Sahara Reporters Latest News Monday 1st July 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 01/07/19
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target=_blank>Popular Cobbler Kidnapped In Taraba
Some gunmen in Taraba State have abducted Mr. Samuel Paul, a shoe cobbler in the state.
Paul is widely known for his shoe manufacturing company in the state, Sam P Craft.
The kidnappers abducted Paul on his farmland in Kundo Village in Ardo-Kola.
A resident of the community who narrated the incident to SaharaReporters said the kidnappers shot sporadically into the air when they invaded the community to give them freedom to carry out their heinous act.
“When the kidnappers stormed and started shooting sporadically before his abduction. The victim was on his farmland in Kundo Village in Ardo-Kola.”
It was gathered that the family of the victim is yet to formally complain to security agencies in the state for fear that he might be killed.
Also, Paul, according to relatives, has been running the shoe manufacturing company for nearly 10 years in Taraba and has established partnerships with Konga Mall as well as Jumia online platforms in Nigeria.
At the time of writing this story, one cannot ascertain as to whether the suspected Kidnappers has made demand for ransom or not.
Sam P Craft has become a leading footwear brand in the Northeast that’s selling across multiple distribution channels in the country.
The company has employed more than 30 people on its payroll and has trained more than 400 youths on footwear design, product development from corporate, government and individual sponsorships.
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target=_blank>BREAKING: Kidnappers Free Ondo Driver After Receiving N.5 Million
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Undie Adie
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Undie Adie
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Felix Akinde, the Commercial driver who was kidnapped on Akure/Ikere road has been released.
Mr. Akinde was set free on Saturday midnight after spending four nights in captivity, and with his abductors.
SaharaReporters gathered that his release followed series of negotiations between the driver’s family and the kidnappers.
A source who confirmed the release of Mr. Akinde to SaharaReporters on Sunday night, said the driver was set free by his kidnappers along the bush path on the Akure/Ado road.
He also disclosed that the total sum of Five hundred thousand naira was paid by the families before he could be free from captivity.
“He (Akinde) was released Saturday evening by his abductors, and we all saw him looking rough and dirty.
“The driver was released after those kidnappers negotiated ransom with his family members and the union.
“I wish you could see how the driver was terribly flogged and beaten wit some bruises all over his body.
“Don’t forget that the hoodlums first requested five million naira but later beat it down to a sum of N2 million.
“Later on Friday, they called in again and asked his family to pay the sum of N1 million but they all pleaded to pay five hundred thousand naira.
“I am aware that one of his brothers in the family drove down to dropped the ransom at a location as directed by the abductors,” the source said.
Mr. Akinde was kidnapped last Tuesday along Iju/Ita ogbolu road.
The abduction of Mr. Akinde, who is a membe of National Union of Road Transport Workers sparked reaction from residents of Ondo and Ekiti on the spate of insecurity in the states.
Earlier on Thursday, the kidnappers had demanded a sum of N5 million as ransom from Mr. Akinde’s family.
It was authoritatively gathered that the ransom was later reduced to N2 million after series of negotiation.
Femi Joseph, spokesman for police in Ondo State confirmed the release of Mr. Akinde in a telephone chat.
Mr. Joseph, however, added that the officers of the police command are working in collaborations with other sister security agencies in the state to arrest the perpetrators.
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E2%80%93-southern-and target=_blank>Buhari Seeking To Colonize Nigeria Through Establishment Of Ruga Settlement – Southern And Middle Belt Leaders Forum
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The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has described the establishment of cattle rearing settlement for herdsmen as a move to colonize the country.
The group said this in a statement on Sunday claiming that the move by the Federal Government is against the unity of the country as the herdsmen have engaged in killings of innocent Nigerians in different parts of the country.
They insisted that anyone who wants to do cattle business should on his or her own approach the Government of the state concerned to buy land and establish ranches under the prevailing regulations of such state.
“The idea is repugnant, repulsive and provocative as it seeks to colonize the rest of Nigeria under the guise of promoting cattle rearing ,which is private business that should not have the involvement of any responsible government, as lining the might of the Federal Government behind the business of one ethnic group in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria can only come from a government that is not interested in its unity.
“In the last four years, we have seen the rate at which the Fulani herdsmen have turned non-Fulani communities into killings fields with the government turning a blind eye to all their crimes while using the instrumentalities of state to defend and shield them from interrogation,” the group said.
The group asserted that the establishment of the settlements would give the herdsmen more effrontery to attack and kill host communities adding that the country is yet to try and convict any herdsmen for murder despite reports of killings.
“We challenge the Federal Government to tell us any court in the country where any herdsman is being tried today for all the killings, kidnappings, raping of women and destruction of farmland they have carried out against innocent citizens. As if the sinful silence of the government is not enough, it has now decided on a provocative measure to secure territories for them in all the 36 states of the federation.
“If the herdsmen as wanderers had perpetrated untold crimes against Indigenous people on a scale that is nothing but genocidal. It is left to the imagination what they would do when the Federal Government of Nigeria now force them on these communities as landlords.
“In no time, the Fulani herdsmen would make situation hellish for their host communities and life will become much more unbearable for them. The Fulanis across Africa would move in droves to these settlements and Nigeria will at the speed of lightning become an exclusive Fulani territory in West Africa.”
The leaders’ forum vehemently rejected the settlement and also claimed that the constitution of the country gives the state not federal government the control of lands.
“We therefore reject any attempt to establish any Fulani colony within our space in Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt. We warn all our Governors not to succumb to any pressure to cede an inch of our land for this awful project as any governor who does so would be seen as an enemy of the people he governs.
“Constitutionally and as affirmed by the Supreme Court, all land in each state is vested in the governor and not the Federal Government.
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target=_blank> EXCLUSIVE: List of Nigerian Ambassadors Who Collected Over N7bn Illegally After Retirement
In six months, January to June 2019, the Nigeria Government has paid over N7bn in allowances to at least 26 ambassadors who have been retired yet continued to operate abroad at their duty posts illegally. It was gathered that the cost of maintaining these 26 envoys with Nigerian taxpayers’ money in the first six months of 2019 exceeds $20million (over 7billion Naira).
By Nick-D – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
SaharaReporters has obtained a list of the retired Nigerian ambassadors and special grade officers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who are enjoying millions of dollars in allowance despite retirement. According to the list, some of the ambassadors have been retired as early as November 2018.
The list of the retired envoys includes Amb. AG Bala (Hong Kong), Amb. Jane Ndem (Romania), Amb. Salisu Umaru (Senegal), Amb. Martin Cobham (Venezuela), Amb. E.P Duchi (Israel), Mr. Amedu Ode (Singapore). Others include Amb. HT Balogun (Indonesia), Amb. AA Sonaike (Philippines), Amb. Baba Garba (Morroco), Amb. Ibrahim Isah (Cote D’Ivoire), Amb. Vivian Okeke (Austria), amongst others. These envoys have continued to receive payments in US dollars for themselves, spouses and domestic servants averaging USD $3.4million a month.
Last Friday, SaharaReporters detailed how these Nigerian career ambassadors, who have retired from service since 2018, have been retained at their duty posts, collecting millions of dollars in allowances in contravention of extant rules and regulations. A presidency source revealed how President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, revoked the President’s order to recall the retired ambassadors to Nigeria.
As of June 2019, at least 26 career ambassadors have retired from service but are still at their posts collecting millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money illegally, the source noted. It was gathered that in December 2018, the immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, approached President Buhari and informed him of the statutory retirement of the 26 ambassadors. The source had said, “The President agreed with the minister and directed him to recall the retirees immediately in public interest. He further directed him to submit a proposed list of replacements, from deserving career officers.”
The source said the minister sent a telex to the affected ambassadors and demanded them to hand over to the most senior diplomatic officer in their respective missions.” Few days after this action, Onyeama was summoned to the villa by Kyari where along with Amb. AR Abubakar, they dressed him down and directed him to reverse the directive given by the President.
