₦airaland Forum

BY AFEEZ HANAFI

A 54-year-old man, Abayomi Adewunmi, has been arrested by the police for allegedly forging the licence of a Lagos-based firm, Nucleus Ventures Limited, to import four vehicles into Nigeria.

The police alleged that Adewunmi and other suspects at large hacked into the company’s data on the website of the Nigeria Customs Service to process shipping documents, which he used to import the vehicles – two Toyota Prado Jeeps, a Toyota 4runner and a Mercedes Benz GLE.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that Customs discovered the fraudulent act after the vehicles had been cleared, and suspended its import licence.

The agency was said to have subsequently notified the firm, which deals in manufacturing of paper products.

It was learnt that a letter was addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to assist in unearthing the particulars of the vehicles.

Following the information provided by the ministry, the case was reported at the Olosan Police Station and Adewunmi was tracked down.

The police alleged that the suspect altered the data of the firm on the website after hacking its username and password.

A police source said, “A representative of the company reported to the police that the Nigeria Customs Service sometime in October 2017 notified it of an unlawful use of its licence to import vehicles by some fraudulent persons who hacked into the company’s data on the agency’s website.

“After a thorough investigation the four vehicles imported via the forged company’s documents were identified. A manhunt was launched for the suspect linked with the vehicles and he was arrested.”

The source, however, said Adewunmi, who is a freight forwarder, denied the crime, but admitted to have imported one of the Prado Jeeps through the help of a Customs officer.

“The suspect said one Gbenga approached him to help procure assessment for payment of Customs duty for a Prado Jeep and that he sent the details of the vehicle to a Customs officer, one Iheanacho, to help generate the assessment.

“He said he was angry when he saw the name of the company on the documents. The suspect could not provide the necessary details for the police to trace the said Iheanacho,” the source added.

Adewunmi was consequently arraigned on Wednesday before an Ogba Magistrate’s Court on seven counts bordering on forgery.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Koti Aondohemba, told the court that the offence contravened sections 365(1), 366(1-3), 387, 388 389, 390 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The charge sheet read in part, “That you, Abayomi Adewunmi, and others at large on October 3, 2017, about 1:55pm, at the Lagos Magisterial District did impersonate Nucleus Ventures Limited and falsely represented yourself as its authorised agent before the Nigeria Customs Service.

“That you and others at large, did unlawfully hack into the computer network and data of Nucleus Ventures Limited within the Nigeria Customs Service website, using its username and password and unlawfully used the identity of the company to obtain and process shipping documents.

“That you and others at large, did unlawfully hack into the computer network and data of Nucleus Ventures Limited within the Nigeria Customs Service website, using its username and password to knowingly input and modify the data of the company to illegally obtain and process shipping documents, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

He was granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Tanimola, in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned till June 20, 2018 for mention.

A 38- year - old man , Godfrey Sibanda , from Kwekwe in Zimbabwe has dodged jail time for stabbing his wife to death with a kitchen knife after he “ mistook ” her for a lion .

Sibanda was spared imprisonment after the Gweru High Court ruled that he was mentally insane , reports
iHarare.

“ I saw her appearing as a lion , so , I grabbed a knife and stabbed the lion; I then realised later that I had killed my wife , ” Sibanda said in his defense .

Justice Mathonsi said , “Sibanda should not be held responsible for his actions because of his mental condition.

“ Instead , he should get some serious help . Therefore , I see it fit not to send him back to jail but instead should be transferred to a mental institution . ”

It was also confirmed that Sibanda ’ s family had a history of mental illness .

lalasticlala

By Dan Atori 

Police in Niger State have arrested a teenager for allegedly selling his six-year-old brother to a ritual killer for N20,000.

The 19-year-old suspect, Aliyu Basala Yakutchi, without mincing words, confessed to have sold his kid brother, Yamusa Ibrahim Yakutchi, to ritual killer in order to raise money to pay his wife’s bride price. The incident was said to have occurred about 10 days ago.

Aliyu, from Nagenu village in Katcha Local Government Area, sold his brother to 30-year-old Legbo, from Afuwagi village in Mokwa Local Government Area. Police disclosed that Legbo was presently on the run. Aliyu, who claimed to be the third among his mother’s six children, said that he sold his brother on credit.

Aliyu, who apparently didn’t know or understand the gravity of his action, pleaded with the police to release him unconditionally so that he could go and tend to his farm.

He said: “I decided to sell my younger brother for N20,000 on credit so that I can raise money to pay for the bride price of my 14-year-old lover.

I took my younger brother, Yamusa, to Malam Legbo for money rituals because he promised to pay me N20,000 if he succeeded in using him for money rituals.

I wanted to use the money to finance my marriage to Fatimah. Our father is dead, but our mother is still alive, her name is Hajiya Yakure.

“Prior to my arrest by the police, I had not been paid by Legbo. The money might not even be enough for my marriage requirements.” Asked the whereabouts of Legbo, Aliyu said: “I think he ran away with my brother when he got the information that the police were looking for him.

I blame the devil for pushing me into hatching this evil plan against my brother. I don’t even know where Legbo has taken my brother to.” While exonerating Fatimah from the crime, Aliyu noted: “She does not know about my evil plan to sell my little brother to offset her bride price.

I’m a farmer and a bachelor. I got enrolled into an Islamic school during my childhood days but my parents couldn’t afford to send me to school. I only speak our local dialect, Nupe language; I cannot speak or understand Hausa language too.”

As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of Legbo and Yamusa were still unknown. The police had already paid a visit to Legbo’s village, but met a cold trail.

Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi says suspected robbers have stolen over N 9 m meant for the payment of April salary of workers of its Departments of Health and Agriculture .

The chairman of the council , Shehu Bagudu, told newsmen in Gwandu on Thursday that the incident happened on May 24.

“ The incident happened when the cashier of the area , Bashir Gwandu , collected the money from the bank and went to his house .

“ As he was about to open the gate of his house and unknown to him , the thieves had been trailing him from the bank .

As he was opening the gate to enter his house , the suspects who had laid ambush for him , attacked him , snatched his car with the money inside and drove away .

“ The car was later discovered in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, ” he said .

The council chairman also dispelled the rumour that he was shielding the cashier , who is his son - in- law
Bagudu said he could not stop the Police from doing their proper investigation .

“ I have not slept ever since this incident happened .

“The boy is my son- in - law ever since before I became the chairman of the council , and he is known to be trustworthy in the council .

“ We wrote to the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on the incident , but we are still waiting for their response .

“ At the same time , the Criminal Investigation Department of the state Police Command is on top of the situation, doing proper investigation , ” he said .

He added that the council had held a series of meetings with the affected workers, saying “ the cashier ’ s family is planning to pay part of the stolen money before the arraignment of their brother in court on June 4 . ”

The Police Public Relations Officer , DSP Mustapha Suleiman , who confirmed the incident , said the cashier had been undergoing proper investigation by the CID since the incident.

“ The cashier has just been granted bail after the necessary investigation and he was given bail on the surety of a former Sole Administrator in the council, ” he said .
( NAN ).

By Jeremiah Oke,

There was mild drama at the Grade C Customary court, Oja-Oba, Ibadan, yesterday when a mother of four, Kayode Mariam, declared before the audience that her lover impregnated her under her husband’s roof.

Mariam, along with her lover, Rauf Ololade, had told the court two weeks ago that her husband, Kayode Folarin, was not the owner of the pregnancy she bears because “he is not a responsible man.”

But Folarin argued that by his calculation that the pregnancy should be five months old, it belonged to him, saying he only stopped having sexual relationship with his wife when he discovered her alleged unfaithfulness. “Please, kindly allow justice to prevail,” Folarin appealed.

When the court asked Ololade two weeks ago how he was sure it was he who impregnated Mariam when he knew she was a housewife residing with her husband, the lover, who was not in court yesterday, replied that the only time he had sex with Mariam was seven months ago and he believed the intercourse was fruitful.

To ascertain the true ownership of the controversial pregnancy, the court, two weeks ago, ordered that Mariam undergo a pregnancy test at the Adeoyo State Hospital, Ibadan.

The president of the court, Chief Odunade Ademola, announced the result of the pregnancy yesterday as five months and two weeks old, adding the result indicated Mariam’s legal husband, Folarin, was its rightful owner.

But the housewife maintained her stance that her lover owned the pregnancy and vowed she would rather go to jail than allow it to be given to her husband.

Mariam said, “It is true that I was under my husband’s roof when my new love had sex with me only once. But I am assuring you that the pregnancy doesn’t belong to Folarin.

I am ready to go to jail because of this and I am ready to die for this. Folarin is not the rightful owner of the pregnancy,” she insisted.

