Crime Facts

Imo LG Election Records Low Voter Turnout, Late Arrival Of Electoral Materials

Late arrival of materials and low voter turnout were some of the challenges recorded in the the local government election in Imo State on Saturday. Even though the exercise was relatively peaceful in areas monitored, some civil society groups who monitored the election say the low turnout may be due to low sensitization by the Imo state Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC). Some ISIEC officials, who spoke to Channels Television crew, said the delay in the commencement of the exercise was due to logistics problem and unforeseen circumstances. They, however, promised to extend the time of voting till everyone eligible to vote at various polling centre is given opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility.

#EdoDecides2024: Obaseki forced out of INEC office

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has been forced out of the premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Benin by the DIG Frank Mba. Obaseki was on the premises early on Sunday morning at some minutes past 2am and was there until he was escorted outside by the police. PUNCH Online earlier reported that members of the All Progressives Congress, led by Monday Okpebholo’s running mate, Dennis Idahosa, led protesters to demand the exit of Obaseki from the premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission at about 3.30am on Sunday. As he was being escorted out of the premises, mobile policemen deployed to the INEC office shouted at the governor, “Leave, leave.” Minutes before Obaseki was led outside by Mba flanked by a contingent of policemen, All Progressives Congress National Secretary, Surajudeen Basiru, addressed journalists that the governor had no reason to be on the premises. Basiru said, “He is not a candidate. He has no reason to be here”, describing the governor’s action as abuse of office. The governor was said to have gained entrance into the premises of INEC on Aduwawa Road, Benin City, under the cover of the night and headed straight upstairs, sitting close to the Edo REC’s office where the results were being collated before they would be announced. The protesters at intervals tried to gain entrance into the premises of INEC, but they were prevented from entering even when they repeatedly banged on the gate. At some point during the drama, the DIG in charge of the election, Frank Mba, came into the premises with his team and headed straight to where Obaseki was sitting.

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Ighodalo, Okpebholo in tight race as INEC uploads results

Sunday 22 September 2024 Govt interventions can crash Dangote petrol below N600/litre – Refiners DHQ denies detaining naval rating for six years… INEC Uploads Over 98% Of Edo Election Results On IReV Politicians Bought Votes With Bread, ₦5,000 At Edo PUs — CSOs Imo LG Election Records Low Voter Turnout Police nab serial rapist who lures victims through dating app Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

In The News: CAN Fumes Over Testimonies By Chosen Church Members

A video of a woman, believed to be a member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry in Lagos, has ignited controversy after she shared a testimony about receiving divine intervention during a Federal Government examination. The video, which has since gone viral, shows the woman expressing gratitude for supernatural assistance and revealing that she passed the answers to another candidate during the test. In her testimony, the unidentified woman claimed that during the examination, an old man appeared to her in the examination hall and provided her with answers to several questions. She said the exam was a promotional test for members of the military, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force. “We all had written our career questions. It then came to these very 10 questions, which asked, ‘Mention 10 Francophone countries and their capitals. “Brethren, nobody knew this question. So, all I did was to raise the question paper and declare to it: ‘I am a Chosen! I am a chosen!! I am a chosen!!! This question, who are you? Where is the God of my pastor power?’ “Then, suddenly, an old man appeared by my right-hand side in white apparel. He told me, ‘My daughter, begin to write.’ And I began to write,” she recounted. The woman also recounted how the invigilators, suspecting something unusual, removed her apron—a distinctive garment often worn by members of the church—which she claimed caused “the angel” to disappear. This action, she said, angered her, as she believed it disrupted the divine assistance she was receiving. “But when they returned the apron and I wore it back, the old man appeared again and began to tell the rest of the answers. I completed 10 good questions. I wrote them correctly and accurately. To me, it was like a dream. “Brethren, when I finished writing my questions, a sister who sat by my side was a Mountain of Fire member because of the logo on her clothing. As I took up the answer sheet and was cross-checking my write-up, I signaled to the woman, saying, ‘Sister, do anything you can do humanly possible. “Any moment from now, I am going to submit my questions.’ While I was cross-checking, the sister quietly copied. And immediately she finished, brethren, I stood up and submitted my questions. Everybody in the hall was looking at me. That was how only two of us out of 102 were able to do this,” she added. The church then erupted in celebration as she ended her testimony. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos chapter, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, expressed shock Reacting, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, criticised the church for allowing such testimony, calling it a fabrication. He emphasised that God does not perform miracles in a way that undermines integrity, stating that “there are no shortcuts to academic success other than hard work and belief in God.” He noted that the Christian body would be meeting next Friday to address the controversies raised by the woman’s testimony and several other “unacceptable comments made by Pentecostal pastors on social media.” “She is entitled to her opinion as she is the owner of her mouth. But for anyone to say such, we must verify that. We must see the people in the hall, and they must testify against her that that was never the situation. “But looking at it ordinarily, that is a foolish talk, and nobody should accept that. There are testimonies you don’t allow to be given in the church. And that is why before people give their testimonies, you should invite them and know what they want to talk about. “If it is something that is good for public consumption, you should allow it to go. But if you know that the story they are telling can only be told to monkeys, you should ask the person to go and face the monkeys and say that, not in the church. So, that type of testimony should be served to the monkeys and not to human beings,” the Lagos State CAN chairman said as quoted by PUNCH. “They are all blatant lies from the pit of hell,” he declared, “We will be meeting probably next Friday. It is going to be a CAN general meeting in Lagos, and we are going to address it. We will speak about the madness going on among Pentecostal pastors.”

