Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 1st August 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 01/08/20
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Police Arrest Officer Who Raped Woman Apprehended For Not Wearing Face Mask
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested one of its officers for apprehending and raping a woman for not using face mask.
The officer identified as Inspector Peter Ebah arrested the lady at Saakpenwaa checkpoint in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He then took her to a guest house where he raped her till morning before letting her go.
The command’s spokesperson, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that the officer had been arrested and currently detained.
He said the command had launched a full investigation into the rape allegation by inviting the victim and the police officer and his team during the incident.
He said, “The parties have provided useful statements to investigators.
“They were invited on Thursday and the matter is being investigated by detectives at the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
“The officer was detained immediately after giving his statement.
“We assure members of the public that justice would be served at the conclusion of our investigation.”
The victim had during her arrest raised the alarm in a text message saying:m, “I have been taken to a guest house just because of N100 face mask.
“I can’t believe this is happening to me. He wants to sleep with me. I am dying. He wouldn’t let me pick any call. He threatened to seize my phone.”
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Tension In Nasarawa Community Over Alleged Killing Of Unarmed Guard By DSS Operatives
There is outrage in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, following the alleged killing of a security guard at Ebenezer Primary School by operatives of the Department of State Services during an argument.
The incident was said to have sparked anger among residents of the area.
The deceased, who was identified as Kingsley, was said to have been accosted by the security personnel on Tuesday after he was found near a drunken man lying on the ground.
Kingsley reportedly attempted to run away but was shot by the operatives believed to be from the Federal Capital Territory Command, and his body abandoned at the scene popularly known as corner shop not far from where he worked as a security guard.
It was also gathered that the security guard might have been mistaken for a cultist and killed because he resisted arrest and attempted to escape.
A resident of the area described corner shop where the incident occurred as a dangerous area to thread especially at night because of the criminal elements.
Reacting to the incident, Director of DSS, FCT Command, Muazu Ado, denied the involvement of his men in the incident, saying that they could not have carried out any operation outside their jurisdiction.
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You Have No Right To Regulate Churches, Pastor Oyakhilome Tells Nigerian Government
Chris Oyakhilome
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Founder and President of Believers Love World popularly known as Christ Embassy, has condemned the Nigerian Government for attempting to reduce the time of Sunday services.
He said the government had no right to regulate churches and determine how long services take.
Speaking in a broadcast, Oyakhilome said Christians should be allowed to serve God the way they want without government regulations and restrictions, The PUNCH reported.
Chris Oyakhilome
He said the number of hours they were imposing on churches was what they had left in the world.
Oyakhilome said, “We can serve God as he wants us to, not as somebody says we should.
“I am appalled that some people have the audacity to tell us how many hours we can spend in church. How dare you?
“What in the world do you think you are? Your time is short. You cannot tell God’s people how long they can spend in church. If you built the building for them and you are saying you are not going to let them enter the building, maybe because you built it.
“But if you didn’t, you have no right to tell God’s people you’re going to spend one hour or two hours in church. I tell you, the number of hours you tell them they have in the church is the number of hours you have left.”
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E2%80%94president-buhari Corruption: There Have Been Abuse Of Trust By People In My Administration —President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented the abuse of trust by political appointees in his administration.
Buhari, who said this in a message to Nigerians shortly after performing the Eid prayers with his family and aides at the forecourt of the State House, Abuja on Friday, promised to uncover all corruption cases in his administration.
The President also said that he would fully investigate all past and present corruption cases.
President Muhammadu Buhari
“On the issue of corruption, all past and present cases will be fully investigated.
“This is why we put the commission (of investigation) in place. There has been abuse of trust by people trusted by the previous administration and this administration,” he said.
Speaking further, Buhari warned against the vandalisation of oil pipelines in oil-producing areas, which often results in environmental pollution.
He said those, who are blowing pipelines and interfering with the production of petroleum products, are hurting their people more than the rest of Nigerians because the majority of their people were fishermen and farmers.
“If they pollute the land and the waters, the fish goes into the deeper sea where the people cannot go and they cannot grow anything.
