Crime Facts

Killing people for rituals won’t make you rich overnight, Ben Bruce tells youths

  Ben Murray-Bruce, a former Nigerian senator, has lamented the increasing trend of ritual killings among young people. In a tweet on Sunday, the former senator said young people who are supposed to be the “leaders of tomorrow now engage in unimaginable crimes just to become millionaires overnight”. “What has suddenly gone wrong with young people who now believe that rituals involving human blood will make them rich?” he asked. “So many Nigerians go missing daily, and while many are never found. Some are found dead with body parts missing. We must work to stop this trend.” He said the “narrative that poverty and unemployment get young people into ritual killings” must not be accepted. To curb the menace, Murray-Bruce said the family, as a social institution, should instil discipline and good morals in children. “We must return to our traditional family values where charity begins at home,” he said. “The family remains where the teachings of ethics begin. “This is where moral instructions are imbibed in children. This is where discipline and good morals are instilled in children regardless of their religion. “We must rebuild our families and inculcate love and tolerance among our children.” The former senator also advised that the government “must do more to encourage young people to use their knowledge of technology for productive ventures”. “With this, I’m calling on the government to establish tech hubs and tech sharks to train young people in information and digital skills aimed at making Nigeria and the world a better place,” he said. “We must teach them good virtues, hard work and patience. “I want young people to know that there is no shortcut to being wealthy without hard work. “Killing a human being for ritual purposes will not make you rich overnight. “It will only take you to hell. “Our politicians and elites must show restrain in the way they flaunt their wealth both publicly and on social media. “The Nigeria police and other security agencies should also deploy intelligence and apprehend the perpetrators of these acts and bring them to justice. “While our worship centres must focus more on encouraging young people to embrace hard work diligence and patience.”

Buhari’s leadership crucial to Africa’s development, says AfDB President

  The President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, has emphasised the importance of Nigeria’s leadership in developing the African continent, Adding that achieving the desired development requires commitment and positive contribution of the most populous black nation. In a post on his Twitter page on Saturday, the former minister of Agriculture noted that as the continent continues to advance her development, Nigeria’s leadership and that of the President Muhammadu Buhari are crucial. He tweeted, “I was delighted to meet my President, H.E. President ⁦@MBuhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government. Nigeria’s leadership and that of H.E. President ⁦@MBuhari are crucial as we advance Africa’s development.” Meanwhile, Buhari had earlier at a sideline meeting with the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, at the ongoing African Union meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to continue pursuing peace and progress in Africa. Aside from Nigeria, he said he would work in ensuring peace and progress in other parts of the world, by consistently pushing for justice, fairness and inclusiveness in global affairs. The President assured that the country remains unwavering in supporting democracy, development and good governance, particularly in ensuring the rights of individuals and institutions. “As a country we are doing our best, and we will continue doing our best to ensure justice and fairness,” Buhari said.

SERAP to Buhari: Stop NIN-SIM access to subscribers’ details approval

  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently review and rescind his reported approval for security agencies to access subscribers’ personal details via NIN-SIM linkage without due process of law. SERAP also urged the president to send executive bills to the National Assembly to repeal and reform all laws, which are inconsistent and incompatible with Nigerians’ rights to privacy, dignity and liberty. SERAP made the request in a letter to President Buhari, dated February 5, 2022, by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare and made available to Vanguard on Sunday. The letter was copied to Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and Mr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. SERAP’s letter followed reports that some security agencies have received presidential approval to access people’s personal details via the database of the National Identity Management Commission in the course of carrying out their duties. The organisation stated: “If your reported approval is not rescinded, millions of law-abiding Nigerians may feel that their private lives are the subject of constant surveillance. “The interference entailed by unlawfully or arbitrarily accessing people’s personal details is far-reaching and must be considered to be particularly serious. “Interference with an individual’s right to privacy is not permissible if it is unlawful or arbitrary.” The letter, read in part: “The power to access individual’s details raises serious concerns as to their arbitrary use by the authorities responsible for applying them in a manner that reduces human rights and democratic principles by the monitoring and surveillance of millions of Nigerians. “It is crucial to rescind the approval, and respect the autonomy of individuals to receive and share information of a personal nature without interference from the authorities, if unintended adverse consequences are to be avoided. “According to reports, some security agencies have received your approval to access people’s personal details via the database of the National Identity Management Commission in the course of carrying out their duties. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami reportedly conveyed the approval to the relevant security agencies. “Mr Pantami also reportedly stated that the approval would enhance security as it would help security operatives to go after kidnappers and other criminals.” “The approval would now allow security agencies to access the data of the over 73 million Nigerians who have linked their National Identity Number with their SIM, and other people who may do so.” “While the effectiveness of the fight against serious crime may depend to a great extent on the use of modern investigation techniques, such an objective of general interest, however fundamental it may be, cannot in itself justify the unlawful or arbitrary interference with the right to privacy. “Unlawful or arbitrary access to people’s personal details would contravene section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which protect against arbitrary or unlawful interference with one’s privacy. “Any constraints upon the right to privacy must strictly comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. These requirements are included in the Nigerian Constitution and the human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party. “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken 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 actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”

