Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 25th July 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 25/07/21
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E2%80%99s-case-file-%E2%80%93-beninese-lawyer No Extradition Request From Nigerian Government In Sunday Igboho’s Case File – Beninese Lawyer
Sunday Igboho
Ibrahim Salami, a Beninese professor and lawyer to Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) has explained why the agitator cannot be extradited to Nigeria.
Salami noted that there was no extradition request from the Nigerian government in the case file of Igboho and therefore, there was no ground for him to be returned to Nigeria.
Sunday Igboho
The lawyer also debunked claims that Igboho had entered the West African country with a fake Beninese passport as he explained that Igboho entered the country with a valid Nigerian passport on his way to Germany.
Salami stated that he alongside the other four lawyers on the agitator’s legal team was trying everything possible to ensure Igboho remained in Benin as a refugee and not to Nigeria, considering the travails awaiting Igboho in Nigeria.
In an interview with BBC Yoruba, Salami said, “I am also a Yoruba man, I am from the Oduduwa lineage. I greet all Yoruba indigenes in Nigeria, Benin Republic and all over the world. We lawyers; we usually don’t talk on television and radio stations because we work in courts but there are so many lies on this Igboho matter and that was why I decided to give this explanation.
He said, “The passport with him was the Nigerian passport and in his Nigerian passport, he had a residency card in Germany, hence he doesn’t need a visa to go to Germany again.”
When asked if the Nigerian government had written the Benin Republic to extradite Igboho, the lawyer said, “That was the knot in the conversation because when Igboho was initially arrested, the police said he had been declared wanted in Nigeria but since his arrest, we tried to confirm if the Nigerian government had asked that he be extradited to Nigeria so we looked into the case file and noticed that the Nigerian government had not asked that he be returned to Nigeria.
“At the moment, that is not included in the case file. What is currently there is that the Nigerian government has explained its reasons for asking for the arrest of Igboho stating that he acted against the law in Nigeria that if the Beninese government is able to arrest him, that should be done.
“What we are not happy about is, he has not done anything wrong in Benin. If the Benin government arrests him, it is because of the Nigerian government and before they release him to Nigeria, there must be proof that Igboho truly went against the laws of Nigeria. At the moment, we have not seen any of such evidence.”
On whether it was possible to extradite Igboho to Nigeria from Benin Republic, he said, “there must be a law that states that if a suspect is arrested in one country, he can be released to the other on request. But for now, such laws do not exist. To extradite him will be very difficult but if it is on a political basis, we can’t answer for that because in politics, law does not really work but when it comes to the law, there is no such arrangement.
“Igboho was simply trying to go to Germany, he had no intentions to stay at Benin Republic, he was already at the airport in a bid to move and that was when he was arrested by the police and since then we have been trying our best to ensure he is exonerated.
”As long as the Nigerian government had not called for his extradition, what we are trying to do is to get him to become a Refugee in Benin Republic here so as to protect him. That’s what we are doing.
“By the grace of God, by Monday this case will be over. All things being equal, by Monday night, the verdict will be known to all. I urge all Igboho’s supporters to stop thronging the courts and stay at home and pray for him. They are passing a wrong message by protesting in front of the court when we are in there trying to get justice for him.”
SaharaReporters had on Thursday reported that the Cour De’appal De Cotonou, Benin Republic, where Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arraigned on Thursday, ordered the wife to be released same day.
The court had ruled that Igboho should be returned to custody till Monday as his trial continued.
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E2%80%93-air-peace-reacts-reported-crash-kwara Plane Mishap Caused By Tyre Burst – Air Peace Reacts To Reported Crash In Kwara
One of the major airlines in Nigeria, Air Peace, has explained what went wrong with its Ilorin-bound B737-500 aircraft with registration number 5N-BQR from Abuja which was reported to have crashed.
An incident involving the plane occurred at the Kwara capital around 10am on Friday, July 23.
A statement on Saturday by the management said there was no accident.
It explained that the aircraft in question landed safely but had a tyre burst while taxing.
The plane neither crashed nor crash-landed, Air Peace clarified.
“This kind of sensationalism was intended to cause panic in the minds of the flying public,” it reads.
The company said the incident was duly reported to the authorities and passengers disembarked seamlessly.
The statement added that the tyres had been fixed and the aircraft was intact.
SaharaReporters had earlier today reported that many passengers, including some highly placed Nigerians, narrowly escaped death after an aircraft belonging to one of the major airlines crashed upon landing in Ilorin, Kwara State, from Abuja.
