Boko Haram invade four Bauchi LGAs

The Bauchi State Government has raised an alarm over the influx of insurgents suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, into four local government areas of the state that share a border with Geidam, Yobe State which was recently attacked and taken over by the insurgents.

The Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Sabiu Baba, made this known at a press conference after an emergency security council meeting held at the Government House, Bauchi on Monday and presided over by governor Bala Mohammed.

He said that the insurgents who have infiltrated Zaki, Dambam, Darazo, and Gamawa local government areas of the state have launched an attack on a communication mast belonging to the Mobile TeleCommunication Network and carted away some of the properties.

Baba said; “There was an emergency security council meeting of Bauchi State this afternoon and the meeting was to look into the attack by Boko Haram in Geidam (Yobe State) and the take over of that town and the implications for Bauchi State.

Bauchi state is sharing border with Yobe State in four local government areas of Zaki, Dambam, Darazo, and Gamawa. The implications of what has happened in Geidam is that there is a lot of influx of people moving into Bauchi State from Yobe.

“Of course, that will put a lot of strain on our facilities and resources, and considering the kind of movement out of Boko Haram activities, the security implications there are also very high.

“The meeting today was to discuss the implications of that, identify the security threats and how to contain them from the Bauchi side.”

“Security is the collective duty of all and we do not expect the security agencies alone to tackle this problem, so all hands must be on deck including traditional and religious leaders and all groups.

It will be expected that we will continue to profile whoever is coming into the state. I can tell you that some people coming into the state, come in with weapons and it is the profiling that will help us stem that kind of problem.”

We’ve invited, grilled people who made inciteful utterances – DSS

The Department of State Services, DSS, says it will begin a clampdown on agents of anarchy in various parts of the country.

The DSS, in a statement by its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, on Sunday, faulted those said to be creating instability through comments that threaten the sovereignty and corporate existence of the nation.

It also condemned what it called the unnecessary utterances and activities of some religious and past political leaders who have either called for a forceful change of government or mass action against it.

The secret police also said that it had invited persons known to have made inciteful comments in public, and cautioned them.

The DSS described as unfortunate, a situation where those who should be patriotic were allowing their personal ambitions to ruin the nation.

It reminded every Nigerian that although democracy offers free speech, it does not give room to reckless pronouncements.

Read the full statement by the DSS below:

PRESS RELEASE

DSS SUPPORTS INDIVISIBLE UNITED NIGERIA; WARNS AGAINST UNSAVOURY AND INCITING UTTERANCES

The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby condemns the unsavoury statements by misguided elements who have continued to threaten the government, sovereignty, and corporate existence of this country.

Notable are the unnecessary vituperations and activities of some religious and past political leaders who have either called for a forceful change of government or mass action against it. It has been established that the main objective for these is to cause a disintegration of the country.

It is unfortunate that those at the forefront of this are respectable individuals who should be patriotic and not allow their personal ambitions to ruin the nation.

The Service has also noted their desperation and penchant to collaborate with external forces and influences against Nigeria.

They are reminded that even though democracy offers free speech, it does not give room to reckless pronouncements capable of undermining security. It is instructive to note that the ballot box remains the vehicle of change in a democracy.

In this regard, self-centred individuals and groups are warned to stop engaging in acts inimical to the peace and sovereignty of this nation.

In the same manner, influential personalities should be sensitive to emerging situations and guard against divisive and inciting utterances that may cause a breakdown of law and order.

Recently, the Service invited and cautioned some persons who deniably recounted their earlier statements or said they were quoted out of context.

The public should be wary of such individuals and their co-travellers who, incite them in the open but, turn in the secret to retrieve their words after they had caused the damage.

While the Service reaffirms its unambiguous support to an indivisible, indissoluble, and united Nigerian State in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, it will no longer tolerate deliberate machinations by subversive and hostile groups whose agenda is to throw the country into anarchy so as to serve the interests of their sponsors.

Consequently, the Service is assiduously working with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure the maintenance of peace and internal security of the country.

