Residents of Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State have alleged that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stopped the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration exercise in the area.
In a 29 seconds video made at the registration centre by one of the registrants, they alleged that INEC officials in the area demanded that every registrant must pay the sum of N20,000 before he/she could be registered.

The complainant, who spoke in Igbo Language in the video obtained by SaharaReporters, said “We are currently at the local government. Look at these people taking the machines used for voter’s card registration inside and they have refused to register us. They said that we must pay them in Onitsha North Local Government.
“Look at the crowd of people here who are angry about it. Whoever refuses to pay money, they refuse to register the person. Look at all of here but they asked to leave and they are taking the machines that they had brought outside here back inside the office. See them. This is Onitsha North.”
Another young man in the video specifically said, “They said we must pay N20,000 each person” to which the person making the video quickly said, “Did you hear it?”
But when SaharaReporters contacted the INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Reginald Onyeukwu, she described the video as a planned crew and unreal.
Onyeukwu said, “That type of thing, we don’t hold it so serious. Those people involved there like the reporter (the person who reported the issue) supposed to grab somebody, one person, get the name of the person, that person’s details and forward it to us, so the management will invite that person and discipline that person.
“Now, they generalized the issue to all the staff in Onitsha North. How can we accuse and punish all the staff? If you are doing so, you will punish an innocent person.
“Somebody Ikenna called me and I told him to go back there and get somebody’s details and forward it to me or to the management so that they will look into it.
“Don’t say staff in Onitsha North did this or that, be specific, know the person. That video can be formulated. It can be a planned crew, like, “if I video you, say that these people said we should pay N20,000.”
Onyeukwu questioned how a staff could ask people to pay N20,000 before they could be registered, saying that N20,000 was not N1.
“That thing is a planned crew. That is why I don’t want to make any comment on it. How can you tell somebody, mainly a student, 20% of the people registering there are students and you tell a student to bring N20,000 for you to register him, is it possible?
“That video is a planned crew. If I will make comment on that, I will say it is a planned deal, it is not real.”

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Governor Gboyega Oyetola

A Federal High Court in Abuja will deliver its judgment in a suit seeking the disqualification of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the July 16 governorship election on Thursday, barely two days to the election.
This was mentioned on Wednesday by Justice Inyang Ekwo after counsel for the parties adopted their processes and presented their arguments in the matter.

Governor Gboyega Oyetola
The plaintiff in the suit and a chieftain of the APC, Moshood Adeoti,  one of the aspirants who lost the APC governorship ticket to Governor Oyetola in the party’s primary held on February 19, had filed the matter through his legal team led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chiesonu Okpoko.
Adeoti prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that the governor contested in the poll as a member of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
The plaintiff said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC, October 2014 (as amended).
He contended that, the second defendant (Oyetola) ought to have resigned his membership of the APC’s CECPC and leave office as an officer of APC at least 30 days prior to the date of the Osun State primary election, to qualify for participation in the said party primary election.
Governor Oyetola is seeking to extend his tenure in office by another four years, having won the last election held in 2018.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that ahead of the poll, the APC held a mega rally in Osogbo to canvas support for its governorship candidate before the deadline for campaigns.
Party leaders at the event held on Tuesday include APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, among others.
APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, as well as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, were also present.

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Femi Gbajabiamila

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabimila, has recalled how the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, allegedly betrayed him in his (Gbajabiamila’s) earlier quest to become the Speaker.
Gbajabiamila noted that despite supporting Tambuwal to emerge Speaker of the House in 2011, the Sokoto governor abandoned him and lined behind Yakubu Dogara in 2015.

