News
Army Holds Stakeholders’ Meeting in Riyom, Jos South to Consolidate Peace, Prepare Communities for Farming Season
The General Officer Commanding 3 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General EF Oyinlola, on Thursday led a decentralised stakeholders’ engagement aimed at sustaining recent security gains and preparing communities for the upcoming farming season.
The meeting, hosted by Sector 6 Commander of the Joint Task Force, Colonel PJ Malgwi, was held at the Conference Hall of Yelwa Club and brought together representatives of local communities, traditional leaders, security agencies, as well as Fulani and farming groups from Riyom and Jos South Local Government Areas.
In his remarks, Oyinlola described the engagement as part of ongoing efforts to promote sustainable peace and development across communities within the military’s operational area. He commended residents for cooperating with security agencies, noting that recent months had recorded a decline in violent incidents due to dialogue, conflict resolution initiatives, and improved community collaboration.
Despite the progress, the GOC warned of emerging threats capable of reversing the gains if not addressed early. He identified illegal mining, encroachment on farmlands, proliferation of locally fabricated weapons, cattle rustling, and reprisal attacks as key risks requiring collective vigilance.
He stressed that the approaching farming season was critical to livelihoods and warned that disruptions to agricultural activities could trigger wider economic consequences. Oyinlola disclosed that the Chief of Army Staff had approved the distribution of non-kinetic support, including fertilizers, to encourage farming and reinforce stability efforts.
The army commander urged traditional rulers, youth groups, and community stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence and avoid actions capable of provoking violence, including destruction of property, attacks on livestock, and the spread of inflammatory narratives on social media. He also called on the media to remain professional and support peace-building initiatives.
During the interactive session, participants expressed willingness to cooperate with security agencies but raised concerns including compensation for rustled or killed cattle, restitution for destroyed farmlands, prosecution of offenders, fair justice processes, access to disputed lands, and better regulation of grazing routes and underage herders. They also emphasised the need for youth reorientation, stronger trust in security institutions, and respect for traditional leadership structures.
Responding, Oyinlola reaffirmed the military’s commitment to justice, human rights, and the protection of all law-abiding citizens regardless of ethnicity or religion. He assured that security forces were intensifying efforts to ensure farmers could safely access their lands throughout the season.
He also urged parents and guardians to guide their children and avoid shielding offenders, stressing that accountability is essential for lasting peace. Acknowledging the wider impact of insecurity, the GOC noted that fear disrupts education, markets, and livelihoods, and pledged continued collaboration with communities to restore normalcy.
The engagement concluded with the presentation of fertilizers to stakeholders, with the GOC urging community leaders to communicate the resolutions of the meeting to their respective communities as part of efforts to entrench lasting peace.
Nine people have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus at Dungus, Kuru District, Jos South council area.
The police command in Plateau confirmed the attack in a statement by its spokesman, Alfred Alabo, on Monday.
The command said it received a distress report at about 7:45 p.m. on Sunday that terrorists operating on a motorcycle had attacked the bus.
According to the statement, the Toyota bus, with registration number BUU 621 ZL, was conveying passengers to Jos when the gunmen opened fire.
It said seven people were confirmed dead at the scene, while two others who sustained gunshot injuries later died in hospital. The police said the development brought the total number of fatalities from the attack to nine.
The police commissioner, Ayodeji Faniyan, immediately mobilised Mobile Police operatives, tactical teams, homicide detectives and forensic experts to the scene.
(NAN)
News
“Foreign Players Aren’t the Solution” — Mahbubat Salaudeen Challenges Olanrewaju’s Take After Rivers United’s CAF Exit
Writer and poet Mahbubat Salaudeen has challenged Rivers United assistant coach Yemi Olanrewaju’s argument that Nigerian football needs more foreign players to compete effectively at the continental and international levels.
Olanrewaju, speaking after Rivers United’s CAF Champions League elimination by FC San Pedro, had argued that foreign players are essential to the development of a competitive league.
“No league will survive without foreigners. The English Premier League didn’t do well until the Cantonás and the Thierry Henrys started coming in.”
However, Salaudeen believes bringing in foreign players is not the immediate solution to the challenges facing Nigerian football.
Sports247 reports, according to the writer, while foreign recruitment could potentially benefit the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) in the long term, the priority should currently be on exposing domestic clubs and players to a higher level of competition.
“Bringing in foreign players isn’t the solution Nigerian football needs. It may work, but that will be in the long term when the clubs have the money or are willing to spend,” Salaudeen argued.
She instead called for NPFL clubs to regularly play tougher opponents in international friendly matches, stressing that such exposure would help Nigerian players and teams become better prepared for continental competition.
Salaudeen pointed to the recent experience of Nigeria’s women’s U20 national team as an example of the importance of competing against technically superior opposition.
“The Nigeria women U20 national team faced academies/players they were technically better than and somehow we’re disappointed they lost two of their games in the group stage?” she questioned.
For Salaudeen, the problem goes beyond results. She believes Nigerian teams need to consistently test themselves against opponents who operate at a higher technical and tactical level before entering major international competitions.
“They will lose to England too because those girls are not technically prepared for the level of competition needed to excel against such opponents,” she added.
Her comments have reignited the debate over the best pathway for improving Nigerian football, with questions surrounding player development, competitive exposure, club investment and the role of foreign players in the NPFL.
While Olanrewaju sees quality foreign imports as part of the evolution of successful leagues, Salaudeen’s argument places greater emphasis on improving the competitive environment around Nigerian clubs and ensuring domestic players are regularly exposed to stronger opposition.
-
Business3 days agoFG settles severance benefits for 2,100 former Nigeria Airways workers after two decades
-
News3 days ago
Revolut confirms customer data breach through fake government requests
-
Health3 days ago
PT Health Watch: How laboratory tests can help detect colorectal cancer early
-
News3 days ago
Mecka AI nears $500M valuation in Sequoia-led deal amid rush for robot training data
