Tag: State of emergency

  • Peter Obi Calls for Urgent State of Emergency Declaration On Flood

    Peter Obi Calls for Urgent State of Emergency Declaration On Flood

    The Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi has said that the country ought to have declared flood disaster emergency in some areas of the country.

    Obi who paused his National Presidential Campaign to enable him empathize with the victims of the flood disaster in some states of the federation has visited Benue, Bayelsa and Anambra states and said that Federal Government ought to have declared national emergency on the natural disaster.

    According to the Labour Party Presidential flag bearer, the damage is much, the havoc is enormous and beyond states and individuals. “The infrastructural damage is extensive”

    In all the ravaged areas he visited, Ogbaru in Anambra state, Bayelsa state, Obi was received by excited crowd of leaders and their people who led him first hand through the extensive damage to roads, markets, health and school infrastructure.

    In Bayelsa state Governor Duoye Diri explained to Obi the extent of the damage and the extreme hardship the people are going through as a result. Obi commended the Governor for his proactive handling of the situation.

    Recall that while in Benue state on last week on similar sympathy visit, he rode in a paddled Canoe to meet the people at their IdP camps and they out of excitement crowned him ‘President of the of the People’

  • Sudan’s Military Dissolves Govt, Declares State Of Emergency

    Sudan’s Military Dissolves Govt, Declares State Of Emergency

    The chairman of Sudan’s ruling body General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday announced the dissolution of the transitional government and the sovereign council and declared a nationwide state of emergency.

    Just hours after the information ministry said most of the civilians in the two bodies had been detained, including the prime minister, Burhan reiterated his commitment to “the transition towards a civilian state”.

    He said he would form a “competent” government, pledged to create numerous state institutions like the supreme court, and said Sudan remained committed to international agreements it had signed.

    AFP

  • Anambra Polls: FG Threatens To Impose State Of Emergency To Tighten Security

    Anambra Polls: FG Threatens To Impose State Of Emergency To Tighten Security

    The Federal Government has said it will impose a state of emergency in Anambra State to tighten security ahead of the November 6 governorship elections.

    Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Malami said the government will do everything possible to ensure protection of lives and property adding that where there is evidence of failure of the state government to ensure democratic order and security of lives, the Federal Government will prevail and will not rule out the possibility of imposing a state of emergency.

    More to follow…

  • Insecurity: Gov Matawalle Calls For State Of Emergency In Northern Nigeria

    Insecurity: Gov Matawalle Calls For State Of Emergency In Northern Nigeria

    Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has called for a state of emergency in the northern part of the country over the security challenges in the region.

    He made the call on Wednesday at a meeting with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 10, Ali Janga, at the Government House in Gusau, the state capital.

    The governor who is seriously concerned about the series of attacks in many states in the region believes a declaration of a state of emergency will address the problem of insecurity in the North.

    Nigeria’s northern region comprises three geopolitical zones – North East, North West, and North-Central – and 19 states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Over the years, parts of the region have been grappling with a series of criminal activities such as kidnapping, bombings, and attacks on communities as a result of insurgency and banditry.

    Before now, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the region while millions were forced to flee their ancestral homes.

    Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) are largely responsible for the incidents in the North East, while bandits have continued to engage in kidnapping for ransom in the North West and parts of the North Central.

    Schools and security formations have been targets for the criminals, and the latest is the attack on the Nigeria Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna State.

    For some persons of concern, including Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, there is a strong connection between the terrorists and the bandits.

    Following the meeting with the senior police officer on Wednesday, Governor Matawalle briefed the people of the state on the present security situation in Zamfara.

    Read the full text of the briefing below:

    My dear people of Zamfara State.

    Following the recent upsurge in banditry attacks in some parts of our dear State, I feel compelled to address you on the new steps being taken by my administration to contain the situation.

    As we all know, the primary objective of the state is to provide security for the lives of the people and their property. My primary motivation for running for the office of governor in 2019 is to devote myself to addressing the enormous and protracted security challenges faced by our dear state for over a decade.