Chief Ademola adjourned the case till September 19, 2018 for further hearing, adding that the court may carry out a DNA test on the baby after delivery.

The much-touted reshuffling and expansion of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), by President Muhammadu Buhari, has now been put on hold until after the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for next June.

An impeccable Presidency who revealed this to Tribune Online exclusively in Abuja, on Tuesday, said this action became necessary in order to properly take care of all arising political exigencies ahead of the 2019 general elections.

According to our source, “Already President Buhari has indicated his intention to seek reelection, while the party is also scheming to replace its National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, with his kinsman and the immediate past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole.

“Also, nearly all the state chapters of the Party are now in factions arising from its last congresses in the wards, local government and state levels.

“In addition, a powerful bloc in the party, the nPDP is threatening to pull out of the party over alleged marginalisation of members in the running of the administration which already being sorted out by the Presidency.

“Even, look at the just concluded governorship primary in Ekiti State, something has to be done fast for our party to win that state.

“All these matters have to be properly addressed immediately after the national convention so that the party can go into the elections in unity and this exactly why the President is delaying action in order to accommodate all interests.”

This is coming just as it was learnt that the mother of all fears has gripped nearly all the members of the Cabinet over their fate in the impending exercise.

Findings in the Presidency show that lobbyists, both incumbent and potential ones, have shifted their attention to Abuja now in a desperate bid to make the list.

“For now only President Buhari can say when the exercise will come and the form it will take, we are waiting,” the source said.

lalasticlala

Posted By: Yusuf Alli



Why is the former newPeoples Democratic Party (nPDP) bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC) aggrieved? Three issues are behind threat to leave the ruling party, it was learnt yesterday.

The issues were identified at a meeting between Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and some of the ex-nPDP leaders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.

The meeting raised an eight-man panel to resolve the issue.

The panel will comprise four members each from both sides.

The meeting was a follow up to the one with the APC leadership few days ago. The group had given the party one week to meet with it over its grievances.

It is complaining of marginalisation in appointments and reward despite its “contribution to APC’s electoral victory in 2015″.

The issues considered critical in its complaints tabled at Monday’s meeting are:
Saraki’s trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal; shutting out of House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso from the APC ward and local government congresses in Bauchi and Kano states; and alleged persecution of ex-nPDP members by anti-graft agencies and Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris.

The issues are expected to be resolved before APC’s national convention next month.

Osinbajo is leading the Presidency’s four members on the panel. The nPDP has yet to submit its list of members.

Other members of the Presidency’s team, it was learnt, include Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha and APC Deputy National Chairman (North) Lawal Shuaibu.

A source said: “It was agreed that some of the issues raised by ex-nPDP leaders are genuine and we need to come up with the way forward.

“So, the Presidency, the APC leadership and the aggrieved leaders of the nPDP have agreed to set up an eight-man committee to resolve all issues.

“The committee has been mandated to address the grievances of the ex-nPDP leaders on or before the National Convention on June 23.

“We have realised that time is no longer on our side. If you look at the poll timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party primaries for the presidential, governorship, federal and state elections will begin on August 18 and end on October 7, 2018.

“The implication for the APC is that it cannot allow this ex-nPDP challenge to drag beyond June. If we allow it to fester till July, it might affect our chances at reconciling before the general elections.

“Except for speculations, the ex-nPDP leaders have not given any signal at our sessions that they are ready to leave APC for another party.

“This is the window the committee will explore to find solutions to issues raised by those aggrieved. This committee is our last chance at reconciling our differences in APC.”

The source added: “We are expecting the ex-nPDP leaders to submit the list of their members who will be on the committee.

“I think the ex-nPDP leaders may meet today (Wednesday) on their nominees.”

The source added: ”If the eight-man panel could meet up with the deadline, its recommendations will be sent to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The final say lies with the President. He can do anything to bring back the party on its feet. We are hopeful that he will save APC from disintegrating.”

lalasticlala

Posted By: Augustine Ehikioya


President Muhammadu Buhari last night advised Nigerians to vote for candidates of their choice in next year’s general elections.

He gave the advice while breaking fast with members of the judiciary led by Supreme Court Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

He said: “Let them vote for anybody they want across ethnicity and religion and impose their decisions on them. I think that is what I am calling on and I am begging the governors to please continue with voter education so that people will take their permanent voter card seriously and make sure that they don’t lose them.

Recalling his political trajectory for the umpteenth time, He said: “I find it necessary to invite you because I don’t normally see you, I have to repeat what I said having heard what you said.

I mentioned that when I was in the military and much younger, we believed things were going wrong and so when I came I took from the president downwards, to Kirikiri (prison) against your advice and told them that they are guilty until they prove themselves innocent.

“I decided to put on agbada and come back, I tried three times and then fourth time I eventually made it. Thanks to God and thanks to technology because this permanent voter card and card readers are fantastic.

“Now with technology, it has been made easy. That is why I keep appealing to the governors to embark on voter education, to please tell the people that their voter card is their national card so to speak.

Speaking on behalf of the judiciary arm of government, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Alpha Belgore said he had always respected the President as a person.

He said: “He loves this country very much. Because of that, what he need always is to have very good people around him. The economy is down all over Africa so if we have any other problem now, it’s just a child’s play with what is happening in other countries.

“I pray that this country will continue to develop under you. God will continue to guide you right and the country will be very very strong. We are holding another election next year.” he stated

By Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu


The Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, on Monday recalled that when he was inaugurated in 2015, he received a voluminous document detailing huge debts and uncompleted capital projects worth N31.3 billion in the state.

“The first day I went through the handover note submitted to me by the then PDP administration, I felt like running away because of the gravity of problems contained in the document,” he said.

Mr. Badaru stated this in an interview with journalists at the government house, Dutse, marking the activities of his third year in office. He outlined his achievements as well as the challenges he encountered since he came on board.

“Since 2015, we have spent N51billion on road projects comprising N31.3 billion on inherited projects and N19.3 billion on new project as well as N841 million in road rehabilitation,” he said.

Mr. Badaru said the efficient way he employed in managing public treasury has earned him so many foes even within his party (APC). He said this has not deterred him from delivering his campaign promises.

“With the little resources available, I have been able to complete 90 per cent of the inherited capital projects and commenced new ones,” he said.

He said the austerity measure his administration embarked upon was to prevent the state from backlog of salaries and pensions, adding that, the approach has successfully negotiated a discount of over N11 billion on inherited projects. He said he ploughed the savings into new projects.

“Prior to my swearing in, the opposition PDP dug a hole for the incoming administration to fall. They left only N16 million in the treasury thinking that we can’t even pay salary. However, with prudence and God willing, Jigawa is among the states paying workers salary unfailingly on 25 of every months and now paying leave grant.

Mr. Badaru went further to rank himself high in agriculture where he said his efforts have resulted in the commencement of large investment in sugar, rice, livestock and poultry whose combined turnover will be in excess of N250 billion with at least 30,000 direct and indirect Jobs.

On healthcare, he said Jigawa is 31 primary healthcare centres away from achieving a one healthcare facility per ward target of the federal government. He also said he has increased to 500 per cent, budget intervention for pregnant women and children below five years.

On education, he said his administration started by unlocking federal counterpart funding for basic education. It followed up with a N9.8 billion capital spending to construct and upgrade 4,520 classrooms, 411 toilet cubicles, 6 administrative blocks and 97,659 set of pupils furniture, 3,416 sets of teachers furniture, 188 staff houses, 4 hostel blocks and 79 hand pumps.

On water supply, he said an addition of 9.2 million litres daily to the township water supply through a series of intervention, has been achieved.

Despite Mr Badaru’s claim, however, PREMIUM TIMES findings show that a large part of Jigawa including the state capital, Dutse, has no potable water.

Also, as part of the activities marking his third year in office, the governor launched the construction of an 18-room corps members’ lodge to be constructed in the 27 local councils across the state. The building, if completed, will accommodate almost 4,000 corps members, he said.

During the briefing, the governor dogged questions regarding his re-election. Even though the APC caucus in the state has endorsed him for second term, he is yet to declare his intention on contesting again.

If he declares to run again, he is expected to face stiff opposition from within his party. The recently conducted congress has torn the party apart and left its members more divided.

Also, an APC senator in Jigawa has vowed to ensure Mr Badaru is not re-elected.

“I want to ‘unseat’ him because he has not been performing. From the looks of things, he is a ruler, governor, dictator as well as contractor. There is no way we can allow such a new process of stealing to continue,” Ubale Shitu (APC, Jigawa North-east) said.

The opposition PDP in the state, led by ex-governor Sule Lamido, is also expected to give the eventual APC candidate a tough challenge.

