A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mr. Ajose Abejoye has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), before the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos to compel it to recognise a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Are Azeez Ajibola as the validly elected candidate of the party for the Apapa Constituency of the Federal House of Representatives.

The plaintiff (Ajibola) was said to have won the PDP primary election conducted and monitored by officials of INEC on June 9, 2022. However, on 24th June 2022, the party allegedly substituted the plaintiff’s name with the name of another aspirant (Mr. Hakeem Salau) who had zero votes and submitted it to INEC as its (PDP's) candidate.

Also joined in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1288/22, are Mr Hakeem Salau and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the first and second defendants respectively.

Abejoye who is suing on behalf of Ajibola an aspirant for the said seat is amongst others praying the court to declare the Plaintiff as the lawful candidate of the party having validly won the majority votes at the primaries of the PDP conducted on the 9th of June, 2022.

In the writ of summons made available to SaharaReporters, Mr. Abejoye is urging the Federal High Court for a perpetual injunction to restrain the first and third defendants from recognizing Salau as the PDP candidate having lost the primary election to the plaintiff.

Specifically, Abejoye stated that the leadership of the party was substituting Are for Salau while acting on the scheming and promptings of some powerful elements within the party.

He (Abejoye) is also seeking the court to determine "Whether in view of the facts of the suit and Sections 29 and 85 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the Claimant ought to be granted the reliefs being sought in this suit."

When contacted, Abejoye stated that he was acting in the interest of justice and fair play as well as to safeguard the sanctity and integrity of our electoral process in taking up the case, while expressing confidence that he would win in the law court.

"I am going on with this case to prove a point to politicians and the whole world that there will be no more room for any form of electoral impunity and political iniquity in the country. I am using this case to tell Nigerians that we must at all times obey and abide by outcomes of set rules even when such don't favour us.

"The case is simple and straightforward; someone won an election convincingly but some powerful figures are denying him of enjoying the sweet fruits of his well-deserved victory because of his financial and societal limitations. Who does that in a sane democratic society? This we hope to reverse because of our implicit belief in the judicial system and process," Abejoye said.

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The Nigerian up-and-coming music artiste, Habib Okikiola, popularly known as Portable has openly bragged that he established two terror gangs, ‘One Million Boys’ and ‘Ajah Boys’ in Lagos State.

‘One Million Boys’ also terrorises Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Speaking in Yoruba, the Zazu crooner in a viral video boasted that he was not scared of anyone.

In the video seen by SaharaReporters, Portable said, “Open your ears and be listening.

“Have you heard of Ajah Boys, One Million Boys? I established them. Go and ask Sammy Larry.”

According to him, socialites Samlarry Eletu and Abu Abel knew him back in the day.

Ajah Boys and One Million Boys are gangs known for engaging in violent activities and terrorising residents of Lagos with dangerous weapons.

Portable recently submitted himself to the Ogun State Police Command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, after he was summoned to appear regarding a video in which he was ordering his aides to assault a young man identified as DJ Chicken

The police at different times had arrested a number of members of the two terror gangs while some have been declared wanted.

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Some lawless policemen attached to the Ogombo Police Division in the Lagos State command have shot a member of the Nigerian Legion, Koleoso Abayomi, in the state.

SaharaReporters gathered that the policemen accused Abayomi, a security officer at Lekki Scheme II Estate of delaying and denying them entrance into the estate.

The incident, multiple sources said, happened on Friday evening.

The victim was said to have been brutalised for hours before one of the offices shot him in the thigh.

“They wanted to get access to the estate of which the estate has its own policemen working with the legion officer inside the estate.

“On their arrival, the legion officer told them to wait so that he could call the Chief Security Officer but the police men disagreed and started beating him. In the process, Koleoso was shot in the thigh,” a source said.

The source added that the officers took the victim to a hospital and dropped him at the entrance.

“They were forced by the people in the estate to take him to the hospital but since Friday that they took him to the hospital, they abandoned him there. This is so sad; policemen aren’t expected to behave like hoodlums,” another source noted.

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The Oyo State House of Assembly has affirmed the nomination of Bayo Lawal as the state’s deputy governor after the impeachment of Rauf Olaniyan.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the lawmakers on Monday impeached Olaniyan over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of power.

Olaniyan’s impeachment followed the state Assembly’s adoption of the report of the seven-man panel constituted by the chief judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor at its plenary on Monday.

The lawmakers later on Monday affirmed Bayo Lawal as the new deputy governor for the state.

