₦airaland Forum

Three members of the Living Faith Church Worldwide have been kidnapped at Osara community along Lokoja-Okene road, in Adavi Local Government Council of Kogi state.

Daily Trust learnt that the kidnapers invaded the church when some of its members were rehearsing during the weekend.

Sequel to the recent security challenges that has rocked some communities in Plateau State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state said Governor Simon Lalong is incapacitated, because the nation’s constitution does not give him the powers to give directives to security agencies.

The party called on the National Assembly to do the needful by ensuring the amendment of the country’s constitution, so that state police will be created, “which will give Governors direct responsibility to bark and bite”.

Acting Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC in the state, Hon. Enoch Fanmak, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Jos, the state capital.

Fanmak said, “We want to specially commend the Governor for his proactive steps in ensuring quick intervention towards ensuring that the situation does not go out of control.

“We believe the Governor has done his best, but is greatly limited because of lack of direct control of the security agencies that have to receive orders from their headquarters even after the Governor gives them directives.

“We hope that the National Assembly will do the needful by amending the Constitution to provide for State Police which will give Governors direct responsibility to bark and bite.

“While we commend the efforts of the security agencies in the State for containing the situation and doing their best to maintain law and order, we urge them to go further and arrest all the perpetrators of all the killings across the affected LGAs and ensure that they are prosecuted expeditiously.

“Nobody should be spared if he is found guilty whether he is a perpetrator or sponsor.

“The blood of those who were killed in Miango, Dong, Kwi, Yelwa Zagam, Rukuba Road, Bwai among others must never be allowed to go in vain. All lives are precious and matter.

“At the same time, we call on our citizens to continue to support the Government and security agencies as well as community and traditional leaders to quickly restore normalcy within the affected areas while ensuring that justice is done to everyone.

“We must avoid the divisive tactics employed by enemies of the State to use religion, ethnicity and politics to jeopardise the peace of the state.”

Kurt Zouma’s seven-and-a-half year Chelsea career is at an end after the defender today completed a permanent move to West Ham United.

Zouma leaves Stamford Bridge having made 151 appearances for the Blues and scored 10 goals. His last game was our UEFA Super Cup success, one of five trophies he won during his time in west London having arrived from Saint-Etienne in 2014.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: ‘Kurt Zouma joined us as a young player and has been a part of so many important moments for this club over the past seven-and-a-half years.

'He showed incredible strength of character to return from a very serious injury in 2016, and he has always been an extremely popular character in the dressing room. We thank him for his contribution on and off the pitch for Chelsea, and wish him the very best in the next stage of his career.’

Zouma signed for Chelsea in January 2014, staying at Saint-Etienne on loan for the second half of that campaign. He joined his new teammates in the summer, and the then 19-year-old’s competitive Chelsea debut was a memorable one as he opened the scoring in a 2-1 League Cup win over Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in September 2014.

After helping us beat Liverpool in the semi-final, Zouma’s individual season highlight was in the final of that same competition at Wembley. Deployed in a central defensive midfield role, Zouma starred as the Blues won 2-0.

A first Premier League title soon followed at the end of a very promising first campaign in English football in which Zouma made 26 appearances in all competitions and made his debut for the France national team.

Zouma established himself as a first-choice centre-back in 2015/16 and scored his maiden Premier League goal in a victory at home to Arsenal.

Heartbreak struck in February 2016, however, as Zouma ruptured his cruciate ligament when landing awkwardly after contesting an aerial duel in a game against Manchester United.

It would be over 10 months until he featured for Chelsea again, but Zouma was on the pitch when we clinched the league title at West Brom, just as he had been when we defeated Crystal Palace to do the same two years prior.

After the 2016/17 season, Zouma embarked on season-long loan moves to Stoke City and then Everton to play regularly and return to the levels he had reached before that serious knee injury.

He rejoined the Blues’ squad ahead of 2019/20 and grabbed the second chance with both hands, remaining a regular throughout a campaign which was paused by the Covid-19 pandemic. His 43 appearances in all competitions was 15 more than any other Chelsea centre-back.

Defensive reinforcements increased competition in that area of the pitch last season, and while Zouma still accumulated 36 appearances, only 13 of those came after Thomas Tuchel’s arrival midway through the campaign.

Zouma nonetheless made five appearances in our successful Champions League campaign, most importantly helping us keep a clean sheet in the home victory over Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.

In Porto, where he was an unused sub, he added the prize of Europe’s elite competition to the two Premier League titles and the League Cup he won at Chelsea prior to his domestic loan moves. A Super Cup triumph followed earlier this month and, with it, Zouma’s 151st and final Chelsea appearance.

An immensely likeable character around Cobham from the moment he arrived, and always living up to his middle name Happy, even during the long road to recovery from injury in 2016, Zouma was an important member of the Chelsea squad for the five seasons he was in it.