Mr Badaru, however, said he is not disturbed but rather encouraged by the commendations he has received from residents.

https://newtelegraphonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Sex-worker.png

The police in Lagos on Monday said that they rescued a commercial sex worker from a client in a hotel room, following an attempted murder.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal, said that the police prompt response to distress call from a worker at Wellwood Hotel, Ajangbadi, Lagos led to the rescue of victim and arrest of the suspect.

Imohimi said:“On the May 24 at about 12:35 a.m, a distress call was received from Wellwood Hotel.

“The duty officer that night at Ilemba Hausa Division, quickly went to the hotel where he found one Faith, a commercial sex worker, with severe injuries on her neck.

“The victim claimed that on same date at about 12:15 a.m., the suspect came to her hotel room. After sleeping with her, he brought out a rope, tied it around her neck and pulled her down.

“He also tried to suffocate her by blocking her mouth and nostrils with a pillow.

“She was, however, rescued by a staff of the hotel who heard noise in her room as she struggled for life.

“This suspect was arrested and the rope with which he nearly killed the girl was recovered from him.”

The CP said that the suspect was yet to tell the police his motive for attempting to murder the victim.

In a similar development, a 25-year old man was also arrested for luring a woman to a hotel in Lagos, where she was drugged and raped.

Edgal said that the suspect invited the victim to De-Didos Hotel on March 4 where the crime was committed.

“The suspect was said to have stolen one Infinix Note 3 phone, one Nokia touch phone, one voter’s card and disappeared ever since.

“Based on this development, detectives investigating the case tapped into our robust partnership with community members and hoteliers in the area.

“They circulated the suspect’s details to hotels in the area and to all nooks and crannies of Ajangbadi.

“This paid off on May 25 when the suspect went to one of the hotels to lodge and he was promptly arrested by the operatives of the Command” he said.

The CP further advised members of the public to be mindful of who they interact with on the social media.

“The youths should be wary of those luring them with promises of gift and better life and must always seek the advice of their parents at all times about people making promises to them,’’ he advised. (NAN)

https://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Ebiseri%20Aginigan.jpg?itok=DyuNZnyz

Ebiseri Aginighan, a young Nigerian, has narrated how he secured a Federal Government job in Abuja without any connection to top government officials.

In a series of tweets via @mrebis, Aginighan explained how he volunteered to work without pay at a seminar in Lagos, only to leave the event with automatic employment in Abuja following effusive praise from the organisers about his role in the success of the seminar.

“In August 2017, my brother in-law whom I stayed with in Lagos told me of a seminar for professionals from my ethnic group (#IPASeminar4) and forwarded the email to me,” he wrote.

“We planned to attend for networking and also to hear the conversations around developing our region (NigerDelta) from the panelists and the keynote speakers. That night I was inspired to reach out to the organisers of the event to volunteer my services in Media.

“I got an email address from the email and I sent them the mail shown below:
“‘Hello, Good morning and I hope this email meets you well. My name is Ebiseri Aginighan, I am Ijaw. And I got forwarded the email for the IPA seminar for Sunday August 20, 2017.

I decided to contact you if there is any reason you will need help as I can volunteer any of the following services for the event. Social media representation (FB and Twitter post with a hashtag all through the seminar).

Live streaming of the seminar so everyone from around the globe can be part of it. I will be glad to be of help
Thanks for your time. Kind regards. Ebiseri Aginighan.”

He received a reply the following morning and it was positive.

He continued: “The next morning I got a reply of how happy they would be to have me help them, so she asked what resources I needed to do what I had to do.

"Any broadband internet modem would suffice, I replied.

“All was to be made available. I went on to use Photoshop to design countdown designs and shared on Twitter, Facebook, on the hashtag I created #IPASeminar4
“So I was to manage social media for the event, Livestream the event on Youtube, and record video as well. Didn’t do this all alone, an assistant was provided on my request.

“That Sunday of the event, I left early enough to beat Lagos traffic to get to the venue in good time (Muson Centre).
I got there, set up the Livestream, the video camera, and sent tweets.

“The event kicked off and all went well, with the Keynote speaker being a high-ranking government official, a Special Adviser to the President.

“Towards the end of the event, the President of the Association began his vote of thanks speech. Thanked everyone who attended and all the guests, then went on to specially thank a young man, a son of the Ijaw nation, who reached out to them to make the event more remarkable.

“The president said that a friend of his in Canada was able to watch the event live and also some others who couldn’t attend from outside Lagos. Where is that young man? Please stand up for recognition. It didn’t click immediately that I was the one being introduced.

“All eyes turned towards me with rounds of applause. I was asked to come out to sell my market (introduce myself). I came out, the keynote speaker also stood up, asked me a few questions up on stage and took me by the hands and announced to all present.

‘I have employed this one already, I will take him to Abuja, to encourage other young ones to continue doing good.’

“2 weeks after that, I started work in the office of the SA in Abuja all from sending an email of my offering to volunteer. Skills that helped:
1) Basic Graphics Design.
2) Being able to Livestream to Youtube. These days FB live makes this easier.

“Whilst everyone's path will differ, it is important we make moves, and shoot shots. As the labour market is competitive, bringing your extra is expedient.

“Though I have a B. Eng and an MSc from reasonably good schools, these things, though very important, became secondary.

As it appeared, I had already demonstrated useful and valuable competence.

“We can be lucky, favoured or blessed, we may never know or experience these if we don't take the initiative to make moves, shoot shots, place some calls, and send some mails. Just try and keep trying and by God's grace your efforts will meet with favour (luck). Cheers and best wishes.”

By Olalekan Osiade, Abiodun Oyeleye, Baba Negedu & Babatope


Many loyalists of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and those of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakub Dogara, are set to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), if the crisis rocking the party is not immediately resolved.

This include their supporters across the federation and some members of the National Assembly, who have concluded plans to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a party recently adopted by the Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM), an organisation promoted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

This is coming as highly place sources within the emerging third force informed our correspondents that the ADC is set to reap bountifully from the crisis currently the rocking the APC.

While the APC is battling to resolve its internal crisis and put its house in order, checks by the Saturday Telegraph revealed that the ADC has reached out to some key members of the APC, including governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and states assemblies’ lawmakers, among others, who have agreed and concluded plans to join the party.

The APC had been enmeshed with in-house dilemma owing to the factions that emerged in about 28 states after the conduct of parallel congresses during the last wards and states’ congresses of the party held across the federation.

According to impeccable sources within the ruling party, there is an ongoing ploy by a group within the APC to ensure that the parallel congresses lead to two factions after the national conventions.

One of the sources did not only reveal what he called “an extensive devilish agenda”, he particularly accused some former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being behind the plan. “We know their plan, we are aware of their clandestine ploy to destroy the APC just like they did to their former party.

They started all these illegal congresses. “They are planning to break away just like they did when they formed the new PDP and later used it as a platform to join the amalgamation that led to the formation of APC”.

Further investigations by our correspondents also confirmed that the ADC had been wooing some members of the ruling party, and that series of meeting had been held between the two groups.

Saturday Telegraph’s findings showed that some of the troubled members of the APC had been promised and reassured of automatic tickets in their areas, should they join the ADC, a position confirmed by sources within the ADC.

One of those that confided in the Saturday Telegraph explained that the ADC is actually wooing the intending defectors with automatic tickets so as to gain their confidence. “Yes, we want to give them election slots, it is normal in politics.

If there is something you are bringing to the table, it shows you have a value. “I can assure you that we have over 200 Reps and senators that are ready to come. Those we are talking to are political giants in their own rights and they will be moving with their supporters. It is the right thing to do”, he said.

The source further noted that the leader of the ADC and a former governor of Osun State, retired General Olagunsoye Oyinlola, had been meeting with key stakeholders in the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noting that the plan is to give the ruling party the “Tambuwal treatment”.

When asked to expatiate on what he meant by the ‘Tambuwal treatment, he simply responded thus: “waiting till the last minute before defecting”. When contacted on Wednesday, a man, who picked Oyinlola’s call, and identified himself simply as his “PA”, said: “General is at a meeting.

I will relate your message and he would get back to you.” However, subsequent calls put across to the line on Wednesday and Thursday were not picked. Structures may be collapsed in Kwara, Bauchi In Kwara and Bauchi states, it was gathered that the supporters of Saraki, and those of Dogara might eventually collapse their political structure into the ADC.

While Saraki has a firm grip of the party in Kwara State, Dogara has been having a running battle with his state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, as such, and has an uphill task in controlling the party machinery in Bauchi. “We are set”, one of highly placed sources within the Saraki political dynasty told one of our correspondent in Ilorin yesterday.

The source, who clarified that he had no permission to speak officially on the development, said: “We are just waiting for the order and from the look of things, it may be not be soon, but it may be after the national convention of the APC”.

