Sunday 07 April 2024 20 governors’ decisions on state police ready for NEC May – NGF Obi free to leave LP, says NLC Shattered hope: Families of slain soldiers struggle with grief, unfulfilled dreams Why we profess Islam despite discrimination in S’East – Igbo Muslims Katsina NSCDC repels bandits’ attack on FG’s silo Rwanda Commemorates 30 Years Since Genocide Afenifere Asks Tinubu To Reverse Electricity Tariff Hike Russia Evacuates Over 4,000 People After Dam Burst Why New Electricity Tariff Took Immediate Effect – NERC Commissioner IGP Appoints Deputy FPRO, State PPROs New Tariff: FG Mandates DisCos To Refund Customers Wrongly Billed NAFDAC Seizes N50m Worth Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos Raid President Tinubu To Observe Eid-El-Fitr In Lagos State Kidnapped Kogi Chief Imam Regains Freedom Okuama Killings: How Army got entangled in intra-communal, domestic feuds in N-Delta Tariff Hike Row: ‘95 per cent of DisCos’ customers in Band A don’t get 20hrs of electricity daily’ Ousted Ivory Coast leader Gbagbo seeks return to presidency Federal Houses Built Under Buhari Rot Away In States EFCC Nabs Pastor Over N3.9m Fraud In Ilorin 12 Years After, Rivers $400m Monorail Project Remains Abandoned Fresh Tragedy Hits Nigerian Army As Soldiers Die In Boko Haram Ambush ‘Wrong Timing’, Ndume Rejects Hike In Electricity Tariff Special vaccines essential for children, but most parents can’t afford them Impeachment: Ugbomhe tipped to replace Shaibu till Nov 12 How doctrine of necessity saved ECOWAS Parliament from leadership crisis-Barau Bayelsa LG polls: Late arrival of electoral materials, officials, apathy mar exercise Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, has alleged that the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, was behind the establishment of the ethnic militia group, Kungiya Zaman Lafiya. Bodejo, who is facing terrorism charges, accused the governor of pressurising him to form the militia group. The Miyetti Allah leader was arrested by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency on January 23, 2024, at the group’s office in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State for allegedly unveiling a militia group and has been in custody since then. He was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on three counts of terrorism on March 22, 2024. Bodejo was specifically accused of establishing the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya ethnic militia in Nasarawa State without authorisation. The offence was said to be punishable under Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. However, in his confessional statement exclusively obtained by Sunday PUNCH, Bodejo alleged that the Nasarawa State governor was behind the formation of the militia group. He stated that he received a call from the governor earlier in the year expressing his desire to establish a vigilante group different from those of his counterparts. Bodejo said, “I was arrested because of the vigilantes I paraded in Nasarawa State. Sometime in early January 2024, Governor Sule called me and said that he wanted me to see him concerning a Fulani group called Kungiya Zaman Lafiya, which I told him I didn’t know about. The governor said what he called me for was because all the governors had agreed to form vigilante groups in their states like Katsina State had done, but he did not want to organise his like other state governors. “He said he wanted to use all those who participated in the political rally before the election. And he intended to link them with the Army and they would work for him as vigilantes. The governor asked if I could work with Akajo, the leader of the group and I told him that I couldn’t come down to work with Akajo because I am from the national level. Later, I called Akajo to meet me and we discussed how to operate the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya in the state. I told the Emir of Lafia that people complained about the group and I didn’t like them. “However, I asked Akajo about the number of his men. He said there were about 700 men. I demanded for their ID cards which he showed me; the ID cards were authorised and signed by the CSO to the Nasarawa State governor. About two weeks later, Governor A. A. Sule called me to come with Akajo.” Bodejo stated that he met with Akajo and Sule at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. He said despite informing the governor of the negative narratives about Akajo’s group, he insisted that he (Bodejo) worked with him. Bodejo said, “So, I left Bauchi and sent for Akajo to meet me at the Governor’s Lodge. When I got to the lodge, I met Akajo with the governor. The governor enquired what was happening between me and Akajo. I told him that Akajo and his group were spoiling the good name of the governor by causing crises, stealing cattle, and killing people. “They went and cleared the Toto LGA problem. When they got there, they gathered Fulani and harassed them. The Fulani ran away, leaving the cattle. Akajo and his group gathered the cattle and sold them. The governor insisted that I should work with him.” The Miyetti Allah leader claimed that other people from the Nasarawa, Obi, and Kyana local government areas of the state who were meant to join Akajo’s group pulled out because Akajo failed to give them their share of the fund released by the governor. He said, “I told the governor that I requested for the group’s list from Akajo so that I could join it with my people to make up the 2,000 and that he had not given me. The governor said we should have a meeting in Lafia. During the meeting, I told the Ardos what the governor wanted to do with the Kuniya Zaman Lafiya and they bought the idea. During the meeting, one member of the Kunya Zaman Lafiya complained that they were not benefiting from anything. I immediately called the governor to inform