The Nigeria Police Force, Osun State command, has said it has apprehended a supervisor working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a corps member and one other official over alleged manipulation of the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voters Cards in the Osu area of the state.

According to a statement released by the command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, on Saturday, the police said 38 PVCs were recovered from the suspects.

The police added that its personnel had also launched a manhunt for two members of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wale Ojo and Ijamakinwa Olaoluwa, for allegedly inducing the corps member to give a PVC belonging to a particular voter to another person.

The statement read in part, “On 30th June, 2022 at about 1040hrs, the complainant reported at Osu Division that, on 29th June, 2022, at about 1000hrs, he went to Independent National Electoral Commission office located at the Atakumosa West Local Government Area, Osu, Osun State, to collect his Permanent Voter Card but could not find it.

“He consequently demanded for the register and discovered that, one Orji Desmond Nkenna, a corps member attached to INEC office as an ad hoc staff in charge of Voter Cards’ distribution has collected his PVC on the order of one Wale Ojo and Ijamakinwa Olaoluwa, now at large, both members of the Peoples Democratic Party for financial transaction.

“On receipt of the complaint, police detectives immediately swung into action and arrested the principal suspect along with the INEC supervisor to the alleged corps member, Mrs Makanjuola Bilahu, ‘f’, aged 58 years, and one Mr. Oluwatobi Ogini, ‘m’, aged 32 years, to investigate the level of their involvement.”

But when contacted for reaction, the Osun PDP Caretaker Chairman, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, said no member of the PDP would get involved in any illegal act, adding that “it could be part of a grand plan of the APC to indict our members.

“But I want to assure you that our party members are law-abiding and not capable of engaging in actions that will bring the party to disrepute.”

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Some National Youths Service Corps members at the Orientation Cap in Benue State have protested against and condemned the assault on their colleagues by an official of the scheme.

According to the corps members, the yet-to-be identified colleagues were slapped by the official during one of their activities in the camp.

In a trending video, they were heard condemning the action.

“Why them go slap corper for inside camp? Them they slap corper for inside camp,” one of them recording the video was heard saying.

“Haha, them they beat corper here for Benue camp, which kind level?”

Another corps members said, “NYSC orientation camp in Benue State carnival has been disorganised. NYSC official slapped two corps members. This is rubbish.”

Reaction as Corps members protest after an NYSC official allegedly slapped one of them in Benue state #nysc #nysccamp @nysc_ng pic.twitter.com/RDdqDfBLv7

— Snow Multimedia Connect (SNOW TV) RC 3662284📺 (@OfficialSnowtv) July 2, 2022

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The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears far from over ahead of the constitution of the campaign organisation of its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The festering crisis which assumed a new dimension last month following the announcement of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the running mate to Atiku, started a few weeks after Iyorchia Ayu was elected National Chairman of the PDP.

According to The Sun, sources said that the widening gulf has now pitted six PDP governors, predominantly from the South, against Atiku’s presidential bid.

The source listed some of the governors as Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ishaku Darius of Taraba and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, as governors unwilling to support Atiku’s bid.

Confirming the bad blood in the rank and file of the party, Ortom had, during the week, said he might not work for the actualisation of Atiku’s presidential bid.

The governor had said, “All that was needed even before the pronouncement, after we did our recommendation, Wike would have been reached out to, he is a human being.

“This is a man who has built the party today in PDP. He has fought all night and all day to see that this party remains together. So, he would have been reached out to, to say that this is the decision we are taking and this is the reason we are taking this decision, and I think he would have understood.”

According to the PDP source, trouble started when Ayu was elected national chairman of the PDP.

The source said leaders of the party had agreed to zone the chairmanship of the PDP to the North, while the South, like the All Progressives Congress (APC), would produce the presidential candidate.

He said as soon as Ayu assumed office, he jettisoned the arrangement he inherited and started working for the emergence of Atiku, who is seen as his close political ally, to emerge as the candidate.

The source, who didn’t want to be named, said despite attempts by governors and other leaders of the party to prevail on Ayu to respect the agreement that he inherited, the former Senate President remained adamant.

“When it was obvious that Ayu wasn’t ready to listen and zone the presidential ticket to the South, governors and other leaders decided to leave the contest open. But they agreed to support a Southern aspirant, but people like Okowa, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and other people, especially from the South-South, started working to ensure that a Northern candidate emerged,” he narrated.

Revealing further, the source said when Wike lost the primary election to Atiku, party leaders agreed that it would be best to pick him as the running mate to Atiku.

He revealed that the aforementioned governors met with Atiku and other leaders to pick Wike as a popular choice, but were ignored by Ayu and Atiku, who are believed to be micro-managed by some powerful Northern leaders.

Unable to have their way, he said the six governors decided not to play any active role during the presidential campaign of Atiku. He said though they may not defect to the APC, they are likely to sabotage the chances of the PDP from within.

