News

Northern Youth asks Buhari to reform SARS

Published

4 years ago

October 10, 2020

The Northern Youth under the auspices of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum have charged President Muhmmad Buhari to reform and re-orgarnise special Anti Robbery Squad SARS than disbanding it.

In a letter addressed to President Muhmmad Buhari signed by communications officer Muhammad Ibrahim reads as follows

“Your Excellency sir, on behalf of the millions of Youths of Northern Nigeria; most of whom may not have a voice to be heard, we write to reaffirm our support for the Special Anti Robbery Squad, even though there are calls from some Nigerians to end the operations of SARS, we as a deep rooted body of concerned Nigerians with a critical thought and sharp foresight, we disagree with those call, protests and urgently demand government to disregard such unpatriotic, reckless and callous calls.

Your Excellency sir, we must not forget that SARS is a branch of the Nigerian Police Force under the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, there are tactical ways and public relations guidelines that will be build and be maintained for proper operations, work on that not scrap them.

Your Excellency sir, it is important to always remember that SARS deals with crimes associated with armed robbery, car snatching, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and crimes associated to firearms which are the ‘hearts of insecurity’ in Nigeria and especially Northern States, as such; we can’t just sit and watch others calling for scrapping a unit that’s almost the fastest option for our security in Northern Nigeria.

Your Excellency sir, the ENDSARS campaign is bassically capitalizing on the humane mistakes of some officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad; instead of weighing and appreciating the other positive sides of the unit especially as the only unit in the Nigerian Police Force thats more exposed to dangerous encounters. How can a people demand that Nigerian government to scrap and end the deployment of Special Anti-Robbery Squad when we are already battling with chronic kidnapping, robbery, banditry, rustling and genocide?, if we end SARS then what are we getting better than SARS?, If the existing force cannot be reformed, how sure are we that scrapping them will not create bigger threats to our collective survival?.

Your Excellency sir, some officers of the SARS may be accused of theft, rape, torture, unlawful arrests and even killings, no law enforcement agency is 100% clean or ever appraised by the people . If we must be rational and highly reasonable, instead of scrapping SARS to end up with security deterioration and waste of Billions to set up and train another unit, why don’t we ‘chew the bitter pills and spit out the waste’ while redesigning a structural strategy for effectiveness, resourcefulness and efficiency to serve Nigerians better?.

Your Excellency sir, social media handlers, propagandists, Celebrities and protesters in the South may be relying on a petition against SARS signed by 10,195 people, those people cannot be compared to the silent voices of the the Millions majority of those that are not in support of demolishing SARS as a security structure. One thing we must not forget in Nigeria, few loudest people always take advantages of silent millions majority, in this case; it is a matter of life and death, manageable security and the possible tendency of insecurity if we allow the scrap of SARS to happen. Your Excellency sir, Kindly have a deep, critical and sober thought over this issue, let us not allow the calls of the campaigners both in social media, Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan,Osun, Benin, Delta, Ilorin and Owerri to influence a decision that will affect about 150 Million people in more than 24 states.

In conclusion, as progressive partners of Arewa and Nigeria’s peace, stability and development, we maintained that those calling for scrapping SARS are biased, sectional and are only protesting in the interest of microscopic few at the detriment of the the powerful majority. Whoever is injecting much energy, resources and publicity in this Campaign against Special Anti Robbery Squard may be a beneficiary in criminal activity, be it Internet Scam, arms dealing, open or hidden smuggling, buying or selling stolen properties, child trafficking, body parts deals, drugs and other dirty works; which is simply why they feel SARS must be systematically protested. If truly Nigerians should protest seriously, it should be on general issues related to governance, Educational strikes, insecurity etc. Kindly accept our highest regards.

Signed Muhammad Ibrahim

Communications officer

News

Frontfoot Media to host its 5th Media Audit Reporting workshop in Gombe

Published

15 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

By Asile Abel,Jos

FrontFoot Media Initiative has concluded plans to hold the fifth edition of its Audit Reporting Training programme for journalists to be hosted in Gombe State.