Peter Afunanya, Ph.D

Public Relations Officer

Department of State Services,

National Headquarters,

Abuja

2nd May 2021

I took three contractors to Buhari to help tackle insecurity – Fr. Mbaka

Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, says he led three security contractors to President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to proffer solutions to the security challenges in the country.

Mbaka stated this in reaction to the Presidency’s accusation that he called for the resignation of the President because of Buhari’s refusal to grant his contract request.

The Priest, who supported the President during the 2015 and 2019 elections, had on Wednesday during his midweek ministration made a U-turn, asking Buhari to resign or be impeached for not doing enough to tackle widespread insecurity in the country.

But the Presidency opened a can of worms thereafter, saying Mbaka has suddenly become a critic because Buhari refused to offer contracts to his allies.

Reacting to the accusation, Mbaka admitted that he led three security experts to the President to proffer solutions to the insecurity ravaging the country even as he said that those people were not known to him.

The cleric said; “Yes, I led three security experts to the Presidency who offered to help salvage the security situation in Nigeria.

“I don’t know them, but they came to Enugu and pleaded for me to link them to government because of the level of insecurity and how Nigeria has been moving oil outside the country. These are the three people they rejected their offer.”

He further said; “I am happy that the truth was hitting them. We are not afraid of them. Buhari cannot do it again; health and age are not on his side. We need a stronger and an experienced goalkeeper in a time like this. If they want to put it that it was because of contract, let them come and build the highest university here and begin to mess up, I will still speak.”

We’ve been printing money, but swore oath to always lie to Nigerians: Rotimi Amaechi.

The Buhari administration has been on a cash-printing spree since it assumed office in 2015, but showed little courage at being transparent about it.

Transport minister Rotimi Ameachi has been caught on tape admitting that President Muhammadu Buhari has always ordered the CBN to keep printing money since 2015, Peoples Gazette can report.
Mr Buhari vowed to revamp the Nigerian economy in his campaign promises, but has been criticised for worsening the economic situation over the past six years of his regime.
In an interview with journalists prior to the 2019 general election in which Mr Buhari was re-elected, Mr Amaechi also disclosed that they swore an oath never to publicly admit to Nigerians that the government was on a printing spree of the national currency.
“And most of you didn’t know at the time we took over, most Nigerians don’t even know because we have sworn to an oath not to tell anybody we were printing money,” Mr Amaechi said.

“Do you know when a country prints money? When it has no money at all,” he said. “We were just printing money to pay debt.”
Mr Amaechi’s comments further exposed the cover-up that has followed Mr Buhari’s widely condemned approach to the country’s economy, as millions of citizens continue to plunge into poverty. Nigeria has since emerged as the country with the highest number of poor people in the world. The country also has the poorest electricity supply and the second country with the most jobless people worldwide.
Earlier this year, renowned credit rating institution Fitch said the Nigerian central bank under Mr Buhari has been printing money at an alarming rate, warning that such tactics could engender additional economic woes for the country’s 200 million people.
Last month, Governor Godwin Obaseki expressed concerns on crude oil revenue, disclosing that the federal government printed extra N60 billion for states to share in March.
“In another year or so, where will we find this money that we go to Abuja to share every month? Last month, we got FAAC for March,” he said, explaining that “the federal government printed an additional ₦50 to ₦60 billion to top-up for us to share”.

“My worry is that we will wake up one day like Argentina, the naira will be ₦1,000, ₦2,000 and will be moving because we don’t have money coming in,” he maintained while lamenting that the current administration borrows without means or the idea of paying back.
In response, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed accused the governor of spreading falsehood, stating that “The issue that was raised by the Edo state governor for me is very, very sad because it is not a fact”.
Similarly, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, dismissed Mr Obaseki’s claim, describing it as “unfortunate and totally inappropriate”.
Addressing the matter while speaking with journalists, Mr Emefiele said: “If you understand the concept of printing of money. The concept printing of money, it’s about lending money.
“That’s our job – to print. It’s about lending money and so there’s no need putting the controversy about the printing of money as if we are going into the factory printing the naira and start distributing on the streets.”
Prior to Mr Buhari’s assumption of office on May 29, 2015, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed that their administration would inherit $60 billion as foreign and domestic debt from the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Mr Osinbajo had also described the state of the Nigerian economy as unfortunate, stating that the nation has to spend 21 percent of its 2015 budget on debt servicing.

