July 2021 – Page 59 – Crime Facts

Post Date : July 15, 2021

Robbers Break Into Ondo Bank, Shot Journalist dead

Three persons, including Olubunmi Afuye, an Ondo-based journalist, have been shot dead in a robbery attack at a bank in Ilara- Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State. A policeman was also gunned down in the attack which happened on Thursday afternoon. The late Afuye, who was inside his car when the robbers stormed the bank, was hit by a stray bullet. Afuye was the Public Relations Officer of Elizade University, which is in the town where the robbery took place. Before his appointment as the university spokesman, he worked at the state-owned Orange FM, Akure. One other person was also killed in the incident, which has thrown residents into panic.

Post Date : July 15, 2021

APC suspends 11 Lai Mohammed loyalists for taking party to court

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended 11 people loyal to Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, for taking the party to court. The suspended party members had asked a high court to remove Abdullahi Samari Abubakar as chairman of the APC caretaker committee in Kwara, owing to the rift between AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor, and the minister. Both men are seeking to control the party structure in the Kwara. In June 2020, the national executive committee (NEC) of the party dissolved the national working committee (NWC) led by Adams Oshiomhole and directed members not to institute any suits against the party. In a letter addressed to Abubakar and seen by TheCable, John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary of the party, said the suspension bars the affected persons from the APC’s membership revalidation exercise. “The Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee considered the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee dated 5 February 2021 on the resolution of the Kwara State Disciplinary Committee to suspend erring members who Instituted SUIT NO: CV/241/2021 BETWEEN JOSEPH TSADO AND 10 ORS VS ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS & 2 ORS against the party,” Akpanudoedehe wrote in the letter. “After due consideration of the decision, the members of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee found the decision meritorious on the grounds that the members who instituted the above mentioned suit against the Party had flouted the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of 25th June 2020, wherein the NEC resolved that no member of the party should institute any action in court and to withdraw all pending cases in Court in order to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party. “Consequently, the Caretaker/Extraordinary. National Convention Planning Committee ratifies the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee and upholds suspension of the following Party members: “TAKE NOTICE; that this suspension constitutes a bar on the above-named persons from participating in the on-going registration and revalidation of membership exercise.” The party’s decision is sequel to a letter by the Kwara APC chairman notifying the national leadership of its disciplinary action against the 11 members. The suspended members are; Joseph Tsado, Bamidele Ogunbayo, Issa Fulani, Imam Abdulkadir, Morufu Olaniyi Yusuf, Saludeen Lukman, Kerebu Fatai, Bola Ajani, Nurudeen Fasasi, Salman Shehu Babatunde and Abdullateef Ahmed Kolawole.

Post Date : July 15, 2021

Bandits Kill 2 Soldiers, Abduct Many In Raid On Sokoto Village

Two soldiers have been killed and seven others injured in a bandit raid on Unguwar Lalle village in Sabon Birni council area of Sokoto. The bandits also burnt down two patrol vehicles belonging to the police and army. Daily Trust learnt that the bandits attacked the village around 2 pm on Wednesday. “They came on 100 motorcycles; each motorcycle was carrying three well-armed bandits,” according to a witness account. “They came from Tilibale axis and opened fire on the soldiers that were manning a checkpoint along Sokoto-Sabon Birni road. ” They soldiers also responded but they were overpowered because the bandits were many,” the source said It was said that three operational vehicles left Sabon Birni town with re-enforcement but were ambushed along the way and two soldiers were shot dead while seven others sustained various degree of injuries. “As I am talking to you, the whole Unguwar Lalle and environs are deserted for fear of another attack,” he said. The account added that the bandits looted available shops in the area and rustled livestock. The bandits were also said to have kidnapped many residents include a hospital staff. When contacted the spokesman of the Nigeria Army, Brig-Gen Onyeoku said he was not briefed about the development. However, the Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Sanusi Abubakar could not be reached for his comment as at the time of filing this report.

