Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Wednesday 5th February 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 05/02/20
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Group Calls For Evacuation Of Refuse Heap In Lagos Community
The Socialist Party of Nigeria in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos has called on officials of Ministry of Health, and Environmental Sanitation Department under the local council to immediately evacuate piles of refuse blocking canals around Okoya and Opeleye axis of the community.
In a statement, the SPN said that the heaps of dirt posed grave danger to peoples’ health around the area and should therefore be quickly removed.
The statement signed by Publicity Secretary of the party in the area, Ifeanyi Onwunalu, reads, “We fear that what happened in the past when these canals were dredged is about to happen again.
“The so-called contractors the local government awarded the job to will not complete the project.
“Instead of equipping works department and using it to execute projects such as dredging of canals and other related social services, the local government leadership has continued to use its failed agenda of Public Private Partnership to execute projects that are abandoned, and the funds earmarked for such not accounted for.
“The Socialist Party of Nigeria believes that government’s sole social responsibility is to provide the need of people and that is why we are calling on them to improve infrastructure in the community.”
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Falana Makes Case For State Security Outfits, Social Security
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has made a strong case for state police. In the maiden Memorial Public Lecture in memory of late Prof Olumuyiwa Awe delivered at the Trechard Hall, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Falana said, “In view of the clear provisions of the constitution on the establishment of one police force for the federation state governors should ensure that the institution is superintended by the NPC.”
According to Falana, “State governments which are not secured under the present political dispensation may wish to set up state security agencies. After all, the National Assembly has made laws for the establishment of other arms bearing institutions.”
Falana’s paper read, in part, “In a nation where individuals are granted licences to bear arms by the President it is discriminatory and illegal to prevent state governors from acquiring licences for members of state law enforcement agencies for securing the life and property of every citizen residing in the states.
“Our recent experience has proved that the establishment of a single and central police force for the country has not enhanced the maintenance of law and order. Aside the inability of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee law and order in the entire country the Nigerian people have witnessed the usurpation of police powers and abuse of same by the Federal Government.
“Without any challenge by the state governments the Nigeria Police Force has since been turned into an organ of brutal coercion by the federal government. Therefore, the call for state police has increased due to incessant armed robbery attacks in the homes of people, abduction of travellers on the roads, reckless killing of unarmed people by terrorist and bandits and extra-judicial killing of criminal suspects by the federal law enforcement agencies.
“Section 214 of the constitution provides that there shall be Police Force for Nigeria which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this Section no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof. It is further provided that the Nigeria Police Force shall be organised and administered in accordance with such provisions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. Furthermore, the members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by law.
“Accordingly, the National Assembly has enacted the Police Act (Cap P19) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 for the organization and administration of the Nigeria Police Force. The Act has conferred enormous powers on the Police in the maintenance of law and order in the federation. Some laws enacted by state governments have equally tasked the Police with the responsibility of enforcing state laws.
“It is germane to note that 36 out of the 39 members of the Nigeria Police Council are state governors. But the governors have failed to use their numerical strength to insist that the NPC be allowed to discharge its constitutional duties. For reasons best known to the state governors, the President has been allowed to exercise the powers of the NPC with respect to the appointment and removal of the IGP and the general supervision of the NPF.
“The Council has not adduced any reason to justify its failure to hold regular meetings and take decisions in line with the provisions of Section 159 of the constitution.
“Since 1999, the Nigeria Police Force have been converted to the Federal Government Police Force administered by the President, the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Commission. While state governments are barred from establishing state police service on the grounds that there shall be only one police force in the country the federal government has created the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
“The force was given statutory backing by the national assembly with the enactment of the Nigeria Security and Defence Corps Act, 2003. The Act which was amended in 2007 has enhanced the capacity the Corps to provide protection, crisis resolution and security in public institutions. Other agencies whose officials have been authorized to bear arms and perform police functions include the State Security Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Correctional Service and the anti-graft agencies.
“In recent time, the maintenance of internal security has been taken over by the Nigerian Army in several states of the federation. Military commanders are members of the security councils in all the states of the federation while the anti-robbery squads in each state is constituted by soldiers and police personnel. The armed forces have also engaged in the control of protests and public meetings.
“In spite of the declaration of the federal high court and the Court of Appeal that it is illegal to involve the armed forces in election duties, some state governors have continued to invite the President to deploy armed soldiers to maintain law and order during elections. Such usurpation of police duties by the armed forces has led to reckless killings of unarmed citizens in several parts of the country.
“Whereas the secret agency established by the National Security Agencies Act law is the State Security Service (SSS) the federal government has been allowed to turn it into the Department of State Security Service (DSS) like the Nigeria Police Force. But in Mimiko v. Agagu Agagu v. Mimiko (2010) 32 WRN 16 the Court of Appeal berated both security agencies for supporting the candidate of the ruling party.
