The Nigerian airlines, under the umbrella of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), have announced that there will be major disruptions of flights in the country due to scarcity of aviation fuel known as JET-A1.
This was made known on Friday in a statement by the spokesperson of AON, Obiora Okonkwo.

This is also coming amid an acute hike in the official pump price of petrol and a threat by the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals to shut down airports across the country in a solidarity strike with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
SaharaReporters had only in June reported that the AON raised fears that they would shut down operations due to the high cost of aviation fuel which hit N714 per litre.
Allen Onyema, the Vice-President of AON, had stated this while speaking at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria National Aviation Conference in Abuja.
Onyema who is also the chairman of Air Peace had said, “If nothing is done concerning the cost of aviation fuel, the fuel crisis will take away three airlines in Nigeria in a few weeks.”
He had explained that even though the fuel crisis was not limited to Nigeria, it was made worse by the depreciating value of the naira against the dollar.
In May, the proposed strike action also by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) was called off after a four-meeting between airline operators and the leadership of the House of Representatives.
 

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More incriminating evidences have emerged against the Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel’s stooge, who is also the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Umo Eno, in his ongoing legal battle over certificate forgery at the Federal High Court, Uyo.
Eno was dragged to court by Akan Okon, a contestant in the May 25 PDP governorship primary, over allegations that he is parading forged WAEC certificate in his bid to actualise his governorship ambition.

Okon also joined the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants in the case.
In a joint statement of defence during the week, Eno and PDP, who are the defendants, have withdrawn the “Confirmation of Result” earlier tendered to the court in defence of the certificate forgery allegation.
It could be recalled that while responding to Okon’s earlier statement of claim to the Federal High Court, Eno had in his first statement of defence attached a copy of ‘Confirmation of Result’.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported how WAEC confirmed that the governorship candidate’s certificate does not exist in its records.
In a letter dated April 8, 2022, and signed by T. A. Ademola, WAEC Exams and Records, the examination body stated that it could not certify the certificate because it did not issue it.
“This is to notify you that certificate No. PO 275878 A for candidate No. 15725119 of December 1983 submitted for certification by you does not exist in our records hence we cannot certify what we did not issue,” the letter had read.
However, in the joint statement of defence, Eno has withdrawn the said ‘Confirmation of Result’ and replaced it with a ‘Leaving Certificate and Testimonial’.
But a thorough examination of the school testimonial reveals more discrepancies.
The testimonial, which was issued by Victory High School II, Ikeja, does not carry Eno’s name.
In an affidavit attached to his statement of defence, the PDP guber candidate declared that his name is “Umo Bassey Eno” which is the same name on his birth certificate and his 1983 WAEC result.
However, the testimonial recently tendered as a replacement for the ‘Confirmation of Result’ bears “Bassey Umo Eno”.
“This latest revelation has further incriminated Eno in the forgery allegation,” a lawyer involved in the case told SaharaReporters.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the testimonial, which is not in the list of documents submitted to INEC, was issued by Victory High School II, Ikeja, as against the ‘Confirmation of Result’ which carried Victory High School I, Ikeja, and WAEC results bearing Victory High School, Ikeja.
Also, in the testimonial dated 10th July 1981, Eno offered ‘Bible Knowledge’ as one of the subjects in the examination, but his WAEC result of June 1981 records ‘Religious Knowledge’ as one of the subjects.
Again, the testimonial indicates that the Akwa Ibom Governor’s stooge offered eight (8) subjects but his WAEC result records four (4) subjects while the withdrawn ‘Confirmation of Result’ recorded a total of six (6) subjects with four (4) passes and two (2) failures.
Fresh investigations revealed that the testimonials issued as at 1981 does not have space for “student’s signature” which is clearly different from what Eno tendered in court.
In his response to the PDP candidate’s statement of defence, Okon said WAEC failed to grant Eno’s request to validate his 1981 and 1983 certificates but rather the examination body only highlighted the discrepancies in the name.
“In their responses both dated 27th June, 2022, the West African Examination Council failed to validate the 2nd Defendant’s claims to possessing the claimed school certificate status, but rather disclosed that the results belonged to one BASSEY UMO ENO (as regards the 1981 WAEC result) and one ENO UMO BASSEY (regarding the 1983 WAEC result) respectively,” Okon told the court through his legal team.
“The examination body also inserted a caveat in these letters, stating unequivocally that the Honourable Attorney General would need to satisfy himself that the 2nd Defendant and the said Bassey Umo Eno and ENO UMO BASSEY referred to one and the same person.”
Okon also alleged that in an attempt to “fraudulently validate his school certificate status”, Eno superimposed his current passport picture on the said letter from WAEC, insisting that as at 1981 and 1983, WAEC did not attach pictures of candidates to their certificate and results.
He further revealed that forensic evidence has confirmed that the Akwa Ibom governor’s stooge altered the confirmation of result issued by WAEC.
“The Plaintiff shall call and rely on the relevant expert evidence to prove the above, and to also show that the picture of the 2nd defendant was superimposed on the said letter and to also show the age of the person (the 2nd defendant) on the picture/passport photograph.
“The said forensic expert report/evidence is hereby pleaded and may be founded upon at the trial.
“The Plaintiff shall tender and rely on forensic expert report/evidence to show that the 2nd defendant is not the bonafide owner of the 1981 and 1983 school certificate results; the very basis of his nomination/sponsorship by the 1st Defendant,” he added.
Meanwhile, the case, which came up again on Thursday before Justice Agatha A. Okeke, witnessed a new twist as both parties opposed an application by a certain Etim Akan to be joined in the suit.
When the suit FHC/UY/CS/110/2022 came up for hearing, Akan, one of the defeated aspirants in the PDP governorship primaries, sought the court’s leave to be joined as a party in the suit.
However, counsel to the plaintiff, Uche Awa (SAN) opposed to the application by Akan, describing it as abuse of court process.
Speaking for the 1st and 2nd Defendants, Paul Usoro (SAN) citing relevant judicial authority said the only grounds on which a party can be joined in a suit is where their participation will aid the administration of justice, and where such party’s interests are tied to the interests of the defendants.
Akan had pleaded that having bought the forms from the 1st Defendant, and having participated and secured some votes at the primaries, he deserved to be a part of the case.
Tabi Towo who appeared for the aspirant, argued that neither the plaintiff, Akan Okon, nor the 2nd Defendant Pastor Umo Eno was qualified whereas his client was eminently qualified and asked among other things that the May 25, 2022 governorship primaries be nullified.
The said Akan had in a motion on notice, sought the order of the court to be joined as 4th defendant, and to be served with all the processes filed on the suit.
Accordingly, Justice Okeke adjourned proceedings to a later date to be communicated to the parties, for ruling on the application.

