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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Protest in Abuja as northern group demands referendum

A group of women under the aegis of the Amalgamation of Northern Women Associations, on Saturday, demanded a referendum to allow Biafran agitators to chose whether or not to remain in Nigeria. The coordinator of the group, Hadiza Adamu, spoke on behalf of other members, during a protest in Abuja, on Saturday. She said, “Nigerian History has shown that women carry the heavy burden of war and acts of insurrections and terrorism. We have gone through it from 1967 to 1971, our men died and left us with the children to cater for out of nothing, other men that survived simply moved on but we never moved on. “The aftermath of the war and the sufferings left lifetime scars in our hearts and on our bodies. It is for this reason that we (have) come together today and say we don’t want another war, another insurrection. “We, therefore, unanimously call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader and father of the country; and the leadership of the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawal; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; to immediately call for a referendum in the country. “Let people choose to live in peace in Nigeria or leave, any other group or nationality that wants to secede to exercise their rights of self-determination like the South-East has been agitated for decades to be allowed to leave Nigeria peacefully, without resorting to a second civil war. “Today the Igbo nation has turned the entire South-East to almost a war zone, northerners irrespective of their tribes are no longer safe, states’ infrastructures are no longer safe, service personnel from police to army are not safe, INEC offices and other symbols of democracy in the country are being destroyed on daily basis, our husbands that go to do business in South-East no longer return home safe, our political leaders who travel to the South-East on national assignments are assassinated in broad daylight.”

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

BREAKING: Heavy security in Ekiti over planned protest by Yoruba nation agitators

Heavily armed security operatives on Saturday morning took over strategic parts of Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital ahead of a today’s rally by the Yoruba Nation agitators. Our reporter, who moved round popular places in Ado-metroplis observed that scores of security officials were stationed at different locations. The security personnel included men of the Nigerian Police Force, Joint Task Force, the Department of State Service (DSS), Amotekun, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). At about 9:15am, the combined security operatives who were heavily armed were stationed around the popular Fajuyi park, the venue for the self-determination rally. Security officials were also seen in front of the Ekiti Government House, Adunni Olayinka Bus stop, Oke-sa interjection and other strategic points in the state capital. The agitators were not deterred by the presence of the heavily armed security operatives as they thronge the venue of the rally in their large numbers.

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

How we were recruited by IPOB to train over 4,000 ESN members –Ex-soldiers

Three soldiers dismissed from the Nigerian Army for various offences –Linus Owalo, Godswill Steven, and Chinasa Orji – have said they trained over 4,000 Eastern Security Network members after the Indigenous People of Biafra made them mouth-watering, including overseas training. The suspects also claimed that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, promised them that “when” the State of Biafra was achieved, they would become military generals in the new country. However, the suspects said they discovered that all the promises IPOB made to them were lies, adding that since helping the proscribed secessionist group to train ESN members, none of the promises had materialised. Saturday PUNCH learnt that Owalo, Steven, and Orji spoke after their arrest by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force. ESN, regarded as IPOB’s armed wing, has been accused of violence in the South-East, including attacks on government facilities and killing of security agents. Saturday PUNCH gathered that the trio were rounded up after the IRT, acting on intelligence, raided ESN’s hideouts in Imo, Anambra, and Delta states, as well as Abuja. It was learnt that Owalo, a 32-year-old father of two, was enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 2013 and attached to 102 Guard Brigade Battalion, but was dismissed in 2019 from the army for deserting. His colleagues, Orji and Steven, were also enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 2015 and 2017, respectively, and were trained at 133 Special Force Battalion. But were both dismissed in 2020 and went to join the ESN to train its members in Abia and Delta states. Confessing, Owalo, an indigene of Yala Local Government Area of Cross Rivers State, said, “I was enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 2013 and posted to the Guards Brigade Headquarters, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. But in 2019, I was absent on duty and the army authorities arrested me. I was charged and subsequently dismissed from the service. He said he was later contacted by the IPOB and moved to a forest in Abia State, where “I trained over 4,000 ESN members. This was in October 2020. I also met some other dismissed soldiers of the Nigerian Army at the ESN camp. Three months into the training, I was redeployed to the ESN camp in Delta State. All this while, they didn’t allow me to speak to Nnamdi Kanu. I was just talking to his boys. I was used and brainwashed by IPOB.” Another suspect, Steven, a 33-year-old indigene of Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, said he joined the Nigerian Army in June 2017 and was attached to 133 Battalion, and eventually deployed in Maiduguri, Borno State, in 2018. Steven said he was dismissed from the army for deserting his base, explaining that he left his base because he sustained injuries at the battlefront but was not allowed to go for treatment. He said, ““I eventually dismissed by the Nigerian Army and accepted IPOB’s offer. I was paid N100,000, which was twice the salary I was earning at the Nigerian Army. I travelled to Abia State, where Orji and I took oaths to be loyal to Nnamdi Kanu. We trained ESN in combat and special forces manoeuvring.” Steven said he eventually left the ESN camp when it became clear that the promises made to them were not materialising. The third suspect, Orji, 23, said he was dismissed by the Nigerian Army in 2018 after attending the burial of his elder brother, a soldier, killed on August 22, 2018, against the order of his superiors. He said, “My bosses refused to give me a pass to attend my brother’s burial, so I travelled without permission. When I returned to base, I was arrested and detained. “While in detention, I started chatting with a friend who told me that Nnamdi Kanu needed my service to train IPOB militias. He told me that Kanu was ready to pay me twice the money I was earning in the army. I accepted his offer after my dismissal.”

