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Jakande: Ilesa Grammar School, And The Immortality Of His Legend, By Shola Oshunkeye
The celebration, on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, caught me napping. I stumbled on it when Channels Television abruptly broke KICC’s daily telecast and took viewers to Onikan Sports Stadium, Lagos, where Lagosians, led by Sanwo-Olu, their servant-leader, had gathered to celebrate the legend: Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, the state’s first civilian governor.
Since Jakande’s demise, on February 11, 2021, at 91, and burial day after, I had been ruminating on how Nigeria under-celebrates its authentic heroes. I never stopped chewing the cud over the way February 13, 1976, and August 12, 1989 etc. gradually faded from our collective consciousness. Gen. Murtala Ramat Mohammed was only 37 when Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka and his gang ambushed and brutally murdered him near the Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos, on February 13, 1976. He ruled Nigeria for just six months but he wrote his name in gold as a sterling game changer.
Samuel Sochukuma Okwaraji was just 25 when, on August 12, 1989, he slumped and died inside the National Stadium, Surulere, while playing for Nigeria in a crucial World Cup qualifying match. Although we commemorate January 15, 1966, the day Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and colleagues violently terminated the First Republic as our Armed Forces Remembrance Day, that date and July 29, 1966, the day of the ‘revenge coup’, still produced some national heroes, tragic as they were. One of the heroes, to me, was Lt. Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, then military governor of the old Western Region. He was only 40 when he was assassinated while hosting then Head of State, General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi in Ibadan. By electing to die defending his visiting boss, Fajuyi wrote his name with his blood in the heart of Nigerians. Loyalty.
Sadly, anniversaries of these dates, and more, pass these days without any memoriam. Even the Yoruba who should be celebrating Fajuyi are too busy with limitless existential matters to remember the date of his sacrifice. Thank God for President Muhammadu Buhari who, in 2018, reignited the fire around June 12, 1993. He annulled May 29 as our Democracy and proclaimed June 12 in its stead. Perhaps, if he had not done that, Nigerians would have forgotten that Basorun M.KO. Abiola watered the seed of our democracy with his blood. He won the freest presidential election in this country, denied his trophy, and got murdered for it. Yet, people would kill the fatted calf for rogues who pushed fellow humans into the swamp of poverty and trapped their potentials in the morass.
However, the Day of Tributes held in commemoration of the life and times of Alhaji Lateef Jakande doused my skepticism. One after the other, leading lights of the state took turns to eulogise the man Lagosians call Baba Kekere; the man they perceive as a perfect clone of the great leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, for his courage, honesty, humility, frugality, fear of God, selfless service and steely resolve to give his best to the generality of the people at all times.
“Baba Kekere was a transformational leader who led by example,” attested Hon. Adekunle Ali, a Second Republic member of the Lagos State House of Assembly. “He was a leader who never saw political position as a means for personal enrichment.” LKJ, others testified, was true to his God till he breathed his last. Beautiful testimony.
Sanwo-Olu capped the matter when he told the crowd that he drew so much inspiration from the virtues of Alhaji Lateef Jakande that he made the late leader’s former allies the core of the Governor’s Consultative Committee. He established the group to help him steer the ship of state on the path of progress and greatness regardless of the challenges that may come his way. Legion are the challenges.
Sanwo-Olu must have cracked some ribs when he alluded to a revelation by Hon. Ali that Jakande always kept a packet of Tom-Tom in his pocket and would slip one into his mouth any time he felt like refreshing during those marathon meetings politicians often hold. “He never forgot his packet of Tom-Tom,” Ali said. “Once he is tired and wants to refresh, he will just slip one into his mouth.”
Like Jakande, Sanwo-Olu also cannot do without his pack of Tom-Tom. “I like and lick Tom-Tom too,” Sanwo-Olu told the cheering crowd.
Ali summed his moving eulogy with another revelation: LKJ’s father, Aina Jakande, was a committed Ifa (Yoruba God of Divinity) worshipper, as denoted by his panegyric: KayodeOmo Jakande Agbefa Kari… (Kayode, the son of Jakande, the unwavering devotee of Ifa). And as the true son of Jakande Agbefa Kari, Ali continued, “Alhaji Jakande was an essential Omoluwabi; he was compassionate, humble…” And as a true son of his father, he never called a spade by any other name.
All these virtues and more were the hallmark of Jakande’s highly engaging column which he wrote under the pseudonym, John West. He maintained the column for many years during which he rubbed shoulders with other all-time greats like Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, the first civilian governor of Ogun State who used the pen name, Ayekooto; Alhaji Alade Odunewu, Allah De, Alhaji Babatunde Jose, among others.
The profuse reference to Jakande as Omoluabi during the occasion reminded me of my encounters with the legend, and our connection to Ilesa Grammar School, our glorious alma mater. He attended Ilesa Grammar School between 1945 and 1949. I did between 1970 and 1974.
Ilesa Grammar School is the great institution that produced legends like Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God; Hon. Justice Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore, a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria; Justice Emmanuel Araka, a former Judge of the High Court of old East Central State and later, Chief Judge of Anambra State; Dr. Festus Ajayi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and the first Nigerian to make first class in Law at the University of London; Justice Egbert Udo Udoma, former ChiefJustice of Uganda, Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and Chairman, Constituent Assembly (1977-1978); and Dr. Jaja Anucha Wachukwu, first Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, first Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, first Nigerian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Other luminaries produced by the school include: Hon. Justice Kayode Eso, former Justice of the Court of Appeal of the old Western Nigeria, former Chief Judge of the old Oyo State, and former Justice of the Supreme Court; and Hon. Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, former Chief Justice of the Gambia, former Justice of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles, and former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
Other eminent Made-in-Ilesa Grammar School Nigerians are: billionaire businessman, Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo; former Health Minister and ex-Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole; his successor as VC, also my classmate, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka; another classmate of mine who started as a first-class scientist but ended up as the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, ever produced by the University of Ibadan, Chief Mrs. Funmilayo Victoria Awomolo. The list also includes Prof. Femi Odekunle, Nigeria’s first Professor of Criminology and former political Adviser to the former Chief of General Staff, Lt. General Oladipo Diya; Prof. Sola Adeyeye, former Senator representing Osun Central; and Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, a retired Assistant Comptroller General of Customs and Senator representing Ilesa East in the 9th National Assembly. The list is endless.
