Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Wednesday 13th April 2022
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 13/04/22
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E2%80%99t-continue-be-killed Northern Elders Ask Buhari To Resign Over Insecurity, Say Nigerians Can’t Continue To Be Killed, Raped By Terrorists
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign for failing to combat worsening insecurity in the country. Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Director, Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
According to Baba-Ahmed, the Nigerian constitution allows the President to step down if he can’t solve the challenges confronting the country. He said, “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari does not appear to have answers to the challenges of security to which we are exposed. We cannot continue to live and die under the dictates of killers, kidnappers, rapists and sundry criminal groups that have deprived us of our rights to live in peace and security. “Our constitution has provisions for leaders to voluntarily step down if they are challenged by personal reasons or they prove incapable of leading. “It is now time for President Buhari to seriously consider that option since his leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security over Nigerians. Our Forum is aware of the weight of this advice, and it is also aware that we cannot continue to live under these conditions until 2023 when President Buhari’s term ends. “Killers and other criminals appear to have sensed a paralysing vacuum at the highest levels of leadership, and they grow more confident and acquire more competence in subverting the State and our security. “Nigerians have shed enough tears and blood without an appropriate response from those with responsibilities to protect us.”
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E2%80%98ekwueme%E2%80%99-singer-osinachi-return-home-after-she-left-abusive-marriage-%E2%80%93 Pastors Begged ‘Ekwueme’ Singer, Osinachi To Return Home After She Left Abusive Marriage – Mother Of Late Gospel Artiste
The mother of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu has disclosed that her deceased daughter left “her marriage for over a year, and only returned after her husband came with pastors to beg her to return home”. Osinachi’s death was announced on Friday night.
Some media reports initially said she died of cancer but minutes later, it was learnt that the singer died in the hospital after suffering from domestic violence from her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.Peter was alleged to have kicked Osinachi in the chest, leading to a blood clot that eventually killed her.Singer, Frank Edwards, also disclosed that an “unreasonable human” put an end to her life. There are reports that Osinachi refused to leave the marriage despite domestic violence because of her commitment to the church. However, on Monday, the arrest of Nwachukwu by operatives of the FCT Police Command was made public. He has however been transferred to the homicide department for further investigation. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police Force said it would charge Osinachi’s husband to court for culpable homicide over the death of his wife. Meanwhile, the deceased mother on Tuesday while speaking with BBC Igbo, said that Peter allegedly threatened that his late wife would only leave the marriage in death. The mother affirmed that she could not see her grandchildren for eight years and was never allowed to come for “Omugwo” (traditional Igbo custom for postpartum care by the woman’s mother) when they were born. The mother who said that Osinachi’s husband never allowed her family into their house until some pastors intervened, added that she told Osinachi several times to leave the marriage but she insisted on staying, insisting that the Bible frowns on divorce. She denied claims by Peter about the singer’s health, adding that before her daughter died, she and her husband went for a medical checkup and were told by experts that nothing was wrong with her.
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E2%80%99s-biggest-hacking-sites-arrest-21-year-old US Secret Service, FBI, Europol Bust One Of World’s Biggest Hacking Sites, Arrest 21-year-old Founder
FBI Agents
US and international law enforcement agencies have seized control of a popular website where hackers have advertised data stolen from American consumers and corporations.This is the latest in a long-running effort to crack down on forums where cybercriminals congregate.
