23042021 - Insecurity: Our nation is bleeding now — DEFENCE MINISTER

4 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
:Vanguard
News
We’re targeting $10bn
revenue from agric in 5yrs
—Sanwo-Olu
By Olasunkanmi
Akoni
L AGOS—GOVERNOR
Babajide Sanwo-Olu of
Lagos State, yesterday,
projected that the total
investments in the
agricultural sector would
run into $10 billion in the
next five years.
Sanwo-Olu said this at
the launch of the state
government’s 5-year
Agricultural and Food
Systems Roadmap, in
Lagos.
The governor said that most of
the investments would be private
sector-driven, while the
government would act as the
catalyst and enabler.
His words: "Our strategies for
sustainable Agricultural
Development shall focus on three
pillars. Firstly, we will grow the
upstream sector through
interventions by leveraging
Ogun gov
showers
house, cash
gifts on
academic
laureates
A GOVERNOR BEOKUTA—
Dapo
Abiodun of Ogun State,
yesterday, splashed a twobedroom
bungalow and a
sum of N2 million on
Oladimeji Sotunde, an
indigene of the state, who
emerged as the 'Overall
Best Graduating Student' of
Lagos State University, Ojo,
Lagos.
Abiodun equally
announced that his
administration would set up
an Education Endowment
Fund with seed money of
N5 million, in honour of Faith
Odunsi, a student of the
Ambassadors College, Ota, who
emerged winner in the Global
Open Mathematics Tournament.
Funeral rites for
Uku tomorrow
A
community leader in
Nimo, Njikoka Local
Government Area of Anambra
State, who died after a brief illness,
Pa Emmanuel Nweke Uku, will
be buried tomorrow. He was aged
95.
According to burial programme,
Christian wake will be held today,
in his honour, with a requim mass
tomorrow, which will immediately
be followed by interment.
Pa Uku is survived by children
and grandchildren.
• Late Pa Uku
technologies that are capable of
lowering the cost of production of
value chains such as fisheries,
poultry, piggery, rice, vegetables
and coconut, with support from
donor agencies.
“We will also focus on growing
the midstream and downstream
sectors that are value additions,
involving processing, handling,
storage, cold chain, packaging,
utilization and commercialization,
which are all important
agricultural value chains by
leveraging on the huge market,
with support from donor agencies.
“Lastly, we will improve on
private sector participation by
developing and initiating policies
that will encourage more private
investments in agriculture. This
will include linking the private
sector with business-friendly
credits."
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
From left: Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu;
Ms. Abisola Olusanya, Commissioner for Agriculture, and Babatunde Balogun, Chairman, All
Progressives Congress, Lagos State, during the launch of Lagos State Agricultural and Food
Systems Roadmap (2021-2025), at Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi
Azeez.
Police, Amotekun mum, as gunmen kidnap 18
passengers in Ibarapa
By Adeola Badru &
Shina Abubakar
I BADAN—SECURITY
situation in the Ibarapa
area of Oyo State
heightened, yesterday,
following the hijack of an
18-seater bus along
Igboora-Eruwa road by
gunmen, who abduted all
passengers in the
commercial bus.
Confirming the
abduction, an indigine of
the area, Oladiran
O l a d o k u n
told Vanguard that an
18-seater bus, coming from
Abeokuta and transporting
passengers along Igboora-
Eruwa road, was ambushed
by the gunmen.
Vanguard further
gathered from a family
source of one of the victims
that the gunmen demanded
the sum of N10 million as a
ransom for each of the
victims.
The source said: “Yes, the
18 people were kidnapped
this morning (Thursday),
while seven were also
kidnapped yesterday
(Wednesday).”
Omu for burial
today
MRS Veronica B. Omu,
who died on February 19,
2021, will be buried today at Chief
Godwin compound, Idumu-
Odegwe Quarters, Umuolo
village in Aniocha North LGA,
Delta State.
Thanksgiving service follows on
Sunday.
• Late Mrs. Omu
Another source, who
spoke to Vanguard, noted
that kidnappers have
continued to have their
ways despite heavy security
presence in the zone.
He confirmed that seven
people were also
kidnapped around 5 pm on
Wednesday.
He said: “The rate of
kidnappings in Ibarapa in
the last few weeks has
become worrisome.
Yesterday (Wednesday) at
5.00 pm, seven persons,
who were on their way to
Eruwa had their vehicle
stopped on the bridge and
were whisked away into
the kidnappers’ vehicle.
This has taken a new
dimension. I am greatly
disturbed.
“The police are back on the road
extorting money from drivers.
With their presence, nothing has
Gbaja, Sanwo-Olu, Adebanjo, others eulogise
Odumakin
By Olayinka Ajayi
L AGOS—NOTABLE
Nigerians, including
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Femi
Gbajabiamila; Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu;
former Ondo State
governor Dr. Olusegun
Mimiko; Afenifere leader,
Pa Ayo Adebanjo; Aare
Onakakanfo of Yorubaland,
Iba Gani Adams; former
Anambra State governor,
Mr. Peter Obi; former Ogun
State governor, Senator
Ibikunle Amosun; former
President-General of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr.
