The Nigeria Customs Service says it intercepted over 1,000 bags of poisonous rice in Ogun.

Customs disclosed this on Thursday in a press briefing, saying the parboiled rice was smuggled into the country through the Benin Republic.

The Acting Comptroller, FoU, Zone A, Hussein Ejibunu, said the rice was produced in India

“After seizing the smuggled rice, we called NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) to conduct laboratory analysis and it was gathered that the rice named SIMBA which consists of Led substances that is poisonous to the body was produced in India,” Ejibunu said.

Similarly, in December 2016, Nigerian customs confiscated 2.5 tonnes of "plastic rice" smuggled into the country by unscrupulous businessmen.

According to the agency, the fake rice, said to be sticky after being boiled, was intended to be sold during the festive season.

Incidentally, rice is the most popular staple food in Nigeria.

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Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force, on Thursday, cordoned off the secretariat of the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amid the crisis rocking the party over the zoning of its governorship ticket.
 
The development comes after protests by some of the party members at the Secretariat.

The first batch of protesters numbering over 200 accused the state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Asiforo Okere, of making efforts to impose a governorship candidate on the party.
 
Major stakeholders of the party in the state have been in a battle over which zone should produce the next governor of the state.
 
Meanwhile, the protesters had called on the party to allow a level playing field for all aspirants, stressing that any attempt to impose a candidate on the party will spell doom for the PDP in the election.
 
The leader of the protesters, Comrade O’Brien Iro, had demanded to know why the party decided to conduct the delegates’ election today (Thursday).
 
On Wednesday however, another group of protesters stormed the party Secretariat in solidarity with the party chairman.
 
The protesters, under the aegis of Abia for Better Initiative and led by Festus Amaogu warned against harassment of Abia PDP Chairman.
 
However, police officers have been deployed to the party Secretariat located on Finbarr’s Road.
 
The security agents have prevented staff members and visitors from accessing the premises. They were said to be following “an order from above”.
 
The Publicity Secretary of Abia PDP, Fabian Nwankwo, said workers and officials of the party had been asked to observe one-day rest at home.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further adjusted its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections.
 
Umar M. Bature, PDP National Organising Secretary disclosed this in a statement.

The party first released its timetable for the 2023 elections on March 16. Other timetables were released on April 7 and April 16 respectively.
 
Under the new timelines, House of Representatives primaries will hold on Friday, May 20, 2022, while primaries for the State Houses of Assembly (State Constituency Congress) are scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
 
The party also said the Local Government Area (LGA) Congress to elect one National Delegate per LGA and one Person living with disability in the 774 Local Government Areas is fixed for Tuesday, May 10, 2022, among others.

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Ahead of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State, security operatives have been deployed to Abakaliki, the state capital.
 
Governor David Umahi had in a statement on Tuesday said President Buhari would be in the state for two days: Thursday and Friday.

The announcement was followed by threats from unknown gunmen who declared a mandatory sit-at-home protest on May 5 and 6 in Ebonyi and other states in the South-West region.
 
According to a military source, the gunmen who took over some towns in Abia, Imo and Anambra states on Wednesday evening, threatened to ‘deal’ with anyone caught disobeying the order.
"Gunmen were seen shooting in some streets of Aba in Abia and in Imo and Anambra announcing to residents that there will be sit-at-home on Thursday and Friday when President Buhari is to visit Ebonyi State, and that they must observe it throughout the South-East," the source had said.
 
The gunmen reportedly called on President Buhari to immediately release the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu from detention.
 
But in a report by NAN on Thursday, it was gathered that security operatives had been stationed at strategic locations in the capital.
 
It was observed that among the security personnel on guard were soldiers, policemen, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel.
 
Some residents, who spoke with NAN in Abakaliki said they look forward to the presidential visit to the state.
 
Eugene Nwangele described the visit as relevant, especially when stakeholders in the South-East zone are expected to present issues that bother the zone and country at large to Buhari.

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Rivers Governor Wike

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has blasted Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike over his recent comment that he supports Biafra agitations.
 
Wike, a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said he however does support the violence associated with the group.

Rivers Governor Wike

“I support the agitations in the South-East, whether anybody likes it or not, I do,” Wike said. “We should sit down at the round table and discuss it.”
 
When asked if IPOB poses a threat to him, the governor neither affirmed nor denied it.
 
He said, “Why will they be a threat to me? It is because of the division in this country today that we have never had this country being divided this way.
 
“What pains me is that people take politics to think that I want to use this opportunity to fight this person. There came a time IPOB was singing praises about Wike. This Nnamdi Kanu was singing praises (that) Wike is our son.”
 
IPOB, in a statement signed by Emma Powerful, its media and publicity secretary, said the politician only made the comments to get the support of the Igbo people for his presidential ambition.
 
The group said the Rivers Governor is not supporting Biafra and if he wants to prove otherwise, he should ensure the release of all the Igbos arrested by the Nigerian Army at Obigbo and currently detained in different army barracks in Abuja and Northern Nigeria.
 
IPOB urged Wike to “pursue the Biafra cause the same way you are pursuing your presidential project. Then we will be convinced you truly support our agitation".
 
The group said, “The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the recent statement by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, claiming that he supports IPOB agitation against the Fulani terrorist government of Nigeria.
 
“The recent statement from Wike and his cronies shows that he is under the influence of something by saying that. Is it not the same Wike who classified IPOB as a violent organisation and ordered us to keep off from Rivers State? How NIGERIA politicians lie blatantly without shame! Just because of politics Wike has become a shameless liar.
 
“Wike knows he needs the support and vote of the Igbo and other Biafrans that is why he suddenly turned out to be a supporter of IPOB. Was it not the same Wike that sponsored the broad-day massacre of Biafrans and IPOB members in Obigbo during the #EndSARS protest in 2020? We won't forget the atrocities of Wike against BIAFRA.
 
