Nigerians who wish to travel by rail from May 2022, should get their National Identity Number ready, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, stated.
According to him, this means of identity will enhance the profiling of passengers, which he said would also enhance the safety and security of rail users.

The development trails the recent terror attack on an Abuja-Kaduna bound train. The Nigerian Railway Corporation had confirmed eight deaths, while many persons were declared missing.
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying, “The process of linking passengers to their NIN for improved profiling is ongoing. This layer of passenger screening will commence by May.
“The Abuja-Kaduna Train Service will resume as soon as possible with additional security measures put in place.”
The NRC suspended the Abuja-Kaduna route following a March 28 daring attack by assailants, who injured passengers and kidnapped many.
He said the security agencies were working tirelessly to ensure the rescue and release of all abductees, noting that 362 passengers and 20 crew members were aboard the train when it was plundered.
“While we continue to sympathise with families of those who lost or have not seen their loved ones, we encourage anyone still looking for a loved one to please call us.
“The corporation will continue to update the general public of the latest developments,’’ he stated.
Okhiria added that as part of security measures in forestalling future occurrences, the NRC had re-railed the last rolling stock affected in the attack.
“This means that all the 14 de-railed rolling stock (11 coaches, two rescue coaches and one locomotive engine on the rescue train) have all been re-railed – from the incident site to our stations at Idu, Abuja and Rigasa, Kaduna.
“Intensive track repair work continues at the site. An advanced level of track repairs has been achieved and hopefully, it will be rounded off in 10 days,” he explained.

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Fredrick Nwabufo

A joker in poker is a wild card. It can be flipped; it can substitute and be substituted. And it can just be that jester. Nigeria’s political caravan is saturated with jokers. While some jokers are well aware of their status as factotums of other interests in the political circus, some are just aboriginal jesters taken up in their own vanity and delusion of importance. There are presidential hopefuls and there are presidential jokers.
Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is a presidential joker. I believe Obi knows that he cannot succeed in his presidential expedition under the current political arrangement. The entrenched system which abominates merit is not of his making, but it is an obvious encumbrance to him emerging as the presidential candidate of the PDP. Peter Obi is no match for any of the APC presidential hopefuls -- Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and Rotimi Amaechi. This is an uncomfortable but evident fact.

Fredrick Nwabufo
As I wrote in a previous column, if it were a sectional contest where only Igbo votes will decide the winner, perhaps, the former Anambra governor will have a chance. But this is a national election where every Nigerian – north, south, east, west – will decide the outcome. Obi does not have the requisite community network and he remains suspended on the fringes of political relevance. He does not matter to those who really matter in elections – the hoi-polloi. But I give it to him, he is a favourite of some Nigerians from the south on Twitter. But there are no polling stations on Twitter.
It has been speculated that Obi is using the presidential quest as a gambit to negotiate for a vice-presidential position in the PDP – because he may not get another chance like in 2019 when he was the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, PDP presidential candidate, in the election. According to whispers from party insiders, a running mate from the south-south or south-west may be selected, if the presidential ticket goes to a northern candidate. This is on the assumption that a popular running mate from the south-west can bite into the bloc vote of the APC in the region.
Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, is another presidential joker. The good thing is, the ‘’Amala and Ponmo’’ exponent, admits he is a joker. Fayose does not try to be suave or rational about his status as a hoaxer; he is honest about his ‘’presidential’’ pursuit. He is a political scullion. Fayose knows he is not popular and that he lacks the needed network for presidential nomination and election. He knows it will even take him an effort to win a senatorial election in Ekiti.
But who is the former governor fronting for? It is alleged that Fayose may be jesting at the behest of the ‘’grand patron’’ of the PDP – a certain governor from the south-south. Real contenders in internal party contests often flash jokers to boost their negotiating and electoral chances. The jokers act in the interest of the pied piper while maintaining a façade.
However, Dino Melaye, former senator and the liveried footman of Atiku and Bukola Saraki, accused Fayose of acting in the interest of another godfather in the APC. So, the former governor may not only be a joker but also a spoiler.
“It is clear from the verbal missiles deployed by Fayose that he was simply de-marketing frontline aspirants in PDP as a counterintuitive strategy to shore up the chances of his political godfather in APC,’’ Melaye said in response to Fayose’s ‘’demarketing’’ of Atiku and Saraki.
Dele Momodu is a presidential joker. Cerebral, cosmopolitan, expansive, yes, he is. In 2011, the CEO of Ovation group ran for presidential office on the ticket of the National Conscience Party (NCP). But he only secured 26,376 votes, coming a distant 11th on the election log. Momodu is vacant of grassroots appeal and appears sequestered from everyday Nigerians. He has a mélange of friends in the elite phylum, but not enough political network to swing the presidential pendulum his way. It has been speculated that he is fronting for Saraki.
Tunde Bakare is another presidential joker. He said God told him to run for president. Well, I believe the fiery preacher knows the celestials will not be voting in the elections – only Nigerians. Perhaps, he wants to take the baton from Chris Okotie, the debonair pastor known for running for president every election cycle without getting as much as 50,000 votes.
There are other persons in the band of presidential jokers. They include but not limited to Cosmo Ndukwe of the PDP, Anyim Pius Anyim of the PDP, Orji Kalu of the APC, Bala Mohammed of the PDP and David Umahi of the APC.
There are presidential hopefuls and there are presidential jokers. The jokers bring nothing but comic relief, and perhaps, excitement to the contest. And who does not fancy a good laugh?
By Fredrick Nwabufo; Nwabufo aka Mr OneNigeria is a writer and journalist.

