She shares another video of flooded Dolphin Estate.
Dolphin Estate....Jeez!! Ahhh Lagos... We need to really solve this flooding issue EVERYTIME it rains so heavily...and it is not about moving somewhere else.. Drainage should always be considered FIRST before we build seeing that we are a coastal settlement..
Dolphin Estate....Jeez!! Ahhh Lagos... We need to really solve this flooding issue EVERYTIME it rains so heavily...and it is not about moving somewhere else.. Drainage should always be considered FIRST before we build seeing that we are a coastal settlement.. pic.twitter.com/4Y61odN4nT
A criminal investigation is under way after the police watchdog said it would investigate the shooting of an unarmed black man as a homicide.
Chris Kaba, 24, died after a police pursuit of a car ended in Streatham Hill, south London, on Monday night.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the development "does not mean that criminal charges will necessarily follow".
Mr Kaba's family has welcomed the decision.
They called on the IOPC "to use all of its powers to make this an effective criminal investigation so the police are held to account".
"The Kaba family would like to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the family in its call for this criminal investigation," they added.
The family had been calling for "a homicide investigation into the death from the outset" having previously accused the Met Police of being "totally racist".
The Met Police says it is fully co-operating with the IOPC and that its "thoughts and sympathies remain with Mr Kaba's friends and family".
Mr Kaba died after a single gunshot was fired at about 22:00 BST by a specialist firearms officer, who is no longer on operational duties, Scotland Yard says.
The IOPC said that although the officer is under criminal investigation and his conduct is also being investigated "it doesn't necessarily mean that they will end up facing criminal charges or a misconduct hearing".
An Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera indicated the vehicle driven by Mr Kaba, which was not registered to him, was linked to a firearms incident in the previous days, the IOPC said.
The Audi was hemmed in by two police cars in the narrow residential street of Kirkstall Gardens.
The IOPC said CPR was immediately given by officers and support requested from the ambulance service, but Mr Kaba later died in hospital.
Mr Kaba, who was due to become a father, was a rapper known as Madix or Mad Itch and was part of the MOBO-nominated drill group 67.
His mother, Helen Nkama, speaking through tears, told the BBC on Wednesday: "My heart is broken. I am speechless."
In a statement before Friday's announcement, the family added: "We are devastated; we need answers and we need accountability.
"We are worried that if Chris had not been black, he would have been arrested on Monday evening and not had his life cut short."
The Met's Assistant Commissioner Amanda Pearson said she "absolutely understands that this shooting is a matter of grave concern, particularly for our black communities".
She said: "I also know what a difficult and often dangerous job firearms officers in particular do every day to try to protect the public.
"They understand and expect that on the very rare occasions they discharge their weapons they will face intense scrutiny. I don't underestimate the impact on them of this development."
London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, said he would "continue to push" for unanswered questions to be answered.
A post-mortem examination, which will determine a provisional cause of death, is due to take place.
The family of Chris Kaba who died after being shot by an officer from The Metropolitan Police on Monday night are calling for peace today as they call for justice.
The family of Chris Kaba who died after being shot by an officer from The Metropolitan Police on Monday night are calling for peace today as they call for justice. pic.twitter.com/anzSLFkvzR
President Muhammadu Buhari says crude oil theft must be addressed.
He made this statement during the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on National Economy which he inaugurated in his office on Friday.
Acknowledging the impact of the menace on the nation’s revenue exchange, the President reminded them that production of crude oil owing to economic sabotage has led to a production decline at half the nation’s OPEC quota.
Buhari, therefore, urged members to tackle the distinct challenge while promising that his administration will work assiduously to reverse the trend.
Members of the committee include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is also chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State who represents the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and other members of the cabinet.
At the maiden meeting, President Buhari defended the nation’s borrowing rate, asserting that it is vital to achieving infrastructural development.
He identified as another source of concern the nation’s resource mobilization (when compared to other countries) which he notes impinges on the nation’s ability to perform.
The Presidential Committee is expected to review the national economic situation and propose measures to ensure the progress of the nation’s economy, receive regular updates on economic conditions in the country, identify issues that require urgent intervention to improve macroeconomic and fiscal conditions, review the impact of existing and new policies on the Nigerian economy and provide directions to relevant institutions responsible for fiscal, monetary and other relevant policies.
Central Bank Governor, Emefiele, Afreximbank President, Oramah, Others Under EFCC, NFIU Investigations Over $300million Paid To Acquire Union Bank
The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele; the President of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah; among others are currently under investigation over the $300million the pan-African multilateral financial institution gave to Titan Trust Bank Limited to acquire 93.4 per cent stake in the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Others being investigated are; Aminu Yaro, a Northern business mogul and one Farouk Gumel.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) are all investigating Oramah, Emefiele and others.
“EFCC, DSS and NFIU are currently investigating Oramah over the loan given to Titan bank. Why the loan to Emefiele and others political exposed person? Though we believe nothing will happen to him because of his closeness to Mamman Daura. He just bought a house for Mamman Daura at George street, off Edgware road in London,” a senior intelligence officer told SaharaReporters.
On June 6 2022, Afreximbank announced that it had disbursed the sum of $300 million to help complement the total amount needed by Titan Trust Bank to finalise the acquisition of Union Bank.
It noted that the said fund was disbursed under its Intra-African Investment Financing Facility.
However, the source linked the ownership of the controversial Titan Trust Bank to Emefiele.
The bank was established on the 12th of December, 2018 and started operating fully as a commercial national bank after obtaining its National Banking license on the 26th of April, 2019.
In 2019, it recorded a profit of N644 million, and in 2020, its after-tax profit rose to N2.9 billion.
However, the 2021 audited financial statement of the bank showed it now worth over N3trillion with only two active offices in Lagos.
“Isn’t it magical that Titan Trust Bank, a small bank with only two bank branches in Lagos swallowed up Union Bank, a 104-year-old bank, in a transaction valued in the region of over $1 billion dollars?
“The President of Afrexim bank, Oramah, Emefiele, Yaro and others are friends.
“If you need dollar from CBN today, go through Uba Sanni, the Kaduna APC gubernatorial candidate, Sabiu Tunde or Aminu Yaro. This same Aminu Yaro is one of the shareholders of Titan Bank. He owns 9.07 per cent of Titan Trust’s 58.4 million ordinary shares. His wife works with CBN too.
“Don’t forget this same Titan bank just bought Union Bank, We all know Emefiele is the actual owner of it, even though he is using Tropical General Investments Limited (TGI) as front.
“Afrexim is aware that Emefiele, Yaro, and Farouk Gumel are political exposed people, yet granted them loan of such amount to buy Union bank,” the source told SaharaReporters.
Another source added, “Are you aware Titan Trust Bank’s National Banking Licence is the first that the CBN has granted in the last ten years? Are you aware Emefiele is also among the highest shareholders in Union Bank Plc?”
A statement regarding recent social media posts by Uju Anya.
We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account. Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster.
More worries for the Nigerian government as crude oil production dropped below the one million mark in August 2022.
Checks by TheCable showed that oil output averaged 972,394 barrels per day (bpd) for the month, hitting an all-time low.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed this in its latest crude oil and condensate production data for August 2022.
According to the report, the drop is more than 10 percent compared to July 2022 production at 1.08 million barrels a day and lower than the 1.8 million bpd production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
With condensate, production averaged 1.18 million barrels a per day for the month.
Nigeria had been struggling to meet over 1.8 million barrels per day production quota of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) occasioned by oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
It also affected the country’s earnings, resulting in a significant drop in monthly allocation to the federation account.
On Wednesday, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said its members would withdraw services if there is no traceable progress in tackling oil theft.
Oil producers in Nigeria had also asked the federal government to tackle the menace of illegal oil bunkers, especially in the Niger Delta.
They said oil thieves are raking in ‘petrodollars’ while the country is bedevilled by low production.
The order was granted pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.
The Federal High Court in Lagos has extended the order stopping President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country, and shutting down the stations for allegedly failing to renew their licenses.
Justice Akintayo Aluko (Court on 29 August 2022 granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The order was granted pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.
When the case came up before the court for hearing on Thursday, Justice Daniel Emeka Osiagor extended the order of interim injunction pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice, and adjourned the case to 26th October 2022 for the hearing of the originating summons.
The Court extended the order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument by SERAP and NGE counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN.
SERAP and NGE in August filed a lawsuit against Buhari and NBC, asking the court for “a declaration that section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten to revoke the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and to shut down the stations is unconstitutional and unlawful, as it violates freedom of expression.”
In the suit, SERAP and NGE asked the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining Buhari and NBC, their agents from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country and shutting down their operations, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously in this suit.”
The suit followed the decision by NBC to revoke the licenses of the 53 broadcast stations and shut down their operations within 24 hours over alleged N2.6 billion debt.
In suit number FHC/L/CS/1582/2022, SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine “whether section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten to revoke the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and shut them down is not in inconsistent with freedom of expression and access to information.”
SERAP and NGE are also seeking “a declaration that section 10(a) of the National Broadcasting Act used by NBC to unilaterally revoke the licenses of the broadcast stations and shutdown the stations is a violation of the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to fair hearing.”
The suit, read in part: “The provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties on freedom of expression indicate that this right can be exercised through any medium.
“Effectively, these provisions recognize that every individual has the right to an equal opportunity to receive, seek and impart information through any communication medium without discrimination.
“The use of NBC Act and Code, in this case, would inadmissibly open the door to arbitrariness and would fundamentally restrict the freedom of expression that is an integral part of the public order protected the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party.
“The media plays an essential role as a vehicle or instrument for the exercise of freedom of expression and information – in its individual and collective aspects – in a democratic society.
“Indeed, the media has the task of distributing all varieties of information and opinion on matters of general interest.