Saraki: I suffered persecution because I stood for independence of n’assembly

  Bukola Saraki says he suffered “persecution” when he was senate president because he stood for the independence of the national assembly. The former senate president spoke on Saturday during a Twitter Spaces discussion hosted by Rinu Oduala, one of the organisers of the #EndSARS protest. Saraki, a former governor of Kwara state, was the senate president of the eighth national assembly from 2015 to 2019. During the conversation, participants asked the speakers, including Saraki, questions on the 2023 general election and previous political engagements. Aisha Yesufu, activist and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), accused the eighth national assembly of being the “worst in Nigeria’s history,” adding that the current national assembly gave “failure another meaning”. Yesufu said the eighth assembly under Saraki paid lip service to #OpenNASS, a campaign on openness, transparency and accountability of the national assembly. Responding to the activist’s comment, Saraki said he “totally disagrees” that the eighth national assembly is the “worst in history”. He said the national assembly under him did not curry favour from the executive. Saraki said the challenges he faced while he was senate president was because he stood for the independence of the national assembly. On the #OpenNASS campaign, he said the national assembly under him made its budget a public document. “When she talked about #OpenNASS, you can go and check the records before the eighth national assembly, there was no time before then that the budget of the national assembly was a public document,” Saraki said. “We made it public for the first time in the history of the national assembly, that is one of our achievements. “Not only that. The budget process for the first time had public hearings, it has never happened in the history of this country. “Loans that were being requested by governors were being asked questions. We say ‘tell us what these specific loans are for’. It had never happened, it is not happening now. Is it? “When you talked about curry favour, all the personal prosecutions I went through was because I did not curry favour. “All I went through for four years is because I was standing for the independence of the national assembly. “We made sacrifices for the national assembly. If you look at appointments, we stood our ground for the appointments that we felt were right or wrong. That is standing for the independence of the national assembly.” ‘WHY I PARTED WAYS WITH APC’ Asked why he supported the candidacy of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, the former senate president said he did so hoping for a change in the country. Saraki said he left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when he realised that the change agenda was not being achieved. “My view in 2015, honestly, was that there was an issue of security and the level of corruption at that time and the issue of integrity, ability to lead the country with honesty and good intentions; a lot of us felt that there was going to be a change,” he said. “There was nothing personally one was gaining out of it. It wasn’t that one was doing it out of any personal gain at all. “You could see that when I realised that what we hoped to achieve and deliver for Nigerians was not happening, we parted ways. “I think that that was an acceptance for me to say that this was not what we bargained for. That is the truth, I am speaking from the heart about what happened. “We had great hopes and intentions. It did not happen. I, unlike others, said ‘look this is not what I promised Nigerians, and I can’t continue’, and we parted ways, and that is the truth about that.”

Delta Oil Vessel Explosion: Three Crew Members Alive, One Dead Body Found

  Three crew members from the oil vessel that exploded in Delta State have been found alive. The management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) in Receivership confirmed this in a statement on Sunday following the fire outbreak that engulfed the FPSO Trinity Spirit at the Ukpokiti Terminal in the early hours of Wednesday. “We can confirm that three (3) crew members have been found alive in the community and our priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need,” the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ikemefuna Okafor, said. However, Okafor noted that one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO but the identity is yet to be ascertained. “As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, 3rd Feb. 2022, thus enabling closer inspection of the vessel. A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022. “The focus of our joint efforts is to prioritise investigations towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the 7 crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion. “We appreciate the assistance provided by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team, NOSDRA, NUPRC, SPDC, NIMASA and people in the community, particularly the fishermen, who have been of immense assistance since the incident occurred,” the statement read in part. The company urged members of the public to continue to keep away from the area while its Crisis Management Team monitors developments in the investigations and updates all stakeholders with new information accordingly. 10 persons were said to be aboard the ship when it exploded.

