Crime Facts

ASUU Strike: Tinubu will declare state of emergency in education if elected – APC students coalition

  Coalition of APC Youths and Students Mobilization For Tinubu 2023, have expressed confidence in the capacity of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to permanently end the incessant strikes by university lecturers in Nigeria. According to the students, Mr Tinubu, who is the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential flagbearer in the 2023 elections, possesses the will-power and understanding of how to fund Nigeria’s education sector as demonstrated during his tenure as Lagos State governor. The students have also resolved to mobilize, secure and deliver students votes to the APC presidential candidate in the next general election. This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a joint meeting of the leadership of APC Youths and Students Council, APC National Youths Advocates and leaders of Students Union President Forum and other students associations from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. According to the leader of the Coalition, Mazi Ezenwa Onyirimba, the meeting was called to discuss the future of Nigerian students under the APC and how to end ASUU strike permanently in Nigeria. Addressing a press conference at the end of the meeting, Comerade Onyirimba maintained that the meeting was in line with the vision of APC national youth leader, Honourable Dayo Israel in proffering solution to the prolonged ASUU Strike which has kept Nigerian students at home in the past few months. He asserted that given that the APC presidential candidate is renowned for his capacity to assemble capable hands to address issues, Tinubu will tackle the hydra-headed problem plaguing the Nigerian educational system headlong. “The difference between Tinubu and the present government is all about who you assemble. We believe Tinubu over the time has shown capacity to build people and as a problem solver. When you look at the political setting in Nigeria, you will understand that when there some issues going on in Nigeria, they call on him. So we believe that if given the mandate in 2023, that he will assemble capable hands. “And also you should know that the ASUU strike didn’t start from APC government. It started way back from PDP and most atimes because this people had to reach agreement with ASUU they know that they cannot keep and waiting for the next government to inherit those things. And we believe that if Asiwaju takes charge in 2023 that he is going to make sure that ASUU strike or the issues facing the stakeholders in the education sector will be a thing of the past. “Asiwaju is a father of this nation, he can mediate between the government and ASUU, he can bring a lasting solution. He can bring both parties to the table to make some compromise because for you to achieve, you must make some compromise. But the issues now is who is willing to make that compromise. That’s where he steps in. That’s where he brings in his intellectual capacity to make both parties reach a compromise for the greater benefit of Nigerian students,” he said.

Kuje attack: Our security system has failed — Senate

  THE Senate yesterday took a swipe at the management of Kuje Prisons over the unhindered attack on it in the early hours of Wednesday by terrorists of Islamic State for West African Province, ISWAP, saying it speaks volumes about the failure of the country’s security architecture. The Senate, while describing the incident as unfortunate and disappointing, cited insider conspiracy, even as it expressed its total displeasure over non-functional Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, at the prison which incapacitated the management and security operatives from preventing and responding appropriately to the attack that led to the escape of over 800 inmates. Like the Senate, angry reactions from the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, its counterpart in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, ADC; Middle Belt Forum, MBF, and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, greeted the terrorist attack.

Former Japan PM Abe shot, feared dead

  Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot at a campaign event on Friday, a government spokesman said, as local media reported the nation’s longest-serving premier was showing no vital signs. “Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am,” in the country’s western region of Nara, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, told reporters. “One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown.” “Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it,” Matsuno added. Abe was fighting for his life on Friday after being shot at a campaign event, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later said, condemning the “absolutely unforgivable” attack. “Abe was shot in Nara and I have been informed he is in a very grave condition,” Kishida told reporters after arriving in Tokyo by helicopter from the campaign trail. “I pray that former prime minister Abe will survive,” the visibly emotional leader said. “It is a barbaric act during election campaigning, which is the foundation of democracy, and it is absolutely unforgivable. I condemn this act in the strongest terms.” Local media including national broadcaster NHK and the Kyodo news agency said Abe appeared to be in “cardiorespiratory arrest”, a term often used in Japan before a feared death can be officially confirmed by a coroner. The attack on a man who may be Japan’s best-known politician comes despite the country’s famously low levels of violent crime and tough gun laws, and with politicians campaigning ahead of upper house elections on Sunday. Abe, 67, had been delivering a stump speech with security present, but spectators were able to approach him fairly easily. Footage broadcast by the NHK showed him standing on a stage when a loud blast was heard with smoke visible in the air. As spectators and reporters ducked, a man was shown being tackled to the ground by security. Local media identified the man as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, citing police sources, with several media outlets describing him as a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the country’s navy. Witnesses at the scene described shock as the political event turned into chaos. “He was giving a speech and a man came from behind,” a young woman told NHK. “The first shot sounded like a toy bazooka. He didn’t fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke,” she added. “After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage.” Abe was bleeding from the neck, witnesses said and photographs showed. He was reportedly initially responsive but subsequently lost consciousness. Officials from the local chapter of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party said there had been no threats before the incident and that his speech had been announced publicly. The attack prompted international shock. “This is a very, very sad moment,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a G20 meeting in Bali, saying the United States was “deeply saddened and deeply concerned”. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was “very shocked” at Abe’s shooting, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply distressed” by the news. AFP

