July 2022 – Page 62 – Crime Facts

Post Date : July 15, 2022

[BREAKING] Strike: Reach middle ground with govt, FG pleads with ASUU members

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare, has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities to make compromises, so as to resolve the current nationwide strike by varsity lecturers. Dare made the call when he met with a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Abuja. According to him, the prolonged strike by lecturers was undermining the credibility of graduates produced by universities in the country. He, therefore, called on them to reach a middle ground with the Federal Government for an immediate resolution of the current trade dispute. The Minister also noted that the five months old strike had caused untold hardships to both students and parents, saying with the recent intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari in the matter; a permanent solution to the problems was at hand. “It is unfortunate that resolution of the crisis has taken longer than expected with its attendant adverse effects on hundreds of thousands of Nigerian Students. “I want to use this meeting to make a strong appeal to ASUU, considering the meetings that have been held, considering the plight of Nigerian Students, to reach some level of compromise and call off the strike,” he said. The Minister assured the NANS President of his commitment to continue engaging with his colleagues, the Ministers of Labour and Education, alongside ASUU to reach an amicable resolution in the shortest time possible. He added, “It is my own desire as the Minister of Youth and Sports to ensure our students return to their campuses soon. “I have done some consultations behind the scene, and I appeal to our students to be a bit more patient as government makes concerted efforts to get the compromise that will lead to our universities and campuses reopened.” In his remarks, the NANS President, Mr Sunday Asefon expressed appreciation to President Buhari for his intervention, but stressed that the it will only be make sense to the students when the strike is called off.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Soldiers arrest Osun NURTW boss

Some armed soldiers on Friday arrested a chieftain of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Osun state chapter, Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as ‘Asiri Eniba.’ Oyewale, who is the NURTW Chairman, Olorunda unit was reportedly picked up in the afternoon at his Ojurin, Osogbo motor park office by soldiers. The development, it was learnt threw Old Garage Area where the park is located into panic, as many drivers and passengers waiting to board to different destinations fled the scene. It would be recalled that the Osun state leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, recently said it had written several petitions, accusing NURTW boss of masterminding attacks on its members to security agents. An eye witness who preferred anonymity while narrating how Oyewale was whisked away during a chat with our correspondent said, “the soldiers arrested him in his office. They came into two vehicles. “We can’t say where he was taken for now but he was arrested this afternoon in his office Ojurin, Osogbo.” Efforts to get official confirmation of the arrest however proved futile as the spokesperson of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said she was not aware of the arrest.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Bandits, Ansaru Terrorists Clash In Kaduna

Bandits have attacked members of Ansaru terrorist sect in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Daily Trust gathered that the sect members were “preaching” to locals when bandits opened fire, killing two villagers in the process. The bandits were said to have stormed Damari village under Kazage Ward in Eastern part of the local government in an attempt to dislodge the terrorists from the village. Daily Trust had reported how the terrorists have taken over communities in Eastern part of the LGA, guiding villagers against attacks by bandits. ‎Ishaq Usman Kafai Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU),‎ who confirmed the incident said the clash between the two groups lasted for an hour. According to him, the Ansaru members who were also heavily armed overpowered the bandits which made them (bandits)to retreat from the village.‎ “There were damages during the clash; a shop was burnt; two vehicles were burnt; a Private Hospital was burnt. Two locals (labourers) were also killed by the bandits while the bandits were running away into the forest,” he said. Ishaq said the hospital was accidentally burnt accidentally due to the fire that spread from a burning vehicle. He said the casualty figure between the armed bandits and the Ansaru members couldn’t be ascertained but said the locals hailed the Ansaru members for defending the town from the bandits attack. Daily Trust further gathered that hundreds of residents including women and children fled from the town during the attack. The group said the attack was organized because the bandits knew the Ansaru members were in the town. He said ‎the Ansaru members continued with their preaching after the fight as they advised the people to acquire arms to defend themselves against enemies as well as fight government in order to establish what they refer to as Islamic State. ‎Contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, DSP Mohammed Jalige, promised to find out what actually happened from the Police Area Command area before commenting.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Soludo seeks House of Assembly’s approval for N100b loan

