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We’re not Boko Haram -Zaria suspects family

From Isa Sa’idu, Zaria

Family members of the 10 suspects arrested by the Police in Dogarawa,

Sabon Gari, Zaria, yesterday said they are not members of the Boko

Haram sect but Muslims who were sacked by the Niger state government in

2009.

The Zaria police area commander, Muhammad D. Shehu, had exclusively

disclosed the arrest to Daily Trust, saying that the suspects were in

Darul Islam in Niger state and when they were sacked, they relocated

to Sambisa forest before moving to Zaria.

However, when our correspondent traced the house of the suspects at

Dogarawa, a 20-year-old son of one of the arrested suspects, Malik Bn Muhammad Bn Adam who spoke

on behalf of the families, said they were not members of Boko Haram.

Adam said the families were part of those that were dislodged from the

Darul Islam settlement in Niger state.

He told Daily Trust, “When we were sacked, you know that the government has asked every

family to mention his place of origin. We are indigenes of Zaria;

hence we were allowed to settle here. We bought a land and built this

house, and as you can see there is nothing to suggest that we are Boko

Haram. We have been living year for the past seven years.

“Our neighbours here were the ones that reported to the police,

largely because we don’t interfere in anybody’s business. We usually

mind our own business and the neighbours here are not comfortable with

that. We are Muslims that follow the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunna

of the Prophet (SAW). We go to Western schools and government

hospitals.”

Some of the wives of those arrested, Sadiya Bintu Alhadar, Bara’atu

Bintu Yahaya and Maryam Bintu Yunus, said the police had on Tuesday,

June 28, 2016, brought their husbands to the house for search.

“After the search, they went back with them to Kaduna. Our husbands

were arrested on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 about 8:20pm after the

Isha’i prayers. After they had finished their prayers, armed

policemen surrounded the mosque and arrested eight persons. The

following day, two persons went to Zaria police headquarters to

confirm why the eight persons were arrested; the two of them were also

detained.

“We are calling on the authorities concerned to release our husbands

and sons, because we are not members of Boko Haram. Anybody that wants

to see or monitor our activities, he is free to do so,” Maryam Bintu

Yunus said.

146 prisoners released

From Balarabe Alkassim, Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has actualized the release of 146 inmates from prisons across the state.

Speaking during a ceremony at the Bauchi Central Prison yesterday, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for justice, Ibrahim Umar, disclosed that Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar signed for the immediate release of the inmates on the 21st of June 2016, and that the inmates were released based on the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative Of Mercy.

“The council took time to visit all the operational prisons which include Ningi, Jama’re, Azare, Misau and Bauchi,” he said, explaining that those released were the ones sentenced to three years and above but have only six months left to complete their jail term, as well as long-term prisoners who had served for more than 10 years and persons above the age of 60 years.

The commissioner said the governor chose the month of Ramadan to release the inmates due to its significance as the month of mercy.

In his address, the Comptroller of Prisons, Bauchi State Command, Alhaji Sidi Muhammed said that the Attorney General of the state, upon assumption of duty, resuscitated the Prerogative Of Mercy and the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee.

On her part, wife of the state governor, Barrister Aisha Abubakar donated five yards of Brocade to each of the freed inmates and donated a cow to the other inmates for the coming Salah celebration.

Plateau’s 14-man committee recommends cattle ranching

From Lami Sadiq, Jos

The 14-man fact-finding committee set up by Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State to examine the gains and implications of establishing grazing ranches in the state yesterday urged the state government to adopt the policy as proposed by the Federal Government in view of its numerous economic benefits in livestock development.

The committee, while making its recommendations known during a stakeholder’s dialogue organised by the Plateau State Peace Building Conflict Resolution Bureau and Pro-peace international organisation, Search for Common Ground, also recommended that the state government immediately commence massive education and sensitization of people to make them understand the benefits of the policy.

Professor Garba Sharubutu, the provost, College of Animal Science and Technology who briefed the gathering on the committee’s findings and recommendations to government, however stressed that government must study the ranching programme with a view to domesticating it based on the peculiarities of Plateau State.

“Ranching the way it is practised in Borno may not be as it will be practiced in Sokoto or another state,” he said.

Sharubutu who is also the President, Veterinary Council of Nigeria, said, “Based on our discussions with the Minister of Agriculture, the cattle ranching will be community based and no one should see cattle rearing as the exclusive reserve of any tribe.”

The committee urged Lalong to make sure that cattle markets are established in each of the zones of the state to enable easy marketing of the animals.

Earlier, Governor Simon Lalong urged the commentators to look at the issues dispassionately, adding that population, drought and urbanisation had made the concept of grazing reserve and grazing routs redundant.

Lalong who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonny Tyoden, said, “These ranches are not being created for any particular tribe. They are for the members of the community. In other words, a Fulani man cannot leave Gombe or Sokoto and come and occupy a ranch in Mikang. Each state is going to have two ranches as the initial pilot take-off. And the ranches are going to be owned and controlled by the members of the locality. Within your locality, if there are Fulani men that have lived there, they are part of the locality. If they decide to participate in the ranch, of course they are free to, they belong to Plateau.”