President of Humanist Association of Nigeria, Mubarak Bala, has been arrested by the police in Kaduna State for blasphemy.
Bala’s arrest followed a petition by a group of lawyers to the Commissioner of Police in Kano State to prosecute him for insulting Prophet Muhammad on his Facebook page.
The petition signed by one S.S Umar reads, “We are submitting this complain against one Mubarak Bala of Layin Massalaccin Bilai, Karkasara quarters, Kano.
“The said Mubarak was born and raised as a Muslim but for his own personal reason decided to leave Islam for atheism sometime in 2014 and has since then been writing stuffs on his Facebook page that are provocative and annoying to Muslims.”
A source said Bala was arrested by two police officers, who were not in uniform at his residence and is currently detained at the Gbabasawa Police Station in Kaduna. Mubarak Bala
A member of the Bala’s group, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said they were demanding for the immediate and unconditional release of the activist.
He said, “We at Humanist Association of Nigeria are deeply worried by the arrest and detention of our president, Mubarak Bala.
“Mubarak Bala will likely be handed over to the Kano State Police Command that will prosecute him for blasphemy, a crime that carries a death sentence under sharia law.
“We urge the Inspector-General of Police, governor of Kaduna, Mallam elrufai, to ensure his immediate release.”
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Chad has abolished the death penalty as part of a new anti-terrorism law announced by parliament.
The new law replaces legislation that was introduced on July 30, 2015, which made acts of terrorism punishable by death.
The death penalty was reinstated for terror crimes – after the government said in 2014 it would be abolished because of attacks by Boko Haram in the capital, N’Djamena, which left 67 dead including 10 suicide bombers and 182 injured.
In 2018, after four prisoners were sentenced to death in Chad, the European Union called on the government to join the majority of African Union states that had abolished the death penalty.
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Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the posting of three new commissioners of police to Imo, Plateau and Adamawa states.
In a terse statement, Mba said, “CP Olugbenga Adeyanju, Adamawa State, CP Isaac Olutayo Akinmoyede, Imo State, CP Audu Adamu Madaki, FHQ, Abuja, and CP Edward Chuka Egbuka, Plateau State.
“IGP Adamu calls on residents of the affected states to cooperate with the new commissioners in order to maintain law and order.”
Inspector-General of Police (IG-P), Mohammed Adamu
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The Republic of Germany said it has granted Nigeria debt relief amounting to N8.9bn (€22.4m) on account of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Also, the German Government said it had successfully campaigned in the G20 group of countries and the Paris Club group of creditor countries in favour of a debt moratorium for countries heavily affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.
The European economic powerhouse stated this in a statement on Tuesday.
It noted, “In 2020, the German treasury relieves Nigeria of debt repayments amounting to €22.4m (N8.9bn).
“This comes in addition to Germany’s support to the COVID-19 response on a global level and the support provided by the European Union to partner countries in Africa worth €3.25bn (N1.3trn).
Furthermore, Germany said it has also pledged a total of €12m (N4.8bn) in additional support to the West Africa Health Organisation, the regional health institution of the ECOWAS.
The new allocation, Berlin said, is earmarked for the purchase of vital medical supplies and laboratory equipment, training measures and more generally, cooperation in pandemic prevention at the national and regional levels.
“Clearly, the current crisis goes beyond national and even continental borders and can only be fought effectively in a cooperative way.
“We need more international cooperation, not less,” German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, stated.
Some health workers in Ondo have attacked the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, over their unpaid salaries.
The workers while reacting to a Twitter post by Akeredolu on Tuesday, said they wanted their salaries to take care of themselves and their families.
Akeredolu in his post on Twitter had said, “Earlier today, I held a meeting with our Inter-ministerial Task Force on #COVID19 where I immediately approved the request for upward review of the hazard allowance due to medical personnel as recommended by @NigeriaGov.
"The new payment scale commences with immediate effect.”
