One of the notorious bandits’ leaders who carried out the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls at the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe town in Zamfara State in February 2021 have revealed that the Nigerian government coughed up N60million cash before they (the bandits) freed the girls.
The bandits’ leader in an interview with BBC Africa Eye, when asked what they did with the money, simply stated that they used the money to acquire more rifles and other deadly weapons for subsequent operations.

The interview is part of the BBC documentary, released on Friday, and titled, The Bandits’ Warlord of Zamfara.
Jangebe is in the Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
On February 26, 2021, the bandits attacked the GGSS in Jangebe and kidnapped hundreds of students.
They were, however, released a few days later.
SaharaReporters had reported how in 2019, the state government signed a peace agreement with the gunmen.
About 15 brand new Hilux vehicles and cash gifts were also given to leaders of different “repentant” gangs of bandits by the governor in 2020.
But despite all these, communities in the state are still being attacked and residents kidnapped and killed.
In the documentary, the BBC Africa Eye has spent more than two years tracking down and speaking to some of the most notorious bandit warlords in Zamfara.
At huge personal risk, a young Nigerian journalist and law student, Yusuf Anka, visited bandit leaders in remote encampments across the state—including one of the men who, in February 2021, abducted nearly 300 girls from a high school in Jangebe.
In a series of shocking encounters with both victims and perpetrators, the film lays bare the full horror of the violence that has taken hold across the north-west.
It makes clear that, despite the bravery of the security forces, the Nigerian state is failing to provide basic security to many of its citizens, reveals just how lucrative the kidnap-for-ransom business has become, and warns the country that this crisis now contains elements of an ethnic conflict between Hausa and Fulani. 
The film’s most dramatic revelations concern the abduction of the nearly 300 girls who were seized by bandits from a government-run high school in Jangebe in February 2021.
The bandits behind the abduction have never been caught and have never previously spoken to the media, but the BBC team tracked down one of the men who led the attack on the school. He claims on camera that the bandits were paid a ransom of 60 million Naira from the Nigerian government for the release of the girls. “What did you do with the money?” asks Anka. The reply comes back immediately: “We bought more rifles.”
The film also includes the only media interview ever granted by Ado Aleru, a notorious Fulani gang leader who is wanted by the Katsina police for leading a massacre in the village of Kadisau in June 2020.
Aleru has been at the centre of recent controversy in Nigeria after he was “turbaned” and given the title ‘Chief of the Fulani’ by an Emir in Zamfara state.
Asked on camera how many people he had kidnapped, Aleru told the BBC: “My men do that; I just go and kill them.”
Aleru remains vague about his political objectives, beyond a general bitterness towards Hausa communities and a resentment of the Nigerian government.

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The Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State command, in a twist of events, has ordered the prosecution of a corps member, David Ogunnusi who, along with his brother, was harassed by policemen from the Ikorodu division, recently.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed this in a statement on Friday.

He said it was one of the decisions reached following an investigation of a viral video showing the unprofessional conduct by three policemen against the 24-year-old Ogunnusi.
In a strange twist, Hundeyin said the corps member would be prosecuted for inciting the members of the public against the police.
The police also decided to sanction two assistant superintendents of Police (ASPs) and one Inspector for alleged unprofessional conduct over the matter, Hundeyin said.
The officers, according to Hundeyin, are ASP Adedeji Babatunde, ASP Ebiloma John and Insp. Obidah Daniel, attached to the Sagamu Road Police Division in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
According to Hundeyin, Ogunnusi told the police that the incident happened at New Garage, Ikorodu at about 11am on Tuesday, while they were heading to Ojota.
He said that the policemen allegedly stopped them and started harassing them.
“They asked for our ID cards, which we showed them as Corps members even in our uniforms, that was not enough proof for them.
“I asked them to check my bag if they would find any illicit substance or weapon in it but they chose not to, telling us to go inside their (patrol) bus, then I insisted; saying if they can’t do it publicly we were not going in.
“Suddenly, a policeman in mufti gave me a blow, then they removed my Youth Corps’ face cap, while my brother was being carried like an animal. I quickly created awareness then people joined in.
“So, the police just snatched my younger brother’s phone and they zoomed off, saying we should come to their station,” Ogunnusi explained.
The police spokesman said that the men were identified through the video that went viral, stressing that the officers, as well as the corps members, were at the command’s headquarters on Friday, for investigation.
Hundeyin said that after a careful study of the statements of all involved, it came to light that the police officers acted unprofessionally in demanding to whisk the corps member and his brother to the station for a search.
“That act was totally needless, provocative and unethical. It would have been a different case if a search at the same spot had yielded discovery of criminal items on them which would have warranted moving them to the station for further interrogation and statement taken.
“For this, CP Abiodun Alabi had ordered that the ASPs be queried and the Inspector defaulted in line with extant procedural rules of the Force.
“The corps member, on his part, will be prosecuted for inciting the members of the public against the police,” he said.

 

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No fewer than nine people, including a nursing mother and her less than one-year-old baby, have been abducted in Kuchi community of Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
Although no life was lost in the attack, dozens of people have fled their homes to Sarkin-Pawa, the headquarters of Munya Local Government, as well as Gwada displaced persons’ camp in Shiroro Local Government Area and Minna, the state capital.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, said nine people were kidnapped.
Abiodun said police tactical teams with vigilante members had been drafted to the area to trail the hoodlums and rescue the victims.
The fleeing villagers, however, said 50 people were kidnapped in the area during a heavy rain that fell around 2am on Friday.
It was gathered that after the victims were taken out of their homes about 2am on Friday, terrorists, alongside their captives, got trapped for hours without access to their exit route to move out of Munya Local Government because of the overflow of Dangunu River, a few kilometers from the attacked community due to heavy downpour.
Multiple sources said if security operatives were on ground to engage the terrorists immediately, the victims would have been rescued before they exited the community.
Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki, co-convener of Concerned Shiroro Youths, said, “Terrorists in their large numbers invaded the town (Kuchi) in the midnight, which resulted in mass abduction of people.  They stormed the community around 2am while it was raining, and instantly launched a house-to-house operation and assembled their victims for onward movement to their enclave.”
One of the displaced persons also told our correspondent that the bandits kidnapped many people.
Kuchi, one of the largest farming communities in Munya Local Government, has suffered incessant attacks and dozens of residents displaced in the last few months.