To understand the reason Ilesa Grammar School products shine so brightly in whatever space they occupy, nationally or globally, is to understand the cord that binds them. That cord is the Omoluabi or Omoluwabi trait that the school ingrained in them.
The motto of our great alma mater is: E huwa Omoluwabi. Transliterated, it means: Behave like a person of integrity and paragon of excellence in character. As Professor Wande Abimbola, former Vice Chancellor of then University of Ife, Dr. Fola Kareem Olajoku of the Department of Philosophy, Lagos State University, and Dr. Dolapo Adeniji-Neill of the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, Adelphi University, New York, espoused in their works, an Omoluwabi or Omoluabi, is a child begotten by God; for Olu-iwa (Chief or Master (Olu) of character(iwa) is a Yoruba name for God. (Wikipedia)
Now, the virtues of Omoluwabi or Omoluabi are: the spoken word (oro siso), for the Yoruba greatly appreciate and respect intelligent use of language); respect (iteriba); goodwill, or having good mind towards others (inu rere); truth (otito); character (iwa); and bravery (akinkanju) (Wikipedia).
These are the great virtues that Ilesa Grammar School taught us, taught generations before us, and still teaches till date, despite the political pollution it suffered in its recent history. The principles are the cornerstone of the exemplary moral rectitude that LKJ exhibited both in private and public life.
He demonstrated all these attributes, and more, in the 51 months he spent as the first civilian governor of Lagos State (October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983).
Though Jakande’s reign was short, he convinced even his most virulent traducer that he was a true Omoluwabi, a true ambassador of Ilesa Grammar School. He exhibited excellent strength of character, remained true to his God and oath of office, spending every minute of his four years and three months tenure to write his name in gold in the minds of Lagosians; especially the poor and the lowly. He served Lagosians with every fibre of his being. He made every kobo count for them. He never stole from them.
Rather, he used his personal resources to serve them. For instance, he lived in house personal house throughout his tenure, never had an official car, never drove in long convoy that would send citizens scampering for cover on the road. He used his car, a Toyota Crown, all through. Though he built over 30, 000 units of houses for Lagosians under his populist housing scheme, though he built the largest estate in Africa, Gwarimpa Estate in Abuja, during his tenure as Housing Minister under General Sani Abacha, he never allocated a single unit to himself or any member of his family. Integrity. Omoluwabi.
This was why it was extremely difficult for the Buhari/Idiagbon Regime that dismantled the Second Republic on December 31, 1983, to indict him for any malfeasance. Though the regime threw most political actors of that era either into long detention or jail, Jakande, though detained, was never prosecuted for any misdemeanour.
A staunch believer of education as a veritable tool to break and destroy the vicious cycle of poverty, LKJ, at his inauguration as governor on Monday, October 1, 1979, declared free and compulsory education throughout the state. Prior to his ascendancy to power, Lagos used to run a three-shift school system: morning, afternoon and evening, due to chronic shortage of classrooms. But Jakande collapsed the three shifts to one, 8a.m. to 2 p.m. He built schools in every nook and cranny of the state, ensuring that no kid had to travel one kilometer to attend school. Result? School enrolment galloped exponentially.
When Jakande started building schools everywhere, the party at the centre, the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, scoffed; mocked. They called the classrooms ‘poultry sheds’. They likened them to structures where domesticated birds, especially chickens, are bred for eggs, meat or feathers.
Jakande was undaunted. He increased primary schools to 812 as against 605 he inherited; secondary schools to 223 against 105 he met. Primary school enrolment galloped from434,545 pupils to 533,001; secondary school enrolment from 107,835 students in 105 schools to 167,629 students in 223 schools.
Unlike what others in his shoes normally do, sending their kids to expensive schools abroad, Jakande showed leadership by ensuring that his children attended the ‘poultry sheds’. At last Wednesday’s commemoration, one of his sons, Hon. Deji Jakande, a member of the House of Representatives, bore witness to that, and thumbed his chest as a proud product of the ‘poultry sheds’. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is another product flying the banner of the ‘poultry sheds’ so high. My late younger brother, Rev. Michael Mabayoje Oshunkeye, a first-class sociologist made in the University of Ibadan, who, sadly, passed in London last April 24 at 60, was another great product of the ‘poultry sheds’. God rest his loving soul.
Many, indeed, are the products of those ‘poultry sheds’ who are now superstars in their respective areas of calling. Jakande laid a solid foundation for their glorious future within the short time he governed. Or, how can we forget the many great Nigerians who passed through the several Teacher Training Colleges and Colleges of Education, and the Lagos State University, that LKJ established?
LKJ not only built tertiary institutions, his administration also ensured that Lagos students in various institutions of higher learning, in the state and across Nigeria, never starved. Like in all the states controlled by his party, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Jakande Administration paid bursary allowances to them.