“In compliance with the order from the power brokers, the minister withdrew the recall and asked the retired ambassadors to remain at their posts illegally, against public interest and presidential directive. This action was brought to the attention of the President, but he did not do anything.” Independent investigations conducted by SaharaReporters revealed that payment of salary in Nigeria for all the 26 retired Ambassadors have been stopped from day one of retirement, thanks to Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Public Service Rule does not provide for any form of continuous payment to a retiree other than his or her pension. The source added, “They (retired ambassadors) should, therefore, be compelled to cough out every dollar illegally paid to them abroad from the date they retired from service.
“Yet, these “Kyari’s favorite 26” have continued to receive payments in US dollars for themselves, spouses and domestic servants averaging USD $3.4million a month. Imagine what that huge amount of money can do to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“Without doubt, expenses incurred on these 26 individuals were illegal, as they were no longer in active service. They must, therefore, be made to refund every dime.
“Any attempt by “Godfather Kyari” to shield them should and must not be allowed to succeed. The anti-corruption law must be made to take its full course on them, otherwise, people will continue to believe that the fight against corruption by this administration is, at best, a charade.”
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C2%A0condemns-arbitrary-arrest-protesters target=_blank>COZA Pastor Rape Scandal: SERAP Condemns Arbitrary Arrest Of Protesters
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has strongly condemned the harassment, repression and arbitrary arrests by Nigerian law enforcement and security agents of anti-rape activists who have been peacefully protesting today outside the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Abuja.
In a statement by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those detained and allow them to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
The statement read in part: “It’s ridiculous and unfair that the Nigerian authorities are arresting peaceful protesters demanding justice for alleged rape rather than going after the suspected perpetrator.”
“The Nigerian authorities should immediately establish an independent commission to investigate alleged excessive use of force by law enforcement and security agents at COZA headquarters and bring to justice anyone found to be responsible.”
“While law enforcement and security agents have a responsibility to provide public security, they need to abide by human rights standards on the use of force. The allegation of use of excessive force against peaceful protesters demanding justice for alleged rape against a popular pastor urgently demands a fully independent investigation.”
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target=_blank>JUST IN: Biodun Fatoyinbo, COZA Cancel Church Special Programme Over Rape Scandal
Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo has cancelled his special annual forthcoming programme over rape allegations he is currently faced with.
Fatoyinbo announced the cancellation of the programme tagged ‘Seven Days of Glory’ in the Sunday Service of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly today.
The programme was scheduled to hold from July 1 -7, 2019, in Abuja, Lagos, Ilorin, Port Harcourt and Dubai.
Fatoyinbo has been in the midst of discussion since couple of days ago when Busola Dakolo alleged that the COZA founder and pastor raped her multiple times when he started his ministry in Ilorin.
Announcing the termination of the programme, Fatoyinbo said, “Be that as it may with what is going on, I am not a desperate person to say we must have the program.
“I am a peaceful person, you know that. Because of this, we are going to have program everyday for those who are interested to come but we are not going to have the Seven Days of Glory because I don’t want all this kind of stuff.Coza Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo advising his church members not to fight with any of the protesters outside the church but He didn’t mention a single thing about the rape matter he is being accused of doing!! And everyone is there hailing him 🤦ðŸ¾â€â™‚ï¸ðŸ¤¦ðŸ¾â€â™‚ï¸ #stepdownpastor #COZA pic.twitter.com/WUkaiHKZko— Kunta Kunteâ„¢ (@Nifemi_99) June 30, 2019
“Please let’s be people of peace. You don’t even want to put your guest speakers into all that. We don’t want to cause people problem, we don’t want to do that.”
Fatoyinbo told his congregation that the Lord spoke to him to cancel the programme while also adding that his mentors advised him to cancel the program for them to intervene.
“Apart from the fact that the lord spoke to me about that, my mentors said to me, this is what we need you to do while we step in and see what is going on,” he said.
He urged his church members to ignore the allegations making round and not engage in any argument or fight with anybody.
Fatoyinbo said: “Please don’t fight anybody, don’t reply anybody. They may say things to you, it doesn’t matter, you have a personal experience of church. Don’t fight anybody.”