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A Nigerian doctor named Obinna Obeta, residing in the United Kingdom has been accused of plotting with former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, to traffic a homeless man into the UK to harvest a kidney for their daughter.
Obeta, 50, appeared before the Bexley Magistrate court and was charged under the Modern Slavery Act with arranging the travel of a 21-year-old man with a view to him being exploited between August last year and this May

According to Daily Mail report on Friday, a second charge alleges Obeta conspired with the former Senate President to arrange or facilitate the travel of the man with a view to him being exploited, namely organ harvesting.
He appeared before the court on Thursday, July 13.
Recall the Ekweremadus are being tried in the UK on charges of organ harvesting after a 21-year-old man, David Ukpo, they brought to the UK approached the police with claims of being treated as a slave and also claiming that he was ”15” years old.
The Nigerian politician and his wife were arrested in the UK on June 21 after flying into Heathrow from Turkey.
It was later discovered that David lied about his age as the biodata on his Nigerian bank accounts and the National Identity Management Commission NIMC indicated he was 21 years old.
Obeta was on Thursday charged with arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation and conspiring together with Ike Ekweremadu.
SaharaReporters had on July 7 reported that the Westminster Magistrates Court ruled that David was not 15 years old as initially claimed.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to August 4 and the Ekweremadus will appear at the Central Criminal Court in London for the continuation of the trial as approved by the UK Attorney General.

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An international Working Group has declared the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as unlawful and an infringement on his international human rights.
The Working Group on arbitrary detention, under the United Nation Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), disclosed this in a statement published on its website.

The group comprises scholars and experts who specialise in human rights issues and related laws.
Kanu is facing terrorism charges in Nigeria before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since mid 2021.
The IPOB leader was detained after he was arrested in Kenya and repatriated in June, 2021.
He was arrested over his agitation for Biafra and by extension, Nigeria’s breakup.
The statement by the working group said, “The Working Group is mindful that article 9 (2) of the Covenant requires that anyone who is arrested is not only informed of the reasons for the arrest but also promptly informed of any charges against them. As explained by the Human Rights Committee in its general comment No. 35, the obligation encapsulated in article 9 (2) has two elements: information about the reasons for the arrest must be provided immediately upon arrest6 and there must be prompt information about the charges provided thereafter. Failure to do so violates article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 9 of the Covenant, and principle 10 of the Body of Principles, and renders the person’s arrest devoid of any legal basis.
“Consequently, Mr. Kanu’s arrest without an arrest warrant and with no explanation as to the reasons for his arrest violated his rights under article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 9 of the Covenant and principles 2, 4, 10, and 36 (2) of the Body of Principles,” it said.
Bruce Fein, the American lawyer of the IPOB leader had petitioned the group over alleged gross violation of his client’s rights.
The UN group in its report also described Kanu’s repatriation from Kenya in June 2021 as “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional extradition.”
It read, “On 30 December 2021, the Working Group transmitted the allegations from the source to the Governments of Nigeria and Kenya under its regular communications procedure. The Working Group requested the Governments to provide, by 28 February 2022, detailed information about the current situation of Mr. Kanu and to clarify the legal provisions justifying his continued detention, as well as its compatibility with the obligations of Nigeria and Kenya under international human rights law, and in particular with regard to the treaties ratified by the two States. Moreover, the Working Group called upon the Government of Nigeria to ensure Mr. Kanu’s physical and mental integrity.
“On 25 January 2022, the Government of Nigeria submitted a reply in which it stated that, given that the case is on-going in national courts, “any reaction by the Federal Government of Nigeria will be unconscionable.”
“29. The Working Group regrets that it received no reply from the Government of Kenya and that it also did not seek an extension in accordance with paragraph 16 of Working Group’s methods of work.
“The Working Group has maintained from its early years that the practice of arresting persons without a warrant renders their detention arbitrary. This lacks any valid legal basis under any circumstance. Judicial oversight of any detention is a central safeguard for personal liberty and is critical in ensuring that detention has a legitimate basis. In the circumstances attending the detention of Mr. Kanu at an unknown location, the Working Group finds that his right to an effective remedy under article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 2 (3) of the Covenant were violated. He was also placed outside the protection of the law, in violation of his right to be recognised as a person before the law under article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 16 of the Covenant.
“The Working Group also considers that Mr. Kanu’s time in detention following his arrest constitutes pre-trial detention, which violated the prescriptions of article 9 (3) of the Covenant in so far as Mr. Kanu was not presented before a judicial authority within 48 hours and no individual assessment of the appropriateness of his pre-trial detention took place.
“The source asserts and the Government does not contest that on or about 29 June 2021, Mr. Kanu was subjected to extraordinary rendition to Abuja, Nigeria, with no prior judicial hearing before a judicial or administrative body. The source emphasizes that Mr. Kanu was not given access to counsel and was denied any judicial proceedings all together whilst in Kenya. The source notes that, according to Nigeria’s Attorney General, Mr. Kanu was apprehended and transported to Abuja with the cooperation of Nigerian intelligence officials and Interpol.

