General
Yoruba Youth Group Rejects FG’s Cattle Colonies
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A Yoruba Youth socio-cultural group called Igbimo Odo Yoruba has rejected plans by the Federal Government to establish cattle colonies across the country for herdsmen.
Leader of the group, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, in a statement on Monday, emphasised that the position of the Yoruba youth was in reaction to a statement credited to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbeh, that the cattle colonies were to curb increasing cases of clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
Mr Lawson said the youths will vehemently resist any attempt by the Federal Government to introduce the cattle colonies in any part of the Southwest, and other Yoruba speaking parts of the country.
According him, every legitimate means within its reach would be used to fight the government, stressing that creation of the colonies was another attempt to re-colonise Nigerians, particularly the people of the Southern part of the country.
“It is absolutely sad that at this age and time in our history as a people, certain persons will resort to arbitrary use of state power to grab the ancestral lands of our people in order to reward a minute but violent group of herdsmen, who have continually assaulted, molest and violate the right to life of innocent Nigerians across the country without any concrete action to checkmate their excesses by the Federal Government,” Mr Lawson said in the statement made available to Business Post.
The group further said it was alarmed by the ‘insensitive’ position of the Federal Government, coming at the very moment when several states are counting their losses, particularly of human life, as a result of attacks on innocent farmers, women and young children allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
“We cannot continue to overlook the humongous disasters that these herdsmen have continued to wreck on our communities, leading to loss of means of livelihood, assault on our women and loss of lives.
“Sadly, all these atrocities have not been enough to attract any concrete action from the federal government, neither have they resulted into the arrest or prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes and their sponsors.
“What we have witnessed instead is the audacity of these elements to claim responsibility for their crimes and even make media appearances to justify their actions against armless people, who are being maimed endlessly by these gang of herdsmen,” the statement read.
“While we want to specially commend Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State for the radical approach of his government towards tackling the menace of these (alleged) Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State, we wish to seriously warn other Governors of the Southwest that any attempt by them to conspire with the proponents of the ‘Cattle Colonies’ whose main agenda is to unjustly grab our lands out of our possession, shall be resisted by our generation and generations to come,” the statement stressed.
The group also advised the Federal Government that rather than proposing the establishment of cattle colonies, which is seen as a colonial anti-people land grabbing strategy, government should first take decisive actions by bringing to justice all perpetrators of violence hiding under farmers/herdsmen clashes without further delay.
It also urged the Federal government to stop looking too far in finding a lasting solution to issues of grazing in the country as practicable solutions have already been proffered through various recommendations of the past. Most recent, as contained in the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Contrary to reports making the rounds, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is not considering passing a bill to make it a criminal offence for single ladies having romantic affairs with married men in the state.
On Monday, unconfirmed news went viral, purporting that a phantom Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Akon Etim, had sponsored a bill to ensure single ladies having sexual relationship with married men spend 10 years in prison, while the men pay a fine of N2 million.
It was claimed that the bill was to be passed by the state parliament, today, Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Business Post reports that the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State is Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, not Mrs Akon Etim.
Reacting to the reports, the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Jerry Anson Otu, described the reports as “false.”
“The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly wishes to categorically state that this report is entirely false and has no basis in fact. The Assembly has not received or considered any such bill, and the Deputy Governor has not sponsored it.
“We condemn this malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the Deputy Governor and the Assembly, and urge the public to disregard this fake news and any associated commentaries.
“The House remains committed to its constitutional role of law-making, and will not be swayed by mischievous attempts to undermine its integrity,” parts of the statement issued by the parliament stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is eyeing stronger diplomatic and strategic ties when it comes to sustainable development as it participates in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport at exactly 11:30 pm local time.
He was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and members of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi.
Several other ministers, including the Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Mohammed Mohammed, welcomed President Tinubu at his hotel.
President Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi from Europe, where he spent part of his end-of-year break, engaging in fruitful discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement by the presidency.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with the theme The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go, is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to advance dialogue and action on sustainable development, climate action, energy transition, and inclusive economic growth.
This visit further reinforces the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while positioning Nigeria as an active contributor to global conversations on sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
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