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Kidnapping: Governors, paying ransom to bandits are empowering them – Rtd General
The former General Officer (GOC) Commanding, 3 division of the Nigerian Army Jos, Brigadier. General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed has regretted the payment of ransom and royalty some governors are paying bandits for the release of their kidnapped victims.
He said, the development is empowering and emboldening them even as they use ransom to acquire the sophisticated weapons they use in carrying out their nefarious activities against Nigerians.
He also said there was lack of political will and commitment on the part of the political leaders to put an end to the pervading insecurity and insurgency across the country, particularly in the Northern part of the country,
He noted that lack of political will from the government is responsible for the increasing proportion of security challenges bedeviling the country, stressing the needs for the government to as a matter of necessity put the necessary machineries in place to end insecurity in the nation.
According to the retired Military officer, the goverment has all it required to put an end to the prevailing security challenges that has ruined the nation, stating that the government at all levels should as a matter of urgency use the instrumentality of the law as enshrined in the Constitution to safeguard the lives and property of the people.
Speaking with journalists in an interview in Minna at the weekend, Rtd General Bello Abdullahi explained that lack of the political will was the reason some state governors are clamouring for the establishment of their states police to safeguard their respective states.
He pointed that the president as the Commander-in-Chief and the governors as the chief security officers of their respective states are “toothless bulldog” that cannot bite without further directive from the Commander-in-chief for them to take the required measures to take the needed step.
He argued that the 1999 constitution as amended rendered the state governors as the chief security officers of their respective states incapacitated to safeguard and protect their citizens, insisting that with their own state police under their payroll, they will be able to confront any of the security challenges in their respective states because it’s under their control as the chief security officer of their respective states.
He maintained: “Lack of political will and lack of commitment on the part of government is responsible for the insecurity and banditry and other security challenges bedeviling the Northern part of the country.
“The governors as the chief security officers of their respective states are toothless bulldog that cannot bite.
“The governors don’t have the means to make things work. The priority of government given to what we require as a nation is not what the nation needed for now, as the Constitution is supreme. If given the security adequate attention, it’s only the Federal government that is in full control of the nation’s security architecture.
“Like i said, the political will is not there. That is the reason some governors are all calling for the establishment of their own state police that they can control to safeguard and protect their people”, the retired general told journalists.
While urging the government at all levels to adequately fund all the security agencies in the country to curtail the increasing insecurity in the country.
Bello admonished the people to always be security conscious and report any unusual and suspicious movement around them to the appropriate security agencies for prompt action.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has commended Senator Basheer Lado, for redefining the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, stating that, for the first time in a long while, the office is fully meeting its expectations.
Speaking during his visit to the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters accompanied by distinguished senators, Akpabio described the visit as a significant step in strengthening Executive-Legislative relations.
He praised the Special Adviser and his team for maintaining the confidentiality of communications between the President and Senate, and also, ensuring a seamless flow of information. He further emphasized that the office is now more result-oriented.
Additionally, he acknowledged the office’s diligent efforts in tracking all Bills passed by the Senate and assented to by the President, underscoring its critical role in legislative efficiency.
Expressing his satisfaction, Akpabio noted that he and the Senate delegation were proud of the office’s achievements and looked forward to sustaining the existing cordial and productive relationship between the Executive and the Legislature throughout the administration.
In recognition of his exemplary leadership, Senator Lado presented an Award of Excellence to Senator Akpabio.
In his remarks, Senator Lado reaffirmed his commitment to fostering a harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. He lauded Akpabio for his unwavering dedication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—defending it with clarity, articulating it with passion, and advancing it through legislative action.
Ahead of the 2025 political party Congresses, Plateau State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) stakeholders has endorsed the defection of the candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections and the leader of Justice and Rebirth, Barr Gyang Zi SAN, to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with the view to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
They made the call in a communique issued at the end of the enlarge meeting of the stakeholders from Plateau North senatorial zone at the residence of Barr. Gyang Zi in Rayfield Jos.
The communique which was jointly signed by Dr. Ayiki Sati Director General, Justice and Rebirth and
Barr. Samuel Galadima- 2024 Chairmanship candidate of Jos East LGA among others said the call became imperative on the sideline of the leadership tussle at the National Level which violates the core principles and values for the formation of the Party as an alternative for Nigeria for the protection, sustenance of democracy and Social Justice.
They regretted that the leadership tussle has also divided the party into factions leaving party loyalists and supporters in the state of despondency and confusion not knowing where they belong.
Our correspondent reports that the gathering included LP candidates from the 2023/2024 general elections, party executives, and support groups from the six local government areas of the Northern Senatorial District.
Besides, the focus of the discussions was centered on the state of the Labour Party at both national and state levels and the need for political realignment ahead of the 2025 party congresses and conventions.
The stakeholders further frowned at the structural weaknesses in LP and resolved to advise Barr Gyang Zi, to leave the party and join the APC while expressing confidence that the APC would provide him with a platform to advance good governance in the state .
The communique also emphasized the importance of political consultations, particularly with APC leaders at both state and national levels. It called for collaboration with Plateau State APC leaders, including Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, Sen. Simon Bako Lalong, Sen. Diket Plang, and other party officials.
According to the communique, supporters of Barr Gyang Zi also pledged to mobilize grassroots support for the APC, stating that their leader’s defection would strengthen the party in the state.
They urged the APC leadership to formally receive Gyang Zi and his supporters into the party, marking their official transition from the Labour Party.
Stakeholders also reiterated the need for inclusive governance, ensuring that youths, women, and less privileged individuals are sidelined in the democratic process and accordingly officially denounced their membership in the Labour Party, declaring their support for the APC.
They assured that all LP structures aligned with Gyang Zi would follow suit, shifting their loyalty to the ruling party in the state and at the National level.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has extended his heartfelt felicitation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the occasion of his 73rd birthday.
Governor Ododo in statement signed by his special adviser on media, Ismaila Isah described President Tinubu as a statesman whose leadership and dedication to national development continue to inspire hope and progress across Nigeria.
He commended the President’s unwavering commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is driving economic reforms, strengthening national unity, and advancing the nation’s democratic values.
“On behalf of the government and people of Kogi State, I celebrate Mr President and our father on this special day. Your resilience, visionary leadership, and patriotism have laid a strong foundation for Nigeria’s growth. We deeply appreciate your tireless efforts in repositioning our country for sustainable development,” Governor Ododo stated.
He further reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu’s administration and prayed for continued wisdom, strength, and good health for the President as he leads Nigeria toward greater prosperity, sustainable development, peace and stability.
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