him. “The governor affirmed that all funds were released to Akajo for the group, so it was Akajo who failed to settle them. On this revelation, the people were angered and the people from Nasarawa, Obi, and Kyana LGAs said they could not join Akajo’s group. The governor instructed that I should make do with the existing 700 members of the Akajo group and if possible I should make it up to 1,000.” Bodejo added that after the meeting, he met with one of his friends, Captain Ahmed Chiroma (retd.), who advised him to make the establishment of the group legal. According to him, Chiroma made a write-up, which they both presented to the governor. Bodejo claimed that when the governor was presented with the write-up, he rejected it. He said, “After the meeting, I met one of my friends, Captain Ahmed Chiroma (retd.), who is the deputy secretary of the Presidential Think Tank and explained everything to him. Captain advised that I make it legal; he said he would put a write-up for the governor, which he did, and the two of us went to present it to the governor. I don’t know what he wrote but after the governor read the paper, he said no that he wanted to run the state the way he wanted.” Bodejo said the governor then instructed him to meet with the Secretary to the State Government to discuss the cost of procuring kits for 1,000 members of the group. The Miyetti Allah leader said Chiroma advised him to be careful as the establishment of the group was illegal. He

  The Nigeria Labour Congress has told the presidential candidate of the Labour Party that he is free to leave the NLC. The spokesman of NLC, Benson Upah disclosed this in an interview with Punch on Sunday. The leadership of the NLC vowed not to rest until it unseat Julius Abure as national chairman of the Labour Party. Upah said despite the ‘illegal’ national convention that returned Abure to office, the union would never confer legitimacy or give recognition to his leadership. He said, “Our position on this matter is clear and has not changed. Abure remains unknown to us. It is not a question of removal. As far as we know, he does not exist.” Meanwhile, a group of retired workers under the aegis of Lagos Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists has called for the resignation of the embattled national chairman of the party and the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, over their contentious leadership struggle. Obi has been at loggerheads with the leadership of the LP over the manner it conducted the convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, despite his plea for wider consultation. The former Anambra governor, in an X Space session last Friday, expressed his frustrations. Obi said he didn’t attend the national convention that got Julius Abure re-elected as the party’s national chairman because the party’s leadership failed to heed his appeal for wider consultation with relevant stakeholders before the exercise. His comment has further fuelled earlier speculations that the LP presidential candidate may have started shopping for a new platform despite being guaranteed the 2027 ticket at the convention. But Upah said the issue of whether Obi should stay or leave the party should not be debated, saying the former governor was free to determine his destiny. According to him, the NLC cannot stand in the way of the presidential candidate should he decide to defect to another political platform. Upah described Obi as an asset, saying the congress would not stand in his way if he chose to leave. “The right of choice is available to Mr Obi. If he chooses to leave the party, that is his preference. We can’t sit in judgment over him on that. But if he chooses to remain, of course, Peter Obi is an asset any day. I rest my case on that,” he said

  The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has dragged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to court over “the failure to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution, and to recall Senator Abdul Ningi who blew the whistle on the allegations.” The suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/452/2024 was filed on Friday, April 5 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare (who is also the organisation’s Deputy Director) and Mrs Adelanke Aremo. This was disclosed on Sunday in a statement issued by Oluwadare and made available to PUNCH Online. The organisation added that “Mr. Akpabio is sued for himself and on behalf of all members of Nigeria’s Senate.” Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, was suspended for three months by the Senate on March 12, 2024, over his allegations of budget padding. Ningi, in an interview with BBC Hausa, alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn. “Apparently, we discovered N3tn was inserted into the budget for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch,” Ningi had said. The suit read in part, “It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure.” SERAP stated that it sought “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr. Akpabio to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators. “An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to immediately take steps to ensure the reinstatement of whistleblower Abdul Ningi who was suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion. “An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr. Akpabio to put in place transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the trillions of Naira budgeted for constituency projects are not embezzled, misappropriated, or diverted into private pockets.” The organisation stated that “granting this application would serve the public interest, encourage whistleblowers to speak up, improve public services, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public resources,” adding that directing Akpabio to refer the