Femi Gbajabiamila
According to New Telegraph, Gbajabiamila disclosed this in a recent book – “Mr Speaker: The Legislative Life, Service And Resilience of Femi Gbajabiamila” – written by two of his aides, Dr Charles Omole and Musa Abdullahi Krishi.
Narrating Gbajabiamila’s disappointment with Tambuwal’s decision to work against his quest to be the speaker in 2015, the authors wrote, “One good turn, it’s often said, deserves another. However, that seemed not to be the case between Tambuwal and Gbajabiamila when it was time for the Surulere 1 Federal Constituency lawmaker to have his own turn as a Speaker in 2015, following the victory of the APC at the polls.
“Tambuwal did not only oppose him, he also ensured that Yakubu Dogara defeated the man that first conceived the idea for him (Tambuwal) to be Speaker. Not only did Gbajabiamila work for Tambuwal’s emergence in 2011, he also stood by him through thick and thin throughout the four-year tenure.
“For example, when there were attempts by the then executive arm to remove Tambuwal, following his defection to the APC, Gbajabimila, along with like-minded, had to scale the National Assembly gate to access the House chamber in order to forestall the plot.
“Coming to 2015, with all the sacrifices that Gbajabiamila made for Tambuwal, it was taken for granted that the (now) Sokoto State governor would support him to emerge Speaker. But the outgoing Speaker had another plan – to have Dogara succeed him.”
Giving an insight into how Tambuwal stabbed him in the back, Gbajabiamila opened up: “When the time came for the speakership election, it was taken for granted.
“I didn't even lose any sleep over who Tambuwal was supporting; he had become widely popular in the House at the time.
“He was close to my family. So, we were surprised when we started hearing little things here and there. Even when I started hearing that he was supporting someone else, I thought it was not true, until I found out that it was true. He never told me. Even when I asked him, he said it was impossible. Such was the height of treachery.
“Don’t forget that beyond speakership, there were about seven to eight of us that started the Tambuwal project for president, and came very close to clinching the ticket. We supported him fully. We met every night till 2, 3, 4 in the morning.”
Gbajabimila added that he was most disappointed in Tambuwal’s move to block him from becoming House leader after losing the speakership to Dogara.
He lamented that; “Even to be House leader, Tambuwal opposed that as well. So, at that time in my head, I was like, there is something this guy (Tambuwal) is not telling me. You have gotten the speakership. That is the Dogara you wanted: you are now resisting my being leader? Be that as it may, I was patient enough and even gained more experience in those four years.
“The party called me because it was even a mock election at the time. The chairman and all the executives of the party and members were there. I said, well, it has nothing to do with me. Monguno was the choice of the North East, and it will be the North East that will have to determine or decide whether they wanted to drop Monguno. It wasn’t my prerogative.
“The second time, I believe, it was Governor Yari and Tambuwal; they tried to broker a deal, that I should drop Monguno and have Dogara deputise me. I could not bring myself to dumping someone I had been working with, and I told them that they should go and talk to Monguno, not me; and that if Monguno accepted, so be it.
“I was not brought up that way. I could easily have done that, but I wasn’t going to do it. So, I was ready to sink or swim with my partner at the time. That’s exactly what happened.”

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The total population of Nigerians without a job has increased from 13.9% to 33.3% in four years under President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, an analysis done by Stears Business has shown.
According to the data presented, it was stated that although "in less than 230 days, Nigerians will choose their next President, how has the current one performed?”

The report obtained by SaharaReporters added, “We picked five areas based on the objectives set by his administration and assessed performance with scores from A to F."
The statistics rated the Buhari administration as poor in job creation.
"He planned to reduce unemployment from 13.9% in 2016 to 11.23% in 2020. But the opposite happened.
"Between 2016 and 2020, Nigeria’s unemployment rate has risen from 13.9% to 33.3%—the third-highest unemployment rate in the world after South Africa and Namibia.
"When it comes to Nigerian youth (15-34 years), unemployment is at a record high of 45.3%, and when you capture the younger age group (15-24 years), it is even higher at 53.4%," the report added.

Next up is Buhari’s commitment to job creation.

He planned to reduce unemployment from 13.9% in 2016 to 11.23% in 2020. But the opposite happened.

6/9 pic.twitter.com/SV3Cp9T1gh

— Stears Business (@StearsBusiness) July 11, 2022

Between 2016 and 2020, Nigeria’s unemployment rate has risen from 13.9% to 33.3%—the third-highest unemployment rate in the world after South Africa and Namibia.

7/9 pic.twitter.com/6KOY2x4gCx

— Stears Business (@StearsBusiness) July 11, 2022

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United States President, Joe Biden, on Wednesday embarked on his first visit to the Middle-East since he assumed office 18 months ago.
Joe Biden landing in Israel, will see Israeli leaders take on tougher actions against Iran, before a delicate stop in Saudi Arabia.

The president's visit to Jeddah on Friday will be the focus of the tour, after Biden branded Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over the 2018 murder of dissident Saudi journalist and US resident, Jamal Khashoggi.
Air Force One -- which has left the United States and is expected to land at 1230 GMT in Tel Aviv -- will also make an unprecedented direct flight between the Jewish state and the conservative Gulf Kingdom that does not recognise its existence, according to AFP.
The 79-year-old will meet Israeli leaders seeking to broaden cooperation against Iran, and Palestinian leaders frustrated by what they describe as Washington's failure to curb Israeli aggression.
The persistent frustrations of Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy are nothing new for Biden, who first visited the region in 1973 after being elected to the Senate. Iran and Israel were allies then, but the Jewish state now considers Tehran its top threat.
Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who took office less than two weeks ago, has said talks "will focus first and foremost on the issue of Iran."
Moments after Biden touches down, Israel's military will show him its new Iron Beam system, an anti-drone laser it claims is crucial to countering Iran's UAV fleet.
Israel insists it will do whatever is necessary to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions, and is staunchly opposed to a restoration of the 2015 deal that gave Tehran sanctions relief. The country said is raising 1,000 flags across Jerusalem to welcome the US leader, who has not reversed former president Donald Trump's controversial decision to recognise the city as the capital of the Jewish state.
Palestinians claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital and, ahead of the visit, have accused Biden of failing to make good on his pledge to restore the United States as an honest broker in the conflict.

