₦airaland Forum

By Kingsley Omonobi


A female soldier who recently got engaged to a corps member at the Yikpata Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kwara State was never by the army authorities.

Rather for perpetrating an act of indiscipline contrary to the code if the service, she was kept in a safe facility (guardroom) where erring personnel are kept in the enforcement of disciplinary discipline.

This is just as it emerged that the soldier may get a soft landing with a strong warning/reprimand over the incident.

A video of a male corps member proposing to a female soldier at the NYSC Camp recently went viral in the social media which is contrary to military laws.

In the clip, the lovers were seen sharing intimate moments while the corps member wore the lady’s military cap as she stood directly behind him. They thereafter shared a kiss to the delight of other corps members filming the incident.

A military officer maintained that the female soldier was never ‘arrested’, but was only going through a normal disciplinary measure to send a clear warning to others who may attempt to flout military rules.

“If the female soldier had not engaged in public romance in uniform at the orientation camp, but outside, nobody would have bothered.

“If she is not sanctioned, others may just be emboldened to do even worse than she did. Remember that military laws and regulations are different from that of the civil service.

“The military, as an institution, has its laws, and regulations that need to be followed and complied with, and if they are being abused by officers and soldiers, without any sanction, then it is only a matter of time before the institution loses its respect in the eyes of the public.”

A senior staff of the NYSC disclosed that even the male youth corps member who proposed to the female soldier was queried and reprimanded for sharing the video on social media, though he denied sharing it himself.

Army spokesperson, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu while speaking on the development said that it is an act of indiscipline for a trainer to engage in an affair with her trainee.

Describing the act as fraternisation in military terms, he said it is an act of gross misconduct for personnel to engage in romance while in uniform.

His words, “The Nigerian Army has codes of conduct, rules and regulations guiding our personnel whenever and wherever they are deployed for duty.

“As personnel, her task was to train the corps members and not to indulge in an amorous relationship with any of them.

Mr Nwachukwu said the public perception would have been different if a male soldier had proposed to a female trainee, adding that it (public) would have seen it as taking advantage of the female trainee.

“These rules were put in place for the purpose of proper administration and discipline in the Army. If I may ask, what if the soldier was a male? How would the public have perceived his action? Definitely, it would have been perceived as taking advantage of a female corps member, a trainee, put in his care for training.

“The same applies here. The Nigerian military like all others has its disciplinary codes, distinct from that of the general society. Every personnel has voluntarily undertaken to be bound by this code,” he noted.

The streak of scientific feats recorded by the 12-year-old Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has been taken a notch higher as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently gave the institution approval to commence the production of the ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid, with effect from December 16, 2021.

A statement issued yesterday and signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs of the institution stated that ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid is an immune booster and antioxidant for coronavirus and other viral infections, which can also be used as an anti-inflammatory agent.

“It is a product which has been conscientiously produced and packaged in 100ml bottles with an instructional leaflet and dosage measurement cup.

“With this achievement, ABUAD has joined researchers in some foreign universities which have been making efforts to produce anti-viral medications for the treatment of Covid-19.

“Besides, ABUAD has further confirmed its frontline position in quality teaching, impactful research and community service. It has also demonstrated to the world that the solutions to the ravaging Covid-19 may not be far-fetched after all but, could indeed, be found by African scientists”

NAFDAC was said to have conveyed the approval news to ABUAD on December 17, 2021, in a letter with index number 210819, serial number 0000177510 and NAFDAC Listing Number A7-100180L signed by the Director-Generalof NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola C Adeyeye.

In his response to the development, the Founder/ Chancellor of the university, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, recalled: “The university was founded on three pillars of quality and functional education, research and community service in order to reform education and revive research in Nigerian universities.”

Corroborating, the university’s Director of Research, Prof Opemiposi Omotuyi, pointed out that the research breakthrough on herbal medicine has been made possible by the assemblage of quality and sophisticated equipment and infrastructure in the university.

The Chief Pharmacist, Mrs. Toyin Afolabi, expressed gratitude to stakeholders like the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), parents, committed and dedicated teachers and students whose combined efforts made the university what it is today.

With this achievement, the Chief Medical Director of ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, appealed to industries in Nigeria to reach out and partner with ABUAD in research and investment in products and services, which will enhance the quality of their products and quality of life of humanity.

Tunde Oyekola


The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said that 53 lecturers of the University of Ibadan and several others in state universities, including the Ebonyi State University, have not been paid salaries for more than one year.

The union explained that this was the reason it would embark on another strike soon.

Renewing it threat to embark on long strike over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action between it and the Federal Government, the Coordinator, Ibadan zone, ASUU, Prof Oyebamiji Oyegoke, called on Nigerians to intervene “at this critical moment before our members withdraw their services.”

Speaking at an interaction with journalists on the sideline of celebration of the Human Rights Day on Friday after the union’s zonal meeting at the University of Ilorin, Oyegoke lamented the harrowing condition that lecturers were being subjected to.

“Fifty-three lecturers of the University of Ibadan have not been paid their salaries since December 2020 till date, while lecturers in the Ebonyi State University have not been paid their salaries for months and the state governor has established two more universities without paying the lecturers of the existing one,” he stated.

He said the full implementation of terms of the 2020 MoA, including funding for the revitalisation of public universities; payment of earned academic allowances, withheld salaries and promotion arrears; renegotiation of the 2009 agreement; and inconsistencies in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System and the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, was imperative.

Oyegoke, who accused the Federal Government of insincerity in fulfilling its part of the agreement, condemned the piecemeal implementation of the contentious issues in the MoA.

He stated, “Our base line is the full implementation of the 2020 MoA freely signed by the Federal Government and the union. This calls for a lot of concern. There’s no commitment to the agreement entered into. The government is not sensitive to the welfare of workers. That’s why we’re using these channels to sensitise the people so that they won’t see us as using strike as the only tool of fighting for our demands.

ASUU to decide on strike Dec 15
“While we commend interventions of notable Nigerians in the matter, it should be stated here that it is about actions and not deliberations. These are no new demands. Some of our members have not been paid salaries since December last year and they’re still working. It shows commitment on our part.

“Selective treatment of issues in dispute instead of a comprehensive approach will no longer be acceptable to our members. We shall no longer take the issue of the welfare of our members for granted. Any treatment of MoA of 2020 that precludes its full implementation and rejection of the IPPIS will be incomplete. If it has taken ASUU’s position of resuming a suspended strike action to rouse the government from its sleep of non-implementation of the MoA of 2020, one needs to ask how many of such reminders should ASUU give before its demands are met.

“It is on the basis of the failure of the government to meet up with the promises made as attested to in the MoA of 2020 that the union is calling on Nigerians to intervene at this critical moment.

By Victor Edozie
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has sacked the State Commissioner of Health, Professor Princewill Chike, for not seeking the State government’s approval to host the preliminary session of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, in Port Harcourt.

The governor described the unilateral decision of the Commissioner to host the MDNC without the consent of the Rivers State Government as most embarrassing.

A statement on Monday by Kevin Ebiri, the Special Assistant to Governor Nyesom Wike on Media, said the governor announced the sack of Professor Chike when the Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Professor Abba Wasiri Hassan, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

The governor explained that the Rivers State Government never requested to host the preliminary session of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, stressing that the Commissioner of Health erred to have unilaterally scheduled to host the MDCN event at the same time when the State Government is commissioning and flagging off projects.

