The authorities of the Nigeria Police Force, on Thursday, dismissed officers attached to the famous praise-singer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Dauda Adamu Kahutu Rarara. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the spokesman of the force, who announced the decision at Force Headquarters in Abuja, said the officers were dismissed for wasting live ammunition. The escorts were recently captured firing live bullets into the air as the singer made his way into his vehicle in Kano, where he is based. Their action had sparked outrage and the force vowed to take action. In a statement on Thursday, Adejob said, “Sbsequent to complaints and findings on video evidence widely circulated on Friday 7th April, 2023, on social media of high-handedness, unprofessional conduct, and misuse of firearms against some policemen from Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 1, Kano, and a follow-up orderly room trial of the affected policemen by the Force Provost Marshal, three officers from the SPU Base 1 Kano have been dismissed for the offences of discreditable conduct to wit misuse of firearms, abuse of power, gross indiscipline, and wastage of live ammunition. “The trio, Inspr. Dahiru Shuaibu, Sgt. Abdullahi Badamasi, and Sgt. Isah Danladi were attached to a musician in Kano on escort duties. In the course of their duty on Friday 7th April, 2023 at Kahutu Village, Katsina State, the officers repeatedly fired shots from their official firearms into the air despite police policy against firing in the air, standard operating procedure and relevant Force Orders; and disregarding the possible risk to the crowd at the location which included children. The act was not only criminal and unprofessional but also embarrassing to the Force and the nation at large. “The Nigeria Police Force hereby warms all officers to ensure they carry out their duties in line with the extant laws to avoid running foul of its provisions and attracting attendant sanctions. Supervising officers have also been tasked to ensure continuous and detailed lectures of their men to ensure they are well acquainted with all necessary standard operating procedures.”

  The Labour Party (LP) says its flag bearer in the February 25 presidential poll, Peter Obi is not aware of any apology purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies regarding an incident involving the former Anambra State governor at the Heathrow Airport on April 7, 2023.   “We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard,” said the Head of the Obi-Datti Media, Diran Onifade. Onifade, in his statement, also expressed confidence in the ability of the British authorities to resolve the matter, to conclusion. “Mr Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have since moved on from the incident and continue to be totally focused, on the legal processes before the Election Petition Tribunal towards the recovery of our mandate, which we are firmly convinced, was overwhelmingly expressed by voters, in the Presidential election of February 25th,” he added. Onifade had disclosed that Obi was “harassed” and “detained” by immigration officers at Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom for a duplication offense which suggests that someone has been impersonating Obi in London. The incident was said to have occurred when Obi celebrated the Easter festivities in London. The former governor was also said to have been “rescued” by his followers known as Obidients who were present at the airport. The British government has not issued any statement on the matter.

  Friday 14 April 2023 Supplementary elections: APC, PDP battle for two gov, 94 legislative seats Obi, Kwankwaso shared Atiku’s votes, Tinubu tells tribunal Poll: I defeated you, Tinubu tells Obi Building collapse: Lagos stops devt in Banana Island World Bank lists challenges for Nigeria’s in-coming govt Get ready to ‘pack out’ in Imo, PDP’s Anyanwu tells Gov Uzodimma Bayelsa: Why David Lyon Wasn’t Given Automatic Ticket – APC Supplementary Polls: IGP Assures Voters Of Safety, Deploys Cops To 185 LGAs Ortom Calls For Postponement Of 2023 Census Three Kano Policemen Dismissed For Misuse Of Firearms Tinubu, Others Named TIME’s 100 Most Influential People Of 2023 Tinubu, Others Named TIME’s 100 Most Influential People Of 2023 Obi Not Aware Of ‘British Govt Apology’ On Heathrow Incident – LP Seven Burnt To Death In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Crash 15 Terrorists Killed As Troops Repel Attacks On Zamfara Communities FEC approves N495m for installation of baggage scanners at railway stations Oxford malaria vaccine gets clearance for use in Ghana FG: N50bn poverty reduction programme impacted 1.8m Nigerians Supplementary polls: Give PDP overwhelming support, Atiku begs voters Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  No fewer than two million vulnerable Nigerians have been impacted by projects implemented under the Federal Government’s National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) for the year 2022, a report states. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Thursday, said the NPRGS Steering Committee met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mr Akande said a progress report presented at the meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also indicated that 1.6 million smallholder farmers were impacted under the Agriculture for Jobs Plan. “Besides, 13,000 youths have been trained under a Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme in six states comprising Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna and Nasarawa, while arrangements are underway to provide similar training for 2000 beneficiaries in Edo State. “Equally, more than 8,000 Nigerians were employed in rural roads construction under the Rural Roads programme which built 40 rural roads in 120 communities, covering about 57.3 km across the country.’’ The report presented by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, showed that with the release of N50 billion, programmes that had achieved 100 per cent completion include, the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP), and Construction of Rural Roads, among others. “The total number of direct beneficiaries of the implemented programmes currently stands at 1.8 million vulnerable Nigerians and a total of 9,527 Nigerians have also been directly employed through the implementation of the programmes so far. “Additionally, at the meeting, the committee approved the sum of N250 billion for the execution of projects for the year 2023.’’ Mr Akande said that the report showed that projects scheduled for implementation under the NPRGS for the year included the provision of 100,000 homes for low-income earners which would create 1 million jobs directly and indirectly. He listed others as the expansion of energy access by providing 1,200 solar street lights in rural communities and six mini-grids for high-capacity productive farming under the Solar Naija Programme. “Creation of 4.5 million direct and indirect jobs through the Rural Roads programme which targets to connect about 750 rural markets. “Provision of N9 billion support for over 1.6 million vulnerable smallholder farmers for the 2023 wet season farming under the Agriculture for Jobs Plan. “The expansion of the National Social Register with additional 3 million households,’’ he said. Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State who is also the Co-Chair of the Technical Working Group for the Committee spoke with State House correspondents after the meeting. Mr Sule said that though implementation had not reached expected levels, efforts were being made to touch each of the targeted 15 areas of implementation. He said that the meeting was to review the implementation and update on the spending on the projects so far and approval for 2023 projects for the same scheme. “Based on what was received from the co-chair of the Technical Working Group, over N50 billion have been spent so far. “The performance so far hasn’t reached the level we expected. But nearly every aspect of the 15 areas targeted is being implemented in one way or the other,” he said. (NAN)

