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After single-figure new cases for more than a week, NZ says it has ended local transmissions for now.

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In a letter to workers Guillaume Faury reportedly said the firm's existence was now threatened.

Some aggrieved staff of Odua Investment Company Limited have given a 30-day ultimatum to governors of South-West Nigeria to immediately appoint directors into the board of the company following its dissolution or face legal action. 

The staff gave the notice in a written petition to reject the nomination of the company’s Group Managing Director, Adewale Raji, as sole administrator to take charge of all activities of the board.

In the petition forwarded to Ondo State governor and Chairman, South-West Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, the members described the choice of Mr Raji as new helmsman of the company as illegal and unlawful.  South-West Governors

They explained that the appointment of Raji in light of a pending case at a Federal High Court to challenge his validity in office ws also null and void.

Last week, the six South-West governors had during their virtual dissolved the board of Odua Investment Limited with immediate effect.

The petition reads, “More intriguing is the fact that the said Mr. Raji is the 4th defendant in the pending suit whilst the governors of the South-West states are 9th–14th defendants respectively.  

“It appears therefore that the purported action of the governors (who are defendants in the pending suit) is a deliberate attempt to foist a position of helpless on the court before which the applications are pending, the same having been adjourned to 29th April, 2020 for hearing."
 
 

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The House of Representatives will on Tuesday resume plenary session after about five weeks of break as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a memo signed by Patrick A. Giwa, Clerk to the House, staff and members' aides are however, expected to work from home.

The document said, “This is to inform all members of the House of Representatives that the House will now resume plenary session on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 10:00am.  House of Representatives

“Members are advised to take note of the new date of resumption, please.

“The COVID-19 guidelines approved by the Federal Government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and additional guidelines developed by the House will be sent to members' pigeon holes for collection on resumption.

“Staff and members' aides are to work from home and will be notified when needed in the office for any special assignment.”

 

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Nigeria has ranked 115 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index as compiled by Reporters without Borders (Reporters sans frontières).

The index cited the killing, detention and brutalisation of journalists alongside targeted attempts to shrink the civic space by the Nigerian Government as reason for the ranking.

In 2019, more than three journalists were abducted and arbitrarily detained for their works in exposing corruption.

They are Agba Jalingo of Cross River Watch, Omoyele Sowore of SaharaReporters and Dadiyata, a vocal social media critic of President Muhammadu Buhari and others.

The report said, “Nigeria is now one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often spied on, attacked, arbitrarily arrested or even killed.

“Two journalists have been shot dead while covering Islamic Movement in Nigeria protests – one in July 2019 and the other in January 2020 – without any proper investigation with the aim of identifying those responsible.

“The campaign for the elections in which President Muhammadu Buhari obtained another term in February 2019 was marked by an unprecedented level of disinformation, especially on social media, much of it the work of officials within the two main parties.

“With more than 100 independent newspapers, Africa’s most populous nation enjoys real media pluralism but covering stories involving politics, terrorism or financial embezzlement by the powerful is very problematic.

“Journalists are often denied access to information by government officials, police and sometimes the public itself.

“The all-powerful regional governors are often their most determined persecutors and act with complete impunity.

“In 2018, one governor had part of the premises of a radio station razed after a series of reports criticizing his handling of local affairs.

“The police also detained a journalist for several days in an attempt to identify his sources. Online freedom is restricted by a 2015 cyber-crime law that is widely used to arrest and prosecute journalists and bloggers in an arbitrary manner.”

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Ebonyi State has recorded its first COVID-19 case.

Governor Dave Umahi made this known while speaking with journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Sunday.

Umahi said the index case was a commercial transporter, who works from Abakaliki to some parts of South-West states.

He said, “Today 26th of April 2020, unfortunately I wish to announce that Ebonyi has recorded the first COVID-19 index case. 

“The index case is a 31 years old man from Ukawu. 

"He runs a transport business with his Sienna vehicle which he uses to carry food items to Ore in Ondo State. 

