Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 5th April 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 05/04/20
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Nigeria’s Coronavirus Cases Rise To 131
The number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Nigeria rose to 131 on Monday with two recorded deaths.
Nigerian Centre for Disease Control made the announcement
The NCDC tweeted, “Twenty new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria; 13 in Lagos, four in FCT, two in Kaduna and one in Oyo State.
“As of 09:00pm on March 30, there are 131 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria with two deaths.
“For a breakdown of cases by states in real-time, Lagos currently has 81 cases, FCT- 25, Ogun- three, Enugu- two, Ekiti- one, Oyo- eight, Edo- two, Bauchi- two, Osun – two, Rivers – one, Benue – one, and Kaduna also has three.”
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President Buhari Succumbs To Public Pressure, Signs COVID-19 Regulations 2020
After intense pressure from the Nigerian public especially from senior legal practitioners and other prominent citizens, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday announced the signing into law of the COVID-19 Regulations.
Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Quarantine Act (CAP Q2 LFN 2004) conferred such powers on President Buhari.
It was the legal framework needed to enforce the lockdown order in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT issued by Buhari on Sunday during a nationwide broadcast. The announcement was made on Monday night by Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
President Buhari had addressed Nigerians on the outbreak and continued spread of Coronavirus 35 days after the country’s first case was recorded.
A flurry of criticisms over his silence and perceived lack of concern on the damage caused by the pandemic had pushed him to speak.
Recall that earlier on Monday, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had said that the lockdown order could not be enforced except it was backed by a law.
He said, “No doubt, the President is empowered to adopt any measure deemed fit to combat the dangerous disease but such measure have to be spelt out in a Regulation made pursuant to section 305 of the constitution or under the Quarantine Act.
“Otherwise the presidential order on restriction of movement in the affected areas cannot be enforced by the police.”
Another lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, while reiterating Falana’s position, in fact vowed to challenge the illegality of Buhari’s action in court. He said, “After a deep reflection on President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to lock down all movements in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja by presidential fiat for 14 days, I have resolved to challenge this unconstitutional action in court.
“No responsible, democratic and civilised country will throw its constitution and laws into the dustbin in an effort to tackle a pandemic like COVID-19 the way President Buhari has done. Freedom of movement is a fundamental right guaranteed by Section 41 of the constitution.
“While it is conceded that this right is not absolute, Section 45 of the constitution is clear to the effect that freedom of movement can only be taken away in the manner allowed by a law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society. Buhari has not relied on any law.
“If Buhari is convinced that extraordinary measures are needed to contain Coronavirus, the proper action would have been for him to issue an instrument published in the official gazette of the government and make a proclamation of a state of emergency in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.”
Also adding his voice to the issue earlier on Monday, Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, said that President Buhari had no constitutional backing to declare a total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.
He said, “The worst development I can conceive is to have a situation where rational measures for the containment of the Corona pandemic are rejected on account of their questionable genesis. “So, before this becomes a habit, a question: does President Buhari have the powers to close down state borders? We want clear answers. We are not in a war emergency. “We need to exercise collective vigilance, and not compromise the future by submitting to interventions that are not backed by law and constitution.”
However, earlier defending Buhari’s declaration of a lockdown in all three cities, Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said that the President did not need any special legal framework to have the order enforced as the Quarantine Act already covered that.
Malami said, “The correct position remains that the President acted rightfully under the powers conferred on him by the Quarantine Act 1990 CAP 384 LFN.
“Section 3 of the Act enables the President to declare any part of Nigeria as an infected area. Section 4 of the Act further empowers the President to make regulations to prevent the introduction, spread and transmission of any dangerous infectious disease.”
But with Buhari’s latest move on Monday, Malami now stands alone on the matter.
Enforcement of the order is now expected to commence in Lagos and FCT while it will take effect in Ogun from April 3.
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COVID-19: Delta Government Raises Concerns Over Neighbouring States Yet To Close Borders
Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa
Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa
As the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus disease continues, the Delta State Government has raised concerns over neighbouring states yet to close their borders.Addressing journalists over the issue on Monday, Commissioner for Information in Delta, Charles Aniagwu, said, “Our neighbouring states are yet to close their borders and this poses a serious danger to us in Delta.”If Anambra and Edo are yet to close their borders and Delta has done that, it poses danger to us. “The Federal Government should order the shutting down of the nation to avoid more infections as far as the COVID-19 is concerned. “We are appealing for cooperation especially from the general public. Let’s all comply strictly to the safety measures outlined so far.”