“The public has a right to receive and assess this information and opinion independently. Therefore, the existence of a free, independent, vigorous, pluralistic, and diverse media is essential for the proper functioning of a democratic society.
“According to the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ‘licensing processes shall seek to promote diversity in broadcasting. Any registration system for the media shall not impose substantive restrictions on the right to freedom of expression.’
“Revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and shutting down their operations because they have not renewed their licenses would both seriously undermine the rights of millions of Nigerians to express their thoughts, and their right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, in any medium they choose.
“Freedom of expression includes the public's right to receive, and the right of those who express themselves through a medium of communication, to impart the greatest possible diversity of information and ideas.”
No fewer than seven persons were feared injured when an uncompleted four-storey hotel building collapsed on Thursday in Ibadan.
The collapsed hotel building is adjacent to one of the new generation banks at Awosika, Bodija area of Ibadan.
An witness who spoke with NAN disclosed that the incident happened around 5:45 a.m. when Muslim faithful were returning from early morning prayers.
The witness said that rescue teams including people in the neighbourhood and passers-by have been able to rescue seven people who are currently receiving medical attention at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
A combined team of the state Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps and other security agencies are currently on ground working hard to remove the debris in search of other survivors.
The police spokesman in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident.
Mr Osifeso added that the site had since been cordoned off with adequate deployment of police personnel in the interest of public health and safety.
As of the time of filing this report, it was not clear whether the incident has claimed any life aside those that were critically injured.
The families of four newborn babies have been thrown into mourning after they died due to alleged negligence on the part of the doctor on duty at the Sapele Central Hospital, in the Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.
The victims’ families, while lamenting over their deaths, alleged that the doctor on duty was drunk, adding that there was no power supply in the hospital.
Angered by the development, patients, relatives and visitors at the hospital reportedly staged a protest as they slammed the management of the medical facility over the victims’ deaths.
A relative to one of the bereaved mothers, Benjamin Ikeji, said all the women due for delivery lost their babies in a single night.
He said, “When we brought my sister to this hospital, the doctor told us that it was not yet time for her delivery and I and my sister’s husband waited till 10pm.
“At midnight my sister said the baby was stuck and the nurses couldn’t do anything because the doctor was not around.
“In the morning, I met the doctor who said there was nothing he could do since they had no light. I bought fuel for them that night before I left and the next thing I heard was that my sister lost the baby.”
Another victim, Newton Oroba, while mourning over the death of his newborn, said his wife had been traumatised over the incident.
He said, “The doctor on duty was drunk. We came to the hospital around 9pm and left. Only to come back in the morning, my wife said she lost her newborn”
Some patients and relatives of the deceased victims, upon sighting the doctor, reportedly confronted him to demand an explanation for his absence while on duty.
Efforts to reach the hospital management for a reaction failed as workers in the hospital declined to speak.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, did not respond to calls and a text message sent to his phone number as of the time of filing this report.
While in Prison, you stated that you facilitated the release of 17 detainees and inmates. How did you achieve this while incarcerated? The word is that there are many inmates that may not have any business being in custody in the first place, and there are more people awaiting trial than actual convicts. Can you comment on this, and share your thoughts on how you think Nigerian prisons can be decongested?
You will recall that when I came out of prison, I told the pressmen outside that I had just completed my one month appointment with destiny. As someone who believes deeply that God rules over the affairs of men, it is my belief that my incarceration was in some way a missionary journey. God sent me there, as an answer to the prayers of some inmates. From the first to the last day of my incarceration, I devoted myself to the service of inmates. I spent most of my time listening to inmates, and took steps to solve their problems as much as I could. The complaints ranged from lack of basic things like food items, soap, bathroom slippers and money for sundry purposes, to legal problems in their cases. I realised that many inmates, despite being granted bail by the courts, were still in prison because they cannot perfect their bail. So, what I did was to request for names of those who were granted bail by Magistrate Courts. I decided to perfect bail for 17 of them. They are being released in batches, as the Magistrates are signing their release warrants. I have also undertaken to take up cases of some inmates that do not have legal representation, whose cases I believe deserves special consideration. Among them, are two pregnant female inmates. One delivered her baby, a day before I was released. As part of my modest efforts to put smiles on the faces of the inmates, I organised football and dancing competitions for male and female inmates, with modest monetary prizes which I presented during the finals a day before my departure.
The last week of my stay in Uyo was a sort of carnival for the inmates. I did everything I could, to impact on the lives of the inmates. But, the best thing that I can do for them now is to let the world know the story of their untold suffering. By my estimation, over 80% of inmates are awaiting trial. Many of them are waiting for DPP’s advice. There are many innocent people in prison. The day I arrived in Ikot Ekpene Prison, I was shown an inmate who had just regained his freedom, after awaiting trial for over 10 years. This is the type of country we are living in.
How would you rate this administration’s performance, especially with regard to its respect for the rule of law, fight against corruption and revamping the economy?
Like I have repeatedly said, President Buhari is a tragic mistake of history. The Buhari regime is an affliction that has imperilled our nation, and suffocated our countrymen. He came in with a lot of goodwill in 2015, promising change. Seven years after, he changed the country for the worse. The rule of law has been violently raped, by the current regime. Court orders are flouted, Judges are being intimidated, human rights are violated endlessly, and institutions are lawless and corrupt. This regime lacks empathy. The life of a Nigerian, is now worth less than a coin. We have a Commander-in-Chief, who has failed to command the Armed Forces. The Service Chiefs and the heads of security agencies, are commanding themselves. There is no evidence that the repeated empty orders of Buhari, have been carried out. Nigerians are being slaughtered in their country, by terrorists and so-called bandits. No one is safe. The terrorists have been emboldened by the incompetence, laxity and recklessness of this regime. There is a strong perception that, this regime is tacitly condoning the nefarious acts of those who have made it their duty to shed the Nigerian blood.
On the fight against corruption, it is now clear to everyone that Buhari is neither fighting corruption, nor is he against corrupt people. Those who were under the illusion that he was going to fight corruption, have now come to terms with the harsh reality that this is one of the most corrupt regimes in the history of this country. All that Buhari cares about, is to entrench crude nepotism.
Regarding the economy, every indice shows that this regime is a colossal failure. The Naira is now worthless. Inflation is monstrous. Unemployment is escalating. Yet, the regime continues to accumulate more debts. As things stand, we can only pray for the handover date to come sooner, so that this wind of evil and destruction can blow away.
What are your views regarding the payment of ransom for kidnap victims, since it has been criminalised? Kindly, share your thoughts on the insecurity that has pervaded the country, and this administration’s efforts to fight same. Are our security agencies up to the task in handling insecurity or should Nigeria seek external assistance on fighting insecurity, given the fact that our security agencies seem to have been compromised?
Those who came up with such a legislative proposal, are not serious minded. It is a product of an idle mind. What option or choice do families of kidnapped victims have, when the security architecture of the country has collapsed? They are just ridiculing themselves by seeking to criminalise payment of ransom, which is due to failure of Nigerian State.
This is another evidence, that our leaders have no solutions to the myriad of problems besetting this country. Kidnapping is a felony, in every State in Nigeria. Indeed, many States have made it a capital offence. Has that curtailed the spate of kidnapping? Laws are useless, when there is no enforcement. The problem of Nigeria is not paucity of laws, but the unwillingness of our leaders to enforce laws without sentiments. In the North today, kidnapping has become a way of life, because we have a President who is disconnected from reality. In truth, it is hard to convince some of us that there is a leader in this country. Look at the ASUU strike; which serious country will keep undergraduates at home for over six months? Nothing is working under Buhari.
Should bandits and terrorists be pardoned and reintegrated into society?
The idea itself is repulsive. How do you pardon the rapist, and ignore the raped? That is exactly what it amounts to. The regime is pardoning terrorists, and relegating the terrorised. The war against the Nigerian people is still raging, and some people are talking about pardoning and reintegrating the terrorists who are slaughtering our soldiers, security men and innocent citizens. Is that not offensive? What effort has been made to resettle Nigerians in Benue, Katsina, Kaduna and other States, whose communities have been ransacked and burnt to ashes by these terrorists? What about justice for the victims? It takes a regime of terror to wine and dine with terrorists.
Government’s application to extradite DCP Abba Kyari to USA to face money laundering charges was refused by the Federal High Court. While some believe that the drug charges DCP Kyari is facing here should take precedence over the extradition, others believe that the drug charges are a sham orchestrated to prevent his extradition. Still yet, there’s another school of thought that believes the drug charges are genuine, but he should still be extradited, since the American matter was first in time. What school of opinion are you? What does this whole saga say about the recruiting methods into Nigerian security agencies like the Police, where some officers have turned out to be murderers, robbers etc?
If you check my verified Twitter and Facebook accounts, you will see that I twitted and posted on March 3, 2022 that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, was neither honest nor serious about extraditing DCP Abba Kyari. I alerted the nation that something sinister was going on. I warned that the NDLEA should investigate Kyari, but should not proceed with filing charges against him until the extradition process was completed, as doing otherwise would be counter-productive to the extradition proceedings, in view of the provisions of Section 3 of the Nigerian Extradition Act which expressly provides that extradition application shall be refused by the court, where the wanted person is already undergoing criminal trial in Nigeria. Sections 150 and 174 of the Constitution makes Malami, SAN the Chief Law Officer of the Federation. He knows exactly what he set out to do, and he has achieved his aim. I believe the United States Government is not deceived by the antics of Mr Malami.
Ab initio, the drug charges were designed to scuttle the extradition request made by the United States. We need to urgently reform the Nigeria Police. The promises made during the #EndSARS protests, have not been fulfilled. The Police is still killing, torturing, oppressing and extorting Nigerians on a daily basis. There is very little accountability in the system. There is a case of a Police officer, ASP Joweigha Michael, who tortured a fresh Engineering student of UNIUYO, Kubiat Isaac, to death in custody late 2021. Despite compelling evidence, the FCIID in Abuja is still playing around with the case, and has not brought back the culprit to Uyo to face trial. This is the impunity that we are witnessing in the Police.