“The source claims that, in the present case, there was no fair and public hearing concerning Mr. Kanu’s removal from Kenya to Nigeria. The source stresses that involuntary expulsion to a foreign State without a hearing by judicial authorities does not conform with due process considerations. It is clear from the facts as narrated by the source and not contested by the Government that Mr. Kanu was never presented to a court before leaving Nairobi. Instead, he was unwillingly taken, outside any legal process and without any legal protection. He was forcibly conveyed from Nairobi to Abuja under an arrangement between the Kenyan and Nigerian Governments, and with the cooperation of the Nigerian Intelligence officials and Interpol, as confirmed by Nigeria’s Attorney General.
“As the Working Group has previously observed 9 international law regarding extradition provides procedures that must be observed by countries in arresting, detaining and returning individuals to face criminal proceedings in another country and in ensuring that their right to a fair trial is protected. This is also an explicating obligation arising from article 13 of the Covenant which requires that the person who is to be expelled “be allowed to submit the reasons against his expulsion and to have his case reviewed by, and be represented for the purpose before, the competent authority or a person or persons especially designated by the competent authority”.
The Working Group finds that all these requirements were ignored in the present case and the removal of Mr. Kanu from Kenya amounted to extraordinary rendition.
“Further, the Working Group notes that this was preceded by the secret detention of Mr. Kanu. As the Working Group and other experts have stated regarding State responsibility in the joint study on global practices in relation to secret detention in the context of countering terrorism:
Secret detention, involving the denial or concealment of a person’s detention, whereabouts or fate has the inherent consequence of placing the person outside the protection of the law. The practice of “proxy detention”, where persons are transferred from one State to another outside the realm of any international or national legal procedure (“rendition” or “extraordinary rendition”) for the specific purpose of secretly detaining them, or to exclude the possibility of review by the domestic courts of the State having custody of the detainee, or otherwise in violation of the well-entrenched principle of non-refoulement, entails exactly the same consequence. The practice of “proxy detention” involves the responsibility of both the State that is detaining the victim and the State on whose behalf or at whose behest the detention takes place.
“It is aimed at avoiding all procedural safeguards, is not compatible with international law. The Working Group has previously found a violation of article 9 of the Covenant and the detention to be arbitrary where individuals were transferred to another country outside the confines of any legal procedure, such as extradition, were not allowed access to counsel. This is precisely what happened to Mr. Kanu.
“Secret detention, involving the denial or concealment of a person’s detention, whereabouts or fate has the inherent consequence of placing the person outside the protection of the law. The practice of “proxy detention”, where persons are transferred from one State to another outside the realm of any international or national legal procedure (“rendition” or “extraordinary rendition”) for the specific purpose of secretly detaining them, or to exclude the possibility of review by the domestic courts of the State having custody of the detainee, or otherwise in violation of the well-entrenched principle of non-refoulement, entails exactly the same consequence. The practice of “proxy detention” involves the responsibility of both the State that is detaining the victim and the State on whose behalf or at whose behest the detention takes place.
“In the light of the foregoing, the Working Group renders the following opinion: In relation to Kenya and Nigeria; The deprivation of liberty of Nwannekaenyi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu, being in contravention of articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 2, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is arbitrary and falls within Categories I, II, III and V.
“The Working Group requests the Governments of Kenya and Nigeria to take the steps necessary to remedy the situation of Mr. Kanu without delay and bring it into conformity with the relevant international norms, including those set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The Working Group considers that, taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the appropriate remedy would be for the Government of Nigeria to release Mr. Kanu immediately and for both Governments to accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law. In the current context of the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the threat that it poses in places of detention, the Working Group calls upon the Government of Nigeria to take urgent action to ensure the immediate unconditional release of Mr. Kanu.
“The Working Group urges the two Governments to ensure a full and independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Mr. Kanu and to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights.
“In accordance with paragraph 33 (a) of its methods of work, the Working Group refers the present case to the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, for appropriate action. The Working Group requests the Governments to disseminate the present opinion through all available means and as widely as possible.”

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The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Joint Action Committee, comprising the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, have said their planned protest in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities will hold as planned.
The labour unions said they were not aware of any security report by the Department of State Services that advised against the rally, insisting that their protest in solidarity with ASUU over its six months old strike would hold on July 26 and 27, PUNCH reports.

ASUU had on February 14, 2022 embarked on a nationwide strike over the failure of the Federal Government to honour the agreement it reached with the union in 2009.
The issues in contention include the delay in the release of the revitalisation fund for the universities, adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as the preferred payment platform for the university system and the payment of earned academic allowances to lecturers.
Despite the series of meetings between the Federal Government and the union, the issues have yet to be resolved, prolonging the strike and prompting the intervention of the NLC.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, declared the proposed nationwide protest illegal, saying the NLC had no dispute with the government.
Also on Thursday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, cautioned against the demonstration, saying he received a security report from the DSS that the rally might be hijacked by hoodlums.
But responding to Ngige on Friday in an interview with PUNCH, the Head, Information and Public Affairs, NLC, Mr Benson Upah, stated that the congress was not aware of any security report by the DSS.
He noted that the rally was a symbolic gesture to pressure the government to resolve the five-month ASUU strike, adding that the union’s rallies were always peaceful and that participants had always conducted themselves in a peaceful manner.
He said the police were aware of the protest and would be expected to provide security during the exercise.
He said, “First and foremost, none of our rallies have ever been associated with violence; Nigerians can attest to that. We have always been peaceful; we will ensure we are not implicated. We will carry out our duty as usual.
“I’m not aware of any directive sent to us but I heard the Minister of Labour and Employment saying an advisory came to him, but this will not be the first time such an advisory will be issued.
“Left for the DSS, we will not hold any peaceful rally in this country. At the peak of Boko Haram attacks in Abuja we had our rally. All the rallies were peaceful. I think that is a testimony to our patriotic intention, our organisational capability, our vigilance and the voice of appreciation from Nigerians and we appreciate all of that. We have been able to conduct ourselves reasonably well.”
Responding to the statement by the government that the education minister was not given two weeks to resolve the ASUU crisis, Upah argued that this means the government was not interested in a quick resolution of the crisis.
He noted, “It’s an open ‘cheque’ such that even if it takes till 2023 there is nothing wrong. So, you see why it is necessary for a rally as a platform for people to speak publicly to the issues at stake.
“In a situation like this, what I expect the government to say, given the increasing anxiety, is that the Ministers of Education and that of Labour and Employment are hereby given the mandate to resolve the issues in 48hrs. That would have been more consoling.”

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A Federal High Court in Warri has heard the bail application of the Delta State Take-It-Back Coordinator, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, who was illegally detained and remanded in prison.
SaharaReporters had on June 1 reported that Justice Okon Abang fixed the hearing for July 21, 2022.
The lawyers supported by Legal Aid, Citizens Gravel Foundation for Social Justice had filed the bail application for the release of the activist, Aghogho.

