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Comdedian and skit maker, Mr Macaroni condemned the act of some people trivializing crucial times because of the loyalty they have towards certain politicians and political parties.
He revealed his statement via his Twitter page;
“Loyalty to your political party or political leaders doesn’t mean you should trivialize the crucial times we are in.
Remember that these people you defend are well protected. When push comes to shove, it is the defenceless people that bear the brunt.”
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called for the sacking of Professor Ibrahim Maqari, the Imam, National Mosque, Abuja, over his comment on the killing of Deborah Samuel.
The deceased, a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, was gruesomely murdered by a mob following accusation of blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.
Reacting to the dastardly act, Imam Maqari claimed that there are some red lines in Islam which must not be crossed, adding that if issues of blasphemy against the prophet are not addressed by the authority, the Muslims would do so themselves.
Soyinka has now accused the Islamic cleric of instigating his followers to take laws into their hands in the name of religion.
The Nobel Laureate made the accusation during the one-year remembrance of the late former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and the launch of Attahiru’s biography written by author, Niran Adedokun held in Abuja on Saturday, May 21, 2022, reported The Punch.
He condemned extrajudicial killings in the name of religion, adding that the “apostate of the creed of humanity, Professor Maqari, must be removed from office.”
The Prof added that, “It is no longer sufficient for all to declaim that Islam is this and that, that the Sharia is thus and thus, that Prophet Mohammed set this or that example and made this or that humanistic pronouncement.
“We have gone beyond theocratic rhetoric that merely pays lip service to civilised norms. Let all pietistic denunciations be backed by affirmative action.”
Soyinka insisted that Imam Maqari’s comment served as further encouragement for his followers to kill anyone that commits blasphemy against the Prophet.
He said, “Professor Maqari, however, insists, with a handful of others, including vocal serving policemen quite recently, that there is no remorse involved in the torture and lynching of a young student on this earth.
“Maqari has implicitly directed his followers to take the law into their own hands in the name of religion, and innovation. That is the message of a supposedly holy man to a nation embroiled in his madness of multiple incidences.”
Meanwhile, the Sokoto state police had arraigned two suspects arrested in connection with the killing of Deborah.
The two suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, were brought before a Sokoto State Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 16, 2022, over charges allegedly bordering on ‘public disturbance.’
The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has cancelled the crusade scheduled to hold in Aba, Abia state, following warning by the proscribed group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Punch gathered on Saturday, May 21, 2022, that the cancellation was as a result of the volatile security situation in the South-East region.
The crusade was billed to take place in Aba from May 24 to May 29, 2022, but IPOB had cautioned Kumuyi against proceeding with the event citing security concerns in the region.
The newspaper spoke with an official of the Global Crusade With Kumuyi who confirmed the cancellation, adding that a new venue for the crusade would soon be announced.
The Chairman of the organising team for the crusade, Pastor James Akpofure, also issued a statement on Saturday to confirm the cancellation.
“As there are currently some security challenges at the intended alpha location (Aba, Abia State, Nigeria), the Global Crusade Convener, Pastor (Dr) W.F. Kumuyi commiserates with our people in Abia State and will be praying along for God’s Divine Intervention,” Akpofure said.
In a statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Thursday, May 19, 2022, the group had urged Kumuyi to consider security situation in the South-East before he comes to Aba for his gospel crusade.
Powerful also reiterated the call on Saturday when he implored Kumuyi and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to not ignore its advice, alleging that political thugs have perfected plans to attack the crusade attendees.
He said, “It is unbelievable that CAN would not summon the courage to fight for their members when Muslims and security men attack and murder their members.
“They should understand that IPOB will not fold its arms and watch our people deliberately put in harm’s way to be slaughtered because of crusade, when they know that politicians will employ their local thugs to slaughter people and tag it that IPOB was responsible for such attack.”
Powerful then asked both Pastor Kumuyi and CAN to publicly declare that they should be held responsible if anything should happen during the course of the crusade.
