Sahara Reporters Latest News Friday 3rd May 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 03/05/19
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target=_blank>Reps Invite ‘This Man’ Buhari To Explain Widespread Killings By Bandits, Kidnappers
The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to invite President Muhammadu Buhari over the? “ongoing unwanton killings” and destruction of property by bandits and kidnappers, which have become rife in Nigeria, especially in the north-western states of the country.
While calling on the Federal Government to urgently deploy soldiers to the affected areas, the lawmakers also ?asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to ensure the provision of relief materials to victims of the attacks.
The resolutions followed an amendment to a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance by Ahmed Safana (APC, Katsina), and seconded by Gabriel Onyewife (PDP, Anambra). Tagged ‘the need for government intervention on the? ongoing unwanton killings by bandits and kidnappers in S?afana/Batsari Federal Constituency of Katsina State?’, the lawmaker had sought the declaration of state of emergency in the affected areas.
However, a request by Danbruam Nuhu (PDP, Kano) that the state of emergency be extended to the whole of north-west? region, was overruled by majority voice votes after thorough and extensive debate.
Meanwhile, Ali Madaki (PDP, Kano), addressing the Commander-In-Chief as “this man”, asked the lower chamber to invite the President to come and explain why the killings have continued unabated under his watch.
But Yakubu Dogara corrected Madaki by inserting “Mr President” before putting his motion to voice vote and the majority of the of the lawmakers supported that the President should be invited to disclose measures being taken by his government to check the ongoing killings in various parts of the country, especially in the North-West.
“It is the constitutional duty of lawmakers to take action whenever brutal and inhuman attacks are being inflicted on any community or group of people of this country,” Dogara said while passing the motion to invite the President.
However, no official date was slated for the appearance of the President at the green chamber.
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target=_blank>Ex-Enugu Governor Sullivan Chime’s Wife Moves To Snatch Custody Of Their Son From Him
Clara Shime, wife of Sulivan Chime, former Governor of Enugu State, has asked the court to be allowed to take over custody of the 10-year-old son she had with the ex-governor.Clara made the request while responding to the dissolution of their 11-year marriage as filed by Sulivan Chime on Thursday. She told the court that she was ready to be divorced from her husband, and prayed that the custody of their son be given to her, with child maintenance fee of N500,000 monthly.Clara told the court that her son was not properly cared for and she was only allowed to see him five hours a month under heavy security.When asked under cross-examination if she had taken a picture to present as evidence, she informed the court that she was forbidden by her husband’s stewards and security personnel from taking photographs of him.While responding to Mr. Paul Onya, counsel to the petitioner, she informed the court that in the two previous petitions she filed, she had demanded for the custody of her child.Onye then requested to tender the petitions filed at Enugu High Court and an FCT High Court as exhibits before the court.Counsel to Clara, Achibongu Iyeme, objected that the documents were not certified.Clara also informed the court that she was depressed during her marriage because her husband only had marital relations with her on their wedding night and never touched her, so it led to her depressed condition.Clara further denied any allegation of schizophrenia but said she only saw the CMD of neuropsychiatric because her husband brought him to their home.Justice Angela Otaluka ruled that documents were not admissible, and adjourned the case till June 10 for continuation of hearing.
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E2%80%94-kwara-states-herald-newspaper-staff-protest-poor-working-conditions target=_blank>‘No Salaries’ — Kwara State’s Herald Newspaper Staff Protest Poor Working Conditions
A day after the world marked Workers Day, staff of Kwara State Printing and Publishing Corporation, publisher of The Herald Newspapers, on Thursday staged a peaceful protest over “poor working conditions”.The aggrieved staff also decried the poor condition of their offices, the entire vicinity in which the media outfit is located and the non-payment of accumulated allowances.According to NAN, the protesters bore placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Salary Discrepancies’, ‘Epileptic Production’, ‘Backlog of Promotions’, ‘Bad Working Environment’ and ‘Non-payment of salaries’, among others.The staff, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products’ Workers (NUPPPPROW), shut down the gate leading to the premises of the newspaper house in Ilorin, the state capital.Speaking with Journalists, Abdulrasaq Ahmed, the NUPPPPROW Chairman, said the workers were protesting bad working environment and dilapidated state of infrastructure in the outfit.He said that staff had been contending with the poor working condition for almost nine years without any hope in sight.He also stated that the staff used to take refuge under the tree because of the unbearable nature of their offices.Ahmed decried the epileptic production of the newspaper, which used to be on the newsstand four times in a week but was now struggling to come out once in a week. He said the situation had rendered several able staff redundant.Addressing the aggrieved workers, Mohammed Sabi, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, called for calm, promising to table the grievances before Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.He lauded the workers for being civil and law-abiding in their agitation.The Herald is one of the oldest state newspaper in Nigeria.
