Crime Facts

Ebonyi schools reopen October 5

Schools in Ebonyi are set for reopening on October 5, the state government has said. Commissioner for Education in the state, Onyebuchi Chima stated this after the state Executive Council Meeting on Thursday. Mr. Chima said primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are to resume on the said date. He however noted that there will be staggering of classes in line with COVID-19 protocols in place in the state. The commissioner also noted that the nursery/crèche will not be reopening this year. “The Honorable Commissioner for Education in a memo presented in Exco today for reopening of all school: primary, secondary and tertiary, the Exco approved 5th October 2020. “Note that Nursery Schools/crèche are not reopening until 2021. “There will be staggering of classes in two sessions (morning 8 am- 12 pm and Afternoon 12:15 – 4.15 pm) in order to maintain social distancing,” he said. Schools in the state were shut down in March following the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country. But, exit classes in secondary schools resumed in August to write SSCE exams. The commissioner promised to give details of modalities for the reopening of in the coming days.

CBN probes betting houses, requests account statements of owners

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has requested that all banks in the country submit the statements of domiciliary accounts of some high profile individuals, including owners of popular betting companies Nigeria. CBN issued the directive in a September 15, 2020 letter signed by Z. Markus for the director of banking supervision. “You are required to furnish us with the domiciliary account statements (Excel and PDF formats) of the under listed individuals, including the domiciliary accounts linked to them by bank verification number (BVN). The statements should cover the period, January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2020,” the letter read. This comes after the apex bank instructed banks to place a post-no-debit instruction on the accounts of 38 companies including betting companies, bureau de change companies and some logistics companies. The business of sports betting in Nigeria is thriving, about the fastest growing sector in Nigeria today. A most recent data indicates that over 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 spend as much as N2.8 billion daily on gambling in the sport betting with most of the money going into illegal financial transactions, a development which may have attracted CBN’s intervention.

Kano woman allegedly clubbed 7-year old stepson to death

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Kano State, has arrested a 29-year-old housewife, Jamila Abubakar, over alleged murder of her stepson, Muhammad Bashir. Mr Shehu Umar, NAPTIP Zonal Commander in charge of Kano State, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kano. Umar disclosed that the suspect was apprehended on Thursday after she beat her seven-year-old stepson to death at Tarauni Kasuwa area of Kano metropolis. He recalled that the Agency had invited the suspect over alleged child abuse after the deceased was rescued from the suspect in the past few months. The Coordinator said: “We received information that the boy rescued few months ago was allegedly clubbed to death by his stepmother. “On receiving the information, operatives of NAPTIP swung into action and arrested the suspect.” He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect confined the decease in a room without food when they left home for their daily engagements. “The suspect was invited and the victim rescued by our team. The Agency provided shelter and medication to the victim before reuniting him with his father. “The couple wrote an undertaking that the boy will not be confine again,” noting that they also promised to take care of the child protection and wellbeing when they set out for their normal businesses.” Umar added that the case has been transferred to the Police Command in Kano for discrete investigation and prosecution. NAN

Kanye West’s Twitter Account Temporarily Suspended

On Wednesday, Kanye, 43, took to Twitter and uploaded a tweet which included the phone number of a Forbes journalist. The social media platform deems the sharing of people’s personal details as a breach of the site’s rules, it is seen as a violation of a person’s privacy. It is also reported by NBC that Kanye called urged his fans to call the reporter alongside the screenshot of his phone number. According to the Mirror, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed that the tweet was in violation of the rule but did not elaborate. Kanye’s friend former NBA player Rick Fox revealed that the Stronger hitmaker was banned from posting on the site on his own Twitter feed. Rick wrote: My friend @kanyewest wants you all to know that he was kicked off of @Twitter for 12 hours. Kanye’s exposing message has since been removed from Twitter and came alongside a number of posts by Kanye amid his battle with music label Sony and Universal. This week the singer dubbed himself the “new Moses” and likened the music industry to “modern-day slavery.” He also uploaded a clip of himself urinating on a Grammy Award. Kanye’s suspension from the site, comes as his wife Kim Kardashian, 39, announced she was freezing her Instagram and Facebook on Tuesday, an act to stop “the spreading of hate, propaganda, and misinformation”. In 2018 Kanye revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after years of unpredictable behaviour and a very public breakdown.