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Breakdown of Funds Donated to Federal and State Governments in the Fight Against the Coronavirus.
As the Nigerian Government intensifies efforts in its fight against Coronavirus, financial donations have continued to pour in from every sector to support the battle.
High-profile Nigerians and politicians have also donated mouth-watering sums to government at the federal and state levels to combat the virus.
Others like ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo offered properties to be used as isolation centres and health materials for treatment of infected cases.
In total, 22 donors have supported the fight to eradicate the virus from the country.
So far, both the federal and state governments have received the sum of N40,771,000,000 as donation to the project.
In a breakdown of the funds, the federal government led the campaign with a donation of N10bn grant to Lagos State and N5bn to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, the agency leading the fight against the virus.
While Tony Elumelu of United Bank for Africa donated N5bn to the government, Keystone Bank, Segun Agbaje of Guaranty Trust Bank, and Jim Ovia of Zenith Bank donated N1bn each.
Noteworthy of the donation is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation that donated N11bn to the government.
The donation raised past concerns on the non-remittance of full revenue by the NNPC to the Nigerian Government.
The table below shows a full breakdown of funds donated to federal and state governments in the fight against the virus.
Breakdown of Funds Donated to Federal and State Governments in the Fight Against the Coronavirus. by Sahara Reporters on Scribd
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Residents In Lagos, Abuja, Can Still Withdraw Cash During Lockdown, Minister Says
ATM withdrawal
ATM withdrawal
A joint statement by Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has said e-payment and ATM platforms will remain open during the restriction on movement in Lagos, FCT and Ogun State.
The monetary and fiscal policy heads said exemptions have been obtained from President Muhammadu Buhari to allow very skeletal operations in the financial system and money markets.
They directed that all relevant staff of affected outfits and agencies should look out for further instructions from their immediate bosses.
The statement reads, “To ensure that Nigerians can still perform online transactions and use ATMs whilst observing these restrictions, we will like to inform the general public and all affected stakeholders that we have obtained exemptions from the President to allow very skeletal operations in the Financial System and Money Markets in order to keep the system in light operations during this time.
“We are mindful of the difficulties these restrictions would bring on ordinary Nigerians and are grateful to the President for approving these exemptions, which should help ease some of these burdens.
“We urge all Nigerians to be patient, cooperative and united as all hands are on deck to defeat this virus.”
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Presidential Order Not Enforceable Without Legal Backing! By Femi Falana
Following the national broadcast of President Muhammadu Buhari on the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, some lawyers have questioned the constitutional validity of the restriction of locomotion of people in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. No doubt, the President is empowered to adopt any measures deemed fit to combat the dangerous disease but such measures have to be spelt out in a Regulation made pursuant to section 305 of the constitution or under the Quarantine Act. Otherwise the presidential order on restriction of movement in the affected areas cannot be enforced by the police.
Even though civil rule was restored in the country 21 years ago the psyche of the political class has not been demilitarised. Hence, decisions taken by rulers are required to be obeyed “with immediate effect” without any legal backing. But in Okafor v Governor of Lagos State (2016) LPELR-41066 (CA) the Court of Appeal called on all authorities to appreciate the need to govern the country under the rule of law. Thus, the directive of the Governor of Lagos State restricting the movement of citizens and residents during the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise was struck down because of its unconstitutionality. It was the unanimous view of their lordships that the arrest of appellant for flouting the order or directive of the governor was completely illegal. According to Georgewill , J.C.A.
“It is my view, that democracy thrives more on obeying and promoting the rule of law rather than the whims and caprices of the leaders against the lead. I find the conduct of the Respondent in not only persecuting the Appellant, yes that is what in my view it amounts to when a free citizen of this great country such as Citizen Faith Okafor, is put through the rigours of criminal process for an offence not prescribed in any written law but merely on the directive of the governor of the Lagos State. An action which if allowed to thrive in a democracy such as ours could confer on such office holders infinite, absolute and autocratic powers contrary to the clear provisions of the constitution of the land, to which both the leaders and the led are subject. I refuse to allow such autocratic, absolute and infinite powers to fester upon our nascent democracy.”