ANAMBRA State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has sought the approval of the state House of Assembly for N100 billion loan. The House also yesterday passed the state’s 2022 revised budget presented by the governor last month. In a letter to the lawmakers, the governor said the loan facility would be used for the construction and refurbishment of key infrastructure in the state. The governor’s letter dated July 5, 2022,was read at the plenary yesterday by the speaker, Hon Uche Okafor. According to the speaker, the governor was seeking lawmakers’ approval to secure N100 billion Global Limit Multiple Term Loan Facility for the listed projects. The request was later referred to the House Committee on Public Accounts, which is expected to report to the House on July 21,2022. Meanwhile, the House has passed the state’s 2022 Revised Appropriation Bill of N169.6 billion. The passage of the bill followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation led by Hon Obinna Emeneka during plenary . Presenting the report, Emeneka, who represents Anambra East Constituency, said the revised budget was made up of N108 billion capital expenditure and N61.3 billion recurrent expenditure. Emenaks said: “After a thorough scrutiny and review, we recommend that the size of the 2022 revised budget be retained except for little adjustments in some ministries, departments and agencies’ allocation. “The sum of N169,621,744,131 be approved for the service of the Anambra State government for the year ending December 31, 2022, and for related purposes. “The committee also recommends that subsequently, projects and contractors should be specified and funds released to MDAs to ensure effective budget performance.” The speaker, Okafor after commending the committee for thorough scrutiny of the budget, conducted a voice vote and the report was subsequently adopted. The speaker also directed the Acting Clerk of the House, Mrs Esther Anaetoh, to send a copy of the bill to Governor Soludo for his assent.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Osun: You Must Stick To The Oath Of Neutrality, INEC Chairman Charges Officials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged electoral officials to stick to the oath of neutrality while discharging their duties in the July 16 governorship election in Osun State. INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu gave the charge in a statement signed on Friday, a few hours before the commencement of the poll where the people of the state will decide who will govern them for the next four years. “You must also stick to the Oath of Neutrality to which we have all subscribed. I have confidence in your ability to consolidate on our recent successes,” Yakubu said. “I appeal to you to uphold our Code of Conduct, display your usual sense of commitment and professionalism, remain above board and firmly resist any unethical behaviour.” He equally assured Osun voters of safety during the poll, saying the commission is working closely with security to achieve that. See the full statement issued below: MESSAGE TO STAFF FROM THE INEC CHAIRMAN Osun State Governorship Election 16th July 2022 Exactly 27 days ago, we conducted and concluded the Ekiti Governorship Election that was widely adjudged to be free, fair, credible, and inclusive. The feat was happily an elongation of the earlier successes recorded in Edo and Ondo States on 15th September and 10th October 2020, and in Anambra State on 6th November 2021. The sheer determination, resilience, and competence displayed by all of you, our members of staff, made it possible for the Commission to achieve these lofty goals. As you are aware, the Osun State Governorship election will hold on Saturday. I have assured our stakeholders and the people of Osun State that the Commission will not do anything to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate. We have made adequate arrangements for the election. We have promised a level playing field for all. The security agencies have assured us of safety. The people of Osun State and Nigerians will understandably hold us to our promise on election day. They will observe our attitude and behaviour from the opening to the closing of polls. They will particularly observe our management of the election results and measure the extent of our adherence to the extant laws through every stage of the electoral process. I appeal to you to uphold our Code of Conduct, display your usual sense of commitment and professionalism, remain above board and firmly resist any unethical behaviour. You must also stick to the Oath of Neutrality to which we have all subscribed. I have confidence in your ability to consolidate our recent successes. Thank you for all your efforts. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Abuja, Friday 15th July 2022.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Osun election: Security operatives take over strategic locations

Thousands of police officers and other security personnel have been stationed in strategic places ahead of the Osun governorship election. The state governorship election is billed to be held on Saturday. Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), said 21,000 officers had been deployed for the election. The IGP, who spoke in Osogbo at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting, said the deployment was not to intimidate residents but to prevent miscreants from hijacking or disrupting the election process. Johnson Kokumo, deputy inspector-general of police in charge of the election, also announced restrictions of both vehicular and human movements during the election. Kokumo announced the measure at the end of a police interactive session with ‘accredited election observer groups, NGOs and the media, ahead of the election. He said essential workers, accredited election observers and the media would be allowed to operate. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 11,226 personnel to provide security for the election as well. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also deployed 1,500 personnel, 35 vehicles, two trucks and ambulances to clear road obstructions, carry out rescue operations in case of emergencies, and maintain orderliness in polling booths.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