The case was listed as No 16 on the cause list.
Aghogho was represented by four counsel led by U. G Ehirim Esq while the police were represented by S. B. Irabor, a Superintendent of Police.
SaharaReporters learnt that in a twist and an attempt to truncate the business of the day, the Zonal head of the Delta State Attorney General's office Warri, one Mrs Aikpokpo-Martins appeared to take over the matter from the police.
The judge was, however, bold and refused every attempt by the state to truncate the business of the day.
After the arguments were taken, the court raised issues as to whether it had jurisdiction to take the application given as the remand order was made by a magistrate court.
The lawyers addressed the court and ruling was adjourned to October, 2022.
A source at the court told SaharaReporters that the state government also made desperate attempt to remove Aghogho to an unknown destination in the guise of taking him to Warri for arraignment whereas the reproduction order shown to the warders read Asaba as a destination.
“The prison officials resisted this Gestapo moves by the state and Aghogho is safe in custody,” it added.
SaharaReporters also learnt that the Take It Back Movement members who visited Aghogho in Prison confirmed that some plain-clothed police officers led by one CSP Fidelis Odunna (O/c Legal of Delta State Police Command) came to pick Aghogho from the Ugwashukwu Correctional Centre.
“They came with a tinted Ash color Lexus 350 Jeep and two White hilux vans with well armed men as though they were coming to get a notorious criminal. Nothing on their vehicles or their clothes signified that they were police officers.
“When the officers were confronted, they said they wanted to carry Aghogho to Federal High Court, Warri, where he had his day in court. Because of the suspicious manner they appeared, Aghogho demanded to see the reproduction warrant, and what was on it was Chief Magistrate court, Asaba.
“Upon this revelation, Aghogho raised alarm in the Correctional center that his life was at risk. At that point, the Deputy Controller Corrections, Ogwashukwu, Sunday Oyachiri, demanded for explanation but the explanation from the officers was not adding up. He resisted all attempts by the officers who were hell bent in whisking Aghogho away without proper explanation and documentation.
“When it was obvious that Sunday Oyachiri - DCC Ogwashikwu Correctional Center was hell bent on doing the right thing after several hours, the police left without returning,” a source explained to SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, in the suit numbered FHC/WR/CS/51/2022, the lawyers demanded the release of Aghogho from Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre (Prison).
The court document read, “Grounds for the Relief(s) sought are (1) On or about the 8th day of June 2022, the Applicant was remanded at Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre (Prison) by the Order of P. U. Nsolo (Mrs) of the Magistrate Court 1 sitting at Asaba on the guise of holding charge pursuant to sections 293 and 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Delta State. (2) By the said sections of the ACJL, the order made on or about 8/6/2022 has a lifespan of 14 days and was unprofessionally extended to 8/6/2022 by P.U Nsolo (Mrs) on 24/6/2022 without the court sitting.
“(3) The Order has expired since on 24/6/2022 and there is no valid order of court extending the remand order since the Court did not sit. (4) That to date, the Delta State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Efe Odogwu Jesin Odogwu has failed to and /or file any charge against the Applicant (Aghogho) if she wishes to prosecute the Applicant.
“(5) This Court has the power to release the Applicant on the circumstance on bail pending the DPP advice or prosecution (if any). (6) The applicant is an asthmatic patient and needs to be released so he can properly treat himself. (7) The applicant is innocent of the offence with which he is being accused of and ought to be granted bail unconditionally. The applicant is ready to stand trial at any time if called upon to do so.”
On June 6, 2022, the activist was illegally arrested and detained by the police in the state over his calls for a probe into child-trafficking cases in the state.
He had also protested against the lack of police vehicles for an investigation involving child trafficking.
He specifically accused the Assistant Inspector General, Zone 5 Benin, Lawan Tanko Jimeta of compromising an ongoing child trafficking investigation involving Delta State Government officials, police officers, and a retired chief judge among others.
In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Baba Usman, the activist alleged that Jimeta tried everything possible to frustrate investigations into the case, urging the IGP to caution the AIG “if he the IGP is not part of the deal as officers in the zone boast about.”

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A lawyer, M. A. Omotayo, has petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Farouk Yahaya, to investigate Brig Gen Y.O Zubair of the Nigerian Army Signal Base, Apapa, Lagos State, for threatening the life of her client, Chief Elegushi Ifasegun over a landed property which the court had decided.
Omotayo said that despite various court judgements up to the Supreme Court which ruled in favour of Chief Elegushi Ifasegun and his family over the ownership of a land at Itedo, in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, one Toluwaleke Megba and his family members employed the services of the senior military officer who on Saturday, July 16, deployed soldiers who threatened to kill her client with a gun after brazenly trespassing on the property.