It will amount to an unnecessary minimization of Baba Kekere’s iconic stature to say he was a true and loyal party man. He was more. He implemented the UPN’s four cardinal programmes to the letter. They are: free education for all, free medical treatment, full and gainful employment, as well as integrated rural development. With his fidelity to the party’s programmes, he scripted and assured his own immortality. He used ingenious methods to solve critical social problems. By the way, Jakande earned himself the sobriquet Baba Kekere for his realism and unflinching commitment to Awoism.
Like I said, LKJ was never swayed by the bad mouth of the NPN. He implemented a massive masses-oriented housing programme aimed at providing accommodation for low-income earners. His administration constructed over 30,000 housing units. Through that aggressive policy, many Nigerians became home owners. ‘Jakande Estates’, as they are popularly called, dot virtually all the zones in Lagos State: Ijaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, Ije, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nla, Epe, Amuwo-Odofin, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu, Badagry, Isheri/Olowu, and Orisigun. He also created a haven for the superrich: Banana Island. He laid the foundation.
Without waiting for any legislation or government gazette, Lagosians immortalized the legend, naming the housing estates Jakande Estate. It couldn’t have been otherwise. Or, has the Holy Book not said: when the righteous rule, the people rejoice?
The man also foretold the immortality of his own legend through the over $700 million (huge sum at the time) Lagos Metroline project designed to ease the choking traffic crippling the city. At the ground-breaking ceremony, attended by President Shehu Shagari, Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and Senate President Dr. Joseph Wayas, at Yaba, on Saturday, July 16, 1983, Jakande declared:
“We are making history today. One hundred years from now, generations yet unborn will thank us for the wisdom in establishing this project. At that time, the metroline would have expanded from the north-south route of Lagos to other states. I dream of a comfortable future and I thank God for making me and this administration instruments for this future.” Vision.
The first phase of the project, awarded to a Japanese firm and a consortium of 19 French companies, Interinfra, was to be concluded in July 1986; just like the Cairo and Algiers metrolines awarded the same period. Had the project not been amputated, it would have substantially solved the Lagos traffic chaos. But when General Muhammadu Buhari struck on December 31,1983, the project was one of the first casualties. The regime scrapped the project and plunged Lagos State into avoidable debt. However, light appeared at the end of the tunnel when then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu revived it in 2003. Now, more than ever before, the city is yearning for the metroline. Given the commitment of Tinubu’s successors, from Babatunde Fashola to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos may yet laugh.
Like politics, LKJ also used journalism to define his legend, scoring many firsts, leaving enduring legacies. Again, the foundation of his journalism was laid in Ilesa Grammar School where he produced and edited the students’ newspaper, The Quarterly Mirror. The newspaper prepared him for an outstanding career in journalism; first with Daily Service as a reporter (later Editor in 1953) and the Nigerian Tribune (Editor-in-Chief, 1968 to 1975).
Jakande was a leader writer of a different hue. His editorials were factual, forthright, and fearless. They were an ever-present thorn in the flesh of Nigeria’s colonial masters and whoever attempted to oppress the masses. After leaving Nigerian Tribune in 1975, Jakande established John West Publications and began to publish The Lagos News.
LKJ scored some powerful firsts in global journalism too. A foundation member of both the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, he founded both the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, and the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ (with the support of the International Press Institute, IPI). He would later emerge as the first black African Chairman of the IPI, a body of Publishers and Editors across the world.
Though, I had been admiring Jakande from afar since 1978 when the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo lifted the ban on politics, my path never crossed his directly until January 1989. This was at the beginning of my one-year postgraduate programme at NIJ, Ogba, Lagos.
He taught us Ethics of Journalism. Another great Nigerian, Alhaji Kola Animasaun, then Chief Sub-Editor of Vanguard newspapers, later Chairman of the Editorial Board, taught us sub-editing and page planning. Jakande taught us that truth and strict adherence to the ethics of the profession are the unshakable pivot for successful and effective journalistic practice.
A pragmatist, LKJ opened our eyes to the various booby traps dotting the field of journalism, and the twin devices that effectively detonate them-truth and personal integrity. Baba Kekeretaught us essential journalism and the value of effective time management. Just like everything he did, he taught by example. For instance, if his lecture was to start at 9a.m., he would have driven in about 20 minutes before. At 8.55a.m., he would be at the veranda, counting the seconds. On the dot of 9, he would be right at the door of the class. Then, straight to business. If Jakande had any reason to skip class, and it was rare, he would serve a long notice. He was that committed. He was always dead serious. Unsmiling. Many even thought he was ‘too serious’.
But he smiled widely and heartily at our graduation in December 1989 when I was announced as the best graduating postgraduate student. He and Basorun M.K.O. Abiola, the billionaire Chairman and Publisher of the trailblazing Concord newspapers who would become my employer few months later, presented my prize to me. As I posed for photographs with the two great men at the podium that day, LKJ shook my hands and smiled again; and said softly: “I’m proud of you, young man. If you do not limit yourself, the sky would not be your limit. It would be your starting point.” I said a loud ‘Amen’ and returned to my seat. I savour that moment till date. The prayer was prophetic. He touched me in ways words cannot describe. Jakande touched many Nigerians.
That was why last Wednesday’s celebration of his life and times was a carnival of sort. It couldn’t have been otherwise. This is because while many live and die in shame, LKJ lived in honour and left in a blaze of glory. Even if people still gather at his grave, and their tears form a flood or puddle, it can only be for joy. It can only be an expression of adulation for a visionary who came, saw and secured the future for his people. It can only be for the celebration of an iroko which a million axes and thousand saws couldn’t fall; a diamond that glows powerfully in the swirling dust of a groping nation and nothing couldn’t bury; a superstar with a million sparkles in our cloudy firmament.
Good night, Baba Kekere.
