Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Thursday 8th October 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 08/10/20
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New EFCC Chairman Orders Withdrawal Of $153m Fraud Case Against Former Executive Director Of First Bank, Dauda Lawal
Ex-First Bank Director, Dauda Lawal.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withdrawn the corruption charges against a former Executive Director of First Bank Plc, Dauda Lawal.
Lawal is facing corruption trial for allegedly handling the sum of $25m out of a total of $153m doled out by Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
Ex-First Bank Director, Dauda Lawal.
The case involving $153m fraud against Nigeria was withdrawn by lawyers acting on the orders of the new management of the EFCC headed by Mohammed Umar, TVCNews reports.
The court consequently discharged and acquitted Lawal over the allegation against him.
At the last hearing, the prosecuting team sought an adjournment of the case to Wednesday (today) on technical grounds but rather than resume prosecution, opted to discontinue the trial.
The EFCC lawyers informed the court that the withdrawal was based on the need for further investigation and that the defendant ought not to be charged alone but with others, who are currently at large.
While prosecuting the case, a first prosecution witness told Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, how he delivered 12 padlocked bags containing $70m to an Abuja-based banker on the instruction of Alison-Madueke.
The witness, a former Group General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, gave the testimony before Justice Hassan on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
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E2%80%93pastor-sam-adeyemi Even If Nigeria Breaks Up, Our Lives May Not Improve –Pastor Sam Adeyemi
Sam Adeyemi
Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, has said that Nigerians’ lives might not improve if the country finally breaks up or restructures.
According to Adeyemi on his verified Twitter handle, the culture of leadership that makes leaders to consume most of the resources and to leave most people impoverished will likely continue.
Sam Adeyemi
2.The first restructuring we need, and this is true for much of Africa, is for power to shift from political leaders to the citizens, so leaders become accountable, citizens have esteem and are empowered to prosper, and occupying public office is for service, not money-making.— Sam Adeyemi (@sam_adeyemi) October 6, 2020
4. Citizens and elite that have conscience must push for this now. Perhaps, then, new structures of government can serve us well. We need to show that the African can rise above base instincts to think, organise himself and build prosperous economies.— Sam Adeyemi (@sam_adeyemi) October 6, 2020
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Nigerian Musician To Serve 10-year Jail Term For Repeatedly Raping Woman In United Kingdom
Nigerian rapper, Olawale Hassan also known as Goldie 1, has been sentenced to jail in the United Kingdom for raping a woman.
According to BirminghamMail, Hassan made advances to the woman at a venue in Southend in February 2017.
The 34-year-old said he would get her home safely but instead drove her to a car park where he overpowered her and ignored her requests for him to stop.
Hassan was found guilty at Basildon Crown Court of three counts of rape and one of sexual assault, the Crown Prosecution Service said. The defendant, of Grays in Essex, was jailed on Tuesday, October 6, for 10 years and two months, the CPS said.
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Nigerian Man Shot Dead At United States Gas Station Five Months After Graduating
A 23-year-old Nigerian graduate, Alexander Nwogu, was shot dead in upper North-West Washington on Monday, October 5 by unknown gunmen.
According to Washington Post, police are trying to determine whether the same people involved in the fatal shooting of Nwogu also shot and wounded a 75-year-old Uber driver hours earlier and a mile South in Tenleytown.
“We are exploring the possibility,” said Brianna Jordan, spokeswoman for D.C. police.
She said detectives “are very early in the investigation.”
Police said robbery is a possible motive in both incidents.
The shootings on well-travelled roads have worried residents in some of the district’s more affluent neighborhoods and come amid a 15 per cent increase in homicides from this point in the year in 2019.
No arrests have been made.
One of his best friends and classmates said Nwogu graduated in May from Virginia Tech with an engineering degree and had just started working at a consulting firm in Northern Virginia.
A police report said Nwogu suffered blunt trauma to the back of his head and a single gunshot wound to the middle of his back.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
D.C. Council member, Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), said she and her constituents were worried that the crimes were random.
“Shootings, murders are not the normal fare in Upper North-West,” Cheh said, adding that the two incidents “look like random street crimes. That’s the worst, because you really can’t protect yourself. It could happen to anybody.”
The shootings come two weeks after a man was fatally shot on September 24 in nearby Friendship Heights in what police described as a robbery involving Marijuana.