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Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, the son of the Convener of the Northern Elders' Forum (NEF), Ango Abdullahi on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to make more efforts towards the release of the remaining 43 victims in captivity.
Sadiq who was one of the people kidnapped from Kaduna train in March 28, was among seven kidnapped passengers released by the terrorists on Saturday, July 9, 2022.

This was contained in a post on his official Twitter account on Wednesday, thanking God for regaining his freedom after 104 days in captivity.
The politician, who won PDP Rep Ticket while in captivity, noted that the relief he feels at being reunited with his family is temporary knowing he left other victims behind in the terrorists camp.
"Alhamdulillah… I regained freedom after 104 days in captivity. I thank the many people out there, family, friends and well wishers that prayed and wished for my safe return during these trying times. Indeed it is a big relief to be home with family.
"But I am afraid that relief is temporary knowing I left 43 others including aged women and children below the age of 10 that are still in captivity waiting and hoping to be rescued. I am once again calling on the Federal Government and all Nigerians to help secure the release of the remaining victims." he added.

Alhamdulillah… I regained freedom after 104 days in captivity. I thank the many people out there, family, friends and well wishers that prayed and wished for my safe return during these trying times. Indeed it is a big relief to be home with family, but I am afraid that relief

— Sadiq Ango Abdullahi (@sadiqango) July 13, 2022

On Sunday, July 10, seven more captives were freed, including Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule, Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, and Aliyu Usman, as well as the only foreign national of Pakistani origin, Dr Muhammad Abuzar Afzal.
The terrorists currently holding up to 43 people kidnapped on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train on March 28, 2022, have refused to release five children among the captives, HumAngle can report.
Among the over 60 victims kidnapped, five are children and remain captive even after 20 persons have been released so far.
“They are four from one family and one from another. The oldest is nine,” one of the recently released captives disclosed.
 

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The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme may spin into a rapid decline unless urgent actions are taken to contain the excesses of its recently appointed Director-General, Brigadier General Mohammed Fadah, whom workers in the agency have accused of being a stooge of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
 
Fadah, who is from Yobe State like Lawan, took over from Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim in May 2022 after his two-year tenure.

Sources said he was nominated as Director General of the NYSC by Lawan ahead of his presidential ambition with plans to use the NYSC as a conduit pipe to fund his election.
 
Though he was announced as the consensus candidate by the All Progressives Congress national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the Senate President lost the primary to former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
 
“Lawan handpicked Fadah, both from Yobe State, to secure himself access to NYSC’s funding for the purpose of bankrolling his presidential bid. The Senate President did not win the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, to which he would have directed the NYSC funds.
 
“Remember youth corps members will also be involved in the election, they already thought he would be the APC candidate, so he was nominated so as to act their biddings,” a source alleged.
 
Some workers in the NYSC who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being punished told SaharaReporters that Brigadier Fadah “is indiscriminate in what subhead he moves money from as long as he is able to pull out cash.”
 
They accused the new DG of corruption, nepotism and marginalisation.
 
“Our fear is that if he stays on in this position, things will get bad such that his eventual successor will not know where to start repairing from. The new DG (Director General) has practically overridden all safeguards and financial control measures in the last few weeks that have been institutionally entrenched for transparency and accountability.
 
“He abuses travel allowances and even the petty cash for the office of the DG. He corners projects and contracts, which would even put some staff in trouble because of serial breaches of procurement law. Remember we have people in camps now, so many projects and contracts were recently awarded out,” one of the workers said.
 
Meanwhile, other sources within the scheme have accused the DG of undermining legacy programmes of the NYSC under the guise of introducing reforms.
 
They are particularly concerned that he is taking the scheme in a different direction that would make recent efforts at reforming it go to waste.
 
“If you know what he is doing to skill acquisition of corps members, you can clearly see that the scheme is derailing. It is not even in tandem with the direction charted by our parent ministry, and it is also not following what we have been doing to make the NYSC execute its mandate,” another worker said.
 
They made it known that the forceful change of direction being imposed by the new DG is meant to benefit him financially, noting that “General Fadah has started taking monies for development of the NYSC for personal use. In less than two months of resumption, the man has taken millions of Naira. It is difficult for NYSC to grow or even fulfil its mandate under such leadership.”
 
“It is the way things operate in this country; the DG has to give returns to his benefactors. What we gathered is that Fadah was supposed to leverage NYSC’s funds to finance his benefactor’s presidential ambition, which unfortunately or fortunately failed when he lost the primary election.”

Efforts made by SaharaReporters to get Eddy Megwa, Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC for comments were not successful as he neither answered the calls nor returned them. He also did not reply to a text message sent to him.

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The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) says it will join the protest planned by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
 
SaharaReporters had reported that the Nigerian university lecturers embarked the strike action to force the government to implement an agreement it had with the lecturers’ union, ASUU, in 2009.

