January 2022 – Page 13

Post Date : January 24, 2022

In electoral bill mow only aspirants can challenge credentials of candidates

The revised electoral act amendment bill has barred voters from challenging the credentials of the candidate of any political party. The provision is contained in the revised bill that was passed by the two chambers of the national assembly last week. Compulsory direct primaries for political parties and electronic transmission of election results are among the amendments proposed by the national assembly. President Muhammadu Buhari rejected the compulsory direct primaries for political parties, saying the provision “violates the spirit of democracy”. The national assembly deleted the clause afterwards. In the clean copy of the bill which will be sent to Buhari for assent, the national assembly empowered only aspirants to challenge the credentials of any individual that emerges as the candidate of any political party. The new section 31 (5) of the revised bill as seen by TheCable reads: “Any aspirant who participated in the primaries of his political party who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by his political party’s candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate in relation to his constitutional requirements to contest the election is false, may file a suit at the Federal High Court against that candidate seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false.” The old section 31(5) reads: “Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by a candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate is false may file a suit at the Federal High Court, High Court of a state or FCT against such a person seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit.” The old provision gave power to voters to challenge credentials of candidates they believe are false. Over the years, there have been many suits at the courts challenging the credentials of candidates. In the revised harmonised bill, TheCable also observed that the national assembly removed the consensus mode of selecting candidates as passed by the senate. Parties are allowed to pick their candidates through direct primary or indirect primary polls, according to section 87 of the revised harmonised version of the bill.

Post Date : January 24, 2022

NAFDAC Bans Alcohol Production In Sachet, PET Bottles

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stopped the registration of alcohol in sachet, small volume PET and glass bottles below 200 millilitres. The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this in a statement issued by the agency on Monday. Nollywood Star Stella Damasus Loses Mum Ogun students to OP-MESA: War against ‘yahoo boys’ not license to unleash terror on citizens Adeyeye said the registration of new alcoholic drinks in sachet and small volume PET and glass bottles above 30 per cent Alcohol by Volume (ABV) has been banned by NAFDAC, following the recommendation of a high powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Industry in December 2018. Other members of the committee are the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN). According to the NAFDAC boss, the agency will ensure that the validity of renewal of already registered alcoholic products in the affected category does not exceed the year 2024. She said, “Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria was also given a matching order to embark on intensive nation-wide sensitization campaigns against underage consumption of alcohol by adolescents below the age of 18 years in the bid to stem the tide of alcohol abuse in the country. “Producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce production by 50 per cent with effect from January 31st, 2022 while ensuring the products are completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024. ” The agency is committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians particularly the vulnerable youths against the dangers of reckless consumption of alcohol.”

Post Date : January 24, 2022

Pastor Kumuyi’s introduction of ‘unconventional music, Deeper Life member protest

A anti-indecency campaigner and Deeper Life member, Prince Dele Banjo has staged a peaceful protest at the Deeper Life Headquarters at Gbagada, Lagos. According to Dele, his protest is in connection with the introduction of unconventional music to Deeper Life. He noted that Kumuyi who is like a father to them did not raise members of his church with such a music. Dele further stressed that the invitation of local Christian musicians that are not advocates of modesty were not acceptable. He finally urged that the church continues to use the book of hymns to worship God like they use to. Read part of the letter below; “We are surprised about the introduction of unconventional music as well as the invitation of Gospel rock stars to Deeper Life. We are also surprised about the invitation of local Christian musicians that are not advocates of modesty to deeper life. “We are surprised because pastor Kumuyi who is our father in the Lord did not raise us his children with such music. Instead, he raised us with modesty, holiness and the belief that we should worship God with our book of hymns alone using low toned and humble songs. “Pastor Kumuyi was the one that taught us all we know about modesty and holiness, so we are surprised that our teacher is changing direction and he is inviting international Gospel rock stars and local musicians that are not advocates of modesty to come and sing at deeper life. “We strongly believe that as a holiness church, deeper life ought to stick with our choir and our God given hymn book alone. We don’t need unnecessary noise from these American gospel rockstars and these local Christian musicians. “Our God given and humble choir at deeper life that consists of those lovely teenagers, keyboardists and trumpeters is enough for us at deeper life. “Since he is our father in the Lord, we hereby request an explanation from him; we want to our dear father in the Lord to defend the invitation of rockstars and local Christian musicians that are not advocates of modesty. “We hold in our hands the book of hymns in order to prove to everyone that all we need in deeper life is our God given book of hymns. Thank you very much”.