Some of the sources in both states noted that though the initial plan was to move into the Social Democratic Party (SDP), but discussions among stakeholders across the country necessitated a review and subsequent adoption of the ADC.

It was also gathered that most of the nPDP members who had gone to the SDP would be moving to the ADC once the arrangements are solidified. Speculations about Saraki’s move heightened few months back when he opened several constituency offices in the Kwara central zone and the offices were painted in the national colour instead of the APC colours.

Probed on the participation of the group in the ward, local government and state congresses of the APC, the source said it was to ensure that the structure retains it’s identity and control wherever it goes.

“We knew they planned parallel congress here in Kwara but you see that doesn’t really bother us because our own structure has no breach; we are intact and that is what is important, so if we move into any party we are going intact”, the source said.

Another source also claimed that members of the group were sure they would never get a favourable response to the demands of the nPDP from the leadership of the APC, hence the need to take the exit option.

“Do you think we will ever get the APC to favour us? We know the trick; they would play to buy time but we will give them impossible conditions, so we both know the game”.

Mass defection looms in Kaduna In Kaduna State, a faction of the party known as APC Akida yesterday threatened to dump the party over irreconcilable differences between the group and the state Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai.

The Akida group, which has been at loggerheads with the governor over policies and appointments, said the ruling party might find it difficult to win the 2019 elections as citizens no longer trust the party, adding that those that emerged at the just concluded congresses lacked legitimacy.

Among those that belong to the Akida group are senators representing Kaduna North and Central, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Shehu Sani respectively; the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; Chairman of Liberty Radio and Television, Tijjani Ramalan; a former member House of Representatives and an APC aspirant who was defeated by Governor el-Rufai at the party’s gubernatorial primary, Isa Ashiru and Ambassador Sule Buba, among others.

In a statement signed by the chairman of the group, Maitamaki Tom Maiyashi, the Akida group said it had informed all relevant party organs and leaders that it would regretfully consider leaving a party it worked hard to put in place, if there is no visible evidence of success in addressing the damaging levels of alienation and frustration among the millions of party faithful in the state.

“If other state governments and party leaders emulate the example of Kaduna, our party will have a very difficult task retaining the confidence of the people in 2019. “We now have a party led by people without legitimacy and a government headed by a governor whose registered success lies only in his ability to rain curses on perceived opponents while dancing in public.

“Two significant events, the party congresses and the local government councils elections in Kaduna State have confirmed the fears that the absence of credible and legitimate party leadership in our state will destroy its credibility and popularity.

“These are fears which the Akida group had raised since the early days of the administration of Nasir el-Rufai. “The congresses have exposed the contempt for popular participation by the governor and his hand-picked choir. Our party has lost massive popularity and goodwill as a result of attempts to force the choices of an unpopular government on party faithful.

“Persons with responsibility have emerged who enjoy no support or legitimacy among party members, and the futility that these people will deliver an electoral victory in the 2019 elections is firmly registered from the reactions of most people in the state.

“Akida has become painfully aware that all efforts to halt the damage being done to our party, including many attempts by the leadership of the APC at zonal and national levels, are unlikely to reverse the decline in our party’s capacity to live up to its promises made to the people in 2015.

“While our people die at the hands of marauding killers by the day, our governor lives in his own world, seemingly beyond the reach of any restraining influence.

“As things stand, the founding values of our party, particularly integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and compassion have been systematically repudiated by the government of Nasir el-Rufai, starting with the subversion of the autonomy and integrity of the party at all levels in the state.

Ondo APC faction: We were disenfranchised The factional APC in Ondo State yesterday gave reasons it conducted a parallel congress, saying a faction loyal to the state governor disenfranchised the majority of its members.

In a statement signed by the factional Secretary, Gani Mohammed, the group said none of those who voted against Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu during the 2016 governorship primary made the list of delegates.

According to him, a parallel congress became a compelling necessity when more than 70 percent of the APC population in the state was disenfranchised on the “selfish excuse” of not belonging to a “small group called Aketi-Group”.

Mohammed said: “The Acting state chairman went round some parts of the state instructing members of this small Aketi-Group that Governor Akeredolu has directed that anyone who did not belong to the group should not be allowed to participate in all the stages of the congress.

“The remaining majority members of the party in the state took the threat for granted and purchased the ward executive nomination forms at the designated banks at the due dates. “Surprisingly members who paid for the forms were denied access to the forms paid for already. Akeredolu was contacted about the development and he denied knowledge of availability of the form.

“This Aketi-Group continued to comply names in their various offices for the purpose of making them the valid ward executive officers of the party, despite the fact that the group had not paid for the nomination form.

“Therefore some concerned leaders of the party in the state who realised the implications of where nobody purchase forms with attendant of not having legitimately executive officers to run the affairs of the party in the next four years decided to encourage interested members of the party in the state to buy forms. “

by Ebunoluwa Olafusi

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has asked Christian leaders in West Africa to counsel “their brothers in Christ” over the threat issued on the continued detention of Leah Sharibu, the only Christian among the schoolgirls abducted in Dapchi, Yobe state.
Sharibu had refused to renounce her faith in exchange for her freedom.

Although the federal government has promised to secure her release, parents and the loved ones of the 15-year-old girl have been waiting in vain.

Last week, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said there might be
a religious war if Sharibu dies in Boko Haram captivity.

“Leah Sharibu must not die. Her death, God forbids, can spell doom for Nigeria. It can give an open invitation to religious war because Leah is being detained purely because of her religion,” Adebayo Oladeji, spokesman of Samson Ayokunle, CAN president, had said.

But in a statement on Friday, MURIC expressed surprise over how CAN could be ”stoking the fire of war”.

The statement signed by Isha’q Akintola, director of MURIC, said the Christian leaders should have declared war on the insurgents and not innocent Nigerians.

Akintola alleged that CAN leaders were not only giving cheap popularity to Boko Haram but also playing into the hands of the group.

”This LEAH Sharibu incident is Boko Haram’s last card along the same mission and we expect CAN leaders to know better. ‘But CAN cannot. CAN has its own political agaenda,” MURIC said.

”We strongly suspect that CAN is deliberately creating a conundrum. Leah Sharibu was abducted. Who abducted her? Boko Haram.

”Muslim leadres have rejected Boko Haram. Muslims are also victims of Boko Haram. CAN now wants war. Against who? Against Muslims. ‘Is it logical? Does it make sense at all?

”CAN is playing into the hands of Boko Haram. It would have made sense if CAN had said, ”Boko Haram has refused to release Leah Sharibu. Therefore we are going after Boko Haram insurgents. Sambisa Forest here we come.”

MURIC added that CAN should have followed the example of Muhammead Abubakar, the sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, who had called on all Nigerians to join hands with him in fighting ‘the transparent evil.

Akintola also alleged that CAN was complacent with the way people were being killed when Christians leaders were in power.

”So CAN can make noise now because a Muslim is in power? BUT CAN could look the other way when Christians were in power, particularly when the billions were flowing in the immediate past regime and Jerusalem trips were shorter than walks from home to church?” MURIC asked.

”We can undesrtand this particularly now that the pecuniary tap in Aso Rock is dry.”

He pleaded with Christians to “make CAN leadership see reason”.

lalasticlala

Posted By: Olugbenga Adanikin

Section 1 of the reviewed N134.8 billion Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will include two toll gates, underpasses and flyovers, the Federal Controller in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Adedamola Kuti, has said.

Kuti spoke yesterday in Lagos at the project site during an inspection by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing II, Hassan Zarma.

He listed the reviewed infrastructure as: four underpasses, two flyovers, an interchange to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and toll gate plazas.

The controller said the original contract will be completed this year.

The project started in 2013 with an extended completion date of July.

According to him, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved augmentation of the contract to N134.8 billion, from N70.7 billion.

Kuti said: “The augmentation came up as a result of the additional works included in the project.

When the original contract was conceived, so many other considerations were not included in the project.

“So, with the augmentation, government also extended the completion date to 48 months.”
The project, which started in Lagos through Sagamu interchange, has been significantly completed.

Kuti said: “The 11.6 kilometres on both bounds have been substantially completed. We have also completed another six kilometres on both lanes, aside from a four-kilometre bridge.

“People used to sleep on this road in recent years, but it’s no longer the case. The contractor has just moved to site.”

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Molly Kilete, Abuja


Amnesty International (AI) has unveiled gory details of how Nigerian soldiers and militia rape starving women while posing as their rescuers.

According to the group in its recent report, displaced women confined to remote camps (Internally Displaced Persons) were forced to become “girlfriends” of military in exchange for humanitarian assistance.

The report also stated that thousands have died of starvation in the camps.

