June 2022 – Page 21 – Crime Facts

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Why voter registration may continue despite deadline – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has faulted reports that it extended the Continous Voter Registration for another 60 days, saying the June 30 deadline still stands. However, the electoral umpire clarified that despite its deadline, voter registration may continue following the court injunction asking the commission not to stop the registration exercise. The INEC National Electoral Commissioner for information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, confirmed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday. The PUNCH reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja stopped INEC from ending voter registration on June 30, 2022. Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, on Monday, granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project. SERAP and 185 concerned Nigerians had early this month filed the lawsuit against INEC, asking the court to “declare unconstitutional, illegal and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.” In the suit, SERAP had asked the court for “an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies, assigns, or any other person(s) claiming through it from discontinuing the continuous voters’ registration exercise from the June 30, 2022, or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.” In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1034/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, and transferred to Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to determine “whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is not a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.” The suit is adjourned to June 29, 2022, for the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction. But debunking reports that the commission extended voter registration for 60 days on Wednesday, Okoye noted that the electoral umpire still maintains its stand. “No. We have not extended anything. The June 30 deadline still stands,” Okoye told The PUNCH when asked about the reported voter registration extension. He added that while INEC maintains its stand, the commission will be going to court to give its position on June 29 in respect of the earlier injunction by the Federal High Court in Abuja. He said, “There is a court order to ensure we do not stop registration this month. The injunction is what is subsisting. But as I said earlier, the commission has not extended voter registration for a day. “We will be going to court on the 29th of this month to explain our stand on the June 30 deadline. But as of now, the commission has not extended registration but will only respect the court order.”

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Ohanaeze to Buhari: request for IPOB’s proscription unachievable

Apex Igbo sociocultural group, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has told President Muhammadu Buhari his request to international partners, especially the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (UK) to take additional steps to proscribe the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB)as a terrorist organisation is unachievable. Ohanaeze said the president is the only person fuelling secessionist agitations in the Southeast by refusing to extend justice to all and sundry. Buhari, in an interview with Bloomberg, pleaded with Nigeria’s international partners, especially the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (UK) to also block the group from the international financial network. But in a statement in Enugu by spokesman of Ohanaeze, Alex Ogbonnia, the group said: “The request by Mr. President to the West is most unachievable because the West watch with keen interest and utter resignation the pathetic governance paradigm in the country. “For the avoidance of doubt, democracy all over the world requires justice, equity, mutual toleration and institutional forbearance all of which are in short supply in today Nigeria. “Mr. President is reminded that the British profound sense of justice, fortitude, restraint, civic virtues and forbearance are the hallmarks that sustain their enviable government with an unwritten constitution. In a similar vein, what sustains the US democracy is not just the constitution but democratic norms and values anchored on justice and patriotism.” It explained that IPOB began the agitations for a state of Biafra because of the marginalisation and the height of injustice meted to the Southeast and its people under the leadership of President Buhari. It added: “What, I think, the IPOB is asking for is very clear: Treat us as partners in the Nigerian project or allow us to go. “On the other hand, how can one explain the obvious lopsidedness in the appointment of military and paramilitary personnel to head the followings organisations with little or no Southeast considerations; Nigerian Army, Nigerian Airforce, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Nigeria Customs Service; and several others”. Ohanaeze noted the President ignored the admonition of the Nigerian foremost patriot, democrat and diplomat, Maitama Sule, who before his death, urged Buhari to let justice to be key to good governance. “Mr President knows he ignored the eternal advice from the Nigerian foremost patriot, democrat and diplomat, Alhaji Maitama Sule. “Alhaji Maitama Sule of the blessed memory in congratulating Mr President, admonished that “justice is key to good governance”. That Mr. President should “extend justice to all and sundry, irrespective of religion or tribe. “Sule reminded Mr. President that an infidel with good conscience and equity can govern successfully, far better than a believer devoid of sense of justice. “Sule added that the solution to Nigerian problems can never be achieved by force, nor by fear, nor by power but by equity and justice to all. “The prophetic Sule urged him to do justice to all parts of the country because according to him, peace and stability are a product of justice and equity. “He added that in the absence of justice and equity, there can never be peace and development. Sule among others stated that in absence of development, there will be mass unemployment, poverty and that the idle men is a devil’s workshop……” “On the other hand, as Maitama Sule predicted, the orchestrated alienation of the South East from the centres of power is the basic cause of the agitation in the South East. “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor has repeatedly stated that a people denied justice may not have interest in peace. “As I am writing, the sad news of another Benue massacre flew in: “No fewer than 16 kinsmen of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State were, Monday, reportedly murdered in a fresh attack by suspected armed herdsmen, who invaded Udei and Yelwata communities in Guma Local Government Area, LGA, of the state”. ” According to the report which is viral, “the latest attack is coming about 10 days after a similar attack claimed several lives in Igama village, Edumoga Ehaje, Okpokwu LGA and four days after a lawmaker and his sibling were also murdered and beheaded by the marauders in Orokam, Ogbadibo LGA of the state……” “Ohanaeze contends that if Mr President confronts the menace of the Fulani herdsmen who have been terrorizing several states, communities and individuals for over seven years now with similar obsession and commitment deployed to IPOB, Nigeria will be a better place