The petition dated July 20, 2022 and titled: "Assault, Harassment, Intimidation, Threat To Snuff Out Life With Military Riffles And The Use Of Nigeria Army Weapons/Equipment To Unleash Terror & Wrestle Land At Itedo, Lagos State And Abuse Of Office By Brigadier General Y.O Zubair Of Nigeria Army Signal Base Apapa Lagos State," was copied to the Nigerian Army Headquarters, 81 Division, Corps Commander Nigerian Army Signal Corps, Executive Secretary, National Human High Commission, and the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
The petition partly read, "We are Solicitors to Elegushi Royal Family & in particular Chief Elegushi Ifasegun, the Opemolua of Ikate Land, Elegushi Property Investment Company and Chief John Ogunyemi, the Baale of Itedo (herein after called “Our Client”) and on whose instruction we write to register Our Client’s protest and raise serious objection to use of Nigeria Army Signal Base/Authority, Apapa, Lagos State to unleash terror, assault, harass, intimidate assault, coerce Our Client in order to grab Our Client’s land at Itedo, in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State irrespective of the fact that he has knowledge that there is JUDGEMENT in favour of Our Client by the LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT, where Brigadier General Y.O Subair’s Principal, Toluwaleke Megba and their family members known as Itedo community, declared trespassers on the land.
"Our Client, Elegushi Royal Family including Chief Elegushi Ifasegun and Elegushi Property Investment company are the owners of all land in the Ikate Elegushi Kingdom which includes Itedo, Gbara, Igbokushu, Iroko-Awe, Ilasan, Ologolo, Igbo Olube, Alajapa and Aro all in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
"The Ownership of the which has been stamped with the force of the law in different cases up to the Supreme in; Suit No. SC/29/75: CITY PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT LIMITED VS. AG LAGOS STATE, ONIKOYI CHIEFTAINCY FAMILY & 2 OTHERS delivered on the 30th day of January 1976 Suit No. CA/L/80/87 PRINCE OKANLAWON AJAIYI VS. MUTIU S. ELEGUSHI & ORS. Delivered on the 1st day of February 1989. Suit No. LD/1686/2005: CHIEF PATRICK IBIKUNLE FAFUNWA ONIKOYI & 3 ORS. V. A.G, LAGOS STATE AND OBA YEKINI ELEGUSHI & ORS delivered on the 10th day of July, 2006 SUIT NO. LD/2275/96 BETWEEN MOST REV. APST. ZEBULON HARRISON IKUEGBOWO & ORS. V. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF LAGOS STATE & ORS (the suit which deals specifically with the land in this suit and between the same parties herein to mention a few.
"SUIT NO. LD/2275/96 BETWEEN MOST REV. APST. ZEBULON HARRISON IKUEGBOWO &ORS. V. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF LAGOS STATE & ORS was instituted by Brigadier Subair’s Principal seeking to be declared owners of the land and other relieves sought. The Honorable Court in its judgement in delivered on the 29th day of November 2016 by Hon. Justice T.A.O Oyekan Abdullahi.
"Our Client were adjudged owners of Itedo land and village as against Brigadier Subair’s Principal and his family who were customary tenants of Our Client on the land including the shoreline.
"All sales by Subair’s Principal on Itedo land were declared NULL & VOID and possession of all land granted to Our Client. Subair’s Principal and their Privies including Subair were restrained perpetually by from committing further acts of trespass on the landPrince Toluwaleke Megba and others (Brigadier General Y.O Subair’s Principal) having lost in Court by judgment stated above filed a suit against Our Client at the Federal High Court before Honourable Justice M. S. Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in suit FHC/L/CS/655/2017: PRINCE TOLUWALEKE MEGBA & LUCKY MEGBA OJONLA NIG LIMITED VS. NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY (NIWA) & SIX OTHERS concerning a purported permit granted by National Inland Waterways and again lost dismissing the claim of Brigadier Subair’s Principal the Honorable Court in a well-considered ruling on the 23rd day of January, 2019 held that I have carefully examined the Statement of Claim and I do not see any legal nexus between the Plaintiffs and the 4th and 5th Defendants/ Applicants in this matter."
"Irrespective of the above Judgements and Rulings Toluwaleke Megba and his family members employed the services of Brigadier General Y.O Subair as their land agent who on Saturday the 16th day of July, 2022 deployed the machinery of the Nigeria Army Signal base Apapa Lagos State who under the guise of having a piece of land at Itedo which has been trespassed upon came to the personal office of Chief John Ogunyemi at Yemi Car Wash, Off Admiralty Way, Itedo slapped the Chief who is the head of the village severally and commanded two of his men to beat up the Chief.
"These soldiers in obedience to Brigadier General Subair removed their uniform belts and beat Chief Ogunyemi mercilessly until the Brigadier General ordered them to stop when he realised the Chief was flat on the floor.
"While other soldiers who came with the Brigadier General pointed the rifles in readiness to kill anyone who would dare to come closer and or attempt to rescue the Chief from this indignity, and dehumanisation.
"The team of soldiers led by the Brigadier General Y.O Subair then proceeded to Chief Ifasegun Elegushi’s house at Opemolua Compound No 8, Oba Yekini Elegushi Street, Ikate Elegushi and in a commando manner jumped down from their pick up van, pointing their riffles unto the people including women and children as they enter the compound while everybody scampered for safety.
"Forcing their way into his office, Brigadier General Subair brought out his service pistol and threatened to blow-off Chief Ifasegun Elegushi’s head for daring to ask him for documents that gives authority to the Brigadier General that is higher than the judgements of Court. Banging the Chiefs office table severally despite being cautioned by the Chief to stop to no avail and threatening to kill the Chief and nothing would come out of it.
"He dared Our Client and their agents or privy to come unto Itedo land and be killed, that no judgment of Court can stand where he stands as a Brigadier General in the army.
"Our Clients were terrorized, oppressed, assaulted, humiliated, harassed, intimidated, their human rights abused by Nigeria soldiers as if they were at war.
"As such have become so disenchanted and worried that the machineries of the Nigeria Army could be deployed to terrorize Nigerian citizens for no just cause but to illegally help their cohorts wrestle land that has been adjudged to belong to our Client by Courts of competent jurisdiction.
"Sir, the succor we opine is in your power to intervene and investigate this matter and determine if the purpose for which the army is established is to terrorise, harass, intimidate Nigerians and grab land for an ally.
"If this is answered in negative, we pray the Nigeria Army to bring the culprits to book that sanity may return to Our Society."

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A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State has declared the invasion of the residence of Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer to the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian police as illegal and unconstitutional.

The court also awarded the sum of N100million aggravated damages against the security agencies involved in the invasion.

Recall that four persons including two members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and two policemen were killed in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra State, after a combined team of soldiers and policemen invaded the home of Ejiofor.
The presiding judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, while delivering his judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked, FHC/AWK/CS/56/2021, declared that the brutal invasion of the ancestral home of the lawyer on June 6, 2021, was oppressive, illegal and a gross violation of his rights to life, dignity of human person, fair hearing, right to private and family life.

The court also ordered the Nigerian Army, the DSS, the Nigerian police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others to pay the sum of N100million as compensation to the lawyer.

The court also declared as illegal and unlawful, the taking away and subsequent burning of Ejiofor’s Toyota Car with Registration No. YAB 60 CB together with the dead body of Mr. Samuel Okoro, and other vital documents and valuables seized from the lawyer’s house by the security
agents.

Nganjiwa further made an order restraining the the Nigerian government and security agents from further harassing, threatening or taking further steps in an attempt to terminate the life of the applicant.

The court also directed the Inspector-General of police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately identify their personnel involved in the gruesome act and to sanction them in line with the extant laws.