Politicians Bought Votes With Bread, ₦5,000 At Edo PUs — CSOs

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR), has observed voter inducement at polling units (PUs) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State. “Situation Room observers reported widespread instances of blatant vote buying and selling across several polling units, despite the huge presence of security personnel,” the group said in a statement on Saturday afternoon. The statement was co-signed by Yunusa Z. Ya’u, Mimidoo Achakpa and Franklin Oloniju. “The price of votes ranged from ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 per voter in several locations, including PU08 and 09 Ward 2, Owan-East LGA; PU 02 Ward 2, Etsako-West LGA; and several polling units in Egor, Oredo and Owan-West LGAs. “In some cases, voters were also induced with food items such as bread,” the group said. The group, however, acknowledged the arrest of the alleged two vote traders in George Idah Primary School, Ward 2, Oredo Local Government Area. The Situation Room commended the peaceful conduct of voters and urged them to remain calm throughout the process. The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) including Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), YIAGA Africa, are TAF Africa. Others are Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability (formerly Alliance for Credible Elections, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Kimpact Development Initiative, Democratic Action Group (DAG), Women’s Rights to Education Programme, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), DIG Ebonyi, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Life And Peace Development Organization (LAPDO), Rural Youth Initiative, Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI), Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA) and Josemaria Escriva Foundation.

EdoDecides2024: INEC uploads 90.33% of results on IREV

The Independent National Electoral Commission has uploaded 90.33 percent of the results from the Edo governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal. Results from 4,082 out of the 4,519 polling units where elections were held in the state have been successfully transmitted on the portal. Okùnfà Aáwọ̀ Láàrin Àwọn Mùsùlùmí Àti Oníṣẹ̀ṣe Ìlú Ìlọrin | Punch Earlier today, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, Anugbum Onuoha, reassured the public during an interview on Arise Television that electronic transmission of results would proceed smoothly, barring any network disruptions. “We have trained the operators for the BVAS. They are set. BVAS is to accredit the voters and to know the total number of voters that will vote at that level and that polling unit. “After that, the voters will start voting. At the end of the day, they will count the results, and it will be uploaded to our IReV,” he assured. With more than 2.2 million permanent voter cards collected, candidates from various parties, including Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, are competing for the governorship position. The winner will succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki, who will leave Osadebe House on November 11 after completing two terms in office.