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The opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has knocked the ruling All Progressives Congress’ (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for “hiring fake Bishops” to attend the unveiling of former Borno governor, Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
SaharaReporters had reported that following the criticisms that trailed the Muslim/Muslim ticket of Tinubu, the APC leader’s camp hired some Christians bishops to attend the formal unveiling of his Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima.

The bishops who were in their robes were sighted at the event which is currently taking place at Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre, Abuja.
The incident had caused stir at the entrance of the event as the crowd taunted them and shouted "The bishops are here."
Meanwhile the so-called bishops could not get seats at the main hall of the as they were seen being ushered to the gallery which served as overflow.
PDP described such move as unacceptable and unbecoming of any individual aspiring to a leadership position at any level let alone, the office of the President.
The party said, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is appalled by the nauseating, blasphemous and unpardonable act by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in hiring street artisans, fraudsters and touts and criminally dressing them in bishop’s vestments to orchestrate an endorsement for its collapsing Presidential campaign.
“The PDP, in the strongest term, condemns this profane and highly provocative act of desperation by the sinking APC Presidential Candidate, Tinubu, in the face of APC’s collapsing leadership, membership and followership structure across the country.
“Such action is unacceptable and unbecoming of any individual aspiring to a leadership position at any level let alone, the office of the President. This is an embarrassment to leadership.

“With this scandalous act, Tinubu, who is still battling with issues of alleged perjury, non-existent certificate and allegations of extortions has become more ethically challenged and lost all moral standing to seek election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“More sickening is the outcry by the hirelings that they were defrauded by agents of the APC Presidential candidate, who paid them sums ranging from N30,000 to N40,000 as against the N100,000 they were earlier promised.
“It is therefore ludicrous that instead of being remorseful and asking for forgiveness, the APC Presidential Campaign is shamelessly posting lame denials and excuses in the face of hard and verified evidence of its involvement in the shameless venture.
“With this ugly episode, Nigerians now know the individual who has been the planner and executor of the lies, false promises and corruption of the APC that have brought disunity, excruciating hardship, mass killings and political instability in the country in the last seven years.
“The APC Presidential candidate and his party should know that it is in his own interest to withdraw from the race as it will be futile to go into an election in which the will and aspiration of the people are manifestly against him and the APC.”
 

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the judgment by Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja on the election of Sheriff Oborevwori said to be Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s stooge as the party’s governorship candidate in Delta State.
The court had nullified the election of Oborevwori after David Edevbie, who scored the second highest votes in the PDP’s governorship primary election, approached the court seeking disqualification of Oborevwori for submitting fake credentials to the INEC.

Justice Taiwo in the suit No: FHC/ABJ/CJ/795/2022 on July 7th, ruled that Oborevwori was not qualified to participate in the process, let alone being declared the winner, having supplied false information and submitted forged credentials/certificates.
Following the judgment, Edevbie through his counsel wrote to the INEC, urging the electoral body to comply with the court order by replacing Oborevwori’s name with his name without further delay.
In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of PDP dated July 18, 2022 and signed by the secretary of the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, acknowledged receipt of the order served by the court.
The letter with re: Suit No. ‘FHC/ABJ/CJ/795/2022 between David Edevbie V. Oborevwhori Sheriff Francis Orowedor and 2 Ors’, read, “This is to draw your attention to judgment Order of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja in the above-mentioned suit which has been served on the Commission.
“While hoping your party takes note of the judgment Order, please accept the assurance of the Commission’s warm regards.”

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to the Peoples Democratic Party, Edo State, insisting that it only recognised the list of candidates produced at the primary election held by the Dan Orbih’s faction in May.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court 5, Abuja, had in earlier judgment in the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/808/2022 issued an order directing INEC to only accept and recognise the candidates that emerged from the Dan Orbih faction on May 18.

Recall that Ihama, Ogieva, Omagbon, Giwa and others had approached the Federal High Court 5, Abuja, seeking an order for INEC to only recognise the Dan Orbih-led faction of the party’s primary.
Following Justice Ekwo’s judgment, INEC in a letter dated June 27, 2022 and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony and addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, asking the party to forward the list recognized by court to the commission.
INEC in the letter seen by SaharaReporters titled, “Notification of pending orders in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/807/2022 between Dr. Michael Onolememen & 2 Ors. V. INEC; Suit No. FHC/ABJ/808/ between Barr. Nosa Adams & 8 Prs. V. INEC and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/809/2022 between Christabel O. Ekwu & 23 Ors. V. INEC and the need to Comply with them” asked PDP to comply with the order.
The letter read, “The Commission hereby draws the attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the order of the Court arising from the three (3) suits listed above.
“In line with the order of Court, the Commission is restrained from accepting and recognizing any list of candidates other than the list containing the names of the plaintiffs as the PDP’s duly nominated candidates for the election of the seats of senators representing the senatorial zones of Edo North, Edo South and Edo Central of Edo State; the twenty-four House of Assembly constituencies across Edo State.
“Accordingly, the Commission expects the PDP to forward the nomination forms of the respective candidates as ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
The PDP had conducted parallel primaries by the factions loyal to the party’s National Vice Chairman, South South, Dan Orbih and the faction loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki at different locations across the state. But the court rejected Governor Obaseki’s faction.

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Let us hear it from Jubilee Campaign, an internationally acclaimed human rights and genocide evaluation non-profit organisation that holds consultative status at the United Nations, from their November 2020 Report titled, “Nigeria - This Genocide is Loading: Finding Reasonable Basis to Believe Crimes Against Humanity Occurred – Report To The International Criminal Court”, as summarized by Genocide Watch:

“The report counters the farmer-herder clashes narrative that has been used to describe the violence in the Middle Belt and northern Nigeria, noting the casualty asymmetry. The report clarifies that the research and focus are on the armed, violent, radical Fulani militant groups… The report notes that attacks by Fulani militants often happen at night or in the early morning while the community members are at home, unsuspecting of attacks and unable to respond, again countering the claim that the attacks are a result of clashes. The report also describes the advanced weaponry used by the militants and how the attacks are often well-coordinated, with militants arriving by motorcycles en masse and even by boat. The report relates cases where the rules of engagement used by the Fulani militants liken those of Islamic Jihad, with Fulani militants sending threatening messages prior to an ambush, ‘your land or your blood’…”

Several experts and observers have pointed to President Buhari, a Fulani, and his government as being complicit in this genocide-Jihad by armed Fulani. The entire security apparatus of the country is headed by Fulani. The Minister for Communications is a Fulani with controversial approval of global Islamic terrorism (but of course denied). The Ministers for Immigration, and for Customs are both Fulani. Fulani head the three arms of government, as well as key ministries. It is under such a situation that the military headed by Buhari, who is Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, has “set up cattle ranches nationwide” in almost all their divisions and brigades (barracks), ostensibly to improve the economy. In Nigeria, cattle are associated with Fulani herdsmen. There have been reports such as at Okitipupa, Ondo State of army barracks being the accommodation for large numbers of Fulani herdsmen/migrants. This has, not surprisingly, been denied by the authorities. It all comes at a time when Fulani herdsmen, also known as Fulani militia, were in 2014 named the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world by the Global Terrorism Index. What we learn from survivors of Fulani raids is that their attackers are well armed (having camps inside barracks would certainly be useful for that!), and the military either helps them escape after a killing spree or does not come to help those being attacked. A former Minister of Defence, retired General T Y Danjuma in 2018 warned Nigerians about what was coming.

