Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Wednesday 25th May 2022
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 25/05/22
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BREAKING: 14 Children, One Teacher Killed In US Primary School Shooting
Fourteen children and one teacher have been killed in a shooting at a primary school in Texas, the state governor has said.
The attack happened at Robb Elementary School in the city of Uvalde, around 80 miles west of San Antonio, Sky News reports.
Governor Greg Abbott identified the gunman as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, who lived in the city and entered the school with a handgun and possibly a rifle.
Mr Abbott added that the gunman is dead and is believed to have been killed by responding officers.
“He shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher”, he told a news briefing.
More than a dozen children were taken to Uvalde Memorial Hospital, while University Hospital in San Antonio, said a 66-year-old woman was in critical condition.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting.
Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students.
As an elementary school, classes will be for children aged between around five and 11 years old.
Earlier, The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District said that all schools in the district were locked down because of gunshots in the area.
A heavy police presence surrounded the school Tuesday afternoon, with officers in heavy vests diverting traffic and FBI agents coming and going from the building.
Uvalde is home to about 16,000 people and Robb Elementary is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.
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E2%80%99 Osun APC Stakeholders Write Party, Kick Against Moves By Gbajabiamila To Clear Aide For House Of Reps’ Primaries Without Screening
Femi Gbajabiamila
The All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Osun state have petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, over an alleged attempt by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to smuggle one of his aides, Mr Seun David Odofin into the race to represent the Obokun/Oriade Federal constituency. The party chieftains, under the aegis of Concerned APC stakeholders Obokun/Oriade federal constituency, alleged that Odofin neither appeared for screening nor resigned his appointment with the National Assembly as stipulated by the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Femi Gbajabiamila
The petition addressed to the National Chairman, was titled, “Petition to disqualify Oluseun David Odofin from contesting in the APC primaries for concealing crucial information from the screening committee, forging one of the documents submitted and consequentially withdrawing the certificate of clearance erroneously issued to him,” and signed by Alofe Babatunde and Princess Modupe Adedayo. The petition obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday was also copied to the National Organizing Secretary, Suleiman M. Argungu; National Legal Adviser, Ahmed El-Maruk and National Deputy Organizing Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru. They argued that if Odofin was not disqualified, such flagrant disregard for the party’s rules could put the party’s interest in jeopardy and lead to the disqualification of the candidate if the opposition party approached the court to seek redress. They reminded the party it was such infraction and inability to adhere strictly to party rules that led to the sacking of one of its governors, Mr David Lyon in Bayelsa by the Supreme Court on the eve of his swearing-in after his electoral victory. They advised the party on the need to adhere to the party’s rules in order not to render the effort of the party nullity. The petition partly read, “Furthermore, the said Oluseun David Odofin with the connivance of some enemies of the party devised a way to criminally misrepresent the Screening Committee thereby illegally obtaining the Clearance Certificates. “The reason for this assertion is that the screening committee did notice the discrepancy in Oluseun David Odofin’s resignation and upon submission, the committee in the constitutional requirements form did at first input NIL in their assessment of Oluseun David Odofin remaining as an employee of the public service within 30 days preceding the date of primary elections, and later it was handwritten that he had resigned and a fraudulent resignation letter was received from him. “This letter was neither acknowledged by the offices of Clerk of House of Representatives, National Assembly or the Speaker. This suggests that the Committee did at first appropriately assess his employment status and later some words were smuggled in the assessment form upon his connivance with some unscrupulous elements, thereby deceiving Committee into issuing a Clearance Certificate in his name.
“Additionally, we want to state categorically that Oluseun David Odofin did not physically attend the Screening Committee’s Screening exercise which is in breach of our great party’s guideline. It will interest you sir to note that this sole ground of breach of our party’s guidelines renders Oluseun David Odofin incompetent to contest in our Party’s primary election. “We have a cogent reason to believe that the Chairman and the Secretary of the Screening Committee may have been compromised, intimidated or threatened, reason being that it is crystal clear that apart from the fact that they did find out that Oluseun David Odofin has not properly resigned his current office, they also did not conduct a screening, particularly for him as an aspirant in our party’s primary election. All the reasons stated above are more than enough basis to hold that Oluseun David Odofin did not meet the threshold for qualification to contest at the All Progressive Congress’ Primaries.
