The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has published a video that shows the execution of about 20 Christian civilians in northeast Nigeria’s Borno State, BBC reports.
 
One of the masked militants who spoke in Hausa language during the execution said it was to avenge the killing of the group’s leaders in the Middle East earlier in 2022.

The video was published on an IS-linked news outlet and shows three groups of captives in civilian clothes.
 
The time of the video and location of execution is however unknown.
 
Nigerian authorities are also yet to speak on the video.
 
Its authenticity, was, however, confirmed by SITE Intelligence.
 
IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi died in February during a brazen nighttime airborne raid carried out by the United States special forces in northwestern Syria.
 
The operation, in which Kurdish forces also took part, was conducted in the Idlib region where his better-known predecessor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a similar raid in 2019.
 
Qurashi, who was also known as Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla, replaced Baghdadi after his death in a US raid in October 2019. He had a reputation for brutality.
 
The IS militants operate in the Lake Chad region under the name Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), along with another Islamist militant group, Boko Haram. The group has recently suffered huge losses as a result of attacks by a multi-national military force.
 
Boko Haram jihadist group in June 2021 confirmed the death of its chief Abubakar Shekau, who sources say died during infighting with the rival Islamic State-allied faction, according to a video message from its presumed new commander.
 
Shekau’s death has since caused a huge division amongst the ranks of Boko Haram with some of its commanders pleading loyalty to ISWAP.
 
This caused a major shift in Nigeria’s conflict, though Islamic State in West Africa Province or ISWAP has recently emerged as the dominant force in the more than decade-long Islamist insurgency in the country’s northeast.

Insecurity Insurgency Terrorism News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

Cameroon on the map

A small passenger plane carrying 11 people has crashed in a forest in central Cameroon and rescue efforts are underway to locate possible survivors, the transport ministry said.
The cause of the crash and the identity of those on board were not immediately clear, Al Jazeera reports.

Cameroon on the map Cameroon Concord News
According to local media reports, the aircraft was flying from Yaounde Nsimalen Airport to Belabo in the east of the country when air traffic services lost radio contact.
“The air traffic services have lost radio contact with an aircraft flying from Yaounde-Nsimalen-Dompta-Belabo-Yaounde-Nsimalen on Wednesday, May 11, 2022,” with 11 people on board, said transport minister Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe.
Following an air and ground search, the aircraft was found in a forest not far from Nanga Eboko, around 150km (93 miles) northeast of the capital Yaounde.
He did not give details on the victims but indicated that ground resources are being sent to the rescue.
Bibehe also invited Cameroonians to “assist the authorities in conducting rescue operations for the occupants of the aircraft”, which was chartered by a private company, Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO).
The company maintains a hydrocarbon pipeline that runs between Cameroon and neighbouring Chad, official sources told AFP.
The crash is the first major industry incident reported in Cameroon since 2007, when a Kenya Airways plane carrying 114 people crashed after takeoff from Douala, killing everyone on board.

Accident International Travel News AddThis :  Original Author :  SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK Disable advertisements : 

The 2023 presidential aspirant of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari does not understand anything going on in the country, including sports.
 
Sowore said this during an interview with Olukayode Thomas of 234sportsng.com on Thursday, where he scored Mr. President poorly in sports and other areas of governance.
 
The convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and publisher of Sahara Reporters said that seven years of President Buhari-led administration has been years of more negatives than positives.  
 
Speaking specifically on the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government performance on sports, Sowore noted that one of the cardinal errors the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) committed in its 16 years was appointing 13 sports ministers for an industry that needs planning for a long time. APC government in seven years has appointed only two Sports Ministers.
 
“But the worst PDP Sports Ministers; Tamuno Danagogo, Sani Ndanusa, and Samaila Sambawa are better than the duo,” Sowore said.  
 
He said, “I don't think the administration understands anything for that matter of which sports is just one of the things they don't understand how it works.
 