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A security expert in Abuja, Afolabi Solanke, has narrated how officials of the Department of State Services led by one Paul Adesina broke into his house at 4am and abducted him.
Solanke informed SaharaReporters that Adesina with whom he had a pending tenancy case at the Court of Appeal, had kidnapped him with the intention of killing him.

He, however, explained that he escaped being assassinated with the intervention of a retired military officer who was the owner of the piece of land where he could have been executed.
According to him, the DSS officials, after detaining him had gone back to his house to ransack the house and took away valuables which they sold. 
He said, “They came and broke the burglary, windows, security door and everything. Initially, I assumed they were armed robbers so I called the police and they asked me to hide somewhere but before the policemen could get to the house the DSS men broke in, they hit their gun on my head, dragged me outside, slapped me, used pepper spray on me.
“My son was at home with me, the boy is home because of the ASUU strike. One of them sat on my son's neck and the boy was shouting ’I can't breathe’.
“They later put us into their white bus and drove off. After much movement, I found myself at the FCT Command in Asokoro, they brought me out of the van, and slapped me — Muktal Garba and Paul Adesina beat me so much. They said I did cyberbully that I sent documents to SaharaReporters. I explained why I did that, the man slapped me again.
“Blood was coming out from my ears so I passed out, by the time I regained consciousness, I couldn't find my son, I also discovered they had gone to my house to take valuables from the house including the dollars I kept in my wardrobe. They already sold some of my property, my clothes, they did this while my son was there handcuffed, all his friends were there looking at him.
“They took over my house, threatened that if I go there, they will kill me. Where I was detained I saw that there were other innocent people locked up in the cell without trial, one of them already lost one of his eyes from too much torture.
“Later, they took me out of that cell to one office belonging to Muktal Garba who told me he could have prosecuted me if not for his colleagues who called him. When they brought me out, they handcuffed me and used a cloth to blindfold me.
“It was then I knew that my Jaguar and 407 had been moved from the house to their place there, they put me in a Hilux, in the midst of two people who are fully-armed. They drove me for 1 hour, 45 minutes, as if we were travelling out of Abuja.
“I started perceiving dust as if we were driving on an untiled road, after a while, they parked, they removed the handcuff and asked me to get down, the other one cocked his gun and I heard a strange voice saying ‘you cannot kill anyone here’, then they said ‘barawo ni', the man replied them, ‘I am an old soldier, I will call police for you'.
“They started arguing in Hausa, so when I discovered they were arguing, I removed the blindfold and spoke to the man and explained myself. By the time I turned, I saw they already parked my car behind the Hilux, I explained myself to the man, the DSS officials quickly entered their Hilux and drove away.
“By the time I entered my car, I observed that my two phones that Garba took from me are in the car, they wanted to kill me and put my corpse in the car so it would seem kidnappers or armed robbers killed me there.
“I asked the man where I was, the man led me out of that place. It was later I discovered that they took me to Apo Resettlement. By the time I got to my house, I saw a signpost ‘For sale’ by one Uzor with his phone number, I saw that the house was empty, I tried to make phone calls, I couldn't access my phones, Muktal Garba changed my password.
”I still got a phone call from Paul Adesina threatening to kill me, I am no longer safe, I can't live in my house, even my other phones are with them.”
Solanke who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Goldeye Security Ltd. says if any form of evil befalls him, the DSS official, Paul Adesina should be held responsible.

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged Nigerian youths to unite and defend their territories against the activities of bandits and other terrorists in the country.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, on Thursday, IPOB condemned the position of the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai despite the violence perpetrated against people in Southern Kaduna.

IPOB also condemned the incessant attacks and killings going on in the South-East region as it alienates itself from the attacks.
The group said it was not responsible for the attack but only after the protection of communities in the region.
The group said: “We strongly condemn the senseless and incessant attacks, abductions, killings and all manner of criminalities in the South Eastern States especially the recent barbarities in Anambra and other states in the regions of South-East and South-South.
“Again, we want to inform the world that IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, ESN members had no hands in the attacks contrary to baseless allegations by our enemies. We are not involved in the criminal activities of agents of darkness in our land.
“IPOB members are civilised people and are never involved in the barbarities going on in our territory.  Anybody linking IPOB or ESN with these devilish activities is a blackmailer.
“IPOB is not unknown gunmen and we cannot be.  We are only after our mandate which is to protect our communities, bushes and farms against the jihadists masquerading as Fulani herdsmen killing, maiming and raping our mothers, wives and sisters going to farms. IPOB will not tolerate such nonsense anymore.
“It is now clear to all that the bandits are out to eliminate every single individual or group in Southern Kaduna. Yet the governor is still looking for excuses instead of going after terrorists and bandits killing his subjects.
“We, therefore, urge Middle Belt, particularly the people of Southern Kaduna, Jos and people of Nasarawa youths who allowed their parents and children to be slaughtered like chicken.
“We, therefore, encourage the youths to come out and defend their land otherwise Fulani terrorists masquerading as bandits now will finish them. They already know that Biafran youths won't allow them any breeding ground in our territory.
“All indigenous Communities in Nigeria must unite against these vampires now. We should not allow them to succeed in their evil mission. They know that time is running out on them that is why they are on the prowl again.”

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The Council of States after a meeting on Thursday in Abuja agreed to free former Taraba State governor, Rev Jolly Nyame, who has been serving a jail term at the Kuje prison for misappropriation of funds while he was in office.
Nyame was the governor of Taraba State from 1999 to 2007.