“We urge you, sir, to quickly wade into this matter by disqualifying Oluseun David Odofin for the above-stated reasons and ordering an investigation into the issuance of his clearance certificate and consequentially withdraw the Certificate of Clearance issued to him, as we are definite that criminal connivance took place, and also ensuring that everyone involved is made to face the wrath of the law.
“We will also urge you, sir, that upon his disqualification and withdrawal of the Certificate of Clearance wrongly issued to Oluseun David Odofin, he should also be barred from a right to appeal having not participated in the screening exercise.”
“Our aim for raising all our observations and suggesting the disqualification of Oluseun David Odofin is to ensure that the incident afore-cited does not re-occur as it may endanger our party from being appropriately represented at the National Assembly,” the petition also read.
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E2%80%93-harira%E2%80%99s-husband-cries-out My Wife Killed With 4 Children In Anambra Was 9 Months Pregnant – Harira’s Husband Cries Out
Ahmed Jubril, the husband of Harira Jubril, the pregnant woman who was killed by unknown gunmen alongside her four children in Anambra state on Sunday, has described the incident as his worst life experience.Some reports have identified the deceased woman as Fatima.
He said his late wife’s pregnancy had reached 9 months and she was supposed to give birth this week but evil struck before that time.“I have lost everything in this world, my wife and four children, all gone just like that. This is the worst thing any person would experience in life.“Fatima, who was the eldest, was 9 years old followed by her sister Aisha, who was 7. Then Hadiza, 5 years and Zaituna, 2 years old,” Ahmad told BBC News Pidgin, stating that all the four children were in school before their demise.While describing how the unfortunate killing of his wife and children happened, he said, “She my wife visited my sister who was staying in another part of Anambra, and that was something she always did every week before she was killed.“I was at work that day and it was when I was returning that my brother who already knew told me what happened. It was at the hospital I saw them,” he added.Jubril, who hails from Ganye local government area of Adamawa state, said no government official or police officer had visited him even though the incident occurred over 48 hours earlier.“Nobody has come to meet me, nothing like the government or police. It is only my work that is helping me at the moment.”Ahmed said his immediate plan was to transport the remains of his family to Adamawa state as he did not want to bury them in Anambra.“I am looking for money to transport their remains to Adamawa state, where I want to bury them,” he said.Ahmed revealed that some people have begun donating money to him. The spokesperson for Anambra Police Command, DSP Ikenganyia Anthony, confirmed the death of the woman and her children, saying investigations were ongoing on the matter.Anthony said the police would bring the killers to justice.“Our investigation has started over this matter and our plan is strategic because the aim is for us to get the people who did this thing,” he told BBC News Pidgin.
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Nigerian Government Promises To Pay University, Polytechnic, Education College Lecturers N34 Billion Minimum Wage Arrears
The Nigerian Government Tuesday has said it will pay N34 billion minimum wage consequential adjustments from 2019, to lecturers in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this while addressing questions about the strike embarked upon by university lecturers, whose umbrella union is the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Ngige said university lecturers would get N23.5 billion while their counterparts in polytechnics would be paid N6 billion.
Lecturers in colleges of education will receive N4 billion, the labour and employment minister said.
He said, “Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the ASUU University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS) of the non-teaching staff. “They started the testing last Thursday. The National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) has issued their amendment circulars. The unions also have copies to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances wherever it has not been properly captured.” ASUU had embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14 to press home its demands, with the prominent ones being the renegotiation of the ASUU/FG 2009 agreement and the sustainability of the university autonomy by deploying UTAS to replace the government-imposed IPPIS. Other demands include the release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities, distortions in salary payment challenges, funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowance, poor funding of state universities and promotion arrears.On March 14, the association extended the strike action by another two months to afford the government more time to address all of its demands. The union in a statement by its President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, at the expiration of the strike action, said it would be extending the ongoing strike by another 12 weeks. One bone of contention for the striking lecturers is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.