He said, “The Armed Forces are not neutral. They collude with the armed bandits to kill people, kill Nigerians... If you wait for the Armed Forces to stop the killing, you will all die one by one.” He said that rather than protect Nigerians, the security forces “facilitate” attacks by armed invaders. Gen T Y Danjuma advised Nigerians to resist the “ethnic cleansing” and to defend themselves, otherwise given what would happen, “Somalia will be a child’s play”.

 

Further to this, written and video news items have shown a massive ongoing influx of fighting-age Fulani and Arewa males into the South and Middle Belt, hidden in trucks, including during the COVID-19 lockdown when indigenous Nigerians were forbidden to move around freely. French philosopher-intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy said this, “A slow-motion war is underway in Africa’s most populous country. It’s a massacre of Christians, massive in scale and horrific in brutality.” He had visited Nigeria in 2019 to find out what was going on and reported his findings in the Wall Street Journal under the title, “The New War Against Africa’s Christians”, where he mentioned “Fulanization” happening, with Fulani he met having an ideology that Nigeria is their “promised land”. Lévy ended by saying, “But as my trip concludes, I have the terrible feeling of being carried back to Rwanda in the 1990s, to Darfur and South Sudan in the 2000s.”

Nowadays, the word on the streets of southern Nigeria is: “Afghanistan is loading!” The aim of the ongoing Fulani Jihad is for a violent and cataclysmic collapse of Nigeria from which would rise the Fulani Islamic State of West Africa, as they action Ahmadu Bello’s Declaration that Nigeria should be an “estate” of the Fulani.

 

An alternative ending is possible. For, on the other hand, we have the NINAS Movement with its ORDERLY PROCESS of Constitutional Force Majeure (CFM), declared on 16 December 2020 with Propositions on the Table that would give Nigerians a safe landing. The CFM would deter further Fulani Jihad and contain the Islamic terrorism introduced into Nigeria. It would also Decommission the 1999 Constitution, a Forgery, and resolve the Union Dispute. The NINAS strategy began some 22 years ago soon after the 1999 Constitution was foisted on Nigerians, its goal being to Take Down that forgery. The forgery-1999 Constitution was REPUDIATED throughout the South and Middle Belt (NINAS territory)) during various Solemn Assemblies. Then that REPUDIATION was enforced via the said CFM. That means that the forgery-1999 Constitution is DEAD, ie, having been officially REPUDIATED, its provisions are not binding, and Nigeria is a DISPUTED PROJECT.

 

Taking the matter of the Fulani Jihad: The forgery-1999 Constitution empowers it by putting the ability to acquire guns and ammunition in the hands of the Federal Government (thus under Fulani control), and it prevents State Governments from arming their people to defend themselves against armed invaders. So NINAS has given marching orders to State Governors to create ARMED Security Agencies – NOW! NINAS said that Governors must immediately step into the role of filling the gap since Federal Government is not coming to defend the people. Rather, Federal Government is complicit in the attacks.

 

1)Governors must now: Send Bills to their State Assemblies. The State Assemblies should pass the Bills, and Governors sign the Bills into Law to issue firearms to Security Agencies that they are going to create to defend their people.

 

2)These new ARMED Security Agencies will defend their people against ARMED invaders. These Agencies are NOT state police, they are NOT anything the National Assembly has to approve of, they are NOT anything that the Inspector General of Police has to approve of. 

 

 

Now, the matter of the forgery-1999 Constitution means that Nigeria has a fraudulent constitutional arrangement, which will no longer be tolerated. The CFM Propositions is that Elections 2023 that would renew the life of the REPUDIATED forgery-1999 Constitution are to be suspended, and there would instead be a time-bound Transitioning (Transitional Government) when the Union Dispute would be resolved by indigenous Ethnic Nations having multi-Regional Referendums.

 

It is up to the true Owners of the land, ie the indigenous peoples of the NINAS Territory to decide whether they will allow the immigrant settler Fulani using a forgery-1999 Constitution to bring upon them a cataclysmic collapse by Jihad, or, whether they prefer a safe landing by the NINAS Plan.
 

 

Ndidi Uwechue is a British citizen with Igbo heritage from the Lower Niger Bloc. She is a retired Metropolitan (London) Police Officer, she is a signatory to the Constitutional Force Majeure, and she writes from Abuja.

 

 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Ndidi Uwechue Disable advertisements : 

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri, Catholic Archdiocesan, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, has condemned the massacre of 14 youths who were wedding guests in Awomama, Oru West Local Government of Imo State by gunmen suspected to operatives of the South East Ebubeagu Security outfit.
SaharaReporters had reported that the unprovoked killing of the 14 young men from Otulu community and other places that came for traditional marriage in Awomama has continued to generate outrage across the country.

While eyewitness accused the Ebubeagu Security outfit of the killings, Governor Hope Uzodinma has absolved them, saying that it was the Nigeria secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) that carried the massacre.
Also, the State Director of DSS had also accepted that its operatives invaded the camp of “unknown gunmen in Awomama where the so called criminals were killed.”
But the Archbishop Ugorji in statement issued on Friday titled: "The Blood Of Abel Cries To High Heavens", said the killings of the wedding guests had no justification and should not be swept under the carpet. He demanded that all those involved whether DSS or Ebubeagu be brought to justice.
While he described the killing as barbaric, offensive and totally unacceptable no matter the reason, the cleric stated that "Law and Order are not synonymous with jungle justice."
The statement partly read: "The gruesome murder of some youths at Awomama in Imo State a few days ago has caused public outrage. Since this incident, there have been various narratives about who carried out this dastardly and abominable act, and why.
"While some members of the public blame government and her security outfit EbubeAgu for murdering unarmed and defenceless young men coming back from a wedding, The DSS Director, on the other hand, confirmed that his men carried out an operation in a camp, where those he described as 'bandits' were killed, as a means of ensuring public security.
"Our aim is not to delve into this web of contradictory narratives, but to unequivocally condemn this mindless blood-letting, and similar senseless killings, which have bedevilled Igbo society, especially Imo State in recent times."