“Security intelligence and strategy are what is required in a situation as this, which is what we are applying now by advising Kumuyi and his ministry. The CAN must understand that IPOB has Judeo-Christians also as family members and it is our responsibility to protect them from political tugs and criminal elements.
“IPOB does not have any issues with Kumuyi or other pastors or men and women of God for that matter; what we are talking about is the security of Biafrans.
“CAN should know that all politicians in Nigeria have criminal thugs they use to pursue a particular political interest and these people are not minding the repercussions or outcome, therefore we still advise Kumuyi and deeper life ministry to think twice and stop this crusade.”
Recall that the leader of the group, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was recently denied bail by the a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Justice Binta Nyako, in a ruling, held that since Kanu was earlier granted bail in 2017 and jumped the bail, the court must first determine the real reason he jumped the bail before he reapplies for another one.
The Association of Flight Attendants Union President Sara Nelson slammed Elon Musk on Friday over allegations that he sexually propositioned a SpaceX flight attendant.
According to a report published by Insider Thursday, Musk was accused of exposing himself to one of his SpaceX employees and asking her for sex.
Later Thursday, the Tesla CEO denied the allegations which he called “wild” and “utterly untrue.”
“The attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens — this is their standard (despicable) playbook — but nothing will deter me from fighting for a good future and your right to free speech,” said Musk Thursday.
However, Nelson said that the allegations against the billionaire are a “stark reminder” of why flight attendants organized decades ago.
“Musk’s alleged actions in the cabin are a stark reminder of why Flight Attendants first organized 76 years ago: to beat back discrimination and sexual harassment/assault by claiming our power to put misogyny and the privileged corporate class of men in check,” Nelson told The Hill.
SpaceX and the unnamed flight attendant reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement of $250,000, according to Insider. The settlement included a nondisclosure agreement.
Nelson said that Musk thinks that his wealth “gives him the right to do anything that he pleases, regardless of the rights, humanity, or protestations of others.”
“The fact that he required Flight Attendants to become licensed masseuses on their own dime demonstrates what we see all too often — the super rich think they own everything and have to pay for nothing,” said Nelson.
She continued: “Flight attendants are not just another accessory on Musk’s little rocket. His corporate America no longer holds the power it tried to take from workers.
We know our worth and the power we have together. We’re here on earth, there on SpaceX, and everywhere. He’s going to have to face it or face the final frontier without any of the people who make it possible.”
The news comes amid the news that Musk reached a deal with Twitter to purchase the social media platform. The move was cheered by lawmakers and conservatives who say that the CEO will bring the principles of free speech back to the platform.
The newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State, Fatai Adeshina, aka Akeweje, has accused the Chairman of the Parks Management Committee in Lagos, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, of snatching his wife.
Adeshina’s allegation was contained in a tell-all interview published by The Punch.
The Caretaker Chairman also detailed how Oluomo hijacked his branch and unit from him despite all his efforts to make peace.
He said the age-long rivalry between them took another dimension when he contested the NURTW Chairmanship position with Oluomo in 2019.
Adeshina said despite him being the popular choice amongst the unionists, the Lagos state government settled for MC as the preferred choice, and offered him a Vice Chairman position instead
However, to his dismay, his name was struck out from the executive members list with a pen on the day of inauguration as no position was offered to him.
“When he took over as the NURTW chairman in Lagos. The worst thing he did to me that made me part ways with him was that after his inauguration, I bought a foreign used car for N13m and took it to him as a gift.
“I added N10m to the car gift, but he rejected them. I begged him but he refused to make peace. I am not MC Oluomo’s peer and he knows this, but I prostrated before him to make peace,” Adeshina said.
The Caretaker Chairman alleged that Akinsanya’s rejection of the peace offering was because he had his eyes on his second wife at the time.
He accused Nollywood actress and an associate Ronke Oshodi Oke of helping Oluomo to snatch his then second wife.