Post Date : June 22, 2022

IPMAN makes u-turn, directs members to sell fuel at N165 per litre

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Wednesday said its members would continue to sell fuel at the Federal Government approved price of N165 per litre. This represents a reversal of its earlier directive to its members to sell petrol at N180 per litre. The Lagos chapter of IPMAN through its secretary, Akeem Balogun on Monday announced it would no longer be able to sell petrol below N180. He said the decision was taken because its members could no longer operate at a loss. He had said while the government had fixed N165 per litre as the pump price of petrol, the current realities in the market showed that the minimum the product should be sold at retail stations should be N180. But National President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, gave the new directive at a press conference in Abuja. He said the association has resolved to maintain the status quo going forward since the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) have responded positively to its request by releasing products from their tank farms that can sustain the fuel requirements of Nigerians for 32 days. Okoronkwo urged Nigerians to stop panic buying of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). However, Okoronkwo told reporters the association is aware of the directive of its Lagos Branch to its members. Responding to a question, Okoronkwo said: “I told you the cost of doing business has changed and my members in Lagos before they did what they did, they called me and told me that they are now getting this product at N162 to N165 per lite with transportation another N8, aggregating to about N170 to N173, even the N10 which supposed to be our own has been eroded, what do we do? “Now you know and I know that it is only NNPC that imports this product into Nigeria. Some of these tank farm owners who have gone to collect this product don’t blame them because the cost of doing business has also changed. “It became so difficult for them to sell at N148.17 but yesterday I want to tell you that NNPC and PPMC went to their tank farms and released products. “That is why we are thanking them that with this product we can now access the product at N148.17. “Status quo ante must be maintained moving forward and from what they have told us they have products that can last us up to 32days. “We must be happy with that knowing full well the challenges we have globally on Energy that is why we are thanking them.” He noted that massive loading of the product is ongoing in Lagos adding that in a matter of days the long queues will disappear. He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for making available N4 trillion budgetary provision for subsidy especially with the current global energy problems caused by the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. He said the association has engaged a consultant who will go into the books to determine exactly what the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) are being owed in terms of bridging claims.

Post Date : June 22, 2022

22 APC Senators Planning To Defect To PDP- Fani-Kayode

Twenty-two more senators of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) are planning to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the APC, Femi Fani-Kayode has said. He stated that the planned defection is because the senators were denied the party’s ticket to contest the 2023 elections. Expressing worry over the mass defections in the party, Fani-Kayode in a tweet on Wednesday said something must be done to prevent it. “22 APC Senators are threatening to decamp to PDP because they have been denied the tickets to return to the Senate. This is serious & something must be done to prevent it.Many are concerned & we urge our able Nat. Chairman & Nat. Sec. to reach them. We cannot afford to lose them,” he wrote. Early today, Daily Trust had reported how seven senators dumped APC for other opposition parties. Members of the Senate who defected from the APC are Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi) Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Dauda Jika (Bauchi), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo). Briefing reporters after a closed-door meeting with APC senators, the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said it was unfortunate that the lawmakers left the party. He, however, said the defections were expected due to the electioneering season when the country usually witnesses all manner of things.

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Ideato 2023: PDP issues Ikennga, others certificate of return (photos)

… CHARGES THEM TO GO AND BRING VICTORY FOR THE PDP AT THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENCIES. The Peoples Democratic Party has issued Certificate of Return to the winner of the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency,Imo State primary election, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu signaling the readiness of the Party to start mobilising for landslide victory at the general election. While issuing Certificates of Return to the 40 winners of the Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly primaries, the Imo State Chairman of the PDP Chief Charles Ugwu charged the candidates to go and bring victory for the party at their various Constituencies, stating that Imo State is a PDP state. Chief Ugwu also declared that the primaries held in Imo State were free and fair and in compliance with the law restating that no PDP primary election held outside the approved central venue in Owerri where all the primaries jointly held and that any such insinuation is falsehood built on forgery. When news of the presentation hit town, celebrations rocked major towns of the Ideato nation including Akokwa,Arondizuogu, Osina, Obodoukwu, Isiekenesi,Ntueke,Ofboko,Ugbele , Dikenafai etc. the presentation of Certificate of Return was also a confirmation that the name of Ikenga had been submitted to INEC by the Party, a move his supporters say is the path to PDP landslide victory in the Federal Constituency. Also speaking jointly, an elated PDP Chairman of Ideato South LGA and Ideato North LGA, Chief Sylvester Durukweaku and Chief ThankGod Okeke hailed Ikenga’s victory and said his campaign is a political tsunami and a movement that will see all his challengers losing even at their various Polling Units. Photos Bellow:

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Mob attacks man for stabbing lady, Imo police condemn act

The Imo State Police Command has condemned a mob attack on one Ifeanyi Okoro who reportedly stabbed a lady, Mrs Sandra Onyema, at 4, Bus Stop, Nekede, in Owerri West Local Government Area. A statement by the spokesman of the Command, Michael Abattam, noted that the professional conduct of the rescue team sent to the area saved Okoro from being lynched. “The police operatives who were professional in their conduct, on rescuing the suspect from the hands of the irate mob, hastily took him to Police Medical Center Owerri, after being rejected by two renowned hospitals. He is presently on admission at the intensive care unit of the hospital receiving treatment. Abattam added that the woman whom the irate mob presumed had died is alive but unconscious, is receiving treatment in Holy Family Hospital Ikenegbu Owerri and is not pregnant as earlier reported in some section of the media. The Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Barde, meanwhile, advised the public against resorting to mob violence against suspects, describing lynching as barbaric and unacceptable in law.

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Adamu, APC Senators meet

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Abdullahi Adamu is meeting with Senators elected on the party’s platform behind closed-door. Adamu, who arrived the National Assembly a few minutes around 2pm, moved to the office of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, where he stayed briefly before the meeting commenced. Lawan had read a letter by the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Professor Robert Ajayi Boroffice to the effect that the meeting will take place by 2 pm. The purpose of the meeting was however not made available as of the time of filing this report. Details Shortly…

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Efforts on to resolve ASUU strike – FG

The Federal Government has given the assurance its face-off with university-based unions will soon be resolved and academic activities resume in earnest. Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige, who gave the assurance on Wednesday, also denied planning different payment structure for all the trade unions in tertiary institutions. The government has summoned all the relevant agencies, including the National Information Development Agency (NITDA) to brief it on the success so far recording in resolving the contentious issues that led to the ongoing strike by the four university-based unions. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) insisted on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) it created, claiming the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was short-changing its members. However, the Federal Government, in March, said UTAS had failed three integrity tests. The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) had also come forward with the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS) as their own payment platform. While responding to questions from State House Correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, Ngige assured that efforts were on to lay the prolonged universities’ industrial actions to rest. According to Ngige, government was interested in seeing the students going back to school. He said the meeting on Thursday is expected to look at the progress report by the relevant bodies handling the crisis including NITDA on how far it has gone with the integrity test on the University Transparency and Accountability System, UTAS which was proposed as an alternative platform by ASUU and the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System, U3PS, proposed by SSANU and NASU. Ngige said he was waiting for the report of the Tripartite Plus Committee comprising the Ministry of Education, the Chief of Staff, Salaries and Wages Income Commission, the National University Commission, NUC as well as the striking unions. He said contrary to insinuations that the government was not engaging with ASUU, there have been meetings between all parties with the next one coming up on Thursday.

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Peter Obi, Gov Wike Meet Behind Closed-door Meeting

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi met with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike being closed-door. The meeting took place at Rivers State Government House and pictures circulated showing Mr Wike and his guest exchanging a handshake. Though the details of the meeting is still unknown, it comes as Mr Obi ramps up consultations towards forging a broader alliance with his Labour Party — and as Mr Wike has been seething over his loss at PDP primary and Atiku Abubakar’s decision not to tap him as vice-presidential candidate. Mr Obi has been in talks with Kano politician Rabiu Kwankwaso about a possible merger of NNPP and Labour. The talks have not achieved progress as both parties could not agree on who should be the presidential candidate of a successful alliance.

Post Date : June 22, 2022

Gunmen kill two kids, landlord in Delta Gunmen have killed two children and a landlord after firing gunshots into a provision store in Sapele, Sapele LGA, Delta State. It was learnt the incident occured on Tuesday when the gunmen shot sporadically into a provision store along Shell Road in Sapele. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said apart from the three victims he could not ascertain whether the other three men in the store were hit by bullets. It was gathered the landlord of the compound (name withheld), who was at the store during the incident, died after being rushed to the hospital. Although the motive behind the shooting is unclear, several persons have been killed in cult- related violence in Sapele in the last few months. Delta Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, adding that four suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing.

Gunmen have killed two children and a landlord after firing gunshots into a provision store in Sapele, Sapele LGA, Delta State. It was learnt the incident occured on Tuesday when the gunmen shot sporadically into a provision store along Shell Road in Sapele. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said apart from the three victims he could not ascertain whether the other three men in the store were hit by bullets. It was gathered the landlord of the compound (name withheld), who was at the store during the incident, died after being rushed to the hospital. Although the motive behind the shooting is unclear, several persons have been killed in cult- related violence in Sapele in the last few months. Delta Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, adding that four suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing.