FCT, Abuja- INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church Primate Elijah Ayodele expects Nigerian House and Senate lawmakers to be stoned and booed. The man of God asked lawmakers to watch and pray to avoid “this ugly incident”.
Primate Ayodele: Senators may stone Primate Ayodele advised Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Abia North Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and their colleagues to serve their constituents.
He said,
“Let’s be very prayerful so that they’ll not begin to stone some of our senators, House of Representatives members, and people will insult and attack them.Let them observe and pray. I advise lawmakers to act now.”
Primate Ayodele predicts Godswill Akpabio, Orji Kalu, Others “Ugly Incidents”
Suspects sending airtime, money to victims for fraud arrested
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested some suspected fraudsters who specialise in getting phone numbers and account details of unsuspecting members of the public for fraud.
The members of the syndicate include a landlord who helps the syndicate gather information such as contact addresses, phone numbers and other details about their victims, and a fake Chief Superintendent of Police.
Consequently, the syndicate would unleash their fake policeman and force their victims who had received money and airtime on their bank accounts and phone numbers to pay what they had received in double.
A member of the syndicate, Olorunfemi Olakunle, was said to have approached the state command to report that he was abducted by kidnappers while claiming to have briefly lost his memory when he boarded a taxi from Apata to Dugbe in the state.
He was also said to have claimed N9.3m was transferred from his account to different beneficiaries, adding that his abductors used his mobile phone to purchase airtime worth about N125,000 for others.
The command said its anti-robbery squad apprehended three supposed beneficiaries, including Babatunde Adebayo, 57; Stephen Adesope, 34; and Adeleke Adejoke, 33, in Lagos State.
While interviewing the parties involved, the complainant, Olakunle, made a U-turn and confessed that everything was a scam masterminded by another suspect, identified as Danjuma Adams.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, explained to our correspondent on Sunday that, “They had to create a hoax out of the situation, and they sent money and airtime to unsuspecting victims whom he and the syndicate got through association or genuine business transactions.
“Investigations also revealed that Azubuike Agu, 38, was able to get the details of his ‘target’, Adejoke F, by approaching her at a boutique in Lagos under the guise of patronising and initiating a genuine sales transaction, while another syndicate member, Amusat Ibrahim, a landlord resident in Lagos, got the details of his victim by association as a fellow resident in the area.
“Sequel to these, voluntary confessions were obtained from Azubuikwe and Danjuma, leading to the arrest of accomplices: Taiwo Segun, 37, and Amusat Alaba, 47 years, whose duties were to provide phone numbers and account details of their unsuspecting victims by initiating conceited relationships and false acquaintances.”
PUNCH Metro, however, learnt that the investigation had yet to be concluded and that efforts were being intensified to arrest other members of the syndicate.
As a brand new growth, former governor El-Rufai skips his son’s wedding ceremony
Kaduna, Kaduna! – Kaduna! At the wedding ceremony of his eldest son, Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, was noticeably absent. Bello is the eldest of his three sons. On Saturday, August 13, Bello El-Rufai reportedly wed Aisha Habibu Shuaibu, who is his second wife. The ceremony took place in Abu Dhabi.
Man in court for setting police station on fire
On Thursday, the Lagos State Police Command brought a guy named Wasiu Akingbola, who is 27 years old, before an Ikeja Magistrates Court sitting in Ogba. Akingbola is accused of attacking a police officer and setting fire to a police station.
Akingbola is being charged with four separate offences, including assault, arson, inflicting bodily harm, and membership in a hidden cult.
Inspector Kokoye Olusegun, who is in charge of the prosecution for the police department, said before the court that the defendant and other individuals who are still at large committed the alleged offences on May 29, 2023.
According to him, the event took place at approximately three in the morning at the Oregun Police Post, which is located in the Oregun Ikeja neighbourhood of Lagos.
Olusegun testified in front of the court that the defendant, along with around fifteen other members of the Supreme Eiye Confraternity, was responsible for instigating the assault on the police post.
