People of Biafra Limited by which he has deceived the world. In one of my previous publications, I described his foolishness as superlative stupidity.
4. Without mentioning the name of Nnamdi Kanu, the spirits described him by an innuendo as a mediocre whose only wish is to seek for cheap popularity and amass wealth on the blood of innocent Biafrans. They issued a serious warning to him as follows: IPOB and its leadership are warned to desist from their loquacious attitude, Biafra is too big a Nation to become a toy in the hands of mediocre, whose only wish is to seek for cheap popularity and amass wealth on the blood of innocent Biafrans. Attack the sanctity of Biafra Peoples’ Army and dire consequences shall be served. This is the only warning to come, ignore at their peril.
5. In Paragraph 3 of their statement, they warned every money monger masquerading as a freedom fighter using Biafra to amass wealth for their personal aggrandisement. Interestingly, Nnamdi Kanu responded to the Press Release and Video demonstration by the Biafra Peoples Army. In his broadcast, he was screaming, cursing, abusing and accusing them of being saboteurs created and bribed by the Nigerian DSS to destroy his own group. I looked at his face and could see a desperate man sinking into the ocean of eternal destruction but clutching in vain to straws on the banks of the ocean that could not save him from drowning. History is being made as we watch.
6. Now, let me speak on the issues of law pertaining to the emergence of the Biafra Peoples Army. I know that some lawyers may be considering the legality or illegality of the Biafra Peoples Army. The first thing we must understand is that the Biafra Peoples Army made their mission and intention very clear. They did not say that they would commit any offences against the Nigerian State such as treason, treasonable felony or instigating invasion of Nigeria contrary to sections 37 and 38 or sections 40 to 43 of the Criminal Code. They did not say that they would oppose the Nigerian sovereignty but to stop the Nigerian hostility against the Biafrans and the attacks of the killer Fulani herdsmen. Some people may frown at their possession of fire arms but we shall consider the issue critically together with the possession of fire arms by the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria.
7. At Page 276 of my book, “Biafra or Nigerian Presidency- What the Ibos Want”, I referred to Alhaji Asari Dokubo’s interview where he described the use of arms in the struggle for resource control as necessary to create a balance of terror between the Nigerian Government and the regions that produce oil. This has therefore created an interesting dimension in the development of Nigerian Jurisprudence of crime, giving answer to the question I posed in my Research Work published in 2006, “THE ROAD MAP TO PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE NIGER DELTA”, namely: “If the youths of the Niger Delta had not taken up arms against the Nigerian Government and the Oil Companies, would Niger Delta have received urgent attention from Nigerian Government and the International Community?” The answer is in the negative.
8. The Government of Nigeria and the international community listened to the Niger Delta militants because they took up arms. In recent times when the Boko Haram militants in the North took up arms against the Nigerian Government, bombing even the Police Headquarters and the United Nations Building in Abuja, terrorizing all citizens and demanding for an Islamic State where they would practise their religion and culture the way they understand it, the Nigerian Government and Nigerian leaders called for settlement and negotiation with Boko Haram! The members of Boko Haram who were arrested for the crimes were released by the order of the State Governor. Their act was not regarded as criminal under the Nigerian Jurisprudence of crime based on precedence.
9. We have seen that other ethnic nationalities are also expressing their desire to exercise their rights to self-determination. We have also observed a new development in ethnic agitation as violence is gradually becoming acceptable in the jurisprudence of politics and governance in Nigeria. Any ethnic group that agitates with violence is appeased and settled and granted amnesty but any group that agitates peacefully is ignored. A new standard has therefore been set in the Nigerian politics of power. This is an interesting subject in the development of the Nigerian law of jurisprudence.
10. During the resource control war between the Niger Delta Militants and the Nigerian Government before they were granted amnesty and the struggle by Islamic fundamentalists for religious State, many commentators said it was necessary to differentiate between criminality and the political struggle for resource control or religious State. But all the militants whether criminal, political or religious militants carry arms and ammunitions and effect kidnap and unleash mayhem with bombs and explosives.