Lawal, who is the Chairman of Oyo State Housing Corporation, will be Governor Seyi Makinde’s running mate in the 2023 governorship election.

Lawal’s endorsement came at a meeting held at the Oyo Government House, Ibadan, with Makinde and some other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in attendance. 

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The Oyo State House of Assembly has affirmed the nomination of Bayo Lawal as the state’s deputy governor after the impeachment of Rauf Olaniyan.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the lawmakers on Monday impeached Olaniyan over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of power.

Olaniyan’s impeachment followed the state Assembly’s adoption of the report of the seven-man panel constituted by the chief judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor at its plenary on Monday.

The lawmakers later on Monday affirmed Bayo Lawal as the new deputy governor for the state.

Lawal, who is the Chairman of Oyo State Housing Corporation, will be Governor Seyi Makinde’s running mate in the 2023 governorship election.

Lawal’s endorsement came at a meeting held at the Oyo Government House, Ibadan, with Makinde and some other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in attendance. 

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There is tension over what will be the state of the Nigerian economy if the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), carries out its threat to shut down the aviation sector nationwide in solidarity with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

 

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) announced that it will mobilise its members to join the nationwide protest planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday over the lingering ASUU strike.

This followed an earlier announcement by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that it would mobilise its members across the nation for solidarity nationwide protests next week.

 

Similarly, the aviation workers in a statement by ANAP General Secretary, Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to end the strike without further delay or they would shut down the sector.

 

According to the statement quoted by LEADERSHIP, ANAP stated that the continued stay at home by students of tertiary institutions in the country has contributed to the increase in crimes and other social vices as some of them now engage in some criminal activities capable of destroying their future and that of the country.

See Also Sahara Reporters Nigerian Banks, Other Finance Houses Move To Shut Down Over University Lecturers’ Strike 0 Comments 1 Week Ago

It noted that the university lecturers’ strike, now in its fifth month, has ridiculed the educational system and made it a laughing stock before the international community.

 

“Our children are using eight years to read courses of four years with resources being wasted. We cannot continue this way,” the association stated.

 

ANAP noted that ASUU, NASU (Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions), SAUTHRIAI (Senior Association of Universities Teaching Hospital Research Institutes & Allied Institutions), and NAAT (National Association of Academic Technologists) had been on strike for months due to the apparent failure of government to sign the re-negotiated 2009 Agreement with ASUU, failure to honour the terms reached in May 2022 MoU signed with ASUU, and habitual failure of government to respect Collective Bargaining Agreements willingly signed with labour unions.

 

It further noted that not only the students were suffering but their parents and society in general.

 

The aviation workers said the poor economy has also affected every home in the country, emphasizing that education is the bedrock of any nation aspiring for greatness, adding that ASUU strike will eventually lead to a regrettable situation in future if not well handled.

 

The association, therefore, warned that the future of education will be bleak as little or no attention was being given to the system as most of the children of politicians were schooling abroad. insisting that its members would join the Nigerian Labour Congress to protest against the situation in the tertiary education sector.

 

ANAP said that all its members had been put on alert to join the solidarity protest on the directive of the NLC at very short notice.

 

ASUU embarked on strike on February 14 this year, leading to a total shutdown of academic activities in all the government-owned universities across the country. Despite several meetings held with the government, no success has been recorded while university students have been at home for five months now.

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A homeless Nigerian woman, Peace Ofoego has been caught breaking into multiple Hamptons mansions to try and take a nap.

 

The 32-year-old woman has been dubbed 'Goldilocks of the Hamptons' over her antics in Westhampton and has been arrested three times since the end of May.

Daily Mail reports that one resident, Peter Nesvold, even snapped images of Ofoego as she tried entering his home while his wife was inside. Police were called, and Ofoego was arrested and led away shortly afterwards.

 

While John Mallon was said to have collared Ofoego inside his $35,000-a-month rental. He called police and asked them to record the incident, but declined to press charges. 

 

Ofoego, who claims to have fled an abusive marriage and hoping to regain custody of her children, has been caught entering seven properties in the ritzy town, but only charged over three of the incidents.

 

Sometimes she wears the same black trench coat and black knit beanie she was reported in back in May - despite hot temperatures

 

According to the report, Ofoego was caught staying in this $35,000-a-month home in Westhampton. Owner John Mallon called the cops to ask them to record the incident but declined to press charges.

 

Ofoego was first spotted in Westhampton Beach on Memorial Day weekend when a resident reported to police a 'black female wearing a black trench coat and sandals' was wandering through the backyard construction site of his four-bedroom rental property - just about a mile from the village's train station.

