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Court stops Obaseki from participating in PDP primaries

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A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has restrained the embattled Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, from participating in the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for June 25.

Justice E. A. Obile gave the order on Monday based on a motion ex-parte filed by a PDP member, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.

Joined in the suit are the PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus; the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission, chairman of the party screening committee, Kingsley Chinda; and other members of the committee.

Obaseki was named as the eighth defendant in the case.

The applicant wants the court to restrain Secondus and the party from allowing Obaseki to buy the forms for the primary, other than those who bought the forms within the timetable initially published for the election.

The PDP had announced a waiver for Obaseki to enable him to participate in the primary election.

The court, however, ruled that all the parties in the case are to be served via substituted means.

The case was adjourned till Wednesday for substantive hearing.

Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia bars international pilgrims for Hajj

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Saudi Arabia has banned international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, or Hajj, this year in a bid to control coronavirus. Only a very limited number of people currently living in the kingdom may take part, an announcement on state media says.
An estimated two million people would otherwise have visited Mecca and Medina this summer for the annual gathering. There had been fears the Hajj might be cancelled altogether.
In normal times the pilgrimage is one of the most significant moments in the Muslim religious calendar. But only citizens from countries around the world who are already resident in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to attend this year.
The authorities say this is the only way they will be able to make plans for social distancing that will keep people safe.
Saudi Arabia has recorded 161,005 cases of infection and 1,307 deaths. It only lifted a nationwide lockdown at the weekend.
Making the pilgrimage at least once is one of the Five Pillars of Islam – the five obligations that every Muslim, who is in good health and can afford it, must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life, according to Islam.
Pilgrims gather in Mecca to stand before the structure known as the Kaaba, praising Allah (God) together. They perform other acts of worship too, renewing their sense of purpose in the world.

Stop Blame Game, End Insurgency, Banditry, Military Writers Tell Monguno

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Gen Babagana Monguno
Gen Babagana Monguno

The Military Writers Society of Nigeria (MWSN) has slammed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno for not adopting right strategies to end insurgency and other criminal bandits attacks in the country, urging him to sit up.

This was expressed at a press conference in Abuja on Monday June 22, 2020, by Dr. Abubakar Mohammed, Chairman, MWSN.

“We believe that the NSA has not justified the confidence put on him by President Muhammadu Buhari. Instead, he is disgracing the revered Buhari who trusted him by his lack of innovation, esprit de corps, and proactiveness. President Buhari has done everything humanly possible to end the insurgency in the Northeast region by appointing people of the region as heads of all the sensitive and critical security agencies.

“Now it is time to actively get involved and stop this empty charade called blame-game and ego-clash. The NSA must liaise and synergize with the military leadership to end this bloodbath. He must keep his ego aside!

“He said it was the late Abba Kyari that constituted a stumbling block for him not to smoothly operate as NSA. God has vindicated the innocent and misrepresented but dedicated aide of President Buhari. May Allah forgive him for his shortcomings.

“Barely two months after his demise, see what has happened to national security while the NSA remained docile, unapproachable, and clueless. If the NSA wants to be remembered like NSA Gambo Jimeta,Aliyu Gusau, Sarki Muktar and even Andrew Azazi, he must do more than mere press conferences. Action time.

“Let’s see big-time collaborators, financiers and coordinators busted and arrested. This is not the work of the military or the Army but the ONSA, DSS, NIA, and the Police,” the group said.

According to the text of the address titled: “The NSA Must Sit-up and Be Proactive or Resign” the group) said that it is saddened because of the heinous attacks carried out by criminals who identify themselves as jihadists, insurgents, and bandits.

“We hereby use this opportunity to condole all those who lost their loved ones in the mayhem that occurred in both Borno and Katsina states last week.

“We in MWSN recognize the fact that all those who were murdered have the inalienable rights to life and liberty, and these rights are to be enforced by the government.

“Despite the setbacks that occurred last week in the theatre of operations and some parts of Katsina State, we firmly believe that the military especially the Nigerian Army deserves commendation and not condemnations because of the successes it has recorded in the last three months when the Army leadership relocated to Borno to take charge of the operation.

“We are convinced that the military has decimated a considerable number of the top commanders and foot soldiers of Boko Haram insurgents because of the proofs shown to us and the general public,” the group said.

They commended the military for huge sacrifices made so far.

“Therefore, we are using this medium to commend the military for being proactive in their response to the myriads of security challenges bedeviling Nigeria even though we know very well that military solution alone cannot guarantee peace.

“This is because the security challenges confronting Nigeria emanated because of a cacophony of accumulated factors ranging from ignorance, unemployment, injustice, misgovernance,under-policing,under-funding of the military, and poor intelligence gathering.