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#ENDSARS: Despite Public Uproar, Nigerian Senate Rejects Scrapping Of SARS
Despite public uproar and condemnation, the Nigerian Senate has kicked against the scrapping of the dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, condemned the call for the scrapping of the unit, positing that not all personnel of SARS engaged in extra-judicial activities while reacting to a motion moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Tinubu had called on the attention of the Senate to the growing outrage from Nigerians regarding the nefarious activities and profiling of Nigerians by SARS personnel.
She stated that SARS operatives harass, arrest and extort Nigerian youth unconstitutionally.
She also said the incessant killings of Nigerians by SARS personnel directly negates both local and international human rights charter Nigeria subscribes to.
Commenting on the motion, Lawan said scrapping SARS was not the right way to cleanse the unit.
He said, “Scrapping the SARS now may not be the best option because the nation may lose the best hands in the agency while trying to do away with the bad eggs among them.
“Scrapping of agencies when you have mistakes may not be the best position.
“If you scrap SARS, you lose the chance of getting those doing well to continue.”
The Senate, however, resolved to probe the extra-judicial arrest and killings of Nigerians by SARS operatives.
Lawan mandated the House Committee on Police, Judiciary and Human Rights to begin the probe of human rights abuses of Nigerians by SARS.
“Offenders must be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
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E2%80%99t-accept-tutored-report-efcc-magu-%E2%80%94group Presidential Panel: Nigerians Won’t Accept Tutored Report On EFCC, Magu —Group
Ibrahim Magu
The Civil Society Network Against Corruption has said that Nigerians are anxious to know the outcome of the report of the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential Investigative Panel set up by government to probe the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.
The group in a statement by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, said Nigerians are worried about information published by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, October 6, that the report will be manipulated by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Ibrahim Magu
CSNAC said Nigerians and the international community will not accept any attempt to tutor the report, adding that already the manner in which the panel conducted the trial had indicated bias.
Suraju said his group would wish to see Malami respond to the disturbing report.
The statement reads, “We are deeply concerned about the need for a transparent probe by the Presidential Panel set up by the Federal Government. We are worried about reports that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Malami has set up an in-house committee to write the report. This will be most unjust.
“From the beginning we have expressed worry about the trial. It has taken more than two months, but the report is yet to be released. It should have been a public trial, but the proceedings were manipulated. Malami, who is the chief witness failed to attend the trial where he should have backed up his claims.
“The trial led by Justice Ayo Salami has been challenged by Magu’s lawyers who said several sittings of the panel were conducted in secrecy in the absence of Magu contrary to Section 2 (D) of the Tribunal of Inquiry Act which the President relied on in setting it up. Magu’s lawyer, Wahab Shittu, said contrary to the act establishing the judiciary panel, since inception on July 3, 2020, the panel has conducted many proceedings in private.
“He said some witnesses were invited and cross examined in the absence of Magu. CSNAC urged the Attorney-General to address Nigerians on the allegations that he has constituted an in-house panel to write a report for the Justice Salami-led investigative panel probing Magu.”
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Lawyer Insists That Justice Salami Expressed Regret Handling Magu’s Probe Despite Denial
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Lagos Government Admonishes Residents On Attitudinal Change To Prevent Flooding
The Lagos State Government has called on residents of the state to act in an environmental-friendly way so as to avoid flooding in the city.
Corps Marshal of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, CP Gbemisola Akinpelu (Retd), made the call as the country continues to experience high rainfall with reports of flooding being recorded in some states.
Akinpelu said residents of Lagos especially occupants of housing estates must stop the dumping of refuse in drainage channels and erecting structures on drainage alignments.
“All environmental infractions will not be tolerated and anyone caught violating the environmental laws of the state would be punished accordingly.
“Lagosians must adhere to the directives issued by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, urging residents to adopt an attitudinal change by not dumping refuse in drainage channels and erecting structures on drainage alignments, emphasising that all residents owe the state a duty to support the efforts of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to ensure that expected heavy rainfall and release of dam water does not wreak havoc in any part of the state,” a statement by Adebayo Kehinde of Public Affairs Unit of LAGESC, partly reads.
Kehinde noted that some residents of Millennium Housing Estate, Oko-Oba, Agege, block of flats at Falowo bus-stop, Jakande Estate, Ejigbo, Olaolu Street, Igbeyin Adun Street in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area, have been served abatement notice for offences like the inappropriate discharge of waste water, defective plumbing works, improper waste disposal and untidy general surroundings.