 

When police arrived on May 29, she told them he had no identification or credit cards because she had been robbed while living in Washington DC. Noting that she travelled to New York City a few days earlier, from where she boarded a railroad to Westhampton Beach, where she said she was looking for a hotel room near the ocean.

 

Police then helped Ofoego find a local homeless shelter, the Post reports, where she said she wanted to charge her computer 'and transfer funds to an account.'

 

But just a few days later, on June 2, she was seen wandering through the wealthy neighbourhood again - and it would not be the last time.

 

Ofoego passed through an unlocked gate that leads from the beach to a $275,000-a-month eight-bedroom rental on exclusive Dune Road, Authorities disclosed.

 

She then allegedly entered the house through an unlocked back deck, where she lounged until police showed up - and charged her with criminal trespass.

 

She was accused of staying at a house down the road and entered the stated residence to ask somebody about a restaurant to eat at,' a police report obtained by the Post says.

 

Then just two days later, on June 4, Ofoego was again spotted 'staying' in the pool house of a property that rents at $35,000 a month.

 

When police showed up that time and were attempting to find another homeless shelter for Ofoego, 'Peace began walking away,' an officer wrote in his report, adding that he warned her that if she kept wandering into village homes she would again be arrested for trespassing.

 

Ofoego was said to have left on foot the area she had her last encounter with the Westhampton police, on June 24 at a 'quintessential beachfront estate' that features seven bedrooms and was listed for rent at a whopping $280,000 in July and August.

 

She walked into the second-story bedroom, startling the homeowner, according to the police report.

 

Police were then called to the scene and arrested her.

 

But when they were processing her paperwork at the police department, Ofoego is said to have told the cops they were mistaken and she just 'went inside to look at the rental.

 

"You just want to arrest me," she allegedly accused them. 'All I did was look for a rental."

 

Ofoego now spends her days walking through the village and along the beach, residents have reported on Facebook.

 

Some have said they saw her on back roads, on Main Street, at a gazebo where bands play during the summer months and at a local marina.

 

Sometimes she is seen wearing the same black trench coat and black knit beanie she was reported in back in May - despite hot temperatures.

 

Janet Feldman, for example, commented on the Westhampton Beach Area Community Forum, said she saw Ofoego walking on the beach and down Dune Road while walking her dog in the morning.

 

"She seems mentally unwell for sure," Feldman wrote.

 

Marie Costelli also commented: "A few weeks ago, she approached me in Lidl asking for help. She needed money to pay for her groceries.

 

"As I was handing her some cash, which she took, a man who may have been the store manager asked her to leave. I felt sorry for her, I hope she gets the help she needs," Costelli said.

 

Ofoego now says she intends to defend herself in court, refusing a court-ordered public defender at hearings on July 6 and July 13.

 

At one of those hearings, Liam Anthony DeFronzo wrote, Ofoego was arguing with the judge.

 

And days earlier, the Post reports, when officers were trying to serve her with a subpoena to appear in court, she told them they were harassing her and threatened to sue them.

 

'It seemed to me she is angry with where she is in life and with the system,' DeFronzo posited. 'Ultimately, it seems she's looking for a place to sleep, but of course, you never know what she might do, and it's not acceptable to break into homes.

 

'Does she truly want help in finding some sort of shelter and is doing this as a cry for help? I don't know, but I felt compelled to help her the other day in the courtroom,' he said.

 

Ofoego is due back in court on July 27.

She told the Post she was born in Nigeria, but has lived in the United States for the past 13 years - coming to the country when she was 19 years old and settling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she began studying medical science at Southern University.

 

She also said her father is a journalist in Nigeria, and she was educated in boarding schools before coming to the United States.

 

Ofoego wound up in Westhampton, she claims, after she fled her abusive husband in Florida. She then made her way to DC and then to New York City, where she claims she was violently pushed down subway stairs in May.

 

She then made her way to Westhampton, where she said did not know the beaches were restricted to local residents.

 

'All I want is just some simple kindness from strangers,' she told the Post. 'But no one cares about me.'

 

Ofoego also says her parents in Nigeria are aware she is homeless but cannot do anything about it.

 

She has previously told cops that she has an aunt back in Louisiana, and when they called Ugoo Onyenekwu, she said Ofoego was 'moving around looking for a location where she could regain custody of her children who are currently in California.'

Court documents seem to back her claims that her husband, Marquis Duvuall Hudson, 40, was abusive. He was charged with 'domestic battery to a pregnant female' in 2018 but the charges were dropped when Ofoego did not show up to court.

