Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 17th April 2021

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 17th April 2021

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 17/04/21

Teenager Kills Eight Persons In US Mass Shooting, Kills Self

A 19-year-old has shot and killed eight people, injuring several others at a FedEx Corp. facility in Indianapolis, United States.
The incident happened on Thursday night, in which the gunman also shot himself dead, the city’s police said.

The Indianapolis incident is the third shooting of this scale in recent weeks.
The shooting suspect has been identified as Brandon Hole, according to law-enforcement officials. Mr. Hole is a former employee of the company, a person familiar with the matter said.
Around 11 pm Thursday, the suspect arrived at the FedEx Ground facility’s parking lot, got out of his car and started shooting at people, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief Craig McCartt said at a news conference Friday morning. The man then entered the building, shooting at more people before killing himself.
When police arrived, they found “an active and chaotic crime scene,” Deputy Chief McCartt said. The incident lasted only a few minutes, and by the time police went inside the facility, “the situation was over,” he said.
FedEx declined to name the suspect, but spokesperson Jim Masilak told CNN, “We can confirm that the perpetrator was a former employee at the facility.”
“Further questions about the perpetrator should be direct to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department,” he added.
According to authorities, the gunman opened fire outside, wounding several others and sending witnesses running before taking his own life.
The suspect in the Indianapolis mass shooting was known to federal and local authorities prior to the attack. A family member of the suspected shooter reached out to authorities warning about the suspect’s potential for violence, according to three law enforcement sources briefed on the matter.
It was not clear when the warning was given but the outreach was followed up by both local authorities and FBI, which opened a preliminary investigation into any possible threat, the sources said.
The FBI eventually closed their inquiry after concluding there wasn’t sufficient evidence to continue it, according to the sources who did not specify why federal investigators dropped the matter.
The suspect has not been publicly identified.
The FBI is helping Indianapolis Metro Police Department “on the search of the suspect’s home,” the FBI special agent in charge Paul Keenan said at a Friday morning news conference.
Asked whether authorities had any indication this attack would occur, police said no.

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BREAKING: Governor Makinde Sacks Ladoke Akintola University Vice Chancellor

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Friday sacked the Vice Chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Prof. M. O. Ologunde.
The decision of the governor, who is the visitor to the institution, was communicated in a letter through the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, on Friday.

The development is believed to be connected with the dissolution of the joint ownership of the institution by Oyo and Osun states.
He directed the VC to hand over forthwith to the principal dean officer in order not to interrupt academic activities in the university.
The letter reads in part, “His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo state and the visitor to the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso has directed that the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. M. O. Ologunde should step aside until further notice.

“Consequently, the VC has also been directed to hand over forthwith to the next principal officer in rank in order to ensure uninterrupted flow of normal activities of the institution.”

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US Moves To Support 45,000 HIV Patients In Oyo, Ondo With ART Treatment

The United States Government has announced that it will be placing another batch of 45,000 People Living with HIV in Oyo and Ondo states on life-saving antiretroviral treatment as part of efforts to move Nigeria towards HIV epidemic control.
The US government noted that the HIV treatment would not only reduce HIV-related illnesses and death but also help to prevent new infections.

