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Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Plots to retain running mate tear Bayelsa PDP

    Members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State have threatened to defect following plots by the party to retain Senator Lawrence Ewrujakpor as running mate.

    The nomination of Ewrujakpor, who hails from Sagbama Local Government, has kept the PDP on edge ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

    Governor Seriake Dickson convened a stakeholders’ meeting to review the controversies surrounding the candidate and explore the possibility of substituting Ewrujakpor’s name before the September 23 deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for candidate substitution.

    Members were, however, not happy that no statement was made on the matter after the meeting.

    Besides, many stakeholders did not attend the meeting where Dr. Nimibofa Ayawei was appointed director-general of the Senator Douye Diri Governorship Campaign Organisation.

    Ayawei, who chairs the Bayelsa State Internal Revenue Board, was a frontline aspirant in the primaries, which produced Diri.

    Read Also: Running mate crisis: Bayelsa PDP convenes stakeholders’ meeting

    A statement by the Secretary, Chief Godspower Keku, said Ayawei’s appointment was part of the key resolutions of a meeting by the Governorship Campaign Advisory Council.

    Though the stakeholders kept mum on Diri’s running mate, it was gathered that the candidate briefed them on the issue.

    A party member said Diri was under pressure to retain  Ewrujakpor.

    He added that he told stakeholders that there was no need to substitute his running mate.

    The source, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “Most of the party members are waiting for the decision to be made public. If the party leadership fails to make it public and the name remains till the expiration of the September 23 deadline, there will be mass exodus in the PDP.

    “The only way to save the party is to zone the deputy governorship to Bayelsa East. We need their votes. People are not happy at the development and they have communicated their grievances. We are asking the governor and other party leaders to save the PDP.”

    Following Diri’s election as the party’s governorship candidate, some leaders abandoned PDP and aligned with APC.

    A member of the House of Assembly representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 2, Target Sekiibo, moved to APC with his supporters.

    Gabriel Jonah, younger brother to Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), led thousands in Nembe to APC.

    Similarly, a grassroots mobiliser and Dickson’s Special Adviser on Urban Crime Management, Abednego Don-Evarad, dumped the party in Ogbia for APC.

    Following the running mate crisis, Dickson sacked his aide, Hellen Bob, who reportedly pitched tent with APC.

    The source added: “Many people are warming up to leave the party but they are waiting for the decision of the party’s leadership on this running mate palaver. Some PDP lawmakers have travelled to Abuja to meet with the leadership of the APC and negotiate their way out of the PDP. We are still begging the party leadership to listen to the voices of its members and resolve this issue.”

  • Buhari unfolds plans to reverse climate change effects in Nigeria

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in New York, the United States of America (U.S.A) announced robust plans and initiatives by his administration to reverse the negative effects of climate change in Nigeria.

    A statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in Abuja, said the plans were revealed in his address to the United Nations Climate Action Summit with the theme: A Race We Can Win. A Race We Must Win.

    While sharing the sentiment expressed by the UN Secretary-General that the world is on the verge of climate catastrophe, President Buhari stated that “undeniably, Climate Change is a human-induced phenomenon.”

    He stressed the need for Member States to step-up their collective climate actions in line with the request of the Secretary General.

    Read Also: Photos: Buhari speaks at UNGA-74 climate change summit

    “It is in this regard that I wish to reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to its obligation under the Paris Agreement, the aspirations enshrined in our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and ensure a resilient future that mainstreams climate risks in our decision making.

    “I want to announce that the Government of Nigeria will develop a more robust sectorial action plan, and expand the scope of our Sovereign Green Bonds in line with our intended upward review of Nigeria’s NDC’s towards the inclusion of the water and waste sectors by 2020,” he said.

    On the water sector, President Buhari revealed that Nigeria would issue a Green Bond for irrigation and construct multi-purpose dams for power, irrigation and water supply.

    He said: “We will strengthen solid and liquid waste management systems to attract more private sector investors.

    “We will take concrete steps to harness climate innovative ideas by including youths in decision making processes as part of our over-all climate governance architecture.

    “We will mobilize Nigerian youths towards planting 25 million trees to enhance Nigeria’s carbon sink.”

    The Nigerian leader also disclosed that Nigeria had embarked on diversification of its energy sources from dependence on gas-powered system to hydro, solar, wind, biomass and nuclear sources.

