The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has sued the House of Representatives over the green chamber’s plan to investigate the legality of the panel’s operations.
A copy of the summons served on the house was made available to our reporter on Monday in Abuja.
The other plaintiff in the matter is Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, the Chairman of the panel while the other defendant is the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Activities of the Panel.
The suit, which was instituted by Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), raised five questions for the court to determine.
They are “Whether the resolution passed by the house on March 22 to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate the modus operandi of the panel is not tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over the plaintiffs.
“Whether the resolution passed by the house to investigate the legality of the panel is not tantamount to the exercise of judicial powers over the panel and its chairman.
“If the answer to the first question is in the positive, whether by the provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise executive/supervisory powers over the panel.
“If the answer to question two is in the positive, whether by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over the panel and its chairman.
“And, if the answer to questions three and four is in the negative, whether the letter written to the chairman of the panel on March 28, compelling him to forward certain documents to the committee is not illegal, null and void.”
The panel, therefore, urged the court to declare that the House’s March 22 resolution to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate its “modus operandi” was tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over it.
The panel also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the House from further taking any step against the plaintiff in respect of the resolution to investigate it.
The panel also wants the court to declare that by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are not legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over it and its chairman.
In an affidavit deposed to by Mr Yohanna Shankuk, a litigation clerk in Keyamo’s chambers, stated that the panel was constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He stated that the constitution of the panel was pursuant to the powers vested on the President by Section 1 of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act.
Shankuk further deposed that the law, upon which the panel was set up and headed by the chairman, had not been repealed.
The deponent maintained that the panel believed that if the court did not intervene in the matter, the house would wrongly proceed to exercise its powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.
Lawyer-cum human rights activist, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has been appointed as Director of Strategic Communications for President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 campaign organisation.
The Director-General of the campaign organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, who announced the appointment, said Keyamo would act as spokesman for the organisation during the nomination process and subsequent campaigns for the 2019 presidential elections.
Keyamo later took to his twitter handle to inform the public about his new assignment.
He said: “With this letter below?, I have just been appointed the Director, Strategic Communications (Official Spokesperson) for the President’s 2019 Presidential Campaigns. I will be making a formal statement on this much later.”
Trafficking survivors say their joy of returning to Nigeria from Libya is being cut short by rejection and stigmatization from family, friends and the society. They are ready to leave the country at whatever cost, again.
“If you travel and you didn’t bring money, your family won’t love you anymore. I used to support my family before leaving Nigeria. But when I returned, the first thing my mother said is you didn’t bring money but baby. No one agreed to help me”
This is Gift Peter. She was 20 years old when trafficked by her uncle’s wife on February 5th, 2016. She is one of the 6,300 Nigerian migrants the International Organization for Migration (IOM) repatriated to Nigeria in the last 11 months. But life has been unpleasant for her since returning to Agbor, her hometown in Delta state.
Gift returned in 2017 with a baby boy she conceived during her work as a sex slave to a Nigerian woman in Libya. After so much suffering and birthing a child alone as a prisoner in Isis’ camp; caught in the war in Sirit, Libya, her efforts to begin life afresh have been fruitless. She says her joy of returning to the country has been cut short by rejection and stigmatization from family and friends. She has been jobless since arriving Nigeria. This too, has added to the depression she now struggles with.
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) says in Nigeria, the two most reported human trafficking cases are foreign travels which promote prostitution and employment of children as domestic workers while inflicting grievous harm.
Most of these victims are women but children and men these days, now consist larger shares than they did 10 years ago. The anti-trafficking agency’s 2017 report states in the country, 0.1% of trafficked victims are men, while 25% are females. Globally, 51% of trafficked persons are females and 21% are males. The report indicates traffickers are often males but women comprise a large number of convicted offenders.
Majority of Nigerian migrants undertake the risky journey in search of jobs in North Africa and Europe. IOM’s Missing Migrants Project states 2,834 migrants died at sea on the route between Libya and Italy in 2017. The Central Mediterranean Sea is one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. IOM says 315 have already perished since this year began. Travelers are sexually abused, robbed, and abducted on the Niger’s desert to Libya route and while crossing the sea to Italy.
Notwithstanding these hazards, European statistics indicates at least one person dies for every 35 persons arriving Europe. It states the number of illegal migrants from West Africa to Europe is still rising.
