IYANDA'SBLOG

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Prosecutors claim Jeffrey Epstein sent $350,000 to two suspected co-conspirators late last year.

Millions of Nigerians struggling to make a living are accosted on a daily basis by plain-clothed policemen who are often times on plainclothes, most especially those situated at the Igando police division who collect bribes, harass citizens, and also force innocent citizens to transfer money from their mobile banking APPs before they could release them on the spot.

My friend Abdul-Azeez Soneye and I were harassed and extorted by some officers of the Igando police division on our way to an event. 

We were asked to introduce ourselves and we complied, then one of the officers requested to search my phone but i inquired that he identifies himself because he was on mufti, and he said he is a police officer.

I then requested for his identity card, but he refused to provide it, while this was ongoing some police officers came over to intimidate and harass us. 

When we told the officers that our mobile phones are our private property and they have no right to search it, the corrupt officers replied in Pidgin English: "Shebi una sabi law abi? By the time we are done with you, you will go and be quoting those laws inside kirikiri prisons. I promise you both that no member of your family will know your where-about." 

What a lawless country.

We were bundled into their bus and taken to the Igando police station, at the station we inquired to call our lawyers but they denied us the right to call our lawyer or anyone at all, my phone was forcefully taken from me and all calls coming through were ignored, I had no other choice but to unlock my phone under duress. 

Their threat to send us to prison without anyone knowing it made us play along, but they found nothing incriminating on my phone despite checking every document in my file manager and checking my private and business chats.

The Nigeria Police Force, established in 1930, has a long history of engaging in unprofessional, corrupt, and criminal conduct. 

Over the years, this unwieldy force—Africa’s largest—has proved difficult to effectively manage and control and has become largely unaccountable to the citizens it is meant to serve. 

For many Nigerians the police force has utterly failed to fulfill its mandate of providing public security. 

Indeed, 89 years after its birth, members of the force are viewed more as predators than protectors, and the Nigeria Police Force has become a symbol of unfettered corruption and abuse in Nigeria.

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Adekunle Adeyemi (Scotty Aluta) Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2jFBxUI

Oriental Times

Yinka Odumakin, spokesperson for Afenifere says the killing of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin is a declaration of war on Yoruba people.

Odumakin said herdsmen attacked and killed Mrs Olakunrin, daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere on the Benin-Ore road.

Odumakin said: “When they started with the kidnapping process, they started with Olu Falae, a prominent leader in Akure.

“Whether deliberately or intentionally, this is clearly a declaration of war on the Yoruba. They shall hear from the Yoruba nation.”

He also condemned the incessant attacks of herdsmen in South-western part of Nigeria.  See Also Breaking News BREAKING: Kidnappers Kill Fasoranti's Daugther, Attack Other Travellers On Benin-Ore Road 0 Comments 3 Hours Ago

Narrating how the attack happened, Odumakin said: “Yes. Mrs Funke Olakunrin, 58 years old, daughter of leader of Afenifere was coming from Akure this morning (Friday) to Lagos. 

“When she got to Ore, shortly as she was to hit the express, Fulani herdsmen emerged from the bush, started shooting at her car, maybe they wanted to kidnap her or not, shot at her car and she died from gunshot while her maid who was with her in the car sustained gunshot injury."

The Afenifere spokesperson stated that the group would not take the killing lightly and that would only signal an end to the terror reign of the herdsmen in the region.

"The people will hear from us. They started with Olu Falae. They macheted him, kept him in the bush for four days before Ondo State government paid a ransom to get Falae out. 

“With this, this is the beginning of the end of their kidnap in Yorubaland,” Odumakin said.
 

Insurgency Politics Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2GaDFfg

 

Funke Olakunrin, 58, the daughter of the leader of the pan-Yoruba sociocultural organization, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, was shot dead by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in Ore, headquarters of

Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Sahara Reporters reliably learned that Mrs. Olakunrin was heading for Akure from Lagos when gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked her on the Benin-Ore road.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the woman was assailed in her vehicle by the herdsmen who blocked the Kajola-Ore road and fired shots sporadically.

Effort to reach Pa Rebeun Fasoranti proved abortive as the elder statesman did not pick his calls .

A text message also sent to his line was not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

However, Femi Joseph, spokeman for the Ondo State Police Command said the suspects were only suspected to be kidnappers who also engaged in armed robbery.

Mr. Joseph said Mrs. Olakunrin was the only one killed.

He said three vehicles including a luxurious bus belonging to the Young Shall Grow Motors were attacked by the kidnappers.