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BREAKING: Plane Crashes In Kwara, Passengers Evacuated
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According to the Nation, the plane had a tyre burst and a bang which affected the cabin with luggage falling on passengers.
It was gathered that with the impact of the crash, the plane could not taxi to the tarmac.
It added that in the last 24 hours, the runway of the airport had been closed to traffic.
But all the traumatised passengers were successfully evacuated from the runway.
It was learnt that the process of moving the plane from the runway was slow because, according to a source, “it is a bigger aircraft and we have no equipment.
“We are in the process of removing the aircraft. We have been on it for 24 hours,” the source added.
But the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies offered to keep the incident under wraps.
“We were directed to manage the situation,” the source had said.
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E2%80%93-lawyer Three Offences Nigerian Government Listed Against Igboho In Benin Republic – Lawyer
Sunday Igboho
The lead counsel to Yoruba nation’s agitator, Sunday Igboho, Ibrahim Salami, has disclosed what the Nigerian government told their Benin Republic counterparts to warrant his arrest and possible extradition.
Salami disclosed that the Nigerian government accused Igboho of smuggling arms into Nigeria.
Sunday Igboho
Speaking with BBC Yoruba, the lawyer said the Nigerian government also accused the freedom fighter of calling for secession and disturbing the country.
Salami said, “The Nigerian government said Igboho was involved in arms trafficking into Nigeria.
“The second one is that he is causing disturbances in Nigeria and the third one is that he is trying to divide Nigeria into two or three.”
SaharaReporters had on Thursday reported that the Cour De’appal De Cotonou, Benin Republic, where Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arraigned on Thursday, ordered the wife to be released same day.
The court had ruled that Igboho should be returned to custody.
SaharaReporters had reported that Sunday Igboho was awaiting his fate at the Cour De’appal De Cotonou, Benin Republic, following his arraignment by the authorities of the country for immigration-related offences.
Igboho was taken to court on Thursday afternoon.
A source had told SaharaReporters that the activist was not for extradition to Nigeria.
SaharaReporters had reported how Benin Republic police on Monday night arrested Igboho at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou, while trying to fly from the country to Germany.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had on July 1 raided the residence of the activist in Ibadan, Oyo state.
Igboho had planned a ”Yoruba Nation Rally” in Lagos two days before the raid.
The DSS raided the residence, killing two people and arresting 12 aides but Igboho escaped.
The agency alleged that Igboho was stockpiling weapons, and subsequently declared him wanted.
The agitator had been on the run since the raid.
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Why Lagosians Are Boycotting The Ongoing Local Council Elections By Kunle Wizeman Ajayi
Apparently, the ongoing Lagos State Local government Council Elections today July 24th is marred with apathy by voters to the extent that APC and government officials are being filmed on air begging citizens to come out to vote. Even in the highly politically conscious Agege and Lagos Mainland; people have refused to come out to vote. Same in Kosofe; Lagos Island; Eti-Osa; Ikorodu; Badagry; Ikeja; Alimosho; Ifako/Ijaiye; and Oshodi/Isolo. People usually vote when they believe in same or and belive same would at least express their political and social wishes. Yet, there is need to briefly show some vicious reasons why Lagosians decided not to come out to vote in today’s polls.
First, the July 24th Lagos LG elections is indeed not an election. Elections are broadsheets of real democracy. Not a one-party rubbish where the date of elections as well as the appointments of the electoral umpires would be done solely by the APC. Since 1999, the Lagos State Independent Electoral commission (LASIEC has been a conspicuous appendage of the Tinubu/APC hegemony. So people already know the today’s polls are rigged already.
Also, it pays the Lagos ruling class that voters should not come out. So, they use extreme violence to make people fear to come out. All through yesterday, the CSP Yinka Egbeyemi-led Lagos Task Force has been in a war-mongering 17-vans and armoured motorcade molesting people and instilling fears through sirens and open brutality.
Aside the tyrannical moves, LASIEC has been openly disenfranchising Lagosians. A good instance is at Shogunle in Oshodi/Isolo. Most units have been eliminated and the voters put in jeopardy. There are no polling units in Babayonju; Sadiku; Anthony Obe; and Osemene. In Ogundele Primary, only one out of three units is provided. In Bode Onifade; only one. Same as Bello street. No polling unit in Jacob Taiwo. Only one in Tiwalade out of two. This is the same tactics as can be noted in Tinubu’s viral election rigging video described as “blockade”. Anywhere voters stubbornly vote against APC, another horrible and violent tactics using thugs called “Korope” would be applied. So, the LG elections is at best a charade dictated from Bourdillon under the APC hegemony.
