₦airaland Forum

Chris Ngige, Labour and Employment minister, has withdrawn from the next year’s presidential race to retain his ministerial seat.

Mr Ngige, a former Anambra governor, announced this in a statement on Friday, two days after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered ambitious ministers to either resign from their positions or shelve their political aspirations, with a May 16, 2022 deadline.

John Chinenye Oluoma, a Catholic priest of Abuja Archdiocese, has absolved Islam from the stoning and roasting of Deborah Samuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State yesterday.

Ms Deborah was killed on Thursday at the school premises after she allegedly blasphemed Prophet Mohammad reverenced by Muslims.

Trouble began after the 200 level Home-Economics student lamented bitterly at the influx of religious contents in her department’s WhatsApp group meant for academic purposes. She also rebuked attacks from other of her colleagues who attacked her for the alleged disparaging remarks.

The school authorities reportedly summoned and detained her at the security axis of the institution before irate fundamentalist arrived, dragged her out, stoned and set her remains ablaze.

Absolving Islam as the cause of the gruesome murder, Mr Oluoma on Friday said the incident should be attributed to the failures of justice and governance structures in the country.

The priest, known as Fada Oluoma on Facebook, said giving the incident a religious coloration will absolve the authorities from their incompetence.

“Let’s be clear on this heinous crime that took place in Sokoto state, it is not a religious problem, no one should even attempt to cheapen it with stupid religious coloration,” the cleric clamoured. “It’s purely a legal and governance issue.

“If the Nigerian state cannot prosecute day light murderers in whatever guise, then it cannot make a claim to legitimacy. Only a failed state will not arrest and prosecute such audacious murderers and their enablers.

“We must direct our anger at the government and hold it responsible for justice. Making this a religious issue is tantamount to absolving government from it’s responsibility,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Ibrahim Maqari, has justified the stoning and roasting of the deceased student, adding that her killers should not be blamed for murdering Ms Deborah whom he accused of crossing the Islamic redline.

The Imam of Abuja national mosque, Ibrahim Maqari, has justified the stoning and roasting of Deborah Samuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State, by Islamic fanatics.

Ms Deborah was killed on Thursday at the school premises after she allegedly blasphemed Prophet Mohammad reverenced by Muslims.

Trouble began after the 200 level Home-Economics student lamented bitterly at the influx of religious contents in her department’s WhatsApp group meant for academic purposes. She also rebuked attacks from other of her colleagues who attacked her for the alleged disparaging remarks.

The school authorities reportedly summoned and detained her at the security axis of the institution before irate fundamentalist arrived, dragged her out, stoned and set her remains ablaze.

Justifying the inhumane treatment meted out to the deceased, Mr Maqari, in a statement Friday morning, said her attackers should not be blamed because the deceased crossed Islamic redline.

“It should be known to everyone that we the Muslims have some red lines beyond which MUST NOT be crossed,” the cleric said. “The dignity of the Prophet (PBUH) is at the forefront of the red lines. If our grievances are not properly addressed, then we should not be criticized for addressing them ourselves.”

Reality3080:
with d way things are going down,it will b hard for any party to field igbo as President or vp.

This ipob miscreants messed them up.

How will obi campaign with ending insecurity when he can't do anything in his own state?
He doesn't even have any influence to reduce d madness, they are just making things hard for igbo candidates n making it easy for their opponents

A trailer conveying cows to Aguata local government area in Anambra State has been set ablaze by unidentified gunmen.

The incident, TODAY POLITICS, gathered occurred Sunday morning at the boundary between Ezinifite and Uga axis of the local council which had its administrative headquarters razed last month.

This is coming at a time when the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) banned the consumption of beef in the South-East geo-political zone where its activities have been rife in recent time.

Tochukwu Ikenga, spokesperson of the police command in the state was not reachable for comments as at press time.

More details later…

LongBig:
Let me simplify it for you! Give Atiku the 5m South-West delivered for Buhari in previous election and see atiku cruise to victory! Give Buhari the east and south south meager votes whilst you deduct the south west votes and see if he would have smell the presidency! Politics is logic no be sentiment.

gidgiddy:
For falsely reporting that Britain had put IPOB on its terror list

For falsely reporting that Britain had officially recognised IPOB as a terrorist group

For falsely reporting that Britain had kicked IPOB and MASSOB off its asylum program

The entire Nigerian press corps and all those who engaged in this show of shame and bad journalism should have the dignity to apologise to IPOB

As for you army of online miscreants and paid propagandists who have nothing else to do but tag any crime commited in the South East as the handwork of IPOB, you should all be thoroughly ashamed of your selves

seunmsg:
The salty tears of “we the SE/SS people”. Always blaming and castigating others for their woes. Everyone is against them. At least, the SS people now know they stand alone. No more attachment by force. The fraud has been found out.