“The Federal Government has been grossly mishandling the crisis, fielding incompetent, arrogant ministers, and treating the education sector with disdain. It has to act quickly to end the impasse, fulfil its obligations and persuade the dons to resume work immediately,” Osodeke, ASUU leader, had said.
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Enugu Governor, Ugwuanyi Wins PDP Senatorial Ticket
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the Enugu North Senatorial District. The governor picked the ticket at the primary election of the PDP held on Tuesday at Nsukka Stadium in the Nsukka Local Government Area of the state.
Announcing the results, the returning officer, Yandev Ammabai, said Ugwuanyi polled 299 votes to defeat his closest rival, Eze Godwin, who had 16 votes. Other contestants, Godsmack Ugwu and Okanye Celestine, had no votes. The primary election witnessed a large turnout of supporters, who showed up for all the aspirants. Ugwuanyi, who will complete his governorship tenure in May 2023, wants to replace Senator Chukwuka Utazi, who is currently representing the district. Before he became governor in 2015, he had served for 12 years in the House of Representatives as a member representing Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency. Enugu North Senatorial District consists of six council areas of Nsukka, Udenu, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Igbo- Etiti and Uzo-Uwani.
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E2%80%94-report US, UK, Canada Tops List Of Countries Most Vulnerable To Online Fraud — Report
New research by SEON technology has identified the United States of America as the country with the highest total number of online fraud victims in the world. The study titled, ‘The Gen-Z Fraud Report: A Global Outlook’ highlights countries that are most susceptible to crimes in the world, based on a 2020 survey.
While the US ranks first with 465,177 victims, the United Kingdom closely follows with 216, 633 victims while Canada ranks third with 5, 399 victims. The incredibly high number of online fraud victims in the United States, according to the report, is closely tied to the size of the country’s economy. The United States, with a population of 329.5 million has a GDP of about $20.95t and a GDP per capita of $63, 593. “While the United Kingdom has less than half the number of victims in the USA, the UK has a population of around 20% that of the United States, suggesting that the United Kingdom has a much bigger internet fraud problem for its relative size.” The number of online fraud victims in Canada is considerably lower than that of the United States and the United Kingdom, however, the count (5,399) is almost double that of fourth-place India, which saw 2,930 fraud victims over a population of approximately 1.38 billion. From the survey, the countries which were the primary target of online fraudsters are predominantly English-speaking counties. The country which ranked fourth, India also holds a very large English-speaking population. This suggests that the lingua franca of the modern fraudster is English. “It is also worth noting that the number of victims in these countries are ranked in the same order as their respective populations and GDPs, suggesting that fraudsters take into account the number of their potential targets as well as their overall wealth, with richer countries being the biggest target,” the report noted. However, some other highly developed countries with high GDPs such as Japan and South Korea were not included in the list. “This is perhaps due to their languages being not as accessible and much less widely spoken or even studied, making them less viable targets for the international fraudster,” it added. Also, in identifying the age group that was most likely to fall to fraudsters’ tricks, those in the 25-34 age range were noted as the largest group of internet users accounting for 32% of users but in addition to the younger group of 18-24-year-olds, 50% of internet users are under 35. “This highlights the fact that young people are the most prevalent age group for online activity, though whether this makes them a larger or smaller target is unclear. “Fraudsters could target younger people as a group as there are more of them online, raising the likelihood of a successful con. However, these people are also the most familiar with the internet and have grown up in a digital world, meaning they are likely much more aware of internet security and common digital threats than many older people, on average,” the report stated.
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E2%80%99s-nephew-mamman-daura-intensifies-lobbying-ruling-apc EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan Meets Buhari’s Nephew, Mamman Daura, Intensifies Lobbying For Ruling APC Consensus Candidacy
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has met with Mallam Mamman Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew and leader of the Aso Rock cabal, over his presidential ambition. A Northern coalition had purchased the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for the former President.