“We are concerned that our economy is currently in perhaps its worst moment in history. Local and international debt stands at $60 billion. Our debt servicing bill for 2015 is N953.6 billion, about 21 per cent of our budget,” the vice president had said.
A spokesman for Mr Amaechi did not return repeated requests seeking comments for the minister’s audio, which was part of a scandalous series that emerged in the run-up to the 2019 elections.
Although Mr Buhari and his appointees have been claiming repeatedly that they met an empty treasury, available facts showed the claim as untrue. The administration met at least $2.07 billion in excess crude accounts as of May 2015 when it came in.

The Pope will clap for me if he knows my role in this govt, Mbaka replies APC

The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu (AMEN), Father Ejike Mbaka, has dared the All Progressives Congress (APC), to go ahead with the threat of reporting him to the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, for daring to criticize President Muhammadu Buhari.

The APC had, last week, threatened to report Mbaka to the Pope after he had asked Buhari to either resign or be impeached by the National Assembly over the escalating insecurity in the country.

The Presidency also came hard on the priest who was one of Buhari’s staunch supporters during the presidential elections in 2015 and 2019, saying Mbaka was angry with the president because he was not compensated with contracts for his support

However, Father Mbaka has told the APC and any Nigerian who wants to report him to the Pope to go ahead as the Vatican will surely clap for him if they hear that he is criticising Buhari on bad governance.

While speaking to members at the Adoration Ministry on Sunday, Mbaka said that the leaders of the “Catholic church will surely clap for me if they know my level of involvement in this country.”

”Why I don’t want them to report to Rome is because If the Pope hears the extent of my involvement, they may give me a position I might not like.

”Don’t think you have a thing to report to Rome. If Rome hears that Fr Mbaka is challenging evil governance, Rome will clap for me

“I dare them to go ahead and report me to the Vatican. I will really like that because I will really love that”, he said.

Minimum wage: You’ll benefit more, if you start your own business – Zamfara Governor tells workers

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, has hinted that the state government cannot pay the new minimum wage.

He said his government is currently grappling with monthly deductions for debt servicing inherited from the past administration, payment of salaries and running of the government.

Matawalle spoke on Friday when he hosted executive members of the 36 labour unions under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to the breaking of the Ramadan fast at his Gusau residence.

The new minimum wage bill was signed into law in April 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari. The law stipulates an increase from N18,500 to N30,000 as minimum wage in Nigeria.

The governor said; “Zamfara, which is one of the least collectors of monthly federal allocation has over ₦1.6 billion deducted from source to service the debts it inherited from the past administration.

“Every month, the state is left with between ₦1.8 billion and ₦1.3 billion to pay salaries to its over 28,000 workers as well as to execute government’s activities.”

He, however, said, he would implement the new minimum wage as soon as there is an improvement and called for more understanding from the workers.

The governor also urged the workers to start their own businesses which they can fall back on after retirement.

“l can assure you that if you start your own business, you will gain experience and be well established before you retire.

“The state government will register and issue certificates on all public and private landed properties which can be used to secure bank loans for interested workers with the backing of the government,” he said.

Attacks on Pantami targeted at Buhari —Islamic group

A Bauchi State-based Islamic group, the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), says allegations levelled against the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, are actually targeted at the President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group also called on the goverment and security agencies to take action against people with “questionable character who have never hidden their desire to see the failure and disintegration of Nigeria.”

In a communique released by the group after its meeting in Bauchi on Sunday, the Chairman of JIBWIS, Barrister Garba Hassan, said the attacks on Pantami by people he termed as enemies of Islam and the north, were not aimed at the minister but at Buhari.