“I was at the National Stadium the other day and I was asking around if the Minister of Sports has ever been to the national stadium. I was told that in the last six years he's been around twice.
 
“The toilets in the swimming section don't work. The first thing any swimmer does is to take a shower and use the toilet. For whatever purpose, the toilet is not working.
 
“In fact, I was directed to the female section of the swimming area so I could use it. I just didn't know what to do. And I asked how that is possible?
 
“And this is just the only functional stadium in the country, the one in Abuja. The National Stadium in Lagos has been converted into a nightclub or night clubs.”
 
He argued that if Nigeria had leaders who understood the potential revenue in sports and how to work, the country could be living off sports alone.
 
With the present set of rulers, Sowore believes the future is bleak.
 
He insisted that there is the need to have a radical change, saying that was why he came up with the idea of a revolution as the current process is at a snail’s pace.
 
The human rights activist who has travelled to about 30 countries across the world said there is no country he has visited that is as bad as Nigeria.
 
“I spent 20 years in the US. When I was going to the US, I was 28 years old, I had no wife or kids; I went to the US and had a wife and kids. Before I had kids and a wife, I came back and ran back to the US.
 
“Nigerians have a very specialised pessimistic spirit. It will be telling you 'Forget about what you saw in the US. After all, it took them 200 years to have democracy.' I travelled to other countries, places like Rwanda, and Kenya, I was in Egypt and Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, and Mauritius,” he noted.
 
According to Sowore, even countries regarded as Third World countries are not as bad as Nigeria.
 
Sowore, who decried the general poor governance in Nigeria, said the country has rendered people hopeless. He added some people designed the country not to work.
 
“This is the only country in the world where you live and start questioning your sanity. It's hopeless. I would be lying to you if I said that there's anything hopeful about here. I don't think so, because there are people that have designed this place not to work, and they are vehemently opposed to those who want to try to make it work.”
 
He maintained that only a revolutionary situation can make Nigeria work again.
Sarcastically, the presidential aspirant said that “if the contractors that built Rome were Nigerians, there would be no Rome today, because they would have kept saying, "We will deliver next year.”

News AddThis :  Original Author :  SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK Disable advertisements : 

The apex Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to throw open its presidential ticket instead of zoning it to the South East.
 
It said that the position of the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum, the Southern Governors Forum and indeed all the “right-thinking patriotic Nigerians” is very clear that "a Northerner must not hand over to a Northerner" if Nigeria must survive.

It said the PDP has a choice to make; nominate a Northerner and fail woefully and be buried with an epitaph "there once existed a treacherous political party which changed its goal post at the middle of the game".
 
Ohanaeze spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, who spoke exclusively with SaharaReporters on the resolution of PDP to throw open its presidential for 2023 Presidency, said, "It is possible that Sen. Iyorcha Ayu needed to throw the sale of the presidential forms open to fit into the current bourgeois-democratic paradigm."
 
Though the PDP added that consensus is not out in its resolution on the zoning of the presidential ticket, Ogbonnia said, "The Igbo will soon challenge the PDP with our consensus candidate", adding that "this project of a Nigerian President of South-East extraction is a desideratum; no going back, a to be or not to be existentialism."
 
He said, "Be reminded that just as God provided a David with a stone to kill Goliath, that God has not changed. This is a just cause and the David will surely come, how, I don't know, but come, he must.
 
"And to the Igbo that runs after presidential aspirants from other geopolitical zones, I will only add that history is replete with how a betrayer ends."

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

Bashir Ahmad

A former Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital and New Media, Bashir Ahmad says many supporters of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan are ignorant of his political activities ahead of the 2023 general election.
 
Bashir was reacting to the backlash that followed his Twitter post on Tuesday, announcing the defection of the former President from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Bashir Ahmad

“When I shared the news of former President Jonathan joining our party, his uninformed supporters insulted me saying that can never happen even in the wildest dream. They should know that we know something they don’t know and not everything plan and execute on social media,” he posted on his verified Twitter handle on Thursday.