Lawyers who are saying that the law should be completely relegated to the background in combating the coronavirus pandemic reminds me of the dissenting judgment of Lord Atkins in the case of Liversidge v Anderson 1944 UKHL 1. While accusing his learned brethren of being “more executive minded than the executive”, his Lordship said inter alia:
“In England, amidst the clash of arms, the laws are not silent. They may be changed, but they speak the same language in war as in peace. It has always been one of the pillars of freedom, one of the principles of liberty for which on recent authority we are now fighting, that the judges are no respecters of persons, and stand between the subject and any attempted encroachments on his liberty by the executive, alert to see that any coercive action is justified in law.”
However. while the nation’s armed forces should be commended for making their medical facilities available to members of the public in the fight against the highly dangerous virus the plan to dispatch armed soldiers to the streets to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines should be shelved because it is illegal. For the umpteenth time, I am compelled to draw the attention of the military authorities to the case of Yussuf v Obasanjo (2005) 18 NWLR (Pt ) where Salami JCA (as he then was) held that “It is up to the police to protect our nascent democracy and not the military, otherwise the democracy might be wittingly or unwittingly militarized. This is not what the citizenry bargained for in wrestling power from the military in 1999. Conscious steps should be taken to civilianise the polity and thereby ensure the survival of and sustainance of democracy.”
In the same vein, in the celebrated case of All Progressive Congress v Peoples Democratic Party (2015) LPELR 24349 Aboki JCA held that the President lacks the power to call on the Armed Forces to restore law and order in any part of the federation without the approval of the National Assembly as provided in sections 217(2) and 218(4) of the constitution as amended. His Lordship reminded the Federal Government of its legal obligation “to confine the military to their demanding assignments especially in these trying times of insurgencies and encroachment into the country’s territories…”
Finally, just last week the satanic Boko Haram force was reported to have massacred 47 Nigerian troops and 92 Chadian soldiers in two separate attacks. In view of such enormous challenge our patriotic armed forces should concentrate efforts on the counter insurgency operations being carried out in the north east region while the police and allied security agencies are allowed to enforce the COVID-19 regulations and guidelines.
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MRA Condemns Attacks On Journalists Covering COVID-19 Cases
Media Rights Agenda on Monday condemned the increasing cases of attacks by law enforcement and security agencies on journalists covering the Coronavirus pandemic and other issues in the country.
The group called on government to ensure respect for the fundamental rights of journalists and the media.
In a statement, MRA’s Programme Director, Mr Ayode Longe, said, “We are constrained to remind the Federal Government that it has obligations under various international instruments which it has voluntarily acceded to, particularly Article 66(c) of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, to ensure respect for the rights of journalists.
“We are gravely concerned by the rampant cases of attacks by law enforcement and security agents on journalists carrying out their professional duties as well as the obstruction of such duties. This situation is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated.”
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Coronavirus: Ogun Government Postpones Commencement Of Lockdown To April 3
Ogun State Government has shifted the commencement of the total lockdown of the state to April 3, 2020.
President Muhammadu Buhari had during his nationwide address on the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country on Sunday ordered the lockdown of the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states.
According to the President, the lockdown is to start at 11pm of today (Monday).
However, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun has said that the lockdown had been shifted to April 3 to enable the state prepare for the period.
He said this while declaring open the Ogun State COVID-19 Isolation and Response Centre open for use.
The governor stated that international borders and inter-state movement would be closed down from 11pm of Monday.
He said, “After consultation with the Presidency, the inter-state and international borders would be closed by 11pm on Monday night.
“However, the total lockdown of the state would be effective from 11pm, Friday, 3rd of April 2020.
“I have been in consultation with the Presidency and I’ve requested that they graciously allow us in Ogun State to prepare for this lockdown in terms of ensuring that we have enough food banks across the three senatorial districts so that when eventually there is a lockdown, our people will have enough food supply and they graciously accepted.”
Governor Abiodun revealed that the lockdown would constantly be reviewed, adding that people were free to move around only in their neighbourhoods to get essential items.
