Vice-President of Nigeria Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said Nigerian leaders must be ready to risk their popularity in order to promote peace in the country. The Vice-President disclosed this on Monday while receiving a delegation of the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC). According to Osinbajo, leaders must understand the value of respectful non-violent communication in ensuring that conflicts do not degenerate into violence. The Vice-President advised leaders to emulate Mandela and Abdullahi Abubakar, a cleric who saved over 200 Christians during a religious crisis in Plateau state in 2018, in using their positions to address ethno-religious crises in the country. “Those sacrifices, even in what you say, how you say it, and then sacrifices also in the acknowledgment of whatever people are saying and the willingness to accept.

Hoodlum suspected to be bandits has reportedly attacked a branch of Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel at Osara community, in Adavi Local Government Council of Kogi State. The gunmen shooting sporadically to scare away interveners invaded the church premises during the weekend while rehearsal was ongoing by the branch congregations and kidnapped not less than three members.

The United State of America, USA has expressed its readiness to assist identify sponsors of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups wreaking havoc in Nigeria. The US ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with journalists in Abuja. The envoy was asked if the US was ready to help Nigeria identify sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria. “That is something we are very eager to partner Nigeria on. I have had at least three conversations in the last two months on this subject. “I won’t like to go into details.” She also relieved fear that the US partnership with Nigeria might end up like that of Afghanistan. According to her, Nigeria has had a sturdy bilateral relationship with the US, saying that the situations are not the same.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman, National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tanko Muhammad, has summoned the Chief Judges of six states which are Rivers, Cross River, Anambra, Imo, Kebbi, and Jigawa states.

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state has relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed on Jos North Local Government Area with effect from August, 30 until further notice, owing to the recent breakdown of law and order which has resulted in the deaths of people and destruction of properties. The governor made the announcement during a state-wide broadcast to citizens on Monday morning, wherein Lalong said the curfew would now be enforced from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. “The curfew in Jos North is to be relaxed beginning from Monday 30th August 2021, the curfew shall be enforced from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice. According to him, “Under the new arrangement, the curfew will be observed from 6 pm to 6 am daily beginning from Monday, 30th August 2021. “Due to recent attacks in Jos North, Bassa, Riyom, and Barkin Ladi we have witnessed the unfortunate disruption to the peace and security of the State by criminal elements leading to loss of innocent lives, properties, farm crops and livestock. The governor decried the desperation of criminals whom he said, were bent on causing mayhem in the State, saying that, “in spite of efforts to address insecurity in the State, there are still isolated attacks in some areas of Jos North and Bassa local government areas during the curfew.”

President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians that his administration is doing everything in its power to crush the perpetrators of the recent Plateau state unrest In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Sunday in Abuja, the president maintained that to achieve success, communities must unite against these horrible senseless attacks. Mr. President challenged religious, traditional, and other community leaders on the need to preach peace and not to allow the use of their spaces for the propagation of violence and incitement to violence. He assured that the troubled communities of Plateau state are being reinforced with security presence to protect lives and property in the state “Attempts to simplify the reasons into a basic narrative may help raise donor-dollars for international NGOs, fill pages of overseas newspapers, and burnish foreign politicians’ faith credentials; but this does not increase understanding, nor offer solutions.