The Department of State Service (SSS) has detained its officer who shot dead a newspaper vendor, Ifeanyi Okereke, in Abuja.

In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunnaya, the service said it has also withdrawn the officer, who is a security detail to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila from the beat.

“The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the allegation of shooting and killing of one Ifeanyi Okereke by a security aide of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The Service hereby confirms that the suspect is one of its personnel deployed to the Speaker’s Convoy as a security detail. And as already stated by the Speaker that he has been suspended from his Convoy, the Service has further withdrawn him from the assignment.” the statement read in part.

The Service also noted that it has launched an investigation into the matter and promised to be transparent in handling it.

“As part of its disciplinary procedures in the instance, he has been taken into detention. In addition, the Service has opened a detailed investigation into the matter.

“While it pledges to be transparent and accountable in handling this, it is liaising with appropriate authorities to achieve this objective.”

“The Service condoles with the family of the deceased and his loved ones. It has promised a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident and will surely keep to this,” Afunnaya said in the statement.

The Federal Government has agreed to pay a cumulative sum of N65 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to offset backlog of earned allowances and revitalisation of the institutions.

The government also agreed to pay the lecturers their outstanding salaries using an older payment platform, GIFMIS, different from the controversial IPPIS.

According to a statement from the government, the decision was taken in a bid to fast-track return of academic activities to universities.

The government added that it decided to shift grounds on the lingering issues that have kept students out of the classroom for several months.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting held on Friday, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who made the proposal on behalf of the government to the striking lecturers, described the negotiation as fruitful.

While noting that the fund was offered to resolve the impasse with ASUU, Ngige explained that the sum of N15 billion from the amount offered by the government would be for more funds to revitalise the universities.

He added that the fund was in addition to the N20 billion paid earlier, making it a total of N35 billion committed as revitalisation fund by the government and disclosed that the visitation panel to the universities would be inaugurated next week.

On the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Ngige noted that representatives of the government and ASUU met over the University Transparency Account System (UTAS) proposed by the union, but it was a work in progress.

He stated that the Ministry of Labour and Employment, as well as the Ministry of Education, would use the previous payment platform of the government before it introduced IPPIS to pay the withheld salaries of the lecturers under strict monitoring.

ASUU president, Biodun Ogunyemi, who also addressed reporters, acknowledged that the government has made some new offers to the union and some progress have been made.

He, however, said the union leaders would report to their organs and get back to the government on the position of their members.

The Federal Government’s cash grant for Rural Women has commenced in the South East. The programme was launched by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq  on Thursday at the Old Government House, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Speaking about the significance of the programme,  Farooq said the Buhari-led administration established the scheme with the purpose of lifting 100m Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years. The Minister advised the women to make judicious use of the one-off N20,000 cash grant by starting up petty businesses or adding the seed money to already established small businesses. “Our message to them is for them to utilize this money judiciously by starting up small businesses so that by God’s grace, this money will multiply and they will be able to take care of themselves and their families, ” she said.. “We expect the Ebonyi state government to assist these women with advise, support and expertise and follow up on them in order to guide them with the business they decide to embark upon”. The Minister makes a presentation to a beneficiary In his response, the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi praised President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiative which he said will go a long way in assuaging the sufferings of rural women in the state. Umahi, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Eric Kelechi Igwe described the visit of the minister as timely, promising that the women will turn over the seed money given to them very soon. “This is an auspicious day because it also marks the day that Ebonyi people moved from the leftist side to the right. No government has ever done this for the people of Ebonyi. I thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq for churning out these Development policies. “Women are very hard working. If men were the ones who got this money, they would have taken wives the next morning. Women don’t dictate to their husbands but they determine that food is in the house. For this gesture, we are appreciative and we will continue to ask for more”. The Deputy Governor also appealed to the minister to fashion out ways of appraising the program to assess their performance in the business or whatsoever they have chosen to do with the seed money. It is expected that over 200 women from the 13 local government councils of Ebonyi state will benefit from the Federal government’s Cash Grant for Rural Women.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has identified the security officer that killed one Ifeanyi Okereke, a newspaper vendor as Abdullahi Hassan.

Gbajabiamila confirmed that Hassan, who until yesterday was a security officer attached to him,  is an agent of the Department of State Services .

The Speaker disclosed this in his second statement on Friday.

