Sahara Reporters Latest News Friday 17th May 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Friday 17th May 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 17/05/19

target=_blank>‘Stop Eating Foreign Rice’, Customs Boss Hameed Ali Beg Nigerians

Hameed Ali (rtd), the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, has appealed to Nigerians to stop consuming foreign rice riddled with chemicals.Ali spoke at a news conference organized by the ministry of finance on Thursday. He said: “A chemical must have been added to sustain its freshness and that chemical is harmful.“Also, it has been re-bagged with a new date given as the production and expiry dates, and that is what we consume here which causes diseases.“So, I appeal to Nigerians to please patronize our own rice, it is available, more nutritious and if you do that you will assist customs by making sure these people (smugglers) are put out of business.“We always ask for assistance from Nigerians to apprehend these smugglers, but up till now, there is no private citizen that has walked up to us to give us information, the only people giving us information are the rice millers.”

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target=_blank>‘Loom Money Nigeria’ Is A Scam SEC Warn Nigerians

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a warning to Nigerians investing their money in an online investment scheme tagged “Loom Money Nigeria.’’Mary Uduk, Acting Director-General of the commission, gave the warning at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.Uduk said: “We are aware of the activities of an online investment scheme tagged ‘Loom Money Nigeria’.“The platform has embarked on an aggressive online media campaign on Facebook and WhatsApp.“They lure the investing public to participate by joining various Loom WhatsApp groups to invest as low as N1,000 and N13,000 and get as much as eight times the value of the investment in 48 hours.“Unlike MMM that had a website and the promoter known, the people promoting Loom are not yet known and this pyramid scheme operates through closed groups mainly on Facebook and WhatsApp.“If it were a local Ponzi scheme with known offices, it would be very easy for the Commission to seal their offices and freeze their accounts.“We therefore wish to notify the investing public that the operation of this investment scheme has no tangible business model hence it’s a Ponzi scheme, where returns are paid from other people’s invested sum“Also, its operation is not registered by the Commission”.

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target=_blank>Nigerian Girl, Tobechukwu Philips, Breaks 125 Year Academic History In The US

Tobechukwu Phillips a Nigerian born teenager has broken the 125 academic history of her high school in Texas, US.Phillips, who earned A’s all through her stay at Alvin High School boasted a 6.9 GPA is now the first Black valedictorian of her school. Alvin High School was originally established in 1894. African-American students were allowed to join the school in 1965.Speaking on her success Phillips said: “Maintaining the highest GPA in my class is a difficult task. It truly takes time management but more importantly acknowledging what you do it for. I know that I am no longer just representing myself.“My biggest advice to other scholars of colour is to truly adopt the mindset of Rosa Parks — ‘No.’ Do not conform to the stereotypes that have held us under thumbs for so long.“Do not be discouraged when someone speaks out against you, simply allow what they say to fuel your fire. But more than anything, do not remain tight-lipped. Stand up for what you believe in and take it upon yourself to be the change you’ve always wanted. Say ‘No’ to the ways of the world and stick out.”

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target=_blank>UPDATE: Full List Of EFCC’s 11-Count Charge Against Naira Marley

The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission has slammed an 11 Count charge against popular Musician, Naira Marley.The case filed at the Federal High Court has suit number FHC/L/178c/19.The charges read:Count One: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Yad Isril (still at large) on or about the 26th day of November 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to use access card No. 5264711020433662 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.Count Two reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Yad Isril (still at large) on or about the 26th day of November 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to use card No. 5264711020433662 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.Count three says: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Raze (still at large) on or about the 26th day of November 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to use access card No. 42658840359191132 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.Count Four reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Raze (still at large) on or about the 11th day of December 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to use card access No. conspired among yourselves to use access card No. 42658840359191132 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.Count Five reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 42658840359191132 issued to another person and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.Count Six: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 5264711020433662 issued to another person and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.Count Seven: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 5573793034017422 issued to another person and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.Count Eight: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 4539782440624281 issued to Nicole Louise Malyon and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.Count Nine: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 4921819410257431 issued to Timea Fedorne Tatar and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.Count Ten: ““That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to retain possession of more than two cards issues in the name of different cardholders and which cards were retained under circumstances which constitute card theft and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (a) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 34 of the same act.Count 11: ““That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain the possession of more than two cards issued in the name of different cardholders and which cards were retained under circumstances which constitute a card theft and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 34 of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.The charge dated May 14, 2019 was personally signed and collected by Naira Marley on May 15, 2019 who is still being detained by the EFCC in Lagos.