“Thousands of women and girls who survived the brutal rule of the Boko Haram armed group have since been further abused by the Nigerian security forces who claim to be rescuing them,” the report titled: “They betrayed us” revealed.

It unveiled how the Nigerian military and Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF) – a militia who work alongside them – have separated women from their husbands and confined them in remote “satellite camps” where they have been raped, sometimes in exchange for food.

“It is absolutely shocking that people who had already suffered so much under Boko Haram have been condemned to further horrendous abuse by the Nigerian military,” said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

“Instead of receiving protection from the authorities, women and girls have been forced to succumb to rape in order to avoid starvation or hunger.”

The report added that in some cases, the abuse appeared to be part of a pattern of persecution of anyone perceived to have a connection to Boko Haram. In fact, women were reported being beaten and called “Boko Haram wives” by security officials when they complained about their treatment.

“As Nigeria’s military recovered territory from the armed group in 2015, it ordered people living in rural villages to the satellite camps, in some cases indiscriminately killing those who remained in their homes. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled or were forced from these areas.

“The military screened everyone arriving to the satellite camps, and in some locations detained most men and boys aged between 14 and 40 as well as women who travelled unaccompanied by their husbands. The detention of so many men has left women to care for their families alone.”

AI added: “Scores of women described how soldiers and Civilian JTF members have used force and threats to rape women in satellite camps, including by taking advantage of hunger to coerce women to become their “girlfriends”, which involved being available for sex on an ongoing basis.”

Five women reportedly told AI that they were raped in late 2015 and early 2016 in Bama Hospital camp as famine-like conditions prevailed.

“Ama (not her real name), 20, said: “They will give you food but in the night they will come back around 5pm or 6pm and they will tell you to come with them… One (Civilian JTF) man came and brought food to me.

The next day, he said I should take water from his place (and I went.) He then closed the tent door behind me and raped me. He said I gave you these things, if you want them we have to be husband and wife.

“Ten others in the same camp said that they were also coerced into becoming ‘girlfriends’ of security officials to save themselves from starvation.

Most of these women had already lost children or other relatives due to lack of food, water and healthcare in the camp. The sexual exploitation continues at an alarming level as women remain desperate to access sufficient food and livelihood opportunities.

“Women said the sexual exploitation follows an organised system, with soldiers openly coming into the camp for sex and Civilian JTF members choosing the ‘very beautiful’ women and girls to take to the soldiers outside. Women reported they were too afraid to refuse demands for sex.

“Sex in these highly coercive circumstances is always rape, even when physical force is not used, and Nigerian soldiers and Civilian JTF members have been getting away with it.

They act like they don’t risk sanction, but the perpetrators and their superiors who have allowed this to go unchallenged have committed crimes under international law and must be held to account,” said Ojigho.

The report also stated that people confined in the satellite camps faced an acute food shortage from early 2015 until mid-2016, when humanitarian assistance was increased.

AI stated that its research further revealed that hundreds of women along with their children have been held in the notorious Giwa Barracks detention centre since 2015. While most have been released, an unknown number remain in military detention.

Many of those detained since 2015 had been victims of abductions or forced marriages by Boko Haram and were detained by the military for being so-called “Boko Haram wives” instead of being rescued, the report said.

AI said it received five reports about sexual violence in Giwa barracks, while seven women said they gave birth inside their dirty, overcrowded cells without any medical assistance.

At least 32 babies and children, and five women, have died in detention since 2016.

The report also captured Boko Haram abuses.
Media Manager, Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said the report is the result of an extensive investigation involving more than 250 interviews and covers satellite camps established by the military in seven towns in Borno State, including Bama, Banki, Rann and Dikwa.

Amnesty International said it shared its findings with the Nigerian authorities but, at time of publication, no response has been received.

But in a swift response, the Presidency and the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) faulted the report.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement said, the report “is inherently battling with credibility, falling vehemently short of evidential narration.

“It is short on credibility because it does not contain factual leads that could have laid the foundation for investigative actions.”

According to the statement, “findings are attributed to people but proper description of such people constituting the source of information is not provided.

“Engagement was claimed to have been made with Nigerian authorities but which authority is it, is not provided with clarity. This then is just a wild goose chase report, in essence.”

On its part, DHQ accused AI of planning to destabilise and destroy the country.

Director Defence Information, Brigadier General John Agim said the rights group planned to achieve its plan by releasing a false report on fictitious rape incidents in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs’) camps in the North East part of the country.

“This malicious trend by AI is becoming a frequent ritual and it is rather unfortunate,” Agim said.

adding that it “will abide by all Human Rights Regulations as entered into by Nigeria and also go the extra mile in ensuring that the territorial integrity of our nation is well protected.”

lalasticlala

By Muideen Olaniyi



Some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention Committee (NCC) yesterday protested the review of the list of membership of the various sub-committees.

The review, which led to the replacement of some members whose names had earlier been published, was said to have affected members of the aggrieved new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The affected members looked disappointed during the inauguration of the sub-committees yesterday by the convention committee.

They claimed that some forces close to the presidency were responsible for the removal of about 50 names which were hitherto published on the convention committee list.

A source, who was also affected, told journalists when they were protesting openly that “we were told that a powerful woman in the presidency sent in about 50 names to be replaced from the original list.”

Some of the protesters, who argued with members of the accreditation committee, expressed displeasure that they were not being carried along in the processes leading to the national convention.

The NCC chairman and governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, who spoke with journalists after the inauguration of the convention committee and its sub-committees, confirmed that June 23 was suggested as possible date for the convention.

Badaru said the suggestion would be discussed with the national secretariat of the APC.

“It was suggested today (yesterday) that we should have the convention on June 23 but we will have to discuss it with the national secretariat to confirm the date,” he said.

Badaru dismissed media reports that suggested that N6 billion would be spent on the convention, saying “I’m very sure it very far less than that.

Tomorrow (today), we will get all the budgets from all the sub-committees. But I can assure you that it is far less. Knowing me and knowing what I stand for, you will know that it will be the cheapest convention ever.”

He said the sale of forms for the aspirants for various soon-to-be vacant party positions would start Monday or Tuesday.

On whether the crisis that arose from the ward, local and state congresses would affect the convention, the NCC chairman said, “I’m sure they will be resolved before the time of the convention. Most of those issues will be resolved in due time.”

The APC NCC has 12 chairmen manning its sub-committees with 240 members.

By Samson Akintaro 



Nigerians may soon begin to pay higher tariffs on calls and data as the telecommunications companies in the country brace up for a new cyber security levy to be implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This is coming on the heels of a directive from the CBN to all banks on the collection of 0.005 per cent levy on all electronic transactions into a National Cyber Security Fund.

Section 44 of the Cybercrime Prohibition and Prevention Act 2015, which the CBN seeks to implement, states that “there shall be paid and credited into the Fund established under subsection (1) of this section and domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria: a levy of 0.005 per cent of all electronic transactions by the businesses specified in the second schedule to this Act.”

Businesses affected by this charge include GSM service providers – MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9Mobile etc. and all telecommunication companies; Internet service providers; banks and other financial institutions; insurance companies and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

However, speaking at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, said the implementation of the levy is ill-timed, considering the fact that the telecom operators are currently battling with multiple taxation, which has risen from 26 in 2015 to 38 under the current administration.

“At this point, if the CBN decides to go ahead with the implementation, we will have no choice but to pass the cost to the subscribers. Nigerians should be ready to pay more for calls and data subscriptions,” he said.

Teniola added that with the additional burden, the operators might also consider downsizing their staff strength to stay afloat.

ATCON, which is a professional, non-profit, non-political umbrella organization of telecommunications companies of Nigeria, said all its members have concluded that the only way to survive with the new levy is to increase tariff across board.

“The eventual implementation of this levy of 0.005 per cent would cripple, if not render useless government and private sector efforts to speed up the broadband penetration in Nigeria and our association has a mandate to protect the investment in the telecom industry from undue pressure from the government in the form of yet additional burden on our members that are already overtaxed by all tiers of governments,” the ATCON President added.

lalasticlala, Mynd44

By Ade Adesomoju , Abuja



Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday said that former National Publicity Secretary to the Peoples Democratic Party , Mr. Olisa Metuh , deliberately fell down as the court’ s proceedings were about to start on Monday.

Justice Abang said this while correcting an impression created in the submissions of a defence lawyer in the case , Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) , who was urging the court to adjourn the matter due to Metuh ’ s absence on Tuesday.

The judge also reiterated that “ the first defendant fell down on his own ” when the prosecuting counsel , Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, made a submission similar to Onwugbufor’s.

Metuh , following his collapse in court on Monday , is absent from the ongoing proceedings of Tuesday.