“Frankly speaking, I have never seen an embarrassment like this in my life.

“Everybody knows that it is not my nature to bring people and you cannot attend to them or host them. So, whoever has done this will suffer for it.”

Governor Wike said the request by the MDCN that state governors should establish one tertiary hospital in each of their senatorial districts will not be realizable due to the paucity of funds.

“You have talked about siting tertiary hospital in each of the senatorial districts, you know it is not possible.

“That is why in Nigeria we have a problem. When you go for your budget, you put all kinds of projects. You know it cannot work. Where will you get the money to site these in each of the senatorial districts?”

The governor explained that in a bid to improve citizens’ access to quality healthcare service delivery, his administration had embarked on the construction of some zonal hospitals in Bori, Degema, Etche, Ahoada and Omoku.

He further stated that his administration had also invested a huge amount of resources in promoting medical education in the state, particularly, with the establishment of the Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences and the annual award of scholarship to 130 indigenes of the state studying medicine at PAMO University of Medical Sciences.

The Chairman of MDCN, Professor Abba Wasiri Hassan, commended Governor Wike for his positive attitude towards healthcare and medical delivery services in Rivers state, particularly, the huge investment in Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences, award of scholarship to indigenes of the state studying medicine and the construction of a world-class Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Port Harcourt.

A chief in Adamawa State, Umar Mustapha has been stripped of his chieftaincy title after he criticised the Governor of the state, Ahmadu Fintiri for spending N200 million on cars for traditional rulers in the state.

The chief who formerly held the traditional title of Mukaddas Adamawa was deposed by the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo.

Mustapha had in an earlier statement berated the state governor for spending such an amount of money on traditional rulers while pensioners in the state were being owed their entitlements.

He was quoted as saying, ''The good gesture done to the revered Monarchs is a misplaced priority and Mr Fintiri wants to bribe his way by buying the conscience of the traditional rulers building (sic) to the 2023 elections

“I wonder why the gesture must be done now knowing the fact that the governor knows their need for vehicles long ago since coming into government.

“The decision to get the exotic vehicles for the first-class traditional rulers while pensioners are dying of hunger, battling to pay their children school fees is a gross insensitivity of the government toward the common man whose pension and gratuity is their right.

“Let me tell you the general perception of people over this matter is that the government is trying to bribe them to pipe them low because the government has neglected and caused them a lot of hardship.

“In another way, the government is trying to soften their stand. There is a plan which everybody knows of reducing their domain by creating new Chiefdoms to balkanize the existing ones. Naturally, they wouldn’t want that to happen. So to me, he gave them these vehicles to get soft landing which many termed to be a bribe.

"How do you give someone a car and don’t have the resources to maintain it? The intention is not a good one. If the government has good intentions to help them, they would have sat down with them and found out their problems. I am sure they will tell him things that bother them that are much better than the vehicles he provided.”

In reaction to the statement, the Emir, Barkindo, in a statement through the emirate secretary, Khalil Kawu, said Mustapha has been deposed.

The Emir described Mustaphe as not fit to remain a chief because of his "deliberate attack on the governor".

“The paramount ruler of the Fombina said Umar Mustapha does not deserve to hold the title as a result of his deliberate attack on the governor on the presentation of the vehicles to first-class traditional rulers in the state.

“The unguarded utterance on the government is unwarranted and is an affront on the traditional institution which he is just part and parcel of.

“The presentation of the vehicles by the Fintiri administration comes after a long time when the institution benefited from such laudable gesture and wondered why that has become an issue to people when they are expected to support the government towards promoting its well-intentioned peace-building initiative across the state.”

By Ameh Ejekwonyilo

Parents of fleeing students of Dowen College in Lagos as well as the school management could be held liable over the alleged assault and eventual demise of Sylvester Oromoni, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, KWASU, Muhammed Akanbi, has said.

Oromoni Junior was a 12-year-old Junior Secondary School 2 student of Dowen College at Lekki area of Lagos State.

Police in Lagos had on Tuesday, confirmed the arrest of three students of Dowen College, in connection with the controversial death of the 12-year-old student of the school.

The police spokesperson in the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, however, did not disclose the identities of those students in custody.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the bereaved family had insisted that the 12-year-old mentioned five senior students of the college in his last-minute narrative on how he was allegedly tortured over his refusal to join a secret cult.

The father, Sylvester Oromoni Snr, also said his son confided in him that he was handed a substance to drink.

There have been speculations that some parents of the suspected students had flown their children out of Nigeria to evade arrest and possible prosecution.

‘Why parents of fleeing students may be liable’

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Akanbi, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said it might be difficult to prosecute parents for the “sins” of the children. “But there is something called aiding and abetting.”

“That is, a person has committed an offence, and you helped that person to escape from justice, then our criminal books have something for such parents.

“Those these are juveniles, but we still have provisions of the law that will bring them to justice,” the Vice-Chancellor explained

“So, if a parent has deliberately moved his or her child from the country to escape justice, that parent should be liable for the particular offence of allowing an offender to escape justice,” he said.

Giving perspectives on the school’s alleged abdication of responsible, Mr Akanbi admitted that is a bit technical, “whether the school (Dowen College) is vicariously liable,” querying if, “The school put in place mechanisms that will checkmate bullying.”

Two more Dowen college students and three house masters reportedly arrested as police obtain court order to remand students in a juvenile center

Two additional students of Dowen college have reportedly been arrested and detained by the Lagos State Police Command over their alleged involvement in the torture and death of their schoolmate, Sylvester Oromoni. This is according to a report by TVC.

This brings the total number of students in Police custody to five.

Meanwhile, three house masters who were on duty on the day the incident happened have been taken into police custody.

Police say they have obtained a court order to detain the students for 21 days at the Juvenile centre

Earlier, three students and their parents who visited the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba in the company of their parents were detained.

Two of the parents of the accused students have come out to say their children are not responsible for the death of Sylvester Oromoni.

The mother of Edward Brown, one of the students who allegedly tortured the 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. has finally reacted.

Ms Oluchi Sunday in a statement issued on Tuesday stressed that her son wasn’t involved in Sylvester’s death.

Sylvester’s cousin, Perry Oromoni had taken to social media to allege that some senior pupils of the college beat him up in his hostel room for refusing to join a cult.

The school, however, denied the claim, stating that the boy complained of pain in his legs and hip following an injury he sustained while playing football.

The Lagos State Government on Friday, December 3, 2021, following a public outcry, ordered the shutting down of the school indefinitely to ensure a thorough investigation.

Since his death made news, the names of some students he reportedly mentioned as attacking him before he passed on have been shared online.

Edward’s mum, Ms Oluchi Sunday, in a statement, has denied her son’s involvement in the unfortunate incident.

According to her, Edward is a day student and wasn’t on the school premises on the day Sylvester was attacked.

Her statement reads:

“It has come to my attention that some individuals caused rumours to be peddled on social media platforms suggesting that my son Edward Brown is one of the students allegedly involved in the beating of the late Sylvester Oromoni Jr at a Dowen College hostel, which resulted in his untimely death.

“To set the record straight, I wish to bring the following facts to the public notice, which demonstrate that such rumours are false, malicious and lack any basis whatsoever:

“1. My son is a day student and has never been a boarder.

“2. Because my son is a day student, he was not on the school premises at the time when the unfortunate incident occurred, precisely on the night of 21st November 2021, during a weekend and so, could not have been in the hostel as alleged.