“Yes, there was a lady called Ronke Oshodi Oke, a popular actress. She was a friend to my second wife. Though they met outside my residence, Ronke started visiting my home at one point. So, I challenged her and warned her not to ever step into my house again.
“Yes, Ronke was an associate of MC Oluomo and I know what Oluomo is capable of doing. When I challenged Ronke, she told me that she came to see her boss, adding that my second wife was her boss. I told her not to come to my house anymore, because MC Oluomo and I did not belong to the same camp.
“My second wife and Ronke knelt and apologised, but after five days, I met Ronke in my house again. I was furious and I accused her of trying to carry out a mission in my house. I sent the two of them out of my house that day. To my surprise, Ronke took my second wife, who I sent packing, to MC Oluomo.”
Adeshina said his wife was housed in MC’s hotel for over one month before he purchased a house for her.
“Some concerned close allies at MC’s hotel in Oshodi phoned me that they saw my second wife at MC’s place. They asked whether MC and I had settled our issues, but I said we were yet to resolve our differences. They told me that MC had asked them to give my second wife a room in his hotel. She was there for one month and seven days in his hotel.”
“Yes, my second wife, Queen B. She stayed in his hotel for one month and seven days before he bought her a house. Unionists in the state know this story very well.”
Recall that the national body of the NURTW had sacked MC Oluomo as the Lagos branch chairman.
The union said the decision was based on the provisions of the union’s constitution.
The Lagos State government has announced a total ban on operators of commercial motor-cycles, otherwise known as okada in some local government areas of the state.
This followed the death of a sound engineer, in the Lekki area of the state who was mobbed, beaten to death and burnt by okada operators in the area over a disagreement involving N100.
The ban had been previously put in place by a previous administration in the state, but it’s implementation had become lapse.
The sound engineer, Sunday David Imoh, with Legacy360 Band was gruesomely murdered along Admiralty Way, Lekki.
Govenor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the reimposed ban on Okada in six local governments areas of the state.
The Governor gave the order at a meeting with DPOs and Area Commanders across of the state at the Lagos House, Ikeja.
He noted that other security agencies will join in the enforcement, which will be effective from June 1, 2022.
Local Government Areas affected by the ban are the whole of Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa.
It would be recalled that other members of the band were attacked and injured, in the mob attack.
A law banning the activities of okada riders was made in 2012 by the then Governor of the state, Babatubde Fashola.
The law barred okada riders from plying 475 routes in the state including Ikorodu Road, Funsho Williams Avenue, Apapa-Oshodi Express, Lagos-Badagry, and Lekki-Epe expressways, among others.
Fashola had raised concerns over the many avoidable injuries and deaths emanating from the unmonitored activities of the okada riders.
Since then, implementation of the laws banning the activities of the okada riders has not been effective, as security agents had been accused of being complicit in taking bribes and allowing the operators to carry on against government’s directive.
The Oniru of Iru Land in Lagos, Oba Abdulwasiu Lawal Abisogun II, on Wednesday alerted residents of the Lekki area of the state of plans by commercial motorcyclists to cause mayhem in the area.
The monarch gave the warning in a circular issued by the Onuru’s Palace and titled: “Urgent security alert.”
The warning came shortly after the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced the ban on commercial motorcycle operations in six local government areas of the state, including Lekki.
The ban was the government’s response to last weekend’s killing of a sound engineer, David Imoh, following an argument over N100.
In the circular, the Oniru monarch advised residents to be security conscious at all times.
It read: “Intelligence report reaching us is that following the raid on Okada riders and seizure of their bikes in Lekki Phase 1, the riders believed the action was instigated by Lekki residents who are determined to take away their source of livelihood.
“To this end, there are plans to invade inner streets to cause havoc anytime from now in Lekki.”
Bauchi State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lamented that a total of 62,680 Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) are laying unclaimed in its vault awaiting collection by the owners.
INEC also said that so far, only a total of 6,000 PVCs have been distributed across the state, while appealing to all those who have registered to go to the nearest INEC office to confirm their status and collect their PVCs.