“The Council of State today agreed to grant him pardon. They will now write to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who will now ratify it and write to the prison to release him.
“It is a political move. It is a plot for the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, to win Taraba State in the next elections. Buhari lobbied other members of the Council of State to secure Nyame’s release,” a top source told SaharaReporters.
“It is just a formality from the AGF to release him once the Council already approved it. The Council considered that the amount Nyame was jailed for is not as big as what other politicians and former governors stole,” another source corroborated.
The Supreme Court had in February 2020 upheld the conviction and 12-year jail term given to Nyame, for misappropriation of funds while he was governor of Taraba State.
A five-member panel of the apex court, in a unanimous decision led by Justice Mary Odili, had said it found no reason to set aside concurrent judgements of both the trial court and the Court of Appeal, which found Mr Nyame guilty of misappropriation of funds.
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Amina Augie, held that the appeal the former governor filed to challenge his conviction and sentence, lacked merit.
The apex court, however, held that the appellate court was wrong to have imposed fine against Nyame.
Justice Augie, therefore, affirmed the imposed jail term but freed the convicted Mr Nyame from paying fine for the crime he committed against the state, while he was a governor.
In May 2018, when Justice Adebukola Banjoko first sentenced Nyame to jail.

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Families of the kidnapped victims of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna train attack have accused the Nigerian government of abandoning their loved ones in the hands of terrorists.
 
The distraught family members who could not hold back their emotions said no government agency or officials had reached out to them since the tragic incident.
 
The group accused Muhammadu Buhari’s government of abandoning the victims to their abductors.
 
Speaking on behalf of the families at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Aliyu Mahmood said every attempt to reach out to the abductors for further discussion and negotiation was not successful.
He said the terrorists made it clear in a viral video that they want to discuss with the Nigerian government.
He said, "We are here today as a group yearning for a solution to bring our family members back home in good health and utmost safety. We will like to bring this to the world stage that we were only contacted by the kidnappers once since the incident, and the call was an assurance call to inform us that our family members were with them, a mere proof of life, no health guarantees.
"No government agency reached out to us even though we have made attempts to see the right authorities.
"We are confused and most of the victims are in dire need of medical attention. For instance, there is a woman who is 7-month-old pregnant and is due for a cesarean section a few days from now. It’s been two weeks and that puts her lore in harm’s way. Her brother who was shot has an untreated bullet wound.
“They have with them a toddler and an 85-year-old aged woman who is diabetic and so many others.
 
"We don't have a clue on what to do. Any additional loss of life results in unbearable sorrow for a family but not the government.
 
"We are the ones that will feel the pains of not seeing them again. We are the ones to bear the burden of knowing we could've saved them had we been given the opportunity to negotiate and get our loved ones out.
 
"We want to actively participate in ensuring their safety. Nothing is too small or too much to secure the lives of the victims.”
He said they have been living with trauma since the terrorist attack on the train.
The families, therefore, appealed to the government to come to their aid and ensure the safe return of their loved ones.
Eight persons were confirmed killed in the attack and more than 20 others were injured.

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Admission seekers have accused the Federal College of Education (FCE) Yola, of selling admission forms for none existing degree programmes.
FCE Yola in Adamawa State reportedly sold thousands of admission forms to unsuspecting applicants at the rate of N3,500, SaharaReporters has learnt.

As gathered, the college's Directorate of Undergraduate Programmes sold the controversial admission forms for the 2021/2022 academic session in 16 new courses said to be affiliated to the universities of Maiduguri and Jos.
As further gathered, FCE Yola was granted the approval to run only nine accredited courses affiliated with the University of Maiduguri starting from the 2014/2015 academic season.
 
A source in the school who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, "There was no way the college could have obtained approval from the National Universities Commission to introduce additional 16 courses beyond its original capacity of nine."
 
Notwithstanding, the college placed an advertisement in the mass media informing the public that it had obtained approval to run 16 additional degree programmes, supposedly affiliated with the universities of Jos and Maiduguri.
 
Accordingly, it called for applications into the 16 new degree programmes, urging prospective applicants to pay a non-refundable admission fee of N3,500.
 
The courses as advertised include Early Childhood Care and primary education; Computer Science Education; Social Studies; Guidance and Counselling; Education Management and Christian Religious Studies.
 
Other new courses advertised include Continuing Education; French Education; Business Education; Economics Education; Fine and Applied Arts; Geography; Hausa Language; Physics and Political Science Education.
 
However, in a dramatic twist, the institution in a text message, invited applicants to come forward for a refund.
 
The message reads, “Please come with your account details and receipt of payment to the Bursary Dept., FCE, Yola for the refund of your application fees into Undergraduate Studies. -Bursar.”
 
The management, in a press release also issued a public apology for the blunder.
 
The spokesperson for the college, Takason Kloso, explained that the advertised degrees were no longer feasible for the 2021/2022 academic session.
 
Kloso said, “The Federal College of Education Yola, regrets to inform candidates who had obtained application forms for admission into new degree programmes that it is not feasible to conduct admission during the 2021/2022 session.
 
“Accordingly, affected candidates are requested to submit to the Bursary Department of the College, their bank account details and proof of payment for refunds.”

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The National Assembly, on Thursday, approved a request by President Muhammadu Buhari for N4 trillion petroleum subsidy for 2022.
The Senate and House of Representatives approved the President’s request after considering reports from their committees on finance.

