Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Friday 6th August 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 06/08/21
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E2%80%93-lawyer-says-ipob-leader-spends-over-one-month Nnamdi Kanu Strong In His Convictions – Lawyer Says As IPOB Leader Spends Over One Month In Custody
Nnamdi Kanu
The lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said his client is strong about his convictions and he is in high spirits in the custody of the Department of State Services, Abuja.
The lawyer said this in a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday evening.
Nnamdi Kanu
SaharaReporters learnt that a team of lawyers had gone on Thursday to visit Kanu in custody.
Giving an update on the visit, Ejiofor said, “Nnamdi Kanu is strong in his convictions, and very much high in spirit. He extended his best compliments and wishes to millions of his supporters across the World, fans and all Umuchineke. Your prayers and supplications formed part of his larger request.
“Our interactions dwelt much on our professional services; the highlights remain private. Victory is certainly ours. Thank you all and remain blessed.”
This is just as Kanu spent over a month in the custody of the DSS, having being brought back to the country in the last week of June 2021.
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja had adjourned the trial of Kanu to October 21, due to the failure of Nigerian Government to produce him in court on July 26.
Ejiofor had informed the court that there was a pending application before the court to transfer Kanu from the custody of the DSS to a correctional centre.
Justice Nyako had stated that the trial cannot continue in the absence of the IPOB leader since he was not available to stand his trial.
The court had been adjourned to October 21, 2021, for continuation of hearing.
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Court Jails Two Bankers In Cross River For Stealing From Deceased Customer’s Account
File photo used to illustrate story.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Command, has secured the conviction of two bank officials, Daniel Akpan Eno and Mbuk Idongesit, before Justice Edem Ita Kufre of the Cross River State High Court, Calabar, for conspiracy and theft of funds in the account of a deceased customer of a commercial bank.
The duo was convicted on Wednesday August 4, 2021 after pleading guilty to separate one count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and fraudulent transfers.
File photo used to illustrate story.
A third defendant, and alleged accomplice, Victor John Okon pleaded “not guilty”. His trial was adjourned till August 10, 2021 for consideration of bail application.
Justice Kufre convicted and sentenced Mr Akpan to three months imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000, while Mr Idongesit was sentenced to three months imprisonment with an option of N30,000 fine.
The convicts’ journey to prison started on May 23, 2021 when Mr Idongesit (alongside one Utibe George — currently at large) approached Akpan with the burial programme of one Godfried Godwin Osso, a deceased customer of the Bank, whom George (at large) claimed was his step father, with a plot to steal from the deceased’s account.
On May 24, 2021, George concluded the deal with the convicts and also contacted a Teller (Victor Okon – the 3rd defendant) from another branch of the bank to ease access to the funds in the account of the deceased. A 50% sharing formula was agreed upon by the conspirators and the plot was executed.
The commission waded in following a petition from the bank, alleging suspicious dissipation of monies in the deceased account into the accounts of family members and acquaintances, from where they were diverted to personal use.
Investigation revealed that on June 19, 2019, Victor Okon connived with George Ifiok Utibe (at large) and received the sum of N1,500, 000. Daniel Akpan also benefited the sum of N1,040,000 while Godwin Mbuk benefited N130,000.
The judge ordered the convicts remanded at the Nigerian correctional facility until they pay their fines, while Victor was remanded at the commission’s detention facility pending the hearing of his bail application.
This is coming days after SaharaReporters exposed how a worker with Polaris Bank stole over N20 million from the account of a customer, Ajibola Sanusi with account number 28122***.
Checks on the account statement had shown that a total of N19,732,190 was stolen by an employee of the bank between July 5 and 12, a few weeks after Sanusi called the bank and directed that the account should be blocked.
Using proxies, the money was transferred to different accounts belonging to Gbenga Adebisi Florence, Abdulazeem Olamide Bello, Dudafa Preye, Sakirat Adesiju and Shukurat Tayo Ibitoye without Sanusi’s authorisation.
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Students Of Federal University Minna Protest Against Planned Increment In School Fees
Some students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, have protested against the outrageous increment in school fees being proposed by the school management.
Many of the students lamented that, should the increment be implemented, many of them were likely to drop out of school.
One of the students, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 affected the students such that many could not pay the current fees of N28,450.
He added that the fees had now been increased to N40,000, further dashing the hopes of many students to continue their studies.
He said, “There is a serious issue presently between the school management and students. The school management made an increment in school fees by about 60%. Some students were unable to resume to school after the pandemic last year when school fees were just N28,450. What will now happen to students going by school fees at N45,000?