Post Date : January 24, 2022

Rapist jailed for life in Jigawa

The Jigawa High Court of Justice No. 6 sitting in Birnin Kudu council, presided over by Justice Musa Ubale, on January 18, 2022 delivered Judgment in the following cases: A case of Rape against one Musa Mu’azu from Birnin Kudu town charged with the offence of raping a 15-year-old girl. The fact of the case was that, the defendant was seen coming out from an uncompleted building with the victim in a suspicious manner and upon inquiries by the person who saw the defendant with the victim, the defendant confessed to have taken the victim to the building and had illicit sexual intercourse with her. However, the defendant pleaded that the issue be covered up. The case was reported to the police and investigation pursued. The defendant during police interrogation confessed to have committed the offence of rape but denied the charges on arraignment. The prosecution in establishing the case called four (4) witnesses and tendered three exhibits, while the defendant testified in his defence. Delivering the Judgment, Justice Musa Ubale held that the prosecution had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt, His Lordship thereby sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for the offence of rape. Also in the same court, a case of attempt to rape on a 7-years-old girl by one Haruna Ali from Yarma Village of Birnin Kudu council has been brought before the court. The fact of the case was that, the defendant forcefully held the hand of the victim and dragged her to a nearby farm, removed her clothes and attempted to rape her. It was in an attempt of committing the offence of rape, the prosecution witness arrived at the scene of the crime. The defendant in his extra judicial statement confessed to have attempted sexual intercourse with the seven-year-old girl. In proof of the case, the prosecution tendered medical report, which stated that there was no penetration as her hymen was intact and normal. The prosecution further called five witnesses and two exhibits and closed its case, while the defendant testified in his defence and closed his case. Honourable Justice Musa Ubale held that the prosecution had successfully proved the case of an attempt to commit rape beyond reasonable doubt thereby sentencing the defendant to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine for the attempt of rape. Similarly a case of kdnapping of a six-year-old boy against one Safiyanu Rabiu from Sara Town of Gwaram Local government was mentioned in the same court. During the hearing, the defendant was accused to have lured four children (Siblings) who were his neighbours’ children with N5 notes to buy sweets for themselves and took away the fourth one to the house of a senior sister to the child’s mother and told her that the parent of the child had travelled. The defendant told the aunty of the victim of the crime that he would come back the following day and pick the child. The parent lodged complaint of missing child to the police. The defendant later gave a phone call to the neighbor of the child and requested him to inform the parent that their son had been kidnapped and demanded ransom for N700, 000 or their child will be killed. The defendant went further to tell the neighbour that he should also bring N1, 000,000 or he will also be kidnapped and killed. The defendant was later arrested and on interrogation he confessed to have committed the crime. In proving the case, the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered one exhibit then closed its case. In his own defense the defendant called three witnesses including a Medical officer from Kazaure Psychiatric hospital and tendered one exhibits (medical certificate). The court while delivering its judgment held that the prosecution had successfully proved their case however, the defendant was able to successfully raise and prove the defence of insanity at the time of committing the offence, the court thereby discharged and acquitted him. Also, in a separate case, on January 17, 2022, the High Court of justice No. 2 sitting in Dutse presided over by Honourable Justice Abdulhadi Yalwa Suleiman has discharged and acquitted one Dan-Ubale Hassan who was arraigned for the offence of rape. Mr. Hassan was accused of defiling a 9-year-old girl in Taraya Village of Jahun Local Government Area. The prosecution had called witnesses including the prosecution and a Medical Officer and extra judicial statements of the defendant were tendered and admitted in evidence. On the part of the defendant, he testified by himself and closed his defence. The court found that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable and such the defendant was exonerated.

