Author: The Nation

Towards checking xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Wednesday met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

They met at the President’s office on quick possible steps to halt the killings and destruction of properties of Nigerians.

President Buhari had already deployed special envoy to South Africa towards ending the attacks.

In response to the killings, some protesters on Wednesday morning stormed a Shoprite mall in Abuja to protest the attack on Nigerians in South Africa.

The kidnapped Chief Medical Director of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Dr Sylvanus Okogbenin, has been released.

Mr Danmallam Mohammed, the Edo State Commissioner of Police who confirmed the release said the CMD was released unharmed.

Details shortly…

The governorship primary election ended abruptly in the early hours of Wednesday when gunmen invaded the venue of the election, Lokoja Confluence Stadium.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that voting had ended and sorting of votes were going on when the gunmen came to the venue at about 1:45a.m. and started shooting from different directions.

According to report, votes in eight out of the 10 ballot balloxes have already been counted and sorted out before the disruption by the gunmen.

Aspirants, delegates and others scampered for safety while the number of casualty has yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

NAN correspondent said that Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, the Chairman of the Election Committee escaped the bullets of the gunmen.(NAN)

One of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Victor Adoji reported to have stepped down for former Governor Idris Wada has stated he is still in the race.

He denied stepping down for Wada or anybody for that matter.

Spokesman of his campaign organisation,  Abdulahi Usman Adeiza said Adoji was still in the race and was not prepared to step down for anybody.

Vice Chairman, Kogi East Elders Council (KEEC) and former minister of State for Health, Arch. Gabriel Aduku, had announced in Lokoja that Adoji, along with four other asparants, have agreed to step down for Capt Wada.

Read Also: BREAKING: Five Kogi PDP aspirants step down for Wada

Aduku explained that the decision to prevail on the other aspirants to collapse their structure into Wada’s was in the overall interest of the party and the state.

But a statement from the Adoji Campaign organisation signed by Adeiza said: “We

debunk the devilish and wicked news making round the social media of the decision of Dr. Adoji stepping down for other candidates ahead of the Kogi PDP gubernatorial primaries which will kick start any moment.

“This news is of course coming from other opponents who already are afraid of his personality and momentum and have brought up this fake news to confuse our convinced supporters.

“We are gaining grounds, moving from Local Government to Local Government and our delegates are in love with us. We are very prepared for the Primaries and shall come out victorious at the end.”

He appealed to his supporters to “stay undistracted as we see the hand of God.”

A former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke on Monday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he would pay his N537, 334,360.77 debts to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in less than 12 hours.

Duke, through his counsel, Mr Edoigiawerie Omoruyi, told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that he had approached AMCON with a promise to liquidate the debt before the end of yesterday, September 2.

He prayed for an adjournment to enable him settle the case out of court.

AMCON, on August 8 through its counsel Juliet Reeds obtained the court’s order to take interim possession of Duke’s Ikoyi home.

The court also authorised AMCON and United Bank for Africa (UBA) to, in the interim, take possession of funds in the accounts of Duke and others in any bank.

Read Also: VIDEO: AMCON takes over Donald Duke’s flats

The judge made the order pursuant to AMCON and UBA’s August 8, 2019 ex parte application, marked, FHC/L/CS/1373/2019.

The applicants listed Stonehedge Investment Ltd, Duke and his wife, Owanari Bob-Manuel Duke, as first to third defendants in the suit.

When proceedings resumed yesterday at about 2pm, Omoruyi said Duke was willing to liquidate the debt before yesterday’s midnight deadline for repayment of the loan.

AMCON’s counsel Mr Austin Erhabor of Benson Reeds Legal Practitioners, confirmed that Duke approached the corporation with a pledge to pay the debt before the expiration of midnight.

Erhabor added: “In the spirit of trust and fairness, we will concede to an adjournment to enable us finalise the possible settlement.”

Justice Oweibo upheld Duke’s prayer and adjourned till September 11, for a report of settlement.

AMCON and UBA, on August 8` prayed the court for “an order of interim attachment, possession and custody of the property being No. 3, Temple Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.”

They averred that the property was mortgaged by Duke “as collateral in securing the 1st respondent’s indebtedness to the applicants.”

They urged the court to grant them possession of the property “pending the institution and disposal of proceedings for recovery of debt against the respondent, pursuant to Section 49 of the AMCON Act 2010 (as amended).”

They also prayed the court for an interim Mareva injunction to take possession of funds in the accounts of Duke and others in any bank “pending the institutional and disposal of proceedings for the recovery of a debt of N537,334,360.77 made up of the principal debt and interest against the respondents pursuant to Section 50 of AMCON Act 2010.”

The judge granted the prayers, in addition to an order restraining the respondents from “transacting, transferring, changing or howsoever dealing in any manner or interfering with the applicants’ possession” of the Ikoyi property.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has lashed out at its counterpart in South Africa, the Africa National Congress (ANC) over its prolonged silence on the attack on Nigerians in South Africa, saying it was too early for them to forget the sacrifices of Nigerians in the fight against apartheid.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said in a statement in Abuja that South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from what the APC described as cowardly act by south African youths in constantly attacking Nigerians and their businesses in that country.

“After what appeared to be a break, South African youths again attacked Nigerians and their businesses in that country on Monday and the APC is saying Nigeria and Nigerians does not deserve such treatment from South Africans.

The statement reads “the All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly condemns the recent South African xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, particularly on Nigerians, their property and businesses.

Read Also: South Africa: What you need to know about ‘xenophobic attacks’

“As a party, we are deeply saddened by these unwarranted attacks. Nigeria deserves better from South Africa. It is too early for South Africans to forget their country’s history. Many of the key players in the struggle against apartheid are still alive and active in the country’s national affairs. We therefore cannot understand why there seems to be a conspiracy of silence on their part.

“The barbaric attack on citizens of other countries points to a failure of leadership. South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from this cowardly act. We call on the South African ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) to urgently step in. This is completely at variance with what ANC stood for. The ANC government can no longer pretend about this obvious contradiction.

“The violence being meted to Nigerians under ANC calls to question the very essence of the struggle against apartheid in which Nigeria was a frontline ally of South Africa. How can those who supported you and made huge sacrifices for your freedom become fair games to be murdered in cold blood?

“Perhaps there is a disconnect between the younger and older generations of South Africa. The older generation cannot sit back while the uninformed youths and some South African public officials in their quest for inordinate populism destroy what we collectively achieved over several decades of sacrifice and brotherliness.

“Today, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. This is one of the first steps in this government’s proactive response to this unfortunate incident. We assure Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to take decisive measures. The safety of Nigerians – home and abroad – is non-negotiable to the APC administration.”