A four-week warning strike was first declared on February 14, by ASUU’s leadership. Thereafter, it was further extended until later became an indefinite strike action.
 
There have been several protests by Nigerian students but the Federal Government has said it lacks the financial resources to implement the agreement which will cost it N200 billion.
 
Meanwhile, the President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba on July 1, said that the NLC would embark on a nationwide protest if the strike persists.
 
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday asked the lecturers to return to the classrooms, appealing to them to think about the consequences of the strike on the students and the security of the country.
 
But NUPENG in a statement on Wednesday condemned the attitude of the government towards finding a lasting solution to the incessant strike.
It however pledged the support of its members, adding that “the rank-and-file members of NUPENG align with the NLC’s position on protest against the unfortunate situation in the tertiary education sector and will not hesitate to join in the proposed nationwide strike on the matter.”
 
NUPENG in the statement signed by its President and Secretary General, Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, respectively, expressed concern over the strike which has crippled activities in the nation's public universities.
 
“NUPENG demands together with other Trade Unions, that the Federal Government must immediately address and resolve all demands of ASUU, NASU and SSANU without any further delay to avert national solidarity actions from our members across the Country,” parts of the statement read.
 
“The union joins other unions to condemn the lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Government towards finding a lasting solution to the crisis.
 
“We are deeply worried that the strike has left thousands of university students stranded and idle, making some of them susceptible to go into various social vices and crimes, thus truncating what otherwise should have been wonderful assets and blessings to our great nation and humanity.”
 
It accused the government of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian parents and students who have been thrown into idleness since the commencement of the strike.
 
NUPENG further added: “This also, without doubt, shows the insensitivity of the current administration towards promoting and projecting good and quality education.
 
“We are seriously concerned that instead of addressing the nagging issues in the educational sector, the unscrupulous politicians are busy campaigning and wasting resources over 2023 general elections.”
 

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Rotimi Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has said people from Southern Nigeria should not be bothered by the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress because of their fight for Presidency to be zoned to the region.

He called on Nigerians, especially southerners who have fought for the Presidency to be zoned to the region to vote for competence and not based on the religions of candidates.

Rotimi Akeredolu

The ruling All Progressives Congress has been criticised by members of the public for planning to field presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima respectively, who are both Muslims.

The governor while speaking at the swearing-in of two new commissioners in Ondo on Wednesday noted that the presidential candidate of the APC, Tinubu will rescue the nation, Daily Post reports.

“Muslim-Muslim ticket has nothing to do with performance. Let’s vote for someone that can do something. The work stops at the table of the President. It is the President that you are voting for. He decides what happens. Whether it’s a Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian, it should not matter to us in the South because we fought for this.

“I have no doubt that given the opportunity, from what he has done in Lagos, Asiwaju Tinubu will turn things around for the better,” he said.

He charged the new commissioners in his state to shun distractions from members of their families, friends and political associates.

The governor said he was excited to have personalities imbued with the requisite capacity for the advancement of the cause of good governance.

He stressed that his administration will always be bold to demand commitment and loyalty which must be absolute, adding that his administration had commenced a political journey on the path of rectitude.

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has berated Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, over his statement that IPOB agitation in the South-East region of the country has slowed down since the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, emerged as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

The group maintained that Biafra could not be compromised for Nigeria politics.

It noted that “if Peter Obi knows IPOB and its aims and objectives, he wouldn't have come out in the first place to contest to waste his wealth and vast knowledge.”

The IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Wednesday said that Gumi did not understand that Obi’s presidential ambition had nothing to do with its resolve to pursue the freedom and actualisation of the Biafran Nation.

IPOB said, “The attention of the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU has been drawn to unguarded statements from Sheikh Gumi alleging that IPOB agitation has slowed down in the South Eastern Region since Peter Obi picked up the tickets from Labour Party for presidential race in Nigeria.

“Sheikh Gumi must understand that IPOB is not in the same page with him and his terrorist cohorts ravaging the North and beyond.

“We understand that some unscrupulous elements in Nigeria, especially Fulani elements, were thinking that Peter Obi who is among those running the race to become Nigerian President would affect us or change our decisions to pursue the freedom of our dear nation, Biafra. We have covered the most rocky part in this struggle and no doubt that freedom of Biafra is certain.

“IPOB does not engage with any shambolic selection process they call "Nigeria election" and we are not interested in their fraudulent ways of selecting the president of Nigeria because we do not recognise Nigeria as a Sovereign State deserving our allegiance and loyalty.

“We have said it before now that IPOB does not know Peter Obi and Peter Obi does not know IPOB. If Peter Obi knows IPOB and its aims and objectives, he wouldn't have come out in the first place to contest to waste his wealth and vast knowledge.

“Therefore for Peter Obi to have come out to contest for Nigeria president is an indication that he is not on the same page with IPOB. But people should not equate him with IPOB agenda, they can say any other thing about him not Biafra agitation.

