Kidnappers murder Imo monarch, dump body in market square
Chidiebube Okeoma 10 December 2021
Gunmen have murdered the traditional ruler of Atta ancient kingdom in the Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, Edwin Azike.
His corpse was found at the market square in the community on Friday morning after he was abducted on Thursday.
A community source, who pleaded not to be mentioned, told The PUNCH that four persons were shot dead on Thursday in the community after the monarch was kidnapped.
The source said, “The traditional ruler of Atta ancient kingdom in the Njaba LGA, Eze Edwin Azike, has been murdered. His lifeless body was dumped at the market square and the villagers discovered it this morning. He was kidnapped on Thursday and thereafter, the community was invaded which led to the killing of four persons.”
The chairman of Traditional Rulers Council/ Community Policing in the state, Eze Emma Okeke, said that the monarchs in the state were saddened by the killing of their colleague.
Describing the killing of Azike as an abomination, Okeke said that the council was on Friday morning informed of the killing of the traditional ruler.
He said, “We have got the sad news about the killing of Eze Edwin Azike. This is abominable in Igbo culture. I don’t know why traditional rulers are being hunted like this. We are not politicians, we are only custodians of the culture of our people. We were informed on Thursday when he was kidnapped, only for him to be found dead, this morning.”
When contacted, a spokesperson for the police in the state, Micheal Abattam, promised to make an inquiry and get back to our correspondent but he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the traditional ruler of Mbutu ancient kingdom in the Aboh Mbaise LGA, Damian Nwaigwe, was on Thursday morning abducted from his palace.
Also, the traditional ruler of Achi Mbieri in the Mbaitoli LGA, Henry Madumere, was on November 20, 2021, kidnapped at Iho in Ikeduru LGA, while on the way to a public function.
The octogenarian monarch, who is the father of a former deputy governor of the state, Eze Madumere, was released six days after his abduction.
Patrol boats in the Nigerian Navy are usually named after towns/local government areas (frigates are named "thunder", the old corvettes were named hippopotamus, LSTs were named crocodile, etc).
In the mid-2000s the then chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, expressed a desire that the Nigerian Navy should be able to build patrol boats and repair and reactivate ships locally and in so doing save the country a lot of money and increase the capabilities of officers and men of the Navy. It was during his tenure that the programme to build seaward defence boats started. He also expressed a desire to repair the nation's former frigate, NNS Obuma, locally, so that it would serve as a training frigate for officers and men that would man NNS Aradu and other frigates. Unfortunately that did not happen and NNS Obuma was scrapped sometime around 2007.
1) NNS Andoni (P100). It was commissioned in 2012 by President Goodluck Jonathan and it is a 31 metre seaward defence boat. It is the first made in Nigeria patrol boat that was built by the Navy.
2) NNS Karaduwa (P102). It was commissioned in 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari and it is a 40 metre seaward defence boat. It is the second made in Nigeria seaward defence boat.
3) NNS Oji (P275). It was commissioned in 2021 by President Muhammadu Buhari and it is a 43 metre seaward defence boat.
President Buhari also laid the keel for the 4th and 5th seaward defence boats that will be built by the Navy. He also commissioned other vessels that were built outside the country for the Navy and a naval helicopter.
Twitter Ban: Court Dismisses Suit Against FG, Fines SERAP N100,000
By Tribune Online On Dec 9, 2021
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed a suit filed against the Federal Government for directing television and radio stations to delete their Twitter accounts.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and awarded the sum of N100,000 against the plaintiff.
The Incorporated Trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had, in June, filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/496/21, against three defendants.
In the suit, SERAP had sued the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Director-General of NBC and the Minister of Information and Culture as first to third defendants respectively.
The suit followed the order by NBC asking all broadcast outfits to immediately suspend patronage of the social media giant after it was banned for violating Nigerian laws.
The group had sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Federal Government and the regulator from “censoring, regulating, licensing and controlling the social media operations and contents by broadcast stations and activities of social media service providers in Nigeria.”
It also sought and order setting aside the directive asking broadcast stations to stop using Twitter, as being “unconstitutional, unlawful, inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], and the country’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
SERAP stated further that the court had an important role to play in the protection and preservation of the rule of law to ensure that persons and institutions operate within the defined ambit of constitutional and statutory limitations.
It argued that the directive amounted to a fundamental breach of the principle of legality, the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom, and incompatible with the country’s international human rights obligations, among others.
In their preliminary objections, the first and second defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit. They argued that the directive did not in any way affect the plaintiff.
They further averred that the action was taken in the interest of the country’s national security, economy and unity, adding that the suit was filed in bad faith.
The defendants told the court that apart from Twitter, there are other social media platforms through which the plaintiff could access information and interact like Facebook, among others.
