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A group of women under the aegis of the Amalgamation of Northern Women Associations, on Saturday, demanded a referendum to allow Biafran agitators to chose whether or not to remain in Nigeria.

The coordinator of the group, Hadiza Adamu, spoke on behalf of other members, during a protest in Abuja, on Saturday.

She said, “Nigerian History has shown that women carry the heavy burden of war and acts of insurrections and terrorism. We have gone through it from 1967 to 1971, our men died and left us with the children to cater for out of nothing, other men that survived simply moved on but we never moved on.

The aftermath of the war and the sufferings left lifetime scars in our hearts and on our bodies. It is for this reason that we (have) come together today and say we don’t want another war, another insurrection.

We, therefore, unanimously call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader and father of the country; and the leadership of the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawal; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; to immediately call for a referendum in the country.

“Let people choose to live in peace in Nigeria or leave, any other group or nationality that wants to secede to exercise their rights of self-determination like the South-East has been agitated for decades to be allowed to leave Nigeria peacefully, without resorting to a second civil war.

Today the Igbo nation has turned the entire South-East to almost a war zone, northerners irrespective of their tribes are no longer safe, states’ infrastructures are no longer safe, service personnel from police to army are not safe, INEC offices and other symbols of democracy in the country are being destroyed on daily basis, our husbands that go to do business in South-East no longer return home safe, our political leaders who travel to the South-East on national assignments are assassinated in broad daylight.”

IMMEDIATE past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, and the APC candidate in the September 19, 2020, Edo State Governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, have appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki, to be magnanimous in victory.

They appealed to Obaseki to consider a political solution to the case involving members-elect of the State Assembly who failed to present themselves for inauguration.

In his letter to Obaseki, which was made public by Oshiomhole’s media aide, Victor Oshioke, in Benin, on Monday, the former APC national chairman urged the governor to put the past behind.The letter read in part: “Congratulations on your victory at the Supreme Court which has effectively laid to rest all matters arising from the last election.

“As I had repeatedly reminded you during our several meetings, our relationship has through the years developed beyond being friends to being brothers of different parents.

“Whatever happened is unfortunate and I believe God has a reason for everything. I have put all behind me and moved on. As I have consistently advised, please be magnanimous in victory. You are the Governor of all Edo people, regardless of political leanings.

“Once again, congratulations Excellency! Please accept the renewed assurances of my very best wishes and high regards.”On his part, Ize-Iyamu, who dwelt on the issue of the 14 lawmakers-elect and some Local Government Council Chairmen in a separate letter, said, “Though the matter is in court, you are in a vantage position to consider an out-of-court settlement of the issue, in the overall interest of our state.”

He equally wrote, “I also urge the Governor to intervene in the issue of elected Local Government Chairmen, Vice-chairmen, Councilors and Supervisory Councillors, who sometimes ago were suspended and removed from office.Our appeal is that you consider paying them their entitlements since it is now late for them to return to their offices. This can also be through an out of court settlement”.

“Last Friday’s judgement of the Supreme Court puts an end to the series of litigations we had over last year’s governorship elections.

“We are happy that all these cases have come to an end. Now that it is all over, please accept my congratulations.”

However, the Edo State chapter of the PDP, which spoke through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said, “Now that it is clear that the APC boobytraps of unwarranted, unnecessary, mindless and malicious court cases have collapsed, we have entered the season of congratulatory messages.Edo PDP thanks all Nigerians, especially Edo people, who have congratulated us and of course His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, on the resounding victory he recorded at the Supreme Court on Friday, May 28, 2021.”

Armed robbers numbering about 20 were said to have invaded Alaafia Estate at the Orogun area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, dispossessing residents of their money and other valuables.

It was gathered that the hoodlums used Point of Sale machines to transfer money from the accounts of some residents, who did not have cash.

They were said to have collected the Personal Identification Numbers and went away with the ATM cards of some when they could not transfer money from their victims’ accounts due to network failure.