“We can never slow down agitation until Biafra comes.

“Any Biafran who comes out and joins the election process under Nigeria has publicly proven that he or she is not in the same ideology with IPOB. Fulani people should stop dissipating their energies on what is not obtainable anywhere in the world.

“The most important political process that IPOB is interested in and would overwhelmingly participate in would be an International Community Supervised Referendum on Biafrans choice to stay or exit Nigeria.

“Biafra is something you would not understand how it will emerge because Elohim is paddling the movement through volunteered wise men and women who are intellectuals and not those speaking from both ends of their mouths.”

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An Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has lambasted the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, over the disparaging statement he made against the Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties in Osun State, saying they would “labour till they die.”

Olajengbesi in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja while reacting to the comment by Tinubu during the APC rally in Osogbo, the Osun State capital ahead of the Osun governorship poll on July 16, said Tinubu should not monopolise Osun State as he did with Lagos.

The lawyer argued that Tinubu’s statement showed that he was not a democrat as his followers portrayed him to be, since divergent views and the right to aspire to vote and be voted for are some cardinal tenets of democracy anywhere in the world.

“Think about your children and vote accordingly so you can see the future. Come out en masse. Don’t mind PDP and other mushroom parties — parties like Labour; they will labour till they die. God will not make you labourers,” Tinubu had remarked during the rally.

Reacting, the lawyer said, “The statement of APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in Osun State on Tuesday showed that he is not a true democrat as his supporters paint him to be. It is partisanship taken too far.

“Tinubu’s statement is uncharitable and unexpected of an APC National Leader or even a presidential candidate. It goes to show that if elected, Tinubu will strike out other parties into non-existence like he did in Lagos where his party has monopolised for 23 unbroken years now,” Olajengbesi said in the statement.

“Nobody and no registered party by the Independent National Electoral Commission should be disparaged for contesting in an election. The people of Osun should be free to elect whoever they want whether Oyetola, PDP’s Ademola Adeleke, Labour Party’s Lasun Yusuf, or any other candidate of their choice come July 16.

"Tinubu’s statement in Osun is tantamount to voters’ intimidation and the former Lagos governor should apologise for such indecent comment. We are in a democracy, not an autocracy.”

“Going by his statement, the APC presidential candidate might go as far as strangulating the remaining 17 political parties to death if he ever gets into office,” The statement added.

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered a total ban on all use of Police SPY vehicle number plates by vehicle owners across the states of the federation without exceptions.

This is irrespective of whether it is authorised or not, adding that all authorisations are hereby revoked indefinitely.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force’s spokesman, Baba said the order was necessary to forestall the continuous disregard for traffic rules and regulations and other extant laws guiding road use by individuals hiding under the privileges of SPY police number plates.

“The IGP has therefore directed that police officers and officers of other security agencies attached to VIPs who use the SPY number plates should ensure prompt compliance with this directive or risk being arrested for violation of the order,” the statement read.

“Meanwhile, the IGP has directed Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the thirty-six (36) States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs), to give full effect to the directives as contained above.

“The IGP specifically directed the AIGs and CPs to ensure that all SPY number plates currently in use are confiscated henceforth but the owners of such vehicles should not be arrested unless they are police officers or officers of other security agencies on escort duties.

“The IGP however warned that while carrying out these assignments, officers must ensure the rights and privileges of citizens are respected in line with the laws of the land and in accordance with international best practices. Other security agencies and members of the public are enjoined to cooperate with the Police in this regard as the moves are aimed at strengthening our internal security.”

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Kuje Prison

The Ogun State command of the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday confirmed that its operatives arrested one Yakubu AbdulMumuni, one of the inmates who escaped during the terrorists attack at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

The 28-year-old escapee was reportedly arrested Monday at Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

Kuje Prison

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrest in a statement on Wednesday said that AbdulMumuni was arrested following information received by policemen at Sango-Ota Divisional Headquarters that the convict was sighted somewhere around Sango Ota.

The PPRO said that the DPO of Sango-Ota Police Division mobilised his men and officers to the area where the convict was arrested.

Oyeyemi in the statement said that “He confessed to the police that he escaped from Kuje Correctional Centre on the 5th of July 2022, when the Centre was attacked by bandits.

“He stated further that he was convicted by the Kogi State High Court for offence of Conspiracy and culpable homicide and sent to the Kuje Correctional Centre.”

The police spokesperson noted that the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole had directed the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) to facilitate the transfer of the convict to the correctional centre without further delay.

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The Nigerian Senate has lamented the mismanagement of over N5.7 billion from donor agencies by some officials of the Ministry of Health. 

 

The upper legislative house disclosed that the action of the ministry’s officials was responsible for some of the donors to suspend their assistance to Nigeria due to unsatisfactory reports that came up from the agencies about the Ministry of Health, Ireporteronline reports.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, uncovered the mismanagement in the 2016 Auditor General’s report currently under the consideration of the Senate.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Urhogbide was reported to have expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the Permanent Secretary of the health ministry and officials to account for the fund.