We have observed with dismay that the pull-him-down war being waged against Dr Isa Ali Pantami in his current position as a senior member of President Buhari’s cabinet, is nothing other than the pursuit of the sheer hatred, grudges and ill-will being nursed against the President himself and the north in general,” the communique reads.

“Both known and hidden enemies of the administration who have, from the word go, never missed any opportunity to express negative, low and mischievous opinion about the government to the extent of openly supporting agitations and attempt to bring the whole system down, are the hidden hands behind the allegations.

Basically, the present campaign of calumny, blackmail and hatred against the truly patriotic, performing and responsible Dr. Isa Ali Pantami is actually in furtherance of the agenda hatched long ago to do everything possible to discredit the present administration.

“We call on the Federal Government and security agencies to double their efforts in the area of confronting the various security challenges being faced by the country.

“Issues having to do with intelligence gathering should be accorded serious attention.”

Father Mbaka did not do anything wrong by asking Buhari for contracts – Adamu Garba

Former Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Adamu Garba says Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka did not do anything wrong by asking for government contracts.

His comment comes after Garba Shehu, special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, said that Father Mbaka was angry because he didn’t get contract awards he requested for which was why he demanded Buhari’s resignation.

According to a statement Shehu released on Friday, Mbaka came to the Presidential Villa with three contractors, but their attempt to convince the president into influencing government projects in their favour failed.

Reacting to the statement, Adamu said that Mbaka wasn’t wrong for going to see President Buhari with contractors.

He said that the concerns should have been about the competency of the contractors, not the visit.

The APC chieftain wrote; ”There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Rev. Father Mbaka going to see the President with contractors. The questions should be on the competency or otherwise of the contractors not the visit

Father Mbaka attempted to make someone’s life richer. This is far better than blackmailing”

I’ve started asking God to remove Buhari – Bishop Wale Oke

Bishop, Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Ibadan, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, says he has started praying that God removes President Muhammadu Buhari.

Oke, who was speaking at his church’s vigil on Friday, said Buhari has failed woefully.

The cleric, who is also the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), said even during the civil war, Nigeria did not witness as many killings as is the case today.

He then called for the removal of the President if that would pave the way for desired peace in the country.

He said: “Some wicked people kidnapped some students and demanded N800m for their release; then killed them.

“The government could not lift a finger and you are telling me that the President has not failed? Buhari has failed!”

“For the first time, I have found myself praying that God should remove Buhari. They kidnapped students without the government doing anything and you are telling me that the government has not failed?

“Are you saying we can not move against an incompetent government whose security apparatus has collapsed?”

The clergyman added: ”I am not afraid of anybody. I am not! I am the prophet of the Most High, He watches over me. No bullet of the enemy can kill me; I can’t die in the hands of a man.”

No one in APC is happy with Nigeria’s current situation —Fayemi

The Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Kayode Fayemi, has decried the belief that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are not worried over the growing spate of insecurity in the country.

Fayemi who spoke on Saturday at the 2021 Pre-Synod Summit organised by the Diocese of Lagos, Anglican Communion, described the insecurity in the country as frightening which has made Nigerians to live in constant fear.

Fayemi added that the various challenges facing the country speaks to the fundamental issue of restructuring and devolution.

“Nigeria has to be restructured in such a manner that more responsibility, more revenue and more accountability must issue from the national to lower levels.

Debunking the strongly held assertion that APC members are not worried about insecurity in the country, Fayemi said:

I want to tell Nigerians that contrary to the widely held belief, I don’t know anyone in APC who is committed to public good that is not worried about the situation we have found ourselves in. Nigeria is too big to fail, but Nigeria cannot be managed unitarily.”

Fayemi also used the occasion to advocate for a change of the strategy used in the fight against terrorism.

“This moment calls for sober reflection and system overhaul and restructuring. Organisations like Boko Haram are concerned with establishing state among states.

“The way our security structure is presently organised, it can neither deliver security or safety, it only breeds local resentment to the federal government, which in spite of its relentless efforts to end insecurity, remains unappreciated.

