Category: Lead

The Federal Government has admonished the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP) Peter Obi from inciting people to violence over the outcome of the Presidential elections.

The Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed gave the admonition in Washington DC during his official engagements with some international media organisations.

The Minister is in Washington to engage with international media organisations and Think-tanks on the just concluded 2023 polls

The Minister had so far engaged respectively with the “Washington Post”, Voice of America, Associated Press and Foreign Policy Magazine.

During the respective interactions with the media organisations, the Minister said it was wrong for Obi in one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and in other breadth inciting people to violence.

“Obi and his Vice, Datti Ahmed cannot be threatening Nigerians that if the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is sworn-in on May 29 , it will be the end of democracy in Nigeria.

“This is treason. You cannot be inviting insurrection, and this is what they are doing.

“Obi’s statement is that of a desperate person, he is not a democrat that he claimed to be.

“A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins election,” he said.

The Minister said in challenging the election results, there was no pathway to victory for either Obi and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the Minister, both Obi and Atiku failed to meet the constitutional requirements to be declared as president.

“The constitution has stringent criteria for anybody who want to be president of the country.

“Not only must he has the plurality of vote cast in an election, he must also have scored one quarter of votes cast in at least 25 states.

“Only the President elect met the criteria  by scoring 8.79 million votes and having one quarter of all the vote cast in 29 states of the federation,” he said.

The Minister said Atiku who came second with 6.9 million votes was only able to make one quarter of votes cast in 21 states.

He said Obi came third with 5.8 million votes but won only one quarter of votes cast in 15 states.

“You cannot win election in a poll where you came a distant third position and failed to meet constitutional requirements.

“Peter Obi, while complaining of fraud has not disown his victory in Lagos,” he said.

Elaborating on his mission to the U.S., the minister said he was there to correct the negative narratives being promoted by naysayers and opposition on the election.

He said the opposition, having lost in the election were alleging fraud, calling for its cancellation and constitution of interim government.

“We have come here to balance that skewed narratives and to tell the world unambiguously that the just concluded general elections in Nigeria is the fairest, most transparent and authentic in the history of Nigeria.

“The election is the most fair and credible because of the introduction of Bimodal Voters Verification System (BVAS) which I regard as a game changer.

BVAS technology had helped to  weed out ghost and illegal voters, eliminate multiple voting and return sanity to the elections .

Relying on INEC report, the minister said BVAS, during the polls worked 97 per cent giving unparalleled credibility to the elections. (NAN)

Bandits abducted no fewer than ten students of Government Secondary School, Awon, a day secondary school in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Monday. 

Kaduna Commissioner for Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday.

The Commissioner said the State Government received a preliminary reports from security agencies regarding kidnap of the students. 

According to the preliminary reports, Aruwan said the exact location of the incident is yet to be ascertained.

He said detailed reports were being awaited to clarify whether the incident occurred within the school premises or elsewhere. 

Details Shortly…

A former Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Commodore Wapkerem Maigida, has been confirmed dead.

A staff of the Directorate Group Captain Joel Abioye confirmed the development to The Nattion. 

Air Commodore Maigida, who was the immediate past NAF spokesperson was said to have slumped and died on Sunday evening in Abuja 

Maigida was the 18th NAF spokesperson and took over from Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet on January 6, 2023 but barely two months was redeployed to the Directorate Civil/Military Affairs.

The late senior officer was a member of the 42 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Maigida which were commissioned into the NAF in 1995.

Read Also :

He holds a Master of Science Degree in Security and Strategic Studies and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History both from NDA.

He obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations and Advertisement from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos.

Some of the military courses attended by Air Commodore Maigida include National Defence Course at the National Defence College Nigeria and the Air War Course at Air Force War College in Makurdi, Benue State.

He attended the Junior Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna and the Senior Staff Course at the Air Force Command College in Beijing, China.

Maigida also attended the International Public Affairs Officers course at the Swedish Armed Forces International Centre in Sweden, Civil-Military Relations/Cooperation Course at Indonesian National Defence Forces Peacekeeping Centre, Indonesia and the Deputy Spokesman Course at the Joint Information Activities Group, Royal Air Force Base, Halton, United Kingdom.

Prior to his recent appointment, Maigida was Commander, 551 NAF Station, Jos.

The senior officer had served as Acting Director and Deputy Director, Defence Information at Defence Headquarters, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information and Deputy Director Civil-Military Relations both at HQ NAF.

• Alia takes on Ortom in Benue •Otti tackles Ikpeazu in Abia •Kano: It’s Abba versus Ganduje

By Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia; Fanen Ihyongo, Kano Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi and Robert Egbe

Crises have broken out between outgoing governors and governors-elect in some of the states where opposition parties triumphed in the March 18 governorship elections.

The governors-elect are raising issues on loans, spending pattern and projects being undertaken by governors.

In Abia State, the situation is intense where Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) is battling Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In Kano State, Abba Yusuf of New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) is up against All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

APC governor-elect Hyacinth Alia is tackling Governor Samuel Ortom of PDP in Benue State.

But lawyers have said that the governors-elect should pull the brakes and wait till they take office.

At the centre of their muscle-flexing is the management of their state finances, contracts and sidelining in the last phase of decision making.  

 Ikpeazu and Ganduje  asked Otti and Yusuf to stop issuing public  directives   as they cannot be parallel governments in their states    

The two outgoing governors said they were still in charge of their respective states till May 29.

Their positions were shared by senior lawyers, who affirmed their constitutional powers to govern without interference from and to the exclusion of governors-elect.

However, in Benue State, a leaked memo allegedly issued at the weekend by Alia to the Managing Director of Benue Investment Property Company (BIPC), Alex Adum, yesterday spurred further animosity between him and Ortom.

Yesterday, the Ikpeazu-led government frowned at last week’s freezing of the state accounts in commercial banks by the Federal High Court, Abuja. It accused Otti of being behind the court case and warned him against interfering with his administration.

 The government, in a statement by the Information Commissioner, Eze Chikamnayo, alleged that “more of such thoughtless, illegal moves are in the offing,” adding that those behind the account freezing were ”planning to cause civil unrest in the state.”

Chikamnayo’s statement partly reads:  ”This thoughtless move by misfits ostensibly acting a mendacious script written by a cowardly cacophony of overzealous political turncoats is aimed at grounding the Government and in so doing instigate civil unrest in Abia State.

 ”As we all know, no arm of government has a lawful right to ground the other for any reason whatsoever.

“Moreso, a newly elected governor should know that he was elected for four years and cannot interfere in the administration of an incumbent. He must have respect for rule of law and constituted authority.

“We want to believe that those who want to lead us are not the ones behind the individuals involved in this heinous act as is now being widely speculated.

“The ongoing unintelligent and unprecedented mishap of shutting down the Government of Abia State, using a kangaroo judgment manufactured in faraway Abuja, is a clear signal of the mindset of desperados.

“The danger in this macabre dance is that if they continue this way, sooner than later, the atmosphere of peace and security carefully sustained, enjoyed and even taken for granted by some Abians, will suddenly evaporate – giving way to a new wave of killings and persecution under the Gestapo- style of an imperial impetuous leadership.

“Why is the governor-elect known to be the only one daily making open threats and still strutting to media houses to de-market the outgoing governor and government for personal reasons?

“Government wishes to warn all emissaries of destabilisation to immediately retrace their steps and allow a peaceful and seamless transition of Power come May 29th, 2023.

“The security agencies have also been alerted to ensure that governance is not frustrated and law and order is maintained. There is absolutely no need for the hurry, harassment and arm-twisting tactics now being perpetrated by elements within the Labour Party in Abia State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the life span of the current democratically elected administration subsists till 29 May and we shall exercise all powers thereto to maintain the peace, security and stability.  

But Otti’s  Media Adviser, Ferdinand Ekeoma, disassociated his boss from the FHC suit against the government. 

He described the statement by the commissioner as propaganda and misleading emotional blackmail of a failed government.  

According to him, it is wrong for the government to falsely accuse Otti and attempt to misrepresent him in its efforts to mislead the public.

The media aide said:  ”Dr Otti was not involved, directly or indirectly, in freezing the said Abia State Government accounts. He also does not know the person or persons behind the action.

“The state government should be bold enough to tell the world that those they entered into a fraudulent contract with and tried to shortchange before leaving office were responsible for the litigation.”

In Kano, Ganduje cautioned the governor-elect, Yusuf to avoid causing unnecessary confusion in the state.