He claimed that the defendant, along with his cohorts, had demanded that the officer on duty, Inspector Eche Emmanuel, release one Inspector Kabiru for them. However, when they were informed that the officer was not stationed at the outpost, the hoodlums assaulted the officer on duty, set fire to the police outpost, and then fled the scene.
The prosecutor continued by telling the court that Akingbola was detained at Alausa Police Station for another matter as a result of him being recognised by the officer who was on duty at the Oregun outpost and the DPO being notified of his presence.
According to him, the offences that were carried out were in violation of Sections 411, 170, 173/174 (b), 341 (a), and 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015 respectively.
Mrs. Sakirat Obasa, the Magistrate, did not take the defendant’s plea when she adjourned the case until September 25, 2023, so that she may seek the counsel of the Director of Public Prosecution.
Nigerian Islamic clerics meet General Tchiani, Niger coup leaders agree to talk
On Saturday, prominent Nigerian Islamic clerics met with Niger coup leaders in Niamey and agreed to discuss diplomacy rather than military action to resolve the political deadlock.
The Islamic clerics, led by JIBWIS national chairman Sheik Bala Lau, met with Niger strongman General Abdourahmane Tchiani for three hours in Niamey.
Mr. Lau stated that President Bola Tinubu authorized the clergy to meddle in Niger.
According to him, they counseled the coup leader to negotiate and discussed all concerns, including ECOWAS leaders’ demand to reinstate former President Bazoum.
Mr. Lau said the team had told Mr. Tinubu, head of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, that dialogue would overcome the Niger political deadlock.
He told Mr. Tchiani that the travel to Niger was to convince him and other military officials behind the coup to resolve the problem via peace rather than war.
Mr. Tchiani welcomed their intervention, adding they were open to dialogue and peace to resolve the issue.
Mr. Tchiani claimed the coup leaders were angry that ECOWAS leaders didn’t hear their side before issuing a resignation ultimatum.
He said the coup was well-planned to stop a threat to Niger Republic and Nigeria.
He also apologised for not allowing Abdulsalami Abubakar and Sultan Saad Abubakar II to enter the nation to avoid attack by angry Nigerians protesting power cuts.
He said Niger Republic and Nigeria were brothers and sisters who should address conflicts peacefully, citing their historical links.
After the meeting, Sheik Ahmad Abdulrahman, another intervention team member and Chief Missioner of the Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, told journalists in Niamey that General Tchiani welcomed the team and had productive discussions.
We’ll go home and tell President Tinubu what we discussed and insist that war is not an option.
“We believe that war is an ill wind that will not blow any good and that peaceful resolution should prevail.”
The team included scholars from several Islamic groups throughout the country.
Sheik Kabiru Gombe, JIBWIS secretary; Sheik Yakubu Musa Hassan Katsina, director Daawah; Sheik Ibrahim Dahiru Bauchi, representation; and Dr. Khalid Aliya, Jama’atul Nasril Islam secretary general.
Others were Qadiriya leader Sheikh Karibullah Nasiru Kabara, Sheik Ahmad Abdurahman, Professor Salisu Shehu, deputy secretary-general of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sheik Nasiru Abdul Muhayuid, director Admin, JIBWIS Jos, Professor Mansur Sokoto, and NNPCL GMD Mele Kyari.
Breaking: Niger Coup Leaders, Tinubu’s Approved Delegation Reach Major Agreement
Abuja’s FCT The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the military junta in the Niger Republic are apparently in communication. The coup leaders signaling a conversation with the regional alliance was a first-of-its-kind move. This information was revealed in a statement issued by Sheik Bala Lau, the representative of the Nigerian Islamic scholars who had traveled to the Niger Republic at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and posted on social media by Dada Olusegun, the president’s special assistant.
Recall that ECOWAS had put sanctions on Niger and warned that if the military junta did not undo the coup, there might be recourse to force. The coup leaders in Niamey, Niger Republic, rejected a joint delegation from ECOWAS, the UN, and the African Union (AU) last week.
