January 2022 – Page 31

Post Date : January 16, 2022

Obi Cubana Reveals His Ordeal At NDLEA

Businessman and socialite, Obi Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, has revealed that it was repulsive for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to link him with illegal narcotic business. Mr Iyiegbu was on Thursday grilled for about five hours at the Abuja headquarters of the NDLEA before he was granted bail but it looks like he was detained for days. While speaking at an Instagram live interview with media personality, Daddy Freeze, on Saturday, Obi Cubana said, “I was in detention for four days and three nights. I didn’t feel bad because I knew the agency would do a thorough job and if I am cleared, I’d be let go. “There was no witch-hunting, nobody was after me. But to link me to drugs? I’ve never felt so low. To me, it’s repulsive”, Cubana, who is the Chairman of, Cubana group of companies stated. It was reported that suspicious payments were made into Cubana’s account by three convicted drug dealers from Malaysia, Nigeria and India but Cubana noted that he had made a covenant with God that he’d never support, invest, or be a part of any drug business. “This is something that my children could be victims of,” the socialite added. “I was never accused. I was never linked to anything but they said somebody paid money into my account, and I believe that the agency in question is a very responsible one. “I know that at the end of the day, they would make their findings public.”

Post Date : January 16, 2022

Taliban Pepper Spray Women Protesters

Taliban forces on Sunday fired pepper spray at a group of women protesters in Afghanistan’s capital demanding rights to work and education, three demonstrators told AFP. Since seizing control of the country by force in August, the Taliban authorities have imposed creeping restrictions on Afghans, especially on women. Around 20 women gathered in front of Kabul University, chanting “equality and justice” and carried banners that read “Women’s rights, human rights”, an AFP correspondent reported. The protest however was later dispersed by the Taliban fighters who arrived at the scene in several vehicles, three women protesters told AFP. “When we were near Kabul University three Taliban vehicles came, and fighters from one of the vehicles used pepper spray on us,” said a protester, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “My right eye started to burn. I told one of them ‘shame on you’, and then he pointed his gun at me.” Two other protesters said that one of the women had to be taken to hospital after the spray caused an allergic reaction to her eyes and face. An AFP correspondent saw a fighter confiscate a mobile phone of a man who was filming the demonstration. The hardline Islamist group have banned unsanctioned protests and frequently intervened to forcefully break up rallies demanding rights for women. The Taliban authorities have blocked women public sector employees from returning to work, many secondary schools have still not reopened for girls, and public universities are shut. Long-distance trips for women who are not accompanied by a close male relative have been banned. The authorities have also issued guidelines that prevent television channels from broadcasting serials featuring women actors. Meanwhile, many women are living in hiding, fearful of a regime notorious for human rights abuses during their first stint in power between 1996-2001, before being ousted by a US-led invasion. AFP