Despite ongoing semester exams, lecturers at IMSU hastily begun strike

Lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Imo State University (IMSU) chapter, on Friday, September 20, 2024, declared an indefinite strike to push for the resolution of long-standing issues related to their benefits. In a joint statement signed by the Chairperson and Secretary of ASUU-IMSU, Comrade Odinakachukwu Ejiogu and Comrade Lazarus Chikwendu, the union expressed frustration over the failure of authorities to address concerns that have persisted for several years. The statement emphasized that the decision to embark on a “total and comprehensive indefinite strike” was made after several attempts at negotiation yielded no results. The statement read, “We are embarking on a total and comprehensive indefinite strike effective from Friday, 20th September. The decision stems from several unresolved issues persisting for years.” “We demand an end to promotion without financial benefits since 2016, ASUU-IMSU staff salary disparity with other tertiary institutions, undue delay in staff assessment and promotion, selective salary payment, and non-payment of arrears of salaries”. “Non-payment of earned academic allowance since 2009, non-remittance of Union check off/welfare dues from 2020-2021, non-remittance of pension deduction from May 2016 to date, non-payment of annual increment in salaries, the inclusion of IMSU into Treasury Single Account, funding of the University and erosion of the University autonomy.” It said, “We have made several attempts through letters, rallies, meetings and press releases and no concrete action has been taken by the university administration, governing council, and the visitor to the university”. “We issued 21 days’ notice on the 18th of July this year so that the University could resolve all the issues but no solution came. We were compelled to proceed on indefinite strike to press home our demands.” However, they called for the understanding and support of the public as they stand for justice improved conditions and a brighter future for the university. The industrial action by the lecturers is coming during students’ semester examinations in university. Recall IMSU lecturers also embarked on strike in 2022.

Report: Enugu elections marred by controversy over missing result sheets

The All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Labour Party (LP) protested the exclusion of result sheets at polling units in Enugu State on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protest began when Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) officials arrived at polling units at 9:40 a.m. without the essential documents. At polling units 008, 020, 003, 002, and 001, located at Christ Church, Enugu South Council, APC and LP agents refused to proceed with the election until result sheets were provided. A Labour Party agent, who wished to remain anonymous, told NAN: ‘ENSIEC provided other materials, but the result sheets were missing. “The Supervisory Presiding Officer claimed she had the results, but would only bring them in the afternoon for the Presiding Officer to enter scores.” An APC agent who also pleaded anonymity corroborated this, stating: ‘There will be no election without result sheets. APGA’s Acting Chairman, Mr Ekene Uzodimma, reported similar issues in Awgu Ward nine, where election materials arrived without result sheets. “Many polling units in my ward have not received materials by 11 a.m.” APGA Councillor for Trans-Ekulu Ward, Mr Okeke Fidelis, said his entire ward had not received election materials. Another APGA Collation Agent, Uche, was denied entry at Enugu North Council Area, allegedly due to only PDP agents being allowed. In Udi Council Areas, APGA Chairmanship candidate, Mr Chukwuemeka Ochi, reported that many polling units were yet to receive election materials. NAN observed a low voter turnout at many polling units visited in Enugu South Council Area.

EdoDecides2024: I won’t take bribes no matter how much – INEC Commissioner

The Independent National Electoral Commission National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, has promised not to collect bribes during the ongoing state governorship election. In an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Gumus asserted that nobody would dare approach her with a bribe because of her reputation. The INEC Commissioner added that the commission will conduct the Edo governorship election in a free, fair and credible manner, adding that it would be the best conducted. She said, “I am in charge of Edo. I want to do the right thing, even though I will not be everywhere. We will conduct this election in a free, fair and credible manner. I cannot take bribes, no matter how much. I don’t have to take billions to do what is right. “Nowhere, nobody will try. Nobody will try me. You know, in any office you are in this country, they know everything about you. And when they know they will not come near. If I see it, I will not allow it. “You won’t believe that since we started this process every day, I am on the platform with the EOCs. In five two-minute or five-minute intervals, I will enter the platform to learn what is happening. If there is anything, I would correct it. That is what I have been doing.”

Kano judicial commission suspends two court registrars over ‘land fraud’

The Kano State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has suspended one Jamilu Ibrahim, a registrar in the Shari’a court, for allegedly receiving funds from a writ of possession fraudulently obtained to sell two plots of land. In a statement on Friday, Baba Ibrahim, spokesperson of the Kano judiciary, said the investigative committee set up by the JSC to investigate the petition against Ibrahim and others found the accused persons were liable for their actions. The committee recommended that Ibrahim should be dismissed from service. Jibo said the commission took the disciplinary action at its 75th meeting held on September 12. Jibo said Ibrahim has been suspended indefinitely without pay, pending the outcome of his trial before a magistrate’s court. The JSC spokesperson also said one Zubairu Sulaiman, the registrar of the Upper Sharia Court, was found to have received N1 million into his account as a commission from the sale of the two plots of land. “The Judicial Service Commission, acting upon the recommendation of the investigative committee, has suspended Zubairu Sulaiman for four months without pay,” Jibo added. “The commission remains resolute in applying appropriate sanctions against any erring staff, particularly those entrusted with judicial responsibilities, to safeguard the integrity and accountability of the judiciary and uphold public confidence.”