“It is against this backdrop that we are reacting to the recent vituperative tirade made by the National Security Advisor (NSA) where he made a veiled accusation of underperformance against the Service Chiefs,” they said.

The group recalled that, “NSA Munguno came out last week to use semantics to make a veiled attack on Service Chiefs especially the Nigerian Arm

“While it is true that no man is indispensable in this life, we believe that this is not the time to talk about the sack of Service Chiefs. In anycase the Revised Armed Forces of Nigeria’s Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service 2017 (HTACOS) empowers the president to extend the tenure of the security chiefs, irrespective of age or length of service.

“Part 1 of the HTACOS, Section 11.09 of the document states that “the foregoing notwithstanding, the President/C-in-C reserves the prerogative to extend the tenure of a CDS/Service Chief irrespective of his age or length of service.”

“God will surely grant victory to Nigeria,” the group concluded.

NAF Troops Foil Armed Bandits’ Rustling Operation, Recover 40 Cattle Along Kauya-Tsamiya Village Axis in Kaduna State

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Personnel of the 404 Force Protection Group (404 FPG) Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base Kaduna have thwarted an armed bandits’ attack along Kwauya-Tsamiya Village axis in Kaduna State.
This according to the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations Maj. Gen John Enenche occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 21 June 2020, following reports that some cattle rustlers/armed bandits had raided the Fulani settlements adjacent to the NAF Base and seized some heads of cattle from some herders at gun point.
General Enenche added that a Rapid Response Force (RRF) Team was immediately dispatched to pursue and recover the rustled cattle.
“The RRF Team, supported by NAF Special Forces deployed to Operation BADAMAMAKI, in conjunction with the local vigilantes, quickly located the bandits and engaged them in a firefight causing them to retreat in multiple directions abandoning 40 cattle in the process. While there were no casualties to any civilian or NAF personnel in the encounter, some of the bandits managed to escape with gunshot wounds.” He said.
Reacting to the development, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, commended the personnel of 404 FPG for their dedication and professionalism and urged them to sustain their efforts to curb the activities of bandits and all other criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the country.
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Dalung suffering from post-disengagement Coronavirus, group says over Ex-Minister’s comments  on insecurity

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The Middle Belt Conscience Guard (MBCG) says immediate-past Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung is suffering from “disengagement asymptomatic Coronavirus” following recent comments on insecurity.

In a statement signed by its President, Prince Raymond Enero, on Monday, the group expressed disappointment with Dalung for using ” the security situation in the northern part of the country as prop for cheap propaganda”.

In a trending video on his official Facebook page, the ex-Minister attempted to downplay the achievements of the Service Chiefs in the northeast and other parts of Nigeria.

However, MBCG, which operates in the same geopolitical zone as Dalung, accused the former Minister of chasing clout, doing so by “trampling on the graves of his own people”.

The group which accused Dalung of being part of the crisis in his home state said it is surprised that he has suddenly become a security expert, cheerleading the call for the sack of Service Chiefs.

According to MBCG, Dalung’s aim is to get arrested for criticizing the government so he can later allege in the future if imprisoned for corruption as persecution for speaking out against the government.

Rather than delve into a realm he has scant knowledge about, the group urged the one time Chairman of Langtang South Local Government Area to focus on allegations of fraud levelled against him during his four years as minister.

The group, however, advised his family to “quarantine him before infecting everyone on the Plateau with this deadly disease occasioned by ignorance, foolishness and shamelessness.”

Read full statement below:

While it is not in the habit of reckoning with the activities of inconsequential persons, the Middle Belt Conscience Guard (MBCG) is compelled to express its disappointment with the immediate past Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Solomon Dalung, who has suddenly become a latter day activists in his desperation to court the attention of the government in which he once served.

But even for attention seekers, Dalung’s decision to use the security situation in the northern part of the country as prop for cheap propaganda is an unacceptable low. The decision exposed him as one without remorse and capable of trampling on the graves of his own people for the mere satisfaction of being noticed and possibly offered some sort of Federal Government rehabilitation since he is known to have fallen on hard times since leaving office as a minister. This in our view is proof that Dalung is suffering from disengagement asymptomatic Coronavirus disease.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guard is therefore constrained to call Dalung to order even though we consider his intervention in public affairs as inconsequential as he is a lightweight to the extent that he was unceremoniously dropped from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari without consequences. His grievances at being so dropped notwithstanding, we had expected that the former Minister would have stuck to his area of competence as a commentator in drinking circuits and not join the bandwagon of those that are impracticably critical of the nation’s military chiefs.