    I wish to express my profound sympathies to all those who have lost their loved ones, property, and those who have been displaced and separated from their family. My heart goes to the women and children who have been forced to live in deplorable conditions of being widows, orphans and displaced as a result of the bandits’ constant onslaught.

    One can only imagine the constant state of misery and sleeplessness that our people are frequently experiencing. We must remain resolute in our efforts to contain this situation.

    Even though we were all aware of the bleak situation of Zamfara State before I took over as Governor in May 2019, it would not be inappropriate for me to take a trip down memory lane to remind us of it.

    Many parts of the state were literally governed by the bandits, who were having a field day in virtually all the rural areas of the state. Villages were being raided in the most inhumane manner possible-massacres carried out, and those who survived the attacks were subjected to all forms of indignities, including rape and torture.

    Virtually all markets were closed as traders could not risk their lives to attend the markets. There was a general sense of despondency everywhere, as the entire rural economy, which is largely agrarian, had collapsed, posing the threat of starvation. The rural Zamfara was a huge centre of humanitarian catastrophe with people left to their own devices.

    From day one, my administration took a close look at the situation and weighed the choices. Following extensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders and security services, it was overwhelmingly agreed that the best way to address such a huge security challenge, which has the appearance of ethnic and inter-communal disharmony, is through dialogue and reconciliation with feuding parties. For example:

    We have seen a remarkable precedent in the act of Prophet Muhammad, may the peace of Allah be upon him, where he brokered peace with Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj through the process of dialogue and reconciliation.

    In our contemporary time, we have seen how the dialogue mechanism was used to end the Nigerian civil war, which raged between 1967 and 1970; the Lebanese civil war of 1975 to 1990; we have seen how peace mechanism worked between Tivs and Jukun and many other conflicts that are directly or indirectly linked to ethnicity in Nigeria.

    It is evident from our experience in history that social eruptions and conflicts that border on ethnic or religious fault lines are better addressed through the instrument of dialogue instead of military or police action. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to such issues. In reality, experience has shown that they are better addressed via dialogue and reconciliation, as violence frequently leads to further violence.

    As a fallout of our dialogue and reconciliation policy, hostilities between the bandits and Yansakai were immediately ceased. The state witnessed about nine months of peace; hundreds of kidnapped people were unconditionally released by their captives; hundreds of assorted arms and ammunition were surrendered by both the bandits and the Yansakai.

    The state witnessed the rebirth of the glorious era of brotherhood, love and mutual coexistence between members of the Fulani ethnic group and the Hausas. For the first time, in more than a decade, the annual Sharu festival was held in Gusau in 2019.

    The amazing successes of our peace efforts made our initiative appealing to some of the states sharing similar experiences as our state. Some of them opted for dialogue but eventually abandoned the programme after running into some issues.

    However, things took a dramatic turn, with the issue given political colouration by a section of politicians. Some people saw our progress as a threat to their political survival and began making disparaging efforts to undermine our achievements. Those acts of sabotage were the beginning of the ugly turn of events.

    The primary hurdles to our peace efforts, based on my experience over the last two years, are:

    Reluctance on the part of the affected states to engage in peace talks, which would have denied the recalcitrant bandits who are currently making life difficult for our people a safe passage through the region; lack of support from a section of politicians and conflict entrepreneurs that wish to take advantage of the situation to achieve political ends; and the need for the Federal Government to key into the peace initiative so that appropriate resources can be allocated to make it more comprehensive.

    My good people of Zamfara state, you are living witnesses to all our unwavering commitments to peace. I have had cause to meet with Mr President on matters relating to the state’s security on several occasions.

    I met the national security chiefs on numerous occasions. I have extended an olive branch to our political opponents in view of my conviction that attaining a lasting peace will require unity among all segments of society. Almost all my engagements outside the state are related to issues of security.

