Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeira, IMN aka Shi’ites Protesting Shi’ites members Leaders of the Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shi’ites, have raised the alarm over alleged plans by Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led government to demolish 48 structures belonging to the Movement across Kaduna State. Addressing journalists on the development in Kaduna on Saturday, one of the Movement’s leader, Engineer Yunusa Lawal, who was flanked by other leaders, said the planned demolitions were not only illegal but vindictive, as the only reason given by the Kaduna State government was that IMN has been banned as a group. Lawal said though, the Islamic Movement was yet to receive any notice of demolition from Kaduna State Government or any of its agencies, it stumbled on a leaked memo where the Director-General of Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA), Ismail Umaru-Dikko, was seeking approval of Governor El-Rufai to carry out the demolitions.   According to the Shi’ites leader, “We are constrained by the memo to address you arising from the premeditated attempt/approval given to carry out the demolition exercise. “It is baffling to note the manner and timing of the proposed exercise! Could it be part of Mr. Dikko’s severance package?! The DG, KASUPDA and his cohorts should know that their intention to destroy people’s properties/structures is evil and could be consequential sooner or later! “It is noticed from the memo, 48 structures belonging to the Islamic movement is earmarked for demolition across the state; 1,860 security personnel will be involved and N20,253,500 will be the cost of the demolition exercise. The sinister motive is to particularly clamp down on the Islamic movement once again. “To cover up the deception for the exercise, 7 other locations were earmarked, but NONE of those locations will cost up to N2,500,000 and NONE will require above 180 security personnel to execute! The total cost approved for the exercise is N29,523,500 and the total security personnel required is 2,510. “It is, therefore, disheartening to observe that the main purpose of this demolition exercise it to again subjugate and oppress members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. We view this as an act of provocation and suppression that tantamount to the infringement of our fundamenta human rights as citizens and indigenes of Kaduna State. “From the memo, the acronym ‘IM’ is alien to the Islamic Movement under the leadership of Allamah, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakkaky (H) and members of the movement have their various hard earned properties/structures as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “We are aware, throughout the 8 year tenureship of El-Rufai’s stewardship; he has had NO regard for the rule of law! He has been a loose cannon trampling over whoever he does not likel! He has been law into himself since becoming Governor. “Furthermore, we would like to seize this opportunity to call on the Government to release the International passport of our leader, Sayid, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) and that of his wife, Malama Zeenatudeen Ibrahim, without further delay to enable them seek medical treatment abroad. We also demand for the release of hundreds of our members that are in detention centres across the country.”

  Sunday 21 May 2023 Tinubu’s Cabinet: Muslims lobby president-elect for more ministers than Christians Last-Minute Call: Release Nnamdi Kanu now, Clark tells Buhari Kwankwaso Meeting: Kano raises alarm over Tinubu, Ganduje, Masari leaked audio tape US consulate convoy attack: Embassy officials visit Anambra 12 persons killed, 8 injured in Osun auto crash Plateau Massacre: 11 more bodies buried in mass grave Presidential tribunal: Obi, Atiku, Tinubu, Shettima, INEC to call 237 witnesses Afolayan, Shaggi, Ademoye, Bakre, others shine at AMVCA Buhari Years: Despite much rhetoric, insecurity triumphs 10th NASS: Greater Majority Caucus To Present Consensus Candidates Air Strikes Shake Khartoum, Qatar Embassy Attacked Wike Asks NASS Leadership Aspirants To Respect APC, Tinubu’s Choices Tinubu Returns Days To Inauguration Insecurity My ‘Worst Nightmare’ As President, Says Jonathan Greece Recovers Hundreds Of Antiquities From Art Thief Federal Govt To Digitise Birth Registration Of 12 Million Children Gunmen kill two police officers, injure one in Imo Transport minister in last-minute move to renew Intels’ expired contract El-Rufai: We’ll continue to weed out bad officials from government till May 29 APC speakership hopefuls meet with opposition reps to produce consensus candidates Hope As Buhari Inaugurates Dangote Refinery Tomorrow Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  A former Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Callistus Okafor, has asked the Supreme Court to pronounce him the substantive chair of the party. Okafor made the shocking disclosure while speaking with journalists on Friday, adding that both Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa are “fake” chairmen.   He said Apapa, the acting chair could not emerge in illegality, as his “emergence would have been better if there was no consent judgment”. He added that with the consent judgment, Abure is an illegal LP chairman.   