He moves across London as a Premier League winner and a Champions League winner, and with the best wishes of everyone at Chelsea. Good luck in the future, Kurt!

Manchester United have submitted an offer for Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus.

Manchester United is offering 25m euros to Juventus for the superstar, The PUNCH gathered as per Skysports.

The goal machine was also offered a two-year contract to return to Old Trafford.

He will be earning £480,000 a week, Football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, who broke the news said.

Manchester City footballer, Benjamin Mendy, has been remanded in custody for two weeks after appearing at Chester Magistrates' Court charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The 27-year-old was charged with the offences on Thursday and held in custody ahead of Friday's appearance in court.

Lawyers for the player applied for him to be released on bail, but magistrates remanded him in custody, ahead of a Crown Court appearance on September 10.

The French born player appeared in the dock dressed in black jogging bottoms and a red hoodie.

He stood as the charges were read out and relayed to him by an interpreter who was in court.

Details of the charges Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy faces were released ahead of his appearance at Chester Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Mendy is charged with three counts of rape in October 2020 at his home address in Prestbury, Cheshire.

He is also charged with the sexual assault of a woman, also at his home address in early January this year.

He is further charged with the rape of a woman in August this year, also at his home address.

Mendy is also charged with breaking his bail conditions in August, according to the court listing, which said that after being released on July 26 this year he broke a condition by having more than four people present at his home address.

The charges relate to three different complainants.

A High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on Friday ordered the Nigeria Police Force to charge Gloria Okolie to court on or before August 31, 2021, or be granted bail in the sum of N2m and Level 12 officer as bond and surety.

The court ruling is coming after over 70 days since the Intelligence Response Team arrested and detained Okolie for an alleged link to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra’s Eastern Security Network.

Human rights activist and Director-General, Behind Bars Initiative, Harrison Gwamnishu, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Friday.

Gwamnishu and other activists had dragged the police to court to respect the fundamental rights to freedom of the 22-year-old detainee.

The PUNCH had reported how the young lady was reportedly detained at the IRT office in Owerri, Imo State before she was transferred to Abuja.

Gloria’s uncle, Christian Okolie, had said the policemen extorted N280,000 in bribes so far and demanded an additional N100,000 to free the young lady.

Her family had also alleged that she was used as a maid and sex slave by the officers while in custody.

But the Police in a statement had said, “Investigations by the police team revealed that Gloria Okolie takes advantage of her gender and seemingly innocuous looks as camouflage to carry out espionage against military and police targets on behalf of IPOB/ESN.”

The National Human Rights Commission and many human rights groups had faulted the continued detention of Okolie by the Police and had demanded that the detainee should be released immediately or be charged to court to avail her of her right to fair hearing.

Veteran Nollywood actor Victor Olaotan, who had a ghastly motor accident nearly four years ago, has died.

According to information available to sunnewsonline.com says Olaotan died on Thursday, August 26.

It would be recalled that the actor was earlier flown to Turkey for prompt medical attention after he became incapacitated following the car accident he was involved in, along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

Billionaire Femi Otedola and some well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropists, including his colleagues and fans came to his rescue financially.

Before his demise, Olaotan for about seven years breathed real life into the character of Fred Ade Williams on the Mnet flagship soap Tinsel.

Victor Olaotan who was born in Lagos in the early 50’s, studied drama at the University of Ibadan, at the Obafemi Awolowo University and at Rockets University, United States.

An accomplished stage and screen actor, Olaotan warmed his way into the consciousness of television viewers, playing the leading role in Tinsel.

The 2021/22 UEFA Champions League final will hold at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia in May next year.

GROUP A
Manchester City
Paris St. Germain
RB Liepzig
Club Brugge

GROUP B
Club Atletico de Madrid
Liverpool FC
FC Porto
AC Milan

GROUP C
Sporting Clube de Portugal
Borussia Dortmund
FC Ajax Amsterdam
Besiktas JK

GROUP D
FC Internationale Milano
Real Madrid CF
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Sheriff Tiraspol

GROUP E
FC Bayern Munchen
FC Barcelona
Benfica
Dynamo Kyiv

GROUP F
Villarreal CF
Manchester United FC
Atalanta BC
BSC Young Boys

GROUP G
LOSC Lille
Sevilla CF
FC Salzburg
Vfl Wolfsburg

GROUP H
Chelsea FC
Juventus CF
FC Zenit St. Petersburg
Malmo FF

Bandits have abducted the widow of Alhaji Rabe Bello Kofa, the former head of Kofa village in Kusada Local Government Area of Katsina State.

A resident, who spoke anonymously, told our reporter that the kidnappers stormed the village in the early hours of Wednesday.

He said they went straight to the house of the village head, who died on Tuesday, and abducted some members of the bereaved family, including his widow.