The Catholic Archbishop lamented that the soil of Imo State had been defiled by the abominable shedding of innocent blood.
"We are becoming a society that has no regard for the sanctity of human life and are ready to waste human life at the least provocation. How many of our youths have been cut down in their prime?
"No society can flourish or survive when her future leaders and productive sector of the population are mercilessly mowed down for mere suspicion. Like Abel's blood (Gen 4:10), the blood of many slaughtered youths in our land is crying to high heaven. 
"Similarly, like the lamentations of Rachel at Ramah (Gen 30:1), the lamentations of mothers, who have lost their beloved ones at Awomama, are inconsolable. Law and order are not synonymous with jungle justice. While no one should condone any form of banditry or lawlessness from any quarters, yet jungle justice and extra judicial killings cannot be a solution to the challenges of law and order.
"Let us reiterate here that we condemn all killings from all quarters, whether private or public, whether by overzealous, trigger-happy security men or by paramilitary or cults groups. As moral agents, no one should clearly aim at taking away human life no matter the circumstances.
"The Awomama massacre should not be swept under the carpet. That slaughter, no matter the reasons, is barbaric, offensive, and totally unacceptable. Enough is enough!
"We, therefore, call on government to undertake a thorough and transparent investigation in order to unearth the perpetrators of the heinous crime and bring them to book. For public accountability in this matter is the only way to assuage public anger on the merciless killing and stop dangerous rumours."
He however, prayed God to grant eternal life to the deceased and console the bereaved families.

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The great man, the Abami Eda himself, the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti (God bless his soul), got it right, as he almost always did when talking about the myriads of our country's socio-economic issues. 

At the height of his lamentations following the death of his mother at the hands of Nigerian soldiers who, in their distorted perversion had killed the old woman by simply chucking her out of the second-floor window of Fela's Kalakuta Republic, Fela had pointed the fingers at the culprits.

Fela's mother, mind you, was brazen and audacious enough to be the very first Nigerian woman to drive a car. She was a stubborn woman who terrified many a man in her enclave at Abeokuta. Perhaps, it was that stubborn streak that got her into trouble with the soldiers, as a thousand of them stormed Fela's famous home to seek retribution for five soldiers who were killed by anonymous people. They blamed Fela for the killings.

As the fires and rubble from the 'Republic' smouldered amid the ashes, Fela was already composing a song to talk about the abominations caused by the enraged soldiers who also had a fill of Fela's many wives and women therein present. As for the men, they suffered broken heads and limbs. 

Of course, they all ended up in jail. 

Imagine it! One thousand soldiers visit your house in such an uncharitable manner, kill your mother in an act of violence, burn down your house, rape the women, and beat up the men, AND YOU ALL STILL END UP IN JAIL!

Power, raw, untrammelled power is sweet, seductive, and anarchically dangerous.

But not to be outdone, the irrepressible Fela released one of his most provocative and inspirational albums in which he lampooned and ridiculed the 'Kangaroo' panel of inquiry set up by the government that was responsible for the mayhem. 

And just like Fela had said, nothing came out of it. According to Fela, the panel had the magical power to turn blue into red, and black into white. 

AND TRUTH BECAME THE VICTIM!

At the end of the judicial panel of inquiry, the panel returned its verdict!

THE KILLINGS THAT TOOK PLACE AND THE BURNING OF THE KALAKUTA REPUBLIC WAS REAL. 

But it was caused by:

UNKNOWN SOLDIERS!

And Fela went to town with his album titled 'Unknown Soldiers'

In it, he argued that if there are unknown soldiers who burnt his house, then there are unknown civilians who killed five soldiers. Therefore, unknown soldiers and unknown civilians is equal to unknown government. 

And many years down the line, Nigeria is still being run by unknown governments. We even now have unknown gunmen, unknown terrorists, unknown bandits, and unknown kidnappers.

Now we have been regaled with the spectacle of unknown bishops and clerics who are operating unknown churches and have unknown parishioners at unknown addresses. Perhaps a few might be genuine, representing unknown constituencies.

A few days ago, precisely the 20th of July, 2022, these UNKNOWNS were shipped in from various unknown locations to attend the unveiling of the vice-presidential candidate of APC's Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kashim Shettima. 

But they told us that in 21st-century Nigeria, religion no longer matters.

So why dress unknown political zealots, laymen, and artisans, in religious cassocks and garments and make a mockery of the represented religious faith?

What a way to start a presidential campaign!

And before I forget!

THERE ARE ALSO UNKNOWN POLITICIANS!

 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Achike Chude Disable advertisements : 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday claimed that the manner of the Ekiti, Osun, and Anambra governorship elections were proofs that his government was committed to a free and fair election in Nigeria.
"Recent elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun are proof of my Administration’s irreversible commitment to credible and violence-free polls in Nigeria.

"This is also why I made sure I signed the new Electoral Act. We will always be committed to the tenets of the Rule of Law.”
"It has always been my personal desire and indeed the priority of my administration to bequeath to Nigeria an irreversible political process that continues to be both democratic and acceptable to the people. I am very pleased with what we have accomplished so far," he noted.
The president said these via his Twitter handle barely 48 hours he had told the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Shettima that he would respond to his (Shettima’s) speech when he was handing over to him and his boss, Bola Tinubu.
"I will respond to your speech when I am handing over to you and your boss. God willing, you are going to win," Buhari was quoted in a statement released by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, on Wednesday.
Buhari, who received the VP candidate shortly after he was unveiled by the leadership of the party and Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate, said he was very happy with the choice of the former governor of Borno State as Tinubu’s running mate.
“I wish you the best. Your consistency at the party is very respectful.  You served your two terms as Governor and finished well. You have kept touch with your base. At every important occasion or event, you are maintaining support for the one who succeeded you.  This is commendable,” he had said.
The President expressed strong optimism that the APC ticket would emerge victorious in 2023.

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has threatened to sue the Nigerian Government if it stops the planned nationwide protest of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the ongoing strike by lecturers in the public universities.

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on February 24, embarked on one-month strike action but the union later announced that it would be going on an indefinite strike after the government failed to meet its demands.

The lecturers’ union is asking the Nigerian government to implement the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement which borders on funding of university education and other demands that President Muhammadu Buhari's government has failed to implement.

 

Since the strike which is in its fifth month started, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and several other groups have protested against the attitude of the government to the industrial action, calling on it to resolve the pending issues with the lecturers’ union.

 

The government has since said it lacks the financial resources to adequately fund university education in Nigeria.

A few weeks ago, President Buhari urged ASUU to consider the long-term effect of the strike on students and the generational consequences on families, the educational system and the future development of the country.

 

While lamenting that the strike was already taking a toll on the psychology of parents, students and other stakeholders, the President said, “We hope that ASUU will sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake."

 

However, following the inability of the government to resolve the issues, Nigeria Labour Congress declared Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and 27 respectively as days for nationwide protests to force the government to resolve the issues.

Meanwhile, the police have threatened to stop the strike if NLC does not obtain permits from state police commands.

 

However, SERAP has responded that protest is a fundamental right of citizens.

 

It announced on its official Twitter handle @SERAPNigeria that it would challenge the government in court if it stopped the protest.