 

Worse still, the officials were said to have ignored four separate invitations from the Committee on Public Accounts, leading to threats of an order for their arrest.

 

The first letter, dated February 1, stated that the meeting was scheduled for February 8 and another meeting was scheduled for March 16, and this month, July.

 

One of the donor agencies is Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, GAVI, an international NGO that is specialised in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries.

 

While reacting to the failure of the Ministry to account for the money spent, Urhoghide warned that the Committee was left with no other option but to issue a warrant of arrest for the officials of the Ministry to appear before the committee and give explanations.

 

He said: “The Ministry of Health has consistently refused to come and give an account before this committee. We have sent invitations to them to appear with no response from the Ministry, this is very unfortunate.”

 

The query read: “First in 2015, by a donor named Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, GAVI, an international NGO specialising in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries.

 

“The NGO, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, accused NPHCDA of mismanagement of funds released by the organisation and invited my Office to observe the appointment of an audit firm to carry out an extended cash programme audit of GAVI funds released to NPHCDA from 2010 to 2015.

 

“Non-adherence to laid down procedures stipulated in Public Procurement Act, 2007 in the procurement of Goods, Services and Works valued at N4,987,958,621.00.

 

"Expenditures made by the NPHCDA between 1st January 2010 and 31st March 2015 amounted to N8,599,291,949.00 out of which N187,725,160.00 was not supported with relevant statutory and third party documents, such as payment vouchers, receipts, invoices, delivery notes, store receipt vouchers, contract completion certificates, etc.

 

“The sum of N18,804,865.00 was also reported to be ineligible expenditures as it comprised payments to suppliers who did not deliver the procured goods or services as per contract.

 

“Inadequately supported expenditure amounted to N619,999,383.00. This was mostly attributed to photocopied documents, inconsistencies in supporting documents, lack of contracts with suppliers and lack of evidence of delivery for procured goods.”  

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The global leader of the Ilana Omo Oodua, the apex body for Yoruba Nation Agitation, Prof Banji Akintoye, has allegedly constituted a team to lobby Yoruba professionals and elites to back the 2023 aspiration of former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The agenda is being funded by a South-West APC Governor, multiple sources told SaharaReporters.

The Committee, tagged Elite Mobilisation Initiative (EMI), is headed by an Ado-Ekiti based popular Medical Doctor, Adebayo Orire.
Orire, a Chieftain of the APC and former Governorship Aspirant, is the current Chairman of Ekiti-State Chapter of Tinubu Support Group (TSG) and a close associate of Tinubu.
Inaugurating the EMI team few days ago in Cotonou, Republic of Benin where he is based, Akintoye charged Orire to ensure that all professional elites in Yoruba Land were brought into the self-determination struggle.
However, a source close to the development told SaharaReporters that the real agenda of EMI was to mobilise the Yoruba old and professional elites to counter Afenifere who already sided with Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party.
The source also revealed that Akintoye never consulted anyone in the leadership of Ilana Omo Oodua before taking the decision to appoint Orire and inaugurate EMI in Cotonou because he knew the agenda was going to be dead on arrival.
“Sensing that he was on his own and members of Ilana Omo Oodua would never buy into the idea of endorsing Tinubu for President, Akintoye has now told some people that EMI is not an initiative of Ilana Omo Oodua but that of a Diaspora Group known as YSM,” the source told SaharaReporters.
“Akintoye, a Senator in Nigeria’s Second Republic under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), is the Chairman of Advisory Council of the group.
“The real agenda of EMI is to ensure that Tinubu wins 2023 Presidential election with a wide margin in Yoruba land. It is just to counter Afenifere who has endorsed Peter Obi for President. The agenda of EMI is to be funded by a South West Governor who is like a son to Akintoye.
“EMI is just to be masquerading as a self-determination lobby group but when the time comes, the group will start canvassing for a Plan B, stressing why the political space should not be left alone and why a Yoruba Man as Nigerian President would help the Yoruba people to negotiate their way out of Nigeria which is a Scam and gimmick.
“Every Intelligent person watching the body movement and utterances of Akintoye would know that he was recruited to force the Fulani Elites to concede the APC Presidential Ticket to Yoruba Land, an assignment which he has delivered. The Fulani can never allow Yoruba people leave Nigeria because of their business interests.
“The next agenda now is to ensure that Tinubu triumphs next year and Bayo Orire, a strong ally of Tinubu and a respected figure among the home-grown old professionals was drafted in. Orire is from Ekiti State like Akintoye.
“Akintoye took the decision unilaterally without consulting anyone because he knew he would never have his ways. Akintoye had this mind-set that the Yoruba Nation Agitation is built-around his personality without knowing that the struggle has outgrown him”, the source said.