“The governors can’t and won’t defect. They understand that clearly. If they defect now, their candidates can’t win elections. Some of them are gunning for a second term. But they’ll sabotage Atiku the same way PDP governors sabotaged President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

“If you recall, many governors of the PDP, especially from the North, worked for the emergence of Buhari. They didn’t leave the PDP, but they sabotaged it from within. That’s what may play out in the case of Atiku.”

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Aisha Yusuf, fiancée of one of the Nigerian soldiers who were killed by gunmen who attacked a mining site in Niger State has said Nigeria didn’t deserve the deceased.

SaharaReporters had reported that gunmen on Thursday attacked a mining site in Erene village, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, killing security operatives and kidnapping four Chinese workers.

Residents had said a search party found 30 bodies of soldiers and unconfirmed number of policemen in a bush near the mining site on Thursday morning.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, while confirming the incident, had said a yet-to-be-confirmed number of soldiers were killed by the bandits.

Recounting what transpired, he explained that troops deployed in Niger State responded to a distress call that a mining site in Shiroro Local Government Area was under attack by bandits

In a Facebook post, Aisha said her pain was unbearable and could not be described.

Sharing a picture taken with the deceased, she wrote, “I lost the love of my life on Wednesday in Shiroro, Niger State. My friend, my lover… My heartbeat, my fiancee…the man who changed my strong view on inter-cultural marriage. I still can’t believe that my baby is gone. Where do I start from? Where do I pick up from?

“People said I should take it easy that God has a plan but I can’t even understand why God allowed such to happen. He was diligent. He was honest and hardworking. He was a good man, A God-fearing man who loved his family and his country that he gave his life for that cause.

“Nigeria didn’t deserve you baby. Now I know how other wives who lost their husbands to terrorists feel. It’s a pain that is unbearable…cannot be described. Please the family and I need your prayers… This is difficult for all of us but we believe God has a reason.

“In the midst of all these killings, Nigeria will rise again. My baby’s death will not be for nothing…. Rest well Obim..I love you and I’d always love you.”

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, says he wished to be known by his current name and not by his West African School Certificate which carries the name “Siddiq Abubakar.”

According to documents displayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Atiku did not provide information on his primary education.

The 1965 West Africa School Certificate (WASC) result presented by him identified the student as Siddiq Abubakar.

He also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom.

From the documents, SaharaReporters observed that Atiku earned a Master’s degree in 2021 with GCE O’level results.

The former nation’s number two man also attached a sworn affidavit as Deputy Preventive Superintendent attached to Customs Preventive Station, Apapa Wharf, Lagos, where he declared to be addressed as Atiku Abubakar.

Reacting, a public affairs analyst said it was baffling and shocking that Atiku earned a Master’s degree in 2021 with GCE 0 level results.

“I would like to know how Atiku with zero academic or creative publications and with zero college level courses suddenly earned a Master’s degree? And the year 2021 is suspect. He quickly scammed Nigeria with a degree he obtained in 2021 because of the presidential election.

“Before someone without a Bachelor degree could earn a Master’s degree, he must have distinguished himself academically or in his field of endeavours by showing publications or unique writing samples.

“For example, a playwright called Nilo Cruz (Cuban-American playwright) was accepted into Brown University MFA in playwriting program in the early 1990s without a bachelor’s degree. But he earned Associate degree from Community College and distinguished himself as a talented playwright with numerous plays.

“And he was recommended into Brown MFA In playwriting program by another scholar/ playwright who had taught Nilo Cruz before.”

SaharaReporters earlier today reported that more presidential and vice-presidential candidates in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections informed INEC that they lost their academic certificates.

Documents displayed by INEC and sighted by Nigerian Tribune showed that apart from the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kabiru Masari, whose claim of loss of certificates continued to generate interests across the country, the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, also said his secondary school certificate is lost.

Another presidential candidate who claimed to have lost all his certificates is Prince Abdul Malik Ado Ibrahim of the Young People’s Party (YPP) while the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, submitted an affidavit informing INEC that he changed his name from Siddiq Abubakar as it appears on his West African School Certificate, to Atiku Abubakar.

The presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Sani Yabagi, also submitted an affidavit saying that the name on his degree and West African School Certificate is different from what he currently bears. 

It had been reported that the Delta State governor and vice presidential candidate of the PDP, in a sworn affidavit attached to his particulars disclosed to INEC that his West African School Certificate obtained in 1974 was missing.

The affidavit of loss of original certificate, obtained from the High Court of Justice, Delta State, in the Asaba Judicial Division on October 3, 2006 reads in part: “I, Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa, adult, male, Christian, medical doctor and Nigerian citizen of House No. 4, Commissioners’ Quarters, Asaba, Delta State, do hereby make oath and state as follows:

“That I personally enrolled and sat for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) West African School Certificate (WASC) examinations in the year 1974 at Edo College, Benin City, in now Edo State.

“That I passed the said examinations and was subsequently issued the said certificate therefore. “That the original of the said certificate issued to me is now missing, lost and cannot be found.” 

Also, in the affidavit sworn to at the Federal High Court of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, on June 3, 2022, the YPP presidential candidate disclosed that on July 17, 2021, while in transit from Kaduna to Abuja, he lost certain documents which included “original BSc certificate issued by American College of Los Angeles, dated 1988; High School Diploma issued to me by Langley High, Norwich, UK dated 1979 and official degree transcript.