A federal high court sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, has ordered the deletion of the controversial section 84 (12) of the recently signed electoral act 2022.

Justice Evelyn Anyadike delivering judgment on Friday ordered the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami to oversee the process which requires a fresh legislative reworking and return to the president for fresh assent.

The court ruling comes weeks after the Nigerian Senate rejected the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to amend the controversial section which bars political appointees at any level to be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.

Mr Malami, who is reportedly aspiring to contest for the Kebbi state guber race, had recently hinted that the Buhari-led administration might seek redress in court to ensure the section is amended.

The cause of the squabble between Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of immediate past governor of Anambra State and Bianca Ojukwu, widow of late Biafran warlord at the inauguration of Governor Charles Soludo has been unearthed.

While the inauguration of Mr Soludo was ongoing, Mrs Obiano was reported to have slapped Mrs Ojukwu but information at the disposal of TODAY POLITICS showed the widow of the late warlord started the physical attack while the ex-governor’s wife initiated the verbal attack that triggered reaction.

Mrs Obiano, our source said, arrived at the low-key event which was ongoing at the government house. She proceeded to seat beside her husband, Willie Obiano, when she sighted Mrs Ojukwu at the venue.

Facing the widow she approached, the outgoing governor’s wife mocked her saying; “You (Bianca) said we’re not going to be Governor, you bitch.”

The enraged widow was said to have stood up and slapped Mrs Obiano who then held her hair and cloth before the intervention of security agencies.

While the scuffle lasted, Messrs Obiano, Soludo and Senator Uche Ekwunife among others watched in astonishment.

Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) has hired another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to join his legal team.

Mr Kanu had in January hired Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to take over his legal team previously led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor (Esq).

Announcing the new development in a tweet Monday evening, Aloy Ejimakor, one of the lawyers defending the secessionist said Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh (SAN) has been added to the defense team.

“UPDATE: Just exited from a groundbreaking visitation with Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Mr Ejiofor tweeted. “It was groundbreaking because we covered many new grounds, including the addition of Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh (SAN) to the Legal Team. Onyendu sends his love & felicitation to all his true followers.”

Mr Kanu is facing treasonable and terrorism charges for demanding the actualization of the defunct Biafra Republic.

He was mysteriously renditioned back to the country from Kenya last year after absconding in 2017 when soldiers raided his Afaraukwu residence in Abia, flouting one of his bail conditions.

He is currently being detained at the Abuja headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) where a federal high court ordered he be detained while rejecting applications for his bail.

Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has denied receiving a letter from his Yobe State counterpart, Governor Mai Buni, mandating him to discharge the duties of the latter as head of the party’s caretaker committee.

Backstory

The crisis bedeviling the ruling party took a different dimension after Mr Buni left for his medical trip in the United Arab Emirate (UAE). His Niger State counterpart staged a dramatic entry into the national headquarters of the party on Monday, performing the functions of the caretaker chairman by swearing in controversial elected state chairmen of the APC.

Reports filtered in later that Mr Buni has been relieved of his duties in the party and was been replaced by Mr Bello who said President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of his taking over of the party in acting capacity.

On Wednesday night, Governor Nasir El-rufai, confirmed the ousting of the Yobe governor, saying he was booted out for planning to scuttle the party’s national convention to prolong his stay in office.

But a letter that surfaced online on Thursday disputed the claim of the Kaduna governor, showing Buni nominated Bello to take charge will he is away.

Denial

Addressing newsmen after the meeting of the caretaker committee on Thursday, the APC acting chairman denied receiving a letter from the Yobe governor mandating him to take over the affairs of the party.

“I haven’t seen it,” the APC scribe said when asked about the letter.

Bello dismissed reports that a secretary for the party replacing Senator John Akpanudoedehe has been appointed.

He also said that the party has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its planned convention on March 26 to ensure the electoral body constitutionally monitor the exercise.

A letter showing that Governor Mai Buni of Yobe State, chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) caretaker committee handed over the party to his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Bello, has surfaced online.

Mr Bello made a dramatic entry into the national headquarters of the ruling party on Monday with his vehicle parked at the parking slot reserved for the national chairman.

This prompted speculations that Mr Buni who is currently on medical leave outside the country has been relieved of his duties in the party. The narrative gained momentum on Wednesday when Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State narrated how President Muhammadu Buhari gave his approval for the ousting of the APC scribe.

Mr El-rufai said the Yobe State governor was booted out for securing a court order, by proxy, to prevent the party from going ahead with his March 26 exercise and extend his stay in office.

But a letter obtained by The Nation Newspapers showed the Yobe State helmsman transmitted power to his Niger State counterpart before departing.