FBI Agents
The intercept
Tagged TOURNIQUET, the operation was said to have been carried out by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Secret Service.”This domain has been seized” by the FBI, US Secret Service and Justice Department, read a notice Tuesday on the home page of RaidForums, a website known more for advertising hacked data in English rather than in Russian, the preferred language of other criminal forums.Law enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Sweden and elsewhere were involved in the seizure, according to the statement, CNN reports.With over 530,000 registered members, according to threat intelligence firm Recorded Future, RaidForums had great reach and influence among low to mid-level cybercriminals.RaidForums’ 21-year-old alleged founder, Diogo Santos Coelho, was arrested in the United Kingdom on January 31, and remains in custody pending “the resolution of his extradition proceedings,” the Justice Department said.It’s the latest move in a sustained international law enforcement effort to upend the marketplaces where cybercrime flourishes.German police last week seized the computer servers of Hydra, a popular Russian dark web market connected to $5 billion in transactions since 2015.”The takedown of this online market for the resale of hacked or stolen data disrupts one of the major ways cybercriminals profit from the large-scale theft of sensitive personal and financial information,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a written statement.US authorities had access to RaidForums’ computer infrastructure for several months before the seizure was announced, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter.That likely gave authorities valuable insight into who bought and sold hacked data during that time.The seizure of RaidForums is a blow to crooks looking for an easy way to profit from data breaches. But the underground market for stolen financial and personal data will likely continue to flourish, analysts said, because there are numerous other online bazaars for trading that data.”With its low barriers to entry, RaidForums made it extremely easy for new and established threat actors to be active in the data breach and leak community,” Recorded Future senior threat intelligence analyst Allan Liska told CNN.It was one of the few English-language cybercriminal sites that denizens of prominent Russian-language underground forums deemed worthy of mentioning, according to Digital Shadows, a San Francisco-based security firm that monitors the dark web.It had been a “consistent and stable platform” for hackers around the world to buy and sell data “largely without fear of disruption,” Digital Shadows’ Photon Research Team said in a statement to CNN.”Highly sought-after databases were often shared on RaidForums and repurposed on Russian-language cybercriminal forums, leading members of the Russian-language cybercriminal underground to frequent RaidForums solely for this purpose,” the Photon Research Team said.Whereas cybercrime forums associated with the “dark web” require special software to access, “clear text” websites like RaidForums are accessible to the regular Internet user.After the shuttering of RaidForums, other “forums on the clear web that struggled to compete with RaidForums could see an increase in the number of active members, but more sophisticated cybercriminals are likely to integrate themselves in underground forums on the dark web,” said Ivan Righi, senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at Digital Shadows.
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Nnamdi Kanu Sue Nigerian Government For RefusingTo Allow Him Wear Igbo Attire, Isi-Agu, To Court For Trial
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has instituted a fresh suit against the Nigerian government over its refusal to allow him to wear the native Igbo attire, Isi-Agu, for his ongoing trial. Kanu in the suit he filed through one of his lawyers, Maxwell Opara, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, said preventing him from wearing his preferred attire is tantamount to an infringement on his fundamental human rights.
He accused the Nigerian Government of discriminating against him based on his ethnic group, as other persons on trial were allowed to wear clothes of their choice to court. Kanu was renditioned to Nigeria from Kenya last June under questionable circumstances. Since his arrival, he has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), the secret police of Africa’s most populous nation. The embattled IPOB leader argued that though he is currently a detainee, he is entitled to the enjoyment of his fundamental right to freedom from discrimination as guaranteed under Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Cited as 1st to 3rd Respondents in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/482/2022, are the Director-General of the State Security Service (also called DSS), the State Security Service and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Specifically, Kanu is asking the court to among other things declare “that the Respondents, whilst carrying out their lawful duties, are bound to adhere to and/or respect the fundamental rights of all citizens of Nigeria as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.”He is also seeking an “order directing the Respondents, jointly and severally, to immediately allow the Applicant to have a change of clothes in their detention facility or at any time he appears in public for his trial. “An order of this court directing the Respondents, jointly or severally, to allow the Applicant to start wearing any clothes of his choice, more so, to allow him to wear his traditional Igbo Attire (Isi-Agu) and/or other Igbo traditional attires of his choice. “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents, their authorized agents by whatever name so-called, from further disturbing or interfering with the rights of the Applicant to dignity of human person and freedom from discrimination or in any way infringing on the constitutional rights of the Applicant as guaranteed by law or from making any attempt capable of violating the Applicant’s rights as guaranteed under the Constitution.” Also, he is praying the court to declare that the Respondents, whilst carrying out their lawful duties, are bound to adhere to and/or respect the fundamental rights of all citizens of Nigeria as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. During a ruling on February 16, Justice Binta Nyako asked Kanu to indicate the type of attire he preferred to wear. In response, Kanu said: “I want to wear the clothes of my people, ‘Isi Agu’”, a choice the judge turned down.