“Also lost was expired international passport issued by Nigeria Immigration Service. That all efforts made to trace the said documents have proved abortive.”

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Religious leaders in Ekiti State have called on the state government to live up to its constitutional responsibilities of providing security for the people and as well basic amenities.

The Deputy President, Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Ekiti State, Tajudeen Ahmed, described as unfortunate the call by the state government on worship centres to put necessary security measures in place to avert attack.

According to PUNCH, Ahmed said, “The constitution is very clear on who should provide security to the people. The primary duty of government is to provide security for the people. Government should not be directing the people to go and do that job.”

The Special Adviser on Security to Ekiti State Governor, Brig. Gen Ebenezar Ogundana (retd.), had while listing measures the state government had taken to avert terrorists’ attack in the state, said loopholes in borders had been blocked.

Ogundana added, “We have alerted all the places of worship, event centres and markets to be security conscious and not to take things for granted. They should put necessary security measures in place and if possible, seek support from security agencies, military and Amotekun.”

But Ahmed, who said there was no security measure that worship centres would put in place that could totally forestall any untoward development like the one that happened in Owo, said, “The type of attack that happened in Owo is such that for any religious centre to be able to combat such, it must be provided with security agencies.

“Such security agencies must be the ones that can detect and repel people who come with ammunition. The security agencies must be the ones that have equipment and they are the police or military men that have the gadgets,” the NSCIA deputy president said.

Also, the immediate past chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ekiti State Branch, Rev. Fr. Peter Olowolafe, said the issue of technology, including installation of Close Circuit Television, was among the advice given by the state government.

He maintained that regular power supply was key for the CCTV to work perfectly.

Olowolafe, who handed over as Ekiti CAN chairman on Friday, said, “The problem we have in the area of CCTV is that most of our communities do not have power supply. For instance, where I live in Omuo Ekiti, for almost six years, there is no light. If I install CCTV, maybe I will go for solar.

“But how many of our churches can afford that money to buy the equipment and provide light at the same time? That is where we call on the government to provide basic amenities so that life will be easier for people, so that when they have some equipment with them, they will be able to use them,” the cleric said.

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Troops of the Nigerian military comprising the Navy and the Army have reportedly killed dozens of innocent citizens in the productive age bracket in Ogbaru communities of Anambra State.

SaharaReporters was told that the wanton killings, it was gathered took place on Tuesday night, 28th and early hours of Wednesday, 29th June 2022 at Ossomala, Umunankwo and Obeagwa communities.

The deployment of the military personnel in the area had begun in the evening of Tuesday during which they claimed to be looking for unknown gunmen that recently laid the area under siege, according to sources.

The soldiers, according to information SaharaReporters obtained,later turned their guns on the defenceless and unarmed natives and others, while abandoning the forests where the locals said were the hideouts of the unknown gunmen located inside big river/swamp forest of Obene-Ochuche/Umuzu/Okija divided by Ulasi River.

The soldiers were said to have been mobilised from Ogbaru Naval Base and Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment in over 20 trucks with arms and ammunition. They were said to have targeted defenceless locals mainly young males and opened fire on them at close range and killed dozens. They also wounded and arrested others who are later to be questionably labelled them as "ESN/IPOB hoodlums".

Videos and pictures of the massacre which SaharaReporters obtained on Saturday, showed abandoned corpses shot on foreheads, heart regions, stomach and back and penis region littered in one of the community's playground and other locations.

Relatives were equally seen crying besides corpses. Women were also seen carrying the corpses of their husbands on wheelbarrows.

In some videos, soldiers were seen placing pump action guns on top of some of the citizens killed to probably justify the massacre or their labeling as "IPOB/ESN" fighters.

They were said to have also invaded several of traditional sanctuaries and destroyed them or displayed their symbols to invariably link them to the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its security outfit, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Speaking to SaharaReporters on the recent development, on Saturday, security analyst who is also Board Chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law otherwise known as Intersociety, Chief Emeka Umeagbalasi, described the killings as a genocide.

Umeagbalasi said "no doubt that Ogbaru is one of the Anambra Council areas presently under the grip of syndicated criminal entities engaging in several nefarious activities including abductions, killings, armed robberies and ransom demands as well as counterfeiting ESN trademarked modes of operation by attacking security operatives and government facilities.

"But latest findings by Intersociety showed that the criminal entities are camped inside big river/swamp Forest of Obene-Ochuche/Umuzu/Okija divided by Ulasi River. The area covers Ogbaru Communities of Atani, Amiyi, Umuzu, Ochuche, Akiri-Ozuzu, Osamari, Umunankwo and Ogwuanaocha

"Information available to Intersociety also has it that they have camps at different forests in Umunankwo and Ogwuanaocha.