Okafor said, “I am the only acting national chairman of the Labour Party. Every other person parading himself as such is fake. Lamidi Apapa and Abure are both fake”. “Let everybody know that I have approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday, May 18 and prayed the apex court to declare Abure’s LP chairmanship claims, illegal. “I have drawn the attention of the court to the fact that the acting secretary of the LP, based on the party’s constitution, cannot emerge as the Chairman. “I have also asked the supreme court to declare null and void and of no effect, whatever Abure has done in his so-called capacity as the chairman of the LP. “I specifically drew the attention of the honourable justices of the apex court to the fact that Abure has conducted an illegal convention and primaries for LP which he has no legal power to do. “I have also asked the court to recognise my party’s membership list because the list is with me and could be verified.” LP which emerged as the third force in the build-up to the 2023 elections after a former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi picked the presidential ticket has been enmeshed in a leadership turmoil. The crisis began when Apapa, deputy national chairman of the party (south), declared himself the acting national chairman following the sack of Julius Abure by a court. In April, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court issued an order restraining Abure from parading himself as the LP’s national chairman. The LP had said Apapa has been suspended over “anti-party activities” alongside Akingbade, national legal adviser; Gbenga Daramola, national financial secretary; Anselem Eragbe, national youth leader; and Abayomi Arabambi, national publicity secretary. Meanwhile, chieftains of the party including Obi had said there is no crisis in the party, maintaining that Abure remains the chairman.

  In yet another controversial move, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, minister of transportation, has launched a last-ditch effort to cancel the procurement process for service boat monitoring contract in the nation’s four pilotage districts which was started since 2019. The pilotage districts are those of Lagos, Warri, Bonny/ Port-Harcourt and Calabar. TheCable had reported how the minister pressured the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), ministry of justice and the presidency to terminate a procurement process and give the contract to July Seventh Ventures Limited, a company linked to a former governor of Ogun state. Sambo, in his response, blamed the report on some persons whom he said were “intimidated” by his achievements and denied any involvement in a contract mess.   The new service boat monitoring contract contracting process was kicked off by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) following the expiration of the contract it entered with maritime giant, Intels, promoted by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Aside the expiration of the Intels’ tenured contract, the NPA management at the time cited the need to break the company’s monopoly in the sector and then opened up the process to interested bidders. With the tenure of their contract about to lapse, Intels participated in the new procurement process but was disqualified after being judged to have flouted some criteria.   The process, however, became embroiled in administrative squabble between the NPA and former minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, who also reportedly wanted the contract awarded to Intels despite the disqualification. Intels went to court to challenge the disqualification. Since then, the process remained frozen with the NPA management and transportation ministry sitting on the process despite selection of pre-qualified companies. Moves to terminate the process were also opposed by both the pre-qualified companies and relevant government organs who pointed to the dangers of taking the extra-legal step. Following the stalling, President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2022 directed that the initiated procurement should be concluded within 60 days. The presidential directive was reaffirmed in another letter from the chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari, dated June 14, 2022. But the minister began a fresh move to void the procurement process and re-award the contract to Intels’s despite its disqualification. Though Sambo’s move is facing resistance from BPP and the office of the attorney-general, the minister is reportedly pushing hard for his position to scale through within the remaining five days of the administration. REVERSAL OF THE CLOCK On December 14, 2022, the transport minister wrote to Buhari seeking approval to direct the BPP to cancel the ongoing procurement process started the and initiate a new one. He also sought to void the open competitive bidding process and re-award the contract to Intels without following any procurement process. Sambo, in his submission to the president, highlighted some technical flaws with the procurement process in what insiders said was an attempt to discredit the process. But in its response, the BPP opposed the minister’s move, saying there was no basis to warrant or legitimise the outright cancellation of the procurement process. Mamman Ahmadu, BPP’s director-general, in a letter dated March 7, 2023, explained that the process Sambo was seeking to cancel “substantially complied with the provisions of Public Procurement Act, 2007”. Re-echoing the position expressed in Buhari’s two previous directives, the BPP DG said “considering the importance of the procurement to the operations of the NPA coupled with the revenue loss that it is meant to address there is the compelling need for the procurement process to be concluded within the shortest possible time”. But Sambo, on May 8, 2023, wrote to Buhari to make fresh arguments for the cancellation of the stalled process. In the new correspondence, the minister asked for permission to return the contract to Intels in place of the new companies being engaged. Sambo quoted a voided presidential directive dated January 22, 2021, where his predecessor was accused of misleading the president to approve the re-award of the contract to Intels, a position which the president has since receded based on submissions by BPP and office of the attorney-general upholding the validity of the suspended procurement process. In both his