 
On May 9, Jonathan had rejected presidential expression of interest and nomination forms bought for him by people, described as nomadic Fulani pastoralists and Almajiri communities.
 
He was quoted as saying that it was an insult for people to buy the form for him without his consent.
 
However, a dependable source in Jonathan’s camp, who pleaded anonymity said that the former president had indeed, joined the APC formally, having registered at his Otuoke Ward in Bayelsa.

However, a source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) political correspondent late on Wednesday that some influential African leaders had called Jonathan earlier on Monday to advise him “to contest the election in the interest of Nigeria.
 
“At least three top African leaders called the former president on the matter. They all urged him to run.
 
“One of them specifically told him that it didn’t make sense travelling all over Africa settling disputes only to shy away from leadership responsibility in his home country.
 
“Another reminded him of the implication of failing to put the experiences he garnered as a former Nigerian president and as a continental statesman to good use,” the source had added but did not mention the names of the African leaders.

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

A yet-to-be identified student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in‪ Sokoto State has been burnt to death by her colleagues for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

SaharaReporters gathered that the incident happened on Thursday morning.

She was burnt to death by Muslim students who dragged her out of her hostel.

Similarly in March 2021, some angry youths backed by leaders in Sade community in the Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State burnt a man identified as Talle Mai Ruwa, to death for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad.

SaharaReporters learnt that Mai Ruwa was dragged away from his house on Tuesday in the presence of his mother and burnt to death in the middle of the community.

Eyewitnesses shared gory pictures of the incident with SaharaReporters which showed the middle-aged man burnt along with tyres.

Islam News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

Scores of students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have blocked Ife-Ibadan Expressroad as they protest against the lingering industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU is the umbrella union of public university lecturers.
The students who initially gathered at their campus gate on Thursday morning moved to the highway which connects Ife, Osun State to Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that the students, who converged under the backing of the Fund Education Coalition, pledged to hold protests till the day their demands would be met by the Nigerian government.

They displayed placards bearing various inscriptions like “Fund Education Now”, and “Education is not a Scam” among others, as they shouted in unison “End ASUU Strike”.
 
ASUU embarked on a nationwide warning strike on February 14 and has continued to extend it towards pressing home its demands.

Its demands include the revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) for payment of university lecturers.

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

Garba Shehu

Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has said the President’s directive that ministers, heads of agencies and other appointees seeking elective offices should resign their appointments, is not in line with the section 84 of the Electoral Act.
He also said the president would not investigate how aspirants got the whopping sums of money they spent on buying the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) forms.

Garba Shehu
Garba, while featuring on a Channels TV programme on Thursday, monitored by SaharaReporters, however, said the directive of the President must be obeyed.
He noted that the President would hold a farewell meeting with the departing ministers on Friday at 10 am.
“He made no reference to section 84, he simply gave the directive and I think it’s clear that as the head of the executive arm of government, he owns the executive authority and power to decide,” Shehu said.
“The President is planning a farewell meeting tomorrow to say thank you to them (ministers) for sacrificing so much to serve the nation.”
He also said the ministers seeking to have a consultation with President Buhari before resigning will be able to do so on Friday, but that the directive still stands.
Speaking on the presidential ambition of the governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, Shehu said the directive is clear and that it is left to Emefiele to determine what is applicable to him.
 
“Does he consider himself the head of an agency or parastatal or consider himself a member of the ministerial department, I expect that he and his loyalists will determine what is applicable for them,” he said.  
Shehu also said the cost of the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling APC, which is N100 million, should be applauded as the party needs the money. Shehu said the amount is not too much.


He also said the president is not in the position to investigate how aspirants got the whopping amount of money to pay for the forms.
“The party made a case for this and the national chairman was applauded because this is a party that doesn’t take money from the treasury.
“This kind of scrutiny is up to the civil societies and the media to ask questions but saying the President should launch an investigation, I don’t think that is the direct way to go,” he said. 