“These decisions would be kept under constant review, we may lapse them if the evidence makes it compelling.
“The decisions are without prejudice to the need of people to reasonably move within their neighbourhood to buy essentials such as food and drugs,” Governor Abiodun said.
He appealed to the people to abide by the government’s order and advisory provided by the Ministry of Health on respiratory hygiene and social distancing.
Ogun State has recorded three confirmed cases of Coronavirus.
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Ogun Residents Reject Siting Of Coronavirus Isolation Centre In Community
Residents of Obasanjo Hilltop GRA, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State, have rejected the proposed siting of an isolation centre in the area.
The residents, in a letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun, stated that siting an isolation centre in a residential area would put the health of the people under risk.
Mr Fola Adeola, businessman, politician and founder of Fate Foundation, had donated his private residence and property in Abeokuta for use as isolation centre for COVID-19 patients.
Apart from Adeola, ex-Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as other persons have donated facilities to the state government to use as isolation centres.
The residents of Oke-Mosan stated that though they appreciated the kind gesture of Adeola, using the building as isolation centre would endanger their lives.
The letter reads, “We are particularly alarmed as individuals and as a community that a non-resident owner of an abandoned property by name Mr Fola Adeola has purportedly donated his property in the estate to be converted to isolation centre for the purpose of victims of COVID-19.
“The community is comprised of retired and aged residents and other vulnerable individuals whose health and well-being would be most negatively affected by the potential conversion or siting of isolation in the neighbourhood.
“We wish to state categorically that this complaint is not and should not be seen as a deliberate step to discourage a most charitable disposition of the donor to public health issues and related social concerns.
“It is essential to request that the facility be used or deployed for allied services such as storage and other non-hazardous uses.
“It is in view of the foregoing that we most humbly appeal to Your Excellency to use your good office as the Executive Governor of Ogun State to cause immediate stoppage of the use of the facility as “COVID-19 isolation centre” due to potential health-related disaster that it might cause to vulnerable residents and generality of the community.”
Nigeria currently has 111 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and two recorded deaths.
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E2%80%93nigerian-army-commander How Boko Haram Terrorists Dealt Us Heavy Blow –Nigerian Army Commander
Olusegun Adeniyi, Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, a group of Nigerian soldiers deployed to the North-East region to combat Boko Haram terrorists and other insurgent groups, has revealed how they recorded heavy casualty during a recent encounter with the hoodlums.
In a video making the rounds on the Internet, Adeniyi could be seen standing together with his men on the battle field and lamenting how the terrorists shelled their positions with heavy artillery and mortar bombs.
According to him, they lost several soldiers during the mission due to wrong intelligence provided by military authorities.
He added that they lacked necessary weapons to face the firepower of the terrorists.
Speaking in the widely-circulated video, Adeniyi said, “We have been met with very strong resistance – from more than pockets of Boko Haram. From every flank not less than 15 gun trucks were facing us. FLASH: @HQNigerianArmy Generals Admit Boko Haram Challenges in Unusual Video pic.twitter.com/D8RXxsTPQj— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 29, 2020
“I’m standing here with Sector 2 Commander; the armed helicopter has just come to hover our air, the instruction I gave them was that anything they see moving they should engage because most of my gun trucks are not moving. Like I said earlier, the three battalions are fighting as deployed — nobody is running.
“But what we have here, I will give you some estimates. Boko Haram has fired more than a hundred mortar bombs at us; they have fired 80 to a hundred RPGs at us; in addition to eight to 10 gun trucks firing at us from all sides. We have not run, and the soldiers are not misbehaving or disobeying orders.
“We have casualties. I will come and see you in person on what we need to do. But we are not running.
“We lost about 20 MRAP tires here. We have changed close to 250 Hilux tires due to the terrain.
“This is what we are facing in the Timbuktu triangle. We are not running, we are fighting as a system to curtail the situation.”
Several wounded soldiers could be seen crying in the video while bodies of their colleagues was scattered all over location.
Recall that Boko Haram recently ambushed troops in Borno and killed more than 50 soldiers during that attack.
An unspecified number of military personnel, who participated in that mission, remain missing and unaccounted for till this day.
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