letters of January 7, 2022 and June 14, 2022, Buhari maintained that the existing procurement process should be concluded to avert further revenue waste, among others. The BPP has also stuck to its guns asking the transport ministry to not void the advance-staged process, saying the ministry had not given enough justification to warrant the proposed cancellation. Insiders who have been monitoring the developments say Sambo is pushing on with the agenda with support from two of Buhari’s in-laws to “hurriedl”y actualise the reversal of the process and to award the contract to INTELS barely eight days to the end of the administration. “This could also be viewed as an affront on the incoming administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the Presidency is trying to empower a company where his biggest opponent owns a significant interest,” said one of the sources familiar with the intrigues. Some key persons around the President-elect view some of these last-minute deals being pushed by officials of the outgoing administration as setting up of landmines for the incoming administration. The minister is yet to respond to TheCable’s request for his comments. Credit: TheCable

  A Nigerian man identified as Okpani Ugochukwu slept and never woke up a few hours before his flight to the United Kingdom for his Master’s Programme. Ugochukwu had posted on his Facebook wall on Friday that he was UK-bound for his Master’s degree programme, suspected to be International Relations. He wrote, “It’s a wrap. Blessed be God Forever. 22:00Hrs 2go. In Omnia Paratus. Put my name on that wall. MSc mode fully activated. ????️✈️✈️????️. #International_Relations.” The dream, however, did not materialise as his wall was flooded with condolences from friends who are pained by his untimely death.   A friend, Oyimagada Inya Ken said he was supposed to be on his way for his M.Sc but his exit has been confirmed. Another friend, Ginger Eke Collins Ogbonnia said Ugochukwu was a good man and that they had both carried out many projects, as he bade him eternal farewell. In his own painful comment, David Azuewah said Ugochukwu was a young soul filled with life that would be sorely missed. “My congratulations message yesterday has now turned to RIP today. What a tragedy!” Christain Oko Kelechi said. Monica Mma said thought it was a prank as she found it difficult to believe, saying: “I’ve not been able to place my head around this whole thing. I’ve been waiting to hear is a prank. You made a post yesterday and it was not up to 24 hours and you’re gone. Rest well, Christopher!” “This young man, Ugochukwu Okpani was supposed to travel to the UK today to further his education. He celebrated on his wall and his friends congratulated him. Then he slept and dis not wake up.” His Facebook profile shows hailed from Afikpo in Ebonyi State. The deceased studied at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and lived in Awka, Anambra State capital, before he drew his final breath.

  The meeting between President-elect Bola Tinubu and Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has continued to raise dust, especially among leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano. Daily Trust had reported how Tinubu and Kwankwaso met for four hours in France, discussing a wide range of issues, including the possibility of the NNPP Presidential Candidate joining the incoming cabinet. Responding, Abdulmajid Kwamanda, an APC leader in Kano, said Tinubu must not give any appointment to Kwankwaso, not even that of a messenger. “We in the North West do not welcome Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to our party APC. We do not accept the idea of Bola Tinubu giving him any appointment even as low as a messenger in our dear party. Should Tinubu ignore our outcry and appoint Kwankwaso, we are going to disrupt the entire APC in the north and withdraw our support for him, ,” Kwamanda had told reporters. Moments after Kwamanda spoke, the audio of phone call between Ganduje and Ibrahim Masari, a former placeholder vice presidential candidate of the APC, leaked. In the audio, the governor was heard lamenting being treated unfairly by the president-elect in meeting with Kwankwaso. The governor had started the conversation by saying there is noise all over Kano over the meeting between Tinubu and Kwankwaso. Ganduje said even though Masari had told him of the possibility of such meeting, there was nothing he could have done about it. “But at that time, you could have spoken with him (Tinubu). You can (sic) call him and talk to him,” Masari said. The governor was then heard saying “what could I have told him? Now he (Tinubu) is seeing Kwankwaso as an alternative to us? No problem. Because we don’t have a government? And it’s even because of him (Tinubu) we lost the government in any way. “Even if he will see him (Kwankwaso), he ought to have called us too. Or don’t you understand, even if symbolically.” In the audio, Masari, an ally of Tinubu, was then heard pacifying Ganduje and urging him not to be angry over the development. He asked the governor to remain calm until he visits Tinubu on Thursday and until they meet in Abuja. “And all these things are from God. And the calculation that he is doing is not even accurate… And this man, how did he end up with Jonathan?” Ganduje said. Daily Trust gathered that the governor left Kano for Abuja late Friday and will hopefully be meeting Masari over the weekend before the former would meet with the president-elect, who is due to return to the country any moment from now. When contacted, Abba Anwar, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said he had no authority to speak on the issue. However, he never denied nor authenticated the veracity of the phone conversation. Daily Trust investigative team subjected the audio to multiple verification processes, but there was no indication of manipulation.

