₦airaland Forum

A local government collation officer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election, on Tuesday, named two agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress whom he accused of voting for others at the election.

The collation officer, Abubakar Abdullahi, said the agents are Isah Haliru and Ibrahim Mukhtar.

Mr Abdullahi was speaking during his cross-examination at the continuation of hearings of the PDP’s petition against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.


According to the witness, agents of Mr Buhari’s APC at the polling unit where he supervised elections in Yobe State voted on behalf of the voters at the elections.

He added that APC electoral officers brought thugs who intimidated and harassed them during the elections.

“We tried to stop the APC agents, security officers and myself, from voting for the voters. The APC ward councillor brought more than 10 people to harass me but I was saved by some elderly men in the village.”

Mr Abdullahi said he reported the matter to security agents at the polling unit.

He added during further cross-examination that the APC agents were arrested, though they were never prosecuted.

Mr Abdullahi said the incidence of electoral fraud at his polling unit was so grievous that he decided not to sign his copy of the result sheet, the form EC8C.

This allegation amongst others intends to strengthen the PDP’s point that the February 23 elections were marred by widespread irregularities, a constitutional basis for the nullification of elections in Nigeria.

Among the five major grounds upon which the PDP is anchoring its petition is its contention that Mr Buhari, who is the second respondent, was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

Though one of the states affected by cases of insecurity in Nigeria’s northern region, the APC emerged winners of the Presidential election in Yobe State with over 450, 000 votes more than those polled by the PDP which came second in the state.

While the APC polled 497,914 votes, PDP came second with 50,763 in the election.

A group, Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association (YYSA), has chided the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for his remarks on the killing of Mrs. Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
This comes as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) urged the former Governor of Lagos State against to desist from “dishing out lies to support anti-Igbo sentiments.”

Besides, the Presidency has urged Nigerians not to politicise the death, pledging that security agencies would spare no effort in apprehending and prosecuting the culprits.

The charge was contained in a statement issued yesterday by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in Abuja.

Tinubu had shortly after commiserating with the bereaved senior citizen over the murder by suspected herdsmen, denounced the ethic profiling, asking rhetorically whether Evans, a suspected kidnapper on trial, was a herdsman.

In a statement yesterday in Ibadan by its national president, Olalekan Hammed, YYSA said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be told that herdsmen cannot be exonerated from the crime since the police preliminary report says Mrs. Funke Olakunrin was murdered by suspected herdsmen.

“Besides, Mr. Kehinde Fasoranti, one of the sons of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, had also been told by the police in Ore that the way they (attackers) operated was of same fashion with the herdsmen’s.

“Mr. Tinubu should not allow the desperation of 2023 restrain him from saying the truth to authority.

“Someone like him is expected to be bold, courageous and brave enough to defend the Yoruba nation without allowing himself to be blinded by political aspirations.”

The youths further held: “The recent open letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is timely and analytical.

“It is true that herdsmen /farmers crises and menace started with the government treating the issue with kid gloves instead of a hammer.


“Buhari should take to Obasanjo’s advice without wasting time because insecurity in Nigeria has already worsened.”

IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, also enjoined the Tinubu to apologise to the Yoruba nation for “misleading them into supporting an ethnic jingoist as president in the general election, as the growing climate of insecurity is the dividends from an inept administration.”

In a statement yesterday by the group’s Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Emma Powerful, Kanu reminded the powerful Lagos politician that “you cannot sacrifice the blood of your brethren on the shrine of your greed, conceit and unbridled 2023 presidential political ambition.”

He regretted that Tinubu’s utterances only succeeded in doing more harm to the Fasoranti family, by allegedly insulting the memory of their daughter which could be seen as an affront to the dignity of the Yoruba race.

The IPOB leader further accused the ex-governor of allowing “your self-centered avarice and ego to stifle the aspirations and destiny of your people,” even as he maintained that “your Fulani masters will never do for you what you are slavishly doing for them.”

However, a retired commissioner of police, Samuel Adetuyi, has faulted the measures put in place by the Federal Government to combat the prevalent security challenges in the land, stating that “they would not solve any problem.”

He was reacting to the comment by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during a condolence visit to the Fasorantis that government was reviewing the nation’s security architecture and deploying more police, army and aerial strategies to combat the menace.

Tinubu had also assured that the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 policemen would improve security nationwide.

But Adetuyi declared that the current police structure could not fight crime, adding that the plan to deploy security personnel in the bush was suicidal.

But Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege yesterday said the National Assembly was willing to provide legislative backing for the deployment of soldiers to tame the challenge as canvassed by Osinbajo.

He dropped the hint while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

Besides, Senator Rochas Okorocha has called on Nigerians to unite against insecurity, canvassing stronger community policing and vigilante groups.

The Imo ex-governor, in a statement by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, condoled with Chief Fasoranti over last weekend’s sad incident.

A federal lawmaker from Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, has recruited 50 people to serve as personal aides.

Akwa Ibom, despite huge oil wealth, is one of the states with the highest unemployment rates in Nigeria.

Employing 50 people in a single move by a lawmaker is seen as record-breaking in the state.

Mr Ukpong-Udo, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represents Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abuja.

He is a fresh lawmaker.

The position of the aides ranges from special assistant on special duties, community relations, community development, and logistics duties, to special assistant on women matters, protocol, and local legislative matters.

Also included are four media aides.

Members of the House of Representatives are permitted to employ only five statutory aides.

Therefore, 45, out of the 50 aides, would be getting their salary and allowance from the lawmaker’s pocket.

One of the aides, Imowo Mbede, told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday that the appointment of that number of aides was the lawmaker’s way of “empowering” his constituents.

“It’s basically an empowerment thing,” said Mr Mbede, an executive assistant to Mr Ukpong-Udo. “A good number of them are from all the wards in the two local government areas (Ikono and Ini), while others are from outside the federal constituency.”

Mr Mbede said the appointment is to run for a year, after which a new set of persons would be appointed as a replacement.

All the 50 aides are said to have direct access to Mr Ukpong-Udo and are to serve as his eyes and ears in the local communities.

Mr Mbede is from Nsit Ibom, a local government area which is outside the lawmaker’s constituency. PREMIUM TIMES asked him if he too would be relieved of his appointment after one year.

“Maybe,” he responded.

He declined to say how much their salaries are.

The announcement of the appointment in June, prompted a debate in Akwa Ibom, with some people wondering why such a large number of aides was needed.

“Ukpong-Udo is in a hurry to do good to as many persons as he possibly can,” one of the media aides to the lawmaker said in an article he wrote as a response to the criticism of the appointment.

Governors have described as unsustainable, payment of oil subsidy to marketers by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The governors called on the federal government to do away with it, saying fuel subsidy is a drain on the nation’s resources.

Kayode Fayemi, chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), made the demand when he led a delegation to Mele Kyari, the new group managing director of the corporation.

He said subsidy remains a major drawback on government revenues, adding that there is need to consider a new deal on how government will absorb its cost.

This he said has become necessary given the new reality of low oil revenues and rising government commitments.

“It is important to highlight that subsidy remains a major drawback on government revenues. We may need to consider a new deal on how governments will absorb the cost of subsidy,” he said.

“This has become necessary given the new reality of low oil revenues and rising government commitments. We believe that at the current course, subsidy costs will continue to offset any recovery in the oil market. The country recorded one of its lowest cost of subsidy in 2016 when oil traded at an average of US$48.11 pb. Total subsidy that year was around N28.6 billion; but the amount rose to N219 billion in 2017 and N345.5 billion by mid-2018, as the price of oil and domestic PMS consumption rebounded.These are important considerations for us, with direct implications on energy security and economic stability in the country.”

The NGF chairman said having worked with Kyari when he was minister of mines and steel, he believes that the NNPC GMD is a man of integrity who would deliver on his promises to the nation.

Governors are the latest to oppose fuel subsidy. Last month, Muhammadu Sanusi, emir of Kano, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to end fuel subsidy. He had said “N1.5 trillion on subsidy is N1.5 trillion out of education“.

Six days ago, Stuart Symington, US ambassador to Nigeria, also advised the federal government to get rid of fuel subsidy.

Some stakeholders in Ondo chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have dismissed the insinuations that the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi; erstwhile governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba and others had endorsed the return of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu come next year.

The reactions followed reports that the leaders, who were in the state on Tuesday to placate aggrieved faithful at the instance the one-time National Vice Chairman of the party, South West Zone, Chief Pius Akinyelure, allegedly made a case for Akeredolu’s re-election bid.

But Tolu Babaleye, a lawyer, who was part of the meeting, said there was nothing of such, just as another source close to the national leader dismissed the claim, stating that the delegation was in Akure to “reconcile all aggrieved persons as all the factions narrated their complaints, including the governor. It was never discussed that Akeredolu would or should be supported for a second term. We have not reached that level at all.”


Babaleye, who stood in for the lawmaker representing Ondo North, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, said three resolutions were arrived at, one of which was the dissolution of the current party executives to accommodate more members, especially the aggrieved faction.

The second, according to Babaleye, was for Akeredolu to put in place a caucus for the leadership of the party in the state to be led by him while lastly, he (the governor) should henceforth see himself as the leader and must be ready to accommodate others, which he agreed to, adding: “There was nothing like issue of support him for second term. He was told to forgive us while we were also urged to forgive him in the interest of the party.”

But it was learnt that the parley may have held to avoid a repeat of the Oyo debacle where the party lost the last governorship election.

Another attendee, Pastor Bankole Oluwajana, said the essence of the meeting was to foster peace in the political grouping.

However, another source told The Guardian that there was nothing like Akeredolu’s endorsement though nobody complained that the governor had underperformed.

It was learnt that the suggestion by the governor for ex-state chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke, to head the caucus was rejected.

Efforts to reach Akinyelure and Chief Olusola Oke for comments were futile as they neither picked calls nor responded to text messages.

In a grim case of jungle justice, Olamide Omolede, a 22-year-old man, was on Monday killed by hoodlums in Badore, Ajah, Lagos after he was wrongly accused of stealing a mobile phone.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, the victim’s father said.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that following days of epileptic power supply in the community, Mr Omolede, who is also a tricycle rider, went to a nearby store to charge his handset for a fee.

Afterwards, he left the store for his house. However, after some minutes, a woman whose name had not been provided at the time of filing this report arrived at Mr Omolede’s house with some hoodlums, alleging he stole her phone where they were charging.

The hoodlums mauled him to death and threw his body into a nearby lagoon.

A witness, Tunde Afolabi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the deceased was first paraded half-naked to Iyalaye Store where the alleged theft occurred.

“After he eventually died, the thugs threw him into the lagoon. But we concerned people of the community paid Egun people to help trace the corpse after we heard the incident. The corpse was brought out of the river this morning,” he said.

He said the phone which was reported stolen was later found with the son of the woman who had accused Mr Omolede of stealing it.


Victim’s parent speaks:

Francis Omolede, the victim’s father, also spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on the tragedy.

“I was called on Monday by the sister of the victim that her brother was accused of stealing a phone. After the thugs brought by the woman who accused him of stealing eventually killed him, they threw him into the river to avoid traces.

“It was afterwards that the phone was found with the son of the woman who wrongly accused my son. The police have arrested the woman and some of the thugs who perpetrated the act,” he told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday.

Also, the traditional head of the community identified as Baale Jikoji told PREMIUM TIMES that the matter would be properly handled.

“We have met and we will definitely address the matter”, he told our correspondent.


Police react

The police officer in charge of the matter, who simply identified himself as Inspector Sunday, told PREMIUM TIMES that proper investigation would be carried out.

“We have arrested the woman who accused the victim and some thugs that carried out the act. Some of them are still at large but we will definitely arrest and carry out a proper investigation,” he said.

Following the death of Mr Omolede, tricycle riders on Badore-Ajah road blocked the major road to express their anger over the incident.

Abuja – The Federal Government on Tuesday said it had successfully defended Nigeria’s rights in the dispute against Switzerland at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

The International Tribunal had on July 6, 2019, delivered a ruling in favour of Nigeria in an order on provisional measures, announced in the M/T San Padre Pio case (Switzerland v. Nigeria).

Briefing newsmen on Tuesday, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, said the case was in respect of Nigeria’s arrest and detention of a Swiss-flagged oil tanker, its crew, and cargo.

Apata stated that the vessel and its crew were arrested and detained having violated Nigeria’s laws by engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of fuel oil for use in hydrocarbon production activities in Nigerian waters without the required permits and authorisations.

“On January 23rd, 2019, the Nigerian Navy arrested a Swiss-flagged vessel, the M/T San Padre Pio, whilst undertaking a ship to ship transfer of fuel oil right inside a platform within the exclusive economic zone of Nigeria, without the pre-requisite permits or authorisation and at odd hours of the night, contrary to navy regulations.

“The vessel, crew members, and cargo were subsequently handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

“The EFCC is currently prosecuting the case at the Federal High Court, Port-Harcourt. The captain and three other crew members were subsequently released on bail,” Apata said.

In May, 2019, Switzerland challenged Nigeria’s enforcement actions by instituting arbitral proceedings under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Subsequently, Switzerland requested that ITLOS order the suspension of Nigeria’s criminal prosecution of the vessel’s master and officers, not to institute new proceedings, and that the cargo, crew, and the vessel be released.

“In its July 6, 2019 order, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) rejected Switzerland’s request that the prosecutions be suspended.

“The tribunal also conditioned the release of the vessel and the criminal defendants, who are Ukrainian nationals, upon Switzerland’s posting of a bond or other financial security in the amount of US$14 million and on Switzerland’s giving unequivocal assurances, in the form of an undertaking binding under international law, that it guarantees their return to Nigeria, should Nigeria prevail in the arbitral proceedings,” Apata disclosed.

The SGF/PS has hailed the tribunal’s decision as “a vindication of Nigeria’s right to proceed with prosecuting these serious violations of Nigerian law, which is a key part of its efforts to combat maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.”

According to him, “With the conclusion of the provisional measures phase before ITLOS, the parties will now proceed to adjudicate the underlying dispute at the Annex Seven (7) Arbitral Tribunal.”

Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Zubairu Muazu, has said that any policeman who collects money for bail is not different from a kidnapper.
Muazu made the statement while speaking against corruption with policemen during the commissioning of a Statement Taking Room (STR) at the State Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme of the European Union (EU) had set up a statement taking room at the SCIID to enhance investigation.

According to the CP, it is an understatement that statement taking is important in police investigation, as it is the foundation of the process of investigation.

“I advise that we stay far away from corruption. It gives us bad name, as it is unprofessional and unethical.

“We have always said ‘bail is free’ and we mean it. I keep saying that any policeman who collects money for bail is not different from a kidnapper. The only difference is that everyone knows where you keep the suspects.

“The country is hard and we need the people more than they need us. Let us stay far from corruption,” he said.

Muazu commended the officer in charge of SCIID for her diligence and assured members of the public that the STR would be utilised effectively.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), SCIID, Panti, Yetunde Longe, said the SCIID was more than ready to embrace global best practices in investigation, as she commended RoLAC for the donation of equipment and training of officers attached to the department.

“This will in no small measure add value to our productivity. I want to assure the CP, the donor and other stakeholders that this facility will be judiciously utilised for the purpose for which it is donated.

“The vision and the mission of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, is ensuring that a diligent investigation is a task that must be accomplished,” she said.

The state’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, who was also at the event, expressed delight in witnessing the commissioning of the facility, which she described as very important in investigation.

To her, overtime, there had been issues on manners in which statement was taken from suspects, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 has mandated the recording of statements.

She added that the police were not adequately equipped in statement taking before, and enjoined them to utilise the new facility in line with the police practice and the constitution.

Abuja – The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday tongue-lashed a member from Benue state, Honourable Mark Terse Gbilah representing Gwer-East/Wger-West Federal Constituency over unsavoury comments made in the media against him and others.

The chastisement by the Speaker came on the heels of motion on a matter of privileges brought by Hon. Pat Asadu who prayed the House to investigate an alleged breach of his privilege and those of his colleagues from Enugu and Ebonyi State by the Benue Rep.
Asadu, while moving the motion, had cited a publication in Sun Newspaper wherein the lawmaker was quoted as maligning both the governors of Enugu and Ebonyi states that they instructed members from their States to work against PDP’s choice in the Speakership election.

He also quoted the member as saying that the PDP should discipline the two governors for working against the party, saying that it questions his right as an elected representative of his people.

He said his privilege and those of Enugu and Ebonyi caucus were breached as he finds the assertions “unacceptable, provocative and offensive”.
He, therefore, called on the House to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation.

Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), also reacted to the publication, saying that the comments cast aspersions on his credibility as a member elected to represent his people.

He said it was “uncharitable” for a member of the House to bring in an extraneous person in matters of the parliament, adding that the said member, Mark Gbilah, has no capacity to make his allegation because he couldn’t remember being told by his governor how to vote on the floor of the house.

At this point, Gbajabiamila intervened saying: “Let me say that Hon Mark Gbilah, of late you’ve been making several unsavoury comments both in print and on TV, many of which touched me; my personal integrity.
“You’ve made these comments without recourse to the rights of the people you talk about to protect their privacy.

“If you remember, Honourable Mark Gbilah, not too long ago, there were very weighty allegations levelled against you. Very weighty allegations! And all of us in this House, particularly me, rose in unison to defend you because those allegations were made without proof.

“But all of a sudden, you turned around and began to make issues out of nothing all in the name of politics,” Gbajabiamila noted.

He, however, urged his colleagues to let the issue go as the erring member would be warned to desist from making further derogatory comments.

“So Honourable Colleagues, I want us to let this lie in the spirit of reconciliation so that Hon Mark Gbilah would take stock of what he’s said and how they affect the integrity of colleagues and the House in general.
“And that it also serves as a window of reflection on his part that everyone has the right to protect and that when violated by unguarded utterances could lead to consequences.

“So Hon Mark Gbilah, let this be the last time we will hear of things like these from you and any other member because if we do, we would be applying the rules as deemed necessary,” the Speaker warned.
The motion for investigation was therefore withdrawn.

Sunday Aborisade



Members of the Senate will begin their eight-week annual recess this month even if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to submit the list of his ministerial nominees for their consideration and approval.

Investigations by our correspondent at the upper legislative chamber on Friday revealed that the senators were not really anxious about the list.

There are also indications that the red chamber will not delay the commencement of their recess on July 26 because of the list.

Buhari has yet to constitute his cabinet more than four months after winning the February 23 presidential election.

Most of the senators, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, lamented Buhari’s administrative style.

They, however, said the President’s failure to unveil his ministerial nominees for confirmation would not stop them from proceeding on their annual recess.

A senator from the South-East said, “What I know is that we will ensure proper screening of all the nominees and we won’t allow anybody to rush us.

“The best time to attend to the list is now, not when we would have a few days left to proceed on recess.”

A female senator also admitted that the President was unnecessarily delaying the list.

She said, “The President was re-elected. Nobody expects that Nigerians would wait for four months before he would unveil his proposed cabinet members.”

Asked if the development would not delay their annual recess, the Senator said, “The best thing is for the President to send the list this week, because the legislature has its own calendar.”

However, the Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, said the red chamber would consider the list whenever it was submitted by the President.

He told our correspondent on Friday that the 9th Senate would always work in the interest of Nigerians and might not hesitate to break its recess to consider the list if it was submitted during the vacation.

Adeyeye said, “It is the prerogative of the President to choose the time he will submit the list of ministers and it is the duty of the Senate to screen and approve the nominees to appointed.

“If the President submits the list before we proceed on recess later this month, we will give it necessary consideration.

“If on the other hand he submits it when we are already on recess, it is not unusual to recall senators from break in the overriding national interest.

“We could break the recess to consider the list whenever it is sent. Whatever it is, we are ready.”

by MUSTAPHA USMAN



Kano State Hisbah Board has launched a manhunt on a couple who reportedly got married through Facebook, BBC Hausa has reported.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that one Sunusi Abdullahi, a 29-year-old man from Kano State was said to have tied the knot with a lady via Facebook, with user name bearing Zainabu Abu, from Maiduguri, Borno State.

Mr Abdullahi, also known as Sunusi General, bearing Facebook username as Gen Sunus, told BBC Hausa that he jokingly proposed to marry the lady, not knowing that the matter would be a big issue.

“It all started from normal Facebook conversation together with other friends. She just proposed to me that I should marry her which I obliged.

“After a while, she sent me a private message, informing me about the marriage that she even found a representative who would stand for her for the marriage. Thereafter, my friend also volunteered to stand for me.

“We then agreed on N20, 000 bride price, which I promised to give her after the marriage. We followed all marriage rites and the wedding took place online,” he said.

According to Mr Abdullahi, the marriage had been greeted with massive uproar and debates on its legality or otherwise.

“This made me contacted Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, who confirmed to me that the marriage is invalid because it was conducted without the knowledge and consent of the bride’s parents,” he added.

Mr Abdullahi, however, disclosed that he is worried about the situation, to the extent that he could not sleep.

He added that his real fiancée had dumped him, while the fiancée of his ‘online’ wife had also abandoned her as a result of the matter.

“I know we have committed a big mistake. I seek forgiveness from Allah, my parents and the general public. Currently, I am not with my family because my parents are furious about my actions,” he disclosed.

When BBC contacted the spokesperson of Kano State Shariah Commission, he said the commission, had directed the Hisbah board to arrest the couple for appropriate punishment.

He said the punishment would be a lesson to others, noting that a law has reserved punishment for any offence.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the issue had divided clerics in the state on the legality or otherwise of the marriage, as some defended the nuptial bond while others rejected it, all using Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

THE last might not have been heard of the controversial RUGA settlement scheme, as reports emerged that the Federal Government may have begun to restrategise on how to reintroduce the scheme, which it recently suspended after public outcry.

A letter from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, gave this indication away at the weekend.

According to the letter, dated 2 July, 2019, an implementation committee of the National Livestock Transformation Programme comprising representatives of the National Economic Council (NEC), National Food Security Council and Federal Executive Council as well as the minister is to be inaugurated to oversee the delivery of the national livestock transformation programme.

The letter also made reference to the directive to suspend RUGA because “it is not in accordance with the designs approved by NEC, NFSC and FEC,” a development which has been described as temporary, with a foremost Northern leader, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, boasting in an interview that RUGA scheme “will be back.”

Yakassai, in an interview with Sunday Tribune, insisting that the Federal Government only suspended the scheme but did not abandon it.

“RUGA settlement is only suspended, but not abandoned. It will come at a later date very soon…It is merely waiting for a better time to come back for its implementation. I believe they will do it,” Yakassai said.

He added that it would be in the interest of Nigerians for the Fulani herders to be settled in place.

But the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, in an interview, said any attempt to foist RUGA scheme on the South-West would be resisted, because “it is unwarranted, needless and a dangerous policy. It is a policy that can break this nation, just as it has overheated the policy.”

Adams said the plan to establish RUGA settlement was an attempt to revisit an alleged jihadist agenda that was started in 1804.

“We didn’t see the policy as a way to settle the crisis of herdsmen. We saw it as a dangerous trend that was coming to our abode in the South-West. And we saw it as a way of imposing on us those who had been threatening our lives and properties. We called on the whole world that we didn’t want the RUGA settlement policy,” he added.

In a related development, the Yoruba Summit Group, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Chief Gboyega Adejumo, warned the Federal Government not reintroduce the RUGA scheme following its suspension.

Bello, a son of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed concerns over recent appointment made by President Muhammadu Buhari, threatening to protest the re-appointment of some ministers and aides who served in his first term.

The Kaduna State governor’s son said if Buhari re-appoints same set of ministers, he would lose the trust of Nigerians.

“We trust you, Mr. President. It has nothing to do with partisanship. It has nothing to do with your cult following that only fools deny. But recent appointments aside, if some Ministers return, well, that trust will become very unsteady. We are not PDP, you will hear us!” Bello tweeted Friday night

Against expectations, Buhari had approved the re-appointment of Boss Mustapha as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff to the President.

A statement by Presidential Spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said both appointments took effect from May 29, 2019. Meanwhile, many Nigerians, opposition parties, economists and foreign investors have expressed worries over the delay in President Buhari's appointment of ministers.
It appears with the latest statement by the Presidency, Buhari's current priority is his domestic staff.

The President, who has been accused of nepotistic tendencies, reeled out the names of 11 people mostly from the northern part of the country.

Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief, Peter Duru & Femi Bolaji



Investigations have revealed how top officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development mismanaged the controversial Ruga settlement projects across the country, a development that led to its suspension last Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari. Following widespread opposition to the programme. The President asked the National Economic Council, NEC, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to suspend implementation of the project under the National Livestock Transformation Plan.

Well informed sources at the ministry and the presidency told SaturdayVanguard in Abuja, that the top officials were so much in haste to implement the projects due to ulterior motives and as a result bungled what the Presidency saw as an otherwise excellent programme. The mismanagement gave rise to public outcry that forced President Muhammdu Buhari to suspend it.

According to the sources, there were supposed to be wide consultations and public enlightenment campaigns on the modalities, with emphasis on voluntary participation on the part of state governments. Benefits to both herders and crop farmers, across the country were supposed to be well articulated in the enlightenment campaigns before the commencement of its implementation.

In the heat of the Ruga controversy, top officials of the ministry were summoned to the Villa to explain why they commenced such a sensitive programme without due consultations with the presidency and sub-national governments.

It was learnt that the sensitisation and public enlightenment programme of the entire plan was ignored. It was meant to take representatives of the Federal Government, donor agencies, local and foreign investors who were prepared to invest in the plan to move round the country and secure the people’s buy-in before the implementation.

Having come under immense pressure the ministry invited journalists for a press conference on Friday, June 28, where its officials were to explain their actions. Journalists waited for more than one hour but the press conference did not hold, as officials of the Information unit of the ministry announced , later, that the press conference had been postponed. It never held.

Presidency sources said President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the controversial “Ruga” programme in anger because its implementation was at variance with the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), developed by the National Economic Council and approved by the Federal Government.
They explained that the President, on hearing about the Ruga programme, first expressed surprise about the programme that it did not conform to the terms of the NLTP.

The president then ordered a swift review of what Ruga was all about and sought clarifications on its connection with the NLTP.

A source said, “The President was annoyed that the plan, promoted by senior officials in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and other Federal Government officials, purported to use gazetted lands in the States for the purposes of building Ruga settlements without carrying along the States thereby creating a wrong impression that the Federal Government was trying to take over land belonging to states and the people in those states.”

He said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had also strongly objected to the Ruga plan, arguing that it made nonsense of the NLTP, a very deliberate and elaborate plan developed by NEC, under his watch, and a plan which the Federal Government had okayed.
When news about Ruga broke, it immediately raised widespread controversy as state governors and other interest groups were alarmed how it was developed and the fact that there were no consultations with States especially regarding land, which according to the law are vested in the Governors.

We gathered that there was visible panic in the villa on Monday when senior officials in the President’s office were trying to get information about Ruga and its connection to the NLTP, although some in the office had tried to suggest that Ruga and NLTP were the same.

Sources said that the President’s discovery that the Ruga programme was not aligned to the NLTP infuriated him the more. As if that was not bad enough, officials in the presidency also discovered that the contract sums allocated for various aspects of the Ruga programme, were heavily overpriced.

For instance, purchases of solar panels were put at tens of million naira each, while boreholes were also to be procured at an average cost of N20m each. We also gathered that some top officials who pushed the programme appeared to be in a haste for pecuniary reasons. “

Another top official who participated in the Ruga project said that the Otobi, Benue State project which sparked the outrage, across the country, for instance, was not even designed to be a Fulani Ruga.
He said that it was originally meant to be a damn which was expected to attract Benue indigenes who were interested in cattle business to establish private ranches around the damn, which could be replicated in other parts of the state.

He said, “We told Governor Samuel Ortom, that given the stiff opposition to the open grazing of cattle in the state, we could establish damns in various parts of the state and then encourage individuals to establish ranches around those damns. This was meant to attract the people of Benue State and of course when people see the success of it, more people would build more ranches around other damns.”

The plan, as learnt was meant to be implemented basically in the North and not throughout the country as some government officials have claimed.
It was also learnt that even in the North, only states that choose to participate would be part of it, as no state government would be forced to provide land for the scheme.
The source explained that the “Ruga” programme was considered “closest to ranching” and would eliminate roaming of cattle which had been cause of conflicts between herders and crop farmers.

It was also designed to create opportunities for adequate water and grass for the cattle in an area where there could be shared facilities such as veterinary clinics, milking palours, abattoirs, meat and leather processing facilities.

As learnt, with cattle and their herders restricted to specific areas, the problem of cattle rustling would be eliminated as it would be difficult for the rustlers to steal other herders’ cattle and take them away from where they are settled.

The model would equally create opportunities to process agricultural wastes such as rice and maize stocks and cassava leaves into feeds for the cattle, while using the dung to generate power in addition to using it as manure for crop farming.

The official said, “Government recognizes that the era of cattle roaming around is over across the world. Nigeria cannot be an exception. Our target is to eliminate roaming and the attendant conflicts between herders and crop farmers. We want to stop rustling and kidnappings by young Fulanis who wander around in the guise of herdsmen. We want to improve the breed of cattle through artificial insemination. This has been done successfully in Brazil, Argentina, Tanzania, Pakistan. Even Ghana started it last year. That is the way to go.”

On Ruga settlement in the South, the source insisted that, “there is no intention to go to the South with this plan. Niger State alone is about three times the size of the entire South East. No mischief intended as it is for the overall good of all Nigerians.” As learnt the Bobi Damns in the state are being built to provide water for a large expanse of land covering an equivalent of about 31, 000 football fields.

In addition, the Federal Government has a large expanse of land at Paikon Kore, near Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory, that could take between 10 to 15 years to be utilized by herders under the programme.

With a successful Ruga programme, culminating into full blown ranches, the official said, “not only that the conflicts between herders and farmer would end, Nigeria will stop milk importation. What does a cow need? Water and grass. With damns, we can provide our cattle adequate water and grow enough grass, as well as feed to make the business more profitable, not only for Fulani herders but for other Nigerians interested in livestock business.”


Genesis of Ruga crisis

About two weeks ago, residents of communities in Ukum, Otukpo and Tarka Local Government Areas of Benue state woke up to behold signposts in their area with inscriptions which read: “Federal Government of Nigeria.; Client: Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development; Project: The Establishment of Pasture Plots Grazing Reserve, Benue state, Otobi road; Contractor: Clear Sky Broad Band Ventures Limited.

When pictures of the signposts started trending on social media the development swiftly aroused fierce anger across the state as youths and other interest groups in the state embarked on protests condemning attempts by the Federal to take away their land. This was followed by condemnations in several quarters across the country.

Benue state government, in a statement explained that: “few weeks ago, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture with his team in Benue State informed officials of the State Ministry of Agriculture that he had received directives from the Ministry’s headquarters Abuja to establish Ruga which means ‘Fulani settlement’ in parts of the State. The Director stated that the local government areas selected for the settlements were Otukpo, Tarka and Ukum but the Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry of Agriculture drew the attention of the Director and his team to the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 being implemented in the state.

“When they were also reminded about the Land Use Act which confers on the Governor the powers to administer lands in all parts of the State, the officials left with a promise to relay the message to their headquarters. They surprisingly returned a few days later with contractors to commence work on the Ruga settlements. We find the approach of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture not only as a gross violation of the Ranching law but also as an insult to the sensibilities of the entire people of Benue State.”

Other state governors and prominent Nigerians either disowned the programme or tried to justify it. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state declared no part of Ekiti land would be ceded to outsiders because the land was not even enough for the indigenes. On his part, Governor Dave Umuahi of Ebonyi state, who is the Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum said “there will be no part of the South East that will be given out for the purpose of the establishment of Ruga settlement.”


Presidency defends Ruga programme

Following public outcry against the programme, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu defended it saying that the Ruga settlements across the 36 states of the federation was aimed at bringing lasting solutions to the farmers/herders clashes and also to create jobs. He asserted that the Federal Government has gazetted lands in all the 36 states of the federation for the Ruga settlement but that the programme was optional for states to participate. He explained that already 12 states have indicated interest in the pilot programme, adding that it was not only for those in cattle business but in animal husbandry. Theses 12 states are: Adamawa; Bauchi; Kaduna; Katsina; Kebbi; Kogi; Nasarawa; Niger; Plateau; Sokoto; Taraba and Zamfara.


According to him, “Ruga Settlement” that seeks to settle migrant pastoral families simply means rural settlement in which animal farmers, not just cattle herders, will be settled in an organized place with provision of necessary and adequate basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, road networks, vet clinics, markets and manufacturing entities that will process and add value to meats and animal products. “Beneficiaries will include all persons in animal husbandry, not only Fulani herders.

“The Federal Government is planning this in order to curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders. “The overall benefit to the nation includes a drastic reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers, a boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments. Other gains are job creation, access to credit facilities, security for pastoral families and curtailment of cattle rustling.”


Controversy

There was however controversy whether Ruga settlement, which the Federal Ministry of Agriculture tried to implement in Benue state which ignited the crisis was the same as National Liverstock Transformation Plan, NLTP, headed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo which was conceived by the National Economic Council and approved by the Federal Government.

The Vice President had been publicly drawn into the fray last Friday when the Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Baba Uthman Ngelzarma claimed on a TV interview that the Ruga was being supervised by the Office of the Vice President.

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State also argued that there was no difference between Ruga project and ranching under the chairmanship of the vice

Ochei Matthew, Asaba

The Issele-Asaba junction on the Asaba-Benin Expressway was on Friday blocked by Fulani herdsmen who were protesting the killing of the driver of a truck conveying cattle on Thursday night.

A truck driver, Adamu Adamu, was allegedly killed at Issele-Azagba junction by revenue collectors who immediately disappeared from the area after the incident.

The herdsmen, who were said to have carried out the protest from 9:15am to 12.58pm, used heavy-duty vehicles to block both lanes of the expressway.

They also blocked the Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic junction. The gridlock that resulted from the protest stretched to several kilometres on both sides of the road.

The leader of the protesters, Alhaji Musa Jeje, said they had protested to the authorities about the extortion on the road, especially the spot where Adamu was killed.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, described the incident as a case of manslaughter.

By Kabiru R. Anwar,



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In eerie similarity to the infamous ‘red wedding’ in the best-selling series of books ‘Game of Thrones’, where a groom and his guests were brutally slain by the bride’s family, a mob in Borong, a village in Demsa area of Adamawa State have lynched a groom and his friends who came from Borno State to wed a daughter of their land.

While ‘Thrones’ is a work of fiction, in the Adamawa bloodbath, the groom, Luka Yakubu, himself a Christian and a member of an association of hunters in Kubo-Kanakuru village in Shani Local Government Area of Borno State, invited eight of his Muslim friends to accompany him to meet the parents of his bride-to-be to perfect the wedding process as required by tradition.

Kubo-Kanakuru village is a predominantly Muslim community near the Borno-Adamawa border where Muslims and Christians live in peace with each other.

Groom-to-be Yusuf and his friends, being hunters, dressed in full hunters’ uniforms, carrying their locally-made guns and a load of kolanuts. They bid their families goodbye, anticipating a peaceful journey.

Before embarking on the journey, Yusuf had asked a friend and link man in their destination to inform the local hunters in Borong of their impending journey, to avoid unnecessary panic in the community.

But as soon as the group rode into Borong on their motorcycles and met with their contact person, who was ready to lead them to the bride’s parents in a small community known as Dilli, some suspicious villagers sent word around that Fulani bandits were there to attack them. Youths soon mobilised for a ‘war’ of sorts.

As tension built up, someone quickly alerted the police. They arrived the scene and took eight of the wedding guests into custody, as the ninth had had a flat tyre before they reached the trouble spot, and had stayed behind to fix it.

While the groom-to-be, his party, and their local contact person explained their mission to the police, a massive protest was going on outside the police station, with the mob chanting, and vowing to kill the visitors and dump their bodies in a river.

The police tried to disperse the mob, which was heating up rapidly, using tear gas, but were met with stiff resistance. The mob closed in, eventually overpowering the security personnel, and lynched the groom and his friends, before throwing their bloodied, lifeless bodies into a nearby river.

Sole survivor Alhassan Danladi told Daily Trust Saturday that amid the rancour, he realised the situation was hopeless, so he tactically sneaked out of the scene during the mayhem, as the mob did not pay attention to him because he was not in uniform.

Danladi, narrating his harrowing ordeal, said the angry mob demanded the police hand them over for jungle justice. “They said if released, we could come back to attack the village.They vowed to kill all of us and dump our corpses in the river. The police fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd, but they remained undaunted, accusingthe police of shielding us,” he said.

Danladi continued: “After I sneaked away from the escalating situation at the [police] station, I went to the vulcaniser’s workshop where the motorcycle with a flat tyre was being fixed, and sat, pretending to be part of the crowd. I heard them accusing the groom, Luka Yusuf, of conniving with Fulani to launch an attack on them.”

Suddenly, a local came running towards Danladi and the group with which he sat, and announced that a man had just been killed and thrown into the river. “One man said he was familiar with the person killed, and mentioned he was a Christian. At that point all of them shouted “Jesus! Our brother has been killed,” he added.

Danladi sat there, paralyzed by fear, wondering to himself what would happen if the locals discovered he’s a stranger amongst them. While struggling to remain calm and below the radar, he thought about his next line of action. Then another resident brought the news that a second person was killed by the mob, and that soldiers and mobile policemen would soon arrive Borrong.

Upon receiving the news that soldiers were on their way to the village, people started dispersing, leaving Danladi stranded as he did not know his way out of the village being a first-time visitor. Then in the midst of the confusion, a man dressed in priestly robes came by with another, and Danladi quickly seized the opportunity and asked them to show him the way out of the village. The men described the route for him, and the cleric offered some prayers for his safety.


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Shattered lives: Luka Yusuf’s widow, and two of their four kids are pictured above.

As the pastor prayed, Danladi pretended to be a Christian and closed his eyes the way Christians do while praying, repeating “Amen, in Jesus name.” Afterwards, the clergyman wished him a safe return to his destination.

As soon as he arrived his village, he noticed an unusually mournful mood. The news had travelled faster than he did, and people milled around him, all frantically asking “What happened?” Families and friends cried over the loss of eight young men, in one fell swoop. Danladi then went to the palace of the district head to brief him on the bloody outcome of the journey.

When contacted, the acting district head of Kubo Kanakuru, Musa Lawal, expressed shock over the killing of the innocent young men, calling on security agencies to bring the murderers to justice.

The traditional ruler told Daily Trust Saturday that the victims left behind a total of 59 orphans, and several other defendants. He also urged the authorities to support the children’s education, and general welfare.He thanked the deputy governor of Borno State, the chairman of the National Hunters Association, and other individuals and groups who paid condolence visits.

The member representing Shani constituency, Ibrahim Musa Inuwa Kubo, assured families of the slain men that government would not relent until justice is delivered, adding that the Borno State governor, his deputy, the Shank LGA councilchairman, and himself, have been working to ensure the culprits are punished in accordance with the law.

Adamawa State’s police spokesman, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, said four suspects arrested in Borong in connection with the murder had been charged to court while several others remain at large.

Makinde Araoye, special adviser on federal matters to Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state, has announced the appointment of 62 personal assistants.

While presenting appointment letters to them on Sunday, Araoye said he took the decision to support Fayemi’s administration.

TheCable gathered that the 62 persons, who were selected across all the wards in Ekiti south federal constituency, have been paid their first salary.

“The 62 personal assistants appointed today are not for Makinde Araoye, they are to support the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi,” he said at the ceremony where letters were presented to them.

“I’m sharing my salary to the PAs, they are the ambassadors of JKF in the Ekiti south federal constituency 1. They are to defend the government of Dr Kayode Fayemi. I didn’t appoint them to start singing praises of Makinde Araoye but to support the good work of Governor Kayode Fayemi.”

He said the appointment is neither for political gain nor for personal aspiration.
“This is not for any political gain, I’m not contesting for any position. Presently, I’m the special adviser on federal matters to the governor, so I am not contesting for any position,” he said.
“They are appointed to support APC and the government of Kayode Fayemi.”

Araoye had sought the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ekiti south federal constituency but he lost to Yemi Adaramodu, who presently represents the constituency in the house of reps.
Yinka Oyebode, spokesman of the governor, neither answered his phone nor replied the text messages sent.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned all Nigerian travellers that the Ethiopian Customs and Revenue Authority (ECRA) has stepped up its seizure of foreign currencies and valuables in excess of $3 000 (three thousand US Dollars) from passengers transiting Ethiopia without prior declaration of such valuables.

The rule on the forfeiture of undeclared valuables applies to all passengers travelling to Ethiopia or transiting, including the prosecution of offenders of money laundering in line with Ethiopian Laws.

In a press release signed by Friday Akpan, the Ministry ha, therefore, implored all prospective Nigerian travellers to take note of the development and adhere strictly to avoid undue embarrassment at the airport.

The statement, however, added that the Embassy of Nigeria in Addis Ababa is engaging the Ethiopian authorities to secure the release of undeclared monies seized from Nigerians.

They all became the new chief executives in their respective states following the outcome of the last general elections. Bello Muhammed Mutawalle (Zamfara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (Bauchi) and Emeka Ihedioha (Imo) have all hit the ground running as new chief executives of their states but not without take off challenges that have raised dust between them and their predecessors.


Bello Muhammed Matawalle

When the Supreme Court delivered its verdict voiding all votes cast for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, it was a great relief to Bello Muhammed Mutawalle, candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections. He became governor on a platter, having benefitted from the pronouncement of the five-member panel of justices who declared that the candidate(s) with the highest number of votes in the elections be declared and sworn in as winners.

Events following his declaration and inauguration as governor so far have, however, indicated that it is not a tea party for him. Like his predecessor, the new sheriff in Zamfara has been grappling with the lingering security situation in the state since he was sworn.

In an apparent move to deal with the situation, Mutawalle’s days in office so far have been characterised by melodrama, even as the bandits and kidnappers terrorising his state have left little oxygen for him to breathe.

From his inauguration to date, no fewer than three major attacks have reportedly taken place. While 23 people were reportedly shot dead in attacks in Tunga and Kabaje villages in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area (LGA), 16 others were shot dead in Kanoma District in Maru LGA. Yet another 35 were massacred in Gidan Wawa, Tungar Kahau and Kwallido villages in Shinkafi LGA.

Consequently, the governor summoned a meeting with all the emirs, security chiefs and many other stakeholders in the state, warning that he would not condone laxity from on their part because of their important role in containing the security situation.