The defendants in the case include; the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Amy Staff.

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Governor Gboyega Oyetola

The Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, on Friday, said the defeat suffered by the All Progressives Congress at the July 16 governorship election to the opposition party, People Democratic Party (PDP) was a temporary setback.
Oyetola mentioned this at a meeting held at the Osun Government House, Osogbo, and attended by many political appointees and party leaders.

He noted that his loss was a test from God.
The governor urged his party members to return to their various wards and continue regular party activities.
He emphasised that the defeat must not distract them from the bigger project ahead.
He said, “Rumours have been spreading around that I have run away after the election result was announced. We also heard the PDP saying I am trying to convert government assets to mine. Don’t worry about them; they are simply playing to the gallery.
“I summoned all of you here to assure you that the present situation is just a temporary setback. It is a test of our resolve by God and we will continue to stand by him. Ours is God’s project and we shall not despair.
“Go back to your various units and wards across the state and continue with regular party activities, hold your meetings regularly. We have bigger projects ahead and we must not allow this temporary setback to distract us.”
He further said security operatives had been instructed to maintain law and order, harping on the need to remain peaceful. 
“Some persons have been going around disrupting peoples’ daily activities. Do not be disturbed. I have instructed security operatives in the state to maintain law and order. We must continue to remain a peaceful state, nobody is allowed to misbehave,” he concluded.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke on Wednesday received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission. 
Adeleke was declared the winner of the Saturday, July 16 poll, garnering 403,371 votes to defeat Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, who polled 375,027 votes.

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Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, has ordered the remand of the former Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, and three others over 14 charges of N109billion fraud.
Justice O A. Adeyemi-Ajayi who gave the ruling on Friday adjourned till July 27.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) docked Idris alongside three others, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, over 14 charges of N109billion fraud, on Friday.
The prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs, prayed the court to grant the prosecution leave to prefer a criminal charge under Section 109 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) (ACJA) against them.
Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi granted him his prayers.
Count one of the 14 charges filed against Idris and others by the EFCC, reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris, between February and December, 2021 at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation, accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46, whose sum was converted to the United States dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing States in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.”
After reading the charges, the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the 14 charges.
Counsel to Idris, Chris Uche, made an oral application for the bail of his client.
But Jacobs opposed the oral bail application, arguing that it must be done in writing.
However, Uche pleaded for the release of his client pending the filing of a written application for his bail.
According to him, the court should consider that the defendants had been on administrative bail granted him by the EFCC.
“Since there is no complaint that they have breached any of the conditions, they should be allowed to continue on that bail,” Uche said.
After hearing all the arguments, Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi said in her ruling; that “the court is not a puppet to dance to the rhythm of public opinion.
“In the interest of justice for all, they are remanded in prison custody,” and adjourned the case till July 27."

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A federal jury has found former adviser to Donald Trump, Steve Bannon guilty of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol Building. 
The conviction is a victory for the House January 6 select committee as it continues to seek the cooperation of reluctant witnesses in its historic investigation. It is also a victory for the Justice Department, which is under intense scrutiny for its approach to matters related to the January 6 attack, CNN reports. 

After nearly two days of hearing evidence and witness testimony, the jury reached a unanimous verdict on the two contempt charges in less than three hours.
Bannon will be sentenced on October 21. He faces a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail, according to federal law.
Bannon's team did not mount a defence during the trial, and he did not take the stand.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in November after he blew off October deadlines for producing the documents and testimony the committee had subpoenaed.
In demanding his cooperation, the committee had pointed to Bannon's contacts with Trump in the lead up to the Capitol assault, his presence in the so-called war room of Trump allies at the Willard Hotel in Washington the day before the riot, and a prediction he made on his podcast before the riot that "all hell" was going to "break loose."
"In short, Mr. Bannon appears to have played a multi-faceted role in the events of January 6th, and the American people are entitled to hear his first-hand testimony regarding his actions," the House committee report recommend a contempt resolution against him said. The House voted to hold Bannon in contempt in October.
Before the verdict was announced, Bannon entered the courtroom before the jury reassembled in a relatively buoyant mood. He threw his face mask down on the table as soon as he arrived, then sat on his phone for several minutes, a few times showing his lawyer a message.
Once the jury assembled, and before the verdict was read, he had one hand bracing the table, and glanced at the jurors just a few times, primarily watching the judge. He smiled and smirked some after the verdict was read, and then patted his lawyers on the back.
The forewoman read the verdict in a soft voice. She wore a green face mask -- and the rest of the jury all kept their masks on as well.
The jurors answered in unison, "yes," guilty was their verdict.
The Prosecutor described it as a simple 'A simple case', saying Bannon is one of two uncooperative witnesses to be charged so far by the Justice Department for contempt of Congress. Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro was indicted by a grand jury last month for not complying with a committee subpoena and has pleaded not guilty.
In its closing argument Friday, the Justice Department told the jury that the case was "not complicated," but that it was "important."
"This is a simple case about a man -- that man -- who didn't show up," prosecutor Molly Gaston said. Bannon, she argued, "did not want to recognize Congress' authority or play by the government's rules."
Bannon's team argued in closing that the jury had reason to doubt the case, while suggesting the government's key witness was not impartial.
"Mr. Bannon was not in a position to testify" for the committee, his attorney Evan Corcoran told the jury, while pointing to statements Trump had made about executive privilege in the House investigation.
When the House committee was demanding his cooperation, Bannon's lawyer claimed that Trump's stated assertions of executive privilege prevented Bannon from testifying or producing arguments -- an argument the committee roundly rejected. Lawmakers noted that Bannon had for years not been a government official, while pointing to their interest to topic areas not involving conversations with Trump. 

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Two staff members of the Peoples Gazette, who were held by the police in Abuja on Friday, have been released.
According to the newspaper, John Adenekan, assistant managing editor, and Grace Oke, an administration department personnel, were released on Friday evening.