FEBRUARY 25TH, 2016
They were three young ladies on the journey: Tunmininu, and two other dream chasers. They had traveled in a bus from Lagos, hoping to arrive Kano state to board the plane to Libya. They were eager to get to Libya rooted by the pursuit of their dreams: earning big bucks abroad.
They had thoroughly discussed and planned the journey in advance: Tunmininu, her mother and Iya Anjola- her mum’s friend. They had planned every phase of the journey: who was to be paid, how much and details of every stops. But Tunmininu hadn’t foreseen there was to be another bus ride after the first to Kano from Lagos. Lo and behold, on arriving Kano, they boarded another bus, instead of a plane. It began to dawn on her they could be in trouble. She only didn’t know how big the trouble was.
HOPE MERCHANTS AND PREPARATIONS
It all began in February 2016 when Tunmininu at her domestic chores was singing like she always does, this time, in the presence of a visitor. Her mother’s friend. Moved by the young gospel singer’s voice, she urged her to up her game- from going around churches singing as a mere guest artist, to producing and launching a musical album. Armed with only a secondary school certificate, talents to write songs and sing, she hadn’t the financial muscle. And her mother’s best friend offered to help.
“I went to Libya through one of my mum’s friends. She is the one that told my mum I should go there to work, look for money so I can make a musical album and better my life” Tunmininu narrated, her voice a little above a whisper.
Giving hope to the alone-mother and her child, Iya Anjola assured them repeatedly N40,000 was the only sum needed for the life-changing journey. Thirty thousand Naira out of the money was given to her, while Tunmininu was to give N10,000 to Iya Anjola’s friend who would take her to Mile 12 to board the bus to Kano.
Both mother and daughter had been calmed by the mirage of normalcy after being told Tunmininu should snap a passport photo with which she would board the Libya-bound aircraft immediately on arriving Kano. “She even asked us to hold extra N5,000 to be able to use that one to eat though we would meet someone there who would give us food and other things”.
PURSUIT OF REALITY BEGINS
February 25th, 2016 was a warm Thursday morning. Tunmininu woke up very excited that by dawn next day, she would be entering an aircraft for the first time in all her 20 years on earth. But first, she and two other young ladies joined Iya Anjola to Oshodi in Lagos, to meet her friend who was to take them to Mile 12- a suburb of the ever busy city, to board the bus to Kano.
The friend; Mummy Seyi, who is very light skinned, fat and in her late forties took them to Mile 12 to a Mallam named Abdulahi. Besides the N10,000 she was paid, Mummy Seyi collected the N5,000 Tunmininu was to use in feeding. “She said they were going to give us some food and money we would use in eating. When we get to Kano, we would see the plane we were going to enter. We were so happy that we were going to enter a plane for the first time in our lives.”
But, arriving Kano, the next pusher-man put the ladies on another bus. They ended at what is commonly called Nigeria bridge, and boarded a bike to cross to Niger. The riders swung their motorbikes as if possessed by legions of demons, while policemen were in hot pursuit releasing bullets into the air.
“When we got to Niger, we started asking where is the plane? Is this where the plane is? That is when we were told that they (Iya Anjola and Mummy Seyi) were lying to us, that we were going to Libya and it is by road and we were going to follow desert. I was surprised that desert? Why desert? We couldn’t go back again because that journey is not that easy.”
Then, Tunmininu’s innocence died. Hope merchants and dream chasers; all of them, rooted by their pursuit of money trudged along with the oneness of soldier-ants. .
SOLD AND BOUGHT BY NIGERIAN SLAVE DEALERS
After seeing many people raped, robbed and die on the road, Tunmininu arrived Sabha, and spent three weeks at Ghetto- a very popular camp owned by Baba Ife a Libya-based Nigerian slave merchant from Ekiti state. He attempted buying her for sex work from the slave dealer awaiting her in Tripoli . “While we were in Ghetto, the man tells us it’s not yet time for him to push us, in short, he even phoned the man we wanted to go and meet in Tripoli that he wants to buy me from the man and use me in doing prostitution.
“I was surprised and said I am not doing because this was not what they told me in Nigeria before coming here. Fortunately, due to the way I threatened him shouting that I was going to burst there, when we shout there, they are going to burst there and pack everybody to prison. The man was pleading with me and phoned the man he wanted to buy me from, then said they should be bringing me down to Tripoli.”