Post Date : July 15, 2021

Pay more attention to security, poverty, food inflation, Emir of Kano urges Buhari

The Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to pay more attention to the problems of security, poverty, and food inflation in the country. Bayero made this call as he welcomed the President to his palace on Thursday, while commending the President on other projects. This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled, ‘President Buhari commends Ganduje, stresses on completing projects.’ The statement revealed that the President had arrived Kano on Thursday to perform the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kaduna-Kano rail line project. During his visit to the state, the President also commissioned other projects and paid a visit to the Emir of Kano. The statement partly read, “Emir Aminu Ado Bayero welcomed the President to the Palace which he said has always served as his home. “He commended the President for carrying out so many infrastructure projects in the state and across the nation in spite of the global economic meltdown caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, but urged that more attention be paid to the problems of security, poverty and food inflation. “He equally urged his subjects to pray and show patience and understanding towards their leaders. “Before his presence in the Place, the President had commissioned a very impressive three-layer bridge in the city, put up by the Ganduje administration to alleviate excruciating traffic hold-up on a major road crossing beside the state Secretariat. “President Buhari was welcomed, as usual, by mammoth crowds that lined his routes.”

Post Date : July 15, 2021

FG Declares Tuesday, Wednesday Holiday For Eid-El-Kabir

The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, July 20, and Wednesday, July 21, 2021, as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration in a statement on Thursday. In the statement Dr. Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, signed on his behalf, Aregbesola congratulated all Muslim faithful and Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on the occasion. “I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at the moment. “These mainly are bandits in the North West and North Central, insurgents in the North East, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic agitators and sundry criminals in other parts of the country,” Aregbesola said. The Minister assured that the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is “committed to the security of lives and property of every Nigerian, empowering the citizens for successful living, the provisions of social investments programmes and adequate security in the schools, especially with the spate of innocent school children being targets of kidnapping.” Aregbesola advised all Nigerians to take responsibility by reporting any suspicious individuals and criminal activities to law enforcement agencies, especially during this festival. He also enjoined all Nigerians to observe all COVID-19 protocols, particularly the non-pharmaceutical measures – wearing facemasks, hand washing and social distancing – designed to keep transmission of the disease at bay. “We must all take responsibility for containment of the pandemic during this year’s festival,” he said.

Post Date : July 15, 2021

House Of Reps Steps Down PIB

The House of Representatives has stepped down the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill after an hour-long closed-door session. Further deliberation is expected to hold over the decision while the House is on recess. Earlier in the day, lawmakers from the South-South had opposed the harmonised PIB allocation to host communities which was pegged at three per cent. The lawmakers were heard chanting “five per cent” as against the three pre cent at the floor of the House. Meanwhile, in the Senate, the three per cent allocation to host communities was adopted despite protests by the senators. The number in dispute is the percentage of the total operating expenses (OPEX) oil companies are expected to contribute to a trust fund created for host communities. Two southern senators George Sekibo and Seriake Dickson raised concerns over the approval. Senator Sekibo said he is not part of the vote on the allocation clause and Senator Dickson said his privilege had been breached as his views were not accommodated. However, Senate President Ahmad Lawan replied that the Senate had taken a resolution on the matter and could not go back on its decision. The host community allocation was one of the clauses left in consideration after the National Assembly passed the PIB earlier this month. The PIB is expected to transform Nigeria’s oil industry. The three per cent is different from the 13 per cent derivation fund which is paid to oil-producing communities from the federation account. Instead, the three percent allocation will come from an entity’s actual yearly operating expenditure of the preceding financial year in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. All contributions will be deposited in a trust fund for host communities. According to a draft of the PIB, the trust fund will enhance peace and cordial relationship between oil companies and host communities.