The disclosure was made by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ibrahim Abdullahi on Wednesday during a stakeholders engagement on election matters in the state held at the INEC office in Bauchi.
He warned against double registration saying that the Commission as at 13th May 2022 had registered a total of 175,177.
The Commission lamented that the unclaimed PVCs piling in the INEC office in the state would amount to waste of efforts, resources and time if they remain unclaimed.
Ibrahim Abdullahi further warned that all political parties in the state must strictly adhere to the guide lines of internal democracy as any defaulting party would be excluded in the forth coming 2023 general election.
According to him, the election guidelines, Electoral Acts and other regulations have been issued to the parties for the 31 state Constituencies, 12 federal Constituencies, and 3 Senatorial districts including one governorship seat in the state.
The Commissioner then said that the Commission had evolved some innovations that would make the process smooth, including face Verification instead of thumb printing in order not to disenfranchise anyone including persons with disability.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug queen, Margaret Emeka aka “Mama,” in Delta State.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the 59-year-old was arrested on May 15 at her palatial mansion in Warri where she cooked and distributed crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and other illicit substances.
He said nine of the woman’s staff and associates were arrested along with her in coordinated simultaneous operations at the residence and drug bunks.
Babafemi said: “This is where the suspect accommodates drug users and sells illicit substances and others in parts of Warri, Delta State.
Apart from various quantities of Crack Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Molly, and Loud seized from her home and drug bunks; a pump action gun was recovered by the operatives.
At least 15 cartridges, documents, two cars, mobile phones, drug paraphernalia such as sodium bicarbonate and polythene wrappings were also recovered for further investigation.
“Five employees that cook, cut, package and distribute the drugs were found in her house located at Favour Street, Otukutu, Effurun, Warri.
“Four of her associates were equally arrested at her drug bunks in other parts of the town during the raids by officers of NDLEA Strike Force and supported by the military.”
He said the drug queen has been under surveillance for several weeks after she was identified as a major distributor of illicit drugs in the state.
The death toll in Tuesday’s gas explosion at the Sabon Gari area of Kano State has increased to nine.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development disclosed this on its Twitter handle.
Three people had earlier been confirmed dead and several others injured in the blast which occurred at a shopping complex in the Sabongari area, Fagge local government area of the state on Tuesday morning.
The ministry wrote: “Nine dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubble of a collapsed building beside a primary school following an explosion from a gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano State.
“DG @nemanigeria Mustapha Habib Ahmed was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations. NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations with sister agencies.”
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Tuesday postponed indefinitely its conference for Section of Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) slated for Sokoto over the ongoing unrest in the state.
The NBA President, Olumide Akpata, who confirmed the development in a statement in Abuja, said the conference was postponed over concerns about the security situation in the state since last week’s gruesome of a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Deborah Samuel, by an angry mob for alleged blasphemy.
Samuel, a 200-level student of the college, was stoned and burnt to death by her colleagues over an alleged insulting remark against Prophet Muhammed last Thursday.
Two persons had been arrested by the police in connection with the heinous act.
A group of Muslim youths on Saturday staged violent protests in the Sokoto metropolis and demanded the release of the two suspects.
The development forced Governor Aminu Tambuwal to impose a 24-hour curfew in the state.
The NBA President, who decried the student’s murder, said Akpata, said the conference was postponed over the safety of participants.
Akpata said: “The NBA is deeply worried not just by the chilling news of the murder of Miss Deborah Yakubu, but also by the sudden and sad turn of events and the deteriorating security situation in Sokoto State.
“As such, having critically reviewed the current security condition in Sokoto, it has become apparent that we cannot guarantee the safety of our guest speakers, delegates and other stakeholders that have committed to attend the NBA-SPIDEL’s conference which was designed to put the State in the global spotlight for the duration of the conference and beyond.
“Accordingly, the executive committee of NBA-SPIDEL came to the painful decision to request, and I have approved, that the 2022 NBA-SPIDEL annual conference be postponed not only for the safety of our conferees and guests but as a mark of respect for the memory of the slain Miss Deborah Yakubu.
