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Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, has told President Muhammadu Buhari that the booing he received from aggrieved residents of Maiduguri, Borno State, during his visit to the city on Wednesday was confirmation of the loss of confidence in his administration.

The party also stated that it was a clear message to Buhari that Nigerians considered him responsible for the rising spate of insecurity in the country.

In a statement by the party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said, “The booing of President Buhari in Borno State is a clear message to him that Nigerians hold him responsible for the escalated insecurity in the country.

“We call on President Buhari to go beyond his sympathy visit to Borno state and take decisive steps to end the killings in that state and other parts of the country. 

“Mr President should not limit his visit to Borno State but also visit other parts of the country, including Kaduna, Kano, Benue, Plateau, Yobe, Adamawa, Zamfara, Kogi, Niger, Taraba and other states to face the feelings of Nigerians as well as view the national devastation his poor handling of security and infrastructure had caused our nation.

“We charge Mr President to endeavour to go on subsequent visits by road in order to see and feel the agony Nigerians are being subjected to with the parlous state of our road infrastructure and security network.

“Our party holds that Nigerians do not deserve a distant President, who sits in the comfort of the Presidential villa and luxury jets, remaining indifferent to the pains, anguish and torments that compatriots suffer on daily basis.

“The PDP hereby calls on Mr President to quickly embark on these visits and monitor, on first hand basis, the damage which his administration has caused and for which Nigerians are demanding that he resigns and allow more competent hands to manage the affairs of our nation.”

 

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The Ondo State Government on Wednesday approved the draft bill for the establishment of the regional security outfit code-named "Operation Amotekun".

Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General in the state, Kola Olawoye, made the disclosure to journalists in Akure.

Olawoye said that the bill will be forwarded to the state’s House of Assembly for scrutiny and ratification. 

He noted that the bill when passed into law by the assembly, would be named Ondo State Security Network and draw preference from the Amotekun Corps.

According to Olawoye, the draft bill which has six parts and 44 sections, is expected to compliment the efforts of the Nigeria Police when finalised into a law.

He added that traditional rulers in the state would have key roles to play especially in the operation of the security outfit in order to achieve its aim.

Recall that in January the six South-West governors came together to establish the regional security outfit as part of moves to arrest to the rising spate of insecurity across the region.

 

 

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Residents of Borno on Wednesday booed President Muhammadu Buhari during his sympathy visit to the state.

Buhari, who returned from Ethiopia after attending the African Union summit, decided to visit Borno following an attack by Boko Haram terrorists, which left at least 30 persons dead.

However, as the President’s convoy drove through the city, he was met with boos and angry chants from residents of Maiduguri, the state capital. 

The residents, who spoke in Hausa language, could be heard chanting and screaming “Bama so, Bamayi” – meaning “We don’t want; we are not interested” when translated to English.

The hostile reception by the people echoes the feelings of many Nigerians already calling on the Nigerian Government to find a lasting solution to the incessant killings by terrorist groups and insurgents in the country.

 

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A member of Omoyele Sowore's legal team, Abdul Mahmud, has accused the Nigerian Government of deliberately delaying his trial by feigning lack of preparedness and seeking adjournments.

Mahmud in a statement on Wednesday said that it had become clear that the government was only hanging unfounded charges against the human rights activist and journalist especially since the prosecution had dropped the initial seven charges over which his client was detained arbitrarily. 

Mahmud said, “The case, Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Sowore and Bakare, came up for trial today. 

"Recall that on 7 December 2019, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu ordered that all documents including the statements of the prosecution witnesses be served on the defence.

"Unfortunately, none was served during the intervening five weeks of adjournment. At the resumed trial this morning, the prosecution informed the court that it had filed a two-count amended charge, which was not served on the defence. 

"The prosecution for the fifth time requested for a short adjournment to allow it serve the amended charge on the defence. Olumide Fusika SAN, leading the defence, opposed the application for adjournment.

"He prayed the court to strike out the charges before it for want of diligent prosecution.

“While delivering her ruling on the applications of the prosecution and defence, Justice Ojukwu lampooned the poor conduct of the prosecution and ordered that it pays the sum of N200,000 ($550) to the defence for wasting everybody's time. 

"While we consider the order as a small victory for Sowore and Bakare, we derive no joy from the waste of scarce resources by a state that can't diligently conduct a criminal trial in open court. 

"In adjourning the trial to Thursday February 13, 2020, Justice Ojukwu reiterated her order that all documents requested by the defence team be served on it. 

"Finally, we note the scurrilous tactics the prosecution team has consistently adopted since formal criminal charges were filed against our clients in late September 2019.

"It is very clear that the Federal Government is only interested in hanging criminal charges around the necks of our clients like scarlet letters to shame them. 

"Our clients remain un-bowed, un-cowed and are ready to have their day in court whenever the prosecution is ready.

"However, we cannot wait for forever for the prosecution to ready itself, while the lives of our clients are perpetually suspended and consigned to towns – Abuja and Osogbo – where they are virtually on forced exile. We shall return to court again tomorrow February 13, 2020.”