“The village head of Kofa, who was an elder brother to a former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, died on Tuesday and was buried on the same day in accordance with Islamic rites.”

“Unfortunately, some gunmen entered the house and abducted about five members of the family including the wife of the deceased but later released four and held the widow in captivity. As we speak, she is still there with them,” he said.

When contacted, SP Gambo Isah, police spokesman in Katsina, said he would inquire from the DPO of the area and revert.

He had not done so as of the time of filing this report.

It was incredible to see the reception from the Spurs fans on Sunday and to read some of the messages of support I've had in the last few weeks. �⚽

I will be staying at Tottenham this summer and will be 100% focused on helping the team achieve success. #COYS

A tax appeal tribunal (TAT) sitting in Lagos has ordered Multichoice Nigeria Limited to pay 50 percent of N1.8 trillion to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over alleged tax evasion.

Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, FIRS spokesperson, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

Multichoice is the owner of the satellite television, DSTV, a popular subscription-based platform in Nigeria

The FIRS said it determined through a forensic audit that Multichoice Nigeria Limited had failed to pay to the government of Nigeria taxes worth N1.8 trillion.

The five-member TAT led by A.B. Ahmed, its Chairman, issued the order following an application to it by the counsel to FIRS.

A Sharia court sitting in Kano state has convicted Sadiya Haruna, Kannywood actress, of obscenity and indecent act after she was arraigned for “uploading sexual contents on her social media handles.”

The actress and social media blogger was arrested by the Kano state Hisbah board on Friday for allegedly sharing sexual content on her handles.

Her arrest was led by Aliyu Usman, head of the surveillance department of the Islamic outfit in the state.

She was thereafter detained in the custody of the Islamic police until Monday when she was arraigned at the Sharia court in the Sharada area of the state.

Hisbah had filed a one-count charge of obscenity and indecent act — which violates section 355 of penal code law 2000 — against the actress.

According to the Islamic police, the movie star allegedly shared indecent videos of herself dancing seductively and also made sexual comments on several occasions.

During her arraignment, Haruna pleaded guilty to the obscenity and indecent act charge against her.

In his ruling, Ali Jibril Danzaki, the judge, convicted her and then ordered her to attend Islamic school for a period of six months as sentencing for her offence.

The actress was also directed to attend the Darul Hadith Islamiyya session at Tudun Yola Quarters for the said period.

The court held that her Islamiyya attendance should be monitored by the school headteacher and the Hisbah command on daily basis.

Fifteen of the remaining 80 abducted students of Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna have been released from captivity.

Chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, confirmed the release in a telephone chat on Sunday.

Hayab said, “15 of the students were released on Saturday night, remaining 65 of them with the bandits.”

He added that there would be no ceremony about reuniting the children with their parents as the parents of those released will pick their children and go.

The bandits had said that the students would be released in batches when they freed the first batch of 28 on July 25, 2021, after they were said to have collected a ransom of N100m.

After the release of the 28 students in July, the bandits were said to have demanded for another N80m for the release of the remaining 80 students.

It was learnt that an undisclosed amount of money was paid before the 15 students were freed.

On July 5, bandits invaded the school located some few kilometers away from Kaduna metropolis and abducted 121 students.

Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed has given another timeline for the lifting of the Twitter ban imposed in June.

Last week, he said the ban will be lifted ‘in a matter of days’. He spoke after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

Today, in an interview with Reuters, Mohammed said the ban will be lifted before the end of the year.

He said the government was awaiting a response on three final requests made of the social media platform.

The ban, announced in June, has hurt Nigerian businesses and drawn widespread condemnation for its deleterious effect on freedom of expression and the ease of doing business in Africa’s most populous nation.

Mohammed said the government had reached agreements on seven of 10 of requests made to Twitter but was waiting for the company’s response on final issues, including setting up a local office, paying tax locally and cooperating with the government to regulate content and harmful tweets.

“We certainly want to put this behind us before the end of the year,” Mohammed said.

The government suspended Twitter on June 4 after it removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists.

It was a culmination of months of tension. Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey’s posts encouraging donations to anti-police brutality protests last October and Twitter posts from Nnamdi Kanu, a Biafran separatist leader currently on trial in Abuja, infuriated authorities.

Mohammed said Twitter “made their platform the platform of choice for separatists”, and was suspended because it threatened national unity.

The ban is just one area of concern for free speech advocates.

Nigeria dropped five spots, to 120, in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, which described Nigeria as one of the most dangerous and difficult West Africa countries for journalists.

Last month, Nigeria’s broadcasting regulator asked TV stations to curb their reporting of insecurity in the country by withholding details of incidents and victims.

But Mohammed said concerns over deteriorating freedom of speech were the result of misinformation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took in former Abia Governor, Theodore Orji, on Thursday.