Oyo: Chairman asserts that dissolution of APC Exco is impossible
The request for the dissolution of the state executive committee is merely wishful thinking, according to Isaac Omodewu, chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State.
Omodewu responded to a statement purportedly made over the weekend by Senator Ayoade Adeseun, a former federal legislator, in Ibadan on Saturday.
According to Adeseun, there are preparations to establish an interim executive committee in place of the current APC executive committee in Oyo State.
He had stated that the move would be a precursor to the APC’s repositioning in the state.
Omodewu expressed concern that Adeseun lacked restraint when making the remarks.
He emphasized that the former federal lawmaker was not currently a member of the APC since he had been working tirelessly for his own party, the Accord Party, during the just-completed general elections.
We can recall that Sen. Adeseun gave others the confidence to reject any attempts made to keep them in the APC after their disappointment at the conclusion of the party primaries held to choose candidates for the 2023 general elections.
The current APC executive committee is a result of a legitimate congress, and our democracy does not permit the use of fiat to allow one person to dissolve party executive committees.
As far as we’re concerned, we’ve got our sights set on the prize, and we’ll stop at nothing to make sure that all disgruntled party members who defected in 2022 and new members from other political parties are drawn to the Oyo State APC, Omodewu stated.
He noted that so far, their efforts have produced fruitful outcomes.
According to Omodewu, “recently we received the 2023 gubernatorial candidates of the Labour Party, Mr. Tawfiq Akinwale, and that of the Action Peoples Party, Mr. Kazeem Ayandoye, as well as their countless supporters into the APC while many of those who left in 2022 have also returned.”
Audu Ogbeh under fire for requesting that Tinubu fire Akume
Ahmad MoAllahyidi, a former senator who served as Adamawa South’s representative in the eighth National Assembly, chastised Audu Ogbeh for wanting to have Senator George Akume, the secretary to the government of the federation, fired.
On Tuesday, August 1, Ogbeh brought a few Idoma-related stakeholders to a news conference where they voiced their displeasure over the nomination of Prof. Joseph Utsev, a Tiv native from Benue State, as a ministerial candidate.
Speaking to the reporters, Ogbeh demanded Akume be fired, arguing that the man’s purported influence for Utsev’s selection was irrefutable evidence of the marginalization Idoma people have experienced in the state.
MoAllahyidi responded by describing Ogbeh’s behavior as regrettable and regretful in a statement that was released on Saturday.
The convener of Arewa New Agenda also voiced worries about how Ogbeh’s move set off a chain of events that resulted in certain anonymous groups starting to spread rumors about the SGF.
The statements of Chief Audu Ogbe, a highly regarded elder statesman, advocating for the dismissal of Senator George Akume, the secretary to the Government of the Federation, are of particular relevance to us at this time, he added. If Chief Ogbe and his other agitators had ended their campaigning there, it would have been acceptable and seen as part of their democratic right to express their opinions and seek office.
“But they went on to claim that the SGF was behind the development in order to spite the Idoma race and asked for his dismissal. This is where ANA finds it weird and wants to step in to clarify the situation in order to avoid giving the Nigerian people the wrong impression.
“Akume’s appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as SGF in the early days of setting up the governance machinery of his administration received wide acceptance across the length and breadth of the country, especially among the different strata of political and social circles as it provided the balancing needed for political stability after the hotly contested 2023 presidential election,” the report states.
Further praising Akume as a “stabilizing rod” in the political landscape of the country, MoAllahyidi said that the SGF does not represent the entire North-Central geopolitical region, not just the state.
According to him, Sen. Akume’s appointment is for the North-Central geopolitical zone and is suitable for the northern Christian bloc due to sociopolitical expediency. It is not acceptable to reduce an appointment to a local political conflict in Benue State when it has such significant implications for the stability of the Nigerian nation. He serves as the cabinet member for northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu. Furthermore, he is a crucial political stabilizing force that helps keep the political equation in Nigeria in balance.
We regret that Chief Ogbe’s position on Akume’s appointment allowed people who otherwise would not have had the chance to say something unfavorable about him to do so. Those who are not qualified to debate with him now alternate berating him.