According to him, travellers inside the bus were heading from Imo State to Lagos.

However, he said the police have rescued three victims, adding that one Gerald Igboroka had yet to be found.

"The information available to us revealed that the suspected kidnappers were 16 and ambushed three vehicles at Kajola in Ore.

"The three vehicles were said to be going to Lagos and they were all attacked by these gunmen. The gunmen shot at one Mrs. Funke Olakunrin and she was confirmed dead immediately," he added.

Police said they were on the trail of the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has condemned  the killing of Mrs. Olakunrin.

The governor in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Donald Ojogo, said, "To say the least, it represents an unenviable turning point, the depth of everything that is evil.

"On behalf of the State Executive Council, the Governor symphatizes with our foremost leader and indeed the people of the State over this dastardly act .

"However, the governor wishes to appeal to all and sundry to remain calm and allow the Police to unravel the perpetrators of this murder.

"Already, the Commissioner of Police has been directed to comb all forests of Ondo State to bring to book, these bloodthirsty murderers. There is no hiding place for such in Ondo State."

Insurgency Politics Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2NR4hrH

 

Funke Olakunrin, 58, the daughter of the leader of the pan-Yoruba sociocultural organization, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, was shot dead by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in Ore, headquarters of

Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Sahara Reporters reliably learned that Mrs. Olakunrin was heading for Akure from Lagos when gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked her on the Benin-Ore road.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the woman was assailed in her vehicle by the herdsmen who blocked the Kajola-Ore road and fired shots sporadically.

Effort to reach Pa Rebeun Fasoranti proved abortive as the elder statesman did not pick his calls .

A text message also sent to his line was not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

However, Femi Joseph, spokeman for the Ondo State Police Command said the suspects were only suspected to be kidnappers who also engaged in armed robbery.

Mr. Joseph said Mrs. Olakunrin was the only one killed.

He said three vehicles including a luxurious bus belonging to the Young Shall Grow Motors were attacked by the kidnappers.

According to him, travellers inside the bus were heading from Imo State to Lagos.

However, he said the police have rescued three victims, adding that one Gerald Igboroka had yet to be found.

"The information available to us revealed that the suspected kidnappers were 16 and ambushed three vehicles at Kajola in Ore.

"The three vehicles were said to be going to Lagos and they were all attacked by these gunmen. The gunmen shot at one Mrs. Funke Olakunrin and she was confirmed dead immediately," he added.

Police said they were on the trail of the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has condemned  the killing of Mrs. Olakunrin.

The governor in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Donald Ojogo, said, "To say the least, it represents an unenviable turning point, the depth of everything that is evil.

"On behalf of the State Executive Council, the Governor symphatizes with our foremost leader and indeed the people of the State over this dastardly act .

"However, the governor wishes to appeal to all and sundry to remain calm and allow the Police to unravel the perpetrators of this murder.

"Already, the Commissioner of Police has been directed to comb all forests of Ondo State to bring to book, these bloodthirsty murderers. There is no hiding place for such in Ondo State."

Insurgency Politics Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2NR4hrH

A general view of Bukit Jalil immigration detention center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin

 

Thomas Orhions Ewansiha, a Nigerian studying for his PhD in Malaysia has died in the custody of Malaysian Immigration Department.

This was reported on Friday by Channel News Asai (CNA), a Singapore-based television station. 

Ewansiha died of seizure in his sleep on Tuesday, while in detention at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot.

Khairul Dzaimee,  the Director General of the Immigration Department, said yesterday that he was still awaiting the post-mortem report of Ewansiha, as well as a full medical report to identify the cause of death.

Dzaimee claimed that Ewansiha was among 20 foreigners picked up in an operation on Jul 4 at Desa Aman Puri in Kuala Lumpur, following tipoffs from the public and had attempted to flee during the operation but was captured.

He later produced his passport and was found to be holding a valid student pass upon further checks.

“The action of the subject in trying to escape created doubts on the validity of the student pass held by the subject,” Dzaimee said.

Ewansiha was suspected of committing an offence under the Immigration Act. He was held for 14 days for further investigations, Dzaimee added.

While undergoing the documentation process at the Kuala Lumpur immigration office, he was provided with basic medical treatment by Civil Defence Force personnel as he had an old wound on his right leg, Dzaimee said.

Ewansiha did not inform immigration officers of any sickness, he said.

The subjects detained in the operation – including Ewansiha – were sent to the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot at about noon the next day.

