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The Lagos State Government on Sunday shut down two facilities in Badagry West Local Council Development Area for contravening new guidelines issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the operation of hotels, night clubs and other entertainment outfits aimed at preventing further spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

In a tweet by the state government on Sunday, the facilities sealed include Maggi Hotel and Tambari Theatre Art (night club). 

Speaking on the closure of the facilities, Special Adviser to the governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Solomon Bonu, said it was discovered that there was a high level of immorality going on at the two facilities.

He said, “The night club has become home for strippers, drug barons and all sorts of mischief.”

Bonu disclosed that legal action would be instituted against the owners of the hotel and night club to ensure appropriate sanctions are meted out and serve as a deterrent to others.

While noting that the exercise of monitoring the level of compliance across the state continues, he pleaded with residents to provide useful information that would assist in discovering other hotels and clubhouses still operating in different parts of Lagos. 

 

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The Lagos State Government on Sunday shut down two facilities in Badagry West Local Council Development Area for contravening new guidelines issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the operation of hotels, night clubs and other entertainment outfits aimed at preventing further spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

In a tweet by the state government on Sunday, the facilities sealed include Maggi Hotel and Tambari Theatre Art (night club). 

Speaking on the closure of the facilities, Special Adviser to the governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Solomon Bonu, said it was discovered that there was a high level of immorality going on at the two facilities.

He said, “The night club has become home for strippers, drug barons and all sorts of mischief.”

Bonu disclosed that legal action would be instituted against the owners of the hotel and night club to ensure appropriate sanctions are meted out and serve as a deterrent to others.

While noting that the exercise of monitoring the level of compliance across the state continues, he pleaded with residents to provide useful information that would assist in discovering other hotels and clubhouses still operating in different parts of Lagos. 

 

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Two COVID-19 patients in Kaduna State, who absconded from self-isolation, have been arrested and moved to an isolation centre.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the two persons absconded after being informed that they tested positive for the virus and would be moved to an isolation centre. 

"Security agencies have successfully tracked the two COVID-19 positive persons who fled their homes shortly after they were notified of their test results," the state government said on Sunday evening.  See Also Breaking News BREAKING: Two COVID-19 Patients Abscond From Self-isolation In Kaduna 0 Comments 11 Hours Ago

Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni, also confirmed that both of them were now at the isolation centre.

 

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The National Human Rights Commission has said that security agents enforcing the lockdown order put in place by government to curb the spread of Coronavirus across the country have killed 11 persons.

The commission said the police was responsible for seven deaths while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, non-state actors and the Abia State Task Force on COVID-19 were responsible for one death each.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Executive Secretary of commission, Tony Ojukwu, the NHRC said a total of 104 complaints were received from 27 states.

He stated that there was a reduction in the total number of complaints on human rights violations received by the commission from 105 as contained in the first report for a period of two weeks.  Police deployed to enforce the lockdown AFP Photo/PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

The commission added that investigation was still ongoing as at the time of the report to unravel the perpetrators of the extra-judicial killing that occurred in Jigawa State.

The statement reads, “The report also shows that Enugu State has the highest recorded cases with 13 incidents unlike Lagos State that had the highest cases with 28 incidents in the earlier report released on 14/4/2020 by the commission.

"This is followed by Imo State which had 12 incidents. Akwa Ibom and Nasarawa states recorded 10 incidents each, while Delta and Abia states recorded nine and seven incidents respectively."

He attributed the improvement to the level of awareness created by the commission following the release of its initial report as well as efforts to ensure accountability and adherence to the rules of engagement on the part of law enforcement agencies.

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A coalition of 82 civil society organisations has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to review the composition of the constitution of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

The coalition posited that the board does not only breach federal character but also lacks consultation by the President before appointing people to represent various interest groups and key stakeholders.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had on Wednesday announced the constitution of the Board of Trustees for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

Reacting to the development, the coalition held that the constitution of the board was unduly delayed after the trust fund was passed into law in 2019. 

It added that by the undue delay in constituting the board, nearly one year of the trust fund's six-year tenure was already lost.

Highlighting that the board breaches the federal character, the coalition stated that the appointment of retired Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, as Chairman, and the appointment of Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto as Executive Secretary of the board breaches the federal character principle.

The coalition said, “They both come from the same geopolitical zone.  Section 14(3) of the constitution provides that "The composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few state or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies".

“The penchant by successive presidents to appoint retired Inspectors General of Police to head institutions or mechanisms simply because they have to do with the police has proved to be a misguided and costly mistake.