To what extent will your incarceration affect your human rights activism?
My incarceration was my baptism of fire, as a human rights crusader. I have always been prepared for it. I was never worried by my incarceration, because I know that I am innocent of the allegations levelled against me. This was more about an attempt to change my identity and convictions as an activist, than the libel case of the Governor. There are people who are irritated by the voice and the platform that God has given me, and they felt that imprisoning me will dampen my spirit and make me to abandon this path. But, that was a terrible miscalculation. Like Gani Fawehinmi said: “What I stand for, I cannot change”. It is simply a waste of time, for anyone to try to subjugate me. It will never happen, because the walls of the prison only strengthens a freedom fighter. The incarceration has emboldened and fortified me, for the next phase of my calling. That is a lesson for the oppressors of our people. I believe that I will get justice from the Judiciary. Those who lied against me will not laugh last, as long as God is still God. History will vindicate the just. Thank you for this opportunity.
Kindly, tell us about your experience in custody. What are the conditions that inmates face in prison? We understand that the conditions in Nigerian prisons are deplorable – filthy, overcrowded, inadequate medical facilities, inadequate feeding for inmates. Were Covid-19 protocols observed in the Correctional Centres you stayed in? What did you observe during your remand in custody?
There is nothing like Covid-19 protocols in prison. Let me repeat what I told another medium, when I came out. Most Nigerians do not know how deplorable the condition of prisons in Nigeria are. The Federal Government has abandoned the Custodial Centres. The Custodial Centres are terribly and disgustingly congested. Inmates live basically like abandoned animals. In fact, animals in the zoo have more comfort than prisoners in Nigeria. There are people who do not even have a space to lie. They sit with their legs tied, and others sit close to them. That is the condition that some of them have had to live for years. I was so enraged by what looked like, an attempt to replicate the Nazi concentration camp.
When I got to Ikot Ekpene prison, I was told there is what they called the ‘special or privilege cell’. They told me that I would either adjust to the regular cell which is more horrible, or I had to pay for a space in the so-called special cell. The officers said it would cost me N50,000. I knew I had just two weeks to stay, but I had to pay the money so I could get a space. We were three in a small room, in the special cell. There was no bed. I had to sleep on a small mattress, battling with mosquitos. It was not surprising when I fell ill in Ikot Ekpene. I bought my drugs from outside, because the clinic barely gave sick inmates more than paracetamol while I was there. I told myself that it will be unfair for me to go to the prison clinic to demand malaria tablets, when other sick inmates are hardly given more than paracetamol. As I said, I have always been mentally prepared for incarceration. That is why I pity those who celebrated my imprisonment. They miscalculated. I had to share a toilet with two other inmates in Ikot Ekpene prison. It wasn’t palatable. But, that is the same prison that some people even consider to be one of the best in the country, because it was constructed some years ago by Akpabio. I don’t think the special cell in Ikot Ekpene, is even fit for any citizen of a serious country to be kept.
In Uyo, I refused to stay in the so-called special cell there. I decided to stay in the regular cell, so as to have a better understanding of what inmates go through. I did not want any form of special treatment. In Uyo, we were 23 in my cell which is called “F2”, and we all used the same toilet. 23 is even small number, because it is one of the CM cells. CM is meant for inmates who are serving their sentences. In the ATM cells which is meant for Awaiting Trial Inmates, some of the cells have close to one hundred inmates, and the cell is not even spacious.
There is also a separate cell for IDRs, which means Inmates on Death Row. Theirs is even more frightening. Their small cell is partitioned into cubicles, with up to 5 inmates per cubicle. The 5 inmates eat, sleep and defecate contemporaneously in the small cubicles. The toilet is not separated from where they eat and sleep. So, while one IDR inmate is eating, another may be defecating right in his presence. In the CM and ATM cells, the toilet is separated from where inmates sleep and stay, only by a curtain. It is a disgusting sight to behold. But, for the rigid laws that inmates have imposed on themselves in their various cells, life in the cells would have been a complete state of nature.
The structures in Uyo Prison are like abandoned colonial buildings, with no reasonable evidence of modernity. When I arrived Uyo prison, there had been no electricity there for about four months. There is no generator. We were using one lantern per cell. Inmates pay for kerosene which goes for N1000 per litre. I never for one day, ate what they served the inmates as food. For me, those meals are not fit for human consumption. Saying that it is bad, is trivialising the issue. Even saying it is terrible, is euphemism. What the inmates are served as food, is not suitable for dogs to eat. They serve them something that looks like dry garri every morning, and in a small quantity. Throughout my one month in the prison, I never for one day saw the inmates being served with garri that was not contaminated. The garri is always spoilt, and dark in colour. They will then serve them what looks like beans in the morning, and a caricature of soup in the evening. You don’t want to see the beans and the soup. They are cooked without basic ingredients. They don’t even remove the chaff properly, before cooking the beans. So, inmates have to find a way to remake the already cooked beans, so that they can at least swallow it and not die of starvation like others. If you see the soup, you will hate the leaders of this country. Do you know that inmates use their hands to remove sewage from the cesspool? Inmates tie ropes to buckets, and use it in disposing sewage. The sewage is not properly disposed, it is poured and spread on farms which surrounds the cells. This happens regularly, and pollutes the cells.
Hygiene is basically non-existent in the prisons. Water is barely available, to the awaiting trial inmates. Most of them repeat the same cloths. You can see visible signs of suffering, on the bodies of the inmates. The complexion of many of them, has changed to charcoal. Many of them with different forms of ailments do not get proper medical attention. Deaths of inmates is part of the prison life, so inmates do not show emotions when fellow inmates die. Meanwhile, the Uyo prison is just by the Government House, and the Governor cannot intervene to ameliorate the horrible condition of that prison, despite the fact that nearly all the inmates are indigenes of the State, and are being prosecuted by the State Government for State offences. If the Governor’s excuse is that the Nigerian Correctional Service is a Federal Agency, why is he funding the Police and constructing Federal roads?
The current Governor is the worst, in terms of impact on the lives of inmates in the State. The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice, now led by the AG, Mr Uko Udom, SAN, should be held responsible for the terrible congestion. What the Justice Ministry has done to most of the inmates is criminal, callous and satanic. It takes them more than 2 to 5 years to write ordinary legal advice. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the AG have failed miserably, and the blood of many of the inmates who died in prison waiting the DPP’s advice is on their hands, and God will demand the blood from them in due season. I do not know of any State in Nigeria, where the so-called leaders despise their own people like Akwa Ibom.
Where is the Minister of Interior? What happened to the oversight function of the National Assembly, over the Nigerian Correctional Service? The assumption that everyone in the prison is a criminal or is guilty of a crime, is fallacious. I went to prison, without even being told what offence I had committed. I went to prison without committing any crime. There are many innocent people like me in prison, who are victims of impunity, abuse of judicial power, Police corruption and lawlessness. The Police should largely be held responsible, for the congestion in the prisons. They arrest suspects and arraign them in Magistrate courts without bothering about evidence or facts, and then the Magistrates will remand people pending DPP’s advice that takes years to be written. I did my NYSC in Ondo State. My Place of Primary Assignment (PPA), was the Ministry of Justice. There is nothing magical or complicated, in writing legal advice for a case. You only review the duplicate case file submitted by the Police after investigation which contains the Police Investigation Report, Statement of Witnesses and other relevant documents and facts in the file, and reach a conclusion whether a case has been made out against a person to justify trial or not. This is what is taking the Ministry of Justice in Akwa Ibom, several years to do. It smacks of gross incompetence and wickedness.
Whenever the Chief Judge plans to visit the prisons, the DPP will rush and file Information or charges against inmates that may be considered for release. This is not hearsay. I saw this with my eyes at the Process Section of the High Court in Uyo, a day before the last visit of the current Chief Judge to the prisons. The Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Ekaette Obot ended up releasing only nine inmates in Uyo Prison, out of hundred of names that the Prison authorities had recommended. This is how flawed and oppressive the system is. That is why I am recommending that as part of the requirement for employment of any Lawyer as a judicial officer, Magistrate or State Counsel in Nigeria, the applicant should spend at least one week in a Nigerian prison. It should be compulsory, so that the applicants can have a practical experience of the Custodial Centres. It will shape their mindset, towards people in prison.
The criminal justice system in this country has failed to a large extent, and we should have the courage to say so and take serious actions to correct it. During my incarceration, the prison became like a sort of pilgrimage, people came from all parts of the country to see me. Every day, I had a retinue of visitors who came to spend time with me. The authorities had given some kind of special instructions or rules to the warders, now known as correctional officers, which was a way of telling them that I was ‘a high-profile inmate’ whose life had to be monitored’. I couldn’t make calls like other inmates. I was monitored tooth and nail. I didn’t have a problem with that. I cooperated with the authorities, and kept to all their rules. Whatever they did, was them trying to make me not to feel the reality of what was happening.
It seems that you were transferred from one prison to another. Why? Your stay in the Uyo Custodial Centre was also an incident that attracted wide public outcry. It was said that your hair and beard were forcefully shaved. Is this true? The Prison authorities claim it is their standard practice, and for your own safety. Were you subjected to any other form of inhuman treatment or torture? Kindly, shed some light on this.
I was informed that I would be transferred from Ikot Ekpene Medium Custodial Centre to Uyo Custodial Centre after 14 days, because Ikot Ekpene Prison had been designated for isolation due to Covid-19, even though there is nothing like isolation there. I prepared myself for the transfer. I had given my clothes to the dry cleaner who is an inmate, and had prepared myself. I had washed my things. All I needed was to be informed of the time that the transfer was going to take place, so that I could pack my properties and have my bath.