The robbers, it was gathered, had stormed the estate about two weeks before the Sunday operation, which was said to have lasted from 11pm on Sunday to about 2am on Monday.Our correspondent gathered that about 25 families were robbed during the Sunday attack.

The armed robbers were said to have angrily destroyed properties at House 25, where they accused some of the occupants of peeping to see the way they operated during their previous visit to the estate.

It was gathered that the police were eventually alerted and the arrival of some armed policemen stopped the robbery, as the hoodlums took to their heels.The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Adewale Osifeso, said the police received a distress call around 3am and deployed some of its men to the scene.

He said, “On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums fled the scene after they were thoroughly resisted. In the process, a pistol was recovered along with three cutlasses and a bag containing both male undergarments and SIM cards.”

He said efforts were on to apprehend the hoodlums.

About six persons were injured while traders and motorists scampered for safety after a substance suspected to be dynamite exploded at the popular Mile 3 Park in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday.

Residents of the area said they heard a loud sound at about 6.20am when traders were bringing in their goods and others opening for business.

The explosion occurred at the dry fish section of the park.

In the confusion that ensued, two persons were severely injured, while scores, mostly women, suffered various degrees of injuries. The injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.It could not be immediately ascertained what could have led to the explosion or those behind it.

Our correspondent who visited the area reports that the stretch of shops and businesses on both sides of the streets leading to the market was closed.

When contacted, the spokesman of the state Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni asked our correspondent to send a text message, but he was yet to respond to it at the time of filing this report.

Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze, and the Indigenous People of Biafra have kicked against the resumption of airstrikes in Imo State by security operatives.

There was panic in Imo state on Friday as security operatives resumed airstrikes in the state.

The military bombardment was reported to have been initiated against those terrorising the state.

The airstrikes, which took place in Amuzi and Odenkwume communities in the Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area and some neighbouring communities in the Ihitte/Uboma LGA of the state caused the natives to flee their homes.

An indigene of the area said, “There is an ongoing military airstrike in Odenkwume and Amuzi communities in Obowo and their neighbouring communities in Ihitte/Uboma LGA.

“They have continued to attack the communities in search of gunmen suspected to be ESN (Eastern Security Network) members, thereby putting the people of the area in fear.

“Just a few minutes ago, I got a call from my brother and other family members to inform me of what is going on in my community. There is a heavy downpour now that a temporarily suspended airstrike continued in Odenkwume Odenkwume.”When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Abutu Yaro, told Saturday PUNCH that he knew nothing about military activities.

The CP said, “I don’t know anything about military activities in the state. I only know that of the police.”

Efforts to get the comments of the spokesperson for the 34 Artillery Brigade Command, Obinze, Owerri, Babatunde Zubairu, proved abortive. Though he promised to get back to our correspondent, he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

But the spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbenna, told our correspondent that it was against the ongoing military operations in the South-East, saying there was no peculiar reason for a concentrated military operation in the zone.According to Ogbenna, the insecurity in the South-East and the South-South zones is not different from what is happening in the North-East and other parts of the country.

He said, “There is nothing special happening in the South-East and the South-South zones that is peculiar, compared to what is happening in other parts of the country.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has already issued a press statement on this that we are against the arrest of our youths without any justifiable reason by the military.”Also, the Indigenous People of Biafra kicked against the military airstrikes, saying the Federal Government has declared war on Biafra by resuming its military operations in the South-East.

The proscribed group stated this in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, which was made available to Saturday PUNCH on Friday.

The statement read in part, “Just two days ago, the Inspector General of Police, while launching a special police operation for the South-East called Operation Restore Peace, in Enugu, confirmed the people’s fears when he asked police personnel not to wait for any other special order before they start killing protesters and anyone confronting them in the zone.He specifically directed them to ensure they eliminate anybody suspected to be a Biafran agitator or IPOB member, and not to bother bringing them to police stations anymore.

“There are so many security challenges in the North where the rampaging Boko Haram terrorists and bandits have seized the control of many communities and the local government areas, yet there is no shoot-on-sight order declared by the double-faced Buhari-led Federal Government. South-East and South-South are not at war with anybody but Fulani terrorists supported by the Nigerian government brought war into our land, killing innocent people while pointing accusing fingers at IPOB members and ESN operatives.”

