The newspaper review for Wednesday, February 28, leads with the crises in Kaduna in which over 1000 houses and the panel set up by the Federal Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction of 110 Dapchi schoolgirls in Yobe state among other stories.
Vanguard reports that no fewer than 1,000 shops and several vehicles were torched in the violent clash that occurred between Christian and Muslim youths in Kaduna on Monday over girls, as the death toll rose to 12 yesterday.
When Vanguard visited the scene yesterday, the large scale destruction that trailed the clash which engulfed Kasuwan Magani town in Kajuru local government area of the state was benumbing.
Kaduna state commissioner of police, Austin Iwar, who disclosed the new death toll yesterday, said 18 people had also been arrested.
Addressing journalists after a fact-finding and assessment visit to the area, the police commissioner vowed that no stone would be left unturned in unravelling the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.
The police commissioner, in company of the general officer commanding I division of the Nigerian army, Kaduna, Major-General Mohammed Mohammed and state commandant of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, Modu Goni, expressed shock at the scale of destruction.
He said: “It is unfortunate. As we can see, the level of destruction is very high, some people were killed and properties were destroyed. This is not what we wish for our state, Kaduna.
“Let me say that we will not leave any stone unturned in investigating the remote and immediate causes of this problem. We will talk to the stakeholders here and try to find out what the problem is and through civil problem solving approach and conflict resolution, we will deal with that.”
Vanguard newspaper for Wednesday, February 28. photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com.
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The Guardian reports the Federal Government has set up a 12-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction of 110 pupils of the Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi, Yobe State, as it released the names and details of the girls.
The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known in a statement in Abuja yesterday.
The committee, convened by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), will be chaired by a military officer of the rank of major general.
It will comprise one senior provost each from the Nigerian army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force; representatives of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA); Nigeria Police Force (NPF); Department of State Service (DSS); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); two representatives of the Yobe state government and a representative of the office of the national security adviser.
The terms of reference of the committee include ascertaining the circumstances surrounding the abduction, confirming the presence, composition, scale and disposition of security emplaced in Dapchi and at GGSTC before the incident, and suggesting measures that could lead to the location and rescue of the girls.
The committee, expected to submit its report by March 15, 2018, will also recommend measures to prevent future occurrence, and will be inaugurated tomorrow.
Of the missing girls, eight are in JSS1; 17 in JSS2; 12 in JSS3; 40 in SS1; 19 in SS2; and 14 in SS3. Their ages range from 11 to 19 years.
The list, which also contains the contact address and phone number of each girl, was verified by a 26-member screening committee that included the Executive Secretary, State Teaching Service Board, Musa Abdulsalam; director, schools’ management, ministry of education, Shuaibu Bulama; Principal of GGSTC, Adama Abdulkarim; the two vice principals, Ali Musa Mabu and Abdullahi Sule Lampo; admission officer, Bashir Ali Yerima, and the form masters for all the classes.
The Guardian newspaper for Wednesday, February 28. photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com.
Thisday reports About 20 persons yesterday lost their lives in a clash between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Gwamba village in Demsa local government area of Adamawa state.
Reports from the affected area indicated that the herdsmen stormed Gwamba village at about 6:30p.m. on a reprisal attack following a previous attack lunched on them by the Bachama youths.
The report further explained that based on attacks lunched on some Bachama villages, their youths felt pained that no arrest was made.
This, it was gathered, made them to mobilise against Fulani settlements in Damsa local government area.
In retaliation, the Fulani community yesterday launched another deadly attack on the Bachama villages
Another report said there was a truce between the herdsmen and the farmers which ended in a deadlock.
The development made the herdsmen to attack four villages and killed 20 persons.
The spokesman of the police command in Adamawa State, Othman Abubakar, who confirmed the attack, however, did not give the casualty figure, adding he was yet to be briefed on the attack
Meanwhile, despite warnings by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state of imminent attacks on communities in his state, 5,000 residents of Chille Island, Mbatoho in Makurdi local government area, were yesterday sacked by suspected herders of cattle.