yes, Nigeria is collapsing forward -Adesina

In the past one week, those who think they own Nigeria, and their cohorts, have been making magisterial pronouncements on the state of the nation. What they couldn’t get through the ballot box in 2019, they are attempting to achieve through misinformation, disinformation, malevolence, false narrative, and outright malediction. Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wants us to believe that the country is collapsing, and is now a basket case, with the economy and unity in tatters. Fine. Nigeria has a lot of challenges. Insecurity. Insularity. Fallen economic fortunes. Rising costs. Huge unemployment. And many more. But are those the only things happening in the country? Not at all. It would be disingenuous, even deceitful to say so. And only the unwary, the undiscerning, would be fooled. And well, including those who choose deliberately to be fooled. To the applause of ‘sour grapers’ in groups like Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Northern Elders Forum, PANDEF, and some others, Chief Obasanjo spoke, and called his country and its leadership all sorts of names. But am I impressed? No. These were people in the same boat before the 2019 presidential elections. They wanted President Muhammadu Buhari out of office for different personal reasons. But what did they get? A shellacking. Bloody noses, and they went away with their tails between their feet, like a beaten dog. Their boat capsized. I remember that infamous letter of early 2018, a year before elections, from the professional letter writer. He directed the horse rider (read, President) to dismount, and allow another person to mount. The landlord of the country had spoken, and his word was law. No sir! President Buhari politely told his former boss in the military. We went to the polls, and the people spoke in a loud voice. The landlord was ejected, thrown out into the cold. That is why anything Chief Obasanjo says about this government cannot carry weight. It is not a case of accepting the message, and ignoring the messenger, as some people canvass. The jaundice of the messenger can taint and corrode the message, and render it unreliable. And for the cheerleaders, the different groups Obasanjo spoke to, and who egged him on, they are no better. They all took positions before last year’s elections. They threw in their lots with Buhari’s closest challenger, Atiku Abubakar. They all got beaten together, black and blue. And for all of them, they don’t seem to realize that the elections have been won and lost. Till 2023. They remain in pre-election mode, forgetting that the train had long left the station. Their strategy is simple. Say so much evil about Buhari and his government, paint him black, confuse and discourage Nigerians, paint the picture of a bleak future, till the people become forlorn and disconsolate. What they lost at the polls, they want to get through some other means, as if Nigerians were fools, incapable of independent reasoning. incapable of independent reasoning. The former President says the country is collapsing. I agree. Nigeria is collapsing forward. In diverse ways, under President Muhammadu Buhari, the collapse is in a forward trajectory, despite all the odds. I love what Temitope Ajayi, a public affairs commentator, posted on Facebook earlier in the week. Under the title ‘When Nigeria Was Not A Failed State,’ he listed atrocious developments that occurred between 1999 and 2007, when Obasanjo was President. His Attorney General and Chief Law Officer of the country, Bola Ige, was murdered in cold blood. A serving Governor, Dr Chris Ngige, of Anambra State, was abducted, and thugs unleashed mayhem on Awka, the state capital, burning and looting for many days. Yet, not a word from the President. Nor any action to restore sanity Zaki Biam, in Benue State, and Odi, in Bayelsa, were leveled by soldiers on reprisal missions. Scores were murdered. In Plateau State, which had become killing fields, he called the state chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) a fool, a compound fool, adding, “CAN, my foot!” Today, that same man, Rev Yakubu Pam, has been appointed Executive Secretary of Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission by Buhari, a Muslim bigot, as they claim. And more. In his eight years in office, roads collapsed, rail became history, Supreme Court judgments were subject to his personal interpretations, Governors were wantonly removed without due process, yet, Nigeria was not collapsing then. Temitope Ajayi summed it up this way: “Under the man that is turning Nigeria to a failed state, as at today, work is going on at a frenetic pace on Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Alausa Toll Gate road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta Express, Ikorodu-Sagamu, among others. “A rail line from Lagos-Ibadan is at final stage of completion. Now that Nigeria is failing, it should be noted that all these projects are in South-West, the same place where the ‘savior’ who couldn’t save himself came from. “I still struggle to understand the logic of this so-called failed country narrative under the leadership of a man who is doing what his predecessors failed to do, across the entire country, under the most challenging circumstances of low revenue since he took office.” Thanks Temitope Ajayi, for being so succinct. You nailed it And Kurtis Adigba, lawyer, and another good Nigerian, who loves his country dearly, drove the nail further in. Also on Facebook, he posted this week: “For some people, Nigeria is good and doing well only when they are in control of things. They go about sowing seeds of discord and division, and turn round to talk about unity as if unity happens through division and not by coming together.” Very profound. Chief Obasanjo talked about the mismanagement of our diversity, saying it is leading to collapse. True? False. Nigeria, since 1914, had been an uneasy Federation. There is hate, mistrust, unkind thoughts, ill will, among the Federating units. If you meet him, kill him. If you can’t catch up with him, poison his footsteps. That had always been the relationship. One government after the other had always done its best to promote cohesion