“A trust fund needs to be chaired by an experienced private sector administrator with integrity and expertise in financial management. It also needs to be insulated from politics and bureaucracy.”

The coalition also posited that there was no evidence that consultation was made before the constitution of the board.

It also frowned at the appointment of Dr Michael Bamidele Adebiyi to represent civil society.

It also called for the need for professional management of the police trust fund.

“There is no evidence of consultation by the President before appointing people purported to represent various interest groups and key stakeholders. An example is the appointment of one Dr Michael Bamidele Adebiyi to represent civil society.

“The appointment of members of a trust fund should be preceded by wide consultations. In fact, we believe that the Police Council ought to have been involved in the process considering that state governors who are critical stakeholders bear the greater burden of funding the police far more than the Federal Government whose responsibility it is.

“The appointment and composition of the Trustees of the Police Trust Fund should be beyond primordial considerations. It must inspire trust in the police, potential donors and the general public. If it does not, then the trust fund is dead on arrival.”

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The unidentified assailants reportedly looted shop, stole cattle and ordered inhabitants to flee.

The Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has said it will take legal action against the World Health Organisation for attempting to commence COVID-19 vaccine trial in Nigeria.

HEDA described as dangerous reported plans by WHO, saying that the trial was an attempt to use Nigerians as guinea pigs and undermine the dignity of the people.

It added that it would be dangerous to the peace and well-being of the people.

HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, in a statement vowed to begin legal action against WHO and any other institution that may support the clinical trial of the vaccine in Nigeria. WHO GettyImages

He said HEDA will be approaching the African Human Rights Court and Nigerian courts to seek legal redress and stop any plot to undermine the self-esteem and right of Nigerians.

The statement reads, "COVID-19 is not a Nigerian specific disease. It did not originate in Nigeria. Vaccine trials are an experimental phenomenon whose outcome and consequences remain unknown even to scientist that initiated them. That is why it is called trial vaccine. The possibility of the trial consuming human life is real.

"It appears there is a conscious effort to have the vaccine trials in African countries with Nigeria chosen as a pilot project.

“We can assure WHO that this decision will be contested by HEDA using all available national and international legal instruments.”

He added that it was suspicious that an official of WHO was the person announcing to Nigerians that there would be a vaccine trial when the country has a Minister of Health apart from the National Assembly committees on health, adding that it suggests a hidden agenda and undermine the country’s sovereignty.

WHO Officer in charge in Nigeria, Fiona Braka, while speaking during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had said efforts were underway to start the process in Nigeria.

She revealed that 89 vaccines were being developed across the world, which included seven clinical evaluations and several therapeutics in clinical trials to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Commissioner for Lands and Housing in Sokoto State, Sirajo Marafa Gatawa, is dead.

This was disclosed by a family source, who said the late commissioner died at an undisclosed hospital in Sokoto after a protracted illness. 

Confirming his death, his niece in a social media post said, “Another painful lost this evening, my uncle, Hon. Marafa Gatawa is dead. 

“May Allah have mercy on him and forgive his sins.”

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National President of Revolutionary Lawyers' Forum, Tope Akinyode, has condemned Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, for demolishing two hotels in the state.

On Sunday, Prodest Hotel, Eleme, and Etemeteh Hotel, Onne, were pulled down on the orders of Wike.

The governor, who supervised the demolition, said the action was taken because the operators of the hotels flouted the lockdown directive put in place to curb the spread of Coronavirus. 

In a statement, Akinyode described the action as unconstitutional, despotic and a gross abuse of power.

He said, “Governor Nyesom Wike is not permitted by any law to arrogate the powers of the court to himself.

“Furthermore, the governor is not empowered to amend the provisions of the Nigerian constitution.

“The Rivers State Government under the supervision of Governor Wike acted pursuant to an Executive Order to destroy the properties today.

“However, it admits of no controversy that the power to determine the guilt of an offence and to issue penalty accordingly lies only within the courts. This is the whole essence of Chapter 7 of the Nigerian constitution which provides for the judicature.

“It is therefore unfortunate that Governor Nyesom Wike proceeded on this exercise of illegality without caution.

“Section 5 of the Quarantine Act states: Any person contravening any of the regulations made under this Act shall be liable to a fine of N200 or to imprisonment for a term of six months or to both.

“In ONAH v. FRN (2017) LPELR-43535(CA), the court established that: While the sentence of the court must be in accordance with that prescribed by the statute creating the offence, a court cannot impose a higher punishment than that prescribed for the offence.  See Also Politics Rivers Governor, Wike, Supervises Demolition Of Hotels, Others Over Coronavirus Lockdown Violation 0 Comments 6 Hours Ago

“This has been the position of the law in other cases such as; AGBITI v. THE NIGERIAN NAVY (2007) LPELR - 4893 (CA). In ALI v. FRN (2016) LPELR - 40472 (CA).