allegations to the EFCC and ICPC “would be entirely consistent and compatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international obligations,” and “would also ensure probity and accountability in the budget process.” Akpabio’s counsel, Umeh Kalu (SAN), had said that the decision and resolution to suspend Ningi was that of the Senate sitting in plenary and not that of his client, Akpabio. Kalu stated this in a letter to human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) titled, “Re: Request to Lift the Suspension of Sen. Abdul Ningi” and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday. However, SERAP noted that the “suspension of Senator Ningi by the Senate followed a seriously flawed process and it amounts to retaliation.” While no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit, SERAP indicated that “budget padding and corruption” allegations over past years “have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services,” adding that proper investigation and prosecution “would end the impunity of perpetrators. It would build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.” The statement read further, “Senator Ningi is a whistleblower, who is protected under article 33 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower because of his public interest disclosures on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate in the context of carrying out his work as Senator. “According to our information, Senator Abdul Ningi, the former Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), recently told BBC Hausa that the lawmakers sought the service of a private auditor and discovered irregularities in the budget.” “Senator Ningi reportedly said, ‘For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion, but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?.’” “According to BudgIT, a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly. 281 projects worth N491bn, and 3,706 projects within the range of N100–500m, worth N759bn, were inserted in the budget,.”

  The Ilorin zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the General Overseer of CAC Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry, Ilorin, Prophet Adeniyi Abiodun James, for allegedly defrauding a member of the church to the tune of N3,980,000. In a statement by the head, media and publicity of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC said that the victim, Oluwole Babarinsa, had in a petition to the commission, alleged that Prophet James called him out during a church programme some time in 2021 that he had a revelation that he would travel abroad. “According to the petitioner, the cleric, in the course of giving the revelation, asked him about his preferred country, to which he replied “Canada”. Thereafter, they reportedly struck an agreement to talk later in order to perfect arrangements for the trip. “The prophet, he said, later told him that he had a friend in Lagos who could help him facilitate his relocation to Canada, but at a cost of N1.7 million and N2.5 million for processing of flight ticket and travel documents, respectively. “The petitioner further disclosed that he had to sell some of his properties and took some loans before he could raise N3,980,000 which he gave the prophet to facilitate his quick relocation to Canada. “After prolonged waiting with no result, the petitioner became agitated and began to query the prophet’s vision, prompting him to ask for a refund of his money. He said that all efforts and entreaties to the suspect to refund his money yielded no positive result”. The statement also said that the suspect would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

  A mother of three, Lovelyn Onyekachi, and her suspected lover, Uchenna Ekwenye, are now in police custody over an allegation of serial sexual attacks and defilement of her three children, aged 5, 7, and 9. According to Vanguard, Information from the police has it that the children were not given adequate attention by their mother, Lovelyn, a development that created the avenue for her lover to violate them.   But the police have vowed to unravel the circumstances that led to the serial sexual attacks and defilement of three children. Consequently, the case has been transferred from Lagos to Abuja, where the duo are currently being detained. Investigation revealed that the police were alerted by their neighbours, following complaints that they were regularly violated by their mother’s lover, whom they call “uncle.” Lovelyn Onyekachi, it was gathered, had brought the children back to Nigeria from South Africa about three years ago, following alleged disagreements with her husband and father of the children, Paul Onyekachi, a Nigerian pastor based in South Africa. Reports have it that, on getting to Nigeria, Lovelyn was said to have met and fallen in love with Ekwenye, who allegedly became a regular visitor to their house, located at Adjacent 7B Esther Ibekwe Street, Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos. It was alleged that during a regular visit, the ‘lover boy’ moved into the house, rented by the children’s father, and often spent time with them when their mother was out of the house. He allegedly took advantage of the absence of their mother to violate them one after the other and even threatened to deal with the children if they informed their mother about what transpired in her absence. However, one of their neighbours who noticed the unusual appearances and behaviours of the children, reported the matter to the police, and the police moved in and arrested the lovers. But in a petition to the police and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State, Nick Onyebuchiomeye & Co, solicitors for the accused, debunked the allegations, claiming that they were ploys by the father of the children to forcefully take custody of his children