“3. In a social media post made on 1st of December 2021, on the deceased’s elder brother’s Instagram page, “greatoromonii”, five names, including Dowen College were mentioned before the conclusion: “… just know he called your names before he died”. My son’s name was not among those names.

“As a result of these false and malicious rumours, my son and I have been under constant attack via social media, with insults and threats being hurled at us daily. This has caused us much emotional distress and mental trauma.

“Therefore, on behalf of myself and my son, Edward Brown, I hereby demand that managers of social media and other platforms where the false and libellous rumours are circulating, immediately retract the offending posts and tender a public apology to us.

“We commiserate with the Oromini family for the tragic loss of Sylvester Oromini Jr and pray for the repose of his soul.

The Dowen College Parents’ Forum in Lagos State has reacted to an online campaign that parents should withdraw their children from the school following the death of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni, who was allegedly bullied and killed by fellow pupils.

The forum earlier called for a change of school management and hostel teachers as well as the installation of Closed Circuit Television Cameras in the school amid the public outrage that has followed Sylvester’s painful death.

In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, one of the executive members of the forum, Aituaz Kola-Oladejo, said parents withdrawing their children from the school would not solve any problem.

There has been an online campaign tagged #justiceforsylvesteroromoni, asking parents to withdraw their wards from Dowen College over the way the school has handled the matter.

However, Kola-Oladejo said the moment should be seen as an opportunity to totally reform secondary education in Nigeria, generally.

“People react differently to information. We are parents in the school. Academic wise, the school is very sound, I must say; I have three children there,” she said.

“There are lapses but I would not say that people should withdraw their children at this point in time. I would rather say this is a time to heal, reconcile and build. That is my message for Dowen parents; let us work with Dowen management to build and Dowen management is ready to cooperate but they are going through a lot now with the police and all of that.

“I know that there have been cases in other schools where students were bullied as well. It is an opportunity for reform in Nigerian secondary schools generally. Withdrawing your children from this school is not the solution to the problem but that might be the first reaction out of fear. I don’t think it is a graveyard. The school will turn 25 years next year and a number of people who attended the school have done well.

“And there were some processes they put in place in January but it is just unfortunate that some other things that they should have addressed were not addressed and those things are also as important as academic work but I cannot comment further on this because we are also waiting for the outcome of the investigation.

“Justice for Sylvester is justice for all and that is where the Dowen Parents’ Forum stands and that is why we are planning a candlelight service for him tomorrow to honour his memory and commiserate with his parents.”

On why it took the parents’ forum so long to react to the death of Sylvester and the controversies that have surrounded the school in recent times, Kola-Oladejo said it took some time to get the parents to come together, adding that it was important to have a common voice.

She said, “The parents really didn’t have an online forum. If you notice, this is the parents’ forum and not the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association), so we had to reach out to all the parents with children in different classes – junior and secondary schools – to organise this forum and we agreed that we had to put a statement out there because we are also saddened by the loss of Sylvester.

“We have been working on this and there are several other things that we are working on. We are working on a wellness committee to help traumatised children and parents, so that is why it also took us some time to react. Some parents are traumatised; I couldn’t sleep for days. Some children are traumatised as we speak. Some were classmates, roommates, bunkmates of Sylvester. It is really painful so we had to come together and express ourselves with a common voice because this a tough time for every Dowen parent.”

When queried about why bullying was allegedly not taken seriously in the school by the management and the parents, she said there had been nothing as serious as Sylvester’s case in the school’s history.

“This is the first time I personally have heard of a case this bad, there can be cases of a student bullying another student in class but the school has an anti-bullying policy so such students have been reprimanded and there have been cases in the past when Dowen College suspended some students.

“So really, this particular one is one very serious one. They have had cases but I don’t think they have had a case this bad in its history, which is about 25 years. I am personally not aware of a case this bad in the 4-5 years (I have had children) in the school.”

SaharaReporters earlier today reported that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, revealed that three students of the college were being investigated over the death of Sylvester.

Although Odumosu did not give the identities of those in custody, he had insisted that they were the main suspects.

The story of 12-year-old Sylvester went viral last week after a family member went on social media to demand justice.

In a series of Tweets, the family member, with handle @Perrisonoromoni, said Sylvester was assaulted by some senior students of Dowen College.

He added that Sylvester died after sustaining multiple internal injuries from being tortured and bullied.

Also, in a video released online by the family member, Oromoni Jr was seen writhing in pain. His teeth were stained dark red with blood. His legs were swollen, and his belly was bloated.

The Management of Dowen College in a statement had claimed that Sylvester was injured while playing football. In another statement, they assured that they would cooperate with authorities to investigate the incident.

The Lagos State government through its Ministry of Education paid an inquiry visit to the college and announced on Friday that the school be shut down indefinitely.

The Police Service Commissions (PSC) says recruits of the Nigeria Police Force will be trained locally.

PSC chairman and former Inspector-General of Police, Musiliu Smith, stated this during a press briefing in Abuja.

The German Government had on Tuesday asked the federal government to release at least 30,000 police personnel for special training in Germany on how to manage protests without using weapons.

But Smith said Nigeria and Germany are two different societies.

According to him, it is important for police personnel to undergo training locally so as to screen them when they are at the basic level of the force.

He said: “We have to screen them. You know the German people were around. They had discussions with the government and some relevant organisations, the discussion is still on.

“The government there is willing to support good security in our country, and we’re also ready to encourage them, but definitely, the earliest or the basic set of personnel will still hold their training here.

“Gradually, if they have facilities, we need to go and see whatever facilities and whatever is there and the curriculum they are using because the two societies are different societies.

“We want to be sure that there are things we need to input into our systems that will help us.”

Police intelligence at SCID Panti, Yaba, have commenced an extensive investigation to know the motive behind a 24-year old man, who was caught with 8 pieces of 600mm mortar bomb explosives in Lagos State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that disaster may have been averted following the arrest of the suspect, Ibrahim Abdullahi, after he and others at large allegedly smuggled 8 pieces of uncharged mortar bombs inside the Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ikeja, Lagos.

However, they ran out of luck after the security intelligence suspected the movement of Abdullahi and searched the bag he was carrying and discovered that he was in possession of the bombs.

He was immidiately arrested and the bombs were recovered from him as exhibits, while his other accomplices escaped and are now at large.

It was not yet certain the motives behind their action and where they got the explosives. Some, who heard about it, suspected they might have smuggled the bombs into the cantonment to bomb the barrack. While others suspected they may have smuggled the explosives for safe keeping for an undisclosed operations in the State since they were not Military officers.

The Police have already charged the prime suspect, Abdullahi before the Ebute Meta Magistrates Court and he was remanded in custody while the investigation is still ongoing to unmask those behind the act.

The motion was moved by the prosecutor, Inspector Olatunde Kehinde, who asked the Court to remand the defendant in custody pending the outcome of investigation and DPP’s advice.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.A.Oshoniyi, ordered the remand of Abdullahi in custody pending the outcome of DPP’s while the Police were said to have intensified efforts to apprehend other accomplices now at large.

The Senate Committee on Finance has said there is no provision for monthly N5000 transport grant to 40 million poor Nigerians in the 2022 budget currently being considered by the National Assembly.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had said the federal government plans to remove fuel subsidy mid next year and the transport allowance was to cushion its potential negative impact on the most vulnerable Nigerians.