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Nigerian Electoral Commission, INEC Under Threat, Filled With Politicians, Political Party Members – YIAGA Africa
Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, has described the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as being under threat, saying it is currently populated by politicians.
The Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) is a non-profit organisation seeking to promote democratic governance, human rights and civic engagement.
Itodo also said any improvement in the professionalism and independence of INEC is a threat to Nigeria’s political class.
Itodo made the submission while speaking on Tuesday at a programme organised by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) titled, ‘Nigeria 2023: The New Electoral Act and the Road Ahead”.
According to him, the more INEC improves on its technical expertise, the more the political class interferes with its affairs.
He said for the commission to record a high level of voter turnout, the independence of INEC must first be guaranteed so as to sustain the trust and confidence of the citizens in the electoral process.
Itodo further noted that the security of voters is at the heart of participation in the 2023 elections.
He stated, “INEC’s reforms, improvement, professionalism is a threat to the political class, the more INEC improves on its technical experience and its management of the elections, the higher the political interference with the electoral commission.
“As we think about 2023 elections, one of the greatest concerns is how do we protect the independence of the electoral commission because the law vests a lot of discretionary powers on INEC and we’ve seen times, INEC is populated with politicians and members of political parties. That’s giving a serious source of worry to the citizens and the public, if there’s any time the institution needs some protection, it’s actually now.”
“We’ve seen the commission take positions and try to draw the attention of political actors to provisions in the law as it relates to the regulatory powers of the commission.
“That’s a positive but I think as we move towards the elections, INEC’s independence is critical on how to protect the commission…” he said.
“Our expectation is if the new law confers integrity on the electoral process, then it will boost citizen confidence that they want to participate in the elections.
“If citizens still observe and grapple with access to polling stations or election logistics problems or even interference by state and security agencies, it will dampen their interest to participate in the election.
“If we recorded 35% in 2019, we may have an increase in the turnout of voters for the 2023 elections. There have been efforts by civil society to mobilise voters but if parties don’t throw up credible candidates and it appears that institutions have been captured by the state, you will observe a decline in voters in the 2023 elections.
“I agree with Festus (Okoye) 100% that we need to invest in voter mobilisation for the 2023 elections but prior to that, is to assure the Nigerian people that when they come out to vote, their security is guaranteed and it’s really at the heart of participation in the 2023 elections. I people don’t feel secure, then even INEC cannot deploy to certain areas.”
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Delta Police Vow To Take Action Against Take-It-Back Movement Activist, Aghogho, Debunk Child Trafficking, Banditry, Terrorism Allegations
Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho
The Delta State police command, Asaba, has vowed to bring to justice, a Warri-based activist and the state’s ‘Take-It-Back Movement’ Coordinator, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, over what it called “numerous criminal cases against him with a view to escaping justice.”.
The command however warned the activist against what it termed “dragging the good name of the command to the mud and making unguarded utterances that are capable of bringing the name of the commissioner of police into disrepute.”.
Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho
The police command also debunked allegations of its involvement in child trafficking, banditry and terrorism act against children in the state, levelled against the state commissioner of police, Ari Mohammed Ali by the state’s coordinator of ‘Take-It-Back Movement’, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho.
A civic group, the Take-It-Back Movement, Delta state chapter, had in a letter addressed to the State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Asaba and copied to the Executive Secretary of the Commission and the Inspector-General of Police, called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the state police commissioner, Ari Mohammed Ali, over his alleged involvement in child trafficking, banditry and terrorism acts allegedly committed against children in the state.
Reacting to the allegations in a statement signed by the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Bright Edafe, debunked the allegations, stressing that it is solely the responsibility of either the state or Nigerian government to cater for any “found child” and provide requisite facilities or ensure that the facilities are provided by approved adoption services as may be prescribed by the appropriate authority when, and if the need arises.
