Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Friday 5th February 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 05/02/21
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Ooni Forgives Igboho, Pledges Support
The Ooni of Ife, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said he has forgiven Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), over the Fulani slave comment Igboho made in a viral video.
The media aide to Ooni, Moses Olafare, disclosed this on Thursday, stating that the monarch was behind Igboho.
Olafare explained that Ogunwusi was silent on Igboho’s allegations because “it is not in the style of the Ooni to make an official response on any matter that threatens the unity and peace of the country, especially as it affects the descendants of Oduduwa worldwide”.
On Wednesday morning at a virtual meeting, ‘Townhall With Yoruba In Diaspora’, Igboho said Ooni was not supportive.
The activist accused the monarch of disappointing the Yoruba people during his visit to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, over the herdsmen crisis rocking the South-West region.
Ogunwusi, after meeting the President commended Igboho for speaking for the downtrodden but asked him not to take the law into his own hands and allow constituted authorities, including the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to take charge and handle the security challenges in the state.
Igboho later apologised, saying that he was pained by the issue and his tongue was caught up in the moment.
Olafare also said Ooni was unperturbed by Igboho’s abusive and derogatory words against him.
He said, “Sunday Igboho still remains a son to the Ooni. Baba has already forgiven him because he had tendered an apology via a video clip he produced via social media yesterday evening.
“The royal father could not bicker with any of his sons even in the face of quantum of provocations.
“Sunday Igboho thereafter released the video in which he tendered his apology. Even though the way and manner Sunday had behaved was sacrilegious to the Oduduwa throne, he has already apologised and I can confirm that Arole Oodua has forgiven him, because, there is no perfection in humanity. Sunday is a human being like any other normal human being who could misbehave as well. No one is perfect!
“As the father of all, the Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula remains his father who had even identified with him in the past two weeks he had begun with the struggle and he is still solidly behind him for the liberation of the Yorubas from criminal herdsmen who have adamantly terrorised our land. Just that he must watch his back so that people with ulterior motives will not hijack his movement.”
The traditional ruler, however, appealed to all and sundry to “let the sleeping dog lie on the matter because Sunday has been forgiven and life must go on”.
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Gunmen Kidnap PUNCH Reporter In Abuja
A correspondent with The PUNCH Newspaper, Okechukwu Nnodim, has been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen at his residence in Abuja.
The incident occurred around 11pm on Wednesday at his residence off Arab Road in Kubwa, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory.
A staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters.
It was gathered that the gunmen gained access to his house by scaling his fence.
Then they fired several gunshots into the air before seizing him.
The journalist was said to have just concluded a prayer devotion with his family when the assailants broke into the house through the window.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Mariam, was not available for comment after repeated phone calls to his line.
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Troops Repel Bandits In Zamfara, Recover 15 Motorcycles
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Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji have repelled armed bandits who opened fire on motorists plying the Tsafe-Magazu Road in Zamfara State.
The soldiers also recovered 15 motorcycles which the bandits abandoned.
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SaharaReporters gathered that many of the bandits escaped into the forest with gunshot wounds.
Over the months, suspected bandits have continually attacked Zamfara communities, killing scores of people and abducting people for ransoms despite a peace agreement with the state government.
About 15 brand new Hilux vehicles and millions of naira were given to leaders of different repentant bandits by Governor Bello Matawalle as part of the agreement.
A top military officer told SaharaReporters that the gunmen now carry out attacks with some of these vehicles given to them by Matawalle.
The officer said, “Those bandits have different group, so if they say they repent, the governor will give them a Hilux vehicle but unfortunately they are now using the vehicles to carry out attacks.
“It’s so sad, he called it peace and reconciliation programme, but all you need to be rich now in Zamfara is to take up arms against the people.”
A committee set up to investigate the menace of armed banditry in the region, headed by Mohammed Abubakar, a former Inspector General of Police, reported that in Zamfara State between June 2011 and May 2019, 4,983 women were widowed; 25,050 children were orphaned; and more than 190,000 people were displaced as a result of armed banditry.