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E2%80%98you-run-kindergarten-supermarket-shambolic-system-govt%E2%80%99-%E2%80%94-kwankwasiyya-movement-rips target=_blank>‘You Run A Kindergarten, Supermarket, Shambolic System Of Govt’ — Kwankwasiyya Movement Rips Into Yahaya Bello
The Kogi State Kwankwasiyya Movement, “the political movement that worked hand-in-hand with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deliver Kogi for President Muhammadu Buhari in the last presidential election”, has distanced itself from the “charade and a show of shame which was called a decamping ceremony led by a suspended member of the movement, Nicholas Ayegba and hosted by the self-conceited political opportunist, Edward Onoja”.
Ayegba recently led some people he identified as members of the movement to defect to the APC, saying the movement had “integrated itself into the structures put in place for the reelection of the incumbent Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello”.
Ayegba had said they were motivated to join the ruling party, even though the group was created by the People Democratic Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, because their current resolve is to get a good political footing by getting close to the government.
However, a statement by Attah Morandy, the Olamaboro Local Government Area Coordinator of the movement, renounced both Ayegba and Bello.
“The Kogi State Kwankwasiyya Movement is purely APC, and as such, APC cannot defect to APC. In other words, the Kwankwasiyya Movement of Kogi State is a strong arm of the genuine APC in Kogi State and a formidable structure of the Audu political family. Note that as far as Kogi is concerned, Audu is APC and APC is Audu,” read the statement.
“Nicholas explored the desperation and gullibility of the New Direction Government and pledged his support for the drowning team of callow politicians. Nicholas knows that elections are here and the orphaned government needs people and crowd whether useful or not to make his money. A drowning man always clutches the straw. Nicholas’ declaration has no progressive political intent, but pecuniary motive.
“Those who were led by Nicholas and appeared before Edward were not and have never been part of the Kogi State Kwankwasiyya Movement. They were licensed political jobbers who succeeded in scamming a fidgety, rickety and frail government led by Edward Onoja and Yahaya Bello. These duo have both lost popularity and relevance in Kogi politics despite their being in power.
“As a matter of fact, the kindergarten and supermarket system of government led by Yahaya Bello in Kogi State is shambolic, repugnant and nauseating; it is politically impotent, frail, and does not have the financial resources and political might to take over nor adopt the vigorous and robustly wieldy true Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kogi State.”
The statement described the Kwankwasiyya Movement as the “strongest and largest political movement in Kogi State”, ready to join Kogites to oust Yahaya Bello from Lugard House at the earliest convenience either in August or in November 2019.
“The Government of Bello had four years to provide good governance; it had four years to provide infrastructure; it had four years to provide Kogites with many good things typical of a productive government, but it failed ignominiously, as the government is led by rapacious, greedy and hungry men with the weakest moral fibre,” it said.
Falsely adopting groups and successes of other political gladiators who have carved a niche for themselves in politics and using same to boost the low morals of a failed political sojourn cannot save the Bello-led government from damnation and perdition. The government of Bello should remove its corruption-ridden pulse off the Audu political family so that it can face and tackle the gargantuan case of financial mismanagement against it.
“The great Kwankwasiyya Movement has no knot to tie with a puerile political family that celebrates its achievements (if any) on social media and glories in hungry urchins whose social media services it buys at so cheap a cost.
“The Kogi Kwankwasiyya Movement and Prince Abubakar Audu Political Family hereby warn the Bello-led government to cease and desist from its incapacitated media propaganda and be prepared for an ignominious defeat at the polls come November 2, 2019.”
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target=_blank>The Diminished Value Of Human Life in Nigeria Is Dreadful By Churchill Okonkwo
Churchill Okonkwo
Churchill Okonkwo
Churchill Okonkwo
I can recollect being depresses thinking of writing on the theme of the 2019 Earth Day – Protect Our Species – that is out of sync with everyday reality in Nigeria. I couldn’t, therefore, in good conscience devote hours writing about the protection of animal species for a society where human lives have been so diminished that it now appears worthless.
Buhari’s administration’s failure to reign in on the perpetrators of heinous crimes across Nigeria is depressing. More depressing though is the fact that Nigerians, by our actions and inactions are tactically supporting flimsy reasons for taking human lives.
From the political class that hire thugs to kill opponents; the bandits, kidnappers and “killer herdsmen” that kill at will; the mob and onlookers that stone a suspected petty thief to death and ethnic warlords that burn and kill for every little communal dispute, our cultural orientation appears to permit killing without a good reason.