Edo election: INEC concludes distribution of sensitive materials to LGAs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded sorting and distribution of sensitive materials to the 18 local government areas of Edo, ahead of the Saturday’s governorship election in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who was at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) premises in Benin, venue of the distribution on Thursday, reports that the sensitive materials have all been despatched. Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, Prof. Olayinka Raji, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ogun drafted to support in the Edo poĺl, said the sensitive materials arrived in Benin on Monday. “We were here yesterday with all the party agents, observers and security personnel to inspect the materials and the agents were satisfied with what they saw. “Fortunately the materials have been sorted and batched. The party agents were also with us today. “All the materials have left with adequate security and over there the materials will be received by party agents. “All the materials were carried with INEC vehicles and all the vehicles have been tracked and they are being monitored from our situation room,” he said. According to him, each of the vehicles left with adequate security and nothing was expected to go wrong. Raji said that four National Electoral Commissioners and two supporting RECs were deployed to Edo for the election. He added that each of the six commissioners would supervise the poll in three local government areas. “Those in charge of local government that are far away have gone with the materials. I am here because am in charge of the three local government areas within the metropolis. “From here I will be going to the three local government areas under my supervision to ensure that the materials got there,” he added. (NAN)

NERC forbids landlords from imposing outstanding electricity bills on new tenants

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed landlords to stop imposing outstanding electricity bills in an apartment on new tenants. The commission said this in a tweet on Thursday that “Landlord’s outstanding electricity bills cannot be enforced on a tenant. A judge recently ruled that the bills of a previous tenant cannot be enforced on a new customer. Send us details if you are in such a situation.” According to the Commissioner, Finance and Management Services, NERC, Nathan Shatti, “a Landlord’s outstanding electricity bills cannot be enforced on a tenant.” This he said was in agreement with a court ruling that the bill of a previous tenant cannot be enforced on a new customer. Recall that before this directive, a new tenant while moving into a new house takes on the outstanding electricity bill in the apartment. This practice has been a source of controversy in the country with distribution companies disconnecting customers who failed to comply But Shatti asked new tenants who are asked to pay the outstanding bills of their landlords to report the issue to the NERC for appropriate action. Mr Shatti stressed further that tenants who purchased meters with their own money would be reimbursed through an arrangement the NERC was about to make. There is a court order in force that has made the violation of the Nigerian capping policy a punishable offence. The capping policy stipulates that power Distribution Companies, DISCOs, disallowed from charging electricity consumers under the estimated billing system more than they do consumers with prepaid meters in the same vicinity. “An order was issued on capping in February. The capping order is still in force.DISCOs should take note. The Commission is doing everything to enforce compliance. We will do even more,” the commissioner said. Shatti told DISCOs to refrain from the illegitimate practice of taking money from customers without providing them with meter. “The intention of the regulation is that payment should not be made if meters are not available. Where you have, write to the Commission with your detail.

Auto Accidents Claim 13 Lives in Kwara State

Two separate motor accidents along Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa highway reportedly claimed the lives of 13 persons. Eight survivors of the accidents are said to be receiving treatment at private hospitals in Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. The remains of those that lost their lives in the auto accidents, it was learnt, have been deposited at the mortuary of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin. It was gathered that the two crashes involved two 18-passenger Hiace buses, one travelling to Lagos while the other one was heading to Sokoto. It was gathered that the one coming from Lagos rammed into a stationary trailer, while the second bus veered off the road on its way from the northern part of the country, due to impact of the accident. Kwara State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Gbenga Owoade confirmed the incident, blaming the fatal auto crashes on carelessness on the parts of the drivers. “In the first one, we had 11 people that died instantly on the spot. Two persons died in the second crash, while one of the two corpses had been taken away by family members of the deceased,” he added.

Court Jails Man for N2.4m Job Scam in Maiduguri

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, on Thursday, September 17, 2020 convicted and sentenced one Nuhu Lawan to prison for job scam. The convict was prosecuted by the Maiduguri zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on amended one-count charge of obtaining by false pretence. The charge read, “That you, Nuhu Mohammed Lawan, on the 18th May, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did dishonestly induce (1) Muyibat Lawan (2) Moses Maichibi (3) Mrs. Olatundun and (4) Ummu Khulthum to deliver to you the sum of N2,400,000.00 (Two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira only), via your GT Bank Account No. 024821793, under the guise of securing them employment with an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) and Punishable Under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.” He pleaded guilty to the charge, following which prosecution counsel, Manji Benjamin adopted the facts of the case, tendered some documents that were admitted in evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly, while defence counsel, S. Tijani prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the defendant. Justice Kumaliya convicted and sentenced the defendant to one year imprisonment, with N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) option of fine. Lawan’s journey to prison began on May 18, 2020, when he defrauded four job applicants the sum of N2.4million, by promising them employment in a Federal government agency. He neither offered them the jobs nor returned their money to them.

