Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 8th August 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 08/08/21
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E2%80%93-former-us-ambassador-campbell What FBI Probe Of DCP Abba Kyari Means For Buhari Government – Former US Ambassador, Campbell
A former United States of America’s Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and the ongoing probe by the Nigeria Police Force showed some hope of police reforms under the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Campbell, who is now the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow For Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Washington D.C., wrote his reaction to the FBI’s probe of Kyari in relation to the police officer’s cozy relationship with serial internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi.
The former ambassador to Nigeria between 2004 and 2007, stated in an article published by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), that the probe of Kyari also showed a “hopeful sign” of police reforms which Nigerians had clamoured for and which were one of the key demands of last year’s EndSARS protests.
Campbell said, “The charismatic head of the Intelligence Response team of the Nigeria Police Service, Abba Kyari, has been suspended pending the investigation of allegations by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that he was in cahoots with Ramon Abbas, better known as “Hushpuppi“ a Nigerian “Yahoo boy,” a popular Nigerian term for cyber criminals, involved in money laundering and fraud.
“Abbas allegedly paid Kyari N8 million (about $20,000) to arrest and jail a rogue member of Abbas’ criminal group; those allegations are currently being investigated by the Nigerian police. A U.S. district court issued a warrant for Kyari’s arrest, but American authorities have not requested his extradition, though much of the Nigerian media expects that they will do so.
“Whatever Nigeria’s reputation, that of the police is poor, both at home and abroad. Among Nigerians, the police are a byword for corruption—grand and petty—and harassment, especially of the poor. Anti-police sentiment boiled over late last year in protests against the notoriously brutal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)—for which Kyari formerly served as the officer-in-charge—collectively known as #EndSARS.
“The Buhari administration has promised police reform, of which there has been little evidence. However, the investigation of Abba Kyari could be a hopeful sign. It should be noted that Abba Kyari of the National Police is not to be confused with Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Buhari until his death last year from COVID-19.”
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Chibok Schoolgirl Who Surrendered With Boko Haram Husband Reunites With Family
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has received Ruth Ngladar Pogu, a former student of Government Secondary School (GSS) Chibok, in Borno State.
Ruth was among the over 200 abducted by Boko Haram insurgents seven years ago.
On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram fighters invaded the Borno school and whisked away no fewer than 270 students.
SaharaReporters had reported that Ruth, alongside her husband, a Boko Haram-ISWAP terrorist, surrendered themselves to the Nigerian troop at a location in Bama.
Zulum’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau, in a statement said the governor received the Chibok schoolgirl at the Government House on Saturday in the presence of overwhelmed parents who reunited with her.
“I am extremely excited both as Borno’s Governor and father of all sons and daughters of the state, and also as a father to daughters. I know the feeling of families of those still under captivity but we have to remain hopeful especially with today’s development,” the governor was quoted as saying.
The Chairman of the Chibok Girls Movement, an association of all affected parents, Yakubu Keki, expressed joy over the return of Ruth.
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E2%80%98peanuts%E2%80%99-money-his-court-cases- Sunday Igboho Turned Down Individuals, Groups Who Offered ‘Peanuts’ Money For His Court Cases – Lawyer
Sunday Igboho
One of the lawyers representing Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, more commonly Sunday Igboho, Chief Yomi Alliyu, has advised Nigerians to challenge anyone soliciting money from them for prosecution of court cases involving the agitator.
Alliyu stated that Igboho himself turned down “peanuts” money which some individuals and groups brought forward for his court cases, saying he was able to financially cater to his legal charges.
Sunday Igboho
Sunday Igboho’s residence in Soka, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was invaded by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, in July
He has two court cases in Nigeria – one in Abuja which concerns his 12 arrested aides and one in Ibadan.
It was, however, gathered that some people had been soliciting money from prominent Yoruba sons and daughters in order to prosecute the cases.
Alliyu in his reaction, cautioned Nigerians against contributing money to anyone. He said that Igboho or his aides do not need any financial assistance in order to meet bail conditions.
While speaking further, he added that financial assistance rendered by a few individuals had been turned down based on Igboho’s instruction.
Alliyu, in a statement, on Saturday regretted that many people and groups who have nothing to do with the cases had been laying claims of sponsoring the suits.
He insisted that no group or individual had contributed any money to the ongoing cases involving Igboho and his aides in Abuja and Ibadan.
“It has come to our notice that various groups and individuals that have nothing to do with the case filed by Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho Oosa have been laying claims to sponsoring the suits and/or criticising decisions of court thereon
“We want to be quick to say that as of today no group and/or individual has contributed a kobo to the two cases going on in Nigeria to wit, his aides’ case in Abuja and the Ibadan matter,” Alliyu said.
