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Plateau Govt. cultivates 6,000 hectares of land for displaced communities
Plateau State Government says it has commenced the cultivation of 6,000 hectares of land, ahead of the upcoming farming season to help in resettling communities displaced by crisis.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Samson Bugama, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Jos.
According to Bugama, the “Mechanisation Service Provision Intervention”, is targeted at communities affected by series of unrest.
He further said that the move also aimed to provide seeds and similar services to cluster of farmers across the state.
Bugama said that the effort would help to improve the state’s agricultural yield and reduce hunger to the barest minimum.
“The strategy is to see how we can provide mechanisation services to communities that have been displaced in our quest to return people to their livelihoods that insecurity has denied them.
“Gov. Caleb Mutfwang in his magnanimity has decided that we cultivate 6,000 hectares of land; we will see how we exceed this in the nearest future.
“We are using the tractors and manpower from our Agricultural Training Service Centre (ATSC), and Marketing Ltd.
“And we will be providing seeds for those places that have been cultivated, so as to bring bumper harvest as we return people to their livelihoods,” he said.
The commissioner further stated that the initiative would be replicated in all troubled areas of the state.
On the measures put in place to ensure the safety of farmers and their crops, Bugama said the Agro-Rangers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), had been deployed to the farmlands for that purpose.
“We have deployed the Agro-Rangers to protect the farmers and in those communities they have self-help groups that they setup, which have been providing early warning signals and we are utilising them.
“This time around, we are going to ensure that government’s intervention is not wasted, we are setting up a monitoring system.
“We will use modern technology to check incursions into such communities, and we will see how we improve on the system moving forward.
“But I must tell you that the governor is bent on ensuring that our people return to their livelihoods.
“Government is providing all these services and even the seeds for free,” Bugama said.
The commissioner also disclosed that the government had purchased and distributed more than 200 trailer loads of fertiliser to farmers in the state.
He added that in that regard, 350 youths from all parts of the state were also recently trained and empowered with modern farming skills to improve food production.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned the suit filed by the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to March 25, 2025.
The adjournment followed a submission by the respondents, who informed the court that they had not been served with the necessary documents.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the Federal High Court, seeking an order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges from investigating her.
Treat my wife with respect, Natasha’s husband tells Akpabio
Delivering a ruling on the application on March 5, 2025, the trial judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, barred the committee from proceeding with the probe.
Details shortly…
The Delta State Police Command has arrested two suspected gun runners and recovered a cache of firearms and ammunition.
The arrests were made during stop-and-search operations along the Warri/Benin Road and Asaba/Benin Expressway on separate dates.
On 3rd March, operatives intercepted a Toyota Camry driven by one Peter James, 55, from Akwa Ibom State.
Upon searching the vehicle, they discovered three AK-47 rifles, 2,080 rounds of 7.62mm AK-47 ammunition, and 1,040 rounds of 5.1mm ammunition.
State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, who confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri on Monday, said that the suspect was arrested near Western Delta University, Oghara, after operatives intercepted a blue Toyota Camry with registration number PHC 257 NT.
Police arrest 2 suspected gun runners in Delta, recover arms
Police arrest 2 suspected gun runners in Delta, recover arms
“The driver was asked to open the trunk of the vehicle, during which it was observed that the trunk of the said Camry, popularly known as ‘big daddy,’ was unusually small. This aroused the suspicion of the men who were convinced that the vehicle had been modified for malicious purpose.
“The policemen then proceeded and removed the seat of the vehicle, only to discover three (3) AK-47 rifles, Two Thousand and Eighty (2,080) rounds of 7.62 mm AK-47 ammunition, one thousand and forty (1,040) rounds of 51mm ammunition loaded in four boxes.
“The exhibit has been recovered, the suspect is in custody, and investigation is ongoing,” he added.
In a separate operation on 6th March, police arrested Yahuza Magaji, 69, and Abba Sani, 17, from Kaduna State, and recovered seven pump-action guns and 1,600 rounds of live cartridges.
Edafe said that operatives attached to Dragon Patrol Team 02 arrested the suspects while on stop-and-search duty along the Asaba/Benin Expressway by the National Open University, Onicha-Ugbo.
He said that police had intercepted a navy blue Sharon space bus with registration number DKA 408 LM, driven by one Yahuza Magaji, in the company of one Abba Sani, both of Lere LGA in Kaduna State.
“They disguised as traders transporting palm oil and garri, but the police, who insisted on a thorough search of the vehicle, recovered seven (7) pump action guns, five (5) cartons containing one thousand six hundred (1,600) rounds of live cartridges concealed under the back seat of the vehicle.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that suspects bought the arms from Onitsha and were transporting them to Kaduna State. The suspects are in custody, and investigation is ongoing,” he added.
Commenting on the development, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, expressed delight that the marching orders he gave to all tactical commanders, area commanders, and DPOs to up their game were yielding results.
“We are determined to flush out all criminal elements in the state,” said CP Abaniwonda.
“I commend the effort and determination of our men for going the extra mile to detect the hidden firearms,” he said.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a warrant for the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), to appear before it.
The Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly issued the arrest warrant on Monday during plenary, after the expiration of its 72-hour ultimatum for the electoral chief to appear before the House.
Enebeli had fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh Local Government (LG) poll in the state following a Supreme Court verdict that annulled the October 5, 2024 local government poll conducted in the state.
The Amaewhule-led Assembly had vowed to probe the conduct of Enebeli regarding the conduct of the annulled LG poll last year.
Over the weekend, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, invited members of the Assembly to a dialogue on the implementation the Supreme Court’s verdict.
The Supreme Court had also barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation and other agencies from releasing funds to the government of Rivers State until it purges itself of what the court described as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-man panel of the court had unanimously dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Fubara challenging the validity of the House of Assembly presided over by Amaewhule as the Speaker.
In dismissing Fubara’s appeal, the court ordered Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with other elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.