“We know our friends and supporters and they know us. Wike should stop dissipating his energy because he will not escape judgement for his wickedness against his fellow Biafrans who he denied. The Obigbo genocide will always hunt Wike.
 
“Wike cannot claim to be unaware of the great efforts and sacrifices of IPOB members in his election as Rivers Governor, especially in his second tenure when the evil forces in Abuja wanted to stop him at all cost.
 
“Our men paid the supreme price standing firm behind him thinking he is a human being but unknown to us he is worse than our known enemies.
 
“Wike, stop lying. You are not supporting Biafra. If you are, go and secure the release of all those kidnapped in Obigbo at your behest by the murderous Nigerian Army and detained in different army barracks in Abuja and Northern Nigeria, the same way you secured your nomination and expression of interest forms.”

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A member of the House of Representatives, Shina Peller has begged Nigerians for donations as he declares his intention to run for President under the All Progressives Congress in 2023.
 
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa constituency at the 9th National Assembly shared pictures of his presidential poster which has his bank account details.

“In recent times, I have had several support groups clamouring that I make bold political moves. I sincerely thank them for their trust and concern. While there are calls for me to run for the Senate, others say I should throw my hat into the presidency ring,” he said in a tweet.
"As a leader, I understand that I must make tough decisions and make tough sacrifices to enhance the lives of people around me.
"I am not oblivious to the fact that persons of interest are donating to further this cause, however, the reality of our political system where delegates decide on the fate of millions makes the yearnings of the youth even more difficult.
 
"I appreciate everyone for their time and sacrifice. This is not about me but the next generation – I have always been committed to building a new generation of leaders. As young and credible people, it's about time we make strong demands from our party. We must bring our negotiation strength and skills to the table even as political party primaries fast approach.
"To this end, a meeting by the coalition of Progressives Young Nigerians shall be taking place at Ikeja Airport Hotel, on Thursday 5th of May, by 3 pm. Young people seeking elective positions in the country are invited. #YouthsForPeller #PellerForTheYouths."
The lawmaker under the tweet also posted another poster begging for donations to fund his senatorial campaign.
 

THE DIE IS CAST

In recent times, I have had several support groups clamouring that I make bold political moves. I sincerely thank them for their trust and concern. While there are calls for me to run for the senate others say I should throw my hat into the presidency ring. pic.twitter.com/8HYiKeUS7X

— Shina Peller (@ShinaPeller) May 4, 2022
“Support Hon. (Dr) Shina Abiola Peller for Senate, Oyo North Senatorial District,” the poster read.
 
The presidential campaign posters rallying support for Shina Peller recently flooded some major highways in Lagos.

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A retired customs officer identified as Ajenifuja Kudirat has been accused of cutting off the finger of a 10-year-old girl, Hawau Ibrahim for allegedly stealing N50.
 
According to a mandated reporter, Ajenifuja had sent Ibrahim on an errand and ordered the young girl to take the money from the top of the refrigerator. The victim reportedly took N200 from the N250 kept at the spot. However, the remaining N50 got missing.

The retired officer reportedly accused Ibrahim of theft which the little girl denied. She subsequently took her to the room and used a machete to cut off her middle finger to deter her from stealing.
 
Meanwhile, the missing money was later found, according to Ebenezer Omejalile, the Co-founding officer of the Advocate for Children and Vulnerable People's Network (ACVPN).
 
He said the victim's mother is calling for justice for her little girl as Ajenifuja had boasted that she would not be punished for the offence.
 He said, “The perpetrator is Ajenifuja Kudirat, a retired customs officer who resides at the new site in Oko Afo along Lagos-Badagry Road. According to the mandated reporter, this incident occurred about four days ago.
 
“We reliably gathered that Ajenifuja Kudirat asked the victim to take N200 naira out of the N250 kept on top of the fridge to get a certain drug for her.
 
“Report has it that the victim is not the only child that lives with this perpetrator, they are two. By the time the victim returned from where Kudirat sent her, she asked her for the missing N50, and the victim told her she didn't take the money.
 
“Immediately Ajenifuja Kudirat dragged the 10-year-old girl inside her room, brought out a machete and chopped off one of her fingers.
 
“The victim's mother is crying bitterly for justice because the missing N50 was found and the perpetrator, Ajenifuja Kudirat still boasted to the victim's mother that no police could arrest her. The victim is Hawau Ibrahim, she is 10 years old.”

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The Nigeria Police Force has promised to go after owners of dogs caught having sexual intercourse with girls, women and men.
 
This was made known by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who described it as an unnatural offence.

Adejobi, in a brief statement, said bestiality is a crime punishable under the law and thus condemned.
 
He further vowed that the police would apprehend the woman in the viral video having sex with a dog and other men who have been involved in similar crimes. 
 
The statement reads, “Unnatural offences: we will extend our search, investigation and punishment to the owners of the dogs caught in the act of having sexual intercourse with ladies or being used for similar offences.
 
“They also have questions to answer. The offence is punishable under the law and thus condemned. We will soon apprehend the lady and others like her including the men, who have been involved in this criminal and barbaric act.”
 
There have been recent reports about Nigerian women sleeping with animals in Dubai, UAE and Lekki, Lagos for money after a video went viral showing a young woman having sexual intercourse with a dog.
 
The video was said to be recorded in Nigeria but the exact location could not be immediately verified.
 
Meanwhile, a light-skinned lady in a trending video claimed she was paid a lump sum to sleep with the dog.
 
She said, although she had intercourse with the dog, she did not get infected with any disease, and she is enjoying the money she earned from the practice.
 
“What is the big deal there? I only slept with a dog, I didn’t kill somebody. You, in your life, you have done worse and besides, have you seen N1.7million before?
 
“As if it’s a big deal. And mind you I’m not infected or anything. Stop dying on the matter, I’m enjoying the money,” she said.
 
However, after some days, she made another video claiming her comments were only a joke.
 
She said, “Guys I was just catching cruise. I didn’t sleep with any dog. My boyfriend just broke up with me; help me to beg my boyfriend. I’m sorry for the video I made, it was purely cruise.
 
