The Department of State Services ,DSS has debunked report that its personnel was among inmates who escaped from the Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory,FCT that was attacked by terrorists, Tuesday. A statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, said, “ The said report alleged that one of the escaping inmates who “claimed to be a DSS personnel was apprehended by NCS operatives near Kwali after a chase. The report further stated that the so called DSS operative also claimed to be “carrying out a special mission in the forest”. “The Service wishes to state that none of its personnel was involved in the escape episode. In fact, at the point of the attack on the prison, no DSS personnel was an inmate at the holding facility just as the claim of carrying out a special assignment was non-existent”.

  The Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo, has confirmed it authorized the demolition of the church of popular Pastor Chukwuemeka Odumeje. In a press release signed on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, Gov Soludo said Odumeje’s church and other buildings marked for demolition failed to comply with the government directive to remove the illegal structure built on waterway. The press released with the title: Anambra State Government begins demolition of illegal structures in Fegge, reads “Following the expiration of the more than two weeks notice beginning from April 2022 served on developers and building owners who built several illegal structures along the waterway in Fegge and environs within Onitsha, Anambra state government has begun demolition of such structures. The exercise which is being carried out by a joint government task force, commenced the exercise from Bida Road by Modebe Avenue, Fegge Onitsha. The affected buildings include Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministries, shops and other perimeter fences The structures were marked since April, 2022 and all developers and building owners were served notice to remove such illegal structures”.

  Armed operatives working with Anambra government task force on Thursday, manhandled controversial preacher, Chukwuemeka Odumeje, alias Indaboski, as he protested demolition of the church building by officials of the Anambra State government In a video currently trending online, Mr Odumeje was slapped and pushed around severally by the heavily armed task force team wearing the polo Safety and Emergency Crack Team, as he sought to resist caterpillars pulling down the structures of the Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry located at Bida Road Fegge, Onitsha. The reason for the demolition could not be immediately confirmed but some reports say the structure had been marked for demolition since April, 2022 over claims that it obstructs drainage channels around the Fegge area of Onitsha. The now viral video has drawn wide condemnation from Nigerians who saw the actions of the brutal armed task force operatives as typical rights abuse that has come to characterise many rogue operatives of the law enforcement body. Anambra State Government in a terse statement sighted by JOURNALIST101, said the demolition is in line with the state government’s plan to rid the state of illegal structures obstructing Anambra water ways. “Following the expiration of the more than two months notice beginning from April 2022 served on developers and building owners who built several illegal structures along the waterway in Fegge and environs within Onitsha, Anambra state government has begun demolition of such structures. “The exercise which is being carried out by a joint government task force, commenced the exercise from Bida Road by Modebe Avenue, Fegge Onitsha. “The affected buildings include Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministries, shops and other perimeter fences. “The structures were marked since April, 2022 and all developers and building owners were served notice to remove such illegal structures,” the statement which was signed by the Chief Press Secretary of the state government, Mr. Christian Aburime said. Source: Journalist101