On August 10, 2022, an inmate working with the Prison authorities at the Records Office came to my cell after 8am, and told me to prepare because I was going to court. I thought there was a development in my case, that I was not aware of. I disputed it, but he insisted. I followed the said inmate to the Records Office, to confirm the unexpected information. On getting there, a woman in charge of the records apologised and said that the inmate was not well informed, and that it was not actually a court appearance but a transfer to Uyo prison. I requested to have audience with the Assistant Controller of Corrections, otherwise known as the In-Charge-Station, ACC Edet Akpan. When he came out, he behaved very differently. He was belligerent. He shouted at me, and asked me why I was not properly addressed for the transfer to Uyo. Because of his hostility, I stood up and went straight to my cell, and hurriedly packed my items with the help of my cellmates. That took some minutes because I wasn’t given sufficient notice. I was about to freshen up, when certain correctional officer came to the cell and told me that I was wasting their time. I told him that I needed to freshen up. The Assistant Comptroller of Corrections came into my cell with a full squad of his men, and they started shouting at me. I was upset, and I told them that I was not a criminal. If they wanted to transfer me, I should be given some decency, some time to arrange myself.
As I told a sister medium, the problem with the correctional service is that they do not believe that inmates have rights. For them, you are entirely at their mercy. So, when you speak in a manner that is suggestive that they are treating you unfairly, they find it extremely offensive. Because I asked to be treated with decency, it no longer mattered to them whoever I was in the society.
ACC Edet Akpan then ordered a notorious officer by name Enobong Philip Eyoren, also known as Gideon Eyoren, a two star officer to manhandle me. Eyoren came into the cell while I was hurrying to put on my clothes after I came out of the bathroom, and violently handcuffed me. He called one other tall and heavily-built officer and they both grabbed me by the neck. I could barely breathe as they dragged me in the most violent manner by the neck like a dog from the cell, and took me outside in the full glare of all inmates and officers. Eyoren is the main officer that tortured me. He took it personal. He acted so very maliciously. He said terrible things to me, and threatened to finish me. When they dragged me outside despite the fact that I was not resisting in any way, they refused to allow me to sit inside the van with a fellow inmate by name Moses Armstrong who was to be taken to the court. It was drizzling, but they didn’t accord me that courtesy for me to sit inside the van. I tried to climb into the back of the van but they did not allow me to enter the back of the van on my own. Rather, Eyoren and the other officer violently lifted me up and flung me inside the van and chained my left hand to the van with handcuffs, and drove me like a dog to Uyo. The torture didn’t end there. Immediately we got to Uyo, this same officer, instead of handing me over to his colleagues in Uyo as is the practice, started pushing and battering me. I kept wondering what was going on. When I got inside the Uyo prison, he ordered me to sit on the floor. Eyoren became very violent, and threatened again to finish me. Imagine what could have happened, if I had put up a physical resistance. I later got to understand that he has been implicated in many crimes. That is the character of the man, that was recruited by the Nigerian Correctional Service. I am not surprised that he was the one that was assigned to supervise my torture.
Regarding my shaving, of course, they shaved me against my wish. They forcefully shaved my hair and beard, despite my objections. It was a continuation of what started in Ikot-Ekpene. Throughout my stay in Ikot-Ekpene, I had my beard intact. Inmates keep beards. It is an irresponsible lie, for anyone to say that it is standard practice for inmates to be shaved. The inmates in prison care for themselves. Nobody pays for anything for them. The decision to shave me was malicious. Eyoren who supervised my forceful shaving, had the audacity to use his phone to video record me as part of the humiliation. Immediately after I was shaved, I met Uduak Frank Akpan who was convicted for killing the job seeker Iniobong Umoren. He had a beard. The beard of Moses Armstrong, the fellow inmate that I mentioned earlier, is ten times the size of the beard that I kept, and he left the prison with his beard untouched. While in prison, I paid for the shaving and hair cuts of over 25 inmates whose hair and beards had grown beyond what they wanted. So, anyone that tells you that shaving me against my wish is a standard practice, is a shameless liar. They even said it was for security reasons. Is that not a silly thing to say? In any event, what is their business with my beard? Was it part of the order of the Chief Judge? They tortured me because I asked to be treated with decency. When the information got out, they started trying to be apologetic inside, while still denying the gravity of the action and not punishing the culprit. I expected them to punish Eyoren severely, and apologise to me publicly.
Eyoren is a terrible person, and has no business serving in the Correctional Service. As I got to know, he is himself a former inmate of Uyo Prison, having been arrested and remanded for murder. He was let off the hook in controversial circumstances, without standing trial along with his casemates who were sentenced to death and are now in Port Harcourt Prison. He has also been implicated in cultism, and other serious offences. They have transferred him from Uyo Prison to Eket Prison, and now to Ikot Ekpene Prison for various misconducts. It is either the authorities are using him to commit crimes, or they are afraid of him. The Correctional Service should not have people of such dastardly character in their employment. It makes nonsense of the entire system.
The chain of events that led to the one-month incarceration of a young Human Rights Activist Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in two of Nigeria’s pitiable, inhumane and dehumanising correctional centres, are bizarre and hard to believe.
Inibehe Effiong went to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, to defend a client before the Chief Judge’s Court, in a case of defamation allegedly against the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, but instead he began a nightmarish journey to the dungeons of Ikot Ekpene and Uyo Correctional Centres. He narrated his harrowing ordeal to Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi last weekend
The CJ of Akwa Ibom State said you were disrespectful to the court and unruly, and committed you for contempt. What really transpired that day? What exactly was the contemptuous conduct you were accused of?
I arrived at the court early on July 27, 2022 along with my colleague, Augustine Asuquo Esq, to defend my client, Mr Leo Ekpenyong, who is also a legal practitioner, in a libel suit filed by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, over a certain publication in an online medium which my client has vehemently denied responsibility. I waited for the arrival of the trial Judge, His Lordship, Honourable Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State. At about 10am, my lord entered the courtroom, and immediately and furiously, ordered his orderly to bring in the policemen. The proceeding of the day could not commence, because my lord did not call for appearances until the policemen had arrived. Soon afterwards, the orderly arrived in company of two stern looking mobile policemen. Both of them carried AK47 rifles. They sat behind me, one to my right and the other to my left. My lord, at that point, announced that his lordship was coming in with anger and that my lord was not going to tolerate nonsense from anybody. The courtroom was extremely tense. His lordship ordered the Governor’s witness to enter the witness box, for continuation of cross-examination. I stood up and reminded the court of our pending motion for recusal which we filed since June 23, 2022, but was repeatedly not taken. As usual, my lord ordered me to proceed with the cross- examination, and insisted that the recusal motion would be taken when the court deems fit. I did not argue.
I started cross-examining the witness. I was on the third question when his lordship interrupted me and called upon a journalist with Premium Times, Saviour Imukudo to stand up. My lord asked him who he was, and he answered that he was an observer. My lord asked him if he was a party to the case, to observe the proceedings. The gentleman responded that he was a journalist. My lord then asked him if he was a government journalist, to which he answered that he works for Premium Times. Immediately he mentioned Premium Times, my lord became very angry and ordered the policemen to seize his phone and take him out. I should mention that Saviour is known to my lord, because that was the second time that his lordship had sent him out of the courtroom. Premium Times had been covering and reporting developments in the case.
After Saviour was arrested and taken out of the courtroom, I intervened and addressed the court on the development. I said my lord, we were thinking that since Section 36 of the Constitution guarantees publicity of trial and provides that court proceedings shall be held in public, members of the public including journalists, should be free to access the court and observe proceedings. My lord was infuriated by my comments, and made deprecatory comments against me. My lord went further to accuse me of using the said journalist to destroy his hard earned reputation, which his lordship said his lordship had built for over 30 years. I should mention that although the Chief Judge is a woman, I am using masculine adjectives like “he” instead of she, because, in practice, we refer to female Judges using masculine adjectives. At that point, I knew that the issue had become very personal, so I rested the matter and did not make any further comment again. I never at any time said that if Saviour was not brought back into the courtroom, I was not going to continue with the case. That is the truth.
I was about to continue with the cross-examination of the Governor’s witness, when it occurred to me that the two armed policemen were still seated behind me. I said my lord, I have also observed the presence of two mobile policemen inside the courtroom with AK47s, and that even though I was not ordinarily intimidated by their presence, that their presence had created hostility in the courtroom and made it hard for me to continue with the day’s proceeding. I urged my lord to order them to leave the courtroom, as they had no business bringing AK47 inside the courtroom. My lord reacted furiously to my observation. I then informed the court that I was now making it as a formal application, in which case the court had to deliver a ruling one way or the other. Immediately I said that I was formally applying for the policemen to be excused from the courtroom, my lord picked a pen and started writing. I thought my lord was taking notes of my submissions, not knowing it was my committal order that was being written. I expressly informed his lordship that it was not consistent with the norms and traditions of our profession for policemen to bring AK47 rifles inside the courtroom, but that if his lordship was minded to allow the policemen to remain inside the courtroom, the court could overrule me and I would be bound by the court’s decision, and would proceed with my cross-examination.
The next thing I heard was my lord ordering me to step out of the Bar, which I obeyed. His lordship then ordered that I should de-robe myself. I then said my lord, if I de-robe I will no longer be able to address your lordship as counsel. My lord responded that his lordship no longer recognised me as a Lawyer, because my lord was sending me to prison. The next thing my lord did was to read out the committal order his lordship had earlier written, and sentenced me to one month imprisonment for contempt of court.
I was astonished and utterly speechless. My colleague, Augustine Asuquo, stood up and pleaded profusely for my lord to reconsider the decision, but his lordship rejected his pleas. My lord then ordered the same armed policemen whose presence I had objected to, that they should hold me and make sure that I did not escape, and ordered the Registrar to bring a conviction warrant into his chambers. That was how I was taken into a van and driven to Uyo Custodial Centre, but they did not accept me because they claimed that I had to spend the first two weeks in Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre which had been designated as Covid-19 Isolation Centre.