Meanwhile, the level of poverty in Lagos is another reason no one is ready to go all out to exercise the voting rights. Only the rich enjoys in Lagos. The poor are getting vastly poorer and also paying heavy taxes through their nostrils. So, no one will be compelled to come voting even of the politicians share #1000 each as they always do. The Naira is devalued and utterly useless in the face of high cost of foods and goods. So, the pittance bribes are seemingly outdated.
However, Lagosians would have loved to massively vote alternatives who are truly progressive and have the audacity to challenge the status quo. But these radical parties have been excluded from the elections by LASIEC and shamelessly by the courts. The African Action congress (AAC) is one of such parties that have been illegally excluded from the elections by LASIEC. The issues are before the courts now and the party will fights the odds by any means necessary. The National Conscience Party (NCP), Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), and even the liberal Young Democratic Party (YDP) are all yanked off the ballots. Tinubu and the APC IS afraid of the rising movements and it’s radical positions on economy, politics , and governance. This is one reason #Endsars was basically drowned in blood in Lagos.
In all, boycotting elections have its implications plus and minus. The plus is that it is a massive rejection of today’s sham. It is also a rejection of the Tinubu/APC madness. But it is a minus as the rulers are shameless and they would simply move on after this. They would even shamelessly come up with fake pictures and reports of popularity. They will even roll out the drums and celebrate tonight.
As we want a new Lagos nay a new world, we must bear it in mind that we cannot birth such if we do not smash this rotten old and present. To do such, all oppressed people and parties need radical unity and actions. With such, we have a greater understanding that Lagosians and all working people, inspite of this hopelessness and oppressors having a free day, will have the ever happy and greater last laughs!
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E2%80%99s-living-faith-pastors-send-fake-church-attendance-offerings EXCLUSIVE: How Oyedepo’s Living Faith Pastors Send Fake Church Attendance, Offerings To Headquarters To Keep Their Jobs – Another Pastor Opens Up
David Oyedepo
One of the pastors of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, who was recently dismissed, has explained how some of his colleagues were sending fake church attendance figures and church offerings to the state headquarters so as to keep their jobs – a practice which some of them could not do.
The pastor, in his account obtained by SaharaReporters, stated that the pastors who indulged in the act had a parley with some of the senior church ministers, who deducted part of their (the pastors’) salaries and remitted back to the church as offerings of the non-existent congregation.
David Oyedepo
The pastor, who did not want to mention his name to avoid victimisation, added that the practice was called “wisdom” since the founder, Bishop David Oyedepo, was not able to go round and ascertain the authenticity of the figures and offerings being entered into the records.
He said, “Well, they (Living Faith) planted over 10,000 churches before the end of 2020 and they celebrated it. After this were the different issues of no church hall and other necessary materials for the pastors to work. But some senior Pastors keep telling lies that we (the employed pastors) should be patient with them.
“While this was going on, we must send reports of the churches to the headquarters through the area church. This was so that they would believe the church existed. Now, guess what number a pastor without church hall would send.
“But wisdom was what the senior pastors were asking us to use because, Oyedepo could not be everywhere to check. What wisdom was that? Send good figure as the number of the attendance of your assembly; then put money to it from your salary. At the end of the month, half of the money you put would still be paid back to you to support the church you claimed existed. Nobody would ask you how you spend it and all your needs will be attended to quickly from the state headquarters.
“They call it father and son relationship in the Winners family. It is not by mouth but by envelopes that have cash inside. All these were what we were facing; no church hall and other things but attendance must prove that the church was growing.
“Those of us who could not do that were called lazy, fools, unfruitful, and so on.”
SaharaReporters had on Friday reported that the pastors said they were being a net salary of only N38,000 as against the over N150,000 being rumoured in some quarters.
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BREAKING: Plane Crashes In Kwara, Passengers Evacuated
Many passengers, including some highly placed Nigerians, narrowly escaped death after an aircraft belonging to one of the major airlines crashed upon landing in Ilorin, Kwara State, from Abuja.
According to the Nation, the plane had a tyre burst and a bang which affected the cabin with luggage falling on passengers.
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It was gathered that with the impact of the crash, the plane could not taxi to the tarmac.
The incident occurred on Friday at about 9.30am, forcing authorities of the airport to close the runway of the airport and cancel all flights.
No official statements have been released from the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) and other aviation regulatory agencies.
In the last 24 hours, the runway of the airport had been closed to traffic.