“They are hurting their immediate communities more than any other thing,” he added.
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We Have Done Our Best On Insecurity, Boko Haram, Says President Buhari
Despite the growing insecurity and attack by terrorist groups in different parts of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration had done its best in tackling the insurgency.
The President while assessing the state of security in the country, described the situation, particularly in the North-West and North-Central parts of the country as “very disturbing”, noting that his administration inherited attacks by terrorist groups.
He, however, said that while much had been achieved, more still needed to be done.
He said, “Nigerians know that we have done our best. However, what is coming out of the North-West and North-Central is very disturbing.
“We are making available resources to them to even do better.
“From the reports I am getting, they could do much better, they could do much better. But we are keeping them on the alert all the time to do their duties.”
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Bandits Kill Farmer, Kidnap Three Others In Kaduna
File Photo: Gunmen
A businessman and farmer, Mallam Jafaru Bello, has been killed by gunmen, while three others were abducted.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred on Wednesday when the hoodlums attacked Bello after he visited his farm at Udawa in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Three other farmers were equally abducted from the farm on the same day.
File Photo: Gunmen
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“They first shot him on the shoulder and later shot him on the back. He died immediately. Also, they abducted three other farmers from the area,” a resident of the area told SaharaReporters.
Kaduna is one of the states in Nigeria with high rate of banditry, mass killings and abductions.
Last week, over 80 people were reported to have been killed in various attacks on communities in Kaura, Kajuru, Kauru, Zangon Kataf and Jama’a local government areas in the Southern part of the state.
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NAFDAC Denies Approving Any Herbal Medicine For Treatment Of COVID-19
NAFDAC DG, Mojisola Adeyeye.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has denied approving any herbal medicine for the treatment of COVID-19.
Director of Public Affairs of the agency, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, while addressing journalists in Abuja, said a drug could only be certified for use after going through clinical trials.
He said, “There is a procedure for everything, we are talking about human lives here, people cannot just put together concoction and expect people to consume it just like that. So far the herbal mixture will be for public consumption due diligence must be followed.
NAFDAC DG, Mojisola Adeyeye.
“Science is one, it does not tell lies; even if the son of the NAFDAC DG brings herbal product and the laboratory has failed it, we cannot go ahead and register it. Forget about sentiment, NAFDAC doesn’t have anything to gain by not registering herbal products. Is it not to our pride if register and certify products for consumption?
“The major problem in the herbal medicine industry is that, until recently, most of them are illiterate. They do not understand the language of science, what we are trying to do is to teach them how they can pass on this knowledge by connecting them with the academics who understand the language of science. But it is unfortunate that the illiterate person is always suspicious of the educated person, thinking he will steal his inventions.”
Meanwhile the NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement, titled ‘Approval for listing status by national agency for food and drug administration and control,’ said the agency was processing 2 herbal medicinal products for “safe to use” or listing status.
She said that no clinical study had been done on any of the herbal products submitted for verification on their claim.
“Many of the applicants claim that their products are immune boosters and anti-infectives useful for relief of symptoms that could be associated with COVID-19. However, no clinical study has been done yet on any of the products to prove their claim of efficacy,” she said.
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E2%80%99-igbo-hausa-yoruba-don%E2%80%99t-own-nigeria-fredrick-nwabufo ‘Turn-by-turn presidency’: Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba Don’t Own Nigeria By Fredrick Nwabufo
Fredrick Nwabufo
Nigeria is the collective heritage of about 200 million people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and tongues. There are over 250 ethnic nationalities spread across the country. Nigeria does not belong only to the Igbo, the Hausa and the Yoruba. Unfortunately, these three so-called ‘’major ethnic groups’’ have defined the political and economic actualities of the country since independence.
Even among the ‘’big three’’, there are splinter groups of distinct cosmology. Again, Nigeria does not belong only to the Igbo, the Hausa and the Yoruba. It belongs to every group subsisting in the entity irrespective of population size. But sadly, these other ethnic nationalities have not been allowed the participatory chance of defining their destiny. Their voices are minimized by the cacophony of the louder groups.