Buhari asked both chambers to approve an increase in the estimated provision for 2022 subsidy for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also called petrol, by N3.557 trillion, from N442.72 billion to N4 trillion.
SaharaReporterrs on Wednesday reported that the Senate would Thursday pass the revised 2022 fiscal framework before adjourning on the Easter break.
Part of the revised fiscal framework is the request for approval for an increase in fuel subsidy.
The hint was given by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after the report of the Committee on Finance was stepped down today for consideration, a statement on Wednesday signed Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assistant (Press) to the Senate President, had said. 
 
The requests were stated in separate letters sent to the two chambers.
 
The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, who moved a motion for the report to be stepped down, explained that its deferred consideration till Thursday, April 14, 2022, would allow lawmakers to make their inputs.
 
President Buhari had in the letter dated April 5, 2022, requested the Senate to adjust the 2022 fiscal framework.
He said doing so became necessary in view of new developments in both the global and domestic economies.
According to him, the developments were occasioned by spikes in the market price of crude oil, which were a fallout of the Russian-Ukraine war.
He, therefore, requested the upper chamber to approve an increase in the oil benchmark by US$11 per barrel, from US$62 per barrel to US$73 per barrel.
The President also sought a reduction in the projected oil production volume by 283,000 barrels per day, from 1.883 million barrels per day to 1.600 million barrels per day.
President Buhari underscored the need for a cut in the provision for Federally-funded upstream projects being implemented by N200 billion, from N352.80 billion to N152.80 billion.
He proposed an increase in the projection for Nigerian Government Independent Revenue by N400 billion; and an additional provision of N182.45 billion to cater for the needs of the Nigeria Police Force.

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President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday, constituted a 13-member Adhoc Committee to investigate oil theft in Nigeria and its impact on petroleum production and oil revenues.
The composition of the panel was announced on the floor at the plenary, Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assistant (Press) to the Senate President said in a statement on Thursday.

Lawan named Senator Bassey Albert Akpan as Chairman of the committee. 
Members on the panel include Senators Yusuf A. Yusuf, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, Kabiru Gaya, Mohammed Adamu Aliero, George Thompson Sekibo and Gabriel Suswam.
Others are Senators Kashim Shettima, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Ali Ndume, Stella Oduah, Sani Musa and Ibrahim Gobir.
The ad-hoc committee was given one month to conclude work on investigations and report back to the chamber in plenary.
The Nigerian government in March raised the alarm over the rising rate of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, disclosing that about $3.27 billion worth of oil had been lost to vandalism and theft in the past 14 months.
 
The government described high-level cases of oil theft as a threat to the country’s corporate and economic existence, with the industry now thinking of transporting crude oil from fields to export terminals by trucks.
 
 
 

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Russia says a nuclear-free Baltic region would no longer be possible if Finland and Sweden join NATO, alluding to additional nuclear deployments in Europe.
 
“If Sweden and Finland join NATO, the length of the alliance’s land borders with the Russian Federation will more than double. Naturally, these borders will have to be strengthened,” Dmitry Medvedev, former president and deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote on his official Telegram channel on Thursday.

Russia will have to “seriously strengthen the grouping of land forces and air defence, deploy significant naval forces in the waters of the Gulf of Finland. In this case, it will no longer be possible to talk about any nuclear-free status of the Baltic - the balance must be restored,” he said.
 
The comments, CNBC reports, come a day after Finland and Sweden said their decision on whether to apply for NATO membership would come within a matter of weeks. The countries’ leaders said their security assessments had dramatically changed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

The Baltics, which includes the north-eastern European countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, are members of the EU and NATO. Sweden and Finland are members of the EU, but not NATO, and the latter shares an 830-mile border with Russia.
 
If Finland and Sweden did join NATO, this would give Moscow “more officially registered opponents,” Medvedev added. He claimed that NATO was planning to admit the two Nordic states with “minimal bureaucratic procedures.”
 
Russia’s response should be taken with “no emotion, with a cold head,” he added.
 
Moscow sees neighbouring Finland’s potential inclusion in NATO as a threat to its national security, as the U.S. could deploy advanced military equipment in Finland if it joined the alliance.
 
Lithuania, which borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, brushed off Medvedev’s comments on Thursday.
 
It’s “nothing new,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said. The country’s Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas added that Russia already has nuclear weapons in the Baltic region.
 
“The current Russian threats look quite strange, when we know that, even without the present security situation, they keep the weapon 100 km from Lithuania’s border,” Anusauskas was quoted by Lithuania’s BNS wire as saying.
 
“Nuclear weapons have always been kept in Kaliningrad ... the international community, the countries in the region, are perfectly aware of this ... They use it as a threat,” he added.
 
Kaliningrad, which is slightly larger than Connecticut, borders the Baltic sea on its west and is sandwiched between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered a U-turn in Finnish public opinion on joining the 30-member military alliance, which it has refrained from joining since World War II in a bid to maintain neutrality. Moscow has in the past warned of severe consequences and instability in the Nordics if Finland were to join.
 
If Finland joined the alliance, Sweden would likely follow suit. Finland and Sweden, as well as Ukraine, are already “Enhanced Opportunity Partners” of NATO, the closest form of partnership with the alliance, and partake in military exercises with NATO states.
 
Rather than urging the countries to pursue membership, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly said it is for Finland and Sweden to decide their own path. He has also said “the door remains open” for the alliance to welcome new members.

But Russia has long warned against any enlargement of NATO, reportedly accusing the alliance of being “a tool geared towards confrontation.”

Ahead of its invasion of Ukraine, it demanded that the organisation, which was created in 1949 in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union, return to its pre-1997 borders — something the U.S. and NATO refused.
 