    In taking my recent decision to move to the APC, my aim is to have an all-inclusive government where people with different political perspectives will put their hands together for the development of our dear state. I reached out to the notable political figures in the State and made known to them my desire to have a united front to confront and address the numerous issues of development affecting our state.

    I have made several political offers to the opposition because I have no mission far crucial than that of securing our state. This I have done despite vehement objection by my political associates. My belief has always been no amount of sacrifice is too much for peace.

    This is why I took myself to the doorsteps of some political stakeholders with the aim of uniting ourselves to form a formidable team to address the disturbing security challenge bedevilling our dear State in the spirit of forging unity for the benefit of our dear state.

    Apart from our peace and reconciliation efforts and the recent political developments, we have equally maintained our obligations to our security forces through the provision of logistical and all other supports they require to discharge their function.

    We had an expanded Security Council meeting last Monday in furtherance of our steadfast efforts to confront this persistent challenge. The meeting was attended by all security chiefs, emirs, and the ulamas. I commend all of them for positively and sincerely offering their advice on how best to tackle the problems at hand.

    We reviewed the effectiveness or otherwise of the current security measures aimed at containing the security challenge and received reports from members. Some of the observations and resolutions of the meeting that we can share with the public are:

    The security agencies have given their assurances to the general public of commitment to protecting lives and property across the State, as well as their readiness for rapid and prompt response to distress calls;

    The general public should therefore continue to cooperate and support the security forces to achieve the desired objective. We should appreciate the monumental sacrifices by our security agents and encourage them to work harder;

    Security is everyone’s responsibility, People should, therefore, be vigilant and report any suspicious character to the appropriate authorities;

    Islamic scholars are called upon to intensify sermons and preaching on issues bordering on security, sanctity and inviolability of human life;

    The conventional and new media practitioners should play a positive role in promoting peace and harmony and desist from disseminating unconfirmed and inciting reports that may jeopardise public security;

    Politicians should join ranks and work in unison towards combatting the security challenge;

    Apart from the measures outlined, the meeting has also agreed to take further tactical measures to effectively contain the challenging situation across the State.

    My dear people of Zamfara State, I would like to use this opportunity to call on all of us to remain fervently prayerful for peace to reign in our State and the nation in general. We should ask Allah for forgiveness and His divine intervention.

    Once again, I wish to extend my deep sympathy to those who sustained various degrees of injuries those recuperating in hospitals and at home. I wish them speedy recovery and good health. Government will continue to give them all medical and other necessary support.

    I reassure you that we are doing everything humanly possible to address this lingering challenge.

    I thank you all.

    Wassalamu Alaikum

  • State Of Emergency Cannot Solve Nigeria’s Security Problems – Gov Masari

    State Of Emergency Cannot Solve Nigeria’s Security Problems – Gov Masari

    Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari has said that the declaration of a state of emergency on security cannot solve the myriads of challenges facing the country.

    Briefing journalists on Thursday after meeting with the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari at the State House in Abuja, Masari said the military is over stretched.

    “It cannot because how can state of emergency solve the problem? You have a situation where the military are in all the states of the federation, then you ask yourself, how many do we have?” he said.

    “Are we not overstretching them? So the reality is the responsibility of securing this country is ours, all of us. We have a role to play, and we must play it for the sake of the country and for the sake of our children and grandchildren, not for the sake of the persons that in office.

    “I think we better be serious about this issue of security. If you say set up state of emergency, what do you do? We are having the same people, the same security agencies, the same capacities, and the same resources. So what are we talking about?”

    While noting that the nation’s security situation is a national concern and goes beyond partisan politics, the governor said that the responsibility of securing the country does not rest solely on a sect of individuals or security agency.

    According to him, the emphasis on security would ultimately be of great benefit to every Nigerian and sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.

    Governor Masari also reacted to the security situation in his state, adding that his administration is working hard to contain the ugly trend of banditry, kidnapping among several others.