The forms were purchased days after Jonathan had asked his supporters to “watch out,” when he was asked if he would contest. Jonathan was also said to have joined the Bayelsa chapter of the APC.
However, sources later told SaharaReporters that claims by the former President that he did not authorise the purchase of the multi-million-naira forms were far from the truth.
“Contrary to his denials, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave over N200 million to the governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru, to purchase the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for him,” a source privy to the arrangement had told SaharaReporters.
It was learnt that the arrangement was for the Jigawa governor to buy one for Jonathan and one for himself, so as not to raise any suspicion that the former President was indeed interested in joining the presidential race.
Jonathan is expected to contest the ruling party’s ticket with the likes of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos; former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, among others. Though delegates of the ruling party are expected to pick a presidential candidate between May 29th and 30th, sources said the cabal is insisting on a consensus arrangement. The consensus method will entail President Buhari anointing one of the aspirants, while the others simply step down for the aspirant as was done during the March 26 national convention of the APC, which produced Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the chairman of the party. In a bid to force the consensus method on others, the APC had introduced a controversial section in its forms making provision for aspirants to step down. Sources said Jonathan was promised the automatic ticket of the party during his meeting with Daura and other cabal members. It was further learnt that Buhari has also adopted him as the consensus candidate APC.
“Goodluck Jonathan has visited Mamma Daura to seek APC consensus candidacy,” a top source told SaharaReporters on Tuesday.
“The cabal members have told Buhari to back Jonathan. The President, some NWC members led by the chairman, Adamu, APC governors and other key leaders of the party would soon meet with all the presidential aspirants at the villa,” another source in the Presidency said. “The cabals don’t want Tinubu, Osibanjo or Amaechi.” SaharaReporters had in the past reported how the Aso Rock cabal was pressurising Jonathan to defect to the APC. He was said to have surprised the Northern elite and the cabal by his disposition to the Buhari presidency despite all the dirt and campaign of calumny thrown at him and the PDP before the 2015 presidential election, which gave Buhari an unprecedented victory over an incumbent. It was learnt that some cabal members had also been impressed that despite the Buhari government’s glaring failure, Jonathan had not openly criticised his predecessor or his administration, much unlike ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo had written open letters condemning the Buhari government and also verbally berated it at any opportunity. SaharaReporters learnt from sources that the establishment of ‘Almajiri’ schools by Jonathan to reduce a large number of out-of-school children in the North also scored the former president good points in the eyes of the northern cabal in the APC, especially with most of it now rotting away, even under a Northerner as president.
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Again, APC Adjusts Timetable For Governorship, National Assembly, House Of Assembly Primaries
The National Working Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC) has released an adjusted timetable and schedule of activities for the Governorship, State House of Assembly, Senate, and House of Representatives primary elections.The new schedule, which comes a day after the party adjusted the old timetable, had a slight alteration in the dates and this has led to confusion at the party national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.
Unlike in the previous schedule of activities, the primary for the 340 senatorial aspirants that were slated for Friday, May 27 would now hold on Saturday, May 28.Also, the primary for the House of Representatives aspirants, earlier scheduled for Saturday, May 28 has been moved back to Friday, May 27.Meanwhile, the date for the primaries of the 145 governorship and State House of Assembly aspirants was not changed from Thursday, May 26.Apologising for the last-minute adjustment, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, said, “The special convention for the Presidential Primary will be held as scheduled on Sunday, 29th – Monday, 30th of May, 2022.”
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E2%80%99s Christian Association Condemns Killing Of Pregnant Northern Woman, Children In Anambra, Says It’s Injury To All
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State has described the killing of Fatima, her unborn child and four children by criminals in Anambra as bad for Nigeria’s peace and unity.
This was disclosed in a statement by CAN Chairman in Kaduna Rev. John Joseph Hayab.
Hayab described the killing of Fatima, her unborn child and four children as evil.
The statement reads, “We have read the story of the killing of Fatima, her unborn child, and four children in Anambra with sadness and disappointment about how evil activities have expanded in our country while good people are divided and silent. Life in our country has become so cheap with the raising of many evil criminal groups in every part of the country.