But all the traumatised passengers were successfully evacuated from the runway.
As at the time of filing this report at 2.08pm, efforts were being made to relocate the plane from the runway.
It was learnt that the process of moving the plane from the runway was slow because, according to a source, “it is a bigger aircraft and we have no equipment.
“We are in the process of removing the aircraft. We have been on it for 24 hours,” the source added.
But the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies offered to keep the incident under wraps.
“We were directed to manage the situation,” the source said.
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BUSTED: APC Supporters Cast Votes Without Voter Cards In Lagos Council Election
File photo used to illustrate story.
The voting process at Ojokoro Local Community Development Area in Lagos State has been manipulated with supporters of the All Progressives Congress allegedly voting without using the Permanent Voter Cards.
A reliable source informed SaharaReporters that the ruling APC, in a bid to rig the election, mounted pressure on the election officers to allow the APC supporters without voter cards to cast their votes.
File photo used to illustrate story.
The source noted that there had been only four real voters at the polling unit as of the time of filing this report.
He said, “We are having issues of manipulation here at Ojokoro Local Community Development Area. APC officials want to cast votes without cards to top up the numbers we have. There have only been four voters so far.”
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian Police Force in both Ogun and Lagos states warned that it would not tolerate violence and thuggery among politicians and their supporters.
The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, in a statement, had said the command had put measures in place to enforce the restriction of movement across the state between 6 am and 3pm, adding that only those on election duty and essential services on the election day would be exempted.
He was quoted as saying, “We assure the good people of Lagos State, LASIEC officials, candidates, accredited election observers and other actors in the election of adequate security before, during and after the elections.”
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Bandits Attack Kaduna School, Cart Away Examination Papers Mistaken For Money
Gun-wielding bandits on Friday attacked Government Secondary School, Unguwar Sarki, in Kaduna State and took away packaged question papers which were mistaken for a bag of money.
It was gathered that Senior Secondary School students of the school were about to write their National Examination Council (NECO) paper when the gunmen stormed the premises and ordered the NECO supervisor to surrender the examination papers.
The supervisor’s explanation that it was question papers meant for final year students who were writing NECO fell on deaf ears as the attackers grabbed the packaged papers.
“They snatched the wrapped examination papers and answer sheets and left,” Abdullah Mohammed, one of the students said.
The Principal of the school, Hajiya Bilkisu Aliyu, explained that the gunmen trailed the NECO supervisor from a commercial bank along Alkali Road where she had gone to collect the exam questions and answer sheets.
“Thinking it was money, they demanded she hands over the bulk of the wrapped papers to them and threatened to shoot her.
“They were told it was not money but they would not listen. They snatched the papers and disappeared into thin air,” she said.
Meanwhile, some of the parents were agitated as they called for government’s intervention.
One of them, Sanusi Umar, whose child was among those writing the senior exams, said, “What we heard initially was bandits had come to kidnap our students. So, hundreds of parents stormed the school.
“However, on getting to the school, we were told it was armed robbers that came to take away the wrapped examination papers thinking it was money.
“I want to call on the government and security agencies to beef up security in schools since these criminals are now targeting our schools.”
It was gathered that the school and NECO staff had to mobilise exam papers from other centres to enable the students to write the affected papers under strict security surveillance.
Gunmen had on Monday, July 7, stormed Bethel Baptist School and kidnapped 121 students. The Kaduna State Government in the penultimate week closed down some schools that are prone to security threats.
Kaduna is known as a nerve centre for security threats.
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Police Arrest Five Suspects In Kano For Raping 20-Year-Old Man
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Five men are currently in police custody in Kano State for allegedly raping a 20-year-old man in the Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.
This was confirmed in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who stated that the arrest was made after the victim’s aunt reported to the police.
File photo used to illustrate story.
According to the victim, Tajudeen Hashim, the suspects had lured him to various locations where they had a*** s** with him multiple times.
He further stated that the assault caused him severe abdominal aches.
He said, “On July 15, a complaint was received from a woman in Mandawari Quarters, Gwale LGA, Kano State that her nephew, one Tajuddeen Hashim, ‘m’, 20 years old of same address complained of stomach pain.