No Corps Member Was Raped In Akwa Ibom – NYSC

  The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that no corps member was raped in Akwa Ibom State during an attack on their residence by gunmen. The state Coordinator of NYSC, Chinyere Ekwe, stated this in a statement Thursday. She said an interaction with the 21 corps members occupying the said property revealed that the attack was carried out at about 1am by thieves who stole their valuables including phones, laptops and some cash. Ekwe said she had visited the place in the company of the state’s Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, hence they confirmed that “No bodily harm was meted on them, and no corps member was raped.” She urged the corps members in the state to go about their lawful duties and make use of the security phone lines already provided, while in distress. She appealed to the media to exercise restraint “And not trivialise such unfortunate incident as the consequences on the psychology of parents and guardians of corps members in the state would be dangerously affected.”

2023: Atiku, Keyamo bicker over June 12, support for Abiola

  THE camp of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was literally at war with Minister of State Labour, Mr Festus Keyamo over the ‘June 12 struggle” and support for All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday. In a tweet on his verified Twitter handle @fkeyamo, yesterday morning, Keyamo tweeted: “No presidential candidate today had anything to do with the June 12 struggle (which is the foundation of democracy we are enjoying today) except BAT and (to be honest) Sowore as a student leader, but BAT (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) was more pivotal from exile. Atiku was one of the first to abandon June 12.” Not done, he tweeted again: “After the June 12 struggle, ‘strangers’ emerged from nowhere and hijacked the democratic train at the centre; OBJ who opposed June 12 became the greatest beneficiary of the struggle. The election of BAT in 2023, a true hero of June 12, will largely address this anomaly of 1999.” Countering, Mr Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, said Keyamo was attempting to re-write history, adding that Atiku never abandoned June 12. “The events of the June 12 crisis are too well documented for anyone to seek to distort it. Keyamo told a blatant lie when he said Atiku “abandon(ed) June 12″. Atiku never abandoned June 12. The truth is that the former Vice President was marked for assassination because of his strident opposition to military rule. Indeed, Abacha actually appropriated his INTELS company, tried to kill him in Kaduna, and he managed to escape only after some of his security aides had been killed. “Flash back to the events leading up to the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries in Jos that threw up Abiola as its presidential candidate. What Keyamo will not say is that it was Atiku’s sacrifice of historic stepping down for Abiola that metamorphosed into his victory in the primaries and subsequent success in the June 12, 1993 election. “I wish to remind Festus that the same Atiku that he is in a hurry to malign was approached to serve as the Head of the Interim National Government (ING) while he was in London. And it may interest him also to know what Atiku’s response was: “(I said) I am not going to be part of a brief administration.” We know those who participated in the Abacha government which dealt a death knell to the revalidation of the June 12 mandate. Some are late, some are still alive. Atiku was one of those who did not want to have anything to do with the Abacha military rule, not even with a long spoon. “Even after prominent members of the political class among them those close to Abiola were picked to serve in Abacha’s government no member of the Yar’Adua group among them Atiku wanted to serve in that regime ostensibly because of their commitment to democracy. Consequently, leaders like Yar’Adua and Atiku were marked down. And in continuation of its struggle to restore democratic rule, the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), the group that Atiku belonged to, addressed a press conference in Lagos on January 12, 1994 and asked the military to exit from the governance of the country by December 31, 1994. The aftermath of that was the arrest and detention of Yar’Adua in February 1994. Atiku and other PDM leaders challenged the detention in court. Shortly after his mentor’s arrest in the phantom coup plot, Atiku narrowly escaped an assassination plot in his Kaduna home in which seven lives were lost in the bid to foil the plot to kill him because of his opposition to Abacha’s government and military dictatorship. “Following the bloody attack in Kaduna, Atiku was persuaded to proceed to exile. The import of this thread is to put a lie to Keyamo’s baseless claim that Atiku abandoned June 12 and was not consequential in the struggle to enthrone the democratic rule of today.”