On Tuesday, bandits known for operating along Shinkafi/Sokoto Road, during a peace meeting with popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, claimed officials of Zamfara and Sokoto State governments provide them with information with which they strike and evade arrest by military.
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E2%80%99s-tenure-illegal-unconstitutional-%E2%80%93-adegboruwa-ozekhome-nwanguma Extension Of IGP, Adamu’s Tenure Is Illegal, Unconstitutional – Adegboruwa, Ozekhome, Nwanguma
IGP Mohammed Adamu
Lawyers, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), have described President Muhammadu Buhari’s extension of the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, as both illegal and unconstitutional.
The lawyers: Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and Okechukwu Nwanguma, who is the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre said Mohammed ceased to be a policeman from February 2, after attaining 35 years in service on February 1, 2021.
For instance, Adegboruwa quoted Section 215 (1)(a) and Section 216(2) of the 1999 Constitution to state that Buhari lacks the power to extend the tenure of service of an IGP.
In a statement made available to SaharaReporters, he said, “When the tenure of a serving IGP expires on the grounds of completing the mandatory 35 years of service, he cannot be asked to continue in office beyond his mandatory tenure.
“An IGP who has served the mandatory years of service ceases to be a member of the Nigeria Police Force from the date of his completion of his service. In this case, Mr Adamu ceases to be a member of the NPF from February 2, 2021.
“Under and by virtue of section 215(1)(a) of the Constitution and section 7(3) of the Police Act, 2020, only a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force can be appointed as IGP. Mr Adamu having completed his mandatory years of service in February 2, 2021, he cannot be appointed as IGP, from outside the force.
“The President lacks the power to reabsorb a retired police officer back into the NPF through a purported tenure extension, which is not contemplated by law.
“The President cannot appoint an IGP or extend the tenure of a retired IGP without the advice of the Nigeria Police Council, which in this case has not met to consider, let alone approve such tenure extension.”
Adegboruwa noted that the Federal Republic of Nigeria therefore presently “has no IGP properly so recognised by law.”
Buhari had earlier extended the tenure of the IGP, Adamu, for three months.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said that the decision of the President to extend the IGP’s tenure for another three months was to give time for proper selection of the new helmsman.
Similarly, Ozekhome said it was wrong for the President to extend the tenure of the Inspector General of Police.
Ozekhome described the President’s action as, “unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, questionable, arbitrary, whimsical, capricious”.
In an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, monitored by SaharaReporters, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “The President was wrong to have purportedly extended the tenure of office of Mr Adamu. That he was going to retire on the 1st of February was not a surprise, everybody knows that he was born in 1961, everybody knows that he joined the Nigeria Police Force 35 years ago.”
“Why do we always wait till the last moment to begin to adopt the fire brigade approach and then do the things that are unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, questionable, arbitrary, whimsical, capricious as the present act of Mr President has done. Don’t Mr President’s handlers know that they are embarrassing Mr President and Nigeria? He asked.
“We have to look at Section 7, Sub-section 6 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, what does it say? In very emphatic, categorical words, it says that the Inspector General of Police shall serve for four years. Has Adamu served for four years? No. Would he therefore continue in office? No.
“Why? Section 18, Sub-section 8 of the same Nigeria Police Act 2020. It makes it clear, unambiguously that the Inspector General of Police shall retire from office when he would have served for 35 years or he has attained the age of 65 years.
“Granted that Adamu, born in 1961 being the 20th Inspector General of Police has not attained the age of 65 but he has served 35 years and he ended that 35 years on the 1st of February, 2021.”
Nwanguma also condemned the extension of the appointment of the IGP.
Nwanguma disclosed this to SaharaReporters on Thursday while reacting to how President Buhari elongated the tenure of the IGP, who was supposed to have retired on Monday.
He urged President Buhari to “learn to lead by example and not engage in any action that violates the constitution or other laws he’s sworn to defend”.
