June 2021 – Page 42 – Crime Facts

Post Date : June 8, 2021

Man Slaps French President Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face while greeting a crowd in southeast France on Tuesday, a security scare that drew widespread condemnation ahead of regional elections this month. Video footage on social media showed Macron approach a barrier to meet and shake hands with voters, where a man in a green T-shirt took hold of his elbow and said a few words before slapping him. Macron’s bodyguards quickly intervened and two people were detained afterward, local officials said. “At around 1:15 pm (1115 GMT) the president got into his car after visiting a high school, but got back out because onlookers were calling to him,” the prefecture for the Drome region said. “He went to meet them and that’s when the incident took place,” it said. Two 28-year-old men living in the region are being questioned, the local prosecutor’s office said, but “at this stage of questioning, their motives remain unknown.” The assault in the village of Tain-l’Hermitage in the Drome region sparked outrage across the political spectrum and overshadowed what Macron billed as a listening tour to “take the country’s pulse.” “Politics can never be violence, verbal aggression, much less physical aggression,” Prime Minister Jean Castex told parliament, adding that “through the president, it is democracy that has been targeted.” Macron continued his trip afterwards, said an aide, who described the incident as an “attempted slap” though video footage appeared to show the man making contact with the president’s face. On the video of the incident, someone can be heard shouting “Down with Macronism!” Election Tour Macron, who remains a highly divisive figure, is widely expected to seek a second term in next year’s presidential elections and polls show him with a narrow lead over far-right leader Marine Le Pen. His latest nationwide tour includes around a dozen stops over the next two months, with the former investment banker keen to meet voters in person after more than a year of crisis management over the Covid-19 pandemic. But previous meet-and-greet initiatives have seen the reformer verbally abused. A 2018 tour to mark the centenary of the end of World War I saw scenes of furious citizens booing and heckling him. It took place just as anti-government “yellow vest” protests were gathering momentum to denounce the government’s policies and the Macron personally for his leadership style, which was criticised as aloof and arrogant. In July last year, Macron and his wife Brigitte were verbally abused by a group of protesters while taking an impromptu walk through the Tuileries gardens in central Paris on Bastille Day. Condemnation Shortly before being slapped, Macron was asked to comment on recent remarks from far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who suggested at the weekend that next year’s election would be manipulated. “Democratic life needs calm and respect, from everyone, politicians as well as citizens,” Macron said. In a rare moment of national unity, even his fiercest critics and political rivals came to his defence on Tuesday. Melenchon said he stood “in solidarity with the president,” while Le Pen called the slap “unacceptable and profoundly reprehensible in a democracy.” The slap is nevertheless likely to spur debate in France about a pernicious political climate just two weeks from the first round of regional elections and 10 months from the presidential contest next April. “It’s tense everywhere,” ruling party MP Patrick Vignal commented. “This campaign stinks and it’s because of the personalities. No one is going to come out a winner.” In 2011, right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy had a security scare in southwest France when he was grabbed violently by the shoulder by a 32-year-old local government employee.

Post Date : June 8, 2021

Immigration reopens passport application portal — three weeks after suspension

The federal government, through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has lifted the suspension on passport application requests. On May 18, the commission said the service for fresh requests for passport booklets has been suspended to enable issuing centres to clear the existing backlog of applications. On June 1 when the suspension should have lapsed, the commission postponed the resumption date till June 8 to give more time to clear the backlog of over 43,000 uncollected passport booklets. On Tuesday, Amos Okpu, assistant comptroller for immigration, in a statement, said the portal will open at midnight on June 8 for applicants to apply and make payments for categories of their choice. Okpu noted that the applications and payments should be done through the commission’s website — www.immigration.gov.ng. “Also, upon successful applications, applicants shall make their online booking interview/enrollment appointment on any day, time and location they consider convenient,” the statement reads. “The new timeline for passport production and issuance after a successful enrollment at the selected Issuing Centre shall be six weeks for fresh applications and three weeks for re-issue (renewal applications). “That no applicant who is yet to make an online application and payment shall be allowed into any of the passport issuing centres for passport processing; applicants will be contacted through email and phone number they provided during application when their passports are ready.”