But the Senate committee said the 2022 budget proposal contains fuel subsidy, but no provision for the proposed N5000 transport grant, which amounts to N2.4 trillion annually.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Adeola Olamilekan Solomon, stated this while speaking with newsmen after presenting his panel’s report on 2022 budget to the Appropriations Committee.

He said before the executive could embark on such intervention, a proposal to that effect must be sent to the National Assembly for approval.

He also raised questions about the criteria to select the beneficiaries of the proposed transport subsidy.

Olamilekan said, “The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning was quoted to have said that 40 million Nigerians would be paid N5000 as transportation allowance in lieu of the fuel subsidy.

“I don’t want to go into details for now. I believe that if such proposal is to come to pass, a document to that effect must be sent to National Assembly for us to see how possible it is and how do we identify the 40 million Nigerians that are going to benefit.

“There are still a lot of issues to be deliberated upon and looked into if eventually this will come to pass. How do we raise this money to pay these 40 million Nigerians because I know that even the federal government revenues are from this so-called oil and other sources.

“We don’t have anywhere in the budget where 40 million Nigerians will collect N5000 monthly as transportation allowance totaling N2.4 trillion.

“I know that there must be a budgetary provison for this for us (National Assembly) to consider. That is why I said it is still a news out there until it is formally sent to the National Assembly for either a virement to the budget or reordering of the budget.

A new militant group in Rivers State called ‘Bayan-Men’ has again attacked another oil facility belonging to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company in the Obosi area of Omoku, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.

The attack followed the expiration of the 24-hour ultimatum the militants issued to the company to address their demands.

It was gathered that the fresh attack resulted in an explosion that shattered the serenity of the area.

The registration fees for school candidates of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), has been increased.

The fee was hiked from N13,950 to N18,000 starting from 2022.

This was disclosed on Monday by the Head of National Office (HNO) for West African Examination Council, Mr Patrick Areghan, while announcing the release of the results of the 2021 WASSCE in Lagos State.

Areghan ascribed the increment to unabating spiral inflation in the country, worsened devastating effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“As can be seen, in the general cost of doing business and the multiplier effect of insecurity in the country which have consequential effects on the cost of our operations, it is no longer possible to continue to provide services with the current fee of N13,950 per candidate.

“We have received approval from the appropriate quarters with effect from the WASSCE for School Candidates 2022 to charge N18,000 per candidate.

]“We are, therefore, asking all schools principals to collect N18,000 per candidate for registration.

“Any amount beyond this ceiling will not be to our consent or knowledge and will definitely not come to the purse of the West African Examinations Council,” Areghan warned.

The WAEC boss noted that a part of the new fees would go into remunerations enhancement for the various examination functionaries with effect from 2022 as approved by the council’s Governing Board.

Areghan who gave the breakdown of the 2021's WASSCE, said a total of 1,573,849 candidates registered for the examination from the 19,425 recognized secondary schools in the country.

He added that out of the registered candidates, 1,560,261 actually sat for the examination and results of 1,256,990 candidates were fully processed and released, while 303,271 others were still being processed due to some unresolved issues.

The WAEC boss further continued that efforts were being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released within the next week.

“The analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates in the examination shows that out of the 1,560,261 candidates that sat for the examination, 1,398,370, representing 89.62 percent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five subjects, that is, with or without English Language and/ or Mathematics.

“A total of 1,274,784 others, representing 81.7 percent obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

“Of this number, 630,138, that is, 49.43 per cent, are male candidates, while 644,646, that is, 50.57 percent, are female candidates,” he said.

According to WAEC, there is an appreciable 16.46 percent improvement in the performance of those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, which was 65.24 percent for 2020 WASSCE.

The Presidency has said that states’ judicial panels on police brutality and extrajudicial killings won’t submit their reports to the Federal Government.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, made this known on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme monitored by The PUNCH.

The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters had on Monday, November 15, 2021, submitted a 309-page report to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

In the leaked report, Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel noted that at least nine persons were confirmed dead at the Lekki toll plaza when soldiers stormed the tollgate to disperse EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020.

“The atrocious maiming and killing of unarmed, helpless and unresisting protesters while sitting on the floor and waving their Nigerian flags and while singing the National Anthem can be equated to a massacre in context,” the report partly read.

Sanwo-Olu, who received the report, constituted a Committee to bring forward a White Paper within the next two weeks to be considered by the Lagos State Executive Council.

The submission of the Lagos judicial panel report coincided with the visit of United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, to Abuja, Nigeria, last week.

Nigerian President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had told Blinken that his regime would allow the system to exhaust itself, and would, therefore, wait for pronouncements from state governments that set up panels to probe police brutality in the country.

Speaking on the television programme today, Adesina said the reports by the states’ panels won’t be submitted to the Federal Government.

When asked whether the states would submit the reports to the Federal Government, he said, “Not to the Federal Government. Under the law, Federal Government has no power to en-panel a probe by the states.

“What would happen is that when the state comes up with pronouncements on that panel reports, that would then be of interest to the Federal Government; it is not as if they would bring it to the Federal Government.”

Adesina said the Federal Government would then look into areas of interest in the report and address the areas.

The presidential spokesman said Nigerians should be reminded that 36 policemen were killed around the country during the EndSARS protests last year and the perpetrators should be held accountable.

He also said America has its fair share of police brutality, adding that it was not just a Nigerian thing but a global phenomenon.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) electricity consumers are not required to pay directly for the meters issued to them.

This is contained in a statement NERC issued in Abuja on Monday.

“We wish to reiterate that the NMMP designed to provide all consumers of electricity with meters is a policy intervention of the Federal Government supported by the Central Bank (CBN) concessionary loans to Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCoS).

“This laudable initiative is still very much on course as a total of over 900, 000 units of meters have so far been installed under the takeoff scheme without any payment by benefiting consumers.

“While this doesn’t cover many of the unmetered customers, we are pleased to inform electricity consumers that the next phase under which about four million units of meters would be procured from local meter manufacturers has commenced,” it said.

“Pending the conclusion of the NMMP, procurement processes and the commencement of manufacturing

and installation, consumers may elect to acquire a meter from the Meter Asset Programme (MAP).

NERC said that the regulatory framework approved by the commission under MAP/NMMP Regulation provide for refund of cost of meter through energy credits to the customer at the time of vending.

The commission said that the recently issued notice by the commission on the adjusted cost of meter was designed to protect consumers from arbitrary pricing by MAP.

According to NERC, this is in context of recent changes in macroeconomic parameters affecting cost of production.

NERC advised that clarification be made from its Public Affairs Department on any regulatory matter so as to avoid misinforming innocent consumers.

(NAN)

While Nigerians continue to complain of the huge budget allocation to the National Assembly over the year and the close to N2 trillion allocated to the security sector in the 2022 budget, indication was that, the revenue collecting agency of the Federal Government, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS’s) N228 billion allocation in the 2022 Appropriation Bill surpasses the 2022 budget of the National Assembly (N134 billion) and the judiciary (N120 billion).

Sunday Telegraph further search revealed that the tax agency’s 2022 budget also surpasses the current 2021 budgets of Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states.

Further finding showed that this super rich agency budgeted N17.8 billion for miscellaneous expenses In its 2022 budget proposal, the tax body earmarked N2.5 billion for the purchase of land, N3 billion for office furniture, N1.5 billion for photocopying machines, N2.04 billion for computers and N500 million for the construction of sports facilities.