Earlier today, I held a meeting with our interministerial taskforce on #COVID19 where I immediately approved the request for upward review of the hazard allowance due to medical personnel as recommended by @NigeriaGov. The new payment scale commences with immediate effect.
But unmoved by the governor's words, the workers told him they wanted salaries. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
One of the health workers with the handle, @ODamdem said, “Please sir, pay the salary and arrears of the UNIMEDTHC health workers, July, August, September 2019, March and April 2020. Please have mercy. Hunger is real.”
Another health worker, @Tosin04188894, wrote, “Pls kindly release UNIMEDTHC nurses money, we don't know whether the delay is from the CMD or Mr governor.
"I am pleading, this is our sweat, you can't omit a day from your duty due to the nature of the job, no one received the first three months payment that we were told all civil servants.”
“A good move for Ondo State. Nurses, doctors are being owed arrears. For the nurses three months arrears for 2019. 2020 March salary hasn't been paid to UNIMEDTHC staff.
"Kindly look into this especially during this COVID-19 period.
"Nurses and doctors need to be treated well now,” @Macrina12769492 wrote.
Another user, @gbemgbem1 said, “@RotimiAkeredolu we're expected to deliver our duties diligently but are you fulfilling your own part of the contract? #PayUnimedSalaries,”
Another Twitter user while adding her voice to the issue said, “His Excellency sir, please look into our pain in UNIMEDTHC.
"Fellow medical practitioners under HMB payroll will receive salaries for months and regularly due to your good work but yet UNIMEDTHC staff are being owed minimum of three months and surviving on nothing.”
Jennifer Ezekwu described non-payment of salaries by the governor as the height of injustice and wickedness and advised him to do something about it.
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The executive board of the International Monetary Fund has approved the $3.4bn requested by the Nigerian Government for emergency support.
Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chairperson of IMF executive board, in a statement on Tuesday, insisted that the Nigerian Government must be committed to medium-term macroeconomic stability to support economic recovery and ensure the country’s debt remains sustainable.
The $3.4bn loan from IMF is part of $6.9bn loan Nigeria is seeking from international lenders to enhance its efforts to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the government revenue and the economy in general. International Monetary FundThe Wire
In addition to the IMF loan, Nigeria is seeking $2.5bn loans from the World Bank, and $1bn from the African Development Bank.
The statement reads, “The short-term focus on fiscal accommodation would allow for higher health spending and help alleviate the impact of the crisis on households and businesses.
“Steps taken toward a more unified and flexible exchange rate are also important and unification of the exchange rate should be expedited.
“Once the COVID-19 crisis passes, the focus should remain on medium-term macroeconomic stability, with revenue-based fiscal consolidation essential to keep Nigeria’s debt sustainable and create fiscal space for priority spending.
“Implementation of the reform priorities under the economic recovery and growth plan, particularly on power and governance, remains crucial to boost growth over the medium term."
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Nigeria's House of Representatives has summoned the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, and Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, to appear and brief it on May 5 on government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its template for the intervention in all states of the federation.
This follows the unanimous adoption of a motion of Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Ado Doguwa (APC-Kano) at the plenary on Tuesday.
Doguwa said that index COVID-19 case was reported on February 27, 2020 in Nigeria and the country had so far recorded 1,337 confirmed cases of the virus, 40 deaths and 255 recoveries.
He said the Federal Government had released N5bn to NCDC to scale up capacity and strategise on a rapid response to the pandemic.
The lawmaker expressed worry over the rising spate of unexplained deaths in Kano State in recent weeks where 77 COVID-19 cases had been recorded, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
According to him, Kano being the most populated state of the federation, according to the National Population Commission, has only one testing centre.
The lawmaker said the centre had been shut down for about a week now,m due to lack of some testing materials and reagents.
He expressed concern that Nigeria had so far tested 10,918 of its estimated 200 million population whereas Ghana, South Africa and Egypt with much lower populations had tested 168,643, 100,622, and 90,000 of their people respectively.