Post Date : January 16, 2022

2023: I Have No Alliance With Tinubu — Fayemi

The Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has denied media reports that he has struck a deal with a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the 2023 presidential election following a recent meeting between the two leaders. Fayemi who had last week met with the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja said the engagement with Tinubu had nothing to do with his reported presidential ambition, saying those peddling the rumour were not privy to the issues discussed with the leader and could not have concluded on what transpired. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary on Saturday, Yinka Oyebode said the meeting only discussed issues of national importance, adding that, ” it is therefore disingenuous of the spin doctors who were no where near the venue of the meeting to begin to second guess discussions at the meeting.” According to him, the governor has so much respect for the national leader of the APC having been together for years in the course of the nation’s democracy and that the meeting between duo is normal in politics. He said, “However, both Asiwaju Tinubu’s declared ambition and Fayemi’s undeclared ambition have now been taken up and given verve by some spin doctors, particularly those who believe such could rev up their relevance in the eyes of either of the political leaders. “What makes the matter worse is that such spin doctors, surreptitiously scrambling for relevance have been weaving, not half truths, but blatant lies into the Tinubu-Fayemi meeting, saying it signposted Dr Fayemi surrendering his undeclared ambition to Asiwaju Tinubu’s declared one. “Specifically, they have been dishing out barefaced and unsubstantiated lies that Dr Fayemi at the closed door meeting “debunked the raging rumour of his 2023 presidential ambition and pledged support for the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.” “This, no doubt, is a reckless and untruthful spin. First, since the perpetrators were not present at the meeting and none of the leaders could have divulged what transpired, one wonders from where they got their narrative. “Secondly, the spin doctors, were so consumed by their fictional hogwash that they could not consider it an impossibility for Fayemi to drop a rumoured, yet undeclared ambition, even when Asiwaju Tinubu said he was still consulting as to whether to run or not. “The story by the spin doctors thus stands logic in the head and stands not only disclaimed but condemned. It must have been sourced from the rumour mill, or as a beer parlour gist. At its best, it is a mere conjecture.” The statement explained that even though the governor has not declare to contest the 2023 presidential election, he would only join the race based on his convictions and not to go on unhealthy contest with anyone. “The story by the spin doctors thus stands logic in the head and stands not only disclaimed but condemned. It must have been sourced from the rumour mill, or as a beer parlour gist. At its best, it is a mere conjecture.” The statement explained that even though the governor has not declare to contest the 2023 presidential election, he would only join the race based on his convictions and not to go on unhealthy contest with anyone. “If and when Dr Fayemi chooses to declare his interest in running for the 2023 presidential ticket, he would not be embarking on an ego trip that would warrant going into unhealthy contest with Asiwaju Tinubu or anyone else. Fayemi sees Tinubu as his leader in politics and reserves respect for him as a national leader of his party. Neither will he run the race with the intention of using it to negotiate with anyone. Rather he will run because he is convinced it is desirable for him to do so. “Perhaps the spin doctors are unmindful of the fact that Fayemi currently remains focused on finishing strong and well the assignment in his hand as two-term governor of Ekiti State. They also fail to realise that there is still a sitting President equally focused on finishing well his second term in office. Neither Fayemi nor Buhari would like to be distracted by such inanity at this juncture. “Should Dr Fayemi eventually choose to run in the 2023 Presidential race at all, he would not hide his intention to do so, neither will he involve himself in any clandestine meeting to discuss his chances, since he would have been x-rayed and classified among the preferred aspirants based on his credentials, even before he makes such declaration, ” the statement read.

Post Date : January 16, 2022

Insecurity: Buhari asks military to ‘respond robustly’ to killings, abductions in Niger

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the military to respond fiercely to the abductions and killings by gunmen in Niger state. Gunmen have been abducting and killing residents in the north-central state. According to a statement by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, Buhari gave the order to the defence headquarters a few days ago. “President Muhammadu Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s armed forces has set the ball rolling for a major military operation in Niger State which has faced continued attacks on its communities by bandits and remnants of Boko Haram terrorists fleeing theatres of war in the Northwestern and Northeastern parts of the country,” the statement reads. “In a directive to the Defence Headquarters a few days ago, the President asked the military to respond robustly to the cases of killings and kidnappings in the State and to give effect to the strategic objectives through the use of force. “The President reiterated that security is a responsibility of every member of the community and only through solidarity and cooperation with law enforcement agencies can we defeat the problems finally.” Buhari commiserated with the government and people of Niger over the recent attacks in the state. The commander-in-chief said, “The Federal Government is willing to strengthen support and cooperation with all the states. I believe that with the full cooperation of the citizens, we will surely overcome this problem.”

Post Date : January 16, 2022

2023 Presidency: 28 Groups Converge On Kano For Osinbajo

No fewer than 28 groups from across Nigeria have converged in Kano to declare support for Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, to run for the office of the president in the 2023 general elections. The meeting, which saw the groups merge under an umbrella, ‘The New Tribe’, saw delegations from all the geo-political zones of the country come together to drum support for Osinbajo, who is yet to officially indicate interest in running for the highest office. In their separate remarks, former Kano State Deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, and the member representing Tarauni federal constituency, Hafizu Kawu, said Osinbajo’s rise to prominence was not a fluke or a national infatuation but the consequence of his remarkable skills. They described him as a keen intellect, with noble intentions and the wit and grace to express them in ways that have inspired millions across the country. The coordinator of the groups, Anwar Hassan, said they gathered to declare 100 percent to Osinbajo for his worthiness that was since realized in his diligent service to the nation as a Vice president. In his keynote address, a former senator representing Osun Central, Professor Sola Adeyeye, said Nigeria had been calling for a new tribe “where no one is pulled down on account of differences in ethnicity or religion” for over six decades. Speaking on why the new tribe chose Kano as its launching ground, Adeyeye described the state as a city, ‘constantly pregnant, with other cities incubated within its womb’.