The duo were arrested following a raid of the paper’s head office in Utako District.
The incident, which occurred at 12:35pm, had sparked nationwide outrage and condemnation, with many Nigerians immediately reading it as foibles of a brutal military era long gone.
Five officers took part in the raid and arrests, which lasted for about 30 minutes, as staff members were preparing for a routine editorial meeting.
Three personnel, Ameedat Adeyemi, Justina Tayani and Samuel Ogbu, were summarily released.
But the police did not free Adenekan and Oke for several hours, bowing to pressure only at about 5pm.
“We are excited about the release of our colleagues, John Adenekan and Grace Oke,” Managing Editor, Samuel Ogundipe, said Friday evening.
“We thank our lawyers and the Nigerian public for mounting appropriate pressure.”
Ogundipe, however, said this might not be the end of Buratai’s brutal antics.
“For many who know Tukur Buratai, today’s attack on our paper bore his hallmarks,” he said.
“Tukur Buratai supervised several massacres and corrupt practices when he led the Nigerian Army for six years. He deployed state tools to intimidate and harm citizens and organisations. But he would fail again as in past attacks on press freedoms.”
Ogundipe thanked all Nigerians and organisations, including the CPJ and SERAP, who showed solidarity towards The Gazette, saying the fight to detach Nigeria from the brutalities of its dark days should be sustained.
The arrests came 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 had 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.”

 

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Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State on Friday revealed that eight persons were arrested in connection with the murder of the late state lawmaker, Okey Okoye.
SaharaReporters had reported that Okoye who was representing Governor Soludo in the State Assembly was kidnapped alongside his personal assistant, Cyril Chiegboka in May 2022.

Speaking during the burial of the late Okoye, who represented Aguata State constituency on Friday in his home town, Isuofia, Soludo vowed that he would not rest until all those involved in his gruesome murder are brought to justice.

He also expressed his solidarity to all the victims of criminality in the state, and reassured that every criminal would surely face justice.

According to him, “These people are not unknown gunmen. They live among our people, some of them have families and operate from various communities. We need you to help us identify them so that they can face justice.

“The gunmen came with their strange religion, but there is no relationship between light and darkness. Their gods drink blood, but ours doesn’t, that’s why we need to fight them together.

“Eight persons have so far been arrested, among those who participated in the killing of our brother Okey, and we will not rest until we get all of them.”

The governor also declared ‘operation know your tenants,’ commencing with Isuofia his community, saying that everyone needs to know those who live amongst them especially non-indigenes, as a way of identifying the criminal elements within the communities.

He disclosed that the state House of Assembly had already written to INEC about the vacuum that exists in the constituency, with Okoye’s exit, noting that a by-election would soon be conducted to complete his tenure.
He however assured the family that every entitlement due to the late lawmaker would be paid to them.

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Ifeoluwa, the wife of an Egypt-based Nigerian, named Bolu Bamidele, who set her husband ablaze last Tuesday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, for having a child out of wedlock, has committed suicide by poisoning herself.
SaharaReporters had reported that Bamidele died after he was allegedly set ablaze by his wife, Ifeoluwa, over allegations of having an extramarital affair.

Bamidele, popularly known as Teebam, was said to have returned to Osogbo, the capital of Osun State from Cairo, Egypt, to give his wife a nice treat on her birthday.
The wife, according to findings, discovered that Bamidele had cheated on her and even had a child outside their union.
Ifeoluwa was said to have gone through her husband’s telephone and discovered the messages the deceased allegedly exchanged with another woman on WhatsApp.
After confronting him with the information, an argument ensued.
The lady was said to have angrily written on her WhatsApp stories that she would be taking drastic action.
She had said that her man has “pushed her to the edge” and that people would weep over the two of them before daybreak.
Bamidele was reportedly set ablaze in his home at Koka village on Sunday, with all his belongings destroyed.
Meanwhile, Tribune reports that Ifeoluwa's remains were brought to the mortuary of the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Hospital, Jaleyemi, Osogbo, by policemen, who were said to have decided to kill herself to evade the consequence of her action. 
One of the workers at the hospital, who spoke with Tribune Online over the incident on condition of anonymity, said that she was brought dead to the hospital by the policemen and had been deposited at the morgue.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Yemisi Opatola, confirmed the development, saying she was the one that facilitated bringing the corpse of the woman to the hospital mortuary.

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File Photo

The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory Command, has denied raiding the head office of Peoples Gazette newspaper.
Policemen had on Friday allegedly raided the head office of the newspaper in Abuja and arrested one of its editors, journalists, and staff members.

John Adenekan, an assistant managing editor, was taken away at about 12:35pm by five armed police officers who broke into the paper’s office opposite NNPC Quarters in Utako.
The officers later returned to the office to arrest four other staff members, Ameedat Adeyemi, Grace Oke, Sammy Ogbu and Justina Tayani.
But reacting, the FCT Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, claimed that journalists and staff members of the newspaper were only invited for questioning over a petition written against them accusing the paper of defaming the character of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd).
According to The PUNCH, DSP Adeh said, “Our officers did not raid any media house. We don’t raid media houses because we know better, and media houses are not criminal hideouts.
“Someone had written a petition accusing the newspaper of defamation of character. The newspaper was accused of defaming the character of the former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. However, we got a warrant from the court to invite them for questioning.
“So, the fact of the matter is that there was a petition against Peoples Gazette, and they are not above the law. So, if someone had written a petition against them, the right thing to do is to invite them, and that was what we did. We invited them for further investigation, and we carried the Nigerian Union of Journalists along on this matter. We’re not taking any action behind the NUJ, and there is also a warrant from the court to invite Peoples Gazette for questioning.
“We have no malicious intent for inviting them. Our officers went to Peoples Gazette office this morning to invite them to come to give a statement in response to the petition at the Utako police station. And as I speak to you, the NUJ Secretary is with them at the Utako police station as they’re making their statements.”

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The management of Akwa Ibom airline, Ibom Air, has announced disruption of its flights because of the aviation fuel scarcity.
This was made known in a statement released on Friday and signed by its General Manager of Marketing and Communication, Aniekan Essienette.