“I don’t advise someone to be with animals. It was just a prank video, just cruise; you guys know Nigerians and cruise. I apologise to the public. Please take my apology."

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Microsoft founder Bill Gates has warned that his billionaire rival Elon Musk could potentially make Twitter a worse platform - and refused to say whether or not he shorted Tesla, as Musk has alleged.
 
On Wednesday, Gates spoke at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit and was asked about Musk's potential impact on Twitter following his $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform last month, Daily Mail reports.

Gates said that while Musk has a good track record, he could make misinformation on the platform worse.
 
'He actually could make it worse,' Gates said. 'That's not his track record. His track record with Tesla and Space X is pretty mind-blowing at putting together a great team of engineers and taking people who work in those fields in a less bold way and really showing them up. I kind of doubt that'll happen this time but we should have an open mind and never underestimate Elon.'
 
But Gates did question Musk's intentions with the app.
 
The South African-born billionaire has said his purchase of Twitter is motivated primarily by a wish to restore the app as a place for the free exchange of ideas, and has repeatedly said he wants to move away from 'censorship' and err on the side of free speech.
 
 
Musk, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, has criticised Twitter's moderation policies.
 
'You know, what's his goal?' Gates asked. 'When he talks about the openness, how does he feel about something such as "vaccines kill people" or that "Bill Gates is tracking people" is that one of the things he feels should be spread? So It's not totally clear what he is going to do.'
 
'Are his goals for what it ends up being, does it match this idea of less extreme falsehoods spreading so quickly, weird conspiracy theories, does he share that goal or not?' Gates pondered.
 
 
Gates also added that he has not taken Musk's recent tweets about him personally.
 
Last month Musk dissed Gates' gut on Twitter posting a photo of the Microsoft mogul alongside Apple's controversial pregnant man emoji 'in case you need to kill a boner.'
 
Gates also refused to say whether or not he personally shorted Tesla, saying that climate change was a focus of the Gates Foundation.
 
'It's possible the stock went down and whoever shorted the stock made money, I don't know,' he said.
 
'I don't think whether one's short or long Tesla is a statement about your seriousness about climate change,' he added. 'I applaud Tesla's role in helping with climate change. I have nothing but positive things to say about Elon, if he makes Twitter worse, fine, I'll speak out about that, but I wouldn't assume that's what's going to happen.'
 
Gates, the world's third-richest man after Musk and Jeff Bezos, took a shot earlier this year at the Tesla CEO after the electric vehicle maker announced taking a $1.5 billion stake in Bitcoin.
 
'Elon has tons of money and he's very sophisticated, so I don't worry that his Bitcoin will sort of randomly go up or down,' Gates told Bloomberg.
 
'I do think people get bought into these manias who may not have as much money to spare, so I'm not bullish on Bitcoin. My general thought would be that if you have less money than Elon, you should probably watch out,' he said.
 
Gates has also previously made comments about electric trucks like the Tesla Semi not being viable, which Musk countered.
 
In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, Musk said he believes that the Microsoft founder had a big short position on Tesla stocks at one point.
 
'I heard that at one point he had a large short position. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it seems weird,' Musk told Rogan.
 
'People I know who know the situation pretty well, I asked them “are you sure?” and they said “yes, he has a huge short position on Tesla." That didn’t work out too well.'
 
The tweet came hours after it was reported Musk is poised to collect a $23billion bonus after electric car company Tesla reported its record quarterly profits.
 
Critics have questioned why Musk, who has enough money to change 'the fabric of American society' has instead decided to spend it on a social media platform.
 
'It would just be nice if Musk decided to get on board with humanitarian efforts and spend more money on something meaningful, let's say this country's blights of homelessness and poverty. Instead, he bought Twitter,' wrote Suzette Hackney in an OpEd for USA Today.
 
When asked why he has not spent the $44billion on charity, philanthropy or to do 'more good', Musk told Entertainment Tonight: 'Well I do a lot of things philanthropically and really my companies are intended to do good for the future of humanity.'
 
Musk pointed to his companies, noting how Tesla aims to 'accelerate the advent of sustainable transport and energy' while Space X is 'providing internet to the least served people around the world'.
 
Musk added: 'We've also been able to help Ukraine with the Starlink terminals and give them connectivity in some of the hardest-hit areas.
 
'Aspirationally I am trying to do good for humanity and the future of civilisation.'
 

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Former Aviation Minister in the First Republic, Mbazulike Amaechi, has pleaded with armed groups to withdraw the sit-at-home order declared on May 5 and 6 in the region over the planned two-day visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State.
 
Governor David Umahi had in a statement on Tuesday said President Buhari would be in the state for two days: Thursday and Friday.

However, a military source said gunmen who took over some towns in Abia, Imo and Anambra states on Wednesday evening, issued a sit-at-home for the two days, threatening to deal with anyone caught disobeying the order.
 
"Gunmen were seen shooting in some streets of Aba in Abia and in Imo and Anambra announcing to residents that there will be sit-at-home on Thursday and Friday when President Buhari is to visit Ebonyi State and that they must observe it throughout the South-East," the source said.
 
The gunmen called on President Buhari to immediately release the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu from detention.
 
Reacting to the threat, Amaechi had pleaded with the unknown gunmen to withdraw the threat and avoid actions that would embarrass Ndigbo before President Buhari.
 
He also noted that the planned visit of the President would offer an opportunity for Igbo elders to find solutions to the insecurity in the region and secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
 
He said, "I read on social media that a militant group has issued a statement against the coming of the President to the Southeast. Please I want to appeal to whosoever, or group, behind the statement to please withdraw that threat.
 
"Despite my old age plus the aching pains all over my body, I am almost in a wheelchair, yet I am highly committed to restoring peace in Igboland. I will meet the President along with some Igbo leaders and elders about the security of our region, which is interwoven in the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
 
"We are going to discuss these with him. So, anything that would embarrass us or the President. Would make things difficult for us. And anybody who is moving against our meeting with the President is not pursuing the genuine interest of Nnamdi Kanu and the overall interest of Igboland.
 