The response to Boko Haram by the Nigerian state has been largely characterised by kinetic military operations, since it’s clear that the crisis itself is multidimensional, it is obvious that the solution cannot be unidimensional.

SERAP sues Nigerian govt at ECOWAS court

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and twenty-four concerned Nigerians have sued the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja.

The suit is progesting “the arbitrary use of the NBC Act and broadcasting code to target, harass, sanction, and fine independent television and radio stations in Nigeria, and to restrict Nigerians’ freedom of expression and access to information.”

SERAP is asking the ECOWAS Court to declare “illegal and contrary to Nigeria’s international human rights obligations the provisions of the NBC Act and broadcasting code frequently applied by the Federal Government and NBC to target, harass, intimidate, and impose sanctions on independent television and radio stations in the country.”

The suit is coming in the wake of what the group describes as the “‘bridge [breach] letter’ by the NBC asking Channels TV to explain why it interviewed the spokesman of a proscribed organisation; the ban on Jay FM 101.9 Jos for playing songs such as Falz’s ‘This is Nigeria’, Wande Coal’s ‘Iskaba’ and Olamide’s ‘See Mary, See Jesus’; and the N9m fines imposed on Channels TV, AIT and Arise TV [N3m each] over their coverage of the #EndSARS protests.”

In the suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/19/21 and filed last week, the Plaintiffs are arguing that, “The rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom allow Nigerians to seek and attain truth, which is an inherently good activity. These rights also allow Nigerians to participate in representative governance, social and political decision-making, which the Federal Government and NBC are obligated to foster and encourage.”

According to the Plaintiffs: “Attempts to justify restrictions on these fundamental rights and freedom on the overly vague grounds of incitement, morality and subversion of the constituted authority contradict the principles of the universality of human rights. Freedom of Expression is a fundamental human right and cannot be denied without lawful justification.”

The Plaintiffs are also arguing that, “the application of the Nigerian Broadcasting Act 1992 and broadcasting code to sanction independent television and radio stations is arbitrary, and has created an environment in which independent media houses are censored, or resort to self-censorship.”

The Plaintiffs state that, “Despite the Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria which guarantees the right to access public records, the Federal Government and its agents and several states of Nigeria have routinely refused to release information sought.”

The Plaintiffs are also arguing that, “A lot of Nigerians at home and abroad rely on independent television and radio stations including online on their coverage of topical issues of public interest to access impartial, objective and critical information about ideas and views on how the Federal Government and its agents are performing their constitutional and international human rights obligations.”

The suit was filed on behalf of the Plaintiffs by their lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi.

Buhari’s impeachment: Mbaka should respond to allegation of seeking contracts – Reno Omokri

Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, to respond to the allegation made by the presidency.
Mbaka had called for President Muhammadu Buhari’s impeachment due to the current state of insecurity in Nigeria.
Responding, Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu accused Mbaka of seeking for contracts from the president.
Shehu claimed that Mbaka resorted to attacks over the president’s refusal to grant his wish.

However, Omokri urged the clergy man to address the issue of demanding contracts as compensation for supporting Buhari.
In a series of tweets, the former presidential aide wrote: “Reverend Father Mbaka, your silence is not golden. Did you ask General @MBuhari for contracts or not?
“Should we stop addressing you as Reverend and instead call you Contractor Mbaka?
“If after 24 hours we still have not heard from Mabka on whether or not he demanded contracts from General
@MBuhari as compensation for his political services, then the media, the @CatholicEW Church and the public should thenceforth refer to him as: Contractor Mbaka.”

Kukah opposes secessionist agitations

Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has registered his opposition to the agitations for secession, stating that the cost of staying together as a nation is cheaper than the cost of dividing Nigeria.

Kukah made this call during his speech at the 2021 virtual edition of the Platform, an annual conference organised by Pastor Poju Oyemade of the Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos.

According to the cleric, the Federal Government is responsible for the appalling state of the economy, alienating the citizens in the process.