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

Human rights activist, Mr Omoyole Sowore, has decried the defection of Former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Sowore, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), described the situation as an age-long denial of the truth by metaphorically relating it to a quote from a German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer.

He said in a tweet on Thursday, "Every Lie Has An Expiration Date! @GEJonathan joins Janjaweed APC @OfficialAPCNg.
“ME: "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident - Arthur Schopenhauer
“#WeCantContinueLike This."

Every Lie Has An Expiration Date! @GEJonathan joins Janjaweed APC @OfficialAPCNg
ME: “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
- Arthur Schopenhauer#WeCantContinueLikeThis pic.twitter.com/eC415zNoPz

— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) May 12, 2022
The News Agency of Nigeria earlier reported that Jonathan had defected to the ruling APC in a bid to vie for the presidential seat in 2023.
This comes a few hours after he disassociated himself from the Northern group that had brought the N100m APC form in his name.
According to his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president said it was an insult for the group to have bought him the form without his consent.
But according to the News Agency of Nigeria, a credible source in Jonathan’s camp said the former President has finally decided to contest for the top office.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NAN that the former president has formally joined the APC after registering at his Otuoke Ward in Bayelsa.
He is expected to submit the duly filled forms on Thursday.
SaharaReporters exclusively reported on Tuesday that claims by the former President that he did not authorise the purchase of the multi-million-naira forms were far from the truth.
“Contrary to his denials, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave over N200 million to the governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru, to purchase the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for him,” a source privy to the arrangement had told SaharaReporters.
Jonathan lost to the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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

Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has said the planned defection of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 elections may earn him ridicule.
 
Jonathan has been in the public eye amid his rumoured defection to the ruling party to secure its presidential ticket for next year.

The N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling APC were reportedly bought for former President Jonathan by a northern group on Monday.
 
Jonathan, however, denied knowledge of the move.
 
SaharaReporters exclusively reported on Tuesday that claims by the former President that he did not authorise the purchase of the multi-million-naira forms were far from the truth.

“Contrary to his denials, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave over N200 million to the governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru, to purchase the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for him,” a source privy to the arrangement had told SaharaReporters.
 
Interestingly, the Jigawa governor, Badaru had last week joined other interested presidential aspirants to vie for the ticket of the APC by buying the N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms.

“I will join the Presidential race since everyone knows I’m a highly qualified person to do the job,” Badaru had been quoted as saying during an APC stakeholders’ meeting held at Government House in Dutse last Tuesday.

The governor was also said to have told the gathering during the meeting that he was pressurised by his colleagues to contest for the presidential seat.
 
His media aide, Auwalu Sankara, said his principal had sought President Muhammadu Buhari’s blessings before buying the forms.

But SaharaReporters learnt that the Jigawa governor had bought the forms and come up with the statements as a ruse to deceive Nigerians; as he was indeed working for Jonathan.

It was further learnt that Jonathan had backed out of the plan and swiftly come up with the denial after the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, refused to guarantee that the former President would be the consensus candidate of the ruling party.
 
“The reason why he (Jonathan) gave him that much money – over N200 million – was that he asked the governor to buy himself a form too in order to cover up the deal,” the source had said.

“And upon purchasing the form, Jonathan alerted Buhari. Buhari told him to meet with the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, but Adamu said he can’t guarantee him as a consensus candidate.

“At that point, GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) started denying that he purchased the form,” another source had said.
 
SaharaReporters much earlier broke the story of how a cabal in the ruling APC had pushed for Jonathan to succeed Buhari, after being impressed by how the former President never openly criticised the Buhari government despite its ineptitude and the insults the APC, as an opposition party, hurled at him (Jonathan) ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

The fact that Jonathan cannot spend more than one term in office, if they can manage to get him there, was also not lost on the cabal.
 