  Peter Obi, was last week detained in London by the United Kingdom immigration officials for alleged impersonation. This was made known in a statement issued Wednesday by the Head, Obi-Datti Media, Diran Onifade. Mr Onifade however said Peter Obi has since returned to Nigeria. “The LP presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential poll arrived at the Heathrow Airport in London from Nigeria on Good Friday, April 7, 2023, and joined the queue for the necessary Airport protocols when he was accosted by immigration officials who handed him a detention note and told him to step aside,” Mr Onifade said. According to the statement, Peter Obi was harassed by London immigration officials and placed in detention where he spent the Easter holidays. “He was questioned for a long time and it was very strange for a man who lived for over a decade in that country,” the statement said. Possible implication for Peter Obi Mr Onifade explained that the high implication of the offence is that the impersonator could be committing all kinds of weighty crimes and other dubious acts and it would be recorded in Obi’s name. He emphasised that since the impersonator is still at large, the scenario is unimaginable as Peter Obi could be implicated in a series of forbidden acts and even be framed in a manner that could be a huge embarrassment to him, his family, his party, the Obedient movement, and Nigeria, where he currently and remains the conscience of the people. Mr Onifade also reiterated that Mr Obi has been under all kinds of attack, since the presidential election in which he put up an outstanding showing coming third out of 18 contestants as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “…though his supporters and many other election watchers including international observers believed very strongly that he won the election but was manipulated out,” he added.   Mr Onifade noted that since Peter Obi was told to go to court since he feels unsatisfied with the election outcome, which all international monitors chorused was flawed and full of imperfections and he accepted, there have been severe attacks on him from all corners. “Even the Federal Government who directed him to go to court even dispatched the Minister of Information Lai Mohammad to the United States to attempt at de-marketing him and accused him of treason,” the statement said. Mr Onifade accused the government of bugging Mr Obi’s phone while possibly looking for information to portray him badly before a section of the country who had voted for him massively. “As if they were not getting the desired results of denting his image, and possibly placing the traducers under a heavier conscience load, they tried to persuade him to leave the country and go take a rest,” he said, adding that it is also not impossible that those urging him to leave the country may have planted the impersonators ostensibly to tar the Eagle’s immaculate appearance. “The Obi-Datti Media office will like to therefore assure all persons of goodwill especially the Obidients that the Rock is not deterred as he is ready to suffer the pain and remain even more determined to pursue whichever path his creator destined for him in Nigeria,” Mr Onifade said. When contacted on phone, Mr Onifade said, “He experienced a delay at the airport because someone duplicated his details. But he has since returned to the country.”

  An attack by suspected terrorists on the Atak’Njei community in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has claimed no fewer than eight lives. The attack happened at about 9p.m. on Wednesday, journalists were told. It is coming weeks after a similar attack on the Langson community in the same local government area that claimed no fewer than 10 lives. Atak’Njei is the community housing the palace of the Atyap paramount ruler, Agwatyap. The National President, Atyap Community Development Association, ACDA, Mr Sam Timbuwak Achie, has condemned the attack which he called “barbaric”. However, he called on security operatives to fish out those behind the series of attacks in Atyapland. The council chairman, Zango Kataf Local Government Area, Mr Francis Sani Zimbo, said the injured were currently receiving treatment at different hospitals in the area. Attacks on Southern Kaduna have left many dead and scores injured over the past few years, a development that has kept the military on its toes, despite allegations and blames of not doing enough to end incessant attacks in that volatile part of Kaduna State.