Osinbajo right man to succeed Buhari, says support group

  Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, a group known as the Osinbajo campaign organisation has launched in Ondo state to support the vice-president. The vice-president has not officially declared to contest in the 2023 presidential election. At its launching on Saturday, in Akure, Ondo state capital, Ifeolu Fasoranti, director-general of the group, said Osinbajo is the right man to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Fasoranti said the group was formed for the emergence of the vice-president as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and subsequently winner of the 2023 presidential election. He described Osinbajo as the appropriate person to succeed Buhari because “he has the wherewithal to fix the nation’s multifaceted challenges”. He said the vice-president would turn around the socio-economic and political situations of the country if allowed to lead. “We believe that as president, Osinbajo will harness all the resources and rejig the system to work towards the interest of Nigeria rather than the interest of individuals,” he said. “With his vast experiences in the academics, law, governance and administration, Osinbajo has fashioned out many programmes that will effectively address the challenges confronting this nation. “No doubt, he will be a bridge between the old and the new, between the north and the south, between the east and the west. He will be a connecting valve among all religious beliefs.” Fasoranti said without trying to ruffle feathers, the nation needs “an energetic, fearless, truthful, focused leader” with conscience and vision to direct its affairs. He added that prominent leaders have committed to the course.

Fayose: Nigerians will be doomed if APC candidate wins 2023 presidential election

  Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, says Nigerians will be doomed if the All Progressives Congress (APC) win the 2023 presidential election. Fayose said this in an interview with The Punch on Saturday. He said the 2023 general election is about Nigerians, whether to remain in perpetual poverty or save themselves. “If the PDP does not win the 2023 election, then Nigerians are doomed,” Fayose said. “From what I have seen since 2015, Nigerians are doomed. The kind of leadership that Nigeria has witnessed — insecurity, the economy. “The cost of diesel today is about N400 per litre; during President Goodluck Jonathan’s (PDP) time, it was N140, N145. Whatever we are saying, it is either Nigerians want to remain in perpetual poverty or they save themselves. It is about Nigerians themselves. “Don’t forget that the impact of these things is felt more by the masses. It is the people that are at the receiving end.” Fayose denied reports that he endorsed the APC chieftain, Bola Ahmed Tinibu, for president in 2023. “I have said it over and over, Asiwaju remains a Yoruba leader; I remain a Yoruba leader. We are at different levels of leadership. But if I am being misquoted for the fact that I said Asiwaju is a Yoruba leader, I am saying I am a Yoruba leader, but Asiwaju in his own Yoruba leadership is in the APC; Ayo Fayose in his own leadership is in PDP,” Fayose said. “Who has told you that I don’t want to be president? Who has told you that if the PDP picks me that I will not defeat Asiwaju? Who has told you? You don’t know, maybe I will still contest. If I come out and they zone it to the South-west, and they say it’s Fayose, if they pick Asiwaju, I will defeat him. “I have never seen the quote. It is impossible. How do I claim to be the husband of a woman in another man’s house? It is all heresies. Loose talks. Listen, the PDP government is far better than the APC government in Nigeria. “Would he (Tinubu) leave the APC people and come to give me appointments, or will he make me vice president, such that I work for the APC? It is not possible. Tinubu is for the APC, I am for the PDP. All these insinuations are just to call the dog a bad name to hang it.”

