Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Friday 22nd January 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 22/01/21
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BREAKING: Former Inspector General of the Police, Gambo Jimeta Is Dead
A former Inspector General of Police, Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta, is dead.
Jimeta was reported to have died on Thursday morning. He was from Adamawa State.
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the late police chief as “a man of great courage, intellect and a true Nigerian Statesman”.
Buhari in a statement said, “Today, Nigeria lost a great son. He lived for the nation and served it with all his strength.
“May Allah bless his soul and give strength to the bereaved family and the government and people of Adamawa State to bear this irreparable loss.”
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Bandits Invade Kaduna Communities, Kill Traditional Ruler, Three Others
Armed bandits have killed a traditional ruler and three other locals in attacks on Kaduna communities.
State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the killings in a statement on Thursday.
Aruwan did not disclose the exact days the incidents occurred.
The development comes less than a week after five people were killed by gunmen in the state.
Aruwan said two of the victims identified as Dogara Yahaya, ward head of Baranje village, and Reuben Adamu, were killed at Baranje village near Buruku in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
The statement read, “At Ungwan Sada in Giwa Local Government Area, armed bandits killed one Ibrahim Salisu after an attempt to kidnap him.
“Similarly, Abdullahi Saleh, a herder, was killed by armed bandits along the Kangimi axis, on the Kaduna-Jos Road in the Igabi Local Government Area.
“Governor Nasir El-Rufai noted these reports with sadness, and sent condolences to the families of the slain citizens, while praying for the repose of their souls. He also tasked security agencies to ensure diligent investigations into the incidents.
“Intensified ground and air patrols are set to be sustained in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi and Chikun local government areas, linking up to Niger State.”
Kaduna, among several other states in the northern region, has been plagued by insecurity in recent years.
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UPDATED: El-Zakzaky, Wife Test Positive For COVID-19, Need Urgent Medical Care
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Kaduna State Correctional Centre where they are both being held.
SaharaReporters learnt from family sources that despite their positive status, the government has refused to grant her access to medical care, which is fuelling a lot of worries.
Since the duo returned from a failed medical trip in India, the Nigerian government and Kaduna State government have detained them in the facility.
“Please, my brother, Malama Zeenat Ibrahim Zakzaky has COVID-19 in Kaduna Prison. She has been denied all forms of medical care! I’m quite worried. I just confirmed that El-Zakzaky has it too,” a family source told SaharaReporters.
Earlier, El-Zakzaky’s son, Mohammed, in a statement he signed and sent to journalists on Thursday, said his mother had completely lost her sense of smell.
He said, “Six days ago after a routine visit to the Kaduna State prison by my parent’s doctors, my mother complained of fatigue, fever and a complete loss of the ability to smell. The doctors decided to carry out a number of standard tests in order to understand what the problem was. Among the tests that were carried out was a test for COVID-19.
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El-Zakzaky’s Wife Tests Positive For COVID-19 As Nigerian Government Blocks Medical Care
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“This was a routine procedure and it is important to understand that she has been denied treatment for acute medical conditions, including severe arthritis of the knee for years now.
“The COVID-19 test came back positive. I imagined that due to the diligent way in which the prison management had been conducting and managing the facility, a COVID-19 outbreak would be extremely unlikely. Because we have been doing our own due diligence and taking all possible measures at all times, we imagined that they were safe from the clear and present danger of COVID-19.”
Though a Muslim, El-Zakzaky spent his sixth consecutive December 25 in detention last year.
El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, were arrested by security operatives on December 14, 2015, after a clash between his followers and officers of the Nigerian Army.
At least 500 Shiites were killed during the incident with no army officer charged for the crime ever since.
But, El-Zakzaky and Zeenat have remained in detention despite several court orders calling for their release.
They are both facing eight counts of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace, among others.
The government accused the IMN of not recognising the Nigerian constitution and authority.
His prolonged detention has fuelled several protests by members of the Shiite movement in many Nigeria cities.
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EU, US Call For Probe Into Uganda Election Violence
The European Union and United States have called for a probe into abuses and violence that occurred during the just concluded election in Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner for a record sixth term in an election that left more than 40 people dead with opposition candidate, Bobi Wine, put under house arrest.
In a statement, the EU Council of Ministers said opposition candidates were harassed by security forces, adding that the media was suppressed by the government while observers’ offices were raided during the election.
The EU enjoined all parties in the country to refrain from violence, adding that election challenges and complaints would be “addressed in an independent and transparent manner”.
Wine, Museveni’s strongest opposition, has consistently claimed that the election was rigged.
The activist has been under house arrest since Friday when the military surrounded his house.
In a tweet on Thursday, he said, “I thank all friends in Uganda and abroad who continue to stand with us until we put an end to this indignity.”
Different human rights groups and NGOs have called for Wine’s release.
Director of Amnesty International Southern Africa Regional Office, Deprose Muchena, in a statement said, “It is neither a crime to stand for president nor to want to challenge the election results in court.
