An investigation by Reuters, an international news agency, has accused the Nigerian Army of carrying out illegal abortions on victims of insurgency in the north-east. According to the Reuters investigation, since 2013, the Nigerian military has conducted a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country’s north-east region. In the report, at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls were ended. “The existence of the army-run abortion programme hasn’t been previously reported. The campaign relied on deception and physical force against women who were kept in military custody for days or weeks,” the investigation reads in part. Soldiers interviewed during the investigation were said to have revealed that women who resisted the forced abortion were either beaten or drugged into compliance. “Three soldiers and a guard said they commonly assured women, who often were debilitated from captivity in the bush, that the pills and injections given to them were to restore their health and fight diseases such as malaria,” the report reads. “In some instances, women who resisted were beaten, caned, held at gunpoint or drugged into compliance.   “Others were tied or pinned down, as abortion drugs were inserted inside them, said a guard and a health worker.” Although Reuters said it could not establish who created the abortion programme or who in the military or government ran it, the investigation also revealed that forced abortions have occurred in at least five military facilities and five civilian hospitals in the region, especially in Maiduguri, the Borno capital. TheCable had earlier reported how the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said the Nigerian Army has never forced rescued women and girls to abort pregnancies. The DHQ’s denial was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Jimmy Akpor, information director at DHQ.   “To them (Reuters), they were committed to producing an accurate, fair and complete report hence, their request to arrange a time to discuss before their reporting,” the DHQ said. “The supposed stories were purported to focus on 2 specific areas: First, the supposed military-run programme of forced abortions performed on women and girls who were held captive and impregnated by Islamist militants and second, a supposed killing of children by the military as part of counterinsurgency operations.”

  Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has described the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, N100,000 a week withdrawal limit policy that will begin on January 9, 2023 as a plot against the masses and opposition. Asked his take on the policy, Adebayo said: “It is not a policy. It is a scorched-earth stratagem against the masses and perceived opposition. “While a cashless society is desirable, macroeconomic considerations warrant a well thought out plan to ensure that common people don’t suffer decline in productivity and financial intermediation hiccups that amount to virtual exclusion from mainstream economic participation. “This rash measure taken by the Central Bank is yet another cosmetic bandage over a festering sore of fiscal irresponsibility, monetary recklessness and lax security settings. They won’t produce any desired results other than create income for promoters of payment systems. “This is systematic capture of vast swathes of the financial transactions by those remote controlling the apex bank. “I disagree with the measures just taken by the CBN. They need to be revised.”

  The monarch of Oso Ajowa Akoko in in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Clement Jimoh, who was kidnapped, has regained freedom. The traditional ruler, who was abducted in his palace, was set free by the bandits after he had spent seven days in their den. According to a family source, the monarch was freed on Wednesday evening and he had been taken to the hospital where he was receiving treatment. “Kabiyesi regained freedom yesterday (Wednesday) evening but he has been taken to the hospital for treatment,” the source stated. Details later…

  Thursday 08 December 2022 N-Power fraud: ICPC detains D’banj, lawyer cries foul Cash withdrawal limits: Senate grills CBN chiefs today Polls: INEC knocks Tinubu over comment on e-transmission Declare Sanwo-Olu my father, Delta man tells court EFCC auctions forfeited cars, wants compliance with guidelines I’ll end incessant strikes in Universities if elected President – Peter Obi Ignore Simon Ekpa, there’s no sit-at-home – MASSOB Elon Musk loses world’s richest spot to Louis Vuitton owner, Bernard Arnault New CBN withdrawal policy draconian, will hurt poor Nigerians – Metuh Why we are harvesting Voter Identification Numbers from PVCs – INEC D’banj: We reported case, others to ICPC, says Humanitarian Affairs Ministry IGP launches stolen vehicles portal to curb car theft UK Border Force Workers Announce Christmas Strike 2023: My Legal Victory Is Divine, Says Machina Ortom Invites Buhari To Commission Benue Project Abia Doctors Threaten Indefinite Strike Thursday Peru President Ousted After Bid To Dissolve Congress 2023: Atiku Woos Osun Voters, Says PDP Govt For Greater Good ‘Nigeria Is Collapsing’: Obi Campaigns In Taraba, Vows To Reverse Poverty NJC reinstates Ofili-Ajumogobia as judge after dismissal for alleged fraud Audit Queries: Senate Threatens To Slash Allocations Of 100 MDAs Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has disclosed that it invited the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences commission (ICPC) to probe the alleged fraud in the N-Power programme. N-Power is a scheme established by President Muhammadu Buhari to address the issues of youth unemployment and empowerment, and help increase social development. Formerly under the office of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the the scheme was later moved to the humanitarian ministry. According to reports, D’banj colluded with some government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme. The stipend paid to those beneficiaries was then paid to accounts that have now been allegedly linked to the pop star. He said when it came to the notice of the ministry that there may have been sharp practices by some personnel of the Payment Service Provider (P’SP) involved in the payment processes of beneficiaries, the matter was immediately referred to ICPC for thorough investigation. He said, “We are aware that certain persons have consequently been invited for interrogation as part of the ongoing investigations. “In the meantime, we have carried out thorough reinforcement of our systems to eliminate all anomalies and prevent similar occurrences in the future. To this end we are in close collaboration with ICPC to support the successful determination of the investigation. “The public may wish to note that in a bid to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of N-Power and other National Social Investment Programmes, namely the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme(NHGSFP), Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and the Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT), the Ministry has over time involved other govenment MDA’s, Security Agencies and Civil Society Organizations in monitoring and compliance checks across the 36 states of the country and the FCT. “We want to assure all N-POWER beneficiaries of Federal Government’s continued commitment to the programme and the subsequent exit/off-boarding channels activated.”

  The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi says Nigeria is collapsing very fast with the worsening statistics of people living in poverty. He also said only Nigerians can take back their party from the ruling class who have continued to ensure that despite the huge potential of the country, its people continue to live in poverty. Obi made the statement on Wednesday at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, during his presidential campaign in the state. He said, “Nigeria is collapsing and it is doing so very fast. We have 133 million people in poverty and Taraba is no exception. It is happening here where we have millions of people who don’t know where the next meal will come from. That is what I and Baba-Ahmed wants to reverse.” Also, Obi’s running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed said, “Nigeria is waging a war; that war is not between tribes, it is not between faiths – it is between the good people of Nigeria and bad governance and that war we must win.” They promised stakeholders in the state that if voted into power, they will not govern the country from Abuja but rather from the states where the potential both human and capital of the country are located.