Orji was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, but the commission parried a question on his whereabouts.

A source had informed DAILY POST that he is still being held at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi.

In an enquiry, EFCC Head of Media, Wilson Uwujaren affirmed that the ex-governor was nabbed.

“I can confirm to you that he was picked up today at the airport”, he replied.

Asked if Orji is still with the anti-graft agency, the spokesman said he could not provide more details. “I’m not speaking more than that for now.”

Orji currently represents of Abia Central District in the National Assembly.

The Senator is reportedly under interrogation alongside his son, Chinedu, Abia State House of Assembly Speaker.

Five children were killed when a disused grenade they were playing with exploded outside the northeast Nigerian town of Ngala, near the border with Cameroon, militiamen told AFP Friday.

“The five children picked up the explosive while herding in a field outside the town and it exploded in their hands as they were playing with it,” anti-jihadist militiaman Umar Kachalla said.

“Two of them died on the spot while the other three died in hospital in Mada, inside Cameroon,” he said.

Another militiaman, Umar Ari, gave a similar account of the incident, which happened on Thursday.

In August 2014, the Boko Haram jihadist group seized Ngala along with the nearby trading hub of Gamboru.

The two towns were recaptured in September 2015 by Nigerian troops with the help of Chadian forces following a months-long offensive.

Ari said unexploded mines and grenades from the conflict still litter the surrounding countryside and many children had been killed or injured.

In December 2019, nine people were killed and 26 injured when an explosive device went off on a crowded bridge linking Gamboru and Fotokol.

Residents blamed the explosion on a grenade disguised as a toy that, they said, had been given to some children as a gift by a Boko Haram insurgent.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division has dismissed an appeal filed by suspected kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, challenging the seizure of his 25 trucks by the Nigerian Police.

Three justices of the court dismissed Evans’ appeal for lacking in merit when the matter came up on Thursday.

Justice Joseph Ikyegh read the lead judgment which was supported by other members of the panel – Justice Abubakar Umar and Justice Onyekachi Otisi.

He held that the search warrant issued and executed in line with Section 144 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of Nigeria, 2015 empowered the police to recover the trucks.

The judge also held that Section 153 of the Administration of Criminal Justice of Nigeria 2015, permits the police to retain proceeds of crime until the case is disposed of.

He stated that these sections were in line with section 44(1)(k) of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which permits the temporary seizure of property for the purpose of investigation or for restitution.

Justice Ikyegh also held that since the trial was still pending, the word ‘confiscate’ as used by Evans’ counsel was not appropriate in this circumstance.

Consequently, he upheld the decision of Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari of Federal High Court and dismissed Evans’ appeal for lacking in merit.

At the Federal High Court, Evans had accused the Inspector-General of Police and four others of unlawfully seizing his 25 trucks and converting same to their own.

The other four respondents are the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Inspector-General of Police Response Team (IRT), Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Through his counsel, Olukoya Ogungbeje, Evans alleged that the said trucks were seized from him without a court order, as the police forcefully confiscated the trucks from him since June 15, 2017.

He asked the court to award N200 million as general and exemplary damages against the police for the alleged violation of his rights under Sections 36, 43, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution.

But the police, through their counsel, Emmanuel Eze, asked the court to dismiss the suit as the trucks were proceeds of crime and exhibits.

In a counter-affidavit put before the court, Inspector Haruna Idowu, said the suspect acquired 11 trucks with proceeds of crime, adding that 10 of them were recovered by the police.

He added that the trucks were listed as exhibits in the criminal charges filed against Evans at the Lagos State High Court.

“The applicant is the notorious and most dreaded armed robber and kidnapper known as Evans, who defiled police arrest for over 10 years and who had terrorised many states of Nigeria with his various gang members,” the policeman told the court.

“The applicant has no other source of livelihood except armed robbery and kidnapping, as so many arms and ammunition were recovered from the applicant during his arrest. The applicant had purchased various properties with proceeds of armed robbery and kidnapping.

“He purchased 11 trucks with proceeds of crime. The police recovered 10 in Lagos while they were able to tow the remaining one from Anambra State to Lagos due to the fact that the applicant’s brother-in-law, Mr Okwuchukwu Obiechina, and his wife had tampered with the brain box of the truck in a bid to pervert the course of justice.”

In a judgement delivered on April 19, 2019, Justice Rabiu-Shagari of the Federal High court dismissed Evans’ suit for lacking in merit.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Evans through his lawyer, Ogungbeje, approached the appeal court.

But the police through its counsel, Mr Eze Esq, also filed a counter to the appeal and urged the court to dismiss the appeal.

The board of trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a committee to resolve the crisis rocking the party.

David Mark, former senate president, made the announcement on Thursday after a closed-door meeting of the BoT at the party headquarters in Abuja.

