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Post Date : February 18, 2022

Gunmen kidnap Abuja monarch’s son, kill motorcyclist

  At least one person has been killed while attempting to escape from gunmen who kidnapped, Junaidu Danjuma, the son of His Royal Highness (HRH) Danjuma Maji Jangaba, a traditional ruler in Abuja, Vanguard has learnt. Our Correspondent learnt that the deceased, Kabiru Sani, was on a motorcycle with the kidnapped prince of Gwombe community in Gwargwada chiefdom, Kuje Area Council of Abuja when he was shot dead. Sources said that the kidnappers, wielding sophisticated weapons, barricaded the Gwargwada – Gwombe road, shot endlessly to scare people away before whisking Junaidu away. The prince was said to be returning from a neighbouring village, Rubochi, on a motorcycle, when the kidnappers suddenly appeared on the road. “It was upon sitting the kidnappers when the man who was conveying the chief’s son on a motorcycle attempted to escape, in which they (kidnappers) opened fire and killed him instantly, while they whisked away from the chief’s son,” the source said The Agabe of Gwargwada-Ugbada, His Royal Highness (HRH) Alhaji Hussein Agabi, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Thursday. Salihu, a resident of Gombe, said that the incident happened in the evening of Wednesday at the same spot where the gunmen kidnapped, 11 villagers, including the wife of PDP Vice Chairman, Mrs. Asabe Mohammed Koriya, last week “Even though one among the 11 kidnapped victims of last week at that same spot who is from my village here managed to escape from kidnapper’s den,” he added. As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, DSP Adeh Josephine, could not be reached for her comments as she did not pick up calls or reply to a text message sent to her about the incident.

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Post Date : February 18, 2022

Rights abuse: Rivers court awards N100m against police

  A High Court sitting in Nchia, the Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, has awarded N100 million damages against the Nigeria Police Force. The court presided over by Justice C.D Green in a fundamental rights suit filed by Godgift Nwokolu against the NPF and two others over the killing of her father, Nte Nwokolu, on September 24, 2021, by Inspector Emeka attached to the anti-kidnapping unit of Rivers State Police Command, awarded the sum as damages to the deceased family. Counsel for the applicant, Obaraianenu Nwokolu, explained that the court declared and stated that the action of the respondent (NPF) in the shooting of the applicant’s father acted against the fundamental rights to life of the applicant’s father under sections 33, 34 and 35 of 1999 constitution and also article 4,5 and 7 of African Charter and Human peoples right ratification and enforcement act 1990. He stated that the court further declared that any institution holding the corpse of the late Nte Nwokolu be released to the family. According to Nwokolu, the court granted the last prayer of the applicant by ordering the cost of N100 million to be paid to the family of the applicant as the act of shooting and killing the applicant’s father contravenes his constitutional right to life. He explained, “On 24th September 2021 men of anti-kidnapping unit came to Njuru community of Agbonchia clan in Eleme LGA to effect the arrest of some persons when they shot and killed the applicant’s father who was sitting down and watching like every other person. “The police unit on seeing that the man is dead, shot sporadically into the air while carting away his corpse. “The family wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, who minuted it to the anti-kidnapping unit to investigate the veracity of the claims made by the deceased family and report back. “Rather than investigating the incident, the unit kept on threatening the family which warranted the applicant to file an action in court. “Despite serving four different hearing notice on the Nigeria Police Force, they refused to appear in court till 17th February 2022 the judgement was given by the court.” The lawyer hailed the judgment, saying it was an opportunity for all citizens to know that they can seek redress if the police, any other institution or individual trample on their rights.

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Post Date : February 18, 2022

‘Tinubu should go and rest, I’ll vote for Osinbajo’ – Edwin Clark

  Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Edwin Clark, on Thursday, cautioned Bola Tinubu, an All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential aspirant against contesting in 2023. Clark said Tinubu should go and rest despite coming from the most sophisticated region of Nigeria. Featuring on Arise TV, the elder statesman said he would rather vote for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to become Nigeria’s next President. Clark described Osinbajo as an intelligent man who has what it takes to rule Nigeria in 2023. According to Clark: “I’m not aware of Jonathan running for presidency. I’m a father to him and he has not informed me about such intentions. “The southwest is the most educated and sophisticated people in Nigeria, but Tinubu should go and rest. Other than the Igbos, I would vote for the Vice President; he is an intelligent fellow. “How many times have we heard Tinubu talking about the affairs of this nation or criticizing those in power?” Tinubu had recently announced his intention to contest for president in 2023. The former governor of Lagos State had informed President Muhammadu Buhari that his decision to run for the presidency was a lifelong aspiration. Similarly, reports had it that Osinbajo would soon make his intention known. However, the Vice President denied such reports.