The letter was copied to all members of the caretaker committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“This is to please inform you that I will be embarking on a medical trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from today, 28th February, 2022,” Mr Buni wrote. “In my absence, I hereby transmit the functions of my office as the National Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to you.

“This is to enable the committee conclude all arrangements leading to the National Convention slated for March 26th, 2022 and other duties that may be required of the office.

“I invite all members to cooperate with Governor Abubakar Sani Bello by extending to him all the support that I have enjoyed from you.

“Please do accept the assurances of my best regards,” the epistle, dated February 28, 2022, added.

India has reclaimed its earlier status as the world’s headquarter of poverty in a recent update by the World Poverty Clock (WPC).

The World Poverty Clock is an online tool that monitors the progress against poverty globally and regionally and provides real-time poverty data across countries.

The South Asian country lost the status to Nigeria in 2018 but recovered it due to the economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WPC said.

According to its data, extremely poor people are those living on N800 per day (less than $2 per day).

In 2018, Nigeria held the position with about 87 million people in extreme poverty, compared with India’s 73 million.

According to the new data, about 83 million Indians have been plunged into extreme poverty in 2022, representing 6 percent of the country’s population which stands at 1.3 billion.

For Nigeria, WPC said 70 million people are living in extreme poverty, representing 33 percent of Nigeria’s 215 million people.

In 2020, the National Bureau Of Statistics (NBS) said more than 80 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty (on a dollar per day).

Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State has confirmed the removal of his Yobe counterpart, Mai Buni, as the chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Mr Buni who is receiving medical treatment abroad was reportedly booted out and replaced with Niger governor, Abubakar Bello. The APC scribe denied being sacked, maintaining he was in charge of the ruling party in a statement signed by Senator John Akpanudoedehe, the party’s spokesman, who appears also to have been sidelined.

Mr Bello has since been piloting the affairs of the party. He swore in the controversial elected state chairmen of the party on Monday and on Wednesday he inaugurated sub-committees for the APC convention.

Explaining why the Yobe State helmsman was removed, Mr El-rufai confirmed earlier speculations that the ousted party scribe had secured a court order to prevent the national convention rescheduled for March 26 from taking place.

He said 19 out of 23 state governors of the APC gave their approval for the removal of Mr Buni, refusing to name the opposing four governors.

“We got a wind of a court process wherein an order had been gotten directing that the convention should not be held until the determination of the case,” the Kaduna governor explained on Wednesday night on Channels TV. “And it was unfortunate that, our lawyer engaged by Buni-led committee agreed with this in court. If this remains, how can the convention be done?

“We got signals that there were some elements in the party that were bent on scuttling the proposed March 26 convention.

“And if we miss that date, the following Saturday, will be Ramadan and that means we would not be able to have convention until after Ramadan. That means we would have lost another month according to INEC’s timetable.

“Based on this, we met with the president to discuss a number of issues with him like zoning formulae, which the president signed off on.

“We went the second time to inform the president that the zoning formula he signed off on had not been sent back to us.

“Instead, we were hearing about another list, which we knew was not from Mr. President.

Buhari approves removal

“The President agreed with us and directed that with immediate effect, Governor Buni must go and that Governor Bello should take over the headship of the party.

“The president directed that we must do everything possible to ensure the convention holds. I can tell you that Bello has the full backing of the president and at least 19 of the 23 APC governors. Then, you can see that since Monday that Bello took over, we have made a lot of progress.”

“I can confirm to you that Mai Mala has stepped aside and I can assure you that when he returns to the country, he will not assume any position.

“We do not have any personal disagreement with Mai Mala Buni, as he was also a victim of many of the intrigues that played out,” he added.

The Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owa, Gberigbe in Ikorodu, Lagos, Rev. Fr. James Anelu, has been reinstated.

Mr Anelu was suspended by the church in February over social media reports that he banned Igbo songs in his parish during mass.

In a press statement by Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu, the Lagos Archdiocese director of social communications, the Church announced that the social media video clip did not capture all that transpired warranting the priest to react by banning Igbo songs.

The statement added that the priest has been reinstated to remedy the situation.

A report by the Foundation for Investigative Reporting says the death of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Joseph Egbunike, began with a meal.

Mr Egbunike was said to have slumped and died in his office at the Louis Edet Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, a claim now punctured by the FIJ report.

The deceased came to limelight after he investigated and recommended the demotion of embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, a suggestion considered as too mild and uncertain for the charges brought against the detained officer now facing drug related charges at a federal high court.

The report quoting top sources at the force headquarters said a fish born stuck in the neck of the DIG caused his death.

“He was eating in his office when he got hooked in the throat by a fish bone, and all efforts to retrieve it proved abortive,” explained the source. “He had to be rushed to the hospital, where doctors successfully removed it via a surgery.”