They were treated “appropriately” in accordance to the standard operating procedure (SOP) during detention, Dzaimee said.

At about 12.05 am on July 9, the officer on duty was informed by the other detainees that Ewansiha “suddenly” had a seizure while sleeping.

“The Special Medical Unit on duty immediately examined and treated the subject and contacted Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM) for assistance,” said Dzaimee.

The assistant medical officer – who arrived with the ambulance at 12.30 am – examined and assisted Ewansiha, but the student was later pronounced dead.

Following the incident, the supervisor and officer on duty lodged a report at the Bukit Jalil police station.

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology said in a statement yesterday that it was informed of Ewansiha’s death.

The 33-year-old was pursuing a PhD in Management at the university and is survived by a wife and two children.

Travel News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/32pVlgg

 

Olufemi Ogunrinde, an ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said  he transferred results of the 2019 presidential elections were transferred to a central server.

Ogunrinde said this during the presidential election tribunal set up to hear the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP and its flag-bearer, Atiku Abubakar, in the last presidential election are challenging the results of the election, claiming electoral malpractice on the part of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party and Atiku claimed that they won the election with about two million votes according to the data collected from the electoral commission's central 'server'. 

INEC had denied collating result through the central server.

However, at the tribunal on Friday, Ogunrinde said he transferred result to a central server during the election.

He said: “All I know is that the PO (presiding officer) brought the forms EC8C. I put the information from the form into the smart card reader which I transmitted to the server.”

Ogunrinde, however, during further cross-examination said he had never seen the server in question.

He explained that he just transmitted information from the smart card readers to the server based on what he had been taught.

The PDP had requested to inspect the INEC servers after alleging that details of election results were manipulated by the commission to favour Buhari.

The tribunal denied the request to inspect INEC’s server last month, saying granting such an order would presuppose that the court had ruled that the server actually existed.

The court deferred pronouncement on the server until a proper argument has been made by both teams in the substantive petition, which hearing began last week.

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2l5BsK7

 

Olufemi Ogunrinde, an ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said  he transferred results of the 2019 presidential elections were transferred to a central server.

Ogunrinde said this during the presidential election tribunal set up to hear the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP and its flag-bearer, Atiku Abubakar, in the last presidential election are challenging the results of the election, claiming electoral malpractice on the part of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party and Atiku claimed that they won the election with about two million votes according to the data collected from the electoral commission's central 'server'. 

INEC had denied collating result through the central server.

However, at the tribunal on Friday, Ogunrinde said he transferred result to a central server during the election.

He said: “All I know is that the PO (presiding officer) brought the forms EC8C. I put the information from the form into the smart card reader which I transmitted to the server.”

Ogunrinde, however, during further cross-examination said he had never seen the server in question.

He explained that he just transmitted information from the smart card readers to the server based on what he had been taught.

The PDP had requested to inspect the INEC servers after alleging that details of election results were manipulated by the commission to favour Buhari.

The tribunal denied the request to inspect INEC’s server last month, saying granting such an order would presuppose that the court had ruled that the server actually existed.

The court deferred pronouncement on the server until a proper argument has been made by both teams in the substantive petition, which hearing began last week.

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2l5BsK7

Nigerian policemen deployed to prevent kidnapping along Ife-Ibadan highway, South-west Nigeria, were on Monday caught on camera extorting motorists.

According to Premium Times, the policemen stationed at the outskirt of Ibadan, Ikire, Gbongan and Ile-Ife demanded bribe from a driver of a vehicle conveying a journalist and 17 other passengers.

Some of the motorists who earlier spoke with PREMIUM TIMES confirmed the habitual extortion by cops.

While the police officers on the outskirts of Ibadan and Ikire collected the naira notes discreetly without questioning the driver, the ones at Gbongan and Ile-Ife did not.

An officer at Gbongan, with the inscription Akosoba A on his uniform, collected a N100 from the driver and gave a change of N50.

Also, a policeman in Ile-Ife, who appeared in a camouflage, instructed the driver to park his vehicle for raising a question but changed his mind after N50 exchanged hands.

Corruption Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2NTl1ie

Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of University (NASU) in conjunction with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Take It Back (TIB) Movement, Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-Liberal Attacks (ANSA), and other civil society organizations stormed the streets of Lagos today to protest against the victimization of workers and union members and the recent arrest of 38 workers of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, by the school management headed by Mr. Samuel Sogunro, Rector of the institution.

Thirty-eight workers of school were on Monday brought before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate's Court in Lagos over alleged breach of peace.