I never banged any table. I never pointed or shouted at my lord. I never referred to my lord as “you”. In fact, I do not recall ever using the word “you” to refer to any Magistrate, let alone a Judge in court since I became a Lawyer. Those words attributed to me, never took place in court. Those accusations that you read about, came to my attention while I was in prison. I am innocent. It is just an attempt to justify what was done to me.
I should mention that, my lord usually fixes Governor Udom’s libel case and the sister case filed by Senator Effiong Bob against my client in isolation. What I mean is that any date my lord will sit on the two cases, no other case will be listed in the Cause List. That explains why there were no other Lawyers in court, except those of us involved in the case. I was never told what offence I had committed. No charge was prepared or read to me. I was never asked to enter the dock. I was not given the opportunity to take a plea, or to say anything. At no time was I asked to withdraw any comment. Those making these claims against me, will face the judgement of God and history. I believe their consciences are already judging them. The Court of Appeal will decide whether the manner in which I was treated, is consistent with the Constitution of this country.
Now that you have regained your freedom, what are your next steps apart from the appeal that Mr Femi Falana, SAN has already filed?
I will exercise my constitutional right of appeal, and also pursue other legal remedies available to me under the law. I am also grateful to the NBA, for resolving to take up my case. I am eternally grateful to my mentor and lead counsel, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, Mr Olumide-Fusika SAN, the immediate past 1st Vice President of the NBA, Mr Aikpokpo Martins, Mr Monday Ubani, Nsikak Akai, Augustine Asuquo, Eseme Philip, and every member of my legal team and other SANs who have so far indicated interest to join my legal team for their love, support and dedication to my case.
I am particularly grateful to the National leadership of the NBA, the National Executive Committee of the NBA, the immediate past President of the NBA, Mr Olumide Akpata, who went to great length to defend me, despite the sinister, vindictive and politically motivated campaign of calumny launched against me by a section of the Uyo Branch of the NBA, who would rather see me crucified because of their political affiliation with Governor Udom Emmanuel and animosity towards my person. If they did not want to identify with me because I belong to the Ikeja Branch, they should have stayed neutral. But, they decided to play the role of the devil’s advocate. Throughout my one month incarceration, the Uyo Branch did not visit me in prison. Rather, they called a meeting with the sole agenda of lying against me, and poisoning the mind of the delegation sent by Mr Olumide Akpata. They denied my colleague the opportunity to speak, despite indicating his interest to address the meeting as an eye witness.
The Ikot Ekpene Branch sent a delegation of about 10 executive members led by the Branch Chairman, to visit me. But, the leaders of the Uyo Branch were more concerned with scandalising my image.
A former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Uwemedino Nwoko, alleged that your problem is that you lack proper mentoring, and the fact that you never had any form of pupilage is the cause of your problems. That you haven’t learned to say ‘as the court pleases’ and other nuances of the legal profession. What is your response to this?
Let me be frank with you, I was going to ignore the vituperations of Mr Nwoko, SAN against me, because I firmly believe that every rational person that watched the widely circulated interview that he granted to malign me would easily decipher that his assertions were actuated by malice, made in bad faith and dictated by uncontrollable vindictiveness. You know in this part of the world, when a younger person responds to an elder, some people will see it as insult, irrespective of what the elder may have done or said against the younger person. So, I initially did not want to respond to him.
But, on second thoughts, if I do not respond, the remarks he made may be referenced in the future, and mistaken as truth. I was on the same flight with Nwoko, SAN from Uyo to Abuja on July 25, 2022. As I boarded the aircraft, I saw him seated in one of the front seats. I greeted him by saying Learned Silk, good afternoon Sir. He just smiled in a dismissive way, and I passed. Every single time that I meet Mr Nwoko, I always accord him respect. Even though I fundamentally opposed the way he conducted himself while in office as Attorney-General (AG) and do not share his political ideology, I have never treated him with disdain. I have always greeted and respected him, as my senior at the Bar. Regrettably, Mr Nwoko does not reciprocate the courtesy that I accord him. He has consistently sought to put me down. With the sort of bitterness and animosity that he exudes towards me, one may be tempted to think that I made advances towards his wife or that I eloped with his daughter. How else would you describe the sort of condescending and diabolical comments that he made against me, while I was in prison? He showed neither empathy, nor a desire for justice. I am much younger than him in age, and at the Bar. But, he reacted to my incarceration as if I am competing with him. He has always treated me, as someone who is a threat to his source of livelihood and standing in the society.
For the benefit of those who do not know, Mr Nwoko’s animosity towards me assumed a dangerous dimension after a certain young man by name Kufre Carter was arrested in April 2020 by the SSS on the instigation of the Akwa Ibom State Government, over alleged defamation. The case was politically motivated, legally indefensible, and initiated in a desperate attempt by the State Government to cover the perceived fraudulent manner that the government handled funds collected from donors to contain the spread of Covid-19. I took up the case of the young man, pro bono. Mr Nwoko SAN was the AG at the time. The Chief Magistrate Court had imposed stringent bail conditions on Carter, including that he should produce a surety who must be a Permanent Secretary or a level 17 Civil Servant and imposed a bail bond of N3 million. I filed a motion at the High Court, praying for variation of the onerous bail conditions. Mr Nwoko decided to personally oppose the application. He appeared in court in person as the AG, and argued against variation of the bail. The High Court aligned completely with my submissions, and totally discountenanced his arguments. Mr Nwoko saw the ruling as a fatal humiliation, given the public attention that the case had elicited. Before the legal fireworks began in the court on the day the motion was heard, Mr Nwoko said to me loudly to the hearing of everyone, “Inibehe, are you aware that your client has apologised to the Governor?” I responded by telling him that there was no apology from my client, and that, in any event, it is the Governor who should apologise to my client for the violation of his rights. He said to me, “Is that so?” and I answered him in the affirmative.
The State Government was desperate to get a soft landing through undeserved apology, given the anger of the public over the dubious charge which was eventually thrown out by the trial court. I was also determined to ensure that the government did not resolve the case based on their sinister and oppressive terms, in order to make them understand that in this country, not everyone will prostrate before corrupt politicians. That was why Nwoko, SAN could not accept the decision of the learned Judge, which set aside all the stringent bail conditions imposed by the Chief Magistrate Court.
Immediately the High Court delivered a ruling against him, Mr Nwoko served us with a frivolous Notice of Appeal and a baseless motion for stay of execution, which is almost unprecedented in the history of legal practice in Nigeria. I am not aware of any precedent where the State represented by the AG, filed an appeal against an order varying bail conditions of a Defendant with a motion for stay of execution. How do you stay the liberty of a citizen, whose fundamental right to liberty is guaranteed by Section 35 of the Constitution? Bail is at the discretion of the court. It was a clear case of persecution. I felt scandalised as a Lawyer. The SSS told me that Mr Nwoko had written to them, not to comply with the order of the High Court. It was nothing short of prosecutorial misconduct, and gross abuse of office. But because impunity has become a culture in this country, people like Mr Nwoko, SAN can afford to do whatever they like when they occupy public office, without consequences. I had resolved at the time to write a petition against him to the NBA. But, I reconsidered my decision and moved on, having secured the release of my client.
Since then, Nwoko, SAN has bitterly sought to denigrate me at the slightest opportunity. I have respect for Senior Advocates of Nigeria. It is a rank of distinction and honour. However, I believe that the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria would be thoroughly embarrassed by the comments and conduct of Mr Nwoko. He said that I lack mentorship. That is false. There are a number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria that hail from Akwa Ibom State. I respect them. It is only Mr Nwoko that has publicly and consistently sought to ruin me. He is a consultant to the Akwa Ibom State Government, and the Akwa Ibom State Government perceives me as their number one nemesis because I have consistently exposed and spoken out against their misrule. How can a learned Senior Advocate say that a lawyer does not know how to say “as the court pleases”? Is that not ridiculous? In the eight years of my practice, no Judge has ever accused me of insolence. I cannot recall ever disparaging any judge or senior colleague in court. His allegations against me are entirely false, and he knows it.
Do you know that Mr Nwoko went to the extent of Lawyers Mr Falana, SAN, Mr Monday Ubani, and other senior Lawyers in the country and tried to poison their minds against me? He is using his status as a SAN against me. But, history will vindicate the just.
ENOBONG PHILIP EYOREN: THE NCS OFFICER WHO TORTURED ME AND HIS THREAT TO “FINISH ME”
I did not offend Enobong Phillip Eyoren, also known as Gideon Eyoren and goes by the Facebook name Kasiano Kasiano in anyway. Eyoren is an Assistant Superintendent 1; a two star officer in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) working at the Ikot Ekpene Medium Custodial Centre as a Correctional Officer (warder). He is an indigene of Ikot Nko, Ididep, in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Eyoren tortured and subjected me to the most humiliating and traumatic experience of my life for merely asking that the Assistant Controller of Corrections in Ikot Ekpene prison, ACC Edet Akpan, should give me time to arrange myself and have my bath, as I was not a criminal, when they wanted to transfer me from Ikot Ekpene to Uyo prison on the 10th of August, 2022 which he took as an insult. ACC Edet Akpan angrily left and immediately unleashed Eyoren to deal with me. He knows why he choose Eyoren for the ‘job’.
I never offended Eyoren or looked for his trouble. Prior to 10th August, 2022, I never had any form of confrontation or conversation with him.
Yet, Eyoren treated me in the most violent, insolent and vindictive manner.
As he was torturing me, he kept taunting me to look at his name. He said nothing would happen. He said repeatedly that he was going to “finish me” (a threat to my life). He even had the audacity to make a video record of me while I was being brutally shaved.