One of the crew members of the Beachcraft 350 aircraft that crashed at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday, Sgt Adesina Opeyemi Deeziah, died less than a month after sharing a post predicting bloody May in Nigeria and asking for prayers for the country.

Adesina and the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, as well as nine other military personnel were onboard the jet when it crashed around 6pm on Friday. The 11 souls died in the tragic incident.

The late sergeant had on April 30 shared a story “Something bad is going to happen in Nigeria in May” on his Facebook page and asked for prayers for the country.

Adesina had written, “This parable is heavy. Me and you need to pray for our country Nigeria.”The attached link is a news report quoting the General Overseer of the Champions Royal Assembly, Joshua Iginla, warning about heavy clouds on the country in May, June and July.

“Mark all I have said in parables. My spirit boils. For the past six months, God has been revealing to me some things that are hard for me to say. We need to pray for Nigeria.
“What is coming ahead in the next three months is not good, that’s May, June, and July. I can’t talk more than this. We need to pray for Nigeria,” the cleric had said.

Meanwhile, Adesina died alongside others about three weeks after his daughter’s dedication.

He and his wife of three years, Adesina Gift Funke, dedicated their five-month-old daughter to God in their family church on May 2.

Shortly after the child dedication, Adesina’s wife had shared photographs from the event on her Facebook wall with the caption, “My dashing baby dedication was a success, may ur days be long my beautiful baby.”She tagged her husband in the post that attracted over 50 congratulatory messages.

Adesina himself had announced the birth of his daughter in a December 26, 2020 post.

He wrote, “*GoodNews*. It is a girl. My Queen has finally arrived. Mom, Dad and baby are in good condition.”

The late sergeant had earlier on April 9 celebrated his birthday with his wife also taking to her Facebook wall to celebrate him.She wrote “Happy birthday to the best husband anyone could ever ask for!
“Today, I’ll be more than ready to grant any wish you have…
“I can’t imagine spending a lifetime with anyone but you. Your love always brightens my day. Happy birthday my adeori.”

On March 10, they celebrated their third wedding anniversary with him writing, “#Happy3YearsAnniversary#
Merry Anniversary to us! May we enjoy many more years of life and moments together, may we have several times of celebrations together, and may the heaven smile on us as we celebrate our love today.”
His friends and colleagues have since taken to his Facebook wall to mourn him.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has entered judgment against the Federal Government and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a defamation suit filed against them by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus.

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, in a judgment delivered during a virtual court sitting on Thursday, said Secondus successfully proved his case that the defendants jointly and severally defamed him by publishing his name on the looters’ list in 2018.It would be recalled that the Minister of Information and Culture had in March 2018 published a list of some Nigerians he claimed looted the country’s treasury and named Secondus as one of such looters.

In protest, Secondus, through a pre-action letter by his lawyer, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), demanded the retraction of the publication as well as a payment of N1.5bn damages to him within 72 hours, failing which he threatened to go to court.

He later filed a libel suit marked PHC/1013/2018 against Mohammed and the Federal Government, urging the court to declare that the respondents defamed him by putting his name on the looters’ list.

The court on Thursday entered judgment in Secondus’ favour and awarded N20m in damages against the defendants.

The judge said, “The claimant’s case succeeds and the defendants are jointly and severally liable for the libelous publication made against the claimant.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants shall publish a written apology in favour of the claimant in the newspaper of the 3rd defendant.”

The judge made “an order of injunction restraining the defendants whether by themselves, agents or privies from further publishing defamatory statements against the claimant.”

The judge added, “The defendants shall pay the sum of N20m to the claimant as damages.”

THE Coalition of Northern Groups says it’s dragging the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to court over the continued retention of the nation’s service chiefs.

On assumption of office in 2015, the President appointed General Gabriel Olonishakin as Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff.