UNILAG crisis: Babalakin quits as Pro-Chancellor

The crisis at the University of Lagos took a new twist on Thursday with the resignation of its Pro -Chancellor , Dr. Wale Babalakin ( SAN) . A media aide to the suspended Pro- Chancellor of UNILAG, Mr Mikail Mumuni, confirmed the resignation of Babalakin as the institution’ s chairman of Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor. Mumuni , in a phone call to our correspondent, said , “ It is true. Dr Babalakin has resigned from UNILAG . ” The resignation came a few hours after the SVP headed by Prof. Tukur submitted its report to the Minister of Education , Mallam Adamu Adamu. Babalakin ’ s resignation dated September 2020 was addressed to Adamu and entitled : ‘ Letter of resignation’ , said there were too many vested interests in UNILAG case , who were not approaching the issues objectively. The letter reads , “ I would like to thank the President of the Federal of Nigeria , President Muhammadu Buhari for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Pro -Chancellor of the University of Lagos ( the “ University”) from May 2017 till date . “ I am also grateful that I was considered fit to be the Chairman of the Federal Government Negotiation Team on the Agreement reached with university unions in 2009, from January 6, 2017 till date . I equally want to thank you sir , for your role in recommending me to the President . “ Recent events have made my position in these two offices untenable. I led the Governing Council of the University to remove the Vice- Chancellor of the University from office for amongst other reasons: a. Corruption and financial recklessness ; b. Forgery ; c. Complicity in the collapse of the University library and planned cover up; d. Deliberate policy of wrongfully concealing information; e . Depriving the Faculties in the University of funds ; f . Concealing and distorting finances of the Internally Generating Units of the University; g . Undermining the academic process and seeking to appoint a Professor by fiat ; h . Siphoning of the University’ s funds through dubious contract awards; i. Undermining the office of the Registrar ; j. Failure to follow due process in organizing the University’ s convocation ceremony ; and k. Sponsoring or acquiescing in the unconstitutional actions of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU) , University of Lagos chapter . “ Sir , it is noteworthy that all the Federal Government Representatives who are the independent members on the Governing Council voted for the removal of the Vice -Chancellor. “ After calm had been restored in the University, the Visitor acting within his powers , set up a Presidential Visitation Panel to review the actions taken by Governing Council . The Vice -Chancellor ( who had been removed from office ) and myself were told to recuse ourselves for the duration of the Visitation Panel. I find it difficult to understand how a non- executive Chairman of a Governing Council could be requested to recuse himself during the visitation “ The Vice -Chancellor could only recuse himself if he were still in office . Implicit in this position is that the Vice -Chancellor was acknowledged as still being in office despite his removal . “ The terms of reference of the Visitation Panel clearly indicated to any discerning person that the Visitation Panel was empanelled to exonerate the Vice -Chancellor and implicate the Pro- Chancellor . For easy reference, the terms of reference of the Visitation Panel are : a. To review the report of the Council sub- committee on review of expenditure of the University of Lagos since May 2017 and make appropriate recommendations after affording all those indicted an opportunity to defend themselves; b. To examine the steps taken by the Council leading to the removal of the Vice Chancellor , Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe , and ascertain whether due process was followed as stipulated in the Universities ( Miscellaneous Provisions) ( Amendment ) Act , 2003, and the principle of fair hearing adhered to ; c. To determine whether the process ( if any ) leading to the appointment of the acting Vice Chancellor for the University was consistent with the provisions of the enabling Act ; d. To make appropriate recommendations including sanctions for all those found culpable by the special visitation team on the allegations contained in the report as well as other subsequent actions arising therefrom; and e . To make any other recommendations that will assist the government to take decisions that will ensure peaceful , stable and effective administration of the University. “ As stated earlier , the Vice -Chancellor was removed for various reasons and not just as a result of the findings contained in the Dagari Report . Items ( b) and ( c) were directed at the Pro- Chancellor and Governing Council . Unfortunately , those items deal with the interpretation of the laws of the land . The appropriate forum to determine the laws of the land is a court of law or a judicial tribunal. It cannot be determined by academics of a different discipline no matter how distinguished . These terms of reference are ultra – vires the Visitation Panel as constituted. “ The membership of the Visitation Panel is simply inappropriate in the circumstance. How can a committee of Vice -Chancellors determine the culpability or otherwise of the actions of a Pro- Chancellor and a Governing Council ? On the face of it, it is simply wrong! “ Furthermore, the Vice -Chancellors on the Panel were drawn from relatively smaller universities who are not likely to have a comprehensive understanding of the procedure contained in the University of Lagos Act ( as amended ) . Even Vice- Chancellors of state universities were included . As Chairman of the Federal Government Negotiation Team , I know the challenges faced with the administration of state universities. “ I only appeared before the Panel out of