Shola Oshunkeye, a former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Ghana Limited, is the President/CEO of The Crest online newspaper (www.thecrestng.com).
He could be reached through: shola.oshunkeye@thecrestng.com and/or shola.oshunkeye@gmail.com
+234 805 618 0011; +233 26 772 0147
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Customs Officer Dies In Lagos Boat Accident While Chasing Smugglers
Aliyu A. A., a customs officer attached to Western Marine Command, Lagos has lost his life while chasing smugglers along Badagry water channel.
The deceased, an Assistant Inspector of Customs was said to be on surveillance duty with his team along Vawhe-Usalu creeks.
Public Relations Officer, Western Marine Command, Isah Sulaiman, confirmed the incident in a statement.
He said the late officer was attached to Akere Surveillance/Monitoring team under Idiroko Outstation.
Sulaiman said the deceased officer along with his team were acting on credible information along Vawhe-Isalu creeks when their boat was involved in an accident while trying to intercept a boat suspected to be carrying smuggled items.
The statement read, “The accident resulted in the death of Assistant Inspector of Customs (AIC), Aliyu A. A. by drowning. The body of the deceased was found underneath the river with the assistance of villagers around the axis.
“The body was taken to General Hospital, Badagry, and later deposited at the mortuary, after being certified dead by the doctor on call.
“The corpse was transported by air on-board MAX air airline to Kano on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 on the request of the family of the deceased.
“AIC Aliyu A. A. hailed from Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State. He was born on the 10 July, 1987. He joined the Nigeria Customs Service on the October 17, 2013 as Customs Assistant II (CAII) and got promoted to the rank of AIC on January 1, 2019.
“AIC Aliyu A. A. died on the 22 March, 2021 while on active service and he will be buried today, March 24, 2021 in his hometown Funtua Area of Katsina state by 1000hrs, according to Islamic rites.
“At this trying time, the Customs Area Controller on behalf of the officers/men of the WMC commiserate with the family of the deceased and pray for the repose of his soul and also for God to grant the deceased eternal rest.”
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Court Jails Fake EFCC Operatives, Eight Others In Abeokuta
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office secured 10 convictions on Wednesday, before Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The convicts are: Beyioku Olatunji (a.k.a Bashorun), Beyioku Oluwayomi Oluwafemi (a.k.a Ola 1), Adeleke Ridwan Adekunle, AbdulFatai Waliu, Adelani Sarafa Yomi, Folarin Ikeoluwa Akinleye, Adebisi Abiola Victor, Adio Toheeb Oladimeji, Ogundulu Oluwashola Temitope and Amoo Rilwan Babatunde.
The Beyioku brothers, Olatunji and Oluwafemi, were arrested in November 2019 for allegedly impersonating operatives of the commission to defraud members of the public.
The two were initially arraigned on January 23, 2020, before Justice Abubakar on 18 counts bordering on conspiracy, impersonation, forgery, money laundering, and obtaining money under false pretences. They pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The duo thereafter approached the commission for a plea bargain.
The Beyioku brothers and the eight other defendants on Wednesday pleaded guilty to one count of impersonation separately filed against them by the EFCC.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, Murtala Usman, Oyelakin Oyediran, and Shamsuddeen Bashir, prayed the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Abubakar, in his judgment, convicted and sentenced Beyioku Olatunji Joe Oladapo and Beyioku Oluwayomi Oluwafemi to 18 months imprisonment from the day of arrest without an option of fine, while Adelani bagged 12 months imprisonment without option of fine.
Adio was jailed six months with an option of N200, 000 (Two hundred thousand naira) fine; Adeleke and Waliu got four months imprisonment with an option of N100, 000 (One hundred thousand naira) fine while Ogundulu bagged four months with an option of N150, 000 (One hundred and fifty thousand naira) fine.
Amoo was jailed for three months with an option of N200, 000 (Two hundred thousand naira) fine while Adebisi and Folarin are to spend three months in a correctional centre. They however have an option of paying N150, 000 (One hundred and fifty thousand naira) fine each.
The court also ordered the convicts to pay restitution to their victims. The Beyioku brothers are to restitute to their victim, Tawakalitu Lasisi, through the EFCC the total sum of N1,450,000 (One million four hundred and fifty thousand naira); Adelani – $3,900 (Three thousand nine hundred US dollars); Adeleke – $750 (Seven hundred and fifty US dollars); Wali – $130 (One hundred and thirty US dollars); Folarin- $500 (Five hundred US dollars); Adebisi – $800 ( Eight hundred US dollars) and N26,000 (Twenty-six thousand naira); Adio – $1,500 (One thousand five hundred US dollars); Ogundulu – $100 (One hundred US dollars) and Amoo – N990,694,66 (Nine hundred and ninety thousand, six hundred ninety-four naira and sixty-six kobo)
The Beyioku brothers are to forfeit the following items: two iPhone 11, one white Nokia mobile phone, one black iPhone 8 plus mobile handset, one small black Nokia mobile phone, one black 4G LTE MTN mobile WiFi, one gold Apple watch series 3 42mm, three Nigeria Police warrant cards belonging to Beyioku Yomi, one Nigeria Police warrant card belonging to Olatunji Joe, one gold necklace, one Honda Crosstour V6 with registration No: BASHORUN, one Mercedes Benz GLK 350 4MATIC with registration number OLA1.
The eight other convicts are also to forfeit all items recovered from them to the Nigerian government.
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Falana Seeks ECOWAS Sanctions Against Cape Verde President, Others For Refusing To Release Diplomat
Ambassador Alex Saab
A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has filed a suit asking the Economic Community of West African States to sanction Cape Verde for its refusal to release a Venezuelan Ambassador Alex Saab.