  The Presidential Election Petition Court, sitting in Abuja, has disclosed its intention to consolidate the three different petitions that are seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. Consequently, the court, at its resumed proceedings on Saturday, said it was empowered by Paragraph 50 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, to merge all the petitions and determine them together. However, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, who is the lead counsel for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, pleaded the court for time to consult his client. “We, therefore, ask for a stand down or an adjournment so that we can explore the modalities since this is like a marriage which is a union between two consenting adults,” Uche, SAN, added. On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, threw its weight behind the planned consolidation of the petitions. “My lords, my personal conviction is that the provision is mandatory. It clearly stated that if there are two petitions or more that are filed to nullify the same election or return, it must be consolidated, unless the court directs otherwise. “We are happy with the provision of the law and we are also happy with whatever position your lordships will take with respect to this matter,” INEC’s lead counsel, Mr. Abubakar Mahmood, SAN, told the court. However, Mr. Roland Otaru, SAN, who appeared on behalf of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, said he would need time to consult. “My lords, I will need to consult Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who is the lead counsel in this matter,” he pleaded. The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel subsequently adjourned till Monday for the parties to report the outcome of their consultations on the issue of consolidation of all the petitions. It will be recalled that INEC had on March 1, announced Tinubu of the APC as winner of the presidential poll, ahead of 17 other candidates that contested the election. It declared that Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat the two major contenders, Atiku of the PDP, who came second with a total of 6,984,520 votes and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes. However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, both. Atiku and Obi, while separately claiming that they won the contest, lodged petitions before the court. They maintained that Tinubu was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election. Aside from praying the court to disqualify the President-elect on the basis of his alleged indictment in the United States of America, USA, on a drug-related case, the petitioners, among other things, sought the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was issued to him by INEC. While Atiku’s joint petition with the PDP, was marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, that of Obi and the LP was registered as CA/PEPC/03/2023. However, aside from Atiku and Obi, another petition by the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, is still pending before the court. The APM, in its petition marked: CA/PEPC/04/2023, that the withdrawal of Mr. Ibrahim Masari who was initially nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The party argued that there was a gap of about three weeks between the period that Masari, who was listed as the 5th Respondent in the petition, expressed intention to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of his purported nomination, and the time Tinubu purportedly replaced him with Senator Kashim Shettima. It further argued that Tinubu’s candidature had elapsed as at the time he nominated Shettima as Masari’s replacement. Even though five petitions were initially filed to challenge the return of Tinubu as winner of the election, however, the Action Alliance, AA, on May 8, withdrew its case, even as the Action Peoples Party, APP, followed suit two days later by also discontinuing further proceedings on its own petition.