"Consequently on the night of Tuesday, 28 June 2022, over twenty trucks of soldiers, arms and ammunition were mobilized and the areas were invaded in an aimless war grade operation and instead of the military personnel including Naval and Army Personnel from Ogbaru Naval Base and Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment going into the affected Forest camps, they let loose on innocent locals, shooting them at close range including foreheads, chests, manhood and other terminal regions.

 

"Several or dozens were killed in the end as you might have seen in the videos and pictures of the aftermath of the invasion.

 

"The rampaging military personnel also went into villages and broke homes at late night, forcing scores to be killed and other defenseless natives of the affected communities to escape through River Niger and others."

 

The Board Chairman of the Intersociety explained that the pictures and videos of those slaughtered showed or bore the images of passersby, returning youth farmers and occupational others.

In their usual way referring to (security agencies), he said in order to justify their conduct atrocities, "attached pictures and videos showed how they placed pump action guns on body top of some of the victims and raided traditional religious sanctuaries and destroyed them or displayed their items to make their massacre pictorially trademarked their usually concocted "ESN/IPOB mayhem or attacks or terrorism".

He further explained that the investigation conducted did not show any evidence of the slain being killed in a gun duel as no single report of killing of soldiers or wounding them was recorded.

"The sanctity of human lives was never prioritized or considered, likewise the principles of use of force. The pictures and videos of the incident clearly connote 'egregious and industrial scale massacre of unarmed citizens.'

"Our findings further showed that the slain could not have been armed members of the criminal entities because judging from the attached pictures and videos, nobody, not even relatives or friends of the slain would have dared nearing the corpses and wailing or screaming profusely or checking them if they are to be forest based members of the criminal entities or "Unknown Gunmen" especially the street criminal entities or counterfeiters.

"The pictures and videos also circumstantially indicated that the slain were members of defenseless locals and have nothing to do with "Unknown Gunmen" who the Nigerian security forces have severally and publicly acknowledged to bear charms preventing bullet penetration.

"Also no armed person could have been shot at such close range and killed easily that way at his terminal region without dodging and stiff defensive resistance," he argued.

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Some of the Kidnapped Chibok girls after their release

One of the missing Chibok schoolgirls found on Wednesday has shared how she escaped from captivity after eight years amidst claims that she was rescued by the Nigerian Army.

The girl was among over 200 schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014 when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) in Chibok, Borno state.

Some of the Kidnapped Chibok girls after their release

Having fled the terrorists’ enclave in Borno State, she was eventually discovered by troops of the Nigerian Army on June 29.

According to Channels TV, the victim, who gave her name as Ruth Bitrus, said she had to trek for three days in the Sambisa Forest before help came to her by troops of the 21 Armoured Brigade Bama.

“My name is Ruth Bitrus, I escaped from the Sambisa Forest. I am one of the students kidnapped from GGSS Chibok in April 2014. We were 203 that were kidnapped. The rest of us are still in Sambisa with our captors,” she spoke in the Hausa language.

According to Ruth, her husband was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while he was trying to plant a bomb.

“The father of my child died two years ago in Rabul Sani village where he went to plant a bomb at the military formation and it exploded with him before he could plant it.”

The distraught mother explained that she took some food with her which she used in feeding the child within the three-day period.

Bitrus’ rescue comes two weeks after two other Chibok schoolgirls – Mary Dauda and Hauwa Joseph – came back to town after they escaped from Gazuwa camp, located about nine kilometres to Bama LGA of Borno State.

Their escape followed sustained massive offensives by the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, leading to hunger and displacement in the terrorists’ enclaves.

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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has asked Christians to defend themselves amidst the rising insecurity in Nigeria.

During his sermon at the ongoing July Holy Ghost Service at the church headquarters in Mowe, Ogun State, Adeboye also prayed that terrorists and all their sponsors would not know peace.

He stated that there was nowhere in the bible where God said a child of God could not defend himself.

The cleric said he was surprised when he heard the news that some people ordered churches to be shut down for three months adding that they had all overstepped their boundaries.

Adeboye said, “From now on it is going to be fire for fire. Some jokers said Churches should not open for three months. Who is your commander? God or Boko Haram; let the devil try any nonsense, from now on, it is going to be fire for fire.”

“I don’t want to say much because I know some people may want to twist it but I have searched the Bible from cover to cover and there is nowhere in the bible where God said a child of God cannot defend himself, If you find the place let me know. He said that if they slap you on the right cheek; turn left, He said that one. If they now slap the left, what did he say? When God is silent, do you know the meaning of that? It simply means over to you.”

 

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The Ogun State House of Assembly is enmeshed in a fresh crisis as some members have demanded for immediate change in leadership of the House.

According to the lawmakers in a letter dated 14th June, 2022 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Olakunle Oluomo, the change of House leadership would allow other members rare privileges of leading the House and enhance their respective profiles.

The letter which was signed by over 10 aggrieved members and obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday demanded change in leadership in position of Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Majority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip.

“We the under-listed Honorable Members of the 9th Assembly, hereby demand for a Change of Principal office holders of the House. This is to allow other members of the 9th Assembly for the rare privileges fo also leading the House, and enhance their respective profiles for the remaining tenure of this 9th Assembly,” part of the letter read.