Yet, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) Section 14 (2b) states that the welfare and security of the citizens shall be the primary purpose of government. Despite this, thousands of Nigerians are maimed and killed by official security operatives tasked with protecting us, armed bandits, kidnappers, politicians, and mobs. As such the daily lives of Nigerians over the past decades have been “nasty, brutish, and short.”
In the last two election cycles, the number of Nigerians killed during campaigns and post-election violence was more than 1000. The modus operandi of an ordinary election, a civic duty, is conducted under an atmosphere of sheer brutality. Does that set the standard for bandits, cultists, the armed militia of different ethnicities, kidnappers and killer herdsmen? Why are Nigerians not genuinely worried about the diminished value of human life?
Missing from the discussion of the diminished value of human life, but unquestionably the most important factor is, why are Nigerians culturally predisposed to kill each other with ease?
When the mother goat breaks into the yam store, her kid watches her. What does a society that celebrates political monsters like governor Wike and Rotimi Amaechi that use deadly thugs to maim and kill civilians expect from cultists in Port Harcourt?
The questions for all of us are; why have we accepted, wittingly and unwittingly, violent acts that are contributing to the widespread killings across Nigeria? What does a society that uses weapons such as stones, blocks, iron rods and other objects to kill during mob action or those that stand by and watch expect from the crude Nigerian police and criminal elements amongst them?
As a start, Nigerians must teach themselves the sanctity of life. A dispute between the Jukuns and Tivs in Taraba and Benue States is not worth killing for. The age-long conflict between “settlers” and “indigenes” in Kajuru, southern Kaduna is not worth killing for. The fight over who should loot the oil revenue accruing to the people of Rivers State is not worth killing for. There is no benefit in killing a petty thief by lethal fury through mob action.
Unfortunately, many Nigerians have allowed the proponents of mob action to convince us that taking the laws into our hands by killing petty robbers is not a big deal and certainly is better than handing them to the police.
But, if the petty thief were to be a politician say, Tinubu, Ike Ekweremadu, Saraki or governor Ganduje that stole billions of Naira, the mob would cheer and beg them to “settle the boys.’ They will not organize a mob to kill. So, while the poor and powerless civilians are the frequent targets of lynch mobs, thieves, masquerading as politicians are celebrated.
The benefits of capital punishment by way of mob action be it in sporadic community vigilantism are illusory. But, the bloodshed and the resulting destruction of community decency are real. It is this destruction of decency that worries me whenever I see Nigerians shearing (celebrating) images of fellow citizens mutilated and sometimes with heads chopped off.
A society that respects life does not deliberately kill human beings nor do they rejoice in the killing of fellow citizens. A society that endorses killing to show that stealing is wrong as was the case in the days Bakassi Boys were chopping of heads of suspected criminals in Aba, Onitsha and surrounding towns diminishes the value of human lives. That was the worst possible example to set for the citizenry, especially children.
We behave per what society teaches us. Citizens, who from childhood, grew up observing public and barbaric execution sees such violent spectacle as normal.
We, therefore, have a choice as Nigerians: we can either continue killing each other or we can begin to value the sanctity of human lives. When we devalue the life of a petty thief or a political thug killed in election violence, we devalue our own life.
The Nigerian government must do everything in its power to protect and advance a culture of life rather than making excuses for their failure to observe their constitutional duties. But even when we don’t have confidence in the state security and justice system, resorting to barbaric acts should not be the option.
That’s why a land disputes across Nigeria that is driving the loss of precious human lives, for example, should be seen as a diminishing of the value of human lives.
It takes more effort to forgive and resolve conflicts than to kill. The community leaders of different ethnicities that have transformed villages to “war zones” across Nigerian; should, therefore, be reminded that peace requires hard work.
The defense of the dignity and value of human life is worth fighting for and dying for. Nigerians must work together and stop resorting to unwarranted violent acts of killing as a means of settling every dispute.
Together, we can.
You can email Churchill at Churchill.okonkwo@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @churchillnnobi
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target=_blank>Four ‘Kidnappers’ Arraigned In Court In Abuja For ‘Releasing Their Dogs On Policemen’
Arraignment of four men alleged to have set their dogs on policemen has commenced in Abuja.Appearing on Thursday at the Upper Area Court, Mpape, the defendants — Patrick Anyafulu, Iluobe Kester, Kennedy Victor and Aseogua Oritsebenigho — who all reside in Poli-Macus Estate, Gwarinpa, were charged with four counts of criminal conspiracy, obstructing public servant from performing his lawful duty, assault and causing hurt.Police prosecutor Stanley Nwaforaku said on April 9, in the cause of investigating a case of kidnapping, a team of policemen from the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Unit, went to the defendants’ estate.Nwaforaku told the court that policemen proceeded to No 30 Isah Khalid Street Poli-Macus Estate Gwarinpa, to effect the arrest of the defendants.The prosecutor alleged that after the intelligence response team introduced themselves to the defendants as policemen, with a valid warrant of arrest, they intentionally unleashed their dogs on them.
