Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Thursday 2nd September 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 02/09/21
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Nasarawa Lawmakers Escape Assassination Attempt
Three members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly claimed they escaped an assassination attempt along Akwanga- Lafia Highway while on their way from a burial on Wednesday.Those involved in the attack, which occurred at about 10 am Wednesday, were Samuel Tsebe, representing APC- Akwanga South; David Maiyaki representing APC- Karu/ Gitata; and Hon Peter Akwanga PDP- Obi 1, Vanguard reports.
The report stated that the gunmen targeted the vehicle of Tsebe, followed by Maiyaki, who was also in his car. Tsebe (APC- Akwanga South) expressed gratitude to God for saving his life and that of his colleagues.“We were approaching Wowyen village, along Akwanga/Lafia road, that is between Police Mobile Training College, Ende Hills and the village towards the bridge.“I heard gunshots targeted at the driver’s side of my car. I was the one driving. The bullet broke down the glasses of my car. The shots were targeted at the driver. This gave me a suspicion that someone was monitoring my movement.“It is more of an assassination attempt. I have informed the police of the incident. I thank God my life was saved,” Vanguard quoted Tsebe as saying.
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Olubadan, Other Monarchs Leave In Anger As Security Operatives Block Entry To Adamasingba Stadium
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, and other monarchs in Oyo State were barred from entering the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba during the official commissioning of the newly remodeled stadium on Wednesday evening.
SaharaReporters learned that the monarch left the venue of the commissioning in anger.
Olubadan and other monarchs were invited to grace the commissioning but they were denied entry by overzealous security operatives.
Our correspondent learned that the monarchs, after waiting for over thirty minutes at the entrance, were told by the security operatives that they could only allow them to enter if they go in with just one of their aides.
Speaking with journalists after leaving the stadium, the Assistant Director of Media and Communications to Olubadan, Yanju Adegboyega, said it is very annoying for security operatives to stop the monarchs.
Adegboyega said, “We were prevented from entry at the stadium. The DSS and bouncers did not allow us to enter. Olubadan had no option than to leave, the Aseyin also followed us.”
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Group Accuses Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Of Failure To Investigate Corruption Petitions After Two Years
File photo used to illustrate story.
A civic organisation, the Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission refused to give feedback on some petitions it tabled before the anti-graft agency for several years.
The ENetSuD accused the EFCC of sabotage over its failure to appropriately deal with at least four petitions before it since 2019.
File photo used to illustrate story.
The anti-corruption body in a letter to the EFCC on Wednesday, Sept. 1, signed by its Coordinator, Dr Abdullateef Alagbonsi, and titled, “Request for Updates on four of our petitions investigated by the EFCC” expressed worries for lack of positive feedback from the commission since two years ago.
According to the letter, the petitions were mainly o n Kwara projects executed by the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
In a letter addressed to the Ilorin Zonal Commander, of the anti-graft agency, ENetSuD forwarded eight petitions to the EFCC regarding mismanagement and diversion of public funds released to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the execution of projects in Kwara State but has not got positive feedback over the years.
Some of the petitions dating as far back as 2019 have not yielded positive results as expected as the group alleged that there is no evidence that the agency carried out an investigation into its petition regarding the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria.
In the petition dated 20th February 2019, ENetSuD stated that SMEDAN conducted a N34million entrepreneurship and skill acquisition training for ghost beneficiaries.
The group further alleged that the beneficiaries’ lists of the Entrepreneurship and Skill Acquisition training projects (that cost thirty-four million naira) provided by SMEDAN were fake.
“After two and half years of submission of this petition at the Executive Chairman’s Office in Abuja Headquarters, no feedback was received on any action taken by the commission (EFCC),” ENetSuD wrote.
The letter read partly: “You may wish to recall our letter ENetSuD/EFCC/01/07 where we complained about some of our petitions that have been investigated by the EFCC but without any positive feedback, result or impact.