Fourteen countries have joined the collective defence alliance since 1997, accounting for nearly half of its members. These countries include much of central and eastern Europe, and the first NATO members to border Russia and its exclave territory of Kaliningrad: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
 
Moscow blames Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership, among other things, for triggering the Russian invasion, saying it threatened Russia’s security. NATO leaders have reiterated that they will not send troops into Ukraine to help in their fight against Russia, primarily because the country is not a member of the alliance.

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At least 106 bodies were buried on Monday following the recent attacks on communities in Plateau State.
Chairman of Kanam Local Government Area of the state, Dayabu Garga, gave the update in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.

The fresh attacks were carried out on Sunday by gunmen on some communities in the adjoining Kanam and Wase local government areas of the state.
The affected communities are Kukawa, Gyambawu, Dungur, Kyaram, Yelwa, Dadda, Wanka, Shuwaka, Gwammadaji, and Dadin Kowa.
“I was present on Monday morning where we did mass burial of 106 killed and we are still picking more dead bodies in the farmlands because when they meet you on the farm, they will shoot you and move to another farm.
“And we are still picking more bodies. Even till today, we are still finding dead bodies on the farmlands. In the hospital we have more than 16 people hospitalised; someone right now has a bullet in the head, maybe they will do an operation either today or tomorrow to remove the bullet.
“I think the issue is so much devastating; until when you go there, you will almost shed tears. It happened on Sunday, on Monday, we moved in there to help them gather the dead bodies and bury (them).
“We buried 106 bodies that day but before leaving, they were still getting more bodies on the farmlands. These people require protection, we need to have security outfits, either army or MOPOL (Mobile police). We need food items, we have sent some food items but they are not enough.”

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Chibok girls in captivity

Human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls still in captivity.
 
It has been eight years since 276 schoolgirls of Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS), Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

Chibok girls in captivity

The girls were preparing for their terminal examination when the insurgents attacked in the middle of the night.
 
The incident was followed by a global outcry that birthed the #BringBackOurGirls movement, and despite continued efforts to secure the freedom of the girls, only 103 have been rescued so far.
 
In a statement issued on Thursday, Sowore asked the government to bring back the girls without further delay.
 
He also mocked President Muhammadu Buhari for promising to “#SecureTheNorth and not long after, declared that Boko Haram had been defeated.”
 
“While the Nigerian government, time and time again, has failed you, all hope is not lost,” he added.
 
The statement read, “Today, April 14th, 2022. It has been EIGHT YEARS since the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in Chibok, Borno state. Eight long years. I remember in the US when I first heard and reported about the kidnapping of the girls.
 
“At that time, many people wondered, how can 276 girls just be taken away without a trace? Just like that? It was unbelievable, but time has shown that the kidnapping of the girls was just the beginning of a very long period, which continues today, in the dark history of the PDP-APC run Nigeria.
 
“At that time, many people blamed the PDP particularly President Goodluck Jonathan and the incoming APC party promised to bring back the girls. In fact, Buhari promised he would #SecureTheNorth and not long after declared that Boko Haram had been defeated. All this, we know, was a sordid tale of lies.
 
“Over the past two weekends, over 150 people in villages in Plateau state have been murdered, and it is so commonplace that it does not even make the news anymore. Over the last few weeks, the Kaduna train bombings and kidnappings are yet to be resolved, with so many captives still lost to their families, who are negotiating desperately as a failed government continues to ignore the plight of its people. What a country!
 
“But let us go back to the matter at hand. Today, I want to empathize with the parents of the Chibok young women, with the young women still in captivity with no hope of ever returning, and getting reunited with their families, young women who have been freed but still bear the scars of their captivity on their bodies, minds and hearts, I want to say to them, you are not forgotten.
 
“You are not forsaken. While the Nigerian government, time and time again, has failed you, all hope is not lost. All hope is not lost because we know that our great country can be better, and can rescue the women, men and children from the grips of insecurity, violence, lack of respect for human life and its sanctity. We stand with you, the powerful people of Chibok, this day and every day.
 
“To highlight your plight, and to promise that we will do everything in our power to right the wrongs of history, to bring back the girls who have become young women, and to ensure that we create a safer country for the millions of children that rely on us, to create a place where they can be free to be children, and grow and have happy and healthy lives.

“Today is a sad day, but we must not let the sadness of today overwhelm us, rather, it should hasten our steps and deepen our resolve to rescue our great nation from the abyss.”

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File photo used to illustrate story.

The Nigerian Senate has received the Money Laundering Bill and Terrorism Prevention Bill transmitted by President Muhammadu Buhari for expeditious consideration and passage.

 

The bills were accompanied by a letter read at the start of the plenary on Thursday by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

File photo used to illustrate story.

President Buhari in the letter dated April 12, 2022, said the request for the passage of both bills was pursuant to the provisions of Section 58(2) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

 

He explained that the deficiencies in the country’s Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism regime make it imperative for the passage of both bills.

 

Buhari warned that the non-passage of both bills posed a risk that might lead to the eventual blacklisting of Nigeria by the Financial Action Task Force.

 

The letter reads, “Pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), I forward herewith, the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Bill, 2022 and Terrorism (Prevention) Bill, 2022 for the kind consideration of the Senate.

 

“During the recent Mutual Evaluation carried out by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, there were observed deficiencies in Nigeria's Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism regime.

 

“Following the evaluation, the Ministry of Justice and other relevant stakeholders reviewed said deficiencies and drafted the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Bill, 2022 and Terrorism (Prevention) Bill, 2022.