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target=_blank>Rape Scandal: Church Members Confront Protesters At Biodun Fatoyinbo COZA Church, Organize Counter Protest
#COZA members in Abuja form human barricade preventing protesters from proceeding to the front of their church #stepdownpastor
#COZA members in Abuja form human barricade preventing protesters from proceeding to the front of their church
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Concerned Nigerians who besieged the headquarters of COZA Church in Guzape Abuja on Sunday to protest against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, founder of the Common Wealth of Zion Assembly, over rape allegations by Busola Dakolo have been prevented by the church members from gaining access into the church auditorium.
The protesters, clad in white tee-shirts were stopped by angry church members who formed a human shield to prevent the protesters from advancing toward the church building.
The protesters, therefore, decided to sit on the floor at the junction after a heated argument, vowing not to be intimidated.
Also, pro-Fatoyinbo protesters were seen chanting solidarity songs in his support.
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Abuja Residents Offered N10,000, Soft Drinks Allegedly By COZA To Counter Timi Dakolo’s #ChurchToo Protest
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The placard-carrying protesters, who are mainly street urchins, made several attempts to dislodge the rival protesters with intimidation and harassment.
One of the protesters, as Sani Abubakar, said that he is a Muslim and he loved how the pastor help people in the Guzape neighbourhood where his church is located. He described the attack on the clergy as unwarranted.
The protesters were seen smoking cigarettes.
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target=_blank>Abuja Residents Offered N10,000, Soft Drinks Allegedly By COZA To Counter Timi Dakolo’s #ChurchToo Protest
As protests of the #ChurchToo movement mobilised on social media demanding justice and investigations into rape allegations levelled against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Commonwealth of Zion Church Abuja got underway on Sunday, a group of local men showed up in counter-protest pledging support for Fatoyinbo.
As journalist quizzed the protesters on their mission, the protesters excitedly told journalists on camera they were offered N10,000 to stage pro-Fatoyinbo protest in Abuja.
One protester said, “Money is talking! Money is talking!” VIDEO: Abuja Residents Offered N10,000, Soft Drinks Allegedly By COZA To Counter @TimiDakolo’s #ChurchToo Protest…The protesters excitedly told journalists on camera they were offered N10,000 to stage pro-@BiodunFatoyinbo protest in Abuja.READ MORE: pic.twitter.com/Vd2fRe1W5U— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) June 30, 2019
When queried on who paid him, he replied, “He said he will give us N10,000.”
SaharaReporters observed that the hired thugs were also given soft drinks to infiltrate the group of protesters.
The #ChurchToo movement is holding simultaneous protest at COZA churches in Lagos and Abuja after Busola Dakolo detailed how Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo allegedly raped her as a teen choir member in his church.
Fatoyinbo has denied the allegations.
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target=_blank>Insecurity: Yobe Fruit Sellers Lament Market Closure
Fruit farmers and sellers in Mamudo town of Yobe say they are incurring heavy losses as a result of poor patronage caused by closure of some markets in the state and neighbouring Borno.
Mamudo town is known for its large scale production of fruits, particularly mangoes, cashew and guava, in addition to vegetables.
Some of them, who narrated their ordeal to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Mamudo, said the last time they experienced such misfortune in business, was over 10 years ago, caused by natural disaster.
They said the major markets for their fruits were in Babangida, Gaidam, Gashua and Mainok towns, all of which no longer observe the weekly market days, for security reasons.
Babangida Alagos, who sells mangoes, said the situation was so bad that from last month to date, there were times they had to drop baskets of mangoes by the highway, almost begging motorists to stop and fetch whatever quantity they needed, free.
“This was particularly during the period of Ramadan fast; we were battling with baskets of mangoes and there were no buyers; after two to three days, the fruits get rotten and are thrown away.
“The losses were so painful that we felt giving the fruits to people for free will at least earn us some reward from God; at least we had the contentment that somebody consumed them, and they did not get wasted.
“That was how the idea of keeping the fruits on the major highways came up and the beneficiaries reciprocated with prayers for us to overcome the situation,” he narrated.
Alagos estimated that for the past two months, fruit farmers and sellers in the town lost no fewer than 2,000 baskets of fruits, particularly mangoes, each basket costing N2,500.
Another seller, Habu Maikano, narrated that at a particular point in time, supply had overwhelmed demand to the extent that they never had to climb trees in search of ripe mangoes to sell.