The ex - spokesperson for the PDP, who with his company , Destra Investment Limited , is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the N 400 m he allegedly received fraudulently from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014 , fell after taking some steps towards the dock on Monday .

His lawyer, Emeka Etiaba (SAN) , who surprisingly re -appeared in the case barely 24 hours after announcing his withdrawal from the case , urged the court to grant a short adjournment in the event of Metuh ’ s absence from court on Tuesday.

Onwugbufor, who represents Destra Investment Limited in the case , had supported Etiaba’ s application, especially on the grounds that it was the court’ s doctor that recommended that Metuh be taken to the hospital on Monday .

Interrupting Onwugbufor’ s submission , the judge said he did not direct any doctor to see Metuh after he fell on Monday .

The judge said Metuh fell on his own because he decided to defy the court’ s directive that he should remain where he was seated .

Justice Abang said , “ The court did not direct the doctor to attend to the defendant.

“ I would not know the person that directed the doctor to see the defendant when I rose briefly upon hearing that the defendant fell down on his own .

“ The court directed him to sit down where he was but he decided to fall down on his own . ”

The judge also interrupted the prosecuting counsel to make the same clarification when the prosecution was opposing the request for adjournment by the defence.

The prosecuting counsel , Tahir, asked the judge to go on with the case in Metuh ’ s absence.

lalasticlala

A 36-year-old Nigerian, Christopher Omoike has jumped to death in Johannesburg, South Africa in a bid to avoid arrest by the police.

According to Channels TV, Omoike jumped from his 9th floor apartment after police arrived the building following complaints made against him by a Nigerian woman who had a baby for him. As at press time, Channel TV said the there were conflicting accounts as to the events that led to the invitation of the police to his apartment.

Omoike’s flat mate and his South African girlfriend were however quoted as saying that Omoike was trying to avoid arrest following an alleged violent attack on the Nigerian woman. Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama visited the scene of the incident on the invitation of the police.

He told Channel TV that he got a message that a Nigerian has committed suicide. ON arrival at the apartment, he was told that in the previous night Omoike “had been very worried because he was having some challenges with a Nigerian lady who had a baby for him. He had seized the lady’s phone but later that night, they met and she was struggling to get back the phone.

“He beat her with a bottle or whatever.” On the basis of this, the roommate, Oscar, in his testimony, said he took her to the police station to make a report that she was battered and was bleeding.

Adama said based on the report, police visited the apartment. Adama quoted Omoike’s South African girlfriend as having said that Omoike had earlier told her that he would kill himself should the police come.

Adama said the police invited him apparently to establish the fact that they did not take any action other than the invitation by his fellow Nigerian, that would have warranted Omoike to jump to death to avoid arrest.

The Consul General said the police was carrying out autopsy to establish the cause of Omoike’s death “after which the Independent Police Investigation Directorate will hand over the case to another department for further investigation.

Olalekan Adetayo , Abuja



The Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Mr. Boss Mustapha, on Monday inaugurated what he described as the upgraded website of his office , www.osgf.gov.ng .

Speaking at a brief event in his office in Abuja , Mustapha put the cost of the upgrading , which he said included procurement of laptops , training of officials and consultancy services , at N 64m.

The Federal Government had allocated N 65 m for the project in the 2017 Budget.
“ There was a contract in 2017 . The figure in public domain. It is about N 64 m including procurement of laptops , training , consultancy services.

“ The contract was awarded by the Bureau of Public Procurement in accordance with the Procurement Act, ” Mustapha said when he was asked the cost of the upgrade.

The SGF explained that the desire of his office to operate a functional website that will deliver information and policy thrust of the present administration formed the decision to upgrade the old website which he said was based on old technology , hence limited features and security of content .

He said it was important to make information on government activities readily available to Nigerians and other stakeholders because information drives investment and development worldwide .

He described the revamped e-participation platform as the major achievement of the new website .

Through this platform , Mustapha said members of the public would be free to
request for information from government , submit ideas , and lodge complaints .

Such requests , ideas or complaints , he explained , would elicit timely response from government .

He said arrangements were being concluded to train officials from Ministries , Departments and Agencies who will be handling the different segments of the website.

Mustapha said those who criticise government do not necessarily hate the government .

“ When people criticise government , it is not that they hate government . They want government to do better and for them to see improvement , ” he said .

The Permanent Secretary , General Services , Office of the SGF , Mr. Olusegun Adekunle , said the decision to upgrade the website was taken so that it can serve better .

Adekunle said the upgrade would add value to the dissemination of information of government activities .

He added that each of the six offices in the SGF’ s office will have content managers before they can upload content .

He said there was a plan to train initial 50 officers for the six offices .

By Nuruddeen M. Abdallah & Ruby Leo



The Nigerian army has put up its land meant for barracks for sale to the public to build private homes and businesses, Daily Trust investigations have shown.

This is coming at a time the military is facing acute shortage of accommodation for its personnel.

About four years ago, this newspaper reported how the Army shared out to top military brass part of a land meant for barracks in the Asokoro district, Abuja.

Investigations have shown that the current land in question, Plot 2302, measuring about 248.19 hectares, is located behind Mogadishu Cantonment. Its land use is still “Public Institution (Military Formation).

Further findings revealed that the Federal Capital Territory allocated the land to ease the acute accommodation problems faced by officers and soldiers working in Abuja.

However, this same land was handed over to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) by the Army chief to build private homes for sale to military personnel at exorbitant prices.

The company is building six category of apartments that range from N11 million to N125 million which is said to be far beyond the reach of the majority of the personnel.

The sale of the houses is being carried out by Asokoro Hills Estate, a subsidiary of NAPL, which already produced flyers and application forms.

Documents reviewed by Daily Trust show that a 6-bedroom villa has a price tag of N125 million; 5-bedroom villa, N122 million; 4-bedroom detached duplex, N81, 502,526, and 4-bedroom semi-detached duplex, N65, 090,965.

Four-bedroom terrace houses cost N50,418,707; 3-bedroom semi-detached duplex, N42.5 million; 3-bedroom flats, N31,016,380; 2-bedroom flats, N23,566,131and 3-bedroom apartment concord, N11 million.


Houses for soldiers’ welfare - Army

The conversion of the barracks land to private estate, according to information in the application form, “is in line with the mission and vision of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen TY Buratai, ‘to build a professional and responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles’ led to the restructuring of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) as a global business and investment haven of the Nigerian Army, military, para-military and general populace.”

Justifying its action, the army said “modern military formations such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt and even the United States of America, have now made giant strides in the business environment by transforming from only war operations to entrepreneurship in order to better the welfare of its service personnel and to plan their career for post-service development.”


Sale of barracks land illegal - Officers

Some military officers who spoke to Daily Trust on the condition that they would not be named for fear persecution, said the sale of the barracks land is illegal, particularly with the shortage of accommodation by officers and men.

“It is common knowledge that the majority of officers of Brigadier Generals and their juniors, and almost all soldiers working in Abuja share accommodation,” an army officer said.

According to another soldier, “In Niger Barracks, up to three brigadier generals share a 5-bedroom duplex, while in other barracks like Mogadishu Cantonment, two soldiers share a 2-bedroom flat with one sitting room, a kitchen and a toilet with members of their families.

“It is unfortunate that the Army land earmarked to ease this problem is now offered for sale to both soldiers and the public,” the soldier said.

Another issue the military personnel raised is the cost of the houses, which ranges between N11 and N125 million each.

“Where is an officer going to get this amount of money to buy the house? Unless if you are encouraging corruption or the officers behind the project will use their proxies to buy,” another officer said.

The officer said this “land grabbing” is not limited to Abuja as another Army barracks land called “Mini Tiger Estate” at Alapata Ibadan is up for sale. Official documents show that the 151 plots of land at the Alapata estate is sold each at a flat rate of N2.5 million to military personnel and N5 million to civilians.

The sale of the land was conveyed through a memo dated April 12, 2018, under the heading ‘Sale of plots of land at the Nigerian Army Mini Tiger Estate Alapata-Ibadan;’ and signed by Brigadier General COA Idowu, on behalf of the COAS General Buratai.

Another military personnel wondered: “Why is the Army hierarchy auctioning its barracks land in the face of the acute accommodation problem?

“Why is also the Army selling its land and buying other landed properties, for example, the recently purchased Army accommodation in Kubwa running into hundreds of millions of Naira?”

The service personnel added: “Are all these monies lodged in the Federal Government TSA, because these military lands are federal properties.”


What Nigerian Army said

For close to two weeks, Daily Trust tried to obtain comments for the story from the Nigerian Army Director of Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu.

Our reporter had sent the questions to the Army spokesperson about 12 days ago. He later spoke to our reporter saying he was out of Abuja but would be back to the office beginning of last week.