“Killing of human beings is no longer a serious matter because the people have been divided by tribe, region, and religion which has made it impossible for us to collectively condemn the evil around us or fight the evil we are seeing as a united force.
“CAN cannot keep quiet when evil is destroying the land. We all must know that when there is an injury to one then that injury is to all and evil only triumphs when good people keep quiet and look the other way.”
The group urged the Nigerian government to go after Fatima’s murderers and all killers irrespective of their ethnic nationality.
It added, “Until our government and our law enforcement agencies go after all criminals and murderers and justice is seen to have been done on all murderers, this evil will not stop and the murderers will not see their crime as evil.
“But instead, they will smartly make us fight amongst ourselves and pay less attention to their crime.
“We commiserated with Fatima’s family and prayed to God for comfort, saying that CAN would also continue to preach peace, pray for peace, and speak truth to power and against every wrongdoing in Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.”
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E2%80%99s-killing-presidential-aspirant-adamu-calls-ipob-terrorist-group-asks-all Fatima’s Killing: Presidential Aspirant, Adamu Calls IPOB Terrorist Group, Asks All Northerners To Leave Anambra Immediately
Adamu Garba
Former All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has said that all the people from Northern Nigeria living in Anambra State in the Southeast region of the country must leave the state with immediate effect.Garba, who is now a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), said this on his verified Twitter account, @adamugarba on Tuesday while reacting to the killing of a woman and her four children identified to have hailed from the North.
Adamu Garba
They were killed by gunmen in Anambra last Sunday. Garba identified the woman as Fatima from Adamawa State in the Northeast region.The outlawed separatist group in the Southeast, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been accused of being behind the murder of the woman and her children, but the group has denied the allegation. In his tweet, Garba said, “In the whole world, there’s never a terrorist organization that is as cowardly as IPOB. More so, there are no ones (sic) given unto self-destruction than their silent supporters“The gruesomely murdered Fatima & her kids are from my state, Adamawa. I mean are we really in same country? “The double standard is unimaginable. It seems like lives in Nigeria have two grades. “The whole media went silent, the whole online so-called hypocritical agitation and fake-minded Human right fighters were nowhere to be found.“Worst is, the govt can’t & won’t do nothing about it.“The faster we realize that Nigeria need complete political decentralization and everyone should take care of their regions, the better for us.“Why can’t people like Fatima and other people endangered in Anambra come back home since the govt won’t protect or even care about them? “We should stop pretending or trying to be politically correct. This country is not designed for equality and fairness to all citizens. “The concept of everyone can live everywhere is constantly attack by terrorist (sic) like IPOB & their silent supporters. While our people keep dying. “Until & unless a strong government is put in place, which will guarantee protection of lives & properties of Nigeria anywhere they are, citizens have right to vacate where they are endangered. “Hence the need for the likes of late Fatima to come back home where they are valued. “Let all the people of Northern Nigeria vacate Anambra state with immediate effect. Retweet if you agree.” But reacting to Garba’s tweets, one of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) frontline presidential aspirants from Anambra State, Peter Obi berated Garba for calling on Northerners to leave the state whereas he (Garba) applauded the killing of the 200-Level female Christian student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel over alleged blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad.The former governor of Anambra State wrote, “I detest and strongly condemn the killing of Fatima and her kids in the South East.“Howbeit, I want to ask: why didn’t you compose this type of epistle when Deborah was killed in the North? Stop playing this stupid card of yours and let’s collectively condemn all killings.”Fatima before her death lived in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state with her four children. However, her death has reportedly led to a mass exodus from the area as residents expressed fear of reprisal.Meanwhile, IPOB has repeatedly denied being responsible for the killings going on in the region. The leader of the group, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, had issued a warning to gunmen operating in the region to stop, repent or be ready to face the wrath of Biafran law. Also, Kanu when the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, visited him in the Department of State Service (DSS) custody in Abuja last week, those carrying out attacks and killings in the region are not members of IPOB. He added that he never created the group to shed blood.
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