 

It tweeted: "The Buhari administration should allow the Nigeria Labour Congress to go ahead with its protest over the prolonged strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

 

"Protest is a fundamental right. We'll see in court if the administration attempts to stop the protest."

 

News AddThis :  Original Author :  Sahara Reporters, New york. Disable advertisements : 

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has threatened to sue President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over the arrest of one of the editors of Peoples Gazette newspaper, John Adenekan.

The Nigeria police raided Peoples Gazette newspaper’s office in Abuja on Friday and arrested one of its editors, John Adenekan. Shortly after Adenekan’s arrest, the operatives returned to arrest four more journalists.

Adenekan was arrested at about 12:35 pm by five armed police officers who broke into the newspaper’s office at Plot 1095, Umar Shuaibu Avenue, Utako.

The security operatives were said to have demanded to see the Managing Editor, Samuel Ogundipe and a reporter Adefemola Akintade, who wrote a report on former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai.

SERAP, therefore, asked President Buhari to order the immediate release of Adenekan, threatening to commence legal action if the arrested journalists are not released.

 

"The Buhari administration must immediately and unconditionally release Peoples Gazette’s editor, John Adenekan, who was reportedly arrested today by the police following a raid on their office in Abuja.

 

 

"We'll take legal action if he is not immediately released," SERAP tweeted on Friday afternoon.

 

The invasion comes a few days after an Abuja-based Publisher and a proxy of a Buratai, Isah Bello sued Peoples Gazette for allegedly defaming the Ambassador to Benin Republic.

 

The newspaper on June 23 reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) raided and recovered items including 50 luxury watches from a purported residence of Buratai.

 

But Bello, in the suit before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, claimed the newspaper failed to respond to a letter dated June 28, 2022 seeking to clarify the source of its story.

 

According to him, the failure to respond to the inquiry was a violation of section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and therefore is wrongful and illegal.

 

Filed by Osuagwu Ugochukwu, the publisher asked the court to prevail on the defendant to supply the information requested in his letter.

 

“The plaintiff claims against the defendant as follows: A declaration that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the defendant to release the information requested by the plaintiff in his letter, dated June 28, 2022, amounts to violation of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and therefore is wrongful and illegal,” part of the court documents published in some national dailies had read.

 

“An order directing the defendant, including her servants, agents, privies, officials and or cohorts to furnish the plaintiff with detailed information as stated in plaintiff’s letter, dated June 28 2022, until judgment is delivered in this case within 14 days of the delivery of judgment.”

 

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Four more journalists working with Peoples Gazette newspaper have been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.

 

The arrests come shortly after security operatives whisked away one of the newspaper’s editors, John Adenekan, during a raid on its head office in Abuja.

Five armed police officers had earlier broken into the newspaper’s office at Plot 1095, Umar Shuaibu Avenue, Utako.

 

The security operatives were said to have demanded to see the Managing Editor, Samuel Ogundipe and a reporter Adefemola Akintade, who wrote a report on former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.).

 

“They came back to arrest four more colleagues after taking John Adenekan to Utako police station,” a staff member of the organization told SaharaReporters.

 

The invasion comes a few days after an Abuja-based Publisher and a proxy of a Buratai, Isah Bello sued Peoples Gazette for allegedly defaming the Ambassador to Benin Republic.

 

The newspaper on June 23 reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) raided and recovered items including 50 luxury watches from a purported residence of Buratai.

 

But Bello, in the suit before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, claimed the newspaper failed to respond to a letter dated June 28, 2022 seeking to clarify the source of its story.

 

According to him, the failure to respond to the inquiry was a violation of section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and therefore is wrongful and illegal.

 

Filed by Osuagwu Ugochukwu, the publisher asked the court to prevail on the defendant to supply the information requested in his letter.

 

“The plaintiff claims against the defendant as follows: A declaration that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the defendant to release the information requested by the plaintiff in his letter, dated June 28, 2022, amounts to violation of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and therefore is wrongful and illegal,” part of the court documents published in some national dailies had read.

 

“An order directing the defendant, including her servants, agents, privies, officials and or cohorts to furnish the plaintiff with detailed information as stated in plaintiff’s letter, dated June 28 2022, until judgment is delivered in this case within 14 days of the delivery of judgment.”

 

The affidavit in support says partly: “I, Isah Bello, male, Muslim, publisher and Nigerian citizen of No 6A Muhammadu Buhari Way, Abuja, hereby makes an oath and states as follows: “That I am the deponent herein.

 

“That I am a publisher and have personal knowledge of the facts deposed herein. That I know as a fact as follows: “That the Federal Government of Nigeria has enacted the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

 

“That in the pursuit of her rights and pursuant to the right of access to information guaranteed by the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the plaintiff, by letter dated June 28, 2022.” asked the defendant to furnish him with certain information in her custody relating to its June 23, 2022 online publication entitled ‘ICPC RECOVERS MULTI BILLION-NAIRA

 

“CASH, ROLEX WATCHES STOCKPILED IN EX-ARMY CHIEF BURATAI’S ABUJA RESIDENCE’ now produced and marked Exhibit A, a copy which was sent to the defendant and proof of receipt.

 

“That the June 28, 2022 letter of the plaintiff requested the following response from the defendant viz:

 

“Did you verify the allegations contained in your write-up with ICPC before publishing? This is because the ICPC press release of June 24, 2022 states to the contrary that Buratai owns the house in Wuse II, Abuja or has links with the K Salam Construction Company Nigeria Limited.

 

“Did you check with the Corporate Affairs Commission as to who the owners of the K Salam Construction Company Nigeria limited are? And perhaps whether Buratai’s name appears on the company’s directorship?

 

“You claimed you called Buratai during the ICPC raid on the Wuse 2 house. At what time and day did you call Ambassador Buratai?  What number did you use in calling him? And which of the Buratai’s lines did you call?”

 

News AddThis :  Original Author :  saharareporters, new york Disable advertisements : 

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has threatened to sue President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over the arrest of one of the editors of Peoples Gazette newspaper, John Adenekan.

The Nigeria police raided Peoples Gazette newspaper’s office in Abuja on Friday and arrested one of its editors, John Adenekan. Shortly after Adenekan’s arrest, the operatives returned to arrest four more journalists.

Adenekan was arrested at about 12:35 pm by five armed police officers who broke into the newspaper’s office at Plot 1095, Umar Shuaibu Avenue, Utako.

The security operatives were said to have demanded to see the Managing Editor, Samuel Ogundipe and a reporter Adefemola Akintade, who wrote a report on former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai.

SERAP, therefore, asked President Buhari to order the immediate release of Adenekan, threatening to commence legal action if the arrested journalists are not released.

 

"The Buhari administration must immediately and unconditionally release Peoples Gazette’s editor, John Adenekan, who was reportedly arrested today by the police following a raid on their office in Abuja.

 

 

"We'll take legal action if he is not immediately released," SERAP tweeted on Friday afternoon.