SaharaReporters had reported that the Speaker of House was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the clerk and some former lawmakers.

“The Speaker and others are under probe for different allegations. First one is financial misappropriation. About N85,000,000 monthly for running cost of the Assembly cannot be accounted for since June 2019 till date by Mr Speaker and Clerk, the approving officer and accounting officer respectively,” a lawmaker had told SaharaReporters.

“This led to a rift between the Speaker and the recently impeached Deputy Speaker after the latter demanded accountability and transparency. Even doing Covid-19 lockdown, running costs such as local/international travel, cost for fuelling the generator were diverted to private accounts.

“Diversion of constituency allowance funds (each member of the 8th Assembly collected N20,000,000 twice between 2015-2019. Most of the retired receipts were forged and fictitious pictures of purported ghost projects were filed by members. The current Speaker and 3 other current members were part of the 8th Assembly under investigation. A current Special Adviser to the Governor of Ogun State who also has a school certificate scandal case over him, was part of the 8th Assembly under the EFCC radar.

“Forgery of Financial Bills (i-The House passed a resolution to approve only N75 billion Bond for the State Government sometime in June 2020, but Speaker secretly falsified the content of the resolution letter in favour of the Executive, changed it to N200 billion after members had already passed and signed resolution for just N75 billion on the floor of the House before the camera.

“Speaker falsified some contents {S.7(4)} of Ogun State Legislative Funds Management Bill, after passage, for personal/selfish grounds. After the passage on the floor of the House, he falsified the contents in his favour before sending a clean copy to the Government for assent.

“Speaker in connivance with Mr Clerk, also falsified the current Standing Order of the House before the commencement of the 9th Assembly, to favour his election as the Speaker and disqualified others to contest, amongst other contents.”

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Some weeks after the death of the Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo State, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, one of his wives, Olori Kafayat, has also died.

It was gathered that Olori Kafayat, who was the mother of Prince Adebayo Adeyemi, popularly known as D’Guv, died on Friday night.

Details of her death were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report, but the Director of Media and Publicity at the Alaafin Palace, Mr Bode Durojaye, confirmed it to PUNCH on Saturday morning.

He said, “She died in the United States of America. I will give you the details later.”

Oba Adeyemi had died on Friday April 22 at the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, after a brief illness at the age of 83.

Oyo is yet to get another Alaafin after the demise of Oba Adeyemi.

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The Osun State command of the Nigeria Police Force has declared two persons wanted in Osun State in connection with murder and kidnapping crimes.

Yemisi Opalola, the Osun Command Police Public Relations Officer made this known in a statement on Friday.

The duo were declared wanted in connection with the alleged offences of murder, cultism, armed robbery and conspiracy.

The police announcement described Olalekan Ajagungbade as, “about 30 years old, fair in complexion, and Yoruba by tribe. Suspect has been causing menace in Osogbo and the entire Osun State.”

It also described Bode Olakayode as, “about 34 years old, dark in complexion, and Yoruba by tribe. Suspect has been causing menace in Ilesa and the entire Osun State.”

The statement further warned that any individual caught harbouring any of the wanted persons would be treated by the police as accomplice to the crimes they have been accused of.

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More presidential and vice-presidential candidates in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections have informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that they lost their academic certificates.

Documents displayed by INEC and sighted by Tribune showed that apart from the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kabiru Masari, whose claim of loss of certificates has continued to generate interests across the country, the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, also said his secondary school certificate is lost.

Another presidential candidate who claimed to have lost all his certificates is Prince Abdul Malik Ado Ibrahim of the Young People’s Party (YPP) while the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, submitted an affidavit informing INEC that he changed his name from Siddiq Abubakar as it appears on his West African School Certificate, to Atiku Abubakar.

The presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Sani Yabagi, also submitted an affidavit saying that the name on his degree and West African School Certificate is different from what he currently bears.

Tribune reports that the Delta State governor and vice presidential candidate of the PDP, in a sworn affidavit attached to his particulars disclosed to INEC that his West African School Certificate obtained in 1974 was missing.

The affidavit of loss of original certificate, obtained from the High Court of Justice, Delta State, in the Asaba Judicial Division on October 3, 2006 reads in part: “I, Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa, adult, male, Christian, medical doctor and Nigerian citizen of House No. 4, Commissioners’ Quarters, Asaba, Delta State, do hereby make oath and state as follows:

“That I personally enrolled and sat for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) West African School Certificate (WASC) examinations in the year 1974 at Edo College, Benin City, in now Edo State.

“That I passed the said examinations and was subsequently issued the said certificate therefore. “That the original of the said certificate issued to me is now missing, lost and cannot be found.” 

Also, in the affidavit sworn to at the Federal High Court of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, on June 3, 2022, the YPP presidential candidate disclosed that on July 17, 2021, while in transit from Kaduna to Abuja, he lost certain documents which included “original BSc certificate issued by American College of Los Angeles, dated 1988; High School Diploma issued to me by Langley High, Norwich, UK dated 1979 and official degree transcript.