FG establishes panel to restructure parastatal boards
George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has established an ad hoc committee to assess the resumes of people who will replace board posts after President Bola Tinubu dissolves boards of agencies in June 2023.
Atiku Bagudu, the former governor of Kebbi State, and Abubakar Badaru, the former governor of Jigawa State, are co-chairing the ad hoc committee at the moment.
In accordance with the “renewed hope” agenda, our correspondent learned that the two ex-governors were collaborating to secure a prompt submission of names.
When the final list of candidates would be submitted is still unknown, according to a text from the SGF’s office, but Akume met with Bagudu and Badaru on Friday at his Abuja office.
Atiku Bagudu and Abubakar Badaru are the co-chairs of an ad hoc committee that the SGF established. Finally, the cabinet is in its proper location. Therefore, the creation of agency boards is currently the only holdup.
Through the SGF office, Tinubu had previously announced the resignation of the boards of the parastatals, institutions, agencies, and government-owned businesses.
14 agencies named in the third schedule, Part 1, Section 153(i), of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were, however, exempted from the directions, according to a statement signed by Willie Bassey, spokesperson for the SGF office.
In order to exercise his constitutional authority and for the benefit of the public, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has authorised the immediate dissolution of the governing boards of all federal government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies.
However, the Boards, Commissions, and Councils specified in the Third Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended (Section 153(i)) are unaffected by the dissolution.
“In light of this development and until new boards are established, the Chief Executive Officers of the Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies are directed to refer matters requiring the attention of their Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervising Ministries and Offices.”
Tribunal decides LP, PDP petitions against Sanwo-Olu’s election
In two cases challenging the election of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment.
On Saturday, the three-person tribunal presided over by Justice Arum Ashom said that it will inform the petition’s parties of the date on which the verdict would be rendered.
After the parties’ attorneys adopted the final written addresses, Ashom informed them of this.
Sanwo-Olu and Hazmat of the All Progressives Congress are facing opposition from the Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the People’s Democratic Party’s Abdulazeez Adeniran (also known as Jandor).
The petition’s first respondent is the Independent National Electoral Commission; the second and third respondents are Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, respectively.
Fourteenth respondent is APC.
On March 18, there was an election for governor.
On Saturday, Hamzat was present in court but neither of the petitioners were.
While adopting his final written address, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the attorney for Sanwo-Olu, requested that the court dismiss the petitions as being without merit.
He viewed the petitions as a teaching tool.
He asserted that the petitioners’ speeches made no mention of the second respondent and focused primarily on the third respondent.
They have dropped their claims against the second respondent as well as their petitions.
He said that Rhodes-Vivour’s claims that the deputy governor was ineligible for the election had no merit.
Olanipekun contended that the claims that Hamzat had renounced his Nigerian citizenship and taken an oath of loyalty to the United States were not sufficiently supported by evidence.
The APC’s legal representative, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), also claimed that the petitioners had not adequately substantiated their claim regarding Hamzat’s citizenship.
In adopting his final written address, Mr. Charles Edosonwan (SAN), counsel for INEC, requested that the Tribunal dismiss the petitions due to a lack of evidence.
One of the concerns addressed by the petitioners, he continued, is whether the election was conducted in largely accordance with the Electoral Act. They haven’t offered a shred of evidence, in our opinion, to demonstrate that it wasn’t.
In a state with 13,325 voting locations, a petition created on the basis of such an allegation was attempted to be proven by 10 witnesses.
The petition is seriously contested, he declared.
To support his clients’ argument that Hamzat was ineligible to run for office, Mr. Olatunji Benson, counsel to the LP and its governorship candidate Rhodes-Vivour, sought the tribunal to affirm that stance.
He requested that the tribunal declare Rhodes-Vivour the new governor of Lagos State and remove Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat from office.
Sanwo-Olu’s legal representative for PDP, Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor, also adopted his last written address in which he asserted that Sanwo-Olu was ineligible to serve as governor because he lacked a secondary school diploma.