11. The agitators for Resource Control and agitators for Islamic State are pacified and not regarded as criminals although they do so with violence. I read in the newspapers some years ago that Boko Haram militants in the North nominated the then Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari as the person who would negotiate on their behalf. The Nigerian Criminal Law is developing to an interesting dimension now. The militants who loot and kidnap people for ransoms are regarded as criminals while those who struggle for resource control, political freedom or religious states are not regarded as criminals. In effect, it is the mens rea (intention of the militants) and not the actus reus (the act itself) that determines whether their act is criminal or political even though they all carry arms and waste lives. The wastage of lives is regarded as collateral damage. This principle of interpretation of the Criminal Law must now be applied to the Biafra Peoples Army. I therefore submit that they are not criminals under the Nigerian Legal System based on precedence.
12. Today, the Biafran People’s Army (B.P.A) has emerged like spirits from nowhere. I welcome their emergence and pray for their success. I hope they will remain faithful and focused in providing the balance of terror required in the Biafran struggle. They have struck fear into the hearts of those who have constituted nuisance in the Biafran Project and made merchandise of our people. They have created the holy fear and the necessary balance of terror which has been lacking in the Biafran Struggle. The spirits are now in charge of discipline and orderliness in the Biafran Project. They are faceless. I welcome their emergence from the land of the spirits.
Emeka Emekesiri, Esq,
Solicitor for Indigenous People of Biafra
For: Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra
N40 billion earned allowances released to ASUU
• ‘Buhari grants no work, no pay waiver’
President Muhammadu Buhari waived the ‘no work, no pay’ Trade Act for striking university lecturers to allow peace to reign, Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige, said at the weekend.
The government has released N40billion for the payment of earned academic allowances for varsity lecturers and earned allowances for non-academic staff.
Also, the government may release N30 billion revitalisation funds to varsities by the end of this month.
Of the N40 billion, about N10 billion was voted for the payment of earned allowances of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and technologists.
Although the non-academic staff have threatened strike over the sharing formula by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the government said when a similar payment was made in 2019, they got N8 billion.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who gave the update in an exclusive chat with our correspondent, said the Federal Government has so far kept faith with the agreement between it and ASUU.
Read Also: ASUU to blame for prolonged strike, says Ngige
He said: “We are keeping faith religiously with the implementation of the agreement. In fact, President Muhammadu Buhari has given ASUU members a waiver/ pardon on the no, work, no pay clause in the nation’s Trade Disputes Act.
“I had to write officially for the presidential waiver on payment of outstanding wages of varsity lecturers to strengthen our pact and more so we are in a COVID-19 pandemic era.
“So, for harmony and understanding, we decided on compassionate ground not to invoke Section 43 of the nation’s Trade Disputes Act.”
Section 43 of the Act is in respect to “Special provision with respect to payment of wages during strikes and lock-outs.”
It says: “(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law-
(a) where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wages or other remuneration for the period of the strike, and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly; and
(b) where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remuneration for the period of lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of period of employment.
“(2) If any question should arise as to whether there has been a lock-out for the purposes of this section, the question shall on application to the Minister by the workers or their representatives be determined by the Minister whose decision shall be final.”
Ngige said the Federal Government has started paying the outstanding salaries of the lecturers in a “staggered system” because every 31st December of each year, all outstanding recurrent budget (including personnel salaries) is mopped up into the Treasury.
“We paid ASUU members from January to June 2020. The salary arrears outstanding were from July to December and because of mop up into the Treasury, we decided to stagger the payment.
“So far, we have paid July and August salary arrears in December, we will pay September and October with their January salaries as one tranche in January; and November/ December in February alongside their monthly salaries since they have resumed in their offices and research centres.”
The Minister also confirmed that about “N40billion has been paid as earned allowances to academic and non-academic staff in the universities.
“The non-academic staff said they disagreed with the way the National Universities Commission (NUC) shared and transmitted the earned allowances by giving 75% to academic staff (lecturers) and 25% to them.
“The NUC came up with that sharing formula based on the past threshold. This administration has even improved the benchmark for the non-academic staff because the last time we had a similar challenge, it was based on 80% for academic staff and 20% for non-academic staff.
“In 2019, the non-academic staff got N8billion as earned allowances but this time around, the government released N10billion for their allowances.”
Notwithstanding, the Minister said: “I will invite the leaders of SSANU, NASU and technologists for dialogue to arrest their strike.
“I believe if we sit down with them for consultations, they will appreciate our position. We cannot afford to shut down our universities again.
“Their letter or notice of strike has not reached my table but we will engage them in dialogue on all their demands. Fortunately, I am one of the parents affected by strike action in universities. All my children are studying in different universities in the country.”
Regarding the N30billion revitalisation funds demanded by ASUU, Ngige said: “by the end of January, the government will pay.”