"Usually after selling this food items, he will use the vehicle to carry passengers back to South-East.”

The patient, he revealed, had made two journeys, one on 29th of March and returned to Ebonyi on 1st of April.

He said the patient travelled again on April 12 to Ore.
 

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Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory have lambasted officials of the city for distributing 'dirty' rice as palliative to them as welfare package to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus lockdown.

In a video seen by SaharaReporters, some residents of Dutse area were seen with a 'dirty' bag of rice labelled 'FCT COVID-19 Palliative for Vulnerable'. 

The residents, who could not hide their anger, rained insults on the FCT officials for sharing such food item to them for consumption.

They accused FCT Administration of   endangering their lives with such food items. 

A resident, who spoke, said, "Federal Government want to kill us. This is what they shared to everyone of us to eat. They gathered us for nothing."

Anger As Nigerian Government Distributes Spoilt Rice As Palliative To Residents WATCH VIDEO: Anger As Nigerian Government Distributes Spoilt Rice As Palliative To Residents Food PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Some gunmen have kidnapped the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Folorunso Olabode.

A councillor and leader in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of the state, Olatunji Omotosho, who was with him was shot dead on the spot.

SaharaReporters gathered that the incident took place between Is an and Iludun-Ekiti area of the state.  Olatunji Omotosho

Isan is the hometown of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

A security source, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said they were attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
 

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The Kaduna State Government has announced the extension of Coronavirus lockdown in the state by another 30 days effective from April 26, 2020.

The state government said, “Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has extended the quarantine orders being enforced in the state for another 30 days. 

"The governor’s decision follows a recommendation to that effect by the State Standing Committee on COVID-19, which is chaired by the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe. This is effective from today, 26th April 2020. 

“With COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in neighbouring states and the FCT, and with strong evidence of interstate travel being a major means of spreading the virus, the standing committee’s evaluation is that measures to protect Kaduna State residents require further strengthening and more vigorous enforcement.

“Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has endorsed this evaluation and has accordingly reviewed the Quarantine Orders to strengthen the provisions against unauthorised movements. The two-day window during which the restriction of movement is relaxed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays has been reduced to only one day.

“Henceforth, only Wednesdays will be lockdown-free until the trajectory of COVID-19 infections become clearer.

“All persons that venture out of their homes for whatever reason must wear face masks and observe social distancing everywhere they go, in markets and in authorised vehicles. 

“Government is making efforts to provide face masks for poor and vulnerable residents, and it appeals to everyone that can afford it to get their tailors to make them cloth facemasks which they can wash after every use. The government also encourages tailors to produce facemasks for sale to those that are neither poor nor vulnerable.

“Therefore, further to these declarations, and in accordance with the law, the quarantine orders imposed at midnight on Thursday, 26th March 2020, are further extended for another 30 days, with the following conditions, amongst others."

 

 

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The Kano State Government on Sunday acknowledged the recent deaths in the state.

According to Commissioner of Information in the state, Mallam Muhammad Garba, investigation into the cause of the deaths was still ongoing but preliminary report from the Ministry of Health indicated that the deaths were not connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Garba said the government was on top of the situation, adding that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje had already ordered a thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the deaths.

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Two persons in Borno State, Abbas Kaka Hassan, a 24-year-old male, and Hauwa Mohammed, 42-year-old female, are on the run after testing positive for COVID-19.

Dr Salisu Kwayabura, Commissioner for Health in the state, made this known on Sunday.

He said the male patient was in initial contact with the response team after his sample was collected but eventually switched off his phone when he learnt he tested positive. 

He also said a phone number through, which the patient’s mother was in touch with the team, had also been switched off.

He said, “When samples of patients with contacts to index cases are collected, they are normally advised to go on self-isolation. They give their contacts so they can be reached when results are out. This is the standard medical procedure. 

"You cant detain someone with suspected case. We do not have the lawful powers to do that. Other patients were also allowed to leave but they came into isolation centres and we have 19 of them in two isolation centres. 
"However, the young man in question chose to go into hiding.”