 

“Unless these deficiencies are addressed promptly by the National Assembly, in order to bring our legal regime in conformity with Financial Action Task Force recommendations, Nigeria will face the risk of a negative public statement blacklisting the country by FATF and this will lead to some negative consequences to our rapidly growing economy.

 

“In light of the above, the Federal Ministry of Justice reviewed the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Bill and Terrorism (Prevention) Bill currently pending before the National Assembly and have come up with revised versions of the Bills, incorporating the resolutions to the deficiencies pointed out in the Mutual Evaluation Report, thereby bringing Nigeria’s legal regime in conformity with the FATF recommendations.”

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The sale of tickets in US dollars will begin with effect from April 19, 2022, some foreign airlines operating in Nigeria disclosed on Thursday.
 
This was contained in an announcement made by APG in an advisory to its travel partners, titled: “APG IET: Restrictions of Sales in US dollars”.

APG is the world’s largest passenger and cargo general sales agent (GSA) and airline representation company with offices around the world, including Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

According to APG, the difficulty in repatriating airlines’ funds stuck in Nigeria and other countries, coupled with foreign exchange fluctuation, is responsible for the new policy.
 
The airlines to effect the new policy are those on APG Interline Electronic Ticketing (IET) GP code 275, The Cable reports.
 
“Dear travel partners, warm greetings from APG. This is to bring to your notice that with effect from April 19, 2022, GP would only accept issuing of tickets in US dollars and not naira,” the advisory reads.
 
“This is mainly due to repatriation issues and the forex situation in the country. This would most likely be a temporary measure till the forex situation improves.
 
“Our sincere apologies for any inconveniences this may cause to you and your business. Thank you for understanding.”
 
 
Airlines on the APG IET platform include South African Airways, Fly Dubai, Kenya Airways, Middle East Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Rwandair, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, FrenchBee, EgyptAir, ASKY, Air Seychelles, Air Algerie and Air Namibia.
 
Air Panama, Air Burkina, Avianca, Bangkok Airways, Cabo Verde Airlines, Fiji Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, Malaysian Air, alongside other carriers, also use the platform.
 
Some of these airlines which fly directly into Nigeria are South Africa Airways, Turkish Airlines, Asky Airlines, Egypt Air, Royal Air Maroc, Middle East Airlines, Rwanda Air and Kenya Airways.

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Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Muhammad Achida, has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Speaker presented the letter of his defection to the assembly during Thursday’s plenary session.

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Also, a member of the state's House of Assembly representing Wammako 2 Constituency, Murtala Bello Maigona, has also dumped the ruling APC for rival party, PDP, according to a report by TVC News.

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Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has asked the Nigerian electorate to ask for the standard roads, schools and hospitals built by those contesting the 2023 presidential election before they vote for them.
 
Sowore, in a Twitter thread on Wednesday, said it's not enough for campaigners to turn the social media into a ‘bully pulpit' but rather make demands of concrete achievements of aspirants.

He said Nigerians should ask aspirants who have held previous political positions about the schools they've built that they've enrolled their children in, hospitals built where they've sought care and standard roads they've constructed.
 
He wrote, “We ask that people campaign on their records not turn Twitter or social media into bully pulpit for Presidential aspirants they are “packaging” for votes. It won’t work!
 
“Just let Nigerians have locations of standard roads, schools built and well-funded such that these your “aspirants” sent their children or wards there. Hospitals they built where they’ve ever sought short/long term care.
 
“These failed politicians as @Official_ABAT @PeterObi @atiku @ProfOsinbajo have nothing to show for their horrible pasts, now that they are being asked to account for their past performances, these failed politicians can’t use your escape hatch to explain away their failures.”

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A report by the United States Department of States says the Nigerian government does not adequately protect children against harmful labour practices.
 
The report titled “2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” explained that the Nigerian government does not prohibit all the worst forms of child labour adding that this is particularly prevalent in the informal sector.

UNICEF

According to the report, the penalties for engaging children in labour practices were not commensurate with those for similar crimes.
 
The report noted, “The government does not prohibit all of the worst forms of child labour. Penalties were not commensurate with those for similar crimes. Child labour was prevalent, especially in the informal sector.
 
“The law sets the general minimum age for employment at 12. Persons younger than 14 may be employed only on a daily basis, must receive the day’s wages at the end of each workday and must be able to return each night to their parent's or guardian’s residence.
 
“By law, these regulations do not apply to domestic service. The law also provides exceptions for light work in agriculture and horticulture if the employer is a family member.
 
“No person younger than 16 may work underground, in machine work, or on a public holiday. No “young person,” defined by law as a person younger than 18, may be employed in any job that is injurious to health, dangerous, or immoral.
 
“For industrial work and work on vessels where a family member is not employed, the minimum work age is 15, consistent with the age for completing educational requirements. The law states children may not be employed in agricultural or domestic work for more than eight hours per day.
 
“Apprenticeship of youths older than 12 is allowed in skilled trades or as domestic servants. The Labor Ministry dealt specifically with child labour problems but mainly conducted inspections in the formal business sector, where the incidence of child labour reportedly was not significant.
 
“The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking has some responsibility for enforcing child labour laws, although it primarily rehabilitates trafficking and child labour victims.
 
“Victims or their guardians rarely complained due to intimidation and fear of losing their jobs. The government completed the new National Action Plan on Child Labor 2021-2025, coordinated by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
 
“The government’s child labour policy focused on intervention, advocacy, sensitization, legislation, withdrawal of children from potentially harmful labour situations, and rehabilitation and education of children following withdrawal.
 
“In an effort to withdraw children from the worst forms of child labour, the government-operated vocational training centres with NGOs around the country.
 