Essienette in the statement made available to SaharaReporters said, “Dear valued customer, this is to bring to your notice that the growing unavailability of aviation fuel has greatly impacted on our operations, leading to flight delays. At this point, it might now result in some flight cancellations.
“While this situation is unprecedented and disruptive to our value proposition, we assure you that it is as distressing to us as it is to you.
“At Ibom Air, we will continue to do everything in our ability to operate our flight schedule as close to 100% as possible while looking forward to normalcy being restored at the earliest.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
This is coming a few hours after the Nigerian airlines operators under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), announced that there would be major disruptions of flights across Nigeria due to scarcity of aviation.
This was made known on Friday in a statement by the spokesperson of AON, Obiora Okonkwo.
The warning is sequel to 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.”

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A human rights lawyer and activist, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, has submitted a petition against Muslim group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) to the office of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that MURIC knocked Omirhobo, a Nigerian lawyer who appeared in courts in a traditional priest’s attire.

MURIC had told Malcolm to withdraw suits against hijab use, arabic writing on naira notes and the Nigerian Army logo.
Meanwhile, the lawyer said MURIC's statement had incited Muslims against his person and exposed him to ridicule and hatred in the Muslim society.
He therefore urged the Nigerian police to investigate the matter and take necessary steps against MURIC.
He said, "On 23rd June, 2022, in exercise of my fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion I appeared in the supreme court of Nigeria adorning my Igbe spiritual attire on my Lawyer's uniform which perchance caught the attention of the press and went viral globally.
"In reaction to my attire, MURIC, through its founder and Chairman of its board of trustees, Prof Ishaq Akintola, deliberately assassinated my character by causing the wild dissemination of the following criminal libellous statement against me.
MURIC had said, "Going by his personal record, we are not in any way taken aback. by what Omirhobo did yesterday. The lawyer has exhibited pathological hatred for Muslims, their religion and the language of their faith in the past.
"Was it not the same Omirhobo who went to court over the existence of Arabic letters on naira notes? He did not stop there. He challenged the use of Arabic on army logo. He also sued the Nigerian Police for approving hijab for police women in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the human rights lawyer in the petition, obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, said, “The above libellous statements against my person was in a publication titled "Islamic group react as lawyer, Omirhobo dresses like juju priest to supreme court" published by John Owen Nwachukwu in the Daily Post Newspaper and other National dallies.
"The said publication which is awash in the social media is false, malicious and calculated to defame me and did defame me. That the aforesaid publication lowered me in the estimation of right thinking members of the Muslim society and exposed me to hatred, ridicule, odium, scorn, contempt and unlawful violent.
"Consequent upon the above, I am making this petition to your office to investigate the matter and take necessary steps against MURIC," he added.

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Security operatives attached to the Ogun State special outfit, OP MESA, have shot dead a female student identified as Sadiat and a yet-to-be-identified person.
The victims were allegedly shot dead by the operatives who were chasing suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as “yahoo boys” on Thursday.

The slain student, a 17-year-old student of Unity High School, Ago Ika, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, was leaving the school after writing an examination when the incident happened.
Sadiat, the only daughter of her mother, was pronounced “dead on arrival” at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi Aba, Abeokuta, where she was rushed to for treatment.
“A group of security operatives chasing some suspected yahoo boys started shooting at innocent people. It happened here at Lafenwa area of Abeokuta, a young girl who is the only daughter of her mother and a guy were shot by the security operatives. They were rushed to the FMC hospital but unfortunately the two of them died,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
The Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, but added that he was not aware of the death of anybody.

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Hope Uzodinma

Some residents of Imo State have berated the governor, Hope Uzodinma over continued closure of the Owerri division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).
The President of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip had on June 4 ordered the closure the court in Owerri following an attack and abduction of four staff of NICN allegedly by officials of the Imo State Government.

The officials were abducted while they were effecting a judgment of the court.
“I have been directed by the Hon. president of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon Justice B B Kanyip, PhD, to inform you that the Owerri Judicial Division of the Court has been closed down till further notice,” a memo signed by the chief registrar of the court, Olurotimi Williams Daudu, had read.
“Consequently, all the staff of the judicial division are hereby directed to stay away from work until further notice.”
The four officials manhandled were Mr Chima Emeka Ndukwe, Akoma Jeremiah, Ikedi Amadi and Nze Moses.
They were whisked away to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command while effecting the judgment of the court involving Zenith Bank in Owerri.
A former deputy governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere had secured an absolute garnishee Order from the National Industrial Court in Owerri against the bank in a suit no: NICN/OW/16M/2022, between Prince Eze Madumere Vs Governor of Imo State, Zenith Bank Plc, the Attorney General of Imo state and the Imo state government.
“The order was for N1.9bn entitlements claim for Madumere and the policemen from Zone 9 have come to implement the court order. The court ordered that the bank should pay him because the state banks with us. The judge in his judgement barred the defendants from appealing and ordered 24 hours for the implementation of the judgment,” a bank official had said.
As a result of that judgment, the three branches of Zenith Bank on bank road,  Douglas and Wetheral were sealed from Thursday, June 2nd to Friday, 3rd.
Apparently, irked by the inability of bank customers to access transactions, officials of the Imo state government led by the Special Adviser to the Governor Uzodinma on Special Duties, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri accompanied by a team of police operatives attacked and abducted the four officials.
However, seven weeks after the incident, the court remains under lock as the state government and concerned authorities appear to be far from an amicable solution.
Some residents of the state have lambasted the governor, describing him as an abuser of the rule of law and due process.
“The governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma who became governor through the Supreme Court should have immense respect for the judiciary and rule of law,” one of them told SaharaReporters.
“After the governor unleashed thugs to arrest the court officials on their lawful duty and label them criminals, the presiding Judge, Rt Hon Galadimma was also threatened which led to the closure of the court till date.
“When the court is shut down, democracy and the fate of dismissed workers will hang in the balance. I urge the governor to also reciprocate the gesture granted to him by the judiciary by respecting the sanctity of the institution and follow due process in appealing judgments that was not unfavourable to his administration.
“The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress in Imo State should not be the eye of the government, they are meant to fight for the welfare of the workers and condemn executive recklessness. I urge the President of the National Industrial Court to please consider the plight of litigants in seeking justice and rescind his decision to unseal the court in owerri. Justice delayed is Justice denied.”

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