  The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned his office on Thursday, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future that has paralyzed Britain’s government. Johnson made the official announcement at Downing Street on Thursday. He said he will continue to serve until a new leader emerges. The former PM has faced a barrage of criticism from all sides over his conduct and that of some members of his government. The climax of his crisis included illegal, Covid-19 lockdown-breaking parties thrown in his Downing Street offices for which he and others were fined. Numerous other scandals include accusations of using donor money inappropriately to pay for a refurbishment of his Downing Street home and ordering MPs to vote in such a way that would protect a colleague who had breached lobbying rules. However, there are reasons that accumulated the downfall of the former PM failed in his leadership style. The Chris Pincher affair On Wednesday 29 June, a Member of Parliament, Chris Pincher, who was at that time the Conservative deputy chief whip, went to a private members’ club in London. In his words, he “drank far too much” and “embarrassed himself”. Downing Street disclosed that Johnson did not pay attention to “specific allegations” about Pincher before appointing him as deputy chief whip in February. On 4 July, the BBC reported Johnson had been aware of a formal complaint. The next day, a former civil servant – Lord McDonald – said the prime minister had been told of the complaint in person. Johnson then admitted he had been told in 2019, and apologised for appointing Pincher as deputy chief whip. Partygate In April 2022, the former prime minister was fined for breaking lockdown rules, after attending a gathering on his birthday in June 2020. He also apologised for going to a “bring your own booze” party in the Downing Street garden during the first lockdown. More widely, the Metropolitan Police issued 126 fines to 83 people for breaking lockdown rules in Downing Street and Whitehall. And a report by, a senior civil servant, Sue Gray described a series of social events by political staff that broke lockdown rules. “The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture,” she wrote. Last December, Johnson told the Commons that “all guidance was followed completely in No 10”. Then, he is currently being probed by a Commons committee over whether he intentionally misled Parliament. The cost of living crisis – and a tax rise Inflation has risen sharply in 2022, to the current rate of 9.1%. Many of the inflation’s reasons are were not directly under Johnson’s control. A good example is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has led to rises in oil prices and the cost of food. And, while the government has taken some steps – for example, by cutting fuel duty by 5p per litre – it also went ahead with a tax rise in April. National Insurance went up by 1.25 pence in the pound. The government said the tax increase would pay for health and social care, and changes that kicked in this week moderated the burden – but anyone earning more than £34,000 a year will still pay more. “In the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for decades,” said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in April, “the government chooses to increase taxes on working people”. Owen Paterson vs Boris Johnson In October 2021, a House of Commons committee recommended a 30-day suspension for then-Conservative MP Owen Paterson. The committee said he broke lobbying rules, to try to benefit companies who paid him. But the Conservatives – led by the prime minister – voted to pause his suspension, and set up a new committee to look at how investigations were carried out. After an uproar, Paterson ended up resigning. Johnson later admitted he had “crashed the car” in his handling of the case. Unclear visions and ideas Boris Johnson won his thumping majority on the back of a clear, easy-to-follow policy – Get Brexit Done. But since then, his critics said, there was a lack of focus and ideas in Downing Street. His ex-adviser turned chief critic, Dominic Cummings, repeatedly accused him of being an out-of-control shopping trolley, veering from position to position. Others questioned the prime minister’s philosophy – or, indeed, if he had one. In June, Conservative MP and former minister Jeremy Hunt accused Johnson of lacking “integrity, competence, and vision”. Hunt was speaking before a confidence vote, which ex-PM won – but the complaints were getting louder. The by-election defeats kept coming. After the latest, Johnson said he would not undergo a “psychological transformation”. But that, now, is not the concern of Conservative MPs. They have spoken, and the prime minister is gone.

  The Westminster Magistrates Court, the United Kingdom on Thursday accepted that the kidney donor in the case of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice is not a minor. Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested by the British police on June 23 on allegations of human trafficking and organ harvesting that violate the country’s Modern Slavery Act. The police authorities had accused the lawmaker of conspiring to bring a child to the United Kingdom for organ harvesting, saying the victim was a 15-year-old boy.   During the continuation of the case, the prosecution accepted that he is 21 years old, contrary to earlier claims that he is 15 years old. Earlier in the day, Channels Television reported the arrival of Ekweremadu and his at West Minister Magistrates Court for the continuation of their trial. Giving an update from the court’s premises on Thursday, Channels Television’s correspondent, Juliana Olayinka, said the court accepted that the kidney donor in Ekweremadu’s case is not a minor. She said the prosecution has accepted that he is 21years old. The court thereafter fixed August 4 as the date for the next hearing. Just yesterday, the Federal High Court Abuja ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to transmit the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of an alleged Minor to the Attorney General of the Federation for onward transmission to the UK to aid Ekweremadu’s trial. The lawmaker’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, on July 27 urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to order the release of certain official documents of Ukpo domiciled with NIMC, Nigerian Immigration Service, and Stanbic-IBTC Bank for the purpose of effectively defending Ekweremadu in the UK.

  To mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration, the Federal Government has declared Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th July 2022, as public holidays. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, announced this in a statement by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore. Aregbesola, who congratulated all Muslims and Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora on the occasion, urged them to use the period to pray for peace and prosperity for the country. “I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at the moment,” the statement read in part. According to him, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to the security of lives and properties of all Nigerians, empowering the citizens for successful living, the provisions of social investments programmes and adequate security in the schools. The minister urged Nigerians to take responsibility by reporting any suspicious individuals and criminal activities they observed around them to law enforcement agencies. He also enjoined Nigerians to be vigilant and observant of intruders in their communities. “We must all take responsibility for the security of lives and property as we celebrate this year’s festival,” he said. “Aregbesola craved the indulgence of Nigerians to come together, put our heads, hearts, and all we have together, in order to achieve relative peace for harmonious coexistence and put an end to insecurities in Nigeria”, the statement added. He also assured Nigerians of the government’s protection of all under the law, maintenance of law and order, and keeping the peace in all situations.