"So, I appeal to them not to do anything that would embarrass Southeast because we are going to discuss the insecurity and Nnamdi Kanu's case.”

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Indigenes of Oleh community, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, on Thursday, barricaded all entry points into the community, protesting against the killing of 12 residents by unknown gunmen.
The 12 indigenes were gruesomely murdered on October 12, 2020 on farmland in Oleh by gunmen suspected to be from Ozoro community.

The two Isoko communities have been at loggerheads for some time following a lingering boundary dispute that has defied all efforts employed to resolve the issue.
SaharaReporters gathered that the victims are to be buried on Thursday (today) in the community, evoking anger and leading to the protest by mostly women and youths.
The protesters called on the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa to fulfil his promise to bring all those involved in the murder to justice.

The protest which started around 7:00 am caused serious gridlock along the busy Ughelli-Asaba-Ozoro Road, leaving motorists and commuters stranded and some forced to take alternative routes.
Some of the protesters who spoke with our correspondent called for a thorough investigation into the murder, adding that some leaders of Ozoro community have many questions to answer.
The protesters accused the people of Ozoro of crimes against humanity but described the people of Oleh as peace-loving.
They said, "Amidst all provocative actions of the Ozoro people, Oleh had always sought peace”.
They called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Inspector-General of Police, the state police commissioner and Director-General of the State Security Service (aka Department of State Services), to intensify efforts in fishing out those behind the killing and bring them to justice to serve as a deterrent to others.
The people of Ozoro community through its former President General, Nicholas Areh had denied the involvement of the community in the killing, noting that Oleh natives were only fanning the embers of war with the way and manner they were going about the issue.
He said the farm in Oleh where the people were gruesomely murdered by unidentified persons was not in dispute.
As of the time of filing this report, all shops, markets, banks, and social activities had been shot down in Oleh community while economic and official activities at Ozoro community were operating skeletally.

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The Commissioner for Religious Affairs in Zamfara State, Tukur Jangebe, has resigned his appointment after he allegedly learned of a ‘plan’ to sack him following his ‘style’ of preaching which some unnamed top officials of the state consider critical of the state government, PREMIUM TIMES reports.
 
The commissioner, who is also a popular cleric in the state, was accused of extolling a political opponent of the governor during his Ramadan sermons.

A top government official said that the Islamic preacher got wind of a plan to sack or “disgrace” him after Eid celebrations so he resigned before being “officially sacked”.
 
When contacted by the newspaper, Jangebe confirmed that he had resigned but refused to give further details when prompted.
 
“Yes, I’ve resigned from the government. I sent in my resignation letter on the 1st of May, 2022. You can write that. May God make it easy for all of us,” he said.
 
In the letter of resignation published by the newspaper, Jangede thanked the governor of the state, Bello Muhammed, for giving him the opportunity to serve. He did not state the reason for resigning in the letter as well.
 
Meanwhile, Zailani Bappa, the media aide to the governor of the state, said he had seen the “purported” resignation letter on social media but was yet to be briefed officially.
 
“I’ve also not heard his voice on any radio confirming the said resignation so, I’ll assume it’s still a rumour,” Bappa said.
 
However, the government source insisted that some of the governor’s top aides were angry with the “preaching style of the commissioner”.
 
“You know how Malam is. He is used to being blunt in a humorous way. I, just like most of the state officials, were always at the sermons on the evening and we hear how he conducted his preaching as usual,” he said.
 
According to him, in 2021, some appointees of the governor complained that Mr Jangebe didn’t use the opportunity to promote the governor’s image to the large audience that usually attended his sermons.
 
“But you know His Excellency, when he likes you, he hardly allows anyone to paint you black. But to be honest with you, all of us were angry with his preaching this year because he was always praying for our opponents and you know this is politics. If as a commissioner, he can resort to applauding our opponents while at the same time criticising the government he belongs to, I don’t think it’s okay for him to remain on that seat,” he added.
 
During the just-concluded Ramadan fasting, Mr Jangebe prayed for the end of banditry in Nigeria’s troubled North-west region. He, however, never stopped calling on wealthy Nigerians to help the poor.
 
In one of his sermons this year, Jangebe called on the state government to release funds for the underprivileged to ease their plight during the Ramadan period.
 
“There is poverty in the land,” he said. “I, therefore, call on the government and well-to-do individuals to bring out their money and help the people. It’s not easy. Life is hard for the common man and it’s a duty upon you to ensure your brothers and sisters also share in the joy of Ramadan.
 
“How could anyone be happy when he has nothing to eat? Therefore, bring out money and feed the poor among you,” he had said in one of the sessions this Ramadan.
 
Mujittaba Bakura, a follower of the cleric, said it was possible the government was ‘angry’ with the cleric for praying for a certain politician.
 
“In the last days of the fasting month, there was a day that Malam prayed and asked us to pray for Dauda Lawal because he brought a lot of money to the mosque. The money would be used for the upkeep of the mosque and the foundation which caters for orphans and other underprivileged.
 
“You know how Malam is, so he said it after the session that Dauda Lawal has brought money and it has been handed to the foundation committee and we prayed for Dauda,” Bakura said.
 
Lawal, a former Executive Director at First Bank, contested for the governor’s seat in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is seen as one of the governor’s arch-rivals.

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The Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, has released photographs of militants belonging to the sect observing Eid-el-Fitr prayers at different locations in Nigeria.
 
Eid-el-Fitr was celebrated by most Muslim faithful across the globe on May 2.

According to some of the photos sighted by SaharaReporters, the insurgents were seen in different groups praying together in open fields.
 
In the photographs, small children were also seen praying alongside their fathers.

The Nigerian army had on several occasions claimed the insurgents use children as human shields and child soldiers in their quest to weaken military operations.
 
ISWAP is known for releasing similar photographs during Sallah celebrations.
 