The agency set aside N1billion for generator fuel and N250 million for maintenance while a separate N550 million was set aside for purchasing more generators.

Further search into the 2022 Budget indicates that FIRS will spend N6 billion on its new headquarters and N2 billion on the purchase of vehicles. It budgeted about N1.3 billion for cleaning and fumigation of its offices nationwide while N1.4 billion will be spent on general maintenance services.

The agency budgeted about N1.3 billion for office stationery and computer consumables while N3 billion will be spent on printing non-security documents. It will spend N1.4 billion on electricity charges, N460 million on telephone charges and N1.3 billion on security services.

The FIRS plans to spend N7.9 billion on donations and N200 million as contributions to international organizations, while it earmarked N800 million for legal services, N1.04 billion on bank charges, N9.5 billion on welfare packages and N1.1 billion on staff retreat as well as N2.9 billion on repairs.

A key highlight of the budget is the sum of N2.8 billion for “uniforms and clothing” for the year 2022. The “uniforms and clothing” being mentioned here is strictly “drivers’ uniform”, as the agency in 2019 budgeted N160 million for 850 drivers uniforms, bringing the cost of each driver uniform to N188, 235, 29.

Similarly, the Board members shall be earning N370 million sitting allowance for the incoming year, N550 million for refreshments, N200 million for sporting activities, set aside N262.5 million for security votes while N17.8 billion would be spent on “miscellaneous” expenses.

By Emmanuel Aziken

One of the most bombastic questions that arose from the fallouts of the Anambra governorship election was the issue of the whereabouts of the 200,000 All Progressives Congress, APC voters who endorsed Senator Andy Uba as the candidate during the party primaries.

That question that had been sarcastically rehearsed and rephrased by APC critics was itself brought to the fore by Andy Uba in his rejection of the outcome of the election result last Thursday.

The Andy Uba Campaign in articulating its rejection of the election result said:

“It is inconceivable that our candidate, who polled over 200,000 votes in the APC primary election would be allocated a slightly above 43,000 votes by INEC,” the campaign fumed in a statement issued by Ambassador Jerry Ugwoke.

The reaction was shocking to many especially as it was signed by Ambassador Ugwoke, one of the most erudite legislators to have come out of Anambra State.

The rebuttal of the election result inevitably resurrected the questions that smeared what was described as a primary that was not.

Many would remember that the Anambra APC primary turned into an issue when only Andy Uba out of the 12 aspirants who were cleared for the primary accepted the outcome of the primary.

11 other aspirants rejected the outcome of the primary in which Andy Uba coasted home with 230,201 of the 348,490 total votes supposedly cast in that direct primary.

What was outstanding in that primary was that Senator Chris Ngige and the 11 aspirants affirmed that the primary did not hold.

However, the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led panel insisted that it conducted a primary in which Andy Uba dusted every other aspirant with 66% of the votes.

Remarkably, the election turned into a totally different ball game for Senator Uba.

With Governor Abiodun far away in Ogun State and a heavy complement of security men monitoring the newly introduced BVAS machines, almost 200,000 of those who backed Andy Uba in the APC primaries were unable to exercise their franchise.

So, Andy Uba may have had a point in claiming that his support base which helped him to victory in the APC primary was rigged out!

Though Andy Uba lost out in Anambra, many who have followed the trend in APC direct and indirect primaries would not be surprised to report that the support which ‘favoured’ aspirants get in primary elections are often missing in the main election.

In 2019, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu defeated the incumbent governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode in the APC primary by polling 970, 851 votes to the 72,901 credited to Ambode.

However, in the main election, Sanwo-Olu polled only 739,445, about 250,000 votes less than the score he got in the APC primary.

Given the trend towards direct primaries, this is an ugly trend that needs to be checked in order to ensure that our democracy is built up to fully express the wishes of the party grassroots.

Many are indeed shocked that Andy Uba chose to resurrect what should have been buried, but the former political top player chose to bring further scrutiny unto his political past.

Few would dispute the fact that Andy Uba is about or has been one of the most influential political operators in the country. He used his opportunity to make many men and penetrate institutions.

As President Obasanjo’s most trusted ally, he had the unique position of appointing people into positions who till today continue to repay him even if it involves breaching the tenets of democratic culture.

He was reportedly the one who appointed Prof Chukwuma Soludo as governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. There are also many who credit him with the appointment of Prof. Maurice Iwu as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In the Senate when many gravitated towards plush committees, Andy Uba got for himself the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on INEC. In the opinion of some, that option was simply to entrench himself in INEC.

However, unfortunately, the structure and systems in INEC that may have been disposed to him could not obfuscate the truth of the newly introduced BVAS machine.

Even more, another lesson from the Anambra election was the demystification of men and women of timber and calibre.

As the Andy Uba Campaign quipped, they had successfully ensured that the majority of powerful politicians in the state were won over to the APC. However, on election day nearly all of them failed to deliver their polling booths to the APC.

With the onset of electronic voting, the influence of such heavyweights that Andy Uba relied on is bound to diminish.

It is unfortunate that despite the men and women that Andy Uba has successfully built that the grassroots turned against him.

The lesson from this is for other politicians to look beyond the big names and do things that would impact on the grassroots where the power base is now gravitating to.

By Abdullateef Aliyu
The Nigerian Railway workers are to embark on a 3-day warning strike from Thursday, November 18 to November 20, 2021.

General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR), Comrade Segun Esan, confirmed this in a chat with Daily Trust.

Daily Trust gathered the workers have notified the authorities of the strike.

A letter titled ‘’ Notice and Directive to embark on 3- day warning strike nationwide,’’ dated November 12th was addressed to District Chairman/Secretary Nigeria Union of Railway workers and Senior Staff Association.

The Nigeria Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and its sister body, Senior Staff Association for the Statutory Corporation and Government-owned Company (SC GOC), had earlier given the Federal Government and the National Railway Corporation (NRC) a three-week ultimatum to address its welfare concerns to prevent an total industrial action across the country beginning from November 14.

These demands include an increase in the salaries of NRC staff, incorporation of life insurance and payment of promoted staff arrears from 2018 to date, among others.


According to the letter sent to the Managing Director of the NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, and the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the labour unions said their “agitation for enhanced salary cannot be overemphasized as it is an open secret that the salary regime of the Nigerian Railway workers is the worst and most incomprehensible of all salary structures available to the parastatals under the supervision of the federal ministry of transport”.

“The Honorable Minister of Transport once acceded to the fact that Nigerian Railway workers can easily be identified from the crowd by the way they look and dress which he meant to be strikingly suggestive of the very poor salary paid in the corporation,” the letter read.

“It baffles us so much that the federal government spends billions of dollars on building rail transport infrastructure and transforming the system to a modern railway system but with no dint of impact or improvement in the welfare of the workers in terms of improved remuneration.

“We wonder how long the Honorable Minister of Transport will keep avoiding the railway workers and consciously failing in getting better pay for the impoverished Nigerian Railway workers. We wonder how long we will wait before we get our demand for improved salary approved just like that of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) where workers’ salaries were recently upped by three hundred percent.”

HILLARY ESSIEN

First City Monument Bank has put out an alert on accounts held by people between the ages of 18-30, asking staff to be on the lookout for money launderers and other criminal activities.

An internal email seen by Peoples Gazette titled “Compliance Advisory on Cryptocurrency Dealing/Transactions” is in furtherance of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ban on the trading of cryptocurrency in the country.

Accounts “with high volume transactions operated by individuals between the age brackets of 18-30 years as signatories,” should be flagged for possible fraudulent activities by staff members, the memo said.

Other account types with similarly discriminatory guidelines include youth savings accounts, business savings accounts, personal business accounts, amongst others. The bank did not define what constitutes a high volume of transactions, but the account types listed captured all of its available packages for Nigerian youths.

The internal email urges staff to monitor the listed accounts for red flags “in order to make the Bank safe and protected from the activities of criminals, organized gangs, money launderers and terrorist financiers.”

This compliance advisory comes after the CBN ordered all Nigerian commercial banks to freeze the accounts of certain individuals for purportedly trading in cryptocurrency. The Gazette reported that two individuals, Nnamdi Francis Okereke and Nwaorgu Kingsley Chibuzor and a company TVS Hallmark Service Limited had been named in a Post-No-Debit directive issued by the banking industry regulator.

But the FCMB’s memo marked the latest escalation in the enforcement of the CBN’s directive. Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution prohibits discrimination against citizens under whatever guise. FCMB did not return calls and e-mails seeking comments about the leaked memo to staff members.

It was unclear whether or not other banks have instituted similar controversial policies against young people, but a spokesman for the CBN Osita Nwanisobi said banks were not asked to enforce the ban on cryptocurrencies on the basis of age or other forms of discrimination.

“Our press statement on cryptocurrency the position of the CBN on the matter. Thank you,” Mr Nwasinobi said in response to The Gazette’s enquiries about FCMB’s memo.

On Saturday, several posts on social media and blogs claimed that Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will challenge the outcome of the ongoing Anambra governorship election in court.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently conducting the governorship election across 21 LGAs in the state and the final result has not been declared yet.

However, the viral posts online claimed that the governor reacted to the Anambra governorship election in a statement as the results from most polling units were being announced.

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On Facebook, a news blog — Igbere TV — with over 200,000 followers posted the claim. The post has garnered over 600 shares, 2,000 comments and reactions.

“Not even INEC can intimidate the APC candidate for the Anambra Governorship election. We’ve gotten lots of signals over the malpractices going on in different ward (sic) of the state,” the governor was quoted to have said.

“We are peace abiding Political Party but if anything undemocratic goes on in this election and the collation of Polling Units results, we have no other options than to challenge the election process in the court of law.”

On Twitter, some users claimed the governor said the results of the election will be contested at the supreme court.

“We will challenge Anambra election results to the Supreme Court,” a user wrote.


BACKGROUND

On January 14, 2020, the supreme court sacked Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo, affirming Uzodinma as winner of the March 9, 2019 election.

Uzodinma had come fourth in the election with 96,458 votes, according to the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Owing to the supreme court declaration, Uzodinma has often been regarded as the “supreme court governor” — a tag that the governor had rejected saying it is “height of ignorance” to call him such a name.


VERIFICATION

The post claimed that the governor made the comment in a press statement. A review of the verified pages of the governor and Imo state media shows that such statement was not issued by the governor.

Also, no credible news platform has published the statement credited to Uzodinma.

When TheCable reached out to Oguwike Nwachukwu, chief press secretary to Uzodinma, he said the statement didn’t emanate from the governor.

“Governor Hope Uzodimma follows credible avenues to communicate to the public. He will never shy away from using those appropriate channels any time he wants to say something of public interest,” Nwachukwu said.

“He talks to the media directly or indirectly through his designated competent officials. He can issue statements and statements can also be issued on his behalf.”


VERDICT

The claim that Uzodinma said the APC will challenge the Anambra governorship election at the supreme court is misleading.

By Titus Eleweke



Although collation of results has been concluded in 19 of the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra State, the final results of the election have not been declared.

Voters across the state went out on Saturday to elect their next governor.

A total of 18 candidates contested the election, which was almost disrupted by technical glitches and apathy in some areas.

However, during the final collation at the head office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Awka, Dr. Miicheal Otu, a lecturer at the University of Calabar, who served as the Returning Officer for Orumba North local government, said there was no election in the LGA.

He said he was forced to sign a result.

“I am traumstised; if not for God, I would not have survived. I had a terrible experience in this outing.

“The police officer turned me to his boy. Even they monitored me like a criminal. They even could not allowed me to urinate. I did not believe in the results I was forced to sign,” he said.

He alleged that Comfort Omoruyi, the Electoral Officer of the area, compounded the issues by compromising herself.

However, the EO countered Otu, accusing the local government returning officer of not knowing how to handle his responsibility.

“He said he is a professor of law, yet he is not intelligent and he does not know anything ” she said.

However, the state returning officer =, Prof. Florence Obi, acknowledged that she received a distress call over the situation, saying she instantly informed the Commissioner of Police about it and he swung into action.

She said they will look into the matter accordingly.

After accepting results of other LGAs, Obi announced that there would be a meeting over the situation at Orumba North.

She invited some electoral officials and party agents to the conference room at the INEC office for a meeting on how to find a solution to the standoff.

The outcome of the meeting is highly likely to determine whether a winner will be declared tonight.

From the available results, Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is leading in 17 LGAs, while Senator Ifeanyi Uba of Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Mr Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in one LGA each.

Election did not hold in Ihiala LGA.

By Ishola Oludare


A housewife identified as Memunat Salaudeen has been arrested for arranging three men to kidnap her husband in Ogun State.

Memunat was arrested on Monday alongside three men – Olayinka Lawal, Asungba Nura and Usman Oluwatoyin, whom she hired to carry out the abduction of her husband.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspects were nabbed at about 6:30 pm along Papa/Itori road by men of the Federal highway patrol team were on stop-and-search duty.

Oyeyemi explained that the patrol team had stopped the three men on a motorcycle for a search due to their suspicious looks.

He added that while searching them, a cutlass and a new rope were recovered from them.

“The team quickly separated them and questioned them individually about their mission in that area with rope and cutlass.

“The three of them gave different answers to the question, this further aroused the suspicion of the policemen, who then decided to interrogate them more,” he said.

During interrogation, the state police image maker said the three of three suspects confessed that.Memunat had given them N8,000 to buy the cutlass and a rope strong enough to tie a human being.

“They confessed further that, the woman who is a nurse in their area at Balogun Tuntun Gas line Ifo, asked them to go and hid somewhere along that road, and that she will lure her husband to the place where they will kidnap him and tie him with the rope and then ask for ransom.

“They further informed the police that, the woman told them that, that was the only way she could get money from her husband who she accused of being very stingy.

“It was the place they were going according to their plan before they were intercepted by the police,” Oyeyemi added.

He revealed that the woman had admitted being the brain behind the whole thing.

He stated, “She told the policemen that her husband has not been giving her money and that she decided to plan his kidnap in order to get money from him at all cost.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Lanre Bankole has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the anti-kidnapping unit for investigation.

By Ekaete Bassey


Youths in every nation have unique ways of expressing some things. A foreigner may find it hard at the beginning to decipher such words but may eventually succeed if they persevere over time and give their best shot at learning it.

Below are 13 uniquely interesting Nigerian slangs trending on the streets:

· E Choke

This was introduced by famous singer Davido. “E Choke” literarily means “It Chokes”. However, in the street language, it is an exclamatory remark for something overwhelming or extremely impressive.