He continued, “It is not good for our democracy for the President to violate the law or exercise powers not granted him by law.
“The retirement date for IGP Adamu was known long before the day came when he attained 35 years in service. It didn’t come suddenly. The President ought to have convened the Police Council to discuss the appointment of a new IGP to take over from Adamu.
“For the President to now turn around to claim that he needed time to go through the process of selecting a new IGP is preposterous. It’s a pretext to evade responsibility. It further underscores his contempt for public opinion.
“The public service rule is clear on the tenure of service of any public servant. The Police Act which the President signed in 2020 grants the IGP a one term tenure of four years. Neither of the laws grants the President the power to extend the tenure of a retired IGP. The President acted illegally and unconstitutionally. He must reverse himself.”
He said the best President could have done under the circumstance was to “direct the retired IGP Adamu to hand over to the most senior DIG pending when the Police Council would wake up from its slumber and discharge its constitutional duties. And it’s not late for the President to reverse himself on this clear illegality”.
According to the legal professionals, the President’s action runs contrary to the provisions of the Police Act 2020, which in Section 7 (6) fixes a single term of four years without an option of extension of tenure for the holder of the office of the Inspector General of Police.
“A person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years,” it read.
Section 18 (8) of the Act signed by the President on September 15, 2020 also read, “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the police force for 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier.”
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E2%80%98obsolete%E2%80%99-open-grazing-nigeria Bakare Calls For An End To ‘Obsolete’ Open Grazing in Nigeria
Pastor Tunde Bakare
Founder and General Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has called for an end to open grazing and urged the Nigerian government to separate agricultural pastoralism from terrorist issues.
Bakare who is an ally to Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday featured on an ARISE News programme, The Morning Show and said he would bring the issue of the “obsolete” practice of open grazing to the President when the opportunity avails itself.
His comment comes amid calls for herders to leave certain regions of the country over concerns related to insecurity.
Bakare however called on citizens to be careful not to “tear the country apart”.
Bakare said open grazing needs to end as nations of the earth have gone beyond the practice, adding that it will also solve the myriad of issues associated with open grazing.
“Let’s be careful not to tear this county apart. There are four issues in this matter that I have considered and when I have the opportunity, I will bring to the attention of the President. One of the issues is open grazing, I think it’s obsolete and it needs to end because the nations of the earth have gone beyond this.
“I was in Glasgow, (in Scotland); I was in Israel, there are so many things we can do about agricultural pastoralism that will stop all the trouble in our land. We’ve lived together with Fulanis for years.
“And, we must separate pastoralism from the second thing — the terrorist issues in the forest, government must evict them.”
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Like Buhari, IGP Adamu Violates COVID-19 Law Prescribing 6-month Jail Term For Defaulters
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, on Thursday violated the coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Protection Regulations 2021 Act recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is coming a few days after the President failed to adhere to the law.
Buhari was spotted amidst scores of people while holding his facemask rather than have it on during the validation of his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Sarkin Yara Ward in Daura, Katsina State.
The President had last week signed the regulation in exercise of his powers under Section 4 of the Quarantine Act.
Part of the document states that “a physical distance of at least two metres must be maintained at all times between persons” and nobody should be in a public premise except “he is wearing a face mask covering the nose and mouth”.
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President Buhari Violates COVID-19 Law Prescribing 6-month Jail Term For Defaulters
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However, the IGP failed to adhere to the order, which prescribes six months in prison upon conviction, on Thursday while decorating some newly promoted police officers at the Force headquarters.
Pictures seen by SaharaReporters show Adamu at different times in the midst of people not observing social distancing as stipulated by law. He was also seen without a face mask.
This is coming barely four days the IGP ordered full enforcement of law.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M. A. Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the Assistant Inspectors OF Police in the seventeen zonal commands and their constituent Commissioners of Police in the thirty-six states of the Federation and the FCT, Abuja, to carry out full enforcement of the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) Health Protection Regulations 2021 signed into law by his excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on 26th January 2021,” Force Public Relations Officer, Frank MBA, had said in a statement on Monday.