He noted that a diligent surveillance and investigation team was working very hard to track the patients.
 

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Jacques Henri Lartigue documented La Belle Époque of France.

A mobile court set up by the Federal Capital Territory Administration has convicted three imams and two pastors for violating the lockdown order put in place to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the city. 

The offenders were convicted by Magistrate Idayat Akonni, who sentenced them to one month imprisonment.

They were given the option of a N5,000 fine in addition to a one-day supervised community service. 

Those convicted were Imam Abdullahi Mohammed of Gwarinpa Estate, Imam Suleiman Idris of Mobi close, Area 11, Garki and Deputy Imam Useni Umar of the same address.

Others were Pastor Phillips Olumbori of Celestial Church of Christ, Lugbe, and Rev. Moses Chinedu of Mercy City Gospel Centre, Aco Estate, Lugbe.

Recall that human rights lawyers across the country have criticised the operation of the mobile courts, vowing to challenge their decisions at the high court as soon as the lockdown was lifted.

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The police in Lagos have arrested 620 persons, who violated the lockdown order put in place to stop the spread of Coronavirus in the city.

Spokesperson for the police in the state, Bala Elkana, said the violators were arrested between April 21 and April 24, 2020.

He said, “On 21/4/2020, acting on information, operatives from Denton Police Station arrested 95 inter-state travellers at Bhojson area, Ebute Metta, in seven commercial buses. 

“The buses were impounded; the drivers and passengers were charged to mobile court and sentenced accordingly. In addition, 211 violators of lockdown order were arrested in different parts of the state and also charged to court.

“On 23/4/2020, operatives from Maroko Police Station arrested 10 suspects for organising a party at Lekki Garden. The suspects were arraigned in court on three-count charges and found guilty as charged. They were sentenced to six months imprisonment and community service to run concurrently.

“On April 24, 2020, acting on credible intelligence, officers from Idimu Police Station arrested 39 persons in a hotel at Idimu for clubbing and striptease.

“Also, on 24/4/2020, enforcement team from the Rapid Response Squad, arrested one Suleiman Abubakar, the Imam of Sheik Central Mosque, Mile 12 Ketu, for holding evening prayers in the mosque with a large number of worshippers in violation of social distancing regulations.”
 

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The Osun State Government on Sunday said two persons infected with Coronavirus have died.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola disclosed this to journalists in Osogbo, the state capital.

He said, “We are sad to announce the death of two confirmed cases; one in Ede and the other in Ile-Ife.”

 

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The National Judicial Council on Sunday approved the appointment of 70 new judges for both federal and state courts.

The categories of those to be appointed, according to a statement for the council, are the President of Court of Appeal, Grand Kadis, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, judges of high courts of states, Federal Capital Territory and Kadis of states’ sharia courts of appeal.

The NJC, which is headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, said it had at the end of a two-day meeting on Wednesday considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and resolved to recommend them to their respective state governors for appointment as heads of courts and other judicial officers in Nigeria.

All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn-in after approval by the President Muhammadu Buhari and the respective state governors including clearance by the House of Assembly in states.

 

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Among the major economic activities disrupted by the insurgency in Lake Chad were commercial fishing and farming of red pepper. These were major trading products upon which the local economy of a vast array of communities in the Lake Chad Basin, particularly Borno state in Nigeria, was dependent.

But in 2015 the insurgents took strategic steps to control and re-order trade in both products. They encouraged local fishing among the communities by the banks of the lake and created a new regime of levies and secure routes for fish traders to reach designated markets.

According to the World Food Programme, before the Boko Haram crisis, the combined fish and red pepper trades contributed 28 billion CFA Francs (48 million dollars) to the Nigerien economy, with most of this coming from exports to Nigeria. The red pepper or red gold farming and trade is estimated to employ over 300,000 people.

The leadership of the break-away Boko Haram, which metamorphosed into the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), seemingly more adept at economic planning, saw this and went ahead to design an elaborate scheme to control the sectors.