Falana, the lead counsel for the ECOWAS defending the Special Envoy, Saab submitted a motion to the Community Court of Justice demanding the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to impose sanctions against the Republic of Cape Verde.
Ambassador Alex Saab
He described the sanction as necessary for failing to fulfil its requirements as the member state of ECOWAS and conform with the binding judgement of the Honorable Court delivered on 15 March, 2021.
This was contained in the details of the suit sighted by SaharaReporters on Wednesday.
Saab was detained by Cape Verde under very controversial circumstances and in violation of International Law and ECOWAS Protocols.
The suit read, “In the said judgement, the Court confirmed that the arrest of Mr Saab was illegal, having been carried out without the existence of an INTERPOL Red Notice and an arrest warrant. The Court ordered the authorities of Cape Verde to immediately release Special Envoy Saab and terminate the extradition process which Special Envoy Saab has been undergoing at the request of the United States and a sum of $200,000.00 be paid by way of compensation.
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Despite ECOWAS Court Ruling, Cape Verde Moves To Extradite Alex Saab To US
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“In response, the Government of Cape Verde stated that: ‘the position of the Prosecutor General’s Office has not changed in relation to the extradition process of Mr. Alex Saab or regarding the acceptance of jurisdiction or the supremacy of the jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the domestic legal order'”.
It further stated that, “The defence has requested therefore that the Authority impose sanctions against the government officials of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) responsible for the violations of human rights. The motion is seeking to establish a travel ban throughout the ECOWAS member states against the following Cape Verde government officials including their family members:
“Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, President of Cape Verde, José Ulisses de Pina Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Rui Alberto de Figueiredo Soares, Minister of Foreign and Community Affairs and Minister of Defense of the Republic of Cape Verde, Paulo Augusto Rocha, Minister of Home Affairs of Cape Verde, Janine Tatiana Santos Lélis, Minister of Justice and Labour of Cape Verde, Luís José Tavares Landim, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Cape Verde.
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How Cape Verde’s Authorities Buried Evidence Proving Alex Saab’s Diplomatic, Humanitarian Status
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“The motion also contains request for various financial measures such as suspension of new ECOWAS loans, disbursement of ongoing ECOWAS projects or assistance programmes to Cabo Verde, exclusion from presenting Candidates for statutory and professional posts of the Respondent in ECOWAS, suspension of voting rights in ECOWAS and participation in the activities of ECOWAS.”
Falana said, “Cape Verde’s behaviour is unacceptable and flies in the face of its international obligations as well as centuries-old international law governing the movement of diplomats and political agents. If Cape Verde is allowed to continue down the path which it is currently travelling, the consequences for the conduct of global diplomacy will be catastrophic.”
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Providing Infrastructure For Herders Not As Easy As Stuffing Dollars In Clothes, Miyetti Allah Tackles Ganduje
The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has attributed the rising cases of banditry in the country to the failure of governors to protect herders and their cattle.
The national secretary of the group, Saleh Alhassan, said some bandits were herders who became radicalised after they lost their cattle as a result of the ban by some state governors on open grazing.
Alhassan stated this in a live interview with Punch on Wednesday.
Alhassan also tackled the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, for his position on the relocation of herders.
In January, Ganduje said there should be a law banning the movement of cattle from the north to the south. The governor also said his administration was already constructing a settlement with houses, a dam, an artificial insemination centre, and a veterinary clinic for herders in a forest near Kano’s border with Katsina.
But in the interview, Alhassan described the governor’s statement as cheap political talk.
He added that putting such a plan in place is not as easy as “stuffing dollars” in one’s cloth.
Alhassan said, “Let him put in place the infrastructure. Kano is a semi-arid state. What has he provided even to the herders in Kano? Kano is a heavily cultivated area during the dry season. So, what alternative have you provided for the herders? It is not about cheap idle political talks. These are real issues.
“Like, I have the capacity to absorb 10,000 herders. This is what I have provided for them. This is where they will water their animals. This is where they will get their feeds. You don’t just come and say they should move to Kano. If they move to Kano, are they going to be in his government house? It is not stuffing dollars. I’m sorry to say that.
“The crisis of bandits in the North-West is because of some of the activities of the governors in the past. They put pressure on the herders. They lose their cattle. They have no business. Now, they have joined bandits. They are not spirits. They have reasons why they emerged. If you destroy grazing, you are going to create another problem. They destroyed their economy. They have no cattle and they got radicalised.
“Our members are peaceful herders. We have bandits; we have criminal elements in the forest. They are not necessarily herders. It is the responsibility of the security forces to identify the criminals, isolate them and deal with them according to the laws of the land. There are herders dwelling in the forest, doing their peaceful economic activities, which is cattle rearing.”
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Nigerian Lady Seeks Justice As Belgian Hospital Allegedly Cuts Off Her Cervix, Makes Her Sister-in-law Paralysed
A Nigerian lady in Belgium, Ajima Ogbole, has demanded justice after a Belgian general hospital, AZ Sint-Jan allegedly cut off her cervix in error.
In a video shared online, Ajima also alleged that her sister-in-law, Susan Ogbole, who volunteered to be a surrogate for her family was left paralysed due to the error of the medical personnel at the hospital.
Ajima said she had visited the hospital in Bruges to seek a solution to her fertility struggles after she was diagnosed with fibroids.
She added that she was advised by a doctor to undergo a myomectomy, the surgery to take out the fibroids before trying to conceive.
Ajima said she had the surgery in November 2017 and returned for a checkup, only to be told by her doctor that her cervix couldn’t be found.