“Various peanuts offered by some very loud groups have been turned down by me on my client’s instructions.
“He has been carrying his cross alone with no assistance from home or abroad! People should be brave to challenge any individual and/or group asking them for money on bail on his behalf or those of his aides.
“Bail is free in all Courts in Nigeria and as such neither Igboho nor his aides need assistance on bail. Our client is willing and able to prosecute his matters to logical conclusions without peanuts being offered by those claiming to be involved in his struggle.”
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Protesting Truck Drivers Block Kaduna Road Over Police Brutality
Drivers of articulated vehicles have blocked the busy Kaduna Eastern Bypass in Kaduna State to protest police brutality against one of them.
They accused police officers along the road of shooting the tyres of a truck after the driver refused to give them a bribe.
The Eastern byepass is the major transit point for travellers coming from the North-Central, North-West and Southern part of the country.
It spans from Kakau village along Kachia road to Mararaban Jos along the Kaduna-Zaria Road.
Goods and services are usually delivered through that road to other parts of Nigeria.
The blockade has caused hardship for other road users.
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E2%80%99s-mum-smaranda-becomes-association-african-universities-board-member Daddy Freeze’s Mum, Smaranda Becomes Association Of African Universities Board Member
Professor Smaranda Olarinde, mother of Cool FM personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, has been elected as a member of the prestigious Association of African Universities (AAU) Board.
Olarinde, a Nigerian Professor of Law is the incumbent Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ekiti state.
AAU is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, and is an apex organization for all African Universities.
The association provides a platform for research, reflection, consultation, debates, co-operation and collaboration on issues pertaining to higher education.
It provides a range of services to its members and serves African higher education in a variety of ways.
Also elected into the association’s board is Professor Abiodun Adebayo, the Vice Chancellor of Covenant University.
Professor Olarinde has over three decades of cumulative experience as a law teacher, academic, researcher and legal practitioner.
Her legal background, in both civil law (Romania) and common law (Nigeria) systems, adds to her diverse multidisciplinary profile.
Her focus has been on women, children and young adolescents’ rights and protection. In 1989, she was a legal researcher for IDRC on land tenure and access to land for women. She also served as a legal researcher for the World Bank on law development and the status of women (1990) and towards a gender strategy in Nigeria (1992).
She was a member of the “think tank” for the legal protection of children in Oyo State and the coordinator of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).
Professor Olarinde carried out several multidisciplinary researches on reproductive rights, women and children’s rights, HIV/AIDS and participated in the collaborative effort between researchers from Israel, the Netherlands and Nigeria.
She is actively involved in training law students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as law clinicians for participation in community services involving pro bono legal advice.
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Borno Government Promises Accommodation To Boko Haram Days After Demolishing Worship Centres
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum
The Borno Government has urged members of the Boko Haram terror group to give up their nefarious activities so that they can be accommodated and integrated into the society.
The state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Babakura Abba-Jato, disclosed this at the end of an expanded security meeting held on Saturday in Maiduguri.
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum
This is coming days after the state government was scolded when its task force personnel, who accompanied the Borno State Geographical Information System, demolished worship centres in Maiduguri including the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) church building.
SaharaReporters had on Thursday reported an altercation during the demolition, causing the security personnel to shoot sporadically into the air.
A church worker, Ezekiel, was said to have been shot in the chest by men of the civilian joint task force to the agency, which is directly under the state governor, Prof Babagana Zulum.
The Nigerian Army recently announced that over 100 insurgents surrendered with their weapons within the past two weeks in Borno.
The commissioner said the government was happy with the development and the sustained military onslaught at the shores of Lake Chad and Sambisa Forest.
“The meeting chaired by the Governor is happy with the clearing exercise going on at the shores of the Lake Chad as well as what is going on around the Sambisa general area with some of the insurgents surrendering.
“They (insurgents) are surrendering along with their arms and ammunitions. We will encourage them to surrender and discard their nefarious activities so that they can be accommodated, rehabilitated and integrated into the society,” Abba-Jato said.
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E2%80%99s-local-government-chairmen-feed-jumbo-salaries-17-allowances-despite-ailing How Nigeria’s Local Government Chairmen Feed On Jumbo Salaries, 17 Allowances Despite Ailing Economy
The chairmen of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas have been living large on jumbo salaries and at least 17 allowances, despite the fragile economy of the country and the need to reduce governance expenditure.
According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation And Fiscal Commission, the council chairmen are also entitled to allowances for special assistants, personal assistants and domestic workers among others.
Checks by SaharaReporters showed that the local council chairmen get allowances for “motor and vehicles fuelling and maintenance; entertainment; newspapers and periodicals, domestic staff, personal assistant, constituency and utilities.”