Statement by the Front Foot Media Initiative Training Coordinator Mr Chido Nwakanma said previous trainings were held in Benin, Awka, Abuja, and Lagos state.

He added that, FrontFoot Media Initiative will hold the training under the auspices of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and the sponsorship of the MacArthur Foundation.

Mr Emeka Izeze, a director of FrontFoot Media, said “The Gombe programme will feature participants not only from Gombe but also from the neighbouring states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Plateau, and Taraba, a testament to the inclusivity and reach of Front Foot’s training initiatives. We look forward to training about 40 media personnel, each of whom plays a crucial role in our media landscape.”

Adding to the statement, Gombe State Governor, Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya would address participants in line with his agenda of openness and accountability.

Frontfoot Media Initiative also announced that Mr Ismaila Zakari, a past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, an Internal Auditor of Premium Pensions Abuja, and an ICAN Fellow, will lead the training supported by Mr Yusuf Doma, a Fellow of ICAN and Internal Auditor at Premium Pensions Abuja. Their expertise and guidance will ensure a high-quality learning experience for all participants.

The media and capacity building NGO described the programme as “a flagship capacity development programme of FrontFoot Media Initiative. It is a Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability project.

“In this effort, FrontFoot teams, accompanied by experts in the field, work in pre-selected states where they conduct free training for journalists. Participants learn how and where to locate the relevant reports, interpret the material, and write engaging news stories and features that enlighten, stimulate, and empower the electorate, and discourage impunity.” the statement added.

News

Babangida’s Military Contemporary, Lt. General Garba Duba, Passes On at 82

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

A military contemporary of Nigeria’s former military President, Lieutenant General Garba Duba, has died.

General Garba Duba died at the age of 82. A native of Kontagora, Niger State, Duba held several positions during his military career, including serving as Governor of Bauchi State in 1978 and as Governor of Sokoto State during Buhari’s regime.

An impeccable source told NIGERIAN TRACKER that the funeral prayer for the late Duba was held today, Friday, after Jumuat prayer at the National Mosque in Abuja.

Governor Muhammad Umar Bago of Niger State and legislators from the state attended the funeral prayer.

He joined the army as a Cadet Officer at the Nigerian Military Training College Zaria in 1962, presumably a course mate of Ibrahim Babangida. At the beginning of his career, he was at the Indian Military Academy. Duba was one of the northern officers who participated in the Nigerian counter-coup of 1966 which led to the death of General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. During the Nigeria Civil War, he was a Captain, commanding a squadron of armored vehicles. As military governor of Bauchi state, he provided infrastructure in the form of residential accommodation and offices, including secretariats for the newly-created 16 local government areas.

In 1993, he retired from the military and went into private businesses where he held positions like chairman, New Nigerian Development Company (NNDC), chairman of SGI Nigeria Limited, director in First Bank of Nigeria, non-executive director of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc and chairman of the board of Leadway pension fund.

News

ECOWAS Parliament to hold Second Extraordinary Session in Kano

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

All arrangements have been concluded for the Second Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be held in Kano, Nigeria.

The Second Extraordinary Session, according to the ECOWAS Parliament, will be held at the Bristol Hotel in Kano, the Commercial Centre of the country, between the 20th and 25th May, 2024.

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, attended the inaugural session of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament held on April 4, this year.

The Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Barau I Jibrin, emerged as the First Deputy Speaker of the assembly during the inauguration.

The event, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, will attract parliamentarians from Nigeria, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote D’ Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Republic of Togo.

The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, is one of the institutions of the ECOWAS. It is the Assembly of Peoples of the Community, serving as a forum of dialogue, consultation and consensus for representatives of the people of West Africa to promote integration.

In a statement signed by special adviser to Senate President on Media and publicity Ismail Mudassir said the ECOWAS Parliament which was established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS revised treaty of 1993, is composed of 115 seats.