“The Labor Ministry confirmed that 2,996 children were removed from child labour during the year, a small number compared to the 15 million working children younger than 14 in the country, according to ILO estimates.
 
“Ministry of Labor officials expressed concern during the year that 43 per cent of children between the ages of five to 17 were engaged in economic activities (although not all of them were engaged in the worst forms of child labour), and that the COVID-19 pandemic pushed more children to work for financial reasons.
 
“Despite the policy and action plan, children largely were not adequately protected due to weak enforcement of the law and gaps in coverage.
 
“Children engaged in the worst forms of child labour identified in the country including commercial agriculture and hazardous farm work (cocoa, cassava); street hawking; exploitative cottage industries such as iron and other metal works; hazardous mechanical workshops; exploitative and hazardous domestic work; commercial fishing; exploitative and hazardous pastoral and herding activities; construction; transportation; mining and quarrying; commercial sex work and pornography; forced and compulsory labour and debt bondage; forced participation in violence, criminal activity, and ethnic, religious, and political conflicts; and involvement in drug peddling.

“Many children worked as beggars, street peddlers, and domestic servants in urban areas. Children also worked in the agricultural sector and in mines. Boys were forced to work as labourers on farms, in restaurants, for small businesses, and in granite mines as well as street peddlers and beggars. Girls worked involuntarily as domestic servants and street peddlers.”
 

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Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River on Wednesday in Calabar gifted newly-appointed judges brand new SUVs.
 
Making the presentation, the governor also promised to improve the welfare of the judges.

According to a statement by the Cross River government, he described the gesture as a way of appreciating the judges for “standing with the truth”.
 
Present at the event was Akon Ikpeme, the chief judge of the state, who received the keys to the vehicles on behalf of the recipients.
 
“I’m here with the chief judge of Cross River state, justice Akon Ikpeme. I’m here to make a presentation to our judicial officers, the vehicles that befit their status because I have seen that the Nigerian judiciary is a dependable arm of government, an arm of government that gives hope to the common man, an arm of government that dispenses justice,” he was quoted as saying.
 
“I’m particularly happy and I’m using this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Nigerian judiciary for standing on the side of the law, by standing with the truth.
 
“Against this background, the people of Cross River state want to show appreciation to the judiciary. On behalf of the government and people of Cross River state, I hereby present these jeeps and cars to you.”
 
A Federal High Court in Abuja last Thursday dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suit seeking the removal of Ayade as governor following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
 
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgment, said he was bound by the decision of a higher court which delivered a judgment on April 1 in a similar case in Enugu.

An Appeal Court sitting in Enugu had affirmed the ruling of the Ebonyi State High Court, which declared that Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and his Deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe, did not offend any provision of the constitution or the Electoral Act by defecting from the PDP to the APC.

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Elon Musk

American billionaire Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter for about $41 billion in cash, saying the social media company he has often criticised needs to go private to see effective changes.
 
Musk offered a price of $54.20 per share, Reuters reports. The price, which was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Thursday, represents a 38% premium to Twitter's April 1 close, the last trading day before the Tesla CEO's more than 9% stake in the company was made public.

Elon Musk

The total deal value was calculated based on 763.58 million shares outstanding, according to Refinitiv data.
 
Musk rejected an offer to join Twitter's board earlier this week after disclosing his stake in the company, a move that analysts said signalled his intention to take over the company as a board seat would have limited his stake to just under 15 percent.
 
"Since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company," Musk said in a letter to Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor.
 
"My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder," Musk added.
 

I made an offer https://t.co/VvreuPMeLu

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2022
Twitter did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
 
Musk has amassed over 80 million followers since joining the site in 2009 and has used the platform to make several announcements, including teasing a go-private deal for Tesla that landed him in hot water with regulators.

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A businessman in Lagos State, Sunday Soneye has petitioned the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the unlawful demolition of his car wash facility, Bias Car Wash, by thugs and officials of the Lagos State agencies.

The agencies are Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) and Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA).

According to the petition signed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, the aggrieved businessman explained that he had obtained a business space close to the First Anglican Church Mission at Abule Egba and approval from the local government authority and equally applied for a permit from the Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA).
 
He said it, however, came as a shock when LAGESC officials on February 17 stormed the office with sticks to destroy the place and left with one of his washing machines.

He added that one of the staff members, one Kayode Omotosho was forcefully abducted but later released at night after the officials had collected the money he had on him.

According to the petition, subsequently, on March 7, a certain Henry Okadigbo believed to be from LAWMA arrived at the car wash premises with thugs and tore off the notice of approval Soneye had obtained from relevant bodies.

The official allegedly threatened to cause more havoc if anyone dared him despite not explaining the reason for his actions.
Meanwhile, after Soneye addressed a complaint letter to the principals of the bodies, Okadigbo returned days after to demolish the structure and raze it completely to the ground.
 
The petition reads, “We act as Solicitors to MR. SUNDAY O. SONEYE doing business under the name and style ‘Bias Car Wash’, situated along Lagos Abeokuta Expressway, beside First African Church Mission, Abule-Egba, Lagos State on whose behalf and instructions we write.
 
“We write to bring to Your Excellency's attention the brutal acts of threat to life, willful destruction of properties, unwarranted and unlawful demolition of our client's business premises by thugs and officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) otherwise known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA).
 
“We are well aware of Your Excellency's much-publicized ambition of creating an investment and business-friendly climate in Lagos in order to spur commercial activities and deliver an economically viable Lagos.
 