Doguwa said Nigeria currently has a capacity for 3,000 tests in a day whereas South Africa has nearly 10,000 capacity per day.
He said Nigeria has only 15 testing centres, one each in Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Osun, Edo, and Ebonyi states, two in the FCT and three in Lagos.
“Convinced of the urgent need to arrest the rising cases of unexplained deaths in Kano and also scale up the national response to the Coronavirus pandemic, including the establishment of at least one testing centre in every state of the federation to save the nation from the scenario being witnessed in Kano, summon the DG NCDC, Minister of Health, and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force to appear before the House at plenary on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, to brief it on government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its template for the intervention in all the states of the federation.”
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Lagos State has recorded a new case of COVID-19 at its seaport on Tuesday.
The case is an employee of APM Terminals, Apapa.
A statement by the General Manager, External Relations, APMT, Daniel Odibe, said the worker last visited the port on April 16 but his COVID-19 status was confirmed on April 27.
The statement reads, “We were informed on April 27 that the test result came out positive.
“The case is currently being handled by NCDC while we continue with our precautionary and response plans in strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol.”
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President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed 38 persons to the board of the Federal Character Commission.
The appointment was contained in a letter read out during plenary by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday.
“In compliance with the provision of section 154 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, I write to request for confirmation by the Senate for 38 nominees as chairman and members of the Federal Character Commission,” the letter read.
The list includes Muheeda Dankaka as the Chairman, Henry Ogbulogo, Salihu Bello, Obonganwan Ebong, Ibeabuchi Uche, Mohammed Tijjani, Tonye Okio, Silas Macikpah, Abba Monguno and Nsor Atamgba.
Others are Alims Agoda, Tobias Chukwuemeka, Imuetinyan Festus, Sesan Fatoba, Ginika Florence Tor, Hamza Mohammed, Diogu Uche, Lawan Roni and Hadiza Muazu.
Also appointed are Muhammad Na‘iya, Lawal Garba, Abubakar Bunu, Idris Bello, Daniel Kolo, Are Bolaji, Nasir Kwarra, Maj. Gen. Suleiman Said (retd) and Abiodun Akinlade.
Buhari also appointed Olufemi Omosanya, Adeoye Olalekan, Adeniyi Olowofela, Stephen Jings, Wokocha Augustine, Abdullahi Tafida, Armaya’u Abubakar, Jibril Maigari, Sani Garba and Adamu Sidi-Ali.
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The Nigerian Senate has approved the fresh N850bn loan request by President Muhammadu Buhari to fund some projects in the 2020 budget.
The request was contained in a letter to the National Assembly, which was read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday.
According to the letter, President Buhari seeks to raise the loan from the domestic capital market to ensure adequate funds to finance projects in the budget.
President Buhari and Senate President, Ahmad Lawan
After the letter was read, the lawmakers gave accelerated approval to the President’s request to raise the loan.
They also asked the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriation to liaise with the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to get more details on the loan request.
Earlier the lawmakers resumed plenary on Tuesday morning after spending 36 days at home following the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country.
Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, has suspended the Lawan of Kadi Village under Fika Local Government Area, Abubakar Lumo Kadi, for complaining about acute water scarcity in his domain and urging government to do something urgent about it.
The suspension order was handed through Emir of Gudi, who is said to have acted based on the instruction received from Governor Buni.
Residents of Kadi have been suffering the lack of water in the area for a long time, SaharaReporters gathered.
The situation has in fact affected the education of many children in the community, who have abandoned school to most times go in search of water for the use of their households.
Yobe is one of the poorest states in Nigeria with more than 90 per cent of it 2.3 million people living below the poverty line.
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The strange deaths in Kano continued on Tuesday after a lifeless body was found under Kofar Nasarawa Bridge, a popular section of the metropolis.
The deceased whose identity is yet-to-be identified, was said to be in his late sixties and suddenly collapsed to the ground and dying immediately.
