Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Friday 3rd September 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 03/09/21
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E2%80%94-ex-minister-power-mamman Doctors Advised I Needed Rest After Buhari Sacked Me — Ex-Minister Of Power, Mamman
The former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, has explained the reason behind his absence at his residence following his sack from the federal cabinet.
According to reports, the minister had been rushed to hospital after he received the news of his sack, but in a telephone interview with BBC Hausa, Mamman debunked the reports.
The former minister admitted that he had been ill, stating that he has been receiving treatment since last weekend.
He said, “Even before the sack was announced, I had been seriously ill. I had not even gone to the office since earlier in the week.
“So, yesterday (Wednesday) and today (Thursday) I also went back to the hospital for another round of check-up; and the doctor instructed that I needed some ‘rest’ so I remained at one place to rest,” he said.
“I found a serene and quiet environment to rest and take medication as recommended by the doctor. I didn’t stay at home because sympathisers are trooping to console me; this would prevent me from resting and convalescing on time.
“But I was also not hospitalised, and I didn’t faint as reported.”
Mamman added that the president had called him on phone on Monday night to inform him of the impending sack.
He said the president thanked him for his support of his administration.
“Whether I am fired or not, I must step down in two years away,” he said.
Flashing back to 2019 when he was appointed, he said he didn’t lobby to be made minister, rather he was called to submit his CV, “And within two hours; I was informed that I had been appointed minister.”
Mamman, a native of Taraba State, was appointed minister on August 21, 2019, and had served in this capacity until he was fired on Wednesday as Buhari conducted a minor rejig of his cabinet members.
The ailing ex-minister has also been reported to be nursing governorship ambition in Taraba State by 2023.
He was fired alongside Sabo Nanono, former minister of Agriculture.
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Coalition Of Civil Societies Demands Release Of Enslaved 21-year-old Glory Okolie
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has condemned the continued detention of Glory Okolie, a 21-year-old young woman arrested and enslaved by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Imo State.
The police had arrested Okolie for allegedly being friends with a suspected member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
She was later transferred to Abuja, despite efforts by her family members to secure his release.
After 66 days in detention, the police, in a statement said she was arrested for alleged membership of IPOB and for working with one Uzoma Emojiri to attack officers and stations in Imo.
Her detention stirred public outcry as many Nigerians, including civil society organisations, have called for her release.
Leaders of 45 CSOs in a joint statement accused the police of detaining Okolie in flagrant disobedience to the orders of the Court.
“The continued incommunicado detention of Gloria in flagrant disregard to a court order is irresponsible, unconstitutional and contemptuous of the Court. It is a further violation of her fundamental rights to personal liberty, dignity of her human person, presumption of innocence and fair trial. The actions of the police amount to a subversion of due process and rule of law,” the CSOs said.
“Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees Gloria Okorie’s right to liberty. The Constitution provides that where the Police arrests a person, the police is required to bring the person before a court of competent jurisdiction within 24 hours or 48 hours where the court is not within a 40km radius. Otherwise, the police are obligated to release the accused or detained person on bail.
“The failure by the Nigeria Police to protect Gloria Okorie’s fundamental rights is also a clear breach of the Police Act 2020 which establishes the Nigeria Police Force and defines the limits of its powers. Section 5(1) of the Police Act 2020 provides as follows:
“The Police Force is responsible for promoting and protecting the fundamental rights of persons in police custody as guaranteed by the Constitution. In Section 5(3), the Police Act further provides as follows: In addition to the provisions of subsection (1) and (2) of this section, the Police Force is also charged with the responsibility of promoting and protecting the fundamental rights of all persons as guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and other international legal Instruments on Human Rights to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“It is important to note that Section 9 (2) of the Police Act makes the office of the Inspector-General of the Police responsible for ensuring that the above provisions of the Police Act are adhered to and that suspects have their rights protected at all times. The said section provides as follows: The inspector-General shall, in addition to his functions under this section ensure the discharge by the Police Force of the responsibilities referred to under section 5 of this Act and for this purpose the inspector-General shall: facilitate access to legal support for suspects, accused persons or detainees in police custody.