Hassan shot and killed Ifeanyi Okereke, a newspapers vendor in Abuja on Thursday.

The Nigeria Police Force had denied that its officer shot the vendor.

The Speaker, who vowed to get justice for the deceased, disclosed that he had contacted Okereke’s family members and would meet with them.

The statement read, “The unfortunate death of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke at the hands of one of my security aides has left me deeply shaken.

“Mr Okereke was a citizen going about his business, trying to make a living for himself and his family. There is no reason for his life to have ended the way it did.

“This morning, I have handed over the security operative, Abdullahi M. Hassan, to the Department of State Security (DSS) for investigation and appropriate administrative and judicial action. In the interim, he has been suspended from the convoy.

“l expect, and I will see to it that the family of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke receives the full measure of justice so that their bereavement is not compounded by any actions that can cause them further pain and suffering.

“I have expressed my personal condolence to his family and have arranged to meet with them when the parents of Mr Okereke, who are already on their way, arrive in Abuja.

“Additionally, I have committed to them that I will support his wife and the immediate family he has left behind.

“I commiserate with the family of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke and ask all Nigerians to join me at this time to pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.”

For an inexplicable reason, Hassan was said to have shot Okereke, a newspaper vendor in the head

The incident, which occurred at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, around 3pm on Thursday, had caused panic in the area.

Okereke was subsequently rushed to the National Hospital by his brother and some police officers where he reportedly died.

President Buhari has reiterated his administration’s determination to fight corruption in the country. Lamenting that corruption is present almost everywhere and at many levels of government, the president described the situation as the sad reality confronting the nation. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the president spoke this morning, while receiving the report of the Justice Ayo Salami (rtd)-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the investigation of the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu. In the statement titled “President Buhari: I want Nigeria to be counted among countries that do not tolerate but fight corruption,” Buhari was quoted as saying that the stark reality of widespread corruption becomes poignant when allegations of corruption touch on the leadership of an institution set up to fight economic and financial crimes. Buhari, however, noted that in the fight against corruption, no one is too big to tackle, as no individual is bigger than the country. “The sad reality confronting us as a people is that there is corruption almost everywhere; at many levels of government, and nearly every stratum of our society. Mindful of the threat that corruption poses to us as a nation, this administration has specifically focused on the fight against corruption. “As a government, and in furtherance of our anti-corruption programme, we have since inception engaged in many reforms in removing corruption including but not limited to the enforcement of Treasury Single Account, strict implementation of the Bank Verification Number Policy and signing unto the Open Government Partnership. A lot of efforts have gone into building and development of our anti-corruption institutions. “We have so far kept faith with our promise and shall remain committed until Nigeria triumphs over the evil of corruption, attain a prosperous economic status, and surmounts her security challenges. “However, the stark reality of widespread corruption becomes poignant when allegations of corruption touch on the leadership of an institution set up by law to coordinate and enforce all economic and financial crimes. It is an abomination that strikes at the root and undermines the Government’s anti-corruption programme. “It was in response to the serious allegations against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that I set up a Panel headed by the Honourable Justice Isa Ayo Salami, retired President of the Court of Appeal, via an Instrument dated 3rd July 2020 pursuant to the Tribunals of Inquiry Act (Cap T21, LFN, 2004). “We recognise that there are more grounds to cover in the war against corruption, and we are prepared to go out to possess those lands by cutting off any stream that nourishes the seed of corruption and supports its growth. “Let it be known that in the fight against corruption, no one is too big to tackle, as no individual is bigger than the Nigerian State!” The president added that his desire is to make Nigeria a country that is rid of corruption “Corruption is present in all countries. Some governments treat it with levity. Some fight it all the time. I want Nigeria to be counted among those countries that do not tolerate but fight corruption,” he said. The president added that protecting Nigeria’s political and economic systems and the country itself from the menace of corruption calls for a collective and concerted efforts of all stakeholders, and indeed every Nigerian. Pledging that the fight against corruption is one that must be fought without fear or favour, President Buhari thanked members of the Commission for their dedication and commitment to the fight against corruption. The statement also quoted Justice Salami as saying that Magu and 113 witnesses appeared and testified before the commission. He was further quoted as adding that 46 petitions and memoranda were presented by individuals and organisations with complaints against the suspended acting Chairman, EFCC, or both. Speaking on the efforts made during the probe to get to the roots of the matter, Justice Salami disclosed that the commission  embarked on a nationwide physical verification of recovered forfeited assets, comprising real estates, automobiles, vessels, and non-cash assets. He commended the president for the initiative to dispose of all forfeited assets “because of the poor condition of the assets we saw during our physical verification nationwide.” “Noting that the four chairmen of EFCC since inception were from the police, the retired Justice of the Court of Appeal also recommended that in appointing a new chairman, consideration should be given to candidates from other law enforcement or security agencies and a core staff of the EFCC as provided in the EFCC establishment Act of 2004. “He expressed profound gratitude to the President for giving the Commission members a wonderful opportunity to serve the nation,” the statement added.