But in a post via his social media handles on Thursday, Adeyanju warned Jonathan against the move.
 
According to him, the APC may embarrass Jonathan during its national convention in Abuja.

"What is Goodluck Jonathan really looking for again? These APC people are extremely dishonest; they may embarrass him at Eagle Square."

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

File photo used to illustrate story.

One person was reportedly killed while 12 others were injured when an explosion rocked a beer joint in Kabba, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday night.
 
According to AIT, the deceased person, identified as Aisha, was injured by the explosion and evacuated to the hospital with others. She, however, eventually died.

File photo used to illustrate story.

It is understood those injured during the incident are currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
 
Chairman of Kabba-Bunu Local Government, Moses Olorunleke and the police command confirmed that the explosion was caused by domestic gas.
 
The Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area said security agencies had been mobilised to the scene to restore normalcy and secure lives and property.
He added that an investigation has commenced into the incident.

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

President Muhamadu Buhari has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to consider the plight of the students and call off its ongoing strike.
ASUU is the umbrella body of public university lecturers in Nigeria.

The President spoke at the 19th National Productivity Day Celebration and Conferment of National Productivity Order of Merit Award, held at the State House Conference Center, Abuja.

The president recalled his February 1 directive to his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and ministers of education, and labour and employment, Adamu Adamu and Chris Ngige respectively, to “address the concerns of striking aggrieved workers’ unions”.

He also appealed to students to be patient.

ASUU had on February 14 declared a one-month warning strike to protest the non-implementation of its demands by the federal government.
 
But on March 14, the union extended the industrial action by eight weeks, citing the government’s failure to fully address its demands.
 
The union also extended the strike by another 12 weeks on Monday.
 
The union had in a statement on Monday, said since the President’s directive was issued, no meeting had been held by the concerned officials to resolve the conflicts.
 
It also said the failure of the government to show concern about its demands forced it to extend the three-month-old strike by another three months.

Education News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

A Nigerian soldier attached to the Forward Operations Base (FOB) in Galadi, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State has been arrested for selling ammunition and military uniforms to armed bandits in the state.

SaharaReporters gathered that the soldier identified as Bala Nura (19NA/78/3870) was arrested by the military police on Wednesday.

Sources said Nura confessed to selling 100 rounds of 7.62mm special each to the terrorists at the rate of N100,000.

He was also caught with 1,000 rounds of the same ammunition which he promised to sell the gunmen for N1 million.

“ARREST OF SUSPECTED SLDRS SELLING AMMO TO BANDITS. AT ABOUT 110845A MAY 22, INVESTIGATION CARRIED OUT ON CASE OF 425 X MISSING AMMO AT FOB GALADI IN SHINKAFI LGA OF ZAMFARA STATE DISCOVERED 19NA/78/3870 PTE BALA NURA OF SAME FOB INVOLVED IN SELLING AMMO TO BANDITS/TERR. SLDR CONFESSED SELLING QTY 100 X RDS OF 7.62 MM SP EACH AT RATE OF N100,000 AND PROMISED TO SELL 1,000 X RDS OF SAME AMMO TO BANDITS AT RATE OF N1,000,000,” a military signal exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters read.

Military Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

SaharaReporters has obtained the picture of an army commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ememike S. Okore (N/11717) who was declared missing following an ambush by gunmen suspected to be terrorists in Taraba State.
 
The gunmen had on Tuesday attacked a military convoy, killing six soldiers and abducting Lt Col Okore.

Those killed were Dauda Tata (7NA/44/4046), Yusuf Salihu (95NA/40/5031), Ndubuise Okonkwo (96NA/42/6911), Abdullahi Ibrahim (13NA/70/7901), Emmanuel Jerry (14NA/72/14051) and Sani Isa (14NA/72/15462) as the casualties.
 
Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement on Wednesday said troops of the 93 Battalion had launched an operation to rescue the abducted senior officer.
 