Edafe said, “Section 125 of the CHILD’S RIGHT ACT of Nigeria states, (i) Every state government shall, for the purpose of adoption, establish and maintain within the state and, in the case of the federal government, within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja a service designed to meet the needs of; (a) a child who has been or may be adopted; (b) parents and guardians of the child specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection; and (c) persons who have adopted or who may adopt a child, and for this purpose, every government shall provide requisite facilities or ensure that the facilities are provided by approved adoption services as may be prescribed by the appropriate authority.
“(ii) The facilities to be provided as part of the services maintained under subsection (1) of this section include (a) temporary board and lodging, where needed by a child and, in exceptional circumstances the mother of a child; (b) arrangements for assessing a child and prospective adopters and placing of the child for adoption; and (c) counselling for persons with problems relating to adoption. Section 174-178 of the Child Right Act deals extensively with the processes of adoption which extend to the custody of found children.
“Succinctly, it is noteworthy, as it is crystal clear, that the command has done no wrong by handing over any child found in the state to the state ministry under which purview such responsibility falls. If the self-acclaimed activist is not comfortable with the law as it is stated in the Child’s Right Act of Nigeria, he can and is advised to seek redress in the court of law. Undoubtedly, the effort of the said Aghogho is aimed at blackmailing the command into abandoning the numerous criminal cases against him with a view to escaping justice.
“However, the command will not fold its hands, watch a misinformed, ill-intended and disgruntled individual rubbish its good work, drag the command to the mud or make comments that are capable of bringing the name of the Commissioner of Police into disrepute. The command will therefore take every necessary step to ensure that he is brought to justice sooner than later.”
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E2%80%99t-deploy-services 2023: Nigerian Electoral Commission, INEC Laments Insecurity, Says It Can’t Deploy Services In Some States
INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the major challenge to the electoral process in Nigeria is the insecurity ravaging some parts of the country.
The position of the body was made known by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, while speaking on Tuesday at a programme organised by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) titled, ‘Nigeria 2023: The New Electoral Act and the Road Ahead”.
INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu
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According to him, insecurity has made it impossible for the Commission to deploy workers to some regions of the country and get people even at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp registered.
He, however, said the commission was working gradually on curbing the menace via interactions under the Inter-agency Consultative Committee On Election Security, so as to allow for peaceful elections in 2023.
He said, “The biggest challenge facing the electoral process in Nigeria today revolves around the issue of election security.
“The Nigerian military is engaged in internal security operations in almost all the states of the federation. There are states of the federation where the commission cannot even deploy for purposes of voter registration and we have many people in IDP camps that have to be registered.
“All these things impact on the electoral process but under the auspices of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security, we are reviewing some of these things and trying to find some measures to the security challenges to make for peaceful elections.”
Okoye, who explained that the body had improved on the electoral process with the adoption of technology, however, called upon the international community to support the commission in the area of voter education and engage more robustly with the political parties.
He explained, “We have the INEC Candidate Nomination Form, before now, political parties conduct their primaries and come physically to submit particulars of their candidates, now we no longer have any physical interaction with them.
“They have to upload everything through the Candidate Nomination Form. We do the same thing for civil society groups, media and political party agents. We realised that the more you deploy technology, the more you need to create platforms to deploy the technology being deployed so we are also looking at our cyber security platforms and ensure we protect them as much as possible.
“We want the international community to continue to support the technology devices so that we can continue to improve in the use of technology. We also want the international community to partner with CSOs and the commission in the area of voter education and electoral education.
“We also want the international community to engage more robustly with the political party to guarantee peaceful and transparent elections.”
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Gunmen Open Fire On Mosque In Taraba, Kill District Head
Some gunmen believed to be terrorists have attacked a mosque in Maisamari town in the Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State, killing a district head.
The victim has been identified as Alhaji Abdulkadir Maisamari.
He has been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
According to eyewitnesses, Maisamari was killed during Ishai prayers on Monday night.
The gunmen reportedly opened fire on worshippers immediately after they stormed the mosque.