“Pursuant to the aforesaid, we hereby call on the Inspector General of Police to use his good offices to put an end to the continued breach of Gloria Okorie’s fundamental rights; ensure that his men adhere to the provisions of the law and the order of the High Court as stated above and stop the further trampling on the Rule of Law.
“The CJN, Hon. Justice Tanko Muhammad on September 23, 2019 noted that disobedience to court orders is a recipe for anarchy and admonished that:
“The rule of law must be observed in all our dealings and we must impress it on the governments at all levels to actively toe the path. The right of every citizen against any form of oppression and impunity must be jealously guarded and protected with the legal tools at our disposal. All binding court orders must be obeyed. Nobody, irrespective of his or her position, will be allowed to toy with court judgments.
“We therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police to order his men to release Gloria Okorie on Bail immediately or otherwise charge her to court for prosecution if she has any case to answer. The continued unlawful detention of Gloria Okorie and the contempt for the courts of the land only worsen the negative public perception of the police and widen the trust gap. It also raises the suspicion that there is more to this act of impunity than meets the ordinary eyes. Why are the police shielding Gloria from access to her family and lawyers?
“The police, by their actions and posture, are only lending credence to the fears expressed in some quarters that Gloria may have been violated including sexually and likely impregnated. Going by records, this is not beyond the Nigeria Police. The police must dispel these fears and suspicion by immediately complying with court orders to release Gloria without further delay.
“The Nigeria Police cannot be seen to be institutionalising impunity by engaging in acts that are unconstitutional, unlawful, irresponsible and lawless. We also call on the Inspector-General of Police to order the immediate release of the commercial motorcyclist re-arrested and detained for revealing Gloria Okorie’s secret detention by the police.”
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E2%80%99-sack-diversion-cover-buhari%E2%80%99s-failure-%E2%80%93-house-reps Ministers’ Sack Is Diversion To Cover Buhari’s Failure – House Of Reps
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for hiding under the sack of his former ministers to divert the attention of Nigerians from deficiencies of his government.
The opposition federal lawmakers in the Lower Chamber also stated that the populace was not impressed by the sack in as much as the President is still responsible for unsuitable and hostile policies worsening the situation of the country.
In a press release signed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday, the group urged Buhari to address this nation’s waning insecurity and awful economy.
A presidential media aide, Femi Adesina, addressing journalists in State House Abuja, on Wednesday, confirmed that Buhari fired Saleh Mamman and Sabo Nanono, the erstwhile ministers of Power and Agriculture and Rural Development respectively.
“Matter of fact is that the president said he had reviewed the performance of the cabinet and needed to reinvigorate for the last run. He said he wanted to consolidate on legacy performance and projects,” Adesina said.
Reacting through a statement, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Members of House of Representatives said, “The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has dismissed the sack of two ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari as a diversionary strategy to divert public attention from the myriads of failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in the past six years.
“The Minority Caucus and indeed majority of Nigerians are not swayed by the sack of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Nanono and his Power counterpart, Saleh Mamman, when the inapt and anti-people policies as well as the corruption and lethargic approach to governance that have become the hallmark of the administration remain.
“Instead of resorting to unprofitable diversionary stunts, the Minority caucus urges President Buhari to take decisive steps to address worsening insecurity and excruciating economic hardship by ending the incompetence, compromises, corruption, exclusionism and impunity in the system under his watch.
“The Minority caucus holds that governance requires commitment, demonstration of capacity, political will power, transparency and broadmindedness at the topmost levels.
“As representatives of the people, the Minority caucus urges President Buhari not to continue to stay aloof but to get into the arena by taking urgent steps to address the security issues as well as rejuvenate our nation’s economy and cohesiveness which are collapsing under his administration.”
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E2%80%93-nigerian-government Audit Report Shows 13,777 Niger Delta Projects Were Compromised – Nigerian Government
The Nigerian government says it was concerned that over 13,777 projects being handled by the Niger Delta Development Commission have their execution “substantially compromised.”
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said this while receiving the forensic audit report of the NDDC from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, in Abuja on Thursday.
President Buhari had, in 2019, ordered a forensic audit of the NDDC’s operations from 2001 to 2019.