 

The invasion comes a few days after an Abuja-based Publisher and a proxy of a Buratai, Isah Bello sued Peoples Gazette for allegedly defaming the Ambassador to Benin Republic.

 

The newspaper on June 23 reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) raided and recovered items including 50 luxury watches from a purported residence of Buratai.

 

But Bello, in the suit before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, claimed the newspaper failed to respond to a letter dated June 28, 2022 seeking to clarify the source of its story.

 

According to him, the failure to respond to the inquiry was a violation of section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and therefore is wrongful and illegal.

 

Filed by Osuagwu Ugochukwu, the publisher asked the court to prevail on the defendant to supply the information requested in his letter.

 

“The plaintiff claims against the defendant as follows: A declaration that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the defendant to release the information requested by the plaintiff in his letter, dated June 28, 2022, amounts to violation of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and therefore is wrongful and illegal,” part of the court documents published in some national dailies had read.

 

“An order directing the defendant, including her servants, agents, privies, officials and or cohorts to furnish the plaintiff with detailed information as stated in plaintiff’s letter, dated June 28 2022, until judgment is delivered in this case within 14 days of the delivery of judgment.”

 

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Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said that he is not sure but he assumes that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is in support of his presidential ambition.
 
Atiku, who made the assertion during an exclusive interview with Arise TV on Friday morning, which was monitored by SaharaReporters, said he has been talking with his former boss but has not visited him after his emergence as the PDP presidential candidate.

The PDP presidential candidate who was asked if he needs Obasanjo’s support said, “Why will I not need his support? He was my former boss. Why will I not need his support? Of course I will need his support. I assume I have it.”
 
Atiku said that he still holds the former president’s legacy in high esteem.
 
On the other hand, Atiku while speaking on the issue of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said he is already reaching out to the governor and that stakeholders of PDP will soon reconcile with the aggrieved Wike.

“We are reaching out to Governor Wike and we are talking with him and I believe very soon we will find a reconciliation. In fact, very soon, because we are talking to him.
 
“We are talking to his governor colleagues. I am very optimistic we are going to resolve our internal crisis and move on,” Atiku said.
 
He said that Governor Wike is an influential politician who has a good future in Nigerian politics and has contributed much to the growth of the party, adding that he (Atiku) did not reject Wike as a running mate.

He said, “Governor Wike was not rejected, nobody was rejected in the party but the point is you must understand, it is the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate, the running mate he believes he can work with amicably and then also deliver the policies of the party and also try to unify the country.

“Governor Wike is a brilliant politician, he’s courageous and tenacious. I believe he has a future in the political evolution of this country, so it is not a question of rejection, certainly not. I think it’s too harsh a word to say that we rejected Governor Wike, certainly not.”

Atiku, who noted that people seem not to be fair to him said, “The committee that was set up at my own instance deliberated. There was no vote, and they recommended three names, because they knew it was my prerogative to pick anyone of the three. So, there was actually no vote. It’s not true.
 
“Governor Ortom himself chaired that committee. He knew there was no vote taken, and I have the report of that committee. The committee recommended three people and I picked one. I did not go out of that recommendation. So, I think people should be fair to me and should also state the fact.”

There have been grievances which generated internal crisis in the party after Atiku picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate.
 
Commenting on the personality of Governor Okowa and whether he would have still have picked former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, he had not left the PDP, Atiku described Okowa as an intelligent man with wide experience, “From being a vice chairman to a commissioner, then to senator and now a governor.”
 
On Peter Obi, Atiku said, “Well, he did not even consult me before joining the Labour Party. I think it was three days after he announced his joining of the Labour Party that he informed me.”

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said that he rejected Bola Tinubu’s request to be his presidential running mate in 2007 on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) because of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

 

Atiku, while speaking during an exclusive interview with Arise TV on Friday morning said that Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket has been the main cause of his “fundamental disagreement” with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Atiku recalled how he left PDP before the 2007 general elections because of zoning and formed an ally with Tinubu on ACN, where he (Atiku) became the presidential candidate.

 

However, Atiku said that when he refused to pick Tinubu as running mate, he (Tinubu) switched his support to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the opposition PDP. The ACN later lost the presidential seat to PDP, after which, Atiku returned to PDP.

 

Responding to question about Tinubu’s choice of a former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim as his running mate, the former Vice President said, “My fundamental disagreement and political departure with Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) since 2007 was due to the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

 

“Remember, I opted out of PDP because of zoning, and together with Asiwaju we formed ACN,” Atiku said.

 

“Tinubu wanted to be my running mate when I was given the ACN presidential ticket in 2007, but I disagreed. And because of that, he switched his support to the late Umar Yar’Adua. That was the parting point.

 

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket has always been my fundamental disagreement. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, and there should be a religious balance in our leadership.

 

“We are still friends, of course. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have political differences. We have been having political differences ever since we became friends. Nothing unusual about that.”

 

There has been controversy over Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket with key stakeholders including top members and some chieftains of the ruling party describing it as insensitivity to the religious diversity of Nigeria and neglect of principle of equity and fairness.

 

 

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  saharareporters, new york Disable advertisements : 

Mrs. Dorathy Onyia is a 39-year-old mother of three, a native of Obeleagu Umana in the Ezeagu local government area of Enugu State.

Onyia, who is eight months pregnant, is afraid to deliver her baby in the Community Health Centre located in the centre of the town for fear of losing her baby or even her life or both. Though she lives less than five poles away from the health facility, she prefers to travel more than 30 kilometres to access healthcare.

The reason is obvious, the health centre in Obeleagu Umana can be best be called ‘Squalor’ should it require a new name.

Narrating the horrible experiences of women who recently had their babies in the facility, Onyia said “save for the mercy of God, Mrs Juliet Okeke would have lost her baby after successful delivery when a part of the roof collapsed on her while still in labour bed”.

“She was lucky that her baby had been taken to the baby bed otherwise I don’t know what would have happened,” she said.


“If the health centre is in good condition, our women would be here. If you look at the structure, does it look like a hospital? If you go inside, you will see that rats and mice have taken over the place and that is why our pregnant women who can afford the cost of child delivery outside are running away.

“No one wants to deliver her baby here because anything can happen. Last time, another friend of mine nearly lost her baby when the ceiling fell on the delivery bed.
“I wouldn’t say blankly that all the women in the community have resolved to be going outside the community, but you can imagine those who are coming here.”
 
Mrs Onyia disclosed that there is a Cottage Hospital built by a military administration within the community which is under the supervision of the Enugu State Hospital Management Board, but regretted its health workers do not come to work.
 
She said doctors stopped coming there after a medical doctor from the community who worked in the hospital retired a few years ago.

Like the health centre which has only two workers, a nurse and a medical record attendant; the Cottage Hospital is not much different. It has only four workers, two nurses, a gardener and a medical record attendant.     