“It must also be emphasised that the Executive Order of Governor Nyesom Wike is nothing but a mere subsidiary legislation. Even though a subsidiary legislation has the force of law, it cannot override the provisions of its enabling law. The enabling law to Governor Nyesom Wike's Executive Order is the Quarantine Act, the Executive Order can therefore not impose a penalty outside of and higher than what the Quarantine Act prescribes.

“It is wickedness to deprive people of their means of livelihood, launch an attack on their fundamental human rights and cause them eternal agony by hiding under the cover of curtailing the spread of disease.

“Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State must stop this illegality and award adequate compensation to all those whose properties have been confiscated and destroyed.”

 

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National President of Revolutionary Lawyers' Forum, Tope Akinyode, has condemned Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, for demolishing two hotels in the state.

On Sunday, Prodest Hotel, Eleme, and Etemeteh Hotel, Onne, were pulled down on the orders of Wike.

The governor, who supervised the demolition, said the action was taken because the operators of the hotels flouted the lockdown directive put in place to curb the spread of Coronavirus. 

In a statement, Akinyode described the action as unconstitutional, despotic and a gross abuse of power.

He said, “Governor Nyesom Wike is not permitted by any law to arrogate the powers of the court to himself.

“Furthermore, the governor is not empowered to amend the provisions of the Nigerian constitution.

“The Rivers State Government under the supervision of Governor Wike acted pursuant to an Executive Order to destroy the properties today.

“However, it admits of no controversy that the power to determine the guilt of an offence and to issue penalty accordingly lies only within the courts. This is the whole essence of Chapter 7 of the Nigerian constitution which provides for the judicature.

“It is therefore unfortunate that Governor Nyesom Wike proceeded on this exercise of illegality without caution.

“Section 5 of the Quarantine Act states: Any person contravening any of the regulations made under this Act shall be liable to a fine of N200 or to imprisonment for a term of six months or to both.

“In ONAH v. FRN (2017) LPELR-43535(CA), the court established that: While the sentence of the court must be in accordance with that prescribed by the statute creating the offence, a court cannot impose a higher punishment than that prescribed for the offence.  See Also Politics Rivers Governor, Wike, Supervises Demolition Of Hotels, Others Over Coronavirus Lockdown Violation 0 Comments 5 Hours Ago

“This has been the position of the law in other cases such as; AGBITI v. THE NIGERIAN NAVY (2007) LPELR - 4893 (CA). In ALI v. FRN (2016) LPELR - 40472 (CA).

“It must also be emphasised that the Executive Order of Governor Nyesom Wike is nothing but a mere subsidiary legislation. Even though a subsidiary legislation has the force of law, it cannot override the provisions of its enabling law. The enabling law to Governor Nyesom Wike's Executive Order is the Quarantine Act, the Executive Order can therefore not impose a penalty outside of and higher than what the Quarantine Act prescribes.

“It is wickedness to deprive people of their means of livelihood, launch an attack on their fundamental human rights and cause them eternal agony by hiding under the cover of curtailing the spread of disease.

“Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State must stop this illegality and award adequate compensation to all those whose properties have been confiscated and destroyed.”

 

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Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has asked Northern governors to stop politicising the movement of almajiris from the state to other parts of the country.

The Kano State Government had last month sent many almajiris back to their home states as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

Some state governors have claimed those deported from Kano tested positive for the virus. 

But Ganduje, while speaking with journalists during a briefing on Sunday, said some of the almajiris brought to the state during the exercise also tested positive for COVID-19.

He asked his counterparts in the North to stop making noise about the movement of the kids.

He said, "We agreed at the Northern Governors Forum that all almajiris should be moved to their states of origin. That is why we are sending, in good faith and procedures, all almajiris that are not from Kano State to their respective states of origin.

"The way we are sending back almajiris to their states of origin, we are also receiving almajiris from other states who are Kano indigenes. But the fact that we are not making noise about it does not mean they are all healthy without COVID-19 infections.

"But we are not making politics out of it. Because we all believe that what they need most now is not noise making or publicity. What they need at this critical point in time is care.

"People should also understand that these children were not infected in the process of transporting them to their respective states.

“So, noise making is not fit as a way forward. All we are doing is simply to comply with the Northern Governors' Forum decision that all almajiris in our states should be taken back to their respective states, simple.”