The NBA acknowledges the efforts put in by the Sokoto state government towards the conference which is now beset by the prevailing security situation.
“While we recognise that the Sokoto State government has imposed a curfew to stem the unrest, the NBA urges the state government to fully collaborate with the federal government to initiate measures — and where necessary deploy its coercive instruments — to restore peace and order to the state, safeguard lives and property and dissuade vandalism and impunity.”
Pastor Tunde Bakare, a presidential candidate and the Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, has declared that the Qur’an does not sanction murdering, especially for blasphemy.
Bakare made the remarks on Monday while condemning the assassination of Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto.
The presidential candidate urged unity and respect for humanity in the country, stating that no human being should be subjected to such treatment.
Part of the statement reads, “It was with deep distress that I received the news of the gruesome killing of Deborah Samuel in Shehu Shagari College of Education, in Sokoto State.
No Nigerian, and indeed, no human being, should be subjected to such inhumanity by fellow humans.
“As a nation of diverse peoples and cultures, there are available institutional mechanisms for resolving sensitive conflicts and, no matter the provocation, no person under our laws has the right to take laws into their own hands.
As one who was a devout Muslim and who read the Qur’an from cover to cover, what was done to Deborah Samuel is nowhere justified in the religion of peace that was handed down to me by my grandfather who was the first Chief Imam of Iporo Sodeke Mosque in Abeokuta.”
Bakare expressed his condolences to Deborah Samuel’s family and prayed that God would grant them the strength to suffer such a tragic loss.
He praised Governor Aminu Tambuwal for deploying security to restore law and order and address the “underlying concerns that this unfortunate act has once again brought to the fore.”
Bakare urged inhabitants of Sokoto State to remember the tolerance and friendliness for which they have long been known.
So hospitable were the people that my father settled in Sokoto State for a period and invested in cotton farms in Shagari Village. Though he was Yoruba, my father was given the nickname “Sanni Arewa” by the very friendly people of Sokoto. Such unity and tolerance should remain our true identity as a people,” the statement read.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday slammed the military for the harassment of protesting students of the University of Ibadan.
Students protesting the ongoing ASUU strike at the University of Ibadan’s main gate in Oyo State had clashed with a team of Nigerian Army personnel who attempted to run them over.
In a statement titled: “NEED FOR EXTREME CAUTION, DEMOCRATIC CIVILITY, AND SENSITIVITY IN HANDING STUDENT PROTESTS,” signed by its Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Adelaja Odukoya, the union condemned the military and the Nigeria Police Force’s activities thus far and urged the forces’ high command to caution their agents who have attempted attacks on students.
Odukoya said: “The army and police have constitutional responsibilities to protect and not attack, maim or brutalise protesting students across the country. There are more than enough pains, anguish, and bloodshed in the land on account of the government’s failure; to allow security indiscretion to cause the death of a single student will be unconscionable and unacceptable.
ASUU Lagos Zone wishes to use this opportunity to call on both the Nigerian Army and Police to rein in their officers with trigger happy disposition towards popular protests, particularly legitimate protests of students. This is in view of the ongoing protests forced upon students who have been out of their classrooms as a consequence of government insensitivity to the more three months old ASUU strike.”
ASUU declared its support for the students’ protests, saying it was monitoring the demonstrations across the country.
“The use of an army van to crush students at the University of Ibadan (UI) gate today is ugly, condemnable, and humiliating.
“Security personnel appear to have learned nothing beneficial from the #ENDSARS protests. It cannot be stressed enough that kids, like other people, have constitutionally protected rights to demonstrate,” the union added.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 36 suspected internet fraudsters in Enugu State.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the suspects were arrested at Imo following credible intelligence linking them to cyber fraud, targeting mostly foreign nationals.
Uwujaren said: “Items recovered from the suspects are phones, laptops, international passports and one Lexus ES350 with NYCN registration number IMO 44.