“Substantial quantity of the fruits got ripe while the previous ones had not been sold, such that all we did was just picking basket-full of mangoes that had fallen under the trees.
“Unlike previous years when youth that went to our orchards to pick mangoes were seen as ‘thieves’, there was no such ‘thief’ this year as we were begging people to pick and eat, so as to avoid waste,” he stated.
Also recounting his ordeal, Mohammed Sanusi said the frustration was such that he had decided to seek for an alternative means of livelihood, even if the situation improves.
“I know that marketing perishable food items can be risky, but with what happened this year, it is like I had under-estimated the magnitude of the risk.
“I have now resolved to change trade; I may deal in the new trade side-by- side with selling of fruits, or abandon the latter for good,” he remarked.
Other farmers and traders, namely Adamu Usman, Halliru Mohammed and Bello Mallum, narrated similar experiences, adding that one of the many solutions to their ordeal was to devise a reliable preservation technique.
They said the other solution was for the government or wealthy individuals and organizations, to establish fruit processing industries that would create market for their produce.
“When there is glut, we can have the fruits processed, preserved and sold out to people in times of scarcity; by doing so, employment opportunities are created, wastages averted, and fruit juices are made available and affordable,“ said Usman.
They therefore appealed to Yobe government and the business community, to invest in processing the abundant fruits wasting in the town almost every season.
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Why There Should Be No Ruga Settlement Without A People’s Referendum By Bright Ogundare
As the farmers-herdsmen crisis rages on amidst growing suspicion of Fulanisation, the federal government seems to have discarded several solutions proposed to the crisis and rather settle for the establishment of what it termed “Ruga settlements”; a colony for the herdsmen. Funny enough, the federal government never really gave a framework of how such a settlement will work and operate. These settlements have been massively rejected in the south and middle belt as it gives credence to the growing fears of Fulanization.
To start with, the federal government has been unfair to indigenous farmers whose farmlands and means of livelihood are being destroyed by rampaging herdsmen and their cattle, who proceed to kill and maim if the farmers try to resist the destruction. The federal government despite the lip service to agricultural development have turned farmers to an endangered species with the failure of the government to safeguard their farmlands and crops.
In contrast, the Fulani herdsmen represented by Miyetti Allah have continued to wax strong as they seem to be enjoying a sort of immunity as the government has continually taken them with kid gloves. Numerous crimes of genocide have been committed by these herdsmen yet no arrests have been made talk less of the perpetrators of the crime being brought to justice. Instead, they’ve continued to confidently make hate speeches.
The proposed solution of the federal government is a victory for the herdsmen and a defeat for indigenous farmers. The problem we are facing is the challenges of nomadic farming in 21st-century society and the establishment of Ruga does not solve the problem. All that is proposed by the government is an attempt to foist and legalize the encroachment of the Fulani on indigenous populations. The northern part of Nigeria is larger than the south and the population density is quite lower in the North, hence, any attempt of settlement should be done in the North using 21st-century methods of ranching.
Furthermore, the Ruga settlement doesn’t really provide a framework of how to stop nomadic cattle rearing which is the real cause of the problem. What kind of punishment is to be given to herdsmen who trespasses? These are vital things left undone by the government. This effectively reduces Ruga to a legalized means of hijacking lands from indigenous populations.
The attempt to foist this callous policy on the people through the state governors is condemnable and will only degenerate to an endless war of attrition. Therefore, any attempt to allocate land to the herders should be subjected to a referendum where the people of each state will decide whether they want Ruga in their communities. Any governor that strikes any deal with Abuja without the consent of his people gotten through a referendum is a betrayer of the mandate of his people.
It is my belief that the solution to the farmers/herdsmen crisis is the outlaw of nomadic cattle rearing itself. The government must outlaw nomadic herding and instead make ranching compulsory. The governors of southern states must set the pace by encouraging and providing an enabling environment for their citizens to go into cattle ranching. Furthermore, the mass of education of the Fulani ethnic group is needed to make them go into other spheres of the economy and contribute meaningfully to the economic development of the country.
Bright Ogundare is a social commentator and he can be contacted via brightogundare@gmail.com
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