 

Following its controversial report on the Lekki toll gate shooting in Lagos on October 20, Cable News Network (CNN) has been branded as the newest face of foreign destabilisation in Nigeria 

According to the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), the American-based news television channsl  has elevated the agenda of the divisive and destructive forces tirelessly working in conspiracy with foreign forces against the country.

Comrade Samuel Daluba speaking at a press conference, on Friday, in Abuja said the group is not surprised as it previously forecasted that some forces are in connivance with a few wealthy and disgruntled elements in Nigeria to destabilise the country.

Daluba noted that the disparity in the casualty figure clearly shows that CNN is a hired media mercenaries after a hatchet job.

He wondered why nothing was mentioned about the killings of security agents, civilians and the reckless destruction/looting of private and public properties of Nigerians by the #EndSARS protesters.

The coalition, however, warned CNN to steer clear of Nigeria, adding that the nation is a forbidden land to practice their trade.

Read full statement below:

It gives leaders and members of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) immense pleasure to welcome members of the media to this press briefing. Let us admit ab initio that the mandate of building Nigeria is a divine order given to every Nigerian from birth. Therefore, we appreciate your individual and collective roles in support of this sacred obligation these years.

We are reluctant to remind Nigerians about the gores and bloodbath, which characterized the #EndSARS protests especially, in the Southern part of the country. But it is expedient to speak out loudly, against the sponsors of this bloodbath and carnages against their own country and the foreign forces, contracted to further execute Plan “B” which have continued to promote the irrationally destructive and evil agenda of the dismemberment of Nigeria by disparate means.

CNM is inconsolably saddened with the Cable News Network (CNN), the American-based and globally recognized cable network’s latest justification of itself as a shameful betrayal of its professionalism in the report in its edition of November 18th, 2020 on the so-called investigation of the Lekki Toll Gate shootings. The medium expanded the gamut of its influenced propaganda, inflammatory and satanic motives as always serviced by the enemies of Nigeria, hellbent on triggering massive public crises, anarchy and veiled subversion of national security to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari.

By the biased, crooked, hateful and predetermined outcomes of the CNN’s report on Lekki Toll Gate shootings, it undermined every other patriotic interest in Nigeria, but excitedly replicated condemned old tales and elevated the agenda of the divisive and destructive forces tirelessly working in conspiracy with foreign forces against the country.

We are dismayed and thoroughly embarrassed that CNN would condescend to stage out in such an undignified aura and unprofessional manner to run errands for disgruntled elements in the country. CNM wishes to intimate CNN that its narratives on the Lekki Toll Gate shootings in the report is misplaced, misleading and exposes the medium as contracted media mercenaries, which was doggedly determined to deliver on the assignment, but were frustrated by the paucity of facts and the desperation to twist reality has stained their image horribly.

Many Nigerians are genuinely shocked at CNN’s senseless and absurd quest to reinvent the sacred facts concerning the Lekki Toll Gate incidence. It is targeted to freshly inflame passions of anger and violence in Nigerians, through the falsified and unconvincing claims that soldiers of the Nigerian Army fired live bullets at #EndSARS protesters and killed scores in the process. The medium also qualified the palpably violent protests as bloodless, despite the overwhelming destructions perpetrated by the protesters.

But CNM is not surprised at CNN’s latest outing, because we have prophesized in the past that some foreign forces are in connivance with a few wealthy and disgruntled elements in Nigeria to destabilize the country. We have raised this alarm several times to the public that some foreign agents, after the disunity of Nigeria were also adroitly behind the plots.