When SaharaReporters visited Obeleagu Umana on Friday, it was observed that the L-shaped hall serving as the health centre has its roof on one side blown off. The side that is covered leaks when it rains.

The two-bed centre has one private room, probably an office where drugs are kept. A part of the block has caved in, and apart from being dilapidated, the facility is completely surrounded by bush.
 
Pregnant women and indeed people of Obeleagu Umana suffer because of a lack of quality healthcare.

Now pregnant women have to go to Udi or Enugu town to deliver their babies, a resident of the community who gave her name as Mrs Cecilia Ozonne, told our correspondent.
 
“If the government rebuilds the health centre, it will be good for our women and children,” she said.


In a video of the centre that is trending in the state, a voice narrating the despicable state of the facility likens the hospital to a rat house.

“It is not even fit to be a parking store. The entire community is above this health centre but I don't know who to hold responsible for it, is it the government or the community? Whoever is willing to help us should help us because the hospital is an eyesore.

“There was a day when we delivered a new baby, we were here when one of the ceilings fell down. My luck that day was that I laid the baby in its bed. If not, it would have collapsed on the child,” he said.

Another resident of the community who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the hospital began operations in 2009 after the traditional ruler of the community reconstructed the building which was said to have existed for years.
 
According to the source, it began operations when one Mr Abugu was the Head of the Department of Health in the local government area. He is now retired/
“He visited this community during the course of interaction. He promised to approve a health centre for the community if we provided a structure. So, with excitement, the traditional ruler reconstructed the building because it had been in existence and after that Mr Abugu approved it, according to his promise.”

On why the community is not patronising the cottage hospital, the source said, “People are complaining of lack of doctors and that is why nobody goes there.

“Doctors posted to the hospital don't come to work and any day they come, they won't spend up to one hour there before they leave; you won’t see them again until after one month or two. When you come and you don't see a doctor, what do you do, you look for where you will get treated.

“It is because there is no doctor and often no staff that people still come to the health centre otherwise it would have since been forgotten. Nobody will see a trap and go enter it.

“Here, the government doesn’t supervise the activities of health workers. Most health workers sent her don’t stay, they always complained of this structures that one day it will collapse.”
 
Meanwhile, at the Cottage Hospital, SaharaReporters discovered that it was constructed by the state government under the administration of Dr Chimaroke Nnamani in 2000. The Cottage Hospital was inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on June 23, 2000.

During the visit, SaharaReporters saw only a gardener/caretaker. No health worker was available, which confirms what the residents had said.

When SaharaReporters called the state health commissioner, Dr Ikechukwu Obi about the state of the health centres and the plight of the residents of the community, he said, "Just go and confirm those things because my own confirmation is that it is not quite true what people are saying.
“You can go and confirm yourself before any other thing."
 

PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, has again come hard on former Nigerian Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
 
Atiku had during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, claimed Sowore doesn’t know anything about the country, alleging that he stays abroad and comes to Nigeria every four years to run for elective post.

Responding via a post on his Twitter account, the activist fired back at the PDP presidential candidate who would be contesting for President for the sixth time, saying he has lived in about five countries outside of Nigeria since 1999.
 
Atiku contested against Chief MKO Abiola in 1993 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He contested again in 2007 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress (AC). He contested under PDP in 2011, on the platform of APC in 2015, and under PDP in 2019.
 
“Dear @atiku, I watched a clip of your @ARISEtv interview this morning wherein you were asked about my view on power scam under your regime, you failed to address how $16b was used to procure darkness instead you claimed “he doesn’t even know,” well these are some things I know you ran for office for the first time in 1992 as a presidential aspirant of the SDP, I also ran for the post of the SU President of the UNILAG, you lost, I won. You left, I stayed, to deliver democracy to Nigerians.
 
“I then left for the US in 1999 at the age of 28. You went on to become the VP of Nigeria, you left Nigerians in darkness after spending $16billion on power, I stayed with Nigerians, shining light on the mess you and your boss created in that sector. You left, I stayed!
 
“After your failed plan to succeed your boss (Olusegun Obasanjo) who wanted a third term in office, I stayed to botch his third term bid. You, however, joined another political party and tried your luck, you left after you couldn’t win. You left, I stayed.
 
“Since 1999, you have lived in about 5 countries outside of Nigeria. I know this because your IP keeps changing the same way you kept changing political parties.
“We both contested in 2019, it was my 1st time contesting, but after the elections, you left, I stayed. I’m still here!
 
“You’ve done your rounds from SDP- UNCP- PDP- ACN-PDP- APC back to PDP, you have never done anything for the Nigerian people, you’ve only taken care of your needs and those that benefit your family, cronies, and friends. It is time to quit and let Nigeria experience electricity!
 
“My question again, is this; what happened to the $16billion dollars released for electricity during your tenure as Vice President? ‪#WeCantContinueLikeThis.”
Sowore earlier berated Atiku over his reaction to the National Grid collapse.
 
Atiku on Wednesday after it was announced that the National Grid collapsed for the 6th time posted on his verified Twitter page, his displeasure over the repeated collapse of the grid that has continued to throw Nigerians into darkness.
 
Among other things he said on the thread, Atiku had noted, “I am reliably informed that there was a total National Grid Collapse at precisely 12:23pm today. This is one collapse too many. It is the 6th time this is happening this year alone.”
 
Reacting to Atiku’s tweet, Sowore had said, “The National Electrical grid collapse started when you and Obasanjo invested $16 billion to procure darkness for Nigeria, the @MBuhari regime came to gazette grid collapse as a law.
 
“Alhaji @atiku, don't pretend that you care about the National Grid!”

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

The Nigeria police have raided Peoples Gazette newspaper head office in Abuja, and arrested one of its editors, John Adenekan.

Adenekan was arrested at about 12:35 pm on Friday by five armed police officers who broke into the newspaper’s office at Plot 1095, Umar Shuaibu Avenue, Utako.

The security operatives were said to have demanded to see the Managing Editor, Samuel Ogundipe and a reporter Adefemola Akintade who wrote a report on former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.).

“The police just raided our office now and arrested one of our editors, John Adenekan,” a staff member of the organisation told SaharaReporters.

“They demanded to see Samuel Ogundipe and Femola, a reporter. Adenekan has been taken to Utako police station. It seems it is about Buratai’s story.”

The action of the police came days after an Abuja-based Publisher and a proxy of a Buratai, Isah Bello sued Peoples Gazette for allegedly defaming the Ambassador to Benin Republic.

The newspaper on June 23 reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) raided and recovered items including 50 luxury watches from a purported residence of Buratai.

But Bello, in the suit before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, claimed the newspaper failed to respond to a letter dated June 28, 2022 seeking to clarify the source of its story.

According to him, the failure to respond to the inquiry was a violation of section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and therefore is wrongful and illegal.

Filed by Osuagwu Ugochukwu, the publisher asked the court to prevail on the defendant to supply the information requested in his letter.