According to a release on Friday, this will be achieved through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which is administered by the US Centre for Disease Control.
The CDC is providing HIV treatment to more than 23,000 HIV residents in Oyo State and over 12,000 in Ondo State.
The US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo, disclosed this during the launch of the HIV Antiretroviral Treatment Surge programmes in the two states which held on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The PEPFAR Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Surge programme identifies people living with HIV and places them on treatment for life. HIV treatment not only reduces HIV-related illnesses and death but also helps prevent new infections,” Consul General Pierangelo remarked.
Speaking during a courtesy and advocacy visit to the Ondo State Government House, Consul General Pierangelo thanked Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and senior members of the administration for their commitment to work with all stakeholders, as the state implements the PEPFAR ART Surge.
She urged the Ondo State Government to remove all barriers hindering people living with HIV from accessing free services offered by the US government through the PEPFAR programme. Specifically, she highlighted the negative effect of user-fees as a major barrier to PLHIV accessing treatment and urged the elimination of such fees.
In addition, she advocated the removal of antenatal care charges for pregnant women living with the virus.
In Oyo State, Consul General Pierangelo met with the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, who represented Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
They discussed the US government’s PEPFAR support in Nigeria’s policy development, human capacity building, and strengthening health systems, including the provision of state-of-the-art laboratories and pharmaceutical warehouses.
While in Ibadan, the Consul General also visited the University College Hospital where she toured the US CDC-supported ART clinic, as well as interacted with programme beneficiaries and management staff of the facility.
Consul General Pierangelo requested Oyo and Ondo state governments to prioritise the procurement of additional HIV test kits to support the current PEPFAR efforts.
The additional test kits are necessary for identifying PLHIV in various communities, and the rapid and sustained effort to put them on life-saving medications. This effort will ensure that they live normal, productive, and healthy lives, and break virus transmission.
In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 8.2 million people received PEPFAR-supported HIV counselling and testing services in Nigeria.
In each week of 2020, the US government, through PEPFAR helped place 6,000 newly identified HIV-infected Nigerians on treatment, while also supporting quality HIV services for over 1 million HIV-infected Nigerians already in PEPFAR-supported care.
Furthermore, more than 1.2 million pregnant women received HIV testing and counselling to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and about 1.3 million orphans and vulnerable children received PEPFAR-supported care and supportive services.

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E2%80%99s-aide-koiki-says Why There Will Be No Election In Yorubaland In 2023, Igboho’s Aide, Koiki Says

Olayomi Koiki, media aide to Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has explained why the Oduduwa Nation agitators have insisted on the 2023 elections boycott in South-West states.
Koiki, who spoke with SaharaReporters on Friday, noted that the country’s extant constitution is faulty.

He said a referendum will be conducted but before then, the agitators are engaging in what he called self-determination.
Koiki stated that there is the need for a constitutional reform else no other election should hold on such a fraudulent Constitution.
He said, “Before a referendum can take place, we need to first educate our people and give them a reason behind why we believe that there should not be an election. What are the reasons? I will go back to the 1914 amalgamation, that amalgamation expired in 2014, it was a forceful amalgamation on us as a people, as a tribe, we never signed for that amalgamation.
“The 1999 Constitution is also a reason for us not to go into another election to renew that scam that has been used on Nigerians. The constitution that was given to us was when Abdul salami (Abubakar), a former military dictator was on seat before President Olusegun Obasanjo came on board in 1999.
“Our leaders have already given 90 days to the Federal Government, that 90 days expired which is called the force majeure. It was issued by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS) made up of South-West, Middle Belt, South-East and I think the South-South, they came together to give 90 days to the Federal Government in terms of the proclamation of that constitution that it needs to be looked into. The federal government has not looked into that, it has expired on the 17th of March and a statement has come out.
“What we are doing now is called acclamation: we need to talk to our people, educate them, advise them, give them due direction in terms of moving forward out of this country, the total breakaway out of the union. The union brought us together in 1960 as one entity, that entity expired after the first military coup in 1966. That means we are no longer practising the regional government.
“The Nigerian government has continued to lie to Nigerians in terms of restructuring the country and they have refused to restructure the country. When we came together, it was an entity; that entity has already gone when we stopped operating the regional government.
“Moving forward now, we are taking our campaign door to door, house to house, street to street, market to market, advising and educating our people that we have the rights under the United Nations Charter to become a nation. We are already registered under UNPO (The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation).
“Scotland has a union with Great Britain as far back as 1701 but now Scotland is demanding total self-determination out of Great Britain, that does not mean that they don’t have quality good health care, the whole amenities were provided to their citizens but they are still looking to break away.
“In 1976, we had a Local Government Reform Amendment, till date can you point out of the 774 local government areas we have in this country, which one is functioning up to the standard that there is no single out-of-school child? All these are issues affecting the Yoruba people and those of other tribes and that is why we will continue going through the peaceful manner recommended by the UN charter.
“Before we can speak of a referendum, we need to go out first, speak to the people, we will then present our case which is ongoing already by those leading us to say that the UN should calm down and do what was done to South Sudan in 2011 to allow peaceful break away out of this country.
“As Pastor Paul Adefarasin said, Nigeria is a scam and no one should think of even talking about the election with the fraudulent constitution.”
In December 2020, prominent leaders from various ethnic groups from the South-West, South-East, South-South and the Middle Belt under the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination gave the Nigerian Government a 90-day ultimatum to constitute a committee on Sovereign National Conference to decide on the repeal of the 1999 Constitution or to dissolve Nigeria’s amalgamation of 1914.
The leaders said all elections must be suspended so that winners would not be sworn in with the same 1999 Constitution which they described as faulty.
On March 18, NINAS gave the Nigerian government another 30-day ultimatum after the expiration of the 90-Day Notice of Grave Constitutional Grievances issued by NINAS to the Nigerian government on December 16, 2020.