Also in his argument, the Minister of Information, through his lawyer, Nelson Orji, said the Federal Government operates within the ambit of the law and would not do anything to undermine it.
He said that the operation of Twitter, an American microblogging and social media outfit, within the Nigerian cyberspace required it to operate within the confines of the laws. He told the court that the company was not registered as a company in Nigeria as required by the law.
According to Orji, by the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), foreign businesses wishing to carry on business in Nigeria are required to be registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Nigerian company.
The lawyer argued that Twitter, as a company operating in the country, had not been paying taxes as required by the law.
He told the court that what the government had done was to suspend its operation of business activities pending its willingness to operate within the Nigerian laws.
Orji also stated that apart from Twitter, there are other microblogging social media outfits like Facebook, WhatsApp, among others, that are still operating within Nigeria which Nigerians are still using to disseminate information unhindered.
He added that Twitter was suspended because its activities became a threat to the country’s national security and the welfare of its people.
“The primary role of government as provided for by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is security and welfare of the people,” Orji had told the court.
He argued that the ban on Twitter for violating the law did not affect the rights of SERAP.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Egwuatu held that the fundamental rights of the plaintiff had not been breached because the freedom of expression provided for under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is not absolute.
He stated that the section is limited under Section 45(1) which deals with the issues of defence, public safety, public health, public morality, among others.
The judge held that the media houses, under which SERAP had filed the suit, did not complain about the ban, hence, the plaintiff cannot cry more than the bereaved.
He also agreed with the defendants that there are other microblogging platforms through which the plaintiff could express information like Facebook and others.
Egwuatu held that when national security is threatened, the issues of fundamental human rights take a second stage. He said besides, Twitter was not a registered company in the country as required by the laws.
Justice Egwuatu, who dismissed the suit for lacking in merit, awarded a cost of N100,000 in favour of the defendants.
One of the stars of top Kenyan band Sauti Sol, Willis Austin Chimano, has come out as gay, telling a local outlet that he no longer wants to live a lie.
Sauti Sol is one of Africa's biggest male bands and won the 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards.
Chimano's opening up about his sexuality is being hailed as a boost to the LGBT community.
Gay sex in Kenya is punishable by up to 14 years in prison - a challenge to this law was rejected in 2019.
Prosecutions under this law are not common and attitudes towards gay people are more liberal than in neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Tanzania.
Although there are few reports of homophobic attacks in Kenya, many members of the LGBT community live in clandestine communities and are often shunned by their families in this deeply religious country.
However, attitudes are softening, especially among younger people and Chimano joins a growing list of prominent young Kenyans who have come out as gay or lesbian.
"Young people are saluting him and are seeing him as an icon who comes out to celebrate his life and his sexuality. It's a good thing, it shows our diversity as a country," gay activist Kevin Mwachiro told the BBC.
Last week, Chimano released a solo single, Friday Feeling, that he told the local Standard newspaper was "a true representation of who he is".
"It is the first time I am expressing myself in a song. You really get to know who Chimano is and that is a heavy crown to carry. It is just a representation of the underground ballroom culture within the queer community... which I am part of," he is quoted as saying.
A Kenyan High Court ruled in 2019 against campaigners seeking to overturn a law banning gay sex.
Campaigners wanted the colonial-era law scrapped, saying that it gave rise to a climate of homophobia.
I have not read them, but I can bet that some people will make the usual silly comments about the size of the seaward defence boat. There was once a time that I thought that the people making the comments were actually ignorant, so I tried to educate them. Now I know better. I know that they are only playing their usual silly games.
How do I know? Well, this is the third locally produced seaward defence boat that has been commissioned and the Navy has also commissioned a lot of foreign made vessels in the past 15 years and I've noticed a pattern. If the vessel is commissioned when the PDP is in power, then certain people will criticise it and certain other people will defend it. If it is commissioned when the APC is in power, then the people who defended the commissioning of similar vessels when PDP was in power will criticise it and those who previously criticised such boats will defend it.
You see, it's not about ignorance, rather it's just the silly political games that are played on this site.
AT NAVAL DOCKYARD, PRESIDENT BUHARI COMMISSIONS NNS OJI, ANOTHER MADE-IN-NIGERIA VESSEL
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Lagos commissioned a Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) III, built by the Nigerian Navy.
The indigenously constructed SDB, NNS Oji, is the third of its series to be locally built at the Naval Dockyard Limited, Lagos solely by Navy engineers after the successes of NNS Adoni, and NNS Karaduwa, commissioned in 2016 by President Buhari.
Speaking at the event, which also marked the inauguration of some recently acquired platforms and the keel-laying ceremony for the construction of Boat-IV and Boat-V, President Buhari said the new inductions to the Naval fleet would boost their capability in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain.