Residents were said to have confronted the gunmen and forced them to flee into a mountain close to the town.
A resident, Musa Sale, told Daily Trust that some courageous persons confronted the gunmen and forced them to flee.
He, however, said nobody was abducted during the attack.
The latest incident brings to three the mosques that have been attacked in the state in recent weeks.
The spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident but did not give details.
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Recruitment: Nigeria Police Announce Dates For Computer-based Test
The Nigeria Police Force has announced that a computer-based test for candidates shortlisted in the 2021 recruitment exercise will hold on April 20 and 21.
Acting Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Adejobi asked all candidates in the recruitment exercise for police constables, who applied and attended the physical screening exercise, to check their recruitment status and print the CBT examination slip.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Police Force, in conjunction with the Police Service Commission, wishes to admonish all candidates in the ongoing 2021 recruitment exercise for Police Constables, who applied and attended the physical screening exercise, to check their recruitment status and print their Computer Based Test (CBT) examination slip, if qualified for the next stage of the exercise.
“This slip would grant them access to the CBT Examinations scheduled to hold between 20th and 21st April 2022 at designated centres in the thirty-six (36) States of the Federation, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The CBT examinations printout will show specific examination dates, times, and designated locations for each candidate within the States/FCT. Detailed and specific guidelines for each State will be announced by the Police Public Relations Officers in the thirty-six states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Premised on this, successful candidates for the next stage can check their application status on accordingly.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, fdc, reiterates that the recruitment exercise is absolutely free of charge and without any pecuniary obligation. The IGP equally assures that the process will be conducted in the best tradition of transparency and accountability.
“He advises the applicants to be wary of online imposters, scammers, and other criminal elements who might want to take advantage of the recruitment process to dupe innocent applicants. All complaints can be channelled through 08100004507 or support@policerecruitment.gov.ng. The IGP however warns that anyone found wanting in this regard will be arrested and prosecuted.”
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Nigerian Senate Passes Hunters Council Bill To Prevent Illegal Activities In Forests, Peace Corps Bill, Other
Senate
The Senate, Tuesday, passed the Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill, 2020.
The passage of the bill followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Interior.
Senate
The bill was sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South), a statement on Tuesday signed by Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assistant (Press) to the Senate President, said.
It noted that the Senate also passed the Nigerian Hunters Council Bill to prevent illegal activities in the forests, among other purposes.
Senator Sulieman Sadiq Umar (Kwara North), in a presentation on behalf of the Committee Chairman of the Committee, Kashim Shettima, said the panel consolidated the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill and National Unity Corps Bill into one for “ease of advancing its work.”
He said the Nigerian Peace Corps bill seeks to empower, develop and provide gainful employment for youths and facilitate peace, volunteerism, community services, neighbourhood watch and nation-building.
He explained that the Corps would have the responsibility of training youths to advance the course of peace-building and conflict transformation through peace education, mediation and conflict resolution among warring groups and communities where there are crises in Nigeria.
The lawmaker said, “The bill when given legislative support will be of great benefit to the Nigerian youths as many of them will be gainfully employed through the establishment of the Corps.”
In a related development, the Senate on Tuesday also passed the Nigerian Hunters Council Bill.
The bill’s passage was sequel to the consideration of another report by the Committee on Interior.
Senator Sulieman Sadiq Umar, in his presentation, said the Hunters Council when established would, among others, prevent and detect crimes and illegal activities going on in the country’s forests.
He stated that the body would work with the police and other security agencies by making available any relevant information on criminals’ encroachment, as well as partner with relevant stakeholders on community policing.
Meanwhile, the chamber has also passed a bill to establish the Federal College of Education, Akon, Kwara.
The bill was passed after the chamber considered a report by the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETfund.
Senator Tolulope Odebiyi (Ogun West), in a presentation on behalf of the Committee Chairman, Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North), said the institution would identify the educational needs of teachers and special persons, both physically and mentally challenged, with a view to finding a lasting solution to deficits in career teachers and special instructors while achieving the National Educational Development Plan.
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