Only such pressure to fit in with the fad would make someone of Dalung’s intellectual level attempt to become the cheerleader of the call for the sack of service chiefs, an exercise he should have engaged in only after furnishing the nation with proof that he is the actual owner of whatever academic qualifications he parades.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guard, knowing that Dalung is part of the crisis in Plateau State, is not surprised at this turn of events because he is someone who has incited youth of his ethnic Berom to become intolerant of other ethnic nationalities in Plateau State. This ethnic bigotry is now being directed at the military chiefs, not just by the youth in Dalung’s place, who killed an innocent Maj. Gen Alkali (retired), but also by the former Minister who should have been a voice of reason in times of trouble. A Dalung that is today asking for the sack of military chiefs never for once issued a statement to condemn his kinsmen killing of general.

We must admit that we are not surprised at Dalung’s video stunt, which we now understand was done with a view to provoking the authorities taking him in for questioning so that he can elevate his nuisance value to the type paraded by the likes of Shehu Sani and Dino Melaye, who hide behind activism to escape justice. We learnt that discoveries of serial misdeeds at the Ministry where Dalung once served was the main reason for his demanding for the sack of military chiefs while also insulting the government of President Buhari.

The reality is that Dalung is expecting that he would be arrested for criticizing the government so that he can explain away his future arrest for corruption as persecution for speaking out against the government. It is our firm belief that Solomon Dalung should rather focus his efforts on answering to the allegations of corruption around him at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development rather than delving into a realm he has scant knowledge about.

Dalung is not a good commodity to display on the shelf, his family may do well to quarantine him before infecting everyone on the Plateau with this deadly disease occasioned by ignorance, foolishness and shamelessness.

A word is enough for the wise.

US Ambassador, AFRICOM Commander Stress Need for Military Pause and Return to Negotiations on Visit to Libya

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U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland and Commander of U.S. Africa Command, General Stephen Townsend met with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj on June 22, 2020 in Zuwara, located in western Libya.

In the context of escalating foreign intervention in Libya, the meeting focused on current opportunities for a strategic pause in military operations by all parties to the conflict.

Ambassador Norland outlined U.S. support for the diplomacy underway through UN auspices to promote a ceasefire and political dialogue. General Townsend presented his military perspective on the risk of escalation, the dangers posed by Russia’s support for Wagner operations, and the strategic importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean.

“U.S. Africa Command provided the security that enabled this important Department of State engagement with Prime Minister Sarraj. We emphasized to the Libyan delegation that all sides need to return to UN-led ceasefire and political negotiations because this tragic conflict is robbing all Libyans of their future,” said General Townsend.

“The current violence fuels the potential resurgence of ISIS and Al Qaeda in Libya, is further dividing the country for the benefit of foreign actors, and prolongs human suffering. ​External actors should stop fueling the conflict, respect the UN arms embargo, and uphold commitments made at the Berlin Summit,” said Ambassador Norland.

In support of Libyan sovereignty, political stability​, security and economic prosperity, the United States will deepen engagement with the full range of interlocutors from across the country.

Man Stabs Wife and Self to Death, Commits Suicide Over Paternity In Lekki

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A Nigerian man simply identified as Femi, stabbed his wife to death, and thereafter committed suicide in their home in Victory Park estate in Lagos state on Sunday, June 21.

According to residents of the estate, the couple moved into the estate three weeks ago with their two young children. Not much was known about the couple but just a day before the murder-suicide, they were spotted jogging together on Saturday night June 20.

However, on Sunday, the man who is said to have always questioned the paternity of their second child, stabbed his wife to death, and then took his own life.

A neighbor who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

On Sunday afternoon, neighbors close to the couple’s apartment heard loud music emanating from their home and this lasted for many hours.

The neighbors went to the estate office to complain about the loud music and insisted the estate officials go there and caution the couple.

The estate authorities went to the couple’s compound to appeal to them to turn down the volume of the music coming from their apartment.

They however met with the wife’s sister who was downstairs with the couple’s children. The sister immediately went upstairs so she can inform her sister and the husband about the complaint laid by the estate authorities. She knocked several times but got no response.

After waiting for so long, the sister and the estate officials decided to pull the door down. They were greeted by a horrific sight.

Apparently, the man had killed his wife. It is believed it was pre-meditated because when they got into the room, they saw different kinds of knives there. The woman’s legs and hands were bound and her mouth shut with a cellotape. The husband used a clipper to shave her hair, stabbed her head, her eyes, stabbed her multiple times with different knives.

The scene was nothing short of a horror movie.