‘Disappointed’ Lawan Says No CCTV In Kuje Prison

  Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Thursday said he was disappointed that there were no Closed-circuit television (CCTV) devices at the Kuje medium-security custodial centre in Abuja. He made the remark after touring the facility. “Having gone round the facility itself, we are disappointed that there are no CCTV, something that will record or at least give you a view of what is happening and sometimes record the event,” Lawan said. “Now this is a medium security custodial centre. How on earth does a centre of this magnitude in the FCT not have any CCTV? It means we can say that all other medium security custodial centres across the country do not have CCTV. Senate President, Ahmad Lawan paid a visit to the Nigeria Correctional Services facility in Kuje on Thursday. Terrorists stormed the Kuje facility on Tuesday night, allowing hundreds of prisoners to escape, including Boko Haram members. pic.twitter.com/AKZ1EDNV5j — Channels Television (@channelstv) July 7, 2022   “So we have asked the Comptroller-General to ensure that the request for CCTV in all the maximum and medium custodial centres across the country are included in their 2023 budget because this is essentially indispensable.” The Kuje custodial centre was attacked on Tuesday evening by terrorists, allowing hundreds of prisoners to escape. Many of those who escaped are believed to be dangerous Boko Haram members. President Muhammadu Buhari visited the custodial centre on Wednesday, expressing regret over the attack. “I am disappointed with the intelligence system,” the President said. “How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? I am expecting a comprehensive report on this shocking incident.”

Strike: FG breaks ASUU’s rank, plans to release withheld salaries of medical lecturers

  THE Federal Government has started processing the withheld salaries of some medical lecturers in various federal universities who opted out of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. The development is sequel to a letter by the medical lecturers, under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association, MDCAN, to the Ministers of Education, Labour and Employment, and Finance, Budget and National Planning, requesting for the payment of their withheld March-June, 2022 salaries. The affected lecturers are from University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, ATBUTH, and the Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, UDUTH. A top official of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning who preferred anonymity, confirmed to our correspondent that approval had been granted for payment of the lecturers. According to the source, the approval was granted because the medical lecturers harkened to plea by the Federal Government and well-meaning Nigerians for ASUU to stay on duty while negotiating with the Federal Government. The source said: “We are processing the payment as approved by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning. Our target is to get the salaries paid immediately workers return from Sallah holiday.” Meanwhile, more medical lecturers have defied the ongoing ASUU strike to resume work in their various universities. A new letter by the MDCAN, ATBUTH chapter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, indicated that some clinical lecturers have been working throughout the period of the strike. The letter entitled, “Request for Payment of Withheld Salaries,” was signed by the Chairman of MDCAN ATBUTH, Dr Yakubu B. Sharma and Secretary, Dr Rufai A. Dachi. It reads: “We hereby write to humbly request for the payment of withheld salaries of our members from March 2022 to June 22. These members are clinical lecturers who have been working throughout the period of the ongoing ASUU strike. “Kindly find attached the list of the affected staff with their details duly endorsed by the Provost, College of Medical Sciences, ATBU Bauchi and the Vice Chancellor of the University.” Although our correspondent could not reach the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige by the time of filing this report, a source in his Ministry confirmed the report. On the ongoing strike, our source in the presidency where the report of Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee awaits the decision of the President, said no fewer than four of the issues in dispute had been fully thrashed out, while the two outstanding matters of payment platform and renegotiation- were being tackled. “The striking lecturers received the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment arrears in May. The issue of visitation panels to the universities has been laid to rest, same with the Earned Academic Allowances/Earned Allowances. “Work has been accelerated on the testing of the payment platforms by NITDA and the renegotiation of the conditions of service, especially the increase of salaries and allowances. Government is doing its best . However, the truth is that the economy is in dire straits.” He noted that the economy of many countries was facing severe challenges, citing neighbouring Ghana where University Teachers Association embarked on strike for just one week and resumed immediately to commence negotiation with their government. He added that some lecturers had confided in the presidency that if government could make reasonable adjustment in their salaries , most of them would return to work. He said after all, there were other academics in the polytechnics with Ph.D. and Masters degree who receive less.