Post Date : January 16, 2022

Police Investigate DPO Who Allegedly Owns Illegal Refinery In Rivers State

The Rivers State Police Command says it has set up a panel to investigate a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who is alleged to own an illegal refinery in Rivers State. In a statement on Sunday, the Police said the unnamed DPO has been “immediately redeployed and a panel headed by an assistant commissioner of police inaugurated to investigate the matter” According to the statement signed by the Acting State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Grace Iringe-Koko, the outcome of the investigation shall be made public and the officer will be punished appropriately if the allegations are confirmed. The statement further said the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday, restated the commitment of the command to support the Rivers State government in its war against illegal oil bunkering and assures the public that the command will not spare any indicted person no matter how highly placed he or she may be. The CP also called on anyone with useful information on the activities of oil thieves and illegal refiners not to hesitate in passing it to the security agencies or the local government chairmen. Governor Nyesom Wike had raised the alarm this week and demanded that the DPO, who was in charge of a division in a community called Rumuji in the Emohua Local Government Area, be redeployed. Governor Wike also demanded the immediate redeployment of the head of the anti-vandal unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for providing cover to illegal refiners. In responding to the allegation, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Audi has announced the disbandment of the Rivers State anti-vandal unit of the NSCDC. The Commandant-General also ordered the suspension of the head of the team pending the outcome of an independent enquiry into the allegations. A statement on Saturday by the Director of Public Relations, NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, said Audi expressed shock and dismay over the allegations. He decried the allegations as not being in tandem with his vision for the corps, stressing that he would not condone any criminal act or compromise by the personnel.

