By Abdullahi Shugaba

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has urged the Military to fight bandits in the North-West and part of the North-Central of the country, simultaneously.

Masari made the call when he received the nation’s Service Chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, at the Government House, Katsina, on Tuesday.

Lt.-Gen. Irabor led the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-General Attahiru Ibrahim, the Chief of the Air Staff, AVM Isiaka Amao, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, on the visit.

“Unless and until these criminals are simultaneously fought,no meaningful result will be achieved.

“You will always find out that if you overpower them in one area, they move to another.

“It is the same people that move to Zamfara and Niger states to continue with their criminalities.

The Governor, however, pledged to support the military in their operations in the state.

Earlier in a remark, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. LEO Irabor, said that they were in the state to assess the operations of their officers in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor, the service chiefs and other military officers later went into a close-door meeting. (NAN)

By Mohammed Tijjani

The Kaduna State Government said troops of Operation Thunder Strike (OPTS) have killed four bandits and recovered three rifles in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan confirmed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Kaduna.

Aruwan said: “Four bandits have been killed and several others injured in an ambush operation conducted by troops around Gwagwada, Chikun local government area.

“According to operational feedback from troops of Operation Thunder Strike (OPTS), intelligence was received on bandits movement from Katika village towards Antenna in Chikun LGA and  in  response to this, the troops laid  an opportunity ambush at Antenna village.

“The bandits approached the location and eventually sprang the ambush. The troops opened fire as they entered the killing range.

“After the engagement, four of the bandits were confirmed dead, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.

“Three rifles and one axe were recovered from the scene,” he added

The commissioner said Gov. Nasir El-Rufai commended the troops for swift action which led to the successful exercise and the elimination of the four bandits.

“Residents in the area are urged to report individuals seeking treatment for suspicious injuries by calling the Kaduna State Security Operations Room on 09034000060 or 08170189999,” Aruwan said. (NAN)

By Fortune Abang

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has underscored the need for the National Peace Policy (NPP) Bill to be passed into law urgently, to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s conflict situations.

The NPP is a national framework, designed to guide efforts to prevent conflicts and build peace in Nigeria.

The Director-General of the IPCR, Dr Bakut Bakut, made the call while answering questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Sunday in Abuja.

Bakut lamented that the national peace policy had not yet been presented to the Federal Executive Council for endorsement.

He said that although Nigeria was the first country in Africa to develop that kind of policy, countries such as Ghana and Zimbabwe, who copied what Nigeria had done had since passed the policy into law with Nigeria still lagging.

“We were the first in the whole of Africa to develop NPP. Ghana came and copied from us, went ahead and established their own.

“Zimbabwe did the same. Other countries did their own and we now went back to try and copy what we are the originators of,” Bakut said.

Asked to shed light on the issues contained in the national peace policy, the director-general said: “The first thing we talked about was transmuting the institute to a commission and making sure there is a Commission for Small Arms and Light Weapons because that was where we saw the impending problem of harming Nigerians.

“We needed to control that. It is there.

“We also talked about the peace fund. We realised that you have to have money to do peace work and government cannot do all that alone.

“The private sector can actually bring in money to do that but it is not there.

“So if we have all these, the early warning issue came up from there too but we have extracted the early warning element, which is what we have institutionalised now and we have actually established an Early Warning Centre (EWC).

“All our zonal offices and peace-building offices are linked to the EWC.

“We get real-time information on what is happening and therefore, process it to where they should go,” said Bakut. (NAN)

By Fortune Abang

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) on Sunday underscored constant dialogue as the panacea for resolving conflicts in the country.

The Director-General of the institute, Dr Bakut Bakut, told a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja on Sunday that constant dialogue was the only option for Nigeria to overcome its prevailing conflicts.

He said that although efforts had been made to tackle conflicts through the use of force, more could be achieved, if dialogue could be used as a strategic approach to dealing with conflicts.

“If you want to use the kinetic approach which is what they use – force, you will not solve the problem, especially with this kind of insurgency.

“There is this talk by Boko Haram that they want to create a state but in reality what they are doing is just making life difficult for people not necessarily because they are creating a state.