APC, PDP’ve nothing to offer in Osun – Kwankwanso

  The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Thursday said both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have failed and called on the electorate in Osun State to vote the NNPP in the July 16 governorship poll. According to him, quests by the NNPP to take over Nigeria in 2023 should start from Osun, as the two major parties in the country have nothing more to offer. He declared that his supporters should be ready to vote for the candidate of the party during the governorship poll. Kwankwaso, who spoke in Osogbo at a town hall meeting organised by the NNPP to rally support for it’s candidate in the Osun poll, Dr Oyelami Saliu, urged registered voters that had not collected their Permanent Voter’s Card to do so and support the party during the poll. He said, “the numerous members of our party are ready and determined to vote for the candidate of our party during the governorship election that is coming up.   “Our members want to see new Nigeria starting from this state. The logo of our party is well known which shows that Nigeria under this party will be united not minding religion, ethnicity or region of anybody in this country. Those who are yet to collect their PVCs should do so to vote for our party. “Failure to vote for our party that will bring positive change is allowing these people to continue to rule our state governments and national level. All of us know that these two major parties have failed us and have nothing more to offer. Let us vote them out and that will start from the this state.”

Nnamdi Kanu: It’s time to seek political solution, reduce tension in S’East, Bishop Onuoha tells FG

  Co-chair of Peace and Dialogue Forum, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, has urged the Federal Government to embrace dialogue and political solution on the trial of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The former Presidential Assistant on Privatisation who gave the counsel in a chat with Vanguard in Umuahia, said the option had become very imperative as a way of reducing the growing tension in the South East. He noted that South East had never remained the same since the IPOB Leader was renditioned from Kenya in June last year, and submitted that the issues between him and the federal government could only be resolved politically. “It is my prayers that the federal government seeks political solution to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case in order to reduce tension. “As we requested during our visit to Mr. President , it is our conviction that in issues of this nature we could all resolve it with all the key players accepting responsibility for our common good. “In doing this, we would spear the courts and the leadership of this country been put in a challenging situation”, the cleric said. Bishop Onuoha who is also the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, said that South East needed to be peaceful ahead of the 2023 polls. He noted that the case of Nnamdi Kanu had become a major issue in the entire South East that nobody could dismiss with a wave of the hand, saying that the earlier it is resolved amicably the better for all the sides.

Insecurity: Buhari Should Be Talking To Nigerians, Not Issuing Statements – Ali Ndume

  Borno State Senator and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Ali Ndume, on Thursday said President Muhammadu Buhari should directly address the nation on the matter of insecurity, rather than issuing statements through his media advisers. The Senator made the comment while responding to questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “I’ve said it before,” Mr Ndume said. “When it comes to issues like these, it is the President himself that is supposed to be talking to Nigerians, not some press adviser. “The President, of course, should be taking responsibility . . . he is the President. By the time you ask people to elect you as President, anything that happens to any Nigerian, God will hold you accountable you for it.” Mr Ndume added that he was “really disappointed with the response of so many leaders. “And it is our responsibility – of government – the security and welfare of its citizens. And you have leaders responding as if it is a casualty, not their responsibility. “I feel pained to be called a Senator. I’m almost like helpless. Many of us are like that, sitting down as observers.” Mr Ndume’s comments comes days after terrorists attacked a prison in Kuje, the Federal Capital Territory. Many of those who escaped are believed to be dangerous Boko Haram members. President Muhammadu Buhari visited the custodial centre on Wednesday, expressing regret over the attack. “I am disappointed with the intelligence system,” the President said in a statement. “How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? I am expecting a comprehensive report on this shocking incident.”