The latest report by CNN in its edition of November 18, 2020, is a clear testimony. It is an unmitigated case of falsehood, mischief and lies, which nicely indicated and proved incontestably that those who instigated the youths to set Nigeria on fire are now coming out obliquely to show themselves. That’s why the CNN came back, 29 clear days, after the Lekki incident to revive it, after the realization that the initial plots have been smashed by the FGN.

To demonstrate that CNN has no corporate dignity and burdened by a tainted reputation, the attempts to rejig and twist the facts to give it a semblance of wrongdoing on the part of the FGN and security agencies, it was pushed to contradict its released casualty figures on a single incident now and in its earlier reports, yet irresistibly proceeded unperturbed because they were on a mission.

Nigerians should bear us witness that the same CNN had ostensibly followed the hoax of some Nigerian social media activists on the #EndSARS protests by claiming a death toll of 38 persons killed by soldiers at Lekki in its October 23, 2020 edition, three days after the incident. In reverse mode 29 days later, precisely on November 18, 2020, the same international news medium, recanted itself, after it said, it devoted time to conduct a so-called thorough investigation of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting but released to the world a casualty figure of two persons.

It was the famed Othman Dan Fodio who told us, “Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it.” Even if CNM bends backwards to accept the latest CNN’s self-discrediting report, which of the account of casualties should Nigerians accept as true or false? Its previous casualty figure of 38 or the latest two persons?  If CNN believes so much in its newest report of two dead persons, it should exhibit a functional corporate conscience to first retract its earlier report, apologize to the FGN and Nigerians publicly for the sensational reporting before the veracity of the present hogwash would even qualify for scrutiny.

We also strongly take exemptions to CNN’s current one-dimensional investigative documentary on the Lekki shootings. It defeats sound wisdom and abuses journalistic ethos profoundly, for an international new medium which postures as conducting an independent investigation of controversial public protests with two sides to be partial to the extent of completely ignoring, a searchlight on the other side.  But CNN conveniently did it. It’s not enough to claim official sources refused to speak. Did the official sources speak before CNN coupled its mountain of lies in favour of the protesters?

These are signs which have betrayed CNN’s motives in Nigeria and exposed it as hired media mercenaries after a hatchet job.  The CNN’s deliberate exclusion of the barbaric killings of security agents, civilians and the reckless destruction/looting of private and public properties of Nigerians by the #EndSARS protesters is an apt expression of its battered professional reputation and therefore, it is dangerous to trust any report emanating from this channel as realistic anymore.

CNM wonders why CNN never saw the quantum and magnitude of destructions by #EendSARS protesters. Imagine and as verified by the FGN, the #EndSARS protesters murdered 57 civilians, 37 policemen, and six soldiers in the days of protests. They injured 196 policemen, destroyed 164 police vehicles and set ablaze 134 police stations across the country.

Furthermore, the protesters forcefully invaded eight medium Security custodial centres in six states; freed 1,957 inmates and injured 31 members of staff. IAlso the orgies of bloodbath ignited by the protesters also consumed 269 private/corporate facilities with fire, looting or vandalism; while 243 government facilities burnt/ vandalized and 81 government warehouses looted.  Also torched were the infrastructures, equipment, and valuables of public institutions like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service.

It is hard to believe an “impartial” CNN never noticed or considered it worthy to reflect in their investigative report and qualified the protests as peaceful. The lives of Nigerians brutally terminated by the incensed protesters were less worthy of CNN’s attention, except the “hoaxed Massacre” at Lekki Toll Gate. This medium must have had its company motto designed and approved by Lucifer.

CNN should wake up from the blind hatchet jobs it is contracted to do. Truth fights back.  It goofed in Nigeria terribly and the world is increasingly frowning at their public media mercantilism.  It should accept the reality that some disgruntled elements are out to destabilize the country and recruited it to consciously water this agenda to fruition.

We know CNN as satanic agents, but Nigeria is a forbidden land to practice their trade. Let them look elsewhere. CNM wished to again console shocked Nigerians and the rest of the world that no one should be surprised again as it is proven for the umpteenth time that some ininterestingoreign forces were behind the protests across the country. But they will not break nor defeat our collective resolve to resist them mightily, by the grace of God Almighty.

Thank you all and journey merciless back to your various destinations.