Author: The Nation

• APC opens new office

Enugu State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 election, Chief Uche Nnaji, has assured his supporters he would reclaim his mandate from Governor Peter Mbah.

Nnaji, who is challenging Mbah’s victory, expressed confidence the courts would return him as governor. He spoke yesterday at the opening of the APC state Secretariat, behind Parklane Hospital, GRA, Enugu.

Nnaji, who insisted he won the election, said it only remained for him to be declared the rightful winner. He appreciated the support given to him so far by members of the party, particularly, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.

He added: “We have won the election. The only thing we’re asking God for is to help us secure our rightful victory.

“Anyone supported by Hope Uzodimma doesn’t lose. When they were writing results of the election, we ignored them because we didn’t want blood to flow. We thought the election was a gentleman affair, but they decided to bite hard, claiming victory in the first phase. This second phase, we will bite even harder and come back victorious.”

Nnaji also called on party members to remain united, assuring them that the party would reward hardworking members accordingly. He praised party leaders, led by Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, for their efforts in building the party to its current height, saying the new edifice showed its ambition to take over Enugu State.

APC National Vice Chairman (Southeast), Ijioma Arodiogbu, insisted that the party won the governorship election in Enugu, and the real results would be pronounced in the fullness of time. He also congratulated the party for moving into its own office, and urged members to submit to Nnaji’s leadership.

A suspected kidnapper has been shot dead by joint security operatives during a mission to rescue 13 persons who were abducted at Isua, headquarters of Akoko South-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State.

The 13 persons were heading to Abuja when they were abducted by gunmen and marched into the forest.

A source said the victims were travelling in an 18-passenger bus travelling to Abuja from Lagos.

The source said: “It was like a movie when an Abuja-bound bus was waylaid on Tuesday by some unknown gunmen at Isua, the headquarters of Akoko South East Local Government, and 13 passengers were marched to the forest.”

Read Also : Suspected kidnapper shot dead in Ondo as 13 victims are rescued

Security operatives comprising men of the Amotekun corp, soldiers, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were said to have stormed the forest in a bid to rescue the victims.

It was gathered that the victims were rescued at the Ikakumo area in Akoko North-East LGA, a distance of almost 20 kilometres from Isua where they were picked.

The rescued victims were said to have been taken to the Isua Police Station.

Ondo Police spokesman, SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the incident, said one of the kidnappers was shot dead when the security men engaged the kidnappers in a shootout.

She said: “The victims were rescued by the joint security operation. One of them was killed during a gun duel. We are on top of the situation.”

The Police have decorated 1,362 rank and file serving under its Lagos Command who were promoted last week.

The cops were among 31,465 junior officers promoted last Thursday by the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Alkali Usman, as part of manpower development policy.

Decorating the junior officers with their new ranks yesterday, Lagos Police Commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa, said the command had a large number of promoted officers following his passionate appeal to the IG on the state’s peculiarities.

“We are celebrating the I-G for considering Lagos State Command’s request for promotion to deserving officers. He approved the promotion of 1,363 junior ranking officers for Lagos Command alone

“This comprises 1,123 Sergeants promoted to Inspectors, 20 Corporals to Sergeants and 220 Constables to the rank of Corporal.

“The IG has not just stopped there, as I am talking now, Inspectors are being interviewed at the Zonal Headquarters, Onikan, in preparation for their being promoted to the next rank of Assistant Superintendent of police for those that would be found worthy,” he said.

The police boss urged the promoted officers to live up to expectations in their new ranks as they were expected to carry out higher and more dangerous duties.

Owohunwa warned them against corruption, human rights abuses and other unethical conduct, stressing that anyone found wanting would be punished accordingly, including dismissal where necessary.

“You must show responsibility, you must justify your new rank. How do you do this? You must learn first and foremost to detest any act of corruption.

“As you are aware, I have made it clear, if you are involved in corruption, if you are involved in acts of gross incivility to members of the public, my understanding is that you are not fit to remain within the police family.

“For me, I will process such an officer through the disciplinary procedures and certainly, I will not be a party in keeping you within the system,” he warned.

No fewer than 1,108 men in Lagos reported incidents of domestic violence committed against them in the last six years, according to the latest data from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).

DSVA Executive Secretary Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi stated this at the launch of the ‘Hidden Crime –Violence Against Project” held at the Adeyemo Bero Auditorium Alawusa Ikeja.

She said the figure did not include male children that have experienced one form of gender-based violence (GBV) or the other.

Read Also : 1,108 Lagos men suffer domestic violence in six years

 Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi also disclosed that a recently concluded community engagement in over 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) revealed that there have been less enlightenment and spotlight on men victims or survivors of SGBV.

She added that out of the 140 sex convicts interviewed during a 2016 research conducted in 2016 in partnership with the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), 80 per cent of them said they were sexually abused at an early age.

Some, as young as six years old, were exposed to unhealthy sexual relationships.

Vivour-Adeniyi lamented that the majority of them did not receive the needed psycho-social support and became abuse perpetrators themselves.

A facilitator at the event, Tobi Ikudaisi claimed that in 2022 alone, 281 men in Lagos said they suffered domestic violence at the hands of their spouses.

He added that many men keep quiet when they suffer domestic violence at the hands of their wives so that they are not labelled as weaklings.

He listed factors preventing men from coming out to disclose that they suffer violence at the hands of women including children, culture, religious attitude, and society among others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned the Deputy Accountant-General of Katsina State, Sani Lawal BK, before the state High Court on a five-count charge of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

According to a statement by EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the Commission arraigned him alongside Saadi Maiwada, the state’s former Sub-Treasurer in the Office of the Accountant-General.

It was alleged that the defendants allegedly conspired and converted the sum of N289 million from the state’s coffers.

According to the statement, an investigation revealed that the defendants laundered the stolen funds through the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited, a company where the first defendant (Maiwada) is a director.

Read Also : Internet fraud: Court orders student to clean EFCC premises for 2 weeks

The sum of N49 million was also allegedly transferred from the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited to the personal account of the second defendant (Lawal BK).

One of the counts read, “That you, Saadu Miawada and Sani Lawal BK sometime in 2017 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Katsina State Government dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N120,790,942.86 which was transferred from the Katsina State Government Sub -Treasury Expenditure Account number 1012424374 domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC to Integrated Gas Services Company Limited’s Fidelity Bank account no 4010693761 (CO1717299). You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 297 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State 2021.”

Both defendants pleaded not guilty.

The court admitted each defendant to bail in the sum of N5 million, among other terms, and adjourned till July 24 for trial.

Gunmen paraded over alleged plan to stop Gov Abiodun’s swearing-in

The Police in Ogun State yesterday paraded four men for allegedly attempting to disrupt the second term inauguration ceremony of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Abiodun was on May 29 sworn in for his second term at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Oladimeji identified the suspects as Adedapo Taiwo, Arogundade Idowu, Noah Jogunomi and James Abiodun.

He alleged that they were arrested at Kobape area of Abeokuta “for planning to disrupt the inauguration ceremony of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s second term.”

According to him, “the suspects were in possession of a Beretta pistol, live ammunition and assorted criminal charms”.

The Police also paraded 36 others suspects at the police headquarters, Eleweran for alleged involvement in cultism, murder and armed robbery.

Oladimeji said the suspects were apprehended within and outside Ogun State.