He charged all naval personnel to maintain professionalism and ensure good use of the newly built and recently acquired platforms including NNS LANA, KANO, IKENNE, ABA, SOKOTO and OSUN.
‘‘We should note that we are in a critical period where our country is faced with a serious decline in our revenue and the security challenges we are facing.
‘‘The present realities, therefore, call for prudent resource management, innovativeness, accountability and careful maintenance.
‘‘I wish to reiterate that despite these challenges, our administration is very determined to ensure that the Navy is well supported to achieve its statutory responsibilities.
‘‘Let me assure you that the Government will continue to support the ideals of the Nigerian Navy in the performance of its constitutional duties. God bless the Nigerian Navy, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Onward Together,'' he said.
The President commended the Nigerian Navy for maintaining a steady course in its drive for local content development which is in tandem with the philosophy of this administration.
He said the Federal Government’s commitment to properly equip the Navy with the right mix of platforms has seen the Service take delivery of NNS LANA in May this year from France.
‘‘I commend the business dependability of Messrs OCEA Shipyard - France, the builders of our Navy’s first-ever purpose-built Offshore Survey Vessel for a conclusive and successful execution of the contract.
‘‘Local partners should share in this commendation for their efforts at local facilitation as outlined in the Government’s local content policy,’’ he said.
President Buhari acknowledged that the Federal Government is aware of the Navy’s dedication towards ensuring the security of the vast oil and gas industry in the nation’s maritime environment as well as sea lanes of communications.
According to him, given the present high dependence on oil and gas revenues, the Navy is undeniably a major contributor to the economic well-being of Nigeria.
‘‘Arrests of those involved in illegalities have yielded results as some pirates, illegal bunkering syndicates, pipeline vandals and other miscreants have been convicted during this year.
‘‘Such successes were made possible through the enforcement of our new anti-piracy law on Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act 2019.
‘‘Furthermore, the provision of the new policy directives by the current administration of the Navy codified in such documents as the Nigerian Navy Strategic Plan 2021-2030; the Chief of the Naval Staff Strategic Directive 2021-5 and the Total Spectrum Maritime Strategy have given the Service credible guidelines and leverage for improved operational efficiency,’’ he said.
The Commander-in-Chief also used the occasion to laud the Navy’s efforts in the fight against maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea region, praising the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral AZ Gambo and all the officers, ratings and civilian staff of the Navy for remarkable achievements.
Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) December 9, 2021
However, some people have complained that the government should have commissioned the Rumuola Flyover and the GRA Bridge on the same day in order to save cost and save residents from the problem of multiple traffic jams caused by the commissioning ceremony.
The Rumuola Flyover in Port-Harcourt was commissioned by former Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, this afternoon. Here are pictures of the event.
onuman: You wrote that the federal ministry of works moved to work on the road since 2019, and that president Buhari is expected to commission the road during his visit today in Lagos.
So, I told you that you are apparently happy that federal government is reconstructing streets in states. But we have a federation.
Good God almighty! How does stating facts indicate that I am happy or unhappy. I simply stated facts! I have been plying the road at least once a month for the past 4 years. This is a fact. The road was in a deplorable condition and I was shocked that it was allowed to deteriorate to that level. This is fact. The Federal Ministry of Works moved to the place in 2019 and reconstructed the road. This is fact. Where did I make any comment to indicate that I was glad or otherwise?
That was a very short post, a short post that is very easy to read and understand. The only place in that short post in which I expressed my feelings was when I expressed shock at the state of the road, so where the hell does the "glad" come from??
How does saying that the ministry of works reconstructed the road mean that I am glad or unhappy??
onuman: Then it’s only you that understand what you wrote.
Learn to Communicate well when you write to be published for the public, or avoid publishing all together.
Now you are trying to run away from your statement. You wrote, "You seem to be glad". It's a very simple thing, show where I said that I was glad or anything like that. Stop trying to shift the goalpost and simply back up your statement. Where did I say I was glad. All the other bullshit that you are trying to pull won't work with me.
I can post what I wrote and back it up, because it was as clear as day. Can you back up your post?
naptu2: I've had to go down Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island at least once a month in the past 4 years and I have been shocked at the condition of the road. It was riddled with potholes and I was surprised that such an important road, which leads to Eko Atlantic City, the NTA, Silverbird Galleria, Naval Dockyard and other important facilities, could be left to deteriorate in such a shocking manner.
The Federal Ministry of Works moved to the site in 2019 and they have completely reconstructed the road from the Eko Hotel junction all the way to Marina. I believe that President Buhari will commission it during his visit.
Crime › Edwin Azike: Kidnappers Murder Imo Monarch, Dump Body In Market Square by naptu2(op): 1:10pm On Dec 10, 2021