The fiery cleric said, “Yes, it may be right for everybody to want to go. Yes, it may be right for people to want to feel so dissatisfied that they want an end to what we have today. But the cost of staying together is far cheaper than the cost of everybody going his way.

The most important thing here is that the government must give us a reason – the body language – we need to be inspired as a country to inspire ourselves that this country is worth the psychological, the spiritual, and the cultural engagements.”

The agitations for secession by various groups across the country continue to resonate against the backdrop of the raging insecurity and poor state of the economy.

The Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi, has urged Nigerians to focus more on what is happening in the civil service and not on politicians particularly those at the federal level.

The Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,  Kayode Fayemi, has urged Nigerians to focus more on what is happening in the civil service and not on politicians particularly those at the federal level.

Gov Kayode Fayemi was speaking during The Platform, a programme facilitated and hosted by the Senior Pastor of Covenant Nation, Poju Oyemade.

Fayemi noted that seasoned civil servants can assist politicians in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people by replicating their expertise over the years in civil service to political officeholders.

He said, “People focus too much on Nigerian politicians, particularly at the federal level. I  urge them to focus more on what is happening in the civil service.”

Primate of the African Church, Julius Abbe has challenged President Mohammadu Buhari to resign honourably.

Primate of the African Church, Julius Abbe has challenged President Mohammadu Buhari to resign honourably and give way to someone who has solutions to the myriads of problems facing Nigeria as a nation.

He made the charge during the activities to commemorate the church’s 120th Founders Day Anniversary yesterday at the African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos.

The Clergyman who lamented that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder under the present administration stated that the country’s present state could have been managed if there was political will on the part of the President to hearken to the yelling of Nigerians by allowing total
restructuring of the country.

The Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport in Umueri community, Anambra East local government area was, yesterday, inaugurated by the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano amidst pump and pageantry.

The Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport in Umueri community, Anambra East local government area was, yesterday, inaugurated by the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano amidst pump and pageantry.

People from all walks of life witnessed the epoch making event and even those who doubted the ability of the state government to executive the project commended Obiano for achieving the great feat.

The airport has a four-storey terminal building with shops, a ten floor control tower and a car pack that can accommodate 750 vehicles. It has 3.7 kilometers run way and it is bigger than any other run way bin the country.

During the inaugural ceremony which took place at the airport premises, three aircraft landed on the facility.

PDP urges DSS to investigate Akpabio

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has implored the Department of State Services (DSS) to commence investigations into the activities of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio over alleged terror links.

According to the PDP, “Akpabio has shown that he has certain information regarding the spur for escalated acts of terrorism in our country, our party urges the DSS and other security agencies to immediately invite him for questioning so as to expose the politicians in his party that are behind the ugly situation in our country.”

This was contained in a statement issued by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan on Friday.

Ologbondiyan also urged the secret service to compel Akpabio to “name politicians in the All Progressives Congress that are behind the acts of terrorism and banditry ravaging our nation.”

There is self-professed evidence that Senator Akpabio is privy to certain terrorism-related information which he must be made to share with the DSS as well as other security agencies,” the statement partly read.

According to the opposition party, this call was in response to comments attributed to Akpabio who stated that the acts of terrorism in Nigeria were “politically motivated.”

“It is instructive to state that Senator Akpabio’s revelation provides more insight into the alleged affiliation of APC leaders with terrorist elements, who had reportedly infiltrated our nation after being imported from neighboring countries by the APC, as political mercenaries, to assist it in unleashing violence to rig the 2019 general elections.

The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the APC and its leaders have failed to account for these mercenaries and have remained silent despite widespread demands by Nigerians asking the APC to return these killers to wherever they brought them,” the statement added.

Photos: Nnewi community launches security outfit

To tackle the rising spate of insecurity in Nigeria and the Southeast, Nnewi Community in Anambra state, has launched the Nnewi Vigilante Service who were recently trained by the Nigeria Police Force, to combat crime and ensure safety and security of the local communities.

During the inauguration of the Anambra Vigilantes Group Volunteers from Nnewi, some new Innoson patrol vans were donated to the security outfit to aid the smooth execution of their duties.