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

BREAKING: Man Arrested, Detained On Abia Chief Of Staff’s Order, Released

  Ibe Pascal Arogorn Asagwara Peter, a man who was arrested and detained for questioning the professorship of Abia State Chief Of Staff, Anthony C.B Agabazuere has been released, Crimefacts.news reports. Crimefacts.news had reported how Mr Peter Asagwara was arrested and detained for questioning how Mr Agabazuere was suddenly promoted to be a professor by Gregory University Uturu. A political activist, Mezie Abia confirmed Asagwara’s release on Thursday afternoon on his Facebook page. Mezie wrote, “i made it known to Mr. ACB Agbazuere that I will personally see to the end of his imperiousness and act of using government position to intimidate the citizens of Abia State. I don’t say what I cannot do”. “I had left Port Harcourt to Abia State with team of lawyers to seek justice for Comr. Asagwara Peter, a political prisoner who was arrested and incarcerated by Mr. ACB Agbazuere, the chief of staff to the governor of Abia State for asking pertinent questions of public interest”. “Today, a High court in the State has found reasons to grant Comr. Asagwara a bail, and he has been freed from the shackles of Agbazuere’s ruthlessness and abuse of government power”. “Thank you to all those who stood for Asagwara Peter. Dr. Dom Nik, Barr. Empero Gabriel Ogbonna, Honest Munachiso Offor, Prof. Farooq Kperogi, Adeyanju Deji and Omoyele Sowore who sent his team to the High court and Afara prison, and others too numerous to mention”. “With a sense of profound gratitude, our biggest appreciations go to a renowned legal luminary in the country, Barr. C.C Elele and associates for standing in the course of justice and rendering his legal services”.

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

EXCLUSIVE: For Questioning His Professorship, Man Arrested, Detained On Abia Chief Of Staff’s Order