  • Abducted SAN Onyemenam freed

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chike Onyemenam, who was kidnapped a week ago on the Benin/Asaba highway, has been released.

    Onyemenam was kidnapped on September 16 at Utulu junction on the Benin/Asaba express road.

    Read Also: 14 passengers abducted in Osun freed

    A family source confirmed that Onyemenam was released at the weekend after the family paid a ransom.

    The hoodlums were said to have asked for N15 million.

    “We give glory to God that he was not hurt,” the source added.

    The police, who said they were not aware of Onyemenam’s kidnap, confirmed his release.

  • PDP chieftain abducted in Benue

    The state of insecurity in the country was clearly illustrated in Benue State when a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on his way to a security meeting was abducted by gunmen before he got to the venue.

    Mr Ben Akile, a chieftain of the PDP, was travelling from Zaki Biam to Katsina Ala in Benue North-East senatorial district when the vehicle he was riding in was stopped by gun-wielding men who seized him and took him away.

    Akile was on his way to attend a zonal meeting of the party where attendees were scheduled to discuss the insecurity in the middle belt and proffer solution to it.

    Read Also: Senate to back Buhari’s plans on economy, insecurity, says Sani

    Mr  Gabriel Suswam, a former governor of the state, was billed to be at the meeting.

    An eyewitness Paul Unande told The Nation that Akile was travelling alongside other top party leaders in a vehicle belonging to state party legal adviser Mr. Tela Mue when the gunmen stopped them.

    It was learnt that the abductors shot at them from the bush, robbed them of cash and other valuables before taking Akile to an unknown destination.

    At press time the gunmen were yet to contact the family of the victim.

  • Xenophobia: Six Nigerian students cancel trip for robotics competition in South Africa

    Six Nigerian students who will represent the country at the Africa Robotics Challenge (ARC) in South Africa on September 28 have cancelled their trip to the country over safety concerns.

    The students announced cancellation of their trip at a media briefing on Monday in Lagos.

    They said the organisers had failed to guarantee their safety throughout the duration of the competition.

    The students are: Tirenioluwa Shobande, 18, a 100-level Systems Engineering student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG); Ifeoluwa Aigbiniode, 15, of Yaba College of Technology Secondary School and Jeffrey Nwafor, 15, of S-TEE International School.

    Others are: 19-year-old Kolawole Olatunji, a 100-level Computer Science Education student of Lagos State University (LASU); Toluwanimi Akinola, 15, of Dansol High School and Aromolaran Dominion, 14, of Supreme Education Foundation.

    Read Also: Crime as rationale for xenophobia and hysteria against Nigerians – South Africa and beyond

    The National Coordinator Mrs Remi Willoughby said the organisers had informed her of their inability to provide tight security and guarantee the safety of the students while in South Africa.

    Mrs Willoughby said the organisers hinted that while in South Africa, the Nigerian competitors would neither disclose their nationality nor be able to go out for sight-seeing for the duration of the competition.

    According to her, the host said the event will not be given publicity and that no one else will be invited to witness the competition.

    “This competition we are supposed to go for is Africa Robotics Challenge. It is a product of first Robotics Challenge, which we have been going for in the last few years.

    “We planned to go to South Africa for this robotics competition, which is basically supposed to be for few African countries and would have held on September 28.

    “However, we will not be attending because of the situation in South Africa currently.

    “And the fact that I cannot personally guarantee the safety of the students while there, and with our host telling us that even if we come, it will not be announced.

    “That we have to come quietly and we will not wear our Nigerian T-shirts and that the bus that will convey us will not display our logo of Green, White, Green! So, how can we proudly showcase our country?”

    Also, Science and Technology Minister Ogbonnaya Onu on Monday said Nigeria must provide the needed leadership for the liberation of Africa, despite the recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners in South Africa.

    The minister spoke at the opening of the sixth Nigeria Movement of Solidarity with Cuba meeting in Abuja.

    The event was organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and a coalition of other popular groups.

    Onu recalled that Cuba had made efforts in the past to help African countries in their time of need.

    The minister said Cuba, during the Ebola pandemic, sent about 400 doctors to African countries to curb the spread.

    He urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of patriotism and self-reliance.

  • Seven dismissed soldiers held for robbery

    No fewer than 88 suspects including seven dismissed soldiers have been arrested for armed robbery, murder and cultism by operatives of the Lagos State Command, Commissioner Zubairu Muazu said yesterday.