“He asked us to come back so he could put me under anaesthesia and try to find the cervix. We returned with my husband. When I woke up, I saw I had four holes on my tummy and I was wondering if it was the IUD. He was supposed to put the IUD (intrauterine device) as he felt my cervix was blocked. He later came in to tell us that he couldn’t find my cervix and so he didn’t perform the laparoscopy. He was going to refer me to KU Leuven,” she said.
“We met a professor in gynaecology, which was the best to recreate my cervix. The professor told me that, for the purpose of a pregnancy, a cervix has never been recreated and he hopes for my sake that there was a little hole through which my period will be able to flow out. So he performed investigations and did ultrasounds to see if he could see my cervix, but he couldn’t. So he ushered my husband and I back into his office.
“He explained that the cervix is a muscle that holds the weight of the baby until you’re ready to push and also protects the fetus from infection. He then told me that I couldn’t get pregnant naturally or artificially because the connection between the vagina and the uterus was gone. It was at that point we realised the intensity of the situation. My husband and I then travelled to Nigeria to consult another gynaecology professor and another fertility specialist.”
Ajima said a laparoscopy was conducted on her the second time in 2018 so as to recreate her cervix so there would be a passage through which her period flows can exit her system but the surgery was unsuccessful.
To avoid any complication from having her body absorb back her period, the doctor suggested a second procedure.
She further said, “We came back to Belgium and had an appointment with a gynaecology professor at the University of Ghent who is specialised in reconstructive surgeries. We saw him and he offered to perform surgery but it was going to be a 20 percent chance of success. By success, he meant to recreate the whole cervix and not for the purpose of getting pregnant if that was successful. I agreed. I had a laparoscopy again sometime in August 2018.
“A catheter was put for 10 days. We went back after then and he removed it. We then came back two weeks later for an IUD to be inserted. I was put under anaesthesia. And by the time I woke up, his assistant came to inform us that the surgery wasn’t successful. He was still in surgery so he couldn’t see us himself. So he gave us an appointment in two weeks to discuss what I wanted to do and also that my body absorbing back period wasn’t good for my health.
“It can lead to some complications like endometriosis or probably even cancer of the blood. And so we left and when we came back, he offered to try one more surgery. But I wasn’t so sure as my body was exhausted. And I felt a drain psychologically, physically, and emotionally. After some thought, he told me to go and think about it and tell him what I wanted. We came back and I decided to have another surgery which was somewhat successful.”According to her, since there was no cervix to support either artificial or natural conception, multiple gynaecologists advised that she opt to have a child through surrogacy.
She said after spending sometime to look for a surrogate who must be legally qualified to bear the child for her and her man, Ajima’s sister-in-law, Susan Ogobole, who was to come to Belgium for her studies, volunteered to do that.
Ajima forwent the US due to cost considerations and went back to the hospital where her error was allegedly made.
“I began to have my period but, after a while, it stopped again. I was supporting and at the point, I had to decide my life was more important than cutting myself and twisting the hand of fate because I wanted to get pregnant by all means. We started to research the process of surrogacy. We found our best option was America. But we couldn’t afford it because it was expensive, between $150,000 and $200,000. In Belgium, surrogacy is complicated,” she said.
“It’s a grey zone and hospitals meet the law on who they take as a surrogate and who they shouldn’t. My sister-in-law here who is Susan was then coming to Belgium to study. So she offered to be our surrogate because she was resident in Belgium. It was already easy for us because, for you to be a surrogate in Belgium, you have to be legally resident in Belgium. So when she came again, we started looking for hospitals, but no hospital will take us.“We came back to the AZ Sint-Jan in Bruges, where my error was made. After embryo creation and a week to the embryo being transferred in Susan, the hospital backed out. They said they wouldn’t be proceeding and no reason was given and we had to transfer, which we did in the first week of February and then moved back to Belgium.”
Ajima said Susan had the baby on the 15th of October 2020 by caesarean section but became paralysed later.Speaking on her own experience, Susan said she had felt pain when her epidural was administered.
Susan also said that the pain later stopped but she started having leg spasms in the evening after she had the child. This was followed by a partial paralysis from her waist down, where she can neither defecate nor urinate by herself.
“I had the baby on the 15th of October, 2020. I opted for a caesarean and I was told I had to take an epidural. I had wanted general anaesthesia but they said in Belgium I had to take the epidural for safety. So I reluctantly obliged and signed the consent form because I didn’t want any complication to happen with the baby. So I went into the theatre and I was administered the epidural. In the process of the epidural, I felt pain on the left side of my back,” she said.
“I kept telling the doctor, ‘Oh, I feel pain.’ She kept telling me, ‘Be calm. I’m trying to get the good spot.’ She kept twisting the needle or something else. It felt like a round device. At some point, she found the point she claimed she was looking for. I didn’t feel the pain anymore. So the surgery was carried out successfully. But after I got back into the ward the following day, I was told the epidural pump had to be removed. They did and, at about 8:00, I sat.
“Everything seemed okay but my legs were having spasms. I was told it would wear off. In the evening, I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. They had to look for a neurologist to come and check. She came and said I had to go for an MRI. I’ve had four MRIs. The first two, they said, ‘Oh, we didn’t see anything.’ After the third, they said I had to have a lumbar puncture. I was seeking a lumbar puncture. They said they saw a bacteria but don’t know what it is.
“One of them even suggested that maybe it’s a disease from Africa, tuberculosis, malaria, or cerebral meningitis. They carried out all the tests, yet, didn’t see anything. So the question was, where did the bacteria come from? Was it in the process of administering the epidural it entered my system as a result of not scrubbing me very well? Or is it that the person who administered the epidural didn’t sterilise her equipment properly? Nobody gave an answer.”
She revealed that it was after a meeting with the doctors involved that it was discovered that a third-year resident administered her epidural while the supervisor claimed she just stood by the side.