Post Date : January 16, 2022

NDLEA intercepts 1.5m Tramadol tablets going to Kebbi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it intercepted about 1.5 million tablets and capsules of pharmaceutical opioids such as Tramadol, Exol-5 and Diazepam loaded in Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Yauri, Kebbi State. Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the drugs were intercepted in Edo State on Friday, January 14, 2022. The NDLEA spokesman also said the same day, 425,000 Diazepam tablets were recovered at Segemu, Kano. He said in the past week, N1,413,344 was seized along with arms and ammunition from a suspected bandit and a drug kingpin in Plateau State while over 137.754 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were recovered during interdiction operations across seven states. “Acting on credible intelligence, operatives in Edo State on Friday 14th January 2022, intercepted a trailer coming from Onitsha and going to Yauri in Kebbi State. A thorough search of the truck led to the discovery of psychotropic substances concealed under legitimate goods. The drugs seized include: 394,480 capsules and 3,000 tablets of Tramadol weighing 83.707kg; Exol-5: 647,500 tablets weighing 203.315kg; Diazepam: 12,500 tablets weighing 2.05kg; Bromazepam: 1,500 tablets weighing 0.45kg; Codeine based Syrup: 999 bottles weighing 134.865kg; Pentazocine injections: 4,000 ampoules weighing 16.64kg. The driver of the truck, Bashir Lawali, 30, was arrested along with Abubakar Sani, 30, and Ali Abubakar, 19, while the exhibits in Kano were seized from one Sa’idu Yahya, 31. “Attempts by drug traffickers to export 73 parcels of cannabis (34.05kg) concealed in foodstuff plastic containers to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, were frustrated by operatives on 8th Jan, same way another 50 parcels of cannabis consignment (27.25kg) meant for the United States was also intercepted at the export shed of the airport on Tuesday 11th Jan and at least three suspects so far arrested. “In the reverse bid, moves by illicit drug merchants to bring into Nigeria 94 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 43.4kg through the Tincan Seaport in Lagos were crushed on 13th January when operatives intercepted the drug inside a 40ft container from Canada. The exhibit was concealed inside a Toyota Camry Car. This came on the heels of a similar seizure on 11th January of 59 parcels of Colorado (17.3kg) concealed in a Mercedes Benz Vehicle imported from Canada. “In Plateau State, a fake security agent, Babagana Maaji has been arrested through a controlled delivery of 5.6kg cannabis from Lagos. The suspect based in Damaturu, Yobe State, was nabbed following the interception of a commercial bus bringing the consignment from Lagos to Gombe in Mararaban Jos on 8th January. “On Tuesday 11th January, operatives of the Plateau Command of the Agency also arrested a suspected bandit, Abdullahi Usman Ahmad, 28, at Hwolshe with One Beretta pistol; seven rounds of live ammunition; two empty shells; 12 grams of cannabis sativa; a pair of handcuffs and One Million One Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty-Four Naira only (N1, 136,344), suspected to be ransom money as well as an Opel Car with registration number ZAR35LQ. “In the same vein, leader of a cocaine distribution ring in Plateau, Chibueze Okoro John, 42, has been arrested along Zaria Road, Jos, with quantities of cocaine and Tramadol recovered from him as well as a Sienna Bus (BWR 584 AL), Toyota Camry Car (RBC 461 BF) and the sum of Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand Naira only (N 277, 000), which the suspect offered to the narcotic officers as bribe but was rejected. “In Delta State, the bid by 38-year-old Ejike Obiora, to smuggle different quantities of Cocaine and Heroin into the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South LGA, was foiled on 8th January, when he was discovered to have concealed the drugs in foodstuffs meant for an inmate. “This is even as 598kg cannabis was recovered during a raid in Owo area of Ondo state with the two owners: Arataye Raimi, 41, and Tope Osinnuwa, 36, eventually arrested in follow up operations. “While one Abdullahi Mohammed was arrested in connection with the seizure of 48.5 blocks of cannabis in Potiskum, Yobe State, another fake security agent, Dike Davison was nabbed at Aliade, Benue State, with 50grams of cannabis and 29 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62mm calibre. “In Abuja, FCT, a buy and bust operation on Friday 14th January, led to the arrest of one Habib Yusif, 41, with a total of 28.2kg cannabis recovered from him, while in Osun state, the trio of Samuel Joseph; Francis Ujor and Sola Johnson were arrested in Onikoko village Area 5, Ile-Ife, with 100 bags of cannabis weighing 1,530 kilograms recovered from them on Thursday 13th Jan. “While commending the officers and men of the various commands for their remarkable efforts, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) assured them that their sacrifices, dedication to duty and exceptional feats will not go without commensurate commendation and rewards.”

