Author: The Nation

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied involvement in Sunday’s attack of Labour Party (LP) campaign ground in Enugu, Enugu State.

The group alleged that those behind the attack were sponsored by Nigerian Government and Security Agencies particularly, DSS and Army Personnel.

Gunmen, numbering about four, had attacked members of the party who were holding a meeting in Awgu Community, Awgu Local Government Area.

But in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful, IPOB said it has no hands in the criminal activities, reiterating that its members remained peaceful and focused on how to secure referendum date.

It warned that those hired for such impersonation and demonization would soon incur the wraths of its volunteers and Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives.

The statement reads in part: “We condemn those who used the IPOB and Biafra insignias in what we knew as State sponsored attack on the Labour Party campaign ground in Enugu State to blackmail IPOB.

“IPOB under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never instructed anyone to threaten or attack election campaign ground. If IPOB wish to do so we will make it open and Nigeria Government and its Security Agencies will hear the sound.

“Anybody or crimial groups hired for such impersonation and demonization will soon incure the wraths of IPOB volunteers and ESN operatives.

“Our intelligence unit the M.Branch intercepted the secret arrangements where some few fulani soldiers and terrorists in Nigeria Security Agencies especially DSS and Military planned to hire some criminals to attack campaign grounds to incriminate IPOB and ESN in the East with Biafra flags and insignias and tag it on ESN members we did not attack campaign ground.

“In doing so, they forgot that IPOB and ESN will not in any way desecrate the hallowed Biafra flag in the name of political attacks. Nigeria Security Agencies keep desecrating Biafra flags any time they are carrying out their cheap and dirty blackmail against IPOB.

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“Some time last year in Anambra State, Nigeria compromised DSS arranged some holigans and their men who stupidly displayed Biafra flags when they attacked and robbed some banks at Building Material Market in Ogbunike Anambra State to demonise IPOB.

“But they don’t know that IPOB is seven steps ahead of them. Any time they arrest any criminal they quickly go to the vault and dole out Biafra flags they have printed waiting for their blackmail. The more they do this childish blackmail against IPOB the world knew them and they display their stupidity to the global world.

“One wonders what kind of thieves will rob a person and leave their house address with their victims. That’s how daft Nigeria Government can be by sponsoring criminals to display Biafra flags and insignias.

“IPOB has made it known to the public severally that we are not interested in the jamboree selection process they called Nigeria election. Anybody linking IPOB in whatever way to this their jamboree is deluded.

“IPOB is very sure that it was Nigeria Government and her compromised Security Agencies particularly DSS and Army Personnels that sponsored some of their men with some criminal gangs they created to attack Labour Party campaign ground and made it look like IPOB volunteers and ESN operatives attack them, we are not involved.

“We are telling the public that IPOB has no hands on this criminal activities because IPOB don’t care what happens with demonized Nigeria politics. The Nigeria Army, DSS agents must leave IPOB alone and focus on their jamboree jobs they are doing without protecting their citizens in Nigeria.

“IPOB is not a problem but a solution to free trapped talents and Indigenous from terrorists infested country called Nigeria. IPOB members are peaceful and focused on how to secure referendum date same day they do their selection process called Nigeria election.

“IPOB is not planning only to scattering Nigeria, because we have scattered Nigeria already. What remains of Nigeria is total disintegration, every trapped Indigenous People will be free. And that we must do in due cause so long as Chukwu Okike Abiama is backing this noble family and Biafra Movement.”

Kebbi Governor Atiku Bagudu has dissolved the State Executive Council with immediate effect.

This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar Yauri on Wednesday morning.

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The Governor thanked the sacked Commissioners thanked them for their dedication to duty while in office.

He said a reconstituted State Executive Council would be announced soon.

The suit challenging the recent price hike in tariff by MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, the operator of satellite televisions – DSTV and GOTV, has been dismissed by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The three-member panel tribunal headed by Mr Thomas Okosun, dismissed the suit which was filed by Mr Festus Onifade on behalf of himself and the coalition of Nigerian consumers, as lacking in merit.

The tribunal held that the power to regulate prices of goods and services does not reside in the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the regulatory agency.

According to the tribunal, the power to regulate prices of goods and services only resides in the President.

The tribunal, which held that the claimants failed to prove that MultiChoice had abused its power of dominance in the market, said since Nigeria operates a free market economy, the argument lacked merit.

The panel also refused to grant the claimants’ prayer to direct the firm to adopt a pay-as-you-view model of billing for all its products and services.

It, however, ordered FCCPC to investigate if the firm adopts a pay-as-you-view package for its products and services in other countries, especially South Africa, and report back to the court within six months.

In the suit, MultiChoice was the first respondent while the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission was cited as the second.

The plaintiff approached the tribunal a short period after MultiChoice announced its plan to increase subscription tariffs on all its products, from April 1.

In his amended suit on June 20, Onifade asked the tribunal to issue an order, directing and mandating the cable service provider to adopt a pay-as-you-view model of charging for its products and services in Nigeria.

He also demanded damages to be awarded against the company to the tune of N10 million.

It was gathered that the tribunal initially granted an ex-parte motion that directed the parties to maintain status quo ante Bellum, but the company allegedly proceeded with the price increase on DStv and Gotv subscriptions.

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MultiChoice’s lawyer, Mr Jamiu Agoro, challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the case.

He urged the tribunal to set aside its interlocutory order, arguing that the claimants lacked the locus standi to institute the action.

The tribunal, however, dismissed the matter for want of merit, despite affirming its jurisdiction on the case.

The tribunal noted that “Only the President has the powers to regulate or fix prices of goods and services under stipulated circumstances which do not apply in this instance.”

It also posited that the claimants could not prove how they suffered psychological trauma, hardship or how their rights were trampled upon by the said hike.

The panel, therefore, declared that prayers 1, 2 and 3 of the claimants are not grantable as the power to regulate prices of goods and services only resides in the president of Nigeria.

It also said that prayers 4 and 5 of the claimants lacked merit.

The panel, however, ordered the management of MultiChoice to appear before it on Sept. 8 with their 2021 audited financial statements.

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