Sahara Reporters Latest News Sunday 17th November 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 17/11/19
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Kogi/Bayelsa Elections Update: Protest Rocks Bayelsa As Thugs Force Electoral Officers To Abandon Duty Posts In Kogi
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Some residents of Opolo in the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, on Saturday took to the streets to register their frustration at the conduct of the governorship election in the state.
The aggrieved protesters, who displayed placards bearing all kinds of inscriptions, claimed that voting did not take place in the community and that hired thugs had been unleashing terror on all those trying to exercise their civic rights.
At a polling unit at Eribo Square also in Yenagoa, a member of the National Youth Service Corps was said to have gone missing after armed hoodlums attacked the place.
The hoodlums were said to have invaded the polling unit at 1:00pm, threatening officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and others around the place in the process.
It was a similar story in Kogi where reports of violence and ballot box snatching has been the order of the day.
INEC officials were said to have abandoned polling unit 001 in Asuta Ward under Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area following beating by suspected thugs.
Earlier, suspected thugs had invaded the polling unit of Senator Dino Melaye, shot sporadically and carted away several ballot boxes.
Though counting of votes had ended in some parts of both states, there is disagreement among stakeholders and voters alike on the conduct of the exercise in Kogi and Bayelsa so far.
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E2%80%93un Flooding Displaces 40,000 Persons In Borno –UN
The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has expressed concern over the conditions of more than 40,000 displaced persons affected by flood in Rann under Kalabalge Local Government Area of Borno.
In a statement on Saturday, the OCHA said the affected persons including women and children lacked access to food and basic services due to flooding, which submerged Rann on November 7.
OCHA attributed the flood to the release of excess water from Kaalia River in neighbouring Cameroon.
The statement reads, “Stranded populations are running short of food and those who can afford it are paying high sums to be transported to the other areas, putting their lives at risks while crossing the river or running for safety.
“More than 300 people from Rann have managed to reach Ngala, a town some 40 kilometres away from the area, according to the International Organisation for Migration, they managed to leave Rann before the road became impassable.
“Humanitarian partners are mobilising resources to reach the stranded population via the UN Humanitarian Air Services, until access is secured for small boats.
“Providing food is the main priority, along with water, shelters and emergency health services.”
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Boat Conveying Journalists Covering Bayelsa Election Capsizes
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Boat accident
A boat conveying journalists across flooded parts of Sampou community in Kolokuma Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Saturday capsized and threw the four occupants into the water.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the boat was carrying four journalists covering the governorship elections, including its correspondent.
The journalists were returning from a polling station when the incident happened and left the victims submerged.
However, the timely intervention of sympathisers saved the journalists whose mobile phones, cameras and recorders were drenched.
Flood had submerged many parts of Amasoma, Yenagoa and parts of Sagbama, a development that displaced polling stations.
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Two Suspected Kidnap Kingpins Arrested In Anambra
The police in Anambra has arrested two leaders of a kidnap gang terrorising the state.
In a statement by spokesperson for the police in the state, SP Haruna Mohammed, the command said the arrest followed a fierce gun battle with the criminals.
Mohammed said that police also recovered one revolver pistol, four live ammunition, and a victim’s body.
He said the gun battle between the police and the syndicate took place on Friday, at Owerrinta, Abia State.
He said, “Following actionable intelligence, Puff-Adder operatives in conjunction with the Command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, tracked and arrested at Aro Ngwa, Owerrinta in Abia State, one Anthony Robert.
“Robert was arrested alongside one Udoka Nwoko after a fierce gun battle.
“The two suspects were fatally wounded during the encounter.
“The suspects collected N3m ransom from a family and still went ahead to kill their victim.”
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Police Confirm Death Of 60-year-old Cleric In Anambra
The Anambra State Police Command on Saturday confirmed the death of a 60-year old priest, Rev Fr. Edmond Nwagbal, in a fire outbreak at St. Peter Claver Catholic Parish under Nnewi North Local Government Area.
Spokesperson for the police in the state, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident said, “Today 16/11/19 at about 04:00am, there was a fire outbreak at St. Peter Claver Catholic Parish Nnewichi in Nnewi North LGA of Anambra State.
“The inferno which cause is yet to be ascertained, affected part of the church residential building.
“As a result, the parish priest, one Rv Fr. Edmond Nwagbala, aged 60 was burnt beyond recognition inside his room.
“Police patrol teams attached to Otolo Division led by the DPO visited the scene and Fire Service Department was equally alerted, they responded promptly and put off the fire.
“Meanwhile, the victim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention but certified dead on arrival by the medical doctor and corpse deposited at the mortuary for post-mortem examination.”
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E2%80%99t-pass-death-penalty-hate-speech-law-soyinka-tells-nass Don’t Pass Death Penalty For Hate Speech Into Law, Soyinka Tells NASS
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has written to the National Assembly over the consequence of passing a bill stipulating death penalty for hate speech.