Kemebradikumo Pondei, the then-Acting Managing Director of the commission, was sacked over allegations of mismanagement of funds, and in December 2020, the President appointed Effiong Akwa as the new head of the agency.
In his speech, Malami also noted that 362 accounts belonging to the NDDC were not properly reconciled.
According to him, the essence of the forensic audit was to ensure accountability in the use of public funds.
The minister said, “It is on record that between 2001 and 2019, the Federal Government has approved N3,375,735,776,794.93 as budgetary allocation and N2,420,948,894,191.00 as Income from Statutory and Non Statutory Sources, which brings the total figure to the sum of approximately N6 trillion given to the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“The Federal Government is particularly concerned with the colossal loss occasioned by uncompleted and unverified development projects in the Niger Delta region, in spite of the huge resources made available to uplift the living standard of the citizens.
“We have on record over 13,777 projects, the execution of which is substantially compromised. The Federal Government is also concerned with the multitudes of Niger Delta Development Commission’s bank accounts amounting to 362 and lack of proper reconciliation of accounts.”
Malami said it was clear that considerable resources have been channelled by the Federal Government to the development of the Niger Delta from 2001 to 2019.
He said it was therefore important for the Federal Government and the public to be properly informed of what has been spent and how that has been spent.
“The essence of the forensic audit is to ensure probity and accountability in the use of public funds. It is against this background that the Federal Government will without hesitation strategically implement all aspects of the audit exercise that will promote probity and greater prosperity for the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria as whole,” he asserted.
Malami added that the Petroleum Industry Act recently signed into law was to “to bring about the prudence and accountability in the Petroleum Sector and to give a sense of participation and ownership to the Host communities.”
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E2%80%93-chief-defence-staff-irabor Peace In Plateau State Lies With The People, Not Military – Chief Of Defence Staff, Irabor
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has said the peace of Plateau State rests largely with the people of the state.
According to him, it is up to the people of the state to decide to live together peacefully with one another.
The military chief made the assertion during the security, stakeholders meeting with chiefs, community and religious leaders of Plateau State held at the government house at Jos, the state capital.
This was disclosed on Thursday, in a statement issued by Ishaku Takwa, the Military Information Officer.
According to the statement, Irabor assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will do everything within its mandate to stabilise the state while calling on the traditional, community and religious leaders to champion the peace process in their domains.
Irabor said lasting peace could only be achieved when all the people understand each other and respect one another.
“The CDS revealed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has a duty to create the avenue for peace to triumph, adding that the Armed Forces would accelerate its activities towards sustaining peace and stability on the Plateau.
“He, however, said security agencies need the support and encouragement of the people to achieve their mandate on the Plateau.
“Irabor further disclosed that the defence headquarters has activated the early warning and early response mechanism to prevent a possible attack on innocent communities.
“The CDS disclosed that security has been beefed up in volatile communities and therefore urged the people to have confidence in the security agencies. The CDS also warned against taking up arms against one another,” the statement partly reads.
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau state, thanked the CDS for ensuring that adequate military machinery was deployed to ensure peace is maintained on the Plateau. He noted that criminals must be identified and brought to justice by all means.
Lalong maintained that his administration is ready to support the Armed Forces in its commitment to stem emerging security threats in the state.
He thereafter thanked religious and traditional leaders for prioritising the safety of the people and warned against inciting statements which he said must be discouraged among religious leaders for genuine peace to thrive.
The statement comes amid the insecurity in the state as gunmen shot at travellers along Rukuba Road in the Jos North local Government Area of the state, killing 22 persons and injuring others.
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E2%80%99re-waiting-panel-board-inquiry-%E2%80%93-military-speaks-major-abducted-nda-bandits We’re Waiting For Panel, Board Of Inquiry – Military Speaks On Major Abducted From NDA By Bandits
Major Christopher Datong
The Military High Command has refused to give details of the condition of Major Christopher Datong who was abducted when armed men broke into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna last week.
When asked on the whereabouts of the kidnapped Major at a press briefing at the Defence headquarters, Abuja, on Thursday, Brig Gen. Benard Onyeuko, acting director of Defence Media Operations, said the military would keep Nigerians posted.