“On interrogation, he stated that the following persons (1) Ahmed Inuwa, ‘m’ 34 years old, of Sharada Quarters, Kano Municipal LGA, Kano; Nasiru Isyaku Mohd, ‘m’, 48 years old, of Diso Quarters, Gwale LGA Kano; Lawan Uba, ‘m’, 31 years old of Kofar Dan Agundi Quarters, Kano Municipal LGA; Auwalu Uba, ‘m’, 40 years old, of Mandawari Quarters, Gwale LGA Kano, and Rabiu Share, ‘m’, 33 years old, of Kabuga Quarters, Gwale LGA, Kano, deceived and lured him to various places and had a*** s** with him on several occasions. As a result, he sustained serious stomach pain.”
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E2%80%99s-security-personnel-policemen-tortured-teargassed-lawyer-inside How Lagos Speaker’s Security Personnel, Policemen Tortured, Teargassed Lawyer Inside Assembly Complex
Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa
A lawyer and human rights’ activist, Yakubu Arowoshola Eleto, has narrated how he was beaten, dehumanised and tear-gassed by the policemen and security personnel attached to the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
SaharaReporters learnt that the incident occurred last Thursday.
Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa
In his personal account sent to SaharaReporters, Eleto explained that he had instituted an action against the Lagos State House of Assembly and the state’s Electoral Commission over the ongoing local government election in the state.
According to him, the ex parte application was refused and the judge had asked him to put the defendants in notice.
He said he further went to the State House of Assembly but was denied entry and thereafter tortured and brutalised by the policemen and hoodlums working for Obasa at the complex.
He said, “The facts below are what happened to me at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex on the 15th day of July 2021 at 11:16am. I instituted an action on the instruction of some of my clients against the unconstitutionality of the forthcoming local council elections in Lagos State and joined the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) as co-defendants.
“Both LASIEC and LSHA were served the copies of the court processes on the 9th and 12th July 2021 respectively. The copies for the house of assembly were received by the office of the clerk on the 12th day of July by 8:30am. The suit in question with no: FHC/L/CS/741/2021 came up for hearing on the 12th day of July 2021 where I and three other lawyers represented the applicants.
“The court later instructed us to put the defendants on notice and further adjourned till Monday, the 19th day of July. I tried getting the ruling from the court but it was not made available to me, even till Thursday, 14th July 2021.
“Upon getting to the assembly gate around 11am on the 16th day of July 2021 to submit the letter and court ruling, I met a Paramilitary officer who told me point blank that they didn’t receive correspondences on Fridays.
“I engaged him further, by informing him that it’s not a correspondence per se but a letter notifying the law-making body in Lagos State that there would be a court sitting on Monday, 19th, July 2021 and the LSHA is a necessary party to the suit. The paramilitary officer quickly called the attention of the head of the securities on duty and he attended to me requesting whether he can be availed a copy of the letter, which I did immediately.
”I informed him that the matter was coming up on Monday, therefore the option of coming back on Monday will defeat the purpose, so I would wait instead. Suddenly, I saw a tall dark young man (later identified as the Chief Security Officer to the Speaker) approaching the gate from the assembly complex.
“I noticed the CSO returned with eight mobile policemen. The CSO said it point-blank that I came to the assembly with a destructive mission and that he had the instructions to deal with me. He, therefore, asked them to seize my phones, forcefully collected my pens, dragged my shirt, pulled me in the company of the mobile policemen and carried me to the assembly gate into a waiting police van with plate no RRS 387 LA.
“They eventually dragged me on the floor, tear-gassed me, poured pepper spray on my face, brutalised me, dehumanised me and forcefully made me enter the car identified above, and whisked me in a commando manner to the Alausa Police Station where I was kept behind the counter till I became unconscious.
“Upon regaining my strength, I requested for my phone to call my other colleagues, the police woman on duty at Alausa Police Station, obliged me my phone, and I called four of my colleagues and asked them to reach out to our seniors in the bar to wit; Mr. Femi Falana and Chief Wahab Shittu.
“Immediately, they heard the names I called they asked me to stand up, I didn’t respond as I had no strength left, they ransacked me once again, gave me dirty slaps, used metals on my joints, used their gun to hit me on my thigh while mentioning that I was proving stubborn.
“I became seriously weak, they carried me once again into their van and took me to an unknown destination. They later drove me around Ikeja and back to the House of Assembly, where I was locked in the car with a plate number RRS 387 LA for several hours.”
The lawyer narrated that the policemen came back later in the night, returned all his belongings and asked him to go.
He said, “I left the assembly and went home with stains and pains all over my body. It was a tough experience and the above facts are within my knowledge.
“I use this medium to thank my colleagues in the bar, Senior Lawyers, family, and friends for showing supports to me during the time I spent with police at the Lagos State House of Assembly and torture I received from the hand of the CSO to the speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly.”
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