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Hanan, daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, has refused to counter the allegations against her that she violated the human rights of Anthony Okolie, a young businessman based in Asaba, Delta State, over a disputed MTN SIM card.

Hanan, through her Lawyer, M. E Sheriff, filed an application to challenge the jurisdiction of the court by stating that the matter should have been instituted at the Federal High Court, Abuja, and not the Federal High Court in Asaba.

However, the young lady refused to file any counter affidavit to the one containing Okolie's allegations.

Addressing the Court, Okolie's lawyer, Tope Akinyode, who is also the National President of Revolutionary Lawyer's Forum, maintained that the inability of Hanan to file a counter affidavit occasioned no denial of the applicant's allegations against the respondents.

When the judge inquired from Hanan's lawyer on why he refused to counter the applicant's allegations, the lawyer said, “We haven't seen a reason to reply them”.

Meanwhile, telecommunications company, MTN, and the Department of State Services, who are co-defendants as Hanan in the suit, also refused to file any court process to challenge Okolie's case.

DSS lawyer explained that he was just aware of the suit a week ago and the case file had not been sent to him.

Giving its own reasons for refusal to file court process, MTN's lawyer said he was yet to receive further directives from his client.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who presided over the case, ordered all parties to file their court processes within two weeks so that the court can hear the case on its merit.

During the court case, Akinyode told the court that the DSS had been trailing him and his client in a bid to further violate their human rights.

This led the judge to instruct DSS lawyer to inform his colleagues to desist from further harassing the applicant.

All parties were represented by their lawyers and the case had been adjourned until March 3, 2020 for hearing.

Recall that Okolie was unlawfully detained for 10 weeks by the DSS on the orders of Hanan for purchasing and using a mobile telephone number (SIM card) previously used but abandoned by her.

Okolie but the item at an MTN outlet in Asaba and was issued official receipt for the purchase.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has visited Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, on a sympathy visit following the rising spate of killings by Boko Haram insurgents in the city.

On Sunday, over 30 travellers were attacked and killed just about 25 kilometres from Maiduguri.

Several vehicles were also destroyed in the process by the terrorists.

Buhari arrived the volatile city straight from Ethiopia where he had attended the African Union summit and also signed bilateral agreements with the country’s Prime Minister.

In recent times, Maiduguri and other parts of Borno have witnessed increased Boko Haram attacks leading to dozens of deaths and displacement of residents. 

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Omoyele Sowore BBC

 

The Nigerian Government has amended the charges brought against rights activist and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, by dropping money laundering and cyberstalking from the case.

Counsel to the government, A. Aliyu, informed Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, of the development on Wednesday during the resumption of trial, which was later adjourned until Thursday to accommodate the new charge against the defendant.

As a result, the Nigerian Government is now accusing Sowore of attempting to overthrow the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari through revolution.

The fresh charge reads, “That you Omoyele Stephen Sowore, Olawale Adebayo Bakare and others at large under the aegis of Coalition for Revolution sometimes in August 2019 in Abuja, Lagos, and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire amongst yourselves to stage a revolution campaign on the 5th day of August 2019 tagged #RevolutionNow aimed at removing the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during his term of office otherwise than by constitutional means.”

Recall that the government through the Department of State Services had on August 3 and 5, 2019 respectively arrested Sowore and Bakare in Lagos and Osun states for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Buhari.

They were eventually released on bail in December after months of unlawful detention.

During proceedings on Wednesday, Justice Ojukwu ordered the Nigerian Government to pay Sowore and Bakare N200,000 each for the unnecessary delay in their trials. 

 

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Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has vowed to recover over N90bn allegedly stolen by the administration of immediate past governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, through inflated contracts.

Matawalle said this following the presentation of the interim report on projects verification in the state.

Chairman of the verification committee, Ahmed Zabarma, had earlier disclosed that 6,180 contracts were awarded when Yari was governor of the state.

He said that many of the projects were poorly done and others abandoned.

Reacting to the revelation, the governor said he will implement the report of the committee and prosecute anyone, who had embezzled the state’s resources.

 

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Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders, and a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of defense.

According to Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, the Nigerian leader and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia witnessed the signing of the agreement on Tuesday in Addis Ababa by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and Gedu Andargachew, respectively during Buhari’s state visit.

Earlier, while meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, President Buhari discussed how to explore new areas of collaboration to further enhance and expand Nigeria-Ethiopia bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefits of the two countries.

The visa waiver agreement is expected to ease travels by officials and contribute to further strengthening of bilateral relations.

The MoU on defense cooperation is important to both countries in the coordination of efforts in the fight against terrorism and securing peace and stability in their respective sub-regions, as well as on the continent of Africa.

The MoU will also enhance bilateral military cooperation in the areas of training and education, technical assistance, exchange of visits and defense technology transfer.

It also entails cooperation in peace support operation issues within the framework of the respective laws of the parties and on a reciprocal basis.

Both sides agreed to swiftly conclude negotiations on the revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement and the MoU on cultural cooperation.

The consummation of these two agreements will provide veritable platforms for deepening existing air transport services, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

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