The committee, which is expected to meet within the next 72 hours, will include governors, members of the BoT, members of the national assembly, members of the national working committee (NWC), former governors, and former ministers of the party.

The PDP is embroiled in an internal crisis, which has resulted in some major stakeholders dumping the opposition party.

Nigeria businesses may have lost N150.46bn ($366.88m) since the Federal Government’s ban on Twitter took effect in the country on June 5.

This figure was calculated based on the NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool. According to the tool, it costs Nigeria’s economy N102.77m ($250,600) every hour to ban Twitter.

It has been 1,464 hours (61 days) since the ban. In that time period, Nigeria may have lost N150.46bn.

The NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool estimates the economic impact of an internet disruption, mobile data blackout or app restriction in a nation using indicators from the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, Eurostat and U.S. Census.

The Federal Government had on June 4 announced the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. Telecommunication companies started blocking access to Twitter on June 5, after they received a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission to block access to Twitter.

The FG had cited the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence as the reason for the suspension.

Following the ban, groups including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, had dragged the Federal Government to the ECOWAS court.

The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it had not stopped Nigerians from using Twitter, adding that many Nigerians still used it every day.

This was in a counter-affidavit the government deposed to in response to an originating motion filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.

The affidavit said, “The applicant (Effiong) and the class he seeks to represent can still operate those Twitter accounts from anywhere in the world and even from Nigeria.

“Nigerians are still tweeting, even at this moment as the ban on Twitter is not aimed at intimidating Nigerians or an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to express their opinion.”

According to a report by Statista, Nigeria has about 33 million active social media users, with about 26 per cent on Twitter.

Since the ban, some Nigerians have migrated to the use of Virtual Private Networks.

ExpressVPN said in June that it recorded an increase of over 200 per cent in web traffic from Nigeria since the Federal Government banned Twitter.

VPN works by changing the location of devices they run on. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises have said this has not been good for their businesses.

In a report in The PUNCH, financial planner, Kalu Aja said, “Social media enables the brand to talk directly to consumers. It’s direct marketing, specific and targeted. There is no organisation on earth, profit or not-for-profit, without some form of advocacy via social media.

“The Twitter ban raises a narrative about doing business in Nigeria, and it’s not a good narrative. Specifically, Twitter and social media allow Small and Medium-scale Enterprises and sole proprietors with zero marketing budgets but a smartphone to build and communicate a brand promise.”

Olanregun Ayodele who sells women’s and men’s clothing on Twitter said, “Twitter was very important to my business. I got a lot of customers from Twitter.

“I can’t put an amount to it. But I have made money to sustain myself and my family from Twitter. Since the ban began, business has been stressful and tiring. Business is dry. Normally the end of the month is always booming but since the ban, it’s been so slow.

“People coming to my DM have reduced a lot; VPN has reduced lots of people and followers on Twitter.”

Another SME entrepreneur, Babatunde Motunrayo, who sells female accessories on Twitter said, “Twitter was very helpful. I got 75 per cent sales here, compared to other apps I sell on. I use Instagram too but make more sales from Twitter.

“It’s not been the same. Sales have been poor. Having to turn on and off your VPN most times makes you reply to clients late and before you know it, you’ve lost the client because some say they’ve got it from another vendor. Sometimes you won’t get messages early. Some people stopped using Twitter outright.”

PRESS RELEASE:

2023: MURIC REACTS TO CAN’S CALL FOR CHRISTIAN PRESIDENT

Nigeria’s Muslim human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has reacted to a recent statement issued by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in which it called for a Christian president for Nigeria by 2023. MURIC said while it is not opposed to the idea of a Christian president for Nigeria, CAN must wait for its turn.

MURIC spoke via its director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday, 2nd August, 2023. The full statement reads:

“The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) last week demanded a Christian president come 2023 (https://thenationonlineng.net/2023-can-pushes-for-christian-president/). But we believe that it is not yet the turn of a Christian to be the president of Nigeria if we want to go by mathematical exactitude from the time Nigeria began civil rule in 1999.

“Chief Mathew Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian, spent eight ( years as president (1999 – 2007). Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan also spent five (5) years (5th May, 2010 – 29th May, 2015). That brings the total spent by Christian presidents in Aso Rock to thirteen (13) years.

“Meanwhile Alhaji Musa Yaradua, a Muslim, spent three (3) years as president and the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, will be completing his eighth year in office by the good Grace of Allah on 29th May, 2023. By simple arithmetic, this will bring the total spent by the two Muslim presidents to eleven (11) years.

“MURIC is being generous, otherwise it would have towed the line of those who argue that Jonathan spent six (6) years and that will bring the total number of years spent by Christians to fourteen (14). In the same vein, we would have supported those who said Yaradua spent just two (2) years and that would have reduced the number of years spent by Muslims in power to ten (10) years.