Post Date : July 15, 2021

Buhari commissions projects in Katsina, flies to Daura for Sallah

President Muhammadu Buhari has on Thursday commissioned the multi-billion naira Zobe dam water project and the 50-kilometre Dutsinma-Tsaskiya Road. The Zobe Dam and Dutsinma-Tsaskiya Road projects, both located in Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State were executed by the Federal Government and the Katsina State Government respectively. The multi-billion naira Zobe Dam Water Project was started in 1980 by the Second Republic administration of President Shehu Shagari, but was only recently completed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. ‌ The 50-kilometre Dutsinma to Tsaskiya Road was constructed in 2017 by the incumbent APC administration, under the leadership of Governor Aminu Bello Masari. Speaking during the commissioning of the multi-billion naira Zobe Dam project, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina said that the water treatment plant project was jointly financed by the Katsina State government in collaboration with the Federal government gulf about N21 billion. Masari further said with the commissioning of the project Dutsinma town, Kurfi and Katsina city will now have a sigh of relief and the issue of scarcity of water in Katsina will be a thing of the past. He urged people to safeguard the pipeline that passes through their areas to avoid vandalisation. Meanwhile, President Buhari has flown to his home town Daura after the ceremony for Eid-el Kabir celebrations.

Post Date : July 15, 2021

At Least 42 Dead In Germany As Storms Ravage Europe

Heavy rains and floods lashing western Europe have killed at least 42 people in Germany and left many more missing, as rising waters led several houses to collapse on Thursday. Unusually heavy rains also inundated neighbouring Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, where at least four people were reported dead. Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) states were the worst hit in Germany by the deluge, which has caused rivers to burst their banks and threatens to bring down more homes. At least 18 bodies were recovered in the region around the western town of Ahrweiler alone, a police spokesman told AFP. Local officials had earlier reported up to 70 people missing. Farther north, the district of Euskirchen in NRW reported 15 dead. Desperate residents sought refuge on the roofs of their homes as helicopters circled above to rescue them from the rising waters. Pensioner Annemarie Mueller, 65, looking out at her flooded garden and garage from her balcony, said her town of Mayen had been completely unprepared for the destruction. “Where did all this rain come from? It’s crazy,” she told AFP. “It made such a loud noise and given how fast it came down we thought it would break the door down.” Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “shocked” by the devastation and thanked the “tireless volunteers and emergency service workers” at the scene. NRW leader Armin Laschet, who is running to succeed Merkel in September elections, cancelled a party meeting in Bavaria to survey the damage in his state, Germany’s most populous. “We will stand by the towns and people who’ve been affected,” Laschet, clad in rubber boots, told reporters in the town of Hagen. Four of the dead were in the municipality of Schuld south of Bonn where six houses were swept away by floods, a police spokesman in the city of Koblenz said. Several other bodies were recovered from flooded cellars across the region. The environment ministry in Rhineland-Palatinate warned it expected floodwaters on the Rhine and Moselle rivers to rise with more rainfall. In NRW alone, 135,000 households were without power. Emergency workers struggled to evacuate people in endangered buildings and two firemen were killed Wednesday in the line of duty in the towns of Altena and Werdohl. Police set up a crisis hotline for reporting missing loved ones and residents were asked to send in videos and photos that could help them in the search. Regional official Juergen Pfoehler urged people to stay home “and, if possible, go to higher floors” of their houses. The German military deployed some 400 soldiers across the two affected states to assist in rescue efforts. In the city of Leverkusen, a power outage triggered by the storms led to the evacuation of a hospital with 468 patients. City authorities reported that after intensive care patients were moved to other facilities overnight, the other wards would have to be cleared in the course of the day. Belgium has also seen several days of heavy rain that has caused rivers in the French-speaking region of Wallonia to burst their banks. Four were reported dead. The provinces of Liege and Namur were especially affected, with the resort town of Spa completely flooded. In the town of Chaudfontaine, daily Le Soir reported that nearly 1,800 people had to evacuate. The country’s Infrabel rail network said it was suspending services in the southern half of the country, given the risks to travel. The southern Dutch province of Limburg, which is bordered by Germany and Belgium, also reported widespread damage with rising waters threatening to cut off the small city of Valkenburg west of Maastricht. Local news footage showed small rivers of water flowing through the scenic city centre’s streets and at least one old age home had been evacuated. Officials also closed off several roads including the busy A2 highway, while fears remained that water from heavy rains in Germany and Belgium would push up river levels as it reached the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Luxembourg government set up a crisis cell to respond to emergencies triggered by heavy rains overnight as Prime Minister Xavier Bettel reported “several homes” had been flooded and were “no longer inhabitable”. -AFP