“I am still the governor,” Ganduje reminded Yusuf and advised him to exercise patience and desist from issuing official pronouncements in form of a public advisory.

Yusuf, in an advisory at the weekend, asked local and international lenders, including banks to stop giving loans to the state government.

The governor-elect had in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanusi   Tofa, said: “Any local or international organisation that issues a loan to the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration from March 18 to May 29, does so at its risk.

“Any such loan facility approved and issued to the Kano State Government between the date of election and the date of swearing-in without explicit knowledge and consent of the incoming administration will not be honoured by the new administration.”  

Ganduje kicks

But  Ganduje said in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs,  Muhammad Garba  that “the action of the governor-elect amounts to jumping the gun by issuing a directive on a matter affecting government laid down policy while the incumbent is yet to run his full term.”  

He explained that as far as the division of power was concerned, he “remains the governor with executive powers until May 29 and reserves the right to carry out his functions in the public interest even on the eve of his exit.”

Ganduje added that “until the governor-elect subscribes to the oath of office on May 29, he (Yusuf) remains what he is -a governor-elect and does not have the powers of the governor.

“All he can do is to reverse some of the actions taken by his predecessor when he assumes office, if there is a valid reason to do so.”

Alia: Ortom has sidelined me

Benue State, Governor-elect Alia lamented that he had been totally sidelined in the governance of the state by Ortom.

He alleged that since he was handed over his Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the March 18 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he had not been accorded the privileges due to him.

The governor-elect listed special accommodation, official cars and food as such rights.

He argued that in normal circumstances, the President-elect and all governors-elect do not only receive detailed briefings on power transition but are provided with security briefing reports.   

Alia, a Catholic priest, raised the complaint through a statement by his Director of Communications,Kulas Tersoo.

He explained that the statement was necessitated by a leak to the media by officials of the outgoing Ortom administration.  

The statement partly reads:   ”Since his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial elections in the state, Fr. Alia has been completely ignored, neglected and treated with the utmost disdain by outgoing Governor Samuel Ortom and his machinery of government.

“The governor-elect took the decision to make the formal communication to heads of government’s parastatals and financial institutions in good faith and in the interest of the Benue public.

“Where principles of public policy are valued, the day Fr. Alia collected his Certificate of Return, he expectedly became a respected property of the state and should, accordingly, be accorded due rights and privileges as the custodian of the Benue people’s mandate.

“The state government is under obligation to provide him with special accommodation, provide official cars for him, take over his feeding and that of his staff and visitors. Has the Ortom administration shown any level of commitment in these expected norms? No!

“Moreover, where there is a mutually defined concern about the development of a state, the outgoing governor willingly ceases to make unilateral decisions on policy issues once his successor is issued a Certificate of Return. He makes policy decisions only in due consultations with the incoming governor to avoid conflicting distractions on policy and administrative issues such as the ones under discourse.

“Meanwhile, for those who think that until the governor-elect takes the oath of office, he still remains an ordinary citizen, let us permit their ignorance. They need to be educated that presently, the President-elect and all governors-elect have been receiving every detailed briefing as a process of power transition. Every security briefing given to the outgoing administration is also submitted to the heads of the incoming administration. That is the standard practice and principle of a transition process in democratic governance.

“It is rather sad that all decisions taken by Ortom’s administration presently negate every known principle of public policy. They have the stamp of utmost compromise and prejudices. Therefore, people of sound reasoning should not join hired mercenaries of mischief to mislead the unsuspecting members of the Benue public on concocted misrepresentations of due process in the power transition in Benue State.

SANs to governors-elect: wait for your turn

Two senior lawyers – Olalekan Ojo and former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Vice-President, Dr Monday Ubani have affirmed the constitutional powers of governors to govern their states without interference from and to the exclusion of governors-elect.

 Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), described it as “a constitutional and political aberration” for a governor-elect to interfere in the running of a state.

“It is political exuberance. Whatever order he gives is nothing but a nullity: it is ineffective, misguided and has no legal or political force,” Ojo said.

The Silk noted that the governor-elect does not become a governor “until you are sworn in.”

Ubani, who agreed with Ojo,  added that a governor-elect may feel the need to remind the government in power to be circumspect in taking certain decisions so as not to overburden the incoming government.

