The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Wednesday announced that dozens of travelers are missing following a boat mishap in Kebbi state. The Area Manager of NIWA in Yauri, Mr. Yusuf Birma, confirming the incident said 156 passengers are missing, 20 rescued, and four confirmed dead. The boat ferrying about 180 passengers mostly women and children from Niger state split and sank due to overloading. The incident, one of the most deadly in recent times occurred in Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi state about 10 am. According to Birma, four people had been confirmed dead, 20 rescued alive while 156 people are still missing and that rescue operation was still ongoing.

Following the Kaduna air crash that claimed the lives of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and other officers, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has set up a committee to conduct safety audit on its operational and engineering units. The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, who made this known in a statement on Tuesday, said the committee established by Oladayo Amao, chief of air staff, is composed of serving and retired senior officers. The committee is chaired by Abraham Adole, deputy theatre commander, operation Hadin Kai (formerly known as Lafiya Dole), a military operation aimed at defeating Boko Haram.

Following the ban on open grazing of cattle by the 17 Southern Governors, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has urged the Federal Government to take immediate steps in evacuating all herdsmen currently in the Southern region back to the North.
This was said in a statement by CNG’s Spokesperson, Abdulazeez Suleiman, saying the evacuation is imperative “with the incessant show of animosity against the pastoral communities by the people of the South and their leaders, it has become a matter of urgent necessity for the federal government of Nigeria to take steps to evacuate the remaining ten per cent of herders currently in the South back home.

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye on Tuesday, said corruption is the greatest obstacle to development and an existential threat to unity.

Dozens of people were murdered by gunmen who invaded some communities in Katsina-Ala Local Government areas of Benue State at the weekend. The Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Alfred Atera, who confirmed the attack by suspected herdsmen and collaboration with bandits said over 100 people have been killed in four wards including Yoyo, Utange, Mbatura/Mberev and Mbayongo. “More than 100 people at different places have been killed since the attack on Saturday. The Gana remnants are conniving with them (suspected herdsmen) to cause havoc and unrest in our area,” Atera said.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday expressed a strong resolve to address the conflicts of herders and farmers for a permanent solution. Buhari also ordered that the associated problem of the gun-wielding “killer herdsmen” be tackled.
Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, in a statement recalled Buhari approved measures to bring an end to the skirmishes as recommended by Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture, in April. The presidency insisted that Buhari’s action was before the ban on open grazing by the Southern Governors Forum.