“The plaintiff claims against the defendant as follows: A declaration that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the defendant to release the information requested by the plaintiff in his letter, dated June 28, 2022, amounts to violation of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and therefore is wrongful and illegal,” part of the court documents published in some national dailies had read.

“An order directing the defendant, including her servants, agents, privies, officials and or cohorts to furnish the plaintiff’s with detailed information as stated in plaintiff’s letter, dated June 28 2022, until judgment is delivered in this case within 14 days of the delivery of judgment.”

The affidavit in support says partly: “I, Isah Bello, male, Muslim, publisher and Nigerian citizen of No 6A Muhammadu Buhari Way, Abuja, hereby makes an oath and states as follows: “That I am the deponent herein.

“That I am a publisher and have personal knowledge of the facts deposed herein. That I know as a fact as follows: “That the Federal Government of Nigeria has enacted the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

“That in the pursuit of her rights and pursuant to the right of access to information guaranteed by the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the plaintiff, by letter dated June 28, 2022.” asked the defendant to furnish him with certain information in her custody relating to its June 23, 2022 online publication entitled ‘ICPC RECOVERS MULTI BILLION-NAIRA

“CASH, ROLEX WATCHES STOCKPILED IN EX-ARMY CHIEF BURATAI’S ABUJA RESIDENCE’ now produced and marked Exhibit A, a copy which was sent to the defendant and proof of receipt.

“That the June 28, 2022 letter of the plaintiff requested the following response from the defendant viz:

“Did you verify the allegations contained in your write-up with ICPC before publishing? This is because the ICPC press release of June 24, 2022 states to the contrary that Buratai owns the house in Wuse II, Abuja or has links with the K Salam Construction Company Nigeria Limited.

“Did you check with the Corporate Affairs Commission as to who the owners of the K Salam Construction Company Nigeria limited are? And perhaps whether Buratai’s name appears on the company’s directorship?

“You claimed you called Buratai during the ICPC raid on the Wuse 2 house. At what time and day did you call Ambassador Buratai? What number did you use in calling him? And which of the Buratai’s lines did you call?”

Journalism News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

File photo used to illustrate story.

One of the Nigerian soldiers fighting in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast has expressed sadness over the recent attack on Kuje prison, during which hundreds of inmates including Boko Haram terrorists escaped.
 
IS fighters have claimed the June 5 attack on Kuje prison in Abuja. The terrorist group attacked the prison facility with explosives, killing some people and freeing many Boko Haram terrorists.

But according to the soldier who is in Northeast Nigeria fighting Boko Haram terrorists, it costs the Nigerian Army the lives of six to eight soldiers to capture a Boko Haram terrorist alive.

The soldier said they have been ordered not to harm the terrorists caught and that sadly, some of the terrorists caught escape justice at the end of the day.

He said some terrorists also boast when they are caught that they know they will not be brought to justice.

The soldier condemned the Nigerian government led by President Muhammadu Buhari for forgiving Boko Haram who have terrorised lives, killed, and made people homeless by saying they have repented while dismissing soldiers for fleeing after running out of arms at war front.
 
According to him, Nigerian soldiers fighting Boko Haram now consider the terrorists as ‘Government Boys’, stressing that when you capture them, you do not have power to do anything to them.
 
He said in an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, "Now there's confusion in Maiduguri due to the recent jail break at Kuje prison. It will take the live of 6 - 8 soldiers to capture a single Boko-Haram alive face to face.
 
"And before they take such Boko Haram member to Abuja, he must be a high-profile terrorist. If not, the Boko Haram would be kept in Maiduguri Barracks guard room. But look at what happened, just overnight these people launched an attack, spent over 2 - 3hrs and videoed everything without any military response and they went away free.
 
"You will catch a Boko Haram in Maiduguri, you will get an order ‘don't harm him’, and within 24 hours, the person will disappear. And any soldier that tortures them, they will put you into the guardroom and give him IHL, imprisonment with hard labour. They will tell you it is not your duty, your duty is to capture them and you do not have power to do anything to them.
 
"The sad news now is that, upon the loss of soldiers and equipment, thinking government will do everything to bring these terrorists to book and do the needful. The news we heard is that government has set them free and not only that, they are giving them skill acquisition so that they will be able to fit in into the society. They are saying they have repented.
 
"Boko Haram who has been terrorising the town, making people homeless, making people lose lives and property. And the government is saying they are being repented. What of the soldiers that ran out of arms that you dismissed? He is now pleading to come back, you said no that they cannot come back again.
 
"The news of Kuje prison is not a good one, people are not happy about it at all. The soldiers now prefer to capture and kill them, then wait for the consequences.
 
"We now consider them as ‘Government Boys’, the Boko Haram who only understand minor English will tell you, ‘If you want to kill me, you kill me. If not, when I go, they will leave me’, which is the truth.”
 
"So, the war is meant for the Generals to enjoy, not for the least of soldiers. You don't have mind to talk, and when you do, you are in trouble. Even though you leave this country, they will still track you, except you will not use handset. Even our allowance,s they keep slashing from it, including station allowances," he added.

Boko Haram Terrorism News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

Operatives of the Cross River State Police Command on Thursday rescued the kidnapped student of the Arthur Jarvis University and killed some of the suspects.
 
The student was kidnapped on Tuesday when kidnappers operating from Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State invaded the school. The management of the school shut down the institution indefinitely after the incident.

But Vanguard reported that a crack team of policemen carried out a covert operation based on the directives of the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Aminu Alhassan.
 
It was reported that the covert operation took the tactical unit into the hideout of the kidnappers in Akpabuyo, where the victim was rescued at about 11pm on Thursday, during which some of the suspected abductors were killed and one arrested.
 
The police said the victim has been taken to the hospital for medical attention. The name of the hospital was not disclosed.
 
Confirming the operation, the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Irene Ugbo, described the success of the operation as a laudable breakthrough.
 
The police spokesperson said, “It is true, a crack team of officers combed the creeks of Akpabuyo and rescued the victim at about 11pm Thursday.
 
“It was based on the order of the Commissioner of Police, CP Aminu Alhassan, and we thank God that the student was rescued alive
 
“She is recovering as she is also receiving treatment at the moment.”
 
The police public relations officer however issued a stern warning to kidnappers and hoodlums operating in the state, saying, “This is a serious note of warning that we will not tolerate any form of criminality in any part of the state.
 
“No matter where they hide, we shall always smoke them out, no matter how long it takes.
 
“Every kidnapper or criminal in the state must understand that we are bringing the fight to them. We are not going to allow any person or group to carry out any nefarious activity in any part of Cross River State.”
 
Also while confirming the rescue of the student, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, the founder and Chancellor of Arthur Jarvis University, told Vanguard he was thankful to God for the safe return of the student.
He also commended the police for rescuing the kidnapped student. 

Insecurity News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :