The experts insist that unless urgent and very drastic steps are immediately taken, the crisis may worsen as floods continue to ravage farmlands in the northern states.

Ten states, namely Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Sokoto and Kebbi are highly affected, following heavy rainfall in the region.

An agricultural investor in Toro LGA of Bauchi State, Bello Yakazsi, urged the government to declare an emergency in the food sector across the country.

Yakazsi, said, “While the situation we are currently experiencing in the North can be said to be a peculiar one, it is high time that the Federal Government declared a state of emergency in the country’s agricultural sector.

“We have limited powers over the strange and dynamic play of Mother Nature but the little efforts we can muster to save ourselves from hunger and starvation must be put in place by all the government agencies. This is not the time for politics.”

As a result of the effect of the twin threat of flood and drought, some farmers in Kano State, especially those within the 14 LGAs that are at a high risk of flooding as predicted by the National Emergency Management Agency, have continued to express fears about possible flooding in the state and have begun praying against flooding as rainfall persists across the 44 Local Government Areas.

One of the farmers in Rimin Gado, Mallam Musa Sani, told The PUNCH, “Since the beginning of August, we’ve been experiencing heavy rainfall, which lasts for long hours, on a daily basis.

“As you know, too much rainfall does not allow crops to grow speedily. So, we fear that once flood occurs, farmers are at the risk of losing their crops.”

An official of the State Emergency Management Agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed to The PUNCH on Saturday that “even though the agency has yet to receive the comprehensive report on the flood from our assessment team, we are very worried about the situation but, we cannot act without any official report.”

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Haruna Mairiga, told our correspondent in Dutse that over 2,744 hectares of farmlands had been washed away by flood in Jigawa State. The floods ravaged 12 LGAs, namely Buji, Kafin Hausa, Auyo, Hadejia, Birniwa, Malam Madori, Garki, Taura, Gwaram, Dutse, Kiyawa and Jahun.

“No fewer than 2,744 hectares of farmlands have been washed away by the flood across the 12 affected LGAs. From August 1 to 13, 2024, the state witnessed intermittent downpours leading to several incidences of flood and the death of 21 persons as well as the destruction of farmlands and houses,” Mairiga said.

He added that farmers in the state had lost over N1bn of farm produce and crops to flood.

Mansur Musa, Chairman of Kiyawa LGA, one of the worst-hit LGAs, said many farmlands and villages, as well as the LGA secretariat, have been submerged by water.

In Zamfara State, Shehu Shinkafi, a farmer on the outskirts of Shinkafi LGA told The PUNCH that many farmers were expecting a bumper harvest following the stability of water in their farms.

However, he expressed fears following the emergence of heavy rains in the state in recent times.

According to a report by NEMA, more heavy rainfall is expected in the state.

The agency had predicted that eight LGAs in the state ­- Bungudu, Gummi, Gusau, Bakura, Maradun, Talata-Mafara, Shinkafi, and Zurmi – would be affected by flooding during this year’s rainy season.

This was disclosed by the agency’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, in Gusau during the sensitisation programme for the 2024 downscaling of flood early warning strategies for early actions.

Also, the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency predicted that in this year’s annual flooding outlook, 31 states with 148 LGAs would be within the high flood-risk areas, while 35 states, including the FCT and 249 LGAs, were considered within the moderate flood-risk areas. The remaining 377 LGAs were forecasted for the low flood-risk areas.

The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said 873 other protesters have been arrested by the police, including a tailor, identified as Ahmed Bello, who was arrested with a large number of flags in Kano.

This comes as President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to crack down on those flying Russian flags in the country.

Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, said this on Monday while briefing State House correspondents after the National Security Council meeting.

All the service chiefs, including Vice President Kashim Shetima, Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser; and Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police; attended the meeting.

He said the service chiefs briefed the President on the current security situation in the country.

He added that the briefing was necessitated by the ongoing nationwide protests, which resulted into violence in some states.

“Initially, when the protest started, they said it was a peaceful protest, but we have realised that there are individuals willing to take advantage of it to cause mayhem.

“And we can see clearly what has happened since it commenced. Criminals have taken over, with a lot of looting, stealing, and all sorts happening,” he said.

He said the situation became worrisome as foreign flags were flown within Nigeria’s sovereignty, and that was totally unacceptable.

“We are warning in clear terms, and the President has also said we should convey this: We will not accept anybody, any individual flying any foreign flag in Nigeria.

“That is a treasonable offence, and it will be viewed and treated as such. So, nobody should allow himself to be used by any individual,” said the general.

He said those flying foreign flags were mainly children who were being pushed to do so.

“We’re following up with those who are sponsoring them. Some people are pushing them because the flags were also made. We have identified those behind it, and we are going to take serious action against them.

“The President is clear in his instructions that we do not accept anyone who wants to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of Nigeria,” he said.

He said all security agencies were ready to defend democracy and the nation’s sovereignty.