Other items recovered are: one Mercedes Benz GLK with Lagos registration number KTU 729 HD and One Toyota Camry with Lagos registration number KTU 720 HL.”
“The suspects will be charged to court after the completion of investigations.”
Police operatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested six suspected drug peddlers in the city.
The operatives also recovered large quantities of prohibited substances, including dry leaves suspected to be Cannabis Sativa of different variants like “Loud,” “Arizona,” “Crack” Cocaine, and bottles of Codeine syrup.
The spokesperson for the FCT police command, DSP Josephine Adeh disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, in Abuja.
She said the arrest of the suspects was in line with the command’s crusade against crime and criminality in the FCT.
Adeh said the suspects were arrested during tactical sweep operations following actionable intelligence by the Command’s Anti-Narcotic unit at different blackspots within the city.
“Upon the arrest, the suspects were in possession of large quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Cannabis sativa of different variants like Laud, Arizona, Crack Cocaine, and bottles of Codeine syrup,” she said.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said on Tuesday the Senate would intervene in the lingering dispute between the Federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by bringing them back to the negotiation table.
Lawan stated this when concerned Methodist Bishop, Dr. Sunday Onuoha, led officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to his office in Abuja.
The NANS President, Mr. Sunday Asefon, who spoke on behalf of the students, decried their continued stay at home and disruption of the students’ academic programme.
He urged the Senate President to intervene in the dispute between the Federal government and the university teachers.
In his remark, the Senate President expressed unhappiness about the turn of events and recalled that the Senate had intervened in the matter in the past.
He, however, promised that the Senate would wade into the matter again and expressed optimism that the issues would be resolved soon.
Lawan said: “You are in the right place. We are going to intervene. We will make concerted and sustained efforts to bring back ASUU and the Federal government to the negotiating table.
“So that we are able to resolve as quickly as possible those issues that are now very knotty and have stopped our universities from reopening.
That is now making our students walk the streets all over the country.
But I want to appeal to you, too, since we are going to make an effort to bring everybody back to the negotiating table, you should give us a chance to do that believing that we are going to find a solution.
“Because it is not only enough to bring them back to the negotiating table, but we will participate and I want to make sure that we find the solution when we start the negotiation again.
“Now that you have come here, we are going to make sure that everybody in this sector, especially those in the public sector who have responsibility and mandate perform their functions.
“We will make sure they do that.
“Because you have come, I think we also have some tonic in us. Time is of essence and we must do whatever is necessary to get this issue resolved.”
He also appealed to the students to continue in the path of consultation and avoid confrontation.
“I also want to advise, I don’t think it will be necessary to disrupt political activities. We shouldn’t do that and we don’t need to do that.
“What we need to do is to continue to follow the path of consultation, consolidation, and avoid confrontation.
“It is when you emphasize consultation, it is much easier for us to find something that you can consolidate.
“Your prayer is that you want the Federal government and ASUU back to negotiate and resolve the issues.
“We have taken this prayer. We have endorsed it and we will work for it as quickly as possible.
“It is an opportunity for me also to appeal to ASUU to suspend this strike period because there is no way ASUU can negotiate with the Federal government when it is on strike.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced that it would continue its ongoing strike action which has paralyzed academic activities in the nation’s universities by another 12 weeks.
Details coming…
A group of experts under the aegis of Human Rights Watch has lamented whatbit said was the miscarriage of justice evident in Nigeria’s judicial system, adding that government must prioritize justice for #EndSars protesters.
In a statement issued on Monday, the group accused the Lagos State Government of unjust handling of cases involving Lekki Toll Gate Massacre by the security operatives in October, 2020.
According to the statement, governments had failed to act on the recommendations contained in the report submitted by the panel of the judicial inquiry that investigated the incident.
The statement read in part: “Nigerian authorities have made no effort to ensure justice for the killing of protesters in Lagos state in 2020, six months after a judicial panel implicated security forces in the abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should act on the panel’s recommendations and hold those responsible to account.