“Muslims will be shortchanged by two or four years if a Christian becomes president in 2023. The ideal thing is to allow another Muslim to spend only one term from 2023 to 2027. There will be no doubt about who takes the reins of power from 2007 because a Christian must be installed as president at that time. All controversies would have been removed but there is controversy now.

“For the avoidance of doubts, we reiterate our readiness to accept a Christian as president but it must be at the right time. It will be unfair to install a Christian president in 2023 when Muslims still have a shortfall of two or four years. It is the group that has a two-year or four-year shortfall that should be given the chance for a make-up, not the group that has a two-year advantage.

“We advise CAN to wait for its own time and to stop heating up the polity with untimely demands. CAN should also take a retrospective look at its attitude towards the incumbent since 2015 when a Christian president left the stage. Nigerians are already comparing CAN’s weekly visits to Aso Rock in the days of Jonathan, a Christian president, to turn on the tap of gold and its extremely hostile stance to the incumbent, a Muslim president, since 2015. We really sympathise with CAN but facts are sacred. Figures and dates are sacrosanct.”


Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have again invaded some communities in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing four persons while several houses were burnt.

It was learnt that the attack, which also left several people injured, occurred while the people were sleeping on Saturday night.

National President of Irigwe Development Association, Ezekiel Bini confirmed the attack to The PUNCH in Jos on Sunday.

Bini said, “Fulani herdsmen have again attacked our people last night. This particular attack is more devastating.

“Houses from Zamuna Village and those close to Jebbu Miango have been burnt by the attackers.

“They further destroyed our farms by mowing the crops and setting several houses on fire. Four people have been confirmed killed and many seriously injured.”

Security agents, it was further gathered, have been deployed to the scene.

Aminu Masari, Katsina governor, says he has no joy governing a state plagued by insecurity.

Masari said this during an interview with DW Hausa on Friday.

He said the security situation in Katsina state has been giving him sleepless nights.

“In this difficult time and uncertainty, all the issue of governance has been dominated by security matters from sunset to dawn. I receive security reports at any moment through many channels daily,” he said.

According to him, the insecurity level in Katsina is alarming, adding that “no sensible leader who has the feeling of his people at heart will be happy in such situation”.

“Governing in this difficult time I see no joy that people are saying we are enjoying,” he said.

“In this kind of situation we are having sleepless nights. You only have a few hours to sleep with your phone beneath your ears and whoever calls you at midnight won’t do that to greet you but to tell you a problem that is happening.

“People misunderstood us (governors) as people enjoying themselves. Some people are just assuming things and we must not assume what we think is right because if someone is not in the system, he cannot understand the situation.

“The irony of this life is that a governor is being escorted with screaming siren so is the criminal being taken to prison, the dead person in an ambulance and firefighters all use sirens. So what is the joy about the sirens?

“The paramount thing about governance is that once you are at the helm of affairs, always prepare to leave. You must not allow yourself to be carried away by the arrogance of power.”

South South: 35.4%

North Central: 32.6%

North East: 31.9%

South West: 31.4%

South East: 25.9%

North West: 25.2%

<NBS, 2019>
#TheCableIndex

If any individual can assume the tirle of the biggets indirect cause of the October 2020 #EndSars protests against police brutality in Nigeria, it must be Abba Kyari, the 46-year-old Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) who was, till 2016, the Officer-in-Charge of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command.

The notoriety of SARS under him, as well as a few recent cases of gross abuse and killings of young Nigerians, stirred the bottled-up anger expressed in the weeklong protest.

CAREER AND EDUCATION

A Kanuri by tribe, Kyari was born into the Family of Alhaji Baba Kyari, native of Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe living in Maiduguri, Borno State, on March 17, 1975.

He attended the University of Maiduguri Staff Primary School and then proceeded to the Government College, Maiduguri, where he obtained a Senior Secondary School Certificate which qualified him to study Geography at the University of Maiduguri between 1993 and 1997. Following his mandated one-year youth service, Kyari was, in the year 2000, admitted into the Nigeria Police Academy, Mudil, Kano State, from where he graduated as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

Following a one-year stay in the Song Police Division, Kyari was deployed to Numan, Adamawa State, as Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), and then Commander, 14 PMF, Yola. In Lagos, he was first a 2IC, and then in 2011 he became the OC of SARS. Kyari was shot to limelight when, as commander of a newly formed Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), he nabbed Chukwudi Onwuamadike (also known as Evans), a notorious kidnap kingpin in Nigeria.