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target=_blank>Suspected Internet Fraudsters Release Dog On EFCC Detectives

Some officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office have been attacked by dogs after attempting to arrest suspected internet fraudsters. Suspects arrested in the operation are Paul Afolabi, Balogun Ibrahim Adebayo, Izu Ibobo Chukwunalu, Abe Tolulope, Onifade Gideon Idowu, Komolafe Tosin, and Igwe Kinsley Otuu.The officers who received intelligence reports and launched preliminary investigations into the alleged illegal activities and stormed the suspects’ hideout at Agara area of Ibadan, Oyo State, at the early hours of Wednesday 15 May.Vanguard reports that Instead of allowing them in, after a proper introduction, one of the suspects instructed the guard to release the attack dog on the operatives.Still out of desperation to conceal useful information that could help the Commission in their investigation, one of the suspects smashed his android phone with the intention to destroy the gadget and deny access to the data therein.The attempt equally failed as the operatives took possession of the broken phone, which is currently with the forensic unit, where analysis is being carried out to obtain data from it.

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target=_blank>Senate Passes Bill To Make June 12 Democracy Day

The Senate on Thursday passed the Public Holiday Act Amendment Bill to recognize June 12 as the new Democracy Day.
The Senate at the plenary on Thursday passed the amendment in concurrence with the House of Representatives which approved the new date earlier in December 2018.
The passage followed the adoption of a report by Senator Ahmad Lawan, the Majority Leader, for the Senate to concur with the House.
The bill was passed almost one year after President Muhammadu Buhari announced that the date would replace May 29 for Nigerians to commemorate the return to the civilian government.
The legislation is now billed for transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
President Buhari had on June 6, 2018, announced June 12 as the new date which Democracy Day would be celebrated in the country, to honour the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola, who was fondly known as MKO.
The President made the declaration as the Federal Government honoured the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, with a posthumous conferment of the highest national award, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, on him.
The decision has made Abiola the second Nigerian who never presided over the country but was given the highest national award. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, before Abiola, was given the same award despite failing to become the president of Nigeria.
Buhari had also conferred on Abiola’s running mate in the election, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and foremost human rights lawyer, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the Grand Commander of the Niger award, which is the second highest national honour.

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target=_blank>BREAKING: EFCC To Arraign Naira Marley On 11-Count Charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has perfected plans to arraign musician Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, for alleged credit card fraud.
Naira Marley was arrested last Friday together with Omomniyi Temidayo also known as Zlatan Ibile and three others.
SaharaReporters had reported that the two artistes are also under the agency’s investigation for songs and comments glorifying cybercrime; most recently “am i a yahoo boy?”

target=_blank>EFCC Arrests Kwara Lawmaker-elect Over N26m Property Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested Abdulgafar Ayinla, a member-elect of the Kwara State House of Assembly, for involvement in property scam, forgery and obtaining money under the pretense to the tune of about N26,000,000.
Ilorin Zonal Office of EFCC said it received a petition on the activity of Ayinla and moved on to arrest him after an investigation has been made.
Ayinla was to assist the petitioner in purchasing land but he received the money on behalf of the money but he failed to remit it to the owner neither did her return it to the petitioner.
According to the EFCC, “The petitioner who resides in the United State of America, USA stated that Ayinla who is a legal practitioner was introduced to her by her late Aunt as capable of helping her purchase some properties in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.”
Quoting the petitioner, the EFF said the lawmaker-elect sold “two plots of land with four bedroom bungalow at window level at Agric area of Ilorin. I paid N8, 240, 000 (Eight Million Naira Two hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) commission of which Ayinla informed me that the seller had received his money but he never pay the money to the seller up till today, and never refunded the money to me.”
The lawmaker said Ayinla would soon be charged to court.