 

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Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has asked Northern governors to stop politicising the movement of almajiris from the state to other parts of the country.

The Kano State Government had last month sent many almajiris back to their home states as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

Some state governors have claimed those deported from Kano tested positive for the virus. 

But Ganduje, while speaking with journalists during a briefing on Sunday, said some of the almajiris brought to the state during the exercise also tested positive for COVID-19.

He asked his counterparts in the North to stop making noise about the movement of the kids.

He said, "We agreed at the Northern Governors Forum that all almajiris should be moved to their states of origin. That is why we are sending, in good faith and procedures, all almajiris that are not from Kano State to their respective states of origin.

"The way we are sending back almajiris to their states of origin, we are also receiving almajiris from other states who are Kano indigenes. But the fact that we are not making noise about it does not mean they are all healthy without COVID-19 infections.

"But we are not making politics out of it. Because we all believe that what they need most now is not noise making or publicity. What they need at this critical point in time is care.

"People should also understand that these children were not infected in the process of transporting them to their respective states.

“So, noise making is not fit as a way forward. All we are doing is simply to comply with the Northern Governors' Forum decision that all almajiris in our states should be taken back to their respective states, simple.”

 

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Renowned Islamic scholar and National Chairman of Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatul Sunnah also known as Izala Society, is alive.

In a statement on Sunday, the group said, “The Sunni-based Izala Islamic organization in Nigeria wishes to state unequivocally that its National Chairman, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, is alive, hale and hearty. Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau

“Contrary to a story that the sheikh is dead and social distancing has not been observed during his burial. 

“Sheikh Bala Lau is at the moment in Jimeta, Adamawa State, for the Ramadan special tafsir that is transmitted live via various media fora without the usual attendance of people due to the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic.”

Earlier on Sunday, SaharaReporters mistook the death of Izala Society leader in Yobe State, Sheikh Muhammad Adamu Gashua, who has since been buried, to be Lau. 

However, upon confirming the mistaken identity, the online news medium has since removed the publication on its platforms.

A native of Taraba State, Lau became spokesperson for the organisation at the age of 19 and rose through the ranks to become the group’s leader – a role he has held with charisma and dedication.

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An Islamic scholar and leader of Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatul Sunnah also known as Izala Society in Gashua, Yobe State, Sheikh Muhammad Adamu Gashua, has died.

Gashua, it was gathered, died on Saturday following complications from an undisclosed illness. 

He has been buried according to Islamic rites.

His burial at the Emir of Bade’s palace on Sunday morning was attended by a large crowd, who flouted the social distancing guideline put in place by the Nigerian Government to curtail the spread of Coronavirus.

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The Lagos State Government has discharged 21 patients, who recovered from Coronavirus.

This brings the total number of discharged persons in the state to 469.

In a tweet on Sunday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, said those discharged include four females and 17 males. 

He said, "Dear Lagosians, I come bearing good news. Today, 21 #COVID19 patients; four females and 17 males, all Nigerians, have been discharged from our isolation facilities to reunite with the society.

"The patients, three from Onikan, one from Eti-Osa, one from First Cardiology Hospital, six from Lekki and 10 from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital isolation centres were discharged today having fully recovered and tested negative to #COVID19 in two consecutive test readings.

"With this, the total number of cases successfully managed and discharged from our isolation facilities have risen to 469.”

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A former senator from Adamawa State, Paul Wampana, has passed away.

Wampana was reported to have died in his sleep in the early hours of Sunday at his Abuja residence, according to his nephew, Sylvester Ahmadu. 

The deceased, who was born in Vimtim under Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, was Speaker of the defunct Gongola State House of Assembly during the second republic.

Besides being a senator representing Adamawa North, Wampana was also Minister of State for Public Health under the Shehu Shagari administration in 1983.

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Twelve health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bauchi State.

Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Aliyu Maigoro, disclosed this at a news conference on Saturday in Bauchi.

Maigoro said six of the infected workers are in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area, while others are in Bauchi, the state capital. 

He said, “As at today, we have 12 medical officers in the whole of Bauchi State who have been infected with COVID-19.

“Six of them are in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Council of the state, while others are here in Bauchi.

“Let me, however, tell you that we have not recorded any death among these medical workers.”

Speaking on patients fleeing isolation centres in some states, the commissioner said, “We have a link between Bauchi and other states; our surveillance team has a link; if you escape, they will give us your contact, which we will use to trace you.

“There is inter-state synergy; we have just apprehended a contact from Taraba State, who came to Bauchi and he is being isolated.

“Wherever you are, once we have your address, we are going to get you, because if we don’t, you are going to infect other people in the community.”

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