After stabbing his wife to death, the man committed suicide by drinking sniper”

Spokesperson of the state police command, Bala Elkana who confirmed the incident said.

It is true. Homicide detectives have sealed up the place. They have commenced investigation. The corpse of the man and the woman have been moved to the hospital for an autopsy.

Two kitchen knives were found there and two bottles of Sniper. The woman had injuries from stabbing while foams were coming out of the man’s mouth who is suspected to have taken those Snipers.

Investigation is ongoing”

Insecurity: Redouble Your Efforts, Crush Boko Haram, Others Now – Buratai Warns GOCs, Commanders

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COAS, Lt Gen TY Buratai addressing participants at the opening of 2nd edition of Career Planning and Management Seminar, 2020

…Launches Ex Sahel Sanity

As the country continues to grapple with insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other myriads of insecurity, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has warned that complacency and failure will no longer be tolerated, especially on the part of Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), General Officers Commanding (GOCs) and Field Commanders of the Nigerian Army. Lt. Gen. Buratai, gave the ‘stern’ warning at the Army Headquarters (AHQ) in Abuja.

He spoke at an exclusive meeting with Principal Staff Officers PSOs,  General Officers Commanding GOCs and Field Commanders, on Monday.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Col. Sagir Musa, who is the Army spokesperson, disclosed that Nigerian Army has commenced a major reorganization of her operations for optimal performances.

“The COAS tasked all Commanders to lead the charge by being out in the field to effectively oversee the operations. He said he wants to see an all-encompassing positive changes in the Ngerian Army operations and the security situation in the country.

“According to him, there is no time for complacency, even as excuses will no longer be condoned. Lt. Gen. Buratai, also warned that shortcomings and failures will henceforth, not be tolerated. The security situation must be reversed immediately,” he said.

Col. Musa, while adding that wide-ranging security matters were also discussed at the meeting, explained that Buratai has directed all commanders/GOCs, officers and men of Nigerian Army to ensure that the charge given by President Muhammadu Buhari is fully implemented, so as to speedily end Boko Haram insurgency and the myriad of security threats facing the nation. The Army spokesperson added:

“At the end of the meeting, one of the key decisions taken was to shift the location for Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2020 to Katsina State, during which a major Army exercise nicknamed EX SAHEL SANITY will be conducted.”