President Muhammadu Buhari had in a series of tweets in commemoration of Eid-el-Fitr claimed Boko Haram has been downgraded by his administration.
 
While the fight against the insurgents has been tough and long, victory, Buhari said, was within reach.
 
“After a period of fasting and reflection, this year, we have cause to welcome the occasion in hope. The battle waged against terrorists who falsely masquerade under the name of Islam is approaching its conclusion,” he had said.
 
“The fight has been long and hard. Final victory is within sight. Boko Haram and its offshoots’ final embers are now fading. Last month, the leader of ISWAP was killed in an airstrike. Since the New Year, thousands of fighters have surrendered.
 
“The territories they used to occupy are now seeing the return of those who were forced to flee their barbarity. Normality is finally beginning to return to the Northeast. It is a long process. Yet it is one we are, together, now embarking upon.
 
“With the designation of bandit groups as terrorists, the challenges of banditry & kidnapping are being tackled differently in the north-west and north-central where the latest military acquisitions and armed forces are being fanned out across the region to thwart acts of terror.”
 
Boko Haram and its offshoot, ISWAP have become more ferocious in recent times.
 
The Nigerian Army has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency has been largely defeated.
 
The terror group has caused the death of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of others mainly in the North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

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Rivers Governor Wike

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has said Nigeria needs a ‘mad man' to govern the country right, adding that he has the energy for the job.

 

Wike, while addressing delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, said Nigeria is on the verge of division.

Rivers Governor Wike

He, however, added that the country needs a ‘mad man’ to turn things around for the better.

 

He urged the delegates to vote for him at the primaries, as he boasted that he has the energy to work for Nigeria and take it to the promised land.

 

The governor said, “The energy in me is too much. I want to use the energy to work for the country.

 

“I have made myself available for my party, and to be voted to become the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Never in the history of this country have we so divided. I can bring back the country on its track to greatness. It doesn’t matter where you are from. It takes a mad man to govern Nigeria.”

 

He said Nigerians need a courageous person like him who can speak truth to power.

 

 “As for me, if you don’t vote for me in our party primary, I will remain a member of the PDP. I have benefitted from this party, and so I have no excuse to defect to another party,” he said.

 

The presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP took a swipe at his colleagues who turned their back against the PDP after benefitting from the party and called on the delegates not to doubt his sincerity in turning the economy around.

 

In their responses, two former governors of Kogi State, Ibrahim Idris and Captain Idris Wada (retd.) assured Wike of their support during the party’s presidential primary slated for May 30, 31 and June 1, 2022.

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If democracy were a straightforward process, abides by any given logic, follows a particular standard or pattern, the 2023 presidential election would be a battle between the former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, for the PDP and the current vice president of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for the APC. Flawed candidates Obi and Osinbajo are, but probably the only two chances that the crooked, ragtag, oil-leaking, wiper-missing, axle-broken Nigerian vehicle with its deflated front and back tires can still be on the road a little bit longer.
 
Unfortunately, irrespective of the climate, democracy is messy.
 
Democracy is like a soccer league competition. The games are not usually fair. Various components determine who wins each game. It could be the umpire, the referee. It could be the state of the pitch or the weather on game day. It could be whether the game is a home game for each team or an away game. Sometimes, the big team with a deeper pocket buys up the talent available. When the big team dominates for a long time, fans of the competition begin to root against them. They start to wish for other teams to have a chance to win. Eventually, several factors come together, and things turn around. The big team goes down and other teams get the chance to be at the top of the league.
 
As political parties in Nigeria go into their political convention season, the current permutations and combinations are changing and can be seen all over the place. But irrespective of where they go, these truths are self-evident.
 
If Goodluck Jonathan becomes the presidential candidate of the APC, APC is finished. If he becomes the presidential candidate of the PDP, PDP is finished.
 
If Bola Tinubu becomes the presidential candidate of APC with a Muslim northern VP candidate, APC is finished. If Tinubu becomes the presidential candidate of APC with a Christian northern VP candidate, APC is finished.
 
If VP Osinbajo becomes the presidential candidate of the APC with a radical Muslim VP like Isa Pantami or Nasir el-Rufai, APC is finished. If Osinbajo becomes APC's candidate with a moderate northern Muslim candidate like Governor Zulum, APC is finished.
 
The same thing goes for Rotimi Amaechi.
 
If Abubakar Atiku becomes the presidential candidate of the PDP with Nyesom Wike as a vice presidential candidate, PDP is finished. If Atiku becomes the presidential candidate of PDP with Governor Wike as a vice presidential candidate, PDP is finished.
 
If Peter Obi becomes the presidential candidate of the PDP with a radical Muslim VP, PDP is finished. If Obi becomes PDP's candidate with a moderate northern Muslim candidate, PDP is finished. Peter Obi cannot micro-manage Nigeria the way he micro-managed Anambra State. Just like Buhari’s so-called body language failed to fix a structurally flawed nation, Obi’s micro-management cannot fix the cracked beams of a fatally fractured nation.
 
To show you how messed up things are in Nigeria, a few small item matters that should have been settled in this political season remain stuck in the mud. If the brain-damaged Nigerian political elites that have ignored the inevitable need to fundamentally restructure Nigeria before any election do not see the compelling need for the presidency of Nigeria to move to the South naturally, they do not understand self-preservation.
 
That candidates like Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal and others are seriously running for president in this dispensation, after eight years of Buhari’s most northern-bent presidency of all times, is a big shame. But it is happening, a clear indication that for many political actors, this is a do-or-die affair, like no other. The huddle of quietly conceding the presidency to the South is something that should have been self-evident to them.
 
At this point in the game, the debate about whether the presidency conceded to the South should also rotate within the South should have been settled. People who support the so-called president of Igbo extraction have not done a good job of pointing out the huge sacrifice the political actors in the South-West would make to make it happen. They have also not marketed well the huge gain it could bring about to the legacy of the competitors and also in healing the political rift in the South.
 