The National Emergency Agency had identified 275 local government areas in 36 states including the FCT of being at risk of flooding.
Also, 108 deaths have been recorded in 12 states since July 2020.
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SARS Has Sent Many To Early Graves, Osun Youth Say After Joining Protest
Youths in Osun State have trooped out to join the nationwide #ENDSARS protest.
The youth joined the three-day protest to push for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force.
The call came following recent clamour to end extra-judicial activities and killings by operatives of SARS.
Protesters will be marching to the police headquarters to make the call for the scrapping of SARS and the reform of the police.
The protesters held placards with various inscriptions.
The same protest is simultaneously taking place in Lagos at the police headquarters, Ikeja.
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Three-day #ENDSARS Protest Commences In Lagos
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Nigerians at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will be joining the protest on Thursday.
Nigeria has recorded over 82 extrajudicial cases involving SARS in three years and about 100 cases by police in 2020 alone.
VIDEO: Backed By Impunity And Grand-corruption In The System, SARS Operatives Extra-judiciously Arrest, Detain, Extort And Kill Nigerian Youths At Will#EndSARS #EndSARSBrutality @PoliceNG WATCH FULL VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/M5ZdqIZFF5— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) October 6, 2020
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UN Refugee Chief Tests Positive For COVID-19
Filippo Grandi
The UN refugee chief on Wednesday said that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after leading the first day of the agency’s main annual meeting in person.
According to AFP, Filippo Grandi, who kicked off UNHCR’s week-long Executive Committee meeting in Geneva on Monday, told participants via video-link that he would need to continue following the event from home.
Filippo Grandi
France24
“I am engaging with UNHCR’s Executive Committee from home as I have to isolate after testing positive to #COVID19,” he said in a tweet.
“I only have mild symptoms and hope to recover soon,” he added.
Grandi had addressed delegates from the podium in the UN Assembly hall in Geneva on the first day of the event but participated remotely on Tuesday.
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Nigerians Blast Fani-Kayode For Sponsoring #BringbackGEJ Campaign
Femi Fani-Kayode,
Nigerians have criticised a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, over his call for the return of Goodluck Jonathan as President in 2023.
Fani-Kayode posted a ‘#BringBackGEJ picture’ on his Twitter page, drawing the ire of Nigerians.
Wouldn’t that be nice? pic.twitter.com/qkt9lKuhqj— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) October 5, 2020
Jonathan was Nigeria’s President from 2009 till 2015.
The former President has been rumoured to be eyeing a return to office.
Jonathan denied the claims before the 2019 presidential election, which Muhammadu Buhari won to get his second tenure as Nigerian President.
Femi Fani-Kayode
Reacting to the issue, a Twitter user said, “Fani Kayode should know this too that both parties (PDP and APC) have failed this country. Buhari’s failed government will not make us to forget that GEJ is not the way for good health, 24 hours electricity for Nigerians.”
@abbaslytlgirl wrote, “Bringing back GEJ will be an avenue for power to remain in the North and that’s what they want. If GEJ comes back he will only do one tenure and give the North the power and I bet yall no other region will feel that power or have it. So stop crying to bring GEJ.”
@freaky_joe wrote, “@realFFK, I beg you in the name of whatever you believe as the only greatest deity. Please, let this man stay at home in peace. This wouldn’t be nice oooo. I respect you and your words. But please let him rest.”
Hia, see how Buhari’s incompetence and cluelessness is making this one look good. All of them are bad please.— Blessed Beyond Measure (BBM) (@Drmuzoic) October 5, 2020
Those who benefit from GEJ would never forget him , free money milking the country down during oil boom period , one oloriburuku who GEJ also employed said Nigeria don’t need fast/electric train cos is making his money from that mumu in power— Bamy Rash (@bamy_rash) October 5, 2020
We dont want Jonathan back. Period! its his shortcomings that led us to this pit and he was weary of the seat that he abscond without a fight. We have seen how Buhari won his elections in 2019.— Just Ella (@JustSociety4all) October 6, 2020
just imagine how nigerians lifes is been put on chess board😢— Senator Mao (@Senatormao) October 6, 2020
We are tired of rotating old men.— Jana Dollar. (@JanaOnoja) October 5, 2020
No sir it won’t be nice, we are tired of recycling politicians. We have over 200 million people in this country, when will the youth have a chance to direct their own future if the old ones refuse to let go of power?— Samuel S.A (@Count_Euro) October 5, 2020
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