“This continued confinement is politically motivated and a blatant violation of their human rights. It must be lifted immediately and without any conditions.
“The abuses included killings by security forces, arrests and beatings of opposition supporters and journalists, disruption of opposition rallies, and a shutdown of the Internet.”
In the same vein, Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden, described the house arrest as “deeply concerning”.
The US State Department had also called for authorities to address election “irregularities” after the United States ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown, was blocked by Ugandan security forces from visiting Wine on Monday.
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Vacation Order: Igboho’s Planned Visit To Oyo Community On Friday Not To Fight Fulani, Says Aide
Toyin Oladapo, media aide to Sunday Adeyemo, an agitator for Oodua Republic better known as Sunday Igboho, has said his principal’s planned visit to Oyo community in Oyo State on Friday is not to fight Fulani people.
In a phone conversation with SaharaReporters, Oladapo said Igboho had never ordered the Fulani out of villages but had simply urged them to leave the forests for the towns where their activities would be clear for all to see.
He said, “Igboho is going to Igangan tomorrow, where the Seriki Fulani himself stays but he’s not going to fight them. He is going on a peace mission.
“He simply told them to leave the bushes and move to towns so people will see them and know what they do. There are about three checkpoints before the Seriki’s palace, manned by Fulani men. Why?”
Oladapo, however, said Igboho warned the Fulani that they would be forced to leave the land if they refused to move to the towns as directed.
He said: “Igboho told the Fulani that if they would not leave the bush for the city, they should leave completely. These people carry out so many atrocities in the bush where people can’t see them. He hasn’t asked for too much but it seems the Seriki Fulani has connections and that’s what is giving him confidence.”
The media aide alleged that during Igboho’s visit to the base of Fulani people in the bush, arms and ammunition were discovered.
“When Igboho went there, they shot at him. Imagine if it was an ordinary person that was shot at?” he asked.
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E2%80%94-borno-cleric-advises-southern Emulate Akeredolu Before Fulani Herders Take Over Your Land — Borno Cleric Advises Southern Governors
The Director General, Centre for Justice on Religion and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa
The Director General, Centre for Justice and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Pastor Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, has urged governors of southern states to emulate a recent move by their Ondo counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, to prevent Fulani herders taking over their land.
Akeredolu had earlier banned night grazing and given an ultimatum to herders in the state to vacate forest reserves.
The Director General, Centre for Justice on Religion and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa
Speaking in an interview with SaharaReporters, the Borno cleric described Akeredolu’s action as a step in the right direction.
He, however, urged governors from the South-East, South-West and South-South to follow suit.
He said, “The southern governors had better take charge of their lands and send the Fulani people back to the North. Must they stay in the South? I am speaking from experience because I am from Borno State and these people took all our land. They sent our fathers and mothers away from the farms. Our people are in internally displaced persons’ camps; they cannot stay in the villages for fear of being killed.
“Any Fulani you see in Borno is a settler, we accommodated them and see what we got. The target is Southern Nigeria and it is better the people speak up now, so that Fulani will not take over the land.”
He also alleged that the Fulani people causing trouble in the country are from neighbouring countries with a mission to take over the economy.
According to him, the majority of the bureau de change operators in Abuja hardly speak Hausa language as they either come from Mali or Niger Republic.
He added, “In Abuja here, the bureau de change operators cannot even speak Hausa, they are not Nigerians but Nigeriens. They have come to take over the economy and once they do that, they will start controlling us.”
He revealed that a northern Christian cleric who was kidnapped and later freed was told by his captors that they planned to kill all the Christians in the North and thereafter storm Southern Nigeria.
He said: “That pastor will not tell you this, they are being diplomatic with this kind of information instead of speaking out so everybody will know. The problem of insecurity has come to stay, but we need to speak out so the narrative can change. We can’t keep folding our arms while our people are being killed.
“Two of the kidnappers who kidnapped the pastor here in the North are actually based in Benin City, Edo State; they are already in the South. The onus is on the governors to take charge. Federal government will not help anyone.”
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E2%80%99s-wife-tests-positive-covid-19-nigerian-government-blocks-medical-care El-Zakzaky’s Wife Tests Positive For COVID-19 As Nigerian Government Blocks Medical Care
Zakzaky and wife Zeenat
Zeenat, the wife of the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, has tested positive for COVID-19 in the Kaduna State Correctional Centre where both are being held.
SaharaReporters learnt from family sources that despite her testing positive, the government has refused to grant her access to medical care which is fuelling a lot of worries.
Zakzaky and wife Zeenat
“Please, my brother, Malama Zeenat Ibrahim Zakzaky has COVID-19 in Kaduna Prison. She has been denied all form of medical care! I’m quite worried,” a family source told SaharaReporters.
Also, El-Zakzaky’s son, Mohammed, in a statement he signed and sent to journalists on Thursday, said his mother had completely lost her sense of smell.
He said, “Six days ago after a routine visit to the Kaduna State prison by my parents’ doctors, my mother complained of fatigue, fever and a complete loss of the ability to smell. The doctors decided to carry out a number of standard tests in order to understand what the problem was. Among the tests that were carried out was a test for COVID-19.
“This was a routine procedure and it is important to understand that she has been denied treatment for acute medical conditions, including severe arthritis of the knee for years now.
“The COVID-19 test came back positive. I imagined that due to the diligent way in which the prison management had been conducting and managing the facility, a COVID-19 outbreak would be extremely unlikely. Because we have been doing our own due diligence and taking all possible measures at all times, we imagined that they were safe from the clear and present danger of COVID-19.”
Though a Muslim, El-Zakzaky spent his sixth consecutive December 25 in detention last year.
El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, were arrested by security operatives on December 14, 2015, after a clash between his followers and officers of the Nigerian Army.
At least 500 Shiites were killed during the incident with no army officer charged for the crime ever since.
But, El-Zakzaky and Zeenat have remained in detention despite several court orders calling for their release.
They are both facing eight counts of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace, among others.
The government accused the IMN of not recognising the Nigerian constitution and authority.
His prolonged detention has fuelled several protests by members of the Shiite movement in many Nigeria cities.
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#EndSARS Protests: Police Apologise To Nigerians Over Excesses Of Operatives
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has apologised to Nigerians over the excesses of some police officers that resulted in last year’s #EndSARS protests.
The police also said they have learnt their lessons and appropriate steps are being taken to ensure effective policing in the country.
The protests, held in some states, called for an end to police brutality and the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a police unit infamous for its notoriety and human rights abuses.
According to Guardian, the new Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 11, comprising Oyo and Osun states, Agunbiade Oluyemi, stated this during his visit to Oyo State, where the new Commissioner of Police (CP), Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko, received him.
Oluyemi, who met strategic stakeholders in the state’s security architecture, including religious, traditional, and market leaders, as well as the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), also held a private meeting with top police officers in the state.
He maintained that some Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives missed the point when they started arresting suspected Internet fraudsters, undergraduates, and other youths with laptops in the country.
He also urged members of the public to report policemen in mufti, saying the Force Headquarters had mandated all officers who must carry out assignments on the road or highway to wear their uniforms.
The police boss cautioned people against tagging crime and criminal activities to some particular ethnic groups, noting that such acts could lead to an ethnic crisis.
He said, “We want all stakeholders to appeal to members of the public that the police are now back stronger and we are ready to work for the people. We will have a robust relationship with the public and we want Nigerians to have confidence in us and give us useful information.
“There is no way criminals will overcome us. The crimes they commit affect all of us in one way or another. We won’t allow criminals to have their way and we have rolled out new strategies in tackling the criminals.
“The new Police Constabularies that were just recruited will be complementing the Force in intelligence gathering for effective service delivery and we have also marked out some strategies that will make our job easier and more effective.”
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Police Constable, Soldier Arrested For Armed Robbery In Ondo
A newly recruited Police Constable, David Friday, attached to Olofin Police Station in the Idanre Local Government Area, has been arrested for armed robbery.
David was arrested alongside a soldier serving with the 32 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army, Owena Cantonment, Innocent Victor.
Ondo Police Commissioner, Bolaji Salami, who paraded the suspects, said David earlier stole an exhibit motorcycle at his duty post.
Salami said, “He was being tried for that motorcycle theft when he was caught conspiring with a soldier to rob some people with a dagger. We paraded them and the victims identified them. Other victims came and identified them. When we are done with our investigation, we will charge them to court.”
The soldier however denied involvement in the allegation, saying he stepped back at the scene of the incident.
Other suspects paraded were one Wasiu Lateef, who was alleged to have defiled a teenager in an uncompleted building in Lapanu village and a suspected teenage kidnapper, Bello Ali, who could not explain what he was doing in a forest between Uso and Ogbese.
Also, one Desmond Ikechukwu, who impersonating a soldier to intimidate members of the public, was also paraded.
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Two Nigerians Deported From India For Overstaying Their Visas
Two Nigerians have been deported from India for overstaying their visas, the Delhi Police said on Thursday.
In a statement on its Twitter page, the Dwarka Police said the two Nigerians and a Sudanese, were arrested by police from the Uttam Nagar during patrol duty.
The trio were found living in India without valid visas and passports.
The two Nigerians were among ten Nigerian nationals picked up by the police from the Uttam Nagar in Dwarka district on Wednesday, January 6. When the police team asked the Nigerians to show their visas and passports, they failed to produce them. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dwarka, Santosh Kumr Meena, who confirmed the development, described their action as a gross violation of the Indian visa norms.
“Their visas have also expired but they are continuously staying in India which is a gross violation of the Indian visa norms. They have not provided any suitable reason and supportive documents for their overstay in India,” he said.
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