The Indigenous People of Biafra has hailed the recent call by the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for the unconditional release of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021. The pro-Biafran group said while they welcome the development, they noted that the issue of granting of bail or standing surety does not arise at this time because the Federal Government has breached the order of a superior court of competent jurisdiction. The group emphasised that Kanu had been discharged on October 13, 2022, by the court of appeal and do not have any need for surety because there is no charge hanging on him as of today. They stated these in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Monday. It stated, “We have gone beyond the issue of surety or no surety, every genuine call and demand in the prevailing circumstance should be firmly directed at calling out on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order for the unconditional release of Kanu made by its own court. “Though the said call for the unconditional release of our leader is belatedly coming three months and one day, after the Court of Appeal, Abuja judicial division, in its erudite judgement delivered on October 13, 2022, discharged and acquitted the leader of IPOB and all the remaining eight-count amended charges preferred against him, and consequently directed for his unconditional release. “The landmark judgment further prohibited the Federal Government from further detaining our leader or even presenting him for trial on any indictment or offence whatsoever before any court in Nigeria. “It is important therefore, to clarify that our leader has no form of indictment or even charge pending against him today before any court by the authority of this judgement. “The issue of granting bail or otherwise does not arise by any stretch of consideration or imagination, because it is the Federal Government that is today in breach of this order of superior court of competent jurisdiction. “May we also remind Governor Soludo and others, that Kanu’s current incarceration is not sanctioned by any law known to man, it is unconstitutional and affront to constitutional democracy and rule of law. “Further to the above, is the fact that Kanu has no case to answer again, therefore, the need for surety does not arise, instead Soludo should gear all his efforts towards persuading and compelling on the lawless rulers of Nigeria to obey their own law. “It is to be pointed out further, that this kind of plea is the reason why the rulers of Nigeria have no regard for the rule of law, why should we be pleading with them to obey their own court orders directing for the unconditional release of Kanu? It’s compelling and mandatory on their part to obey their own court orders. “Federal Government is today in grave contempt of the orders of court of its own court, and their appeal before the Supreme Court can not justify the present illegal incarceration of our leader in a solitary confinement in DSS.”

  The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, was at the court as Lagos State Government arraigned Drambi Vandi, the police officer accused of killing a lawyer, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day last year. Vandi was arraigned on a one-count charge of murder before Justice Ibironke Harrison at a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Monday. The accused, however, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. His arraignment which was slated for 9 am was initially delayed by the absence of his counsel to defend him in court. When the case was called, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyo Onigbanjo, SAN, who is leading the prosecution had told the court that he was informed the defence counsel was still on his way. The court had to stand the matter down until the arrival of Mr Adetokunbo Odutola, Vandi’s counsel. Also present at the court with Maikyau was the Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, Ikechukwu Uwanna; and other executives of the association to monitor proceedings.

  The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government for labelling his group as a terrorist organisation. In the suit marked E/20/2023, and filed by Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, the IPOB leader is seeking an order that self-determination is not a crime and consequently cannot be held on to arrest, detain and prosecute him and the members of IPOB. Asides from the federal government, other Respondents are the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Governor of Ebonyi State and the South-East Governors. The matter which was filed before an Enugu State High Court asked the court to bar the Respondents from taking a further step in “any criminal prosecutions of the Applicant and members of IPOB on the basis of the said proscription of IPOB and its listing as a terrorist group.” The suit began with originating Application Brought Pursuant to Order II Rules 1 & 2 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Articles 2, 3, 19 & 20 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and under the jurisdiction of the Court as preserved by Sections 6 and 46 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Kanu contended that the proscription of IPOB and its listing as a terrorist organisation is illegal under section 42 of the 1999 constitution as amended and under Articles 2, 3, 19 & 20 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Enforcement and Ratification) Act. He made an argument that “professing the political opinion of self-determination and the consequent arrest, detention and prosecution of the Applicant as a member/leader of said IPOB is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional.” He sought among others: “A DECLARATION that the practical application of the Terrorism Prevention Act and the executive or administrative action of the Respondents which directly led to the proscription of IPOB and its listing as a terrorist group, said IPOB being comprised of citizens of Nigeria of the Igbo and other Eastern Nigerian ethnic groups, professing the political opinion of self-determination and the consequent arrests, detentions, prosecutions and extrajudicial killings of the members of the said IPOB is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of their fundamental right not to be subjected to any disabilities or restrictions on the basis of their ethnicity as enshrined and guaranteed under Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and their fundamental rights as enshrined under Articles 2, 3, 19 & 20 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Enforcement and Ratification) Act. “A DECLARATION that self-determination is not a crime and thus cannot be used as a basis to arrest, detain and prosecute the Applicant and members of IPOB.” It further argued, “For clarity and contrasting, examples of such other similarly-situated groups of other ethnicities to which same disabilities or restrictions are not subjected include the following: I. the Arewa Youth Forum (mainly of Hausa/Fulani ethnic stock). II. The Odua Peoples Congress (mainly of Yoruba ethnic stock. III. The Miyeti Allah (mainly of Hausa/Fulani). IV. The Niger Delta Avengers (mainly of Ijaw ethnic stock). V. The notoriously murderous Fulani Herdsmen (mainly of Fulani ethnic stock). In particular, the Fulani Herdsmen which has never been proscribed, nor declared a terrorist organization in Nigeria has, nonetheless, been internationally declared as the 4th deadliest terrorist organization in the world.”