Our reporter went to his office last week three times but did not meet him even though he said he had returned to Abuja.

Last night, Brigadier General Chukwu, sent a text message to our reporter, saying: “I don’t understand what you meant that Army is selling off barracks land and to tell you Army’s stand. I don’t really understand you. You’re looking for something to report; why not think for better questions. I have never heard or seen where Army is selling off barracks land in the whole Nigeria. Thank you,” the army spokesperson said in the text message.

How army land was shared in 2014
On June 4, 2014, Daily Trust exclusively reported how part of a land that was meant for barracks in the Asokoro District was shared out by the Army to 439 beneficiaries, mostly spouses, relations, friends, associates and companies of senior Army officials.

There are also many retired officers as well as civilians on the list of those given allocations from the land.

Daily Trust learnt that the Army carved part of its own land and shared it out to top military brass and others, obviously for them to build private homes and businesses.

The then Chief of Army Staff General Kenneth Minimah and his predecessor General Azubuike Ihejirika were respectively allocated 2035.41sqm and 3909.35sqm of land.

Those who got allocations along with their wives include former Chiefs of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin and Admiral Ibrahim Ola Sa’ad, as well as former Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar.

Ihejirika’s wife, Gift, got Plot 4882 which is 2385.59sqm, while another person named Oke Ihejirika was given 1,583.59sqm of land.

A company named Goodok Oil and Gas, which got 7476.95sqm of land, was registered on April 12, 2012, with three directors bearing the ‘Ihejirika; namely: Ihejirika Okechukwu, Ihejirika Chika, and Ihejirika Goodluck.

Current Chief of Army Staff then Major General Buratai, former Chief of Defence Staff General Alexander Ogomudia, former Minister of State for Defence Olusola Obada, counter-terrorism chief Major-General Sarkin-Yaki Bello and Major Hamza Al-Mustapha were also on the list, with various sizes of plot allocations.

Samson Folarin


https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/21000815/lastma-vs-officials.jpg
scene of the incident



Chaos broke out on Saturday at the 7 UP end of the Mobolaji Johnson Avenue in Alausa , Ikeja , as officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority reportedly clashed with some workers of the Seven - Up Bottling Company Plc .

PUNCH Metro learnt that in the fight , two LASTMA officials were injured and taken in an ambulance to a hospital .

Three workers of the bottling company were also reportedly arrested.

Our correspondent gathered that some trucks belonging to the bottling company had obstructed free flow of traffic .

The state Governor , Akinwunmi Ambode , who was among those held in the ensuing jam around 11am , reportedly ordered traffic officials to clear the road.

A source , who witnessed the incident , said the governor’ s convoy later took an alternative route as movement was at a standstill.

He said , “Everywhere was blocked . The governor’ s convoy was forced to look for an alternative road . I later saw a LASTMA official being rushed into an ambulance . He was covered in blood .

“ I saw a policeman and asked the cause of the chaos and he explained that some guys blocked the road and the governor ordered LASTMA officials to drive them away from the road. However , in the course of doing that , one of the LASTMA officials was stabbed. ”

A video of the clash obtained by PUNCH Metro showed the moment some operatives of the Rapid Response Squad arrested one of the suspects .

When contacted , the Public Affairs Officer of LASTMA , Mahmud Hassan , confirmed the clash between the 7 UP workers and traffic officials .

He said the management of the bottling company had been warned many times against blocking the road with trucks , adding that the warnings were ignored .

He said , “ Workers at the 7 UP plant at the old Toll Gate are fond of obstructing the free flow of traffic by parking vehicles on that major road that linked the old Toll Gate to the Secretariat Road . We have had meetings with them and warned them , but they failed to heed the warning .

“ Yesterday ( Saturday ), they did the same thing and four of their trucks were impounded. We had initially instructed them to move the trucks , but they refused and said their vehicles would not leave the road until they finished whatever they were doing . That was when we towed away the trucks .

“ In the process of doing that , they launched an attack on our officials and our vehicles . They destroyed some of our vehicles and injured our officers who went for the operation . Nobody was stabbed.

While one of our workers was dragged on the tarred road, the other was beaten to a pulp. In the end , three of their workers were arrested. ”

Hassan said the governor’ s involvement was coincidental , adding that he usually passed the road when transiting from his office to his house on the Lagos Island.

He warned that the agency would not spare anyone who attacked traffic officials while on their lawful duties , adding that the suspects would be arraigned on Monday (today ) .

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident .

He said , “ There was a truck obstructing free flow of traffic in the 7 UP area and the LASTMA men went to clear the road . In the process , the driver of the truck fought them and broke the windscreen and other parts of their vehicle .

The police came into the matter and arrested the driver , who will be charged to court for malicious damage and obstruction of traffic . Also , the truck has been impounded by the police . ”

The Managing Director of Seven - Up Bottling Company , Ziad Maalouf , did not pick his calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent by our correspondent as of press time .

The mobile phone of the general manager of the company ’ s Ikeja office rang out and he did not respond to a text message as of the time of filing this report .

Aliko Dangote, billionaire businessman, says he wants to be known as the biggest philanthropist in Africa.

Dangote said this at the weekend during the inauguration of the foundation’s “one-off and unconditional micro-grants” programme in Niger state.

The scheme, according to the statement, targets 25,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable women in Niger state, who will each be given N10,000 cash “to boost their household income generation.”

Dangote, at the programme, which held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, said his foundation had earmarked N10bn for the empowerment of vulnerable women in the 774 local government areas of the country.

“I do not only want to be known as Africa’s richest man, but the biggest philanthropist,” he said.

“I will continue to use my resources and my voice to help shape a better Nigeria, and Africa as a whole.”

He added that the Aliko Dangote Foundation had disbursed N2.5bn to 256,500 women across Kano, Lagos, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

Halima Aliko-Dangote, executive director of the foundation, said the organisation is poised to help lift the status of women in the country.

“If you empower a woman, you empower the whole nation,” she said.

The managing director of the foundation, Zouera Yussouffou, said the micro-grant scheme was one of the foundation’s four focuses, with others being health and nutrition; education; economic empowerment and disaster relief.

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Posted By: Tony Akowe



Another round of industrial action may commence soon in the university sector as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) is accusing the Federal Government of failing to honour its own part of the agreement entered into with Non-teaching staff of Universities seven weeks after they suspended their strike.

Rising from its National Executive Council meeting at the Bayero University, Kano, SSANU appealed to well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to implement all agreements it freely signed with Joint Action Committee of NAAT, NASU and SSANU to avert another round of industrial crisis in our Universities.

In a communique signed by the National President, Comrade Samson Chijioke Ugwoke and the National Public Relations Officer, Abdussobur Salaam, the union also accused the government of fragrantly disobeying judgement of the National Industrial Court judgment on University Staff Schools.

The union expressed disappointment at the failure of Federal Government to implement some aspects of the 2009 Agreement and other Memoranda of Understanding it freely entered into with University based non- teaching Staff Unions.

It warned that Nigerians should not blame the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NAAT, NASU and SSANU if it resumes the suspended nationwide industrial action, because seven (7) weeks after the last Memorandum of Understanding signed by Government and the Unions, Government has failed to honor its own part of the bargain.

It said further that “it has become the penchant of Government to choose which court judgments to obey and which to disregard. In cases where an attempt is made to obey court judgments, implementation is done selectively and at whim.

“NEC decries a situation where the union followed legitimate processes to correct an anomaly and after judgment was given, Government chose to treat with contempt and implement in breach, as is the case with University Staff Schools, where various offices of government have issued circulars which run contrary to the decision of the court.

It notes that this development is unbecoming of a democratic government supposedly run under the rule of law and the non implementation of court judgments by the government is an invitation to anarchy”.

The union also expressed concern about the proliferation of Universities and the “rate of approvals granted for the establishments of universities by Government and observed that the establishment of universities have almost become like constituency projects as almost every Senator seems to be sponsoring a bill for the establishment or upgrade of an institution to a University in his or her constituency and that almost every week, the Federal Executive Council approves the establishment of a new University.

“NEC notes that though the number of universities on ground may have challenges meeting up with the increasing admission needs of the country, the solution is not the proliferation of universities.

“Government should rather improve the funding and infrastructures of existing universities so as to increase their carrying capacities and the number of students they can admit.

Government should also place premium on internal controls to stem the growing tide of corruption in our universities, indiscipline, academic fraud, sex for marks and other ills that have plagued the university system in recent years.”