The former NBA Ikeja Branch Chairman said although the governor-elect cannot order a sitting governor, he can apply pressure or raise the alarm “when the sitting governor is doing something that isn’t right, that he knows the governor is doing those things to create problems for the incoming governor.

“If the purpose of what you are doing is to create problems, then, the governor-elect has to raise the alarm so that the right thing is done.”

• APC U.S. writes Biden, McCathy

The February 25 presidential poll in Nigeria was credible, All Progressives Congress (APC), United States chapter, said yesterday. 

The U.S. chapter also maintained that President-elect Bola Tinubu won the transparent election.

It urged foreign leaders to ignore the antics of unscrupulous agitators trying in vain to discredit the poll. 

According to the branch, the call for the truncation of democracy and setting up of an interim government was in bad faith. 

The chapter, in a letter by its chairman, Prof. Tai Balofin, to United States President Joe Biden and Congress Speaker Kelvin McCarthy, said a petition faulting the election, submitted to the United States Congress was false. 

The letter dated April 3, 2023 was titled: “Nigeria 2023 presidential election free and fair.”

Noting that the poll conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was democratic, free and fair, despite efforts to discredit it, Balofin said the president and the speaker, who he described as leaders of a country that upholds democratic values, should disregard the petition. 

He said since Nigerians have made their choice, it is imperative to respect the democratic process and the decisions made by the electoral body. 

Taking exception to the frivolous petition, Balofin said:” It is not the place of any individual or group to call for the truncation of democracy or the establishment of an interim government. Such actions are not only unconstitutional, but also undermine the peace and stability of Nigeria.”

 Balofin chided the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, for making incendiary comments and unfounded claims about the election results. 

He lamented that they have been calling for actions that are contrary to laid-down processes for addressing disputes and grievances, adding that their activities constituted a subversion of the constitution.

 Balofin stressed: “Their actions and utterances are not only seditious, but also pose a threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria. As such, we urge you to condemn such actions and make it clear that the United States government stands firmly in support of the democratic process in Nigeria.”

 The party chairman recalled that the chapter sent representatives to observe the election, insisting that “the election was free and fair; Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu won the election with the majority vote and was returned elected.”

He said APC-USA would available to present more evidence to the White House on the conduct of the poll.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 Balofin delved into the electoral history of Nigeria, emerging with concrete proofs of its tedious journey to democratic restoration.

 He said the sovereignty of Nigeria since independence has been working together as a nation in a race for prosperity.

However, he recalled that Nigerian government had faced many challenges threatening the relationship between tribes colored by religion and politics.

 Balofin said:”A wealthy country with numerous resources has suffered from administrative lacuna tactically orchestrated by unfriendly friends’ nations, which has played a role in the truncation of democracy and plunged the nation into military rulership with coups and counter-coups that ultimately resulted in a long-haul civil war.

 ”The nation’s healing had been a dragged acceptance that refused to connect with the realities of today’s age of digitalization. “Referencing democratic restoration, we, as a nation, had wobbled and roughened to managing what we have from 1979 to 1984. We witnessed another trial of democracy that ended up in the return of the military.”

 Balofin said the military was so engrossed in the correctional degeneration of the country’s commonwealth in colours with their civilian apologies in the form of contractors as Nigerians  ”suffered and smiled.”

He added:” Until another trial of transmilitocracy was born in 1990, with a two-party system dressed for a good Christmas outing in structure and appearances. 

“Elections were conducted from the House of Assembly to governorship, National Assembly, with the originator holding on as the president chameleon from green khaki to Agbada in all forms.

 ”While Nigerians were yearning for a better day and patiently waiting to fully civilianize the process by participating and casting their vote in a free and fair election of 1993, the nation was disappointed with the annulment of the election.

 ”This was after that a rhetoric of settlement between generals in the military till the presidential election winner, in the person of Chief MKO Abiola, became castigated and paid the maximum price for Nigerians. From 1993 to 1999, it was a dagger-drawn period for Nigerians battling for the heart and soul of democracy.”

Balofin recalled that the coming together of activists against the military culmunated in the attainment of self rule in 1999.

He emphasised that the great men and women who laid down their lives and resources to make it a reality saw Tinubu as an unrepentant front-runner in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO),  days who fought to make democracy a reality.

