Senate President Ahmad Lawan has urged relevant authorities, particularly the police, to ensure speedy justice for the Islamic Cleric in Yobe State, Sheikh Goni Aisami, who was alleged to have been killed by a soldier on Friday. Lawan made the appeal on Wednesday while on condolence visit to the family of the late Cleric in Gashua, Yobe State, according to a statement signed by his spokesperson, Ola Awoniyi. The Senate President and his entourage joined the family members to offer prayers for the repose of the late Sheikh after which he spoke to journalists. “I’m taking this opportunity to urge the authourities, the Police particularly, to ensure speedy justice for the late Sheikh. “And I want to at this point commend our people for remaining calm and peaceful and that is what we are known for in this part of the country. “But I must insist that justice must be done for the murder of our Sheikh. “The Sheikh was my Special Assistant on Religious Affairs and I worked with him very closely over the years. We pray Almighty Allah to grant him Aljannah Firdaus. “Killings like this are not normal, are not usual in this part of the country. Here in Yobe North particularly. Therefore, we must do everything possible to arrest this kind of situation. “When we have to recruit soldiers, police and other security agencies, we must profile, we must scrutinise to ensure that we don’t recruit people of questionable character, people that have very criminal background. This is very important and very imperative. “I want to also assure everyone that we will continue to pursue this case until justice is done. “As for the security situation across the country, I can say that in the last three weeks or so, I have witnessed some improvement in the security situation across the country. “We in the National Assembly will continue to support the executive arm of government and particularly support our Armed Forces and other security agencies to ensure that they protect life and property of Nigerians. “The situation may be serious, may be dire but our determination, by the Grace of God, will overwhelm the challenges that we face in the area of security as a country. “I want to urge Nigerians to continue to be patient with us, to continue to pray for us, those of us in government. We are not going to relent until Nigeria is secured,” Lawan said. The Senate President also seized the opportunity to pay similar condolence visits to the families of late Alhaji Musa Kazir and Late Hon. Kobir Maimota who were also two prominent indigenes that died recently.

  Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has said improved security led to the shutdown of all internally displaced persons camps in the state. He made the comment while speaking at a Lake Chad Basin Commission meeting on Wednesday. “Yobe state now enjoys increased peace and security,” the Governor said. “That resulted in the closure of all internally-displaced persons camps, as our displaced persons have since returned to their original communities or decided to permanently remain in host communities. “The growing peace in the state has enabled our administration to rebuild basic infrastructure and restore public utility services that support our people to move about in search of legitimate means of livelihood.” The Lake Chad Basin Commission meeting was attended by the Governor of Far-North in Cameroon, Mr Mijin Yawa Bakari. Mr Bakara is the Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Participants at the meeting resolved to come up with a global action plan that would mitigate the challenge of trans-border insecurity as well as increase economic growth in the region. Over the years, the challenge of trans-border insecurity has always been an issue of concern in Nigeria and neighboring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The one-day visit also discussed the welfare and the repatriation of the Nigerian refugees in the member states as well brainstormed on the strength and weaknesses that would be beneficial for the two states.

  The Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has warned Nigerians not to travel to Northern Cyprus. Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Dabiri-Erewa said there is little the Federal Government can do to diplomnatically resolve issues in the territory because Northern Cyprus is not recognised by the international community except Turkey. The warning comes amid reports many Nigerian are being killed in Northern Cyprus. Dabiri-Erewa also urged Nigerians in Diaspora not to be afraid to invest in the country because of insecurity. While admitting that the country’s insecurity challenge is a source of concern, she said it is only temporary because of stiff measures currently employed by the Federal Government to tackle the situation. She said the commission recorded over $20 billion in daispora remittances for 2021.

  Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), says the outcome of investigation into the death of Itunu Babalola, the Nigerian lady who was ‘wrongfully jailed’ in Cote D’Ivoire, will shock many. Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this while responding to questions at a media briefing at the state house in Abuja on Thursday. Speaking on efforts made by the commission to get justice for the deceased, Dabiri-Erewa said a Nigerian who claimed to be investigating the circumstances surrounding Babalola’s death visited her before her demise. The NIDCOM chairperson said Babalola might have been implicated by those who she regards as friends.   Dabiri-Erewa also lamented that the lack of CCTV footage has made it difficult to ‘really’ identify the suspect whom she described as ‘dark, male who had a relationship with the girl’. “The case is in court and I would not want to pre-empt what is in court but there are some sad things about that,” she said. “Somebody visited her before she died, I’m saying this for the first time and that person is a Nigerian.   “If there was CCTV, they would tell us who that Nigerian is, and it’s one person who has been going about saying that he’s doing some investigations. It’s deeper than that. “When that comes out, you may be shocked, and again, because she’s late and the father is still mourning, it’s difficult but somebody, a Nigerian who claims to be investigating had a relationship with that girl and visited that girl and something happened to her. “If it was a developed country, there would be CCTV and they would point that guy out. So, they’re still looking at it. “I don’t think the police in Cote D’Ivoire did anything, sometimes we’re our biggest enemies. It’s deep, loaded but something deeper happened to that girl that goes right back to who she called her friend. Who were her friends? Who implicated her? Who went to visit her? Some male… dark…that claims he’s investigating.”

  The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission has issued a notice of indefinite strike to the management of the commission over a breach of agreement, the Punch is reporting The union noted that the strike will commence with effect from Monday, August 29, 2022. Chairman of the Joint Service Union, PSC chapter, Mr Adoyi Adoyi, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday. The notice is coming amidst disagreement between workers of the commission, the Chairman of the commission, Mr Musiliu Smith, and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, on which body should be responsible for recruitment, promotion, and appointment of constables and officers. He noted that the IGP and other police chiefs in connivance with the chairman of the PSC, have overruled the constitutional duty of the PSC. Adoyi added that the IGP has allegedly taken it upon himself to carry out the functions of the PSC in flagrant disregard of the Nigeria constitution, a verdict of the Appeal Court, and the authorities of the PSC. Adoyi said, “We’re embarking on an indefinite strike from Monday, August 29, to show how discontent with the way the PSC is being run by the chairman of the commission, and the flagrant disregard for the constitution, the court of law, and the PSC by the IGO, Usman Baba. “The duties of the PSC are spelled out in the constitution, but the IGP has disregarded all of that, and has taken over the duties of the commission. He appoints and promotes at will as opposed to what is stated in the constitution. “According to the constitution, the appointment, promotion, and recruitment of police officers and constables are the prerogative of the PSC, not the IGP.”