“The panel also presented a list of at least 48 casualties, including nine dead, four missing and presumed dead, and 21 wounded by gunshots. The panel recommended appropriate disciplinary measures and dismissals of army officers implicated in the abuses. The panel also recommended prosecuting police officers implicated in indiscriminate shooting and killing of protesters at the toll gate and prompt payment of the compensation that the panel awarded to victims.
The Nigerian police and military authorities have neither taken further steps to independently investigate nor responded to the panel’s findings and recommendations. Nigeria’s federal government, which has oversight of these institutions, rejected the panel’s recommendations. The Lagos state governor, who called for the investigation and gave assurances that victims would get closure, has also been quiet on the issue of accountability.
“Nigeria has a poor history with judicial panels of inquiries, whose recommendations have no force of law and are often dependent on the responsible authorities to carry out the recommendations. A lack of political will on justice and accountability has meant that past judicial panels including those set up to investigate mass extrajudicial killings in other contexts made no progress toward ending impunity for security force abuses.
“Justice and accountability should not be determined by the views of individual government ministers or officials but should rather be guaranteed for all Nigerians through independent systems and authorities mandated to investigate and act on allegations of abuses.”
On Saturday, May 7, the Nigeria Police announced the arrest of an officer identified as Corporal Matthew Isaac, over a viral video which captured him engaging, dancing and brandishing a rifle in praise of a particular confraternity (cult).
According to a statement published by the force spokesman, CDP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the suspect was attached to the Ebonyi State Police Command.
The statement added that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, condemned the conduct of the Police officer, describing it as unprofessional.
The statement reads:
“The act of the officer in question, which is clearly calculated to portray the NPF negatively, is a discreditable conduct in line with the provisions of the First Schedule to Regulation 370 of the Police Regulations.”
“His actions equally violated the provisions of the NPF Social Media Policy (SMP), penal laws, and other extant laws regulating the conduct and discipline of all Police officers.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has directed the Commissioner of Police in charge of Ebonyi State to detail the Command’s OC Provost to hand over the erring officer to the Force Provost Marshal for necessary disciplinary actions.
“The IGP further warned officers to ensure total compliance with the laws guiding the Force as any breach would be severely sanctioned”.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria will shut down operations from Monday over the outrageous increase in the price of aviation fuel.
The price of aviation fuel had recently risen from N190/litre and later N360/litre in January this year to N607/litre in March and reportedly sold now at N700/litre.
The operators disclosed this in a letter signed by its President, Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina and addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
The letter read: “It is with a great sense of responsibility and patriotism that the Airline Operators of Nigeria has carried on deploying and subsidising their services to our highly esteemed Nigerian flying public in the last four months despite the steady and astronomical hike in the price of JetA1 and other operating costs.
Over time, aviation fuel price has risen from N190 per litre to N700 currently. No airline in the world can absorb this kind of sudden shock from such an astronomical rise over a short period.
While aviation fuel worldwide is said to cost about 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost globally, the present hike has shut up Nigeria’s operating cost to about 95 per cent.
“In the face of this, airlines have engaged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, NNPC and Oil Marketers with the view to bringing the cost of JetA1 down which has currently made the unit cost per seat for a one-hour flight in Nigeria today to an average of N120,000. The latter cannot be fully passed to passengers who are already experiencing a lot of difficulties.
“While AON appreciates the efforts of the current government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure air transport in Nigeria grows, unfortunately, the cost of aviation fuel has continued to rise unabated thereby creating huge pressure on the sustainability of operations and financial viability of the airlines. This is unsustainable and the airlines can no longer absorb the pressure.
“To this end, therefore, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, hereby, wishes to regrettably inform the general public that member airlines will discontinue operations nationwide with effect from Monday, May 9, 2022, until further notice.
“AON uses this medium to humbly state that we regret any inconveniences this very difficult decision might cause and appeal to travellers to kindly reconsider their travel itinerary and make alternative arrangements.”