Without food or water, she and other desperate travelers from Sabha were heaped like loaves of bread in a hilux van traveling through the desert for five days. She was received by China (pronounced Shayi-na) another Libya-based Nigerian slave merchant who had bought her. China also hails from Ekiti state. But, he felt Tunmininu stinks- of trouble, after the stunt she pulled in Ghetto. He sold her to Shina Ayo another Nigerian slave merchant who lives in Tripoli.
Shina Ayo slammed a bondage fee of N500,000 on her which must be paid within 10 months. It’s the alleged sum used in bringing her to Libya from Nigeria. Working as a maid to Nurian, a 36 year old Libyan woman, she paid him N50,000 monthly. But after the sixth month’s payment, Shina Ayo upturned the whole agreement. He wanted a year’s pay.
Tunmininu was left to choose between two options: pay the bondage fee for a year or be forced into prostitution until every dime owed was paid. Hopeless, she continued working as a maid while handing all wages made to him.
FREEDOM AT LAST! AND DEATH CAME KNOCKING
A year later; working all seven days of the week from dawn to dusk, Tunmininu paid the last bondage fee and regained her freedom. She decided to continue at the job hoping to save some money for her musical album and care for her mum.
Three days after regaining her freedom, while working in another part of Nurian’s house, the Libyan woman put charcoal in an aluminum container and lit it to heat Tunmininu’s personal room. It was the cold season and Nurian had refused buying a heater to provide her warmth. She made tea and gave to the young Nigerian like she had always done in the last one year. “But the only thing I know is after drinking it this time, I was feeling sleepy and I slept off in my room and by the time I woke up, I woke up in the hospital”.
Tunmininu alleges being drugged as she became drowsy immediately she drank the tea. “The fire had entered my nose and mouth and couldn’t control myself. I wanted to open the door but the door was locked at the back”. She thinks it may not be unconnected with the argument they had three days earlier over late payment of her wages. Nurian had paid her on the eighth instead of third. “We fought because of that money. I was shouting on her but we settled after that and forgot about it.
“It was the woman who called the ambulance to carry me to the hospital. She phoned the wife of the man (Mrs. Shina Ayo) I was paying money to and she came to meet me at the hospital. She was crying and shouting asking where is the (Libyan) woman. She (Nurian) said she would come check on me the next day. She never came”.
AND EXPLOITATION CONTINUES…
Tunmininu sustained various degrees of injuries in different parts of her body necessitating a skin grasp to cover the open bone in her hand. But after the initial operation, a huge part of the bone remained uncovered. More skin grasp was needed. But she couldn’t bear the pains anymore. Tired of being grounded in the no-fee-paying hospital, shuttled in and out of the theatre with surgeons grasping chunks of flesh from her laps to cover the deep wound in her hand, Tunmininu requested she be returned to Shina Ayo’s house.
Within the first three weeks she lived with the Shina Ayo household, they phoned her mother to send money for flight ticket to return her to Nigeria. The alone-mother combed the city of Lagos where she lives with her daughters hunting for cash. She eventually wired N30,000 raised from friends and family. But Mr. Shina and his wife spent the money.
Mr. Ayo again phoned her mum. And she ran around borrowing money which she wired, eagerly awaiting her daughter’s return. But the Shina Ayos spent the money as well. Many people touched by the mishap which had befallen her made generous donations. But the money were kept in care of Mr. and Mrs Shina Ayo. Tunmininu only heard about the money.
Frustrated, one day, she pleaded with the slave-master’s elder brother who had just returned from Nigeria to snap her injuries and take the pictures to the Nigerian embassy in Libya. He did. “I didn’t know there was free flight to Nigeria. One of the doctors to the IOM came to check on me and treated me for like 10 days before being told I would be returning to Nigeria May 25th, 2017.”
HOPES DASHED. SUFFERING CONTINUES
Tunmininu never paid a dime for treatment in Tripoli. Even for the surgeries. The IOM in Libya had assured her the organization would be responsible for her operation and treatment upon returning to Nigeria. But the exact opposite happened.
“I was surprised that on getting to Nigeria they did nothing. I was only given a note to go to general hospital- LASUTH (Lagos State University Teaching Hospital) Ikeja. On getting there, I was billed N150,000 and we don’t have anything.” She left the hospital feeling rejected.