  By Ibe Pascal Arogorn Peter Asagwara has been arrested and detained for questioning the professorship of Abia State Chief Of Staff, Anthony C.B Agabazuere, Crimefacts.news has learnt. Peter Asagwara is a business man Asagwara Peter had questioned how Mr. Agbazuere was suddenly promoted to be a professor by Gregory University, Uturu. Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities faulted the promotion of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, as a professor. The union after its National Executive Council meeting declared the promotion as “illegal”. This was declared at a press conference addressed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday. He said, “You cannot be a minister and a lecturer in a university. It is an encouragement of illegality. Crimedacts.news gathered that Asagwara had explained that Mr. Agbazuere’s promotion as professor was undue and negates every academic tenet. In a post made by an activist on his Facebook timeline and seen by crimefacts.news, Mezie Abia said Asagwara Peter was arrested and charged before a magistrate court which does not have jurisdiction to entertain the matter. “The idea was not to seek justice, the idea was to slam him in prison pending the transfer of the matter to the appropriate court”. “This is coming after Mr. Agbazuere has approached Justice Benson Anya’s court in Umunneochi to restrain Asagwara Peter from making further revelations”. “To me, this idea is laughable. So long as Asagwara would not remain in prison forever, the idea is a mere fiasco”, Mezie said. “Asagwara asked a critical question of public interest. Every human has the right to ask necessary questions when necessary”. “If someone had questioned how you acquired an academic milestone, it is your duty to publicly embarrass such questioner with facts rather than trying to victimize him”. “When you struggle so hard to victimize and attack a questioner, it shows lack of sincerity from your end”. “We were all in this State(Abia) when Sen. T.A Orji was chief of staff, we were here when Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe was Chief of staff, we were here when the late Chijioke Nwakodo was chief of staff”. “They never used the government office as a tool against the masses who asked them critical questions of public interest”. “Interestingly, we would also be here to see the end of Mr. Agbazuere’s imperiousness”. “Mr. Agbazuere, the very week you became chief of staff was also the week you used the name of the governor to arrest and slam your own brother, a former deputy chief of staff, Dr. Chris Nwagboso,in prison”. “You used the name of the governor also to arrest Barr. Empero Gabriel Ogbonna whose wife was heavily pregnant at the time,and slammed him in prison”. “These antics and machinations of arresting and detaining people are old-fashioned, if anything, they are all hoarding up and piling up waiting for you and even passively,those innocent children of yours”. AGABAZUERE HAS SENT MANY PEOPLE TO PRISON The Abia based activist, Mezie Abia also narrated how the Aba Chief jailed many other people who dare or question his authority. He said, “about two weeks ago, one Hon Christian Mark Nwanpka was arrested and detained by Mr. ACB Agbazuere ,the Chief of staff to Abia State governor. I left Port Harcourt to see him in Afara. The young man is an Agbero worker who did nothing to Mr. Agbazuere”. “They broke into his house at night and whisked him away like a common criminal, having his children and poor wife crying pathetically”. “When I got to Afara, I saw About 15 other young people there, including one lady, they had their respective court hearings that very day”. “A single person had about 15 innocent people locked up in a prison, and he walks happily with his family without remorse”. JUSTICE FOR ASAGWARA PETER Activist Mezie Abia said the culture of arresting people for asking pertinent questions, is old-fashioned, it’s as dead as dodo. People will ask questions, asking pertinent questions is a social responsibility. “If questions were not asked regarding the professorship of Isa Pantami, perhaps, the Academic Staff Union of Universities – ASUU would not have risen to the occasion on Monday to describe Isa Pantami’s professorship as illegal”. “The professorship of Mr. Anthony C.B Agbazuere who is the Chief of staff to the Abia State governor, is currently being questioned. His only response to the question was using the governor’s letter headed paper to arrest and detain the young man who asked pertinent questions regarding the professorship conferred on him by Gregory University Uturu Abia State”. “What Agbazuere can’t do however, is to arrest the truth. He can use the governor’s letter headed paper to arrest Abians who ask pertinent questions and carry out other cruel deeds against Abia State citizens,but he can’t arrest the truth”. “We demand JUSTICE for Asagwara”. MY LIFE THREATENED The activist said he has received series of threats to his life from persons he believed to be working for Mr. Anthony C.B Agbazuere. Mezie Abia said, “i have one Mr. Uba Anyanwu on record on Tuesday evening, threatening to come for me if I do not stop telling the public how Mr. Anthony C.B Agbazuere is using government office to intimidate, repress and arrest Abians”. “What some of these people threatening me do not understand is that nobody has the monopoly of violence. I also want to let them know that I shall remain resolute as long as I am convinced that I am on the path of truth and justice”. “I want the general public and all security agencies in Nigeria to hold Mr. Agbazuere and Mr. Uba Anyanwu responsible should anything happen to me from today henceforth, because, I am never ready to stop exposing Mr. Agbazuere’s roughshod actions against Abians”, Mr said. Commenting on the matter, Barr. Gabriel Ogbonna (Emperor) said, “you think it is only one man that this man has gotten arrested? “Go to Afara and you will find out that there are