When it comes to power-sharing and distribution of the common wealth, the ‘’big three’’ come into contest, featuring prominently on the table. It is always about what the Igbo want; what the Hausa want and what the Yoruba want, but never about what other Nigerians whose voices are attenuated want. This is not how to achieve nationhood.
Fredrick Nwabufo
Have we asked what other 247 ethnic groups and more want? I know the argument could be that they have representatives in parliament who speak for them. But how tenable is that argument when the political distribution is already ponderously skewed against them? And the arrogant assumption is that their interest is already sheltered in the larger interest of the dominant groups.
‘’The flaws of giants’’ – this is the abstraction of the Nigerian situation. The perception that all will be well with the country as long as the ‘’big three’’ are catered to, ignoring the composite whole. We once witnessed the uprising by the Ijaw, who are considered a minority by Nigeria’s definition, in the Niger Delta. We plod away on a tripartite equation trying to find the X of our national problems with an abridged formula.
Our problems are national and not sectional; the solutions do not pivot around the ‘’big three’’. I must say, the problems of the country today and since independence are the craft of the Igbo, the Yoruba and the Hausa. That Nigeria has remained in the doldrums is largely by the devices of the ‘’big three’’. Let me rephrase. The Igbo, the Hausa and the Yoruba are the cause of Nigeria’s problems.
I have come to understand that tribalism is more much pronounced among the ‘’big three’’. The unhealthy rivalry, hate-mongering and recriminations among these three groups have been the bane of Nigeria’s unity. The hate is evenly distributed among the three.
The 2023 presidency debate is heating up, and as usual the argument oscillates among the ‘’big three’’ as if the country is their personal estate. Why are the TIV and the Idoma in Benue not in focus; why are the Isoko and the Urhobo in Delta not in the equation? Why are the Ilaje in Ondo and the Esan in Edo not on the table? And why are the Kanuri, the Manga and Bede in Borno not in the discourse?
As I have always held, Nigeria needs a Nigerian president in 2023. We need national solutions to our national problems, and only a competent leadership can deliver the goods. Ethnic politics has failed us since the beginning of our union as a country. The primitive ‘’turn-by-turn’’ presidency based on ethnic ordering will only lead us further down the foundering path.
But if we are so set on the primordial arrangement, then all the 250 ethnic groups and more should have a shot at the presidency. After all, there are competent Nigerians in every group. Nigeria belongs to all of us – big or small.
Let me end with a quote from my previous article: ‘’we need a Nigerian leadership to foster a sense of nationhood among the variegated peoples of the country. The more we emphasise ethnicity and religion in our politics the further we are divided along these devious lines. Nigerians need a Nigerian president in 2023 not — an Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or Fulani president — a leader who has been tested with responsibility and leadership; a president for all. These people are not in short supply here.’’
Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist
Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo
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Lawmakers Insist On Sack Of Service Chiefs After Attack On Borno Governor
The Minority Caucus at the House of Representatives has reiterated the call for the sack of service chiefs in the country.
The renewed call came two days after the attack on Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno State.
SaharaReporters had on Wednesday reported how Boko Haram fighters opened fire on the convoy of Babagana Zulum on his way from a state function.
The House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, in a statement on Friday condemned the attack on Zulum, adding that the incident further highlighted the need to replace the service chiefs in the country.
Elumelu said the continuous attack by the terrorists showed that the service chiefs were incompetent.
He urged the President to honour the resolution by the lawmakers and immediately sack the service chiefs.
He said, “We the opposition lawmakers hereby in the strongest terms restate the call to President Muhammadu Buhari to honour the resolution of the National Assembly and immediately remove the service chiefs and bring in new hands to effectively confront the security challenges confronting our nation.”
VIDEO: Furious Borno Governor, @ProfZulum, Blasts Nigerian Army Over Attack On Convoy In Baga @HQNigerianArmy WATCH FULL VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/MUYleXnAPn— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) July 31, 2020
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Brave New Bar By Olaoluwa Oni
First, to Olu Akpata: Congratulations!