On the decision of the Federal Executive Council barring federal universities from charging tuition fees, the union said while the decision is commendable, government must find a way of stopping university management from spreading the fees across other ancillary fees such as Acceptance Fees, Caution Fees, Medical Fees, among others.

lalasticlala, Mynd44

by Dyepkazah Shibayan


The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Office says it has uncovered a plan by Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti, to carry out attacks on supporters of Segun Oni, using thugs pretending to work for the minister of mines and steel development.

In a statement on Saturday, Yinka Oyebode, spokesman of Fayemi, said the plan was hatched by Fayose in the bid to cause disharmony between Oni, a former governor of Ekiti, and the minister.

Oyebode called on security agencies to take note of the alleged plan.

“The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Office has uncovered a clandestine plan by Governor Ayodele Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to carry out coordinated attacks on supporters and associates of former Governor Segun Oni, using thugs who would pretend to be working for Dr Kayode Fayemi, minister of mines and steel development and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the statement read.

“It was reliably gathered that the plan, which had reached advanced stage, was designed by Governor Fayose as part of the efforts to cause disharmony among the two former governors of the state as well as their supporters.

“According to information, the assailants would carry out the dastardly act, wearing JKF branded materials and making insinuations that would establish a possible link to the Fayemi political camp.”

He urged members and supporters of the APC to shun any form of violence during the electioneering period.

“The campaign office reiterates the position of the APC leadership that all members of the party should unite and work together for the success of the APC in the coming elections,” it read.

lalasticlala, Mynd44

Raphael Ede, Enugu


Despite the Federal Government’s claim of footing the bills for the burial of former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, his family is yet to get a refund of 200,000 Pounds incurred as medical bill six months after.

Although the Federal Government was said to have paid the money directly to the London hospital which treated Dr Ekwueme, it was learnt that the clinic returned the money to government coffers because the ex-VP’s family had already settled the bill before help came from Abuja. Six months after the transaction, the family has waited in vain to get the refund.

This has raised concerns as no one can say precisely who has custody of the fund, which had already been signed off from government treasury. One of those involved is the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Provence, Anglican Communion, Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, who is a known counselor to the Ekwueme family.

He is already alleging fraud. The second republic Vice President died in a London hospital, on November 19, 2017 at the age 85 and was buried in his hometown, Oko, Anambra state on February 2, 2018.

Bishop Chukwuma told Saturday Sun in an exclusive interview that the £200,000 released for the medical treatment of late Ekwueme is yet to get to the family even when such money had been signed off.

“A lot of things are wrong in this administration. This government is pretending to be fighting corruption but corruption is higher now than what it used to be. Right now, the money meant for Ekwueme’s treatment is not yet released.

The hospital has returned the money but government has refused to release it back to the family. Over 200,000 pounds and so on and so forth”, he stated.

According to the fiery cleric who accused government of insincerity, “they delayed in paying the medical bill of late Ekwueme until the family paid the bill to the London clinic.

“When the London clinic was paid by government after the family had paid, the hospital said the family had paid and returned the money to the Central Bank. Now, the money, which CBN should refund to Ekwueme’s family is now being held.

“This money has been signed out. Where is the medical bill refund released by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which was returned by London clinic? That is the question, where is it? It should be refunded to the family and if this doesn’t happen, I am going to speak more and this is going to cause serious scandal for the federal government”, Chukwuma warned.

When Saturday Sun contacted CBN, an official who would not want to be quoted said the bank can’t speak on the matter.

Efforts to speak to the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed also failed. He didn’t reply a text message sent to his mobile line at 11:43am on Friday.

Calls to his phone were also not connecting. His colleague in the Ministry of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige who was the deputy chairman of the Ekwueme burial committee set up by the federal government however faulted the allegation.

In a text message response to our enquiry, Ngige said, “No truth in that at all.” Minutes after, the Minister sent another message saying, “The bill was not up to that but FG picked the entire bill and other ancillary bills like air ambulance, casket, etc. I’m deputy chair of FG burial committee hence in a position to know.”

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By Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos



An Air Peace passenger travelling from Lagos to Abuja went wild during check-in formalities and destroyed one of the computers of the airline at the departure hall, it was learnt yesterday.

Our correspondent gathered that the passenger, who was on queue at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, complained that the process was too slow.

Though the identity of the passenger was not revealed, the airline confirmed yesterday that the unruly passenger was blacklisted in order to protect other passengers and its staff from harm.

Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Christian Iwarah, said the incident happened during the Lagos-Abuja Flight P47128 at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday.

Iwarah said, “The unruly passenger claimed he destroyed the check-in system because the process was too slow.”

The airline, however, assured that it would continue to regard genuine grievances by air travellers seriously and address them with dispatch.

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By Felix Nwaneri and Temitope Ogunbanke 


The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been gripped by tension as the ruling party holds its state congresses across the country tomorrow.

While a few state chapters of the party have already harmonized positions to ensure that the exercise is hitch-free, it is anxiety in most states as the various blocs and factions battle to control the party’s structure.

The state congresses will elect officials who will run the affairs of the party in states for the next four years. Among states that will be battle ground are Imo, Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River, Benue, Ondo, Kogi and Taraba. Crises have trailed the ward and local government congresses in these states and there are no signs that tomorrow’s state congress would be an exception.

In Lagos for example, it is a fierce battle among loyalists of the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for the chairmanship of the party. Already, six members of the party have declared interests to replace the outgoing chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale.

They are former Head of Service in the state, Dr. Sunny Ajoseh; former members of the Senate, Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Ganiyu Solomon; a grassroots politician, Alhaji Mutiu Are; former Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Tunde Balogun and the incumbent Vice Chairman (Lagos West APC), Chief Funso Ologunde.

A party source, who confirmed the list to New Telegraph, yesterday, said the party leaders were divided over who would emerge as Ajomale’s successor and that is why none of the aspirants has been unanimously endorsed ahead of the congress.

He said though members of the new executive would emerge through consensus arrangement, leaders of the party in the state were yet to decide as at yesterday, who would be chairman among the aspirants. But he hinted that the chairman may likely emerge from Lagos Central senatorial district.

His words: “Though the chairmanship race seems to have been narrowed down to people from Lagos Central, only Tinubu can decide who will be the chairman among the aspirants.

Nobody can predict what Tinubu will do because all the aspirants are close to him and he may decide to back anyone of them for the position.” Also speaking to New Telegraph, a member of the State Working Committee (SWC), said: “A lot of people are showing interest, but it is only those who collected forms that we know are contesting.

Nobody can say this is the person who is going to be the next chairman because the calculation may change at the last minute.

In fact, some members of the present executive are not even sure whether they will return or not. So, we are all looking forward to Saturday to know the next executives.” In Taraba, there was a call yesterday for the state congress to be postponed.

The Secretary of one of the factions in the state chapter of the party (Unity Forum), Mr. Aaron Artimas, who made the call, said that at least six local government areas might have their ward congresses cancelled as a result of massive irregularities that marred local government congresses. He listed the councils to include Ibi, Donga, Lau, Takum, and Ussa and added that the ward congress in seven out of the 10 wards in Jalingo Local Government Area also stand the risk of cancellation.

“Some aspirants came in with desperation and were willing to do whatever it took to have their persons on the delegates’ lists.

That is why we had a situation where the duly assigned returning officers would collect materials and these would be snatched from them by hoodlums hired by desperate politicians,” he said.

Artimas accused the party leadership of not playing fair and taking sides with the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Alhassan, against other aspirants.

He said: “Some of the aspirants have lost electoral value to a great extent and they felt the only way to succeed was to rig. Unfortunately, the current party leadership in the state is not being fair to all.

They have taken sides with Senator Aisha Alhassan, who has promised to return them to their offices. And we believe that she is being used by some political interests in the state to destabilise the party ahead of 2019 general elections in the state.

”It would be recalled that most governors of the party had seized the opportunity of the May 5 and 12 ward and local government congresses to affirm their grip on structures at the grassroots. Results of both exercises also show that most senators and ministers lost control of the party’s structure in their respective wards and councils.

It was, however, mixed fortunes for the governors of Imo and Benue states, Rochas Okorocha and Samuel Ortom, who lost to opposing camps in the their respective states. In states under the control of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) such as Rivers and Akwa Ibom, political appointees like ministers and heads of agencies of governments and parastatals held sway.

Among senators who had poor outing in the ward and local government congresses were Senators Shehu Sani, (Kaduna Central), Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), Ajay Boroffice (Ondo North), Solomon Adeola (Lagos West), Magnus Abe (Rivers South East), Nafiz Gamawa (Bauchi North), Rabiu Kwankwaso, (Kano Central), Lanre Tejuosho (Ogun Central), Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South), David Umaru (Niger East), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) and Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central). The ministers are Chief Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture), Babatunde Fashola (Power, Works and Housing), Abubakar Malami (Justice) and Geoffrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs).

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