“Students are lamenting; some people might drop out because of this. This should not be happening, considering the negative effects of COVID-19 which ravaged the country last year, leading to loss of jobs and also a huge inflation rate in the country.”
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E2%80%99 #EndSARS: After Miscarriage In Cell, Nigerian Woman Regains Freedom After Nine Months’ Detention
A Nigerian lady, Bukunmi Ayodele, on Thursday regained her freedom from an Ondo State prison where she had been detained after police arrested her for EndSARS protest in October 2020.
SaharaReporters learnt from her lawyer, Tope Temokun, that Ayodele’s bails conditions were perfected on Thursday and she had regained her freedom.
The woman was arrested alongside Kemisola Ogunniyi on October 22, 2020, and the case of the duo had become a public interest with many Nigerians lambasting the police for arresting the two innocent young women as EndSARS protesters.
SaharaReporters had on June 22 reported that an Ondo State High Court sitting at the Olokuta Medium Prison in Akure granted bail to Ogunniyi, 18-year-old girl detained over #EndSARS protest who birthed a baby at the Surulere Prison in Ondo town, Ondo East Local Government Area of the state.
The police had claimed that they were EndSARS protesters who burnt the office of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state last year, about eight months ago.
The three others were; Ayodele Bukunmi, Ojo Samuel and Ani Obinna.
The charges preferred against them were conspiracy to commit the following felonies, to wit: arson, riotous assembly, stealing and malicious damage.
In an update sent to SaharaReporters on Thursday, the lawyer noted that Ayodele would still need the assistance of Nigerians to get back on her normal life, despite her freedom.
The lawyer noted that the lady suffered miscarriage in prison and had no medical aid till her release.
The lawyer said, “Today, being August 5, Bukunmi Ayodele just regained her freedom. In this way, Bukunmi joined the league of Nigerian youths who have sacrificed their freedom in order that Nigeria may be free.
“The case of this EndSARS detainee who was arrested on the 22nd of October, 2020, alongside Kemisola Ogunniyi, was one of the public interest cases we took up in public interest towards the end of the first quarter of this year 2021 after being abandoned in prison for many months.
“The bail was granted Bukunmi on the 8th of July 2021. But the perfection of her bail conditions of N10million and one surety in the like sum could not come through so easily, for a child who has almost nobody except her poor mother.
“She regained her freedom this evening after we perfected her bail conditions. On behalf of Bukunmi Ayodele, I wish to express sincere gratitude to the Nigerian people for their outcry and moral support shown when the case came to the public domain. Special gratitude to Omoyele Sowore for his passionate intervention at all critical intersections in our collective fight for a just society where the child of nobody could have a voice and a stand.
“Today, we bought new cloth to clothe Bukunmi Ayodele as she dropped her green prison uniform of 11 months. Bukunmi will need assistance of those whom God is willing to use for her, to get back on her normal life. She was engaged before her ordeal. She suffered miscarriage in prison and has carried through her condition of post-miscarriage complications without any medical aid till her release.”
In short videos sent to SaharaReporters, an elated Ayodele appeared in the new clothes and thanked Nigerians and activists who stood by her during the ordeal.
#EndSARS
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Police Spokesman In Rivers Slumps To Death
File photo used to illustrate story.
Christian Udogu, the Rivers State Police Command’s Deputy Spokesman, has slumped and died in his residence.
Udogu’s immediate boss, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the sad news in a statement he released on Thursday.
File photo used to illustrate story.
According to him, Udogu died on Wednesday before he could get medical attention.
The statement, titled, ‘Death while in service,’ reads, “The Rivers State Police Command regrets to announce the untimely death of DSP Christian Udogu, who slumped and died last night, August 4, at about 11.30 pm, before he could get medical attention.
“Late Christian Udogu, until his death, was the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Command.
“His remains have been deposited in the mortuary. Further development will be communicated accordingly. May God grant his soul eternal rest.”
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The Sense In Quota System, By Fredrick Nwabufo
Fredrick Nwabufo
The quota system in Nigeria was conceived to address an inequitable system, but the prevailing “unjust system” betrayed the purpose for which the quota system was ideated and actioned. The quota system, principally, is not an unjust system. And it does not confer advantage on the north against the south. Much of what has been said about the quota system is jaundiced.