He said this in his letter to Nigerian lawmakers.
Recall that the bill was sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), and has already passed the first reading at the Senate.
However, Soyinka said he will never be in support of fake news and hate speech but a death penalty was not acceptable to him.
He said, “It is no fake news that I have denounced the purveyors of public lies and hate material as the very scum of the earth. I have called them names that come close to enrolling me among the very reprobates we all so fervently denounce.
“I have utilised every available platform to highlight their perverse mentality and call for concerted action against their hyper-activism against humanity in general.
“I have singled out the Nigerian species of this criminal pursuit as an especially virulent breed, as a subhuman aberration without conscience, incapable of remorse, sustained by abnormal reserves of sadism.
“I have closed down dozens of fake sites instituted over my name, and set in motion mechanisms for the pursuit of those who steal my identity, even where the content is quite harmless, even positive.
“As you may have discerned so far, I again, and unapologetically, exploit this very development to reiterate my detestation and contempt for such pestilences that plague our humanity.”
Soyinka implored the lawmakers to find another way to resolve the issues at hand other than passing into law of death sentence.
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E2%80%98chip-whip%E2%80%99-number-plate-others FRSC, DSS Arrest Producers Of ‘Chip Whip’ Number Plate, Others
The Federal Road Safety Corps and the Department of State Services have tracked down the producers of fake number plates in the country.
The Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, had ordered an investigation into a particular plate number in Kano with the inscription of “Chip Whip” purportedly for a member of the Kano State House of Assembly.
Kazeem said that both agencies had apprehended some syndicates in Kano and Kebbi states in connection with the production of illegal number plates including the fake Kano ‘Chip Whip’ number plate.
According to Kazeem, upon sighting the illegal number plate, the Corps Marshal immediately directed the Kano Sector Commander, Mr Zubairu Mato, to collaborate with security agencies to fish out the syndicates involved in producing fake number plates in the state.
“Consequent upon the directive, DSS Kano State was intimated and immediately swung into action to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to book.”
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Kogi, Bayelsa Elections Get Underway Amidst Reported Cases Of Violence
The governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states have commenced despite initial hiccups that resulted in the late distribution of voting materials in some local government areas in both places.
In Kogi, voters turned out in large numbers to exercise their civic right as the process began on Saturday morning.
At Ayetoro ward 1 unit 004 where Senator Dino Melaye voted, hoodlums in two Hilux vans a Honda vehicle shot sporadically and snatched ballot boxes in the process.
A young man was said to have been shot in the leg by the hoodlums.
Meanwhile, in Bayelsa State, voters were left frustrated following the late arrival of election materials.
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, was disappointment over the late arrival of election materials to his polling unit in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area.
After stepping out of his house at 8:30am to cast his vote, Jonathan was shocked to find no officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission at the place.
However, voting has since commenced in many parts of both states.
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Aptitude Test Failure: Zamfara Governor Removes 21 Permanent Secretaries
Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, has removed 21 permanent secretaries because they failed an aptitude test conducted by the state government to assess their competence.
The governor announced this while addressing journalists at the Government House, Gusau, on Friday.
Matawalle, who said the decision was aimed at making the service more compact and result-oriented, stated that he decided to reduce the number of permanent secretaries because the state had the highest number of them in the North-West.
He said, “All assessments have shown our state has a far greater number of permanent secretaries than any of our sister states in the North-West, and we constituted a restructuring committee to verify their competence.
“The committee, therefore, invited all the permanent secretaries and six others whose appointments were reversed by the past administration and subjected them to a written test and interview to assess them.
“Based on the outcome of the assessment, only 26 qualified for retention as permanent secretaries.”
He, however, maintained that those who failed the test and were demoted would be considered for reassignment to parastatals as directors-general, managing directors and executive secretaries.
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EFCC Arrests Brothers For Using Commission’s Name To Extort ‘Yahoo Boys’
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested two brothers, Olatunji and Oluwayomi Beyioku for extorting Internet fraudsters with promises to shield them from possible arrest by the commission.
The siblings were arrested in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Friday, November 15, 2019.
EFCC operatives had embarked on discreet investigations into the activities of the suspects when it was discovered that they were in the habit of extorting ‘Yahoo Boys’ to help them evade arrest by the anti-graft agency.
According to the EFCC, “The brothers claimed to be spy police officers with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and have ‘assisted’ the commission with information on the whereabouts of Internet fraudsters within the town, but it was discovered that they only expose those who failed to meet their demands, while others willing and ready to play ball were shielded.
“It was also discovered that they had made several millions of naira sabotaging the commission’s efforts and live large therefrom.
“A search conducted on the younger brother’s palatial residence along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway suggested that they may be living far above their means.
“Items recovered from them include two cars, different brands of mobile phones and charms.”
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