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

Kyari, the youngest high-ranking Nigerian police officer, was nicknamed ‘Nigeria’s Jagbawa’ for his sheet of successful covert police arrest and capture operations which earned him local and international accolades. Among his several awards are Leadership and Service excellence 2011, 2012, 2013; Star Award from CRAN 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017; Triple IGP Commendation Medal for courage 2012, 2013, 2014; Triple Lagos State Governor’s award for Gallantry; Best Anti-Crime Police Officer in West Africa from Security Watch Africa; Lagos State Commissioner of Police Commendation Award for Courage, 2011; Star Award for Outstanding Gallantry In Africa, 2018, by Security watch Africa; Africa’s Best Detective Of The Year, 2018; The best Police officer of the Decade Award; 2018 HERO of the year Award by Silverbird Group; and the Presidential Medal for Courage from President Mohammadu Buhari.

RIGHTS ABUSES AND EXTORTION

However, the allegations of human rights abuses, extortion and extrajudicial killings hanging around Kyari’s neck are about a match of the stars on his shoulder.

In October 2020, Afeez Mojeed narrated to the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other Related Matters how Kyari extorted N41million from him in 2014. According to the business man, Kyari, as OIC Lagos SARS, locked him up for 14 days, all the while forcing him to sign bank cheques, before charging him to court over trumped-up charges.

In 2019, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Amnesty International, after conducting separate investigations, accused Kyari’s IRT of gross human rights abuses and illegal expropriation of suspected proceeds of crime. In a petition to Ibrahim Idris, the then Inspector General of Police, Amnesty International said the Kyari-led team had been maltreating the wife of one Ezenwa, an alleged kidnapper killed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Imo State, while depleting his assets, which included a N220million hotel in Enugu and eight apartments worth about N180million.

HUSHPUPPI CONNECTION NO LONGER A HUSHED MATTER

While Kyari seemed to have ridden on his supercop status to cushion several weighty accusations, including that of extrajudicial killing, against him in the past, a recent report by an officer of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FIB) naming him as one of six persons who conspired to fraudulently obtain over $1m from a business person, shot him back to the news. The report, released on Wednesday, detailed Kyari’s role in the crime, alongside that of Hushpuppi, a popular Nigerian Instagram sensation, and five others.

Otis Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California had ordered the FBI to track Kyari and a senior police officer revealed, on Thursday, that the Nigeria Police Force would probe him over his indictment.

What is left to be seen now is what will become of Nigeria’s most decorated cop. And the answer might come in just a matter of days.

Ramon Abbas, widely known as Hushpupi, has pleaded guilty to multimillion-dollar fraud charges as part of a plea bargain he entered with the U.S. authorities, court documents seen by Peoples Gazette said.

The 37-year-old was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 and subsequently extradited to the United States where he has been facing charges of corruption in Central California.

Court documents said Mr Abbas admitted to laundering money and also orchestrated fraudulent attacks on a Premier League club, an American law firm, a UK law firm and other schemes as well as carefully recruiting North Korean state sponsored hackers to collaborate his fraudulent schemes.

The fraud was part of a business email compromise scheme that targeted several businesses across the world, with many of the victims being from the U.S.

The Instagram celebrity exhibited his luxurious designer lifestyle on social media claiming to be a real estate developer.

He reportedly stole about $40 million from a U.S. law firm.

He nearly conned an unnamed Premier League club of $124 million.

To avoid a lengthy trial, Mr Abbas entered a plea deal with the U.S. prosecutors in Central California on July 4, 2021 and it was sealed on July 27, 2021.

As part of the deal, Mr Abbas now faces up to 20 years in jail when he is due to be sentenced in the coming weeks.

He will also pay about $1.7 million in restitution to some of his victims.

Mr Abbas may also be made to forfeit between $9.5 million and $25 million as part of the deal, court filings said.

Several parts of the documents were redacted to protect confidential excerpts of the plea arrangement.

Mr Abbas has become the second Nigerian of public infamy to be sentenced by the U.S. over the past year.

In October last year, Obinwanne Okeke, also known as Invictus Obi, was sentenced to jail after being found guilty of fraud.

The consulate general of Nigeria in New York says it is making arrangements to enrol Nigerians living in the U.S. for NIN as part of the communications and digital economy minister Isa Pantami’s push to have citizens’ private information on a national database.

The consul general, Lot Egopija, stated this at a “hybrid” town hall meeting held at Nigeria House in New York for Nigerians residing in the area.

There has been a lot of pushback to the minister’s directive that Nigerians must register for the NIN largely based on his past relationship and utterances regarding terror entities, including Al Qaeda, the Taliban and Boko Haram.

A few days ago, Mr Pantami extended the National Identity Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification to October 31.

Mr Egopija explained that the consulate received a directive from the federal ministry of foreign Affairs to enrol its Nigerians living in the U.S.

The Nigerian envoy added that the consulate would soon conclude arrangements with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on the NIN registration.