The police arraigned Adebayo Ogunshola, 41; Samuel Adeola, 34; Samuel Oluseye, 53; Fatai Ibuowo, 37; Joseph Ishola, 49, and 33 others on a six-count charge.  

The counts include conspiracy, breach of the peace, unlawful assembly and threat of violence.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Alex Komolafe, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

Komolafe also ruled that one of the sureties must be an employee of the state government on grade level 12 and above.

He directed that the sureties should not be local government employees or be in the teaching profession under the state government.

"We have been running helter-skelter to get 76 sureties who meets the criteria for the bail, but we are yet to perfect the bail-bond as the requirement for bail of our 38 members who were illegally arrested is too stringent; meanwhile innocent workers are languishing in jail," a protester told SaharaReporters.

ACTIVISM Education Human Rights LABOR/WORKERS' RIGHTS News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/32rstnW

 

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it is in talks with Nigerian government to establish a national carrier for the so-called 'Giant of Africa'.

Nigeria had announced the plans to establish an airline in 2018 but shortly after its proposal, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2018 changed its mind and announced the suspension of the airline prompting public outrage.

But Tewolde Gebremariam, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines, told journalists in Abuja on Friday, “We have been discussing and exploring possibilities to establish or support a strong airline in Nigeria. I don’t mean that there is no strong airline in Nigeria, but we want an airline that can satisfy the demand of the domestic market, the regional market, and international market.

“We are also in talks with Ghana government to establish Ghana Airways but the biggest market which is Nigeria has been a challenge, to be honest with you. We make sure that when we start something, we start professionally and make sure that it succeeds.

"Nigeria is a very large country but unfortunately, since the demise of Nigeria Airways, we are unfortunate that we don’t have a strong carrier. So, this concern is part of continental concern because in Africa, non-African carriers have the biggest shares. It is around 80-20 per cent ratio. 80 per cent of the traffic between Africa and the rest of the world is carried by non-African carriers.

“The homegrown carriers have only 20 per cent of the market. This is not fair and it used to be 60 per cent some years ago but now it is coming down. We are also threatened because all of us in Africa are only 20 per cent of the market.

"So, in a declining trend, there is a possibility that the market share can be zero. So, they will wipe us out. We have to make sure that we work together with all African countries to ensure that there are strong homegrown indigenous carriers. We have done this with Asky in Togo and we want to do it in Nigeria.”

Politics Travel News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2l4RqEi

 

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it is in talks with Nigerian government to establish a national carrier for the so-called 'Giant of Africa'.

Nigeria had announced the plans to establish an airline in 2018 but shortly after its proposal, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2018 changed its mind and announced the suspension of the airline prompting public outrage.

But Tewolde Gebremariam, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines, told journalists in Abuja on Friday, “We have been discussing and exploring possibilities to establish or support a strong airline in Nigeria. I don’t mean that there is no strong airline in Nigeria, but we want an airline that can satisfy the demand of the domestic market, the regional market, and international market.

“We are also in talks with Ghana government to establish Ghana Airways but the biggest market which is Nigeria has been a challenge, to be honest with you. We make sure that when we start something, we start professionally and make sure that it succeeds.

"Nigeria is a very large country but unfortunately, since the demise of Nigeria Airways, we are unfortunate that we don’t have a strong carrier. So, this concern is part of continental concern because in Africa, non-African carriers have the biggest shares. It is around 80-20 per cent ratio. 80 per cent of the traffic between Africa and the rest of the world is carried by non-African carriers.

“The homegrown carriers have only 20 per cent of the market. This is not fair and it used to be 60 per cent some years ago but now it is coming down. We are also threatened because all of us in Africa are only 20 per cent of the market.

"So, in a declining trend, there is a possibility that the market share can be zero. So, they will wipe us out. We have to make sure that we work together with all African countries to ensure that there are strong homegrown indigenous carriers. We have done this with Asky in Togo and we want to do it in Nigeria.”

Politics Travel News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/2l4RqEi

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Andrew Graham-Yooll, who has died aged 75, risked his life reporting on Argentina's dictatorship.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Russians hit back at Western historians over huge Soviet tank losses in the Battle of Kursk in WW2.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Hundreds of young people from India's Jain faith are choosing renunciation and their numbers are rising.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Fans of the late YouTuber Etika explain why they want to keep his memory alive.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The move could prompt a major rift between Turkey and its Nato ally, the US.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Officials say the target of the bombing in eastern Afghanistan was a local militia commander.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The singer is reportedly facing several new charges including child abuse images.