    He said the command in the last few months apprehended 40 suspected armed robbers, 29 cultists and 19 murderers, adding that 31 armed robbery attempts were fouled, 19 firearms and 51 ammunition recovered.

    Briefing reporters on the activities of the command, the police chief said among the arrested cultists were leaders of notorious Awawa Boys, appreciating residents for providing credible information to prevent and combat crimes.

    He assured that the police and sister agencies would in a few weeks start robust operations ahead of the yuletide to ensure that criminals do not flood into the state before, during and after the celebrations.

    Giving details on the arrests, Muazu said seven dismissed soldiers, Ndidi Oluchukwu, 30;  Owolabi Adeyemo ,42; David Olufemi, 47; Iseyin Samuel Isreal, 41; Emeka Ibeh, 29, Samuel Anochime, 36, and Ebedot Stephen, 27 were arrested for armed robbery and car snatching.

    Read Also: Police arrest wanted Port Harcourt serial killer

    The police chief said they were notorious for oppressing residents of Ijegun adding that an incident occurred around 4:35pm on February 19 where they snatched the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) of a commuter travelling to Ibadan.

    “It is on the strength of those complaints that we tasked our Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives to identify the gang and apprehend them.

    “Members of the robbery gang were arrested at Ijegun, Baruwa Estate, Ipaja, Iyana-Paja, Isashi and Ikotun areas of Lagos. Investigation revealed that the suspects are dismissed soldiers and items recovered from them include 12 pairs of military camouflage uniforms, two cutlasses, ATM cards, military ID cards, jack knives, a female pant and a local ring. The suspects confessed to be responsible for series of robberies within Ijegun and its environs and they will be charged to court as soon as investigation has been concluded,” he said.

    However, the suspects told reporters they were not armed robbers, insisting that they were only involved in illegal excursion of vehicles.

    While three admitted to have been dismissed from the army for fleeing the war front in the northeast, two said they were of the Merchant Navy, the other two civilians and that got the camouflages through unnamed Commander.

    Also paraded were 11 suspected traffic robbers said to have been arrested at the wee hours of September 14 at Igando.

    Muazu said their arrest followed the report of an armed robbery case by one Atolagbe Oyindamola, a resident of 14, Alaka Street, Abule Oja in Yaba against one Ahmed Durojaiye, 23; Waheed Oseni, 24; Rilwan Moshood 27 and Taiwo Idowu, 32.

    He said the suspects were notorious for snatching phones, money and other valuables from unsuspecting members of the public in traffic, adding that the operated mostly on motorcycles.

    “When the four suspects were arrested, a locally made pistol was recovered from them and they confessed to be members of Eiye confraternity. A follow up investigation by the State CIID led to the arrest of additional seven suspects- Mosuru Mukaila, 20; Ahmed Oyebode, 29; Seyi Ogundele,36; Ogunmola Akintayo, 30; Olatunji Segun ,28;  Ayobami Olaniyi, 20 and Oladimeji Mustapha, 27.

    “They confessed to be responsible for series of robberies at traffic points, bus stops, around Yabatech, Yaba, Ejigbo, Igando-Ikotun, Ipaja and Isolo areas of the state. A tricycle, five Bajaj motorcycles, two cutlasses and two phones were recovered from them.

    “Investigation revealed that Ahmed Oyebode who is a cultist and motorcycle operator gave his bike out for robbery operations and received stolen phones, cash derived from the operations as reward. Meanwhile, Seyi Ogundele and Ogunmola Akintayo are well known leaders of Eiye cult group in Ejigbo. They will be charged to court,” he said.

  • Supreme Court to rule on British Parliament’s closure today

    The United Kingdom (UK) Supreme Court will give its judgment today on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend the parliament was lawful.

    The top UK court made this known in a statement on Monday

    “The Supreme Court has now heard the two prorogation-related judicial review cases.

    “These took place between Sept. 17 and Sept. 19, 2019.

    “The judgment hand-down will take place on Sept. 24 at 10:30,” the court said.

    The parliament is to be prorogued from Sept. 9 to Oct. 14.

    Read Also: Brexit uncertainty triggers first September fall in house prices since 2010

    Two separate legal challenges were filed in England and Scotland, with their respective courts reaching different conclusions.

    Scotland’s highest civil court ruled Boris Johnson’s suspension of the UK parliament was unlawful.