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Former Bauchi Lawmaker Declines Nigerian Government’s Appointment

FILE PHOTO: Nigerian President Buhari at the United Nations

A former majority leader of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Dayyabu Chiroma, has declined his appointment as a member of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Shandam, Plateau State.
Chiroma, who represented the Darazo constituency, said he rejected the appointment by the Nigerian Government due to his loyalty and dedication to his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

FILE PHOTO: Nigerian President Buhari at the United Nations

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In a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and dated April 12, 2021, Chiroma expressed his delight with the opportunity to be chosen out of over five million eligible Nigerians despite being an active card-carrying member of the PDP.
The former lawmaker, who is currently the Chairman of Bauchi State Drugs and Medical Consumable Management Agency, however, declared that he would not take up the appointment due to his personal support and unwavering loyalty to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.
The letter reads, “I write with esteem compliment to refer to the subject matter of the above correspondence. It has come to my notice, that I have been considered and indeed appointed to serve as a member of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Shendam in Plateau State.
“I am highly delighted first of all that Mr President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had found me worthy of being considered for such an important national assignment.
“I am indeed more elated because I was chosen from among more than five million eligible citizens of Bauchi State who otherwise would have been qualified to serve in that capacity and despite being an active and card-carrying member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“I must, therefore, extend my gratitude to the President for the confidence reposed in me to serve his administration in that capacity. I am once again grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve the country in the capacity for which I was chosen.
“Be that as it may, while I was indeed appointed to give my best to the development of my dear country Nigeria, I am declining due to my personal support and unwavering loyalty to the Executive Governor of Bauchi State (Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed Kauran Bauchi), who has since found me capable and worthy of service as Chairman of Bauchi State Drugs and Medical Consumable Management Agency, the position I am currently holding at the instant of His Excellency by serving the interest and aspiration of the immediate people of my constituent.
“I must not hesitate to categorically inform you of my decision to decline the said appointment due to my loyalty and dedication to my dear political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

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E2%80%94dino-melaye Buhari Snoring While Nigeria Is Sinking —Dino Melaye

A former Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, on Friday described President Muhammadu Buhari as sleeping while the country is in a crisis.
According to Melaye, under Buhari’s leadership, things are not going well for Nigeria.

On his Facebook page, the former Senator said, “President Buhari should be worried. Twitter picked Ghana as Regional office, Germany again picked Ghana as West Africa HQ for Center for Global Health. Nigeria is sinking and our President is snoring.”
Melaye was referring to the decision by Twitter to site its African headquarters in Ghana despite Nigeria having a population with 39.6 million accounts on the social media platform, which is more than the entire 32 million population of Ghana, according to NOI polls.
Similarly, the German government has announced that it will support the launch of a German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention, to be sited in Ghana.
Christoph Retzlaff, German Ambassador to Ghana, announced in a tweet on Thursday that the Ghanaian centre is one of eighth of such in the worldwide.