He insisted that my beards and the hairs on my head should be completely shaved. Even when the barber (an inmate) whom he brought and ordered to shave me against my wish wanted to stop, he shouted at him to shave me completely and was mocking me as I sat on the dirty bare floor.
The current hairs on my head and the little beards that you’re seeing on me presently started growing from 10th August. I was completely shaved.
I expressly told Eyoren that I didn’t want to be shaved, but he became more violent. If I had physically resisted him, only God knows what would have happened.
Eyoren grabbed me by the neck with the help of another officer, and they both dragged me by the neck from my cell in Ikot Ekepene Custodial Centre to outside where a van was stationed. I could barely breath.
It was drizzling. Yet, Eyoren did not allow me to sit inside the van. He didn’t even allow me to enter the back of the van on my own. Eyoren and the other officer carried me up and flung me inside the back of the van like a piece of unused material.
Even though two armed officers were also seated in the back of the van, Eyoren chained my left hand to the van. All the officers in Ikot Ekpene came out and were watching. Officers who pleaded with Eyoren to treat me with decency were snubbed.
Was I going to run or what? If he thought that I could jump out and escape, why didn’t he just allow me to sit inside the van? Why did he have to chain me to the van like a dog despite that I didn’t resist in anyway? He didn’t even allow me to button up my shirt.
Amb Armstrong Moses, a fellow inmate who was in the front of the van, pleaded with him to allow me to come to the front since there was space. But Eyoren rebuffed him. By the way, Moses Armstrong’s beards are about five to ten times more and longer than the beards that I kept before Eyoren had me shaved. Armstrong left the prison with his beards fully intact. Even Uduak Frank Akpan, who was convicted for the murder of the job seeker Iniubong Umoren had beards the day I arrived at the Uyo Medium Custodial Centre.
After we arrived Uyo, Eyoren who works in Ikot Ekpene refused to leave despite being asked by the officers on duty in Uyo prison to let me be as I was then in their custody. Immediately the Uyo prison gate was opened,
Eyoren ordered me to sit on the floor and continued his violent behaviour towards me. Some officers on duty in Uyo Custodial Centre pleaded with him to leave since he does not work in Uyo, but he started making frantic calls and the officers on duty had to back down; ostensibly after getting orders from above.
Some people have said that I should let this matter go because Eyoren is a ”very dangerous man”, and may attack me with his fraternity “members. Others have said that I should forgive him.
But how do I forgive a man who publicly violated my person and has not apologized publicly? I made it clear to the authorities of the Correctional Service that I wanted genuine remorse. Instead of apologizing to me publicly, their Public Relations Officer (PRO) in Akwa Ibom, Richard Metong, has been busy issuing false and provocative public statements against me. He publicly denied that I was tortured, and even claimed that I consented to be shaved, and that it was for security reasons. Where then is the genuine remorse?
What I want is not peace; what I want is justice. No matter how powerful or violent you may be as a cultist, you should not believe that the whole world is afraid of you and as such you can do whatever you like to anyone without consequences.
Eyoren thinks that he is invincible. He believes that he has the capacity to unleash violence and that there is nothing that anyone can do to him. I cannot easily forget how he repeatedly taunted me to look at his name. He went further to say to me:
“You think that I am your Chief Judge, I will finish you”. This is someone who knew nothing about what led to my imprisonment.
I want justice, not just because of what he did to me and his threats to my life, but because other citizens, inmates and the members of the public in general are also potential victims of his inclination for violence.
Eyoren has in the past been transferred from Uyo prison to Eket prison, and from Eket prison to Ikot Ekpene prison where he currently serves for various misconducts. They keep covering him up.
Is it because he is “a very dangerous man” as I have been repeatedly told, or because the authorities in the Correctional Service are using him for nefarious activities?
Those working in the Correctional Service should be people of high moral standing.
Eyoren should explain to Nigerians how and when he plans to ”finish me”. I am putting out his photos and this additional information for the world to know that this Eyoren threatened my life while assaulting me, and is yet to be punished for what he did to me.
He was a teenager bubbling with life and hope for a better tomorrow. He was an SS1 student in Kaleri Maiduguri, Borno State. On Friday, he sacrificed his life to save hundreds of others who would by now have become history,
No thanks to a female suicide bomber who had wanted to blow them up while at Jumaat. He saw the danger and did everything he could to prevent the bomber from gaining access to the mosque. She detonated and blew herself up with him. But other worshippers were saved.
Yakubu Fanami, you are a hero. You saw evil and stood against it. But for this, I and many others might never have heard of you! Your life was cut short but it was meaningful. If only for the sake of silent martyrs, heroes like you, Nigeria will be great.
This siege will be broken!
May Allah Accept Your Return Brother And Grant You Paradise. Amin��
Earlier today at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, Google announced that 60 African startups have been selected for the second cohort of its Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.
Each of the selected startups will receive support in the form of a 6-month training programme that includes tailored workshops, community-building sessions and access to a network of mentors to assist in tackling challenges that are unique to them. The 60 startups will also get equity-free funding between $50,000 and $100,000, and up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credit.
“We’re proud that we were able to reach gender parity in this cohort,” Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa said. The grantees, made up of 50% women-led businesses, hail from Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.
Launched in April 2012, the Google for Startups programme has created over 4,600 jobs through the startups it invested in, with the startups going on to raise more than $290 million in funding.
“We looked at three key factors when selecting startups: Product-market fit, startup-programme fit and founder potential,” Aiyegbusi said. “The companies we’ve selected are those that have found product-market fit, the programme must be beneficial to them beyond just the money and the founders must be people that have the potential to create enormous value.”
Tola Onayemi, CEO Norebase, one of the recipients of the Black Founders Fund shared that he’s most excited about the access to a network of other ambitious founders and resources.
“We got exposed to a wider range of Google tools and were given Google advert credit; these resources helped us scale our business,” Kemi Olawoye, CEO Babymigo said. Babymigo was a part of the first cohort of Black Founders Fund in 2021.
The fund, which is sector-agnostic, selected startups from a wide range of sectors including fintech, healthcare, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, education, hospitality and smart cities.
The top five countries with the most startups selected for the program are Nigeria with twenty-three grantees, Kenya with twelve grantees, Rwanda with six grantees, South Africa with five grantees and Uganda with four grantees. Cameroon and Ghana both have three grantees each while Ethiopia has two selected grantees. Botswana and Senegal have one selected startup each.
The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund program will introduce the grantees in Africa to Google’s products, connections, and best practices which will help the founders to level the playing field as they build better products and services that add value to Africa’s economy.
Here’s the full list of 60 startups selected for the second cohort of the Google for startup black founders fund.
Name Country About
1. AgrikoolSouth Africa Agrikool is an agritech platform that connects farming producers and buyers to a fair and reliable market.
2. AjuaKenya Ajua is an end-to-end operating system for SMEs to build a credible online presence, get feedback on their businesses and manage the relationship with their customers.
3. Awabah Nigeria Awabah is a digital pensions platform for Africa’s workforce.
4. BAG Innovation Rwanda BAG Innovation is a virtual and gamified platform that offers real-time access to experiential learning for university students and recent graduates.
5. Bailport Rwanda Baliport is a cross-border, multi-currency payment platform focused on enabling intra-Africa & Africa-outbound money transfers through blockchain.
6. Bee Cameroon Bee finances motorcycles for drivers while also providing training and access to jobs.
7. Bookings Africa Nigeria Bookings Africa enables Africa’s gig workforce to digitise and monetize their skills by connecting clients efficiently and transparently to skilled talent across Africa.
8. Brastorne Botswana Brastorne enables rural villages to have access to the digital world without smartphones or data.
9. Built Ghana Built enables access to business and financial tools for Sub-Saharan African small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
10. BuuPass Kenya BuuPass is a travel startup – building digital rails for Africa’s intercity transport industry and supporting bus, train & flight transportation.
11. Cauri Money Senegal Cauri Money is a cashless remittance platform helping African migrants move money from around the world into mobile wallets in Africa.
12. Clafiya Nigeria Clafiya connects individuals, families, and businesses to health practitioners. Users can get access to convenient, quality, and affordable on-demand primary care from their mobile phones.
13. ClinicPesa Uganda ClinicPesa provides an easy-to-use platform where low-income users can set aside funds as low as $0.30 daily dedicated towards healthcare and get access to healthcare loans.
14. COVA Cameroon COVA is a digital insurance platform that enables partner businesses to easily and seamlessly deliver insurance products to their users.
15. CreditAIs South Africa CreditAIs provides credit scoring tools for micro-businesses and individuals that do not fit the existing traditional credit scoring models.
16. DohYangu Kenya DohYangu enables end consumers in Africa to shop FMCG products & get cashback rewards at various retail stores, saving up to 25%.
17. Easy Matatu Uganda Easy Matatu provides a mobile platform that allows commuters to book and pay for scheduled rides on vetted and inspected minibuses.
18. Eden Life Nigeria Eden Life provides an operating system for receiving and rendering essential services in Africa. It is focused on offering food, cleaning, laundry, and beauty services to their customers.
19. Estate Intel Nigeria Estate Intel provides reliable data to businesses that are investing or operating in the African real estate space.
20. Eversend Uganda Eversend is a neobank, providing critical financial products including cross-border financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
21. Exuus Rwanda Exuus empowers informal saving groups with a digital ledger, digital wallet, decentralised social credit score, and instant micro-loans to both groups and individuals.
22. Flex Finance Nigeria Flex Finance helps businesses in Africa to manage approval workflow, access credit, issue corporate cards to employees and make disbursements all from one platform.
23. FlexPay Kenya FlexPay is a merchant-embedded digital savings platform that rewards customers for saving up for purchases—a save now buy later (SNBL) solution at checkout.