Why God go bless Baba Buhari for us

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By Bukola Olasanmi

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic across the globe has indeed brought to the fore why purposeful leadership matters in governance. The case of Nigeria and most African countries has indeed tasked us to realize that what African needs at the point in time is the ability to look inwards towards addressing our various challenges.
I recall that I was one of those who feared that the worst hit would be African countries given the consequences of locking down economic and social activities. Using Nigeria as an example, it is instructive to state that though our interventions cannot be compared to those of the western world, I can say that the various interventions of government had the most of impacts on the lives of the vulnerable groupings in the country.
My position is hinged on a personal experience that almost moved me to tears. I had a chance encounter with a poor market woman whose source of livelihood is selling petty goods in one of the motor parks in the suburbs of the federal capital territory.
I would say that our paths crossed by accident when I went to cover the enforcement of the lockdown in some areas and how the people have been coping as a result of the lockdown. As a journalist, when I see a good story, I know. And she was a good story.
Madam Uchenna Obigwe (not real names) is a widow who lost her husband many years ago and was left with three kids to cater for. Nkechi, her eldest daughter has finished her secondary education and resorted to helping her mother sell her wares to take care of her two other siblings, even though John, her immediate younger brother was already engaged as an apprentice in a mechanic workshop in the famous Kugbo mechanic village in Karu axis in the FCT.
My visit coincided with the period when officials from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development distributed palliatives under the federal government conditional cash transfer to poor households across the country.
Madam Uchenna was amongst the beneficiaries that received the sum of N20, 000, a bag of rice and condiments. And her joy knew no bounds. So much so that she has turned to a songstress in her neighborhood. It was in this joyous mood that I encountered her, and one could feel her joy and appreciation for the token she has received. Upon inquiry, I was told how she has been singing the praises of President Muhammadu Buhari for the items she received.
My instincts came alive, and the result is this article on the lives of those that have been affected positively through the COVID-19 intervention of the federal government. To some, N20, 000 might seem too small an amount, but not to Madam Uchenna. Out of excitement, she was forced to call Nkechi her daughter to join her in songs and praises for President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to her, the items she received are worth more than gold. In her words “Why God no go bless Buhari for us? Na who I be wey government find me come my house come put food for my table? My brother, since dem say we no go fit commot to sell again, na so I begin to think. Even my piken John wey dey do mechanic work no fit commot and na so we come dey look ourself for house and nothing to eat”
“My brother na who you wan beg for garri wey all of us dey inside the same problem? This no be small thing oh. God go bless Buhari and im family well well. I no know wetin I wan talk again on top wetin Buhari don do for all of us here. Since wey I dey sell market I never carry N20, 000 come house before. Everyday na 2,000 or 2,500 we dey sell if market dey, from there we go go market go buy again to sell and the remaining change we take am chop.”
“My brother na wetin I dey do since my husband die oh. Now see me get bag of rice and N20, 000. God oh abeg bless Buhari for us.”
Those were the words of Madam Uchenna, and in truth, I was moved to tears and imagined the thousands of other families who have benefited from the federal government COVID-19 intervention and how indeed their lives have taken a turn for good.
This experience brings to the fore the various intervention of the federal government under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. I can safely say that the impact of the intervention has not been adequately reported in the media and this is as a result of the fact that the beneficiaries are in the suburbs and in some instances difficult to reach areas.
I must commend the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for the way and manner it has handled the distribution so far. The Honorable Minister, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq I gathered has been involved in the distribution process to ensure that indeed the items gets to those in dire need and not cornered for any other purpose.
I can only imagine the thousands of Madam Uchennas out there that are full of praises for the government during this lockdown period. It can only be imagined, and like I stated earlier these items might seem small in the eyes of people, but trust me, it is worth the while for these families that feed from hand to mouth daily.
If we must admit that programmes such as this in times past end up been a charade because of the attitude of government officials saddled with such responsibilities, I dare say not anymore because there is a new sheriff in town that has demanded transparency and accountability in the whole process.
This is where Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq comes into the picture as the minister in charge of the sensitive ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. It is my considered opinion that she has lived up to expectations in line with the posture of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose support base is the masses that dot the nook and cranny of the country. I am not sure Hajia Sadiya would have done otherwise. She ensured that those vulnerable families are not denied or deprived of this intervention from the government.
For once I was proud of Nigeria, if not for anything, the joy in the hearts of other Madam Uchannas out there. The story of Madam Uchenna should inspire hope in all of us that things are not as bad as it seems in the conduct of government business.
I dedicate this piece to President Muhammadu Buhari as a first for providing that purposeful leadership, and to Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq for translating the vision of the president into tangible realities.
I know the tough stance of the honorable minister is bad business for the racketeers that are notorious for diverting public goods for personal consumption. I can only wish that others in the position of authority can emulate and learn lessons in governance from this experience and realize that they must put the interest of the people first and serve them diligently.
As we confront the challenges occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, we must also acknowledge the various efforts of government in cushioning the effects, especially in the lives of the vulnerable group in the country.

Olasanmi is a media strategist and wrote this piece from Guzape, Abuja.

BREAKING: Edo APC chairman declares ongoing primaries ‘Illegal’, writes CP of police

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The chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Anselm Ojezua has declared the ongoing Party primaries as ‘illegal’.

This was contained in a letter written by Ojezua to the state Commissioner of Police on Monday morning. In the letter, Ojezua also claimed that the primaries were being organized by some ‘dissident’ elements adding that it was ‘unauthorized, provocative and illegal’.

APR has a transcript of the letter. Read Below;

June 22, 2020

The Commissioner of Police,

Edo State Police Command,

Benin City.

Sir,

RE: NO APC GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN INAUGURATED FOR EDO STATE AND NO PRIMARIES PLANNED FOR MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2020

| humbly wish to draw your attention to a letter dated the 18″ of June 2020 from Hon. Victor Giadom, the acting National Chairman of our Party the All Progressives Congress, with regards to the above subject matter.

In that letter, he made it clear that he did not inaugurate nor authorise the setting up of any Committee to conduct Gubernatorial Primaries in Edo State. Furthermore, he reiterated that the Primaries earlier slated for June 22″ style=”max-width: 100%; display: block !important;”> has been postponed to a later date to be communicated in due cause. | have attached a copy of the said letter for reference and information.

The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to notify you of this development and to inform you that the purported Primaries being organised by some dissident elements in the Party is unauthorised, provocative and illegal.

Besides the mode being proposed for the exercise clearly violates the extant Regulations and Protocols put in place by Government to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic. l am to prevail on you not to unwittingly aid illegal activities that have the tendency to lead to a breach of peace and even a breakdown of law and order.

Rather, implore you to use your good offices to ensure that the exercise is aborted in order not to senselessly expose our members and other citizens to danger.

Please accept the assurances of my highest regard and esteem.

Anselm U Ojezue Esq
State Chairman

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