Recounting the ordeal of the residents of the community who marched to the office of the deputy governor of the state, Benson Abouno, the leader of the community, John Terhemen alleged that the herdsmen stormed the area shooting sporadically into the air and ordered the residents to vacate their homes.
Terhemen said the herdsmen who were well armed with sophisticated weapons, ordered them to vacate their homes for them to occupy and graze their cattle.
“They did not harm anyone, nor did they burn down our homes. The herdsmen simply asked us to leave,” he said.
Responding, the deputy governor told the residents that the state government also got the report of the invasion of Chille Island by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Abounu who said the government was trying to determine the veracity of the story, added that he had directed the new Special Adviser on Security Lt. Col. Paul Hemba (rtd.) to visit the area and determine the next line of action.
“The people said the Fulani herdsmen have sacked them, and it is just across the river in Makurdi town. But I have sent the Special Adviser on Security to go there and determine the authenticity of the story. Until that is done, then we will know the next action to take,” Abounu said.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police Taiwo Awoseni said he was informed of the attack but was yet to verify it.
Newspaper review
Punch reports that the Federal Government has set up a 12-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction of 110 pupils of the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe state, on February 19.
The committee was convened by the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.), according to a statement on Tuesday by the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The statement said the committee, which would be chaired by a military officer of the rank of major general, would comprise one senior provost each from the Nigerian army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian air force; representatives of the national intelligence agency; defence intelligence Agency; Nigeria police force; department of state services; Nigeria security and civil defence corps; two representatives of the Yobe state government and a representative of the office of the national security adviser.
“The terms of reference of the committee include ascertaining the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the girls; confirming the presence, composition, scale and disposition of security in place in Dapchi, as well as in the GGSTC before the incident and suggesting measures that can lead to the location and rescue of the girls,” the statement read in part.
The panel, which is expected to submit its report by March 15, 2018, is also saddled with recommending measures to prevent future occurrence.
The statement said the committee would be inaugurated on Wednesday (today).
The announcement of the setting up of the committee came a day after the main opposition political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, asked the national assembly to probe the incident.
Punch newspaper for Wednesday, February 28. photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com.
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The Air Force has deployed 100 fighter jets in the search for the 110 schoolgirls abducted on February 19, the Federal Government said yesterday.
The students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State were abducted from their hostels by terrorists.
Twenty of the jets have flown 200 hours as at Monday evening, according to a fact sheet on the search released by Minister of Information, Culture and National Orientation Lai Mohammed.
Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar relocated yesterday to Yobe State “to personally superintend the search for the girls”, the minister said.
He also released the details of the missing girls. Eight are in JSS1, 17 in JSS2, 12 in JSS3, 40 in SS1, 19 in SS2 and 14 in SS3. The girls’ ages range from 11 to 19 years.
“The list, which also contains the contact address and phone number of each missing girl, was verified by a 26-member Screening Committee that include the Executive Secretary, State Teaching Service Board, Musa Abdulsalam; Director, Schools’ Management, Ministry of Education, Shuaibu Bulama; Principal of GGSTC, Adama Abdulkarim; the two Vice Principals, Ali Musa Mabu and Abdullahi Sule Lampo; Admission Officer Bashir Ali Yerima, and the Form Masters for all the classes,” Mohammed said.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno, who constituted a 12-member committee “to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction”, gave the committee March 15 deadline to submit a report.
General Munguno, who visited Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, yesterday announced that 80 other planes would join the search for the girls.
He told the governor: “The Nigerian Air Force has deployed 20 aircraft in Maiduguri and 80 others on their way. So far, 200 hours have been utilised in flying sorties looking for these girls.
“We have also been made aware of the fact that the Nigerian Air Force will step up its operation regardless of the very hard and severe weather condition.”
The Nation newspaper for Wednesday, February 28. photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com.
Nigerians react as Boko Haram terrorists kidnap over 100 girls in Dapchi, Yobe on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng
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Wednesday, 28 February 2018