Balofin said: “He showed skills and resource utilization and development, self-reliance, and the ability to run an economy with creativity, as governor of Lagos State, making Lagos an economy of great fortune in Africa that is likened to a nation.

“He became a reference point and a grandmaster of strategic transformation that Nation Leaders always run to for ideas and turnarounds, a Master of Political draft and cheese with gaming mastery of political successes. 

“Never in a hurry, but highly calculative. Human resource extraordinaire, detribalized, uphold the tenets of lawfulness and tolerance, sagacious with valued principle.”

An Ifo Magistrate Court in Ifo Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State yesterday granted bail to controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola popularly known as Portable, facing alleged theft and assault charges.

Chief Magistrate Aliyu Soneye made the order following Portable’s double arraignment and “not guilty” plea to separate charges filed against him by the Ogun State Police Command.

The court remanded the defendant at the Ilaro Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

The police brought the ‘Zazzu Zeh’ crooner before the court for two cases with charge numbers 192/c/ 2023 and 191/c/2023.

The three counts in suit 192/c/2023 bordered on assault, unruly behaviour and theft of musical equipment.

Prosecuting Inspector O. Awolana alleged that the singer on November 18, 2022, conspired with others now at large to “unlawfully assault” one Osimosu Emmanuel Oluwafemi, contrary to section 351 of the Criminal Code of Ogun State.

Portable was also accused of stealing musical gadgets listed as Yamaha H55 Studio Monitor; Complete Studio 2 Interface Connection Cable, and an AKG P420 Condenser, among others.

In the second suit marked 192/c/ 2023, the prosecutor alleged that Portable resisted arrest and inflicted physical injuries on three police operatives who were on his premises to arrest him on March 28.

The prosecution said the alleged offence contravened Section 517 of the Criminal Code of Ogun State.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the five counts.

In his ruling on the bail application, Chief Magistrate Soneye held that the offences were bailable.

He granted Portable N300,000 bail and two sureties in the like sum on the first charge.

On the charge of assault and stealing, the court admitted Portable to N500,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

The court remanded him in the Ilaro Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail terms.

The case was adjourned till April 26, for trial.

The Nation, however, learnt that Portable, who was brought into the Correctional Centre at about 3pm, was released at about 6pm after his bail bond was presented at the facility.

In this letter to his academic colleagues, Senator-elect Jimoh Ibrahim shares his experience and expectation as the country prepares for the May 29 inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as president

ear colleagues,

Thank you for congratulating me on graduating with a Ph.D. in Modern War Studies, regrettably as the first and the only graduate in my class of 2023. I hope you guys will soon defend your thesis and help create a peaceful global environment, or we all prepare for the third World War if it becomes inevitable.

The order of the first protocol of my memo to you comes from the ante etymology of the Latin ante bellum (before the war), for I hope that normalcy will prevail and there will be no need for a third world war. Our actions preventing such will save us from the other protocol of observing the IHL rules of jus in Bello. Since we want total prevention of suffering, it is morally reprehensible for me for anyone to think of any war in the circumstances of jus ad bellum. Even in the case of Biafra, such recognition for war was facultative and unrealizable in the face of asininity.

Converging complexity events in Nigeria are threatening domestic peace, and as we know, except Government does the needful, genocide may travel across Nigeria’s borders. It could undermine national security, thereby giving rise to the opportunity to trigger Responsibility to Protect  (TRP2) following the Geneva convention on genocide or outright intervention. Yes, and you will agree that an unjust order is an invitation

to anarchy. A constitutional breach sounds incredibly anarchical if President-elect Bola Tinube is not sworn in on May 29, 2023. The agitators of the unjust order are in the local court, and they appear uninterested in the court serving justice before they embrace lawlessness.

Your embassies must have sent the first diplomatic brief on the likelihood of a breach of domestic peace, and you must by now get ready to distill the reports to the apparatus of Government. Today the situation has moved beyond the threat of using the language of war in peacetime but a pseudo-classification of the desire of illegitimate to rule. But, of course, we are also suspicious of the nature of the epiphenomena mind of the lawless element! Therefore, we must distill their source.