When contacted, the Communications Secretary of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Maxwell Adeleye, did not respond to calls and messages sent to his phone has not been replied as at the time of filing this report.

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Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have confirmed rescuing a girl who was chained and locked up by her mother in a room for eight years in Kaduna State.
The NSCDC spokesperson in Kaduna State, DSC Habeeb Badamasi, told SaharaReporters that the operatives of the State command rescued one Hauwa, who was locked up by her own mother for eight years.

Hauwa who now behaves strange, is believed to be suffering from psychiatric complications associated with trauma.
The incident reportedly happened in the Lere Local Government Area, according to Badamasi.
He said, "Yes I can confirm that we received intelligence from the Kaduna State Ministry of Human Services and Social Development that one Hauwa from Lere was in an illegal detention at a family house.
"In response we identified the location and found that the victim had been locked up for eight years and we rescued her.”
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development, Hapsat Baba, also confirmed that the rescued Hauwa had been illegally detained for eight years by her own mother.
"I was informed of Hauwa's ordeal by one Rukaiya Sani; immediately I reached out to NSCDC and we went and found the situation to be true. For those eight long years, this girl did not see the light of the sun, she ate inside the room, defecated inside the room; in fact, the precarious situation has affected her mental health at the moment.
"Right now she's at a hospital where she's been rehabilitated; thereafter we'll seek psychiatric care at a tertiary hospital. She was put in this condition by her mother, but that'll not stop us from prosecuting whoever is involved according to the laws of the state,” she said.
When contacted, the only brother of the survivor, who simply identified himself as Gaddafi said his sister got into trouble because she was disrespectful to their single mother.
"Yes, Hauwa is my sister, she was locked up because of her bad manners. She was so disrespectful and would at the slightest provocation insult our mother who is also playing fatherly role over us.
"That's why I believe God cursed her to suffer this way, because she's mentally deranged,” Gaddafi said.


Find below link to video of victim, Hauwa, lucked up for eight years for screen graph
 

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Members of the Ansaru terrorists group are now openly preaching rebellion against the Nigerian government in many villages of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to Daily Trust, people in the affected communities said that the terrorists were carrying out the rebellious preaching as part of their activities to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival. 

It was reported that the terrorists were trying to convince the locals to accept their kind of religion which abhors democracy, Western education and respect for constituted authorities.
Recall that over two months ago during the Eid-el-Fitr festival, the terrorists had gone round communities in the state and shared candies and other edibles such as Sallah gifts, but at this time, they took time to interact with the locals, persuading them to acquire arms and launch a rebellious attack on the government, while reassuring them of protection against bandits.v
Quoting from a two-page pamphlet from the terrorist group, Daily Trust reported that they berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
The terror group said that President Buhari government failed to protect the lives and property of the people and urged them reject calls to make a change in the country through electoral process.
It was gathered that the terrorists had been preaching their anti-government and anti-democracy stance in the communities since Saturday when the Eid el-Kabir Sallah day sarted in full without hindrance or challenge from any authority.
According to eyewitnesses, the terror group has been carrying out their preaching in villages including Damari, Unguwar Gajere, Kakini, Kuyello and Kwasa Kwasa in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area where they visited on Monday.
One of the sources said that “During their propagation, the terrorists, who are mostly young men, moved on dozens of motorcycles decked with flags with Arabic inscriptions.
“They tongue-lashed the federal, state and local authorities, arguing that democracy is against the teaching of Islam. They also called out Muslim clerics who call for prayers for democratic leaders.
“But the most dangerous trend this time around is the call by the terrorists for people to source for arms and fight the government.
“They back their claims by wrongly interpreting some verses of the Holy Qur’an and prophetic sayings. They say people would continue to suffer until they forcefully changed their leaders.”
Recall that two months ago, it was reported that the Ansaru terrorists group infiltrated many villages in many Local Government Areas of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states.
Reports have it that during their visits to the communities in the last three days, they shared hundreds of leaflets to people who gathered to listen to their preaching.
Another source said that “They talk to people openly and without any fear. They don’t even cover their faces. They wore military gear and carried high-calibre weapons like AK47 and anti-aircraft missiles.
“They are so confident of themselves that they move in broad daylight.
“You will not be wrong if you say they are the landlords here because of fear of the unknown, our people are willing to listen to them any time.
“However, the implication of what is happening is that they are gradually convincing our people and this is dangerous.”
It was also gathered that apart from preaching rebellion against the government, they also settled marital disputes among the people.
A source quoted by Daily Trust said that “If a husband and wife are having issues, they go to the terrorists’ leaders to settle the matter. The terrorists also adjudicate on matters relating to farms, trade among others.
“The claim that they don’t control territories is unfounded. They control our lives; they jail offenders.”
The sources said that the Ansaru terrorists and many other criminals are moving and carrying out their activities in the communities because there is no symbol of authority.
“They have sacked all the police posts in the areas where they operate and you don’t even see civil defence, customs or immigration officials; our communities are no man’s land now.
“We only see soldiers patrolling the area from time to time and this does not scare the terrorists from doing what they like.
“The situation is worse in Birnin Gwari LGA,” a man from one of the villages said.
Meanwhile, a security expert, Salihu Bakhari, was quoted as saying that what is happening in the North West and parts of the North Central is a replica of what happened in the North East 13 years ago.
“There is no difference at all. The terrorists are on a territorial conquest, and they are quietly attracting the sympathy of the people.
“We have many ungovernable spaces and these miscreants are mischievously taking advantage of civil authority to do what they like. We should checkmate them.
“We can only rescue the people and avert humanitarian crises in the future by taking the war to their fortresses and then massively deploying police, forest guards, immigration and then also involving traditional rulers in what we do,” he said.
The Nigerian military and police authorities have not commented on the latest reported activities of the terror group.