Post Date : June 8, 2021

Uzodimma: More Governors Will Defect To APC

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has predicted victory for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023 despite the current security challenges. Uzodimma spoke while fielding questions from State House reporters after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The governor said more governors would join the ruling party before 2023 as they had seen what he called a “deliberate attempt by some group of people to pull down” this government. Asked whether he thought more governors would defect to APC from the South East, Uzodimma said: “Not just from the South East, many governors in Nigeria will join the APC. “You have seen that…part of the problem of this government is the deliberate attempt by some group of people to pull it down. “Because nobody is telling me that this government is not performing, that salaries are not being paid or that the roads are not being constructed or the railway is not going or the various intervention funds to empower our youths are not being given out. “Nobody has come in concrete terms to accuse this government of one failure or the other. “All we hear is that herdsmen and farmers are fighting and for that reason, 200 people are kidnapped. “People are shot down there, people are killed there. What do you want the government to do? We must be realistic. I believe in pragmatism. I believe in doing things right. “Can anybody come and tell me one, two, three, four reasons why this APC should not win in the next election? “Nobody has said that, I have not read either in any newspaper. All I hear is that because of insecurity this, insecurity that, but you send people out in the night to go and cause trouble and use it in day to blame the government.”

Post Date : June 8, 2021

have no hand in Igangan attacks ― Evicted Seriki Fulani

EVICTED Seriki Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, has denied allegations that he was behind the fresh attacks that rocked Igangan town in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Abdulkadir, while reacting on Tuesday to comments attributed to the Asigangan of Igangan, Oba Lasisi Adeoye, accusing him of masterminding last Sunday’s attacks on Igangan town where suspected herders killed some people, said it was wrong to have linked the attack with him. He said many herders also suffered casualties during the attacks, adding that one Fulani man who was neither a cattle rearer nor trader and had been living in Igangan since the 60s was killed on Monday in a reprisal attack on several Fulani settlements. Abdulkadir stressed that he has no hand in the attacks and has no mercenary anywhere to attack the people on his behalf. He said since he was evicted from the community by armed youths led by Sunday Igboho, he has lost many of his people, properties and all his investments. The evicted Seriki who is currently in Ilorin, Kwara State, blamed the attack on the failure of security agencies, saying if the security agencies had been proactive and up and doing, such would not have occurred. He, however, tasked them to go after the perpetrators. Abdulkadir insisted that the unrest in Ibarapa was worsened by ethnic profiling where only Fulani herders were tagged as criminals. He said, on many occasions, the Yoruba people were arrested for kidnapping and other criminalities in the Ibarapa zone but their arrests never got prominence because they are not Fulani. He said since his eviction in January, Fulani herders have been living in fears in the communities in Ibarapa including Ayete, Tapa and Igangan, adding that he has advised those who are afraid to flee for their lives and refrain from taking the laws into their hands. He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to intervene in the happenings in the Ibarapa zone, saying while the state government is doing its part to restore peace to the warring communities, it requires the support of the Federal Government to achieve lasting peace in the zone.

Post Date : June 8, 2021

Twitter ban: PDP Reps stage walkout as Gbajabiamila overrules demand

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives have staged a walkout over the refusal of the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to grant their prayer on the Federal Government’s Twitter Ban. Gbajabiamila had earlier asked relevant committees of the House to investigate the matter within 10 days. Leader of the PDP caucus, Kingsley Chinda, much later, raised a point of order to make an additional prayer that the House asks the Federal Government to lift the ban pending when the House carries out the probe. Chinda noted that the implication is that the ban would remain for 10 days, which means the rights of Nigerians would be kept in abeyance during the period. Gbajabiamila, however, cited part of the Standing Orders of the House stating that a matter that had been concluded by the parliament cannot be revisited for a debate. The Speaker, therefore, ruled Chinda out of order, a decision that did not go down well the members of the opposition. Insisting on speaking and several leaders of the House shutting him down, Chinda led other PDP members out of the chamber. They later addressed journalists to say the action was in defence of Nigerians.

