News
TY Danjuma lauds Kefas over Takum Chieftancy resolution
A former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma retired, on Saturday commended Gov. Agbu Kefas of Taraba for resolving the prolonged Takum Chieftancy tussle by appointing a king after 28 years.
Danjuma disclosed this at the inauguration ceremony of Chief Sopiya Ahmadu, the new traditional ruler of Takum.
He said that the history of Takum as advanced by the Kuteb people was false and only known to those trying to cause trouble.
“They are the people of the hills and cannot lay claim to the sole ownership of Takum,” he said.
Danjuma advised Kefas to be ready to face more litigations, on the Chieftancy issue, assuring him that he would win over falsehood.
He urged the young people in the area to go to school and acquire knowledge that would be beneficial to the community.
While congratulating Ahmadu on his ascension to the throne of his great grand fathers, he Called on him to see it as a call to service and treat all people equally.
Gov. Kefas recalled the challenges on the way to reconciliation, fairness and unity, appealing to the people to give peace a chance.
“Today, we bring peace and unity to Takum. As the chief of Takum you must rule with integrity and respect for all.
“This is not a moment of victory, but a moment for shared prosperity and great future for Takum.
“We pledge to ensure that all displaced people return to their homes and to assist those in need to return to normal lives for a brighter and inclusive future.
On his part, former Governor of Plateau, Jonah Jang, while congratulating the people of Takum, called on the governors in the country to demand for state police to enable them police their territories well.
Godwin Obaseki of Edo, called on the people of Taraba to embrace peace to harness the God’s given resources and talents of the state.
“Today marks the beginning of a new dawn and prosperity in Takum and Taraba
“With the inauguration of the new chief of Takum, prosperity and peace will be restored and the people will be happy.
In his vote of thanks, Chief Ahmadu the new chief call on all to join hands, forget the differences to build Takum.
He pledged to focus on security to ensure that peace was accelerated for the good of the land.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Takum Chieftancy tool, usually referred to as Ukwe Takum and and strictly reserved for the Kuteb ruling house has now been changed by a law assented to by Gov. Kefas.
The tool is to now to rotate among the Chamba, Kuteb and Kpanzu peoples of Takum.
NAN recalls that the Kuteb people in a press conference recently rejected the rotation arrangement, saying they would not recognise the new chief, who is of Chamba extraction. (NAN)
By Abubakar Yunusa
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has further reduced the ex-gantry price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to N835 per litre.
According to sources at the refinery, the plant dropped the price of the petrol sold to oil marketers to N835 per litre, six days after the refinery reduced it to N865 per litre.
“The refinery reduced the price of the petrol to N835 per litre,” a source told TheCable.
The reduction in Dangote petrol price followed an announcement by the federal government on April 9, that the naira-for-crude oil deal will continue after the first phase ended on March 31.
“The stakeholders reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to the full implementation of this strategic initiative, as directed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” the finance ministry said.
“Thus, the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention, but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market.”
On April 15, Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said the estimated pump price of petrol in Nigeria is less than that of neighbouring countries in West Africa.
Ahmed also said Nigeria’s petrol importation reduced by 29.9 million litres in eight months due to increased contributions from local refineries.
Three suspected herdsmen have been arrested following the attacks that led to the killing of 11 persons at Otobi community in Otupko local government by suspected herdsmen.
Governor Hyacinth Alia disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital.
He expressed worry over the situation and called on security agencies to track down the perpetrators.
According to Alia, National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, has promised to deploy more security assets to the State to arrest the renewed wave of attacks in the state, especially the Otukpo axis.
The governor also announced the deployment of security personnel to the affected area, with three suspected herdsmen arrested in connection with the Otobi killings.
According to the member representing Otukpo-Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Kennedy Angbo, nine corpses were recovered Tuesday night, followed by one in a hard-to-reach area later that evening.
By dawn Wednesday, other corpses were found, bringing the total number of fatalities to 11.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the state, particularly because the Otobi community—home to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Dam—has now come under assault twice this April.
A security guard was previously killed at the dam site just days before this latest massacre.
Earlier, the governor sent his deputy, Samuel Ode, on an assessment tour to the devastated community.
He offered condolences to the grieving families and reassured residents of the state government’s commitment to tackling the spate of violent attacks across rural areas.
Ode also made some cash donations to carter for some immediate relief while the state emergency management agency has been tasked to move in for needs assessment and provide emergency response to those in need.
The attack on Otobi is the latest in a disturbing string of assaults along the Otukpo-Ado Road, from Okpamaju to Asa One and Asa Two down to the Ebonyi State border.
At least 15 million Nigerians are at risk of flood disasters in 2025, Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed.
He made the disclosure at the commencement of a one-day Validation Workshop on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser Abuja on Wednesday.
The Vice President, however, said the Federal Government is taking a proactive approach as against a reactive approach to forestall the disaster.
He emphasized the need for collaboration among all the agencies of government at the states and Federal Government level to tackle floods and other disasters in the country.
Some of Maiduguri communities submerged in flood following a leak in the Alau Dam in 2024.
VP Shettima decried that Nigeria loses 5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to floods.
However, he disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the sum of N15 billion to be released for emergency responses.
The Vice President, who also condemned the recent heinous attacks in Plateau state, expressed the sympathy of President Bola Tinubu to the affected families.
He, however, advocated a non-kinetic approach to tackling the security challenges on the Plateau and North-East.
According to him, “There can never be a military solution to the crisis in Plateau, North-East.”
Last week, the Federal Government predicted heavy rains and floods in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The high-flood risk states are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said coastal and riverine flooding would be experienced in some parts of the South-South geopolitical zone of the country due to a rise in sea level.
Among these states are Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers while Akwa-Ibom and Edo fall under the high-flood risk states.