As a result of the strange incident, residents of the area have continued to express fear.
A handful of them told SaharaReporters that hours after calls were put across to security and health agencies, they had refused to show up to evacuate the corpse.
“We are now restless, we don’t know what killed him, we just found his body lying on the ground.
“We have called the Ministry of Health and police, since afternoon no response, the body has started swelling,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
It was observed that the headquarters of the Kano State Fire Service was less than 100 meters from where the incident occurred.
Over the past week, at least 150 persons have been reported dead in the city, raising deep concerns among residents now desperate for urgent intervention.
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The Delta State Government on Tuesday discharged two COVID-19 patients at the isolation centre at Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, the state capital, SaharaReporters learnt.
Announcing the discharge of the two COVID-19 patients during his statewide broadcast on Tuesday, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa stated that the two persons were discharged following a test carried out on them showing they were negative to the virus for the second time.
Governor Okowa while announcing a partial lockdown of the state with effect from Thursday, April 30, said wearing face masks was now compulsory in the state.
He said, "All borders in and out of the state would remain closed for another two weeks, only essential supplies; food, beverages, medicals, pharmaceuticals, petroleum and agricultural products are exempted from this order.
"Civil servants on grade level 12 and above are to resume work immediately with effect from Thursday, April 30, 2020 and this order does not apply to junior staff on essential/emergency duties.
"While burials and weddings will be allowed, the social distancing rule (6ft apart) must be applied, and the number of guests/persons must not exceed 50.
“Our schools (public and private) remain closed until Sunday, 31st May 2020.
“Entertainment centres, including cinemas, bars and night clubs remain closed until Sunday, 31st May 2020."
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Staff of Abuja Film Village International have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and prevail on Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Musa Bello, to pay their 28 months salaries.
The employees in a letter dated April 27, 2020 addressed to the President and obtained by SaharaReporters, stated that the minister had refused to pay their salaries despite the budgetary provisions and statutory allocation from the National Assembly.
The letter reads partly, “For 28 months now, the Minister of FCT has refused to pay our salaries despite the budgetary provisions and statutory allocation from the National Assembly being covered in 2018 budget till date.”
The workers stated that the last time they got their salaries was in December 2017, adding that the organisation had existed since 2007.
They said, “The committees have recommended to the minister to pay our salaries but he has refused to pay us. He has refused to say anything and refused to shut down the office."
A staff, who spoke with SaharaReporters, narrated how Managing Director of AFVI, Mr Segun Oyekunle, died in active service after suffering from high blood pressure and stroke arising from non-payment of salaries.
Abuja Film Village is a Public Private Partnership initiative of the FCT Administration with the view to making Abuja and Nigeria the centre of film and entertainment excellence.
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As the increase in Coronavirus infections and death rates continue to rise in Kano State, about 70 per cent of medical doctors have abandoned their duty posts in the city, a public affairs analyst in the state, Muhammed Jamo, has said.
Jamo disclosed that medical doctors were scared of contracting the virus while treating others.
He spoke in an interview with Channels Television monitored by SaharaReporters. Doctors on dutyGoogle
He said, “As I am speaking with you today, 70 per cent of the medical doctors have absconded and abandoned their duty posts because they are scared.
“They have not been provided with personal protective equipment to use to protect themselves. It is a sad development what is happening in Kano.”
Jamo said the state government was more political than being proactive.
He added, “Lagos has done so much, first in identifying isolation centres and providing all the necessary amenities needed including training of medical doctors but if you look at Kano, there is no specific treatment or training that was given to the medical doctors and even the state government didn’t do quite enough.”
Jamo urged the Federal Government to intervene in Kano and provide medical support for the state and doctors.
Dr Mansur Ramalan, also speaking in an interview on Channels TV, said there had been a decrease in health care services in the state.
He said more deaths of elderly people were being recorded owing to their health conditions.