“They are to ensure full compliance with the Regulations in their respective areas of responsibilities (AoR).”
The statement notes that some of the public places that the enforcement will be carried out include places of worship, workplaces and schools, banks, public transport vehicles, hostels, boarding houses,
detention centres, and so on, in addition to general restrictions on gatherings as well as the use of face masks.
Adamu however, cautioned officers enforcing the regulations to show tact, compassion and empathy with the citizens.
He urged them to be firm and professional while remaining polite, civil, and respectful of the fundamental rights of the citizens.
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E2%80%93-wike Nigerians Made A Mistake Putting APC In Power – Wike
Nyesom Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says the inability of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to tackle insurgency, banditry and corruption will compel Nigerians to vote out the party in 2023.
Wike noted that with the current economic woes of the country and escalating banditry, it was obvious that Nigerians had realised they made a terrible mistake to have voted for the APC.
Nyesom Wike
The Rivers State governor stated this on Thursday shortly after inspecting the Greater Interchange and Underpass being constructed by Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, in Yola.
Wike said he was impressed with the developmental stride of the Adamawa State governor. According to him, it was gladdening to note that similar feats were being replicated in the states governed by the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor said Nigerians were apparently unhappy with the way the APC-led government had mismanaged the affairs of the country.
“Are Nigerians happy? The answer is no. If Nigerians are not happy, what is the expected result that you intend to get? Obviously, Nigerians would want the APC government not to govern them in 2023,” he said.
“I believe that Nigerians now know that they have made a mistake and they want to correct the mistake by voting for PDP and no longer APC.”
Wike said the latest ranking of Nigeria as 146th most corrupt country in the world based on the recently published Transparency International Corruption Index report, indicated that the APC administration’s claim that it was fighting corruption had been misleading.
“What you see is vindictiveness. Today, if I want to leave PDP and go to APC, I will no longer be corrupt. The moment I remain in PDP, I’m corrupt. So corrupt,” he said.
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E2%80%99s-tenure-illegal-unconstitutional-%E2%80%93-adegboruwa Extension of IGP, Adamu’s Tenure Is Illegal, Unconstitutional – Adegboruwa
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa
Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s extension of the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, is both illegal and unconstitutional.
Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, quoted Section 215 (1)(a) and Section 216(2) of the 1999 Constitution to state that Buhari lacks the power to extend the tenure of service of an IGP.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa
He said, “When the tenure of a serving IGP expires on the grounds of completing the mandatory 35 years of service, he cannot be asked to continue in office beyond his mandatory tenure.
“An IGP who has served the mandatory years of service ceases to be a member of the Nigeria Police Force from the date of his completion of his service. In this case, Mr Adamu ceases to be a member of the NPF from February 2, 2021.
“Under and by virtue of section 215(1)(a) of the Constitution and section 7(3) of the Police Act, 2020, only a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force can be appointed as IGP. Mr Adamu having completed his mandatory years of service in February 2, 2021, he cannot be appointed as IGP, from outside the force.
“The President lacks the power to reabsorb a retired police officer back into the NPF through a purported tenure extension, which is not contemplated by law.
“The President cannot appoint an IGP or extend the tenure of a retired IGP without the advice of the Nigeria Police Council, which in this case has not met to consider, let alone approve such tenure extension.”
Adegboruwa noted that the Federal Republic of Nigeria therefore presently “has no IGP properly so recognised by law.”
Buhari had earlier extended the tenure of the IGP, Adamu, for three months.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said that the decision of the President to extend the IGP’s tenure for another three months was to give time for proper selection of the new helmsman.
This, however, would be contrary to the provisions of the Police Act 2020, which in Section 7 (6) fixes a single term of four years without an option of extension of tenure for the holder of the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
“A person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years,” it read.
Section 18 (8) of the Act signed by the President on September 15, 2020 also read, “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the police force for 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier.”