“Many citizens are opposed to the creation of state police for the fear that it may be used to haunt political opponents of some state governors. I know a state governor in the south west who once had a killer squad headed by his chief security officer, a police officer.
“One of the unarmed citizens mowed down by the illegal squad was a world bank expert. All efforts to prosecute the suspects who were indicted in several killings of unarmed citizens by the squad have been frustrated by the state government. The story is the same in in a few other states in the country. To that extent the fear of the possible manipulation of state police is genuine.
“To avoid a situation whereby abuse of police powers is decentralized any security service established by state governments should be democratically controlled. The service will be founded by the state governments and superintended by an independent state police council of five members. The members of the council should be accredited representatives of the state government, labour, women, youths and the business community.
“The service will police the state and see to the enforcement of all the laws enacted by the house of assembly. The success of the civilian Joint Task Force in the counter insurgency operations in Borno state has proved that the best way to police a country is to recruit, train and equip young men and women to operate in their own communities.
“The colonial practice of posting police personnel to operate outside their states of origin was meant to suppress and intimidate colonial subjects by strangers. It is a practice which has become counter-productive in a post-colonial state. Every police officer should operate in their community, speak the local language and mix freely with the people.
“Without an understanding of the cultural background of a people a police officer cannot successfully gather intelligence which is a sine qua non conditio for effective police operations.
“In the manifesto of the All Progressive Party (APC) it is expressly stated that there shall be power devolution from the centre to the other federating units. The APC Committee on federalism headed by Governor El Rufai recommended the establishment of state police.
“With respect to internal security the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has stated that in guaranteeing security, the role of government; the State government, the role of State judiciary are crucial. The Federal Government has the overarching role of ensuring that the Police works, the Army is doing their job, and other security agencies are doing their work.
“Apparently, President Muhammadu Buhari is not totally opposed to state police but he has his reservation. Hence, he has expressed the fear that a number of state governments might endanger national security if state security operatives are owed arrears of salaries like workers.
“It is pertinent to draw the attention of the federal government to Section 33 (1) of the 1999 Constitution has imposed a duty on the State to guarantee and protect the right of every person to life.
“Notwithstanding such duty imposed on the State the right to self-defence is equally guaranteed by Section 33 (2) of the Constitution which provides that a person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section, if he dies as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary – (a) for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property.”
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Exposed: How Vehicle Inspection Officers In Abuja Release Defaulting Cars After Taking Bribe
Vehicle Inspection Officers at Asokoro, Abuja – Nigeria’s capital – have been found to be involved in corrupt practices against the dictates of their jobs, according to an investigation by SaharaReporters.
On Tuesday afternoon, the team led by a senior official popularly known as Dodo, flagged down a Honda saloon car with registration number UND 672 CX few meters away from the busy AYA roundabout in Asokoro and asked the driver to pull over by the side of the road.
Our correspondent, who witnessed the scene, observed that after inspecting the vehicle’s documents and discovering that everything was up-to-date and valid, the VIO personnel carefully looked around the car to ensure they found an offence upon which to nail the owner of the car.
Upon seeing that one of the back tyres of the car had worn out and not fit for travel, the officials immediately impounded the vehicle and drove it to their office.
Our correspondent, who trailed the team to their Asokoro office, saw how owners of impounded vehicles at the facility tried frantically to get their automobiles released by pleading with Dodo and his men to accept amounts they could afford.
Owner of the Honda car was eventually asked to pay N4,500 after a long process of negotiation with the officials.
The middle-aged man was later allowed to leave with his vehicle without being mandated to fix the terribly bad tyre that poses a great threat to his life including that of other road users.
While still at the Asokoro VIO office, our correspondent observed how owners of impounded vehicles especially those unfit to be on Nigerian roads were forced to pay between N5,000 to N20,000 before being released to go.
Findings by SaharaReporters discovered that the fraudulent scheme had been a regular feature at this place for sometime.
The officials have practically left their statutory responsibilities of ensuring the road worthiness of vehicles to making a goldmine out of unsuspecting members of the public they blackmail with the slightest opportunity to milk.
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Another Nigerian Lady Rescued From Lebanon By NAPTIP
Julie Oka-Donli
Julie Oka-Donli
SaharaReporters Media
The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons says it has rescued another Nigerian lady, Mrs Kikelomo Olayide, who was allegedly deceived to Lebanon for employment, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Lagos State Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Daniel Atokolo, said this at a news conference organised by the agency in Lagos on Tuesday.