“Troops are currently in pursuit of the bandits and will leave no stone unturned in the ongoing search and rescue operations for the missing personnel,” he said.
 
“The good people of Taraba state are enjoined to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security agencies.”
  See Also Insurgency UPDATE: Identities Of Lieutenant Colonel Abducted, Five Other Army Personnel Killed By Terrorists In Taraba 0 Comments 1 Week Ago
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters learnt that Okore was illegally dismissed by the army authorities in 2015 but was reinstated by the National Industrial Court in 2018.
 
He was among senior officers accused of failing to perform their military duties during the fight against Boko Haram which resulted in the militants’ capture of Baga, the centre of a multinational force in Borno State.
 
The missing officer, then a Major in the army was tried by a special court-martial for cowardice.

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

Over 24 hours after the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, nullified the Ebonyi State Cybercrimes Law No 12 of 2021 and declared it unconstitutional, Mr. Pascal Etu who won the case against the state government is still held in prison custody.
 
Etu was arrested earlier this year for allegedly violating the state cybercrimes law and remanded in prison by the Ebonyi State High Court on criminal charges.

He was arrested for allegedly using fake accounts to be writing false information on social media. He has been in police detention for months for alleged violation of the Cybercrimes Law.

But while the State High Court did not grant him bail and the case was still on, Etu filed a civil suit against the state government at the Federal High Court in Abakaliki, challenging the constitutional consistency of the state cybercrimes law with the same law at the federal level.
 
In the suit with the number, FCAI/CS/6/2022, Mr. Etu’s Lawyer, Mike Odo, Esq prayed the court to nullify the State House of Assembly’s constitutional powers to make such laws and declare it unconstitutional, null and void for being inconsistent with the Federal Government Cybercrimes Act of 2015.
 
In his judgment on Tuesday, the presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman granted all the prayers of the plaintiff. However, at the time of filing this report, Etu was still in prison.
 
When contacted, the counsel for Etu, Mike Odo, told SaharaReporters that his client was still in prison because the case at the state high court was a criminal case, though it was the same law that gave rise to it.
 
“Pascal is still in prison. The criminal charge that is keeping him in prison is in another court, not the court that gave this judgment. The criminal matter is coming up on Friday.
 
“What we intend to do on Friday is to let the court know about this judgment of yesterday and make an application and see how the judge will respond to it,” Odo said.
 
The lawyer said he expects that when the judge of the State High Court is shown the Federal High Court judgment that has nullified the law, the judge would discharge Etu.
 
“He was charged to court under the cybercrimes law which is now nullified. Ordinarily, there is no basis why he should remain in prison,” he said.
 
Etu had sued Governor David Umahi over the controversial law enacted under controversial circumstances in September 2021.
 
No journalist was present when the law was enacted, except for members of the state House of Assembly.
 
There was also no proof that the law went through public hearing before it was passed.

Human Rights Legal News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

The Isoko traditional rulers’ council in Delta State has denied what it called the "purported endorsement" of some House of Representatives aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), vying for the Isoko federal constituency seat in the 2023 general elections.

A former Managing Director, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and Isoko federal constituency House of Representatives’ aspirant, Askia Ogieh and a former commissioner for energy, Jonathan Ukodhiko, have allegedly said they have been endorsed by the Isoko traditional rulers’ council during separate meetings with the monarchs over the forthcoming PDP primaries.

The issue has however led to a public backlash for the monarchs.
 
Reacting to the endorsement claims, the traditional ruler (Odiologbo) of Otor-Owhe Kingdom, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state, Okpuzo Romanus Inana, kicked against the claims, stressing that there was no time the Isoko traditional rulers council adopted any aspirants.
 
Speaking on Wednesday on behalf of the council during a consultation visit by the former chairman of Isoko South council and PDP aspirant for the Isoko federal constituency in the House of Representatives in the 2023 general elections, Itiako Ikpokpo Malik, at the palace of the Odiologbo of Otor-Owhe kingdom, Inana warned politicians against "unfounded" claims and utterances that could create discord and disunity among the people in the land.
 