When Nigerians see something or someone that goes beyond expectation, this slang is a way of expressing their surprise though it may be a bit exaggerated.


· E Restrict Airflow
This has the same meaning as “E Choke” but was initiated by another artiste Wizkid. Choking and having a restricted airflow have literarily the same interpretation and effect and the slangs have been used by Nigerians interchangeably.

“E restrict airflow” has also been used as a follow-up response to “E Choke”.


· We Meuuve

What started as an imitation of BBNaija 2020 star Vee Adeyele’s accent when she had a quarrel with her lover, Neo Akpofure during the show eventually became a popular slang.

Vee was heard telling Neo to “meuuve from the door” (move from the door) when the latter was trying to prevent her from leaving the room.

The words become better accepted as a motivational phrase and a way of Nigerians saying “life goes on.” Many tirades of woeful stories often end with “… but then, we meuuve!”


· KPK/OPP

When Nigerians say KPK, they are saying “Ko Po Ke?” Translated to English, it means “is it not plenty?”

This originates from a song by Chisom Ezeh popularly known as Rexxie, featuring Mohbad. In the first line of the song, Rexxie said: “Ta lo sope ko po ke?” which means “who says it is not plenty?”

If a beautiful picture is seen online and the viewer comments with KPK, he/she is saying, who says this beauty is not plenty or is this not plenty?

The standard response to this question according to the original song is OPP (O Po Pa) and OPG (O Po Gan) and they mean “it is very plenty.”


· Tule

“Tule” is another of Davido’s many slang. In a video the pop star made, in reaction to the news of his rift with Burna Boy in Ghana, was seen shouting “Tule Joor, Tule Jare.”

“Tule” is a Yoruba word that means “free me, release me, or leave me.”

The word found its way unto many lips when many Nigerians started shouting “Tule” on social media for N2m cash that Davido promised to whoever could replicate his original video.

In the street vocabulary, “Tule” is used to tell people to drop a topic or leave you alone and stop bothering you.


· Who dey Breeett?

Who dey Breeett? is another slang invented by Davido that simply means “who is breathing?” in Pidgin English.

As simple as that sounds, it is actually questioning why anyone would be taking in the air freely after seeing what has been shown to them.

This is sort of related to another of the artiste’s slangs, “E choke” because when you see a beautiful photo for example, you are expected to “choke” on-air, hence the question, “who dey breeett?”


· Ma Fo

This is one of singer Naira Marley’s slangs that have stood the test of time and are still as famously used as the first day it was said.

Literarily, this is a Yoruba term that means “Don’t break” but in the real sense, it is saying, “don’t be intimidated or don’t be bothered.”

It can be simply used as “Ma Fo” which can also mean “don’t worry” and it can be stretched to a street line, “Omo Iya mi, ma fo, mo wa pelu e” which means, “My brother/sister, don’t be bothered, I am here with you.”


· Chop breakfast/ serve breakfast

It literally means we will all (eventually) have breakfast. Colloquially, it has come to mean this life na ‘turn by turn’ and everyone will definitely have a taste of everything, especially heart break.

On social media, when someone says “She don chop breakfast” or “She has been served breakfast”, it simply means her heart has been broken.


· Japa

This is a Nigerian slang derived from the Yoruba language which simply means ‘to run swiftly’ out of a dangerous situation.

To japa means to abort, run, avoid, terminate, retreat or remove yourself from a situation. If used in a sentence, it would be articulated like: “His girlfriend told him she was pregnant, that is why the guy japa”.

More importantly, it means to emigrate. “Almost every youth wants to japa from Naija.


· Sapa

The word ‘SAPA’ has been the most used word on social media lately and people have also used it to sing.

It is a term used in Pidgin English to describe a state of being extremely broke or poor, usually after spending extravagantly.

We can also call it spirit of poverty that targets one almost all the time.


Aza
This is a slang that simply means bank account digits. When a Nigerian says “send your aza”, he or she simply means send your account number.


Ment

Original word is ‘mental’. As a slang, it is used to question a person’s sanity or to say someone is outrigh mad. “You dey ment?” Or “All of una don ment.”


· We outside

This is a slang that simply means to be down alone or with buddies doing crazy stuffs in the streets. It’s used to say people are having fun outside the country.

When someone posts with friends or alone and captions it: “We outside”, the person is simply saying “We are having fun ‘outside’ (abroad).

A first-year student in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Mirabel Obi, has alleged that her father lost contracts due to her twerking video that went viral five days ago.

She also alleged that she has been receiving hate speeches, harassment, and outrage from her family over the incident.

On Saturday, a video went viral involving Obi who twerked half-clad in front of Akpabio Hostel in a bid to win N30,000 in a competition, causing a stir on the internet.

Two days after, the student had taken to her Instagram page to refute claims that she was expelled for her act, adding that the school authorities ransacked her belongings.

In a recent post on her Instagram story on Thursday, the student claimed that people had slut-shamed her because of the act, stating that her actions brought shame to her family.

She said, “Everyday, I just keep wondering if I committed one big crime that would warrant these hate speeches from a lot of people. Like how did my life get here?

“So had it been it was a sex tape, people would expect me to kill myself? A dance that I felt was very harmless. Is it worth it?

“The harassment, the hate speech, everybody being too judgemental, my family ranging in anger, everybody calling me a prostitute, girls slut-shaming me, my father losing contracts, the shame it’s bringing to my family and all.

“I’m very tired. Maybe when I leave, you all will rest.” (sic)

This comes a day after the university’s Public Relations Officer, Okwun Omeaku, in a statement on Wednesday said the institution does not “condone acts of indecency and other morally reprehensible behaviour from our students. Our degrees and certificates are awarded only to those who have been found worthy in character and in learning.”

The release stated, however, that the management had set up a panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, adding that further action would be guided by the report of the panel.

The Nigeria First Movement and True Nigeria Patriots, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over an alleged plot by some persons to use their names to carry out a protest in Abuja and London against President Muhammadu Buhari.

The two groups, however, said they have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, to unravel those behind the plot.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, they specifically alleged that the impostors wanted to smear the name of Buhari and that of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and further embarrass Nigeria with their protests.

Speaking at the briefing jointly addressed with the executive members of the True Nigeria Patriots in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the Nigeria First Movement, Emmanuel Anuforo, further alleged that the faceless persons had perfected plans to organise protests by hiring miscreants in Abuja, Lagos and London, to march against the Buhari administration.

Anuforo called on the security agents to immediately arrest the alleged impostors and their sponsors for further investigations.

He said, “They (the protesters) have already mobilised the media and have set out to hire miscreants under whose cover they will operate.”

The groups said the issue which the alleged impostors claimed was the reason for the protests was a 2018 matter which had long been laid to rest, insisting that there was the likelihood that more sinister plots were underway

Anuforo added, “However, because the impostors had nothing else to hold on to, they decided to wake up a dead horse. The large amount disbursed, the desperation of impersonating the leaders of credible pro-Buhari organisations and the hiring of miscreants to march and barricade the Central Bank Headquarters, point to more sinister plots.

“They could attack the members of staff and cause mayhem at the headquarters of the apex bank. They could also attack other public buildings and innocent persons.”

SaharaReporters learnt that Sadipe accused Babalola of bumping into her inside the elevator.