Using sports club trading language, getting Bola Tinubu and Yemi Osinbajo to give up their presidential ambitions in favor of a candidate in the South East is like telling Los Angeles Lakers to give up LeBron James and Russell Westbrook to another team in the NBA. In the basketball world, that would be called a monster trade. The team getting the two players would have to give up their first, second, and third-round picks in future NBA drafts. Such trade-offs happen in the NBA and NFL and the European soccer leagues. And they happen for many reasons, the most important reason of them all being for the stability of the league. Without a stable league, everyone loses – the team, the owners, the players, and the fans.
 
There is an ever-present lingering temptation to comfort ourselves in the belief that Nigeria is like a beetle – never really crushed. After all, for over forty years now, Nigeria has lived up to the description of the London Economist magazine that it is the only country in the world where the best is impossible and the worst never happens.
 
Yes, the worst has not happened. Until one day, when the perfect storms come together. As we have seen several times in history, when that time comes, there will not be time to appeal to history that it is not how it was supposed to be.
 
Hardly does any nation get the warning that whatever they do, their nation is finished. We are lucky to get the advance notice. The question now is, what are we going to do about it? What desperate measures are we going to take to neutralize this desperate situation? Or are we going to follow the coffin into the grave like a fly without counsel?
 

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo teaches Post-Colonial African History at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is also the host of Dr. Damages Show. His books include “This American Life Sef” and “Children of a Retired God”.

Opinion AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo Disable advertisements : 

Several years back, the Lagos-based Volkswagen vehicle assembly outfit noticed with considerable apprehension that its gigantic in men and machinery as well as dominant leadership position in the low-end car market in Nigeria were being significantly imperilled by the burgeoning demand for the Kaduna-based Peugeot automotive assembly plant’s Peugeot 504 saloon car.

 

Volkswagen didn’t push back with a price cut as many had expected given that the Beetle’s target market is highly price-sensitive. The car assembler knew only too well the possible traps attendant with such a pricing-cutting strategy. While a lower price may buy market share, for instance, it hardly buys brand loyalty as customers would easily shift to Peugeot 504 should its price be cut lower than the Beetle’s.

Besides, there’s the more worrying probability of Peugeot having longer staying power by virtue of having deeper cash reserves, should a pricing war ensue.

 

So, what did Volkswagen decide to do? It surmised that it was cheaper to maintain the existing price and raise perceived quality by remodelling the Beetle into a very fashionable and elegant brand! In effect, Volks was willing to suffer a partial diminution in its market share and profitability in the near-term, while expecting long-term increase in profitability when just a small rise in car sales would generate a more-than proportionate increase in the bottom line.

 

To further add bite to its profit-maximisation objective, Volks ramped up the advertising budget to scale up the customer value hierarchy from the core product level to the augmented level, using a classical television storyline that lauded the longer staying power of its brand: “(All the infrastructural and climatic challenges notwithstanding) there’s no killing the Beetle!”

 

But this essay isn’t a lecture on product marketing strategies. It’s just that as I sat down this morning (Wednesday) to write my weekly piece, I read a bombshell report on a social media news portal of the General Overseer of the Auchi-based Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, speaking ill of “the Shameless Igbos” during last Sunday’s service. As a muted cry of “O Lord, not again!” slipped out of my mouth, the imagery of Volk’s iconic TV ad sprung into my consciousness.

 

Like the Beetle car, like Ndigbo! At the end of the civil war, physically, psychologically and economically stressed-out war-stricken members of the Igbo ethnic nationality were desperately seeking consolation and succour after sacrificing so much in their abortive struggle for self-rule. The victorious Nigerian side ventilated the big lies of “the 3Rs” (Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration) and the clichéd slogan of “No Victor, No Vanquished!”

 

But what ‘rehabilitation’ could there be in a financially-stifling policy to give 20 Nigerian Pounds to every ‘Biafran’ adult with verifiable evidence of having operated an account with a Nigerian bank prior to the onset of the war, notwithstanding the amounts that were in those accounts? The official reason given for the obviously punitive measure was that the deadline for the conversion of old notes to new Nigerian currencies had elapsed. For crying out loud, how could the affected parties have beaten the deadline when they were still holed up in war-torn Biafra!

 

But the real reason for the the malicious currency policy was unveiled when less than two years later, a vast majority of the federal government’s investments in all sectors were sold off at give-away prices under the guise of an Indigenisation Policy, as dispossessed and impoverished Ndigbo watched the other ethnic nationalities greedily gobble up our collective patrimony.

 

What ‘reconstruction’ could there be when communities, markets, healthcare facilities, schools and transport infrastructures devastated by instruments of war were entirely left to the ‘losers’ to rebuild through communal levies and self-help projects?

 

As for 'reintegration,' Ndigbo accomplished that strictly through self-help as - born with a knack for business and commerce - necessity was thrust on us to take the bull by the horns and migrate nationwide. As it is said, "If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed it is who must've to go to the mountain!"

 

But more was to come. As new states were being carved out from time to time - ostensibly to take governance closer to the grass roots - the South-East became the only geopolitical zone with just five states. Considering the major bases for sharing federally-collected revenues and filling appointive and elective positions, it is understandable why Ndigbo have been groaning under the weight of brazen travesty of justice and man’s inhumanity to man.

 

"It is only at the tree loaded with fruit,” posits a French proverb, “that the people throw stones.” So, rather than become paranoid or develop a persecution complex, we must remain ever more stoic and continue to absorb the stones and sticks hurled at us as they simply constitute the price that must be paid; it is only a tree that has nothing to offer that is completely ignored by all and sundry.

 

The undue attention that Nigerians unabatedly pay to Ndigbo - even if mostly unkind - is proof that we are reliable dispensers and dispersers of beneficial dividends that we ourselves may simply take for granted or be blissfully unconscious of. “Some folks rail against other folks,” averred 18th century English novelist Henry Fielding, “because other folks have what some folks would be glad of.”