Mr Egopija recalled that when he assumed office as the consul general a few months ago, he pledged to have regular interactive sessions with Nigerians living in the U.S. to get feedback and update them with developments at the consulate general.

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted seven naval officers in Edo State.

It was gathered that the naval officers were abducted at the weekend on the Sapele-Warri Road on their to Navy Engineering College, Sapele in Delta State.

However, our correspondent learnt that five of the officers have been rescued by the police.

Police spokesperson in Edo, Kotongs Bello, who confirmed the incident, said police operatives, acting on intelligence report, rescued five of the officers, while two others were still missing.

“We rescued five and two others are yet to be rescued. That is the one I am aware of,” he said.

Ace Comedienne, Damilola Adekanya, also known as Princess, on Tuesday identified another two suspects who also allegedly sexually harassed her 14-year-old foster child.

During her evidence in chief yesterday, Princess had narrated before the Lagos Special Offences Court how Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha allegedly raped her 14-year-old foster daughter in her residence.

The matter however took a new twist on Tuesday when the defence team led by Babatunde Ogala, SAN, during cross examination confronted Princess with a report she had made at the police station accusing one of her neighbours Damola Adekola of sexually harassing her daughter.

The defence team also confronted Princess with an allegation she had made against her gateman accusing him of exposing himself indecently to her daughter.

When asked why the first suspect, Adekola was arrested by the police Princess confirmed that it was in connection with an allegation by her daughter that he had attempted to sexually harass her in December 2020.

She also affirmed that she did not formally report the matter to the police until April 20, 2021.

The question by Babatunde, SAN, and the response from Princess followed thus:

Babatunde: Who is Damilola Adekola?

Princess: He is my Neighbour.

Babatunde: What did you have together?

Princess: We have some business together.

Babatunde: Why was he arrested by the police?

Princess: Because I was told by the victim that he attempted to sexually harass her.

Babatunde: When did the alleged molestation occurred?

Princess: In December 2020

Babatunde: When did you report to the police?

Princess: A week after baba Ijesha was arrested.

Babatunde: Why did it take you this long to report?

Princess: I can’t remember.

Immediately after the cross examination, journalists and members of the public inside the court were ordered out of the court to allow the victim who is a minor to give her testimony.

The matter was subsequently adjourned till August 11, 2021.

Many natives in critical condition as herdsmen attack Enugu community

An unspecified number of indigenes of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State were in the early hours of Monday attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

DAILY POST learnt that the victims were on their way to the market when they were waylaid at Opanda, in Uzo-Uwani, leaving many of them in terrible condition.

There are unconfirmed reports that some of the victims died.

DAILY POST also obtained graphic images of some of the victims with deadly machete cuts.

A source hinted that the victims were rushed to the Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, from where they were referred to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu.

The police are yet to issue an official statement on the attack.

An enquiry sent by DAILY POST to the spokesman of the Enugu Police Command, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, is yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report.

Few years back, Nimbo, in the same council area, suffered a similar attack, which left many dead.

Mr Akpan was arraigned on Monday at the State High Court in Uyo, alongside his father.

Uduak Akpan, the suspected killer of job seeker Iniobong Umoren, on Monday, pleaded guilty to the murder charges leveled against him. Mr Akpan was arraigned at the State High Court in Uyo, alongside his father.

He pleaded guilty to murder but pleaded not guilty to the rape charges, according to Premium Times report.

News of Iniobong Umoren as missing started on Twitter by a friend, with username @UmohUduak1, who had initiated the search for her missing friend on April 29. A few days later, news of Ms Umoren’s death was confirmed by the same user.

At the time, police announced that they had arrested two suspects believed to have played a role in the disappearance of Ms Umoren.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command further confirmed that it arrested Mr Uduak Akpan, disclosing that the suspect lured the victim to his house in the guise of offering her job.

The command said the suspect raped the victim in his house and killed her, discarding her remains in a shallow grave in his father’s compound.

Mr Akpan had recounted his tale during a press conference in May, narrating how he lured, attempted to rape the deceased and eventually murdered Ms Umoren using blunt trauma force after she had tried to defend herself.

Ms Umoren had announced on Twitter on April 27 that she was in need of a job. She had posted through her Twitter handle, @HinyHumoren.

Ms Umoren was confirmed dead on April 30 and buried on Friday at her hometown, Nung Ita, Ikot Essien in Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The Convener of RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, and others arrested during a protest at the Federal High Court, Abuja have been released.

Recall that the activist was arrested after he staged a protest in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, who is undergoing trial.

However, a few hours after their arrest, the ‘Buhari-Must-Go’ activist took his social media account to announce that he had been released alongside others.

He said, “They have just released us. They dragged, harassed and beat us. They took us to the Federal Secretariat Police Station. I told them that they have no right to arrest me.

“I have a right to observe the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. They took our cards and deleted all recordings.”