There have been calls for their removal for non-performance, but spokesman for the President, Mr. Garba Shehu, had consistently argued that only Buhari could hire and fire the service chiefs.

However, the CNG disagreed, saying that the service chiefs have overstayed.

The coalition added that under them, the security situation in the North had worsened, hence the need for the court to compel Buhari to remove them (service chiefs).

The CNG argued that there were laws guiding the appointments of the service chiefs, which must be followed to evolve the system.

This, the northern organisation said, would be explored when they get to the court.

CNG’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, stated these in an exclusive chat with The PUNCH in Kaduna.

Suleiman said, “The CNG is going to court because we believe it is now no longer a question of performance, but one of legality on whether the service chiefs, who have overstayed their years of service should not be compelled to comply with the laws guiding the prevailing scheme of service in the country.

“We would seek interpretation from the courts on the applicability of the law that says if a public servant attains 60 years of age, he must retire, or if he covers 35-years in service, he should go.

On moral grounds, CNG regrets that by any standard of judgement, President Muhammadu Buhari and his security chiefs as constituted today have failed the nation in the vital area of improving its security.

“We at the CNG have been consistent with our warnings that President Buhari lacked the will, his overstayed service chiefs lack the capacity, competence and commitment to lead Nigeria into a secure and prosperous future.

“It is shocking that in spite of unprecedented consensus among Nigerians that the administration requires a new resolve, approach and leadership in the fight against the nation’s multiple security challenges, President Buhari appears either totally isolated or in deep denial over the result of his service chiefs’ failures to secure Nigerians.”

More members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives have faulted the threat by the leadership of the House to sanction the leader of the PDP caucus, Mr Kingsley Chinda, over his call for the impeachment of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Chinda had urged Nigerians to prevail on the National Assembly to begin the impeachment process against Buhari over the killing of 43 rice farmers in Borno State by Boko Haram and the abduction of over 340 schoolboys in Kankara, Katsina State.

But the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, had in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday, threatened Chinda with sanctions by the House if the PDP leader continued to call for Buhari’s impeachment.

A member from Rivers State, Mr Awaji-Inombek Abiante, in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, however, stated that Chinda had not committed any offence by speaking for his constituents and other Nigerians as their representative.

Abiante dismissed the threat as “a lack of understanding of the responsibilities of a legislative arm of government,” adding that it exposed the “lack of depth.”

Responding to a question on whether members of the PDP caucus were out to defend Chinda, Abiante said, “Does the House have the power to send a member elected by the people of a constituency out of legislative functions? The answer is no. If in the past, people have been so barred, my people elected me to be in the House and I speak on their behalf. Nobody has the right to take me out.”

Chinda had, in his reaction to Ado-Doguwa’s threat, said he was ready to face the consequence of the impeachment calls. “I’m prepared,” he had told our correspondent.

The PDP leader had added in part, “You should ask if it would be fair to Nigerians. I speak for Nigerians. They should ask Nigerians to stop the call for the removal of President. I have the backing of the majority of Nigerians.”

Another PDP member, Farah Dagogo, representing Degema /Bonny Federal Constituency in Rivers State, had also chided Ado-Doguwa for “playing to the gallery.”
Dagogo said the Majority Leader, who was also a legislator in the defunct Third Republic, “ought to be experienced enough to know that Kingsley Chinda did not commit any legislative infraction with his patriotic call.”

The lawmaker described the alleged claim by Ado-Doguwa that the President failed to honour the invitation of the House because of Chinda as “not only ludicrous but has only exposed the leadership of the House to hypocrisy.”

Also, a prominent member of the PDP caucus, Mr Tajudeen Yusuf, had dismissed Ado-Doguwa’s threat as “part of the sycophancy that is killing Nigerian democracy,” adding that the “wishful thinking antagonises the rising concern of Nigeria citizens.”

According to Yusuf, some All Progressives Congress bigwigs’ “nasty” sycophancy is “one of Nigeria’s biggest silent problems and their unending, unthinking and non-critical ‘yes sir’ syndrome is a silent killer of democratic ethos.”