READY TO LEAVE NIGERIA AT WHATEVER COST AGAIN
Tunmininu says she has suffered so much rejection since arriving Nigeria. Her mother and sisters are the only persons who haven’t stigmatized her.
Asked if she would be willing to embark on another trip out of Nigeria, say to the United Kingdom or United State, if assisted by this reporter; without pausing to ponder over it, she said yes. “Notwithstanding all you went through in Libya?” the reporter asked again. “Yes. Not that I want to go and do job that is not good.” She was just meeting this reporter for the first time.
PARENTS: OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER MARRY HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS!
Rejection and stigmatization of human trafficking survivors are major reasons why more illegal migrants from Nigeria would flood Europe. Survivors are not rejected and stigmatized by friends and families alone. The society; particularly parents, say they wouldn’t allow their sons marry them. Mrs. Ayo Lawal, a trader in Lagos state profiles them as unsuitable for marriage.
“I will not allow my child to marry any of them because we heard it is dirty work they went to do there. Dirty work like prostitution; so many different men would have had intercourse with them. As a Christian, I can’t allow my child marry such a person”.
Mrs. Opaleye
Mrs. Opaleye, a trader popularly known as Iya Bukky in Akute Ogun state vehemently kicks against such union. “I won’t accept it. We heard in the news and over the TV the kind of work the Libya returnees do over there. We heard they prostitute themselves with males and females sleeping with themselves; males and males have intercourse, and females do the samething. Even dogs sleep with them. Are those the kind of persons my son should bring home as a wife? It’s not possible.
“Anyone who brings such home as a spouse should know it is a dog he/she has brought home. And they may have contracted all manner of infections before being deported to Nigeria, so, they will start spreading it all over the place. No, I can’t agree for my child to marry any of them” .
For Olamide Timothy, an undergraduate, residing in Ogun State, getting married to a survivor is an impossible mission.
Olamide Timothy
“According to what I am hearing about them, I don’t think I can marry any of them. Because some amongst them may have been infected with HIV due to the kind of work they did over there before returning to Nigeria” Asked what would happen if she only got to know after the wedding, “Haaa! If we haven’t had anything in common, I can still break up the marriage”.
TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS CREDIBLE CONTRIBUTORS TO SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT
FESTUS KEYAMO
Mr. Festus Keyamo a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) says the returnees are already being profiled by the society. Anyone who has gone through such experience, he stated, is perceived to be damaged psychologically and won’t make good partners. He emphasized that survivors can still live normal lives. “We should ensure as a society we protect their identities and they are reintegrated back into the society gradually and they would become like us living normal lives”.
Mrs. Kehinde Akomolafe, Commander, NAPTIP Lagos, disclosed survivors in NAPTIP’s care have been able to live normal lives, are getting married and having children for their husbands.
Dr. Bolanle Ola, Head of Psychiatry, LASUTH and a Consultant Psychiatrist says human trafficking survivors
are credible people who are ready to contribute to the development of the society. “If veterans of the Vietnam war could be fully rehabilitated, who says other people cannot? I mean, with full comprehensive health and policy backing, they have a very high potential to be fully rehabilitated into the community”.
He said anti-trafficking agencies should be well equipped by the Nigerian government and proper budgetary allocations be created for them. He called on the media to provide credible information to the masses so that the society wouldn’t be afraid of human trafficking survivors, but support them.
“There is nothing to really fear when all these relevant things are provided. Early recognition of symptoms in returnees to access treatment will go a long way to help. There should be campaign against stigma as that is a huge challenge in people seeking mental health care. The media also should follow the WHO (world health organization) guidelines in carrying out their reports in order to ensure they too don’t stigmatize survivors of such traumatic events” he advised.
Ms. Peter still jobless, lost her baby October 2017 while he was nine month old after a brief illness at the General Hospital, Agbor, Delta State. Devastated over the demise of her son and rejection from family, she now squats with a friend in Lagos state.
Tunmininu, is still at home without a job or money for her surgery. She lives off others buying her medications with whatever little donations she is given. She hopes to produce a gospel album and own a supermarket someday to care for herself, mum and sisters.
Editor’s Note: The gospel singer’s real name is not Tunmininu. It was changed for her privacy, while photos and video recordings of her and Ms. Peter are not used to protect them from stigmatization.
This story was produced with support from Code For Nigeria and Lagos Global Shapers.