“Also lost was expired international passport issued by Nigeria Immigration Service. “That all efforts made to trace the said documents have proved abortive.”

Ado Ibrahim also attached a Police Entry signed by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mohammed Hulli, Judges Protection Unit, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on the lost documents dated June 6, 2022.

Also, the former vice president and presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku, in his particulars, is silent on the primary school he attended.

He, however, disclosed his GCE results obtained in 1965 and a Higher Certificate (Master’s degree) obtained in 2021.

Further checks revealed that the West African/General Certificate awarded by WAEC and the University of Cambridge, which was obtained from Adamawa Provincial School, Yola, carried the name ‘Siddiq Abubakar’.

The former nation’s number two man also attached a sworn affidavit as Deputy Preventive Superintendent attached to Customs Preventive Station, Apapa Wharf, Lagos, where he declared to be addressed as Atiku Abubakar.

The PDP presidential candidate, who was resident at No 3, Ayanboye Street, Anthony Estate, Ikorodu, declared in the sworn affidavit: “That I was known, addressed and called Atiku Abubakar. That in the year 1965, I changed my name to Siddiq Abubakar.”

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not recognise Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the former Niger Delta Minister, Godswill Akpabio, and the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidates ahead of the 2023 general elections.

This was disclosed via the comprehensive list released on Friday by the electoral body.

It was gathered that Lawan, Umahi and Akpabio were missing from the list.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission affirmed Bashir Sheriff Machina as the winner of the Yobe North senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress.

Machina polled 289 votes out of 300 delegates, a certified true copy of INEC’s report from May 28, 2022, election revealed, confirming the politician’s public.

The document was certified by the electoral office on June 23, 2022.

This comes amid threats by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, who warned of severe sanctions if Machina refused to relinquish his ticket to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

Adamu claimed that the party is supreme and that it reserves the right to decide who gets its ticket in any election.

He said, “There's nothing in the law stopping the Senate President from contesting for another nomination just because he lost a presidential bid.”

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File photo used to illustrate story.

Terrorists on Friday morning bombed a police station at Eika-Ohizenyi, in the Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

A police inspector identified as Jubril was killed during the attack, according to a report by People’s Gazette.

File photo used to illustrate story.

The terrorists reportedly stormed the police post at about 2:15am, shooting sporadically before detonating the bomb.   

A resident in the area, Abubakar Momoh, said, “The gunmen spent more than two hours inside the station operating freely without any interference from the security agencies.”

He added that the bullets from the sporadic gunshots shattered the windows of a mosque and a Catholic Church near the police station, during the attack.

He hinted that the corpse of the slain policeman had been deposited at the morgue of Obangede General hospital, a town close to the area.

The Kogi State Police Spokesman, William Ovye-Aya, who confirmed the attack via a statement, stated that the police inspector killed in the attack exchanged fire with the assailants.

“And before the Area Commander and a detachment of military could reinforce to the scene of the incident, the attackers had already fled,” Ovye-Aya added. 

He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Edward Egbuka, has visited the scene for assessment and equally ordered an investigation into the attack.

“The CP also ordered the deployment of additional operational assets consisting of Operatives of the Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, Quick Response Unit, State Intelligence Bureau in synergy with other security agencies to restore normalcy in the area,” he said.

 

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At least four suspected internet fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo boys have been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force over the death of a retired Police Deputy Superintendent and three others in Sapele, Delta State.

Some gunmen had on Tuesday night at about 7:30pm allegedly shot three persons dead including a 64 years old retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, David Amenkhienan, along Ufuoma Atose street, off Shell road in Sapele, Delta State.

File Photo

The gunmen numbering about four were said to have shot dead two other people.

One of the deceased popularly referred to as “chairman” was said to be celebrating the acquisition of a new car with his friends along Shell Road when the gunmen suddenly emerged from the bush and started chasing them before finally shooting them dead in front of the retired police officer’s compound.

Edafe Bright, the Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, noted that the people connected to the incident had been arrested.

 

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Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has condemned the statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that Kanu would not be granted a court bail, describing it as "false and prejudicial statement.”

SaharaReporters had reported that Buhari had while responding to a question on the continued detention of Kanu during a bilateral meeting with the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, in Kigali, Rwanda, said that Kanu jumped bail the last time he (Kanu) was admitted to bail in Nigeria, and asked whether anyone knew whether he (Kanu) would jump bail again.

But Ejiofor, in a statement titled, “Rejoinder on the extrajudicial comments by Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFRN)", said Buhari should be made to appear in court to answer for his contemptuous statement.

Ejiofor said, “Every reasonable and fair minded person who knows the event that transpired at Afarukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, between the 10th and 14th of September, 2017, must be alarmed that the President of Nigeria can afford to make this type of statement. With profound respect, the statement is careless, mischievous, utterly false in character and in content, pedestrian, and confirms once again, the entrenched hatred, odium, and contempt this infinitely divisive and partisan President has for people of the Igbo race.