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Twitter Ban A Petulant Gesture, Unbecoming Of A Democratically Elected President – Soyinka

Professor Wole Soyinka says if President Muhammadu Buhari has a problem with the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, then he should sort it out privately. Reacting on Friday to the ban placed on Twitter by the Federal Government, the Nobel Laureate said the move is a “petulant gesture” that is “unbecoming of a democratically elected president”. Soyinka noted that a Twitter ban in the country is a “technical issue Nigerians should be able to work their way around”. He added that “the field of expression remains wide open, free of any dictatorial spasms”. Below is the brief communique as put out by the Nobel Laureate. Heard the news of Buhari’s ban on Twitter an hour or so after sending off TO SHOCK AND AWE to the print media. Kindly add my total lack of surprise at this petulant gesture, unbecoming of a democratically elected president. If Buhari has a problem with Twitter, he is advised to sort it out between them personally, the way Donald Trump did, not rope in the right to free expression of the Nigerian citizen as collateral damage. In any case, this is a technical problem Nigerians should be able to work their way around. The field of free expression remains wide open, free of any dictatorial spasms! Wole Soyinka

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Hours after FG suspends Twitter, Aisha Buhari deactivates account

Aisha, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, has deactivated her account on Twitter. She announced a few seconds before midnight that she would deactivate her account. “I will be deactivating my Twitter account for now. Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she tweeted at 11:59pm on Friday. Minutes later, the account — which had one million followers as of June 4 — was no longer available on the social media platform. Aisha’s deactivation of her account comes hours after the federal government announced that it would suspend the operations of Twitter in the country. Lai Mohammed, minister of information, had announced the “indefinite” suspension of Twitter’s operations in the country earlier on Friday. According to the minister, the social media platform was engaging in activities that “undermine Nigeria’s existence”. Although the minister did not state exactly what activities had led to Twitter’s suspension on Friday, the microblogging platform had deleted a post by President Muhammadu Buhari which made reference to the Civil War. In post on Twitter on Tuesday, the president had condemned the attacks on government facilities in the country, and citing a reference to the civil war experience, threatened to treat those “bent on destroying” Nigeria “through insurrection” in “a language they understand”. Defending Buhari, the information minister had condemned the deletion of the president’s post and accused Twitter of “double standard”.

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Police arrest pastor over murder of girl for ritual

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a yet-to-be identified pastor and one other for the alleged murder of a 13-year-old girl whose heart was ripped open and other vital organs removed. Saturday PUNCH gathered that the victim and her mother, a petty trader, were members of the pastor’s church located along Board road in Boji Boji Agbor. It was a gory site to behold as the remains of the girl, Miracle Nwafor, dumped close to the Central Hospital Agbor, were being removed by the police on Friday in the Agbor area of the state. A source in the community said the pastor had recently decided to ‘help’ the girl after the evening service by calling for a motorcycle to convey her home. The source said, “After waiting endlessly without seeing the girl at home, the mother went to the man of God to ask about her child. The cleric did not deny getting a commercial motorcycle to convey the girl home. He pacified the troubled woman that the child was safe. It was further learnt that the motorcyclist was later arrested by the police and during interrogation, he allegedly implicated the pastor. murder, rape, drunkenness Eight Benue gang arrested for kidnapping, murder in Osun The suspects were said to have later led detectives to the spot where the girl’s mutilated body was dumped at the back of the state School of Nursing by Central Hospital. The spokesperson for the police in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the killing, said the pastor and another member of the church had been arrested. He said, “We have arrested the pastor of the church and one other suspect who is a member of the church. Whether the other person is the okada man or not I can’t confirm for now.”

