1. Fleeing Fulani herdsmen return to Ogun community

The Fulani residents at Eggua in the Yewa-North Local Government Area of Ogun State have returned to their bases after a mob burnt houses and Kara market in the community.

The mob had last week took advantage of the visit of the Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, to the area over the killings of farmers by Fulani herdsmen.

The mob set ablaze the houses belonging to the Eggua Seriki of Fulani and others, as well as the Kara market.

One person reportedly lost his life after the violence.

But it was gathered on Monday that the fleeing Fulani herdsmen who are residents of the area were back to their bases .

It was gathered that the Fulani herdsmen went back to their houses and Kara market after they got the assurance from the police in the state of protection of lives and property.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone said, “They didn’t run away, they only escaped. After our meeting with them we have asked them to go and live their lives normally.

2. Northern groups back Gumi, demand national grazing policy

THE Coalition of Northern Groups on Monday supported a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, who last week advised the Federal Government to use security budget in addressing the demands of bandits and herdsmen.

The Spokesman for the coalition, Abdul-azeez Suleiman, who stated this in an interview with The PUNCH, made other suggestions which strengthened the position of the Islamic cleric.

Recall that Gumi, during his visit to Tubali and Makkai forests in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, appealed to bandits to embrace peace.

Advising government on the use of security budget to meet bandits’ demands, the cleric said, “Such billions (of naira) would be more than enough if judiciously used to address all the demands of the armed Fulani, including providing them with basic amenities, training them and providing them with the needed capital.”

However, Suleiman said, “Ordinarily, there is nothing wrong with Sheikh Gumi’s suggestions if we have a listening government and objective analysts. On our part, we will go beyond Sheikh Gumi’s suggestions to demand government to identify suitable lands across the country and create grazing reserves and cattle routes.

3. Senate Impeachment Trial Of Donald Trump Begins Today

Lawyers for both sides submitted pre-trial briefs on Monday ahead of this week's proceedings regarding the former president's role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building.

During his final days as US president, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump 232-197 on one impeachment article: "incitement of insurrection."

The Senate trial focuses on Trump's role in inciting Capitol Hill on January 6, which resulted in five deaths and dozens of arrests.

Immediately before the riot, Trump spoke to followers in Washington, DC, at a gathering to falsely denounce 2020 election fraud in an attempt to disrupt Congress from confirming President JoeBiden'ss win.

Following the day's events, Trump's Twitter account was temporarily or permanently suspended among other social media accounts.

4. Hearing on final forfeiture of Patience Jonathan’s $5.8m, N2.4bn fixed for April 13

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, fixed April 13 for the hearing of final forfeiture of $5,781,173; $55 million and N2.4 billion, allegedly acquired by former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

Justice Chuka Obiozor adjourned till April 13 after counsel to the parties appeared before the court over the matter.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had sometimes in 2017 commenced the hearing of the suit against Mrs Jonathan alongside LA Wari Furniture and Bathes before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, who retired from the Bench in 2019.

The monies were said to be warehoused by Skye Bank Plc and Ecobank Plc respectively.

Justice Olatoregun had on April 26, 2017, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the monies, sequel to an ex-parte application by EFCC, the order which was affirmed by both Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

However, midway to the conclusion of hearing on the final forfeiture on the said money, Justice Olatoregun retired from the Bench, the development compelled the Chief Registrar of the court to re-assign the matter to Justice Obiozor for hearing.

5. Give INEC exclusive power to declare winners not courts, Osunbor tells NASS

FORMER governor of Edo State, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, has advised the National Assembly to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was adequately empowered to solely declare winners of elections and not the courts.

Osunbor in a memo he sent to both legislative chambers of the constitution review committees, advocated that to truly make the electoral body independent, courts should not award victory to a winner except INEC.

He said: “The 1999 Constitution in its Third Schedule Part I Item F 15 sets out the powers of INEC. Section 158 guarantees the independence of INEC with some other federal bodies to ensure that they exercise their respective functions free from external influence, control or interference.

“The need for the commission to carry out its functions free from any external control is very crucial considering the fact that credible elections form the basis of citizens’ participation in the choice of their elected representatives into public office which is the essence of democracy.

“The constitution could not have envisaged that INEC will share this power with any other authority or organ of government but sadly that has become the reality as election tribunals and courts have repeatedly declared as winner of an election a candidate different from that declared as winner by INEC – the body that organised, undertook and supervised the election in the first place.

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