"For the President to make this kind of false and prejudicial statement about a week to the delivery of a reserved Ruling on a critical application to set aside the Order revoking the bail of ONYENDU Mazi Nnamdi KANU, brought on his behalf and pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja, speaks volume.

"What really was the raison d' etre for the statement? Is it a veiled warning to the court? Does it preempt an already settled position? Will the outcome of this crucial application be merely a fait accompli? Is the statement a prognosis of what would transpire in court on the 28th of June, 2022? Is there a nexus between this statement and the ultimate decision that would eventuate on the application?"

It added, "The Ruling of the 28th of June, 2022, will confirm whether or not these musings are justified. May I now take the liberty of putting events in their right perspective.

"On the 26th of April, 2017, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was admitted to bail by the Federal High Court and during the pendency of this charge, and while preparation was ongoing for Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's appearance in Court on 17th October 2017, for the commencement of full trial in his case, the Nigerian Security Agents led by the Nigerian Military, brutally invaded Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's home between 10th to 14th September, 2017, in a desperate attempt to assasinate him, and in the process over 28 innocent and unarmed civilians were gruesomely murdered by the invading troops. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu narrowly escaped death during that period by mere act of providence.

"Thankfully, the judgement of the Umuahia High Court found the Federal Government of Nigeria guilty of grave violation of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's fundamental rights following the bloody invasion of his home at Afaraukwu, Ibeku in Umuahia, Abia state, as well as the genocidal massacre of innocent and unarmed civilians therein. The judgement still subsists till date and has never been set aside. Sadly, the Federal Government ably led by President Buhari is yet to comply with the Orders issued by the Learned Trial Court in the judgement under reference.

"The discerning minds closely monitoring the ongoing persecution of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in a Nigerian Court, may have on several occasions, listened to the President consistently maintaining a neutral stand, and that he would allow the judicial process and law run its course.

"The pronouncement of the President of the FRN, recorded in his various public outings, prominent among them was his recent statement during the Presidential state visit to Ebonyi state, where he reaffirmed his stand that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) ably led by himself, will not interfere in the judicial proceedings in Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's case.

"Ostensibly, the aforesaid declaration automatically put to a halt, the efforts of the Igbo Elders and Elites, who were hitherto, gunning for a political solution."

The statement continued, "The world will recall that on the 18th December 2015, during President Buhari’s maiden media address, he boldly boasted to the world that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu being a British citizen, and consequently holding dual citizenship, should not be granted bail by the Nigeria Court.

"Unfortunately, this pronouncement negatively impacted the direction of the case then. However, His Lordship, Honourable Justice Binta Nyako, after careful review of the facts placed before the court, and consequently considering the Application presented for the bail of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on its merit, proceeded to grant him bail.

"While we are now preparing for another Court outing on the 28th day of June, 2022, where a crucial Ruling, which will hugely impact on the freedom of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be delivered, President Buhari has made another contemptuous statement, apparently usurping the judicial powers of the Federal High Court by making extra-judical pronouncement capable of preempting the Ruling of the Court, come 28th June, 2022, and consequently, prejudicing the entire proceedings.

"It is our apt observation that President Buhari, with greatest respect to his office, stands in grave contempt of the Court Proceedings by this singular declaration, and should be made to appear in Court to answer to this contemptuous statement.

"We wish to use this medium to urge the Foreign Governments and International Communities to pay more attention to the antics of the Buhari led FGN, who have sworn to violate the principles of separation of powers by intimidating the Judge seized of this case into doing their bidding.

"Nevertheless, we wish to urge His Lordship, Honourable Justice Nyako, to remain firm in the discharge of his judicial functions/oaths, and uphold justice in this case without bowing to pressure.

"We expect nothing less than justice, come 28th June, 2022."

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A pro-Biafran group known as the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has accused traditional rulers in the South-East region of Nigeria for the indiscriminate attacks, kidnapping and killings in the region.

The National Director of Information of the group, Sunday Okereafor, who made the accusation during an interview with The Punch on Friday alleged that the traditional rulers collected money from Fulani herdsmen and allowed them to operate in the region without restriction.

The MASSOB spokesperson said, “They (monarchs) brought Fulani herdsmen to our land. The Fulani herdsmen gave them money to come into our land and they are all over in our bushes.

“I schooled in the North. Before a Fulani man will come into your community, they must first see the monarch. After seeing the monarch, they will start operating in your bushes.

“Formerly, they paid the monarchs N100,000. Now it is N500,000. You can imagine yourself, how can a monarch leave his community, his town for the city? Tell me what he will do there. The monarchs left our community down to the city. Now the Fulani herdsmen are approaching, kidnapping our bishops and our pastors and taking people hostage.”

According to Okereafor, the killings in the region would no longer be tolerated as no one group has a monopoly on violence.

He therefore warned the perpetrators, especially the Fulani herdsmen to desist from such wicked acts forthwith or be ready to leave the Southeast completely.

He said that “It is becoming unbearable. We are now calling the Muslims in the South-East to stop kidnapping and stop killing our people.

“It is not only them who knows how to kidnap and kill in the church. If these killings and kidnappings continue, their mosques will be attacked. They should stop insulting our clerics.

“Can we insult the Imam in Owerri, in Port Harcourt, Aba or Umuahia? It is not possible. But they (herdsmen) are here insulting our clerics and pilgrims and taking them hostage.

“So, we are telling the youths in the South-East to rise up now and search all the bushes in the South-East and chase them out of our land. So, the monarchs should be held responsible because they know how the Fulani come into our land. Formally, the Fulani don't stay in the bush. They patrol in the land and after that they return to where they come from. But this time around, they are living in our bushes.

“Every day by 2am you will see them patrolling our villages. They know all the corners and link roads of our villages. So any further attack or kidnap in our communities, our churches and clerics, we will know how to deal with them.

“They should not push us to the wall. We allowed them on our land because we are not violent. But they should not push us to the wall.”

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The head of the Catholic Church worldwide, Pope Francis, has condemned the social media attack on the bishop of Enugu Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga by followers of controversial priest and Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, (AMEN) Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka.

SaharaReporters had reported that following Mbaka's vituperation against the person of presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, that he was “stingy man,” Bishop Onaga had imposed pastoral injunction on the ministry.

It had been reported that barely 24 hours after Mbaka's followers thronged to the adoration ground and protested against the pastoral injunction, calling the bishop unpredictable names.

One of the protesters, who identified himself as Elijah in a viral video openly threatened to kill the bishop anywhere he found him (bishop).

But Pope Francis who spoke Thursday, through his representative in Nigeria, Papal Nuncio, Antonio Guido Filipazzi, during the installation of Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji as the new metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province in Owerri, the Imo State capital, condemned the protest at the adoration ground.

He described the online video of the death threat on Bishop Onaga, as unacceptable, while condemning what he called growing divisive tendencies and other forms of trouble fomented by members of the church.

Filipazzi, who stated this in a homily at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, said, "I must warn the people of God against disobedience to the church’s constituted authorities. You must not take the laws into their hands as followers of Jesus Christ.

"This brings to mind the protest that took place at the Adoration Ministry Enugu. I was surprised to see an online video where a protester threatened to kill Bishop Callistus Onaga, Bishop of Enugu. This is unacceptable in the church of God.

"The people of God must be mindful of the abuse of the social media to cause the church scandals. You must bear in mind that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic and not a place where people take laws into their hands."

He urged the Catholic faithful to be conscious of their relationship with their bishop and respect the laws of the church, and urged the Catholic clergy to always proclaim the undiluted gospel and stand by the doctrine of the church.

The Papal Nuncio, who decried the violence and killings in the land, used the occasion to pray for peace to return to Nigeria.

The new Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, called on those fueling insecurity in Imo State and other parts of the Southeast to cease fire.

Ugorji said that peace was the only way the region could develop.

He said, “Peace comes when people are free from oppression, unemployment, exploitation and injustice. The church will continue to partner with government in making the society better.

“Peace is the bedrock of development. There is no sustainable development without peace, peace takes roots when people are free from hunger poverty, unemployment, suppression and exploitation, we have to work together to save our people from the prevailing scourge of violence and insecurity that have brought unimaginable grief ,trauma and fear to our fellow citizen in the state." 

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Residents of Obeleagu Umana in the Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State have invoked their deities to rise up against any force or power that would hinder the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, from emerging as the winner of the 2023 general elections.

This is coming a few days after an Enugu Catholic priest and Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Fr. Ejike Mbaka, came under fire for declaring that the former Governor of Anambra State could not be Nigerian president because he was “stingy man that cannot give people his money.”

Mbaka had also said that “If Igbos want a representative, it is not someone like Peter Obi,” because he is “cursed.”

But in a 5 minutes, 29 seconds video seen by SaharaReporters, the chief priest of Alusi Obeleagu Umana, Dr. Eze Fellow with four other elders of the community invoked the deities to go after anything that would stop Obi from winning the election.

Fellow who spoke mainly in Igbo language said he did not know Obi in person but what he was doing was a directive from the spirit of his gods, and therefore prayed to the deities to take over the federal government for the victory of Obi.

He said, “I, Dr. Eze Fellow 1 of Obeleagu and my cabinet members have gathered together today, the great Eke day to declare that it shall be well with all the Igbos.

“Our declaration today is for Peter Obi. We declare that Peter Obi will be our leader. He will be the president because Igbos do not love themselves.

“Our prayers today is that Igbos and the deities of Obeleagu should rise up, as we are in Ezeagu land today to declare that Peter Obi will embark on this journey and no power of man or woman will stop him. All the evil and wicked men will fail.

“I, Dr. Eze Fellow 1 of Obeleagu and the elders are in the land of Ezeagu today to declare that our prayers must work. We invite all the deities in our land to rise up in battle and bring back our rights.

“We do not know who Peter Obi is but what we are doing today is a spiritual thing. It is what my spirit told me to do that I am doing. The spirit of our deities, we call on you to rise up and go to the federal and get our rights. As we call on you physically is the way we call on you in the spirit.”

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