Major Christopher Datong
“That has been over-flogged; we all know the actions taken so far. We will wait for the outcome of the panel set up and the board of enquiry; we will keep you posted on that,” he said.
SaharaReporters had on Tuesday reported that Datong abducted at the NDA by bandits on August 24 was still in captivity seven days after his abduction.
Rumour was rife last week that the soldier had been killed but one of his family members told SaharaReporters that he was still alive.
Gunmen had last Tuesday invaded the Afaka barracks of the academy around 1am, killing two soldiers identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant Okoronwo.
They also abducted Datong and subsequently called the military authorities to demand a ransom of N200 million to free him.
The gunmen, who were dressed in military camouflage, were said to have beaten the guards and headed for the officers’ quarters of the institution.
A military officer who spoke to SaharaReporters on Tuesday also stressed that Datong was still alive, adding that rumour about his death should be ignored.
“As at now, there is a military operation ongoing to ensure that the officer is rescued. And I can’t divulge anything more that what I told you that the operation is ongoing because whatever I say now might jeopardise the operational action being taken by the military to rescue the officer. That’s exactly what is going on now, efforts are ongoing to ensure the officer is rescued alive.
“He is not dead, you know we are in the era of fake news and most Nigerians now write things in the press without verification or confirmation. The officer is alive and we are looking forward to a successful operation to rescue him. Reporting that he is dead from unconfirmed sources on social media is something bad, this is an officer who is married, he has children, he has family and people start reporting that he is dead. I wonder how these people will feel at the end of the day when this officer is rescued,” the source said.
Incidentally, the military institution is opposite the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, where 39 students were abducted by bandits on March 11, 2021. The bandits demanded N500 million a few days after the abduction.
But they were finally released after spending 50 days in the kidnappers’ den following the intervention of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
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E2%80%93-bbc-reporter-cries-out IPOB Members Sending Me Death Threats – BBC Reporter Cries Out
A British Broadcasting Corporation Igbo reporter, Obiejesi Chukwunaeme Kingsley, has alleged that some memebers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are after his life because he was reporting what they did not like.
Kingsley disclosed this on his Facebook page on Thursday adding that he was familiar with such death threats being a journalist.
Though he did not mention the pro-Biafra separatist group by its name, he indicated by what the members use which is ‘Umu Chineke.’
Kingsley wrote, “As a journalist working with BBC Igbo Service, I am not new to death threats. Myself and my colleagues get death threats on a daily basis. Sometimes it hurts, but most times I laugh it off.
“The interesting thing is that the people that threaten to kill me and my colleagues, are the same people that refer to themselves as “?m? Chineke” or “?m? Chukwu okike Abiama”. Is it not funny?
“I am not allowed to join issues with these death mongers, but whenever I see the threats, I reply in my heart: “My name is Chukwunaeme. Ejir? ?nw? eyi m egwu.”
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E2%80%99-strike-now-%E2%80%93-ooni-ife-tells-buhari-government Nigerians Cannot Wait; End Doctors’ Strike Now – Ooni Of Ife Tells Buhari Government
The Paramount Ruler of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to end the ongoing strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors “without further delay.”
Ooni of Ife made the call on Thursday at his Ile Oodua palace, Ile-Ife, during the inauguration of the South-West Traditional Leaders’ Committee on Public Health Delivery, by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.
The monarch described the strike action as extremely disastrous, adding that health workers are essential service providers who should not abandon their duty posts no matter what.
“I am aware of your relentless efforts towards ending the strike as quick as possible but Nigerians cannot wait any further. The strike action has brought a lot of hardships to Nigerians especially the poor and other vulnerable persons who cannot afford privately owned health facilities which obviously is now the alternative,” Ooni said.
A statement from Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, also quoted the monarch as stressing the roles of traditional rulers in quality Public Health delivery.
“We are the closest to our people, palaces have no door and that is why it is easy for information to reach all of our subjects immediately we send them. They believe us so much too by the virtue of our tradition and we are upholding these good traits.
“The newly inaugurated Southwest Traditional Leaders’ Commitee on PHC Delivery is indeed going to formalize the enormous works of traditional rulers across Yoruba land and I can assure you that Nigerians are going to benefit immensely from this initiative,” the Ooni added.
While inaugurating the committee, Ehanire clarified that in providing quality health services to Nigerians, the government respects the crucial roles of traditional rulers.
“As a takeoff plan, I wish to promise that a standard Primary Health Centre will be built and made functional each in all states across the South-West as a model and the location would be decided by this committee.
“The facility will be equipped with standard Staff Quarters, Solar-Powered Borehole, a Keke Ambulance and other basic facilities. We are proud to be working with you and we hope to achieve a lot together,” Ehanire said.
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Islamic State Terrorists Distribute Fliers In Borno, Threaten Residents Giving Information To Nigerian Military
The Islamic States West African Province (ISWAP) faction of the Boko Haram has warned some Borno State residents, particularly in communities under its control against giving out information to the Nigerian Army.
The terrorists conveyed the warning in fliers distributed by members of the group in what seemed to be a market setting in Borno State, according to a report by HumAngle.
HumAngle
From pictures posted, one of the ISWAP terrorists was seen handing out the flier to a driver in a car like a taxi.
The flier’s title reads, “A message from the caliphate’s troops to the people of a new town.”
HumAngle
The terrorists spread propaganda that the Nigerian Army forced the villagers out of their homes and that the military were their true adversaries, not the ISWAP.
“We were not the ones who chased you out of your place from the beginning,” one of the messages in the fliers read. “These people who call themselves the Nigerian Army are the ones who chased you out, killed you, and are the wicked ones.”
HumAngle
ISWAP has recently turned to propaganda to propagate its cause.
The terrorists have also offered aid and money to the people in an effort to entice them to live under their caliphate.
SaharaReporters had recently reported that the Director-General, Centre for Justice on Religion and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, once revealed that members of ISWAP took over some parts of Borno without any military intervention.
Dikwa had told SaharaReporters that the terrorists stopped vehicles along Maiduguri- Damaturu Road at Mainok and kidnapped motorists and commuters without any disturbance.
It had also been reported that ISWAP introduced mobile courts overseeing the insurgents’ activities and groups under the leadership of the Islamic State Of Iraq and Syria.
The insurgents had also established two Wilaya’s (Caliphates) at Lake Chad and Sambisa Forest to sustain its war against countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The terrorist group was said to have lifted the ban imposed on fishing and farming activities in the Lake Chad area, three years after chasing people out of for allegedly spying for Nigerian troops.
It, nevertheless, imposed new taxes and levies in the areas controlled by ISWAP-Boko Haram, to regulate trades and agricultural activities.
Several fishermen, farmers and merchants had returned to the Lake-Chad area to engage in socio-economic activities, under the arrangement of the new ISWAP-Boko Haram leadership.
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Police Arraign Two Men For Stealing Human Skull From Cemetery
Two men Saidi Mutiu, 41, and Olasunkanmi Oladejo, 35, have been arraigned before the Iyaganku Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for unlawful possession of a human skull.
The duo were arraigned on Thursday by Oyo State Police Command.
The Mutiu and Oladejo were trialled on a three- count charge bothering on alleged conspiracy, unlawful possession and interfering with human corpse.
Mutiu of Idi-Arere area, Ibadan, and Oladejo of Oju-Odo area, Academy, Ibadan, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
But the police prosecutor, Foluke Adedosu, had informed the court that the defendants allegedly conspired to commit the act of misconduct with regard to the corpse.
She said on August 31, at about 1.30pm at Challenge area in Ibadan, the defendants allegedly had in their possession one human head without lawful justification.
“The duo of Mutiu and Oladejo was alleged to have indecently interfered with a corpse by removing the head without lawful justification. The defendants allegedly tampered with the corpse buried at a Muslim burial ground in Ibadan where they dug the grave and cut the corpse’s head.
“Mutiu and Olasunkanmi were caught while driving in an unregistered Toyota car travelling towards Ibadan-Lagos expressway by the Federal Highway Police patrol team on stop and search. The vehicle was searched by the police, the corpse’s head was concealed in a black cellophane bag in the car,” she said.
Adedosu added that the offence contravened Sections 242, 329A and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
The magistrate, Mrs I. O Osho eventually, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum each and adjourned the case till December 21, 2021, for hearing.
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