    A panel of three judges at the Court of Session found in favour of a cross-party group of politicians who were challenging the prime minister’s move.

    The judges said the prime minister was attempting to prevent parliament holding the government to account ahead of Brexit.

    The current five-week suspension of Parliament, a process known as proroguing, started in the early hours of Tuesday.

    On the other hand, England’s High Court said the parliament suspension was a political rather than a legal matter.

    It claimed that under Britain’s unwritten constitution, the suspension was a matter for politicians, not judges, to decide.

    A panel of 11 justices will pass the final judgment, which may reassert the parliamentary supremacy.

  • NYSC hands over 65 ‘fake graduates’ to police

    The National Youth Service Corps has handed over 65 fake graduates apprehended during Batch B Stream 2 orientation course to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution.

    The organisation said the corps members were apprehended across the 37 camps for allegedly presenting fake certificates during registration.

    It said this was discovered by verification officers in some of the camps during registration.

    The NYSC disclosed this in a document obtained by The Nation at the scheme’s headquarters in Abuja.

    According to the document, three of the corps members claimed to have graduated from Istop University, Cotonou in Benin Republic, a claim the scheme said was  false.

    Some of the corps members facing prosecution include: Nasiru Yau, Sheu Muktar,  Iliyasu Usman, Offor Blessing Chinelo, Mezenwa Ngozi Chidinma, Nwachukwu Chimaobi Curtis, Ononuju Amarachi Nwamaka, Francis Joseph Arinze and Chigozie Evidence Chijioke.

    The paper reads: “The total number of fake corps members nabbed during the 2019 Batch B Stream II orientation course was 65. All of them were handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

    “They were picked from different NYSC camps all over the federation.”

    Read Also: ‘NYSC didn’t post Corps members to religious organisations’

    In Kano State, the NYSC  last week said it rejected a total of 108 prospective corps members posted to the state for presenting questionable certificates among other infractions.

    The State Coordinator of the scheme, Mr Ladan Baba said 1,700 prospective corps members were deployed to the state but the office registered 1,592.

    “The most worrisome is the fact that some of them did not undergo any academic pursuits but obtained certificates through illegal means with allegations that some did so in Kano and environs,” he had said.

    Also on August 30, the NYSC had noted that it nabbed over 50 unqualified graduates who came with fake certificates to the orientation camps and attempted to be registered for the just concluded Batch B Stream II Exercise.

    The NYSC authorities said the fake graduates, from various tertiary institutions, “were decamped from the NYSC orientation camps and handed over to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.”

    The NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi explained that the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim was stern in his warning that unqualified home-based and foreign-trained Nigerians would no longer pass through the scheme.

    “The NYSC is committed to stemming the tide of fraudulent mobilisation of unqualified home-based and foreign-trained Nigerians, especially those purported to have graduated from unaccredited universities in the West African sub-region,” she noted.

  • Kuku, ex-MEND leaders to join APC

    There are indications that the leadership of the outlawed Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) is planning to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    At the centre of the plan is Kingsley Kuku, former Special Adviser on Niger Delta and chairman of the Amnesty Programme under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Leaders and ex-commanders of the disbanded armed group, hitherto led by Chief Government Ekpomupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo, had strong affinity with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) up till the February/March elections, having openly backed its Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.

    Read Also: Timi Frank lied on alleged N90b cash gift to APC, says FIRS

    A source close to the group said Tompolo had already directed his foot soldiers to be involved in the plan which will crystallise shortly before the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

    “We will soon witness what I call mass movement by the former commanders of MEND to the APC because we cannot remain aloof for too long. Already, our leader who we call GOC (referring to Tompolo) has even directed us to join the APC to help deliver David Lyon with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.

    “As we speak, we are mobilising and very soon, you will see action across the entire Niger Delta. As at last week, our brother Shoot at Sight from Ondo State was with the minister with assurances that he will mobilise people in his state to join the APC.”

    It was gathered that the ex-militants have presented the return of Kuku to Nigeria as a condition precedent shortly after the Bayelsa election. “We have told Sylva that we will back him and indeed join the actors to help him deliver, but we want him to facilitate a soft landing for Kuku to return home. We want him and he has also agreed to join the APC as soon as he returns to the country. For now, his followers across the Niger Delta will be aligning with the APC pending his arrival,” the source added.

  • ‘Lawmaker raped me, promised to give me N20m if my husband divorced me’

    A businesswoman, Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that she was raped by a federal lawmaker, Uju Kingsley Chima, on August 9, 2015.