Because the structures of both the production and trade had collapsed, the ISWAP leadership sent emissaries to various camps of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno State requesting them to return to their farms, fishing and trading under their watch, HumAngle was told.

HumAngle gathered that several hundreds of households in the (IDPs) camps heeded the call, returning to resume farming and fishing activities in the islands. For many households among the IDPs, the desperate and inhuman conditions in the camps made their decision to follow the ISWAP offers easy.

In the years following the insurgency and cessation of fishing and farming, aquatic resources in Lake Chad had improved considerably.

HumAngle investigations showed that the new deposit of aquatic resources made the islands very attractive for several farmers and fishermen scattered across IDPs camps in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria to return.

The new conditions of the lake served ISWAP in two ways: cobbling together an economy under its control and creating a strong basis for recruiting new fighters into its fold. They described the renewed aquatic life in the lake as a strong pointer that Allah had been pleased with the war they had been waging and was rewarding them on the instant with this symbolic manna from heaven.

But experts have attributed the blossoming of aquatic resources in the lake to the reduction of human activity in the region. These included reduced or cessation of irrigation farming for some years and reduced population around the lake.

The individuals and households in IDPs camps who heeded the call of ISWAP seem not taken in by any of the views. “It was difficult to choose between hunger where there is safety such as in an IDPs camp and the abundance of food, where life can end any minute,” said Adamu Baga, who just fled the Island in April to Diffa in Niger Republic.

Adamu, who spoke with HumAngle, confirmed that he paid taxes for the past three years for every carton of smoked fish and every bag of pepper. “I can’t say exactly how much money I have paid in three years but I am sure I and my three children have paid not less than N400,000 to N500,000 and we are not amongst the big farmers,” said Adamu.

There are hundreds of people that produce more than Adamu across the lake’s fishing and farming communities. Apart from the revenue that ISWAP makes from the levies paid by the likes of Adamu, it further makes a fortune from providing security to the farmers and on every product sold in the market.

The insurgents, as a group, are also directly involved in the businesses, HumAngle gathered.

An official of the Borno State government, who does not want to be quoted, said, “fish and other agricultural products from Baga were among the biggest sources of revenue in the state before the insurgency crippled the region.

“Now, most of the revenue from fish is shared between the military that confiscates the goods and the terrorists that charge levies for these items.”

A fish merchant who spoke to HumAngle said his “fishermen pay N15,000 each, every two weeks for fishing rights and for every six cartons of smoked fish, the local dealers on the ground give one cartoon to the landlords.

The landlords are ISWAP officials. “Buyers pay N1,000 to ISWAP officials for every one cartoon of smoked fish they purchase,” our source revealed.

The levies constitute a steady stream of revenue fueling the activities of insurgents in the Northeast of Nigeria. Sources who are familiar with the trade and the collecting points along the supply chain estimate that the insurgents make millions in naira every day during the peak season of business.

“The insurgents also collect taxes from livestock farmers and herders that are based in the lake basin,” said our source. “It is called Hadaya, which is due every six months, and it is paid in the form of one large cow for every 30 cows in the herd.”

In return for the levies and taxes the community dwellers pay, the insurgents provide a framework for arbitration through its Hisbah, as well as access to basic medical services and security. The provision of security is principally for traders travelling from the islands to Kusiri Market in northern Cameroon and the Kinchandi Market in Niger Republic.

HumAngle reliably learned that fish from Kinchandi Market regularly end up in Hadeija, a commercial town in Jigawa state, as well as Kano, in Kano state while those from Kusiri Market in northern Cameroon end up in Mubi, Adamawa state, from where they are moved to different markets across Nigeria.

A Boko Haram defector, confirming the extent of fish trade and how important it is for the insurgents in the region, told HumAngle that most of the holes covered with rods and zinc as seen in photos from the recent Chadian operations were dug to process fish and package them for distribution to the market.