2023: Peter Obi Takes Campaign To The North, Visits Ango Abdullahi

Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, has taken his campaign to the Northern part of the country. Obi, who has a large support base on social media visited the Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, Prof Ango Abdullahi. He also visited the hometown of his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba Ahmed. Speaking to newsmen shortly after the visits, Obi said, “I came to get blessings and fatherly advise as well as discuss some political issues with the elder statesman. “This is in view of his position especially in the north and his persistent agitation for good democratic leadership in the country.” Obi said part of the discussion was to see how the country can turn into a viable and productive nation, as it has been unproductive for too long. “Because right now the country is not productive, Nigerians are in hunger, they are jobless and are looking for a new life. Despite the vast and abundant farmlands in the north, Nigerians are still hungry as we continue to depend on oil, thereby abandoning one of the most important natural resources. “We must come together and make Nigeria a new nation, a productive nation that can work well for all of us,” he said. According to him, North is regarded as a strong political hold with a vast population that can influence the political direction of the country, hence the need to make proper consultations with relevant stakeholders towards building a greater and productive nation. He advised Nigerians to think wisely before choosing their leaders.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Anambra to demolish 1,000 shops

The Anambra State Government has marked over 1,000 shops for demolition at the Ochanja Market, Onitsha. The governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Obinna Ngonadi, led a joint task force and building professionals to monitor various sections of the market on Friday. Ngonadi described the marked buildings as illegal constructions with no extant approval from the state government. It was also gathered that most of the buildings had structural defaults, including cracked walls and decking, falling pillars and sands, road obstructions, among other challenges. He added that the current administration had the intention to decongest markets by making them inhabitable according to international standards. He warned owners of illegal structures to quickly remove them or get ready to pay the state government for removing it. Also speaking, the Chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Mr Chike Maduekwe, assured that Anambra State Materials Testing Laboratory would visit all the markets to test the structural integrity of their buildings so as to find out those to be spared with some amendment and those to be completely demolished. Speaking on the side-lines, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ochanja market, Mr Bonaventure Muo, hailed the governor for the move, assuring that they would continue to support government programmes to sanitise the markets. The team later visited Building Materials Market at Ogidi and Ogbunike to assess their level of compliance to the traders/markets enumeration exercise, and hailed traders for complying to the government orders. Addressing the traders, the commissioner said the state government, through the data capturing exercise, would gather comprehensive data of all traders and their enterprises with a view to taken proper care of their welfare, security and other purposes. Speaking in separate interviews, the Chairman of the Building Materials Market (Ogidi), Mr Jude Okonkwo and Mr Adinu Onyechi of Building Materials 2 and 3 (Ogidi and Ogbunike), commended the governor for the move, which they promised to mobilise all their members to participate actively as it was in their good interest.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Beyonce’s Father: I Prepared My Daughters For Failure

Mathew Knowles, father of American singer and actress, Beyonce, has shared some of the lessons he taught his daughters. In a couple of tweets, Knowles revealed that he prepared his daughters on how to overcome failure. He also said he had been teaching them from a very young age on how to respond to the crowd, especially if things go wrong during performance. “One thing I taught Beyoncé and Solange was to practice failure. We would practice how they’d respond if their microphone got cut off, if their shoes broke on stage, or if the wrong song got queued in their performance set. “Anything can happen……and they were always prepared to have a response! I would like for you to consider the same lesson. Whether you’re a performer or artist, or an entrepreneur or professional, practice how you’ll respond in the event you fail. It’s a skill that can and should be developed!,” he tweeted Knowles once managed the careers of Beyoncé and Solange.

Post Date : July 15, 2022

Voter registration to end July 31, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says continuous voter registration (CVR) will end on July 31, 2022. The commission made the decision at an extraordinary session which took place on Friday. The electoral umpire said the exercise has also been extended to eight hours daily from 9am to 5pm instead of the current duration of six hours daily. Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner, said that moving forward, the exercise will also include weekends as against only weekdays. INEC had earlier fixed June 30 as the deadline for the ongoing CVR ahead of the 2023 elections — but the commission later extended the exercise by two weeks. The commission asked Nigerians to take advantage of the new two-week extension to register for their permanent voter cards (PVCs). “We appeal for the patience and understanding of all Nigerians as we conclude the exercise which will resume after the 2023 General Election,” INEC said. “We observed that following the continuation of the exercise beyond 30th June 2022, many of the registration centres recorded low turnout of prospective registrants. “With this two-week extension, we appeal to eligible citizens not to wait until the last few days before they inundate the centres again to register.” More to follow…