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target=_blank>Ganduje: Understanding The Pathology Of Revenge By Azu Ishiekwene

Kano State Governor Ganduje

The Sarkin Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, always wanted to be to local. Even in his heyday as governor of the Central Bank, he said he was often amused when public office holders fought for appointment as ministers, state governors, ambassadors or for any position at all on the big stage.
All he ever wanted after his tour of duty at the Central Bank, he said, was to be Sarkin Kano, the emir.
He got his wish. But as it has turned out almost from the onset, and progressively ever since, he has been subjected to far more siege than he might have experienced even if he had become Secretary General of the United Nations. Yet, it appears to be a largely self-imposed misery.
The Sarkin Kano wanted the best of two worlds, but much to his grief, a third is being created for him – a hyperlocal ruler. A local emir with the power, glory, and omnipotence of a global icon is a mirage. Local with global reach is the stuff of advert copy. In the real world, to change local, you must make haste slowly.
It was not only that what he wanted all his life was not in the office he passionately desired, but it was also, in a significant way, anathema to it. Two years ago, a courageous journalist with a deep interest in the North, Jaafar Jaafar, published an article in which he directly accused Sanusi of financial recklessness.
Jafaar claimed that about six weeks after the Sarkin Kano was enthroned the emirate’s safe was raided and, within two years, stripped of over N4billion, apart from nearly N500million spent on luxury cars. That was outside the millions of naira spent on travels and phone calls, which more than doubled the annual overheads of the palace.
Just the sort of thing that the Sarkin Kano condemned in the Goodluck Jonathan government for which he earned brownie points.
Why did he not see the plank in his own eye? Why did it not dawn on the Sarkin Kano who comes from the worst poverty-endemic zone in the country and who himself said that if we do nothing that Nigeria might remain the world’s poverty capital for another 30 years, that his lifestyle was inconsistent with what he was preaching?
And this is not kicking a man who’s down. There are, of course, other versions of the story out there. It’s been said, in some circles for example, that Sanusi’s problem started after the 2015 election when he made a pitch to President Muhammadu Buhari for the Senate presidency for his friend and old King’s College schoolmate, Bukola Saraki.
Beyond old boys’ ties, Saraki, once chair of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, was also instrumental to Sanusi’s appointment by President Umaru Yar’Adua as Central Bank governor.
The Sarkin Kano felt obliged to repay a good turn. Buhari rebuffed him, but his friend, Saraki, got the Senate presidency through the backdoor, to the displeasure of the party and the Presidency. He was said to have returned again, this time, to ask for a reprieve for Saraki during his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). That second visit cemented the impression that the Sarkin Kano was a man to be kept at arm’s length.
Yet, the failed episode of quiet diplomacy may not have been his biggest undoing. If at that stage, the cold war was between Sanusi and Abuja, the Sarkin Kano brought the battle home when he said of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s $1.8billion agreement with China in 2017 for a light rail project with the China Exim Bank: “At the end of the day what do you benefit from it in a state like Kano or Katsina?
“Where are you going to? You are not going to an industrial estate to work. You are not going to school? You are not going to the farm. You borrow money from China to invest in trains so that your citizens can ride on them and go for weddings and naming ceremonies.”
To be fair, the Sarkin Kano has used his considerable clout to the benefit of Kano. Part of the fruit of his effort is Black Rhino’s partnership with Dangote for a $150million 100megawatt solar electricity project in the state, apart from other efforts to revive Kano as a trading and industrial powerhouse.
But his China quip was the inconvenient truth: Inconvenient for Ganduje who in spite of his credentials has proved to be one of the most incompetent governors in Kano’s recent history, and certainly inconvenient for Sanusi whose arrogance robbed him of the benefit of the wisdom of his own words.
Sanusi handed his enemies a stick, inviting the last straw when he openly – and rightly – praised the state commissioner of police, Muhammad Wakili, for resisting Ganduje’s blatant attempt to rig the keenly contested governorship election, before the election was declared inconclusive.
Ganduje is on a roll, but he would choke on his own spite. Wait and see. The governor is not after the Sarkin Kano because he has suddenly seen the light and recognized that neither a predatory emirate nor weekly carnivals of state-sponsored weddings will save Kano. He is not after the Sarkin Kano and the kingmakers because he has seen the need to restructure the centuries’ old emirate and make it more responsive.
Nor is he even motivated by the ideological difference that spurred similar tampering under former Abubakar Rimi; the “emancipation” mantra that instigated a similar exercise under Solomon Lar in Plateau; or the ethnically charged agenda driving gerrymandering in Southern Kaduna under Nasir El-Rufai.
It’s venge-fest pure and simple; the sort of thing that Ganduje’s in-law and outgoing Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, did in Ibadan, shredding the Olubadan’s domain in spite of the law and shamelessly naming streets after himself.
Reliable sources said the Sarkin Kano resisted all entreaties to support Ganduje in the tight governorship race. The statement from the palace after the inconclusive poll that politics should not be a do-or-die affair, it was said, was aimed at the governor in his vulnerable moment. Politicians interested in 2023 poured petrol into the fire, telling Ganduje to mark the Sarkin Kano as his number one enemy.
Now, it’s payback time and among the most deadly armies in the governor’s service are those from within the royal household, including Aminu Ado Bayero, one of the Sarkin Kano’s bitterest rivals for the throne.
I’ve been intrigued by the pathology of this spite. Why is Ganduje determined to bring down the house Uthman dan Fodio built, instead of taking on the Sarkin Kano directly, if he has a case against him? Is it necessary to destroy the foundation to take the house to the next level? Why stir up the potentially deadly embers of a royal feud to quench one man’s perceived inordinate ambition?
How can a governor who came to office with some of the best academic and experiential credentials make such a profound mess of his first four years in office that he’s literally twisting by a judicial thread? How can a man who came to power with considerable goodwill be at deadly odds with both the king and the kingmakers so soon afterward?
A few of the answers go back to the beginning – to Ganduje’s rise to power. He was handed power by his former boss, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who not only held him in contempt for the most part of his tenure but once reportedly said to Ganduje’s face that he would remove him from office if he didn’t perform. Ganduje was in office but an orphan in power, a complete hostage to the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Kwankwaso’s bitter exit from the ruling APC was the window Ganduje needed to team up with Abuja and reclaim his mojo, one drop of testosterone at a time. Not only has he regained sufficient confidence to shake down contractors, but he is also pulling down electoral and monarchical strongholds – whatever bears allegiance to the Kwankwasiyya order
With the matter back in court, the game of thrones, which is just one aspect of the unfolding drama, has only changed gears. It promises to be a foreboding season.
Ishiekwene is the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview and member of the board of the Global Editors Network