Quotaism became a principle in Nigeria in 1958, essentially, as a response to fears of marginalisation and ethnic domination in education and government. Rightly so, the system was contrived to resolve the atavistic misgivings. The federal character principle as well was devised — and it became a constitutional provision in 1979 — to manage Nigeria’s diverse character; so that no section of the country will lord it over others or become overwhelmingly dominant in the public service. It was designed to ensure inclusive and equitable demographic/ethnic representation at all levels of government. It was for socio-political balancing.
Fredrick Nwabufo
Nevertheless, I am of the view that the federal character principle and the quota system be reviewed when sufficiently practicable.
It is sheer ignorance to assume ‘’quotaism’’ is a Nigerian thing or as some have said a ‘’northern concept’’. Quotaism is country specific and it is to address peculiar disproportions and to build a more equitable system. In the US, there is the racial quota which was conceived to ensure equal opportunity for all classes of citizens. In France, there has been a series of racial quotas. And in about 21 EU countries, there is a form of gender quota.
So, quotaism is not a northern contrivance, and it is by and large a gizmo of national cohesion, if effectively and efficiently deployed. What we have experienced in Nigeria over the years since 1966 is an abuse and disregard of the quota system. If the quota system, as conceived by Nigeria’s forbears, is righteously implemented it will solve some of the country’s immortal problems.
The argument against quotaism is that it encourages ‘’mediocrity and indolence’’, and discourages industry, performance and excellence. This is not exactly accurate. An abuse of the quota system, and not the system itself, is what promotes laziness and kills merit. Quota system is designed to give opportunities to the best of under-represented segments of society while not shutting the door to others in the opportunity pool.
In the UK, there is the Equality Act 2010 which protects people with ‘’certain characteristics’’ on job opportunities. “Section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 allows an employer to treat an applicant or employee with a protected characteristic (eg race, s** or age) more favourably in connection with recruitment or promotion than someone without that characteristic who is as qualified for the role. The employer must reasonably think that people with the protected characteristic suffer a disadvantage or are under-represented in that particular activity. Taking the positive action must be a proportionate means of enabling or encouraging people to overcome the disadvantage or to take part in the activity,’’ XpertHR, UK says in its article, ‘What positive action is permitted under discrimination legislation?’
In Canada, there is the Employment Equity Act. In the US, there have been several affirmative polices to protect blacks and minority groups. In Germany’s Basic Law, where a man and a woman have same qualifications, the woman should be preferred for the job. These are chief ingredients of quotaism.
We cannot run a country without justice where only the fittest of the majority shall survive. Everyone; all classes of people; the weak and the strong must be accommodated. If we insist only the strong amongst us should stand, how have we done justice to the weak – people who are made vulnerable not by their own disability but by classist designs?
The south-east is the loudest antagonist of the quota system. Being Igbo, I understand the concerns of my people. But even in our region, there are clamours and demands for quotaism at the state level and in every socio-demographic stratum. In Anambra state where I come from, some citizens in certain senatorial zones allege they are being excluded from holding political offices by the more dominant groups. Quotaism addresses the human problem of belonging and representation.
In the state, there is a debate and agitation on why the next governor should not come from a certain zone because that area has had its turn. At the local government and communal level, there is also the importunity of quotaism. So, if quota system is desired at the sub-national level, it is unacceptable at the national level?
SOUTHERN PREJUDICE
‘’Quota system product’’ – this is a quotidian ethnic slur often hurled at northerners by southerners. But we are all ‘’quota system products’’. Our universities and high schools accord special consideration in admission to candidates from the region where they are located (catchment area). Even in some jobs in the private sector, some were employed to fill in a quota.
Some of Nigeria’s finest minds come from the north. Intelligence is a gift of the divine which every group and class of people have proportionally.
Let’s stop the prejudice.
Fredrick ‘Mr OneNigeria’ Nwabufo
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @FredrickNwabufo
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E2%80%99s-job BUSTED: How Enugu Council Vice-Chairman Hijacked, Shared 1000 Federal Government’s Job Slots To Cronies
The Vice Chairman, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Gideon ToChukwu, has been accused of hijacking 1,000 job slots of the Federal Government’s extended Special Public Works meant for the Igbo-Eze South Local Government in the state.
The slots are part of the 774,000 public works jobs initiated by the Federal Government and designed to mitigate lack of job opportunities in the rural areas through short-term engagement of 1000 persons per local government.
SaharaReporters learnt that shortly after the take-off of the pilot scheme of the programme in April 2020, over 200 candidates that enrolled for the exercise in the Igbo-Eze South LGA were not people or residents of the communities.