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Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Lawyer to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government of pampering terrorists but killing unarmed Igbos without hesitation under the guise of fighting separatism.
Ejimakor made the remark on his Twitter page while lamenting the persistent extrajudicial killings in the South-East by operatives and personnel of Nigerian security agencies including the Nigerian Army.

Ejimakor in a tweet on Wednesday morning wrote, “FYI: As the  extrajudicial killings in SE continue, every true #Igbo (elites & masses alike) is personally bereaved anytime an Igbo life is taken by a Nigerian state that pampers rank terrorists but is too quick to kill the unarmed Igbo in the guise of fighting separatism.”
Recall that SaharaReporters recently reported how military officers stormed some communities in the Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State and killed over a dozen of youths whom they labelled members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra and operatives of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Ejimakor in his reaction to the killing and the outcry of the people in the communities and the South-East in general described the killings as a show of ethnic imbalance within the security formations in the region.
The IPOB leader’s Special Counsel therefore called on the people of the South-East region to unite against such ethnic imbalance that had left the region vulnerable; as he lamented that the region was gradually being taken over by security men driven by sectarian impulses.

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A serving member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Ademola Olusegun Popoola, is dead.
Daily Post reports that Popoola died in the early hours of Wednesday at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan after suffering from a kidney-related disease.

The lawmaker was elected in 2019 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  to serve the people of Ibadan South-East Constituency II at the Oyo State House of Assembly.
He died at the age of 46.
Until his death, Popoola was the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Oyekunle Oyetunji, Media Adviser to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, confirmed the death of the lawmaker on Wednesday.

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Some Nigerian track and field athletes have been disqualified from competing at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
The 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships is scheduled to be held in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, United States from July 15–24, 2022.

The affected athletes will not represent the country due to alleged failure to comply with the out of the competition testing (OCT) requirement.
They blamed the Nigerian government for the disqualification.
The aggrieved athletes said they were punished for an unknown offence committed by some corrupt officials.
One of them, Ezinne Okparaebo who recently switched her nationality from Norway to Nigeria said, “It has always been my dream to compete for nigeria on the world stage. but, despite reaching the world standard, flying to nigeria alone, switching my allegiance from the us, and mentally/physically preparing myself after my first ever hamstring strain, the athletic federation of nigeria has failed me.
“The negligence and egocentric actions of the minister and other admin have once again overcome the federation which negatively affects the athletes. why am i being told 40 minutes before my flight to oregon, the week of competition, that i’m no longer competing because of their wrongdoings and irrational fear? I have already passed 2/3 drug tests, but for some reason, i am not allowed to do my third test because of “fear of failure”. they speak repeatedly about trying to fix the broken system that is nigerian athletics by firing and hiring all new staff, but the corruption still lives.
“I, unfortunately, will not be competing at worlds or the commonwealth games.”
Born on March 3, 1988, she was Scandinavia's fastest woman ever over 60m and 100m. Okparaebo has won the 100m national title 13 times. She moved to Norway as a nine-year old and grew up in Ammerud. 
She won the silver medal at 60 metres for women in the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships and the bronze medal in the same discipline in 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Another aggrieved athlete, Akintola Alaba said his dreams has been shattered.
Alaba said, “Sadly, I’m going to be out of world championship after I qualified for 3 events(100M,200M & 4*100M) not because I failed dope but because of politics  because that’s what it looks like rn; they hid under the umbrella of OCT(out of competition test) meaning I didn’t submit my whereabouts or whatever(been on this shii since march  ).
“They already cost me a major championship(that’s they plan ikr)and I knew they know what they doing/did  . Thanks to everyone that cared and showed love, really appreciate it   Stepping stone to greater things  MT on me .”
Alaba broke a 17-year-old indoor record and set a career-best in the 200-metre dash with a time of 20.72 seconds at the C-USA Championship, landing him in first place in the finals in February 2022. 
He was placed 14th at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships for a time of 21.49 second in the 200-meter dash on March 11, 2022. He took first place in the 60-metre dash at the C-USA Championship with a time of 6.72 seconds.

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