One of the witnesses in the Ozubulu church massacre case, Chief Osita Okosieme, has alleged that he is receiving death threats from Ghana
The Man who is the third prosecuting witness in the case, told the Nnewi High Court on Friday, that his life was under threat by unknown persons.
He raised the alarm while being led in evidence by the Prosecuting Counsel, Jay Jay Ezeuko (SAN) .
It would be recalled that on August 6th, 2017, unknown gunmen invaded St Philip’s Catholic Church in Amakwa Ozubulu, where they killed 13 persons, while injuring 29 others.
Okosieme said he received calls from unknown persons from Ghana three days to his appearance to the court warning him not to come to court to bear witness.
He said the unknown callers said they would kill him if he ventured to appear in the court.
According to him, “My Lord, I got text messages and I got calls from Ghana, they said they will kill me if I attend to court today to give evidence”
“They sent the threats through text messages and I also got calls from Ghana”
“I urge the court to give me protection today and henceforth.”
In his reaction, the Defence Counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo, asked Okosieme to be free to disclose the identity of those that threatened him and he would take it up from there.
He said, “What you are doing is in line with the law, you are trying to help the court to unravel those involved in the heinous killing, if they are from our side (defence) we shall personally take it up. ”
But the Prosecuting Counsel, urged the court to ensure that all the witnesses were protected because, according to him, “this is having a chilling effect on our witnesses.”
The presiding judge, Justice F. I. Aniukwu, said every effort was to bring the truth in the matter, hence there was no need to threaten anybody, stressing that the court would not take such threats lightly.
In his evidence in-chief, Okosieme said one Opanga saw him in a hotel in Awka and said it had been long he had been looking for him and would want to tell him something about the Ozubulu killing.
Okosieme said, “When I asked him what he wanted to tell me, he said Bishop added his name in the list of people who carried out the shooting at Ozubulu”
“That he would want me to link him with Bishop so that he would tell him that he was not among the people that carried out the shooting”
“That he would want to tell me the truth that somebody told him about the job but he declined to join”
“When I asked him who was the person that told him about the job he said Nwa Atani who was previously in South Africa but came back to Nigeria because of problem”
He said he and Nwa Atani was previously arrested before he, Opanka was granted bail”
“Opanka was so desperate to see Bishop but I told him that Bishop travelled but after four days Bishop returned and went to the Police cell and saw Nwa Atani and confirmed that he knew him as Dog.”
In his own evidence the fourth prosecution witness, Mr. Leonard Ndulue said he was in the church on the fateful day.
He said he sustained injury on his right hand from one of the gunmen who he pointed to the court among the four accused.
“The event happened during the consecration of the Holy Communion, I had a gunshot, and when I looked up I had an eye contact with the gunman and shortly after I got a gun wound and fell down as if I was dead. From the floor, I was observing the gun man”
“The gun man tried to change his magazine and it fell and while picking the magazine, his face cap fell”
“I managed to crawl out and on the floor I heard a voice saying Dog, Dog, let’s go and the gun man came out and followed the one calling Dog and they left.”
After the cross examination, Justice Aniukwu adjourned the matter to March 2 and March 16 for continuation of hearing.
Meanwhile, some youths from Egbema Ozubulu mobilized to the court asking for the release of one of the suspects, claiming he was innocent of the matter.
Senior lawyers yesterday expressed different views on the status of Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) following yeaterday’s judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice J. T. Tsoho said the senate acted within the law when it screened and rejected Magu’s nomination as EFCC chairman.
Prof Itse Sagay SAN, Seyi Sowemimo SAN, Festus Keyamo SAN and Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA ) Vice President Monday Onyekachi Ubani offered their thoughts pending when they read the full judgment.
Sagay said: “I don’t expect that the judgment will have an effect on Ibrahim Magu’s status as Acting EFCC Chairman. I don’t expect that there’s anything externally that is going to affect Magu’s position.
“I don’t know whether the judge considered Section 171 of the Constitution which even allows the President to appoint heads of agencies like Magu’s agency without any reference to the Senate. That is already there, so I don’t know what was brought to the court’s attention. When we see the full judgment we will be able to express our opinion.
Sowemimo observed, among others, that in the event that the ruling includes a court order removing Magu from office, he would probably seek a stay of execution and launch an appeal.
Keyamo noted, among others, the law did not prescribe a time limit for Magu to remain in an acting capacity.