The programme was said to be fraught with fraud and irregularities with the names of shortlisted candidates who underwent biometric capturing infiltrated and manipulated with strange names from another local government.
Igbo-Eze South, who has 16 political wards, got the 1,000 job slots but Tochukwu, who is also cousin to Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was said to have compromised the process as he cornered about 500 slots to his family members, friends and political associates at the expense of people of Igbo-Eze South.
SaharaReporters gathered that ToChukwu was an emperor in the area who had been using his relationship with the governor to oppress and intimidate people in the two local government areas.
The Chairman of Igbo-Eze South, Peter Andy Omeje, was also said to have connived with ToChukwu to replace the names of bonafide candidates from the local government with their loyalists from another local government.
Some of the beneficiaries confirmed to SaharaReporters that they hailed from Udenu and they secured the forms through ToChukwu.
Some of the candidates who completed and submitted their forms were shocked to see their names replaced with strange names.
The Chairman of Igbo-Eze South Selection Committee, Ubah Onah, also confirmed the infiltration of strange names into the list stating that he was surprised to see beneficiaries who hailed from Imilike, Orhum, Orba, Obolllo-Afor all from Udenu LGA.
Some of the aggrieved candidates lamented the injustice and described it as daylight robbery and insult on their sensibility for the leadership of Udenu LGA to encroach into the Igbo-Eze South with impersonators.
A source, who spoke to SaharaReporters, hinted that they would do everything within their power to compel ToChukwu to refund money to the candidates who were shortchanged.
He said, “I had a meeting with ToChukwu and he reiterated that my local government chairman has no capacity to even obtain one slot from that 1000 slots allotted to our local government Igbo-Eze South. He stated that he collected some slots from Abuja and even from the Minister of Labour and Employment and that it was from there he gave to our chairman.
“So now that the Chairman of Igbo-Eze has traded the resources of the common man to another local government as they arranged with the Vice Chairman of Udenu LGA to steal our jobs, they have to refund us.
“If they can trade and infiltrate the list in such manner then what is going to be happening to the treasury of IGBO-EZE SOUTH LGA local government Area of Enugu State?”
Effort by SaharaReporters to reach ToChukwu for reaction was unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report as his mobile phone could not reached.
Recall that Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, had threatened to resign from office if the recruitment of 774,000 people was hijacked by politicians.
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E2%80%94-nigerians-react-government%E2%80%99s-airlifting Provide Aircraft To Corps Members Travelling Far — Nigerians React To Government’s Airlifting Of Corpses Of Akwa Ibom Corps Members
Nigerians on social media have reacted to the military aircraft’s airlifting to their home towns of the remains of corps members who recently died in a road accident.
Many social media users described it as “hypocrisy” and “medicine after death” treatment.
Corps members are Nigerian graduates partaking in a mandatory one-year service to the country under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
On Wednesday, the bodies of the five prospective corps members who died in an auto crash arrived in Akwa Ibom for interment in a C-130 Nigerian Air Force jet marked NAF917 and landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, around 12:19pm.
In photos shared online, caskets containing the remains of the corps members were draped in the Nigerian and NYSC flags and lowered from the jet.
The deceased, who were on their way to the NYSC camp in Katsina State, were involved in an accident along Abaji-Kwali Expressway, Abuja.
The corps members had travelled by road in the dead of night to beat the camp registration deadline in faraway Katsina.
The deceased are; Innocent Upere and Victor Akpan, both graduates of Mass Communication, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic; Miracle Asuquo, graduate of Psychology; Stella Ekikoh, graduate of Sociology and Anthropology and Coleman Ezuruike, graduate of History and International Studies; the three were graduates of the University of Uyo.
This has sparked a fresh discussion online regarding the scrapping of the scheme as many condemned the after-treatment given to the corps members whose transportation was never arranged by the scheme when they were alive.
Some of the reactions on social media are;
A Facebook user, Assumpta Nonye Williams wrote: “Why didn’t NYSC provide aircraft for all corps members travelling far? Medicine after death. Now they have been conveyed in an aircraft because they are dead… Rubbish! RIP to them. So painful.”
Another user, Emmanuel Ukah said, “Why didn’t the government provide air transportation when they were alive? That’s why I don’t support this NYSC thing.”
John Chilaka Maduabuchi stated, “Wait now, next batch of corpers will still enter motor to travel as far as Katsina. Nobody will plan to avoid the reoccurrence of what we are seeing today. I don’t know when things will change for good in this country.”
Madubuike Chukwuebuka wrote, “Medicine after death, why must graduates be posted that far from home? Just abolish NYSC.”