2023 Presidency: Decision of south ‘ll shake Nigeria — Wike

  The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike has said that when the leaders of Southern part of the country will declare its decision on the 2023 presidency that the country would shake. Wike also said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would not give its presidential ticket to any candidate who would serve only the interest of the wealthy few in Nigeria, adding that desperate politicians who will not serve the interest of many, rather the interest of few are already scheming to be candidate. The governor made the assertion at a grand reception organised in his honour by the people of Kalabari ethnic nationality at the Abalama School field in Asari Toru Local Government Area on Saturday, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media Kelvin Ebiri. The governor was conferred a traditional title of Se- Ibidokubo of Kalabari land (He who does good things for Kalabari people) and was performed by the Amayanabo of Abonnema, King Gboko Desreal Bob-manuel. He reiterated that the stakeholders in Southern will soon make a declarative statement concerning 2023 presidential election. Wike said: “The day the South will speak, Nigeria will shake. We believe in the unity of this country, but nobody can threaten us. Nobody should threaten us. We believe in the unity of Nigeria and unity of Nigeria must continue.” The governor said no amount of gang up will make the PDP to compromise its stand on integrity. He said: “His word: “No amount of gang up can make PDP to give somebody who will want to run election for the interest of some big men, and not for all Nigerians. “Anybody who wants to be candidate of PDP must be candidate for the interest of Nigerians.” He expressed concerns over the fact that some companies in the country continue to post annual financial profits regularly in a downing national economy to the detriment of the poor. The governor lampooned Rivers politicians serving in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for their gross inability to attract federal government projects to the State. Concerning the next governorship of Rivers State, Governor Wike said everybody is entitled to aspire to be the next governor ,but such person must show capacity for that office and be well disposed to protect the interest of the State. Meanwhile, the Chairman of Rivers State Elders Forum, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, said the grand reception is significant for two reasons; of its critical importance to them as a people and also because of the unity of purpose engendered among them under the Wike’s administration. He said it is that kind of reception organised for prominent sons and friends who have impacted the Kalabari people. Chief Anabraba noted that Governor Wike has systematically fulfilled all promises made to them including those of development projects and appointment of Kalabari people into his administration.

Three feared killed in Ochanja market building collapse

  No fewer than three people were killed on Saturday as a two storey building located inside Ochanja Central Market Onitsha, collapsed. According to an eye witness, two-storey building structure was said to have collapsed at about 5:45pm on Saturday killing not less than three. The. eye witness said the collapse of the building was as a result of further erection of structure on the already weak structure, without necessary reinforcement. It will be recalled that some traders at the market had protested the attempt by market authorities to erect additional structures on the existing old and weak buildings in the area on Friday. The traders were said to have taken their protest to Awka, the State capital to the Governor to prevail on the leadership of the market to halt further erection of structures on the existing ones for the safety of the market traders who stand the danger of the buildings collapsing on them. The protesting traders were said to have barricades the Anambra State Headquarters of Physical Planning Board, Amawobia and the gate of the State Government House, along Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Awka, saying that they were in the state capital to appeal to Hovernor, Willie Obiano, to urgently intervene to prevent future building collapse that may lead to loss of lives and properties in the market. Some of the placards displayed by the protesting traders read: ”Save our lives now at Ochanja central market, governor Willie Obiano, we need your help now, Physical Planning Board why are you people keeping quit, Ochanja central market is not for sale, say no to illegal shops at Ochanja central market, illegal shops at Ochanja central market will collapse very soon, say no to dekkings without foundation at Ochanja central market, among others.” However, the eye witness who spoke to Vanguard about Saturday evening building collapse did disclose if the collapsed two story building, which is being added with another on top, was among the ones the traders were protesting against further erections of on top of them or it is one of the numerous private plazas that exist in the market. A trader in the market, who did not disclose his name, while speaking with Sunday Vanguard, said the unidentified victims were working at the site when the incident occurred. Efforts to speak with the market leaders proved abortive as the incident forced people to scamper for safety as people were seen trying to salvage their goods so as to escape being trapped.

Abaribe: Nnamdi Kanu didn’t order Monday sit-at-home

  Senator representing Abia-South Senatorial District of Abia State in the Senate, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe has bemoaned the effect of insecurity in South East, saying it is a tragedy. He lamented that the every Monday sit-at-home which has been cancelled by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has crippled the economy of the zone as hoodlums hijacked and enforce it on citizens. While lamenting how businesses is being crippled as a result of Sit-at-home, Abaribe revealed that Nnamdi Kanu, when visited at Department of State Security, DSS denied given order for Monday sit-at-home He made this known during the investiture ceremony of the 16th president of Enugu Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA, Barr, Jasper Nduagwuike, at Bon Sunshine, Presidential road, Enugu on Saturday. “What is happening in South East is a tragedy. Every Monday people sit at home. When you go to IPOB they said they are not the one forcing it. Nobody have idea to solve it. “When I and Ekweremadu personally visited Nnamdi Kanu at DSS detention, he said never give order for anybody to sit at home. It’s time we stop all these mess in South East and build our economy. “Sit at home is killing the economy of South East as most business men are moving out of the South East region. Insecurity in South East is the biggest problem,” he said. He however called for quality and competent leaders who would fight insecurity, restore the economy of the zone and turn it to the Catalonia of Spain. “We want to turn South East into a Catalonia of Spain. We want to turn it into a hub of the world. We want to turn South East into a Baveria of Germany. In 2023, South East need a leadership that will combat insecurity and restore the economy,” he said.