The Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) Surv. Adamu Adaji has called for peace and progress in the resolution of interstate between Abia and Akwa Ibom States.

Adaji made this call at a Stakeholders meeting on the Abia/Akwa Ibom interstate boundary resolution held in Abuja.

The meeting underscores the Commission’s commitment to achieving a peaceful and definitive settlement.

“This meeting is a crucial step toward fostering understanding and cooperation between Abia and Akwa Ibom States,” the Director-General stated.

He acknowledged the complexities involved in resolving the decades long dispute, which has seen repeated interruptions due to local tensions and legal entanglements.

The Director-General highlighted the NBC’s determination to creating a harmonious solution, one that respects the historical and legal boundaries while prioritizing the safety and development of border communities.

The boundary dispute, rooted in the implementation of Decree 23 of 1985, has been marked by instances of hostility, waton destruction of lives and properties, and abductions, notably in regions where the field tracing exercise was stalled in 2014.

The Akwa Ibom State Boundary Committee expressed grave concerns over recent escalations, including fatal incidents affecting the Nkari people of Ini Local Government Area (LGA) and allegations of encroachment into farmlands in Obotme.

In her response, Senator (Dr) Akon Eyakenyi, Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, called for calm among affected communities, urging boundary community dwellers to avoid retaliatory actions whilst assuring them of ongoing efforts to resolve the matter peacefully.

The Akwa Ibom delegation presented a position paper outlining the state’s stance and a set of recommendations aimed at expediting the resolution process.

These recommendations include strict adherence to delimitation protocols and improved oversight of field team conduct to prevent further disruptions.

Echoing the call for decisive action, Engr Ikwechkwu Emetu, Deputy Governor of Abia State, expressed optimism for the meeting’s outcomes.

He addressed the lingering issues and called for the recovery of essential field documents lost over time, stressing the importance of these materials to accurately demarcate the boundary.

The Deputy Governor also highlighted the need for a distinct categorization of disputes, distinguishing genuine boundary claims from requests for boundary adjustments.

With both states aligning on the urgency of a resolution, the NBC is expected to facilitate constructive dialogue in line with recommendations from previous joint meetings.

The Director-General concluded his address by reaffirming NBC’s role as a neutral body committed to justice and fairness, pledging that the Commission will implement the findings of this meeting to end the dispute and foster lasting peace in the affected areas.

The outcome of the Abuja meeting will be pivotal, with all parties hopeful for an agreement that finally puts an end to decades of contention, allowing both Abia and Akwa Ibom States to move forward in unity and prosperity.

The meeting brought together key representatives from both states to address the persistent boundary dispute affecting Abia and Akwa Ibom communities.

By Francesca Hangeior

Nigeria has, for the ninth time in 2024, been thrown into darkness following the collapse of the national power grid.

A check by Vanguard on the official X page of the Nigeria National Grid (@NationalGridNg) revealed an official statement signed by the JosDisco, Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Friday Adakole.

The post read: “The current outage being experienced within our franchise states is a result of a loss of power supply from the national grid. The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred this morning at about 11:28 AM on Thursday, 7th November 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.

“We hope to restore normal power supply to our esteemed customers as soon as the grid supply is restored to normalcy. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we strive to serve you better.”

The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) also confirmed the latest collapse in a message to customers.

The DISCO said: “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, 07 November 2024, at 11:29 hiours, affecting supply within our network.”

IKEDC assured customers that efforts to restore power are underway in collaboration with key stakeholders, though no timeline was provided.

“Restoration of supply is ongoing. Kindly bear with us,” the company added.

By Francesca Hangeior

The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the emergence of a new terrorists group known as ‘Lukarawas’, exacerbating insecurity in the northwestern part of Nigeria.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known while briefing newsmen on the operations of the military on Thursday in Abuja.

Buba said that the new terror group emerged from the Republic of Niger after the coup that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger.

He said that the terrorists began incursion into northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, particularly after the coup in Niger Republic.

According to him, before the coup, there were joint border operations with Nigerien security forces, which kept the terrorists at bay.

“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology,” he said.

Buba said that the group was accommodated by the locals, who initially thought that the group meant well for them, adding that they failed to report the movement to the military and security agencies.

He gave assurance that troops had sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to degrade the terrorists.

He added that the terror group had continued to take advantage of the vast under-governed areas to hide and evade troops as well as harass the locals.

According to him, troops are locating them and eliminating the threat.