24. Gamr Nigeria Gamr is an eSports tournament aggregation platform, helping African gamers discover tournaments they can play in and get rewarded for.
25. Garri Logistics Ethiopia Garri Logistics matches shippers looking to move cargo with vehicle owners and drivers, while finding optimal route pairings to reduce empty miles.
26. Haul 247 Nigeria Haul247 is a logistics platform that connects manufacturing companies and farmers with trucks and warehouses.
27. Healthlane Cameroon Healthlane provides advanced comprehensive health screening, personalised plans, biometric monitoring and genetic analysis as well as in-person and virtual visits with top-rated doctors . 28. Healthtracka Nigeria Healthtracka is a platform that allows users access on-demand healthcare services in the comfort of their homes.
29.. HerVest Nigeria HerVest offers a highly secured, women-focused financial platform that enables women to participate in key financial services, with a focus on female farmers.
30. Kapsule Rwanda Kapsule is a data-as-a-service company that helps healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies to make better decisions.
31. Keep IT Cool Kenya Keep IT Cool is an early-stage, fast-growing social enterprise that leverages technology to strengthen the African aquaculture and poultry value chain through cold chain and storage.
32. KUDIGO Ghana KUDIGO offers an omni-channel digital commerce platform to empower micro and small businesses in Africa.
33. Kyshi Nigeria Kyshi provides multi-currency accounts and remittance services to and from Africa.
34. Leja Kenya Leja is an Android/USSD application enabling African micro-entrepreneurs to digitise all their business transactions and manage all their finance in one place.
35. LifeBank Nigeria LifeBank leverages technology to provide value in multiple segments (production, marketplace and distribution) of the healthcare supply chain such as blood, oxygen and medical supplies.
36. Mapha South Africa Mapha provides delivery-as-a-service to businesses in peri-urban & township areas.
37. Norebase Nigeria Norebase provides a single digital platform and technology tools for entrepreneurs and businesses to start, scale, and operate in any African country and the United States.
38. OneHealth Nigeria OneHealth is an online pharmacy & healthcare platform that provides access to medicines, healthcare information, and solutions (Laboratory services & Doctors) to the last mile patient.
39. PesaChoice Rwanda PesaChoice bridges the gap in liquidity for low-middle income earners across the continent and drives access to financial services.
40. Pindo Rwanda Pindo is a cloud communication platform for businesses. It is optimised for developers.
41. Pivo Nigeria Pivo is a credit-focused digital bank for trade, supporting businesses across Africa
42. QShop Nigeria QShop is an easy-to-use DIY e-commerce platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses scale and sell better online.
43. Rekisa South Africa Rekisa helps businesses create their e-commerce websites and assists them with various digital marketing activities.
44. Scrapays Inc Nigeria Scrapays is creating operating system infrastructure for the recycling value chain in developing nations.
45. Shiip Nigeria Shiip leverages web, mobile and API technology to connect individuals & businesses to delivery services in and out of Africa.
46. Solutech Kenya Solutech helps field-sales teams to sell more efficiently by leveraging powerful insights while providing FMCG companies with real-time data for day-to-day and strategic decision-making.
47. Spleet Nigeria Spleet leverages a ‘Rent Now, Pay Later’ model to drive its mission to ensure that every African can afford a space to live in.
48. Stears Nigeria Stears is a financial intelligence company providing subscription-based content & data to global professionals. Its mission is to build the world’s most trusted provider of African data.
49. Synnefa Kenya Synnefa is building Africa’s first mini-farm ERP connected to IoT sensors that provide soil data and farmer activity data to create a farmer experience score. This score passed on to financial partners to use on farmers’ credit score.
50. Technovera South Africa Technovera is an tech startup developing simple technologies aimed at improving last mile access in Africa.
51. TERAWORK Nigeria TERAWORK is an online freelance marketplace focused on matching freelancers to service buyers.
52. TIBU Health Kenya TIBU Health is an omnichannel healthtech company connecting patients to healthcare services and professionals at a time and location of their choosing.
53. Topset Education Nigeria Topset Education is an edtech platform that makes quality education accessible to Africans everywhere.
54. TopUp Mama Kenya TopUp Mama enables restaurants in Africa to purchase food supplies, access financial services and manage their business.
55. Wellahealth Nigeria Wellahealth provides technology and financial tools to healthcare providers and patients to enable affordability and accessibility of healthcare in emerging markets.
56. Xente Uganda Xente is a digital financial platform with in-built spend management to support businesses across Africa.
57. Zanifu Kenya Zanifu enable SMEs to purchase inventory and pay later.
58. ZayRide Ethiopia ZayRide is a customer-centric on-demand taxi service offering fast and convenient service throughout local areas in Ethiopia.
59. Zuberi Ghana Zuberi is a fintech platform based out of Accra, built to provide financial products and services to salaried workers in a way they have never experienced before.
60. Zuri Health Kenya Zuri Health provides affordable and accessible healthcare services to patients across Sub-Saharan Africa via mobile app, website, Whatsapp chatbot and SMS service.
• To recover 0.8mbpd from shut wells • Nigeria, others explore options for cheaper energy, inflation
Contrary to the present practice where Nigeria depends on operators for production data to determine daily volume and oil earnings, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), yesterday, said it would commence the installation of its own flow meters on oil production facilities and pipelines in the upstream sector.
The move, though radical, considering that the nation has always depended on data from oil producing firms, has been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, and is expected to save the nation billions of dollars lost through inaccurate meters and dependence on oil companies for data.
Although claims that Nigeria does not know its daily oil production have once been discarded, the NUPRC Chief Executive Officer, Gbenga Komolafe, confirmed that the nation relies on production data from operators, rather than the regulator sourcing its own data from its own installed meters.
This confirms claims that some oil producing firms may have been shortchanging the country for many years, just as Komolafe noted that earnings lost to such activities run into billions of dollars.
By depending on operators’ data, Nigeria only does not know how much is being produced from its reserves, it has also lost billions of dollars in potential revenue from under-reported volumes.
It would be recalled that some operators are still in court over inaccuracies bordering on contradictory reported volumes from flow meters in the same export pipeline.
Besides, the regulator noted that talks are underway with operators of shut-in wells to bring back on-stream at least 800,000 barrels a day shut-in from the wells before the end of this quarter.
The NUPRC had expressed concerns about the country’s production capacity, citing cases of deliberate shut-in of oil wells and pipelines by operators, who are trying to deal with theft.
Indeed, Komolafe had said the effect of the level of theft has resulted in the declaration of force majeure at Bonny Oil & Gas Terminal (BOGT) and shut-in of wells from fields evacuating through the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) and the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), noting that similar trend has continued in 2022.
The upstream regulator in a chat with The Guardian at the ongoing GASTECH exhibition and conference in Milan, Italy, yesterday, added that the procurement process has almost been concluded as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been engaged, while a forensic audit of all flow stations and production volume is underway.
At a time the country is suffering from several blows on all fronts, especially in the areas of oil theft, under-production and heavy subsidy burden, the regulator is exploring all options to generate revenue and ensure the oil sector becomes viable for investment.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Chairman/CEO, Baker Hughes, Lorenzo Simonelli, called for more proactive measures to tackle crisis rocking the energy industry.
“The important thing is that we collectively work together around sustainability, security and affordability for everybody that needs the energy as we go forward and for Nigeria, which has great resource base, it needs to tackle its challenges as regards affordability, security and sustainability.
“Right policy is essential in driving energy security. Putting aside national security at the moment, there is an aspect of how do we not have energy poverty and that addresses national security, and they go hand in hand.”
On energy transitioning, he said: “There is need for more triangulating policies and investment as well as pragmatic approach to them. However, there would be short time pain, but if we make the right choices and investment, we can have much more diversified energy mix, which is more affordable.”
Speaking on ‘A new perspective on energy security and transition in times of profound change in global energy markets,’ India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, advocated the need for oil producing countries to leverage gas as a transitioning fuel.
“Our overall strategy is to ensure energy availability, affordability and security through biofuels mix. We need to cooperate. Green hydrogen is a key way to go. Oil producers need to find a balance for the right price.”
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Egypt, Tarek El Molla, cited the need to accelerate renewable resources via solar and wind as well as optimise natural gas.
For CEO, MD Woodside Energy, Meg O’Neill, the Russian and Ukraine crisis has shown the relevance of fossil fuel, adding: “The world cannot exist without fossil fuel and the Russian/Ukraine war has made a revelation of that. What we should be looking at critically is the global population demand, which can impact the volatility in the sector.”
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu on Tuesday outlined the Federal Government’s efforts to resolve the industrial action embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities on February 14.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Adamu said the government had offered the union a 23.5 percent salary increase “for all category of the workforce in Federal Universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35% upward review.”
Adamu said the government had also promised that a sum of N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget as funds for the revitalization of Federal Universities, to be disbursed to the Institutions in the First Quarter of the year.”
Also, the government pledged a sum of N50 billion that would be provided “for in the 2023 Budget for the payment of outstanding areas of earned academic allowances, to be paid in the First Quarter of the year.”
However, ASUU and three other university unions who had been on strike, rejected the offer, Minister Adamu said, describing it “as inadequate to meet their respective demands needed to tackle the challenges confronting the university system.”
According to an ASUU source, the union is seeking over a 100 percent increase in salaries.
While other unions – NASU, SSANU and NAAT – have subsequently suspended their industrial action after further negotiations with the government, ASUU has instead extended its strike indefinitely.
“We have done the best that we can in the circumstance,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Minister said the issue of ‘no work, no pay’ remains a major obstacle in the negotiations.
“In the spirit of sincerity, Government made it clear that it would not break the law,” Minister Adamu said.
“And on this, I must, openly and once again, thank all the Unions which made the sacrifice of understanding the position of Government on the matter."
The Rivers State Police Command has announced the arrest of a lady who claims to be a reverend sister, Maureen Wechinwu, at Omuigwe Abuja Phase II, Aluu, in Ikwerre Local Government Area, of Rivers State on the allegation of the kidnap of 15 children from within and outside the state.
The children who range from the ages of 4 to 10 years have different sorry tales of the abduction with their different parents and relations corroborating their abduction.
Briefing journalists on Tuesday at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt on its recent achievements, the Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday stated that the Reverend Sister, aged 44 was arrested by men of his command acting on credible information regarding the hideout of child traffickers.
He added that 15 children were rescued while the case has been transferred to the CP Monitoring Unit for discrete investigation.
Some of the rescued children narrate their experiences thus:
Prosper Godwin male was reported to have been abducted at Ikpazasia market in Bayelsa State on 31/10/2020, together with two others whom he does not know their whereabouts and was taken to the suspects. Later, he was sold to a woman in Lagos and subsequently returned to the suspect. The parents Mr and Mrs Godwin Ododor have been contacted and they corroborated the statement of the child.
Queen Harry female was abducted at Ojukwu filed Mile 1, Diobu, Port Harcourt at about 7 pm, while on an errand with the elder sister. The mother, Mrs Florence has been contacted and she corroborated the facts.
Miracle John Ohiri female was abducted on 19/11/2021 at Ada-George Road, Port Harcourt, opposite Holy Rock Church, along with her mother and two siblings, who have not been seen to date. The father John Ohiri has been contacted for identification of the child, who corroborated her statement that he reported the incident at Rumuokpakani Police Station.
Favour Edeze, a female was abducted at Creek Road Market Port Harcourt on 29/04/2022 at about 10 pm, while on an errand. The father Emeka Edeze has been contacted and identified his child and also confirmed the incident.
Chiemele Obinna female was abducted on 24/04/2022 at Rumuodara/culvert Oroigwe, Port Harcourt, while seated in front of their house with her sister. The mother Glory Obinna was contacted and she stated that the incident was reported at Okporo Police Station.
CP Eboka explained that the police were yet to locate the parents of the remaining 10 children for identification saying that the investigation was ongoing with the view of arresting other suspects linked in the case.
The police also arrested several armed robberies and other suspects numbering 21, with different exhibits including arms and ammunition, cars, moto bikes and others.
CP Eboka used the opportunity to appreciate the good people of the state for the working synergy existing between them and the Police declaring; “All the recorded achievements wouldn’t have been possible without your timely information most of which is through phone calls.”
“I also thank everyone including corporate bodies who commiserated with us in our time of grief following the death of our erstwhile spokesperson, SP Omoni Nnamdi, who was the DPO Elimgbu until his death. We pray that God grants him peaceful rest and the family the fortitude to bear the loss”, the CP said.
Flutterwave received one of Nigeria’s most coveted payments licenses from its central bank, signaling its status as a valuable player in the financial services sector despite recent challenges with regulators in other countries.
In Nigeria, the switching and processing license gives a company the ability to complete transactions between financial services companies. Until now, Flutterwave had two lower-tier payments and money transfer licenses but relied on other companies to process and settle payments for its clients.
Flutterwave now expects to be less dependent on other parties for the payments it processes, promising faster payments and new products that it has been “quietly building.”
Interswitch (the Visa-backed company regarded as Nigeria’s payments switching pioneer), eTranzact, Unified Payments, Appzone, TeamApt and a few others have the switching license.
What does this mean for Flutterwave? Since its founding in 2016, over $16 billion worth of transactions have passed through the company’s web and mobile app channels across 34 countries in Africa and one million businesses, according to the company. It has expanded its services over time from just payments into other verticals including online stores, credit, and legal incorporation for businesses.
With the new license coming ahead of plans for a Nasdaq IPO, Flutterwave enters into the most tightly regulated sector of the payments ecosystem, one that underpins confidence in trade and commerce in the country. Among other possibilities, Flutterwave could start switching ATM transactions if it can provide the round-the-clock uptime guarantee and expensive cloud security that banks would demand.
The license will not make Flutterwave almighty just yet.
Nigeria’s payment permits are delineated to prevent any one company from being involved in too many events at the same time. In the case of the switching license, Flutterwave may not be permitted to issue payment cards, per the CBN’s guidelines (pdf). Also, the company will not easily dislodge the 20-year-old Interswitch and other incumbents already in the payments switching control room.
“Switching and processing is the toughest area in the financial space, with slim margins, heavy infrastructure costs, and very harsh regulator oversight. It will be tough for them the first two years,” one senior bank staff said. Still, he expects Flutterwave’s presence to help drive down transaction costs and increase competition. “That in itself is a good thing.”
Joseph Michael Yobo (born 6 September 1980) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He was the captain of the Nigerian national team until his international football retirement in June 2014, and was Nigeria's record appearance holder. In February 2020, he was appointed assistant coach of the Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation.
Injustice in OAU MAINTENANCE HOSTEL. PLEASE LIKE AND RETWEET.
Hello everyone. My name is Aisha and I’m a tired student of Obafemi Awolowo University. I’m here to talk about the injustice that is going on in my hostel, Maintenance. It seems to me like everyone has embraced this wickedness and forgotten what it means to speak up. I don’t really use Twitter, but I am tired, that’s why I’m here.
We haven’t had electricity since second week in April. This is a hostel where the least amount paid per room is 250k. The prices range from 250 thousand to 700 thousand and more! So how is it that our transformer spoilt five months ago and nothing has been done about it. How?? It’s so unfair. Many people ask me why I’m still around and if it’s
it’s so hard why don’t I just go home, and that is the wrong question to ask.
Some of us have to be in Ife for many reasons. I’m here because of work. I have a friend who literally has a business in her room, how can she leave? I know someone who had to move out of her room, even after she had just renewed her rent because she couldn’t cope. It’s pure wickedness on the part of landlords of this overtly expensive hostel. We’ve had to fetch water and carry heavy buckets every single day. We’ve had to look for places to charge every single day, in the process discomforting other innocent people. I am a remote worker who ALWAYS needs electricity, that’s why I settled for maintenance in the first place.
The worst part is, ASUU strike started AFTER we had already paid our rents, so the landlords don’t have any excuse. They have the money to do this thing. They’re just disinterested because it’s a female hostel and we are known to always be the silent ones. Right? Lol. I’m sure if they have loved ones here, the story might be different. I’m sure if school was in session, they would have done something about it. Now we know that these people don’t even care about us, and they never have. They are hypocrites! The sad part of this thing is, when any one of us defaults on paying our rent (even just by a week), they’re quick to pounce on us and send us packing. Now it’s time for them to do their jobs and they’ve done nothing for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS. How do these people sleep at night? Please and please, who ever is reading is, help retweet to pass awareness about this situation. Many of us are tired and we do not know what to do anymore. It’s been too long.
The Plateau State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC has apologized to the family of Mrs. Joy Owolabi, the woman who was assaulted by a staff of the Corps in Jos, and assured them that the matter would not be swept under the carpet as decisive action will be taken against the culprit.
Recall that Mrs. Owolabi was assaulted in her shop last Friday by the said personnel and she sustained injuries on both eyes and other parts of her body. The incident generated a backlash but, in a reaction, the Command commenced an investigation to fish out the culprit with the view to punishing him.
The Command in a statement issued on Monday by its Public Relations Officer, PRO DSC Madaki Longbit noted, “The attention of Plateau State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been drawn to a publication in the media about an unfortunate and regrettable incident of assault on one Mrs. Joy Owolabi, a shop owner around the Nanmwa Junction of Abattoir in Jos…
“Worried by this unfortunate incident, the State Commandant, Alexander Barunde, who described the incident as barbaric, unfortunate, regrettable and uncivilized has since directed a full investigation into the matter to ascertain the real identity of the suspect. The State Commandant assures the public that he would invoke the internal disciplinary mechanism of the Corps to deal with the officer involved in this barbaric act against a harmless and helpless woman.
“He condemned the act and wondered why an officer of the Command would condescend to the point of inflicting bodily harm on a woman under any circumstances.”
The statement added, “Barunde affirmed the Corps’ commitment to the protection of lives and property of the citizens, stating that this is just an isolated case of an overzealous officer and the matter would be pursued to a logical conclusion and the concerned officer brought to book.”
While apologizing to the family of the woman concerned, he assured that “the matter would not be swept under the carpet but decisive action will be taken against the culprit as soon as the outcome of the investigation is made available,” and warned that he will not condone any indiscipline from any officers of the Command as he charged them to remain civil in approach while carrying out their lawful duties.
He cautioned his personnel to be professional and to respect the fundamental human rights of the citizens because “henceforth, any report of human right abuse by any civilian will attract very stringent punishment.”
Flutterwave, on its own, was recently valued at US$3 billion. We will create an enabling environment for our startups to thrive. Beyond creating access to easy funding,
We will enforce the legal framework protecting foreign investors and their indigenous partners. This is the only way to improve our business environment and tamper capital flight.
We will stop borrowing for consumption. All loans must be invested in regenerative projects. Inflation is a factor of spending on goods and services outstripping production. Since we have not resolved the minimum wage issue,
We will not use wage and price controls to fight inflation. Rather, we will pursue a contractionary monetary policy. We will mop up excess liquidity by reducing the money supply within an economy.
The truth is that for long market forces have not determined the exchange rate of the Naira. The two tier foreign exchange regime is a fluke. It has to end. Let the exchange rate be determined by the forces of demand and supply. It is that simple.
Government must continue to collaborate with the organized private sector in this regard. Creating the enabling environment for raising employment must start with expanding the SMEs cluster via unfettered access to funding. -PO
Celebrities › Kate Henshaw Shares Video Of Floods In Dolphin Estate by nlfpmod(mod): 5:05pm On Sep 12, 2022*. Modified: 9:10pm On Sep 12, 2022
on 29 August 2022 granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).