A local method of smoking fish uncovered by Chadian troops in Lake Chad

Every effort to get the exact figure that the Boko Haram factions make in Lake Chad was futile as the group does not declare revenue generated openly. “It is only in the Shura meeting that issues should be raised,” said a mid-level Boko Haram fighter, who added that apart from revenue from ransom, nothing could match the revenues from trade and taxes.

HumAngle, however, estimates that the revenues from these trades accruing to both ISWAP and the sub-faction of Boko Haram in Lake Chad run into several millions of naira every month, especially in the peak seasons for fish and red pepper.

Rather than disrupt the entire production and supply chain, the Nigerian military only focuses on tokenism by seizing consignments from traders on their way to the local markets. A fish merchant whose truckload of fish was seized by the army early in 2019 in Borno state, said traders continued to be in dilemma.

“I didn’t have any option but to pay the levy imposed on me for safe passage. It is the same thing if armed robbers stop you on the way, you either pay or be killed,” said the merchant.

He said up to date, the military had not given any explanation for destroying his truck and stock and that he did not know the whereabouts of his driver who was detained in Maiduguri.

Several accounts revealed that nutritionally, the fish from Lake Chad provide the bulk of the protein requirements of the rural communities in the territory. Additionally, fish supply from the region is known to account for over 70 per cent of fish products traded in large urban markets of southern Nigeria, namely Onitsha, Enugu, Lagos, Ilorin and Ibadan.

Boko Haram’s levies on smoked fish and the red gold in Lake Chad

This carefully woven economic network created by ISWAP may have collapsed temporarily or permanently, considering that recent military onslaught on the insurgents by Chadian forces may have disrupted the very foundations of that economy.

HumAngle learned that the March 23 assault under which the Chadian forces routed the positions of the insurgents in the Lake Chad communities may have put paid to the economic livelines of the terror groups.

In addition, sources said that a clinical and silent campaign of identifying and eliminating suspected insurgents by members of the public was gaining popularity across major Chadian towns and cities.

Speaking concerning the implications of the sudden hostilities by Chadians against the insurgents, a source who is familiar with the cover that ISWAP and Boko Haram members had received in Chad, told HumAngle that “it will limit the group’s access to essential goods that are smuggled daily to the fighters.”

For example, HumAngle learned that some of the taxes or proceeds from trade were not paid in cash. They come in the form of trade by batter for essential commodities such as prescription drugs, spices, petrol, cooking stoves, phones, recharge cards, among others, sources said.

While the Chadians are making efforts to put a stop to this dark window, at least in their territories, it is business as usual in the Niger and Nigerian territories around the Lake Chad basin, sources said.

This news analysis is a partnership between the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism and Humangle Media Foundation under the media and terrorism project. 

SOURCE How Boko Haram Sustains Operations Through International Trade in Smoked Fish

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Armed bandits in large numbers have invaded Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, wreaking havoc all over the place.

As at the time of this report, the bandits have so far attacked about five communities in the Erena axis including Rafin-sanyi, Yelwa, Farin Doki and Gotupe.

According to eyewitnesses, the bandits were seen in Galkogo community as early as 7:00am on Sunday spreading out to the different towns they attacked.

So far, they have been able to escape with dozens of cows and kidnapped about six persons.

Locals revealed that the attacks have been going on for months and security operatives and even government have both failed to address the situation.

 

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A professor of Mass Communication at Bayero University in Kano, Balarabe Maikaba, is dead.

SaharaReporters gathered that Maikaba is the sixth professor to have died within three days in the state. 

His burial has been fixed for 4pm on Sunday.

There is currently apprehension in Kano following the deaths of at least 25 high-profile persons to unknown causes in the city in recent days. 

 

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The Human Rights Commission says people who committed crimes as minors will no longer be executed.

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How Jack Ma's growing clout during the coronavirus crisis may put him in the sights of China's jealous leaders.

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A new interior minister has vowed to spend more money to buy protective equipment after 17 deaths.

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He penned more than 20 novels, plays and essays which won a number of awards at home and abroad.