News
Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Reject FG’s Livestock Scheme
By Derick peretengboro
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has rejected the Federal Government’s new National Livestock Policy, alleging that the scheme could lead to the takeover of ancestral lands in the Middle Belt for the settlement of Fulani pastoralists.
The group, in a statement signed by its chairman and Afenifere chieftain, Oladipo Olaitan, said it was concerned that the policy could create permanent settlement areas for nomadic herders in communities affected by years of violent clashes and displacement.
According to the SMBLF, millions of people have been displaced by conflicts involving pastoralists in parts of the Middle Belt, making it unacceptable for their ancestral lands to be allocated to those accused of contributing to the crisis.
The group questioned why the pilot livestock scheme was being concentrated largely in the Middle Belt despite the availability of large areas of sparsely populated land in parts of northern Nigeria.
It warned that although the government was presenting the initiative as a pilot programme, it could eventually be expanded to other parts of the country, including the southern states.
The SMBLF stressed that it was not against modern livestock production, ranching or the development of Nigeria’s livestock sector. However, it objected to what it described as the “opaque, coercive and discriminatory” manner in which the policy was being implemented.
The group also argued that the Land Use Act of 1978 does not give the Federal Government unrestricted powers to acquire community lands for private economic activities.
According to the leaders, ranching is essentially a private economic enterprise and should not be presented as a public-interest project to justify compulsory acquisition of ancestral lands.
The forum further raised concerns over the citizenship status of some nomadic pastoralists, arguing that the government must properly establish the identities and citizenship of beneficiaries before allocating large areas of land to them.
The SMBLF recalled previous proposals, including the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) initiative and cattle colonies, which were rejected following widespread concerns over land ownership and possible demographic changes.
It declared that it would resist any livestock policy that threatens the ownership rights of indigenous communities in the Middle Belt and southern Nigeria.
The group consequently demanded full disclosure of the proposed ranching locations, the legal framework for acquiring the lands, ownership arrangements, beneficiaries, security implications, sizes of the proposed sites and sources of funding.
It also called on communities and governments in the southern states to carefully scrutinise and reject any aspect of the livestock policy that could undermine their land rights.
News
A boat carrying nearly 270 people has capsized off northern Cyprus as a search and rescue operation is under way.
By: Miracle Orumor
A major search and rescue operation is under way off the coast of northern Cyprus after a boat carrying nearly 270 people capsized in the Mediterranean Sea.
The vessel was reportedly carrying 267 people, including 259 passengers and eight crew members, when it ran into trouble during its journey.
Emergency teams, including coastguard vessels, helicopters and Turkish rescue personnel, were deployed to the area as authorities launched a massive operation to save survivors and locate those still missing.
Several people have been rescued, while authorities continue searching the waters for other passengers. The exact number of casualties and missing persons remains unclear as the rescue operation continues.
The cause of the capsizing has not yet been officially confirmed, and authorities have launched an investigation into what led to the maritime disaster.
The incident has sparked growing concern among families of those on board as rescue teams race against time to find survivors.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as the search and rescue operation continues.
This is a developing story. More details are expected to emerge.
News
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a video circulating on social media that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a planned joint operation in Mitchells Plain on Friday.
By: Miracle Orumor
CAPE TOWN — The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a viral video that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a joint security operation in Mitchells Plain.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday during a planned operation involving members of the SANDF and SAPS in the Cape Town community.
The footage, which has been widely circulated on social media, has sparked outrage and renewed concerns over the conduct of security personnel deployed in crime-hit communities.
Both the SANDF and SAPS have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any misconduct took place.
The latest incident comes amid continued scrutiny of Operation Prosper, a joint security operation involving the military and police in several Western Cape communities affected by high levels of violent crime.
Previous allegations linked to the operation have raised concerns about the treatment of civilians and the accountability of security personnel accused of misconduct.
The investigation into the latest incident is expected to determine what led to the confrontation and whether the soldier involved could face disciplinary or further legal action.
Authorities have previously maintained that security personnel deployed during joint operations are expected to act within the law and respect the rights and dignity of members of the public.
The SANDF and SAPS investigations are ongoing.
News
Two jets – one wrapped in green and one in black – coupled with an astonishing double flyover over the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, mere moments before the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry test match between South Africa and New Zealand, had the entire world buzzing.
By: Miracle Orumor
CAPE TOWN — A heart-stopping aviation spectacle over DHL Stadium went viral on Saturday, leaving 55,000 rugby fans breathless and sending social media into a frenzy just minutes before South Africa faced New Zealand in their Test match.
A commercial Embraer E190 passenger jet operated by Airlink—bearing a custom “Go Bokke” logo on its underside—executed a precise, ultra-low flyover directly above the open-roof stadium.
Approaching from a holding pattern near Robben Island, the airliner thundered over the venue, passing through pyrotechnic smoke erupting from the roofline before banking hard over Table Mountain. Spectator footage instantly flooded platforms like TikTok and X, with millions debating the aircraft’s proximity to the stadium superstructure.
Data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 revealed that the jet descended to roughly 200 feet above sea level. With DHL Stadium standing about 164 feet tall, the plane passed just tens of feet above the roofline. Aviation experts noted that long broadcast lenses created an optical illusion, making the aircraft appear even closer to the stadium than it actually was.
Airlink confirmed the flight was thoroughly planned, rehearsed, and fully approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), with three senior captains inside the cockpit managing the display.
The maneuver pays homage to South Africa’s iconic 1995 Rugby World Cup final, where a South African Airways Boeing 747 famously buzzed Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
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