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Malabu Oil: Group Condemns Detention Of HEDA Chairman For Exposing Alleged Fraud, Demands Apology

A group, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned the arrest and detention of Olanrewaju Suraj by the Nigeria Police over Malabu oil deal.
Suraj, who is the Chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has been advocating justice as regards the alleged corruption which has ravaged the sale of the contentious OPL 124 oil block known as Malabu.

In a press statement signed by the executive director of CHRICED, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, made available to SaharaReporters on Friday, the group said Suraj was framed by a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke who is standing trial on the case.
The Centre, which called for the immediate release of Suraj, also faulted the police for displaying prejudice over the matter, adding that it should do a thorough investigation.
“The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) unequivocally condemns the recent arrest and detention of the Executive Director of Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Mr. Olarenwaju Suraj by the Nigeria Police. Suraj who is also Chairman of a frontline civil society coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has been the leading voice in the quest to ensure accountability and justice for Nigeria with respect to the massive bribery, which followed the sale of the controversial OPL 124 oil block, also known as Malabu.

E2%80%94-parents BREAKING: Abductors Of Afaka Students Demand N500 Million Ransom — Parents

Parents of the kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna state say they have been asked to pay a ransom of N500 million before their children will be released to them.
They also said they had lost hope in government’s intervention aimed at securing the release of their children.

Although 10 of the students were released by the gunmen and have since reunited with their respective families, the remaining are still held by the kidnappers since March 11, 2021.
During a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, the spokesperson for the parents, Friday Sani said the gunmen have started calling them personally, requesting ransom amounting to N500 million for the release of their children.
He said, “The condition we are in today is very pathetic, and we are calling on the entire world to come to our aid. We held a protest and the Kaduna State Government called us, thinking they were going to give us hope that they will rescue our children. But they told us that anybody caught negotiating with bandits will be prosecuted.“That also led to our second coming out to address the world through the media that it will be better for us to be arrested, even though we have already been arrested emotionally since our children’s abduction.
“We are already under the arrest of government. Some of us could not eat and sleep while some of us have developed sickness, so there is no arrest higher than this.
“We will continue to protest, no matter the number of security forces. The highest is death and we are ready to sacrifice that for our children who have promising futures,” he said.
“If we can negotiate for the release of our children and succeed and then being arrested afterwards, we will be the happiest people. It is better for us to be in government’s detention rather than allow our children to die.
“The fate of our children is what we don’t know and that is the problem we have, the government has kept silent since the release of 10 of the children.
“Maybe it is because we are no longer talking and because they pleaded with us not to address the media and protest on the street. The government has remained quiet about our abducted children. We wouldn’t mind if the government take credit for the release of the 10 students. Be that as it may be, we want them to enable the release of others so that we can applaud them the more.
“The government may turn Kaduna into Dubai but if there are no people to benefit from it, then it is a waste of resources. People are not secure; the stories of daily incidents of killings, kidnappings and other forms of crime are disheartening.
“We are pleading with the government to ensure our children do not lose their lives during any action they want to use in securing the release of our children, however, their silence,” Sani said.
He, therefore, called on the Minister of Environment, Director General of Forestry, the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies to come to their aid and ensure the safe return of their children.

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How Three Abducted Women Secured Their Freedom In Ibadan

Four days after gunmen abducted three women at the Onipe community area of Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State, the victims secured their freedom.
SaharaReporters gathered that the women secured their freedom on Friday, just as police operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Idi Ayunre Division, at around 9 am, were said to have closed in on the kidnappers around Triton Fish Company, near a bush at Ogunmakin community.