Ajima said the hospital had failed to tender a formal apology and cater to their medical bills on request. She also added that AZ Sint-Jan took one week to send Susan’s medical files when she needed a transfer.Both Ajima and Susan alleged racism while seeking redress from the hospital.
“The neurologist hasn’t even stopped by Susan’s room. It’s after we realised all these, they brought a rehabilitation doctor, who is black, for us. Why? I feel they dragged him into this for damage control. And also how can two family members of the same race have two rare complications in the hospital. Why was a resident also used in my surgery? These are questions. We even said okay, no apologies. Let’s sit and have a conversation,” Ajima further narrated.
“How do you make our lives easy? What happens to Susan’s medical bills? How can they ruin the two lives of two sisters and nobody is showing any remorse. Nobody feels like we deserve an apology. At first, we thought it was subtle racism but it’s not even subtle. It’s glaring racism. Nobody even comes to us. They feel maybe we’re asking for too much. If it was a family member of one of these doctors, they would have gone above and beyond.
“Even when her file was supposed to be sent to UZ Gent. We kept on pushing. It was sent after a week. We kept on asking them, ‘have you consulted other doctors to find a solution? Have you done this?’ They say, ‘no, can they do it?’ How can you ask a patient? We don’t think the bacteria was involved. I believe her nerve roots were damaged.
“If not, why haven’t they seen the bacteria? They try to blame it on malaria, meningitis, or tuberculosis. We’re lucky Susan did not have a bit of malaria in her blood. They would have held on to that. They told us that it’s a bacteria not found in Caucasians or Europeans. It’s a bacteria found in Africa. Is this not all racism? If everything was done perfectly, why is my sister-in-law in a chair? We feel that this hospital deserves to be investigated. We need justice.”
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Police Arraign Director, Lawyer, One Other Over Alleged Theft Of N1billion
File photo used to illustrate story.
The Nigeria Police Force has arraigned a former Managing Director of an aviation fuelling company, Star Orient Nigeria Limited, Dare Osamo and two others before a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba for an alleged theft of N1 billion.
The Defendants, Osamo; Ayoola Olore Abiola, who is a practising lawyer and Hussaina Abdulkadir, were arraigned before Magistrate Mrs A. A. Oshiniyi on four counts bordering on forgery and stealing.
Police prosecutor, Jimoh Joseph informed the court that they had been under investigation for eighteen months before they were arraigned following the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice, which said they had a case to answer.
“That you Dare Osamo (m), Ayoola Olore Abiola, 30 (f), Hussaina Abdulkadir (f) and others at large, sometime between the year 2016 and 2019 at Star Orient Nigeria Limited at JUH12, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos did conspire to commit forgery, obtaining money by false pretences and stealing, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
“That you Dare Osamo (m), Ayoola Olore Abiola, 30 (f), Hussaina Abdulkadir (f) and others at large, on the aforesaid date did forge a Star Orient Nigeria Limited Board Resolution dated 31st July, 2018, and 15th December, 2015 with the intent it may be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudice members of the public, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 365(1) , Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you Dare Osamo (m), Ayoola Olore Abiola, 30 (f), Hussaina Abdulkadir (f) and others at large on the aforesaid date did obtain the sum of N1,605,019,015,01 (one billion, six hundred and five million, nineteen thousand and fifteen naira, one kobo), from Star Orient Nigeria Limited, in the pretence of selling and buying aviation products, a representation you know to be false and thereby committing an offence punishable under section 314(1) and (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015,” part of the charges against the defendants read.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, the Magistrate granted them bail in the sum of five million naira (N5 million) with two responsible sureties in like sum, one of whom must be blood a relative.
She further ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and provide details of their residential addresses and evidence of tax payments to the state.
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Bandits Kidnap Four Persons In Abuja Community, Demand N200million Ransom
File Photo
Armed men have raided residents of Kiyi town in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), abducting at least four persons.
According to Daily Trust, one Salami Olalekan, a member of staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA), is said to be among those abducted.
File Photo
William Salami, elder brother of the victim, said the kidnappers demanded N200 million, N50 million for each hostage.
“The kidnappers called once, asked for N50 million ransom for each person.
“When they raided the houses, they did not take any property, except a cooking pot, probably to be cooking in the bush,” he said.
The other three victims are a motorcycle rider, a technician and a taxi driver.
It was learnt that the armed men broke into Olalekan’s house through a window at the back of the house. They were said to have destroyed the iron bars of the window before gaining access into his apartment.
When contacted, the FCT police command spokesperson, ASP Miriam Yusuf, said, “We have launched an operation to rescue the victims and apprehend the fleeing suspects.”
Rural communities of the FCT have witnessed incessant kidnappings, with over 30 people abducted in the last three months.
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Tell Your Fulani People To Stop Their Mindless Killings, PFN Tells Buhari
President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke has urged the Nigerian government not to negotiate with bandits, saying it will be tantamount to treating them with kid gloves.
Oke described the continuous silence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the nation’s security situation as disheartening and disturbing.
The cleric asked the President to urgently address Nigerians on the palpable insecurity situation of the country.
Oke, who is the founder of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries and the Proprietor of the Precious Cornerstone University (PCU) Ibadan, made these assertions on Wednesday at the Cornerstone City, Ibadan when he received separately, the Lagos, Ogun and Osun states’ chapters of the PFN, led by Apostle Enjimaya Okwuonu, Apostle David Otaru and Prophet Isaiah Adelowokan respectively. Their visit was to felicitate with him on his emergence as the PFN president.