“So the issue is how do we deal with that? Is it going to be (kinetic) — armed forces? The answer is no.

“You have to bring in civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, community leaders or even security agencies.

“So when you have both parties agreeing to pursue dialogue in resolving problems, it becomes easy.

“So until we get to the point of understanding that the critical segment of our society must be included in governance, we will continue to have problems.’’

Bakut said the need for dialogue was not in any way to suggest that there should be no sanction for people carrying arms against the state.

“With dialogue, it would be easier to solve conflicts. But rather than have dialogue given the opportunity to have dialogue, what did the state do eventually. Some people decided that the best thing to do is to use the gun.

“Supposing there was negotiation, there was dialogue? Don’t you think we probably would have doused the conflict?

“So when we say use dialogue, it does not mean terrorists should be rewarded or not be held responsible.

“Look for opportunity to have a conversation that will reduce tension or bring about a solution.

“We must do that because if we do not do that, conflict will escalate and become a bigger problem.

“So we start by saying `let us start from here. What is it that you want?’ Once you begin that with then you have a level of conflict reduced,” the don added. (NAN)

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) is to set up offices nationwide to help curb conflicts and engender peace, according to the Director-General of the institute, Dr Bakut Bakut.

Speaking at a special forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, Bakut said the offices would be established before the end of 2023.

He said that establishing the offices would take the institute closer to the people and closer to the root causes of conflicts.

The director-general noted that setting up offices across the country would also put the IPCR on the path to fulfilling its mandate.

“When I came in, I felt that we had been operational for many years and we did not have serious presence in the country and yet we had an African mandate.

“So I made sure that before the end of the year 2018, we established four offices.

“One is in Gwagwalada. Then we have one in Ekiti, one in Anambra North, and one in Plateau State.

“For now I can tell you that we have 10 offices in the country. Six of them are functional and to the other four, we are in the process of posting staff.

“My estimation is that by this year, 2021 – I am going to also have another 10 offices opened.

“I am doing these because the conflicts are in our localities. The conflicts are not in Abuja. They are not in the state capitals. They are where the real people are.

“Until we are able to reach the people, sensitise them, advocate for peace, intervene and train them on how to live in peace with one another, we will just be talking.

“I want to say that between now and the time I will conclude my responsibility, I want to assure you that we would get the institute to every part of Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)

Sunday Bassey

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom said its officers killed four suspected pirates who specialised in terrorising fishermen in Ibeno waterways in the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Macdon Odiko, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state on Friday.

Odiko, however, said the suspected pirates had a gun battle with the marine police at Ibeno waterways which led to their death on Thursday, March 4.

“The story is true but I will soon issue a press statement to that effect,” Odiko said.

Mr Williams Mkpa, the Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Area, also confirmed the killing of the suspected pirates in Ibeno.

Mkpa who commended the security personnel for a job well done said that piracy had been a major problem hindering fishing business and other economic activities in Ibeno.

He said the four suspected pirates were killed during a gun duel between the security personnel and the suspects in Ibeno waterways.

The chairman poured encomiums on the gallant officers whom he said had justified the resources spent on security by gradually bringing back peace to the waterways.

“Yesterday, during routine patrol, the squad engaged in a shootout with pirates which saw the pirates overpowered and four of them killed with one escaping with bullet wounds,” Mkpa said.

He said that items recovered from the suspects were AK 47 rifles, life ammunition and charms.

“It is on record that pirates have terrorised Ibeno waters in recent times thereby crippling fishing and other economic activities in the area,” Mkpa said.

The chairman recalled that he had recently inaugurated a special marine security outfit to curb piracy in Ibeno waterways.

Mkpa restated his commitment to partner security agencies to drive evil elements out of Ibeno territory waterways.

“We shall not rest on our mandate to make our communities and waterways safe, we will not drop the board but will do everything to support security agencies.

“The resources invested in security in the last 100 days of our administration are yielding fruits and I must warn evil elements to either change or vacate our communities as we will not rest until they are flushed from our land,” Mkpa said. (NAN)