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E2%80%99s-daughter-blasts-nigerians-donating-igboho-funds-reach-n76million KWAM1’s Daughter Blasts Nigerians Donating To Igboho As Funds Reach N7.6million
Sunday Igboho
Dami, one of the daughters of popular Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, has taken to her Snapchat account to lambast people donating money to Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
On Wednesday, Igboho’s supporters set up a Gofundme page for the purpose of raising £100,000 (N51.8m) for him to buy buses to help in the movement of his men in a bid to rid the Yoruba land of killer herdsmen.
The fundraiser, which was initiated by Maureen Badejo, a blogger and activist based in the United Kingdom, has so far garnered £14, 824 (7.6m) with over 446 donations made.
But the singer’s daughter who is a lawyer urged Nigerians to desist from raising money for Igboho.
According to her, Igboho was an active participant in the last Ife-Modakeke crisis, where lots of lives were lost.
The lawyer wrote, “Anybody donating money from any part of the world in order to set Nigeria on fire will never know peace. It took us a lot to get here, please don’t take us back, don’t kill my dreams because of your own ignorance. Every media establishment that repeatedly calls Sunday Igboho a ‘Yoruba activist’ is playing its part to cause ethnic crises in the South-West in order to extract political value from it. Every one of them.
The spotlight has continued to beam on Igboho since he issued a seven-day ultimatum to herders in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State, blaming them for kidnappings, killings, destruction of farmland and insecurity in the state.
After confronting the herders in Ibarapa with some youths in the area at the expiration of the ultimatum, he moved to Ogun State on Monday and was received by thousands of youths.
According to him, the fight to liberate the Yoruba and bring lasting peace is not for the police but for all Yoruba people, irrespective of where they are all over the world.
The Northern Elders Forum had called on the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to stop what it described as targeted attacks against Fulani.
“I am 100 per cent Yoruba but I will never support anyone that wants to cause war, the Igbo man is my brother, the Hausa man is my brother too. As a student of history, I know the cost of the last Ife-Modakeke crisis, where this Sunday Igboho was said to be an active participant. All those interviewing him and amplifying the war he is calling for should be subjects of interest to the DSS (Department of State Services) – if the DSS still knows its duties. In my life, I do not support nonsense, go and read section 43 of the 1999 constitution. One Nigeria, the whole country belongs to all of us.”
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20-year-old Rivers Woman Jailed For Four Years For Trafficking Twin Babies
A Magistrates’ Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced 20-year-old Miss Joy Olaka Worgu to four years in prison for trafficking twin babies.
Worgu was said to have stolen the babies from their parents and trafficked them in 2018.
The convict was sentenced on Thursday after she was found guilty on three counts bordering on human trafficking, among others.
However, the sentence is to run concurrently as Worgu has been in prison custody since 2018.
She initially pleaded not guilty but later changed her plea and admitted to committing the crime in connivance with a second defendant.
The Chief Magistrate, Amaka Amaenze, noted that the sentence would deter her from committing such a crime in the future.
The magistrate adjourned the matter to March 2, 2021 to hear the evidence of the second defendant who has denied buying the twins from Worgu.
Meanwhile, counsel for Worgu, Paul Ephraim, accepted the court’s verdict but did not rule out that the defence would appeal the judgment.
“My client was convicted of the said offence and she pleaded guilty. The court has decided; everything depends on my client. There was a degree of remorse. She was also repentant. The court is mindful of that,” he said.
Counsel for the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Esther Korienta, told journalists that the verdict of the court would serve as a deterrent to people engaging in human trafficking.
“I’m so satisfied with the court’s judgement because the lady is now remorseful. The court always wears a human face. She has shown remorse and the sentencing today is four years. We hope and believe that this will serve as a deterrent to other child traffickers.
“As you know, cases of child trafficking are on the increase and we are just looking for a way to reduce it, stop people from stealing other peoples’ children. If people want children, they can adopt legally. They should not be abetting it,” she said.
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