 

 

Hudson, now 40, was charged with resisting arrest and assaulting an officer in 2017. He was then sentenced to 11 months in prison.

 

After he got out, police records show he allegedly struck Ofoego while she was pregnant.

 

She had called the cops the day after Christmas in 2018, saying that five days earlier they had a fight while putting cleaning supplies in a storage locker.

 

A police report claims Hudson 'was accusing her of trying to leave the country, and the two got into an argument' during which 'Marquis grabbed her throat and began choking her.'

 

Ofoego told cops she was having trouble breathing and nearly passed out.

 

Officer Tobias Andrews wrote; "I asked Peace if Marquis is capable of killing her or her children, to which she stated 'yes.

 

"Marquis at the time of the battery was aware Peace is pregnant."

 

He was charged with 'domestic battery to a pregnant female,' but when Ofoego failed to show up in court to provide testimony against him, the case was thrown out.

 

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it arrested four persons for offences bordering on vote-buying during last Saturday's governorship election in Osun State.

 

The names of the suspects, according to a post on the Commission's Twitter handle @officialEFCC are Yekini Nurudeen Abiodun, Jimoh Kazeem, Adeyemo Bahir and Abidogun Ismail.

The agency said the suspects were arrested by its operatives at different polling units following credible intelligence while trading votes for cash in Osogbo, the state capital.

 

It said, "Three of the suspects were arrested at Polling Unit 002, Ward 2, Ababu, Isale Osun, Osogbo except for Abiodun that was nabbed at Unit 2, Isale Agbara, Osogbo.

 

"The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigations."

 

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A media rights group under the umbrella of the Media Rights Agenda (MRA), has called on the Nigerian Government to immediately implement the judgment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice on its 2021 Twitter ban.

 

The ECOWAS Court on July 14, 2022, ruled that the recent suspension of access to Twitter in Nigeria as enforced by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was unlawful and in violation of the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The Court also ordered Buhari’s regime to take necessary steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to the rights and freedoms and to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban of Twitter, adding that the Nigerian Government should never “repeat it again.”

 

In a statement issued by its Head of Legal Department, Ms Obioma Okonkwo, MRA, which was among the four civil society organisations that dragged the Nigerian Government to ECOWAS Court, the group reminded the Nigerian authority that under Article 15(4) of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, judgments of the Court are binding on Nigeria as a Member State.

It added that Article 22(3) of the Protocol of the Community Court Justice, as amended by the Supplementary Protocol of the Court, provid that "Member States and institutions of the Community shall take immediately all necessary measures to ensure execution of the decision of the Court."

 

Okonkwo in the statement made available to SaharaReporters through its Communications Officer, Idowu Adewale, MRA pointed out that “In the light of the provisions and the judgment of the ECOWAS Court, Nigeria was under a legal obligation to amend its laws and policies to bring them into conformity with the African Charter and the ICCPR as well as to guarantee that the suspension of Twitter would not re-occur, as directed by the Court.”

 

According to the MRA, the consequential order made by the ECOWAS Court in its judgment directed the Nigerian Government to lift the suspension of Twitter since the suspension was in contravention of Article 9 of the African Charter and Article 19 of the ICCPR and also to take necessary steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to the rights and freedoms enshrined in the African Charter and the ICCPR.

 

MRA also recalled that “The Court further directed the Government to undertake an act of legislative or other measures on its rules regarding Twitter to enable the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the African Charter and asked it to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban of Twitter.

 

“Specifically, it ordered Nigeria to ensure the unlawful suspension of Twitter would not reoccur and to take necessary steps to amend its laws to be in conformity with the rights and freedoms enshrined in the ACHPR and ICCPR.

 

“The Court's orders were contained in its judgment in four consolidated suits filed by MRA, other non-governmental organisations, journalists and some Nigerian citizens challenging the Government's June 2021 decision to suspend access to Twitter in Nigeria.”

 

These included “Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/21 filed by Mrs. Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga on behalf of Media Rights Agenda and four other non-governmental organizations, namely: Paradigm Initiative (PIN), Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), the International Press Centre (IPC), and Tap Initiative for Citizens Development (TICD) as well as four journalists, Mr. David Hundeyin, Mr. Samuel Ogundipe, Ms Blessing Oladunjoye, and Mr. Nwakamri Zakari Apollo;

 

“Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21, filed by Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on behalf of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a Lagos-based NGO, and 176 Nigerians;

 

“Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/26/21. Filed by Mr. Patrick Elohor, President of the NGO, One Love Foundation.