Post Date : January 24, 2022

Bishop Oyedepo: God can pick female president from Living Faith Church

Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church, on Sunday, said God can pick Nigeria’s next president from his church. Oyedepo made the remark while noting that God can pick a female president from Living Faith Church. He spoke during a sermon at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State on Sunday. The clergyman urged these members aspiring for political positions to always seek counsel. According to Oyedepo: “And it is important for me to mention to members of the church because another time is here now. You better ask counsel of the priest before you torment your life by yourself. “What office will you win election to that I will now need you? No. My eternal helper is up there, and they know if I have ever asked a thing of anyone. Allow God to lead you. Don’t let greed and avarice lead you. “Don’t get me wrong, God can pick a president from this church. That President could even be a female.”

Post Date : January 24, 2022

35-Yr-Old Missing Mother Of 2, Found Mutilated & Buried In Different Sacks In Lagos

The search for the missing mother of two, Mercy Henry, has come to an end. The 35-year-old woman was found, mutilated and buried in different sacks behind a building belonging to the prime suspect, Mr. Mayowa Timothy Bamidele. It will be recalled that Bamidele had repeatedly, vehemently denied seeing Mercy. In fact, he maintained that he last saw her four years ago. The deceased’s grieving father, Pa Henry Ekienabor, 70, choking on emotion, said: “It’s rather unfortunate that my daughter was killed, mutilated and buried at the back of Mayowa’s house. She was killed on the same December 16th, 2021 that she left home. Police called my son on January 14th, 2022, to tell us the development. I was hoping and praying that maybe they had been able to track and locate where her captors kept her. The Police told us that she was murdered in cold blood, mutilated and then buried. After mutilating her corpse, she was then packed into five sacks and buried at the back of Mayowa’s house. Police have gone to the scene to exhume her remains.” Pa Ekienabor further stated: “The breakthrough in the case was said to have started after the Police arrested four people alongside Mayowa. During interrogation, the detectives appealed to the four suspects that anyone who gives them useful information wouldn’t be punished. One of the four men raised his hand and then volunteered information to the police. Police went there, searched the house and zeroed in on the spot where Mercy was buried. Police recovered her handbag, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and her phone. These items were hidden in one of the uncompleted houses inside the blocks there. Till tomorrow, Mayowa is still denying knowing anything about the matter, but when the police brought him out of the cell after interrogating the other four suspects; he saw them and almost collapsed. Yes, he knows them. They are working together, so he couldn’t deny it.” Pa Ekienabor, who opined that Mayowa probably killed Mercy for money ritual purposes, added: “All the men of God, women of God, pastors, Bishops, I went to, all assured me Mercy was being kept somewhere, that we should pray, that she would come out, we didn’t know that she had been killed and buried for long. Yes, she was killed three minutes after her friend, Ayo, transferred N30, 000 into Mayowa’s First Bank Account.” Mercy on December, 16, told her family that she was heading to Ijegun, a suburb of the Ikotun area of Lagos State; she however, never mentioned the name of the person she was going to visit. Ekienabor said: “On December 16th I got a call from my son that Mercy didn’t return home to sleep. She had told everyone she was going to Ijegun, but she didn’t mention the name of the person she was going to see. That same night, her siblings started calling all her friends, asking if they had heard or seen Mercy. One of her friends residing at Port Harcourt, named Ayo, said that she spoke with Mercy at noon time. She said that Mercy called, asking for a loan of N30, 000, that she needed it for treatment at a trado-medical home, that she was short of blood and getting leaner. Ayo told us that she paid the money into a First Bank account bearing the name, ‘Mayowa Timothy Bamidele,’ given to her by Mercy. The money landed in the account at 1:59pm and at 2:02pm, Mercy’s phone number stopped going. Since then, we’ve not been able to reach her.” The following day, the anxious family members dashed to Gowon Police Station to make a formal complaint, declaring Mercy missing. Using the information supplied by Ayo, the police went to First Bank and with the assistance of the Bank, Mayowa; the account holder that received the N30, 000, was arrested. He, however, denied seeing Mercy. Pa Ekienabor said: “He claimed to have seen Mercy four years ago when she came to his traditional birth centre to deliver a baby girl. But his phone history and chats showed that he and Mercy spoke on December 15th about 9pm. Now, if you call her phone it would be switched off, but at night it would ring twice or thrice, then it would be switched off. It shows that someone used to charge it.” The children of Mercy, following her disappearance, had been asking for her, but relatives told them their mom would soon be home, unaware she had been killed and buried. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the disappearance of Mercy and arrest of Mayowa last week, while speaking with our reporter on the latest development, said: “It’s true some suspects have been arrested and exhibits recovered. We will make a comprehensive press statement soon.”