  Security Forces in Imo state through a coordinated intelligence report have burst the camp of the unknown gunmen at Akokwa, Arondizuogu after a long gun duel which resulted in the death of some of the criminals and others arrested. These criminal elements are known to be behind several attacks in the state such as the killing of policemen in Mbaise, Aba Branch in Ehime Mbano, burning down of police stations, attack and attempted kidnapping of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, abduction of Miss. P.P. Johnson, a female soldier in Okigwe and recently the attack in Akokwa that left many dead. It is obvious that these daredevil gunmen have been perpetuating their evil plans unabated until yesterday when their camp was burst by security agencies. According to a report from the Imo state government, The state government vowed not to leave any stone unturned in the fight against insecurity. “This is another assurance that our security operatives are leaving no stone unturned in the fight against banditry and other related activities. “While it has become obvious that the activities of these nonstate actors are politically motivated, aimed at destabilizing Orlu zone and some parts of the state as well as frustrating the efforts of the state government in security management, the administration of Gov. Hope Uzodimma is committed through security agencies in the state to wipe them out and restore peace to the areas affected.” “This recent triumph by our security agencies is one out of many operations going on in some of these localities, especially in some of their hideouts and with the concerted efforts of the state government and locals, these criminals will continue to meet their waterloo as insecurity will be a thing of the past. “Gov. Hope Uzodimma in his quest to bring a lasting solution to this menace in the state and in the entire South East has requested from the President, an advanced technology in the fight against insecurity which has been graciously approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and will help to fight terrorism and banditry to an end. “Ndi Imo should brace up with the hope that the end is near, the threats to our peace and livelihood will soon become a thing of the past, and ensure reports and intelligence are promptly communicated to our security agencies as it will go a long way in the fight against these faceless criminals and support the efforts of the state government in ensuring that we have a peaceful and secured Imo state that we can be proud of any time.”

  A group, The Patriots Roundtable, on Monday, expressed optimism that Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has the capacity of renewing the hopes of Nigerians and heal broken places as president of the country. The group, in a statement by its Director -General, Prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu stated that unlike other presidential candidates, Tinubu will “deny himself the company of family and friends for the greater good of the nation he wishes to serve.” The statement titled ‘Tinubu: Visibility Spells Victory’, reads: “in almost fervid and compelling campaign stomps, Bola Tinubu has swept through the mangroves of Delta, the vast ringing plains of Kano, the desert of Adamawa, the limitless savanna of Yobe, the hills of Ondo , the town halls and the city centers of Abuja and Lagos. “And most importantly, Tinubu has marshaled his campaign in the comprehensive enlightened pen of an army of adherents in a devoted , hardened determination to get his presidential message across the huge Nigerian landscape in a battle enforced in totality. “In his strong and steadfast campaign, Tinubu, unlike his competitors, is clearly demonstrating the first principle of electoral victory and visibility. Yes. Visibility. No one wins election from the conversational huddle of foreign isle or the quiet repose of the residential closet where friends shout feigned hurrah in glib celebratorial orgies. “No. Elections are won in the direct intimacy of the crowd, in the passion of the candidate amid the wild animation of the converted, who henceforth throng out with great conviction, to recruit more adherents into the fold. For the candidate latched to the vision of ultimate triumph, he will commit himself in total physical and mental dedication. He will sacrifice his personal freedom, remove himself from all transient pleasures, deny himself the company of family and friends for the greater good of the nation he wishes to serve. “It is in this commitment that he gains respect and believability. It is in this crucial resolve that the candidate soars higher than all his competitors, eviscerating their presence, dwindling their relevance, relegating them into peripheral shadows. “This, in our view, is exactly the mirror image of the present presidential contest. While Tinubu is abused and traduced for many conjured physical trappings, while he is unjustly mocked, vilified in scathing vituperations, like former President Ronald Reagan, who was once dubbed with the Teflon coating, nothing sticks to the Jagaban Borgu. “He brushes off all vitriol with enigmatic indifference. He absorbs all sadistic in-temperament with unbelievable valor, dismissing the stings of scurrility with the heroic latitude of one whose mission is clear, whose vision is certain, whose goal is resolute, unperturbed. “The nay-sayers keep forgetting that calumny is no virtue. And that the recourse to grim desperation does not bear any fruit. They should emulate Tinubu in his passionate commitment to the presidential goal, in his sworn decisive armory to renew the Nigerian hope, to enhance our values and heal our broken places. “All these he does in a genuine vigorous campaign mantra from state to state like one preaching the gospel of the greater possibilities of the Nigerian Union. “To win is to be visible. To win is to reach out, to build structures and widen your support base to the furthest reaches of the electorate. No one else is doing this save Tinubu. “Pray, how do you beat such a man in this presidential contest when you are locked up in peripheral outpost of relevance , junketing to foreign isle, mistaken the transient hurrah of the conjured mob for political strength? “How do you beat a man who continues to widen the national network of allies with easy familiarity, embracing former foes without lurking prejudice, defining his salvaging message amid grueling campaign schedule while forfeited men crawl in circles of hate and malice, conjuring innuendos as if it were a pathway to victory? “It will never happen. Victory resides in visibility, in hardwork, in passionate commitment to the greater good.”