This is coming weeks after Omolola Ajayi, a Kwara-based 23-year-old single mother trafficked to Lebanon on the pretext of becoming an English teacher, was rescued by the government.
Olayide returned to Nigeria at 4:00pm on February 2 and is presently under the agency’s care.
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Ladies Trafficked To Lebanon Begs To Return Home After Nigerian Embassy Rejects Them
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The commander said the victim was allegedly trafficked by a 54–year-old Lebanese (name withheld) in October 2019.
Atokolo said, “NAPTIP responded to Olayide’s husband complaints on January 30 when she was apprehended by the Lebanese, who is resident in Lagos.
“NAPTIP immediately mandated the suspect to release Olayide in Lebanon to be moved back to Nigeria.
“Olayide is a mother of two and an indigene of Kwara.”
Atokolo presenting the fact of the case said that the suspect trafficked the victim under the pretence of employing her as a caregiver to his aged mother in Lebanon.
“However, upon the victim’s arrival at Lebanon, she was received by an agent, who also handed her over to a family, where she was exploited as a domestic servant.
“The victim also reported that she was sexually harassed while working for the said family,” the NAPTIP Lagos Commander said.
According to Atokolo, when Olayide’s husband approached the suspect to return his wife, he was threatened.
“The suspect demanded that the victim would only be returned if the victim’s family provides another person to replace her. This is so sad,” the state commander said.
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E2%80%99s-wife-chizoba-denies-claims-15m-found-her-us-bank-account Brigadier-General Nengite’s Wife, Chizoba, Denies Claims Of $15m Found In Her US Bank Account
The Source Magazine
Wife of Brigadier-General Charles Nengite, Chizoba, has denied allegations that between $11m and $15m was found in her bank account in the United States.
Mrs Nengite also said allegations that she was being investigated for money laundering in America were false.
She threatened to seek legal redress against sponsors or publishers of such “false information”.
There were reports last December that the Nigerian Army detained Brigadier-General Nengite following the discovery of $16m in a bank account belonging to his wife.
He was said to have been held by the Army’s Special Investigations Bureau, a department that handles matters relating to fraud and money laundering.
But Mrs Nengite, in a statement through her lawyer, Taofik Adeleke, described publications linking her to any such money as “false and malicious”.
Adeleke said, “A false allegation by unknown sources was made against our client insinuating that our client was involved in money laundering activities.
“The said publications specifically stated that monies ranging from between $11m to $15m was found in our client’s private account in the United States of America and that our client is under investigation by the authorities in the United States of America.
“The false publication caused Mrs Nengite and her family a lot of undue embarrassment thus necessitating the need to refute the wrong information now in the public domain.
“We wish to state unequivocally on behalf of our client that the information is not true.
“At no time was such an amount of money or any huge sums of money found in our client’s account to warrant the false and malicious publication.”
According to Adeleke, the woman had “never at any time been invited, interrogated or questioned by authorities in America as falsely claimed in the said publication.
“The false information in the public domain is only an imagination in the mind of mischief makers.”
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Over 20,000 Admission Seekers Apply For 3000 Undergraduate Positions In FUTA
Federal University of Technology – Akure
Federal University of Technology – Akure
Nigeria Schools
The Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, has said that over 20,000 admission seekers applied to study in the institution for the 2019/2020 academic calendar.
Vice Chancellor of FUTA, Prof Joseph Fuwape, made the disclosure on Tuesday at an orientation programme held on the campus for newly admitted students.
Fuwape said out of the large figure, a total of 11,000 applicants seeking to study different undergraduate degree programmes in the university were able to meet the study requirement.
He added that the authorities of the institution was only able to admit a total of 3,270 new undergraduates due to the admission quota system.
Fuwape, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof Deji Ogunsemi, at the ceremony, lamented the poor academic record of students seeking admission into Nigerian universities.
He said, “For this session, over 20,000 applied to study here with over 11, 000 meeting the minimum admission requirement.
“Out of this figure, just over 3, 000 made it.”
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FAAN Terminates Contract With I-CUBE Over Access Gate Crisis
After about 35 hours of crisis between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and its concessionaire on toll gate, Integrated intelligence Imaging, the agency has finally terminated its contractual agreement with the firm.
I-CUBE had been in charge of the access gate at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, for about 10 years, but the current agreement was entered into in 2014 and ran out in 2019.
FAAN in a memo dated February 4, 2020, signed by its Managing Director, Capt Rabiu Yadudu, and titled: ‘Re: Concession Agreement between FAAN and Messrs I-Cube West Africa Limited in respect of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Access Gate,’ said the termination was with immediate effect.
FAAN in the memo said that it was ready to take over the place with a view to ascertaining the actual amount being generated from the place.