Others are for accommodation, furniture, duty tour (per night), estacode (per night), severance gratuity, leave and medicals.
The RMAFC breakdown reads, “Motor Vehicle fuelling and maintenance. 75% N681,234; Special Assistant (to be decided); Personal Assistant; 25%, N227,078; Domestic Staff; 75%, N681,234; Entertainment; 45%; N408,740; Utilities; 30%; N272,493; Constituency; 25%; N227,078; Newspapers/Periodicals; 15%; N136,246.
“Accommodation; Furniture; 300%; N2,724,936; Duty Tour Allowance (per night), N20,000; Estacode (per night) $450; Medical (to be decided). Severance Gratuity; 200%; N2,724,936; Leave; 10%; N90,831:20.”
SaharaReporters learnt that the Local Government Chairmen receive a total of about N5,994,659, starting from as far back as 2010, as the RMAFC is currently in the process of reviewing the pay even higher.
This sum consists of annual basic salary of N 908,312; N1,362, 468 for furniture (once in four years); N90,831.20 as leave allowance and N3,633,248 as a vehicle loan.
They also receive severance gratuity of N2,724,936 at the end of a tenure.
There have been calls by several civil society organisations to review downwards the pay of political office holders in the country, so as to save the highly expensive cost of governance in the country.
One of them is the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which some weeks ago asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the RMAFC and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to review downward the remuneration and allowances of political office holders.
The civil society particularly named President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the 36 governors and members of the National Assembly.
SERAP, in a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/658/2021, had sought “an order of mandamus to direct and compel the RMAFC to send its downward review of the remuneration and allowances of these high-ranking public office holders and recommendations to the National Assembly for appropriate remedial and legislative action, as provided for by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended).”
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Kanu Is Technically Still In Kenya By Aloy Ejimakor
Nnamdi Kanu
Yes, that’s right: In the purest interpretations of foreign relations law, as applied to Britain and Kenya, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is technically speaking, still in Kenya.
Dual national or not, Kanu departed Britain and travelled to Kenya as a British citizen and Kenya admitted him as such. That’s the starting point.
So, after his admission to Kenya, it arises that Kanu must be expelled from Kenyan soil (with or without due process), the next natural and legal thing to do is for Kenya to expel him to Britain, not Nigeria. Choosing to expel him to Nigeria means that he could’ve also been expelled to any other country than Nigeria.
Nnamdi Kanu
Why? Because Kanu presented himself to Kenya as a British citizen, not a Nigerian citizen and not even a dual citizen. In international law, it was clearly a three-way immigration contract between Kanu, Britain and Kenya. Nigeria was not a party to it; and Nigeria was never in reckoning at the Kenyan port of entry when Kanu presented himself for admission. Lawyers call it privity of contract and it is inviolable.
Further, counting from the time of Kanu’s abduction to his infamous rendition, Kenya saw no other travel document that could’ve attributed any nationality to Kanu other than that of Britain. Or, was Kanu admitted to Kenya on a Nigerian birth certificate?
So, it’s dubious that Kenya attributed Nigerian citizenship to Kanu merely because those that sponsored the abduction and rendition presumably told Kenya that Kanu was borne in Nigeria. What about the credible claims (in public domain) that Kanu had renounced his Nigerian citizenship? If place of birth should count, then renunciation should also count.
Put another way, unless Kenya was shown Kanu’s Nigerian birth certificate, it is expected to presume Kanu as a British citizen only. After all, beyond a birth certificate, a passport is the next best proof of citizenship. Verbal assertions of place of birth is, as a matter of immigration and nationality law, an insufficient proof of citizenship.
Nonetheless, if Kenya was in any doubt as to where Kanu should be expelled, it should have resorted to the competent international laws on point.
The most obvious of such laws is codified at Article 5 of the Hague Convention on Certain Questions Relating to the Conflict of Nationality Law, which states that: “Within a third State, a person having more than one nationality shall be treated as if he had only one. A third State shall, of the nationalities which any such person possesses, recognise exclusively in its territory either the nationality of the country in which he is habitually and principally resident, or the nationality of the country with which in the circumstances he appears to be in fact most closely connected”.
As can be seen from above, Kanu was required to meet one of two conditions in order to be treated by Kenya ‘exclusively’ as either a citizen of Nigeria or Britain.
So, let’s put Kanu into what the Hague Convention says and see how he comes out.
Fact: Kanu is 53 years old. Out of this, he has spent some 30 years in Britain and 23 years in Nigeria. His wife and children are domiciled in Britain and they are British citizens, either by birth or naturalization. Kanu has his home in Britain and pays his taxes there.
Another fact: Kanu’s main occupations – Radio Biafra and IPOB – are corporate citizens of Britain in good standing, both having been duly registered in Britain. And Kanu runs both of them from British soil.