    He also said the state government is working closely with security agencies to nip criminal activities in the bud for the overall good of residents of Katsina State.

    He added, “Actually the situation is still of high concern, insecurity is real and we’re doing everything to make sure that we control the situation so that it doesn’t reach the level it reached before and we’re hopeful that working together with the security agencies and the responsible people and also the repentant bandits will be able to have our state will back to normalcy.”

    Masari’s reaction comes 48 hours after the House of Representatives asked President Buhari to declare a state of emergency on the security sector.

    The House had on April 27 held a record three-hour executive (closed-door) session, from where the lawmakers unanimously adopted a series of resolutions.

    After the meeting, Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, read out the resolutions, part of which the lower chamber condemned the attacks on security personnel and formations around the country and sympathised with families of victims.

    The House’s demand followed the recent taking over of 42 communities in Niger State by Boko Haram.

    On Tuesday, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello confirmed that Boko Haram insurgents infiltrated Kauri Community of Shiroro Local Government Area and have hoisted their flag.

    Bello explained that the plan of the insurgents is to make Kauri its operational base so as to occupy Abuja, which is just two hours’ drive from the state.

  • PDP backs Reps, asks Buhari to declare state of emergency on security

    PDP backs Reps, asks Buhari to declare state of emergency on security

    The Opposition Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday, backed the call by the House of Representatives that President Muhammadu Buhari, declares a state of emergency on security, with the growing spate of attacks and kidnappings across the country.

    The party’s position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party on Thursday in Abuja.

    The communiqué signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, partly read, “NEC lamented the heightened insecurity pervading all parts of our nation due primarily to the misrule of President Muhammed Buhari and All Progressives Congress as well as their failure to decisively tackle the menace of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, bloodletting and acts of violence in our country.

    “NEC urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately declare a national state of emergency on security.

    “NEC also urged President Buhari to, without delay, convoke a national conference on Security so as to galvanize ideas and options to tackle insecurity in our country.

    “NEC further commended the efforts of governors, senators, House of Representatives members and other officials elected on the platform of the PDP in forcefully seeking solutions to the spate of insecurity in our country.”

    From Maiduguri in North-East Nigeria to Mbaise in the South-East; and from Kafanchan in the North-West to Kajola in the South-West, the killings and kidnappings soar, almost unprecedented.

    Many Nigerians including senators and governors have in the last few days urged the President to seek foreign help to put a stop to the ceaseless bloodshed and kidnappings nationwide.

    The former military head of state finally caved in to pressure on Tuesday when he asked the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, for the support of the Joe Biden administration to tackle the security menace in Nigeria.

    Buhari, who warned of a likely spill over of insecurity to neighbouring West African states, also called on the US to consider relocating US Africa Command from Stuttgart, Germany, to Africa, nearer the Theatre of Operation.

  • Declare State of Emergency on Security, NBA tells Buhari

    Declare State of Emergency on Security, NBA tells Buhari

    By  Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi

    The Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Makurdi branch has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security.

    Speaking at a valedictory court session held in honor of Barr. Moses Udam who was murdered by suspected herders in Makurdi, the Chairman of the association, Mr Justin Gbagir maintained that declaring an emergency on security would to a large extent address the security challenge in the country.

    The NBA boss also called on the Federal Government to declare armed herdsmen as a Terrorists group, adding that they should be treated as such.

    Gbagir contended that based on the current security situation in Nigeria, the Federal Government has failed to safeguard the lives and property of citizens as enshrined under the 1999 Constitution by section 14 (2) (b), which provides that “… the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.

    He implored security agents to fish out assailants of the slained legal practitioner, averring that the association has petitioned the Commissioner of Police and Department of State Service, DSS, over the gruesome murder of their  colleague. 

  • BREAKING: Govs declare state of emergency on rape

    BREAKING: Govs declare state of emergency on rape

    The Nigeria Governors Forum has agreed to declare a state of emergency on sexual and gender-based violence against women and children.