”Notwithstanding our reservations on the petitions, ENetSuD has been a consistent collaborator of the EFCC in the fight against corruption in Kwara State, especially in the area of project execution appropriated and funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).
“Our support for the anti-corruption fight (which is a core mandate of EFCC) is due to our belief that EFCC needs help and cannot fight corruption alone without the support of citizens and Civil Society Organizations like ours, especially as the anti-corruption fight is part of our core objectives.
”As part of our support for EFCC, we have forwarded eight (8) petitions concerning mismanagement and diversion of public funds released by governments to various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for the execution of projects in Kwara state (see the table below for a summary).
“In addition to our petitions, we have always provided convincing and classical documents and information to the EFCC that we strongly believe would be helpful in its investigation towards ensuring that the public funds work for the public.
“Despite the diligence and meticulousness of the EFCC in the investigation of projects 3, 5, and 6, we as the petitioner with the greatest interest are not satisfied since there is no evidence of results from such investigations.
“We will like to be specific as follow: We neither know if EFCC carried out any investigation on our petition against SMEDAN nor have any idea if any action was taken to address our complaints in the petition (project 1).
“EFCC reportedly concluded investigation on Abata Sunkere drainage (project 3) and planned to prosecute the offenders, but we are not aware that the prosecution has commenced to date.
“After 2 years of our petition, we are still waiting for the result. EFCC reportedly directed the contractor handling Oja Gboro (project 5) to the site to complete the work according to the BEME, but he has not fully complied with the purported directive. After two years of our petition, we are still waiting for the result.”
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E2%80%93-presidency Amnesty International Has No Right To Exist In Nigeria – Presidency
The Nigerian Presidency has declared that Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization that fights human rights abuses, has no legal right to exist in the country.
In a statement issued by Garba Shehu, media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency criticized Amnesty International over its ‘support’ for pro-secession groups like IPOB.
The statement read, “Amnesty International’s latest salvo at Nigeria is but more of the same.
“Again, they have decided to side with terrorists, before the liberty of those they injure, displace, and murder.
“Speaking the language of universal human rights, Amnesty International deploys it only in defense – even outright promotion – of those that violently oppose the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Parroting the line of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, a proscribed terror organization, they work to legitimize its cause to Western audiences. This puts them in bad company. Controversial American lobbyists are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to do the same, laundering IPOB’s reputation in Washington DC.
“IPOB murder Nigerian citizens. They kill police officers and military personnel and set government property on fire. Now, they have amassed a substantial stockpile of weapons and bombs across the country.
“Were this group in a western country, you would not expect to hear Amnesty’s full-throated defense of their actions. Instead, there would be silence or mealy-mouthed justification of western governments’ action to check the spread of ‘terrorism’.
“Despite Amnesty’s self-proclaimed mandate to impartially transcend borders, unfortunately in Nigeria, they play only domestic politics. The international NGO is being used as cover for the organization’s local leaders to pursue their self-interests. Regrettably, this is not uncommon in Africa. There is nothing wrong with an activist stance; there are claims of neutrality when all facts point to the opposite.
“Amnesty International has no legal right to exist in Nigeria. It must open a formal investigation into the personnel that occupies their Nigerian offices. They should reject the outrageously tendentious misinformation they receive and bring some semblance of due diligence to the sources they base their claims on. Currently, we see none.
“The Nigerian government will fight terrorism with all the means at its disposal. We will ignore Amnesty’s rantings. Especially when it comes from an organization that does not hold itself to the same standards it demands of others.”
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Police Arrest Landlady For Killing Tenant In Ondo
File photo used to illustrate story.
A landlady, identified only as Folasade, has been arrested by Ondo State Police Command, for allegedly killing her tenant, Omolola Oladipupo, when they fought each other in the house after an argument.
The incident happened at Lotogbe Street in Ondo Town, the Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State after an argument ensued between them.
File photo used to illustrate story.
The argument reached its climax and gradually turned to a fight.