    Mrs Kamalu told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that following an incestuous relationship with Chima, the lawmaker offered to pay her N20 million if she was divorced by her husband, Mr Gabriel Igbibi.

    Chima is the Member, Federal House of Representatives for Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency of Imo State.

    She is seeking protection from Chima, who she alleged caused her to be arrested on 27th day of May, 2019 tortured, humiliated, detained for seven days by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and arraigned on a fictitious N40million theft charge.

    Kamalu made the allegations in a fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/1458/19 which came up on September 11, 2019.

    Her counsel, Chijioke Jiakponna, told the judge that Chima had been evading service. He alleged that when the bailiff called Chima on phone to inform him that he wanted to serve him, the lawmaker cut the call.

    Justice Oweibo adjourned till yesterday to rule on whether to allow substituted service.

    Monday, the court did not sit.

    When The Nation phoned Chima on Saturday evening for his reaction to the rape and N20m allegations, he said “I’m inside a court now, can we talk later? I’m inside a court.”

    Later that night and Monday, his number rang out.

    In her August 22, 2019 Affidavit of Urgency, Kamalu said she filed the suit due to the “intimidation, mounting surveillance and or illegal oral invitation threat of life and annihilation of property.”

    She said she had been living “in perpetual fear” of being further detained “indefinitely.”

    Kamalu is seeking several reliefs including a declaration that her arrest and detention “by the respondent at the State CID Police Headquarters, Owerri, Imo State (SARS) for seven days was unconstitutional.”

    Others include a declaration that her invitation by the police for another investigation while the case has been adjourned sine die at the Chief Magistrate Court, Owerri, violates her rights.

    She also wants an order restraining the Respondents, from further arresting, pursuing and intimidating her.

    “An order directing the 1st 2nd, 4th to 6th Respondents to release forthwith her Infinix Note 7 and lnfinix Note 8 illegally seized by the Respondents during the arrest and torture in Lagos.

    Read Also: I never raped anyone, my accuser is a liar, serial fraudster, says lawmaker

    “An order awarding damage in the sum of N50 Million to the Applicant for the unlawful arrest, torture, unlawful detention, insult, disgrace, intimidation and the embarrassing treatment meted out on the Applicant.”

    In her August 22, 2019 Affidavit in support of her application, Kamalu averred that she and Chima began dating in 1993 while she was in secondary school.

    “We dated for 10 years, after which he proposed marriage and we both agreed to settle down as husband and wife. Unfortunately, our parents kicked against our relationship on the ground that we are biologically related and that we were committing incest and could not get married, so I married another man called Gabriel Igbibi,” she said.

    The applicant said she reconnected with the lawmaker when she needed assistance to execute a contract she secured and that after she refused his advances, “he raped me.”

    “I lodged the case first at New Owerri Police Station wherein he influenced it and I wrote a Petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Force State Quarters, Abuja. The petition was assigned to Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia, Abia State.

    “The 1st Respondent settled the police and they brokered peace between the 1st Respondent and me, wherein he promised to take proper care of me because he cannot withdraw himself from me.

    She said following their reconciliation, they resumed their incestuous relationship “fully again”.

    Kamalu added: “My husband got wind of the relationship between the 1st respondent and myself,” following which he filed for divorce.

    When she informed Chima he allegedly gave her money to hire a lawyer for the case.

    “The 1st Respondent promised that if the divorce succeeds, he will be giving me N20 million every six months and also buy me a property in any designated place in Lagos.

    “The marriage was dissolved at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos. After the divorce, the 1st Respondent told me that before he will take the relationship serious, I will have to bear a child for him.”

    According to her, she took in for him, but had a miscarriage. He then asked her to adopt a baby which would be his and claim that the baby was born in Canada, but that the baby also died.

    She further claimed that he made her swear to an oath of loyalty, but she eventually caught him with another woman.

    “I became infuriated and he became furious and warned me never to visit him again, that he is no longer interested in the relationship. I reminded him of the oath he forced me to take that no man must have any relationship with me again and the promise to be giving N20m every six months, buy me a property in a choice area, buy a brand new car every six months, which he had never fulfilled.

    “I told him that I would tell the whole world how he has ruined my life and deceived me out of my marriage where I had four children.”

    She told the court that this was why the lawmaker used the police to arrest her on May 27, 2019 and detained for seven days.