“We will not accept anyone taking any action, for whatever reason, to want to push for any change of government.

“Democracy is what we stand for; democracy is what we will continue to defend,” he said.

The CDS said he had earlier stated that the military would step in if the protests got out of hand.

“You can see that some subversive elements are pushing individuals to carry Russian flags in Nigeria; that is crossing the red line, and we will not accept that.

In a national broadcast on Sunday, President Tinubu pleaded with the organisers of the nationwide protest to suspend the action as it had gone violent in some states with the attendant loss of lives and destruction of property.

Speaking at the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee joint press briefing, in Abuja, on Monday, Adejobi stated that the police were on the trail of other suspects, especially the sponsors of the protesters waving the Russian foreign flags.

Protesters in their numbers had been seen waving Russian flags around the busy Kano-Zaria Road, Hadejia Road and near the Nyanya bridge, a suburb of Abuja, among others.

Aside from protesting the economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, the demonstrating youths also called for the intervention of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Viral photos and videos showed demonstrators waving the flags as they chanted in Hausa, “We don’t want bad government.”

On Monday, protesters in Kaduna were also seen waving the Russian flags and chanting in Hausa, “Welcome, Russia; Welcome, Russia.”

The protesters regrouped at the Stadium Roundabout before they embarked on a procession at 10:15am Monday morning, marching along the Junction Road towards Ahmadu Bello Road and chanting in Hausa, “Tinubu ze soka’ kaa’sa,” which translates to, “Tinubu must step-down.”

They hailed military personnel, who patrolled the metropolis, chanting, “Tinubu yaa’so’ka, mu’na so soja”, meaning, “Tinubu step down, we want soldiers.”

A few of the protesters waved the Russian flag and chanted the Hausa refrain, “Bama so”, meaning “We don’t want hunger.”

Another group of the protesters tore the Nigerian flag into shreds.

When one of our correspondents asked one of the protesters why they were flying the Russian flag, he said they wanted Nigeria to embrace the Russian government’s style of leadership like some of the countries in the West African region had already done.

“The American and British governments are the ones teaching all our leaders how to kill Nigeria’s economy.

“We are tired of them. Nigeria is tired of their wickedness and hypocrisy. So, like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, we want Nigeria to embrace Russia. We like Russia’s style. They are better than USA and Britain, who have nothing for the people except our leaders, who are benefitting from them,” the protester stated.

Russia, an Eastern power currently mired in a cold war with the West, has been blamed for the unconstitutional changes of government in West African countries Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso and others.

The Department of State Services stated on X.com that it had arrested some tailors sewing the Russian flags in Kano State, adding that some of their sponsors had also been nabbed.

The DSS post read, “Meanwhile, the Service has apprehended some tailors in Kano State responsible for making Russian flags being distributed in the area. Some of their sponsors have also been picked. An investigation is ongoing.”

This comes as some governors in the North held emergency meetings with security operatives to stop the protests, while curfews were imposed in Plateau, Kaduna and Bauchi states as tempers flared after day five of the protest.

As of the time of filing this report, the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, was leading a Security Council Emergency Meeting at the Government House.

The Governor, while speaking at the opening of the meeting, noted that the meeting became necessary following the destruction of infrastructure in the state.

Representatives of various security personnel in the state, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, youth groups, among others, attended the meeting.

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, also held an emergency security meeting with heads of security agencies to assess the situation after protesters unexpectedly took to the streets, waving Russian national flags on Monday.

One of our correspondents learnt that following the meeting, the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, announced a 24-hour curfew for Kaduna and Zaria metropolitan cities to maintain law and order.

The evacuation follows the rising cases of insurgency and banditry in some parts of the State.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan, who disclosed this while receiving the returnees over the weekend explained that the state government was moved to intervene following a disturbing viral video on social media on how its Indigenes were crying for help after their sources of livelihood were destroyed by bandits.

Speaking, the President of Akwa Ibom Community in Katsina, and a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Federal College of Education, Katsina State, Chief Effiom Williams, said he got distress calls from members that their houses and shops were burnt adding that he quickly mobilised them into safety in his house.

He said, “when some of them arrived, they had nothing left because they had lost everything to the crises, so the Community had to raise money in order to get them clothes and other effects. We later reached out to the state government for assistance. We are very happy that the Governor has intervened.”

Also speaking, Elizabeth Emmanuel, a returnee, who hails from Ikono LGA but resided in Jibia LGA in Katsina, said her shop and home were razed down by the arsonists, who attacked their community at night, killing several people in their sleep.

“We got back home and started hearing loud shooting at night, and we all started running for our dear lives. All I could take out from our house are my children and a few clothes. Luckily for us, we were escorted to the IDP camp by soldiers.”

She narrated that they were, however, linked to the President of the Akwa Ibom Community in Katsina by a fellow Akwa Ibomite in the camp.