  A Jealous housewife and mother of eight identified as Fatima Salisu has on Friday confessed how she bought an N300 knife and attempted to kill her neighbour’s eight-year-old girl, Sharifa over alleged plans by her husband to get married to a second wife through advice from Sharifa’s father. Fatima, a 35-year-old made the confession when she was paraded by police before newsmen at the Bompai police headquarters. She said she bought the knife for N300 but was left with a N100 balance to complete the payment just to accomplish her mission.   “On our way to Mariri, I bought a knife of N300 but I was left with N100 to balance and complete the payment. The seller ask me to bring the balance anytime I return to the area but I told him I’m not residing or returning to the area. “I attempted to stab her in the stomach but she prevented it and so I cut her on the neck and later stabbed her in the stomach,” she said. It was gathered that the suspect allegedly carried out the act in vengeance and flee to an unknown destination. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna however told newsmen that the fleeing housewife was later arrested from her hideout somewhere in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State after four days of perpetrating the crime. SP Haruna said, “On 14/05/2023 at about 1840hrs (06:40 pm), a distress call was received from a good Samaritan who reported that he heard a loud cry of a girl from an uncompleted building located at Kureken Sani in Kumbotso LGA, Kano State. He was attracted and rushed to the scene where he met a girl in a pool of blood with a sharp knife being stabbed and the knife being stuck in her stomach, in addition to other injuries on other parts of her body.   “On receipt of the report, the victim was immediately rushed to Mallam Aminu Kano Specialist Hospital where she was admitted. “The Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, directed the immediate launch of the hunt by all Police Officers and to use all available assets to ensure that the perpetrator(s) are brought to book as soon as practicable. “Afterwards, the rescued victim identified as Sharifa Usman, 8 years old, of Gadon Kaya Quarters, Gwale LGA Kano while recuperating at the Hospital stated that, “the attack was by a woman in their neighbourhood identified as one Fatima who took her from Gadon Kaya Quarters to the said uncompleted building in Kureken Sani Kumbotso LGA, and stabbed her with a knife on her neck, stomach, left the knife stuck in her stomach, abandoned her and ran away from the scene. “At the preliminary investigation, the husband of Fatima, one Yusuf Aminu, ‘m’, of Gadon Kaya Quarters, Gwale LGA, Kano State was arrested. He claimed that his wife, Fatima has evidence of a mental disorder and is unaware of her whereabouts. Sustained follow-up coupled with intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of the suspect, Fatima Salisu, 35 years old of Gadon Kaya Quarters, Gwale LGA Kano State at a hideout in Dungulmi Village, Isari District, Dutse LGA, Jigawa State on 18th May 2023. “At this moment, the suspect is undergoing investigation at the Police Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by Homicide Section. While the suspect has since confessed to committing the crime, she further stated that she committed the act as revenge, because the father of the girl has been advising her husband to marry a second wife. “However, the discreet investigation is ongoing and upon completion, the case will be charged to court,” SP Haruna however stated. However, the husband, Aminu Yusuf and father of the victim, Usman Abubakar denied allegations of plans to get married to a second wife. Meanwhile, the father of the victim, Usman Abubakar demanded justice for his eight-year-old baby who currently recuperating on her sick bed.

  Former President Goodluck Jonathan says insecurity was his worst nightmare during his time in office between 2010 and 2015. Jonathan made the disclosure on Friday during the commissioning of a 22-kilometre road project in Taraba State. The dualised Yola-Wukari road encompasses six pedestrian bridges and a flyover bridge, among others. Commending Governor Darius Ishaku on what he described as a job well done, the former president revealed that his worst nightmare as president of the country was insecurity. He said he had sleepless nights in a bid to resolve the issues and encouraged residents to live in peace for more development to thrive, adding that road infrastructure is key to any development. Inaugurating the road project, followed by the flag-off of the construction of a heavy-duty vehicles park on the outskirts of the state capital, Jonathan insisted that security is in the hands of the people. The former president also expressed satisfaction that Taraba was gradually returning to the “good old days” of peaceful coexistence and tolerance. For his part, Ishaku said the road projects embarked upon by his administration was to link rural communities to the metropolis to explore the agricultural potentials of the state. The inauguration comes less than two weeks to the inauguration of a new administration in Taraba State.   The inauguration of new infrastructure in the state is seen as one of the major activities undertaken by Ishaku to make an indelible impression. Ishaku, in his remark, said his administration’s emphasis on road construction targets economic growth, especially in rural communities by revamping the agricultural potentials of taraba. The governor used the opportunity to counter statistics putting the state as one of the most indebted nationwide.

  The Labour Party has said it will be calling 50 witnesses to testify against the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and will need seven weeks to get this done.   According to the party’s counsel, Awa Kalu, who addressed the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) in Abuja on Saturday, the duration is because the forensic investigation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has yet to be carried out as directed by the court. BVAS is an electronic device designed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to read permanent voter cards (PVCs) during elections for the verification of voters. Secondly, Kalu said the petitioner is awaiting some documents requested for. It was also agreed the star witnesses would need 30 minutes to demonstrate any electronic evidence.   That class of witnesses will be cross-examined for 20 minutes and five minutes will be for re-examination, while 10 minutes was allotted for other witnesses. For the respondents, 20 minutes was allotted for the star witnesses and 30 minutes for cross-examination. INEC said it had five witnesses set to testify in the Labour Party’s petition and proposed seven days to get it done.   The lead counsel of the commission, Abubakar Mahmoud, however, disagreed that there should be a separate time for demonstration of electronic evidence. Roland Otaru, counsel to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, proposed nine days to call their witnesses, excluding expert witnesses. The APC aligned with the submission of Tinubu and Shettima’s counsel, adding that it would be presenting seven witnesses for nine days.