“However, we regret to note that this ambition will be far from reality in view of the incessant and nefarious activities of agents of the Lagos State Government who are doing everything possible to paint a picture of a lawless Lagos State where the abusive deployment of the instrument of state power and brute force to subdue Lagosians and destroy their legitimate businesses and livelihood is the order of the day.

“The facts which have necessitated this petition can be summarized as follows: Sometime in 2021, our client secured a piece of open space from the First African Church Mission for use for the business of car washing services along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, beside the First African Church Mission building, Abule-Egba, Lagos State.
 
“As a law-abiding citizen and resident of Lagos State, he took steps and obtained Local Government approval from the Alimosho Local Government Area and equally applied for a permit and regulatory approval from the Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA), the Agency responsible for the regulation of operation of informal businesses within Lagos state and more specifically, the Agency is saddled with identifying and designating urban spaces as centres of economic activities for the informal business sector.
 
“Our client paid the administrative fees and all necessary levies stipulated by LASPEMA and after a physical inspection, checks and assessment of the proposed site by officials of LASPEMA, our client was issued a permit and approval to use the urban space on the 10th of June, 2021.
 
“The permits and approvals from the local government and state government are attached to this petition and marked as Annexure A.
 
“Despite being granted permission and approval, some officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) otherwise known as the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), numbering over 40 with sticks and in the company of armed mobile policemen, claiming to be acting for the state government invaded our client's business premises along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway beside the First African Church Mission building, Abule-Egba in a thuggish manner on the 17th February 2022 and destroyed our client's properties, including our client's car wash machines which they carted away to their office at Oshodi, Lagos.

“The said KAI officials went further to forcefully abduct one of our client's workers, Mr. Kayode Omotosho, and took him away in their Black Maria vehicle. He was robbed of all the cash on him before being released in the night.
 
“On the 7th of March 2022, one Mr. Henry Okadigbo believed to be from LAWMA led over 40 thugs and hoodlums to our client's business premises and tore the State and Local Government permits that our client displayed on the wall of the mini-office cubicle annexed to the car washstand and placed a purported demolition notice insisting he will set the entire place ablaze if anyone dared to confront him and further vowed to demolish the car wash.
 
“The rampaging thugs damaged our client's car’s side mirror and inflicted further damage by hitting our client's car. All entreaties made by our client to the invaders proved abortive.
 
“They threatened to make our client and his employees disappear and further threatened to unleash hell on our client by using the police to maliciously arrest and keep our client in isolation.
 
“The thugs came with a branded Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) vehicle. They neither stated the basis for their criminal actions nor served our client any official notice suggesting any wrongdoing.
 
“On the 9th of March 2022, the same. Henry Okadigbo visited our client's car wash and pasted a "SEAL ORDER" from LAWMA Office and threatened to bring our client and his business to zero level. Parts of the ugly episodes narrated above captured in pictures are attached to this petition and marked as Annexure B.
 
“Worried by the strange and malicious activities captured above, our client wrote a petition dated 14 March 2022 to the General Manager of the Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA) wherein he copied the Hon. Commissioner of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Hon. Commissioner of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, General Manager of LAWMA and the KAI Corps Marshal to complain about the unfortunate invasion of his business premises and damage to his properties. A copy of the petition is attached herewith and marked as Annexure C.
 
“However, three days after submitting the petition and to our client's utmost shock, anguish, frustration and grievance, men of KAI and LAWMA led by Henry Okadigbo of LAWMA accompanied by a large number of thugs and armed policemen invaded our client's business premises and demolished the place on the 17th of March, 2022.
 
“They returned on the 18th of March, 2022 and demolished the Admin office cubicle building attached to the car wash structure where business equipment, items and documents are kept and completely destroyed the borehole, stamped on the concrete floor, water pipes, tiles and the pumping machine supplying water for the car wash business. They destroyed, dismantled and carted away the following equipment and items: 1) A steam engine car washing machine.
2) A mobile car washing machine.
3) A vacuum machine. 4) Carport double canopies.
 
5) Galvanized silver poles. 6) Barb wires
 
7) Electric wires and security lights. 8) Plumbing wires and pipes.
 
9) 3 sets of 3 seater iron chairs.
 
10)6 washing machine pipes.
 
11) Security alarm system.
 
“It is mostly sad, depressing and unfortunate for our client who is a law-abiding Nigerian and a tax-paying resident of Lagos State who has neither committed any crime nor broken any law and his eight employees to be rendered helpless, jobless and thrown into immense agony and depression and made to suffer enormous losses amounting to millions of naira inclusive of the cost of construction of the business premises, cost of purchase of equipment and other business items.”
 
Soneye, has however made the following demands:
 
“A directive by Your Excellency for an urgent investigation to unravel the motive behind this heartless, callous, gruesome, criminal, illegal and unlawful invasion of our client's business premises, destruction of properties and demolition of our client's business with a view to holding all those involved accountable for their atrocious actions.
 
“A restoration of our client to his business space which he secured with regulatory approval issued by the Lagos State Government.
 
“Payment of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) to our client as compensation for the brutal and illegal invasion of his business premises, destruction of his multi-million-naira business equipment and unlawful demolition of his business premises and infrastructures
 
“Your Excellency, we are of the strong view that to allow agents of the state government to be lawless, to take laws into their hands and to unleash hell on innocent Lagosians will derail any goal of building a sane and responsible Lagos guided by law and justice. It is for these reasons and for the grave destruction and injustice suffered by our client that we respectfully request your Excellency's urgent action and redress on these unfortunate acts of impunity.
 
“We hope and count on your fair consideration and just intervention. We will be counting on your Excellency's response within 7 days, please.

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