But in less than 24 hours of the attack that claimed the life of the priest’s cook, the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan on Tuesday announced the release of the priest by the bandits. The Chancellor, Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Uchechukwu Okolo, in a statement, said the priest was released by his abductors around 10:30 pm on Monday.

The statement read, “With hearts filled with joy, we raise our voices in a symphony of praises as we announce the return of our brother, Rev. Fr. Joseph Danjuma Shekari, who was abducted by armed persons from the Rectory at St. Monica’s Catholic Church Ikulu in Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, on Sunday, February 6, 2022. Fr. Shekari was released around 10.30 pm on Monday, February 7, 2022. As we pray for the repose of the soul of his cook who was killed during the attack, we want to thank all those who have offered prayers and entreaties for his release. We pray to God to hasten the release of those who are still in the hands of their captors. All our Priests are directed to kindly celebrate Mass of Thanksgiving to God for the quick release of Fr. Shekari as well as Mass for the dead and for the departed Cook of Fr. Shekari.”

Recall that the bandits released 28 of the students on Sunday, July 25, after N50m ransom was paid, and 20 days in captivity.

The students were 121 in number, according to the president of the Kaduna Baptist Conference, Rev. Ishaya Jangado, who is also the proprietor of the school.

They were kidnapped in the early hours of July 5, 2021, around 2 am at the school premises along the Kaduna-Kachia highway, Damishi, in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

The chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. John Hayab, said the 15 students were released on Saturday night by the bandits.

The resumption date is for Junior Secondary School (JSS) III students only, and they were directed to come to school in mufti.

Kaduna state’s Commissioner for Education, Shehu Usman Muhammad said in a statement on Wednesday August 18; “Government has approved the resumption for JSS lll students, who were scheduled to write their National Examination Council Basic Education Certificate Examination (NECO BECE) scheduled for 23rd August to 6th September 2021. Secondary schools are hereby directed to resume operations only for JSS lll students with effect from 18 August 2021 and to inform the students to appear multi.”

Recall that the Kaduna state government had charged El-Zakzaky and his wife  to court for culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace in the state.

Justice Gideon Kurada in his  ruling that lasted for over 8 hours, upheld the no-case submission filed by Zakzaky and his wife.

The judge in his ruling held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.

Saturday incident, which occurred in Badarawa Area of Kaduna metropolis, resulted in the death of one adolescent child, aged seven and the injury of two others, aged nine and seven.

Giving an update on the incident, the spokesperson of Bauchi Police Command, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said an Improvised Explosive Device was concealed in three bottles of popular children’s Juice (Viju Milk).

“Three Children picked up the bottles but unknown to them, they contained explosive substance; the children started playing football with the bottles, as a result, two of the bottles exploded, injuring the three children. One of the victims was treated and discharged, while the third child is still receiving treatment. The Command’s Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) is carrying out a holistic forensic analysis of the device with a view to apprehending those responsible for this heinous act,”

The threat comes a week after Governor El-Rufai announced the plan to disengage civil servants in the state, citing fiscal reasons.

According to him, a significant amount of the statutory federal allocations to the state is being spent on the wages of public servants, adding that the decision was one of the necessary moves to salvage the state’s finances.

Reacting, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba during a news conference in Abuja, after a meeting of the Central Working Committee, said all members of the NLC will down tools nationwide for five days in the first instance and when nothing is done by relevant government agencies, the workers union will think of the next line of action.

Wabba explained that the union’s plan for a nationwide strike over El-Rufai’s action is predicated on the assumption that the governor is having support from other states and the Federal Government.

The NLC President, however, said the action was taken as a last resort due to all the communications that were written on the issue to the Kaduna State Government and were yet to receive any attention.

According to him, the CWC, therefore, thought that workers should not be allowed to die in silence as thousands of workers who had been sacked were yet to be paid in line with the provisions of the law.

“CWC has decided and has also recommended to the National Executive Council that labour will withdraw all services from either public or private from all sectors of the economy for five days in the first instance.”

“And where there is no remorse, there is going to be a total action because we believe that El-Rufai is not alone in this action that neoliberal forces and also some government are also part of it.

“This action is going to be total and unconditional and therefore, all unions will be issuing statements and directives to their members to take this directive seriously and that the action will go ahead,” Wabba said.

The incident took place on Monday morning and the number of abducted pupils is uncertain as of the time of filing this report.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the abduction of primary school pupils and teachers.

Aruwan said in a statement that the pupils and teachers were abducted on Monday.

Part of the statement read, “The Kaduna State Government is receiving security reports of kidnapping of some pupils and teachers in a primary school located in Rema, Birnin Gwari local government area.

“According to preliminary reports, the incident occurred at an LEA Primary School in the LGA.

“The Kaduna State Government is currently obtaining details on the actual number of pupils and teachers reported to have been kidnapped and will issue a comprehensive statement as soon as possible.”