The visibly angry monarch, flanked by other traditional rulers from Isoko South and North local government areas, described Malik as a true son of Isoko nation who is loved by all as a result of his performance as Isoko South council chairman and state chairman of All Local Government Of Nigeria (ALGON).
 
Inana told the politician and his entourage: "We want to appreciate your performance as chairman of Isoko South local government area. Your achievements equally impacted very positively in Isoko North. As ALGON chairman, you have a national figure of which we glorify the name of the Lord.
 
"We have received some aspirants in the past who purportedly claimed that the Isoko traditional rulers adopted him, we never adopted any aspirants. We want to make it categorically clear that we never did. And if you people see the pattern of wedging kolanut today in this palace, it is because of the love of traditional rulers for the person of Malik and the ancestors know where our minds stand."

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

A serving lawmaker representing Taraba Southern Senatorial District, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (APC), has confirmed that over 40 persons were killed during the Sallah break by terrorists in the southern part of Taraba State.

Mr Emmanuel stated this on Wednesday while speaking at the plenary.

He said the assailants entered his constituency with motorbikes, popularly known as Okada, and killed the people, including the soldiers and police officers mobilised to avert the attack.

Another lawmaker who corroborated this information at the plenary on Wednesday was a member representing Wukari/Ibi Federal Constituency of Taraba State in the House of Representatives, Danjuma Shiddi.

Shiddi said the village was razed by the rampaging bandits who maimed and displaced hundreds of locals.

He said many communities in Takum had come under heavy attacks by bandits, the latest being the Tuesday attack on Tati village during which the six soldiers and a policeman were killed.

Likewise, the state police command has equally confirmed that an army officer, Lt Col Eminike, is missing while six soldiers and a mobile police officer were killed during a clash between Kutep and Fulani herdsmen at Tarti area in the Takum Local Government Area of the state.

DSP Usman Abdullahi disclosed this to Daily Trust in Jalingo on Wednesday. According to him, Mr Eminike was the Commander leading operations in the trouble area.

He said the killing came one month after three policemen were killed in Takum during a clash between Kutep and Jukun during Kutep’s annual cultural festival.

Abdullahi claimed that Kutep and Fulani militia were responsible for killing the soldiers and the mobile policeman.

Abdullahi said militia from both sides had engaged one another over the weeks and the situation worsened on Tuesday, leading to the deployment of more soldiers and policemen.

But he could not ascertain the number of people killed during the clash.

Meanwhile, Senate President Ahmad Lawan has urged Nigerians to keep assisting the military by providing them with the needed motivation and information to enable them to tackle insecurity in the country.

The House of Representatives also instructed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to deploy more personnel to secure Takum LGA and adjoining communities in Taraba State which had come under siege by bandits.

It also urged the intelligence agencies to fish out the sponsors of bandits, and the National Emergency Management Agency to assist members of the affected communities.

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

A presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress Professor Ben Ayade has secretly obtained senatorial forms of the ruling party, SaharaReporters has gathered.

Ayade had on April 26 declared his interest to run for the office of the President.

He had claimed to have secured the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, leading to his disclosure to contest for the presidential ticket of the party.

On Monday, a support group presented the N100m APC presidential forms to the Cross River governor.

While accepting the forms, Ayade said he has governed Cross River well and can do the same for the entire country.

However, an APC document seen by SaharaReporters showed that the governor also obtained the N20m expression of interest and nomination forms for the Cross River senatorial election. See Also Politics Cross River Governor, Ayade Joins Presidential Race After Meeting Buhari 0 Comments 3 Weeks Ago

Ayade is seeking to represent Cross River North senatorial district in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

A source told SaharaReporters that another senatorial aspirant from the district has entered a pact to act as a placeholder for the governor.

“You know senatorial primaries will come before presidential, so that aspirant who I don’t want to mention his name will get the Cross River North senatorial ticket,” an APC member said.