“As a result of the lockdown, some of the hospitals have scaled down their services and quite a number of the elderly people have potential.
“People will be worried about any unusual activities, even the healthcare workers are concerned especially the fact that no one truly knows exactly what causes these deaths.
“I don’t think the public have sufficient information about the lockdown and need for them to keep certain behavioural practices within this period.
“I think that there is the need for the public to play their own role in terms of behavioural modification because there are no two ways about it.
“The pandemic is here with us and whatever we do will determine how fast or early we get out of the problem.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, in his latest nationwide address, had said government would deploy additional technical resources to strengthen and support the Kano State Government’s efforts at tackling the situation.
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Minister of information, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday said President Donald Trump of United State has promised to send ventilators to Nigeria to help combat Coronavirus in the country.
According to Mohammed, President Trump made the promise during a telephone conversation with President Buhari earlier on Tuesday.
He said, "President Muhammadu Buhari today had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump at the request of the American President.
"The conversation centred on Nigeria's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Buhari used the opportunity to brief the American President on the steps that Nigeria was taking to contain the spread of the disease.
"On his part, President Trump assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time and promised to send ventilators to support the country in its fight against the pandemic.”
This is coming days after some hospitals in the US said they couldn’t find anywhere to buy the medical device, which helps patients breathe and stay alive with trying to recover from the virus.
Buhari had in his Monday national address said that a dusk-to-dawn curfew will take effect from May 4 as a way of further curtailing the spread of Coronavirus.
“There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements will be prohibited during this period except for essential services,” he said.
Some Nigerians also said that the police would seize the opportunity to extort Nigerians while some did not see any reason how the curfew would contain the spread of the virus.
Expressing thoughts on the issue, @DrOlufunmilayo tweeted, “People will go to work till 6pm in Lagos. They will be in traffic till 11pm. Some days, some are even in traffic till midnight. Please this is just an honest question: How would the 8pm Buhari curfew work in Lagos? How exactly? Are there going to be special buses? Or special routes?”
People will go to work till 6pm in Lagos.
They will be in traffic till 11pm. Some days some are even in traffic till midnight.
Pls this is just a honest question:
How would the 8pm Buhari curfew work in Lagos? How exactly?
Are there going to be special buses?
Or special routes?
— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🛂 (@DrOlufunmilayo) April 27, 2020
Please Mr president hope you will review the time frame for Lagos because many of us leave home before 6am and don't get home till around 10am (due to traffic).
Except you're giving @PoliceNG free license to start extorting citizens from May 4th.
So @MBuhari has agreement with covid-19? The virus won't come out till 6pm? How would we observed social distancing in transportation? Or is it a case of we're on our own?
May 4th
— THE PICTURE OF THE FUTURE (@kingcooljoe) April 27, 2020
My Fellow Nigerians Buhari has extended the lockdown till 4th of May
There'll be a curfew from 8pm-6am,
because the Covid19 will be caged during the day
There'll be no interstate movement,
because Corona sometimes like to chill by the border.
Nose mask and InshaAllah for now
— Alhaji Beardless Smallie👳ðŸ½â€â™€ï¸ðŸ’¦ðŸŒ (@SMiTHiE___) April 27, 2020
Curfew from 8p to 6am
According to lots of Nigerian politicians chaired by HE Buhari had a meeting with CoronaVirus and told the virus not it infect anyone between the said time.
Isn't God marvellous.
Other country leaders right now pic.twitter.com/qBZTK8GmZn
Obviously we can now see the different between a country governed by good leadership and does governed by our so called leaders.. So you expect all Lagosians to move around from 6am and return home before 8pm, I laugh in Spanish #Bubu#Buhari#4th of may
— ☇S♬U♬P♬A.♬Dâ„¢. (@SUPAFEYISTICK) April 27, 2020
This is a serious issue which i think the president advisers should look into to avoid a huge calamity. Lagos state is not like other state