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Insecurity: Ohanaeze says Igbo will not be victims of Nigerias’ unity

The Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that in as much as Ndigbo would not support the break up of the country, the Igbo people would also not be victims of Nigeria’s unity. To that end, the Ndigbo mouthpiece, therefore, warned the Federal Government against using the military to address the insecurity in the South-East region, but employ dialogue and other non-violent methods. This was just as it “as unfortunate the implications of the President’s statement,” where President Buhari alluded to the 1967-1970 genocide that characterised the Nigerian Civil War. Addressing a World Press Conference at the Ohanaeze Headquarters in Enugu on Friday, the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador George Obiozor, urged the government to investigate the destruction of lives in the South East region. He also urged President Buhari and the Federal Government to adopt dialogue rather than the use of force in resolving the present national crises. Ambassador Obiazor noted that the use of military and violent means to solve the national problem would lead to fractionalisation of the country and complete anarchy. “To secure Nigeria, to develop Nigeria and to have peace, the Federal Government should immediately engage all Nigerian groups through their various leaders in an urgent dialogue”, the Ndigbo leader said. Obiozor stressed that Igbo would not support the break-up of Nigeria, but at the same time would not be victims of Nigeria Unity. The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group also called on the Federal Government to declare a public holiday on May 30th every year as a Biafran Day in Nigeria. The appeals were contained in a communique issued to newsmen, after the press conference. Prof. Obiozor asserted that “no secessionist forces can defeat Nigeria.” He equally condemned human rights abuse in the South-Eastern part of the country, stressing that though Ndigbo were in support of a United Nigeria, “they will not be victims of the country’s unity. “Ohanaeze Ndigbo supports the South-East Governors declaration of a public holiday on May 30th as a Biafran Day. For Ndigbo and most Africans, a time to mourn or remembrance of the dead is traditionally a solemn occasion”, Professor Obiozor stressed. According to him, “It is imperative and proper for Ndigbo to remember Ndigbo and others who died across the country either in the genocide or civil war in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970. Also, the body also urged the governors of the South-East to roll out the Ebube Agu Security outfit. “Ohanaeze Ndigbo wants to make it categorically clear that Ndigbo will not support the break-up of Nigeria but Ndigbo will not be victims of Nigerian unity. “In this context, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide consider as unfortunate the implications of the President’s statement. The last time I checked or heard a President speak of shock and awe)it was reserved for the enemy, not for citizens”, Obiozor bemoaned. Parts of the communiqué read: “I also want to appeal to all Igbo youths involved in violence and strongly advise them that there is nothing to celebrate in violence. We cannot change our lots and situations by steering and provoking hatred amongst ourselves, raining insults and abuses on ourselves and declaring war against those who disagree with our own ideas and approach to resolving our common problems. “What good does it do to us in the destruction of government institutions and facilities, most of which were built by our own people and donated to the government for our own benefit and the general good of the Society. “I appeal to Igbo youths to kindly avoid violence in spite of all provocations. We know how aggrieved we all are, but peace options are the best. “Ohanaeze once more urges the Federal Government to reconsider the use of force in resolving the present national crises. “Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide considers it imperative on the part of the Federal Government to conduct urgent in-depth investigations on the destruction of lives and property in the South East. “May I repeat that history shows that military and violent means to solve the National problem leads to national fractionalization, anarchy- and eventual or inevitable disintegration. The Federal Government should realise and be confident enough that no secessionist forces can defeat Nigeria. “The action of any of the secessionist groups will continue to be like a river threatening an ocean with drowning. We must also recognize the historical tact that in any society where injustice becomes a rule or law, resistance becomes a duty or an obligation. “Nigeria has a history of crises and continuity as well as creative use of crises as means of solving our national polítical problems whenever we are near the brink of catastrophe. In the recent past, we have had NADECO, Niger Delta Militants and Boko Haram Insurgency. The present situation in the country will soon be history. This too shall pass. “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide calls for a dialogue to resolve the present national crises. The Federal Government should acknowledge that because of the reality of Nigerian irresistible pluralism is that it is always preferable to go for dialogue instead of force. “Majority of Nigerians prefer unity to secession or separatism. They want Justice, Peace, Equity and Fairness. The golden rule of ‘do unto others what you would like done unto you,’ is complementarity and inclusive governance. “In fact a brief glance at Nigerian society, there is no shortage of villains among our political elites. But like many societies a deeper look into Nigeria you will see that the country’s political heroes still exist, though the villains may noisily dominate the political space. “Consequently to secure Nigeria, to develop Nigeria and to have peace, the Federal Government should immediately engage all Nigerian groups through their various Leaders in an urgent dialogue. Dialogue is what patriotic Nigerians, Nigerian well-wishers/admirers and the international community is now expecting of Nigerian leadership to resolve the present national crises and not military action. “It is time for peaceful action and dialogue, not war and destruction. “Finally, Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on the Federal Government to