Keyamo said: The fact that the law has not circumscribed the amount of time or the time period that someone can act as the head of an agency, it would mean therefore that I see no legal problem at all in Ibrahim Magu continuing to act as the Chairman of the EFCC, there is no legal impediment at all.”
But Ubani advised the Executive to “respect and obey the judgement of the
Federal High Court unless they have secured a contrary judgement from the appellate courts.”
Aminu Atiku, son of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, has handed over his seven-year-old boy, Aamir, to the child’s mother, Unmi Fatima Bolori.
Aminu left with Aamir yesterday afternoon, after allegedly snatching the child from his mother.
The incident occurred at about at 1:59pm, minutes after a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court ordered Bolori to take full custody of the boy and his nine-year-old sister, Ameera.
Earlier Aminu failed to respond to Bolori’s application for child custody which was argued by her counsel, Gloria Albert-Ekpe (Mrs.) and Ethel Okoh from Festus Keyamo Chambers.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Kikelomo Ayeye upheld in part, Bolori’s nine-point ‘statement of arrangement’ for both kids.
It ordered Aminu to pay her N250, 000 monthly for the upkeep of the children, beginning from this month. It also ordered Aminu to carry out medical insurance on the children among others.
The intention of Peter Okoye of Psquare to terminate contract with the Psquare brand dominated searches on Google Nigeria this week.
Google’s spokesman, Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, made this known in a dispatch to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“Psquare’s Peter Okoye is reported to have indicated intentions to terminate his contract with the Psquare brand.
“The news was confirmed yesterday by his lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo, who said that the identical twin brothers have had several feuds in the past, and efforts are being made to reconcile them.
“Concerned fans searched Google for updates on the situation,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Peter and his twin brother, Paul, are hip-hop sensation with the popular stage name, Psquare, which dominated the Nigerian music industry for years.
According to Kola-Ogunlade, celebrity news dominated this week’s top trending search terms on Google Nigeria, as the news of the death of a Nollywood actor and producer, Friday Ugwu, also trended.
He noted that the actor, popularly known as Okaka De Don, was involved in a fatal road accident on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway last Friday.
Kola-Ogunlade said that the death, which was confirmed by the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, made the deceased’s fans to log onto Google to confirm the sad report.
According to the manager, Google birthday surprise spinner also got people’s attention online.
“Google celebrated 19th birthday, and as part of the celebration, the company launched a Google Doodle inviting users to explore 19 of its most memorable doodles launched over the past 19 years.
“Google users in Nigeria raced to Google to give the doodle a spin,’’ he said.
He said that fans of American hip-hop artiste, Belcalis Almanzar, popularly referred to, by her stage name, Cardi B, also took to Google to watch the video of her record- breaking song, ‘Bodak Yellow.
The manager noted that the artiste had officially become the first female rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 in 19 years.
He said that her hit ‘Bodak Yellow’ trended for months before finally climbing to the number one spot of the chat.
The Google manager also noted that American reality television star, Kylie Jenner, was rumoured to be pregnant for current boyfriend, Travis Scott.
“The couple sparked pregnancy rumours some weeks back when both shared insinuative messages on social media that got their fans suggesting that the reality star was pregnant.
“Kylie’s fans in Nigeria took to Google to search for more pictures of the couple,’’ he said.
Kola-Ogunlade said that Ghana’s 4-1 defeat to Nigeria on Sunday in the 2017 WAFU Nations Cup Final also dominated Google searches.
“Football fans raced to Google to search for more details about the match,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Google Trends launched in May, 2006, allows one to see how popular search terms and their demography have been overtime on Google.
Peter, on Monday, gave credence to the purported tales of separation of the musical group.
In a letter written to their lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Peter is seeking to dissociate himself from the group, citing threat to life, disregard for his family and failure to honour past agreements as some of the reasons he cannot continue with the musical group.
He said although the decision to quit was a tough one, Peter noted that he has tried and exhausted all options to work things out, but that Paul is not willing to cooperate.
“For example, he cancelled our U.S. tour without discussing it with me. Unknown to me, he cancelled each show as we were being booked. He has also been accusing and threatening my wife and family of unimaginable lies via social media outlets. Me and my wife have been getting different threatening messages. I fear for my life and the life of my family. I cannot continue with PSquare in conditions like this that will jeopardize my wellbeing,” he stated.