Mabby Emmanuel said, “Isn’t that stupidity, who is fooling who? You couldn’t provide aircraft for them while alive, it is now you remember there is aircraft in Akwa Ibom state…”
Ogbonna Chinelo Precious wrote: ”So Sad. If I may say, I would suggest this programme (NYSC) be scrapped and the one-year payment calculated and paid to any graduate as part of empowerment.
”I know death is inevitable, but then on the cause of travelling on the road to be part of this programme, it has brought tears and loss of lives to many Nigerian families.
“Imagine someone travelling on the road from Akwa Ibom to Kastina ( a stressful journey) and ending up not getting to camp to join the programme. At the end of the day the excited fellow who bid the family a heart-warming goodbye was brought back as a corpse with a jet, isn’t that an improper way of mocking the deceased?”
Mba Sally Oluchi said, “Why wouldn’t govt provide that aircraft for their traveling, and for the ones that will still go to camp, not when they died in a road accident, they will use aircraft to carry their corpse back home.”
Kenneth Christopher stated, “They have aircraft to convey them back for burial but no aircraft to take them to camp, Nigeria sorry.”
Ozioko Ambrose wrote, “They travel by road and died via accident probably cause of bad roads and their dead bodies travelled by air for safety. There was a country.”
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IPOB Files Lawsuit In US To Retrieve Six Tucano Fighter Jets Sold To Nigeria
American constitutional lawyer, Bruce Fein, has said that a suit has been filed in the United States of America on behalf of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) against the sales of six A-29 Tucano fighter jets to the Nigerian government.
The American IPOB lawyer said the lawsuit would seek to revoke the delivery of the six Tucano jets sold and also block the remaining six from being conveyed to the country.
The lawyer argued that former President Donald Trump approved the sales of selling 12 Tucano military aircraft to Nigeria at the sum of $600 million in 2017 without having a rethink of the human rights violations of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
Fein said the lawsuit was against the executive arm of the US Government which has the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, as sealing the deal of delivering the weapons to Nigeria.
He stressed that the weapons were meant to unleash genocidal attacks on the Biafra agitators and supporters who are mainly from the South East of Nigeria.
This revelation was contained in a zoom meeting Fein had with the presenter of Njenje Media TV, Maazi Ezeoke and another broadcaster known as Chidi.
“The issue dates back to 2017 that President Donald Trump approved the sale of 12 A-29 Tucano military aircraft to Nigeria for $600 million despite the fact that we have long standing amendment to making those demands to transfer those weapons to any foreign countries guilty of exigencies of human rights’ violations.
“It’s quite obvious that President Buhari’s statement continues in conducting the second version of 1967 genocide of Biafrans, that these weapons will not be used against the nation’s terrorist but will be used for genocide against Biafrans in South East.
“And the case that we have brought is against those in the executive in the United States like the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin responsible for the delivery of the A-29 military aircraft. Six of them have been delivered, six have not been delivered.
“We believe that if we have a chance even by highlighting the weapons that President Biden administration which is professed in defending human rights than President Trump administration may well seek the return of the six A-29 Tucano military aircraft,” Fein said.
He added the entire Democrats in the US are being carried along on the matter, adding that Trump and Republicans did not challenge the sales of the military equipment to Nigeria.
“There is also kind of arrangement with the Democrats to stop selling weapons to Nigeria. These considerations were not available when the weapons sales were approved in 2017 because President Trump was faulted on human rights and Republicans were not going to challenge anything.
“So, the lawsuit of the delivery and sales of Tucano aircraft are in violation of the law. The lawsuit is not filed in isolation. There is a larger percentage number of Americans involved.
“(The people) reasonably fear that the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft will be used imminently to kill or maim them physically or to destroy their property. The sale is in flagrant violation of international law,” Fein said.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on July 22 took delivery of the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from the United States.
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Armed Robbers Attack Banks In Osun, Kill One
Armed robbers have killed a yet-to-be-identified person as they attacked two commercial banks in Iree, Osun state.
According to reports, the robbers arrived at the banks some minutes to 4pm on Thursday and operated for about 15 minutes before they fled.
A student of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, simply identified as Olaide, told Punch that the attackers escaped through Ada/Iree road shooting into the air as they fled the area.
“One person was shot. He is a man and he died instantly,” Olaide said
The police spokesperson in the state, Yemisi Opalola, was also said to have confirmed the incident.
She revealed that members of the tactical teams had been deployed to the area.
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