  The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Uche Rowland Ojinmah said many qualified doctors are still not employed in Nigeria, in spite of the brain drain in the country’s health sector. Ojinmah stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, The NMA President expressed worry over the exodus of Nigerian medical practitioners leaving the country for greener pastures abroad. Recall that a bill was sponsored by a lawmaker from Lagos, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, seeking for a mandatory five-year practice in Nigeria by Nigerian doctors before being given a full practicing licence. The bill had passed the second reading in the House of Representatives. However, Ojinmah, argued that notwithstanding the high number of medical practitioners leaving the country, there were still many doctors unemployed in the country. He said, “Even based on the fact that doctors are leaving, some are still not employed and there is a story of one-for-one policy that they will start replacing those that leave immediately. Meanwhile, the policy has been on the drawing board for months and nothing is happening.” He urged the government not to cut the head off to cure a headache, stressing that jobs and good remuneration should be given to the many doctors still seeking employment in the country. Ojinma while explaining why doctors are leaving the country in droves said the ratio in rural areas and conflict zones is far worse. “When you talk of rural areas, you may be talking about one to 9,000. When you talk of these areas where there is banditry and terrorism, it may be one in 20,000 or more,” he said. He, however, argued that the logic being presented [on the floor of the House] in support of the bill does not make sense, saying the policy being suggested by the National Assembly is discriminatory. “If everybody is being subsidized, you can not in a discriminatory manner go down to a few people. All that we have come to realise is that doctors are important just like other healthcare workers and the solution is to make a man that is important feel that he belongs to you. “The pull factors are those things that are outside that are making them go which is not within our control while the push factors are the things within our control that are pushing them out of Nigeria. “The first push factor is poverty. A newly trained doctor [abroad] is earning about £40,000 (about N22m at official exchange rate) per annum while our own is earning about N3million to N3.6million per annum. A fresh doctor in Nigeria earns in a year what a fresh doctor in the UK earns in a month,” said Dr Ojinma. He also blamed the taxation policy in Nigeria which he said had been heavy on the doctors, saying that “we are treated like we are common and now they are crying that we should be held hostage.” He also complained about insecurity in the land, arguing that doctors were being targeted by criminals. The NMA President said there was no equipment for doctors to work with in most hospitals in Nigeria. At least, 13,609 Nigerian doctors have migrated to the UK alone in the past eight years which is third behind Pakistan and India. Nigerian doctor’s to patient ratio stands at one doctor to 5,000 patients, which is far beyond the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor to 600 patients.

  The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said a candidate does not need to secure 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to win a presidential election in the country. This is even as it said the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar did not meet the constitutional requirements to be declared winner of the February 25 election. It also described the petition of Labour Party’s Peter Obi as incompetent. The commission said the President-elect, Bola Tinubu validly won the February 25 election. Recall that Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku who scored 6,984,520 and Peter Obi of the Labour Party who got 6,101,533. Atiku and Tinubu won 12 states each while Obi won 11 states and the FCT. Both Atiku and Obi are in court to challenge the declaration of Tinubu as winner by INEC but the electoral umpire told the court that the FCT is not accorded any special status in the constitution as being erroneously portrayed by some political parties and candidates who lost the election. The commission said the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate met all the legal requirements to be so announced as the winner. It argued that a candidate must not secure 25 per cent of votes in the FCT to be declared the winner. INEC said the APC candidate scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states of the Federation. It added that by the margin of the lead, it did not act hastily, as claimed by Atiku and the PDP in declaring Tinubu the winner. The Commission noted that Tinubu scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states, namely: Ekiti, Kwara, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Adamawa, Katsina, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Kogi, Bauchi, Plateau, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, Taraba, Borno and Rivers. It added that the FCT, beyond being the country’s capital “has no special constitutional status over and above the other 36 states of the Federation” to require a candidate in the presidential election to obtain at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT before being declared winner of the presidential election. The commission subsequently urged the Tribunal to dismiss Atiku’s petition.

  President-elect, Bola Tinubu, is challenging the right of the Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, to fault his victory at the February 25 presidential election. In his response to the petition by Obi and the Labour Party, he argued that the former Anambra State government was not a lawful member of the LP as of the time he contested on the party’s platform, and lacks the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the exercise. He queried the competence of Obi’s petition and prayed the court to dismiss it. His team of lawyers led by Wole Olanikpekun added that as of 24th May 2022, six days before the primary election of the Labour Party purportedly held to produce/elect Obi as the presidential candidate of the party for the presidential election held on 25th February 2023, Obi was still a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and he did not resign his membership of the said party until 24th May 2022. They added that as of 30 days before Labour Party’s presidential primary, Obi was still a presidential aspirant in the PDP. They also argued that the grounds on which the petition is predicated are incompetent, thereby denying the court the needed jurisdiction. The President-elect also contended that the reliefs being sought by the petitioners are not only incompetent but also ungrantable. They also argued that the claim by Obi and his party that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election was outside the issue the court could deal with because it falls within the precinct of pre-election issues. He further argued that Tinubu was never convicted as claimed by Peter Obi. He further argued that he is not currently under sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria. He further pointed out that Obi did not disclose any fact showing that within a -period of fewer than 10 years before the date of the election to the office of President, Tinubu had been sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or had been found guilty of the contravention of the code of conduct.   He also faulted the claim by the petitioners that Tinubu’s running mate Kashim Shettima was not qualified to stand for election in view of his alleged double nomination. They equally faulted the petitioners’ questioning of the manner Tinubu appointed his running mate.