Yes, and specific to the United Nations, the law requires punishing any threat to international peace and security. There is nothing to wait for if the domestic threats graduate, as the UN will be expected to lift Articles 2(4) and (7). Please reverse my earlier memo on interventions for international peace and security as we saw in the case of Iraq (1991), intervention for national security in Bosnia Herzegovina (1995) or intervention for human security in Afghanistan (2001), or intervention after R2P (responsibility to protect) the case of Kosovo (1995) and Darfur (2008) the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of

Genocide (1948). Contemporary international relations prevent the collaborative activities of terrorists and the genocide of crime against humanity.

If the President-elect cannot be inaugurated on May 29, 2023, the United Nations will have received the invitation of the Government of President Buhari for intervention. But, again, as at this mooring, my cheek with the UN secretariat shows no such invitation from the National Government.

May 29, 2023, the inauguration of President-elect Bola Tinubu, is an incredible advancement of democracy in a developing country. It is inevitable, a destiny with a collaborative geo-centric world to order international peace and security. Even in the face of the realist (power currency), it is not negotiable, and the simple alternative to the perpetual peaceful inauguration is a third world war (God forbid!). The total peace of humanity is the reason for our sacrifices in the last three  years of our convergence.

It is left for me to sound a warning for the historical trajectory that the First World War was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary (just one individual). Again, these are the consequences of alliances, imperialism, militarism, and nationalism. It is also not the case that we forgot the event of the Blank Check Assurance:

Conspired Plans of Germany and Austria-Hungary and the Germany Millenarianism – Spirit of 1914.

In any event, and as war expects, we will remember Athens and Sparta of the Peloponnesian War, the precarious Peace of Nicias, or the battle of Mantinea in 418 BC. But unfortunately, Nigeria cannot afford another civil war to which the unc ivilized element is dragging her!

I know you will prepare to act fast in the face of justice.

 Ibrahim, Ph.D. (War), is All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator-elect from Ondo South District

At least one person sustained a gunshot injury following a clash between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Prior to the clash, some members of the PDP stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a protest to demand a joint inspection of election materials by all political parties.

It was gathered that while the PDP protest continued, the APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole accompanied by the State APC Chairman, Emeka Beke and other party leaders were sighted in an opposite direction proceeding to the INEC office.

Read Also: ‘Why PDP’s NEC, BoT, governors, others can’t help Ayu’

On sighting them, angry protesting youths were said to have raced towards them, pelting them with stones and water sachets.

Cole’s security operatives were said to have immediately whisked him away from the scene as the protest continued.

Soldiers of the 6 Division, Nigeria’ Army, operatives of the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) rushed to the scene and shot into the air to disperse the protesters.

But it was gathered that one of the security men attached to Cole reportedly fired the stray bullet that hit one of the protesters, who later bled profusely and was carried to the hospital by sympathisers.

The anti-riot policemen, soldiers and NSCDC personnel were later seen performing a show of force with their patrol vans to forestall further attacks.

Singer Habeeb Okikiola aka Portable has been granted bail by a Magistrate Court in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The Nation reports that the singer was arraigned on Monday by the Ogun Police Command.

He was arraigned on five-count bordering on assault before the court presided over by the chief magistrate, A.S Shoneye.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Read Also: VIDEO: ‘Humble’ Portable arraigned in court

Delivering his ruling on the bail application by the singer’s counsel, the presiding judge said the offences are bailable and granted him bail with bail bond of N300,000 and two surety who must reside within the jurisdiction of the honourable court.

In another development of assault and stealing, he was admitted to bail to the tune of N500,000 with two sureties.

The court, however, ruled that the defendant be transferred to the Ilaro correctional centre pending the time his bail requirements are met.

The case has been adjourned to April 26 for the commencement of trial.

Popular singer Portable will be arraigned on Monday morning at the Otta Magistrate Court Ogun State by operatives of the Police Command.

The Command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police(SP) Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed this in a statement. 

Read Also: Police arrest Portable after initial resistance

The ‘Zazzu ze’ crooner was arrested on Friday after the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum to turn in himself.

Portable was directed to report to the police for refusing to honour the force invitation. 

He was eventually arrested in Sango Ota area of the state and taken to the Command’s Headquarters, Elewe-eran.

He was accused of engaging in assault and unruly behaviour.

 According to the Force Headquarters spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, the Singer may face not less than five – count charge.

VIDEO: 'Humble' Portable arraigned in court pic.twitter.com/gmzIB04kyZ

— The Nation Nigeria (@TheNationNews) April 3, 2023