“The silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over the degenerating security situation in Nigeria is too loud and this is very disturbing. Seriously, President Buhari’s silence is deafening and it’s giving room for speculations and gossips that suggest the government has a hand in the sickening situation by indulging and pampering the bandits and the killer Fulani herdsmen, among others,” Oke said.
He urged the President to “rise above primordial sentiments and sectional attachment by doing the needful to make the nation more homely for every Nigerian”.
The cleric reminded the President that he was voted into power in 2015 because of his military background with the hope that he would tackle insecurity in the country.
“There is so much pressure and tension in the land due to insurgency being orchestrated by the Boko Haram, kidnapping, banditry, killer Fulani herdsmen’s palaver, raping, among other ills. All these are self-inflicted,” he said.
Continuing, Bishop Oke said, “We don’t want the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to be the one that will speak; it is President Buhari himself that we want to hear from on the dreary security situation in the country. Our President should use the opportunity to disassociate his government from the lawlessness currently ravaging the country through the activities of Boko Haram insurgents and the killer Fulani herdsmen.
“He should tell his kinsmen, the Fulani, to stop the mindless killings currently going on in the country; arrest and make those culpable to face the wrath of law. Tell the bandits, the killers, the rapists and all those involved in these heinous engagements, the language of law whether they are Fulanis or whatever. Let the nation hear your fatherly voice. People are living in fear, farmers cannot go to their farms anymore.”
He further charged the President to be quick in tackling the mounting challenges, insisting that the nation was on the brink of collapse.
“No doubt, we are at a precarious time because of insecurity and alarmingly, the drums of separation are beating loudly for everyone to hear,” he said.
He continued, “On behalf of over 45 million members of PFN, I want to implore President Buhari to stand up firmly to bring together all Nigerians regardless of their tribes and religions. PFN is praying for you, Mr President, and the nation as well. This is because Nigeria has never been as divided as we are now.”
In the interim, the PFN President said the Federal Government should not negotiate with bandits.
He said, “Kidnappers, bandits, Boko Haram insurgents, killer Fulani herdsmen and rapists are criminals who the government should not negotiate with. Instead, they should be judged while the protection of lives and property of the citizen is given the needed priority.”
He implored all Nigerians to continue to pray and work with sincerity of purpose for the greatness of the country.
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Abuja Electricity Distribution Company’s Abandoned Cable Kills 12-year-old Girl
A 12-year-old girl, Rejoice Ukpabi, has been electrocuted after touching a high voltage cable allegedly abandoned by the officials of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company from the Apo office in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
SaharaReporters learnt that the incident occurred on Saturday at Durumi village when the girl mistakenly touched the “stay cable” that supported the electric pole placed near their compound while washing clothes.
The mother of the deceased, Simi Okpabi, who was away in the market when the incident happened, accused the AEDC officials of being responsible for the death of her daughter.
The family also accused the top management of the company of attempting to hide the identities of its workers behind the wrong connections that led to the untimely death of the little girl.
She said the life of her daughter would not have been cut short if the officials had heeded to her entreaties and complaints on the need to replace the electric pole near her house.
She recounted how she had on several occasions complained about the dangers posed by the fallen pole with the high voltage cable that almost touched the rooftop of her house, to the AEDC Apo office but no action was taken.
She added that it took the AEDC officials several months before replacing the pole which was bought by the residents.
Narrating the sad incident further, Simi said she had a premonition before the pole was replaced that it might kill someone and she had asked the officials to relocate the pole from her house but they refused.
It was learnt that upon the completion of the work by the AEDC workers on the pole, a high tension cable was said to have touched the supporting cable which was directly behind her house.
She said, “On Saturday, I left my daughter at home and she was fine and I even asked her to do some work for me while I left for the shop. I had been complaining about the same cable that killed my daughter. It was not up to 30 minutes when she died that they disconnected the electricity.
“They came here and they were asking me nonsense questions as if I knew those people that fixed the pole. I mentioned their names as Dogo and Muritala but they claimed that they did not know them.
“The same AEDC workers that always come to share bills and collect money from us cannot be identified by those directors that came to greet me at home. They denied and said they didn’t know them.
“Even when the pole fell down, they would not do it until the people in this area contributed money to buy it. Like this one that killed my daughter, I told them not to put it close to my house again but I don’t know that as my mind was rejecting it, it would still kill my child.”
Meanwhile when SaharaReporters visited the scene of the incident, the “stay cable’ which served as a supporting cable for the pole had been disconnected but the high tension cable was only a few metres away from the rooftop of the house.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Emmanuel Emeka, said, “Rejoice was electrocuted while fetching water because of the wet floor because rain had fallen the previous day. She later moved to another side where she was washing clothes and she was electrocuted again and this time around, she was looking for something to hold but she could find none. So, she grabbed the standing cable and that was all.”
He explained that the death of the girl was avoidable if the AEDC officials had yielded to the warning and complaints of the victim’s mother.
He added that there were many wrong connections in the area that posed more threats to the lives of residents.
He continued, “We will continue to demand justice for Rejoice and those AEDC workers who made the wrong connection must be identified and brought to justice.”
It was learnt that some aggrieved residents in the area on Wednesday staged a protest at the AEDC office located at Apo to demand a thorough probe of the incident and ensure that justice was served.
The angry protesters also gave a seven-day ultimatum to the AEDC management to take responsibility for the death of the girl and correct all wrong connections posing dangers and threats to lives of the people in the community.
The protesters, who were with placards, vowed to occupy AEDC if their demands were not met at the expiration of the ultimatum.
Efforta by SaharaReporters to get the reaction of the AEDC authority at Apo office and headquarters at Wuse Zone 4, were unsuccessful as the security operatives at the gate said those that could speak on the matter were not available.
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