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

PSC suspends Abba Kyari’s men, directs IGP to suspends two inspectors

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sunday Ubua and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) James Bawa from the exercise of the powers and functions of their respective offices with effect from Monday, February 14, 2022. The two police officers were working under the suspended DCP Abba Kyari in the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Force Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force. They were also alleged to be involved in the current cocaine seizure and transfer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The Commission’s decision was contained in a letter to the Inspector General of Police dated February 16, 2022 by Hon. Justice Clara B. Ogunbiyi, retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Commissioner 1 in the Commission for the PSC Chairman, Musiliu Smith, who is a retired Inspector General of Police. According to a statement on Thursday by the Head Press and Public Relations Ikechukwu Ani: “The Commission in the letter titled “Re- Investigation into seizure and Transfer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency of 25 kilogrammes of Cocaine by the Office of DCP, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Department of Force Intelligence Bureau” stated that in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 030406, the Commission has approved the suspension of the Officers ” until the outcome of the investigation into the allegations levelled against them. “The Commission also directed the Inspector General of Police to ‘note also that DCP Abba Kyari, who prior to this allegation was on suspension, shall remain so until the conclusion of investigations”. PSC also asked the Inspector General of Police to suspend Inspector Simon Agrigba and Inspector John Nuhu in accordance with the Powers of Delegation. Ani said: “The IGP is further requested to inform the Commission of the arrest of ASP John Umoru who is currently at large whenever his arrest is effected to enable it take necessary action. “The Commission also directed the Inspector General of Police to furnish it with information on further development on the matter for necessary further action. “The Commission is in receipt of a copy of IGP’s letter on the subject matter with Reference number CB: 4099/FHQ/ABJ/Vol16/151 dated 14th February, 2022 and addressed to Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa rtd, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency”.

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

Ganduje Floors Shekarau, Barau At Appeal Court

  The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has quashed the lower court judgment which gave Senator Ibrahim Shekarau’s G-7 faction of the APC in Kano victory over the faction led by the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Daily Trust gathered that the appellate court ruled in favour of the governor’s faction in all three appeals lodged against the judgments of the lower courts. The decisions of the courts were delivered Thursday morning by Justices Haruna Tsammani, B. I. Gafai and J. Amadi. “The judgment of the lower court has been set aside for lack of territorial jurisdiction and also because it is an intra party affair. The third ground is that even the originating process that were used to file the case was wrongly done as such even the originating process was set aside. All the decisions are unanimous,” the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice for Kano State, Barrister Lawan Musa told Daily Trust. Details later….

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

Ikoyi building collapse: Lagos to demolish remaining skyscrapers, prosecute culpable officials

  The Lagos State Government has accepted 26 recommendations of the Toyin Ayinde-led panel that investigated the collapse of a 21-storey building in the Ikoyi area of the state. The Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration also rejected two of the 28 recommendations of the panel. In a White Paper exclusively seen by The PUNCH on Wednesday, the state government agreed with the recommendation of the panel that the existing two 15-storey buildings still standing at the site of the collapse on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi should be demolished and the land forfeited to the state government. The state government also accepted the recommendation of the panel that the Developer of the collapsed property, Fourscore Heights Limited, be prosecuted because of the loss of lives at the rubble. The PUNCH had earlier reported that the 21-storey building which was located on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi collapsed on November 1, 2021. Still standing beside the collapsed high-rise are two uncompleted 15-storey buildings. The collapsed 21-floor skyscraper, owned by Fourscore Heights Limited, trapped over 50 persons, including the firm’s Managing Director, Femi Osibona; his friend, a United States of America-based Nigerian businessman, Wale Bob-Oseni; his personal assistant, Oyinye Enekwe, and clients. About 44 persons were said to have died as a result of the incident, nine survivors were rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building, while some artisans working in the building before it collapsed are still missing. Days after the ill-fated incident, while rescue operations were still ongoing, Governor Sanwo-Olu declared that he had set up a panel to investigate the collapse of the building. On January 5, 2022, the Ayinde-led panel submitted its report to the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja. The chairman of the panel (Ayinde) said the panel spent approximately six weeks on the assignment and submitted the report as well as electronic recordings of all the sections and videos of proceedings in a hard drive to the Lagos State Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN). Ayinde said his panel visited the project site for a general assessment, coordinated the activities of the consultants who conducted tests on the site, received and reviewed documents from relevant ministries, departments and agencies and conducted 35 interviews. He said the panel interrogated 91 persons, requested and received 21 memoranda and accessed the home of the late Chief Executive Officer of Fourscore Heights Limited, Olufemi Osibona, with a view to gathering useful documents. Upon the receipt of the panel’s report Sanwo-Olu set up a four-man committee led by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, to produce a White Paper on the panel’s recommendation. The Bamgbose-Martins-led committee subsequently tendered its White Paper which is the position of the state government on the collapsed building. While the state government accepted 26 of the 28 recommendations of the panel, it rejected two. The Tribunal’s recommendations partly read, “The Developer, having been negligent, should forfeit the Project Site to the LASG in accordance with Section 25(4) of the Revised LABSCA Regulation 2019 “The Developer, Fourscore Heights Limited should be prosecuted because of the loss of lives involved. “Based on Structural Diagnostics Survey Report, annexed as Schedule 2 to this Report, and in the interest of the safety of lives in the environment, the Tribunal recommends, that the existing 2 Nos. 15 storey buildings should be demolished using the controlled demolition technique in order to reduce the effect of the demolition on the surrounding buildings and avoid self and uncontrolled collapse. In addition, the Tribunal also recommends evacuation of all occupants within a 45m radius from the extreme boundaries of the blocks in the interest of public safety while arrangements are made for the controlled demolition. Foundation on Y’ello Doctor Initiative “The various participants should face disciplinary action and prosecution as applicable. “The civil public servants found culpable should face the civil service disciplinary panel and prosecution where applicable. “There would be need to take a serious decision on what to do to those who use their political weight to harass and intimidate career civil servants who are merely discharging their statutory functions.” In its comments, the state government agreed with all the recommendations stated above. “Lagos State Government agrees with this recommendation and will forward to the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to institute appropriate charges against Fourscore Heights Limited. “Lagos State Government agrees with this recommendation and will forward to the relevant Ministry, Department or Agency to take necessary steps provided by law to carry out the controlled demolition of the two remaining Blacks A and B in an effective and safe manner,” the White Paper partly read. The state government also agreed that the various participants should face disciplinary action and prosecution as applicable. The government said the Attorney General of Lagos State will initiate the process of prosecution for all erring actors. It, however, said the prosecution of the government officials that acted on the 2019 approval of the building will first be done by the Personnel Management Board. “The disciplinary process for civil servants has to first be done through Personnel Management Board in line with the Public Service Rules. The disciplinary process is to be set up immediately and concluded within fourteen (14) days,” the White Paper added. Our correspondent learnt that culpable government officials including three town planners and civil servants will be prosecuted for lying under oath, and for using a private consulting company to create a fake approval that the building was good to go. Other recommendations of the panel welcomed by the government include that the Lagos State Building Control Agency should be the only agency authorised to seal up buildings short of standards and that all other monitoring agencies should go through the LASBCA to seal any project in the state. Others are that the regulatory authority should be well-staffed, material testing laboratory should be adequately funded and equipped, the National Building Code for Nigeria should be domesticated and that the individuals and companies found wanting in the building collapse should be