The event which took place on 25th April at Igwe Nnewi Palace, also saw the inauguration of the Nnewi Security Committee headed by Chief Sir Patrick Ubajiaka.

Handing over the new Innoson patrol vans to the new constables, the Traditional Ruler of Nnewi, His Royal Highness, Igwe Dr. Kenneth Orizu (III), said that the patrol vans were donated through the contributions of Nnewi sons and daughters, to aid the new constables to stem and forestall any possible break down of law and order.

He encouraged the constables to be dedicated in their duties, especially in fishing out criminal elements in the town, urging them to maintain a good relationship with the locals to enable them to discharge their duties properly.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Ibeto Group, Cletus Mmadubugwu Ibeto warned that Nnewi Security Outfit wasn’t established to control traffic, to serve as escorts, or to confiscate motorcycles, but to bring security closer to the people.

He revealed that the security outfit has the support of prominent Nnewi sons and daughters, noting that more support will be given to the outfit to make them effective.

In his address, the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano who was represented by Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka urged the newly inaugurated AVG personnel to be diligent and tactful in their operations advising all local governments that are yet to key in into the ongoing reformation of the vigilante to emulate Nnewi community and reform their AVG for a better and improved security system across the state.

Father Mbaka angry because Buhari didn’t give him government contracts – Presidency

The Presidency has said that Father Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministries, Enugu, was angry because he didn’t get contract awards he requested for.

A statement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said Mbaka came to the Presidential Villa with three contractors, but their attempt to convince the president into influencing government projects in their favour failed.

The statement comes after Mbaka, in a viral video, demanded President Buhari’s resignation, accusing him of plunging Nigeria into chaos.

Shehu said that Buhari’s refusal to bend the rules for Mbaka led to his outburst.

An outsider distilling the avalanche of verbiage, will be surprised that after supporting the President two times to win the Presidency, Father Mbaka has made a complete U-Turn, preposterously asking President Buhari to resign or be impeached.

”Here is the point of departure: Father Mbaka asked for a meeting and to the shock of Presidential Aides, he came accompanied by three contractors.

The President graciously allowed them in, and to everyone’s surprise, Father Mbaka asked for contracts as compensation for his support.

Anyone familiar with President Buhari knows that he doesn’t break the laid down rules in dealing with contracts or any other government business for that matter. He requested the appropriate authorities to deal with the matter in accordance with laid down rules.

Inside the Villa, discretion prevailed, that if those pictures and requests were made public, the followers will turn against the religious leader. None of it was released. Now, this is what is eating Father Mbaka.” the statement read.

APC threatens to report Fr. Mbaka to Pope Francis for ”threatening” Buhari

The All Progressives Congress (APC), says Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, is threatening the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Yekini Nabena, deputy national publicity secretary, said this in reaction to comments credited to the Catholic priest.

In a sermon on Wednesday, Mbaka asked Buhari to resign over the worsening insecurity in the country.

But in a statement on Friday, the APC spokesman said if the priest continues to “cause disaffection” for the government, he will report him to Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church.

Nabena said Mbaka is supposed to use “all known spiritual means of averting crisis but rather threatening a democratically elected government for his own personal benefit while pretending to be speaking for the people”.

The statement read; “One will wonder whom Father Mbaka is emulating because the Lord Jesus Christ did not threaten to bring down the government during his own time, in fact, Jesus Christ obeyed and honoured constituted authority.

“That’s why he paid his tax. We are calling on Father Mbaka to concentrate on his spiritual calling and stop speaking like politicians who it is obvious he (Mbaka) has been dining and wining with.

“If Mbaka has found another political ally, it is better to leave a political message for politicians.

Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to either resign or be impeached because of the current challenges is ungodly.

“Father Mbaka should not, however, take his luck too far because there is a lot to tell the Vatican and the Pope about his person and his sources of inspiration.”

He asked the priest to emulate Pastor EA Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) who “prays and fasts” to avert crisis in the country.