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Hon Sadipe

There was drama at the new building of House of Representatives' wing of the National Assembly on Thursday in Abuja after a member of the House of Representatives representing Oluyole Local Government Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Tolulope Sadipe, ordered the arrest of Jide Babalola, the media aide to Ovie Omo-Agege, the Deputy Senate President.

SaharaReporters learnt that Sadipe accused Babalola of bumping into her inside the elevator.


It was gathered that about seven people were already in the public elevator including the lawmaker when Babalola joined them from the 3rd floor.

Though it could not be ascertained as at time of this report why the lawmaker refused to use the elevator meant for the legislators, it was learnt that the lawmaker became aggressive after Babalola joined the elevator as she accused him of about bumping into her.

Akande was said to have shouted at him and insisted to know his name for daring to enter the same elevator with her.

When the elevator eventually reached the ground floor, the aide reportedly apologised to the lawmaker.

SaharaReporters was told that the enraged lawmaker insisted that she must teach him a lesson of his life and get him arrested despite the apology.

At this point, the lawmaker went ahead to call the attention of her colleagues who were accompanying a minister to a budget defence meeting who also pleaded on his behalf.

“All efforts to pacify and calm the frayed nerves of the lawmaker were unsuccessful as she flared up, throwing caution to the wind. She ordered the police and Sergeant-At-Arm to arrest the media aide.

“Babalola was eventually picked up and accosted by the security operatives to the Crime Unit section of the Nigerian police located at Presidential Gate inside the National Assembly where he was detained for about two hours and asked to write a statement.

“It took the intervention of some lawmakers and colleagues who thronged the police station and secured his release with the condition from the police that he must make himself available whenever he was being called upon,” a witness told SaharaReporters.

Meanwhile the lawmaker did not answer her phone calls or respond to the text message sent to her when SaharaReporters reached out to get her reaction on the matter.
Akande is also the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora.

by Bolanle Olabimtan

The supreme court says the invasion of Mary Odili’s residence appeared to be a disguised attempt to kill whomever the security operatives were after.

On Friday, security operatives — made up of soldiers and police officers — stormed the Abuja residence of the supreme court justice over an allegation that illegal activities were going on there.

The search warrant was granted to one Lawrence Ajodo, identified as a chief superintendent of police and a member of the investigation team under the asset tax recovery panel of the ministry of justice.

The document also showed that the panel comprises the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the ministry of justice.

Gbolahan Oki, general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), has disclosed that the owner of the collapsed 21-storey building in Ikoyi, was given approval to construct only 15 floors.

Oki told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the owner of the property has been arrested and would face the law because people have died in the disaster.

“He got an approval for a 15-storey building and he exceeded his limit. I am on ground here and the materials he used are so inferior and terrible.”

“The materials he used, the reinforcement, are so terrible. He got approval for 15 floors but built 21.

“I think he has been locked down. He has been arrested before now,” he said.

The GM said four people were rescued alive and three people died, adding that rescue efforts were still ongoing.

“We are still here and have four machines working as at this moment,” he said.

At least 50 people are reportedly trapped under the rubble after the building collapsed.

The building, located at 20, Gerrard Road, collapsed at about 3p.m. on Monday. (NAN)

Fresh evidence has emerged that may have exposed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who earlier denied his involvement in the invasion of the residence of a Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Odili, by security operatives.

Justice Odili’s family residence at lmo Rivers Street in Maitama, Abuja, was raided by fully armed plain-clothes security men last Friday.

The security operatives were said to consist of soldiers and officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) who identified themselves as members of a joint task force.

Even though he has denied involvement in the invasion of the house of the number two judge in the country, Malami still has to come clean with convincing explanations.

The Identity Card of the police officer who led the assault on the residence of Justice Odili was signed by the AGF.

SaharaReporters learnt that the name on the ID Card is Ajodo F. L. of the Police And Assets Recovery unit.

His rank is CSP (Chief Superintendent of Police), while his position says OIC Investigation. Ajodo's ID Card number is 001.

The ID Card was signed by Abubakar Malami (SAN), Attorney-General of the Federation.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the Chief Magistrate of Wuse Zone 6 Magisterial Division in Abuja, Emmanuel Iyanna, admitted that he was lied to, which made him sign the search warrant allowing the invasion of the residence of the Supreme Court judge, Mary Odili.

Iyanna had said he was misled by the Federal Ministry of Justice under Malami.

The Chief magistrate consequently revoked the search warrant due to misrepresentation in the first information application supplied by an ad hoc public asset recovery panel domiciled under the justice ministry and overseen by Malami.

“Upon misrepresentation to this honourable court that led to the issuance of a search warrant in favour of Joint Panel Recovery, Ministry of Justice, against House 9, Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja, dated October 29, 2021; in view of the above fact, the said search warrant is hereby revoked,” he had ruled.

Armed operatives had stormed Odili’s residence bearing a warrant that was issued based on information from a whistle-blower, Aliyu Umar, an Abuja-based resident.

Umar had deposed on October 13 that illegal activities were going on at 9, Imo Street, Maitama which should warrant immediate action from law enforcement agents.

Odili is next in line to Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Tanko Muhammad and stands to benefit from his removal should that happen before her retirement on May 12, 2022.

Sources said the raid, approved by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) was to let her know she would not be allowed to succeed Muhammad as the head of the nation’s judiciary.

Odili, who was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court on June 23, 2011, was born on May 12, 1952. This means she will be due for retirement by May 12, 2022, on turning 70.

But Muhammad, who was appointed a supreme court judge in 2006 and sworn in on January 8, 2007, was born on December 31, 1953 — meaning he is younger than Justice Odili and will not retire until 2023 when he turns 70.

Another source said, “Regarding the raid on Odili's House, it was planned because they don’t want her to become the next CJN. Though she’s retiring in about six months, that is like six years to the cabal. They are planning to remove Tanko Muhammad before then and don’t want the woman to even act as CJN for one day.

“The most senior Justice after Odili is Olukayode Ariwoola but they claim he’s got a terminal illness. He is expected to retire soon on health grounds. The fourth most senior of the Justices who could take over as CJN is Musa Dattijo Muhammad, another Northerner from Niger State. He is also expected to retire in 2023.

“They accused Odili of being a PDP (opposition party - Peoples Democratic Party) judge and that her husband helps to fix lots of judgements at their home in Abuja. That was why the husband was also embarrassed recently.

“Forget also about Malami’s denials, he was directly in charge of the raid. He chose the day President Muhammadu Buhari arrived from Saudi Arabia to do it because he needed to impress Buhari that he is still loyal as efforts are being intensified to remove him as Minister.

“They want to force Tanko out soon and don’t want the woman to replace him. They considered her too close to the PDP, so they have to embarrass her to ensure she doesn't get to replace him at all.”

Senator Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker, has asked the government to go ahead and declare bandits as federal civil servants since it is becoming difficult for them to pronounce them terrorists.

Well-meaning Nigerians, individuals and groups have provided various reason the Buhari administration should declare bandits’ groups in the North as terrorists.

However, the government has remained adamant to the calls, saying that there is a process to declare a group as a terrorist organisation.

Bandits and kidnappers are on rampage in the North West, killing, kidnapping and maiming residents.

In a tweet on Monday morning, the former lawmaker represented Kaduna Central District at the 8th Assembly, said, “They [bandits] killed Muslim worshipers in their mosques in Niger and Katsina State; they killed Christians in their Churches in Kaduna State; if the Government doesn’t want to declare them terrorists, it should declare them federal civil servants.”