John Nwodo, yesterday,
paid glowing tributes to late
Afenifere spokesperson, Mr.
Yinka Odumakin, describing him
as a committed Nigerian, who
struggled for justice.
They spoke on the day of
Tributes and Service of Songs for
the late Odumakin, held at the
Police College in Ikeja, Lagos.
changed. Should we say their
presence has brought the
resurgence of kidnappings in the
region?
“Two weeks ago, two students
were kidnapped. The parents paid
N1.2 million before their release.
The commercial vehicle
conveying the students was
stopped midway.”
Police,
Amotekun keep
mum
As at press time, efforts to get
reactions from the Oyo State
Police Public Relations Officer,
PPRO, DSP Adewale Osifeso,
proved abortive as calls made and
messages sent to his phone line
were not responded to.
When contacted, the
Amotekun Commander in Oyo
State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju
(retd) , said: “We are not
Odumakin’s
quality is rare
—Adebanjo
Afenifere leader, Pa Adebanjo,
who urged Nigerians to emulate
Odumakin’s lifestyle, described
him as a selfless and committed
person, who struggled for justice.
Adebanjo said: “As a human, it
is difficult to replace Yinka but I
pray God replaces him for Nigeria.
He was not a fake activist, but a
true activist who believed in a
good cause and true democracy.
“We are not gathered to mourn
his age but to celebrate what
Yinka stood for.”
He also restated the call for the
restructuring of the country.
He said: “Those of us talking of
restructuring truly want Nigeria
to stay and be united. The
suffering is much and if Nigeria is
not restructured, we will continue
to have more of Sunday Igboho
and Nnamdi Kanu,
“The Fulani don’t understand
what restructuring is. They think
to restructure Nigeria is to divide
Nigeria. Buhari is not the one to
come to teach me on united
Nigeria when I have been
preaching it when he was in
• Police, hunters rescue female
student in Osun
authorised to speak on such
issues, we are not the Police. You
can get reaction from the Police,
anything they (Police) say is
authentic. This is Amotekun and
not the Police.”
Police, hunters
rescue female
student in Osun
Meanwhile, the Osun Police
Command, in collaboration with
local hunters, on Tuesday, rescued
a female student of the Osun
State College of Health
Technology Ilesa, Rukayat
Bayonle.
In a statement by the
command’s spokesperson, Yemisi
Opalola, the Police disclosed that
the student was abducted by five
armed persons at her hostel
located at Olomilagbala area of
Ilesa.
The statement reads: “The
primary school. In the Northeast
where there is Boko Haram now,
I spent one year when Pa Obafemi
Awolowo sent me to campaign in
1979 for the Unity Party of Nigeria,
UPN. If I don’t believe in one
Nigeria, why would I go there?”
I admired
Odumakin
— Gbajabiamila
In his tribute, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Mr.
Gbajabiamila said: “I never knew
Yinka at close range, but my
knowledge of him from a distance
was that of admiration. He was a
man who has been through the
vicissitudes and came out
unscathed. It was not about
school or circumstances of life, but
his service.”
Yinka was
detribalised
—Sanwo-Olu
Also speaking at the event,
Governor Sanwo-Olu described
the late Afenifere spokesperson
as a detribalized Nigerian, who
wanted the best for the country.
Sanwo-Olu said: “He wanted
Osun Police Command rescued
the female student of Osun State
College of Health Technology,
Ilesa, one Rukayat Bayonle, who
was abducted on 20th April 2021
at about 02:30 hours at
Olomilagbala Area, Ilesa.
“Upon receiving the distress
call that the victim was abducted,
the Commissioner of Police, CP
Olawale Olokode, psc, drafted a
combined team of police Tactical
Unit, JTF and other security
outfits on a rescue mission of the
abducted girl. The abductors,
numbering about five, invaded
the quarters of the student and
took her into the bush.
“The security operatives
followed the criminals into the
bush and pursue them vigorously
and at about 05:25 am of the same
day, 20th April 2021, within the
space of 3 hours, Police and local
security men rescued her
unhurt.”
the best for Nigeria, for the
Yoruba nation, and he was
completely detribalised. Until the
very end, he kept going on,
working hard for a Nigeria that
will reflect true modern federalism.
He was a fighter who fell in his
prime. We will continue to hold to
the legacy in which he believed
in.”
He fought
oppression
—Nwodo
On his part, former Ohanaeze
Ndigbo president, Chief Nwodo
said: “When you live in a country
where your children are living
below standard and you keep
quiet, you are not Yinka, when
you are afraid to speak about
oppression, you are not Yinka,
when you live in a country where
an election is rigged without
speaking, you are not Yinka. Each
of us should take upon a touch of
what Yinka stood for.”
Also, a human rights lawyer,
Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, in his
tribute went down memory lane
where he met the late Yinka in
1986 when he was expelled from
the University.