Post Date : January 24, 2022

IPMAN faults NLC’s planned protest against subsidy removal

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has described the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) planned nationwide protest against fuel subsidy removal as unnecessary and misplaced priority. The NLC had fixed January 27 for its protest across the 36 states and a grand protest in Abuja over the planned fuel subsidy removal. Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to the Chairman, National Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalisation, Petroleum Product Adulteration and Monitoring, Nwozuzu Chigozie, said rather than protest over fuel subsidy, the union should have vent its anger over failure of the authorities to invest in modular refineries. He noted that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 16, 2021, had no provision for subsidy. According to him, the conversation about fuel subsidy in Nigeria should have been a thing of the past because it was an obvious wastage of the nation’s resources which he said is benefiting only a few. He said: “In the 2022 budget, there is nothing like fuel subsidy. The landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) currently is around N400 per litre. The truth is it is against business ethics for importers to sell fuel below the landing cost. “The labour leaders campaigning for massive protest won’t tolerate that kind of thing in their individual businesses. For a very long time NNPC has been in the business of importation and many business owners refused to import because of a lot of corruption. “What the full deregulation means is that your landing cost determine how much you sell and Nigerians would buy at wherever suit them. Why is labour so particular about petrol? Are they protesting in interest of the populace? The answer is No. They have an ulterior motive.” While calling on labour leaders to enlighten Nigerians on the benefits of stopping payment of fuel subsidy, Chigozie urged government to reinvest the subsidy savings in critical areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture and other sectors. “But if the labour union is insisting on protest, that means they want the corruption involved in the payment of fuel subsidy to continue. Why can’t government subsidise foodstuff and provide electricity for people? There is a lot of unnecessary emphasis on fuel while Nigerians are suffering in other sectors,” he added.

Post Date : January 24, 2022

[BREAKING] JAMB: 2022 UTME, DE registration commences February 12

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday announced that registration for the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and the Direct Entry examination will begin on February 12. The board made this known in its weekly bulletin released by its Head of Media and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin on Monday. In the timeline of events attached to the bulletin, the board said: “UTME/ DE registration starts 12th February 2022 and ends 19th March 2022. Mock examination holds on 20th April, 2022. UTME holds from 20th to 30th April 2022.” Source: The Nation

Post Date : January 24, 2022

BREAKING: Soldiers Arrest Burkina Faso President Over Coup

Mutinous troops in restive Burkina Faso arrested President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Monday and detained him in army barracks a day after staging an uprising, security sources told AFP. “President Kabore, the head of parliament and the ministers are effectively in the hands of the soldiers” at the Sangoule Lamizana barracks in the capital Ouagadougou, two security sources said. Details coming…

Post Date : January 24, 2022

Angry Youths Set Ablaze School Of 5 Year-old Kano Pupil Killed By Teacher

Angry youths have burnt down Noble Kids Academy in Kawaji, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. Hanifa Abubakar, the five-year-old pupil who was abducted and killed by her proprietor, was a student of the school. The victim was kidnapped in December and killed shortly after, though her abductors had demanded a N6million ransom. It was while trying to get part of the ransom that the proprietor of the school, Abdulmalik Tanko, was nabbed by security forces. He later confessed to killing her with rat poison. There has been widespread outrage over the killing, with #JusticeForHanifa trending on social media for days. Commending the detectives who nabbed Tanko, President Muhammadu Buhari assured Nigerians that justice will be served. The Kano government had shut down the school indefinitely and directed parents to enroll their children in other schools. However in the wee hours of Monday, aggrieved youths stormed the school and set it on fire. In the interview he granted when he was paraded at the headquarters of the Kano Police Command, Tanko had said he rented the building where he used for the school. He had said there were two branches of the school and that he buried her in one branch. Police spokesperson in Kano, Abbdullahi Kiyawa, said not arrest had been made in connection with the arson attack on the school. He said there was no casualty in the incident, but parts of the school’s building were razed.