Post Date : January 16, 2022

Agreement with Twitter: SERAP demands publication, copy from FG

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to provide it with a copy of the agreement recently signed with Twitter and to widely publish the details of any such agreement. Recall that Mohammed on June 5, 2021, announced the suspension of operation of Twitter by the Federal Government, following which a seven-man Presidential Committee was set up to engage Twitter Incorporated. The Presidential Committee in turn established a 20-member Technical Committee, which reportedly directly worked with the Twitter team. SERAP also urged Buhari to direct Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to clarify the manner and scope in which the agreement with Twitter will be enforced, including whether the agreement incorporates respect for human rights, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international obligations. In a letter dated January 15, 2022 by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation maintained that publishing the agreement would enable Nigerians to scrutinize it, seek legal remedies as appropriate, and ensure that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter are not used as pretexts to suppress legitimate discourse. SERAP said: “Publishing the agreement with Twitter would also promote transparency, accountability, and help to mitigate threats to Nigerians’ rights online, as well as any interference with online privacy in ways that deter the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression.” According to SERAP, “Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized human rights, such as the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, peaceful assembly and association, as well as public participation both offline and online. The letter, read in part: “Any agreement with social media companies must meet constitutional and international requirements, including legality, necessity, proportionality and legitimacy. “This means that any conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter must meet the requirements of regular legal processes and limit government discretion. Secretly agreed conditions will fail these fundamental requirements. “The government has a duty to demonstrate that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter would not threaten or violate the enjoyment of Nigerians’ human rights online, and that the conditions are in pursuit of a legitimate goal in a democratic society. “SERAP is concerned that the operation and enforcement of the agreement may be based on broadly worded restrictive laws, which may be used as pretexts to suppress legitimate discourse, interfere with online privacy, and deter the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression. “Any agreement with social media companies must not be used as a ploy to tighten governmental control over access to the internet, monitor internet activity, or to increase online censorship and the capacity of the government to restrict legitimate online content, contrary to standards on freedom of expression and privacy. “Your government has a legal obligation to promote universal Internet access, media diversity and independence, as well as ensure that any agreements with Twitter and other social media companies are not used to impermissibly restrict these fundamental human rights. “We would be grateful if the requested information and details are provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal action in the public interest to compel your government to comply with our request. “According to our information, the approval was given to lift the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria effective from 12am 13th January 2022 following the memo sent to you by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim. The decision to lift the suspension was reportedly based on the recommendations by the Technical Committee on Nigeria-Twitter Engagement,” among others. The letter was copied to Mohammed and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Post Date : January 16, 2022

Banditry: Masari Orders Immediate Reopening Of Filling Stations, Cattle Markets In Katsina

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has approved for the immediate reopening of all filling stations and cattle markets earlier closed down on account of cattle rustling and armed banditry in the state. The governor however instructed the two Emirate Councils in the State to admonish District and Village Heads of the affected areas to be vigilant and ensure that no any act of connivance by Sarakunan Fawa and others is allowed. A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa warned that Government would not hesitate to re-enact the closure where a resurgence of any dubious activity is noticed. The filling stations and cattle markets were closed down since September last year as part of the Security Challenges Containment Orders signed into law by the Government to curtail the supply of fuel to bandits and the transactions on rustled animals in the State. The two security containment orders include among others, closing two major roads: Jibia to Gurbin Baure and Kankara to Sheme. In this new law, commercial vehicles were advised to take Funtua road but private vehicles can still fly the Kankara-Sheme road. According to the laws, the governor also banned illegal junctions and motor parks as well as cattle markets in 14 LGAs: Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Malumfashi, Charanci, Mai adua, Kafur, Faskari, Sabuwa, Baure, Dutsinma and Kaita. He also banned movement of cattle in trucks and firewood from the bush including the prohibition of more than two people from riding on a motorcycle and more than three in a tricycle as well as sale of petroleum in jerry cans. A popular second-hand motorcycles market in Charanchi was also suspended in the new law. To cut fuel supply to the bandits who ride in convoys of motorcycles to attack communities, the governor said only two designated fuel stations in the banditry-affected LGAs can now sell fuel, and of not more than N5,000 to a person.

Post Date : January 16, 2022

UAE Shuns Nigeria, Lifts Travel Ban On Ghana, 4 Others

Emirates Airlines schedule flights have resumed in Ghana and four other African countries slammed with travel restrictions by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) even as uncertainty surrounds the resumption of flights to Nigeria. The UAE had on December 27, 2021, added Ghana, and eight other countries to its no-fly list prompting the country’s carrier, the Emirates, to suspend flights to the countries. According to an update on the Emirates website, resumption of passenger services from Guinea, Uganda, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire and Angola commenced January 13. Travel agents who spoke with our correspondent said there was uncertainty over the resumption of Emirates flights in Nigeria. The federal government had in December suspended Emirates’ winter schedule in retaliation for the refusal of the Sharjah Airport Authorities to grant Nigeria’s carrier, Air Peace, the three slots it requested for. But the suspension was lifted after the Dubai Airport authorities granted Air Peace seven slots. Just as operators were anxious about the resumption of flights between the two countries, the UAE authorities imposed a fresh restriction on Nigerian and other African countries as part of its Omicron travel ban to contain the spread of the COVID-19 variant.