 

That’s why I seize every opportunity available to me to counsel Igbo youths to stop destroying the few hard-to-replace infrastructures in the South-East. They must stop - or be made to stop - endangering the livelihoods and welfare of their kith and kin through incessant lock-downs as well as put an immediate end to Igbo-on-Igbo killings, more so when such acts are undertaken in the name of “fighting for liberation and Biafra.”

 

What I never ever imagined - and which I find very baffling - is that ministers of the Gospel are now trying to outdo one another in the carnal and demonic act of turning one or more tribes against a fellow Nigerian tribe! But on second thoughts, I ought not to be too surprised. In my piece of February 16 titled “The Rev. Fr. James Anelu Still In All Of Us,” I had written, inter alia: "As a matter of fact, there are many family-owned Christian denominations where non-indigenous nationalities - particularly Ndigbo - constitute a significant proportion of the membership and major revenue source. But the founders/General Overseers are too street-smart to be caught on camera committing such an embarrassing socially impolite and reprehensible faux pas like Anelu’s."

 

Guess what? Our “men of God” subsequently decided to call my bluff by slithering like worms out of rotting wood works! Since Rev. Fr. Anelu, the dance of the macabre is being monopolised by self-righteous apostles of the Pentecostal genre, with not less than four of them - and still counting - taking their turns in ghoulish Igbo-bashing. And here's why the trend constitutes a clear and present danger to the unity and survival of this nation: Given their solid corporate governance structure, the leadership of establishment denominations can move very quickly to preemptively identify and douse a potentional inferno, as the Catholic Church exemplarily did in the case of Rev. Fr. Anelu.

 

But who within the system have the temerity and 'animal boldness' to tell the imperial emperors of family-owned mega-churches that they are dancing naked in the market square? Hence their capacity and willingness to plant the seeds of internecine discord and fan raging flames of cataclysmic annihilation is limitless, more so when a vast majority of them are fully persuaded that it is a sign of weakness and carnal-mindedness to utter those four precious words of "I am TRULY sorry!" 

 

I fully believe that it isn't a mere coincidence that these clerics are talking this way now that increasing numbers of Nigerians whose consciences as human beings have been pricked into conceding that the time has finally come to bring full closure to the long-lasting state-sponsored marginalisation of Ndigbo with ceding the 2023 Presidency to the South-East. They are only deliberately trying to totally staunch the snowballing craving for remorse, penitence and atonement for past and continuing wrongs.

 

It speaks volumes when clerics superintending large congregations, among whom are significant numbers of Ndigbo, are spewing inciting and provocative gibberish from their hallowed podiums when they ought to be divine agents of forgiveness, reconciliation and other Christ-like qualities.

 

Even if we assume, while not conceding, that there’s some degree of validity in their unguarded utterances, what exactly are they trying to achieve with their foot-in-the-mouth 'table-shaking' in such an unusual election year? Are fellow-Christian Ndigbo their real enemy? 18th century English poet and mystic William Blake it was who bellowed that “A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies one can invent.”

 

Two pertinent questions are begging for answers. First, just how can these clerics look their Igbo members in the eye after such Frankenstein-like public spectacles and still preach hocus-pocus, business-as-usual sermons without blinking an eyelid or skipping a heartbeat? Second, how can Igbo members still remain under the ministerial umbrella of such persons who look down on them with so much contempt and disdain without trooping out en masse? Between each loud-mouthed cleric and his mesmerised Igbo members, one party clearly has the conscience seared with a hot iron!

 

But make no mistake about it: as long as the South-East continues to be denied the equal rights and justice it rightly deserves as a major stakeholder in the Nigerian Project, so long will all of us as Nigerians, along with our motherland, continue to make motions with movement and convulse with all manner of crises. Why? Because there’s just too much blood of innocent people who died in nationwide killing sprees, state-sponsored starvation and the injustice of “abandoned properties” in their own country, crying up to God. There’s just no killing the Igbo beetle!

 

Okoye writes from Abuja, Nigeria. 

Opinion AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  Tiko Okoye Disable advertisements : 

A Nigerian woman, Omotomi Akinsanya is currently in a critical condition at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital following serious injuries sustained after she was hit by a reckless Lebanese driver on Victoria Island, Lagos State.
 
A friend of the victim who took to his Twitter handle, @wellzpapi explained that the Lebanese man identified as John Greg was driving at top speed, against traffic on Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Victoria Island.

Unfortunately, he drove into Omotola and pushed her against the wall resulting in serious leg injuries.
 
The young lady was subsequently rushed to the hospital for medical care.
 
The driver fled but was chased by a passerby who handed him over to the police.
 
He wrote on Twitter, “I just wonder what would make a white guy to drive on a one-way street on top speed in VI. He must think that he can get away with anything he does in Nigeria, or he can bribe anyone. This happened this morning.
 
“Please share and let it go viral so that they don’t release this white driver from the Victoria Island Police Station.
 
“The man was driving on a one-way road, against traffic and was on high speed around Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Victoria Island. People had to run helter-skelter for their lives. The driver then drove into Omotola and pushed her against the wall.
 
“The impact was so much that the plate number fell off. The driver did a hit and run, he absconded instead of waiting to care. A passer bye took a bike and chased after him. He was caught, brought back and handed over to the police.
 
“Omotola is in critical condition at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. We seek justice for Omotola and this white man should not be released. #justiceforomotola"
 

JUSTICE FOR OMO
I just wonder what would made a white guy to drive on a one way street on top speed in VI. He must think that he can get away with anything he does in Nigeria, or he can bribe anyone. This happened this morning. pic.twitter.com/NLhxKv9N5D

— wPapi (@wellzpapi) May 4, 2022
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the Lebanese man. The Lagos State Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin stated that the suspect was already in police custody and the Embassy of Lebanon had been duly informed.
 