Post Date : July 15, 2021

Nigerian Army refutes reports on release of Boko Haram fighters in Borno

The Nigerian Army High Command on Thursday refuted the reports of the purported release of over 1009 ex-Boko Haram fighters to the Borno State government. This was contained in a statement, titled “Reports on the release of Boko Haram fighters in Borno, false,” which was made available to newsmen in Abuja by Director Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu. Gen Nwachukwu while describing the report as false, urged the members of the public to disregard it entirely. ‌ According to the statement, “the Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of a media publication alleging that the NA has handed over 1009 ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno State government. “The report also alleged that the event was shrouded in secrecy. This report, obviously one of those attempts to dampen troops’ morale and denigrate the NA, riding on the back of unsubstantiated reports and misinformation. “While the NA would not want to join issues with the masterminds of this false narrative, it is important to set the records straight. “It is an indisputable fact that the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North East has led to the arrest of several terrorism/insurgency suspects. “These suspects have been held in custody while undergoing profiling and further investigations by experts from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC) and those who are found culpable are usually handed over to prosecuting agencies. “Accordingly, while those who are not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are cleared and released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society. “These cleared suspects are therefore not ex Boko Haram fighters, as peddled in the said online report and as the masterminds would want to impress on the public. “A total of 1009 cleared suspects, not ex-fighters, were therefore released after this rigorous process on Wednesday, 14 July 2021. “It is also necessary to categorically state that the handing over of the cleared suspects was not shrouded in secrecy as it was witnessed by United Nations Humanitarian and government agencies, in tandem with global best practices. “The NA, therefore, urges the general public to discountenance this misinformation, as it is evidently a manipulation and distortion of the truth and reality of the event.”

Post Date : July 15, 2021

Commotion as UNILAG students vacate hostels

Students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Thursday vacated the halls of residence in deference to the directive of the school management. Our correspondents observed most of the students left hostels before the 12pm deadline by the management. COVID-19 protocols were not observed during the vacating process as students crowded various places in the premises causing traffic jam. Meanwhile, mixed reactions trailed the directive that students should leave the halls of residence. While some students lauded the decision, others condemned the short notice which they said could endanger their lives. Falana Esther, 400 level student of Economics, feels the school management didn’t do their best and the decision could lead to cases of missing students and a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases around the country. “I wouldn’t be surprised if after two days, a large number of the students are reported missing or down with illness. The hostel vacation was too rowdy to avoid such issues. “I wouldn’t be surprised if after two days, a large number of the students are reported missing or down with illness. The hostel vacation was too rowdy to avoid such issues. Read Also: VIDEO: UNILAG students leaving hostels over third wave “All in a bid to leave the hostel before the stipulated time, a lot of students had to hop in to vehicles of strangers and anyone who was willing to help them out. “What if those strangers are kidnappers? We are running away from COVID-19 but there was no social distancing and there was no obedience to any of the COVID-19 protocols. “These students that have come in contact with persons with the virus going home will spread it to different parts of Nigeria where they reside. I feel the school management could have done better,” She said. For Ayomide Jonathan, a 200 level student of Accounting Department, the decision of the school management was not satisfying as the students had expected authorities to have students undergo some medical tests before releasing them to the larger society. A final year student of Insurance, David Abayomi, said the decision is good for students considering the COVID19 virus involved but the school should have tested the students before leaving so as to help them be on a safer side. “The decision is kind of good for students. If it is for the Covid protocols, I would say yes but actually I still feel there are some measures that should have been done before telling us to leave the school,” he said. Another student, Tope Adewunmi of Public Administration department said the decision was the best option. “I think vacating the school hall of residence is the best option for now because safety comes first and as for the virtual lectures it’s not really the best because of Nigeria network it is not good and very poor. “Secondly, data subscription money is too much and data quickly consume these days. And I also think the school should’ve carried out some test for students before leaving school premises, check their temperature and other necessary things before mixing with other people outside,” he said.