Gov. Mutawalle then proposed a new peace roadmap for the state in which he dared to reach out to some of the armed men in the forests to know their actual grievances.

The armed criminals are said to have given the governor conditions for laying down their arms. One of the conditions is that they would stop the deadly assaults only if the local vigilante, otherwise known as Yan Sakai, halted further extra judicial execution of Fulani men, especially in rural markets.

Gov. Mutawalle then warned the Y an Sakai that the state government would not condone acts of lawlessness, and that therefore, they should stop further unlawful execution of suspected criminals, warning that whoever flouted the order would face the full wrath of the law.

The governor said his administration would re-demarcate grazing reserves and cattle routes, adding that he would also re-integrate the dispersed Fulani settlements into one big community and build hospitals, schools and dams for them.

After attacks on some communities in Kanoma District, Gov. Mutawalle paid condolence visits to the communities and reiterated his resolve to bring back peace to the state.

But in a dramatic move after the visits, he announced the dethronement of the Emir of Maru, Alhaji Abubakar Chika, and the District Head of Kanoma. Before then, there had been allegations that some traditional rulers in the state were conniving with some armed criminals.

Earlier, he paid a similar condolence visit to Lilo community in Mada District. During the visit the governor and his security chiefs and their entourage had an encounter with some armed bandits. The security operatives attached to the governor’ convoy engaged the bandits for some minutes before the criminals withdrew into a forest.

As part of effort to tackle the security situation, Gov. Mutawalle also visited President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammad Adamu Abubakar, in Abuja. Top on the agenda of his meeting with them was the security issue.

After the visit, Mutawalle jetted out of the country on his first post-inauguration foreign visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to hold a meeting with the officials of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and some investors on how to improve the economy of the state. A similar visit was billed to hold with security experts in Dubai on the best ways to end the menace of armed banditry in the state.

The latest move, however, got many Nigerians worrying about whether the governor was already towing the path of his predecessor, who was accused of incessant foreign travels while his state was on fire.

Other than the security burden he inherited, Gov. Mutawalle may also contend with a huge debt burden as his predecessor, Abdulaziz Yari, allegedly left N252bn in debts, according to the Transition Committee Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala.

Alhaji Wakkala, who was deputy governor to Yari, said the liabilities from the state Ministry of Finance stood at N65,361,873,755.75, adding that the liabilities accrued to the state Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs alone were estimated at N35,399,498,154.53.
However, during a news conference at the APC state secretariat in Gusau, Yari said he left no debt or liability to the new administration.

Speaking Yari’s media aide said, “I want to make it categorically clear that the immediate past governor, His Excellency, Hon. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, left no debt on the state when he handed over the leadership of the state to the government of Alhaji Bello Matawalle.


Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed

Unlike Mutawalle, Gov. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has so far focused his attention on addressing what is considered some unpopular policies put in place by his predecessor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.

Aside promising to reverse any policy that “is not in the interest of Bauchi State and its people”, Mohammed also vowed to probe contracts awarded by the APC administration, as well as last-minute appointments made by the administration, especially recruitment into the state civil service.

The first move by Gov. Mohammed was the stoppage of the planned disbursement of the about N14bn refund released to Bauchi State in the last week of the Abubakar administration.
The governor’s spokesperson, Dr. Ladan Salihu, at a press conference, disclosed that Gov. Mohammed alerted the Economic and other Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies and blocked the former administration from accessing the fund.
Gov. Mohammed also revoked the over N4bn contracts awarded by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for the renovation of schools and provision of major learning materials and school furniture across the state.

He argued that contracts were awarded by the last administration to reward his (Abubakar) political patronage of friends and cronies.
At another gathering on development of education in the state organised by UNICEF, Gov. Mohammed vowed to prosecute the immediate past SUBEB Chairman, Prof. Yahya Ibrahim Yero, for allegedly awarding the revoked contracts without the funds to pay contractors.

Gov. Mohammed also revoked all political appointments of the former administration, like Directors General (DGs) of government agencies, as well as local government caretaker committees of all the 20 local government areas.
The governor also promised to review other contracts awarded by the previous administration and threatened to revoke any one awarded in a dubious manner.

However, what is considered his most daring move was the recent planned control of the House of Assembly where he outwitted the APC and hijacked the leadership by ensuring that his candidate emerged the speaker and the PDP got the deputy speakership despite being in minority in the house.

The move may not be unconnected to his promise to reverse the enactment of the laws brought through two bills presented by the former governor to repeal the anti-corruption law to stop the probe of the former governor.
The other law is for the creation of additional districts and village areas which many see as a plan to put additional burden on his administration.

The governor also ordered the redeployment of about a dozen Permanent Secretaries (Permsecs), including the Clerk of the House of Assembly, which many believe paved way for what happened later during the inauguration of the house last Thursday.
The other permsecs deployed were considered as either close to former Gov. Abubakar or had actively participated in politics during campaigns and elections.

Gov. Mohammed also sent a bill to the House of Assembly seeking for the downward review of the 2019 budget appropriation from N198bn. His request was granted by the members before the dissolution of the assembly which gave it a speedy deliberation and reviewed it downwards to N197bn which he signed into law.

The row between former Gov. Abubakar and his successor assumed a dramatic dimension when the former was accused by the latter of spending N2.3bn to buy materials for burials.

The governor made the allegation through his spokesperson, Dr. Ladan Salihu, in an interview with newsmen, stressing that the said funds were spent between January and May, 2019.
However, the former governor has denied spending N2.3bn on burials, saying he only spent N1.2bn.


Emeka Ihedioha

Similarly, Gov. Emeka Ihedioha’s inauguration as the new sheriff in Imo State has not been without drama. As had been predicted by bookmakers, the governor’s first action was to try to undo some of those things he thought were wrong during the Rochas Okoroha-led government.

This was not altogether surprising, given Ihedioha’s outcry over the actions of his predecessor, even before taking over the mantle of leadership. However, not many people believe that the first act of the new administration was to demolish one of the monuments built by Okorocha, the Akachi.

Although the governor denied involvement in the action, it has remained an issue. Some members of the new administration tagged the monument an evil omen that should be pulled down.
Since the Akachi incident, the governor has reversed key appointments made by his predecessor on the eve of his departure. The first was to sack all the members of boards of government agencies and parastatals inaugurated by Okorocha less than two months to his departure.

Also, Ihedioha, by the approval of the House of Assembly, sacked all the elected local government chairmen and councillors. In their stead, the he inaugurated a transition committees the 21 local government areas of the state. Each of the transition committee has members from each of the electoral wards in the state.

The governor has also set in motion machinery for the recovery of government property allegedly carted away by some members of the outgone administration, including family members of his predecessor. A detachment of policemen were said to have gone to the house of Okorocha’s younger brother, Okey Okorocha, to retrieve some vehicles and property during which a scuffle was said to have ensued between the security agents and members of Okorocha family.

Some members of the new administration were also said to have stormed a mechanic workshop where a car belonging to Okorocha’s first daughter, Uloma Nwosu, was forcefully taken away despite her protestation that the car legally belonged to her.

Last week, a fresh dimension was added to the unfolding drama in Imo State as some members of the state committee on recovery of government property reportedly stormed a shopping mall owned by Uloma Nwosu.

During the raid, they reportedly carted away merchandise believed to be owned by the state government. The operation was said to have been supervised by Jasper Ndubuaku, chairman of the committee.

On their part, the state legislators have also moved to recover some of their residential houses allegedly leased out by the former administration. They have also passed a motion urging the governor to probe Okorocha for spending N5bn state funds to build a state university, Eastern Palm University, which they allege the former governor appropriated for himself and even appointed one of his staff as vice chancellor.

There are concerns that the governor is making the cardinal point of his administration to be a war against his predecessor.


Dapo Abiodun

In Ogun State, Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s first month in office has been defined by less decisive activities, apparently moving at a slow pace contrary to high expectations that greeted his government.

His major challenge upon assumption of office was appointments, as it took him a week before he made his first appointment, which was the Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin. A week later, he named Olatokunbo Talabi as SSG and Shuaib Salisu as the chief of staff.

The delay in the appointments, it was gathered, was due to some power play and intrigues among various political blocs that brought him to power.
Therefore, it seems a great challenge lies ahead of the governor as he prepares to form his cabinet.

Last week, Gov. Abiodun at a meeting with APC stakeholders, revealed how he borrowed funds from his friends who are managing directors of commercial banks to clear N7bn wage bill for last month.

The governor said he met “almost nothing” in the state’s treasury, but was silent on how much he met. It was gathered that the total external debt of the state amounts to $210m, while the local debt stands at N120bn.

But in defence of former Gov. Amosun, the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Ogun State chided Abiodun, describing his position as “height of unpreparedness and gross irresponsibility.”

In a statement, the acting Publicity Secretary of APM, Olumide Balogun, said Amosun “had already prepared the cash for payment before handing over to him (Abiodun) on May 28th, 2019”, and wondered how the governor who had barely spent three days in office as at May 31, would borrow N7bn to pay salary.

Also, Amosun’s last-minute appointments and promotions in the civil service have turned out to be a thorn in his successor’s flesh. He had employed 1,000 fresh civil servants and appointed 21 permsecs.

This, no doubt would have led to increase in the monthly wage bill, which the former governor left at N9.3bn, and the new helmsman is expected to pay the N30,000 newly approved minimum wage.

Interestingly, Abiodun has suspended appointments of the 75 newly appointed traditional rulers. He equally set up a review committee to “determine on a case-by-case basis whether such appointments or promotions were in accordance with the extant laws of Ogun State and due process.”

In the education sector, Abiodun will have to contend with the crisis rocking the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, over its upgrading to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) by the Amosun-led government. In March, 2017, Amosun signed a bill for the conversion of the polytechnic into a university and the establishment of Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia. The development has pitched the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in MAPOLY against Amosun as lecturers accused him of insincerity.

Already, the governor has reversed MAUSTECH to its former status, MAPOLY, with its academic activities fully restored, while he set up a panel to look into the feasibility of the operations of the newly established institution.

Olawale Olaleye in Lagos, Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta


The presidency last night dismissed an allegation that former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, illegally imported massive weapons and ammunition into the country, saying preliminary investigation by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, showed that there was no sinister motive in the former governor’s action.

An online news portal, Premium Times, had published a story on Monday night, claiming that Amosun imported without appropriate permits, 1,000 AK47 assault guns and four million rounds of ammunition.

But a presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a text message response to THISDAY’s enquiry, said following a preliminary investigation by the police boss, the presidency did not think Amosun had sinister motive in importing the guns and ammunition.

“The IG of police, Adamu Mohammed has undertaken a preliminary investigation [and] is issuing a statement on the issue of those guns in Ogun State. At this early stage, we don’t think that there is anything sinister about the whole issue,” he stated.