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‘Fayose Tags Fayemi ‘Enemy Of The People’ For Sacking 2,000 Workers

Ayodele Fayose, ex-Governor of Ekiti State, has condemned the sacking of 2,000 workers by Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Fayemi, had on Wednesday at the State Executive Council meeting, sacked over 2,000 workers employed into the state workforce by former Governor Ayodele Fayose after the July 2018 Ekiti Governorship Election.
Muyiwa Olumilua, Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, who spoke to newsmen said Fayemi had also directed Ayodeji Ajayi, Head of Service, “to collate all available vacancies in the civil service, with the overhead implications to enable the state government to prepare to recruit suitable and qualified Ekiti citizens into the public service, irrespective of the party affiliations.”
Fayose, reacting to the mass sack, said Fayemi has succeeded in writing his name in the history books of Ekiti as one who inflicted sorrow on the people.
He also branded Fayose’s supporters as being against the well being of Ekiti people.
“He has demonstrated this by sacking Ekiti people who were duly employed by the state government.
“Whoever that applauds this show of wickedness will be reminded in future when actions of Fayemi will also be reviewed,” Fayose said.
The former governor of the state urged the victims to approach the court of law to ensure their rights are not infringed upon.
“As for those who have now become victims of this act of wickedness and political vendetta, they should enforce their rights to seek redress in the court of law.”

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