He also recalls an incident where the group’s manager and their elder brother Jude threatened to kill him and shoot his wife in the presence of Paul and Mrs Imoke (former First Lady of Cross River State).
“He repeated it several times in front of you and other individuals. Last year at your office, he threatened me to come with my coffin whenever he sees me around his house. He stood up and hit me in front of you and the other lawyers. I have documented video of when this moment occurred and I have played it for you. One thing for sure, we are family first before PSquare,” he said.
Peter recalls how last year, they put aside their differences to appease the fans, even though there were still unresolved issues on ground and the other parties failed to honour their own end of the deal.
“I wish Jude and Paul the best in their careers. I love them and their families, but my family too is important and I cannot betray my wife and kids. My family comes first. There have been so many threats against me and my family and it’s in the best interest of me and my family to remove myself from this contract,” he said.
While many thought that the rift between the brothers had been finally put to rest, the news of their separation went viral on the Social media recently after Peter posted a Snapchat video revealing that he is in Philadelphia on his own for a solo show – without his twin brother, Paul.
“My name is Mr P,” Peter said “As from today, guess what? It’s show time, I’m about to go on stage.”
This post came days after his brother, Paul wrote on Instagram saying; “Only a woman can come where there’s peace and destroy it”.
Human Rights lawyer and activist, Festus Keyamo, has lauded the whistleblowing policy of the Federal Government as an effective tool in tackling corruption.
Keyamo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, that the various revelations about money stashed and abandoned in some places were the positive effect of the whistle blowing.
“People are now ready to blow whistle, the populace now have confidence in assisting the government to fight corruption through whistleblowing.
“The war against corruption which seemed to be lost is now turning back to a win situation and revival for the country. The only warning is that we are not yet there but we have taken a huge step forward.
“Whistleblowing is very good and everybody is now a watchdog. I commend the policy, a situation whereby everybody can raise alarm and also alert the Economic Financial and Crime Commission (EFCC).
“We are gradually winning but we are not there yet as there are many things to be done in this regard,’’ he said.
Keyamo said that though whistleblowing had recorded some success stories, there must be deligent investigation before trial in court to forestall loss of corruption cases.
“The second part of the anti-corruption fight is that we must strengthen the arm of prosecution if we don’t want corruption cases as an exercise in futility.
“The investigative part of the alleged crime must be diligent so that by the time people are taken to court, the case is solid enough and it will be easy for the prosecution to do the job.
“In most cases, by the time the case gets to the prosecutor, the case is hazardly done. But on the other way round, investigation should have been properly carried out and prosecutor will do his part.
“Investigation must be thorough before it gets to the prosecutors, it is important that investigations are well sorted out so that the prosecution becomes easy,’’ he said.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed June 30 for ruling on the application for a no-case-submission filed by the former governor of Imo, Ikedi Ohakim.
Ohakim was to open his defence on Monday, on a three- count charge of money laundering he allegedly committed while serving as governor between 2007 and 2011.
The charges hinged on the property he acquired but failed to declare in his assets declaration form.
At the resumed hearing counsel to the defendant, Mr Awa Kalu (SAN), told the court that he had no case to answer and as such he had filed a no-case-submission.
Kalu also told the court of Ohakim’s willingness to withdraw the initial confessional statement he made as regards ownership of the property he acquired.
“When he was arrested, he was drilled for eight hours, these are some of the things that led to the alleged confession.
“There is nothing to show that his house where his documents were kept was not burnt and his documents were not destroyed.
“It will be injurious to ask the defendant to enter the witness box to explain the transaction that has no witnesses.”
The counsel, therefore, prayed the court to ask the defendant to go home as he had no case to answer.
The prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, however, objected to the plea saying he had filed an application to that effect.
“On the issue of withdrawing the statements, those statements were made under caution. It cuts the grass under the feet off the defendant.
“If he was not free to make the statement, he would have said so, but he signed the statement that he made it free and without compulsion.”
Kayamo added that Ohakim made efforts to conceal the origin of the property acquired by money laundering, by not being not straightforward in his statements.
“A man cannot forget how he acquired his house. I ask the court to take judicial notice of the fact that a man does not forget how he acquires his house. It shows effort to conceal the origin of the house.
“We want the court to invite the accused person to explain how he acquired the house. He should be made to enter his defence.”
Justice Adeniyi Ademola reserved June 30 for ruling.