Last night, however, Amosun in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Rotimi Durojaiye, denied handing over the alleged large arms and ammunition, stating that all its arms importations were authorized by the presidency under former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Although he acknowledged that upon the winding down of his government, he handed over some ammunition and armored vehicles to the Ogun State Police Command, he denied that guns were involved in the exercise.

“Not a single AK 47 riffle was handed over at the event,” he said.

The media aide explained: “It is important to stress that this was not the first time that Senator Amosun, whilst in office as governor and former chief security officer of Ogun State would be handing over security assets to the police. The particular exercise of 28 May, 2019 was done openly in the full glare of the public and the media to ensure accountability, guarantee transparency and judicious use of the assets.

“In May 2011 when Senator Amosun assumed office, the biggest challenge that confronted Ogun State was insecurity. Political assassinations, unnatural and unexplained deaths were prevalent. In Ogun East for instance, which comprised of 9 of the 20 LGAs at the time, the entire business and financial institutions architecture had become comatose as no bank or such institutions could open for business in the entire senatorial district.

“Cultism, kidnapping for ransom, violent crime and tertiary institutions related criminality stank to high heavens. Ogun West was totally ravaged by cross border banditry, unbridled smuggling and economic sabotage. Ogun Central, though relatively calmer, had its fair share of the very low security index that our state had sunk at the time. No resident, in good conscience, could sleep at night with two eyes closed. “In the World Bank Ease of Doing Business, 2010, Ogun State was ranked as Number 35 out of 36 as industries and corporations fled the state in droves.

“Senator Ibikunle Amosun took the firm view that nothing would thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity. He, therefore, decided that early to confront the myriad security challenges headlong and thereby open up Ogun State to private investment under a secured environment.

“The SIA administration convened a security parley amongst all stakeholders. The parley gave rise to the Ogun State Security Trust Fund (STF) under the leadership of a former Nigerian national security adviser. The deliberations and recommendations of the STF and the far-reaching initiatives of government have delivered consistent peace of mind, economic prosperity and social progress for all within the borders of Ogun State and even beyond since 2012. We note with immense pride that the same Ogun State, generally regarded as a back-water state in terms of security rallied round strongly to emerge as one of the most peaceful and the best place to work and live in Nigeria.

“The SIA administration sought help from the then President Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government. First, we sought and got approval to set up “OP MESA” for Ogun State. We followed this up with the specialized QRS unit. We committed substantial funds into procurement of hard and soft ware, and, myriad security assets to decisively combat our security challenges. We got all necessary approvals from the Office of the National Security Adviser to procure the 13 units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), the 1000 units of AK 47 rifles, 2 million rounds of ammunition,1000 units of bullet proof vests and 500 bullet proof helmets and other security communication gadgets.

“Ogun State not only got approval to import these essential assets, the federal administration under President Goodluck Jonathan, gave all requisite approvals to assist the state. The federal government through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) issued the State the End User Certificate Serial Number 000001123 dated 5th of March, 2012. The Federal Ministry of Finance also granted Import Duty Exemption Certificate through a letter from the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy with Reference Number BO/R.10260/S.4/T.4/22 dated 10th April, 2012.

“Indeed, the supplier was an accredited agent of the Nigeria Police Force nominated for the job by the force, who also monitored and supervised the transaction. The security materials were cleared through the Murtala Muhammed Airport and confirmed through Nigeria Customs Memo NCS/MMAC/012/S.1. The materials were publicly handed over to the Inspector General of Police MD Abubakar on 22nd April, 2012 wherein he acknowledged that: ‘I have served in all six geographical zones of this country. I have never seen the kind of equipment you are donating to security agents today. This is the first of such maximum donation I have ever seen since I have been serving as a police officer.’

“Suffice to say categorically that the AK47 rifles were supplied directly to the Nigeria Police, Ogun State Command. The rest of the merchandise were securely kept in the approved designated armoury within the Government House precincts under police surveillance as it obtains in most Government Lodges, to guarantee exclusive use of the materials in Ogun State. These are not matters for the public.

“The suggestion that the security assets were quickly handed over to the police in order that the new administration will not know about it is laughable because the current Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR was the main supplier of some of the assets in question, notably, the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs).

“As a governor who understood and took the responsibilities of his office seriously, Senator Amosun was mindful to account for and properly hand over the remainder of the security items to the police and the new administration. On 28 May, 2019, the last of the APCs, and all other security assets under the custody of Ogun State Government were passed over to the police in full glare of the media and general public. We believed that was the surest way to prevent these assets getting into the wrong hands.”



Ogun Police Command Deny Receiving Arms from Amosun

The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Mr. Bashir Makama, had earlier in the day denied receiving large volume of guns and ammunition from Amosun, saying he took delivery of an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), 1,400,000 live ammunition from the former governor.

The police boss, in a telephone chat, stated that the Force Headquarters, Abuja, was aware of the handover of the weapons to him, shortly after the last general elections when he assumed office in May.

Makama explained that shortly after his assumption of office, Amosun put a call through to him to come for the leftover weapons the state government procured and kept at the Government House, located at Oke-Igbein, in the heart of Abeokuta, when he (Amosun) assumed office in year 2011 as the fourth executive governor to combat the growing menace of criminal activities in the state.

The state police boss said: “I didn’t receive any firearms from the immediate past Governor Ibikunle Amosun, but he only handed one APC, 1,400,000 live ammunition to me.

“When I assumed office in May I received a call from the then governor, who asked me to come for the leftovers of the weapons that the state government bought to combat violent crimes in the state, upon his assumption of office in 2011. That he (Amosun) didn’t want the weapons to remain at the Government House before leaving the office.

“The Force Headquarters, Abuja, was aware of the development, because I had to do it officially.
“But surprisingly, I couldn’t imagine how traditional and online media have started to drop my name in connection with the half of a story.”

A court in Kogi State has emphatically made it known to Governor Yahaya Bello and the state house of assembly that they could not jointly or unilaterally remove the chief judge, reports Davidson Iriekpen

Attempts by Governor, Yahaya Bello and the House of Assembly to remove the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Justice Nasir Ajanah, from office met a strong resistance when a high court sitting in Koton-Karfe ruled that the executive and legislature, jointly or unilaterally, could not remove him without recourse to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The presiding judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, while delivering judgment in a suit brought against the assembly, the governor and three others by Justice Ajanah and the Chief Registrar, Yahaya Adamu, said to allow only the assembly and the governor of a state to remove a chief judge of a state or any judicial officer for that matter, without the input of the NJC, was tantamount to destroying the very substratum of justice and introducing a system of servitude, inconsistent with the constitutional independence of judges.

The judge, who was very livid while reading the judgment, re-emphasised that it was only the NJC, established under Section 153(i) of the Constitution (as amended), that has the power to recommend to the governor, the removal of a judicial officer. He noted that where a chief judge of a state is to be removed, for whatever reason, it is the NJC, not the state assembly that has the power to make recommendations to the governor of a state under item 21(d) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution.

“It is also the NJC, established under Section 153(i) of the constitution (as amended), that has the power to recommend to the Governor, the removal of a judicial officer. Where a Chief Judge of a state is to be removed, for whatever reason, it is the NJC, not the state House of Assembly that is empowered to make recommendations to the governor of a state under item 21(d) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution.

“To allow only the House of Assembly and the governor of a state to remove a chief judge of a state or any judicial officer for that matter, without the input of the NJC, will be monstrous and outrageous as it is capable of destroying the very substratum of justice and introducing a system of servitude, utterly inconsistent with the constitutional independence of judges,” he said.

Justice Omolaye-Ajileye not only found merit in the suit and allowed the declarations sought, but granted all the reliefs and declarations sought by the claimants in the suit.


“On the whole, I find merit in this action and it succeeds. All the declarations sought are allowed.”
The case started when following the industrial action embarked upon by the judicial workers, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Folashade Ayoade-Arike, who had a pending case before the Chief Judge, addressed a letter to him on the orders of the state governor to release the payroll of judiciary staff for pay parade of civil servants in the state. The chief judge then instructed the Chief Registrar to reply the letter, as it was unethical for him to communicate directly with her while the case was pending.

In the reply, the claimants declined to yield to the demand for staff payroll on the grounds that the request was contrary to the provisions of the state Public Finance (Judiciary Special Provisions), Edict No. 6 of 1991 and sections 81(3) and 162 (d) of the 1999 Constitution. The development led to a communication between the SSG and the assembly, alleging financial misappropriation on the leadership of the judiciary.

The assembly subsequently constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the Chief Judge and Chief Registrar on the matter.

On April 2, the assembly recommended to the governor and the State Judicial Council, the removal of the Chief Judge and sanctions for the Chief Registrar after it adopted the report and recommendations of the ad hoc committee.

Consequent upon this, the judicial officers approached the court with suit number: HC/KK/11CV/2018 to challenge the powers of the governor and the state House of Assembly to remove them from office over refusal to be investigated by the state assembly.
Other respondents in the suit were the Speaker of the assembly, Bello Hassan Abdullahi, Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee and the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

In their originating summons, they posed four questions for determination which revolved round whether the defendants had power to remove the chief judge as a “judicial officer” within the meaning of sections 292 and 318 of the 1999 Constitution.
They also sought to know among others, whether the 1st defendants (Assembly) or its committee was vested with the power to invite the first claimant (Ajanah) to the floor of the assembly for the purpose of investigation.

They equally sought declarations that the defendants were not vested with the power to remove the CJ or invite him to the floor of the assembly for purpose of investigation; that the constitution of the ad hoc committee by the assembly on December 11, 2018 was unconstitutional, ultra vires and therefore, null, void and of no effect.

They also sought orders of perpetual injunction setting aside the purported resolution and another restraining the defendants, their agents, privies or servants from investigating or exercising any form of disciplinary control or sanctions on the claimants.

It was not only the chief judge who benefited from the judgment as Justice Omolaye-Ajileye, also declared that the chief registrar of the state High Court held a statutory position as the accounting officer of the judiciary and was therefore, not subject to the control and supervision of either the executive or the legislature.

The above case is not the first time the court would halt the arbitrariness of a state governor and the House of Assembly in removing a chief judge from office.

Since the enthronement of democracy in 1999, the NJC has consistently been telling state governors and their Houses of Assembly that they could not appoint or remove a chief judge without its input. But this constitutional provision has often been flouted.
The most recent was on May 5, 2009 when the then Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, sacked the state chief judge, Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb, from office for alleged corruption, misconduct as well as high handedness in handling the crisis in the judiciary.

Rather than notifying the NJC, Saraki wrote a letter to the state House of Assembly, complaining about the chief judge and the need to remove her from office. Upon receiving the governor’s letter, it took the lawmakers just 45 minutes to deliberate on the letter and gave a unanimous approval to the governor’s request. Before anyone could say anything, the chief judge was sacked.