The seed for this victory was planted in 2015, when the Alegeh-led administration introduced universal suffrage to the system of voting within the Nigerian Bar Association. With the introduction of one-vote-per-person, power shifted to the bloc with the most numbers – young lawyers. In the 2020 election, young lawyers tested the strength of this power, and won. We won against a coalition of older lawyers and their appointed candidate, and against an SAN’s ambition to make the seat of President the exclusive preserve of the “Inner Bar. We won. What does this victory mean though?
Obviously, Akpata is the product of our advocacy, the anointed flag-bearer for the will of young lawyers, and nothing but the resolve and commitment of young lawyers could have won him this victory. With this election, young lawyers set out to make a statement. However, we must take care to avoid the pitfall of believing that this victory is the full-stop at the end of our statement. Indeed, we should treat our win as merely the start of a new chapter, like bold calligraphy declaring a new beginning.
In the build up to the election, Akpata enjoyed the distinct favour of being an atypical candidate – for one, he is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria – and young lawyers were sick of the typical, ineffectual, offering! The inclination to favor anti-establishment candidates is sweeping across political systems globally. In the 2015 national elections, President Buhari found favour for being outside the then ruling party – the Peoples’ Democratic Party. His campaign slogan, “Change”, was a recognition of the fact the voting populace wanted something different from what they had been offered since the start of country’s fourth republic. Similarly, in the 2016 U.S elections, President Trump was sold as the candidate that came from outside the political machinery and so valuable for this novelty and, presumably, fresh insight. I haven’t selected these examples at random: I have chosen them to illustrate that an anti-establishment hero can perform as badly as, maybe even worse, than the archetype. However, it does no one any good if Akpata joins this poor legacy so, I am rooting for his justifying the confidence that young lawyers have reposed in him.
We must be cautiously optimistic. Yes, we have crossed the first hurdle by demonstrating that the will and opinion of young lawyers carry weight. Nonetheless, we must now demonstrate that the will of young lawyers matter beyond an election cycle. We must demand that the establishment pay us mind even when an election is not lurking. And to do this, we must be prepared to stand-up to our current guest of honor. Understand this: following his inauguration, Olu Akpata will become the establishment and, however great his intentions, he will sometimes slip-up, as the establishment is wont to. Akpata the candidate is not Akpata the president. The president will need us to check the powerful pull of the of the office he occupies. We must be prepared to offer up our voices even if it means screaming as high as our lungs will permit, even at the risk of being seen as unfit or improper.
We do not need messiahs and we must not allow Akpata evolve into one. What we need are functioning systems, systems that will outlast Akpata and protect us years after, when his tenure has run out. We must insist on change that isn’t tied or subject to the person(ality) that occupies the office of President. Afterall, if nothing else, we must have learned through the years that the moral arc of human discretion curves towards self-gratification. Akapta’s mandate isn’t just to usher in the brave new bar, he must also be prepared to hold himself accountable to the brave new bar. Because we will be brave!
This bravery will wear many faces. We will insist that employers pay fair compensation for our services, and we will expect the brave new bar to back us up. When senior lawyers abuse younger lawyers emotionally, verbally, physically, sexually, and/or financially, we will resist and where necessary, react. And we will expect the brave new bar to not only stand up for us, but to also reprimand the senior lawyer. We will insist on a system of anonymous reporting that protects the young lawyer and metes out efficient and effective justice. We will demand that the brave new bar usher in technological advancements to the practice of law so that Nigerian lawyers can thrive. We will hold the president responsible for the flaws of the system, even flaws he inherited, and we will expect him to be responsive. We will not abide the excuse that he inherited a broken system. In other words, the voices that heralded him to power will demand results from him.
Yes, we are asking a lot of the president but Olu Akpata has promised us a lot, and we expect him to deliver because he has sold us on his capacity for this task. He offered us the slogan, and now we insist: #Oluforall! For the young as for the old, for the woman as for the man, for the disabled as for the abled, the brave new bar must work for all! With all sincerity, I wish Olumide Akpata strength! May the crowd at the end of his tenure sing his praises as loudly as we are celebrating his win.
Olaoluwa is a legal practitioner and writer. Her first book, The yNBA is available in bookstores across the country.
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