    They also renewed commitment to ensuring that offenders face the full weight of the law.

    This was contained in a communique signed by the Chairman of the NGF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, after the forum’s 10th COVID-19 teleconference meeting held on Wednesday.

    The communique was issued in Abuja, on Thursday, Daybreak reports.

    Governors agreed to, “Declare a State of Emergency on Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Governors strongly condemned all forms of violence against women and children and committed to ensuring that offenders face the maximum weight of the law;

    “Call on State Governors that have not already domesticated relevant gender-based protection laws to domesticate the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the Child Rights Act and the updated Penal Code to increase protection for women and children and ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of perpetrators in addition to creating a sex offenders register in each State to name and shame.”

  • Japan’s Abe declares state of emergency for Tokyo, virus-hit regions

    Japan’s Abe declares state of emergency for Tokyo, virus-hit regions

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for several regions battling against the coronavirus, as a rising rate of infection caused alarm in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka.

    The state of emergency applies to the Japanese capital, the three neighbouring provinces Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitma, as well as Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka. It is to come into effect on Wednesday and remain in place until May 6.

    The move will empower local authorities to order residents to stay at home, while also closing schools and other facilities.

    However, the measures are not as extreme as the lockdowns seen in Italy or France.

    Japanese citizens impacted by the state of emergency can not be prosecuted for disregarding it, nor can companies be forced to close. Instead, the country is relying on social pressure to keep people from spreading the potentially deadly virus.

    Also on Tuesday, the Japanese government adopted its largest-ever economic stimulus package, worth 108 trillion yen (990.2 billion dollars), in an effort to protect the world’s third-largest economy against the coronavirus crisis.

    The measures mainly aim to support families and small businesses.

    The economic stimulus is far greater than the around 57 trillion yen made available during the 2008 global financial crash.

    Japan’s gross domestic product shrank by 7.1 per cent in the final quarter of 2019, with the ongoing health and economic crisis only adding to economists’ concerns that the country is sliding into a technical recession, defined by two consecutive quarters of economic decline.

    In another blow to the country, the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were to be hosted by Japan, have been postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has ground world travel to a halt and led to the introduction of draconian measures to slow the outbreak across the globe.

    According to the latest figures from the US Johns Hopkins University, almost 4,000 cases of infection have been confirmed in Japan, with 92 deaths from the Covid-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Around 600 people have recovered from the illness.

  • State of emergency announced in parts of Australia due to coronavirus

    State of emergency announced in parts of Australia due to coronavirus

    The state of Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on Monday announced a state of emergency to deal with the spread of the new coronavirus in Australia.

    Victoria, the country’s second-most populated state with Melbourne as its capital, and the territory surrounding the country’s capital Canberra announced the measure after two more elderly people died overnight of Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.

    Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the emergency powers “have never been used before.”

    “That gives you, I hope, a really clear sense about the unprecedented nature of this public health emergency, this really significant challenge,” Andrews said.

    The state of emergency in Victoria will last at least four weeks starting from midday (0100 GMT) on Monday. It means authorised officers in Victoria can quarantine places and people, detain them, restrict movement and prevent entry to premises to protect the public.

    Overnight, state health authorities confirmed two more people died in New South Wales, the jurisdiction with most cases of Covid-19.

    A 77-year-old woman who had recently arrived in Sydney died on Friday in a Sydney hospital. A 90-year-old woman residing in an aged-care home died a day later. Both tested positive to the new coronavirus.

    Australia has more than 300 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with five deaths, including the two reported overnight.

    The Australian federal government on Sunday announced that all people travelling to the country must abide by a compulsory 14-day self-isolation at home or in their hotel.

    State police will enforce the rule and breaching the order could land the offender a fine of up to 20,000 Australian dollars (12,350 US dollars), depending on state jurisdictions. (dpa)