Daily Watch – Imo imposes limited curfew over shootings, SW governors set up FG clash with open grazing ban

Governors of Nigeria’s South-West on Monday have banned all forms of open grazing in the region. The decision was taken today when the governors met with the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria as well as security chiefs. Some of the governors in attendance include Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa State, and Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State. Giving a report after the meeting, Makinde said, “Today, the South West governors held a security stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo State. The meeting was attended by our brother governors from Kebbi and Jigawa States; security chiefs, South-West zone led by the AIG Zone 11 and leaders from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria. “Collectively, we resolved to ban open grazing in all parts of the South-West. In Oyo State, we already have a law against open grazing which will continue to be implemented by our security agencies. “I restated that we will not permit criminality as a response to criminal actions. Instead, we will continue to support our security agencies to do their duties. Also, we will work with our people to face our common enemies – the criminals; kidnappers, armed robbers and bandits.” Open grazing had been responsible for clashes between herders and farmers in the region. The rising cases of kidnapping and sundry crimes in the region had also been linked to the activities of criminal elements who masquerade as herdsmen in their host communities. Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had on January 18 2021, ordered herdsmen to leave Ondo forest reserves within seven days following incidents of kidnapping attributed to Fulani herders.

Foreign direct investment inflows to Nigeria fell by 21.21% in 2020 to $2.6 billion amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said on Sunday. UNCTAD, in its 38th Global Investment Trends Monitor, said Egypt remained the top FDI recipient in Africa, despite a 39% decline in inflows to an estimated $5.5 billion. The report showed that Nigeria has overtaken South Africa to become the second-largest FDI recipient on the continent. It said FDI flows to Africa declined by 18% to an estimated $38 billion from $46 billion in 2019. “Greenfield project announcements, an indication of future FDI trends, fell 63% to $28 billion, from $77 billion in 2019. The pandemic’s negative impact on FDI was amplified by low prices of and low demand for commodities,” the UN agency said. It said FDI inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa decreased by 11% to an estimated $28 billion. “Inflows to Nigeria declined to $2.6 billion from $3.3 billion in 2019. Lower crude oil prices, coupled with the closure of oil development sites at the start of the pandemic due to movement restrictions, weighed heavily on FDI to Nigeria,” UNCTAD said. 

The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has condemned the attack by gunmen in Orlu Area of the state which led to the killing and maiming of innocent citizens on Monday. In a statement, Uzodinma said he has ordered security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book. He said, “This afternoon, I received a very disturbing report on the activities of a group of Militants who unleashed a shooting spree in the Orlu area of the state, killing and maiming innocent citizens in the process “I am totally appalled by this sad report which appears to paint a picture of the near breakdown of law and order in the Orlu area. “This is completely unacceptable to this administration. Those behind this callous barbarism will surely regret their actions. “Consequently, I have directed the security agencies to fish out without fail, all those behind the carnage and immediately bring them to book. Let no one be in any doubt that the perpetrators of this dastardly act will ever escape justice. I assure them that they will pay for their cruelty against peace-loving and innocent people. “As an interim measure to immediately restore the peace in Orlu zone, a dusk to dawn curfew (6 pm to 6 am) is hereby imposed in the following Local Government Areas of Orlu zone; namely; Orlu, Orsu, Oru East, Oru West, Ideato North, Ideato South, Njaba, Isu, Nwangele and Nkwerre. “All law-abiding citizens are advised to comply strictly with the curfew as announced. Anyone caught violating the curfew will be treated as a suspect. “The government wants to assure all Imo people that the situation in the Orlu area is under control. Security operatives have been deployed on a 24-hour patrol of the zone. Equally, every security measure necessary has been put in place to ensure that law-abiding citizens can go about their businesses in the affected areas without any fear of molestation.”

A court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Monday, discharged four out of six protesters arrested in November for demonstrating outside the National Assembly. Last year, Africa’s most populous country was swept by weeks of widespread protests sparked by anger over brutality from the police’s loathed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The government disbanded the unit and pledged reforms but still struggled to contain the largest challenge to Nigeria’s governing elite in decades. The six defendants were arrested on 8 November 2020 and charged with unlawful assembly. Defence lawyer Henry Akwaji requested the case be dismissed because the prosecution team was absent from court on Monday. The court agreed and dismissed the case due to a lack of diligent prosecution. “Defendants, Olutosin Adeniji, Abdusalam Zubarur, Paul Akinwumi, and Devour Chomo are discharged and the complaint against them dismissed,” magistrate Musa Eneye ruled. The remaining two, Yasidu Bashiru and Kabiru Garzali, were absent from court due to illness. The case against them was adjourned until 24 March.