“If the governor fails to get the presidential ticket of our party, then his front who got the senatorial ticket will step down and he will be replaced by the governor.”

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

President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has ordered all heads of agencies, departments, parastatals, and ambassadors with political ambitions to resign.

This comes after the President on Wednesday directed ministers with political ambitions to also resign. 

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had resigned before the directive. But since the directive, at least three ministers - Rotimi Amaechi of the Ministry of Transportation, Godswill Akpabio of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Ogbonnaya Onu of the Ministry of Science and Technology, have also tendered their resignations. 

A circular obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday morning shows that the office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, among other agencies was copied.

The circular was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

The circular with reference number SGF/OP/ I/S.3/XII/ 173 was titled, ‘Ministers, heads of government agencies, ambassadors and other appointees with political ambitions to resign’.

It reads, "Mr President has observed and noted the expression of interest and intention by some members of the Federal Executive Council, Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies, Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors and other political office holders to contest the Presidential, Gubernatorial, National and State Assemblies' elections. 

"Consequently, Mr President has directed that the affected office holders aspiring to run for various offices in the 2023 general elections should tender their resignation on our before the 16th of May, 2022."

It stressed that for the avoidance of doubt, the directive affects "all ministers, Heads and Members of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies, Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors as well as political appointees who desire to contest for elective offices". 

Following reports that Emefiele is also eyeing the Presidency in 2023, which SaharaReporters had broken months ago, many Nigerians have called for his resignation or sacking, saying it is unethical for the Central Bank Governor to be pursuing a political ambition while remaining in office as the head of the apex bank. 

SaharaReporters on Wednesday reported that President Buhari asked all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) contesting elective positions in 2023 to resign.

They were asked to submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.

According to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the order excludes the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo because he is an elected member of the cabinet.

Mohammed added that if the need arose, the directive might involve political appointees.

Among those affected are Ministers of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; Labour and Productivity, Chris Nigige; Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu and State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva who have all joined the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others are Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, who has declared interest in the governorship position in his home state of Kebbi. 

Running for the governorship position in Abia State is the Minister of State Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar while the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen has also declared her ambition to contest for the senatorial seat in Plateau State.

SaharaReporters also reported that though not a cabinet member, Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) might also be affected by the presidential order. 

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

Barely two weeks to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, the police have arrested its Ebonyi State chairman, Silas Onu, as the crisis in the party deepens.

Onu, who became the chairman of the party in Ebonyi after a court sitting in Abuja sacked Mr Tochukwu Okorie on April 13, 2022, was reportedly arrested on Wednesday by police officers from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the FCT High Court had while delivering his judgement, held that Okorie was not validly nominated to contest the election for the position of Chairman of the PDP in Ebonyi State and that evidence before it established that Okorie submitted his form, three days outside the deadline that was set by the party.

The court held, “It is the finding of this court that the 2nd defendant (Okorie) who submitted his nomination form on October 4, 2021, instead of October 1, 2021, contrary to the guidelines of the conduct of congresses, is not validly nominated.

“It is the opinion of this court that the 2nd defendant, who was indolent in submitting his nomination form as provided in the guidelines issued by the PDP, who in spite of this failure, was still declared and returned elected, cannot be allowed to benefit from his wrongdoing."

PDP, however, complied with the ruling of the court on May 5, 2021, by recognising Onu as its chairman in the state. 

But fresh trouble soon started when he (Onu) recognised the executive of the party in his Ohaozara local government area, elected in the parallel congress he conducted during the state congress of the PDP in October 2021.

Following that, the ousted chairman, Okorie who is challenging his removal in the Appeal Court, sued the new chairman over alleged forgery of Ohaozara LGA PDP congress results, a source close to the matter told SaharaReporters.

The FCT Grade 1 Area court, Nyanya, on April 27, 2022, issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Onu, which the police have now executed.

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