He said that the policemen were bitten by the dogs.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 149, 267 and 246 of the Penal Code.
After the charge was read to them, they pleaded not guilty.
The Area court judge, Hassan Mohammed, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety each in like sum.
Mohammed ordered the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and verified by the police.
He further adjourned the case until May 24 for hearing.
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target=_blank>Angry Zamfara Residents ‘Kill Seven Bandits’ At Emir’s Palace
Gov. Abdulazizi-Yari of Zamfara State.
Angry Zamfara residents killed seven suspected bandits at the emir’s palace on Wednesday.
The residents also mobbed an official of State Security Service (SSS) who accompanied the bandits to the palace.
It was gathered that the bandits visited Husseini Dan-Ali, Emir of Birnin Magaji, to retrieve some cows that the villagers had seized from them after an airstrike by the Nigeria Air Force.
However, residents learnt of the bandits visit to the emir’s palace and stormed the palace while the meetings was on. They attempted to set fire on the palace but they were entreated and waited at the palace to prevent the bandits from leaving.
“As they were about to leave, the villagers attacked them and kill the seven of them,” said a source.
“The SSS official who accompanied them to the palace was also attacked but he was rescued by some soldiers. The car he came with was destroyed.”
The Police are yet to respond to inquiries or make any comment about the incident.
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target=_blank>Saudi Arabia Frees Ibrahim Abubakar, The Nigerian Arrested In Jeddah With Zainab Aliyu
The Saudi Arabian government has released Ibrahim Abubakar, the Nigerian arrested alongside Zainab Aliyu, to the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah.
Abubakar, who was arrested for the same offence as Zainab, as released to Garba Satomi Grema, the acting Consul-General, Nigerian Consulate, on Thursday in line with the previous promise of Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian government secured the release of Zainab, the student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, who was arrested and had been in detention since December when a banned drug, tramadol, was found in her bag on arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Her continued detention sparked widespread sympathy all over the country, on the back of claims that she was innocent and only fell victim to a drug cartel at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, that specialises in keeping hard drugs in travellers’ bags.
Ambassador Mustapha Suleiman, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the Nigerian government had succeeded in establishing Zainab’s innocence.
It also confirmed that Abubakar, the second Nigerian involved in the case, would be released to the Nigerian Mission in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
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target=_blank>Osinbajo’s Absence Stall Federal Executive Council Meeting Until 4pm
The Federal Executive Council meeting scheduled to commence at 10am on Thursday has been shifted to 4pm.The reason for the development has not been made public although sources speculate the delay is to afford Vice President Yemi Osinbajo time to return from Lagos where he is held up.
The Vice President is standing in for President Muhammadu Buhari, who embarked on a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom last week.
Buhari left the country after official engagement in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Thursday, and he is expected to return to Nigeria all things being equal at the weekend.
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Civic Media Lab Partners British Council, European Union For 2019 World Press Freedom Day Event
As part of activities to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day, the Civic Media Lab is set to organize a media event to torchlight the extent of press freedom in Nigeria.
The event will be held in conjunction with the European Union and British union under Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) initiative, which targets the effectiveness of rule of law in Nigeria.
According to Oluwaseun Akinfolarin, Director of the Civic Media Lab, seasoned journalists would be speaking at the event.
Akinfolarin also said that would create an opportunity for journalists to discuss the critical issues that affect their work and possible way of addressing it.
The keynote speaker for the event is Motunrayo Alaka, Co-ordinator, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism. Veteran journalist and Executive Director of Media Career Centre, Lekan Otufodunrin, will also be speaking at the event.
The event will also feature a panel discussion with seasoned journalists who will discuss issues affecting journalism in Nigeria and recommend possible ways to address it.
“We are particular about the lives of journalists in Nigeria and this event affords us an opportunity to talk about issues that affect us as journalists and also chart a way forward in achieving press freedom in Nigeria,” Akinfolarin said.
Oluwatoyosi Giwa, Component Manager of RoLAC, said the aim of the programme is to enhance good governance in Nigeria, by contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law and curbing corruption.
“RoLAC is actually seeking to support actions that can be taken by civil society and media groups towards ensuring the protection of the rights of journalists who face threat investigating and reporting on corruption cases,” she said.
The event will be held at the Civic Media Lab on May 3rd, 2019.
Participants can register via https://forms.gle/uAPw8ktsmRm4cZ4Y9.
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