Justice Elelu-Habeeb then went to the federal high court in Ilorin, which ordered that she should be reinstated. But the state government appealed judgment and won. Consequently, Justice Elelu-Habeeb approached the Supreme Court.

In 2012, the seven-man panel of justices of the apex court led by Justices Walter Onnoghen, Christopher Chukwumah-Eneh, Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie, Olufunmilola Adekeye, Mary Peter-Odili and Olukayode Ariwoola, in a unanimous decision, declared all the actions taken by the Saraki-led executive arm, acting in consonance with the state House of Assembly on Justice Elelu-Habeeb’s removal as a nullity.

They held that both the governor-led executive arm and the state lawmakers lacked the constitutional powers to remove the chief judge without an input of the NJC. The court held that the NJC was by law a necessary party that must be involved in determining the fate of a judicial officer.

Citing Section 271(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the apex court said: “It is not difficult to see that for the effective exercise of the powers of removal of a Chief Judge of a state by the governor and House of Assembly, the first port of call by the governor shall be the NJC. Although the governor of a state has been vested with the power to appoint the chief judge of his own state, that power is not absolute.”

Justice Mohammed said: “That is to say for the purpose of emphasis, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 does not give the Governor of Kwara State, acting in conjunction with the House of Assembly of Kwara State, absolute power to remove the Chief Judge of the state from his/her office before the age of retirement without the recommendation of the NJC.

“The NJC is the body that has been assigned the duty and responsibility of recommending to the governors of the states of the federation suitable persons for appointments to the offices of chief judges of the states and other judicial officers in the states.
“The same NJC is also empowered under Sub-paragraph (d0 of paragraph 21 to recommend to the governors of the states the removal from office of the chief judges of the states and other judicial officers of the states, and also to exercise disciplinary control over such chief judges of the states and other judicial officers of the states. “Therefore, from these very clear provisions of the constitution, which are very far from being ambiguous, the governors of the states and the houses of assembly of the states cannot exercise disciplinary control touching the removal of chief judges of states or other judicial officers in the states.”

Perhaps, with the Kogi example, governors would start to learn to appreciate the very essence of separation of power, which guarantees the independence of the judiciary and desist from attempting to exercise absolute power only to be put in their place by a court of law.

Eniola Akinkuotu , Abuja



Human rights lawyer , Mr. Femi Falana ( SAN ) , has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately prosecute godfathers and thugs who undermined the last elections.
Falana said this in a statement on Sunday .

He said, “ Since the Federal Government has refused to set up the electoral offences tribunal recommended by the Uwais panel , INEC and the police should arraign in court the godfathers who sabotaged internal democracy in some of the parties and the armed thugs who committed other grave electoral offences during the last general election . ”

The senior advocate also urged the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais panel on electoral reform before those of the European Union .

He said this in response to promises by the government to implement some of the recommendations of the EU.

Falana noted that the reports of the local monitors of the last general elections had been ignored by the Federal Government and other stakeholders .

He said, “ Before the report of the ex -colonial masters on how to conduct credible elections in Nigeria is adopted the neo -colonial Federal Government must be compelled to implement the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Panel , Ahmed Lemu Panel and Ken Nnamani panel on electoral reforms.

“ The recommendations and the reports of the local election monitors are much more relevant than the report of the foreign observers .”

Troops under the control of Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) are currently fighting the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) for the control of border communities in the Lake Chad basin.

The latest of the faceoff has seen the MNJTF killing 42 members of ISWAP during a clearance operation on the Lake Chad Island on Friday, while several others escaped with gunshot wound.

Hitherto, ISWAP has been providing alternative government around border communities in the Lake Chad Basin and stretching into borders around Adamawa State.

Col. Timothy Antigha, MNJTF Chief of Military Public Information, who confirmed the killing of ISWAP members in a statement on Saturday, said this was the greatest loss suffered by the terrorists in the last six months.

According to Antigha, troops effectively suppressed ISWAP and successfully conducted the clearance operation.

“Unfortunately, the MNJTF lost a soldier while 10 others were wounded in action,” he said.

He said the terrorists also lost equipment as two of their gun trucks, and three motorcycles were destroyed, while troops recovered two light machine guns and two AK 47 riffles from them.

Antigha said earlier in the week, ISWAP also met a similar fate when they attempted to attack MNJTF troops in Sector 1 Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Ngouma in Cameroon.

He said in that engagement, ISWAP lost five terrorists, while one was captured.

The MNJTF spokesman also said that 13 AK 47 riffles and two hand grenades were recovered from the encounter.

Similarly, he said the MNJTF also conducted air interdictions in Arege and Malkorony where several terrorists were killed as the headquarters and logistics base of a top ISWAP commander, Abu Talib, was targeted in that operation.

But Sunday INDEPENDENT gathered that the attempt by ISWAP to set up alternative government in the border communities in the Lake Chad Basin and stretching into borders around Adamawa State, is affecting governance in the communities as smugglers, farmers and cattle herders now pay taxes to the insurgents in exchange of peace to do their businesses.

The development, according to peace and conflict experts, further had imperiled counter insurgency efforts of the Federal Government.

ISWAP, a breakaway faction of the Boko Haram terrorists, which early in 2016, pledged allegiance to ISIS, a major terrorist group holding sway in their Middle East, had begun a mind war to win the support of locals in the area.

“A key area in doing this is providing alternative governance to people by seizing taxes and excise duties. They have also contested monopoly of instrument of violence in the conflict with Federal Government.

“These are key issues of measuring the success or otherwise of a counter insurgency campaign,” explained Dr. Ademola Wahab, a retired colonel, now with Savannah Centre for Development, Diplomacy and Democracy (SCDDD), a sub-regional policy, development advocacy group based in Abuja.

The policy and defence expert stated further: “Absence of killings or reduction in mortality in the battle field does not necessarily indicate the success of a counter insurgency campaign.”

According to him, insurgents normally set out to undermine governance, give people an alternative to governance, stressing, “This is what ISWAP is trying to do.”

The scenario might well be dire for the Federal Government and the country given the reports gathered by Sunday INDEPENDENT from those who claimed to have encountered ISWAP in the course of their activities, as well as other developments as scooped from intelligence in one of the communities.

For instance, a dealer in exotic shoes, smuggled into the country from Cameroon, recently told Sunday INDEPENDENT that with the tightening of borders in the southern part of the country, he had to be bringing in merchandise from Adamawa, Borno and Taraba borders.

“There are far less customs officers in the route and we pay ‘safe passage’ money to an agent who then assures us that our goods will pass through conflict areas without any mishap,” the smuggler told the newspaper.

He added that he was certain the money he paid often ended in the hands of insurgents.

Another source, a farmer in border settlement of Borno State, explained how he had had to pay duties to insurgents to allow him farm onions.

“I left the Army to begin farming. Some locals helped me secure some lands and I paid N200, 000 for both farm logistics and to settle local agents of ISWAP,” he disclosed.

There were other reports of ISWAP helping local cattle herders chase away bandits and cattle rustlers.

These developments may not be farfetched given established and credible intelligence backed by globally recognised security works on ISIS/ISWAP.

ISWAP, it would be recalled, broke away from the Abbakar Shekau-led Boko Haram and swore allegiance to ISIS.

But, rather than adopting wholly ISIS playbook, it resorted to a more flexible, amorphous war with the Nigerian military and state.

ISWAP, by filling gaps in governance and service delivery, had garnered a level of support from local civilians that Boko Haram never enjoyed and had turned neglected communities in the area and islands in Lake Chad into a source of economic support.

This threat was further compounded by defeated ISIS determination to carve out a territory within the Sahel region of the West African sub-region.

This, according to local intelligence, might further aggravate insurgency in the North of the country, especially the Chad Basin.

Rising from a recent briefing in Washington after the fall of ISIS’ strongholds both in Syria and Iraq, leading military and intelligence organisations that broker the global terror franchise decided, based on credible information, that ISIS might be looking to carve territory in the largely ungoverned swath of lands around Southern Mali, Burkina Faso’s northern borders and Niger Republic.

“This will definitely increase insurgencies in the North East of our country,” confirmed a top source in Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Even more, military intelligence in the country revealed that there were sightings of foreign fighters in the ranks of ISWAP.

“They are not just 10 or 20; they are in large numbers as sighted by our troops in the North Eastern borders of the country,” explained the intelligence source to Sunday INDEPENDENT.

ABUJA – There are raging allegations that the management of National Assembly (NASS) may have been colluding with lawmakers in the past to scam hapless Nigerians who worked as legislative aides to members of the legislature.

While findings by Sunday INDEPENDENT are still sketchy since NASS management and lawmakers are withholding information over hundreds of millions of naira in allowances for legislative aides said to have been withheld since 2015 to date, the situation according to NASS sources will persist as long as the allowances of these aides are paid directly to their bosses.

Indeed, On Thursday, June 13, 2019 this newspaper reported that the National Assembly complex lobby was filled with thousands of job seekers who thronged the legislative building to secure employment with the newly inaugurated lawmakers.

Majority of the job seekers were those whose employment just ended with the dissolution of the 8th Assembly last week Thursday.

The Nigerians who came from all parts of the country were a mixture of both former legislative aides and secretaries to out-gone lawmakers both in both chambers

The sheer number overwhelmed the Assembly security who attempted to close doors leading to lawmakers’ offices against the unemployed Nigerians.

The situation, which has become a usual sight every four years, leaves tales of woes and dejection in its wake, especially for those not lucky enough to have their bosses reelected into the National Assembly.

Sunday INDEPENDENT gathered that many of those who had worked as legislative aides in the past should have been well-off financially had their accumulated duty tour allowances (DTAs), and severance packages been paid as expected or required.

Despite having served different lawmakers in more than three different assemblies, Mr. Justine Ohaba (not real name) told our correspondent that he had to come back to look for the same job after every four years.

The rules of both Chambers provide that each lawmaker is entitled to at least, 5 aides both in Abuja and their constituency offices.

The practice is that all aides employed by lawmakers are captured in the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) data base from where their remunerations are paid.

However, lawmakers have over the years, allegedly devised means of subverting the process by electing to pay the aides from their pockets, salaries far lower than what’s approved by the NASC.

“The aides so employed are taken advantage of as less than half of what’s due to them is paid at the end of every month”, Ohaba tells me.

Joined the SLA business as a young lawyer fresh out of law school, 47 years old Ohaba corroborated an allegation that some lawmakers in previous assemblies have had to force their Abuja-based aides to share their salaries with those in their constituency offices while the lawmakers pocketed what was meant to service the constituency based aides.

He revealed that a senior legislative aide (SLA) (consolidated), just like himself is entitled to earn between N500, and N600,000 monthly including allowances, while a legislative aide (LA) is entitled to earn between N250,000 to N300,000 including allowances.