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

MTN, GLO, Airtel block access to Twitter

Telecommunication operators in Nigeria have blocked access to Twitter after the government slammed an indefinite ban on the social media platform on Friday. The telcos, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said there has been a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to block Nigerians from accessing the platform. A statement jointly signed by ALTON Chairman and Executive Secretary, Gbenga Adebayo and Gbolahan Awonuga confirmed this. Checks by The Guardian confirmed that access to the Twitter platform has been blocked. “We, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) wish to confirm that our members have received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter,” ALTON said in the statement. “ALTON has conducted a robust assessment of the request in accordance with internationally accepted principles. “Based on national interest provisions in the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and within the licence terms under which the industry operates; our members have acted in compliance with the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) the industry regulator. “We will continue to engage all the relevant authorities and stakeholders and will act as may be further directed by the NCC. “We remain committed to supporting the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and upholding the rights of citizens. “As an industry, we endorse the position of the United Nations that the rights held by people offline must also be protected online. This includes respecting and protecting the rights of all people to communicate, to share information freely and responsibly, and to enjoy privacy and security regarding their data and their use of digital communications.” Source: Guardian Nigeria

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Facebook deletes Buhari’s civil war message

The Federal government may have ignited a social media war it may not be able to to prosecute or win, with the suspension of Twitter for deleting President Buhari’s twit for what Twitter considered as offensive. Shortly after announcing Twitter operation in Nigeria, Facebook joined Twitter in banning President Buharo’s civil war controversial message on its platform, saying that it violates its standards and capable if inciting violence. Also Read: Rescind suspension of Twitter in Nigeria or face legal action, SERAP tells Buhari With this action, President Buhari’s entire message had been removed from facebook following the ban on Twitter on Friday by the federal government. ” In line with our global policies, we have removed a post from Presidenr Buhari’s facebook page for violating our community standards against inciting violence. “We remove any content from individual or organisation that violates our policies on facebook,” facebook said. Recall that President Buhari had made a post against the South East region of Nigeria via his official Facebook page early in the week when INEC management led by its chairman, submitted a report on attacks on its facilities across the country.

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Post Date : June 5, 2021

Reverse Twitter suspension or face legal action, NBA threatens Nigerian govt

The umbrella body of Nigerian lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has threatened to sue the Nigerian government if it fails to reverse its decision to suspend Twitter operations indefinitely in the country. Many Nigerians have expressed outrage at the ban announced by the information minister, Lai Mohammed, on Friday. The government had announced the suspension barely 48 hours after the microblogging site deleted a controversial post by President Muhammadu Buhari referencing the country’s civil war, and threatening to treat those attacking government buildings “with the language they understand.” Reacting to the government’s decision in a thread of tweets posted via his twitter handle, the NBA President, Olumide Akpata, expressed the association’s “great concern” over the implications of the development. The implications, according to him, extend to “the right of Nigerians to freely express their constitutionally guaranteed opinions through that medium.” He said there is no Nigerian law that can be cited in support of the ban, reminding the government that the country practises “constitutional democracy” where everything must be done according to recognised rules. “The Nigerian Bar Association finds no constitutional or legal authority to support the peremptory action of the Federal Government to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria and deprive Nigerians of their right to freely express their constitutionally guaranteed opinions. Beyond the dent on our constitutional democracy, at a time when the Nigerian economy is unarguably struggling, the impact of arbitrary decisions such as this on investor confidence is better imagined. “Consequently, if this decision is not immediately reversed, the Nigerian Bar Association will have no choice but to challenge same in the interest of the public and our democracy,” the NBA president’s tweet read in part. He added that the Nigerian government’s directive to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT (Over The Top) and social media operations in Nigeria, “is, at best, yet another disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space.” “The FGN also directed the @NigComCommission to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria, which is, at best, yet another disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space. “Whether one likes it or not, we are operating a constitutional democracy, the primary consequence of which is that everything must be done according to law; government must be conducted within the framework of recognised rules and principles which restrict discretionary power,” the statement added.

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