The memo asked the staff of the concessionaire to vacate the premises immediately.
The letter reads, “We refer to the above mentioned agreement which commenced on February 10, 2014 and expired on February 9, 2019.
“Kindly be informed that the authority has resolved to temporarily take over the management of the said Murtala Muhammed International Airport Access Gate with immediate effect to determine the actual revenue generated. By this letter you are requested to vacate the premises immediately.”
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Insecurity: Pastor Adeboye, CAN Rallies Commended By Presidency
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The Presidency in Nigeria has said that the recent ‘prayer walk’ by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and the Christian Association of Nigeria over the rising insecurity in the country represented the peaceful right of all Nigerians to express their views on matters of religion, ethics, politics, and society, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
He noted that the CAN peace walk originated from the “shocking, unacceptable death of Pastor Lawan Andimi at the hands of Boko Haram.
“The President feels their pain, and that of his family, for his loss.”
The President therefore maintained that whether Christian or Muslim, all Nigerians and their beliefs must be respected.
He said, “The duty of all of us is to uphold the rights of others to worship according to their faith – and to respect the rights of each other to do so freely in the spirit of brotherhood and respect – and without interference.
“This means, however, that we must stop false claims that only serve to divide one community against the other.
“There is no place in Nigeria for those who politicise religion. This is the President’s message to both Muslim and Christian communities alike.
“In the light of this, the CAN-inspired prayers and street enlightenment in our cities are much welcome as sensitisers to the need for all citizens irrespective of faith, religion or language to accept their duty and role in law enforcement, to prevent crime in all its manifestations, be it corruption, theft, terrorism, banditry or kidnapping.
“Without citizen involvement, there is no miracle with which less than half-a-million policemen can effectively protect a population of 200 million.
“CAN is right to arouse popular consciousness to this duty to the state.”
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Boko Haram Tag: PRNigeria Publisher Sues ‘Youth Leader’ Over Malicious Allegations
Publisher of PRNigeria, Mr Yushau Shuaib, has instituted legal action against Terrence Kuanum, leader of Benue Youth Forum, for accusing him of sponsoring Boko Haram activities after his article titled: ‘A Memo to President Buhari on the Service Chiefs’ went viral in the media.
Terrance in his own article titled ”A Rejoinder to an Impenitent Boko Haram Empathizer, Yushau A. Shuaib’s Spleen in Memo to President Buhari on Service Chiefs” described Yushau as “a Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province terrorists’ empathizer and spy proxy”.
He alleged that the PRNigeria Publisher has been conscripted and assigned to deploy his pen to up the ante in campaigns for the ouster of the current service chiefs in order to assist Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
Shuaib in statement on Tuesday refuted the allegation, describing it as a smear campaign with a sinister Boko-Haram sympathiser labelled against him in order to provide an alibi for possible attacks and elimination by elements being sponsored for nefarious activities.
Shuaib said he has also noticed some strange movements in his vicinity, which prompted him to alert the security service.
He said, “I have already alerted security agencies and instructed my lawyers to institute legal action against Terrence Kuanum over the false and malicious allegation he levelled against me.
“He will have an opportunity to prove all the allegations in the court of law.”
To this end, Shuaib wondered why several media that did not publish the original memo found it worthwhile to report the rejoinder with a spurious motive and malignant intent.
He added, “Surprisingly, some of the media that didn’t publish my original article went ahead to publish the libellous rejoinder of about 3000 words.”
Shuaib said his reports are only aimed at promoting the fight against insurgency and protecting national security.
He also revealed that he had been under pressure not to further disclose the list of over 20 towns recovered by troops during the President Goodluck Jonathan administration in his articles.
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E2%80%99s-biggest-problem-%E2%80%93efcc Corruption Is Nigeria’s Biggest Problem –EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said that corruption remains the biggest challenge in Nigeria and not leadership.
Head of Uyo Zonal Office, Theresa Nwosu, said during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday.
She explained that the EFCC had put all hands on deck to ensure the eradication of corruption in order for Nigeria to succeed.
She said, “You heard Mr President sometimes ago when he said that if we don’t kill corruption, it will kill the nation, that is how bad it is.
“Every Nigerian knows that the problem we have in Nigeria today is corruption and whether this corruption wants to die or not, we will kill it.
“Although, many still see the activities of the commission as a witch-hunt, the big question is if you have classified EFCC as witch-hunters, why do you still make yourself a witch for EFCC to hunt?
“There is no innocent person that has been convicted, even though EFCC is not the judiciary that do the convictions.
“It is important to state that every Nigerian must get involved if we must succeed in killing this hydra headed monster as it has permeated our lives.”
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