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

Russia Announces New Military Withdrawal From Annexed Crimea Peninsula

  Russia announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula on Thursday, despite Ukraine’s Western allies meeting similar announcements with skepticism. “Units of the southern military district that ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean peninsula are returning by rail to their permanent bases,” the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. State-run television showed columns of military hardware crossing a recently-constructed bridge connecting the peninsula to the Russian mainland. Thursday’s announcement is the latest reported drawdown of a Russian military force estimated by the West to be more than 100,000 troops, which Washington had said could be preparing to invade. NATO, the United States, and European leaders have denied, however, that there is any meaningful pullback of Russian troops and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s military personnel were actually rotating. Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and threw its weight behind pro-Moscow separatists in fighting that broke out that year and has claimed more than 14,000 lives. AFP

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Post Date : February 17, 2022

Macron announce withdrawal of French troops from Mali

  Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has announced the withdrawal of French troops in Mali, after a meeting with African leaders in Brussels, Belgium. Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Macron said the EU and France no longer share the same priorities with the government in Mali. “We cannot remain militarily committed with authorities to which we do not share same priorities,” Macron said. He also paid tribute to the soldiers who died in Mali, while fighting terrorism in the region. About 48 French soldiers are reported to have died in Mali. France has a little over 4,000 soldiers in the Sahel, with most of them stationed in Mali. Macron says most of them will now be redeployed to other countries within the Sahel, where the EU and its African fighters are fighting al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorists. Macky Sall, the president of Senegal and the chair of the African Union, expressed his gratitude to the EU and agreed with the move to withdraw from Mali. Nana Akufo-Addo, who represents the ECOWAS, said Africa has to keep up the fight against terrorism, he added that Africa “cannot let terrorists stay in Africa, after being chased from middle east and Afghanistan”.

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