So, you can easily see from above that Britain is where Kanu is ‘habitually and principally resident, as well as the country with which, in the circumstances, he appears to be in fact most closely connected’.
Thus, Kenya (being the third country) should have treated Kanu exclusively as a British citizen because, even as the Hague Convention required Kanu to meet one of two conditions, he actually over-qualified by meeting both conditions.
Therefore, as a strict matter of foreign relations law, as applied to Britain and Kenya (minus Nigeria), Kanu is technically still in Kenya. Why? Because Kenya was the last country in which Kanu – a bonafide British citizen was lawfully admitted.
In other words, subsequent to his admission to Kenya, if Kanu desired to depart Kenya, the only country he could have legally departed to was Britain, not Nigeria. Why? Kenyan immigration would not have allowed Kanu to depart to Nigeria without him presenting either a Nigerian passport or a Nigerian visa.
In view of the foregoing, the next best steps for Britain to take, going forward, is to ask Kenya to account for the whereabouts of her citizen, Nnamdi Kanu, last seen in Kenya as of June 19th, 2021 as her Majesty’s subject and a free citizen of Britain, not a criminal suspect.
Once Britain sits up, Kenya – whether complicit or not – would begin to realize the true legal and diplomatic implications of failing to protect a bonafide British citizen who made his last lawful immigration stop on Kenyan soil. And Nigeria will also begin to realize that Kanu’s presence in Nigeria is unlawful and unsustainable.
Ejimakor is a Special Counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
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Bandits Attack Travellers in Ekiti, Kill Man, Abduct Wife, Daughter
File photo used to illustrate story.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday night waylaid travellers returning from a function in Ekiti State, shot dead the driver of the vehicle and abducted at least two occupants.
SaharaReporters learnt that the gunmen killed a man, and took away two others – who were his wife and his daughter.
File photo used to illustrate story.
The police confirmed the attack on Saturday.
The police spokesman in Ekiti, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the gunmen shot the driver of the vehicle, a LEXUS 330 SUV, dead and took the two other occupants of the vehicle away.
The attack took place between Ewu-Ekiti and Aiyetoro-Ekiti, neighbouring communities in Ilejemeje and Ido/Osi Local Government Areas of Ekiti State.
ASP Abutu added that the police, in conjunction with local hunters and operatives of Amotekun Corps, were already combing the forest around the area to rescue the victims and arrest the gunmen.
Witnesses confirmed that the driver was shot dead and the other occupants of the vehicle were abducted.
The vehicle, with registration number LAGOS KRD 264 GV, was left at the scene facing the bush with only the deceased inside it.
The identities of the victims had not been ascertained at the time of filing this report.
Friday’s incident occurred four days after gunmen also suspected to be herdsmen shot and killed a man named Ademola Afolayan on a poultry farm in Ikere-Ekiti on Monday, August 2 at about 5pm.
Recently, kidnappers allegedly abducted some travellers in three commercial buses on Akure/Ikere-Ado Ekiti road in Ekiti State.
It was gathered that the kidnappers swooped on the travellers’ vehicles while navigating through the bad portions of the road.
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E2%80%93-afenifere Babangida Lives In Eternal Regret, Lost Opportunity To Be Democracy Hero – Afenifere
Yoruba’s socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has lambasted former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, saying he lived in eternal regrets and lost an opportunity in 1993 to become Nigeria’s hero of democracy.
Afenifere added that the reason the former military dictator gave for annulling the June 12 election was an insult on the intelligence of Nigerians.
The election, which was keenly contested by the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, the late MKO Abiola; and the Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention, and said to have been won by Abiola, was adjudged as the most transparent election in Nigeria’s political history.
But the poll was declared a nullity by the military regime led by Babangida.
In an interview on Friday, IBB had said he annulled the election to prevent a violent coup d’etat.
But reacting, Sola Ebiseni, Secretary-General of Afenifere, described Babangida’s comment as “a sour taste in the mouth.”
“Babangida has not said a new thing worthy of any reaction in respect of his treasonable acts of the annulment of the adjudged freest and fairest election in the country’s political history,” he said.
“Nigerians are not interested in any excuse being given by IBB. It is even most preposterous that IBB will only now be insulting the intelligence of Nigerians that he annulled their mandate to forestall a violent coup, which, by reasonable inference, he was aware of.
“He lost the opportunity of being the hero of democracy and father of a new Nigeria, an eternal regret that no whitewashing on television can redeem.
“However, it is no gain saying the fact that the present administration has made saints of all previous administrations in every aspect of governance.”
He also said the President Muhammadu Buhari government has failed in the areas of his promises to Nigerians on security, economy and anti-corruption.
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