  A policeman lost his life on Sunday ,January 15th, 2023, after unknown gunmen attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State at about 9pm. Sources said the attack was unsuccessful as the gunmen were subsequently repelled by the Police and Army personnel from 82 Division. The security gatehouse was razed. Fortunately, the attackers could not gain access to the main building as a result of the rapid response from the Police and Army personnel from 82 Division. The State Commissioner of Police and the REC were personally at the scene immediately they received information about the attack. Of the two Policemen deployed to protect the facility, one of them lost his life while the other sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment. Meanwhile, the commission had assured that the attacks won’t prevent it’s preparation for the 2023 general election. Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Enugu South Council Area of Enugu State, Barr. Chimezie Robinson Nkwuo, condemned the Sunday night attack while sympathising with the victims of the incident. Barr. Nkwuo saidd the attack is ungodly and worrisome while calling for a halt of such inhumane activities by the perpetuators. He urged the people not to panic but go out to collect their their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, while assuring them that an in depth investigation is underway.

  Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts at “defeating insurgency in parts of the country”. Speaking on Sunday to mark the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Government House in Port Harcourt, River’s capital, Wike described Buhari’s efforts as extraordinary. He said the armed forces have been at the forefront of eliminating Boko Haram and other armed insurgents in the north-west and north-east, including the “unknown gunmen” in the south-east of the country. Wike said Buhari’s efforts at coordinating a successful military intervention would be a legacy for sustaining free and fair elections. “I commend our President, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for his sustained efforts at defeating the Boko Haram insurgents and bandits terrorizing and destroying our communities in parts of our country,” he said. “The restoration of peace to our troubled geo-political regions, and the conduct of the free and fair general election are the best legacies you can live for our country. “As leaders, our goal must be one Nigeria, one destiny, and the challenges of building a more fair, inclusive, and just society are not beyond us. “Therefore, I will not relent in my prayers to God to enable Mr President and other leaders of our country to succeed in our mission and commitments to our country.” The Rivers governor called for a prioritisation of the welfare of the armed forces in and out of service alongside their families, adding that they should be given attention from the public purse. He donated N100 million as part of the state’s efforts to empower veteran servicemen. “As a state government, we have, over the years, provided financial support to our veterans through the state office of the Nigerian Legion,” he said. “We have since redeemed the N50 million pledge we made during the remembrance emblem appeal fund launch in December 2022. “Today, I wish to donate the sum of N100 million on behalf of the state government for the economic empowerment of the veteran servicemen from Rivers state.”

  The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), says it will start the process of reviewing the national minimum wage on January 23. President Muhammadu Buhari signed the minimum wage act that approved N30,000 for both federal and state workers in 2019. Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Emmanuel Njoku, the spokesperson of NSIWC, said the commission had held a series of training and meetings in preparation for nationwide monitoring of the act. “The exercise will enlighten the public and private employers and organisations on the economic benefits of adhering to the payment of the national minimum wage,” he said. “It will also help in obtaining baseline data on remuneration policies and practices of private sector organisations to enrich the commission’s data bank on staff compensation. “The monitoring exercise will cover the 36 states of the federation including the federal capital territory.” In October 2021, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), called on the federal government to look into reviewing the current minimum wage, citing increment in prices of goods and services. Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, who spoke on Workers Decent Work Day said: “N30,000 cannot buy a bag of rice, and we know how the cost of goods or services has gone up. In fact, the worst is that when you retire, you have to struggle to get your benefits.”