The police chief, the source said, felt better after the procedure, so he returned home.

“However, not long after returning home, he started feeling great discomfort again and had to be returned to the hospital; that is where he eventually died.”

Another source confirmed the deceased was at the hospital to remove the fish bone stuck in his throat, adding that the obesity of the top officer contributed to his death.

“His health was so fragile because he was obese,” said the second source, “and he tried his best to manage it, for example with the standard bed inside his office that enabled him to rest at short intervals whenever he felt weak.”

Mr Egbunike held a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Accounting degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; a Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons.), B.L.; a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy (MILD); and a PhD in Criminology.

Professionally, he belonged to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Association of National Accountant of Nigeria (ANAN), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Institute of Cost Management (ICM), Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and the Chartered Institute of Fraud Examiners.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has submitted the names of party faithfuls who will replace Ebonyi State governor Dave Umahi and his deputy to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Umahi and his deputy Eric Kelechi Igwe were sacked Tuesday afternoon by a federal high court sitting in Abuja over their defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The duo and some lawmakers in the state had dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2020. Justice Inyang Ekwo while delivering judgment fired all the decampees and ordered the PDP to forward the names of those to replace the governor and his deputy to the electoral body.

Addressing a press conference Tuesday evening, Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the opposition party named Iduma Igariwe and Fred Udogwu as the new governor and deputy governor of the state.

Mr Ayu said the names have been forwarded to INEC for issuance of certificate of return.

Meanwhile, Mr Umahi has continued to insist that he remains the governor of the state, describing the judgement as a jungle justice purchased.

While insisting that the judge lacked the power to fire him, Umahi said his administration has forwarded a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) against the judge.

Dave Umahi, embattled governor of Ebonyi State, has reacted to the court judgment removing him from office.

A federal high court in Abuja had ordered his removal alongside the deputy governor for defecting to the All Progressive Congress APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Inyang Ekwo also sacked state lawmakers for defecting to the APC from the PDP while ordering all those sacked to stop parading themselves as elected officials of the state.

Addressing newsmen at his office in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, Mr Umahi said he remained the state governor.

While urging his supporters to laugh over the decision of the court, he described the judgement as “jungle justice that was purchased.”

Mr Umahi said his administration has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the conduct of the judge.

seunmsg:
Appeal will take care of this as well. None of them will lose their seat.

A federal high court in Abuja has sacked about fifteen lawmakers of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly (ESHA).

In a judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Tuesday, the court order the lawmakers including the Speaker to immediately vacate their seats for defecting to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the platform which they were elected.

Justice Ekwo who described the defection as unlawful declared their seats vacant and restrained them from further parading themselves in the capacity of members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

The court had earlier sacked the State governor, Dave Umahi and his deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe,sacked the State governor, Dave Umahi and his deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe, for similar reason.

The federal government has warned Russian forces invading Ukraine to play by the rules and not harm Nigerians trapped in the European country.

Foreign Affairs junior minister, Zubairu Dada, issued the warning on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

“We want to believe the Russian armed forces will obey the rules of engagement,” Mr Dada cautioned. “They know the rules about civilians that are caught up in situations such as this. We want to assume they will respect international laws and ensure that no harm comes to them (Nigerians).

“Don’t forget that even our missions in Ukraine have had to be evacuated. So if for any reason any Nigerian is left behind, we are very very prayerful, we are very hopeful that no harm shall come to them once of course they are in some shelters or whatever place they are hiding.

“Don’t forget we had also summoned both the Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors to our ministry, and we did emphasis the need for their troops to ensure that they do not do anything that will harm the lives of innocent citizens.

“We have seen video clips making the rounds about the alleged treatment that had been meted out to black people who were on queues and in buses and all that. All these we have brought to the attention of the ambassadors and we have expressed our displeasure at this development and demanded that they do something about this.”

The minister also announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate release of $8.5million for the evacuation of Nigerians trapped in the ongoing unpleasant situation.

He said that Air Peace and Max Air airlines have been contracted to provide three aircraft and run as many shifts as possible to facilitate the evacuation, adding that those to be evacuated include 940 from Romania, 150 from Slovakia, and 350 from Poland who has registered for evacuation.

“The ministry of humanitarian affairs wrote a memo to the president seeking funding to enable us to conduct this exercise,” he explained. “The memo was to the tune of $8.5 million which Mr. President has graciously approved. That provision entails arrangements to evacuate no less than 5,000 Nigerians.

“Whatever happens you can be rest assured we are going to run any number of shifts that it will involve. Don’t forget it will also involve taking care of those Nigerians that may decide not to come back. It also includes some assistance for the feeding that may have been done by the missions under whatever arrangements. Even the missions themselves are also in dire situations. So it’s a whole gambit of activities that are involved.”