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The victims were identified as Mrs Theresa Okeowo, Mrs Abosede Adebayo and Mrs Bola Ogunrinde.
Mrs Okeowo, a teacher in a secondary school in Ogun State, and Mrs Adebayo, a dentist were said to have been given a ride by Mrs Ogunrinde, a Master Warrant Officer, when they were kidnapped on Monday, April 12.
Mrs Adebayo is a nursing mother with two children.
A source told SaharaReporters that after some pressure was mounted on the kidnappers by the police trailing them in the bush, they decided to collect an undisclosed amount of money as ransom and showed their victims a path they could follow to get help.
The source said the victims looked unkempt and tired when they were found by the police.
Confirming the situation, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Adewale Osifeso, said it was achieved through police operatives’ efforts at dismantling the operations of the kidnappers.
Osifeso said: “As a result of ceaseless, strategic and systematic utilisation of intelligence and operational assets, the tactical sweep embarked upon, as coordinated by the Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, has yielded a desired result.”
The PPRO pointed out that the pressure mounted on the kidnappers, with the invasion of their suspected hideout, as well as continuous trailing by the command operatives, made them to release their victims.
He added that the women had been medically evaluated and reunited with their families, assuring that efforts were ongoing to arrest the kidnappers.

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EXCLUSIVE: How Kogi Deputy Governor, Onoja Corruptly Acquired Multi-billion Naira Properties In Abuja

The Kogi state deputy governor, Edward Onoja has again been caught in a web of controversies regarding his acquisition of multi-billion naira worth of properties in the Federal Capital Territory.
Documents seen by SaharaReporters show that Onoja had acquired several properties whose value run into many billions of naira since he was appointed by Governor Yahaya Bello as his Chief of Staff and later assumed the office of the Deputy Governor of Kogi State in October 2019.

Two of the properties are currently being used by Onoja’ nephew identified as Friday Adejoh at Kado area of Abuja, a source said.
The buildings worth over N200 million is located at House 23, D66, BUA Estate.
The source added that about 18 cars fraudulently acquired by the deputy governor were parked in the compound.

“He has two houses in Kado, BUA estate to be precise and one of the buildings is used by Exposure one, ETcetera Design, a business front run by his nephew, Friday Adejoh for money laundering.
“He also owns the property that houses the inside story magazine; it is about three minutes walk from the Kogi State Government House main gate.
“It’s a fact that he was sacked from GT Bank for loaning out money that he couldn’t account for because the debtors were not willing to pay back at the agreed time.

“One of the debtors is the current Commissioner for Commerce in the state, Hon. Gabriel Olofu. He was at the time the chairman of Olomaboro Local Government Area,” the source said.
SaharaReporters had reported how Onoja was sacked by Guaranty Trust Bank Plc for his involvement in a fraudulent act.
A source told the newspaper that the deputy governor was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2011 but was let off the hook after bribing his way through the process.

He was said to have issued a fraudulent Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) dated 15th October, 2008 to another commercial bank in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.
“He was sacked by GT Bank after the fraudulent act was discovered. He was then the manager of the bank in Lokoja. He can’t deny that, all of us working with him then knew him to be a fraudulent and selfish person. If he is sure of himself, tell him to present his letter of resignation from the bank if truly he has one,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
Known for violence, Onoja was publicly seen leading thugs to snatch ballot boxes during the Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency bye-election in 2018.

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Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 17th April 2021

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 17th April 2021

Teenager Kills Eight Persons In US Mass Shooting, Kills Self

BREAKING: Governor Makinde Sacks Ladoke Akintola University Vice Chancellor

US Moves To Support 45,000 HIV Patients In Oyo, Ondo With ART Treatment

E2%80%99s-aide-koiki-says Why There Will Be No Election In Yorubaland In 2023, Igboho’s Aide, Koiki Says

Former Bauchi Lawmaker Declines Nigerian Government’s Appointment

E2%80%94dino-melaye Buhari Snoring While Nigeria Is Sinking —Dino Melaye

Malabu Oil: Group Condemns Detention Of HEDA Chairman For Exposing Alleged Fraud, Demands Apology

E2%80%94-parents BREAKING: Abductors Of Afaka Students Demand N500 Million Ransom — Parents

How Three Abducted Women Secured Their Freedom In Ibadan

EXCLUSIVE: How Kogi Deputy Governor, Onoja Corruptly Acquired Multi-billion Naira Properties In Abuja