 

“Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/24/21, filed by Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, a human rights lawyer.”

 

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The founders of Ping Express US LLC, a Texan payments corporation with connections to the United Kingdom, were given a 27-month prison term for allegedly sending $160 million in proceeds of fraud to Nigeria through the business.

 

Anslem Oshionebo, 45, and 43-year-old Opeyemi Odeyale were sentenced after being found guilty of failing to maintain effective anti-money laundering controls and unlicensed money transmitting, Bloomberg reports.

The money was sent over a period of nearly three years, citing US judicial documents.

 

Remittances from Dallas-based Ping Express customers were sent to Kenya, Nigeria, and other countries in Africa.

 

In one three-year period highlighted by the DoJ, the firm failed to flag a single suspicious transaction to regulators despite processing a “significant amount” of them, though it filed a batch of reports later.

 

One customer used the firm to move funds they made from fake-romance scams, with victims including a woman in Indiana who sent $15,000 to a supposed roughneck oil worker in the Gulf of Mexico, and another who sent $6,300 to a purported Irish sea captain.

 

Another customer moved more than $80,000 in a single month, far more than the company’s $4,500 limit, court filings show.

 

Ping Express faces five years of probation and a fine as high as $500,000 after pleading guilty to a similar charge, while another executive received a 42-month sentence, the Department of Justice said.

 

 

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Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan

The Oyo State House of Assembly has finally impeached the state deputy governor, Mr Rauf Olaniyan over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of power.

Olaniyan’s impeachment followed the state Assembly’s adoption of the report of the seven-man panel constituted by the chief judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor at its plenary on Monday.

Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan

SaharaReporters had reported that Oyo State Chief Justice, Munta Abimbola, on Thursday constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the deputy governor of the state, Olaniyan, by the House of Assembly.

The House of Assembly had been pushing to impeach Olaniyan, a move that was intensified after the deputy governor defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

 

The state governor, Seyi Makinde and the majority of the state lawmakers are in the PDP.

 

Olaniyan’s camp had alleged that Makinde sidelined and relegated him to the background of his government before his defection. 

However, the panel was formed pursuant to the resolution of the House of Assembly, and as requested by its Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin.

Ogundoyin made the request in a letter dated July 6, 2022.

The Speaker in the letter requested the constitution of the panel by virtue of the power conferred on the State Chief Judge by section 188 (5) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The members of the panel comprise Chief Kayode Christopher (Chairman); Adebisi Soyombo; Chief Lawal Adekunle Dauda; Princess Olanike Olusegun; Rev Fr. Patrick Ademola; Chief Mrs Wuraola Adepoju (JP); and Alh. Tirimisiyu Akewusola Badmus.

 

Olaniyan was elected in 2019 on a joint ticket with the current Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) until his recent defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

 

 

As read by the majority leader of the Assembly, Honourable Sanjo Adedoyin, the deputy governor was found culpable, indicted of all allegations, and all complaints levelled against him.

 

 

The Assembly approved Olaniyan’s removal from office leaning on section 188(9) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended).

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Gunmen suspected to be Islamic terrorists masquerading as herdsmen have reportedly kidnapped over 15 residents of Mgbuji Eha-Amufu Community in the Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu State.

The invasion of the community and abduction of the residents occurred on Monday morning.

SaharaReporters Media

The kidnap, it was gathered took place around 7 am along Mgbuji-Agu Road near the Railway crossing within Mgbuji town.

 

Sources told SaharaReporters that some of the villagers were going to their farms on tricycles when the terrorists seized them, while others were picked up on their various rice farms.

 

The invading terrorists were said to have driven towards the Benue State border with Enugu after the abductions.

 

The spokesman for Mgbuji Community, Chijioke Ogbodo, who confirmed the abductions on Monday, lamented that soldiers recently deployed to Eha-Amufu failed to act and allegedly refused to answer distress calls.

 

He called on the state government to do something to rescue the victims, adding that their offence was trying to get something to eat from their farms.

 

SaharaReporters had reported that gunmen suspected to be Islamic terrorists in police and military uniforms on July 5, kidnapped seven residents of the same community and shot three others.

 

The community and other neighbouring communities in Eha-Amufu have been witnessing several attacks since September 2021. Many people have been killed, and hundreds of houses and property worth millions of naira have been destroyed. So many others have been kidnapped for ransom.

 

Meanwhile, efforts by SaharaReporters to get the reaction of Enugu State Police Command were not successful.

 

The Command's spokesman DSP Daniel Ndukwe, did not pick up his mobile phone when SaharaReporters called him for comments and clarifications. 

 

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The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) has announced that it will mobilise its members to join the nationwide strike planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday over the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) earlier announced that it would mobilise members for a solidarity nationwide strike next week.

NUBIFIE stated its commitment to the planned protest in a statement jointly signed by its national president, Anthony Abakpa, and general secretary, Mohammed Sheikh, on Sunday.

The group said as a result of the protest, it will shut down banking and insurance services across the country to force President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to end the indefinite industrial action embarked upon by the public university lecturers’ union, ASUU.

The strike started on February 14, 2022, meaning academic activities in public universities across the country have been grounded for five months.

“However, if after the one-day protest by NLC on this issue and nothing is done, the union will have no other option than to call out all our members in banks, insurance and other financial institutions in solidarity with ASUU,” the group said.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that The Take-It-Back Movement led by human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has also declared its support for the two-day nationwide protests planned by the NLC, over the ongoing strike.

“Take-It-Back Movement supports the two-day nationwide protest declared by the NLC over the ongoing ASUU strike. We call on students, workers, and particularly all our members nationwide to mobilize and join the action in their respective states. #WeCantContinueLikeThis," the group tweeted on Monday morning.

The NLC had earlier said it would organise nationwide protests on July 26 and 27 over the failure of Mr Buhari’s regime to resolve the impasse.

“We have scheduled as follows the national days of protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education. The dates are on July 26 and 27 at all the state capitals of the federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory and take-off points are at the NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja,” NLC said on Sunday.

 

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The Nigerian film industry has again been thrown into a gloomy mood with the death of another iconic actress, Sola Onayiga.

 

The Secretary General of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Mr. Makinde Adeniran disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

The quintessential thespian, popularly known as “Ireti, Kitchen Practical” for her role in the television drama series, ‘Fuji House of Commotion’, had been bedridden but died early Monday morning.

 

She was the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in 2015 for the Lagos State House of Assembly Ikorodu Constituency 1.

 

Confirming her death, Husseini Shaibu, Ph.D, a movie critic, Broadcast/Film and PRAD specialist via his Twitter handle wrote, “I have just been informed that the accomplished Stage and Screen Actress and Fellow of Theatre Arts Auntie Sola Awojobi Onayiga ‘has’ passed on.

 

“Auntie Sola, who is best known for living the role of Ireti aka Catering practical in the defunct television sitcom ‘Fuji House of Commotion delightfully’, Reportedly passed on this morning. Journey well, Ma! Journey Well!”

 

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Delta State Police Command on Monday confirmed the arrest of Apostle Michael Akpor, the founder of Palace of God Bible Church at Uti Street, Effurun in Delta State in connection to the murder.

 

The cleric was arrested alongside the mobile policemen attached to him for allegedly shooting two persons to death at the Ugbolokpoko Junction in Effurun on Tuesday.

Two tricycle passengers were shot dead while the tricycle rider was injured by a police escort at Ugbolokposo in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday evening.

 

A witness, however, explained that the tricycle rider was trying to overtake the VIP convoy when the armed escort of policemen opened fire on the occupants.

 

In the process, two persons were shot dead while the Keke (tricycle) rider sustained gunshot injuries.

 

It was gathered that one of the deceased, a ticket collector at Ugbolokposu Junction was identified as Apepe and the other was a meat vendor at Effurun Market simply identified as Charlie.

Angry youths and tricycle riders following the incident, in a show of solidarity, stormed the Ebrumede Police Station Tuesday night and threatened to set it on fire.

 

However, the police during an investigation revealed that the mobile policemen escorting Apostle Michael Akpor were the ones involved in the killing at Ugbolokpoko Junction.

 

The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the development to SaharaReporters said the investigation was still ongoing.

 

 

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A transgender prisoner has been moved to men’s prison after impregnating two fellow inmates at the New Jersey’s only female prison in the US.

According to Daily Mail, Demi Minor, who is serving a 30-year sentence for stabbing her former foster father to death, was moved from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility to the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in June.

Minor, 27, complained that she was misgendered and abused by guards during the transfer and was even placed on suicide watch after she tried to hang herself while she was being transferred to GSCF.

In a post on her Justice 4 Demi blog, Minor claimed that she was targeted by correctional officers, with one of them mocking her when she asked to be stripped and searched by a woman. In a separate post, she claimed she was beaten during the transfer.

She said she was briefly held at New Jersey State Prison, where guards allegedly called her 'a he' over 30 times.

Minor's case gained notoriety in April when the New Jersey Department of Corrections revealed that he had impregnated two fellow inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility.

The inmate also said that while she was allowed to keep her make-up, she knows wearing it 'is a death wish.'

'I have accepted that I am in a male facility but I have not accepted nor will I ever agree to or accept that I am anything other than a woman who happens to be transgender,' Minor wrote.

 

In a scathing blog post, Minor accused guards of mistreating her and threatening her.

 

On one occasion, one guard told her 'I don't give a f*** what you do ….there is no camera here ... everyone here is man including you,' Minor alleged.

 

Minor was briefly in the custody of the New Jersey State Prison, where she said other concerning incidents took place.

 

'[The department of corrections] has violated my right to be safe and free from sexual harassment, by putting me in one of the most violent youth correctional facilities,' Minor wrote.

 

'While living here at GYSC, I have found myself under attack by young inmates who are immature and just plain ignorant towards a person like me.'

 

Minor said she has been removed from Edna Mahan 'as a punishment for what occurred over two months ago.

 

'They have violated my right to be safe and free from sexual harassment, by putting me in one of the most violent youth correctional facilities,' she alleged.'

 

The trans inmate said she was also being attacked by 'ignorant' younger inmates, 

 

She said: 'On Saturday, I was in medication line when a inmate cut in front of me, and said ''I am not standing behind no fag'.' The inmate th[e]n spit directly in my direction.'

She accused the DOC of causing her irreparable psychological damage by exposing her to those triggering situations. 

 

'I don't know what its like to live as a man, and I refuse to ever revert back to such habits or behavior,' Minor wrote.

 

Minor also complained that the facility has no air conditioning or cable and does not allow video visits or LGBTQ groups.

' ... yet they said that I am here for safety no please understand that I am here for punishment, just the sad part is this punishment may kill me,' Minor complained.

'Mentally I have not been myself and I am losing my essence. The Demi, who wants to wear make-up and hang out with her friends is not permitted here.

Minor was removed from Edna Mahan after it emerged that she had impregnated two inmates.

The 800-inmate Mahan facility began housing transgender women – including those that have yet to undergo gender reassignment surgery – last year after a lawsuit brought by an inmate and the ACLU. It now has 27 trans prisoners.

A source familiar with the prison told Daily Mail cell doors are left open during recreation time, so inmates can theoretically use those periods to sneak into each other’s cells or slip into a bathroom for quickie sex.

Minor was just 16 when she broke into Theotis Butts's home in Gloucester Township, New Jersey.

Butts had taken her in as a foster child, but Minor was no longer living with him, according to a report at the time on NJ.com.

She stabbed Butts, 69, several times and then fled to New York where she was arrested. 

She was also convicted of carjacking. She approached a couple – whose infant son was in their Pontiac Grand Prix at the time – and pointed a Glock .45 in the woman's face. The couple got their baby out of the car before Minor sped away with it.

Minor started to transition into a woman in 2020 and was transferred out of the male prison system to Mahan.

Since being incarcerated, Minor has tried to turn her life around, becoming something of a jailhouse lawyer advocating for other prisoners, and representing her unit on the inmate liaison committee.

 

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The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, says he will give the performance of President Muhammadu-led administration pass in rating.

 

Adamu who accepted that there are increasing security challenges in the country, however, boasted that despite that his party with the control of 22 states out of 36 states of the Federation will still retain power in 2023.

The former governor of Nasarawa State who spoke while featuring on Arise TV programme to talk about APC’s chances in the 2023 general elections, said the insecurity in the country didn't start with his party.

 

He said, “As I speak to you, we have 22 (APC) states. And I don’t have a reason to believe that we are not going to win. I don’t contemplate any situation that can make us lose the election. But that’s not to say we don’t have to work for it. We are working for our victory and by the grace of God, victory will be ours in 2023.”

He admitted that there were challenges with insecurity in the country but noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government was doing its best to address them.

But despite the obvious failures of the APC government being led by Buhari. Adamu said he would give the President a pass mark or credit for his performance so far.

 

Adamu stated, “There’s no denying the fact that we face very serious security problems. There is no doubt about it. But if we are to be fair, the security challenges we are facing did not start with the administration of the APC.

 

“I will give him (Buhari) a pass mark. I repeat, I will give him pass mark or credit.”

 

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A Nigerian national, David Olaydaju has been fined Sh10,000 for hurling insults at his girlfriend and police officers who intervened to assist the victim in Kenya.

Olaydaju will spend 30 days in prison if he fails to pay a Sh10, 000 (about N36,000 at the official rate of 1 Shilling to N3.59248) fine.

He was handed the penalties by Senior Principal Magistrate Philip Mutua of Kibera law courts after he pleaded guilty to charges of creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace, The Nation Kenya reports.

 

He committed the offence in the Gathondeki area within Dagoretti in Nairobi on July 14 where he hurled insults at Edith Wachira threatening to assault her.

She rushed to the security guards who advised her to report to the police.

 

Olaydaju followed her as she headed to the police station prompting her to dash into a nearby restaurant for security.

 

He followed her to the restaurant where he became unruly and insulted everyone including three police officers who were having a meal at the eatery.

 

The court heard that the police officers intervened but Olaydaju continued being violent and abusive prompting them to arrest him.

 

They took him to the Kabete police station where he was booked for offensive conduct and creating a disturbance.

 

Olaydaju said he had been angered by Ms Wachira who locked him indoors for hours.

 

He pleaded for leniency saying he was remorseful for his conduct.

 

 

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The Take-It-Back Movement led by human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has declared its support for the two-day nationwide protests planned by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, over the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

"Take It Back Movement supports the two-day nationwide protest declared by the NLC over the ongoing ASUU strike. We call on students, workers, and particularly all our members nationwide to mobilize and join the action in their respective states. #WeCantContinueLikeThis," the group tweeted on Monday morning.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) declared Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and 27 respectively as national days of protest against the ongoing strike action embarked upon by ASUU.

The National Secretariat of the NLC disclosed these dates and days in a letter to the chairpersons/secretaries of NLC State Councils dated July 15, 2022, which SaharaReporters sighted on Sunday.

 

The letter tagged: "National Protest To Get Our Children Back To School," was jointly signed by NLC President and Secretary General, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja respectively.

It partly read: "We bring you fraternal greetings from the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

"In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress held on the 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled as follows the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria's public universities fighting for quality education.

"Dates: Tuesday, 26th July 2022 and Wednesday, 27th July 2022. Venue: All the State Capitals of the Federation and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory.

"Take off Point: NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja.

"You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilize workers in the States for this very important protest for good governance."

Lecturers in Nigerian federal and state universities have been on strike since February 14, 2022, to force the government to implement agreements reached by both parties in 2009 among other demands.

 

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The Plateau State Police Command says soldiers and police personnel has been deployed to some communities and villages in the Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State following the alleged issuance of a 7-day quit notice to residents by terrorists.

The Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, on Monday denied reports that a quit notice had been issued to the communities. He, however, said security personnel had been deployed to the areas all the same.

According to him, when the command heard the rumours of the said quit notice, soldiers and policemen were deployed to those communities and villages.

Alabo also denied reports that residents of the communities had deserted their homes following the quit notice by Islamic terrorists.

The affected communities were identified as Sabon Zama, Gindin Dutse, Anguwan Tsohon Soldier, Anguwan Yuhana and Anguwan Mangu. It was reported that Islamic terrorists masquerading as bandits asked residents to leave or expected to be visited with violence.

It was also reported that residents of the affected communities had deserted the areas following the expiration of the ultimatum which was issued on June 28, 2022.

 

Ubale Pinau, a resident of Pinau community that shares a border with the affected communities had told Daily Trust that all the villages listed by the bandits had been deserted.

 

“There is no single person now in the communities. Everyone has fled. Some of the residents of the affected communities are now in Pinau while some have moved to Wase town.

 

“People are afraid of staying in the communities to avoid the anger of the bandits. Although there are soldiers stationed in Pinau, residents are jittery for fear of the unknown,” he had said.

 

However, Alabo, on Monday said that it wasn't true.

 

He said that when the command heard the rumours of the said quit notice, soldiers and policemen were deployed to those communities and villages, adding that those security agents were still there.

He said, "At Pinau and Anguwan, all these areas; there are soldiers stationed there, policemen are there, I don't know why some people are trying to destroy the peace of the Plateau.

 

"Soldiers are in the villages and he is saying that people are running away from the villages. The local government chairman, the Divisional Police Officer, everybody, they are working on it very seriously that is why there is no cause for alarm.

 

"The man is just raising an unnecessary alarm because soldiers and policemen are there. We have heard the rumour, we didn't even get it officially, just heard it as a rumour and we took action. The security agencies have taken action and he's still complaining."

 

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