It was learnt that the 45-year-old landlord reportedly hit Omolola with an object on the head which resulted to serious injuries.
Omolola was then rushed to a hospital where she was eventually declared dead.
According to an eyewitness, the two women had been having misunderstanding before the incident happened on Tuesday.
He explained that Folasade accused the deceased of walking across her pot with while she was cooking.
Omolola also claimed that the landlady displayed her cooking wares on the path to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s husband Mr Ikudabo Oladipupo said he was inside the room when he heard his wife’s voice and their landlady.
“I heard that my wife said she wanted to pass and that the landlady should remove her pots from where she was cooking on the way where we pass to the kitchen.
“But my landlady said she will not remove the pot. She told my wife to go and pass another place. So, as my wife wanted to pass by the side of the pot, my landlady held her and pushed her away.
“Before I could come out of the house, my landlady had pushed my wife on the floor. When I saw her condition, I quickly rushed her to the hospital where she was confirmed dead.
“My wife and I stayed in the same house. She had three children for me. There is no person in the house. My wife had prepared to go to the market where she sells skin cow popularly called “ponmo” before the incident.
Her corpse has been deposited at the morgue in a general hospital.”
The suspect, on her part, said, “The deceased crossed over my food where I was cooking and I held her neck. She held my wrapper and removed it. Then, I was not wearing any underwear or dress. So, I pushed her and she fell on the floor.”
The Ondo Police spokesman, Fumilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident and said the investigation had commenced, saying the landlord had been arrested.
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Unknown Gunmen Shoot Divisional Police Officer In Edo, Leave Him For Dead
File photo used to illustrate story.
Some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly shot the Divisional Police Officer of Igarra Police Station in Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo State, Suleiman Muhammed, along the Auchi-Igarra-Ibillo road.
The unfortunate incident which occurred on Tuesday a few metres before Sasaro around 7pm caused commuters to be stranded until the intervention of the local vigilante group members who evacuated the injured officer.
File photo used to illustrate story.
It was stated that the assailants thought Muhammed was dead and cleared the road.
A member of the vigilante group from Igarra said the DPO was shot in the eyes, arm, and stomach adding that he might have been shot with an AK-47 as they recovered bullets and other cartridges from the scene of the attack.
He said “The DPO had earlier called us in the morning to a place where they said some suspected yahoo boys constituted a nuisance, then later around 3 pm, he told us that these suspected kidnappers were blocking the road, so we went there and chased them away.
“I was told that later in the evening after inspecting the change of guard, the DPO proceeded in his Toyota Camry car to Auchi where his family resides. The people laid ambush after the near Sasaro and shot him severally, I believe they thought he was dead and then abandoned him.
“Their gunshots made motorists going and coming from Auchi stop until we arrived at the scene in the company of the police to rush the DPO to the hospital. He was bleeding profusely because he was shot in the eyes, arm, and stomach; after stabilising him, he was rushed to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.
“This morning (Wednesday) I and my boys went back to the scene and we recovered used bullets including those of AK 47 and cartridges.”
Another leader of the vigilante group attributed the rising presence of kidnappers in that axis to a community along the road which allegedly rents part of its land to herdsmen for grazing.
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E2%80%93-buhari Sack Of Ministers Is Continuous Process – Buhari
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the need for new energy motivated the reshuffling of his cabinet.
The President had announced the sacking of two cabinet members on Wednesday.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
Saleh Mamman, the Minister of Power; and Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, were sacked by the President.
A statement released by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, quoted Buhari as saying the changes in his cabinet will be “a continuous process”.
The statement read, “Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector reporting during Cabinet meetings and at Retreats.
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“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.
“I must commend this cabinet for demonstrating unparalleled resilience that helped the government to navigate the disruption to global systems and governance occasioned by the emergence of COVID-19 shortly after inauguration. The weekly Federal Executive Council meeting was not spared because the traditional mode was altered.
“As we are all aware, change is the only factor that is constant in every human endeavor and as this administration approaches its critical phase in the second term, I have found it essential to re-invigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements.”
Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, the Minister of Environment, is expected to assume office as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Abubakar Aliyu, the Minister of State for Works and Housing, will take over as the Minister of Power.
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Abductions: Zamfara Imposes Dusk-to-dawn Curfew, Shuts Down Schools
The Zamfara State Government has declared a dusk-to-dawn throughout the 14 Local Government Areas in the state.
The government has also shut down schools, both private and public, operating in all the LGA in the state.
This followed the abduction of a yet-to-be-ascertained number of pupils of Government Day Secondary School, Kaya, in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state on Wednesday.
According to TVC News, the curfew is from eight o’clock in the evening to seven o’clock in the morning.
“The move, according to authorities, is to control the rising cases of banditry and kidnapping in the state,” says the broadcast medium.
Deadly attacks have raged across Zamfara state where bandits have thrived.
Farming and herding communities in the state have long been terrorised by gangs who raid villages, stealing cattle and kidnap residents for ransom.
Dozens of farmers have been killed as hundreds of hectres of farmlands remain uncultivated.
Most of the slain victims were trapped on their farmlands and got killed.
In 2019, the state government entered a peace agreement with the gunmen.
About 15 brand new Hilux vehicles and cash gifts were also given to leaders of different ‘repentant’ gangs of bandits by the governor in 2020.
But despite all these, communities in the state are still being attacked and residents kidnapped or killed.
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Aggrieved Niger Delta Indigenes Drag Buhari, Attorney-General To Court Over Alleged Mass Sack
Aggrieved indigenes of the Niger Delta Region have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari, the Interim Administrator of the Amnesty office, Col. Milland-Dikio (rtd) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN to court over the plan to sack of 200 workers from the Presidential Amnesty office.
Also included in the suit numbered FHC/PH/CS/124/21 and filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt in Rivers State is a Human Resource Company, HR INDEX Limited alleged to have been wrongfully hired by the Amnesty Office to conduct the mass sack of staff under the programme.
The claimants in the suit, Utip Akpan and James Ayibatekena, are seeking an order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining President Muhammadu Buhari, the Interim Amnesty Boss and other two defendants, from carrying out the allege mass sack pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before the Court.
The claimants, in the writ of summons and motion on Notice urged the court to declare that the Interim Administrator of Amnesty Programme, who is the 2nd defendant, is required under the Public Procurement Act 2007 to make public the contract capable of being awarded under the Presidential Amnesty and a declaration that the outsourcing of the contract of human resource firm in the office of second defendant does not fall under the public procurement act.
They also asked the court “to set aside as illegal any contract awarded by the Amnesty office to the Human Resources company having been illegally issued and without due process.”
It was also gathered from one of the claimant, Utip Akpan, that their action against the Presidential Amnesty office was to prevent illegal termination of appointment of over 200 Amnesty staff by 31st August 31, 2021.
According to the aggrieved staff, the termination letter has allegedly been prepared and backdated to May 2021 and majority of the staff affected are indigenes of the Niger Delta region.
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Taliban Celebrates US Withdrawal With Coffins Draped With US Flags
Supporters of Taliban have taken to the streets in Afghanistan to celebrate the final departure of the troops of the United States.
They held a mock funeral while hoisting coffins draped with flags from the U.S and other NATO countries.
Several photos of the event which took place in Khoist, Afghanistan, were seen all over the internet.
The event came just a day after the last U.S troops left the country after spending nearly twenty years in the country.
The military troops from the United States left Afghanistan on Tuesday after completing the airlifting process.
Meanwhile, Taliban leaders took over the control of Kabul airport on Tuesday, and marked the departure of the last U.S. aircraft.
They also had a symbolic walk across the airport’s sole runway.
“The world should have learned its lesson and this is the enjoyable moment of victory,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said in a livestream video.
He spoke to reporters at the Hamid Karzai International Airport and said Americans “could not achieve their goal through military operations.”
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