Post Date : June 8, 2021

Twitter ban meant to distract Nigerians from FG’s failure on security, Ortom tweets

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state, says the suspension of Twitter’s operations is a ploy to distract Nigerians from the federal government’s failure to address insecurity. In a tweet posted on Tuesday, Ortom said the ban is illegal, describing it as a suppression of the fundamental rights of Nigerians. The Benue governor also said the government’s action is a gag on social media. “The ban on Twitter is not only illegal but it is also an ill-advised move to divert the attention of Nigerians from the FG’s failure to tackle insecurity in parts of the country,” he tweeted. “It amounts to suppression of fundamental human rights and gagging of social media.” The ban on Twitter is not only illegal but it is also an ill-advised move to divert the attention of Nigerians from the FG’s failure to tackle insecurity in parts of the country. It amounts to suppression of fundamental human rights and gagging of social media. — Samuel Ortom (@GovSamuelOrtom) June 8, 2021 Ortom’s tweet is coming one day after Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), also expressed his opposition to the government’s action. Last week, Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, had announced the suspension of the micro-blogging platform in the country. The development followed the removal of a controversial tweet posted by President Muhammadu Buhari. Despite the restriction of access by telcos, based on the instruction of the government, many Nigerians have been able to access Twitter through the use of a virtual private network (VPN.

Post Date : June 8, 2021

Senate bars NIPOST from tax collection, withdraws agency’s regulatory powers

The Senate on Tuesday finally laid to rest the lingering controversy between the Nigerian Postal Service and the Federal Inland Revenue Service. The two agencies have been on each other’s throats over who is statutorily empowered to collect Stamp Duty on behalf of the Federal Government. The red chamber passed the Nigerian Postal Service (Repeal and Reenactment) Bill, 2021, which did not make provision in the Bill for tax collection. The proposed law effectively restricts the agency to only postal operations in the country. The Bill unbundled the agency by creating a commission to regulate its affairs. Section 2 subsection 1-3 of the bill, however, specifically barred NIPOST from engaging in tax collection. The section reads, “There is hereby established a body to be known as the Nigerian Postal Service (hereby designated as the Public Postal Operator) which (a) shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal… “The Postal Operator shall be charged with the responsibility of providing Universal Postal Service in Nigeria. “In carrying out its Universal Postal Service obligations, the provisions of any enactment, law or regulation relating to taxation of companies, agencies or trusts funds shall not apply to the Public Postal Operator save for its obligation as a collecting agent of government.” The Chairman of Senate Committee on Communication, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the sub-clause (1)(a) under clause 3 deals with the Establishment and Membership of the Governing Board of the Public Postal Operator. She said it was amended to give the Governing Board power to formulate policies and adopt strategies for the overall development of the postal sector. She added that sub-clause (1)(b) was deleted as the Board cannot borrow or raise funds for the entity while sub-clause (1)(c) was amended to align with existing legislation. According to the Lagos Central lawmaker, clause 5(2) was also inserted to specify the minimum qualifications for the appointment of the Postmaster-General. Tinubu further said that clause 8 which deals with the Application of Pensions Act was amended to align with the Pension Act. In addition, clause 10 which provides for the Exclusive Powers of the Public Postal Operator was amended to enable the Public Postal Operator to accredit digital or e-certificate as appropriate. Among other amendments made to the NIPOST Act, 2004, was an amendment to clause 15 which deals with National Postcode System and Technical Standards. The clause was amended to enable the Public Postal Operator, subject to existing legislation, to enter into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) or other similar arrangements to carry out any of its obligations. During consideration of the report, the Senate amended sub-clause 3 to provide that “the Minister may, with the approval of the President, at any time remove any member of the Board from office on the grounds of misconduct, conviction, infirmity or disease of the mind.” The chamber also amended clause 5(1) to make the appointment of the Postmaster General the exclusive prerogative of the President as against the recommendation of the Minister. The amendments were made following a proposal to that effect by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and seconded by the Deputy Whip, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi. Meanwhile, the Senate also on Tuesday received the report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the Annual report of the Auditor-General for the Federation on the accounts of the Federation for the year ended 31st December 2015.

Post Date : June 6, 2021

[BREAKING] Gani Adams: Oyo herdsmen killings, 50 dead, North wants war in Nigeria

Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, claimed on Sunday that the killing of more than 50 persons in Igangan town, Ibarapa, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State, proves that war is looming in the country. While denouncing the heinous murders of innocent town inhabitants, Adams urged Fulani herdsmen and criminals to keep away from the southwest or face serious pushback. Over 50 people were killed, automobiles were burned, and over 20 buildings were torched in the early hours of Sunday, bringing the entire town of Igangan and its environs to its knees. Adams declared war on the Southwest after word of the fatalities and destruction reached him, including gruesome footage of the atrocity. Makinde reacts as gunmen invade Igangan, kill scores He said the North had unleashed terror on the region, stressing the need for the people to rise and defend themselves “without looking back”. “In a situation like this, you rise and defend yourself. Where are the police when the bandits started killing our people in Igangan today? “Even the palace of Asigangan of Igangan land, Oba Adewuyi Olaoye, was not spared and the monarch, according to reports had been whisked away by the bandits. “Three days ago, the Director-General of Oyo State Southwest Security Network Amotekun, Gen. Kunle Togun(Retd) raised the alarm that herdsmen had invaded the southwest. “I corroborated his statements and called for urgent surveillance across the southwest. Now with the recent onslaught on Igangan people, it is evident that the Fulani herdsmen are on a predetermined mission to kill, maim and decimate the southwest. Insecurity: God‘ll not forgive Buhari if Nigeria goes to war – Gani Adams “This is one killing too many, I will not fold my arms seeing the blood of innocent people being shed like it is in Igangan. “Now that North had declared war on the Southwest, we will never silent or compromise on the homicide going on in the southwest. I want to charge all the governors in the Southwest, as well as the traditional rulers to rise to this occasion.” The Yoruba generalissimo warned criminal herders to stay away from the region, as the Southwest can no longer accommodate killers. OPC and other local security operatives will continue to ensure that the region is safe for residents. “Those killed in Igangan town have their families and friends, there is blood flowing in their veins and in a moment their lives were cut short by killer herdsmen and bandits in their home”. Adams disclosed that information at his disposal indicates that bandits and killer herdsmen have invaded the Southwest thus pushing the security outfits to the wall. He urged all governors to beef up the security of their respective states to provide adequate security for the people of the region. Iba Gani Adams.

Post Date : June 6, 2021

Gunmen raze another police station in Delta

Gunmen have razed Ashaka Police Station in Ndokwa East LGA, Delta State. The armed men, numbering over 20, stormed the station at the wee hours of Sunday, shot sporadically and set the station on fire. Ashaka Police Station is the third station attacked in the state in the last one month. A patrol van was also set ablaze during the raid. It was learnt no casualty was recorded in Sunday’s attack though previous attacks claimed seven officers. Acting Public Relations Officer of Delta Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed no life was lost. Edafe said the hoodlums also burnt down a patrol van within the station. He vowed that such attacks would “not deter the police from providing the needed security in any community in Delta State. “The hoodlums who perpetrated this dastardly act will certainly not go free, as serious efforts are on to arrest them and bring them to book.” In a related development, Edafe said operatives of the command have raided a den of criminals, killing six suspects in a gun duel. The suspects including Efe Oyenikoro, Felix George, Emmanuel Job and Joan Yapiteghe, were in a Sienna bus marked LSR 813 XL along Patani-Bayelsa road when they were intercepted by operatives on stop and search mission. He said other suspects fled with injuries into the bush, adding one AK 47 rifle, one pump action gun, one AK 47 magazine with 25 live ammunition were recovered. Edafe added that four suspects were also arrested with one locally made Barretta pistol in their possession.

Post Date : June 6, 2021

Cry to God in this time of crisis, Obasanjo tells Nigerians

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Nigerians to cry to God for solution to the security crisis overwhelming the nation. He spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun state, during the 16th edition of Prayer Breakfast held virtually and organised in his honour by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ogun state chapter. Obasanjo said the challenges confronting Nigeria were beyond what the citizens and leaders could handle, but they were not too difficult for God. He emphasised the importance of prayers in problem-solving, adding that Nigeria needs divine healing. “The situation in our country calls for all of us to cry out loudly to God in prayers and supplications,” he said. “We seem to have been overwhelmed and unsure of how to handle the crisis in our land. But nothing is too difficult for God to do. That is why we are here. We have some challenges. These are beyond what we can handle. We have to cry out to God to help us. “Our land needs to be healed. We have been overwhelmed, those in government, executive, legislators, public servant, civil servant, private sector, we are overwhelmed. “God cannot be overwhelmed. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, I believe God will heal our land that is the reason we are here.” Obasanjo also said he recently paid condolence visits to bereaved families in the country. “In the last two weeks, there have been reports of troubles and tribulations by people badly affected by insecurity; kidnapped relations, killed loved ones, and their inability to make both ends meet financially and economically,” he said. “To some, I was able to give words of comfort, to some others, I was able to give a helping hand. I was able to pay physical visits to some to console them. “As I did all these, I had a feeling in me that it was inadequate. I believe that the affected must be encouraged to personally seek the face of God by crying out to him in special prayers.”