through blackmail. The lawyers narrated how, on Friday, 15th March , 2024, at about 11 p.m., Lovelyn Onyekachi, “our client, who is currently the sole provider for her children, returned home from reconciling accounts with her staff in her shop nearby, only to discover that her three children—Stephanie Onyekachi (F-9) years old, Majesty Onyekachi (M-7 years old), and Destiny Onyekachi (M-5 years old), whom she had put to bed a few minutes before stepping out—had been taken away by unknown persons, with only a phone number left behind. “Upon contacting the number, our client was made aware that the number belonged to one DSP, Philomena Ehiokhilen of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, and the DSP and her team were the ones who had taken the children based on an allegation that Stephanie Onyekachi had been defiled by one Uche Ewenye, an alleged ‘lover of our client. “The said DSP Philomena invited our client to their office at Novel House, Plot 3 Block J, Otunba Jobifele Way, CDB Ikeja, Lagos State, for questioning on Monday, the 18th of March, 2024. When our client got to the office of the agency on 18th March, 2024, she was detained and has been in detention at Alausa Police Station by the agency till date. “This petition is centered on the strange procedures employed by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency in their purported investigation of the petition as well as the animosity between our client and the parties that presented the petition alleging the crimes, leading our client to question the integrity of the investigations being carried out.” Speaking on the matter, the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Ibrahim Mohammed, said the allegations border on child abuse, indicating that the children have been tampered with. He said, “We are going to do a thorough investigation to unravel the truth, but the challenge we have now is that the Lagos state government is not helping on the matter. “The challenge before us now is that, while the test and investigation conducted on the children at Mirabel, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, on 18th March 2024, gives results of violations and sexual abuse, but, we are told that statement given by one of the children revealed something different. “That is why we want to conduct our own investigation here in Abuja to get to the bottom of this issue. Speaking on the petition written by lawyers to the mother of the children and her lover, Mohammed said the police are out to do justice and urged everyone concerned to allow the force carry out proper investigations. He said, “We are aware that some people have written petitions claiming that it is a case of who takes custody of the children; well, that is not what we are concerned about. We are investigating a case of sexual abuse and serial violation of three children by one Uche Ekwenye, and these allegations are very serious, and we can’t afford to handle it carelessly.” He attributed the delays to an ongoing investigation being carried out by the Lagos state government on the same issue and called on all those concerned to be patient. “I was one of the officers that went to Lagos to bring the suspects to Abuja, and we were told that they (Lagos state government) have an order to hold the children for seven days, by the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Agency. “The seven-day legal backing has expired. There is no more legal backing for holding them. “On Wednesday, I was at the Abuja airport for a whole day, waiting to receive the children, and we waited in vain” Mohammed, while noting that he is aware that the Lagos State government does not joke with such cases, added that they are waiting for the government’s final decision. “I know

  The flood rendered many homeless and destroyed farmlands At least one person has been confirmed killed and another missing following a flood disaster which ravaged Nguroje community in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State. The heavy downpour which lasted for some hours rendered many homeless and destroyed farmlands. Confirming the incident to Channels Television via telephone interview, Taraba State House of Assembly Member representing Nguroje Constituency, Nelson Lens, described the incident as unfortunate. According to him, this is the first of its kind in the area. He said construction of water ways channels has commenced to avert reoccurrence and relief materials sent to victims to cushion their hardship. He insists that the search is still ongoing to find the missing person and identified the deceased as Gomma Saidu.

  Tragedy struck in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State as a truck reportedly crushed two persons to death on Saturday. The incident, which occurred along the Ore-Okitipupa Expressway, in the Idi Mango area of the community, involved a truck and a motorcycle. A source said the accident was a result of the motorcyclist’s recklessness. The source said the motorcycle slipped and rammed into the truck which was coming from the opposite direction. He, however, noted that the driver of the truck escaped from the scene for fear of being lynched. “The motorcycle slipped and rammed into the truck which was coming from Okitipupa. The two boys who are siblings died on the spot. The driver of the truck ran away while the truck has been taken to the police station in Ore,” the source explained. The state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Ezekiel Son’Allah, confirmed the incident. Son’Allah attributed the accident to wrong overtaking and speed limit violations. He said, “Two people died in the accident, and it was a result of wrong overtaking and speed limit violation. “The victims’ corpses were deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital Ore. The crashed vehicles were handed over to NPF, Ore Division.”