But the father of three said what comes to most of them, including him is less than half of what their dues should be as some lawmakers have perfected the art of shortchanging them for their relations and children whose names are sent to the NASC for appointment letters.


Asked how they go around such manipulation without the connivance of the management that makes the payments, he said, “Different persons are called to pose as the real bearers of names on the appointment letters which they sign for and do documentation”.

“In the end, monies paid into bank accounts given to them by the lawmakers as belonging to their real bearers of the letters would be taken with as little as between N40,000 and N60,000 paid to the ones who do the actual work of legislative aides.

Some of the job seekers who spoke to Sunday INDEPENDENT on the condition of anonymity said they find themselves in the situation every four years due to crippling unemployment in the country.

Recall that in 2017, former legislative aides in the 7th Assembly staged protests to the National Assembly complex demanding for their unpaid allowances and severance packages.

They claimed to have been owed for an average of 8 years for those lucky enough to have served in two different assemblies, while those who served in just one were claiming four years of unpaid allowances and severance packages.

They also alleged that the Federal Government had in a 2016 supplementary budget voted the sum of N10 billion meant for the payment of all outstanding benefits owed former legislative aides from previous Assemblies.

Our attempts to get reactions from National Assembly officials have serially met brick walls, even as lawmakers say they have no role whatsoever in the payment of salaries and allowances of their aides.

A returning member of the House told Sunday INDEPENDENT of how he had to petition the speaker on matters relating to unpaid allowances of legislative aides, saying that they (aides) are the drivers of legislative activities in the National Assembly.

“The reason why we have aides is exactly as their name implies, to aide our work of lawmaking on behalf of Nigerians who elected us to this place. No matter how good or hardworking we want to be, we can’t function properly without the contributions of our aides.

“They do the research, the running around for data and move from one place to another filling motions and bills generated for entry and subsequent approval by the Speaker who directs the Committee on Rules and Business to schedule same for presentation and debates.

“So for me, the wellbeing of the aides should be as much a priority as those of us members, because they play as much important a role in our legislative work.

“But for anybody to shortchange them of their entitlement in whatever guise is callous to say the least. I can never stoop so low, because before coming here in 2015, I was in the private sector where I had over 500 young people on my pay roll.

“I’ve had to go out of my way to give my aides money from my pockets each time salaries were delayed, and my aides get their full money which I don’t even know when they get paid. They earn theirs, I earn mine”, he noted.

While some fortunate aides may have enjoyed full benefit of their work serving considerate lawmakers, others have had to impersonate family members of their bosses to get by, even though they “slave” from Monday to Friday working for the pittance they get.

Those who protested their unpaid severance and allowances accused the management of colluding with their bosses to shut them out and deny them their Entitlements.

While they claimed to have petitioned the anti-graft agencies in the matter, nothing has been heard regarding the investigation and attempt to recover the said amount which is said to have risen above N10 billion since 2016.

Ade Adesomoju



The cases filed by the immediate past Senate President, Bukola Saraki and a former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, to challenge their corruption probes, are set to resume for hearing before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s last month’s protest against the judge.

SUNDAY PUNCH can report that as of Saturday, there had been no communication from the court to counter the schedule of the cases to come up for hearing before Justice Taiwo on Monday (tomorrow).

The EFCC in a letter sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, on May 21, accused Justice Taiwo of being biased against it.

The letter signed by the EFCC’s acting chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, was in protest against the ex parte orders made by Justice Taiwo on May 9 and 14, restraining the commission from continuing its investigations of certain corruption allegations against Saraki, and Okorocha.

It requested in the letter the re-assignment of the two ex-governors’ cases and all other ones involving it in the judge’s docket to another judge of the court.

But court officials and some top officials of the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday and Saturday that the one-month-old request by the commission had yet to be acted on by the Chief Judge of the court.

“To the best of my knowledge, there has been no communication from the Chief Judge on the commission’s request. But it will be hasty to conclude that the Chief Judge has dismissed the commission’s request,” a top official of the commission told one of our correspondents on Saturday.

A court official had informed SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that “the cases are still with Justice Taiwo.”

Responding to SUNDAY PUNCH’s request to comment on the issue on Saturday, spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr Tony Orilade, said in a text message he sent to our correspondent.

“As of today, I have no information, but give me till Monday, I shall get back to you.”

Magu, in his letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, said, “Your Lordship, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is the 4th defendant in the respective cases stated above which are pending before Honourable Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of your lordship’s court.

“The commission respectfully requests your lordship to re-assign the above-stated cases and all other cases pending before Honourable Justice O. Taiwo, in which it is involved, to other judges of your Lordship’s court.

“This application has become very necessary because of the commission’s lack of confidence in his Lordship’s impartiality to dispense justice in any matter concerning it.”

Magu stated that against established legal principle validated by judicial pronouncements, Justice Taiwo, in the fundamental rights enforcement suits filed by Saraki and Okorocha, “restrained the commission, among others, from performing its statutory function of investigating them pending the determination of originating motions on notice.”

Magu stated in the letter that the EFCC was conducting an investigation into the “allegations of corrupt practices by the Senate President, Olubukola Saraki, whilst as the Executive Governor of Kwara State and also as the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

He added, “It (EFCC)is also investigating Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the outgoing (former) Governor of Imo State for the same allegations of corrupt practices as the governor of the state”.

The EFCC chairman recalled that Justice Taiwo in the past “demonstrated obvious bias against the commission” in a matter involving the former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

He said, “On June 24, 2016, the EFCC applied and secured an interim freezing order from the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, wherein his Lordship, Hon. Justice M. B. ldris ordered the Manager of Zenith Bank Plc to freeze bank accounts numbers 1003126654 and 9013074033 among others operated by Mr Ayodele Foyose pending the investigation and a possible prosecution of the criminal case involving the accounts.

“Your Lordship, Mr Ayodele Fayose subsequently instituted another suit in suit number. FHC/AD/15/2016 at the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti Judicial Division, praying the court for an order directing the EFCC and Zenith Bank Plc to unfreeze and make operational the said accounts.

“Shockingly, His Lordship. Honourable Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo, despite being aware of the pendency of the mower before Honourable Justice M.B. ldris, and his said order which were duly brought to his notice, proceeded to set it aside, thereby sitting as an appellate court over the decision of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.”

Magu added, “Though the commission is not by any means positing that His Lordship, Honourable Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo, should always decide cases in its favour, even when it does not deserve it, the trend of His Lordship shows unbridled bias against it, which has made it difficult for it to believe in His Lordship’s impartiality.”

Other respondents in both cases and who are affected by Justice Taiwo’s restraining orders were the Attorney General of the Federation, the Department of State Services, the Inspector-General of Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau.

By Jacob Segun Olatunji & Kehinde Akintola -





There are strong indications that the leadership of the House of Representatives may experience some level of stability in steering the affairs of the National Assembly with the choice of members of various Ad-hoc Committees set up so far, Tribune Online investigation has revealed.

The three Ad-hoc Committees already set up in the House by the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila are Selection Committee, Media Committee and Welfare Committee.

While Hon Gbajabiamila chairs the Ad-hoc Committee on Selection, he appointed Hon. Wale Raji (APC-Lagos) as chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Welfare and Hon. Khadijat Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (APC-Yobe) as chairperson, Ad-hoc Committee on Media.

The Selection Committee was saddled with the responsibility of appointing chairmen and members of various Standing Committees of the House.

Speaking during the inauguration held in his conference room, Hon Gbajabiamila beckoned on all the members who are interested in any specific committees to submit their Curriculum Vitae for necessary consideration.

Meanwhile, names of the ranking members appointed as principal officers for the party in the majority are expected to be made public soon.

As at the time of filing this report, no headway has been made sequel to subtle agitation among ranking members who threw their weights behind Gbajabiamila’s candidacy against his arch-rival, Hon. Mohammed Bago (APC-Niger).


Sequel to the emergence of Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers) as the Minority Leader in the 9th session of the House of Representatives, the opposition parties are expected to make public the list of lawmakers for the positions of Minority Whip, Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip on resumption at plenary on 2nd July 2019.

The list which would be announced at plenary is expected to be transmitted to the Speaker.

It was gathered that some of the ranking PDP lawmakers who expressed interest in the Minority Leader’s position lost out to Hon. Chinda.

Further investigation revealed that Hon. Muraina Ajibola (PDP-Oyo) who was also nominated as Minority Leader at a meeting held in Abuja was floored, despite arguments that some of the PDP members in the state fought earnestly to install a PDP Governor in Oyo State and having the only PDP Governor across South West geopolitical zone.

Hon Ajibola had during the 7th Assembly expressed interest in vying for Speaker of the House but stepped down at the last minute for Hon. Aminu Tambuwal who eventually emerged as the Speaker. He was thereafter appointed chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).

Quite a number of members of the opposition parties who spoke with our correspondents affirmed that the choice of members of the Selection Committees was made by various party caucuses.

While responding to Tribune Online inquiry on members of the ad-hoc Committee on Selection, Hon. Bamidele Salam, member of the Ad-hoc Committee on Media disclosed that: “the selection committee has one member per state. The Speaker is the chairman while Deputy Speaker is the Vice Chairman. So the total number should be 38. I don’t have the exact number of all parties in the House at the moment.”

Speaking exclusively with Tribune Online, Hon. Ossai Nicholas OssaI (PDP-Delta) affirmed that the lead opposition party and every state of the Federation were given adequate representation in all the Ad-hoc Committees inaugurated to ensure the smooth take-off of the 9th Assembly.

He expressed optimism that the choice of the members of the Selection Committee was fair, based on capacity demonstrated by the various member and devoid of sentiment and party affiliation.

According to him, “the PDP has 16 states and in those 16 states, you see the majority of them represented in that Selection Committee so you can see that the caucus of each state nominates members of the Selection Committee.


“So it depends on your strength in different states. I believe the one coming from my state (Delta) is a PDP man, one of the longest-serving legislators in Nigeria today, Hon. Nicholas Mutu with the belief that he’s experienced and will add value to the effect of making more committee members and chairmen from my state and we elected him to be there.

“Likewise, other states have elected their own to be there. You can see even in the APC states they elected PDP to be members of the Selection Committee.

“So it depends on how your members value you, that’s when you will be nominated. So it’s not an issue of APC, PDP, APGA or SDP. It’s an issue of you coming to the National Assembly to show your capacity and with the show of capacity you will be elected into a very important position of authority,” he stressed.

Speaking on the development, a member of the Selection Committee, Hon Yemi Adaramodu (APC-Ekiti) declared the composition of the Committee reflected the principle of Federal Character without preference for any political party which he said would make the 9th NASS a unique one in the annals of Nigeria legislation.

According to Hon Adaramodu, “the work of the Committee is fast progressing, we are working round the clock to get the final list ready because we want to hit the ground running immediately.”