Hundeyin tweeted, “On May 4, 2022 at about 0745hrs, a middle-aged Lebanese by the name John Greg ‘m’ drove a Toyota 4Runner recklessly and against traffic on Sanusi Fafunwa Road thereby hitting one Omotomi Akinsanya ‘f’ which resulted in serious injuries to her leg. He sped off but was chased and arrested.
 
“Suspect in our custody. Vehicle impounded and in our station. Victim undergoing treatment at LASUTH. Victim’s family duly informed. Embassy of Lebanon duly informed. Investigation ongoing."

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As the Nigerian naira continues to struggle against the United States dollar, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has stepped up his game of clinching the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the distribution of $300 each to about 400 presidential nomination delegates in Adamawa and Taraba states.
 
The Vice President reportedly switched from doling out money in naira to hard currency in order to stay on top of his game.

At a meeting held behind closed doors in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital and Yola, in Adamawa State on Wednesday, Osinbajo gave each delegate to the APC National Convention US $300
 
"I was handed an envelope containing $300 shortly after the Vice President left the hall," a delegate told SaharaReporters while displaying the money.
 
He was said to have pleaded with the delegates to favour his candidacy above all others in the race, arguing that he has more experience in governance at home and on the international stage than all his competitors.
 
SaharaReporters reported on April 22, 2022, that some presidential delegates of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the South-West on Friday went home with N250,000 each after attending a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Ibadan, Oyo State.
 
“This was what we were given by Osinbajo today,” a delegate had said while showing the money packaged in an envelope.
 
A visibly elated VP was accompanied to Muna Hotel in Yola, the venue of the meeting by some APC party senators, House of Representatives members and cronies of President Muhammadu Buhari.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has written to the University of Jos, asking it to probe and recall the doctoral degree of the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.
Nigerian university workers, under the aegis of ASUU, had commenced a month’s strike on February 14, 2022. After the expiration of the strike, the union extended the industrial action by another two months.

The union is demanding among others university autonomy, the release of revitalisation funds for Nigerian universities, and the deployment of the University Transparency Accountability and Solution payment platform for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers,
Since the strike commenced, both parties have accused each other of not doing enough to resolve the pending issues to get students back in school.
Nwajiuba, who recently purchased N100 million presidential form of the All Progressives Congress despite the ongoing strike, told The PUNCH that the union had written to UNIJOS, asking for the recall of his certificate.
The minister said, “ASUU wrote UNIJOS to recall my certificate. I am not sure what it is they are pursuing. I was informed by the university that this was the directive from ASUU: to investigate my certificate. That is how far they have gone.
“When I got the letter from the university, in fact, the university didn’t hide it, they noted that ASUU wrote them.”
 

#NigeriaDecides LABOR/WORKERS' RIGHTS News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

An Islamic group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has kicked against the examination timetable of the National Open University (NOUN) for the year 2022. 
The organisation accused NOUN of preparing an examination timetable that leaves no room for Jumu‘ah prayer.

According to the group, Muslim candidates were thereby forced to sit examinations under duress while Muslim invigilators were compelled to work in a dehumanising condition.
The group described the examination timetable as anti-Muslim and neo-imperialist, according to a press statement sent to SaharaReporters on Thursday by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads, “The timetable of the 2022 POP Final Examination Timetable released by the National Open University (NOUN) has revealed that Muslim students and Muslim staff of the institution were forced to take the aforementioned examination and invigilate the same respectively during the period of the Jumu‘ah prayer from Tuesday 19th April to Tuesday, 17th May, 2022.
“The infringements on Allah-given fundamental rights of the Muslim students and staff occurred on Friday 22nd and 29th April, 2022. Unless adequate steps are taken by the authorities of NOUN to correct the anomaly, it is most likely to continue on Friday, 6th and 13th May, 2022 (https://eu.docworkspace.com/d/sINKanrWRAajrupMG).
“For those who may be wondering what is wrong if Muslim students and staff are made to take and invigilate examinations during the Jumu‘ah period on Friday, it is akin to compelling Christian students and staff to write examinations and to invigilate on Sunday mornings.
“This cannot be acceptable to Nigerian Christians and it is for the same reason that it is a taboo among Muslims and anybody who forces them to do it is regarded as standing between them and their freedom to worship Almighty Allah, their Supreme Creator. It is not only outrageous, repulsive and detestable, it is also anti-Muslim and neo-imperialist. It smacks of articulated religious fanaticism.
“Already, the NOUN authorities have infringed upon Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslim students and staff involved in the examination exercise on two different Jumu‘ah service days, namely, Friday 22nd April and Friday 29th April, 2022.”
Demanding an apology from the open university, the Islamic group said, “Why do you hate Muslims so much? What have we done to deserve this?
“We demand an unreserved apology from NOUN for the infringement which occurred on those two days and for subjecting Muslim candidates and staff to immeasurable psychological trauma which affected their performance during the examinations.
“Furthermore, we demand the cancellation of all examination papers scheduled for the Jumu‘ah period this coming Friday, 6th May and Friday 13th May, 2022.
“The chairmen of MURIC in all 36 states have been directed to locate the examination centres throughout the country on Friday 6th and Friday 13th of May with the aim of monitoring compliance with our demand. This must be done without resorting to violence and with utmost civility and decorum. MURIC will consider its next step if NOUN fails to comply.”
It also accused NOUN authorities of showing the “highest degree of insensitivity to the feelings of Muslims” and “disrespect for their religion by preparing an examination timetable that leaves no room for Jumu‘ah prayer…”
“The examination timetable is anti-Muslim and neo-imperialistic,” it added.
“From all indications, NOUN authorities are on the verge of Christianising the institution. For violating the spirit and letter of Section 38(i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this timetable and the attendant examinations taken during Jumu‘ah period are illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. 
“We affirm that there must be consequences for religious persecution and spiritual particularism. We are going to hold Muslim-haters accountable for their hate-inspired acrobatic religiosity and bias-filled gymnastic spirituality. We will not relent until Muslim-haters learn how to control their luciferous, serpentine and egregious abhorrence for Muslims.”
 

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